章 309: Chapter One Hundred and Nine - They spar in the woods
The pair from the Savage Red Sands Force were not the only group to have set about exploring the landscape of the famous Ascending Mountain Institute, a place they'd thought that they'd only ever know by reputation.
A group of seven young men and women were currently traipsing though the mountainous forests close to where they had been advised that the (outer) martial arts school could be found. If there was a truth to admit, though their lips remained firmly sealed to it, they were lost.
Of this group, five were male, two female, but all wore styles of dress that were of high quality of fabrics and excellent tailoring. The embroidery was flawless and intricate, despite the patterns seeming somewhat simple in comparison to what they might otherwise had worn and they wore boots rather than slippers or embroidered shoes. Others of their ilk would nod their head, believing that their style was quite appropriate in order to 'fit in' with a lower class of people who lived in a more untamed environment, unaware that they had completely missed the marked point. The twig of an unpruned shrub caught the silk threads of the peony sewn upon one girl's skirt.
"Ling Ling, help me!" The girl had a mature form yet young face, her slightly rounded cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she attempted to loosen the catch without ruining the silks. The other girl, a tall young woman with a willowy frame and indifferent expression, paused before stepping over to assist her friend.
The most angry of the youthful men clicked his tongue then kicked at a stone that had scuffed his boot when he'd inadvertently tripped over it. "What sort of landscape is this? No paths, no sense of placement. It's simply barbaric!"
"That student might have given us the wrong direction," a sunny faced youth with naturally smiling eyes pointed out. His naturally golden hair added to his amicable appearance, however, if one looked deep enough into those dark eyes, one might witness a scheming mind behind them.
The angry youth seemed of simpler temperament, hot headed and brash, but without complicated thought. "That person should not dare!" The person they spoke of wore the hemp cloth of a peasant, his only reactions to their presence should be of fear and obedience. This was their experience, they had never thought too deeply beyond this.
The blond haired man was not so naive as his friend, but also unlike his friend, who would forget this possible slight come the following daybreak, he would set this wrong into his heart and seek recompense.
"Never mind," the tallest youth amongst them adjusted slim framed glasses and glanced around himself. "Teacher did mention that this Institute was much wilder and uncouth than its generous reputation suggests. We will take this as a lesson learned." The youths nodded as if all agreeing with him.
Suddenly, a clash of metal came to ear and attracted their attentions. Glancing at each other quickly, they soon moved forward as a group seeking the increasing rhythmic beating of metal against metal, aware that there was likely people behind those familiar sounds. And where there was people, there was their way out of this ghastly forest.
The sounds increased in volume and a flash of midnight cloth caught the eye of the sharpest amongst them and he glanced towards the movement which happened to within the canopy of trees. The thud of a heavy boot sounded as did a deep hearted chuckle and a man in brown appeared before their vision as he leapt from one branch to another, cold steel in hand. That steel clashed against more of its ilk, though this was possessed by another man, who wore black cloth decorated with vivid orange koi.
The two men were who were well known to the Institute as Bowyer and Jin Li, were not known to outsiders, who could only watch as they furiously sparred.
The blood within their veins was hot and flowing intensely as their hearts raced and bodies sought to move more agilely and with increased swiftness. Their minds instructed and their muscles moved, their swords had already become an extension of themselves as they tested each other over and over. This was a game that they had long since become accustomed too, yet as was suggested by Bowyer's Teacher, it was one that had become stale. In truth, few real battles took place in an arena, so why not extend their experience to outside? The perimeter of the inner school was protected and not extensive as the positioning of the school was overly high without great boundaries, better to use the expansive forests stretching around in every direction of the outer school.
Hence how they came to be here and how the students of the Qilin Academy of Excellence came to find them.
Although they were deep into their battle, they were not so focused upon their opponent that they neglected their surroundings, something that would be fatal in the outside world after all. They quickly came to notice that their battlegrounds had been intruded upon. At first they thought it might have been their own, spectating. First years were particularly curious about seniors, but also seniors never failed to scope out who they might learn from in the future. However, something wrung false.
With mutual understanding, they paused and sheathed their weapons in order to confront these strangers.
"You're quite far from the road, friends," Bowyer mentioned amicably, causing the ground to exchange glances. The angry youth went as red as his hair, while his blond friend's smile seemed to deepen.
The tall youth adjusted his glasses and stepped forward. "We intruded unintentionally. We were not aware that this place might be off limits."
Bowyer shook his head. "It isn't off limits to be here," the man denied, "but there isn't much to see here. Beasts and game tend to stay away and the wild herbs were long since frittered away by alchemists or first years. Not many come this way."
"You're here," a youth with dark skin and an exotic handsomeness pointed out. In fact, none of the five men and two women could be considered plain wallflowers, each had their own particular beauty and aura and would stand out and over others like sunflowers over violets in a crowded field of flowers. However, the two youths before them were also far from ordinary in both appearance and temperament.
"Just for training," Bowyer admitted. "We'll return to our school once done."
"You'll return," Jin Li couldn't help but mutter as he retorted against Bowyer's statement. Bowyer rolled his eyes over the other's words wanting to suggest that Jin Li's affections will make his sword dull if not careful... only if anything, the youth's blade had only become sharper in these few months. He could only sulk inwardly, swallowing his thoughts whole.
"You are martial artists," the cold woman called Ling by her friend stated. There was no denial. "You attend the martial arts school here."
A noble never asks, just demands, Bowyer didn't bother letting these obvious sons and daughters of the wealthy elite skirt around their point until he volunteered to direct them; it was too tiring. He bluntly took the lead. "Oh, your destination was the martial arts school? The outer school is just a short way in that direction."
"What of the so-called inner school?" The red haired youth demanded equally blunt.
The blond haired youth chuckled lightly and stepped forward to intercede; "My apologies for my friend. What he meant to say was that we had heard that your martial arts school was split in two and we were intrigued. Our curiosity did indeed lead us here to look into it more."
"I understand," Bowyer took on an amicable stance in response. "As it happens, the way to the inner school is through the outer school. We are both from the inner school, it is no trouble for us to guide you in the right direction."
"We would appreciate it," the blond haired youth replied, appreciatively.
"Then we're done with the spar?" Jin Li turned to Bowyer to state, causing the man to freeze in hesitation. A small curve appeared at the corner's of Jin Li's lips momentarily before he leapt away.
"Jin Li!" Bowyer yelled after him without thought, but he was far too late. He returned his attentions to the Qilin Academy students after exhaling a sigh. "Please excuse my friend. He has... other business to attend to. Come with me now."
The group paused for only a breath before following the man closely. However, the girl with peonies on her silk clothes stepped back a pace and came to the side of the one youth that had remained silent all of this time. She tugged the sleeve of his white robe. "Ji Ji..."
The youth with long black hair and equally dark, Phoenix shaped eyes shook off his startled surprise and glanced with evident coldness at the girl before removing his sleeve from her light touch. "I know," he responded in the next moment, starring off in the direction that the man called Jin Li had rushed off to.
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