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30.43% Learning To Live As A Cultivator / Chapter 98: Chapter Ninety Eight - Just what did I do?

Chapter 98: Chapter Ninety Eight - Just what did I do?

Leon woke with a groan, his head was pounding and his stomach ached. His tongue felt sort of furry and there was a nasty taste lingering at the back of his throat. Unable to open his eyes as the light beyond them seemed too bright, he tried to recall what had happened last night, but beyond drinking his first two cups of rice wine, something he had only drank when visiting Mino's family during dinner, his memories were too fuzzy.

He swallowed to try and moisten his throat and became slowly aware that he was in the arms of another. Braving the piercing light, he glanced through narrowed eyes to the side of him and sighed with relief. It was just Jin Li. Still, he felt the rush of heat in his cheeks and became very aware of the youth beside him. Of the breath that teased his neck, of the hard plains of his chest and of the arm thrown carelessly over his own body.

Taking a few breaths to calm his heart, he decided to try shuffle away, save them both the embarrassment of their position upon Jin Li waking up. As he always tried to do before, as he was always successful in doing before. So why not this time?

The moment he began to move his weary body and escape Jin Li's loose hold, the other's eyes snapped awake. "Going somewhere?"

Leon froze and stuttered heavily an excuse; "Ah, I d-d-d-didn't m-m-mean t-to w-wake you. J-j-just w-wanted t-to g-get up."

"Oh really?" Jin Li drawled as he lifted his head to rest upon the angled frame of his arm and hand, his other arm still across Leon's waist. "So you have nothing you wish to say to me?"

"W-What d-do you m-mean?" Leon asked, unable to shift from Jin Li's tight hold. "D-did I d-do something w-wrong?"

Jin Li's eyes narrowed and he slowly lifted his arm from Leon's waist, the latter inwardly sighing with relief and making a move to escape. Only, that was not part of Jin Li's intentions and Leon suddenly found he was still flat on his back with Jin Li straddling and shadowing his body. If his throat had felt dry before, it now felt parched like the ground after an endless drought. Wide eyed and not even noticing his lack of clear vision, for now he only could envisage Jin Li, he pushed at Jin Li's unmoving body with his small hands.

"W-What are you d-doing?" Leon's trembling voice was little more than a whisper.

"I am trying to decide what this Lord ought to do with you," Jin Li replied. Having successfully captured his alchemist, he was trying to ascertain whether Leon had really forgotten what he had done to himself the night before. Having taken liberties, you dare forget? How should this Lord remind you? How should this Lord have you explain your actions? As these thoughts ran through his mind, he noticed that the gem in Leon's throat was frequently moving up and down and he also began to notice an anomaly with the body beneath him. His eyes began to trail down the helpless alchemist to where he noted it...

A loud knock upon the door and a yell disrupted Jin Li's thoughts as both men's eyes were drawn to the door. "Jin Li, Leon, are you in there?" The cheerful voice appeared to resonate from Sun. "It's time to leave, we've been summoned back to the Outer School. Apparently all students have to attend some compulsory lessons. Jin Li?"

Jin Li clicked his tongue and climbed off of his alchemist, adjusting his robes and tying his hair into a top knot. Leon drew in several deep breaths, still trying to figure out what had happened as well as calm himself, before rolling out of bed and trying to figure out where his glasses were. They were suddenly thrust into his hands, so Leon brought them to his face to catch a glimpse of Jin Li's strange expression, before it disappeared in favour of his usual arrogant one.

This Lord will let you off for now," he stated and spun towards the bedroom door where Sun and the two seniors awaited them.

A confused Leon followed in his wake, rubbing at his temples trying to ease his headache as well as try to recall what had happened the night before. In the end, he shook away his thoughts, unable to pierce the veil covering his memories.

The three youths bid the seniors goodbye and returned to the outer school, where Jin Li and Sun were told that once breakfast was over, they must immediately attend Teacher Vane's lecture. Jin Li scowled; they only had twenty minutes in which to eat then.

After breakfast, Leon was left alone, so sought a way to return to the Alchemist school. As it happened, a griffin tamer was due to check on the stables there so offered the youth a ride on his personal mount. The Male buck in question was huge, much bigger than the young griffins on which Leon had been safely stowed into a carriage upon their backs. Leon questioned his resolve as he climbed the ladder onto the tamer's less than secure looking saddle. The tamer laughed and teased him due to his timid reaction, but it was not long before they were on their way.


Chapter 99: Chapter Ninety Nine - I return to household chores

Although Leon had only been away for five days, his little hut and garden were showing the first signs of his neglect. For example, there was a thin layer of dust coating the shelves inside his home, where the air smelled a little musty and the soil of the planted bladed thistle bulbs was a little dry, despite being watered well (but not overly) before he left them be. The garden had sprouted several new weeds and a handful of them had grown quite big in that very short time.

With a sigh, Leon rolled up his sleeves and grabbed his bucket and cleaning cloth. As it had rained a fair bit over the past couple of days, the barrels outside his home had accumulated a good amount of water, so he did not need to travel to the lake this time. Cleaning took the best part of the morning, especially as he decided to wash his bed sheets in the tub, before leaving them to dry in the brisk air. The weeding took much longer. One of the weeds had extremely firm roots and had buried deep into the soil. Another had a perfumed scent as he tugged it from the soil. He placed these aside, wondering if they were more than just simple weeds.

After a long, arduous day, Leon didn't wish to cook anything complicated and simply made rice congee with peas and herbs before settling upon the floor, basking in the remnant heat of the stove. It had been quite a while since he had last carved and on seeing his knife upon the shelf as he cleaned, his fingers had been itching to grab it. The moment the sharp blade sliced into the piece of wood, Leon felt his whole body relax and his thoughts wander.

Jin Li had been quite strange this morning with his deeds and words, not only pressing for something that Leon could not give him (as he wasn't sure what he wanted), but also reluctant to let him leave the martial arts school. Sun had even questioned him.

"Jin Li, What are you thinking?" The youth had asked. "Leon's not a martial artist, he can't stay here. And besides, Jin Li, is he not at the alchemist school to make pills to help improve your growth and strength? How can he do that if he is here?" Sun had not yet figured out that Leon was not Jin Li's servant, but he was not wrong that Leon would make him pills. "We'll visit when we have time, okay, Jin Li?" Leon had agreed, even though the suggestion was not directed at him and Jin Li had finally given in.

"Don't think that I will forget," he had murmured into Leon's ear as he made to leave, causing the colour to flare in the alchemist's face.

Leon sighed as the leaping koi fish slowly appeared in his hand. It was different to what he usually carved, which were more two dimensional in appearance. Even though it had been a while, he seemed to have not only not have lost his touch, but improved upon it. Though the fish was small, its fan like tail seemed delicate, its beady eyes alert and its body defined with scales. And just beneath the fin upon one side, Leon carved a symbol of prosperity, while on the other side, he carved an 'L' to represent his name on a whim.

After he was done, he yawned heavily and crawled into bed, falling asleep within minutes.

*****

A few of days later, Leon was making his way to the Herb Hall to hand in a large batch of clear spiritual pills, one heart pills and a few blood pills. As he had a fair bit of purple spirit grass in an interspacial bag in the trunk beneath his bed from his experiments, he had decided to use it to test whether the same reduction of impurities occurred in not only one heart pills and blood pills, but their improved counterparts as well. He had not used any of the grass from the Southern Grassy Plains though, not wanting to produce inferior pills anymore.

The result had been much the same with the pills improving in quality even if they were the standard version of the pill. The improved pills had been of good quality to begin with, those made with the grass from White Jade Crystal Mountain or even the little remaining for harvest in his own garden were now on the cusp of high quality, only lacking in the spiritual concentration that would improve Leon's standard pills to above average.

The improved pills were naturally tucked away, the best ones Leon would save for his own use, while the others could be sold for more silver. But Leon hesitated in taking the better quality pills, not wanting to stand out, especially as the higher quality was not due to his talent, but to his source ingredients. So he decided that, for now, he would just take the pills he had made as a base for the experiments. He never considered using the poor quality pills at all, leaving those upon a shelf.


CREATORS' THOUGHTS
Ebonsolaris Ebonsolaris

Author's note; I apologise that after enticing you with dog food, I now must remove the bowl. But as they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder x x x

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