Chapter 167: Miss Yukong is actually a Widow?!
「 After handling Kafka's affairs, Stelle intended to explore the Stargazer Navalia alone, but no sooner had she arrived than she received several messages from Xikui.
The situation was straightforward: a Cloud Knight scribe had crash-landed a runaway starskiff in the Stargazer Navalia. Due to the scribe's unique status, Stelle and the nearby Mr. Welt were urgently needed for rescue.
Upon locating Mr. Welt, the two swiftly used a cycrane to pinpoint the young woman, who was now encircled by a horde of fiends.
A few fiends would have been no trouble, but prolonged entrapment had allowed a considerable number to gather around the girl, making it impossible for Stelle to clear them quickly. Just as she found herself at a loss, an arrow tore through the air, piercing one fiend's head clean through.
Following the arrow's trajectory, they saw Yukong leading a detachment of Cloud Knights, charging to their aid. Yet… the moment she recognized the beleaguered girl's face, Yukong's expression instantly darkened.
With the Cloud Knights forming their ranks, the monsters were swiftly purged. But what puzzled Stelle was that after the girl was successfully rescued, standing beside Yukong, her face showed no relief at being out of danger; instead, it grew even paler.
Her fingers clutched tightly at her skirt. The girl bit her lip, trembling, unable to utter a single word.
Welt mused, "To think the Helm Master of the Sky-Faring Commission would personally attend to such a dangerous matter."
"I should have been at the Palace of Astrum, reviewing documents. But Qingni put herself in peril, grasping for glory, even going so far as to alarm honored guests to ensure her safety…" Yukong's voice grew progressively colder, her gaze flicking to the girl beside her: "…How could I, as her mother, possibly sit idly by?" 」
「 .....」
〜Demon Slayer World〜
"Waaah, this Miss Yukong is actually a married woman?! Not only is she married, but her child is already so grown up. Damn it! I just started dating, and my romance is already over?!"
Inside the Butterfly Mansion, Zenitsu's voice was practically a wail.
"Shut up, you're so loud. If you want to wail, go outside; don't disturb the other patients."
Aoi, standing nearby, wore a look of utter disdain, her eyes coldly conveying,
"Why hasn't this person been struck by lightning yet?"
"Also, didn't you say you liked Miss Tingyun last time? You fickle-hearted scoundrel?"
Walking to the bedside, Aoi placed Zenitsu's steamed bun and plain congee on his nightstand.
"Ugh… but Miss Tingyun is already…"
Mid-sentence, Zenitsu tried to secretly snatch another steamed bun, but Aoi swiftly "smacked" his hand away:
"One each, no extra! And you, you actually dare to fall for an Long-life species? Their age might be enough to be your great-great-great-grandmother!"
"Heh heh, age is no barrier for true love!"
"Tch, you scoundrel…"
Aoi quickly walked away with the tray, as if evading a buzzing fly.
"If you put all that energy you spend on liking girls into your training, you might have become a Hashira long ago."
—
「 Filled with shame that her daughter had put two Xianzhou heroes in harm's way, Yukong was profusely apologetic. After expressing her gratitude, she cordially invited the two to the Palace of Astrum for tea and a chat, as a further token of her appreciation.
Before they departed, Qingni, standing nearby, let out a slightly disgruntled huff: "You always do this, mother — scold me before figuring out what actually happened... It was a dire situation! I was the only one who could—"
"But you promised me, Qingni!" Yukong seemed to be suppressing her anger, taking a deep breath before finally calming herself: "…We'll discuss this when we get home."
After Yukong had walked away, Welt couldn't help but sigh with emotion: "Only when faced with a loved one like Miss Qingni do Yukong's worries and concerns truly reveal that she is also someone's mother."
"It feels like Uncle Yang can really relate to that sentiment…"
Welt sighed, "Yes. After all, I know what it's like to worry over a kid's homework and whether their lunch is healthy enough." 」
「 .....」
〜Honkai: Impact 3rd World〜
Inside the Anti-Entropy Headquarters laboratory.
"Old father?! Huh? Did I already have a child back then?"
This revelation was explosive enough to hard-CC Welt for four or five seconds before he murmured, snapping back to reality:
"Then my future wife is…"
"Oh yes, who is it? I'm curious too."
Tesla, adjusting a mechanical arm nearby, smiled without humor.
"So… as the leader of Anti-Entropy, what are your standards for a spouse?"
Welt pushed up his glasses:
"I'm not sure yet… Probably someone who can tolerate my all-nighters?"
"Hah? With your old-fashioned personality…"
Tesla smirked disdainfully. The next second, the mechanical arm in front of her suddenly malfunctioned, spewing fire suppressant foam directly towards Welt.
"Uh…! Dr. Tesla, did you just hack the lab's system?"
Welt, scrambling to dodge, instinctively looked at the young woman not far away, a mischievous grin playing on her face.
"Some people can't even handle a fire suppression system, and they still have the nerve to be picky about a wife?"
—
「 To avoid keeping Yukong waiting, the two immediately hurried to the Palace of Astrum, but as fate would have it, they hadn't even approached when they heard Yukong's furious voice.
"Why won't you ever listen to me?"
Qingni retorted, unwilling to back down: "Because this is my own life!"
…Are they arguing?
Sure enough, better early than late, Stelle quickly crept closer.
"…You know I have this talent! I can become the best pilot in the Luofu, just like you!"
"Talent?" Yukong said coldly, "If it weren't for those two outsiders, you would be dead right now. Was it fun to steal a starskiff and fly into the sky? What about when you were surrounded by fiends?"
"In that moment, did you ever consider how I would feel if you were gone?"
"Do you know how many people dream of a relaxing desk job at the Sky-Faring Commission? You promised me to work responsibly in your post. Not only have you broken the Sky-Faring Commission's regulations, but you've broken your promise to me."
Qingni's voice was choked with tears: "I got the highest grade in the fighter pilot test — they all said I was a genius like you. 'Like mother, like daughter.' They were all jealous of me... But no one even knew I had to take the test behind your back. You would never have allowed me to go if I told you about it!"
"Behind my back? Do you really think you could've walked into the test and sat in the cockpit if I hadn't given my permission behind the scenes?" Yukong took a deep breath, her voice trembling slightly: "As for 'genius,' don't mention that word to me again." 」
「 .....」