Hu Tao Is Monetizing My Existence. [78]

Hu Tao didn’t have Jiang Bai’s brute strength, so smashing even a single amber crystal took her quite a bit of effort.

Hearing the intermittent thunk-thunk of someone else hammering away deeper in the forest, she rubbed her sore arms and grumbled in frustration.

“Sigh… I should’ve given Jiang Bai a bigger portion…”

It wasn’t realistic to reassign things now—if she was this tired, Jiang Bai was definitely exhausted too.

After a short break, she picked up the Staff of Homa and resumed her work.

“Alas… this Director is just too kind-hearted…”

The mission to shatter all the amber crystals in Mt. Hulao took the entire day.

By the time Jiang Bai and Hu Tao made it to the summit, their arms were so numb they could barely lift them.

The only one still in good shape was Qiqi.

Jiang Bai slumped against a large tree, the light gone from his eyes.

Utterly drained.

He’d swung his spiked club over a thousand times—while climbing a mountain, no less—and had to deal with the occasional sealed creature or surprise monster along the way.

Hu Tao was in even worse shape.

She slumped against the same tree, arms limp at her sides, gazing blankly at the sky.

Though she hadn’t broken as many ambers as Jiang Bai, she lacked his strength. Which meant she had to exert herself far more with each strike.

“Qiqi… help…” Her voice was faint and lifeless.

“Coming…” Qiqi jogged over at once.

Though she was a zombie and couldn’t feel pain, overexerting herself still caused muscle damage, which she had to periodically repair using adeptal energy.

She gathered pale-blue light in her palms and gently eased the ache in Hu Tao’s arms.

A cool, tingling sensation spread through Hu Tao’s muscles, drawing a relieved moan from her.

“Ahh, that’s the stuff~”

“Do my legs too—can’t walk, they’re like jelly…”

“Okay.” Qiqi never refused.

She liked this feeling—being useful, being needed. It gave her a sense of worth.

“Qiqi, me too—me too!” Jiang Bai struggled to roll over and stretched out his hand.

Qiqi calmly treated both of them, adeptal energy flowing steadily from her fingertips.

Bit by bit, Jiang Bai and Hu Tao were revived from their soulless states and returned to life, practically bouncing with energy.

“Hahahahaha! I, Jiang Bai, am back in action!” He stood beneath the tree, hands on his hips, laughing grandly.

“Hahahahahaha! This Directoris back at full power!” Hu Tao refused to be outdone.

Qiqi stared at the two of them, completely speechless.

After spending the past few days with them, she had a much deeper understanding of what it meant to be “speechless.”

She was just too normal. She didn’t fit in with these two oddballs at all.

Shouldn’t have healed them back to full…

She let out a soft sigh. As she lowered her head, the talisman on her forehead bobbed with the motion.

A strong gust of wind blew through, and Qiqi quickly held her paper charm in place, afraid it might fly away.

When she looked up again, a great white crane descended before them, wings fanning wide.

It was the same adeptus they’d seen the day before. Qiqi still remembered.

She turned toward Hu Tao and Jiang Bai.

The two who had been laughing moments ago immediately went poker-faced the instant they saw the adeptus. Their expressions turned solemn and respectful in a flash.

Watching their synchronized shift, Qiqi’s mouth parted slightly in awe.

Is this what people from the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor are like?

Even their face-changing skills are in sync…

“You’ve done well,” came the voice of Mountain Shaper, resonant and composed. It was clear he was pleased with both their efficiency and dedication.

“Since you’ve completed the task, I offer you this.”

With a flap of his wings, a square object carved with ancient script floated gently into Hu Tao’s hands.

“This is the Fourfold Spirit Core?” she asked.

“Indeed.” Mountain Shaper nodded. “It anchors to the four directions—an ideal artifact for locating someone.”

Hearing that, Hu Tao’s eyes lit up. If she was right, this might be the main component she needed for her spiritual compass.

“Many thanks, True Lord.” She carefully stored the artifact and bowed in gratitude.

Mountain Shaper gave a small nod and was about to take his leave when Hu Tao suddenly called out.

“True Lord—there’s something else I’d like to ask.”

“What is it?”

Hu Tao gently pushed Qiqi forward. “Have you ever seen her before?”

She explained the reason for her question. “She’s a zombie—her soul trapped within her body, unable to pass on. All she knows is that she emerged from a piece of amber. Does the True Lord know anything of her origins?”

Mountain Shaper looked down at Qiqi’s blank gaze and let out a quiet sigh.

“Of course I know. She became a zombie because of us…”

She became what she was—because of them.

Qiqi stared back in confusion. Did she know this adeptus?

She couldn’t remember a thing.

“She was originally just an ordinary herb-gathering girl,” Mountain Shaper began, his gaze heavy with emotion. “One day, she accidentally wandered into an adeptus domain, injured her right leg, and took shelter in a mountain cave…”

As he spoke, the memory played out before his eyes. He went on, voice low and solemn.

“At that time, one of the adepti had fallen to corruption, tainted by the remnants of an old god. We engaged him in battle, and the shockwaves spread far… they reached the cave—reached her…”

“A young herbalist like her couldn’t possibly withstand such chaos. On the brink of death, she awakened a Vision. Its light ended the battle—but also left her suspended between life and death…”

At first, they hadn’t realized a mortal girl had wandered into their domain. By the time they did, the battle had reached a fever pitch—none of them could afford the distraction.

The corrupted adeptus had once been their comrade, so even in combat they held back. But their fallen peer, having lost all reason, fought without restraint, forcing them into a defensive position.

It was the radiant power of her newly awakened Vision that jolted him back to clarity—if only briefly. Realizing what he had become, he chose self-sacrifice without hesitation.

After the battle ended, they rushed into the cave, but the girl’s body had already lost its vitality. Only the Vision protected her soul from dissipating.

“…We couldn’t bear to let her go. So each of us offered a sliver of our adeptal energy, sealing it within her body, hoping to revive her…”

She had indeed awakened again, given a second chance at life. But unable to control the divine energy inside her, she descended into madness.

“To quell the chaos, I had no choice but to seal her in amber…” Mountain Shaper’s voice was tinged with sorrow.

Even adepti had things they could not fix.

They were grateful to the girl for ending the battle, but they hadn’t been able to truly bring her back. All they could do was preserve her in the form of a living corpse.

Now, seeing that she’d regained lucidity and could live among people once more—even if her body remained imperfect—it gave him some small comfort. At least one regret had finally been laid to rest.

—

This is a fan translation of 胡桃拿我冲业绩 by 余溯. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!