There were several events that occurred in the Ascending Mountain Institute, which aided to break up the tedium that is a common theme amongst all educational institutes no matter the universe that they are set in. Four were considered fixed events, such as the Standings, but occasionally there were others. Some were set by local sects, for example and others were due to unexpected fluctuations in the space-time continuum such as dimensions opening for brief amounts of time where huge treasures could be obtained and the rarest of beasts could be hunted.
The Five School Market Festival was not particularly fixed, usually occurring once a year, in either Spring, Summer or Autumn and was an opportunity for students to trade amongst themselves for benefits as well as showcase branch subjects.
Branch subjects were something that Leo had mentioned in his diaries, touching briefly on the subject for other institutes, but focusing mostly upon those of the Alchemist school. The main route for an Alchemist Student naturally leaned towards becoming an Alchemist, however not every apprentice alchemist had the talent, skill set or will to become one. Thus the school offered certain students the opportunities to study a branch subject. Learning how to farm herbs was a popular choice, but there also happened to be a little known class for Medicinal Cuisine and there was a class to learn about rare herbs, where they could be found and how to dig them out of their habitat without ruining their quality. And of course, there was the minor route of the Pharmacist.
Generally, a student was selected for two reasons; they had reached third level cultivation and thus had the ability to expand their studies or they were just a couple of years from final graduation (meaning they would be too old to continue their studies in the institute) but were not able students. These latter men and women were encouraged to focus completely on one branch subject, allowing themselves a path of survival in the future.
Neither were hard and fast rules, for instance, Scholarly students were usually pushed into branch studies from once they reached secondary cultivation or from when they cease being first years; which ever was the latter. Being a pure scholar brought very few wealth or success, so it was better to focus on just a few subjects. Healers often came from this school, as did Merchants. But also Scholarly subjects often overlapped with the other schools, so there were many paths for a Scholar Apprentice to take, making it fairly popular in its own right.
Leon was considered an 'average' student, despite the talent some eagle eyes had caught, thus in case his path was hindered in the future by well meaning individuals, Teacher Sagi had taken it upon himself to further Leon's studies in the branch subject of Herb Cultivation. Leon was not aware of this, but if he was, he likely would have chosen to study this as it furthered his and Leo's interest in pill experimentation anyway.
Jin Li was of third stage cultivation, but was not given the opportunity of branch studies as he was still a First Year and ordinarily, a First Year should concentrate on the main subject of the school as well as Cultivation. But even given the choice, a child brought up to solely focus upon Martial Arts until it was the core of his entire being, likely would scoff at such opportunities and continue upon his narrow path as if it were an obsession.
This year's Five School Market Festival was planned for the next full moon as the Scholar Students in charge of the Festival this year had decided that this would be a marvellous setting, with the air of something mysterious and yet romantic all at once! Let's not say what other students thought about this idea; it was recorded in the annuals that other student groups had had worse ideas. A Hundred years ago, the Martial Artist Students in charge had chosen to hold it in a labyrinth of caves that happened to be the habitat of Greater Whiskered Arachnids. Granting, this spider was not poisonous, but the thing still had eight hairy legs and eight beady eyes and was the size of a grown man's hand. It had not made for a popular festival.
The Festival was open to all, but only seniors could manage stalls. Thus should he choose too, Leon was able to set up a stall and trade his pills, herbs or even his woodworks. Even though there was nothing in the curriculum for carving wood products, there were no rules against it. Technically for both body and mind, this would be his first Festival, as Leo had been in 'closed cultivation' (he was holed up making weird pills) last year and the year before and Leon had only arrived in this world a few months ago.
However, he had time to consider whether to set up a stall or window shop for the full moon was a couple of ten-days away. In the meantime, he had to convince Jin Li that he was not an invalid and could go to town. He still hadn't had his experimental pills evaluated yet!
Author’s note; So as this chapter is a very ‘informative’ one with very little else, I thought of making this day a double update day and wrote about half of the next chapter with the intent of finishing it today... only I woke up feeling unwell, have cold symptoms, which I find are worse than the cold itself! Anyway, if I feel better, I’ll finish it and post it later, otherwise it’ll have to wait until Tuesday!
"J-Jin Li, I want t-to g-go into t-town."
When these words were spoken, the martial artist's eyes darkened and his chopsticks paused above the bowl of spiced cabbage. However, this hesitation did not last more than a breath and the delicately carved chopsticks that would not have appeared out of place upon an influential table (at least were they made of something other than cheap wood), dove into the leafy vegetables.
"No," came his answer as the lightly stir fried cabbage and chilli mix was placed close to the mouth. "You are not at full health and will only aggravate your injury." There was another pause as manners insisted upon silence until the mouthful of food was swallowed. Leon was aggrieved, but could only wait.
"B-But, Jin Li, it's b-b-been a week since I t-took the B-Bone Regrowth p-pill..." he began his protest, but was interrupted rudely.
"Are you disputing this Lord?" This time his chopsticks held a small dumpling which had been dipped into salty, rich sauce.
Leon shook his head; "N-No, of course n-not." He sighed inwardly, knowing he'd already admitted defeat before the battle had even begun.
"Then eat," Jin Li emphasised his instruction by pressing forward his chopsticks close towards Leon's mouth.
"You kn-know," Leon murmured, quietly as he could no longer ignore the stares of others in the Food Hall around him. "You d-don't have t-to f-feed m-me though.... I c-can d-do it! Aren't you hungry?"
Jin Li's eye's narrowed as he pressed the cooled dumpling against Leon's lips. "If you know this, then cease your futile arguments and eat more quickly, so that once you are done, this Lord can eat as well." Leon flushed red, his lips parting as Jin Li fed him another mouthful of food.
The silent observers felt that their world views had become warped into something unrecognisable and many appeared to have even lost the ability to translate what their eyes were seeing into coherent thought. Wasn't Leon in an envious relationship with their Lotus Maimai? So why was he acting all coy with that Martial Artist and even being fed by him? Was Leon cheating? With a man? Their eyes all glanced at Maimai, who was also staring at the men and their public displays of affection, but unlike them, she was beaming brightly, with a smile upon her face that made her even more stunning to behold. With that sight in mind, they all could not help but draw a complete blank and wonder what exactly was it that was occurring here?
*****
"C-Can I g-go into t-town t-t-tomorrow?" Leon was feeling a little breathless when he asked this, tumbling over his words as he gasped. Jin Li shadowed him with a frown.
"Why are you so insistent?" He asked, slightly irritated. "This Lord has already told you that it is too soon."
"I wanted t-to t-take my p-pills to b-be evaluated," Leon replied, honestly.
Jin Li glanced at the small jade bottles lined up upon one shelf. Admittedly, he had been a little intrigued to know how Leon's pills had changed in statistics. He could tell that their fragrance and appearance was different to the norm, but nothing else. Still... "No. Each time this Lord lets you out of his sight, I find that you have attracted trouble."
"That's n-n-not entirely t-true..." Leon denied, but was quickly cut off.
"Oh," his Martial Artist's brow rose in question. "Then when this Lord was acclimatising to the school, who was about to be ruined and suppressed by a fat fool and his subservients? And slipping away for a moment, who found himself at the mercy of a lustful student? Becoming victim to unpleasant types, losing your glasses not once but twice... Not to mention the trouble you invite in front of this Lord as well! Give me one good reason why I should not lock you away?" Alright, Leon had to admit that this was somewhat true, but was that to say his luck was worse than other people's?
Thus Leon attempted a different route to obtain what he wanted, using Jin Li's love of food as a guide. "Um, well, I d-don't kn-know... I thought you would c-come with m-me to t-town anyway and afterwards... m-m-maybe we c-could find someplace n-nice to eat a m-meal t-t-t-together..." He blushed suddenly in realisation. Wasn't this like asking for a date?
"Fine, this Lord will allow it," Jin Li's words did not indicate whether he picked up on Leon's slip of tongue. "But you are not to step out of my sight."
"En," Leon agreed and seeing as the subject of conversation was settled, found his mouth and lips once more preoccupied as Jin Li continued his nightly ritual of stealing his breath with his obsessive kissing. Not that Leon enjoyed it any less, but the consequences... just as always, Leon felt something very firm press against his thigh. "Um. J-Jin Li," Leon murmured in between kisses, swallowing his nerves as he boldly asked; "W-Would you l-like m-m-me t-to help you d-d-deal with... that..."
"What?"
"You kn-know... that..." Leon lifted his leg a little, as much as one could when their body was caged beneath another, anyway, indicating to what he was referring to.
It may have been the dim light fooling his eyes, but Leon thought that Jin Li seemed a little red of face. "No need," Jin Li replied, almost coldly. "This Lord knows techniques to suppress it." What? Techniques? "Pay it no mind. Now sleep."
It took a while for Leon to close his eyes after Jin Li curled about him to do just that, unable to comprehend what he had just heard.
Author's note; for future reference, I have written/ altered the average ages of students advancing levels as so - breaking through to secondary is around seventeen, usually between fifteen and nineteen, those breaking through at fifteen considered 'talented' those breaking through earlier as 'prodigies'. Breaking through to tertiary is usually twenty five, so between twenty three and twenty eight. This is as far as a middle realm is concerned. I don't know if I have written about when a child starts cultivating, but I have notes on creating a pill to awaken dormant roots (this actually appears in CinZA.), so assume a child cultivates from awakening between five and eight years old with nobles buying the pill to use when their child is ten to twelve?
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