Still Learning To Live As A Cultivator

Chapter One Hundred and Eight - I learn to ride... sort of

A few tendays later and the Ascending Mountain Institute was suddenly visited by scores of cultivators. This was not some campaign to attract the attention of prospective students and their folks, like might occur in schools of another world, although many of these cultivators were indeed students. Instead they were came to the Institute as if they were four small battalions ready for battle. The Institute's students were no less aware of the reason for their presence and made themselves known in crowds, gathering around the building and nearby griffin's nests as if in greeting, yet somehow looked as if they were ready to protect their territory.

The building which the students surrounded happened to be once used by the inner school of scholars prior to the two schools somewhat merging in order to pool much of their resources and invest further into their studies, no matter their skill set. Over the passed few weeks, the architecturally imposing building with its decorative pillars, tall doors and ornate carved flora and fauna had been given a refurbishment, along with the (coincidentally) four dormitory buildings located around it. There had been many points on offer for sweeping floors and cleaning out cobwebs, Leon had joined a team that replanted the grounds with pretty and structurally pleasing plants and flowers. Other things, furnishings and such, had been purchased from outside and many temporary staff hired in order to keep the visitors well fed during their stay.

There were mixed reactions from the visitors regarding their efforts;

"Everything is so unexpectedly green this way north," murmured one with a heavy accent.

"Where are the servants to carry my luggage! You there! Pick up my bags!" The one pointed at sneered, did not bother retorting, just walked away arms crossed and cursing;

"Who does that fucker think he is? Laozi has better things to do!"

"Look, all girls!" A whisper came from the surrounding crowds this time and caught the attention of both males and females, the former couldn't help their instinctive reaction to scan over that group of flowers in interest, while the latter were either showed glints of unhappiness or delight dependant on circumstances.

In the end, all of the visiting students and resident students had opinions regarding the others, not all were favourable, but generally, the visiting students arrived peacefully.  How long this would happen to last was a different story.

But at that moment, a small alchemist had his hands full with a matter far removed.  Actually, they were holding a recently made, custom saddle.

Li Ming sniffed at the saddle in it's human's hands with interest. The thick, leather scent caused it to screw up its nose and turn its head away. Velana chuckled as she patted Li Ming's scaled head. "Your coeurl is an interesting beast," she mentioned to Leon, her eyes appraising the beast's mainly white skin with its lengths of black stripes stretching down its back.

"En," Leon agreed fondly, smiling brightly. The cub which had first approached him due to a small wooden fish charm, had become a young adult following a recent growth spurt. However, it never managed to shed all of its baby fur. Instead, it had developed a thick mane not unlike that of a lion from his former world. A small tuft also remained on the tip of its thick tail. It looked unusual on the coeurl, a feline species that were renowned for their thick, scaled hide and powerful agility, but Leon did not hate it.

Leon attempted to figure out how to place the saddle on Li Ming's back in vain, causing Velana to quietly chuckle. She took the saddle from him as if it weighed nothing and tossed it with ease on Li Ming's back. The coeurl blinked its blue eyes in surprise, unaccustomed to the weight, though it was more than capable of coping with it. It turned its head and shoulders attempting to see what was upon its back, circling as its fluffy mane partially blocked its vision. It yowled at Leon in complaint.