The Hidden Bellflower happened to look quite like its name described. A smattering of flowers dangling from their stem like golden bells with the peaking stamen representing the internal clapper, all neatly protected by a cage of long, thick leaves which spiralled about them. Those who viewed it, could only peak between the succulent leaves at the treasure within. It was less a plant and more a cactus and Leon could understand from viewing it why it was seen as such. This herb came from the desert and was very rare. Teacher Sagi had won it from a recent plant auction, having placed his highest bid in advance and now relied on Leon to collect it from the Dome of Prosperity.Carefully sealed inside a protective container, for a living thing could not be stored within an interspatial pouch, they allowed Leon to take it in exchange for the jade ticket Teacher Sagi entrusted him with. The plant was not very large and Leon did not need to head straight back to school, thus decided to take advantage of the trip into town to complete a few things he"d previously forgotten about.
Such as collecting his coat.
It had been weeks since he had given the tailoress the good-sized Snow Fox Bear pelt. The weather had remained of good temperament for all this time, with only brief showers and warm winds accompanying otherwise sunny days, so it had slipped his mind for the most part. Even now, the sun shone brightly, but there was a change in the air, albeit small. Perhaps it was the hints of earthy dampness upon the wind, which seemed just a bit cooler than before, but Leon was reminded that the long summer would eventually end. And he"d remembered the coat at that point.
The seamstress greeted him warmly, chiding him for not returning all of this time. "Were i" no" for Pharmacist Clawse" rea.s.surance, I wou"da though" somethin" bad had happened t" ya!"
"Sorry," Leon apologised. The seamstress brought him the coat. It was beautiful. The main length, which easily reached his ankles was edged and lined with the fur. And while the outer part was still of hemp, rather than silk, the seamstress had it dyed a pale blue and had embroidered white cloud patterns which decreased in number the higher one looked. The arms were also of hemp, layered for warmth and lined at the cuff with remnants of the fur. The overall product appeared of higher quality than normal commoners clothes, but remained hard wearing. Leon felt it would be very warm to wear and was very happy with it.
With profuse thanks, he left the seamstress and headed for the pharmacy, bringing with him the White Warming potions and Soft Ice pills that Clawse had requested of him last time they spoke. These were made by standard recipes and were not considered special, but for commoners, they were too useful, one helping to prevent people from catching spreading illnesses and the other helping to reduce high fevers. Clawse did not stop to chat with him, after the money was exchanged, for he had a guest upstairs he needed to turn to. Leon smiled with understanding and bid him goodbye, Clawse watched him leave, before returning to his guest.
That guest happened to be his Great Uncle, who unlike him, was able to cultivate. He currently worked as a Healer at the Ascending Mountain Inst.i.tute and liked to bend his "young" relative"s ear about things that had happened at the school from time to time. Clawse looked at this old uncle who appeared his junior in appearance with a slight sigh.
"You were saying?" He asked as he poured fresh tea.
"Teacher Corvus just hasn"t changed," he lamented. "So free of spirit and lacking the concerns that plague other men! Swans in and out of the school as if he owns the land it"s situated upon. Did I tell you about the time when I was a student attending his lectures?"
"Hmm," Clawse replied, nonchalantly. There had been too many reminiscent memories shared over the years to count, not just ones about the man known as Corvus.
"While I was not one of the unlucky ones," the man admitted, "I was there the day one of my fellow First Years was almost killed upon one of his field trips into the wild part of the mountains. A nasty case of sepia rash, that poor boy scratched those swollen pustules until they bled and became infected. This time he brings in a boy who"d upset a Dire Fox Bear and didn"t get away unscathed. Except..."
"Except?" Clawse couldn"t help but ask as he sipped his hot beverage.
"Keep this between you and I, but..." The Healer went on to describe the situation in some detail, mentioning about the strangely improved One Heart Pills and Corvus" lack of memory to whence they came from.
Clawse managed to retain a stoic face as he considered the origins of those pills and responded blandly; "Is that so."
*****
Old Julip town, on many occasions, had a flourish market to explore. There was no fixed day the market stalls would appear upon the streets nor were there fixed produce, one never knew what one would find within when it would appear. There was also no set time of day, it was more like that one person would suddenly decide to set up a stall and his neighbours would consider this a good idea and do the same and within the s.p.a.ce of an hour, word would get around that the market had begun once more.
At this time, a youth with long yin-yang hair tied neatly with a pin and crown was wandering through the crowds in curiosity. He happened upon a stall cooking steamed dumplings and chose a few with pork fillings and a few more with fresh green fillings and wandered away happily munching upon them with a complimentary dish of soy sauce. They were very tasty. As he took his snack, he happened to walk past a stall selling saki. The vender was a bit of an entrepreneur and had set stools beside his stall, creating a small open bar for people to come and drink at. That way, people could enjoy a quick sip or purchase a bottle to take home with them.
"So my wife," one man complained, sourly as he sipped the strong liqueur with ease, "really has hopes for the boy and wants our daughter to wed him. However, that stubborn girl has another in mind and her mother"s pleas can"t move her. So my wife insists I speak to the girl. What do I get instead of an agreement? A plea that I set aside any plans for Justin and have this fellow she likes enter our sect and be made my direct disciple!"
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Leon shook his head, feeling a bit of pity for the man who seemed stuck between the wishes of the women in his life, but quickly forgot about it as he noticed a stall selling strips of leather. Some thicker pieces had been woven into a belt of midnight black and rustic red. He purchased it along with some thin lengths that he could hang his wooden carvings upon as charms or necklaces. After this, he happily melted into the sea of people bustling from one stall to the next.
So he didn"t hear the man at the saki stall continue to bemoan to the owner and any other listener; "Maimai is so much more agreeable than Merylin. I"m sure she won"t cause me so much fuss when it comes to her marriage."
In a small hut, beside a bubbling cauldron, a girl with wayward curls sneezed... and then her cauldron blew up.