Hu Tao Is Monetizing My Existence. [37]

The sun slowly rose over the horizon, its dazzling light illuminating the small island.

Yawning, Hu Tao crawled out of the tent, sidestepped the stone coffin blocking her way, and stretched her arms wide toward the morning sun at the edge of the cliff.

“Good morning! A brand new day!”

The little ghost yawned as it floated out from her body, completely unbothered by the sunlight.

After stretching a bit, Hu Tao grabbed the lid of Jiang Bai’s coffin and yanked it open, exposing him to the blinding morning light.

Jiang Bai squinted as he woke up, still drowsy.

“Morning, Director Hu.”

Hu Tao stood over him, casting a shadow that blocked the sun.

Since she hadn’t been able to fix her hair inside the tent, she wasn’t wearing her usual twin ponytails. Instead, her tea-brown hair cascaded freely down her back, a few playful strands sticking up. Under the sunlight, her hair shimmered with a warm glow.

Her hat, however, was perfectly in place.

Jiang Bai rubbed his eyes, finding Hu Tao’s radiant presence almost too bright to look at.

“Hurry up and eat breakfast—we’re heading out soon!”

“Alright.”

Jiang Bai climbed out of the coffin and snapped his fingers. The stone coffin dissolved into glowing particles and vanished.

He plucked a sprig of mint from nearby, popped a leaf into his mouth, and chewed. The refreshing taste instantly cleared his mind, sweeping away any lingering drowsiness.

After breakfast, the two equipped their Wind Gliders and climbed to the highest peak of the island.

Below them was a sheer cliff, with rocky shores and the ocean stretching beneath. For an experienced flyer like Hu Tao, gliding to the distant island where the Geo Hypostasis resided was hardly a challenge.

But Jiang Bai was still a beginner. He had learned the basics yesterday, but he was far from proficient.

She was genuinely worried he might lose control midway and plunge straight down.

The wind whipped through her hair as she assessed the current airflow. “The wind’s blowing west, and the island is to the north. Make sure you control your direction properly. If you mess up and fall, aim for the sea. If you crash into the rocks or the beach, I’ll have to collect your remains.”

“Relax, I’ve got this.” Jiang Bai grinned confidently, flashing his bright white teeth.

He was more than satisfied with the results of yesterday’s training.

“Alright then, let’s go!”

Hu Tao spread her arms and leapt off the cliff. The Wind Glider unfurled, and the powerful gusts lifted her gracefully toward their destination.

Jiang Bai followed closely behind, opening his glider and soaring into the sky.

Flying at high altitude felt completely different from practicing on the ground.

The wind was stronger, and the sheer drop below was a dizzying sight.

For someone with a fear of heights, this alone could cause panic, leading to a fatal mistake—an express ticket to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.

But the exhilaration of flying freely through the sky was undeniable.

“Woohoo~!”

Jiang Bai cheered, utterly thrilled by the sensation of gliding.

“Director Hu, how about a race to see who reaches the mountain peak first?”

His voice carried through the rushing wind to Hu Tao, who immediately rolled her eyes.

“If you’re that eager to die, I can just send you to the afterlife right now.”

This was his first time flying at high altitude, and he was already getting cocky? Was he trying to get himself killed?

“Just kidding, just kidding,” Jiang Bai chuckled awkwardly, pulling back to keep a safe distance.

The two of them glided like birds in the sky. As they neared the island, they slowed down, finally making a smooth landing atop its mountain peak.

The island was fairly large, but nearly eighty percent of its surface was occupied by an enormous, man-made stone platform.

From their vantage point, the entire platform was visible.

Like the ruins scattered across the nearby islands, this platform was adorned with intricate carvings of curved lines forming triangular patterns, indicating it was built by the same ancient civilization.

At the center of the platform, the Geo Hypostasis rested in a dormant state, floating in silence.

Jiang Bai gazed curiously at the massive construct, composed of eight golden cubes.

“So this is a Geo Hypostasis? Does it have basic intelligence, or does it act purely on instinct?”

“No idea. This is my first time seeing an elemental lifeform like this.” Hu Tao shrugged.

She had encountered the Oceanid in Wuwang Hill before, but this was her first time visiting this island.

“Zhongli said that to defeat the Geo Hypostasis, we have to wait for it to expose its core. Only by attacking the core can we deal real damage. That outer shell is like the Abyss Mages’ shields—it protects them. So managing the battle properly is key…”

She explained the general strategy for fighting the Geo Hypostasis, though her knowledge came entirely from Zhongli. At the end of the day, theory was just theory.

The real way to figure it out was through battle.

“Zhongli also mentioned that using Geo Resonance can quickly destroy its stone pillars and prevent it from absorbing elemental energy to heal itself. You’ve been studying elemental energy for days now—can you use Geo Resonance?”

“…Huh? Elemental Resonance? How do you even do that?” Jiang Bai blinked, completely lost.

This was way beyond his current skill level.

He was just a total beginner who had only been learning about elemental energy for a few days. Wasn’t this expecting too much from him?

Hu Tao smacked her forehead, feeling a headache coming on.

When Zhongli told her to bring Jiang Bai along, she had assumed he already knew how to use Geo Resonance. But it turned out he had no clue…

“Director Hu, do you know how to do it?” Jiang Bai looked at her hopefully. If she could learn it on the spot, maybe he could too.

“Nope.” Hu Tao’s response was blunt and immediate.

“…Wait, not even you?”

“Is it really that surprising? I’m just a fifteen-year-old girl! How much do you expect me to know?” Hu Tao crossed her arms, looking completely justified.

“…Uh.”

Jiang Bai had no words. He could only swallow his complaints.

Most of the time, she went around calling herself the great Director Hu, acting all mature and experienced. But now, suddenly, she was just a fifteen-year-old girl?

Unbelievable.

Jiang Bai rolled his eyes internally and let out a sigh.

To be fair, if she hadn’t mentioned it, he would have completely forgotten about her age.

Hu Tao was only fifteen.

At such a young age, she had already taken over Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, carrying the heavy burden of its responsibilities.

From what the undertakers had told him, the very first funeral she ever presided over was her grandfather’s.

He had never heard anything about Hu Tao’s parents, which likely meant she had no family left.

Jiang Bai made sure not to show any trace of sympathy.

Hu Tao wasn’t like him.

She might act carefree and mischievous, but who knew if that was just a mask to hide her loneliness?

Besides, if he dared to look at her with pity, she’d probably beat him to death.

—

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!