Hu Tao Is Monetizing My Existence. [151]

Jiang Bai landed lightly on the ground and headed straight for the giant oak tree.

“I didn’t get the chance to really look at this tree the last two times I came. I finally have time now.”

Standing beneath the tree, he tilted his head back to take in its full height.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, scattering patches of light and shadow across his face.

Looking up at the massive tree, Jiang Bai couldn’t find the words for anything poetic. After a long pause, all he managed to say was:

“It’s huge!”

“Huh? Someone’s singing.” Hu Tao’s sharp ears picked up the sound of a voice.

She followed the direction it was coming from and vaguely made out a figure perched up in the tree.

The person was dressed in green, blending almost seamlessly with the leaves—no wonder it was hard to spot them.

“You’re right!” Jiang Bai saw them too.

“I couldn’t quite catch the lyrics, but that melody’s really beautiful…”

Hearing their voices, the figure nimbly leapt down from the tree and greeted them with a bright smile.

“Hello there! Thanks for enjoying my song.”

“Hi!” Jiang Bai greeted cheerfully.

He quickly sized up the stranger’s outfit.

The person looked young—probably still in their teens judging by their build. They wore a green hat, with two small braids hanging down, and a green cloak draped over a loose white shirt cinched at the waist by a brown belt.

They wore green puffy shorts, white thigh-high stockings, and gray leather shoes.

Honestly, if the person hadn’t spoken just now and revealed a male voice, Jiang Bai would’ve assumed they were a girl.

“I’m Venti, a bard. I’ve been composing a new song here. Would you like to be my first audience?”

“Sure, why not!” Jiang Bai and Hu Tao agreed enthusiastically.

A free performance? No reason to turn that down.

Venti plucked at the strings of his lyre and began to sing softly:

“The wind passes through the oak leaves,”
“The wind passes through the open fields,”
“The wind passes through waves on the water,”
“And I pass through the winds themselves,”
“Against the flow of time,”
“I bring with me seeds of stories… ‘

When the song ended, Jiang Bai and Hu Tao clapped generously.

“That was amazing!” Jiang Bai praised without holding back.

Venti put away his lyre, beaming. “It’s something I wrote recently—I was worried no one would like it, but now I can rest easy and go earn some wine money.”

He wasn’t the least bit shy about admitting his goal.

“Judging by your clothes, you must be from Liyue. Are you heading to Mondstadt? Why not go together?” Venti suggested.

“Sounds good! I’d love to hear more stories from a bard.”

This was the first time either Jiang Bai or Hu Tao had met a bard in person.

Hu Tao hadn’t been to Mondstadt many times. Even though the bard profession was well known here, they usually hung around taverns and pubs—places she didn’t frequent—so it wasn’t easy to see them up close.

Meeting one now was genuinely exciting.

“I’m Hu Tao, and this is Jiang Bai. We’re from the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor in Liyue.”

She gave Venti a quick introduction, then, true to habit, handed him a flyer for the parlor.

Since he was a foreigner and still pretty young, she didn’t try to pitch the business like she usually would—just passed along the flyer to spread some brand awareness.

Venti glanced at it, gave an awkward chuckle, and tucked it away.

These two are definitely… unique.

The three of them chatted as they walked, the conversation flowing easily without any awkward pauses.

“So you make money off your songs just to buy wine?” Hu Tao asked, curious.

“Yep! Drinking is one of my favorite hobbies, you know.”

“But… doesn’t Mondstadt have laws against selling alcohol to minors?”

Hu Tao eyed him skeptically.

He looked like a teenager at most—maybe a few years older than her. Still way too young to be drinking legally.

Venti gave her a playful wink. “I’m already an adult, thank you very much! I just look young.”

“Looks like your body stopped growing,” Jiang Bai said sympathetically, patting him on the shoulder. “But hey, there’s a silver lining. You’ll never look old—even when you’re forty.”

Venti tilted his head back to look at him, feeling the full brunt of Jiang Bai’s height.

Sigh. That’s the downside of this body…

Whenever I meet tall people, I have to crane my neck just to talk to them properly…

“Mind if I ask what brings you two to Mondstadt?”

“We’re here to find someone. Got a few errands to run while we’re at it.”

“Need any help? I know quite a few people around here—might be able to lend a hand.”

Since he offered, Jiang Bai didn’t hesitate.

“Really? We’re looking for an adventurer named Bennett. Do you know him?”

“Bennett? Can’t say I do…” Venti shook his head.

But he did offer a solution. “If you’re looking for an adventurer, the Adventurers’ Guild is the best place to ask!”

The three of them crossed the bridge and made their way into the heart of Mondstadt.

With Venti leading the way, they arrived at the Adventurers’ Guild in the city.

The guild building here looked completely different from the one in Liyue.

Though they were part of the same organization, each branch embraced its local architectural style, blending in with the city rather than standing out.

Inside the entrance, a few adventurers were scattered about the hall.

They headed straight for the reception desk and met the gaze of the receptionist.

“Ad astra abyssosque. Welcome to the Adventurers’ Guild.”

The same voice. The same face. The same outfit.

For a moment, Jiang Bai felt like he had been transported back to Liyue.

“You are…?”

The woman smiled warmly. “My name is Katheryne. I’m the receptionist here.”

Jiang Bai was even more surprised.

Even the name was the same!

“Wait, are all the receptionists at every Guild branch the same person?” he asked, wide-eyed.

“I’m Katheryne. Liyue’s Katheryne is also Katheryne.”

Her smile didn’t waver. It was clear that many had asked this question before, but she had no intention of elaborating further.

Jiang Bai was baffled. He couldn’t make sense of her answer.

Does this mean they’re separate individuals? Or is ‘Katheryne’ just a codename?

If so, why do they all look and sound identical?

Are they twins?

Or maybe… something not entirely human?

Jiang Bai found the latter more plausible. After all, with people like Albedo around, unusual humanoid beings weren’t exactly rare in Teyvat.

Hu Tao tapped the desk, drawing Katheryne’s attention.

“Hi, Katheryne. We’re looking for an adventurer named Bennett. Could you help us get in touch with him?”

—

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!