Chapter 214: Because I Have Already Touched the Sky
"So... is this the reason why you wouldn't let me become a starskiff pilot?" Qingni murmured, her voice trembling slightly. "Because that was my biological mother Caiyi's... final request..."
She wasn't dull; the pieces of the puzzle clicked together instantly, revealing the heavy burden her adoptive mother had carried all these years.
"Yes. That was Caiyi's last wish," Yukong replied softly, her usual authoritative tone replaced by a deep, weary gentleness. "It is why I have always stopped you from taking to the skies."
"Mother..." Qingni spun around, her foxian ears twitching in surprise as she realized Yukong was standing right behind her, watching the same illusion.
Yukong slowly shook her head, her amber eyes clouded with a lingering mix of confusion and deep-seated worry. "But I still don't understand... why did you ultimately insist on becoming a pilot?"
Above them, the projected illusion shifted fluidly, rippling like water before resolving into the figures of Yukong and Qingni from a yet-to-be future.
"I don't understand... why must you become a pilot?" The Yukong in the projection mirrored the real one perfectly, her face etched with that exact same desperate confusion. Why did Qingni have to choose this dangerous path of all things?
The voices from the glowing illusion and the quiet whispers in reality overlapped, blurring the lines between what was and what could be.
"Anyone in this world can become a starskiff pilot, except for the Helm Master's daughter—where is the logic in that?" The projected Qingni argued, her voice ringing out clear and unyielding. "You yourself are unwilling to fly again, but you shouldn't bind me to the ground. I am not a bird you can just keep locked in a cage!"
The real Yukong stood paralyzed. Listening to those defiant words, the breath hitched in her throat. In that fleeting instant, the projection of her daughter seemed to shimmer, superimposing the familiar, spirited figure of her late best friend, Caiyi.
'But if I had to choose again, I would still become a pilot.''Because...''I have already touched the sky.'
Those were the exact words Caiyi had spoken to her so long ago. Right now, the silhouettes of Qingni and Caiyi bled into one another, an unbroken lineage of sky-bound dreamers.
"Flying is the only thing I want to do in this life..." The projected Qingni tilted her head up toward the boundless horizon. "...because I have already touched the sky."
"It was I who crudely interfered with your life's choices," the projected Yukong finally whispered, her shoulders slumping as the heavy realization washed over her. "I'm sorry... I shouldn't have decided someone else's future based purely on my own fear. Even if that person... is my daughter."
She looked up, a bittersweet smile gracing her lips. "You will start as a ground crew member. Just like Caiyi and I did back then. I believe... you will become a remarkable pilot."
And just like that, the Qingni in the illusion had finally won her mother's blessing.
"Thank you, Mother... thank you... thank you!" The projected Qingni wept tears of sheer joy, practically vibrating with excitement. After a brief pause to compose herself, she asked softly, "I want to fly once with you. Is that okay?"
"Um... no, let's not." The projected Yukong turned her gaze back to the clouds, declining with a serene, peaceful smile. "I won't fly again."
"Eh? Why?" Qingni blinked, thoroughly puzzled.
"Because..." Yukong's voice was barely a whisper against the wind. "I too have already touched the sky."
As her voice faded, the perspective of the illusion slowly panned upward, drifting into the boundless, eternal azure of the firmament.
The exact same phrase—I have already touched the sky—carried two entirely divergent meanings depending on who spoke it. Because Qingni had tasted the clouds, she yearned for them with an insatiable fire. But for Yukong... because she had already touched the sky, and lost everything to it, she was finally ready to remain grounded.
Just as everyone assumed the projection was ending, a soft, melancholic melody drifted through the air.
The horizon is still a distant line,
When I lift my head I can see,
The scenes of the past flowing by,
As if we had never met.
The passing starskiffs also make one indulge,
The past freedom, the familiar soaring is right at the edge of the sky,
The unchanging promise we agreed upon,
Was only just yesterday...
The melodious, haunting vocals seemed perfectly tailored for this exact moment, wrapping around the onlookers and leaving a heavy, emotional weight in their chests.
"It's really... so moving..." Stelle sniffled dramatically, aggressively wiping away completely non-existent tears from the corners of her eyes.
"Indeed... deeply moving..." Caelus immediately followed her lead, rubbing his eyes in a highly convincing display of mock sorrow.
Ignoring the two theatrical Trailblazers, Qingni turned back to the real Yukong. "Mother..."
She froze. A single, crystalline tear was quietly sliding down the Helm Master's cheek. It was a shocking sight; this was the very first time Qingni had ever seen the iron-willed Yukong cry.
"What's wrong?"
At Qingni's soft, concerned call, Yukong blinked rapidly, snapping back to reality and hastily wiping her cheek.
"Is it... just like in the video? Could you..." Qingni asked in a small, hopeful voice. Seeing her mother finally agree to her becoming a pilot in the illusion had planted a massive surge of joy in her chest. Even if she didn't know if Leon's projected future would actually come true, it gave her something very useful: hope.
"You..." Hearing her daughter's impatient, eager inquiry instantly ruined the melancholic atmosphere. Yukong took a deep breath, letting out a sound that was half-sigh, half-laugh.
Strange as it was, watching Leon's illusion had genuinely touched her. The icy walls around her heart had undeniably softened. Yet, seeing Qingni practically vibrating like an overexcited puppy made her feel both thoroughly annoyed and deeply amused.
"No... is it not okay?" The bright light in Qingni's eyes dimmed, a look of crushing disappointment washing over her face. Did she really have to stage a massive, dramatic argument with her mother just like in the projection before she would get the point?
"Fine." Yukong surrendered. Looking at her daughter's crestfallen expression, the Helm Master's resolve finally crumbled. "Let it be exactly as the projection showed. You will start from the ground crew."
'Perhaps, this is inheritance,'she thought to herself, gazing at the young Foxian.'Caiyi, your daughter has ultimately fallen in love with this sky. You left a last wish to protect her... but as her mother, I cannot ignore her true will any longer.'
"Really? Thank you, Mother! Thank you!" A brilliant, surprised smile blossomed across Qingni's face. She spun around, bowing deeply toward the grinning young man nearby. "And thank you, sir!"
She never imagined her mother's stubborn attitude would shift so drastically. All of this was entirely thanks to the mysterious gentleman before her.
"I didn't expect you to have such capabilities." Yukong smiled faintly, though her sharp gaze locked onto Leon with a newfound intensity.
The content of that illusion was far too accurate. It included her deeply buried past, her private inner thoughts, her recent disputes with Qingni, and even a highly probable future that hadn't yet occurred. It left Yukong's mood incredibly complicated.
As the Helm Master of the Sky-Faring Commission, she was naturally paranoid, accustomed to analyzing every angle. Qingni had only known this man for a fraction of a day, yet he could conjure such a hyper-realistic, emotionally precise vision. How was this achieved?
Had he investigated Qingni long ago? Or had he been investigating her?
Or... did he possess some supreme power of divination? Was he an Emanator walking the Path of Finality? Someone akin to the Stellaron Hunters?
Who was his actual target? Qingni? Or the Helm Master herself?
And what, exactly, was his endgame?
"It was just a coincidence." Leon offered a perfectly innocent, thick-skinned smile, waving his hand dismissively as if he hadn't just casually manipulated the emotional core of one of the Luofu's highest-ranking officials.
"Mother? Snap out of it..." Qingni gently shook Yukong's arm, her cheeks dusting with a faint blush.
It was the very first time she had ever seen her mother space out and stare so intensely at an outsider. Could it be... that she had a good impression of this gentleman?
Qingni stole a few covert glances at Leon. He was undeniably handsome, exuding a relaxed, confident aura. She mentally placed the image of her dignified mother standing side-by-side with Leon, and surprisingly... they seemed like quite a good match.
"Forgive me." Yukong instantly collected her wandering thoughts, offering a polite, apologetic smile. "The Luofu has been burdened with many affairs lately. I am simply a bit tired."
Perhaps she was overthinking things. The Luofu was currently handling a period of immense turmoil, and the young man before her was, after all, traveling with the Astral Express—a faction that had actively stepped up to aid the Xianzhou.
There was really no need to assume the absolute worst of people without cause.
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