After checking on Qin Yu, Hu Tao's gaze shifted to the boy. She bent down and asked, "What about you? Are you hurt?"
"No..." the boy replied timidly.
"That's good, that's good. I'm glad you're okay. But speaking of which, this place is quite off the main road. Why did you come here?" Hu Tao inquired.
Qin Yu's heart had calmed considerably. She stood up and said, "He thought he was being haunted by an evil spirit. He wanted to mimic a purification ritual from a novel to collect materials."
Then she smiled at the boy. "Your grandfather asked me to find you. If you're ready, shall we go back?"
However, the boy shook his head. "I don't want to! If I don't perform the purification, the ghosts will eat me!"
That little brat... If there weren't outsiders present, she would've knocked him out and dragged him back already. When the Millelith interrogated them, she could just act innocent and claim it was the work of demonic creatures.
Qin Yu was visibly impatient.
In contrast, Hu Tao spoke with keen interest, "Oh? Evil spirits? What a coincidence! This sect leader happens to be an expert in such matters."
"You can exorcise demons too?" the boy asked curiously.
"Of course! Whether it's sending people or spirits packing, I'm the best of the best! Don't worry, I'll handle this for you. No evil spirit will ever get near you again."
The boy gazed at her in admiration. "An expert?! So how do you actually exorcise demons?"
"Simple. Just drag the spirit tormenting you out and give it a good beating."
What a straightforward method.
But Qin Yu had no interest in playing pretend with children. She just wanted to complete the quest quickly and toss this old man's grandson back where he came from. Yet maintaining her established persona meant she couldn't act so bluntly.
Hu Tao adjusted her hat and smiled. "You're here on someone's commission, aren't you? Why don't you come along with us?"
How annoying.
Qin Yu sighed inwardly but maintained her polite smile. "Alright."
"Speaking of which, we seem to have fate on our side. This is our second meeting, yet I still don't know your name." Hu Tao's eyes sparkled with genuine curiosity.
Huh, you want my real name? I don't want to at all. I feel like it'll just attract all sorts of trouble later...
"Qin Yu."
"Catchin' you?" Hu Tao squinted. "Like a fish?"
"It's Yu, not you!"
Hu Tao nodded sagely. "Ah, I get it now. Not catchin' you like a fish out of water… but Yu, like rain in a drizzle. Got it!" She gave a mischievous grin. "Well then, Qin Yu, do stop by the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor sometime—and stay a little longer than most."
Who would go to such a place to stay awhile?!
"Then, Fishy."
Qin Yu decided to ignore her.
One chose to ignore, while the other ignored her ignoring. Hu Tao excitedly asked, "What kind of weapon is that? It's so loud and powerful. Looks fun too!"
"This isn't a toy."
The next question was inevitable.
Hu Tao held out her Vision. "Here, have this. Let me play with yours?"
She really wanted to play with it. Why would she casually hand over her own power like that?
"Ah ha ha, sorry. That's not really possible. Even if you gave me your Vision, I couldn't use it. It's already bonded to you, right? A Vision with a master can't be used by others."
Hu Tao rubbed the Vision. "It warms your hands."
No need.
Qin Yu sighed inwardly. This person always disrupted her rhythm, acting so familiar with her. What was wrong with her? Couldn't she maintain even a shred of distance with someone she'd just met?
Wait, thinking about it now, didn't that make her a genuine, vibrant young girl?
She'd encountered the real deal. Would this expose her as the imposter? Qin Yu felt a twinge of unease, but then reasoned it might be a good learning opportunity.
Learning was the key to improvement.
Qin Yu stared at Hu Tao, observing her every move. While she couldn't fall into the trap of superficial imitation—learning only the outer appearance without grasping the inner essence—she did believe her own behavior could benefit from refinement.
Hu Tao noticed her gaze, slightly confused. "Um, why are you staring at me?"
Then clapped her hands, suddenly understanding.
"Oh, I get it! You must be—"
"There's nothing like that going on. Don't misunderstand, really."
"You talk so fast! What was that? I just wanted to ask if you're interested in our Wangsheng Funeral Parlor."
Hu Tao gestured as she spoke, "See, we send people and spirits to their final resting place—what an intriguing job! We exorcise demons and evil spirits to benefit humanity. We provide food, drink, and a new home—what excellent treatment! Come to our hall now, and we'll even give you a uniform for free!"
"Sorry, I'm not interested in that right now."
Why was she suddenly inviting people to join as employees?
"Aiya, what a pity. But we're here now. Let's prepare for the exorcism." Hu Tao stopped walking.
Come to think of it, I still hadn't asked her exactly what we were supposed to do. She mentioned exorcism, but whether there was actually an evil spirit haunting this little brat remained unclear.
"What should we do next?" Qin Yu asked.
Hu Tao nodded. "Do you see that Ley Line Sealing Stone over there? I'll use it to attract the evil spirits into manifesting. All we need to do is eliminate them all."
The Ley Line Sealing Stone attracts monsters, doesn't it?
So that's how it works. The evil spirits don't actually exist—they're just this child's delusions. To resolve these delusions, we must make them tangible. By binding the nonexistent to the existent, we can then use that connection to...
It's a reasonable solution.
After understanding the concept, Qin Yu didn't ask for further details. "I understand. Please begin."
The boy stood trembling with anxiety.
"Alright, let's begin," Hu Tao said with a relaxed expression.
She placed her hand on the Ley Line Sealing Stone. Soon, the stone's patterns lit up. Several monsters were drawn to the light and materialized before them.
Qin Yu fired her gun and shielded the boy. "I'll cover you."
"Good. Go!"
Gun shadows flickered as shots rang out. The monsters were quickly eliminated, dissipating into nothingness.
Hu Tao spun her spear. "Exorcism complete. How do you feel now, young man? Any lighter?"
The boy blinked. "It really works! But those weren't actual evil spirits, were they?"
"Ah, they were. The spirits possessed the demonic creatures. Don't worry about the details - it's classified information," Hu Tao replied dismissively.
It was clear she'd just made up that explanation on the spot.
Fortunately, the child's critical thinking skills hadn't fully developed yet. He couldn't spot the logical gaps in her story and accepted Hu Tao's words completely, believing them to be true.
"You two are so amazing!"
Qin Yu, having been directly praised, felt her mood improve. She smiled and said, "No, it's all Hu Tao's merit."
"Nonsense. Our Peachy Treasure here is clearly more impressive."
"Huh? ...Ahem, please don't call me that. Otherwise—I'll start calling you Treasure!"
Treasure... Hmm, not a bad pun. Too bad she doesn't understand.
(TL Note: As well as the English speakers.)
Hu Tao stroked her chin. "Not bad at all. It's quite cute! I'll allow you to call me that. Little one, if you find our Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's treasures impressive, you must visit us when you're grown."
Stop messing with the child! And what other treasures do you have anyway?
Seeing Hu Tao wouldn't relent, Qin Yu changed the subject: "Right, right. Since everything's settled, let's head back. Your grandfather must be worried about you."
Well, let's assume he's worried. Though perhaps about something else.
"Okay!"
Qin Yu sighed in relief. The little brat was finally willing to go back. Now all that remained was to escort him.
If possible, she hoped Hu Tao wouldn't follow along—but escorting him alone didn't make her feel much safer...
Hu Tao planted her hands on her hips. "Going back? Perfect timing. I'll come with you—it's on my way anyway."
So she'd come along after all.
Upon careful consideration, if Hu Tao hadn't been here, the kid would have shamelessly kept collecting materials. That might have caused even more trouble. In that case, she should probably thank her.
Thank you...
"Thank you so much, Hu Tao."
Alright, I said it. Don't respond. It's annoying. Qin Yu wished inwardly.
But Hu Tao didn't follow her thoughts. Surprised by the thanks, she smiled.
"It's nothing. I did see something interesting anyway."
Interesting? You mean the gun? But don't even think about it—you're not getting to play with it. What if there's a misfire or a ricochet? I'd be the one getting shot!
Should I remove all the bullets? Hmm... No, I'm still not giving it to you.
Qin Yu's expression turned slightly troubled. "My weapon—"
"Hm? Oh, that silver stick?"
"Huh?! What stick?"
"This... this is iron."
Probably, at least it looks like iron.
"Oh, an iron rod. It's interesting enough to look at, but it seems quite basic. You just press this and that, and something flies out with a whoosh, right? It was novel when I first saw it, but I imagine it would get boring after a while."
That's true, Qin Yu thought. Compared to flashy cold weapons, it's not particularly ornate... But as long as it's practical, that's all that matters.
Hu Tao suddenly leaned closer.
"What I find interesting is you, actually."
"Huh...?"
Qin Yu jerked back in surprise.
Is this girl gay?
"What's with that look? Are you misunderstanding something? I mean, you seem like an ordinary pretty girl, but my intuition tells me there's more to you."
Tsk, these intuition types are such a pain.
"Can I come visit you for fun later?" Hu Tao asked again.
No!
"That's..."
"Not allowed?" Hu Tao asked pitifully.
Qin Yu gritted her teeth, her face flushing slightly.
"I... I don't mind."
"Then it's settled."
Feeling utterly drained, Qin Yu heaved a deep sigh. She wondered if she'd been too soft-hearted, but since the words were already out, taking them back would have broken her established persona.
[Evaluation: C-]
Annoying! Why did it have to pop up?