Things got super awkward very fast. Only someone with low I.Q would fail to realise that if the 'small alchemist' was one of Teacher Sagi's students, then the 'outsiders' were likely to be from one of the other four schools. But whose idiot students would be so foolish as to bring down the face of their school within a couple of days of arriving? It wasn't that they didn't expect a few skirmishes, but clearly these 'outsiders' had picked a fight with the wrong party, else why would this Martial Artist be threatening to toss them off of a cliff? Could it be that they were wrong? That the 'outsiders' really were 'outsiders'? Despite knowing this possibility was slim (the barriers around the Institute weren't impenetrable, but they weren't to be sniffed at either), the four Teacher's practically held their breathes as the tall, young Martial Artist guided Teacher Sagi, Vine and them to a hidden property upon the wooded slope of the mountain.
Three expelled their breathes with relief. One could only fume silently, his face reddening in anger. He touched the small plate upon his waist that would record things for their school's Headmaster.
Xiang Lim finally stepped forward in order to take responsibility for these students. "This one let fellow Teachers see a joke. These boys are known for their potential and having bright futures and surely wouldn't throw all of that away by attacking the Institutes' students without reason... would you?"
The four youths no longer appeared like arrogant gongzi's, with bits of straw in their hair from the Couerls bedding and their silken clothes crumbled and dusty. They were standing in front of the Teachers sullenly, but not a word passed through their lips... although Caprian did appear as if he would explode if he didn't expel his grievances, however the other three had threatened him with some unpleasant experiences should he blab. Caprian felt he'd suffered so much and so badly since leaving the shelter of his House! It wasn't fair! He glared at Leon with daggers in his eyes as if blaming all of his misfortunes on the other.
"I said," Teacher Xiang spoke through gritted teeth, "I want an explanation."
The three youths glanced at each other and also at Caprian, who didn't notice as he was busy tormenting Leon in his imagination. Finally one of the two martial artists stepped forward with some words; "It's like this. Caprian claimed that he would be able to supply us with a good amount of useful pills and potions... that the student here would happily give him anything that he asked for. It would have been fine just to refuse us, but that guy," he pointed to the blood covered Tor, "instigated trouble and they both set their ferocious beasts upon us! And if that wasn't enough this other person..." just the incredulous snort from said other person made him alter the words he was about to say, "...misunderstood."
Teacher Sagi, Wu Ye as well as a few others glanced at the so called 'ferocious beasts', one who was pathetically rubbing its muzzle against the leg of its Master, long fluffy ears drooping and showing its pale belly, while the other was currently chuffing as a butterfly had landed on its nose. Li Ming even nudged Wu Ye beside it, trying to show off and only then noticed that it was somewhat the centre of attention. The butterfly flew off as it tilted its head in question.
"Caprian?" Teacher Xiang questioned with a heavy sigh.
Feeling that he'd had everyone's dirty water splashed over him, Caprian was incensed and refused to hold the pot. "Laozi did suggest to come here, Leo owes Laozi an account, but I never said to draw swords." He crossed his arms about his chest, barely.
"I owe you?" Leon pulled a face that resembled Jin Li's general sneer... but weaker and cuter (the latter being Jin Li's opinion).
"Indeed! If not for you not handing over that pill formula, Tor's betrayal and that despicable man you hired to beat me," Caprian continued in a self-righteous manner, "how would Laozi suffer expulsion and smears to my reputation?" He quickly lowered his accusing finger the moment Jin Li's eyes fell upon it in disgust. He fell silent after shuddering visibly.
Teacher Xiang saw all of this and sighed even more heavily. His expectations for the large youth had long since vanished. Such inner potential, but with absolutely no intention to pursue it. He'd hoped that by bringing him back to his old school that had expelled him, a fire would be lit in his heart and he would work hard to prove that they had made the wrong decision. Unfortunately, the flame lit sought petty vengeance and had puffed out as soon as it met something it couldn't burn. The Teacher knew he'd made a mistake this time.
Meanwhile, although he sensed that Teacher Xiang was not blinded to his own students faults, they were still his own students and was likely obliged to defend them, thus Teacher Sagi took the initiative first to defend the Institute's students. He didn't wish for the other Teachers to see his student or the other students of this Institute painted in a bad light either. "Teacher Xiang," he reasoned. "I can't be certain to what have occurred here, however, I can say that my student, Leo, is not the sort to provoke others. Tor's record is not entirely clean for certain reasons," his gaze did fall on the youth's former Master. "However, he was a steady student whilst having been in the alchemy school prior to Caprian's expulsion and I've heard nothing but praise regarding him since he entered the Beast Taming School. And Jin Li, despite being a First Year student, has not long completed the Core Formation stage, which as you can imagine requires discipline and dedication. He has never bullied those weaker than himself within this school, but of course that doesn't mean he'd allow himself or others to be bullied." (Mainly because he feels that the former would be beneath him and the latter, well 'others' probably only included Leo; unsaid words.)
"I'm curious," Teacher Lapis from the Azure Heights Finishing School enquired. "What is this pill formula that had been mention?" Her eyes fell upon Leon, who glanced at his Teacher for approval. It was given with a gesture.
"Improved B-Beast calming p-pill," Leon replied and Caprian nodded his head still feeling indignant.
"Improved?" The man from the Savage Red Sands Force's eyes brightened. "How is it better?"
Leon carefully mentioned the differences, stepping over a few words as he tried to calm his stutter. Alchemy Teachers would not be good Alchemists if they had no patience and let him speak from beginning to end without interruptions, only questioning afterwards how he'd discovered this and whether he'd made better the stronger versions of this pill. He'd shaken his head. It's not that he hadn't thought about looking into it, but he'd really no time with the other things that he'd been doing of late.
Teacher Xiang Lim's eyes had narrowed thoughtfully. He could see this youth's honesty as well and the behaviour of the accused Coeurl and Cooshee (if the indifferent midnight black beast had been accused, he could have quite agreed with it) was too unlike described. The students from his school might as well have stated that they'd been possessed momentarily by a shadow demon, attacked without will of their own and were remorseful, that might have been more believable despite the strong protective barriers around the Institute keeping certain powers within or without.
Xiang Lim sighed once more. He too wanted to know more about the Improved Beast Calming Pill, but it was best to withdraw and take the miscreants with him. It was all recorded on his plate anyhow, let the Headmaster decide their punishment.
Caprian later found that he'd been expelled from yet another school. This time, he'd be forcefully homeschooled as the Elders were at their wits end, and the youth wouldn't be able to cause trouble, at least for Leon and Tor, for a very long time.
"Did you notice," a whisper came with a notable tone of one without concerns, "that man's name was Jin..."
"He acts as if his family was the prime example of virtue and loyalty in aristocratic circles, yet still..."
"You have time to gossip, yet no time to consider your own positions at this moment?" Xiang Lim glanced back at the three youths testily. He'd already dealt with Caprian, confining him to his room until a chance to send him back to the academy arose, however these three were martial artists and beast tamer respectively, not under his immediate authority as a Teacher. It was best to let their own Teacher's deal with punishment and discipline, lest he be seen as stepping on another's toes resulting in the three being let off completely. Such happened often in the walls of the Academy, where influence, rank and position often held more sway than rules and schemes were as abound as within a royal harem!
But just as these things had shaped the final form of the Academy, these legal sons born or recognised by the main house of their noble or official patriarch or matriarch had been shaped by years of acknowledgement towards their inborn talents and potential. Or in simpler terms, they had been spoiled with flattery, gifts and money, leading them to think highly of themselves and less of others. Plus, these youths were not middling and were far from the lower ranking students within the academy also leading Teachers to occasionally turn a blind eye.
Thus after verbally being reprimanded, mostly as they'd been caught in an embarrassing situation by the Alchemy Head Teacher no less and after being punished to write a reflective essay, the whole incident was practically forgotten by the unrepentant youths.
But not completely...
*****
Speculation turns into rumours, rumours into gossip in which no one cares what is the truth and what is a lie, only whether it is entertaining enough.
The gossip spread like a wildfire in dry grass and soon reached the ears of a particular girl. She already attracted a lot of attention with skin as apparently soft as rose petals and rounded cheeks with a hint of natural blush. She was curvaceous, with a bubbly personality and two large, clear eyes that expressed innocence, cultivating protective feelings in many, jealousy or lust in others. Eyes were often drawn towards her as she passed by, but she seemed completely oblivious to the stares. She wasn't, just that she was used to it and she had no thoughts at all for those who stared at her, so long as it was just looking, she couldn't care less about them. Only in passing she might think; if only he looked at me as well.
He happened to be the target of the gossip, which is why, when it reached her ears, she became incensed! As if she were the goddess of justice, she descended upon those who'd whispered about him, drawing her crystal encrusted staff from her back before scolding the villains with words and might. They regretted; if only they'd known that the girl was passing by, they would have definitely been more discreet. They could only defend themselves, they dare not hit back. The girl was the Pearl in the palm of her household and that household had infinitely more power than their own.
They apologised, begged for forgiveness before laying blame elsewhere then sidling away when the opportunity arose. Hearing their pleas, they remained unforgiven, but they had successfully distracted her with the names of those they'd heard the rumours from. The girl suddenly wanted to hurry find those people and beat them up instead!
A hand fell upon her shoulder and the stoic face of the owner made her retract her thorny spines and her red rose petal trembled, her large eyes filled with water. "Ling Ling!" She wailed, pitifully as if the thousand hurts she'd inflicted upon those villains were rebound upon herself. "They're all so mean!"
The tall, willowy girl sighed, shaking her head. The rumours really had nothing to do with the other girl at all, yet she took them personally, even went so far to defend the one truly tainted by the rumours. Of course, the tall girl knew why that was so, but then, even if he knew what the other girl had done for him, he probably would not care in the slightest.
Her speculation deemed true.
The Ascending Mountain Institute was set over grounds that, in the eyes of certain students and their Teachers, were rugged, wild and uncivilised, with rough pathways, sprawling weeds and foreboding or straggly trees. However, it was spring in the mountains and many places with in the mountain suddenly became charming, less unattractive.
In one such place and in amongst trees coated in a myriad of blossoms both pale pink and lilac, there stood a small, open pavilion. This pavilion was new to this location and was not as fixed as it appeared. If informed others saw this pavilion, they would be green with envy for this was not some simple building, but an invaluable Artefact. It had two forms, this quaint and architecturally pleasing pavilion with its stone benches and hanging, enchanted lanterns, but also the owner could have it shrink in a single lantern form, more portable, less eye catching. The pavilion's main function was to attract and draw the spiritual energy of the surroundings, to purify and concentrate it that any person to cultivate with in it would be able to absorb the energy more efficiently. While that person was cultivating, it would also protect them, prevent those with ill intent from harming them, while also forming a barrier of silence that the cultivator could practice in peace. It would said that the Artificer only made three of these pavilions in his lifetime.
It was currently a place in which tea was being brewed.
Five young men sat within, one tall, one dark, one fiery, one cheerful and one cold. It was clear that these men had extremely personalities, however, there was no conflict between them, just a table with its exquisite yet simple tea set and the scent of even more exquisite tea. The tall man stood, fixed the slim framed glasses upon his nose before pouring the clear, amber liquid into five cups. He passed one cup to the cold man sitting close to him, before taking his own and sitting beside the other.
"Hey, what about mine?" The brash youth with hair similar to red flames demanded.
"You have legs do you not?" Replied the tall man with a slight sneer, causing the other to huff.
The man who happened to have a naturally cheerful and approachable look chuckled. He took to his feet in order to pass over two of the remaining three cups. "Now, now, children. There's no need for such conflict between us. Save it for those who deserve it." He passed the cups to the fiery man and the dark skinned youth, the latter nodded in silent thanks.
"You mean those arrogant Institute bastards?" The red headed youth had not forgiven a few slights and tricks he imagined that this place's students had given him.
The sunny-faced youth's smile broadened. "If you like."
"Sagan…" the man with the cold aura called to him quietly, not so much in warning, but for him to keep his peace. He was not unaware of the rumours that his own fellow students had spread. He suspected that they'd also fallen into the ears of the Institute's students and students of the other schools, but he did not plan to do anything about it for the time being. For one, the rumours were unsubstantiated, subject of conjecture and without evidence and could not harm him. He never cared for what other people thought about him after all. His family might worry, should they hear of these things, of course, but the Emperor was far away and those with the loosest of mouths wouldn't think of risking their necks to cause offence by sending word where it could reach them. At least, not personally.
Regardless, there would be time to investigate any truths within the rumours before his family heard about them.
He turned to the man sitting beside him. "Toki, what do you think…"
The other tapped his chin. "Biaoge, I think…"
"Ji Ji!!!" The wailing sound of a pained girl pierced through the air. The cold aired man flinched visibly, before a resigned look appeared in his black eyes. It faded in a moment, but was still noticed by his closest friends, who shared looks holding both sympathy and derision.
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