Why is there a kid here?
Is she Granny Ping's daughter? Or maybe her disciple?
The little girl didn't seem shy at all. When she noticed him looking over, she walked confidently out from the courtyard.
She looked to be around five or six years old—young, but full of energy.
"Big brother, what are you doing here?"
"I'm waiting for my boss. What about you? Are you Granny Ping's disciple?"
"My name's Yaoyao, and yes, I'm Master's disciple." Yaoyao tilted her little head and plopped down beside Jiang Bai.
She pulled out a big, white radish and handed it to him. "Big brother, do you like radishes?"
"A radish?" Jiang Bai took the plump, snowy-white vegetable, a bit puzzled. Is this even edible raw?
Sensing his hesitation, Yaoyao quickly added, "I washed it already!"
Jiang Bai gave a small nod and took a bite. Juice burst out, slightly sweet.
It didn't really taste like a radish. More like… a melon?
Radishes in Liyue were something else.
"Tastes good, right? I grew it myself!"
Yaoyao kicked her legs playfully, the bells on her head jingling merrily.
"You're here for the funeral rites, right?"
"Mm."
"Returning the departed to their homeland is a noble thing!"
Yaoyao had heard Granny Ping talk about it before, so she had a basic understanding.
She wasn't like most kids her age—she already had a clear sense of life and death.
Jiang Bai smiled. "Yeah, it's a good thing."
A good thing, sure. But it was still business.
And they hadn't even started yet—already ten million Mora had gone in.
Such a massive investment had to be recouped somehow. All of it weighed squarely on his shoulders.
Jiang Bai felt the crushing pressure.
Ah… The director's "vision" is a tough one to chew…
Noticing the troubled look on his face, Yaoyao asked curiously, "What's wrong?"
"Ah, it's just the sorrow of a working man…"
Yaoyao gave him a look, half-understanding.
Hu Tao, meanwhile, was still inside chatting with Granny Ping. She'd been in there forever.
With nothing to do, Jiang Bai kept chatting with the little girl.
A disciple of an adeptus—talk about high value!
If he ever earned enough Mora, he could ask Granny Ping to forge a spatial artifact. And if Yaoyao put in a good word for him… maybe he'd even get a discount?
Unfortunately, after patting himself down, he realized he had nothing on him except two lonely Mora. Not exactly gift-worthy.
As for giving away the Mora? That was all he had! No way he could part with it…
No choice but to earn goodwill the old-fashioned way.
Jiang Bai brought up a topic to keep the conversation going. "Is Xiangling your senior?"
"You know my senior too?!" Yaoyao looked pleasantly surprised.
"I've tried some of her cooking a few times…" He wasn't close with Xiangling or anything, just tagged along with the boss for a few meals.
"Her cooking is tasty, but her ideas are a little… out there sometimes." Yaoyao spoke like a seasoned critic, clearly used to her senior's wild culinary experiments.
Jiang Bai realized this kid wasn't quite like others her age—she spoke with the air of someone who'd seen a lot.
After encountering actual immortals, he'd long since stopped judging people's ages by appearances.
Old folks might not be old. Young men could be two thousand years old. Who knew how old a kid might really be?
"Don't tell me… you're an adeptus too?"
"Hehe, nope! I'm human!" Yaoyao beamed. "I may be small, but I've seen a lot!"
From reclusive adepti to Ningguang, one of the Seven Stars at the peak of Liyue's power—she knew them all.
"Incredible…"
They kept chatting for a while, and at last, Hu Tao emerged from the workshop!
Spotting Yaoyao, she greeted her cheerfully, "Yaoyao, you're here too!"
Yaoyao often hung around with Xiangling, so of course Hu Tao knew her.
"Hi, Sister Hu Tao!" Yaoyao jumped down from the stone and waved.
"I'll treat you to something yummy next time! We're heading off!"
"Okay! Bye, Sister Hu Tao! Bye, Brother Jiang Bai!"
During their chat, she'd already learned Jiang Bai's name.
"Bye! Come play again sometime!"
"Goodbye, Granny Ping!"
A dizzying sensation swept over them—and they were back at Yujing Terrace.
With the task complete, Hu Tao was clearly in a great mood.
She took out a small bronze bell and tossed it to Jiang Bai.
Jiang Bai was still clutching the priceless Four Directions Compass, terrified to let it go, so he used his free hand to catch the bell she threw.
It didn't look like a regular bell. At the top was a trident-like structure connected to the base. The design was ancient, with delicate carvings etched across its surface.
"What's this?" Jiang Bai turned it over in his hand, trying to figure out what it was for.
Hu Tao replied in a casual tone, as if it were nothing special, "It's the Sanqing Bell. That spatial artifact you've always wanted."
The moment he heard spatial artifact, Jiang Bai's eyes flew wide open. He clutched the bell tightly, staring at Hu Tao in disbelief.
"A spatial artifact?!"
She just… gave it to him?!
"You've been wanting one for a while, right? Granny Ping mentioned she had one, so I bought it from her." Hu Tao shrugged like it was no big deal.
"Later on, when you're collecting remains, whether you cremate them before or after bringing them back, you'll need somewhere to store them. Can't exactly carry them on your back, right?
"Adventurers tend to go to all sorts of dangerous places. You never know if you'll find food out there. With this spatial artifact, you can stash dry rations, clothes, firewood—you won't have to worry about starving or freezing to death anymore.
"Though the space isn't huge… it's just big enough to fit a standard coffin."
She said all this so matter-of-factly, like it was just a practical solution to a practical need.
Jiang Bai was overwhelmed. "Boss, you're my goddess!"
He was moved to tears, eyes brimming with emotion.
He swore to never badmouth her again!
How could he have ever called her a dream-seller?
He was unworthy! He wasn't even human!
Jiang Bai repented in his heart, utterly ashamed of his past self.
"Boss, I swear! From now on, no matter how dangerous it is—mountains of blades, seas of fire—whatever you say, I'll do it! If you go east, I'll never head west! If there's danger, I'll shield you with my body! If there's mud, I'll lay myself down as a bridge—"
Hu Tao: "..."
Okay, that's a bit much.
She flicked him on the forehead, unimpressed. "You're being way too dramatic…"
"It's not dramatic, it's heartfelt!" Jiang Bai grinned foolishly, hugging his treasures tight.
He finally had his own spatial artifact.
Boss was the best.
In life, he belonged to the boss. In death, he'd be her ghost.
"Work hard. I always take care of my own," Hu Tao said, standing on tiptoe to pat his shoulder. She raised her chin with a proud little smirk and crossed her arms.
In Jiang Bai's eyes, she shone with golden light.
---
...
Huh. You really stuck it out all the way to the end.
Didn't think you had the patience. Guess I was wrong.
WiseTL's the one who actually made all this come together. I'm just here putting a bow on it… or, well, shoving it in a backpack and calling it a day. Same thing.
If you had fun, you know what to do:
👉 [patreon.com/WiseTL]
Heads up—Patreon's 50% off for all tiers during May. So if you were on the fence? Now's the time.
And if you're the social type, there's a Discord too. Pretty decent spot to hang out—no battles required.
👉 [discord.gg/wisetl]
Alright. That's enough standing around. Go on—before you make it weird.
—Leaf