Honestly—how could Ganyu have a junior brother who knowingly breaks the law?
Were the adepti blind? Even if they didn't understand how vicious Liyue's underworld could be, surely they could still recognize the ugliness of human nature. Or did they truly believe that Ji Ming was pure of heart?
Being openly addressed as "Ninth Lord" by a street thug was proof enough that this Ji Ming was no ordinary man. At the very least, the concealed weapon at his waist said as much.
The great Keqing—
twenty-six years old, still unmarried, the treasured daughter of the Li family, the most diligent and people-oriented of the Liyue Qixing both past and present, and today's "Li Family Beef Offal" stall owner—
was deep in thought.
Propping her cheek with one hand, she studied the black-haired youth seated across from her before finally speaking.
"Ji Ming, let's start by talking about the weapon you're carrying."
Ji Ming chuckled. "What weapon? Carrying hidden weapons is illegal—how could I possibly dare to break the law?"
Keqing sighed, clearly uninterested in playing along. She stood, bent forward, and reached for his waist.
In a flash, the youth shifted—and her wrist was suddenly locked in his grip.
"Lady Yuheng," Ji Ming said lightly, "publicly molesting an innocent man—isn't it common knowledge that a man's waist isn't to be touched casually?"
"First," Keqing replied coolly, "it's women whose waists aren't to be touched casually. Second, this is a lawful inspection, not harassment."
"And the legal grounds?"
"I am one of the Liyue Qixing."
Ji Ming fell silent.
After a brief pause, he released her hand, sighed, and voluntarily drew the mountain-cleaver saber from his waist, placing it on the table with a clack.
There was no helping it. People with power were troublesome—especially one backed by the Li clan. Better to avoid provoking her further.
Keqing picked up the saber, examined it briefly, then set it back down.
"Why carry such a rusted short blade?" she asked. "And why did that street thug call you 'Ninth Lord'? Are you involved with Liyue Harbor's gangs?"
"If I said I wasn't, would you believe me?"
"No."
"Then there's your answer. Hah… I really should've read the signboard first. What kind of Qixing runs a roadside stall?"
Resigned, Ji Ming drained his cup of plain water and spread his hands.
"Lady Yuheng, could you—maybe—not tell my senior sister about this?"
Keqing crossed her arms and lifted her chin, exposing her pale throat. "That depends on how sincere you are."
Carefully omitting his cooperation with the Fatui, Ji Ming recounted everything else truthfully—how he'd raised the funds himself to bail out his sworn brothers. Surprisingly, Keqing found no obvious holes in his account.
Her expression remained cold.
Her initial impression of Ji Ming had already been mediocre. Learning of his gang background only worsened it.
This wasn't an ordinary citizen anymore. This demanded decisive action.
Able-bodied, yet choosing deceit and underhanded dealings to survive—and worse, having killed people in the wilds years ago. Utter disregard for Liyue's laws.
Even if he hadn't harmed common folk, bandits and gangsters were meant to be punished by law—not by another criminal acting as judge and executioner.
Did he really think himself some righteous hero, cleansing the streets?
Keqing's gaze hardened as she stared him down.
"I've long proposed abolishing the bail system," she said sharply. "It will destroy Liyue sooner or later. Gangs like your Old Ninth Sect are nothing but parasites."
That proposal, of course, had been vetoed by Ningguang—something about "legitimate revenue streams." Keqing had never seen eye to eye with her.
"Really?" Ji Ming replied calmly. "I founded the Old Ninth Sect when I was ten. By sixteen, my brothers were being imprisoned one by one. Those six years were when we were most active."
Keqing raised a brow. "And what are you trying to prove? Your longevity—or your crimes?"
"Neither. If Lady Yuheng had ever looked into the Ministry of Civil Affairs' case records, you'd reach one conclusion."
"And that is?"
Truth be told, Keqing usually oversaw construction and infrastructure. Criminal cases were more Tianquan's domain. Still, she listened closely—curious what twisted logic Ganyu's junior might produce.
Ji Ming leaned back, legs crossed, hands clasped loosely before his abdomen. His tone was relaxed, almost casual.
"During those six years, there were almost no gang-related cases in Liyue Harbor. I'm eighteen now—my brothers have been imprisoned for two years. In those two years, gangs large and small have sprung up everywhere, and case records have skyrocketed."
The implication was obvious.
When the Old Ninth Sect was active, no gang dared show its face. Even those secretly funded by noble houses stayed hidden—anyone who surfaced was wiped out.
After the sect fell, gangs bloomed like weeds after rain. The common people paid the price—robberies, murders, even entire families wiped out, nearly all with gang ties.
The Liyue authorities had done nothing in these two years. Why? Because those gangs belonged to influential families. Nepotism tied the government's hands.
Keqing fell silent.
Even without reading the case files, she'd heard rumors—citizens whispering about gangs committing crimes, about officials' relatives extorting protection fees.
It was undeniable.
Even Keqing couldn't guarantee that the Li clan itself hadn't sponsored some gang. She wasn't the clan head—she didn't have access to that information.
Still, she wouldn't blindly trust a gangster's words.
From her eyes, Ji Ming saw doubt—and mistrust. He let out a mocking laugh.
"What? You think gangsters must oppress civilians and commit every evil imaginable?"
Picking up the saber, he continued before she could respond.
"The Old Ninth Sect is an underworld gang. We've committed crimes. We've killed. We may even have wiped out families. But we never laid a hand on Liyue's common folk."
"Empty words," Keqing snapped. "So you're all heroes, then?"
"No," Ji Ming said quietly. "We are villains."
"When we swore our blood oath in the dead of winter, do you know whose blood we used?"
Keqing hesitated. "…Whose?"
"A Liyue merchant."
"He maliciously raised grain prices. His chain stores bought low and sold high—so high that in that weather, eight migrant workers starved to death."
Keqing had never heard of such a case. Back then, the Yuheng seat was vacant, and she was consumed by the Qixing selection process.
Ji Ming's casual demeanor vanished.
The memory still hurt. Without his brothers' help, he would've been the ninth corpse.
"Funny, isn't it?" he continued. "I didn't become the ninth to starve. I became the Ninth Brother instead."
"We kidnapped him somewhere remote and took him to the Cuijue Shrine. We'd spent all our Mora on knives and bowls—couldn't afford a Rex Lapis statue, so we made do."
"From eldest to me, the ninth—each of us took a blade. We mixed his blood with water and wine, and drank before the Cuijue statue."
"That oath is why, to this day, the Old Ninth Sect never harms Liyue's people."
He spoke the final words slowly, clearly:
"We kill the heartless rich.
We drink the blood of officials and nobles.
We destroy the gates of great clans.
And we tread upon the jade terraces of heaven."
Keqing's thoughts were in chaos.
She'd never imagined such a gang existed—its madness, its ambition, its bloodlust all terrifying.
Yet the youth before her seemed almost gentle. If he ever rose high, he might truly overturn Liyue's order.
Ji Ming sheathed the saber and returned to his easy smile.
"Lady Yuheng, please don't tell my senior sister about this. As for the rest—do as you will."
Among the Qixing, Ji Ming only respected Ningguang. He admired her rise from nothing—even if she'd forgotten the little people of today's Liyue.
As for Keqing and the Li clan…
They had once suppressed the Old Ninth Sect. He hadn't forgotten.
To him, Keqing was a naïve young lady—borrowing her family's power without realizing it, even if her personal strength was undeniable.
In short—
They had nothing to say to each other.
As long as Keqing kept this from Ganyu, Ji Ming had no interest in further entanglement.
From this day on, they would be strangers.
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