Chapter 35: Sunflowers of Early Summer

Awkwardly approaching Huanluo’s room, for the first time in her life, she found her palms sweating with nerves as she tried to greet someone. “Um, good afternoon…” The word “good” stretched on and on, and in her mind several forms of address circled endlessly, none quite right to say aloud.

Aunt? Sister? Miss Beautiful? Madam? Honored Magician? She was utterly lost.

Liangyin, however, reacted immediately. Lifting her short skirt slightly, she performed a textbook-perfect courtesy: “Good afternoon, honored Magician.” Only then did she come to her senses, hurriedly mimicking Liangyin’s bow, though hers was less than perfect.

“Oh, come now, no need for such formality. My name is Xia Kui. If you don’t mind, just call me Aunt Kui.” With a flawless, gentle smile, Huanluo’s mother moved with the grace of someone from an etiquette manual. She rose elegantly, strolling over to them, and stopped at just the right distance. Her eyes first settled with warmth on her, then drifted to Liangyin, gaze unwavering, meeting both their eyes without partiality.

“No, not at all, right, Liangyin?” She tugged at Liangyin’s sleeve.

Liangyin played along, “Yes, yes! It’s our honor to call you Aunt Kui.”

“You’re both Huanluo’s friends. There’s no need to be so reserved. How about this: I’ll go fetch some delicious pastries for you to try, and you two can stay here and keep Huanluo company.” With that, Xia Kui nodded at Huanluo, then inclined her head slightly to them, closed the door behind her, and glided out with poise.

Once the beautiful Xia Kui was gone, both she and Liangyin let out a long, relieved breath.

She squinted at Liangyin, “Aren’t you already an advanced magician? Why are you so scared of Aunt Kui?”

Liangyin shot back, “It’s perfectly reasonable to be scared, okay? Xia Kui is at least a master-level magician—way above me. I only felt that overwhelming magical pressure because I’m sensitive to it. You’re too low-level to sense anything, so what are you afraid of?”

“This is just the nervousness of a future son-in-law meeting his mother-in-law, you wouldn’t understand!” she retorted.

“Ahem…” Huanluo couldn’t hold back any longer. “Is it really appropriate to talk about my mother like this in front of her daughter?”

“What’s wrong with it? As the saying goes, a married daughter is like water thrown out. As my future wife, Huanluo, you should be on my side!” she replied, thick-skinned, inching closer.

“When did the two of you get engaged?” Liangyin asked, gloating.

Huanluo dropped her head and pressed her palm to her forehead in exasperation.

“It was when I was helping you find the magic core! I secretly swore that whoever rescued me, I’d marry them. And then, as fate would have it, Huanluo appeared, riding on a rainbow cloud!” She pressed her hands together, gazing dreamily at the sky.

“By that logic, shouldn’t you marry Zhi Zhi instead?” Liangyin quipped.

The conversation went on in such rambling nonsense for a long while—so long, in fact, that Huanluo finally stopped sitting at the head of the bed in a daze and joined in with their banter, ending the bout of absurdity.

“So tell us, Huanluo, what kind of extraordinary person is your mother, anyway? Don’t magicians’ and warriors’ nations have little contact?” she asked.

“Yeah, the magical pressure around your mother is so intense. What level is she?” Liangyin was curious too.

“Actually, I’m not really sure myself,” Huanluo replied, gazing up in confusion. “She never talks about it.”

“Where’s your curiosity? What happened to your curiosity?” she exclaimed.

“I’m not a magician. I just need to mind my own business,” Huanluo replied without a hint of emotion.

She was left speechless.

Just then, Xia Kui returned, carrying a tray of pastries and tea. Even as she carried a tray, her elegance was a pleasure to behold. The door opened with a gust of wind, and with her perfect smile, Xia Kui divided the pastries between them, then turned to make tea herself.

The moment Xia Kui entered, both she and Liangyin stood up automatically, accepting the pastries with utmost respect. Watching this, Huanluo couldn’t help but comment, “Mom, you’ve scared them.”

“Oh? Did I?” Xia Kui looked a little lost.

“No, no, not at all, Aunt Kui. You’re wonderful, beautiful, and powerful,” she hastily denied.

“Powerful?” Xia Kui pointed to herself with a smile. “Me?”

“From the way you effortlessly gathered wind elements to open the door, it’s clear you’re at least a master-level magician, right?” Liangyin asked bluntly.

“Master-level?” Xia Kui chuckled and shook her head, but gave no direct denial. She handed them their teacups, sat down calmly herself, and took a sip with closed eyes. “To be a high-level water magician at your age, and to wield such a fine artifact as the Staff of Eternity—you’re far more accomplished than I was at your age.”

Hearing such praise from someone so powerful, Liangyin’s eyes shone even brighter.

“And this young lady,” Xia Kui continued, turning her gaze to her, a hint of curiosity in her eyes but no sense of interrogation, “I hear you’re a wind magician, but the elements floating around you don’t reflect that. How intriguing. You’re an ambassador from Whiteborder City, and yet a wind magician? That’s quite remarkable.”

“Um…” She was momentarily stunned, unsure what to say.

“Mom!” Huanluo tried to interrupt, but Xia Kui pressed on. “Ever since the day you were born, I’ve never interfered in a single aspect of your life—not your studies, your work, or your friendships. I always thought as long as you were happy, that was enough. But you are, after all, my child—my only child. I can’t stand by and watch while you’re in danger.”

“Being in danger is part of war!” Huanluo said sternly.

“When have I ever interfered with your participation in war?” Xia Kui replied in her usual tone, not a trace of anger. “The danger I mean lies with this… friend of yours.”

Huanluo started in alarm. “That’s my business, not yours!”

“It’s not the same,” Xia Kui said, her gaze fixed on her, not sparing Huanluo a glance. “Do you know what it means to be a four-element magician?”

“I…” She had barely opened her mouth when Huanluo cut her off forcefully, “Mom, if you keep this up, I’ll have to ask you to leave.”

“Of course—but I’ll be taking this young lady with me,” Xia Kui replied gently.

“Don’t even think about it!” Huanluo snapped, extending her right hand. The ancient sword by her bedside suddenly sprang to life, flying into her grasp with a whoosh.

At last, Xia Kui’s gentle expression vanished. Her face grew stern as, without lifting a finger, she used only her will to lock both Liangyin and Huanluo’s every movement within the power of the wind. “If I were truly determined to take her, could any of you stop me?”

She struggled to move, but Liangyin shouted, “Don’t! Watch out for the ring around your neck!” With great effort, she caught a glimpse of her own neck and saw a half-ring of wind swirling there, the fierce currents looking as though they could tear apart anything that came near.

What is it with people and my neck, anyway?!

Stardust Chronicles 035_035 The Summer of Kui—End of Update!