"Excuse me, sir Millelith Guard?" A young woman approached, startling Jiayi back onto his feet as he took position, back straight as he tapped his polearm against the ground.
"Yes, Ma'am! Are you in need of assistance?"
The young woman fidgeted a bit, her blonde hair being pushed behind her ear as she seemed to debate with herself quietly. With a sigh, she nodded. "Well, yes, I suppose I am. I've heard several complaints actually, but I don't know if anyone's brought them to your attention. There seems to be an issue with the Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor...?"
The man felt an urge to facepalm, but he kept it at bay long enough to let out a sigh instead. His gaze moving to the woman, the guard nodded softly. "I see. Well then, what would you like to report?"
"Ah well… she's been rather pushy when it comes to offering her… services… at a discount. Apparently, it's a new special of her establishment? A few people have been agitated by her insistence, and they were hoping that perhaps the Millelith would step in before she manages to genuinely upset someone."
":Noted." Jiayi said with a gentle sigh. His hands reached into his pockets, taking out a simple parchment and jotting down the information. When he was finished, he folded it and put it away, taking up his spear. "Where was the last place she was seen?"
"I believe… by Wanmin Restaurant. At the least, that's where I heard a lot of the recent grumbling coming from." The woman said, her arms folded as she thought for a moment. "Yes, that's most likely where she is now, I think."
"Alright, miss. Thank you for the information. I will be sure to investigate it immediately." He said with a nod, sighing to himself as the woman went off with a nod of her own. His hand rubbed down in his face lightly, almost in exasperation, as she shook his head. Hu Tao was probably the most well-known troublemaker around the Harbour. While Xinyan had her concerts, Xiangling had her special dishes, and Chongyun had his… episodes, Hu Tao was the one that managed to top them all for 'most consistently in trouble' just by being herself.
Oh well, Jiayi could at least say it was better than falling asleep in one spot. He pulled his pace into a jog, quickly heading over to the location that made up the most famous Daughter-Father restaurant in Liyue Harbor. Luckily for him, the evening made for more people coming and going, which would at least help him pinpoint exactly where Hu Tao might be if she had left the area.
His sharp brown eyes searching, Jiayi moved closer towards the restaurant as his spear was held against his shoulder. He could see, even from his distance, the family duo making dishes for people coming and going from the window. It gave him a whimsical feeling, seeing such companionship between Xiangling and her father Mao, as well as a small pang in his chest at the thought of his own daughter.
Despite his search, Jiayi slipped his hand into his pocket, withdrawing the picture of a young girl with a sigh. Little Liu's bright smile greeted him, her red hair pulled back into two braids that flew behind her happily as she ran towards the camera. My, it had been a long time since he had that picture taken. The man could only imagine how much more grown she was now.
The melancholy thoughts distracted him as he passed the threshold between two of the buildings nearby, a form shooting out from the crevice suddenly. His eye only caught it for one the briefest of moments before it was upon him.
"Booooooooooooooo!~" Hu Tao shouted, her arms raised like a zombie as she made a questionably ugly face in the man's direction.
Jiayi would not ever admit to the pitch that he reached when Hu Tao did so, but he fell back hard onto the street, spear and picture of his daughter flying from his hands. He gasped as he scrambled for it, snatching it out of the air with a pant as the rush of adrenaline hit him. It was secure in his pocket before he grabbed at his spear, looking back at the now hunched over and laughing form of Hu Tao, her face brightened by cackling.
"Hee-hee!~ You should have seen the look on your face~ It was like someone who saw a bright flash of light at the end of a tunnel~" Her voice turned foreboding, creepy even, as she waved her hands with a ghostly noise.
"Miss Director, that's not funny!" Jiayi said, flustered as he brushed himself off while pulling himself into a standing position. He huffed a bit as he looked towards the girl, his spear tapping against the ground. "Hu Tao. It has come to the attention of the Millelith that you have been violating the peace by upsetting the locals of Liyue Harbor."
"Oh come on, I was merely trying to enrich their lives by offering a service for after they have ended! Surely there's no crime against that, yes?" Hu Tao said with a cheery grin, her tone light even as the man frowned.
"There may be no crime against your… offers… but disturbing the peace and harassment are still punishable according to the laws of Liyue. The Millelith have had this discussion before, Miss Director." The man spoke with authority as his voice came back to its normal pitch. He found himself slipping into more of a scolding tone as he gazed down at her, surprised to find the girl pouting.
It was to be expected. Hu Tao may be the director of a funeral parlor, but she still was young. If it wasn't for that consultant of hers, Jiayi was fairly sure she would be somehow more overbearing. The one thing he didn't expect though: actual whining.
"But I was only offering my businesssssss…! I can't see why it has to be such a big deal that the Millelith has to get involved." Hu Tao spoke out, her foot stamping on the ground as she pouted, cheeks puffed out as she looked up at the Millelith guard. The act was enough to make Jiayi do a double take.
"Uhm well…" He stammered a bit. It wasn't often he interacted with the Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, other than a simple greeting when she was often running back and forth through the city. The man had heard the other guards talk about her, but he was still surprised just how childish she still managed to act even with such a morbid job. "Ahem. Miss Hu Tao, the Millelith's job is to keep the peace. As such… wha- hey!"
Hu Tao hummed as she nonchalantly walked away, her hands swinging at her sides as the star-pupiled eyes gazed about the area. She didn't bother listening to the man, having heard the same spiel from other Millelith before. All she knew is that it was a headache and impeded her from trying to promote her business.
"Miss Hu Tao!" Jiayi spoke, a sudden pang of exasperation in his voice. What was this girl thinking? Did she really think it was polite or appropriate to turn her back on a city guard? "Where are you going?"
"I'm going to try and find some more sensible people to offer my services to. Maybe the Adventurer's Guild will take me up on my group rate offer this time. Bye bye, mister Millelith." She waved him off softly without looking at him.
Jiayi was absolutely stunned for a moment at her tone. Yet, he shook himself back into movement as he began to walk towards her at a brisk pace. "Miss Hu Tao! We are not finished discussing this matter!"
"Sorry, can't hear you over the dead~" Hu Tao grinned a bit, and her feet suddenly lifted up in a sprint as she took off down the street.
The Millelith guard was left speechless as his pace shifted into a run as well after her. "Miss Hu Tao! Stop!"
The young funeral director giggled as she did not stop, flying by the Adventurer's Guild and several bystanders as she ran past. Her feet shifted as she turned towards the docks and ran down the path leading to where most of the port's goods came and went. She narrowly avoided a man carrying several crates, slipping by with a huff as she let out a loud "BOO!"
Jiayi gasped as he was only a few meters behind her when the sailor shouted in surprise, his cargo flying out of his hand. The guard took a crate to the chest, clutching it to keep it from smashing as his spear flew off to the side. He landed hard, gasping as he let the box roll off him to the ground with a thunk. As he stood, he could hear the sailor shouting.
"You good for nothing brat! I hope someone thrashes you!"
The guard stood, forgoing his spear at that moment for the more important task of catching Hu Tao. He ran up to the sailor, helping him up. "Which way did she go?"
"Augh... To the left, heading to the market stalls."
The man nodded, doing a once over on the sailor to be sure he was alright before continuing his sprint after Hu Tao. He could see the familiar flicker of the girl's coat tails as he approached the marketplace, looking around the stalls as several people passed by. Great, now he had to pick her out amongst the crowd.
While that wasn't exactly a hard task, Jiyai realized quickly that when Hu Tao was hiding, she could actually manage to keep herself from drawing attention. He asked around the marketplace, checking with several of the market goers to see if perhaps someone matching Hu Tao's description ran by. Several did point further in the market, but it was clear they only had glimpses of the girl before she disappeared.
Jiayi gasped as he bent over next to a stack of crates closer to the market's edge, hands on his knees as he panted. How did the younger citizens of Liyue manage to be so fast? It was like the girl ran on only on a desire to promote business and mischief in equal measure. He placed a hand onto the stack of crates with another huff.
"BOO!" Hu Tao popped from the crate, the top flying off and onto the ground as Jiayi squealed.
He stumbled back, slamming into the ground with a groan as he looked up towards the funeral director, heart racing as he watched her giggle. His eyebrows scrunched together, the man's racing heart giving way to a new, burning agitation. Jiayi's voice suddenly boomed, louder than he expected it to.
"HU TAO!"
The girl actually jumped this time, her form shrinking down into the crate as the man stood and stomped over. He peered down at her, his teeth bared as an exhale hissed through his clenched jaw. His hand gently raised as he held it towards her, eyes glaring as he looked down at the girl.
"Out of the crate. Now."
Hu Tao wiggled in place, looking up carefully towards the guard's face as a shiver went down her spine. Well, that was a new feeling to be sure. Usually, she was the one sending shivers down citizens' spines. Yet, she hesitantly held out her hand, letting the man help her out of the crate, even though it was a bit more like being dragged out. Her eyes flicked up again, realizing he was still glaring at her while holding her hand.
"Uhm… you just got pranked?" The girl said with a less enthusiastic smile.
"Is that what you call a prank, young lady?! Running from the Millelith? Scaring a protector of the peace? Causing a disturbance? Do you understand how much trouble you have caused?!" The man let his words flow with a scolding tone, watching as the young girl shrunk with each question.
"I suppose so…" She mumbled with a blush creeping to her face, several people looking away as they walked by the duo while Jiayi scolded her.
The man paused for a moment as he looked down, watching as the blushing girl began to rub her arm in embarrassment. He couldn't help but feel a familiar pang in his chest, the girl reminding him of his own Little Liu. His brain seemed bent on drawing similarities between them: how she bit her lip while being scolded, her stance shifting from foot to foot in nervousness. Jiayi became acutely aware of the people nearby, a sigh coming from his lips.
"Come along." He spoke, his hand taking the girl's so she had no way of slipping away this time. Yet, he was careful to keep his grip only firm and not painful, essentially securely holding her hand as he dragged her back to where he dropped his spear. Picking it up, Jiayi looked back towards the girl with a soft nod.
"Hu Tao. Look at me."
The girl's star-pupiled eyes looked up into the man's light brown ones, teeth still chewing on her bottom lip softly as she wiggled nervously. Her heart was beating about a mile a minute, and the uncertainty was making her fit to be her own client at the rate that she was going. The way her chest tightened when Jiayi stared down at her with his stern gaze was uncomfortable to say the least.
"The list of transgressions you've amassed are enough to gurantee a few days within Liyue's stockades…"
"W-Wait please…! Let's not be hasty, I-"
"Hu Tao." He said sternly, the girl biting her lip and looking at him while her fingers fiddled together nervously. "As I was saying, it would be guaranteed. But, I understand your nature, and I am willing to offer an alternative."
Hu Tao's eyes widened, and she gave a quick nod. "O-Oh! Okay. Sure! Anything that lets me get back to talking with clients!"
Jiayi gave a soft sigh. "Please… try to keep from referring to people like that. Since you are accepting, come with me."
He walked with her closer to the docks, heading in a few short turns until they came to one of the unloading areas with many crates leftover from the shipments that day. Jiayi put his spear against the small wall of boxes, sitting on one nearby with a gentle huff as he looked towards Hu Tao. With a gentle nod, his hand raised as he waved her closer. Hu Tao came over with a slightly nervous look now, realizing her situation as they were quite away from the public view. Before she could say anything, the guard spoke.
"Hu Tao. For disturbing the peace, fleeing from the Millelith, resisting authority, and harassment, you will be receiving a spanking." The man said in a stern tone, his eyes carefully taking in the girl's reaction.
Hu Tao didn't quite protest as animatedly as he would have expected. The girl wiggled in place, a sudden pink flush over her face. Yet, she nodded with a gentle whine. "Does it… have to be a sp-spanking?"
Jiayi sat there a moment before he slowly nodded. "Yes. It has to be a spanking. It is either that or several days detention within the stockade. It is your choice. This isn't an alternative that I offer lightly."
To be honest, it wasn't an alternative he ever thought he would be offering. Yet, despite her flaws, Hu Tao was a pretty important member of the community, even if she had a tendency to cause havoc. Being so young and running a funeral parlor of all things, the guard could only imagine the twists and turns the girl had to go through to end up with the personality she had now, not to mention the lack of parental figures since the passing of her parents.
If Jiyai was being honest with himself, he really did feel pity for the child, and it only amplified as he looked over her again. His eyes watched her teeth chew her bottom lip as she contemplated taking her punishment, just like Little Liu. Although, this spanking was a bit more serious than anything his own child had done. He cleared his throat loudly.
"Miss Tao. I do not have all day."
"Ah okay okay! I'll take the sp-sp-spanking…" She trailed off with a long whine, looking up at him timidly. For all her determination and glee when it came to her work (and pranks), Hu Tao seemed to be as nervous as any child about getting their bottom warmed.
Jiyai nodded and took her by the forearm, tugging her close as he gently pressed her over his lap. He breathed a little sigh of relief as he finally had her over his thighs. No chasing, no yelling, and no pranks. For now, it was just dealing out a fair and just punishment. His hand reached under her coat, flipping the long tails of it up over her back to reveal her shorts. He took a breath, raising his hand with a gentle shift of his wrist before bringing it down upon the bottom before him.
Hu Tao sucked in a gasp of air, her whole form tensing as gave a sudden kick with her right leg. By the spirits, that hurt a good bit! It only continued to do as more swats rained down upon her bottom, making her kick and squeak with each one. She bit down on her lip, hands clutching at the guard's thigh as she whined. "Ow ow ow…!"
The man's hand rested easily on her hip, making sure the girl didn't slide off too easily from his lap as he continued to rain his other hand upon her bottom. Each strike felt much too familiar to him, the wiggles and kicks bringing a bit of strange nostalgia to his person as he huffed quietly. Each swat upon the girl's rear brought him back to the village, where it was his own little girl upturned over his lap, kicking and squirming as she whined her little heart out over even the gentlest of smacks. It was… saddening to say the least, but he pressed on, shaking the thoughts from his mind as he huffed. He would see Little Liu at some point, perhaps once all the troublemakers in Liyue actually fell in line…
He was brought back into his duty by the feel of the girl pulling on the box they sat upon, trying to drag herself off his lap as he grunted, delivering a firm swat onto the fleshy part of her thigh with a soft bar. "Hu Tao! Stop this instant!"
Hu Tao didn't listen, trying to wiggle and kick her way from his lap as she blushed and squealed at the particularly tender strike upon her thigh. She thought the warmth in her bottom stung, but she didn't think for a moment that it could somehow be worse on other parts. "B-But it hurtttttttttts!"
"It is supposed to, Miss Tao. This is a punishment, and you're not getting out of it until it is completed. You made your choice." The man said firmly, swatting a bit more at her thighs until she relinquished her hold on the box. He pulled her back correctly into his lap, giving a little sigh of both relief and agitation. Jiyai didn't want this to be longer than it had to be, and he didn't have the capacity at this point to make good on the other punishment if she truly tried to struggle out.
Deciding it was time to speed the process a bit, his fingers hooked into the waistband of her shorts, dragging them down below her rear to reveal a rather amusing pair of panties with strange little ghosts on them. The kicking from Hu Tao began again in earnest, the girl wiggling as she tried to cover her bottom.
"Ah! No no, please don't take those down! I learned my lesson, honest!" The star-eyed girl pleaded, face red and lightly tear-stained. Although, it was clear from her body language she was anything but properly chastised, and the squirming she did as her hands were pinned to her back proved that.
"Hu Tao. I will not tell you again. I am giving you the full breadth of your punishment. This is the choice you made, and we are going to be here until I feel you are truly remorseful." Jiyai said with soft firmness now, his voice lowering a bit as he felt the girl's fingers clutch onto hand that held her own above her rear. His other hand fell quickly, giving a much more crisp, audible smack upon the girl's bottom as she squeaked out.
"Ah! Okay okay, I'm sorrrrrrrryyyyyy…!" Hu Tao bawled, the smacks coming quickly upon her panty-clad bottom as she placed her cheek against the shipping crate. Crocodile tears fell from her lids as she squeezed her eyes closed, her sobs coming in earnest now as the color of her bottom darkened under the panties.
The man looked upon her form as he felt her whole demeanor shift from the flighty, struggling girl to a more subdued and repentant one. It was quite a shift to be sure, his hand never ceasing to fall as his voice carried out above her cries.
"Hu Tao, why are you receiving this spanking?"
Really? Did he somehow forget!? "B-Because I-I was d-disturbing the peace!"
"That's correct. What else?" He said as his hand slowed, giving sharp swats in slower, more concentrated strokes upon her bottom to give the girl a bit of a respite from the quick blows.
Hu Tao racked her brain, sniffing and hiccuping as she flailed physically and mentally for an answer. When none came to mind, she began to panic a bit. "I-I-I-I don't know! W-Wasn't it just that?"
Jiyai sighed softly, one hard swat landing in the center of the girl's bottom before his hand rested there. He turned his head towards the crying girl, speaking firmly but gently. "No, Hu Tao. Remember. What did you do after I came to talk to you about disturbing the fine folks of Liyue?"
"I-I-I r-ran off?" Hu Tao said with a deep breath, sniffing as she wiggled and looked at him through teary eyes. Her pupils shined with the moisture coating them, making the man feel a bit of pity.
"Yes, you did. It would be different if we were having a conversation, but I had come to speak to you in the capacity of a peacekeeper of Liyue. You are not to run from a guard trying to ask you questions. Not only does it violate Liyue's law, but it also disrespects the authority of the Millelith. Do I make myself clear?" He raised a brow, patting her bottom softly to emphasize his point.
Hu Tao nodded quickly, her hat shaking on top of her head as she did so. "Y-Yes yes! Promise! No more running from the Millelith, no more pranks! I'm sorry!"
While he didn't believe for a second that last part was true, the man nodded gently as he softly pulled the shorts of the girl up over her now clearly reddened bottom. He released her hands shortly after, gently sighing as he lightly pressed a hand under her stomach and guided her to her feet next to him. Jiyai's eyes fell upon the crying visage of the Director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, and he felt that little bit of authority he kept in his demeanor melt away at the sad sight of the girl sobbing.
With a sigh, he gingerly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in close between his legs as his arms wrapped around the girl's smaller form. The guard was a bit surprised when the girl welcomed it, digging her face into his shoulder as she hiccuped and cried, now muffled by the fabric of his armor as he looked on with a bit of apprehension. Cleaning the uniform was just another on the list of things he was going to have to report for today, and he only sighed as he let it go when he squeezed her close.
"There now, Miss Tao. You've faced your punishment. I promise it is over. We won't have to revisit this position anytime soon, now will we?" He questioned with a raised brow, a bit of a relieved sigh falling from his lips as he felt the girl shake her head. "Good."
His hand began to trail up and down her back in slow motions, her coat falling to cover her bottom as she squeezed her own arms around his midsection while she still delivered muffled sobs into the fabric of his shoulder. Time passed, and the man was beginning to feel a familiar fatigue take hold, one that he always had after disciplining his own children. It was another pang of familiarity that he had to shake off a bit, giving a low huff as he tapped the girl's back softly.
"Miss Tao. Come now, I cannot be here for the rest of the day." He said gently, all of the firmness from before melted into a now warmer tone. Hu Tao's breathing was steady, and he almost thought she might be asleep. But, Jiyai breathed his own sigh of relief when she pulled herself from his form, sniffing quietly as she wiped at her red-rimmed and puffy eyes. He pulled a small handkerchief from his pocket, wiping at them a bit before he could stop himself.
Hu Tao's eyes widened a bit, and she blushed at the gesture as she squirmed softly while being unceremoniously treated like a child until the man flushed a bit himself. He cleared his throat softly, handing her the handkerchief with a soft shake of his head.
"Ah, quite sorry. Well then, I will take it that we have learned a lesson today?"
"Y-Yes, uhm… s-sir." Hu Tao said with a bit of a wiggle, the rambunctious girl now sufficiently humbled as she blew her nose into the cloth in her hands with a huff. She merely tossed it to the side as the guard retrieved his spear, standing to his full height again as he nodded.
"That's good then. I trust you'll keep yourself out of trouble for the time being." He spoke once again with authority, although it was much more gentle than before. The little nod he got in return made him scratch the back of his neck gently in contemplation before he softly reached up with his free arm and gave the girl a sideways hug.
"If for any reason you have a need for me, however, you do know where to find me." Jiyai said easily, looking down at her. At the confused look he got, he just flushed a bit and shook his head. "Ah. I just meant in a well… nevermind."
"Okay." The girl spoke, nodding towards him as she wrapped her arms around him a moment before bounding back onto her heels with a smile coming to her face. Her spring already seemed to be returning to her step, and she grinned. "I'll be sure to behave, Mister Millelith."
She said, a bit of her general teasing tone making its way back into her voice. Jiyai just sighed and nodded, watching as she bounded off again but not without noticing her hand snaking back to rub at her smarting rear.
"Well… hopefully that at least keeps most of the troubles of the day in check… for now." He said with another sigh, gently taking the picture of Little Liu from his pocket once more. "Perhaps I'll even bring you to meet her, Liu. I'm sure you two would get along just fine."
He said to himself softly, a small smile on his features at the thought. It quickly turned into a bit of a grimace though, shaking his head. "On second thought, maybe only if I'm supervising…"