Hu Tao Is Monetizing My Existence. [66]

By the time the sun had set, they had found nothing but a few medicinal herbs.

"Director Hu, it's getting dark! Let's head down for now!" Jiang Bai called out.

Below the stone pillars lay an open clearing beside a lake. With no strong winds from above and the stone pillars providing shelter, it was an ideal spot to set up camp.

"Alright!" Since searching at night would be inconvenient, Hu Tao didn't insist on continuing. She spread her Wind Glider and slowly descended.

Meanwhile, Qiqi had already climbed to the mountain peak, picking Qingxin flowers from the summit.

Hearing Jiang Bai's shout, she gathered all the Qingxin flowers, placed them carefully into her basket, then spread her wings and began gliding down.

"Huuuh—so tired…"

Hu Tao landed gently, and the moment she relaxed, a wave of soreness washed over her muscles.

"Qiqi, Qiqi, where are you? My arms are killing me—come save me…"

Her arms hung limply at her sides, but her legs kept moving. She walked as she called out, as if summoning her last hope.

"Qiqi is here…"

Perhaps after spending half a day together, Qiqi's attitude toward Hu Tao had softened—at least she was now willing to respond when Hu Tao called for her.

Though Qiqi's voice was soft, the echoes in the valley carried it clearly to Hu Tao's ears.

Hu Tao watched as the small figure slowly descended before her. Grinning, she shamelessly lifted her hands:

"Qiqi, I'm counting on you!"

Without a word, Qiqi gathered a soft, blue-white glow in her hands, gently soothing the soreness in Hu Tao's muscles.

Once done, she immediately put some distance between them again.

"Qiqi, you're amazing!"

Hu Tao praised her without reservation. If Qiqi didn't dislike her so much, she'd have hugged and kissed her already.

"…Just don't send me to the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor."

Qiqi remained steadfast in her desire not to move on to the afterlife.

Hu Tao didn't reply. After spending the day together, she had already seen Qiqi's deep yearning for life.

She just didn't know what to do about it yet.

Jiang Bai landed as well, holding a bird's nest in his arms. Inside, a row of eggs was neatly arranged. Fried, boiled, or roasted, they'd make for a nice meal—though they were small, barely enough for a bite.

His gaze shifted toward the large lake nearby.

"Director Hu, how about grilled fish for dinner?"

A lake this big was bound to have plenty of fish. Catching a few should be easy, right?

"Sounds great! I'll catch them!"

Hu Tao loved fishing—well, her version of fishing. It was more like playing than actual work.

Some parts of the lake were deep, some shallow. She kicked off her shoes, rolled up her pant legs, and waded in, Staff of Homa in hand.

She watched the fish swim leisurely through the water, licked her lips, and raised her weapon like a harpoon, aiming before thrusting downward.

Confident she had nailed the shot, she was stunned when the fish flipped its tail and jumped away, splashing water straight onto her face—as if mocking her overconfidence.

"…Did I just get humiliated by a fish?"

Wiping the water from her face, Hu Tao clenched her teeth in frustration.

She gripped her "harpoon" tighter, locked onto the insolent fish, and struck again—missed. Again—dodged. And again—escaped. Over and over…

After a frantic struggle, she hadn't speared a single fish. Instead, she was now completely soaked.

"Ugh, this is infuriating!"

Fueled by rage, flames erupted from the Staff of Homa. With a powerful swing, she slammed the weapon into the water. Steam rose instantly as the surrounding lake water began to evaporate, thickening into a mist that enveloped her.

Jiang Bai, watching from the shore, twitched his lips.

…It's just fishing. Did it really have to escalate to this?

Still, this was a perfect chance to score some points!

He grabbed two sticks from who-knows-where, waved them enthusiastically, and started chanting:

"Director Hu! Go! Go! Director Hu!"

The combination of his shouting and the rustling leaves made it sound like an auditory assault.

Hu Tao, hidden in the artificial fog, suspected he was actually on the fish's side—there to distract her on purpose!

"Jiang Bai, SHUT UP!"

A furious roar erupted from the mist. Jiang Bai immediately shrank his neck, quickly stashing the leaves behind his back before retreating to tend to the fire.

With no more distractions, Hu Tao finally focused on her real enemies.

"You dare challenge the great Hu Tao? Tonight, you're all getting sent straight to the afterlife!"

She growled at the fish before launching a full-scale assault. Her spear, blazing with fire, struck the water relentlessly, like a fierce autumn storm.

The sound of water splashing filled the air.

Finally, the mist cleared. Several large fish floated belly-up on the surface, white bubbles escaping from their mouths.

"Who's laughing now?"

Hu Tao wiped the water from her face, huffed proudly, and skewered the fish with her Staff of Homa, hoisting them over her shoulder as she marched back.

The only problem—her clothes were completely drenched. Her long twin-tails dripped water with every step. She looked less like a triumphant warrior and more like… someone who had barely survived a battle.

"Director Hu is amazing! Director Hu is mighty! Director Hu is invincible!" Jiang Bai cheered at just the right moment.

Hu Tao, shouldering her spear with pride, smirked.

"Hmph! These foolish fish actually thought they could make a fool of me. Guess I had no choice but to send them to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor!"

"Exactly! How dare they insult Director Hu! They deserved to be sent off!" Jiang Bai seized every chance to flatter her.

Meanwhile, Qiqi, who had been quietly flipping through her notebook, tilted her head at their antics.

…Is this how adults behave?

She didn't get it.

The mountain wind blew, and Hu Tao—soaked but still looking smug—suddenly sneezed.

"Director Hu, go get changed! Leave these wicked fish to me!"

"I want mine well-done!"

She unskewered the fish from her spear and, satisfied with her victory, finally went to change.

Thankfully, her ring contained plenty of spare outfits, so she wasn't worried about running out of dry clothes.

The only issue… her inner garments were soaked too, which meant she had to change everything.

She spun around, looking for a place to change—but there was nowhere suitable. The surroundings were completely open, with no hidden caves or secluded corners. Instead, the cold wind made her sneeze several more times.

"Jiang Bai! Set up a place for me to change!"

"On it!"

Jiang Bai, still gutting the fish, snapped his fingers. Using his Geo abilities, he raised four stone walls around Hu Tao, even adding a roof for good measure.

"No peeking!" Hu Tao's voice rang from inside.

From outside, Jiang Bai openly rolled his eyes.

What was there to see, anyway?

Didn't Director Hu have any self-awareness?

Shaking his head, he continued preparing the fish. He cleaned out their guts, scraped off the scales, skewered them on sticks, and set aside one small fish for soup.

"I'm done changing! Let me out!" Hu Tao's loud voice came from inside the stone enclosure.

"Got it~"

Jiang Bai instantly responded—eager, obedient, and shamelessly sycophantic.

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T/N: i think i'll stop highlighting weapon names