(MC POV)
The evening bath with my disciples was as lewd as I expected it would be. Not that I'm complaining, mind you.
After placing my satisfied disciples into their beds, I went back to my room to take a much needed break. Hey, satisfying so many girls at the same time is still tiring, ok? Even if it did feel good.
Surprisingly, Mother was waiting inside my room, sitting on the chair outside the balcony with a bottle of wine and two glasses on the table beside her.
"Is my darling baby boy old enough to drink?" She asked when she saw me enter.
I gave her a wry smile, "Of course I am, even Elaria is of drinking age for a few years already, you know?"
Mother giggled and patted the chair beside her, prompting me to join her.
"It feels as if it was just yesterday," Mother sighed, pouring a glass of wine for me. "That my little baby boy was still hanging on to my arms and calling me 'mama'. Now he's all grown into a splendid young god."
"I'm a Practitioner, Mother, not a god."
"Ufufufu~ Of course you are~"
Mother took a sip of her wine, smiling when she saw me do the same.
"So how is your life, dear? Mama has seen your Sect and little Elaria has told me about what you've done, but my dear son has never told his mama about his own adventures."
"There's really not much to say, I don't think there's anything interesting to tell that I can tell."
Mother placed her glass down on the table, "Oh? But from how my dear Elaria was telling me, it seems like you had quite an eventful time though? Like how you saved the world from an evil demon."
"It will sound like bragging."
Mother reached over and patted my head, "Oh my sweet, sweet son. Anyone should be allowed to brag to their mothers. No mother would be ashamed of their child's achievements, least of all me. So come, let Mama hear of your proud achievements~"
"It'll be a really long story you know?"
"Fufufu, all the better. Mama wants to hear everything. You can tell Mama anything you want, you know?"
At that point, I wasn't sure why, but maybe it's because of the fact that I subconsciously recognised her as my mother or it was because I had not told anyone this ever since I came back, but I went and told Mother everything.
I told her of how I lived in seclusion during my time in Heaven Sect, cultivating for myself before forcefully ascending into the Spiritual Plane and crippling myself. Then I summarised my torment under the Spiritual Royal Family before ascending to the Cloud Plane to find the cure.
Again, I told Mother of how I tried my hardest to survive in that wretched place until finally, my apparent death at the hands of a dragon.
Mother listened to everything I said without interrupting me once, though her eyes never left me as I recounted my past life.
"And then… I found myself back here, in the Earthen Plane again in my younger body," I paused, giving Mother time to process what I just told her.
She blinked at me, "And what happened next?"
I raised an eyebrow, "Is Mother not going to question anything I've said so far?"
"Ufufufu, I think I will leave the questions for until you are done, dear."
I nodded, before continuing my story of how I met my disciples and everything we had done so far. Mother perked up especially when I told her how I met Cai Hong, her love for cute things showing itself very clearly.
I did also include the fight with Lilith that Mother seemed to be interested in hearing about, her eyes sparkling with what I recognised to be pride.
I also chose to leave out the time I got captured and 'tortured' by the Dongs, I don't think Mother would react well to that.
"And then Mother was there for the Queen's coronation and here we are."
I intentionally left out some details like the monster army and everything related to the Star Power stuff, I figured even these things shouldn't be told to anyone, even Mother.
"Ara, ara. It seems my dearest son has led quite a life so far. Mama's only regret is that I couldn't be there to take care of you when you were at your lowest."
I blinked a few times at her, "Wait… You believe the part where I died and came back?"
Mother picked up her wine glass and sipped at the wine, "Does my darling son have a reason to lie to Mama?"
"No?"
"Then I would be a very bad Mama if I chose to call my son a liar after he has poured his heart out to me. I believe you, dear, even if others don't. But I'm sure your cute disciples would have believed you too."
"Really? Does it not sound too much like a dream instead? Maybe the whole thing had just been a very, very vivid dream of mine."
Mother placed her glass back down before standing up to move behind me, wrapping her arms around me to hug me from behind.
"If my baby boy believes it to be real, then it is real. But the truth of the matter is that my baby boy has made use of this past to affect the present, yes?"
"I suppose so."
"Then even if it isn't actually real, my dear boy might have just seen the future in his sleep. My baby is real after all, that proves it is real enough."
I smiled, feeling comfort in Mother's warmth. To think she knew what to say to put me at ease, I suppose she really is my Mother after all.
"You don't hate me for using that though? Does it not feel a bit unfair to this world?"
"Oh, my sweet, sweet baby. This world is already unfair to begin with so that should not even be a concern for you. What's more, it's not like my darling son is intentionally going around and making people's lives miserable, are you?"
There were the few who I did punish though… But I suppose it's not without just cause.
"But what do you think my disciples would say? Do you think they would hate me for snatching them away from their fates?"
Mother patted my head, "This question would be better answered by your disciples themselves."
"Hmmm that's right. I suppose I should ask them about it tomorrow."
Mother giggled, "Oh there's no need to wait that long, my dear baby can just go ahead and ask them right now."
She gestured to a spot inside my room, prompting me to turn around only to see all my disciples gathered there in the corner, all of them staring at me with surprise on their faces.
Oh… Did I not already tuck them into bed? When did they even come here?
I must have been too focused on telling Mother my story that I missed them coming into the room. Unless they had purposefully snuck in here?
Great, now that the cat's out of the bag and I am not even mentally prepared for this.