Learning To Live As A Cultivator 128 Chapter One Hundred And Twenty Eight - The Way To Jin Li's Hear

Meals within Food Halls clearly differed from place to place. For example, within the outer alchemist school, the students ate heartily their fill for the most part; many were commoners who might have lacked the chance before and others might be n.o.ble, but being surrounded by uncouth table mannerisms had them relax after a while. It was not so bad eating without restraint and worrying about how fathers and mothers, uncles and aunts perceived them. Enjoy this freedom while it was available.

Within the inner alchemist school, the reverse was felt, for the number of n.o.ble born or high-sect born were more than talented commoners, thus table rules and manners were maintained and influenced those without. Meals were smaller, going away sated, but not stuffed was normal. No one went back for seconds nor simply wiped fallen chopsticks upon their shirts before continuing to eat. Talk was kept to a minimum and there lacked the element of untrained noise.

This was the outer martial arts school, thus Merylin was expecting more of the former and less of the latter, however she could not prepare herself for the rambunctious happenings and heaped plates of food set before every man and woman. They ate both heartily, without restraint and completely without manners, joking and laughing, jostling and jeering. She noticed more than once food stolen from others plates and not just by the uncouth men, but by a woman or two as well! Her own patience was sorely tested here as she slowly and elegantly ate the rice before her.

But what actually confused her eyes the most was her beloved Jin Li. His plate was as heaped as the rest, perhaps more so, nearly spilling over the edges of it, yet he sat upright and tall as his chopsticks elegantly flickered from rice to meat to vegetable more quickly than her eyes could follow. She had witnessed him eat before, but that was nearer the end of his meal and she had only seen the refined table manners he possessed, not the gluttonous side of him.  He did not speak, he did not throw his weight about, just ate until his plate was clean.  And then his eyes narrowed as he glanced to either side of him.  All bemused, Merylin watched as the two martial artists either side of him began guarding their plates.

"Big brother," Merylin murmured softly, ignoring the clearly raised eyebrows of those martial artists.  "Are you still hungry?  Would you like for this meimei to ask for more food for you?"  This was also a method of winning him over, she felt.  She had once heard a maid claim that the way to a man's heart was through his stomach.  Perhaps she had a point after all...

The man before her looked as if he was seriously contemplating it for a moment, before shaking his head a tad and replying; "No need."  She blushed as if she realised that she had been presumptuous and glanced down at her much smaller meal thinking that he was just being kind to her.  How would she know that in fact he was thinking that she should she get food for him, the potion likely would be as meagre as her own!  That would not do!  And besides, he could count on Leon for snacks should there be no seconds...  his mood instantly became sour once more when realising that his pride did not allow him to crawl back to that small alchemist's home.  Suddenly, he had no appet.i.te at all!

He rose from his seat and stormed out of the Food Hall, the crowds parting like waves as his dark aura blindly spilled from his form.  Merylin immediately rose to give chase, however she was gestured to sit back down.  "It won't do for a pretty girl like yourself to go hungry," Bowyer mused.  "Our little brother is in no frame of mind to entertain you and we wouldn't wish to return you to your school in tears caused by his bitter words."

Disappointed, Merylin took her seat and picked up her chopsticks, but did not resume eating.  "But I still haven't given him the pills I made for him," she said, with a soft murmur, her lashes covering her downcast eyes giving her a pitiful look.  Sun and the seniors remained unmoved.  Pike even thought it best to warn her less she embarra.s.sed herself further.

"Little junior," he said, amicably, "if it is just that you wish to give him your regard with the pills, then so be it.  Hand them to Sun, he is Jin Li's roommate after all.  However, if you wish for more, I am afraid none of us can help you.  In fact, we can only say that you will remain ever disappointed by our Jin Li."

Merylin glanced at this senior as if she was absorbing his words, but in her heart she refused his words.  How can she, the daughter of her father-sect leader, the one with a great fate and paved destiny, not make the man she wanted feel moved by her loving gestures?  Her mother had always told her that her future husband would be a brave, handsome and n.o.ble man, whose listed talents would reach the sky and whose name would cause others to think twice and those traits were exactly what she saw in Jin Li's future.  So why would he not become hers?

How could Bowyer and Pike not see that the warning had gone in one ear and out of the other.  They could only sigh and think to themselves at least they had tried.  In the end, Merylin did at least follow a part of Pike's suggestion and leave her gift of five high quality Cloudy Spiritual Pills and five high quality Burning Blood Pills with Sun before she left to return to the alchemist's inner school.

In the Food Hall, another had watched this play feeling great grievances and bitterness in his heart.