Chapter Thirty Eight - Our journey home

"Ah and then I had to reassure the General that there was no point him attending the Standings nor the upcoming Inter-school exchange!  That I couldn't participate even if I wanted to!"  Sun was amidst sorting out two large interspacial chests in the room he shared with Jin Li, spilling out everything that had happened to him after he and the other had gone their separate ways in the village before the New Year hailed in.

Naturally, Jin Li wasn't listening.  He appeared stoic, cold and uninterested as he sat upon the wooden bench in the shared space of their accommodation and indeed he was.  He didn't look as if he was sullen and sulking at all.

The student accommodation in the inner Martial arts school was a little more comfortable than that of the outer school; for one thing, there were no rooms that slept four.  In the outer school, one's room was based on one's place within the Standings as well as whether one had attracted the attention of a Teacher.  Most first years were placed in four person rooms.  In this situation, Jin Li and Sun had been fortunate that they had managed to secure a two person room when they were in the outer school.

Within the inner school, however, accommodation was based on one's points.  Free accommodation was much like the small two person room they had vacated in the outerschool.  Their current place had three rooms; two tiny single rooms with enough room for a decent bed and small storage and a shared space where they could stretch their limbs or cultivate.  And to mention, a slither of a thin vein of solidified spiritual energy ran beneath this type of room making it far more comfortable to cultivate.

This place was the cheapest type of room for inner school students to afford, costing nominal points, something larger or on a stronger vein would be more expensive and accommodation meant to house just one person was dearer still.  However, the two youths did not actually spare a point for this place, thanks to Sun being Teacher Corvus student and thanks to the fact that Sun preferred to keep Jin Li's company (the Teachers preferred this as well).

Still, Jin Li didn't care about all that; he was bothered that he'd been kicked out of Leon's place one day before school started and one day too early as far as Jin Li was concerned.  He would have liked to have left in the morning tomorrow, preferably after a last night tasting the pleasure from teasing his small alchemist.  It was his last chance, after all, before entering closed cultivation for a period of time.  Leon had not wanted to walk to his school on fawn legs and aching hips, so had, with the help of two Coeurl, exiled him, despite knowing this. It was of Leon's opinion, in addition, that Jin Li had taken advantage of him so often in the past few weeks, that the petals of his chrysanthemum had completely wilted, never to be the same again!

Have to mention that Li Ming was just following Leon's instructions, finding it fun, Wu Ye was getting revenge for being used as a mount for two riders as Leon and Jin Li had made their way back to school - using the scenic route.

The first leg of their journey had been the shortest, just to the nearby town, where they ate and inquired about the roads.  Originally, they had planned to sleep this night, then leave in the early hours for Cenapar City.  Only there was mention that another town over, there was a First Moon festival, a favourite amongst couples, who also prayed at the Temple located a top the hill beside the town for good fortune and good fertility.  Leon's eyes had sparkles with curiosity and they had taken this detour in the morning.

The 'hill' was closer to a small mountain, but the pair had made their way with tens of other couples up the numerous stone steps leading up its heights.  Occasionally, there was a small pavilion area where they could get water or weak tea before continuing their journey.  These pavilions were also very scenic, within small gardens or carved into the hill itself, looking down onto the town far below.  They did not reach the apex; the Temple was split into portions, that which was reserved for only guests of the Abbot who resided at the highest point.  Others could pray to the heavens in other places and those other sections were dedicated to individual, popular gods.

Such as the god that most villagers secretly prayed to; the god of harvest.

For the festival, most would visit the goddess of fertility or the moon god; in some stories this pair were wed, in others they were siblings.  Heaven's knew the truth.

After a token prayer and parting with a handful of bronze for the privilege, Leon and Jin Li made their way back to town to enjoy the night festival and then Jin Li decided they should enjoy the true meaning of it, leaving Leon to need to sleep upon Wu Ye's back for much of the journey to the next small village.  Unfortunately, the villagers of this place were not very accepting of strangers, narrow minded of even Cultivators, who they considered as going against Heaven's Will.  So they could only sleep in the barn of a slightly more generous person, who worshiped the unnamed god of money.

As the weather, while brisk, was calm and cloudless, they left before dawn.  Leon nestled into Jin Li's arms, warming his cold hands against the other's body.  Jin Li was satisfied with this, so even though they found a warm inn along the side of a busy highway that night, Jin Li dragged Leon out of bed the next morning very early so he would be forced to rely on him some more.

Fortunately, this highway was one that eventually forked towards Julip Town.  They only need spend three more nights in other passing villages prior to that before reaching the outskirts late that evening.  It was difficult to find a room in the inns in new Julip Town, but they happened to cross paths with a slightly drunk Ursam, so ended up imposing upon his wife, who welcomed them even as she told her husband he was banished to the small sofa in the living room!

Yesterday, they had finally arrived home, in their small courtyard in the outskirts of the outer alchemist school.  It was too tiring to hunt, they could only trek to the Food Hall and then the Stables in order to get some warm meat porridge for their beasts.  Not as tasty as their own hunted food and Leon's cooking, but all four slept well on full bellies for much of the day and subsequent night. 

Lazing around on the last day, perhaps adding a dual cultivating session in the afternoon as well as more rigorous activities that night had been Jin Li's ideal plan.  Leon had actually not annexed this thought, just delayed it... plus there would indeed be interest added.  But Leon would not be aware of this for sometime.