Hu Tao Is Monetizing My Existence. [29]

"No need to worry about that!"

Hu Tao proudly held up her hand, her fingers adorned with several rings, her nails painted black. With a flash of light from the ring on her index finger, pots, bowls, and various utensils suddenly appeared on the table.

"This is called the [Mustard Seed Space], an ancient spatial artifact crafted by the adepti! Wangsheng Funeral Parlor has the only one—it's an absolute must-have for traveling!"

Jiang Bai narrowed his eyes, looking thoroughly unimpressed. "So if you had something this convenient, why did you make me carry all that stuff before…?"

"Obviously to train you!" Hu Tao answered with complete confidence. "Besides, even though it's a pocket dimension, space is still limited. If I stuffed everything in there, it'd just be a glorified sack!"

"…Fine."

"Now hurry up and pack! We're leaving soon!"

Jiang Bai pursed his lips but went off to gather his things.

Since Hu Tao had the [Mustard Seed Space], he no longer had to worry about overpacking. Might as well bring everything he could.

...

The docks of Liyue Harbor were bustling with people. The sky was clear and blue, and Guyun Stone Forest was visible in the distance across the sea.

Jiang Bai gazed out at the ocean like a first-time traveler, barely concealing his excitement.

Hu Tao, on the other hand, was completely unfazed. Though the journey was long and the destination dangerous, she had been there several times before.

She led Jiang Bai to a fishing boat, where a burly fisherman was already waiting.

The man, known as Old Xu, wore a simple sleeveless shirt, his tanned skin and muscular arms evidence of years spent navigating the sea.

"Old Xu, we're counting on you!"

The fisherman, wearing a wide-brimmed hat to shield himself from the sun, grinned and revealed a row of yellowed teeth. "Haha, Director Hu, you jest! I'll get you both to Guyun safe and sound!"

Besides Old Xu, there were two other crew members aboard. They greeted Hu Tao and Jiang Bai with friendly smiles before preparing to set sail.

With the sails raised, the fishing boat gradually drifted toward Guyun Stone Forest.

...

Standing on the deck, Jiang Bai let the sea breeze wash over his face. His short white hair was blown into a mess, but he didn't mind.

As Liyue Harbor grew smaller in the distance, the vast open ocean surrounded them completely. Far ahead, he spotted a towering snow-capped mountain.

The peak was shrouded in mist, emanating an air of mystery.

"That place—what is it?" he asked.

Hu Tao, lounging comfortably on a deck chair, casually removed her sunglasses to glance in the direction he was pointing. Beside her was a coconut with a straw sticking out.

She took a sip of coconut water before answering, "That's Dragonspine—completely covered in snow all year round. It's freezing up there."

"You've been there before?"

"Once. Almost froze to death."

Because of the constant snow and ice, there was barely any Pyro energy in the area. The last time she had attempted to go, she had only made it halfway up before the cold forced her to turn back.

Jiang Bai nodded, storing the name Dragonspine in his memory.

He had a strange feeling—as if something there was connected to him.

"…By the way, Director, where did the deck chair, sunglasses, and coconut come from?" Jiang Bai asked, narrowing his eyes in disbelief.

There had been nothing on the deck earlier, yet now she was lounging as if she were on vacation.

Hu Tao handed him a fresh coconut, adjusting her sunglasses with a smirk. "These? Straight from Fontaine! This is the only pair I bought, though."

"…Fine."

As her humble underling, what could he say? He obediently took the coconut, poked in a straw, and took a sip.

Judging by Hu Tao's carefree attitude, this felt less like a treasure hunt and more like a vacation.

...

After a few hours, the fishing boat finally neared Guyun Stone Forest.

Jiang Bai looked up—and was immediately stunned.

Just like the Teyvat Travel Guide described, a colossal stone spear stood firmly planted in the seabed, towering into the sky. The landscape was scattered with countless spears of stone, some forming mountains, others flattened into plains over time.

The isolated rock formations in the sea, once separate spears, had fused together over the ages, creating the islands that made up Guyun Stone Forest.

"…So this is the power of the gods."

It was unimaginable—how powerful must Rex Lapis have been to hurl such an immense spear, altering the very landscape of the ocean? And despite countless years of erosion, the spears still stood strong, continuing to suppress the sealed god beneath.

Even though time had worn away their original forms, the remnants of these pillars still radiated the divine might of a god.

"Hard to believe this used to be a part of the ocean, huh?"

Hu Tao stood beside him, grinning smugly as she took in his awe-struck expression.

Their Rex Lapis had been revered as the God of War, protecting Liyue for millennia. Of course, his power was beyond imagination.

"Yeah… hard to believe."

If he hadn't read the Teyvat Travel Guide, he might have thought this was just how the terrain had always been.

"To raise mountains from the depths of the sea—this is far beyond anything humanly possible," Jiang Bai murmured. "Sure, given enough manpower and time, humans could reshape the land. But to do it in an instant? Impossible."

Even if Zhongli had once said that gods were simply higher-tier beings, the gap between them and mortals was unfathomably vast.

So vast that he couldn't imagine any being capable of rivaling a god.

At least, not yet.

"Alright, let's get off the boat!"

After arranging a signal with Old Xu for their return, Hu Tao and Jiang Bai set foot on the shores of Guyun Stone Forest.

Hu Tao, treating the journey like a leisurely outing, immediately jumped onto the shore and walked barefoot on the sand, humming a self-composed tune while collecting shiny Starconches.

Jiang Bai followed her example, carrying his shoes in one hand as the waves lapped at his feet.

Just as he took a step forward, a crab scuttled out of the sand—only to clamp onto his toe.

"Hey!" Jiang Bai grabbed the crab, completely unfazed by its waving pincers. His eyes sparkled with interest.

"Director, how about steamed crab for lunch?"

"Great minds think alike!"

Hu Tao grinned as she pulled another crab from the sand, its pincers snapping furiously.

And so, before even beginning their hunt for the Geo Hypostasis, they were sidetracked by crab-catching.

Hu Tao pulled out a bamboo basket, and soon, it was filled to the brim.

"I didn't expect there to be this many crabs here. Probably because hardly anyone comes to this place."

Once the basket was full, she plopped down on a large rock, stretching out her legs under the sun.

Jiang Bai glanced down—and noticed something odd.

Even her toenails were painted black.

…Was this a specific aesthetic choice?

Out of respect for her personal style, he decided not to ask.

"So, what do we do with this whole basket of crabs? Take them with us?"

Looking up at the midday sun, Jiang Bai estimated they had a little over an hour before lunchtime.

But if they were going to cook, they needed a good spot out of the wind—otherwise, starting a fire would be impossible.

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T/N: heh i paint my nails black too! also uhhh Mustard Seed Space is a chinese thing it's because mustard seed is a metaphor for something really small so basically its a small item with it's own dimensional space blah balahabalja