Chapter One Hundred and Eighteen - They spread gossip and rumours

"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.