The Jade Leaf Ship finally made it back to the homes of the Feng siblings. Li Yu looked out and saw the headquarters of the Divine Wind Sect.

  It wasn't a fortress of stone and iron. It was a collection of floating islands tethered to a massive central mountain by thick iron chains. Powerful wind currents swirled around the peaks. Formations and arrays were keeping the islands aloft. Elegant pavilions with blue-tiled roofs dotted the landscape and were connected by bridges of solidified wind Qi.

  "It's beautiful," Li Yu admired as he was leaning over the rail. "A bit breezy but refreshing."

  "The wind is our foundation," Feng Wei explained while standing beside him. "The Divine Wind Sect isn't just a school; it's a family. A true family. Originally, it was just the Feng Clan. Over centuries, allied families merged with us but the core leadership remains the Feng bloodline."

  "So your father is the Sect Master?" Li Yu asked.

  Feng Wei shook his head, a soft, wistful smile touching his lips. "No. Our father passed away when we were children. He... He wasn't a great cultivator of renown. He barely reached the Core Formation realm before his lifespan ran out."

  Li Yu was surprised to hear this. For the leader of a Great Sect or family, marrying someone who could only reach Core Formation was rare. It didn’t reach the level that Li Yu associated with these top tier sects. Usually, these unions leaned towards political alliances between powerhouses.

  For the head of the organization to marry someone so much weaker would be seen as a waste to most of them. It was harsh but it was the reality of such things. Other organizations were waiting and wanting to take you out as soon as weakness could be seen.

  "Our mother," Feng Xi added, "is the Sect Master. She is currently a Seventh Stage Soul Formation expert. She has ruled this sect for nearly four hundred years. She could have married anyone, she had a lot of suitors I have been told. Most were much stronger than our family. But she chose our father because he made her laugh."

  "He was a gardener," Feng Wei said but there was clearly pride on his face despite the lowly title. "He grew the best Cloud-Tea. Mother said she fell in love with his tea first, then him."

  Li Yu smiled. "I like your mother already. She seems like my type of person."

  "She is... unique," Feng Xi said while exchanging a slightly nervous glance with her brother. "Be warned, Li Yu. She has a strong personality. Much stronger and bolder than most around here."

  The ship docked at the highest peak, the Patriarch's Pavilion or in this case, the Matriarch's.

  The disciples who helped to maintain this area bowed low as the group disembarked. They stared at Li Yu, Si Luo and Bai Ruo with curiosity but the presence of the Feng siblings kept them at a respectful distance.

  "Mother is waiting," Feng Wei said while leading them toward the main hall. The two had already informed their mother of what had happened to them and why they were returning.

  The doors swung open.

  The hall was airy and open to the sky on three sides. It had silk curtains dancing in the wind. In the center and sitting at a low table set for a meal was a woman who commanded the room without saying a word.

  Feng Meilin was stunning.

  She looked to be in her early thirties, though her eyes held the depth of centuries. She was tall, with a figure that was lush and elegant, draped in robes of deep azure that clung to her curves in all the right places. Her hair was a cascade of black silk, held back by a single, sharp hairpin made of wind-crystal.

  She didn't radiate the cold crushing pressure of most high-level cultivators in her position. She felt like a storm that was currently napping. Extremely dangerous but also serene. But most of all, she was radiating the warmth and caring aura of a mom.

  "Mother," Feng Wei and Feng Xi bowed. "We have returned."

  Feng Meilin stood up. She moved with the fluid grace of water. She walked over to her children, placing a hand on each of their faces.

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  "You're hurt," she said softly but her eyes were narrowing. "We are okay as you know. All thanks to our savior.”

  He gestured to Li Yu.

  Feng Meilin turned her gaze to Li Yu who she had heard all too much about. From intelligence reports, all the stories circulating about him and personally from Shen Tu. Shen Tu had spoken Li Yu into the skies, more so than any other person she had ever heard Shen Tu talk about. Now she was able to see him in the flesh.

  Her eyes swept over him. It started from his messy boots, up his normal travelers robes, pausing briefly at his shoulders and finally locking onto his eyes.

  A slow, appreciative smile spread across her lips.

  "So," she began, her voice sounding peasant and dignified. "This is the 'Li Yu' I've heard my children whispering about. The stories that precedes you are nothing short of extraordinary."

  "Just Li Yu, Sect Master," Li Yu bowed politely with a smile. He felt at home due to her motherly aura and calming presence.

  "Li Yu," she repeated, testing the name on her tongue. "Handsome. Young. And clearly hiding an ocean of power beneath that traveler’s skin. My children have good taste in saviors."

  “These are my two traveling companions, Bai Ruo and Si Luo.” Li Yu introduced his two friends.

  “Amazing in their own right as well. You three are not simple at all.” Feng Meilin responded.

  She stepped closer towards Li Yu. Invading Li Yu’s personal space just a bit. It was a test and a bit of flirtation.

  "Please, sit," she gestured to the table. "You saved my heart," she pointed to her children, "so tonight, you are family. I prepared the meal myself. It’s been a while since I last cooked personally."

  The meal was intimate. Just the Feng family and Li Yu's trio. The food was also exquisite—delicate spiritual dishes that focused on natural flavors, clearly influenced by her late husband's gardening preferences.

  "This fish is excellent," Li Yu complimented while enjoying all the dishes. He picked up another piece of steamed river-carp.

  "I caught it this morning," Feng Meilin said with a smile. Pleased that her cooking was recognized. She rested her chin on her hand and watched Li Yu eat. "You have a good appetite. I like a man who eats well. It shows... vitality."

  Feng Wei choked on his rice and out of embarrassment. "Mother, please."

  "What?" Meilin winked at Li Yu. "I'm just making conversation. Tell me, Li Yu, are you married? Betrothed? A powerful young man like you must have jade beauties lining up around the block."

  She glanced at Si Luo and Bai Ruo while mentioning those words.

  "Though, looking at your companions, perhaps it’s already too late and the line is already full."

  "We are colleagues," Si Luo stated coolly and did not even look up from her plate. Si Luo could tell what kind of personality Feng Meilin had because they were birds of a feather. "And friends."

  "Just friends?" Meilin raised an eyebrow. She looked back at Li Yu, her gaze dropping to his chest. "A pity. If I were a few hundred years younger... or perhaps if you were a few hundred years older… though what is age to cultivators really…"

  She let the sentence hang, accompanied by a sultry smile.

  Feng Xi buried her face in her hands. "Mother, you're embarrassing the guest. Most importantly you are embarrassing us again."

  "I am merely appreciating art, Xi'er," Meilin laughed. "If you two were half as bold as I am and truly went after what you really wanted. I would have grandchildren by now!” She said with a chuckle and playfulness on her face.

  “But truly, Li Yu. The Shadow-Viper Hall... sending a Peak Core Formation expert and twenty elites. That is a serious investment by them."

  "They were annoying but nothing that couldn’t be handled." Li Yu said simply.

  "You speak of them like they were flies," Meilin murmured. She poured him a cup of tea. "You know, Li Yu... I have been the Sect Master for four centuries. In that time, very few men have been able to surprise me. Even fewer have been able to make me feel... unsure."

  She leaned in, her scent of rain and wind drifting toward him.

  "Are you stronger than me, Little Brother?"

  The air in the pavilion suddenly grew heavy. The wind outside seemed to have stopped. Li Yu put down his chopsticks sensing the mood. He wiped his mouth with a napkin.

  "Strength is relative, Sect Master," Li Yu said diplomatically. "I learned a few things and have gotten a bit good at fighting."

  "Modesty," Meilin hummed. "Attractive. But I prefer bold and proof."

  She stood up. The playful atmosphere vanished, replaced by the aura of a martial monarch.

  "I challenge you, Li Yu," Feng Meilin declared to the group. Her eyes blazed with a strong fighting spirit. It wasn’t often that she found worthy opponents to test her skills against. Spars like this were rare while real fights of this nature were too dangerous to actively seek out. "A friendly spar. If you saved my children from the Shadow-Viper, you must be capable. Show me."

  "Mother!" Feng Wei protested with some worry. He had an idea something like this would happen given his mom’s personality but she was even more eccentric than he thought. "He is our guest! And he is tired from the trip!"

  "I'm fine," Li Yu stood up. He smiled at her request. He didn’t dislike this kind of personality. Bold, a bit forceful but honest. "If the Sect Master wants to stretch her legs a bit, I can oblige. But let's take it elsewhere. I don't want to break your nice pavilion."