Chapter 168: Yujiro Hanma: I will show you the true parent-child interaction!
「 "I don't understand, why do you insist on becoming a pilot?!"
"And I don't understand why you just won't understand…" Qingni almost screamed, angry tears shimmering in her eyes. "Anyone in this world can be a starfaring pilot, except the Helm Master's daughter! Don't you realize how ridiculous that is? You yourself no longer wish to fly, but you shouldn't shackle me too! I am not a bird you keep caged!"
With that, the heartbroken Qingni stormed out of the Seat of Divine Foresight without a backward glance. 」
「 .....」
〜Genshin Impact World〜
Liyue—
"In this Funeral Parlor Director's humble opinion, it is this Miss Yukong who is far too rigid."
Within the "Cloud Retainer's Pavilion" private room on the second floor of the Xinyue Kiosk, Hu Tao idly poked at a platter of carved candied fruits with the tip of her chopsticks. Her original intention for this meal was to discuss some business cooperation regarding mechanisms with Madam Cloud Retainer, but their conversation had been unfortunately interrupted by the mother-daughter quarrel displayed on the Lightscreen.
Cloud Retainer's chopsticks paused mid-air.
"Director Hu's words are mistaken. As parents, there is always a certain obstinacy when it comes to the safety of their children."
"Oh? Does Madam Cloud Retainer have children?"
"No, but in the art of mechanisms, I… ahem, I do have several disciples whom I have watched over since they were young."
Cloud Retainer shook her head, sighing meaningfully twice.
"That Miss Yukong's intentions… I can now somewhat comprehend."
"As a Helm Master, no one on the Xianzhou probably understands pilots better than Yukong, and no one knows better how dangerous piloting truly is."
Zhongli, sitting beside them, lowered his gaze and gently blew on the surface of his tea. Beneath the swirling steam, a flicker of regret passed through his eyes.
"But we in Liyue also have an ancient proverb—'The fledgling eagle must eventually leave the nest.' Excessive restraint, conversely, loses its true essence."
Hu Tao finally speared a small crane-shaped winter melon candy with her chopsticks, a satisfied smile curving her lips.
"Exactly! The Consultant truly understands this Director's meaning! While Yukong's protective intentions are good, she can't possibly restrict Miss Qingni for her entire life, can she?"
"Heh heh, indeed… Director Hu speaks wisely."
Watching the melancholic furrow in Yukong's brow, Cloud Retainer thoughtfully lowered her head, her thumb unconsciously tracing the cracked pattern on the teacup.
"…Her reluctance to easily trust and let go is likely due to the great pain Yukong once suffered, isn't it?"
—
「 Yukong took a deep breath, and after forcibly suppressing the knot of emotions in her chest, she slowly walked towards Himeko and Welt. "Sigh, I'm sorry you had to witness this."
"Qingni, that child, is determined to become a fighter pilot, but I haven't permitted it. I've told her to be a good clerk. This might seem very authoritarian of me, but the moment I recall her being trapped by monsters, the situations she gets herself into send a shiver up my tail..."
Yukong gave a self-deprecating laugh. "Hehe, it's funny, isn't it? I've seen every disaster imaginable, from the Abundance Axis to a living planet. I thought I'd forgotten what fear was."
"But when I fought alongside you, I realized there are still things that can terrify me.... Sorry. Talking about such vexing matters is unbecoming in front of guests."
Welt said, "I've heard from the Cloud Knights that Madam Yukong is one of the Luofu's foremost pilots, an ace of the Cloud Knights. The last time I saw you wield a bow, I knew the rumors were true. I hope to have the honor of witnessing your divine skill in piloting a starfaring skiff again in the future."
Welt also understood that the timing of their visit was inappropriate, so he found an excuse to leave first. "The Helm Master is busy with official duties, and we wouldn't want to impose. We hope to have more opportunities to converse with you in the future."
"Then I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint Mr. Welt."
Yukong still smiled, but the smile she painstakingly maintained was as fragile as water-soaked paper. "…The sky is no longer suitable for me."
After concluding their conversation with Yukong, the two had barely stepped out of the Seat of Divine Foresight when they were called back by Qingni, who had been hiding nearby.
Having such a public argument with her mother, Qingni also apologized profusely to the two, yet whenever Yukong was mentioned, a shadow seemed to fall across Qingni's face.
"I've already passed my coming-of-age ceremony; I'm an adult now, and I have the freedom to pursue my dreams! But my mother still treats me like a child, sheltering me under her wings. As if I couldn't survive a single moment without her." 」
「 .....」
〜Baki World〜
Inside Tokugawa's mansion—
"Heh… familial love? It's nothing more than primitive dominance."
Hanma Yujiro, standing nearby, suddenly let out a cold sneer.
"If that girl truly desires freedom, she should beat her old lady, Yukong, until she kneels in surrender!"
Tokugawa wiped the cold sweat from his brow.
"So, your son, Baki Hanma, at fourteen…"
"So he can now break my arm!"
Yujiro bared his fangs in a grin.
"This is the correct interaction between parent and child!"
"…"
Faced with Yujiro's outrageous assertion, everyone fell silent for a moment.
…What kind of parent-child interaction is that? Are you two perhaps aliens? Does such a parent-child dynamic truly exist on Earth?
Retsu Kaioh, unable to listen any longer, frowned.
"Yujiro, you are too extreme…"
"Extreme?"
The teacup in Yujiro's hand suddenly shattered, a shard whistling through the air, instantly piercing Retsu Kaioh's prosthetic limb.
"Parent and child are the most primitive fighting arena. True parent-child interaction… is to tear at each other until flesh and blood are blurred! And that Yukong actually raises her daughter like a pet… the purity is far too low!"
With that, Yujiro let out another burst of (boisterous laughter), shaking Tokugawa's mansion and causing dust to flutter down.
Retsu Kaioh suddenly spoke.
"…So you actually envy that mother and daughter, don't you, Yujiro?"
The air instantly froze.
Yujiro's smile cracked for the first time, but it vanished in an instant.
"Fool! I am teaching you the truth—to change another's will, you must do so through relentless pummeling! When that girl can beat her old lady until she's spitting teeth, then her wish will be granted."
—
「 "Cough, parents do become stubborn. To erode a rock, one must be patient and persistent, like water, wearing it down day after day," Welt remarked.
"So, instead of erupting like today, perhaps Miss Qingni could patiently prove through her actions that she can take care of herself?"
Welt's words softened Qingni's demeanor. "Actually, my mom is a very reasonable person. But when the topic of flying comes up, she becomes completely irrational."
Qingni frowned, saying wistfully, "She hid my starskiff toys, dragged me away from the port when I stayed behind to count ships, forced me to study for ages... I did everything I could to work my way into the Sky-Faring Commission, but she used her authority to assign me a desk job."
"Sigh, every time I walk along Starwatcher Avenue and look up at those ships flying freely across the sky, I feel empty inside…"
Mid-sentence, Qingni realized that pouring out her grievances to the two of them was inappropriate, so she proactively invited them to tour the Luofu. Along the way, Qingni occasionally spoke of her mother's past legends, her eyes filled with longing.
She hoped to become a legend like her mother in the future, but also wondered at her mother's subsequent transformation. Everything seemed to have begun after the Third Denizens of Abundance War. 」
「 .....」