Learning To Live As A Cultivator 103 Chapter One Hundred And Three - Jin Li Wants To Punish Me

His father was a man who believed in swift justice. If one of his subordinates was to betray him, they would die. If one of his men was to steal from him, they would die. If another tried to smear their family name with mud, they would die.

His mother was much more generous with what she perceived as punishment, believing that the punishment should fit the crime. If a man was to a.s.sault a woman, he should lose his thing, if a woman was to covert her man, she should lose her eyes. If they bled to the death in the process, then that was just down to fate.

However, Leon had kissed him. Kissed his face. And then forgotten about it. Did that count as an a.s.sault? Well, it wasn't as if Jin Li felt he should die for it nor should he lose his lips. Those gla.s.ses were already an eyesore, to make his face worse by scarring it so badly made him feel as if he would be punis.h.i.+ng his own eyes more than Leon's body. And it wasn't as if the kiss felt... bad...

But he had forgotten about it! He needed to be reminded! And then what...

"Jin Li!" Sun whispered with some urgency beside him. "It's your turn!"

The final lesson of the day was being supervised by Teacher Eridana, but also observed by many other Teachers, who sat in the stands. This lesson was actually sparring, first year against first year, opponents were chosen by lots.

Sun had faced his opponent already, who just happened to be one of Bullen's followers, but that was a unnecessary point. The youth was the same age as Sun and Jin Li and like many first years, had a feeling of superiority due to the skills and talents he had cultured over his childhood beneath the watchful eyes of his wealthy family. Much of his ego had been deflated thanks to several occurrences, one being the Standings itself, but he still had much pride and definitely felt he was better than the brunette pipsqueak who'd been hiding in Jin Li's long shadow.

That youth's pride was squashed as not only did Sun prove to have learned, if not yet mastered, the techniques from earlier and bruised his person in several places, he could not land a single blow on the agile youth. Sun was declared the winner and the other crept back to the stands to lick his wounds.

Now it was time for Jin Li and his opponent. Being aware that the first year was somewhat more skilful that the other first years and not wanting to his spar to be marred by fear, Jin Li would face a Senior. This senior could technically be considered a second year and had gained a reasonable place in the Standings for his first time. His name was Pavo and as he had been welcoming and humble towards the first years, they generally had a good impression of him.

Jin Li was still feeling sour and seeing the elegant man before him with the amicable smile upon his face did nothing to temper his mood. Pavo greeted him; "I'll be in your care, Jin Li," the youth's pleasant demeanour unfazed by Jin Li's negative aura. Jin Li looked over the man with slightly narrowed eyes and offered a sharp nod in return. Sun listened with a wince, as several whispered behind him how arrogant Jin Li was and how rude he was being to Senior Pavo.

The two youths took stance, their weapons in hand, though still sheathed as this was a sparring match not a fight to maim or kill. Teacher Eridana looked at both before signalling that they might proceed.

"I hope you don't mind if I go first," Pavo announced, to which Jin Li simply shrugged.

"Tch," a voice said angrily behind Sun as the first years watched, "he's looking down on Senior Pavo."

"Two handsome men sparring," a young girl sighed next to her friend, "This is going to be good!"

"Here I go!" Pavo said as he launched an attack, which was parried effortlessly. Pavo danced back on his toes, making it seem that he was testing the other and having decided what next to do, he performed a rather tricky manoeuvre, impressing his juniors with his skill.

However, while Sun snickered beneath his breath, Jin Li was sneering inwardly. What was with this flashy technique, all for show with no use in battle? Jin Li clicked his tongue and countered the move with a much less showy and simply thrust of his sword. Pavo could not dodge the blow, but at the same time, did not reveal any pain from it, giving the impression that Jin Li's attack had been weak. Only the first years, with the exception of Sun, were fooled by this however.

Pavo launched a series of moves, that Jin Li dodged one by one, already too bored by this showman. Soon, Pavo's smile was less amicable and his skin was coated in a light sweat, while Jin Li's breath remained steady and unchanging, his brow dry and his movements remained light. "Let's end this!" Pavo declared, abruptly, deciding to perform one desperate feat, a technique he had been practicing, but not yet mastered. However, it was one he had scrimped and saved for, using his points to gain this coveted skill.

"Sure," Jin Li replied, stifling a yawn.

Pavo began his attack, his sword swiftly switching between thrusts and slices, his footwork steady upon the ground as he inched forward to press Jin Li into a defensive pose and push him back. Jin Li had not encountered this technique before, but quickly understood that should this continue, he would likely take a blow to either his unprotected side after he parried or to his stomach as his stance would be all wrong to block the other's sword. However, there was an easy enough solution.

Jin Li used his stored strength to push away the other's sword to stop his momentum. He then made a series of feather light steps to the side, turning his body as he did and raising his sword so that his opponent's neck was a whisper away from the sheathed blade. "The end," Jin Li murmured, unkindly, before withdrawing his blade and glancing at Teacher Eridana.

"Good job," the woman acknowledged Jin Li's win, glancing through lowered lashes at the distraught look on the Senior's face, before it altered back into his usual amicable one. She sighed inwardly, it seemed the lesson they wanted this Senior to learn, had not been. This Jin Li also, he was a troublesome one. She glanced over at her fellow Teachers, wondering if they had managed to come to a decision about him, finally.