"Even if Aha isn't human, dear, you really were born wrong."
Aha stroked Their chin with one hand and patted Xun Yu's face with the other.
Pulling something like this… wouldn't the kid's Dao heart really collapse?
"That's exactly why it's time to test the results of the special training."
Xun Yu shook his head with a hint of regret.
"I was actually pretty curious whether Yanqing could withstand that kind of blow. Why'd you wake him up?"
Aha tilted Their head, a question mark practically popping up.
They felt Xun Yu might actually be suited to becoming the Aeon of "Being Born."
"Thanks for the compliment. Honestly, I stopped wanting to be human a long time ago."
If it weren't just Aha and himself here, Xun Yu would probably have performed a self-detonation for dramatic effect.
He grabbed the yogurt on the table and stuffed it into Aha's mouth before They could start causing trouble again.
But… watching yogurt leak from the corner of Aha's mouth, Xun Yu felt something was very off.
Right. Next time, bread or fruit instead…
Milk-based stuff was just asking for misunderstandings!
Hearing Xun Yu's muttering, Aha's eyes spun. A wicked idea formed.
Before They could act, Xun Yu—face dark—elbowed Them away.
"Unbelievable. You really don't respond to reason or force, huh!"
…
"Mm… I…?"
Fragments of messy memories flooded his mind. Yanqing couldn't help clutching his head.
Tears slipped from his eyes unconsciously.
After quite a while, he calmed down.
"So… it was a dream?"
But… was that dream hinting at something?
Yanqing's thoughts tangled into a mess. His body trembled nonstop.
He pulled the blanket over his head.
A dream yet not a dream. Mara. It was a fate the long-lived of the Xianzhou could not escape.
Maybe things wouldn't happen exactly like in the dream—where the General fell into mara the very day after he became Sword Champion.
But Yanqing understood: sooner or later, he would face that day.
The General was already old, long at the age where mara outbreaks were common.
And now the Luofu's Sword Champion position stood empty, the Dragon Sovereign had no battle power—everything rested on the General alone…
I need to grow stronger. I must grow stronger!
Become Sword Champion sooner, so I can share the General's burden sooner!
At that moment, the boy's heart matured by leaps and bounds.
One "sweet" dream had turned Yanqing's heart into solid stone.
Just then, a scroll rolled to his feet.
Yanqing froze, then picked it up.
After only a brief glance, his eyes locked onto it.
He frowned and read carefully.
The dossier described the era of the High-Cloud Quintet—how Jingliu took Jing Yuan as a disciple… and later, in the Star-Skiff Sea battle, how Jing Yuan personally ended his own master after she fell into mara.
Star-Skiff Sea… mara… ending one's own master…
It was almost identical to his dream…
If this was true, did that mean this was some kind of inherited "slaying one's teacher" tradition?
Haha… what a dark joke…
Yanqing stroked his chin, forming a guess about where the scroll came from.
Did Xun Yu toss this over?
Seemed very possible…
But how did Xun Yu know he'd had such a "nightmare"?
Unless… Xun Yu made him have that dream?
…No.
Thinking of Xun Yu's identity—and yesterday's incomprehensible jeep training—Yanqing fell silent.
…
"Uh… Yanqing, did you not sleep last night?"
Seeing the dark circles under his eyes, March 7th covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.
"Had a nightmare. Couldn't sleep, so I went to practice swordplay."
"Ohh, that explains why I saw you coming back from outside."
March 7th nodded. Beside her, Stelle stroked her chin thoughtfully.
She realized Yanqing not only had talent—he was also extremely hardworking.
A hardworking genius… compared to that, she felt like a slacker.
No—there was also March 7th.
…Or maybe not. What if March 7th had hidden powers too?
Was she the weakest on the Express?
Well, being weaker wasn't so bad. That way she could just stand behind everyone with peace of mind!
Still… speaking of hidden power…
Dan Heng had told her he got stabbed by Blade back then…
She herself had also been stabbed through the chest and awakened new power.
So if she stabbed March 7th once, would March also…
Stelle's eyes suddenly lit up with dangerous enthusiasm.
March 7th, who was chatting with Yanqing, felt a chill down her spine.
Instinctively, she thought Xun Yu was about to mess with her again. But when she turned around, she saw Stelle's suspicious gaze.
"Stelle, what are you trying to do?!"
"Nothing—uh, I mean! Nothing at all."
Maybe she'd been influenced by Xun Yu, because she subconsciously blurted out the same phrase he used before.
"I don't believe you. You definitely have bad intentions."
March 7th clutched her chest and stepped back, keeping a safe distance.
"Haha, Miss March 7th and Miss Stelle get along really well."
Yanqing scratched his head, feeling oddly left out.
"Of course! The Astral Express is like one big family!"
March 7th puffed up proudly.
"Though sometimes certain people do things that make everything go dark before your eyes…"
"But overall it's fine."
She frowned slightly—then felt something pat her shoulder.
"March, you're gossiping about me behind my back again~"
Xun Yu's resentful voice sounded by her ear. Goosebumps ran all over her.
"What do you mean gossiping? I'm just telling the truth. Right, Stelle?"
Stelle whistled and looked away, pretending she heard nothing.
March 7th might have leverage on Xun Yu thanks to those photos, but she didn't.
When Xun Yu messed with people, he really messed with them!
Yesterday's jeep training had already given her nightmares…
"Teacher Xun Yu, are we continuing training today?"
Unlike Stelle, Yanqing was eager to grow stronger and couldn't wait to continue.
"No. Today's a rest day. Training needs balance between work and rest."
Xun Yu shook his head and took out a ball.
"What's that?"
March 7th took a wary step back.
"When Xun Yu takes out something new and you don't know what it does, don't get too close."
That was the Express crew's shared conclusion.
"It stimulates potential. You saw that light-green energy yesterday, right?"
Everyone nodded.
"Yep. This is what makes it."
"I borrowed it from a certain genius in life sciences and improved it to maximize its potential-stimulation effect."
"The jeep training was to provide appropriate external stimulus to assist."
"But potential… moderate stimulation unlocks it. Too much becomes exploitation."
"Mmm~ March, you sure you don't want to try?"
Xun Yu looked at her expectantly.
"Nope."
March 7th flatly refused, strongly suspecting he wanted revenge for the cross-dressing incident earlier.
"Alright, alright~"
"As for what we're doing today—March, do you remember why you all came here in the first place?"
_______________________________________________________________
TL note: I may slow down the translation of this fanfic due to me translating a new one
Name: "honkai impact 3rd: Q&A, starting with Kiana"