"The key's yours. Pick whichever cell you like."
Old He, the jailer, took a swig from his gourd. The dim prison was dull at the best of times, and seeing a familiar face arrive actually brightened him. His drunken cheeks stretched into a rare smile.
The other inmates stared, wide-eyed. Were they hallucinating? The newcomer had been given the keys—and told to choose his own cell?
Ji Ming caught the thrown keyring, calmly unbound the rope around his wrists, and walked into the cell nearest the guard room—his usual spot, practically reserved.
Old He shuffled over with freshly warmed yellow wine and two little cups.
"Ji Ming, you brat—been slacking lately, huh? Why haven't you come visit this old man?"
Ji Ming sighed dramatically.
"I struck it rich recently. Thought I'd earn a bit more and then retire clean. Didn't think the Liyue Ministry would find me before my next job."
"Heh! I'll tell you something," Old He chuckled. "The Rite of Descension is soon. Patrols in Liyue Harbor are only gonna tighten. If you don't want to be here drinking with me forever, quit making trouble."
Ji Ming waved him off with weary resignation.
"People are greedy. To keep them from being tricked worse later, I graciously charged a fee up front and taught a lesson early. But they didn't appreciate my kindness."
"…That's just fraud."
"Matters of the jianghu—can you call it fraud?"
Old He slid the wine cup through the bars, lifted his own.
"You sold a lawbook you claimed belonged to Lady Yanfei, didn't you? The buyer reported it."
"It was fake."
"I know. Otherwise you'd be in here a lot longer than three days."
"What about the guy who reported me?"
"Twenty-five years. Lady Yanfei handled it herself."
Ji Ming and Old He shared a knowing look and toasted.
"Professional work," Old He praised. "But forget about ever getting a government job now."
What government job? Ji Ming had already become a disciple of Cloud Retainer. If he had trouble he could just cling to Senior Ganyu—smile sweetly and problems would solve themselves.
But Ji Ming didn't mention that. He shrugged.
"No loss. I don't even have a wife yet. Worst case, I just move to one of the other six nations. Oh yeah, your son's still in Mondstadt, right?"
"Yeah. Heard they're having a dragon crisis." Old He groaned. "I told him not to go. Worries me sick."
"Don't worry. Should be safe inside the city. Come on—drink—hey!"
Old He suddenly took Ji Ming's cup back.
"…What's that supposed to mean? Not welcome anymore?"
Old He didn't answer. He pointed toward the deeper cells, unlocked the gates, and tossed Ji Ming a torch.
Ji Ming frowned, brushed grass off his clothes, and walked deeper. The further he went, the darker it grew. Just wavering candlelight. Stay here long and your mind might rot.
"Old Nine—old nine! Where are you looking? I'm right here!"
Ji Ming turned.
Behind the bars of a pitch-black cell was a broad-shouldered, bald man gripping the iron grate—expression wild.
Ji Ming brightened. Of all the prisons in Liyue, fate had placed his sworn brother here too.
"Third Brother—you're here?"
The man—Zheng the Mad Third, once the fiercest brawler among the Old Nine Gates—grinned like he'd been saved.
"I've been here the whole time! Tell me straight—did they get you too?!"
"Yeah, I was caught, but—"
Before he finished, Third Brother wailed:
"Old Nine! We're finished! The Old Nine Gates are over! If even you got arrested—tell me how many years you got! Without you smoothing things out, I'll be here ten years easy!"
"Three days."
Third Brother: "?"
The crying stopped.
"…How many?"
"Three days. I just swindled someone. You think I'm like you, committing major crimes?"
Third Brother's face went slack—then, inexplicably—
"Only three days? Shameful."
Ji Ming almost swung again.
What kind of brother gets disappointed his junior didn't get a heavy sentence?!
He exhaled through his teeth.
"I told you not to act on impulse. Seeing a Treasure Hoarder camp does not mean you massacre them. They didn't even provoke you."
"They were sitting on my territory. I planted a flag on that hill. They sat there anyway. A bunch of lawless scum. Killing them's killing them."
"Treasure Hoarders aren't always the worst. But killing without knowing who's who? Liyue isn't lawless! If you'd stumbled on travelers or scholars that day, you'd be executed right now!"
Too late now. With no big score, it was ten years minimum.
Ji Ming punched him lightly through the bars.
"Stay put. Once I earn enough, I'll bail you all out. Where're the others?"
Third Brother sighed.
"Don't know. First Brother got the worst. Probably down in the underground prison beneath Yujing Terrace, might've been interrogated by the Tianquan's secret bureau."
The "Night Mother" of the General Affairs Bureau—a mysterious woman under the Tianquan's command. The Old Nine Gates only knew her title, nothing more.
"Well, yeah. First Brother got life. If we can't pay, he dies in prison."
"Old Nine… We don't need you to bail us. Just live safely. Come visit sometimes. That's enough for us."
For a bunch of hardened street dogs, they were terribly gentle toward him. Even Zheng the Mad Third worried for him.
This was why Ji Ming worked so hard. No matter how chaotic his brothers were, they were his.
He sighed, softened.
"Don't worry. Sixth Brother's sentence is the lightest—three years. I'll bail him first."
Third Brother lit up.
"Knew Old Nine was reliable! Unlike First Brother, that idea-spinning idiot who got us all locked up. Old Nine, your brain's sharp. Teach me?"
"Get good."
Heavy footsteps echoed—heels clacking on stone. Ji Ming went silent instantly. Zheng stared, confused.
Blue hair like moonlit waves. Eyes warm and gentle—unnatural, almost luminous. A Vision swayed at her waist; her grace quiet but undeniable.
Even in a grimy prison, she was like a glaze lily blooming in mud—untouched, unstained.
Ji Ming stared, forgotten to stand.
"Ji Ming," Ganyu said, voice soft but firm, "come with me."
The flicker of flame cast faint shadow beneath her lashes—gentle, beautiful, and terrifying in Ji Ming's eyes.
It's over. Why couldn't Xiangling be the one to bail him out?
He swallowed, stood stiffly, and shuffled toward her without looking.
Ganyu did not scold him in front of the others. She simply nodded to Old He with polite grace, then led Ji Ming out.
Zheng the Mad Third watched them go, horror dawning.
"…Old Nine… has been recruited by the Liyue government?!"
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