The Tian Clan Everglades covered a vast stretch of land further than the eye could possibly see—at least, the mortal eye. Green pastures, brighter and more lush than anything nature could naturally produce in mortal worlds, draped over the land like a blanket crafted by a deity. This statement wasn't far from the truth. The land itself stretched for thousands of miles. Mountains—tall, humongous, and majestic—stood at the edges of the Everglades. Their height, mind-boggling to the mortal mind, reached an insurmountable eight thousand miles.
On one such mountain, a small pagoda crafted from beautiful jade that glowed with divine light stood. Within it, a fair lady with perfected brown skin and a pair of bright golden eyes balanced by quirky green hair sipped tea. She smiled, a spark of love smoldering behind her intelligent eyes.
"Are you certain everything is okay? It's been quite a while since I last saw you," the lady spoke.
"How many times do you want me to deny it, dear mother?" Tian Shi replied, "Nothing happened. I nearly suffered qi deviation, that's all."
Tian Shi didn't know when the events would slow down enough to give him a chance to recalibrate himself. Just as he planned to enter his abode after his father to begin a thorough planning of what to do next, his entire being was pulled right through the void into this place. For a moment, he thought he was going to die once more—but no, it was just his overprotective mother.
"At least have Divine Doctor Luo Heng take a look," said his mother, "And no, I will not let you deny them their job."
"Who said I denied them anything?" Tian Shi spoke through gritted teeth. "I just felt uncomfortable and groggy. Besides, the guard already checked for any evidence of tampering or even poison."
Tian Shi didn't expect his prompt awakening—what he chose to call it—to bring so many problems for him. Apparently, his mother had disappeared during an important mission just to find out what happened. If it hadn't been for his father calming her down, she would have torn right through the Tian Clan's protective formation while burning the place down. All because she heard his life slip crack—how she managed to hear such a thing was bewildering.
Now he had to deal with her and placate her, an action that felt awkward on his part. He wasn't quite sure what to do with the memories clinging to his mind. Well, he sort of did. It only required him to search through them and find something seemingly impossible and make it possible. But most of all, the memories of another life—a rather long one at that—flipped his emotions around. What should he grasp? Was his mother truly his mother? How should he treat her from now on?
Tian Shi sighed and kneaded his temples, an action that caught the ire of his mother. She smacked his hand down onto the little tea table. From sheer shock, he lost his balance and nearly planted his face on the ground.
"Mom!"
"Manners."
"Sorry."
He apologized, realizing that maybe not paying attention to her was a mistake. In all honesty, how could anyone blame him? In an effort to show his regret, he pulled out Dragon Scent Tea from his spatial ring. Tea that had become extinct long ago. He had only obtained a batch of those tea leaves after visiting the Dragon Burial Bone Cave a few weeks ago. Right then, he regretted not drinking them earlier. The special occasion he—or the previous owner of the body—thought of wasn't an apology to his mother of all people.
Gently, he placed the tea leaves in a strainer and set it over a porcelain cup. Without further ado, he rose and held the teapot with both hands. With practiced grace, hot water floated into the cup through the strainer. The strong scent of Dragon Scent Tea instantly filled the air. Somehow, the earthy and leafy aromas of the surroundings couldn't mount a decent defense against it.
His mother watched him perform the short ceremony with a smug smile—a smile that made him happy, even though it was one that few got a chance to see.
"It seems I raised a good son after all."
Her comment made him chuckle. His old man wasn't much of a joker or a smiler, in contrast to his mother.
"Indeed you have," Tian Shi said before passing the cup of tea to her, "And I apologize for drifting into dreamland during your lovely company, dear mother."
His mother took a gentle sip of the tea, savoring its strong taste. She couldn't quite remember the last time she had tasted a good mouthful of mortal tea.
"Alright, your offering has been accepted; I forgive your earlier slight," she said.
Tian Shi chuckled—partially in relief and partially in cold sweat. He didn't want to experience another round of her holding a petty grudge. Immortals had too much time on their hands—his younger self had paid the price once. It was a memory full of embarrassment that he would rather keep locked up. The Heavens had ears.
"Mother, I've made my decision. I want to see the scenery at Heaven's Eye Academy," Tian Shi brought up the topic abruptly.
"Why?"
"It's always been part of the plan," Tian Shi stated, "And I believe it's the best way to build rapport with the middle class as well as the peasants. I might not like mingling with them, but I can't lie—they are quite useful in the long game."
"Shi'er, I didn't expect you to make such a choice. Look at you, thinking about your future as the Patriarch of the Tian Clan," Tian Ling burst into a light laugh. "Alright, what do you need from me?"
"Nothing much. I hope you don't mind me taking this slight detour. I promise to visit you at the sect from time to time," he said.
"But I'm not letting you leave the clan without having your father examine you," Tian Ling insisted. "There is an abnormality with your soul."