Should be mentioned that it was not entirely the fault of the general's five sons that Leon was labelled in their mind this way. His snow foxbear coat, that gave him a more ethereal and otherworldly look had been stowed away while they were drinking tea, for Leon had become too warm and his current robes were harshly plain and made of cheap hemp. True that Jin Li had also hemp clothing, but it had been embroidered quite stunningly, suggesting that he was at least a man of some means, even if they could not place the name of Jin as being one of the elite. Leon without a surname was obviously just a commoner. For him to attach himself to others had to be as a servant.
If others could read their thoughts within their minds, one could understand more clearly just where Sun's former attitude stemmed from.
Again, the general was not so narrow minded.
Jin Li, however, was of narrow mind, just not the same sort. Others were disdaining his man? Then that is what will be offered in return. His respect for Sun's uncles disappeared and Sun's father could only hope to retain a smidgeon due to his relationship with Sun.
Leon was oblivious to this tension and shyly scratched at his jaw before saying aloud; "In g-gratitude for your hospitality, J-Jin Li and I p-prepared some g-gifts. I h-hope that is alright?"
General Ramas felt his hard heart soften a little for this honest youth before him. It has been a long while since he had seen eyes so clean and without ill intent. He offered a sharp nod of acknowledgement and offered warning glares towards his sons who dared sneered in suggestion; what sort of poor things could these youths hope to offer?
Leon summoned the two chests from his interspacial bag, one large and one small, though both were clearly of common, cheap wood. Leon bent down, placing the smaller one to one side and opening the large chest. Inside were a few spare pelts from what Jin Li and Wu Ye had hunted together, mostly small, but soft furs, including one from a dream hare that was a rich purple in tone. Plus there was a large, Dire tiger pelt, the rich oranges in contrast to the velvet black of the stripes naturally caught the eyes of all of the men.
"These were h-hunted by J-Jin Li and his C-C-Coeurl," Leon stroked the tiger pelt, he quite liked the colours, even though he'd mourned the loss of such a stunning creature at first. However, he had no where at home for it and he also felt it would be uncomfortable to wear as a coat. To him, it suited a warrior more, but Jin Li was not interested in it either and it would have been sold if not for Sun's request to have them accompany him home. Leon lifted two carved objects from on top of the pelt. They were hair pins shaped from an off-white material. It happened that the Dire tiger's sabre teeth were ivory rather than bone.
"They are a b-bit cr-crude," Leon mentioned, shyly. "I c-carved them m-myself and have n-not worked with ivory much b-before." In fact the first two things he'd practiced with hung from his and Jin Li's belts respectively.
He looked nervously about, wanting to gift one to Sun's grandfather and one to his father, fortunately the servants shadowing the walls became aware of his predicament and came to help him. "I only h-have t-two..." he felt awkward. He hadn't known he might face Sun's uncles, Sun never mentioned them at all. Jin Li offered him a small smile of encouragement which immediately made him feel better, so he did not see the black expressions upon the other men's faces.
General Ramas did not immediately accept the hairpin, just examined it as his trusted servant held it before him, but he couldn't help but reach for it in the end. The tiger upon the smooth pin was indeed not perfect and only the head and upper body and forelegs were carved, yet it held the essence of a tiger leaping to catch its prey. The pin could not be mistaken for jade, but the General felt that he liked this raw material more at that moment. Sun's father had also accepted its twin, one with just the head of a tiger mid roar, each sharp tooth clearly visible. His cold expression eased and his eyes cast a slightly fresh evaluation of the commoner boy. At least he had taste in gifts.
Leon had not finished, for he had one last thing to offer, though, for now, the reactions would be much less and solidify some impressions in the hearts of Sun's uncles, much to their lament one day when there was nothing they could do to reverse this. In the smaller chest there were numerous jade bottles and swinging delicately from each bottle was a small, wooden tag, hand carved. "You p-probably have access t-to p-pills, so tr-treat m-mine as a t-token?" He handed the chest to General Ramas' manservant, who took it for the elder man to see.
Leon had not known what to pack, Sun had only vaguely mentioned that his family had had hopes for him as a Cultivator and that his grandfather was a general. So Leon had packed a few clear spiritual pills and cloudy spiritual pills as well as the medicines that he was good at making. There was also two bottle of his personally created pills; the Smouldering Energy Pills and Bursting Energy Pills, the two variants of Burning Energy Pills that primary Cultivators could use to raise their fighting ability temporarily.
After accepting the gifts, General Ramas had Mond and Sun guide the two youths to Sun's courtyard and slowly Sun's uncles filtered out of the patriarch's hall with their own thoughts and feelings regarding them. Have to say, Jin Li had a bit of acknowledgement, for his obvious hunting skills and Leon did not. Those ivory pins were not high in quality, nor in artistic merit and most importantly, not in their hands! The pelts as well would likely go into the treasury, though they felt that the patriarch would claim the tiger pelt for himself. The general held back Sun's father for a bit.
"What do you think?" He asked his second son.
"I do not know of this Jin Li's family, but he has presence and clearly skill," he answered, honestly.
"The habit of placing a family name before a given," General Ramas mused, "This is not unheard of in West Xulaphrey. I've also heard that in other realms the practice is more common. His bearing is not simple." His son nodded in agreement. "And of the other?"
Sun's father was generally inflexible, but he was not unmovable. "This boy... I thought he might be a servant of the other," he admitted, "but that does not seem to fit his bearing. His status is undeniably low, however."
"En," the General replied. "I would not stop Sun from associating himself with the child."
"How so?"
"It is rare for a youth to be so untainted from the reality of life and schemes of others," the General replied. "Not that he is foolish, just clean. For Sun to have a friend that he does not have to be even the remotest bit wary of is not a bad thing." Sun's father thought of the schemes of his own brothers and cousins in branch families and couldn't help but agree. "Plus, I don't think that boy is so simple." He picked up the bottle labelled Smouldering Energy Pills, causing Sun's father's eyes to widen.
"Are they not the newly marketed pill?" The man commented. "The supply does not yet meet demand... how did he manage to get hold of them?"
"It is said that the Institute has the recipe and rights to the pills," the general placed the bottles into the chest and quickly told his manservant to place those pills under lock and key. "This Leon is a student there also, but unless he is trusted, he would not have access to the recipe as yet, let alone be able to keep some for himself." The Institute was indeed a place of learning, but it was also a business. Pills that brought in good income would be an asset, not to be wasted or flaunted unless their value decreased. "Treat Sun's friends well. I find them interesting."
"Yes father," his son bowed respectfully.
Looking at the slumped shoulders before him and so not used to seeing him so, Leon couldn't help but grasp Jin Li's sleeve in worry. At school, Sun had always been an abundance of energy, often to the point of being exasperating, but it had almost always been a positive sort. And now, that same quickly moving youth seemed drained, an air of gloom about his person. Jin Li sighed as he saw the worry etched upon his lover's face and was of half a mind to kick Sun out of his funk and so he did.
"Ow!" Sun complained, rubbing his derrière and sending a glare behind him, though Jin Li's face of indifference made him question what he had just experienced. In the rambling gardens in between palace courtyards, he didn't feel like he could be as uncouth as to ask Jin Li if he'd really just kicked him! Mond paused beside his younger brother, a frown upon his face as he wondered what had happened.
Still, Jin Li's face revealed nothing and he even questioned Sun's reaction; "Well?" Sun pouted, but said nothing, however before he could turn away, the other suddenly continued to speak. "Just to remind you, you owe this one a sparring session."
"What?" It was Sun's turn to frown. Since when did it become his roommate who pushed for such? Their usual trips to the arena were all instigated by himself!
"Was it not yourself that invited this one to travel a distance from one's humble abode, all that you could attempt to impress me with the size and architecture your family home?" Jin Li questioned offhandedly and Leon attempted to hide a smile behind his sleeve. Mond saw this and found himself somewhat enlightened and he too began to relax. Sun took another moment, before shedding the grey clouds about him like a cloak and replying;
"Wait until you see the training grounds, Jin Li!" He grinned, cheerfully. "Much better and well equipped than even the ones in the inner school!"
"We shall see," Jin Li replied, the corners of his lips curling upwards a tad.
Just as his name suggested, the wintery gardens suddenly felt warm as a more familiar Sun reappeared before them. "Big brother, did I tell you that I made it into the inner school?" He asked, giddily of his brother.
"Indeed," Mond smiled, before glancing back at Jin Li and nodding his thanks. Sun continued to babble on about some nonsensical things that had happened at the institute recently, while Leon sighed with relief.
"You are too soft hearted," Jin Li murmured close to his ear, which proceeded to turn red as the warmth of his breath brushed against the sensitive lobes.
They entered a slightly more subdued garden with leafless cherry trees scattered here and there and the path leading in several directions. This section of the palace could be said to belong to the Second family's courtyard properties in its midst. Mond indicated that his and his brothers homes were nearby, if one took the paths down past the two largest trees, while their father's rooms were just up ahead. Further still, they would come to a wall where the women, their mother and father's lone concubine of the inner palace resided and where their sister's formally resided. He need not tell them that they were not welcome there.
Mond was about to bid them good partings, when a voice called out to them; "Well, well, if it isn't sixth brother Sun. Hime had heard from Second Aunt that big brother Sun was due back soon. Didn't think it would be today!"
"Oh that would have explained the prepared coach this morning," another female voice of a higher tone said softly, though clearly with intent to make trouble.
"That coach? The one we used to make a trip into town?" The first girl questioned, before turning to Sun with a faux embarrassed expression. "Is that so, Elara. Oh, big brother Sun, do forgive us! We were in a rush and didn't question it!"
Leon shuddered, as first impressions went, there really wasn't anything to say. There were three girls in front of them and that was if a person didn't count their entourage. All three girls had varying shades of brown hair, partially pinned into elaborate styles. Powder decorated their faces and the sweet scent of perfume drifted into the air from their bodies, which were wrapped in bright silks and finished with gold jewellery. The first girl had a round face and large brown eyes, the second was taller with high cheekbones and plush lips and the last girl, who had not spoken so far, was most abundant in feminine blossoms and her sultry eyes held a hint of dark intent that made Leon's blood run cold.
Mond frowned, he had wondered why Sun had appeared in a plain, travellers coach rather than one of their own. His countenance turned cold and unforgiving.
There were many little misses in their family and only a couple of Mond could consider virtuous and obedient, both happened to be shu born girls. And there was Dia, but that girl was a law on to herself; running away and joining the army. She had always been more interested in Martial Arts than make up and Grandfather had indulged her so... these girl-cousins before him, Mond had no time for at all.
"What are you girls doing here," he said, coldly. These unmarried girls all resided in other parts of the palace and in inner residences. There was no reason for them to be walking through the Second Family's gardens.
The girl who called herself Hime piped up; "Ah, we had just met with Second Aunty."
"That's right," the second girl, Elara, confirmed, "Fifth sister came to visit." Fifth sister happened to be one of Sun's older sisters of which there were three, one di and two shu. Fifth Sister, Lunisa, had been married out two years ago to a man, who was a cousin to one of the Eastern Kings. Despite his family being of a distant branch, Lunisa was surrounded by a wealth of things and often brought jewellery and valuables back with her when she came to visit. So really it was no surprise that the girls rushed over once they had heard she was in residence.
"Then you should quickly return," Mond insisted and indicated to Sun that they should also move on.
It was then the silent girl chose to speak. "Are you not going to introduce us?" Her voice was like liquid velvet, seductive and warm, but her eyes were like arrows focused upon their target, unwavering and filled with interest. Without waiting for Sun's answer she stepped forward and introduced herself; "My name is Carmen and you are?"
The tall, striking man before her glanced down, his dark eyes were like two jet black gems frozen in ice and she shivered involuntarily, but if anything, it reinforced her resolve. The man sneered and looked towards Sun. "This place is so noisy," he complained.
Sun grinned and replied; "Yes, it can be at times. Let's go to my courtyard, it'll be quieter there." He did not hide the obvious smirk upon his face as he gauged his cousin's reactions.
"Lead the way," Jin Li demanded and gave Leon no time to hesitate, pushing him that he should follow Sun. He knew that his lover was likely already worrying over their rude actions towards Sun's kin.
Mond also gave his cousins no face. His family was not one to hide their daughters from the world nor suppress their ability to learn and think, but there were still rules of etiquette to be followed and he felt that these girls had broken one too many too many times. He walked in the direction of his own courtyard and decided to have a servant inform his grandmother about their behaviour later, less ill rumours begin to stir and do his little brother and his friends harm.
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