Chapter 79 - Nine - My first experiment (1/2)
Leon drowsily slipped from his dreams feeling fairly warm and wondered if he had forgotten to extinguish the fire within the stove the evening before. He wouldn't be surprised if this happened to be true, he was up quite late experimenting with clear spiritual pills to the point that he had filled close to twenty jade bottles. In fact the sun had descended beyond the horizon and plunged the world into the darkness of night before he even became aware of it. He had literally dragged his weary body to his bed to fall face forward, unconscious before his head had touched his pillow.
Leon nuzzled into said pillow and wondered why it felt so firm this morning. In fact, was the heat warming his cheek not emanating from the pillow? How was that possible? His eyes opened and nostrils flared suddenly becoming aware of a familiar scent. Leon's arm was wrapped around the source of heat and though that source still wore his inner robes, Leon could not help but be suddenly aware of how close they were. Why did these sort of things keep happening? Actually, when did Jin Li get here at all?
Jin Li's heart was beating softly, directly below his ear, the calm pace indicating that the youth had not yet woken, therefore would not be aware that Leon was hugging his body. Leon felt this was his saving grace and slowly slipped out of the bed.
The aroma of freshly brewed tea had Jin Li finally stir and rouse from the bed. Leon quietly placed the steaming cup and honey pot before him and Jin Li quietly accepted it.
”How d-did you g-get in?” Leon asked after half a cup was consumed, refreshing and soothing his mind.
”The door was unlocked,” Jin Li sneered. ”As usual, you fail to take care of yourself.”
Leon frowned, he was certain that he had locked it, even despite his weariness. However if Jin Li was here, he supposed he recalled wrong. ”I'll t-t-try to remember n-next time,” he acquiesced. ”I w-was up late last n-night. M-making p-p-pills.”
”Did you not learn your lesson last time? Making pills until you completely drain your innersea,” Jin Li muttered, thinking that Leon had pushed himself to collapse the evening before. Indeed, the youth had been splayed out upon his bed when Jin Li had arrived last night, still fully dressed in both inner and outer robes.
”N-no, I was c-careful,” Leon assured him. ”B-but look!” He indicated the twenty jade bottles upon the table, they were grouped into four batches. Jin Li frowned and placed his cup down, before picking up one bottle. It was filled with the basic pill, the clear spiritual pill. Something that was of no use for him, so he was not sure why Leon was so proud of his creations.
”What of it?” He said, dismissively, placing the bottle down.
”P-purple spirit g-grass is a m-main ingredient, b-but I found out if h-harvested from some p-places like White J-Jade C-Crystal M-mountain, is exp-pensive, I w-wondered why.” Jin Li blinked, surprised by this servant's sudden excitement, his eyes seemed to sparkle even through the thick lenses covering them from view.