Hu Tao Is Monetizing My Existence. [113]

“If Durin the dragon is dead, then why does it look like that heart is still beating?”

Jiang Bai walked alongside Albedo, still full of questions—more, in fact, with every answer Albedo gave him.

“Dragonkind possesses an incredibly strong life force,” Albedo explained. “Even after centuries, remnants of that vitality still linger in the land. What you saw wasn’t truly beating—just an illusion your senses conjured.”

“So… is there a chance it could come back to life?”

Albedo shook his head. “That, I don’t know.”

He only visited periodically to observe the site and make sure nothing had changed.

As they walked, Jiang Bai noticed something strange—Albedo wasn’t breathing.

In these freezing conditions, a living person’s breath would be clearly visible as puffs of mist against the cold air. Jiang Bai could see his own clearly—but not a single trace came from Albedo.

Which meant… Albedo was likely not human.

That instantly confirmed what Baizhu had once told him—about a certain alchemist in Mondstadt who specialized in non-human physiology. It had to be this man.

Still, Jiang Bai didn’t ask outright. It felt a little rude to blurt out, “Hey, are you human?”

After some time, Albedo led him into a mountainside cave.

“We’re here.”

The space inside was surprisingly well-equipped—tables, shelves, bottles, flasks, and an assortment of alchemical tools and crucibles lined the walls. It looked like a fully functional mobile laboratory, though everything had been left quite exposed.

“Wait, there’s no door?” Jiang Bai asked, surprised.

“A door? Why would I need one?” Albedo looked genuinely puzzled.

“Well… aren’t you worried about someone stealing your stuff?”

“Just because I use this cave doesn’t mean I own it,” Albedo said calmly. “And besides, adding a door would interfere with airflow and natural lighting.”

He walked over to the boiler and poured Jiang Bai a cup of hot water. “These items have value to me, but to anyone else, they’re probably useless. Most of them are heavy, bulky lab equipment—not exactly what thieves go out looking for in a snowstorm.”

As for the books? Most were written by Albedo himself. If someone took one, he could always write another. Not to mention, even if someone did take them… they wouldn’t understand a word.

Jiang Bai didn’t have a comeback for that.

If it were me, I’d definitely install a door. Otherwise, what’s the point? Might as well just set up camp in the middle of a street.
Granted, it was a very empty street—but still.

Being someone who liked to sleep in sealed spaces, Jiang Bai couldn’t quite accept this open-concept cave setup.

He sat by the fire to warm his half-frozen limbs, holding the hot cup in both hands.

“So, when you said I have the ‘scent of the stars’ on me… what did you mean?”

“People who come from beyond the stars usually carry that kind of aura,” Albedo replied.

The woman who had brought him to Mondstadt—Madam Alice—had it too.

Albedo’s demeanor was calm and respectful, his gaze steady, his tone inquisitive but never aggressive. He made it easy to talk.

Jiang Bai studied him for a moment, then decided to speak honestly.

He’d lived in Liyue for some time now. From what he’d observed, people didn’t seem particularly concerned about “outsiders.” Most just lived their lives, focused on what was immediately around them. Being different wasn’t really a big deal—it was just idle gossip material, not something people cared enough about to act on.

And right now, Albedo wasn’t showing any hostility. If anything, his identity as the Chief Alchemist of Mondstadt meant he was likely on the level.

If Albedo hadn’t brought up Jiang Bai’s origins, Jiang Bai certainly wouldn’t have volunteered the information. But since he had noticed…

There was no point in pretending.

And maybe—just maybe—Albedo could help.

“I’m not sure where I come from,” Jiang Bai said. “I’ve lost a lot of memories.”

He gave a brief recounting of how he’d awakened inside a coffin, the sensations and confusion of that moment, and how he was later taken in by Wangsheng Hall.

Albedo rested his chin in one hand, eyes thoughtful as he listened.

After a long silence, he finally looked up—and asked something Jiang Bai hadn’t expected at all.

“May I confirm whether or not you’re human?”

“…What?” Jiang Bai blinked, momentarily stunned.

But deep down, he wasn’t entirely surprised. He had been wondering the same thing himself.

Could he be something else? A human in appearance, but… not quite? Some kind of alien?

“How… exactly do you confirm that?”

“Just give me your hand.”

Albedo reached out. Jiang Bai hesitated, then placed his hand in Albedo’s palm, curiosity stirring.

Even though he hadn’t seen Albedo exhale once, the man’s hand was warm. He reacted normally to heat and cold. Definitely not a robot, then.

Which only made Jiang Bai more curious—What is Albedo, exactly?

Albedo closed his eyes. A gentle glow formed in his hand as he began to analyze Jiang Bai’s internal composition.

“Eyes, ears, nose, mouth, brain, heart, lungs, liver—all organs functionally consistent with human physiology…”

“Energy absorption occurs via digestion—through the stomach.”

“Organ vitality is lower than average, but operational efficiency far exceeds baseline human data…”

“Muscle strength and bone density exceed normal ranges…”

“Healing rate: undetermined. Regeneration capacity: undetermined…”

In just a few heartbeats, Jiang Bai felt nothing—and yet Albedo had already mapped his body’s general structure.

“How did you do that?” Jiang Bai asked, impressed.

“It’s… complicated,” Albedo said. “It involves the core principles of alchemy. I use a system that allows me to perceive and analyze the patterns and nature of a subject. Since your life form is still within the bounds of human classification—and not beyond what I understand—I was able to deduce the general framework of your body.”

He began to explain the underlying method in more detail. At first, Jiang Bai followed along. But soon enough, his head started to spin.

Albedo noticed and tactfully stopped. “It’s difficult to grasp if you’ve never studied this kind of thing.”

“I feel like I just sat through a foreign language lecture…” Jiang Bai rubbed his temples.

He now fully believed Albedo really was Mondstadt’s Chief Alchemist. The wall of terminology alone was giving him a headache.

Albedo gently shifted the subject, summarizing the results of his analysis:

“Although you originate from the stars, your body operates the same way as a native human of Teyvat. However, there are distinct elements—unique traits that set you apart.”

—

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!