Hu Tao Is Monetizing My Existence. [189]

Whether it was beggar’s chicken or bamboo rice, neither dish was easy to prepare properly.

The meat of a wild mountain chicken was nothing like that of a domesticated bird—leaner, tougher, and far more flavorful. It had bite, but also depth.

Xiangling first cleaned the chicken, rinsing it with cooking wine and a scallion-ginger mix to remove the gamey smell. Then she brushed it thoroughly inside and out with her own special sauce. To help the flavors soak in, she even gave the chicken a full-body massage. Only after marinating it for half an hour did she begin stuffing it with mushrooms, onions, lotus seeds, and a variety of seasonings.

Once everything was in place, she wrapped the chicken tightly in lotus leaves, coated it with thick, soft clay, and nestled it into the fire to roast slowly.

While she worked on the beggar’s chicken, everyone else stayed busy under her direction. Hu Tao filled hollowed bamboo tubes with rinsed rice, matsutake mushrooms, pork ribs, and other ingredients. Then she sealed the tops with lotus leaves and mud, placing them alongside the chicken to roast over the coals.

Even the mountain fox hadn’t gone to waste. Guoba, with his flames, singed its fur clean in seconds, and soon it too had become meat on the cutting board.

Oil heated in the wok. The kitchen filled with sizzle and scent. Dish after fragrant dish was plated and set on the table.

After an entire afternoon of cooking, dinner was finally served.

Braised bass, beggar’s chicken, hot-and-sour fish fillet, spicy stir-fried pork, matsutake pork stir-fry, sweet-and-crispy Tian-style pork, radish stewed in rich broth, mint salad, lotus crisps, mountain chicken and lotus seed soup—and a few whole roast rabbits that Xingqiu had brought back.

A table absolutely packed with food—every dish the product of an afternoon’s work.

Looking at the steaming hot feast before them, Jiang Bai couldn’t help himself. He gulped.

“Alright! Dig in!”

He raised a glass of the signature Mondstadt iced drink Chongyun had prepared. Everyone clinked glasses and began their long-awaited meal.

…

After dinner, Cloud Retainer produced the gifts she had prepared.

Six earring-like pendants, including one for Shenhe.

She’d included her disciple not just out of fairness, but because she hoped this would help Shenhe connect more easily with her new friends—so she wouldn’t always be wandering the mountains in isolation or lost in endless cultivation.

As a master, she’d truly gone out of her way to care.

“You’ve all worked hard today. Since we’ve come and eaten your food, we can’t just leave empty-handed. Consider these our thank-you gifts.”

The small accessories floated into each person’s hands. Jiang Bai examined his curiously. They looked like teardrop-shaped earrings—delicate and smooth—but he had no idea what they were for.

Cloud Retainer quickly explained, “These are Qianli Chuanyinqi—thousand-mile voice transmitters. They allow you to send voice messages to each other, though they can only be used once every three days. The farther the distance, the less content can be sent.”

“How do we use them?”

“Each one has a unique seal. I’ll teach you a small incantation. Once activated, you can choose whom to transmit to. When a message comes in, it will alert you, and the voice will play directly into your ear. Just wear them normally.”

“Then we’ll happily accept!” Hu Tao declared.

She immediately clipped hers to her ear. Surprisingly stylish! Asymmetrical, yes, but cute.

Jiang Bai liked it too—it solved the biggest problem with long-distance communication between them. He touched his own ear, wondering if he had a piercing.

Apparently not a problem. The device affixed itself as soon as it touched his ear. Completely painless. Totally seamless.

Leave it to adepti craftsmanship—flawless.

Now that he thought about it, Liyue’s adepti really were masters of invention. First there was Madame Ping’s four-directional compass, and now Cloud Retainer’s voice transmitters.

“…Um. True Master?” Chongyun spoke hesitantly, glancing at Cloud Retainer.

“What is it, boy? Worried I’ve held a grudge against you?” she said coolly.

Chongyun waved his hands frantically. No way! He wouldn’t dare!

He knew he’d said some nonsense earlier while not in his right mind, but… if his aunt really had been unhappy living on the mountain, he would’ve brought her home to Mt. Tianheng.

“No, no! I just wanted to ask… is there a way to control my pure yang constitution?”

It had plagued him for so long—no strong emotions, no hot food, not even direct sun on a clear day. It made life extremely inconvenient.

He’d never had such a perfect opportunity to ask before—two adepti, right in front of him. He couldn’t let it pass.

“Let me see,” said Moon Carver, taking Chongyun’s hand. He probed gently, sensing the flow of energy within.

Pure yang bodies were incredibly rare, even in a thousand years. But not unheard of in Liyue’s long history.

“For floods,” Moon Carver began, “simply building a dam is not enough. You must widen the riverbanks, build tributaries—to let the current spread and slow. Suppression alone creates more pressure.”

He looked Chongyun in the eye.

“You’ve been forcing it all down. That only makes your yang energy more unstable. What you need is to release it gradually. Start by letting it surge—but remain conscious while it does. Only by facing it directly can you truly master it.”

“When your yang surged earlier… doesn’t it feel calmer now?”

Chongyun closed his eyes, trying to feel the energy within.

It was true—his inner force had never flowed so smoothly.

His eyes lit up. “Thank you, adeptus! Truly!”

Moon Carver waved him off. “Just a casual bit of advice.”

…

With food and gifts exchanged, the two adepti were ready to go. They shifted back into their true forms and took flight.

“Safe journey, adepti!”

The group watched them vanish into the sky, then turned to clear the table.

Shenhe asked, “Will you return to Liyue Harbor tonight, or rest here overnight? I can keep watch if you’d prefer.”

Hu Tao waved her off. “No need, no need. We’ve played all day. We’re heading straight back to Liyue Harbor.”

Sleeping outdoors every night wasn’t ideal. She missed her cozy bed.

Xiangling summoned the mechanical crane. It expanded into a massive flying mount. The group climbed aboard and waved to Shenhe.

“Come visit us sometime, okay?”

“I will,” Shenhe nodded gently, watching them soar away.

The sun had completely set by then. Even the twilight glow had faded. The sky was now a deep, midnight blue.

Flying high above the mountains, Hu Tao stretched lazily.

“That was a fantastic birthday! We even had dinner with adepti! I’m definitely going to brag to Zhongli when I get back.”

“You’d better not forget to ask Zhongli for your birthday gift, too,” Jiang Bai added solemnly.

Zhongli had nothing but treasures. That man was a must-raid on birthdays.

“Hey, Hu Tao,” Xiangling suddenly remembered, “you never said—why did you pick the mountains for your birthday?”

They’d all traveled so far to get here. But in the end, it was just a big picnic. It felt… a little too ordinary. Not really Hu Tao’s style.

Hu Tao raised her hands behind her head and leaned back. “Oh, it’s this guy’s fault. He dragged me up to Qingyun Peak to see the sunrise. Then we couldn’t make it back in time, so I asked you all to come instead.”

She shamelessly threw Jiang Bai under the cart.

As for that place above the clouds—she didn’t mention it at all.

Let that remain their little secret.
Their hidden place, just the two of them.

—

T/N: AHHHHHHHHHHHHH

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!