Leon made the Fox bandages over a three days and was carefully rolling up the last of the soggy bandages to place securely into an interdimensional bag, a better version of the interspacial bag as the latter not only provided space, it provided time. Whatever was placed inside an interdimensional bag would not rot nor dry out nor age, although living things could not be placed inside anymore than within an interspacial bag.
It had been a long three days and Leon longed for nothing more than a hot bath and a cup of tea. He suspected other students would feel the same, although they would need to use the large communal baths that were in a Hall to the south of the others. They were exclusively for alchemist students as they did not require points to use and alchemists could make their own herbal baths, but had to go to the extra length of filling up a small, spare tub with heated water to do so. Leon, however, had no intention of using the communal bath as he still had a long journey to get to his little isolated hut and would rather not arrive their sweaty and needing a second wash.
As he cleaned up the spare cauldron and the kegs and basins that he had used to make the Fox Bandages, Teacher Sagi came into the room allocated for his use in the Lecturer's Hall. "Thank you for all of your assistance in these past few days, Leo," the man said, smiling broadly. "I was most impressed by your focus to the task. I heard that you even helped to make a few other pills while the potions were setting."
"Y-Yes," Leon admitted. He had been bored waiting as he had filled all the available kegs with potion and had nothing to do, but grab and eat a quick meal. The Food Hall had been producing a selection of cooked meats, rice, potatoes, vegetables and bread for most of this busy period, from early in the morning until late at night, as well, so students could eat whenever they liked rather than at set times.
After eating, though, he had still had time on his hands and was witness to black smoke pouring out of a certain young woman's cauldron. He'd seen Maimai near to tears with frustration, further exasperated when her sister, Merylin, had produced a fragrant blood pill from her cauldron. It could have been considered as good a pill as Leon's improved blood pill from the scent and lustre of it, although Leon knew its side effects would be worse than his still. He had kneeled beside Maimai and murmured softly; "Hey, long t-t-time n-no see."
"Senior!" Maimai had wrapped her arms about his neck, literally throwing herself on Leon's small frame with a sob. Leon had had to wrap his arms around her to stop her from pushing him over flat upon his back! "Senior! Please help this useless student!"
Ignoring the sudden glares coming their way, he had patted her on the back and helped her practice making the one heart pill until she got the gist of it. It turned out that Maimai was an easily distracted girl. The best way to help her was to isolate her from the other students, so he brought her to the room he had been working on and had her create pills in there, with the door shut to reduce the noisy world beyond.
Once Maimai's concentration was a little better, he had created one heart pills beside her, dishing the average quality pills out swiftly and without fail. Maimai had still messed up once or twice and also produced a handful of very poor quality pills, but mostly, her success rate had improved and she had a couple of jade bottles worth before her stomach had rumbled and she had convinced him to join her for dinner.
Leon did not know it, but he had become perhaps the most hated student in the outer school that day. If only they knew, like Maimai suspected, that he could only be a girl's good friend and never her lover, they might have not eaten so much vinegar.
Teacher Sagi also did not know Leon was being disliked by other Male students at that time, but it would not have mattered to him even if he had. His eyes were on the unexplored potential of the youth before him.
For the two and a bit years that Leo had attended the school, he had not stood out much, just been seen as a diligent student, but not talented, hardworking, but not exceedingly so. He had produced a lot of pills, but they weren't particularly of notable quality. Teacher Sagi, however, had always considered Leo as reliable, though; he would fulfil any task given to him with reasonable speed and never handed in poor pills. There was just one time he seemed to falter and that was when he had had his unexplained deviation in his cultivation. And yet since then, he had proved himself once more as reliable, had broken through into Secondary level cultivation and even had Teachers from other schools enquiring after him. Naturally, this would make Teachers of the Alchemist school sit up and take notice of him.
As this was the case and as Leon had proven himself even more producing a recipe after learning it with Teacher Sagi's teachings swiftly and showing talent with the harvesting of the thorns, Teacher Sagi knew that there would be even more interest in him. So naturally, Teacher Sagi had to claim the boy as his direct student first.
"Leon, how would you like for me to be your Teacher?"
After Leon had returned to the Alchemist school, there was an aura than surrounded Jin Li that warned others away. In fact, there had always been this aura of separation. First years had always placed Jin Li within his own zone, recognising that he was stronger than them and using this as an excuse to not face him, not wanting to lose and knowing they would if they faced him. They were too inexperienced to understand that there are still lessons to be learned in facing a stronger opponent or even losing to one equal to them.
Many seniors had also recognised Jin Li's strength, but they would never admit to it. Some refused due to their own arrogance, so would not fight him or face the truth of their denial. Some feared him or feared losing to him, a first year! and revealing their own weaknesses. A minor few recognised his strength, but did not believe he had experience, so he was not worth facing. It could be said that this was one of the many reasons that they remained in the outer school and could only view the inner school from afar.
Sun was unique. He was immune to Jin Li's aura. But this time, even he noticed it.
It hung around him like a dark, oppressive cloud and no one seemed to have the ability to disperse it.
The martial arts students faced a series of compulsory lessons over the next couple of days; for the first years, the first lesson that they would have to suffer... to have, was a lecture from Teacher Vane. The man spoke of the events of the Standings, giving details of the outer school seniors performances from his own point of view. As most of the first years had watched with their own eyes those very performances, the students soon lost interest, their eyes glazing over and jaws hanging loose as they attempted not to yawn. Sun listened for all of ten minutes, having not witness his immediate peers fight, but he soon joined the rest of his classmates in wishing the time away.
So what if Senior Heus performed a 'bound standing fist' manoeuvre or that Senior Grus swiftly defeated a dire wolf with a 'shimmering blade' technique? Were these not common martial art moves? And wait, were these not your direct disciples, Teacher?
Jin Li, still wallowing in his mire of shadows, paid absolutely no attention to the lecture whatsoever. So it seemed his little alchemist had forgotten his transgressions... but why did that bother him? Many who drunk to excess acted strangely and then conveniently forgot their mistakes. He could easily pretend that the youth had not soiled his face with those soft, plush, damp lips... surely that was for the best... wasn't it?
"Jin Li," Sun whispered as Teacher Vane's back faced them once more, "are you alright? Your face is all red..." any other words he wished to add became stuck in his throat as the youth's eyes narrowed and seemed to become blacker that the legendary abyss.
The second lesson was conducted by one of the few female martial arts instructors, Teacher Eridana. The girls in class looked up to this woman in idolisation as she was famous throughout the region for her talents, her skills and her no nonsense attitude. The males in the class didn't look up at her, mainly their eyes were drawn to the other assets she was famous for. They were especially distracted when the Teacher performed a couple of advanced swordplay techniques that she wished for them to practice.
Sun knew the forms of these techniques as they had their origins in more basic manoeuvres. So long as one understood the roots, one could adapt, with practice, to their advanced forms. Sun was fairly quick when it came to learning new things, he had believed that it had been his physique and stilted cultivation that had set him back. Now the latter was fixed and he had learned that it was his mental attitude not his body that was at fault, he no longer had obstacles to his learning.
With a light sheen of sweat upon his brow, he successfully performed the technique in front of the enchanted fighting dummy. He glanced at Jin Li with a grin seeking praise, only to note that the youth had not even withdrawn his sword. He was staring without seeing at a random spot in the stands and his aura even seemed to be manifesting in Sun's eyes. "J-J-Jin Li?" He stuttered with a slight squeak.
Jin Li, who had decided that he did wish Leon to recall, but even if he didn't, he ought to punish him regardless, was startled out of his dark musings by the stuttering voice and whipped around to see, not the awkward and small Leon, but the increasingly nervous Sun. He clicked his tongue, unsheathed his sword and with both beautiful and elegant form, performed the techniques he was supposed to be practicing, before sheathing his sword and walking away. The dummy fell to the ground in pieces.
Now.. to decide the form of punishment...
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