I looked out over the sprawling mountains that made up the center of the Moonlit Orchard's territory, before staring at the giant Tranquil Moon City that surrounded the base of Orchard Peak, the mountain where my two mothers resided.
Matriarch Li Mei; the Celestial Maiden, Anointed Saintess of Gods Orchard, indisputable Number One Cultivator in the world.
That was but a taste of the many titles my Mom had, some more gaudy then the others, but each and every single one was true.
She was the strongest Cultivator in the world; she was a wielder of one of the rarest Qi's in the world, she was a protector of a mystical tree planted by a Deity...
Her story was long and fabled, lauded by many, hated by few.
Li Ai; the Last Moon Rabbit, Inscriptionist Extraordinaire, Clever Runemaster, Number Two Cultivator in the world.
Like Mom, Mother Ai held many titles, second only to her wife of many centuries.
They were the youngest Emperors in history, and they complimented each other perfectly; Mom's brashness and brutality was tempered by Mother's sly and quick thinking.
The world held its breath when they fought; the world applauded when they first had a child.
Matriarch Li Mei of the Moonlit Orchard and her wife, Mother Ai, were the indisputable rulers of this world, and the remaining Emperors and Kings had to bow to their might, lest they invite destruction to their own families.
When a singular Realm holds little more then just over a dozen people total, and you number amongst them...
Well, paranoia becomes your best friend.
And what better to be paranoid of than the only people who can threaten your life?
In fact, two of the Kings, technically Queens, were now married to Mom, sheltering in her bed from the rest of the world, whilst a Dharma Realm Forgemaster joined them as well, expanding the Li Family Tree further with this influx of concubines.
With that, I expected a rather... interesting return to my birthplace, but for the moment I surveyed the lush, verdant mountain that was Orchard Peak.
Covered in dozens upon dozens of different fruit trees, the Peak was literally an Orchard, each tree bearing a precious fruit that were only harvested by my Mom.
She maintained the entirety of the Peak, and the fruits were then used to feed the giant tree that grew at the top of the mountain; the Immortal Divine Peach Tree, which, according to legend, was where the world began.
Such a mythical tree had been 'lost' to time and to people, until Mom found it and began nurturing it.
When she ate the peach it bore, she became it's appointed protector, and it gave her the powers she had today.
Many, at first, tried to say that she wasn't anything impressive; being given a power means nothing.
So, she slaughtered those that ridiculed her, displaying the perfected techniques of the Tree, and began her journey to the pinnacle.
It was a tale I heard many times spoken around the Sect, but one I had grown tired of.
People told it in front of me to belittle my lack of talent compared to her, so I disliked listening to it.
Which is why I stared blankly at Gao Chen as she smirked, her eyes fixed on the humongous tree above, her words creeping into my mind with striking familiarity.
"The tale of the Matriarch quelling the Xueleng Rebellion was what gave me inspiration at the beginning of my Cultivation Journey. She utilized the darkness of night to sneak into the Xueleng Fortress, where her Celestial Qi managed to cut down the Demonic Cultivators that resided within, effectively squashing the thirty year long war in a singular night!"
Her orange eyes were glowing with reverence as she spoke, and I sighed as I began to recite the next part, already knowing where it was going.
"When the people of Tian Sho were freed from the iron grip of the Xueleng Patriarch, the Matriarch then began to build the village back to its former glory, expanding it into a town, then a city, all whilst she defended it from the Righteous Sects that wished to take over Tian Sho for 'cleansing' and 'purification', going so far as to threaten the Sainted Sword Pavilion's Seventh Seat to keep them away from the city!
Her attitude and displays of power inspired me more than any legend or tale of old, and knowing that I was born into the same Sect that she had founded was extraordinary. It had been a dream of mine to meet her, but now..."
Her smirk twisted into a giant smile, making me shiver as she reached towards my hand, enveloping it in her own.
My mind raced as she did so, and I took note of how soft and smooth her hands were, before I stiffened at her words.
"It's all thanks to you, Yi'er... Thank you for being born so useless, so that I could have this opportunity to become apart of the Li Family, not as a Servant or a Disciple, but as a Daughter in Law, married to one of the Matriarch's children..."
Gao Chen chuckled as I bit my lip, her words stinging my heart as I glanced away.
"Now, Yi'er..."
Reaching forwards, she cupped my cheek and forced me to stare into her eyes again as she said "What are we going to look like before the Matriarch? Hmm?"
Gulping, I resisted the urge to nuzzle into her warm hand, whispering "A p-pair of l-lovers..."
Nodding, Gao Chen smiled gently at me as she pat my cheek, before lowering her hand to her lap again.
"Well, here we are..."
Opening the cabin door, she smirked as she took a deep breath of the fragrant air.
"Orchard Peak."