Hu Tao Is Monetizing My Existence. [25]

Using the force of her spear being knocked downward, Hu Tao flipped backward, her polearm bending into a half-arc before snapping straight again. With a swift change in momentum, she swung her weapon toward Jiang Bai.

Jiang Bai reacted instantly, turning to block the strike with his spear held horizontally in front of him.

Their movements blurred as they shifted positions, the ground beneath them cracking under the sheer force of their blows.

Jiang Bai’s strength far exceeded Hu Tao’s expectations. Every time she parried, it felt as though her hands were about to go numb. If not for her weapon’s high-quality craftsmanship, it would have long since snapped under the repeated impacts.

“Nope, I’m done!” Hu Tao suddenly leapt out of the training ground, clutching her [Staff of Homa] as if it were her most precious treasure.

Her fingers trembled—not just from the pain, but from the sheer horror of what her poor weapon had endured.

Jiang Bai fought with no technique at all, wielding his spear like a club. And yet, despite his crude style, his sheer brute force made up for it. She had lost count of how many times her [Staff of Homa] had been smashed into.

Retracting her polearm, she shook her hands, which were nearly numb, before quickly hiding them behind her back. Then, in an utterly serious and authoritative tone, she declared:

“Very good! Your strength has earned the approval of this Director!”

The truth was, if she didn’t go all out, she really couldn’t beat this guy. But since this was just a spar, there was no need to escalate things to that level.

Jiang Bai also stopped, glancing at his own weapon.

The once-sturdy iron spear was now slightly bent, its spearhead warped from repeated impacts against the ground. The blade edge was completely twisted beyond recognition.

Clearly, a spear wasn’t the right weapon for him.

“As expected of the Director. I concede defeat.” Even though Hu Tao had backed out first, Jiang Bai still chose to yield.

Rule number one of being a subordinate: never embarrass the boss—especially not in front of their friends.

Hu Tao ignored him and instead turned her attention to the training ground, now riddled with cracks and holes.

If she had known this would happen, they should have gone outside Liyue Harbor to spar. Now, repairing the training ground was going to cost a hefty sum.

Jiang Bai felt a little guilty, too.

He had known he was strong, but he hadn’t realized he was this strong.

Before Hu Tao could announce that the repair costs would be coming out of his salary, he crouched down, placed a hand on the ground, and channeled his Geo energy.

The cracks and holes quickly filled in and solidified. In mere moments, the training ground was as good as new.

“Oho!” Hu Tao’s eyes sparkled with delight. She jumped on the previously damaged spots a couple of times, confirming that they were fully restored.

“Not bad, kid!”

“I just gave it a try. Didn’t expect it to actually work.” Jiang Bai flashed an innocent smile.

Unlike his usual Geo constructs, this was merely a redirection of existing elemental energy to mend the damaged ground. Since it wasn’t creating something new, it wouldn’t vanish over time.

However, the process required more precision, and his inexperience made it mentally exhausting.

If he could refine this ability, could he eventually reshape landscapes—move mountains and fill seas?

But wouldn’t that level of power belong to the gods?

In that sense, weren’t Vision holders the ones closest to divinity?

“Everyone wields elemental power differently. A Vision is just a tool that allows us to control it,” Hu Tao remarked. “Like how you can summon stone stools or repair the ground—those are just different ways of using the same element.”

Just like how Xiangling, being passionate about cooking, naturally channeled her Pyro Vision into her culinary skills. And how Hu Tao, as a funeral director, commanded spirits and purified malevolent entities.

“Right. Our experiences can only serve as references,” Xiangling added.

There was no standardized method for harnessing elemental energy. Even among Vision holders of the same element, their techniques varied based on their attributes and affinities.

“Forget the Vision for now. You really need to work on your combat skills!” Hu Tao scoffed, unimpressed by Jiang Bai’s crude fighting style.

Jiang Bai scratched his head innocently.

He had amnesia. How could anyone expect him to remember proper combat techniques?

All he could do was rely on muscle memory—strike when it felt right, dodge when it felt necessary, and, when in doubt, just hit harder.

“You’re not suited for a spear. Try another weapon.”

Hu Tao walked over to the weapon rack. Now that they had their very own human-shaped repair kit (aka Jiang Bai), she didn’t have to worry about breaking the training ground again.

However, they still needed to be careful with weapons—custom orders took time.

She picked up a large greatsword and handed it to him.

“Try this.”

Greatswords were heavy, requiring broad, sweeping motions to wield properly. Given Jiang Bai’s raw strength, this type of weapon should suit him better.

She immediately ruled out lightweight weapons that relied on finesse—those were clearly a poor fit.

Jiang Bai weighed the sword in his hands.

To an ordinary person, it was heavy enough to require both hands. But to him, it barely registered as weight at all.

He swung it a few times, then shook his head. “Still feels too light.”

Hu Tao frowned.

She had noticed, too. For Jiang Bai, this sword was nowhere near heavy enough. But if they went even heavier…

There was only one option left.

“Wait here.”

A few minutes later, she returned, lugging an enormous spiked club. The weapon’s steel spikes gleamed ominously, and it was so heavy that if someone got hit, they’d either be dead or critically injured.

Jiang Bai’s eyes lit up.

Now this was a weapon that embodied the very essence of brute force.

With something like this, even the most hardened criminals would think twice before picking a fight.

“What is this?” He rubbed his hands together before effortlessly lifting it.

Hu Tao, out of breath from carrying it over, patted her chest to steady herself. “This weapon’s been banned from production. It’s called [Debate Club].”

“[Debate Club]? Who came up with that name? It’s genius.”

Persuasion? More like blunt force negotiation.

“I knew it was gonna get banned, so I snagged one before it did. Shame I don’t have the strength to wield it. Otherwise, if someone argued with me, I’d just pull this out—who would dare to disagree?” Hu Tao beamed with pride, arms akimbo.

In any debate, brute force was the best argument. Words could be ignored, but the weight of [Debate Club] was impossible to overlook.

That was the logic behind its name.

Jiang Bai tested a few swings. The more he handled it, the more he liked it.

Visually intimidating, brutally effective—this weapon felt tailor-made for him.

Sidling up to Hu Tao, he began kneading her shoulders in the most bootlicking way possible.

“Director Hu, how about letting me use [Debate Club] from now on?”

“A little to the right—yeah, right there.” Hu Tao hummed in satisfaction, fully enjoying the massage service from her minion.

“Well… I could lend it to you. But that depends on your performance.”

—

T/N: ohoho a heavy ass weapon user

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!