The tea shop manager was a refined, genteel woman, versed in the etiquette of tea brewing, poetry and was apt at making her guests feel welcome and relaxed... but every coin had a flip side. Without warning, this coin revealed it tail. "Get out! How dare you disturb the tranquility of laoniang's business!"
Two young ladies were pushed out of the doors without breath spare to defend themselves, while two embarrassed relatives bowed in apology and appeased the hostess with a few silver each. The woman tested the weight of the purses in her palm before sounding out a loud 'harrumph' and striding back inside, where she once more transformed into her amiable, elegant self.
Without tea to drink and the mood of shopping spoiled, it seemed it was time to return to the Institute.... and it seemed that the two parties of two just happened to be intending to return in the same manner; via Griffin. They walked in cold silence, but once their joint destinations became obvious, the competitive nature of females began to once more rear its head. Carmen was undoubtedly the instigator this time; after giving a disdainful glare in the direction of the two girls across the street, she hurried her pace to get ahead.
Ordinarily, Merylin would never rise to such obvious provocation, but the number of griffins flying too and from school were limited and it was true that she did not wish to have to wait half a shìchèn or so for the next beast to land following a return flight. Thus she discreetly picked up the pace as well.
Seeing that the gap between them had not increased, Carmen's strides became less 'ladylike' and far longer, gradually the distance grew to her satisfaction. And then it shrank once more. This continued until both girls were pretty much running ungainly with Maimai and Sun just dragged along for the show. Both girls approached the Griffin handler intent on leaving the other behind.
"We can't fly at the moment," the handler mentioned, indicating the overcast sky with his finger. The rumbling thunder in the dense and darkening sky was increasing, becoming particularly strong in one area off to the north east. An odd hunch caused Sun to frown, but it was another that put words to his feelings.
"Someone is breaching a cultivation level!"
Sun didn't recognise the speaker, but suspected from the age and temperament, and the fact he also wished to ride back to the Institute, that they were one of his seniors. He was with a friend who happened to blurt out;
"But are there any Teachers in closed cultivation at the moment?" He was not wrong to ask this question. His assumption was that the cloud formations above were not due to some ominous winter storm, but were actually due to a Cultivator ascending. Lightning tribulations were a common occurrence for any Cultivator breaching levels above the quinary stage; completing Body Tempering brought with it the first trial of the Heavens and every stage after that also. Most students would leave the Institute prior to forming their core, leaving no more than a handful of the most talented each generation to manage to form their core before graduation.
"I think Teacher Compari was," the other mentioned.
"Who is that?"
"Oh, you've not met him," the other realised. "He went into closed cultivation after I started attending the Institute. He must have been cultivating inside the mountain for ten years now..."
Sun also had no knowledge of this mysterious Teacher, but for some reason, his intuition felt as if that their words did not quite fit the current scenario...
"Jin Li, he's in closed cultivation in that mountain as well," Maimai murmured aloud. Sun glanced at her and the uncertain feeling in his gut began to solidify.
The Heavens had no care for the speculation of mortals nor Cultivators on their first steps towards attempting to breach their gates. The sky filled with a blinding white light before streaking towards its destination in an angry manner. It clashed with the barrier around the mountain which wobbled like a soap bubble pressed by a finger before springing back into shape and vanishing before the naked eye. As if furious at being thwarted, the Heavens sent down two further strikes, but the could not penetrate the barrier, just explode against it, sending out booming cries causing immense pressure to the ears of normal people. A few fell to their knees in the wake of the loud thunder. This seemed enough to satisfy the Heavens, for the clouds above began to disperse, once more revealing the cold, pale blue sky beneath.
"All aboard!" The Handler said some ten minutes later after the ringing in his ears had abated and he'd calmed the Griffin enough for it to fly. Carmen indicated that Sun should help her rise; she had been one of those who'd crumbled beneath the pressure.
Merylin looked down at her as she climbed carefully aboard the Griffin; "So weak," she said with exaggerated pity before adjusting her skirt as she sat with a straight back in her seat. Maimai sat down beside her, offering Sun a quick apologetic glance.
Carmen grumbled beneath her breath. So what if she was 'weak'. A true lady did not need to be physically strong, such would make her no more than a boorish woman. But then, wasn't that what this girl truly was beneath her airs and graces? Feeling that she'd cursed the odious girl satisfactorily in her heart, she felt more at peace and proved that she could climb and take a seat upon the flying beast just as, if not more, elegantly than the other!
Following Sun aboard was those two seniors and a few others who either learned or worked in the school as perhaps caretakers or cooks. The two seniors sat behind Sun and continued their discussion from earlier.
"Those lightning strikes certainly seemed to be in the direction of the mountain for closed cultivation. Do you think that Teacher was successful?"
"How can it be?!" the other refuted. "To complete Body formation one will receive Heaven's wrath with one times nine strikes and for every stage above that they will receive that they received before plus another nine strikes. Teacher Compari was reputed to be attempting to breakthrough to the high level of octonary stage, must then receive three times nine strikes, not just three strikes!"
"What do you think caused those strikes then?"
"Maybe someone managed to create some legendary Pill or artefact? Don't know anyone foolish enough to do so inside the boundaries of the Institute though..."
A certain Teacher that happened to be a certain youth's direct Master sneezed, before scratching his nose. Was someone speaking ill of him? Not possible, he was way too awesome... unless it was his brother, Corne... Corvus grumbled somewhat under his breath.
Back on the Griffin, others were listening into the conversation and drawing their own conclusions. "Brother Sun," Carmen's eye's twinkled with interest as she drew his attention to her. "Didn't you mention that my... I mean... Jin Li went into closed cultivation. Could it be he that caused the lightning strikes?"
"I... shouldn't think so?" Sun denied, weakly. "It's doubtful, I mean, he is just trying to form his core..."
"But its not impossible, right?" Her imagination drew an image of his silhouette standing tall upon a mountain peak with lightning flashing behind him and his long, midnight hair flowing in the wind. She clasped her hands together. "He's just so majestic...!"
Merylin, who happened to be across from them, sat up even more rigidly in her seat, glaring beneath the shadow of her long lashes at her sister, though her voice remained like a warm summer breeze not the cold winter winds her eyes might have otherwise suggested. "Sister, you did not mention that Jin Li entered Closed Cultivation..."
"Hmmm?" Maimai wasn't sure how to respond the the question nor undertone that she had long since learned to identify. "Well, um... it happened just as winter break ended. I haven't really had much chance to talk to you... and I didn't think it was that important."
"Of course it is," Merylin reprimanded her, softly. "I could have assisted brother Jin Li with some pills... cloudy spiritual pills maybe or tranquil mind pills for once he's succeeded in breaking through..."
Maimai attempted not to roll her eyes. Could her darling sister even make tranquil mind pills? More than likely, she'd ask the Head of Sunset Peak of the Sect for them. "I'm sorry, sister," she apologised, insincerely. "I didn't think..." it was necessary!
"I'm certain that Jin Li would not need to accept pills from outsiders," Carmen clicked her tongue, openly expressing an opinion as if it was not directed towards her adversary at all.
"That is true," Merylin nodded in agreement. "He certainly need not accept pills from outsiders... He only need inquire of me when he is in need, I'm willing to provide whatever he needs. Just as last time..."
Carmen glared, her face reddening with emotion that was barely restrained. Sun and Maimai prayed inwardly that the flight back to the Institute would be over soon!
Author's note; laoniang is the feminine version of laozi, basically meaning something like 'this superior' or 'this teacher'. It works like Jin Li's 'this Lord' or 'I, your father' in more modern period books x (at least this is my interpretation of it!)