"Fanan, don't worry about that first…"
Taro waved his hand toward her, signaling her to come closer.
He wasn't entirely sure whether his design would meet her expectations—
so naturally, she'd have to check it herself.
"Ah?"
"O-okay~~"
Fanan froze for a moment, her ears tinting red.
She didn't resist, stepping forward decisively.
Even though doing such things during the day felt… improper—
and her little sister and Huoliya were still at home—
well… whatever.
"Come on, take a look~"
"I don't know your combat style too well, or what kind of specialization you prefer."
"So, I've prepared all the possible options I can make. You can pick one yourself."
As Taro raised his hand, a projection of Samadhi Light appeared before them,
displaying the set of profession templates he had created for Fanan.
Fanan belonged to the Yaksha tribe.
And Yakshas excelled at close combat and killing techniques—
though some among them were also highly proficient in magic.
There were even a few who mastered both.
Fanan was one of them.
Her martial and mystical prowess were both strong;
among the Yaksha under the Adepti, only Fushe could barely surpass her.
As she gazed at the glowing projection, Fanan froze in place.
The blush at her ears spread rapidly across her face,
like the glow of the evening sun spilling over her cheeks.
Hmm. Quite a sight.
If smoke started rising from her head, the picture would be complete.
"Uh…"
"Why don't we… go with what you have in mind first?"
Seeing her state, Taro gave a faint, amused smile.
The answer was obvious—
the two of them clearly weren't on the same wavelength.
Who would've thought that this seemingly gentle and proper girl
had such a mischievous side buried deep within?
"Let's… look at this first."
Fanan lowered her head, muttering softly, then buried her face in her hands.
She couldn't bear to show her face right now.
It was all her little sister's fault for putting strange ideas in her head.
If the timing weren't so awkward, she'd have already fled the room.
Utterly mortified.
"Alright, let's focus on this for now. We'll talk about the rest tonight."
Taro smiled at her ducked-down posture.
"You said you wanted to see something 'interesting,' right?
But you can't see anything with your head that low."
"Come on, lift it up and look properly. This concerns your future—
a second chance is very important."
Blushing furiously, Fanan lifted her head slightly,
turning her gaze to the contents of the projection.
For some reason, the more serious Taro sounded,
the more her mind drifted to embarrassing thoughts.
No, no, that had to be her imagination!
It was all because her sister had told her those weird stories earlier!
"Sensei…"
"I… don't quite understand~"
After staring at the projection for a while,
Fanan looked up, a faintly wronged expression in her eyes.
The redness lingered on her cheeks, but her shyness had finally settled.
Unfortunately, it had shifted into a new kind of confusion.
"Ah… my mistake!"
Taro slapped his forehead.
The projection's text was full of gaming terms—all written by him.
Fanan, who had never touched such things, couldn't possibly understand it.
"Alright then, give me a moment."
He slowly closed his eyes, raising his left hand.
His index and middle fingers pressed together in a sword-seal gesture.
A ripple of power gathered—one that felt strangely familiar to Fanan.
Adeptal energy?
Dream-Wandering Art?
No… the hand signs were different.
Was this some mysterious secret technique she'd never seen before?
As expected, Sensei truly could do anything.
"Turn your head," Taro said quietly.
"Mm!"
She obeyed at once, looking toward him.
"Condense."
He lightly tapped his own forehead, drawing out a wisp of spirit light,
and then touched it gently to the center of Fanan's brow.
Instantly, streams of information poured into her mind.
Terms that had seemed indecipherable moments ago became clear.
The structure of professions, their strengths, attributes,
and evolutions unfolded in perfect order within her thoughts.
Her eyes widened as understanding settled in.
A spark of anticipation flickered in her gaze.
"Sensei, may I choose Guardian of the Heavens?"
"I like that one."
"Guardian of the Heavens?"
Taro blinked. "You can, but…"
That was a defensive-type class,
which didn't quite fit her usual combat instincts.
"Sensei, that's the one I want."
"I won't change my mind."
A gentle smile curved her lips.
Compared to her teacher, she was weak—
but she still wanted to protect him in whatever way she could.
"Alright."
Taro nodded, retracting the projection.
"The Guardian of the Heavens transfer scroll will be ready tonight.
But first, I'll need a test subject.
If everything goes well, I can finish your exclusive version by the night after tomorrow."
With his personal control over the process,
he could craft two skill books in a single night—
one for testing, one for her.
Once the experiment succeeded,
the transfer could begin immediately.
"Mm. I'll listen to Sensei."
Fanan nodded obediently.
Knock knock knock.
A soft tapping came from the door.
"Well, well—Taro, already forgetting the world for beauty's sake, huh?"
Hu Tao peeked her head in, catching sight of the two standing close together.
Her jaw dropped.
Fanan's face flared red again as she bolted straight into the kitchen.
"Pfft, what's with the shyness?"
Hu Tao scratched her head. "Ah, maybe this hall master showed up at the wrong time, huh?"
"You just realized?"
Taro rolled his eyes. "Fine, come in. Sit down."
"They're still finishing dinner. Stay and eat with us?"
"Can't. No time~"
Hu Tao bounced in cheerfully and plopped onto the sofa without hesitation.
"Ooh, soft! Where'd you get this thing?"
"Feels like something from Mondstadt—no, maybe Fontaine design?"
"In Liyue, most furniture's wood.
Stuff like this doesn't sell much, so the shops closed down quick."
"Every nation's got its own style."
People in Liyue rarely bought such modern pieces;
most didn't want to break tradition or disrupt the city's classic aesthetic.
"If you like it, I can give you a few."
Taro smiled at her.
"No way~"
Hu Tao shook her head without a thought.
"You know what kind of work I do.
This kind of thing totally clashes!
If I brought one of these back, I'd be in huge trouble."
Though Hu Tao welcomed new things and supported innovation,
she still held her ancestors' traditions in high regard.
Anything that went against them was strictly off limits—
unless she could prove the old ways were wrong and the new better suited the times.
Otherwise, not a chance.
"Mm-hm."
Hu Tao cleared her throat lightly.
"I'm actually here for business.
The funeral starts at dusk—still a while to go."
"Zhongli's already over there arranging things,
and I'll head out soon too."
"I'll be there."
"Good. Then I'm relieved."
"…"
(End of Chapter)
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