Chapter 85

Takumi, who came out of the tent, saw that Klee was heading towards the kitchen not far away and fiddling with something inside.

Seeing this scene, Takumi was immediately puzzled. Was she hungry? Thinking of this, Takumi also walked over.

"Klee, what are you doing?" he asked.

Klee, who was busy in the kitchen, blinked when she heard Takumi's words.

"Brother Takumi, you're awake!" she said cheerfully. "Klee is making breakfast for Brother Takumi. Since the chef isn't here, Klee is in charge of breakfast!"

Hearing her say that, Takumi didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Fisherman's Toast? Thinking of this, Takumi stepped forward to help.

"Let me help too," he offered.

With that, the two of them, one big and one small, prepared breakfast together. Afterward, they took a simple shower and woke Shenhe.

Once the three of them had finished breakfast, Takumi and Klee got to work, starting the demolition to open the road to Shimen.

A loud 'bang' echoed through the area, signaling the beginning of the operation. The sound traveled far and wide, even reaching Dawn Winery faintly. But no one paid much attention to it.

After Klee detonated the first explosion, Shenhe's strength came into play. She effortlessly moved the blasted boulders aside, leaving Klee stunned. The sheer visual impact was shocking—a beautiful woman lifting multi-ton rocks with ease. It was an image Klee couldn't quite process.

Originally, Klee had planned for a second blast, but seeing how quickly Shenhe cleared the stones, it seemed unnecessary. The rocks would still be useful for construction—whether for river embankments or future post stations.

Throughout the day, explosions echoed intermittently, followed by Shenhe clearing the debris. Others helped move the smaller stones aside.

By the end of the day, they had cleared about 100 meters of the road. At this rate, it would take about six to seven days to complete—possibly longer since the deeper they went, the larger the rocks became. Blasting would become more challenging, requiring extra caution.

Meanwhile, over in Wuwang Hill, Hu Tao was working when she heard the continuous explosions. The noise kept interrupting her rest, making her visibly annoyed.

Frustrated, Hu Tao grabbed her Ghostly March staff and stormed towards Shimen, eager to confront whoever was responsible for the racket.

Upon arrival, she spotted Takumi and Klee. Seeing them both, she was instantly puzzled.

"Huh?" she muttered.

"Sister Hu Tao!" Klee called out excitedly, running up to greet her.

Hu Tao sighed, already guessing what was happening. "I knew it!" she groaned. "Who else in Liyue would be playing with bombs? Of course, it's the little troublemaker herself."

Takumi was also confused. "Hu Tao? What are you doing here?"

Rolling her eyes, Hu Tao crossed her arms. "I was trying to work, but you guys kept setting off explosions! The noise is startling all the spirits I'm tending to. You're disturbing their rest, you know."

Takumi blinked, realizing the unintended consequence. "Ah, I see. Sorry about that," he apologized. "We're trying to clear the road completely. This will take a while—probably seven or eight days."

Hu Tao sighed, clearly annoyed but ultimately understanding. "Forget it. I'll let it slide this time," she grumbled. "I'll just go back to my work."

Now that she understood what was going on, Hu Tao had no intention of staying. It was frustrating, but she knew this project had been planned in Liyue for some time. The road to Mondstadt had to be made more accessible, and she had no choice but to endure the noise for a few days.

With that thought, Hu Tao turned to leave—but Takumi suddenly stopped her.

"Wait."

Hu Tao raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

Takumi pointed at the Ghostly March staff in her hand. "Let me see that."

Hu Tao gave him a suspicious look. "This is my family's treasure. What do you want to do with it?"

Takumi smiled and explained, "I want to see if I can replicate it. I'm trying to learn polearm techniques, and having a good weapon would help. Yours is undoubtedly a great one."

Hearing this, Hu Tao's eyes lit up. "Oh? Good taste!" she said, grinning. "If that's the case, then sure, take a look."

She handed the staff to Takumi, watching him curiously.

To be honest, Hu Tao was envious of Takumi's unique abilities. She had even tried convincing him multiple times to go into business with her—suggesting they could make a fortune by replicating antiques and selling them to collectors like Zhongli.

If Zhongli weren't a frequent visitor to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Hu Tao might have actually attempted it herself. She had even fantasized about swapping out all of Zhongli's prized artifacts with replicas and selling the real ones for a massive profit.

"Hmph! Who told him to always stick me with the bills?" she muttered to herself.

As these thoughts ran through her head, she focused back on Takumi, watching as he examined the staff.

Takumi held the Ghostly March staff carefully, channeling his power to analyze its structure. There was no doubt—it was indeed a remarkable weapon. The internal structure was far more intricate than he had initially expected. Even just analyzing it took him a few minutes.

Once he finished his assessment, Takumi stretched out his right hand. Slowly, an exact replica of the staff began to materialize before their eyes.

Seeing this, Hu Tao's eyes widened in shock.