Still Learning To Live As A Cultivator

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!"