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84.78% Learning To Live As A Cultivator / Chapter 273: Chapter Seventy Three - I am going home at last

Chapter 273: Chapter Seventy Three - I am going home at last

Sixty teams of six entered the Shattered Empyrean Isles realm, but only seventeen made it until the end.  Should mention that this was not because any teams had been lost to the denizens of the realm or its other pitfalls, it was an event set up by the Institute and they tried to ensure that death during any competition and expedition that they led was minimal.  No, the other teams had simply left the competition early, having lost the will, due to injuries, or simply knowing that they were facing death otherwise. 

Two of the most serious injuries were suffered by youths of different teams with one squishy mage having lost his hand due to his team's failure to keep him shielded while he cast spells and the other was a head injury caused by an unforeseen accident, very hard to avoid.  Both were currently in the Healer's Hall.  It was uncertain whether the mage would be able to get hold of one of the most illusive pills that literally regenerated limbs, such was rare in the Higher Realms let alone in Xulaphrey.  The other, a female Martial Artist was currently in a coma, but the Healer's felt that she should wake up soon.

Other injuries were mostly superficial, exhaustion and hunger had been common factors in teams giving up early.  In fact, had they seen Pike's team emerge looking quite chipper and well fed, they would have glared in envy and disgust.

As Pike handed over their interdimensional bag to be sealed, ready to be evaluated a day later by the judges, Bowyer and his team appeared behind them.  Their team returned with an additional member.

"Bo ge, Lua Lua is hungry, squawk!"

Three black lines appeared on Bowyer's forehead as his tired team rolled their eyes and other teams stared at them in disbelief.  Was that a Luan?!

"Bo ge..."

"I'll give you something to eat soon, just hold on a bit longer," Bowyer told the four foot tall bird beside him, a note of exasperation in his voice. 

A Luan was a bird-type beast, shaped somewhat like a pheasant with slightly longer legs than the weaker creature in comparison to their respective body sizes.  It's colouration was not too different from the male pheasant, the majority of its feathers speckled brown, reddening at its chest and cut off by a white ring upon its neck... or in this case, necks.  A Luan was a twin headed bird.  This Luan had sea-green feathers adorning its neck and head, becoming more peridot than emerald around its black eyes.  These colours were reflected in its long tail feathers and upon the tips of its long wings, which were not just for decoration.  It could fly, but it was quite lazy and usually chose not to.

Luan birds were also not weak, vulnerable spirit beasts either. Their beaks were strong and the tip sharp enough to draw blood should it attack with it, it's talons were also not to be underestimated. However, they also had elemental infinities, usually to water, wood or fire, which could be judged due to their neck and head feathers. For example, this Luan's natural was wood; it could effect its surroundings, make its woodland nest an obstacle to any with ill intent, it also instinctively knew which herbs and plants had strong spiritual energies within them or which held or could cure poisons.

The other important feature regarding a Luan was that it had intelligence and could communicate using human speech.  That said, it was only that of a three-year old child, but considering it retained much racial instinct, actually taming one not held in thrall while it was still in its egg was unheard of.  Even more, eggs hatched in human hands were very, very few.  So finding a person with a Luan as their spirit beast was like finding a needle in a haystack, not impossible, just not probable.

Yet one had joined Bowyer's party?!

The mage assisting an elder Teacher hesitated as Bowyer handed him his team's interdimensional bag.  "Will the Luan be considered part of their spoils?" The man turned to the elder behind him.  It wasn't as if the Luan could be put in the bag!

"Oh, its not unheard of for teams to bring back live beasts," she said in response, looking nonchalant.  In truth, she was also flustered, usually the spirit beasts to be captured were only half-tamed cubs or fledglings, not something as unbelievable as this adolescent Luan.  "We usually add a scroll of note to the bag before sealing, let the judges know that the beast was indeed tamed in the realm."

The assistant did so, just as the Luan's left head began to whine about its empty stomach once more. Leon recalled that he'd stored a few berries in his interspatial bag as he'd become fond of the taste of them and thought to try grow some with the seeds buried inside the fruit. He took a handful out and was about to offer them to Bowyer, however the Luan caught their scent and rushed over to peck them out of his hand. It seemed that both heads could eat freely.

"Yum! Like!" The left head gulped down the last berry happily, while the right head rubbed against Leon's hand affectionately.

"Smells good," the right head murmured, to which the other confirmed;

"Does smell good. Like ge ge!"

A trilling noise escaped from its throats as it showed Leon more affection.

"Just how did you come to gain this fellow?" Pike asked Bowyer, curiously.

"Actually, when we came across it," Bowyer replied, scratching at his tangled hair with one hand, "it was wounded. It seemed to have been in a fight with a starving worgen, probably an usurped Alpha from the looks of its size and many injuries. It killed the beast, but suffered in the battle, breaking a leg and had a large bloody scar across its belly. Canis felt a bit sorry for it, suggested we give it some pills. Luan's aren't all that sought after dead, so it wouldn't have been worth the effort to kill it and it had plenty of fight left in it. Healed up, it ran off, as we expected, but what we didn't expect was for it to be grateful enough to want to offer us a Crystal from its nest!"

"That doesn't explain why it follows you, though," Pike pointed out, which caused Bowyer's team's beast tamer to laugh.

"When it came back, Bowyer was eating a pastry he got from his mother in Winter break!" The man, Canis informed Pike.

Bowyer's expression fell.

Bowyer's origin's and background were really not too unlike Pike's; they were both born of concubines, both had noble fathers with small harems and grandparents with high expectations. However, unlike Pike, Bowyer was not treated poorly by his father's main wife nor his older Di-brothers due to his shu status. That was in part due to his mother.

She was the only descendant of a chef, who'd been hired in the noble household due to his good cooking skills. He'd not sold himself as a bond servant, he was treated well by the household, so when he fell ill with an incurable disease, he thought to ask Bowyer's father to take his daughter in as a Concubine. Her only other prospects would have been to marry a bond servant, have her descendants all bound to serve or leave the household and risk the outside world as a vulnerable young woman. Bowyer's father agreed.

Bowyer's father was not a lustful man, just had a wife and one other Concubine, the former had given him two sons, both teenagers and the other was infertile from before their marriage. The man thought he wanted a cute daughter, like his nieces. He got the uncute Bowyer (his words) instead!

Bowyer's birth mother didn't seek favour, didn't compete with the Di-wife, just made herself busy raising Bowyer and making sweets and pastries. Many of these sweets and pastries naturally made their way into Bowyer's stomach, but a great many of the rest found their way on his Di-mother's table. In this way, his birth mother won over his Di-mother and helped to maintain peace in the harem.

Bowyer always brought many pastries back from his birth home after visiting each holiday, Pike had even tasted a few and knew that they were quite good, even for him who didn't like sweet food too much. Bowyer usually stores them away in an interdimensional bag in his room, savouring one now and then. But for some reason, this time, he risked taking a couple into the Shattered Empyrean Isles. Feeling generous after receiving the small gift of gratitude from the Luan, he'd broken the pasty in half and given it to the Luan. Turned out, the Luan had a sweet 'tooth' and followed after Bowyer hoping for more pastries since that time.

Pike laughed, clutching his sides in mirth as he walked beside Bowyer as he gained the full story. The two teams paused outside of the griffins nests, which were waiting to depart, taking students back to the outer schools they were related to. They would all reunite the following day in the Inner Martial Arts school as the two men that led their respective teams were from there. And it would be there that they would receive their final judgements.

Leon climbed up with Aries, Bowyer's alchemist, onto the back of the Griffin heading to the outer alchemist school. He did not know whether he would see Jin Li when he returned, but he was still looking forward to going home.


Chapter 274: Chapter Seventy Four - Jin Li and I are back together

"They made it until the end!!" Sun squealed cheerfully, earning himself a raised eyebrow from his grandfather and a series of other reactions from others. For instance, while Maimai was openly chuckling, Merylin had a small smile upon her lips that seemed to translate into the words; 'I am tolerating your behaviour.' Carmen was less generous, simply rolling her eyes while not in the observation of her grandfather.

Still, while not impressed by his grandson's foolishness, he couldn't help but express how he was also feeling pleased; "As expected of my adopted grandson!"

"Oh?" Jian Juren, Jin Li's maternal grandfather, smiled, a glint of mischief in his black eyes. "And here was I under the impression that you'd yet to formalise such a relationship with the boy."

"Well, well," the General stuttered, slightly flustered by the other man's teasing, "that's really only a matter of time."

"I admire your confidence," Jian Juren replied in amusement. "Don't you, Jin Li? Jin Li?" But that wayward third grandson of his was nowhere to be seen. Fortunately Jian Juren had the face of a young man or his pout would look terribly out of place.

Carmen straightened her spine, not noticing that Merylin echoed her movement and both girls glanced about themselves hoping to see the missing youth only for both to be disappointed. "Where did he go?" Carmen blurted out.

Sun and Maimai exchanged knowing glances but said nothing.

*****

Sheltered on the back of the large griffin and surrounded by enchantments to make the journey easier on its passengers, Leon could forget that he had passed from a tropical warmth to a land still in the grip of winter, at least until landing. He tightened his thin cloak about him, glancing down at the people waiting to cheer for him, the only outer school student to enter the competition this time. The inner school students were not jealous, they would receive their own receptions in due time, thus Leon was allowed this moment uninterrupted.

After Leon climbed down the ladder leaning against the griffin's tall side, he was first met with his Teacher, who congratulated him and spoke of his pride. Leon thanked him, wearily, suddenly feeling the strain of the two tendays. Teacher Sagi was an observant man and although he wished to hear of Leon's adventures through his own words, he could see that now was not the time. Especially when Leon became distracted, his eyes focused on something or rather someone behind him.

Teacher Sagi wanted to sigh, with the weight of one jealous of the luminous world of two young lovers that outsiders simply could not breech. "Go," he told his student, "rest. Tomorrow begins the judging of your team's spoils, after that they'll hold the auction and individual battles. You'll be busy for a while. Once all is settled, we can talk then."

"Thank you, T-Teacher," Leon smiled, then accepted several words of praise from fellow students, most of whom he had little true connection with, before heading in the direction of home. 'Home' stood there with a scowl upon his face and arms crossed about his chest.

"This lord didn't give you permission to leave." The words were harsh, but there wasn't any heat behind them, just a touch of sourness.

As usual, Leon needed to translate Jin Li's words into their true meaning. "I m-missed you t-too," he replied with a warm smile. Jin Li's scowl softened and melted away, he even loosened his stance to reach for Leon's hands warming them, allowing Leon to forget how cold he was.

"Should have remained here instead of galavanting about," Jin Li mumbled in complaint, "would have missed less."

Leon wanted to point out that Jin Li had been in closed cultivation, no one could predict just how long such would take. However, he was too pleased to see him to wish to fall into argument with him. So he said instead; "N-Not a lot of ch-choice, T-Teacher Sagi insisted if I or m-m-my b-brothers were asked to j-join a t-team, then j-join."

"Pike asked for you?" Jin Li asked him.

Leon failed to here the sour note; "En."

His lover's scowling expression reformed and he found himself tugged forward at rapid pace towards the domiciles. "W-what's the m-matter?"

"You require a bath," Jin Li declared, startling Leon to question him.

"Why? I k-kept quite c-clean."

"This Lord feels it was not sufficient," Jin Li replied in a tone that brook no arguments. "This Lord can only rest assured once all places that others touched are washed thoroughly." Leon frowned, trying to understand for a moment, though it took him a while distracted as he was trying to ensure he did not trip over loose stones and tree roots as they made their way through the woodlands. But after a short time, he shook his head with a light sigh. It seemed Jin Li could drink vinegar even when the wine had not aged enough.

*****(18+)*****

In the small bathhouse within a wing room of his home, the coal in the wide stove was smouldering to ash, while the now empty pots cooled on top.  The air was translucent with steam and small puddles of water coated the clay tiled floor.  Water sloshed up the sides of the metal bath, spilling over the side to run down its length, creating new puddles.

Inside the bath, two men moved together ambiguously.

Leon groaned as his dark hole was stretched by two long fingers, the tight space resisting as it had been a while since it was last tempered into obedience.  All the while, his hands moved over his tormentor's chest, coating the hard plains with soap as he'd been instructed.  It was not easy to concentrate on the task.  As he rinsed the body beneath him with water, he felt those fingers remove themselves from his body, instead coming to grip his pelvis.  He was pulled forward and a new object invaded him, causing him to gasp aloud.  If he'd forgotten how it felt to be so full, he was reminded now with full force.

Jin Li's face could also not hide how he felt about them reuniting in this most primal of ways.  His eyes were filled with lust, love and satisfaction.  He savoured the feeling of wholeness for a moment, allowing Leon's body to adjust to him, the tight resistance altering to become that familiar shelter to suit him and only him.  As the tinge of pain in Leon's eyes faded, he reached for the soap sand in the jar beside them, pouring out a generous handful before laving it and smoothing the suds upon Leon's soft skin.  He was not yet satisfied that he had removed the remnants of others yet, uncaring that only Leon's clothes had been touched, not beneath them.

The rose buds upon Leon's chest puckered as the man beneath him paid much attention to them, his mind assaulted by the teasing pleasure as well as the more demanding one between the cheeks of his bottom.  Leon gripped the sides of the bath as Jin Li thrust his hips upward, deepening their connection over and over until Leon could barely tell where he began and Jin Li stopped.  His body began to demand he partake in their wet dance and more water escaped the metal tub as their movements became more involved and frantic.  Jin Li's hands stretched about Leon's back, their chests pressing together then sliding as the soap reduced the friction between them.  Leon felt fingers grip his bottom pushing him upward, the member inside of him withdrawing to the bulbous head, but before he could moan in complaint, his mouth was blocked and his tongue became occupied.

They parted to gasp a breath and Leon soon found himself fully seated in the cradle of Jin Li's hips once more.  He was tossed about some more, unable to form coherent thought as their bodies' needs overwhelmed them and all of the concentration poured into the task of reaching their completions.  Leon came first, he couldn't do otherwise when his manhood became trapped in his lover's firm grip and he began receiving pleasure from inside and out.  He wailed as he came, painting their previously clean bodies with his seed before flopping over Jin Li's body.  But Jin Li was not yet done and his sensitive body had to endure riding out his orgasm until his already blurred vision turned white, only then did he feel the heat of the man pouring his release deep into his insides.

Jin Li wiped them both down, more than satisfied that he had marked Leon in more ways than one, claiming his lover's body and soul as he should.  Leon dozed happily in his embrace. "Your performance, in the competition, was... not disgraceful," he heard Jin Li whisper into his ear an attempt of compliment.

"En."


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