In the lingering heat from both day and new stove, Jin Li chose to cultivate while forcing Leon to bed reminding him that it had not been long since he had broken through to secondary stage and he should not tempt fate cultivating again too soon as his soulsea was likely still turbulent. Leon felt that his sea was actually calm and stable, but he did not argue and crawled onto the mattress to sleep in just his inner robes.
However, he woke to find himself in another precarious position. At some point, Jin Li had stopped cultivating in the night and had decided to sleep beside him... but without his outer and inner robes. All he wore were his loose trousers. His chest was naked. Leon figured that Jin Li had felt hot, the air in the hut taking long to cool last night, so had removed extraneous garments before sleeping, but that did not explain why Leon's face was now pressed against said chest with his body in the embrace of two strong arms.
Jin Li's scent was memorable, he had inhaled it many times, just not so close and without barriers. He felt his eyelids flutter shut as it drifted from the warm, firm skin into his nose, before coming to his senses and carefully wiggling free, much embarrassed. He was drooling over a teenaged boy! Granted his body was just nineteen and he had not been much older when he had died but still...
Jin Li woke not much later and blissfully unaware, to the aroma of sweetened rice porridge topped with dry fruit and a cup of freshly brewed tea.
"W-what are your p-plans today?" Leon asked Jin Li as sat down to eat. Jin Li grimaced, but it was not from the mouthful of porridge. He was not looking forward to returning to the martial arts school.
While sparring with Sun did waste some time, the boy was not up to par with his martial arts and could barely be considered a challenge. Not that he was bad, he certainly was not as terrible as several he had wiped the floor with within the first seven days of him attending that school. None of the first years would spar with him with the exception of Sun now. One even went so far to claim that he should not be amongst the first years of the outer school due to his cultivation level being higher than theirs. And none of the seniors would spar with him as they considered him a lowly first year, not worth their time.
He had looked at the mission request board as was Pike's suggestion, but they were only offering first years small missions with smaller rewards. Not worth his effort.
"I have none," Jin Li said, eventually.
Seeing as Jin Li would no way possibly ask him whether or not he had plans let alone ask what they were, Leon enlightened him without pause. "I n-need to v-visit the Herb Hall. I h-have used all the herbs while p-p-practicing m-making b-beast calming p-pills, first fortitude p-pills and hidden m-mist p-pills."
"Why would you bother with such useless pills?" Jin Li questioned.
"N-Not useless," Leon denied. "The b-beast taming school use these sorts of p-pills and w-would the first fortitude and hidden m-mist p-pills not b-be useful to the m-m-martial arts school as w-well?"
"Only for weaklings," Jin Li replied. He scooped the last of his breakfast from bowl to mouth, licking the honey from his lips giving Leon a moment's pause. He blushed when he realised what he was doing and chose to cover up his embarrassment by offering Jin Li what remained of his own breakfast. Jin Li did not hesitate to except.
*****
"This Lord has decided to accompany you today," Jin Li declared when they finally stepped outside of the hut. Leon simply rolled his eyes and began walking towards the Herb Hall.
As they finally reached the open glade area at the heart of the school, there was a crowd preventing them from moving further. This 'crowd' was made up of young men, many of whom Leon recognised as those who had sat worshiping the two new female students in the food hall the other day.
"Excuse m-me," Leon poked one of his juniors shoulder's, but the lad simply glared at him. So he tried again, with the person beside him, but again was rebuffed.
Jin Li grabbed the same pair's shoulder's, forcing them to look at him and stated; "Move." The boys did not hesitate and the two youths began muscling their way through this way, until they reached one stubborn lad, who was adamant on showing the Twin Lotuses his 'good' side.
"You!" He said, all bluster at the man opposite him, completely ignoring the smaller Leon beside him. "Who do you think you are? Can you not see that Miss Merylin and Miss Maimai wish to visit the Herb Hall?"
Leon peered around the youth's tall body to see that the two girls were indeed making their way towards the Hall. It appeared that they had not long left the Food Hall. They were chatting amicably with three other girls and not really paying any attention to the boys who had ensured their path was a straight one. Miss Merylin was wearing pale blue robes, embroidered with orchids, while Miss Maimai wore lilac without adornment. Again their robes were silk.
"So?" Jin Li was saying to the student blocking them. "Now move, before I make you move." Jin Li lay his hand upon the sword that was always sheathed to his waist, causing the boy to visibly gulp. Did the alchemist school allow weapons to be worn in public?? He glanced over at the Twin Lotus's thinking how he can come out of this looking somewhat cool, when Miss Merylin suddenly glanced up and her cheeks became endearingly pink.
The crowd of boys all followed Miss Merylin's line of sight and saw one of their comrades being threatened by someone they had not met before. He had long black hair, which was partially tied back with red cord and wore a short navy robe over linen trousers. So clearly he was no better than them, even if his face was well proportioned and stance close to regal. So why was one of their Lotuses blushing?