Genshin Impact: The Sage's Disciple Doesn't Want Fame

As soon as you hear that familiar shout, it means you've entered the most distinctive street in Liyue—Tiger Rock.

As the most historically significant and densely populated area in Liyue Harbor, Tiger Rock is bustling with activity, especially at midday when the crowds are even larger.

The female owner of the roadside stall was busy serving customers when she turned around and went into the open-air viewing platform behind the stall to take out extra ingredients to replenish them. She was completely unaware that a group of young people with ill intentions had followed her in.

Ji Ming noticed something was wrong, so he changed his route and followed behind, observing silently.

"Boss lady, what about the protection money you owe us last month? You're putting me in a difficult position. You make so much money every day, but you keep delaying the protection money. Are you looking down on us guys?"

Upon entering the observation deck, the group of thugs immediately loosened their grip, cornering Su Erniang. The leader even began to lift Su Erniang's chin with his fingers.

Su Erniang was terrified, but the viewing platform had many obstructions. In addition, the people of Liyue liked to watch the excitement but did not want to meddle in other people's business. Although Xiangling from Wanmintang next door had the Divine Eye, she was definitely the head chef in the kitchen. Even if she shouted for help, it would be useless.

These thugs have been ruling the Liyue region lately, and even if you report them afterward, you will be retaliated against. At best, you will be unable to do business; at worst, you will be threatened or even seriously injured.

They don't have the guts to confront the government, but they do have the guts to bully ordinary people.

Su Erniang dodged the hand of the street thug, tears glistening in her eyes: "Please give me some more time. I have an elderly person at home who is seriously ill, and we really have no money left."

"Hey, my brothers are all waiting to eat too, is it just your family that needs money?"

The leader of the street thugs glanced at Su Erniang and laughed, "It's fine if you don't pay, just play with us brothers for one night, and we'll waive your protection fee from last month."

Su Erniang was furious, but she had no power to resist. She could only muster her courage and slap away the hands of the thugs on the street. She would never submit. She would bite these bastards to death, even if it meant biting them!

People near the observation deck had already noticed something amiss, but they all recognized the domineering gang leader. It was said that this scoundrel's sister had married a chieftain of the Thousand Rock Army, and ordinary people dared not mess with him.

The clever ones have already gone to find Xiangling at the Wanmin Hall next door. Those who possess the Eye of God have a lot of influence in each country. Even if they live their own lives, they can be considered the last line of defense for a country in times of crisis.

Ji Ming pushed aside the middle-aged men who were watching the commotion, stepped forward, grabbed the gang leader by the collar, pulled him back, and punched him in the process: "Bastard, what are you doing?"

Damn it, if you're going to collect protection money, fine, but what's wrong with lusting after other people's bodies? You're clearly tarnishing the reputation of this industry!

Seeing his elder brother being ambushed, the henchmen around him immediately pulled out sticks from their belts, which made Ji Ming even more disappointed and he punched the gang leader again.

"Come on, tell your dad what kind of weirdos these are. If they pulled out the real thing, I might give them a second glance, but these are just kids' toys. Don't you think it's laughable to show them off?"

The gang leader finally reacted, raising his fist to throw a punch, but it was easily dodged. He roared, "You dare hit me? My brother-in-law is...!"

"I don't care who your brother-in-law is, or whether your sister is the wife of the Heavenly Lord or the Earthly Lord. In Liyue, you all have to call me Ninth Grandfather and kowtow to me three times."

Ji Ming grinned and threw the gang leader to the ground. He was not fond of fighting but loved to resolve conflicts. Crushing the bully was incredibly satisfying.

Others are warriors of pure love, Ji Ming is a pure warrior.

The gang leader scrambled to his feet. He was now certain that the person who said those words was definitely a member of the underworld, but to save face, he decided to test him.

"Hey, who do you think you are, causing trouble on my turf!"

"Like I said before, if you like, you can call me Ninth Grandfather. If you want to admit your mistake, kowtow to me three times first, and then kowtow to the landlady three times. If you dare to cause trouble for the landlady in the future, then you're going against your Ninth Grandfather."

"Who are you trying to scare? I am the infamous Nine-Striped Dragon of Chihu Rock. Chihu Rock is my territory. You dare mess with me, kid?!"

Ji Ming scoffed and slowly approached: "You want to talk to me about territory? Fine, I'll sweep two streets and plant a flag before we talk. By then, it won't be something that can be resolved by kowtowing three times."

You thought I was planting the flag of the Nine Gates, but actually I was planting the flag of the Liyue government.

You might think my background is the Ninth Master of the Nine Gates, but actually my background is the Liyue government and the Liyue Clan.

The gang leader was intimidated by Ji Ming's imposing manner, and his tone softened somewhat, but he still stubbornly insisted, "She's not with you, so why are you protecting her?!"

"So what if she doesn't follow me? I'll protect her if I like her, I like protecting her. Let me tell you, I can trample on your turf and eat Tiger Rock Nine-Striped Dragon!"

Something's not right. This guy definitely has connections, otherwise he would never speak in this tone. Let's leave first and ask my brother-in-law. If he doesn't have connections, we'll settle things later.

The gang leader, his arrogance completely gone, prepared to leave with his cronies. None of his loyal brothers dared to make a move.

Trying to escape? Did you ask your Ninth Grandfather?

Ji Ming blocked their way and gestured with his chin, saying, "Kowtowing, the landlady and I will each kowtow three times. If you miss one, I'll take one of your fingers."

The gang leader gritted his teeth and had no choice but to step forward and kowtow three times to Ji Ming. When it was Su Erniang's turn, he glared at her fiercely, almost making her cry.

Seeing this, Ji Ming stepped forward and kicked him in the stomach, shouting, "Damn it, calling you Nine-Tattooed Dragon is giving you face. You're just a street dog, how dare you look at me like that? From now on, eating at Tiger Rock is under my control. If you dare to act arrogantly here, I'll take your head!"

Having been struck hard in the abdomen, the gang leader dared not retaliate and could only kowtow three times before fleeing with his cronies.

Ji Ming watched the retreating figures of the group of stray dogs, spat disdainfully, and completely ignored the "No Spitting" sign on the wall.

With tears welling up in her eyes, Su Erniang stepped forward and hugged Ji Ming's arm, saying gratefully, "Thank you. If it weren't for you, I might really have been killed by those bastards..."

Ji Ming placed his hand on the back of Su Erniang's hand and patted it gently, comforting her, "It's okay, it's okay. I'm here to protect you, no one will dare to cause you trouble. Don't cry, or it won't look good."

Father, I think I'm in love...

She was almost thirty and had never been in a relationship. She thought she would continue to be lonely for the rest of her life, but she never expected to be rescued by a hero. Su Erniang's face turned red instantly.

"Sir, I don't know how to repay you..."

"Sure, sure. I'll protect you from now on. Just pay me 500 Mora protection money every month. 500 Mora is just the price of one serving of Mora meat."

Su Erniang's expression grew increasingly stiff, but Ji Ming didn't notice. He continued, "It's okay if you can't pay the protection fee. I know your family member is seriously ill. You can owe it without interest, and you can owe it for as long as you want."

This is considered a symbolic protection fee. As long as others ask, they will know that Su Erniang is protected, and no one in the underworld will dare to cause trouble.

Unexpectedly, Su Erniang burst into tears, retreated back to the corner, covered her face, and wept bitterly. Every now and then, she would look up at Ji Ming with teary eyes, her face full of fear.

I thought I'd met a hero, but it turns out another villain has appeared!

Waaaaah, Father, what am I going to do if I lose my virginity...

"boom!"

Just as Su Erniang was filled with fear, a ladle was quietly raised and then fell heavily onto Ji Ming's head, making a crisp sound.

The voice is pleasant; it's a good start!

Now it was Ji Ming's turn to have tears in his eyes. He turned to look at the angry cook and said aggrievedly, "Xiangling, why did you hit me?"

"You scared Sister Su, you idiot!"

Xiangling came over to protect Su Erniang, patted her head as a gesture of comfort, and then turned to scold her, "I know you mean well, but Sister Su was already frightened, and you still teased her!"

Ji Ming was truly innocent and couldn't help but protest, "I wasn't teasing her. I was serious. As long as she's willing to pay protection money, no one will dare to bully her."

"You dare talk back? You're asking for it!"

Seeing Xiangling raise the ladle again, Ji Ming quickly pulled his neck back, turned around and walked towards the crowd of onlookers, scolding, "Get out, get out! What are you still standing here for? A bunch of cold-blooded onlookers! If you keep looking, I'll start beating people up!"

The crowd dispersed in a panic. Ji Ming toned down his imposing manner, put on a fawning smile, approached Xiang Ling, and then started grinning foolishly.

Xiangling ignored him and instead looked at Su Erniang: "Sister Su, don't blame Ji Ming, he meant well."

Su Erniang sniffed and wiped away her tears: "Hmm... I understand. It's all because I was too timid. It's not Mr. Ji Ming's fault."

It only just dawned on her that Mr. Ji Ming was trying to protect her.

So Su Erniang stopped crying, hugged Ji Ming's arm again, and lowered her head, not daring to look him in the eye: "Mr. Ji Ming, thank you."

Xiangling turned her head and stared into Ji Ming's eyes, gesturing with her lips.

"Alright, alright, go back to doing business. If anyone dares to mess with you, just mention my name. If you run into trouble, tell Xiangling and have her come find me."

After a few words of comfort, Su Erniang was finally willing to return to her roadside stall. However, she was not in the mood to do business today. She decided to go home first to calm down and tell her father about what had happened that day.

Mr. Ji Ming, how great you are!

Chapter 10 Happy cooperation

Wanmintang, back kitchen.

Xiangling propped her cheek up, not saying anything to disturb Ji Ming's meal, but quietly counting the boy's eyelashes.

One... two... three... so many, it feels like I could never finish counting them in a lifetime. Xiangling complained a little. She had been counting them since she was a child, but she always had to start all over again.

Her gaze drifted downwards, and the boy's beautiful eyes came into view. Xiangling suddenly dared not meet his eyes. Then she saw his straight nose, and finally his healthy red lips.

"Xiangling, aren't you going to eat?"

Xiangling was startled and immediately looked away. She poked a strand of hair at the end of her ear and pretended to be normal, saying, "Well... Father and I have already eaten. You can continue eating."

This is a lie. Xiangling and Master Mao didn't have time to eat. This girl just wanted to observe Ji Ming.

As a chef, Xiangling enjoys being praised by Ji Ming, who showers her with compliments every time she serves a dish.

As childhood playmates, it's normal for Xiangling to occasionally spend some time with Ji Ming, right? As they grew older, Xiangling and Ji Ming had less and less time together.

Whether she is a chef or a childhood friend, Xiangling feels obligated to dine with Ji Ming.

Chef Mao at the counter looked resentful. He wanted to say something, but then he saw his daughter turn her head and threaten him silently, so he had no choice but to comply and leave the kitchen.

Having been in the martial arts world for many years, Ji Ming could easily see through the young cook's thoughts. He smiled and advised, "I'm not a child anymore. Xiangling doesn't need to take such good care of me."

"You've only just turned 18 and you've already forgotten your roots. In my eyes, you're still a child!"

Xiangling was angry, but then suddenly felt disappointed: "I didn't take good care of you when you were little, and you disappeared for a long time. By the time I found you, you had changed."

After Ji Ming's parents passed away, Xiang Ling didn't see Ji Ming for a long time. At that time, Ji Ming was about eight years old, and she was only six. The separation was unfamiliar and cruel for the little girl.

When they met Ji Ming again, it was two years after Ji Ming's parents passed away. He had completely changed, becoming cynical and scheming. At that time, he was only ten years old, and no one knew how he had spent those two years.

Seeing that the situation had changed, Ji Ming quickly comforted her, "It's not too late to take care of her now. I'm willing to be taken care of by Xiangling."

Worried that Xiangling wouldn't believe him, Ji Ming quickly finished the rest of the noodles in his bowl. He choked several times because he ate so fast, which finally made Xiangling smile again.

Honestly, he looks so sad whenever he talks about the past. Life shouldn't be confined to the past. Ji Ming is like that, and so should Xiang Ling.