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31.98% Learning To Live As A Cultivator / Chapter 103: Chapter One Hundred And Three - Jin Li wants to punish me

Chapter 103: Chapter One Hundred And Three - Jin Li wants to punish me

His father was a man who believed in swift justice. If one of his subordinates was to betray him, they would die. If one of his men was to steal from him, they would die. If another tried to smear their family name with mud, they would die.

His mother was much more generous with what she perceived as punishment, believing that the punishment should fit the crime. If a man was to assault a woman, he should lose his thing, if a woman was to covert her man, she should lose her eyes. If they bled to the death in the process, then that was just down to fate.

However, Leon had kissed him. Kissed his face. And then forgotten about it. Did that count as an assault? Well, it wasn't as if Jin Li felt he should die for it nor should he lose his lips. Those glasses were already an eyesore, to make his face worse by scarring it so badly made him feel as if he would be punishing his own eyes more than Leon's body. And it wasn't as if the kiss felt... bad...

But he had forgotten about it! He needed to be reminded! And then what...

"Jin Li!" Sun whispered with some urgency beside him. "It's your turn!"

The final lesson of the day was being supervised by Teacher Eridana, but also observed by many other Teachers, who sat in the stands. This lesson was actually sparring, first year against first year, opponents were chosen by lots.

Sun had faced his opponent already, who just happened to be one of Bullen's followers, but that was a unnecessary point. The youth was the same age as Sun and Jin Li and like many first years, had a feeling of superiority due to the skills and talents he had cultured over his childhood beneath the watchful eyes of his wealthy family. Much of his ego had been deflated thanks to several occurrences, one being the Standings itself, but he still had much pride and definitely felt he was better than the brunette pipsqueak who'd been hiding in Jin Li's long shadow.

That youth's pride was squashed as not only did Sun prove to have learned, if not yet mastered, the techniques from earlier and bruised his person in several places, he could not land a single blow on the agile youth. Sun was declared the winner and the other crept back to the stands to lick his wounds.

Now it was time for Jin Li and his opponent. Being aware that the first year was somewhat more skilful that the other first years and not wanting to his spar to be marred by fear, Jin Li would face a Senior. This senior could technically be considered a second year and had gained a reasonable place in the Standings for his first time. His name was Pavo and as he had been welcoming and humble towards the first years, they generally had a good impression of him.

Jin Li was still feeling sour and seeing the elegant man before him with the amicable smile upon his face did nothing to temper his mood. Pavo greeted him; "I'll be in your care, Jin Li," the youth's pleasant demeanour unfazed by Jin Li's negative aura. Jin Li looked over the man with slightly narrowed eyes and offered a sharp nod in return. Sun listened with a wince, as several whispered behind him how arrogant Jin Li was and how rude he was being to Senior Pavo.

The two youths took stance, their weapons in hand, though still sheathed as this was a sparring match not a fight to maim or kill. Teacher Eridana looked at both before signalling that they might proceed.

"I hope you don't mind if I go first," Pavo announced, to which Jin Li simply shrugged.

"Tch," a voice said angrily behind Sun as the first years watched, "he's looking down on Senior Pavo."

"Two handsome men sparring," a young girl sighed next to her friend, "This is going to be good!"

"Here I go!" Pavo said as he launched an attack, which was parried effortlessly. Pavo danced back on his toes, making it seem that he was testing the other and having decided what next to do, he performed a rather tricky manoeuvre, impressing his juniors with his skill.

However, while Sun snickered beneath his breath, Jin Li was sneering inwardly. What was with this flashy technique, all for show with no use in battle? Jin Li clicked his tongue and countered the move with a much less showy and simply thrust of his sword. Pavo could not dodge the blow, but at the same time, did not reveal any pain from it, giving the impression that Jin Li's attack had been weak. Only the first years, with the exception of Sun, were fooled by this however.

Pavo launched a series of moves, that Jin Li dodged one by one, already too bored by this showman. Soon, Pavo's smile was less amicable and his skin was coated in a light sweat, while Jin Li's breath remained steady and unchanging, his brow dry and his movements remained light. "Let's end this!" Pavo declared, abruptly, deciding to perform one desperate feat, a technique he had been practicing, but not yet mastered. However, it was one he had scrimped and saved for, using his points to gain this coveted skill.

"Sure," Jin Li replied, stifling a yawn.

Pavo began his attack, his sword swiftly switching between thrusts and slices, his footwork steady upon the ground as he inched forward to press Jin Li into a defensive pose and push him back. Jin Li had not encountered this technique before, but quickly understood that should this continue, he would likely take a blow to either his unprotected side after he parried or to his stomach as his stance would be all wrong to block the other's sword. However, there was an easy enough solution.

Jin Li used his stored strength to push away the other's sword to stop his momentum. He then made a series of feather light steps to the side, turning his body as he did and raising his sword so that his opponent's neck was a whisper away from the sheathed blade. "The end," Jin Li murmured, unkindly, before withdrawing his blade and glancing at Teacher Eridana.

"Good job," the woman acknowledged Jin Li's win, glancing through lowered lashes at the distraught look on the Senior's face, before it altered back into his usual amicable one. She sighed inwardly, it seemed the lesson they wanted this Senior to learn, had not been. This Jin Li also, he was a troublesome one. She glanced over at her fellow Teachers, wondering if they had managed to come to a decision about him, finally.


Chapter 104: Chapter One Hundred And Four - The Teachers choose their Students

Each year, not long after the Standings, the Teachers would consider whether or not to take a new student beneath their wings. This was not like the general recruitment process where students were welcomed into the school en masse and then taught under an umbrella system of class lectures and demonstrations. This was much closer to the system favoured by sects where there would be a Master and his chosen, direct disciples.

There were benefits for both Teacher and Student, of course, the most obvious benefits for the students would be gaining lessons, techniques, pills and so on from their Teachers, that they would not be able to access otherwise. For the Teacher, there was the benefits of bragging rights, they could instruct their students to obtain things for them or act as messengers, rather than rely on the request systems and occasionally, there was gold and silver involved, though that was often matters between Teacher and their student's wealthy parents, not all Teachers chose to do this.

Once a year, usually not long after the Standings for the Martial Arts, Beast Taming and Mage schools had been complete, the Teachers of each school would come together to express their interest in certain students. A few Teachers would not participate in such talks, having no interests in taking personal students beneath their wings or like Teacher Corne, who had accepted Pike, but no others and had no intention of doing so either. Others would exchange heated words when there were doubts over that student's ability or when more than one Teacher was interested in said student.

Once all was said and done, all students, be they Outer or Inner school, were gathered in one place. For the martial arts students, this was the inner school arena. Most of the outer school first years had yet to enter the inner school for any reason and already they felt a fire in their bellies over the more impressive size and structure of the school, wanting to be a part of this. The students gathered in the grounds, while the Teachers gathered above them in the stands. Also in the lower seating area were the disciples who could already claim Masters.

Teacher Eridana, who just happened to be Bowyer's Master, stepped forward and used a wind spell to project her voice to all ears below. "Students," she began, "firstly, I wish to congratulate all those who rose within the Standings, improving their lot as well as offering congratulations to those who participated for the first time. Those who fell in place, please use this as a lesson to be learned. Although there will always be those who lose placement as others rise, losing heart or patience will only become an obstacle to your progression.

"After the Standings ended, twenty five students reached the age of graduation. We, Teachers, hope you will take what you have learned here and use it wisely upon whatever path you now chose to take. We also hope that you will remember your years here fondly.

"And lastly, the Teachers will now announce which students will become disciples. As we mention every year, we do not take these decisions lightly and we do not chose without reason. For those who are not chosen, it does not mean with think less of you and we will still continue to train you without favour. Teacher Vane, if you please."

Teacher Vane was considered a senior to many of the Teachers, having taught at the school for many, many years. Despite being a Cultivator half step into the Septenary stage, his face was lined from age, his youth lost to him before his physical age ceased progressing. He had a meticulous nature bordering on obsessive, was overly strict and did not give praise lightly. However, he was known to be generous to his students and did not discriminate between commoners and nobles, thus as a potential Master, he was a popular choice.

Teacher Tremmas, on the other hand, was rumoured to be a Teacher who liked gold and this was easily reflected with his chosen students. Basically, most were nobles, with one being the daughter of a very wealthy merchant. None had particularly brilliant skill sets and his students generally placed in the middle to high placements of the Standings, but none were top twenty for either inner or outer schools. When he stepped forward to name names, a handful of students were caught grinning brightly as if already aware.

These few, plus those chosen by Teacher Vane stepped forward and joined the others waiting in the stands for them.

This continued on for a bit, with Teacher Eridana choosing two students and Teacher Corne, unsurprisingly, choosing none. Other Teachers made their choices and as the last name was spoken, many first years (who had heard the name of only one of their own called) glanced around at Jin Li and Sun, neither of whom had been selected. Sun had a slight look of disappointment, while Jin Li... Jin Li looked as if he hadn't slept too well and was just irritable. The first years gave a slight sigh of relief; as they had thought, Jin Li wasn't so great! He could not even be acknowledged by the Teachers!

Suddenly, behind the crowd of Students, a man suddenly sat up from where he had been snoozing in amongst the stands. His hair was a curled mess that covered two thick brows and then continued fall until it blended in with a wiry beard that stuck out in many directions. "Ah! I want to pick a student too!" The man suddenly said, scratching at his chest before belching loudly. "I'll pick... I'll pick that one." He stuck out a finger and pointed in the direction of Jin Li and Sun.


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