The Headmaster was considered a mysterious existence within the Ascending Mountain Institute. No one but the Teachers (and even then, not all of the younger Teachers) and a few select individuals, through luck or otherwise, knew what he looked like or had ever seen him. He didn't announce his attendance during the various Standings, Festivals and other school events, he never gave speeches to greet new students, nor to wish well of graduates. Such a person was bound to have rumours and legends spoken about him; he was an immortal, his bloodline was of a legendary spirit beast, he was an omniscient presence so long as he was on school grounds. Men imagined a person of god-like statistics, with golden skin and muscles formed from battles in his youth, with a square jawline framed with a masculine beard and deep set eyes. Women imagined a scholarly man, tall, white-skinned with a bamboo figure; slender and flexible. His eyes would sparkle with wisdom and his beauty would have countries bend their knee before him.
They probably would have been disappointed to see this large, round man with a long wispy beard and slightly ruddy skin. He was not handsome by any standards of the word, but he also was not unpleasant of face. However, his eyes were bright and knowing, so long as one noticed them, they could somewhat forget his otherwise harmless and indulgent appearance. Jin Li was not one to judge a book by its cover and quickly accessed this man as devious and dangerous, but also knew he meant them no ill intent. He did not relax his guard, despite this.
"Headmaster," Teacher Sagi greeted him, respectfully. The Healer and Teacher Volun echoed his sentiment, while Maimai's eyes widened with disbelief. She'd naturally heard the rumours and had been seeking a gong for a man with a scholarly appearance. Her ship had been crushed before she'd even managed to set it a sail. A re-evaluation was required; she would not let his less than expected appearance defeat her! "Headmaster, what are you doing here?"
"Hmm, is there a reason I should not be?" The man's eyes glinted, but it was with humour rather than anything else.
"Of course not, Headmaster," Teacher Sagi denied quickly. "We just were not expecting to see you."
"My Institute, I go where I feel like," the Headmaster pouted childishly, crossing his arms about his ample chest. It should be mentioned, the Headmaster was not the Founder. Rumours claimed that the Founder ascended to a Higher Realm to continue his cultivation towards immortality, leaving his institute to his succeeding apprentice. The current Headmaster was actually the succeeding apprentice of that woman, taking over once she had sought to find and follow her Master. "Besides I heard some interesting things about your apprentice, Sagi, so I came to look at him." His eyes fell upon Leon and the youth couldn't help but feel as if he'd been visually examined inside and out.
Jin Li's hold tightened gently about the trembling youth in his arms and he glared unwisely at the large man. The Headmaster, however, didn't take it to heart. After all, although they were considered very young to him, he could not deny their connection where others might. He felt they were just blessed to find each other at such an age, while others were still seeking their Dao Companion after several millennia.
Teacher Sagi was not surprised that the Headmaster once again knew more than he probably should. He would not be surprised, he though not resigned to the fact, that the old man likely knew Leon was able to carve spiritual energy into wood and was responsible for creating two improved alchemy pills before anyone else did. Creating new pills... a sudden thought occurred to him and he spun around eyes wide to stare at his student.
The Headmaster noticed his action and stepped forward to grasp Sagi's arm and pat it comfortingly, as if he knew exactly what had crossed the man's mind.
"Um, Headmaster," Maimai suddenly piped up, thinking that the conversation from earlier was far from over. "Would you like a cup of tea?"
"No thank you, Miss Maimai," the Headmaster replied with a warm smile. "Actually, I came to invite Leon to speak with me about somethings and my place has more seating." Leon blushed a little shamefaced, but he did catch the Headmaster's address for him. His heart began to beat more rapidly in his chest, slightly panicked. "Would you come, Leon?" Although it was phrased as a question, Leon did not feel as if he had a choice, but to accept.
The Teachers also noticed the difference in address, frowned, but did not attempt to make a query or correction. They too were invited to discuss things with the Headmaster regarding Leon. This did help Leon relax a tiny bit, for Teacher Sagi had always been good to him, even before they became direct Teacher and Student. He did not feel as if Teacher Sagi would abandon him at this stage. And from the tightness of Jin Li's embrace, there was no way the martial artist would let him go without him, no matter what the Headmaster said.
Maimai took the hint and bowed in farewell to the Teachers and Headmaster before leaving the small clearing of Leon's hut. No more than a minute after she'd disappeared beyond the tree line, several cups of tea were tossed towards the wildflowers and trees. The black tea actually stained one tree trunk and were the tree able to speak, it would probably exclaim; "Why?" Maimai was a good girl, a good friend, but she made a lousy cup of tea.
I might post an extra chapter tomorrow x
The Headmaster's house was traditional in style manor in the fact that it was made up of a series of connecting courtyards, had an inner and outer spaces, meant for family and guests respectively and was surrounded by a large wall with gated openings, a large ostentatious one at the front and a discreet one at the side. However, in all truth, the wall was decoration, the manor was sprawled over various mountain-platforms and the pathways weaving through gardens and connecting the courtyards were mostly formed of stairs and bridges. This manor should have been filled with a hundred people; family and servants, but there was a silence to the whole place that only was disturbed by the mountain winds.
The Headmaster well and truly valued his privacy. So much so, in fact, that there was no road leading to the manor, but a fixed receiving array positioned a few metres outside the first gate. This is where the Teachers, Headmaster and two students arrived. Jin Li had managed to tag along.
The Headmaster lead them through the first and second gates, into the outer rim of the manor. He then lead them towards the setting sun, along a path that weaved through various spiritual grasses, all fresh and purely scented. Sagi's eyes twitched as he spotted a rare stalk or two, but he knew fully well that these herbs were kept for ornamental purposes, so no matter how much he coveted them, he could do nothing. Over a bridge that spanned a small chasm and they came to another garden that forked into two paths. The Headmaster continued west and over another bridge, this one close to an imposing waterfall. Despite their closeness to the roaring water, not a drop spilled upon their clothing.
Finally they arrived upon another plateau, an a modest courtyard. There was no wall about the courtyard, being no need as the edges of the courtyard were a sheer drop down several hundreds of metres. The property consisted of a two wings and the main home. The Headmaster's large study and library took up the entirety of the west wing and so that was where he took them. Not sure how it came to be there, but two large pots of tea were steaming upon the table and six cups were sitting in wait.
"Let's chat," the Headmaster indicated that everyone should help themselves to a seat and a drink, before sitting in a large and comfortable looking chair at his desk, stroking his dark beard.
"Leon, I've been watching you a while," the Headmaster admitted, "in fact since you first created your improved beast calming pill, before all of that business with the Caprian boy. I don't get involved with social situations, I won't save a student from personal problems and tribulations. Those sorts of things will either break or temper a person, if it is the former then I can say they are not likely to ever cultivate to the higher stages. This is life.
"I admit that I thought you would be one to break, but despite the fact that you suffered and there has been some lingering effects of what occurred back then, you have blossomed into an admirable young man and excellent alchemist."
"Wait, Headmaster," it was Teacher Sagi that interrupted his musings, "do you mean to say, that you were considering making Leo... Leon as a core student?" He changed the form of address for his student seeing as this is what the Headmaster called him and what the martial arts student called him. He wasn't certain why Leo's name had changed, but he would delve into that mystery another time.
"Yes," the Headmaster agreed. "Leon has the talent and ability. Why would I not?"
"Then you know about his carvings as well?" Volun's eyes began to sparkle, still wanting to unravel this part of the mystery that was Leon. The Headmaster naturally agreed with a nod. "Do you know how he came to have that ability?"
"Isn't it down to his root?" The Headmaster replied, more in statement than in question.
"What do you mean?" This time it was the Healer who spoke up. "It's just a star root, a little tertiary root."
"Hmmm," the Headmaster stroked his long beard and a slight look of melancholy appeared upon his face as if he was recalling a memory. "But did you know that the star root was once known as the celestial root?"
The Teachers made gagging noises, the Healer almost spurted out a mouthful of tea. Celestial root?
"Is th-that b-bad?" Leon couldn't help but ask.
"Not bad," the Headmaster replied. "Very rare, especially a pure celestial root such as your own. And very sought after, but not for good reasons, I am afraid. Celestial carvers, celestial forgers, celestial blacksmiths, all were sought for their ability to take the spiritual energy from within them and attach it to that which they made by their own hand. It made their items different from the norm, perhaps stronger, swifter, more powerful and... regardless, the circumstances have changed, so I can't make him a core student."
"Why not?" Teacher Sagi was disappointed. He felt all of his chosen students were worthy of the honour, of course, but none had succeeded. Leon having this ability, having this rare, beyond rare root, surely he was the worthiest so far...
"Hmmm, due to him," the large man pointed a fat finger towards the martial artist sipping tea rather contentedly, while ignoring practically everything else. It was good tea. Of course, being stared at by several sets of eyes will make anyone wary, thus Jin Li finally paid others attention, his eyes narrowing in question.
"What?"
"This young man, Jin Li, was discovered by young Leon in less than ideal circumstances," the Headmaster began to tell a little of their tale. "He had just fallen through a tear between realms. Jin Li comes from the Higher Realms, is that not right?" The Teachers eyes widened and they shared glances. They were old, they had seen many things over the centuries, met many people, including those from the Higher Realms. But not a youth of Jin Li's age. A youngster of even his excellent cultivation was not likely to survive a trip between realms, even taking the regulated routes thought portals would be a risk to both his life and his cultivation.
"What of it?" Jin Li questioned, haughtily.
"And what does that have to do with Leon?" Teacher Sagi queried.
"Jin Li naturally wishes to return home," the Headmaster replied. "And will take his Dao Companion with him, will he not?"
"Dao Companion?" They looked at the boys, thinking their relationship has reached this level?
"Dao Companion?" Whispered Leon to Jin Li, under his breath. He was questioning why the Headmaster would use this term to refer to himself. He never once considered that the Headmaster meant anyone else and he was not wrong. Jin Li simply gave him a smug smile in response.
"So this is what I propose," the Headmaster suggested. "Leon becomes a sort of honorary core student, with the same resources and protection and such, but without the request of loyalty towards the school, though I do hope you will remember us in the future, Leon." Core students were wanted to form a backbone for the institute, either as sponsors for it or as Teachers themselves for as long as possible, usually until they needed to ascend or until they died. If they could form a great many, no longer would they need to rely on the large sects and elite families money, and involve themselves in their schemes, but could just teach the talented and gifted as was the original purpose. "My only request is that you share your recipes for your improvements to the common pills that you have made. One can quite understand if you wish to hold onto the other recipes. Think about it, the beast calming pill, the one heart pill and those two interesting Energy Pills aren't worth a great deal of money in the long run, but would calm the curiosity of those wolves that want them. We also will protect your name in all of this and give you the resources you need to continue along your path of research."
"Energy Pills?" Sagi muttered, rubbing his temples in disbelief. "Other recipes?"
Leon glanced at Jin Li, who shrugged slightly. Jin Li couldn't deny what the Headmaster claimed was true and was also aware that in the long run, those pills really didn't made Leon much silver. And if he kept everything to himself and was found out, it may hurt him in the long run. There would be those after his secrets. Yet if he gave some away, it would keep those seeking him out busy, for at least a while. It was also clear the Headmaster was aware of the Improved Healing Blood Pill and the variant Burning Blood Pills, but was not asking Leon to share these as well. Basically give a little to gain a lot. But Jin Li could not make this decision for him.
Leon thought about it for a long while. In the end, he did not consider the improved recipes his and had only used them to make money to allow him to live more easily. He also knew that it would only take one bright person a short while to figure out the secret to the Variant Energy Pills, though the secrets to the Variant Blood Pills would be much harder for anyone to learn, even with the knowledge of the former. So in the end, he agreed to it. Leo had clearly been proud of being enrolled in this school and had never resented it for the fact he was bullied here. He felt that Leo would have eventually shared his inventions with the school for he'd never been thinking of the money, just the thrill of learning something new and discovering what no one else had.
"Excellent!" The Headmaster clapped his hands together, the flesh making a resounding slap. "A few last things, before you leave," he began his final words on the matter and turned first to the Teachers. "Word of what was spoken does not spread beyond these walls." He owning a celestial root had to be protected at all costs from those who sought to use them. "Have Jin Li's Teachers stop dilly dallying over his transferral into the Inner school, get it done! And about Leon's house..."
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GOT IT