Chapter 23 Future Daughter-in-law

There the revealing of the said ugly peachling was very understated. The Tree of Life took out a petite maiden, and before they could see her properly, she covered her face with her hands and slumped ungracefully on the ground.

Utter disappointment for those who had looked forward to the reunion and celebratory banquet for the newly titled celestials. The guests and banquet-crashers came in hordes into the banquet in their best, the males trying to impress any Gold Peach fairies, the females to compare their beauties. It was announced by a courtier that the mystery peach was ill and not able to attend the banquet, and likewise, the Gold Peach fairies, in turn, would not be able to attend as they had to care the new Peach. Out of boredom, none to impress and none to compare with, they began to come up with why the new peach was sick and why the Gold Peach fairies were not coming. Then one suggested quietly to ask the new peach's savior, little Prince of Celestial Crane. One by one, with the same idea, discreetly left the banquet, all going in the same direction.

And this was how the Little Prince Celestial Crane, awoke from his short restful sleep, to have his esteemed mother kicking open his pitiful broken doors, and told him to scram and greet his guests.

He FeiQuan still slightly groggy from his sudden wake-up call, did not wait for his mother to smack his head, as if he were still a youth, called for XiaoMing, for the basin to wash up. From blurry face, messy hair and ruffled clothes, He FeiQuan came out with his pristine clothes, clean face and neat hair, like the fleeting gentleman that was his normal appearance. His neat form was taken into the approval of his waiting mother, who was sipping tea by his table in his room. When his mother remarked that he had better tea than in her manor, he quickly replied that he would send to her manor right away like a good filial son. He nodded to XiaoMing, who caught on and briskly find the tea packs his master brought from outside and packed them up to pass to Madame's serving girl.

Mother and son walked confidently towards the family clan hall and greeted the guests. He FeiQuan was surprised with the crowd but gamely exchanged greetings and pleasantries, asking his guests to take a seat and pardoning if some (a big lot) of them had to stand for the lack of their mistake of not having many chairs to accommodate the big amount of people. Finally, after they spoke of many typical usual and boring polite conversations, they finally got to the question, which He FeiQuan knew - where was the new peach and when would she show up.

The mother smilingly sipped her newly in possession tea that her filial son just gave her, enjoying the tea and her son's predicament. Hmpf! Lost her future daughter-in-law, didn't he? When she went to his room, she did not see the gold peach, which was the rumored Gold Peach Clan's fairy. Now let us see what her son would say.

Back in the Gold Peach clan, where they were oblivious to any immortal woes, the newest Gold Peach fairy was dressed and placed on a bed to rest. There was a small sapling tree attendant, and when TaoHua began to stir, she went to inform the clan members. And TaoHua awoke to find herself surrounded again by the beautiful family.

When TaoHua opened her eyes, her family were stumped but tried to compose themselves, not wanting to make TaoHua anxious with her from, which they knew TaoHua was very conscious of. When TaoHua caught on to how they first saw her, she lowered her head and shyly asked what was wrong with her face. Her family just told her she was beautiful, a little different but she was perfect in her form, trying to calm and reassure the maiden.

"I'm not LiXue, am I?" TaoHua looked at HuiSan and asked unhesitatingly. Somethings best said out rather than kept inside, that was how TaoHua always felt.

HuiSan shook her head and patted TaoHua's head, "I believe I am your Great Grandmother, and the missing LiXue is your mother. Child, what is your name? Or if you don't remember what your mother named you, what is the name you go by with?"

"TaoHua"

"Cannot be!" Exclaimed YeChun, shaking her head, wearing a luxurious gold feather, a cloak that seemed to be on fire.

"Xue-er would not name you TaoHua."

"I named myself, I'm a peach fruit sprite and I love flowers, so TaoHua literally means both that represent me." TaoHua nodded to her elders, a little proud of herself.

The elders didn't have a reply as there was much to consider, who is her father? Why was she found in the unnamed and unknown island? Where was LiXue and what happened? A name was the last to think about but they could not have her in Heavens with such a frivolous name, they cared naught about reputation but those rumors the clan had tried hard to erase, would be all for naught.

HuiSan took TaoHua's hand, and looked at her bewitching shiny eyes, "Little one, a Gold Peach Fairy usually take up her father's name, since we don't know where your parents are, how about we use your grandfather's name 'Li' and your name to be LiHua?" All the younger fairies looked admiringly at their elder and nodded approvingly.

"And, you are not just a peach sprite. We Gold Peach Clan may not have the immortal ranking or levels of cultivation as compared to other immortals, but in our own birthright, we fairies can be considered as goddesses. There's much to catch up, but you take it easy first to slowly adapt." HuiSan stroked her great granddaughter's soft baby like cheeks.

Happy to have physical fingers to play with, TaoHua hooked her pointing finger to her lips, closed her eyes and did a pondering thinking posture. A name is just a name, it doesn't change what I am, she thought and agreed, respecting the elders' suggestion. And hence, the little golden peach from the unknown island, previously known as TaoHua, was now called LiHua.

(Somewhere in an army tent with battle cries outside the tent)

"You what?!" A hellish voice roared across the army tent, making those in the tent, raised their hair, fur, and tails, at the threatening air around them.

"I'm terribly sorry, my lord, but we lost the young miss. She wasn't seen in the island by nightfall by now." Stammered a kneeling humanoid large cat with leopard skin and tail, ChangChen, answering the menacing lord.

Truth to be told, no one wanted to be the bearer of bad news, and his so-called brothers pushed him into the tent. These brothers, they went through hard battles, but in a blink of an eye, they would sell each other out when it came to facing the lord.

Innocent! I'm innocent! He was not even one of those who went out to watch the young miss. Truly this time he was going to throttle and skin PiXiu, that useless wily winged fox, he did not keep a proper eye on their miss, and letting others take the blame!

"Better start from the beginning without leaving any details." The cold voice struck fear to the hearts of those in the tent. Their lord was young but it was no mistake to pledge their loyalty to this lord, who was eerily intelligent, courageous and mighty in battles, and had saved their hides many times.

Young Miss had been taken away and it had been almost half a year if it was almost night-time in the unnamed island. By the time PiXiu found out that she was back to her leafy hut, he had to ask around and figured out her winged celestial friend took her to up heavens. After grilling each of the unfortunate ones in the tents, their usual calm and cold lord just turned to flames and menacingly said, "He. Fei. Quan!" Sending chills to all them even with the hellish fiery heat inside and outside the tent.