Genshin Impact: Dionysus reigns supreme, all demons retreat!

Chapter 218 Xu Ning, what are you doing here?

Xu Ning refilled Uncle Tian's teacup and laughed, "With his methods, how could he possibly do anything to you? You're underestimating the abilities of Tian Shu Xing."

“He doesn’t know Ye Lan, but how could I not? This assessment seems to be proceeding according to Yue Haiting’s usual practice, but in reality, Ye Lan has already taken over everything. You sent this Thousand-Faced Man over there just to see what tricks he hasn’t used yet.”

Uncle Tian picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said, "I've given him chance after chance, and even deliberately removed you, this stumbling block, for him. And what was the result? I haven't even seen a decent pot of fish soup since."

Xu Ning smiled wryly, knowing that the poison in the fish soup wouldn't harm him.

But is the poison Zhiyi administered really that good, enough to make someone so unforgettable? This guy might as well become a chef.

Xu Ning said seriously, "Liyue is in dire need of talent right now. Whether Zhiyi dies or is imprisoned, it's a waste of his talent."

Uncle Tian sneered, "You should know there's an idiom called 'raising a tiger to cause trouble,' and another old saying: 'It's easy to catch a tiger, but difficult to release it.' If you were sitting in my seat, and Zhiyi were kneeling here to tell you that he has repented, would you dare to give him your seat?"

Xu Ning thought about it seriously for a moment and said, "I dare. With Ning Guang around, dealing with Zhi Yi is a piece of cake. Besides, he can't beat me. If I'm unhappy, I can take his head anytime. I'm not afraid he can cause any trouble."

Uncle Tian was speechless for a long time after hearing this.

"What do you see in him that you're willing to speak up for him like this?"

Xu Ning laughed, "Uncle Tian, ​​what do you see in him this time? He's already drunk several bowls of poisonous fish soup, yet you're still willing to give him a chance?"

"Hmph," Uncle Tian glared at Xu Ning unhappily, waved his hand and started to shoo him away, "Leave the wine, do whatever you want. I'm already preparing to retire anyway, so do whatever you want with me!"

Xu Ning took out a jar of Thousand Wind from the cave and placed it on the table. He said goodbye to Uncle Tian and Huixin, and went downstairs to head straight for the South Wharf.

Just as Baiwen had predicted, Zhiyi was sitting quietly in the spot where Uncle Tian usually fished, lost in thought.

"What's that you're staring at so intently in the water? Did you spot a big fish?"

Xu Ning silently walked up behind Zhi Yi and made a teasing remark.

Zhiyi's body trembled slightly, but he did not turn around, nor did he put on the warm and gentle expression he had shown during their previous meetings. He simply nodded and said, "Yes, I saw a big fish."

Xu Ning walked to Zhiyi's side, looked into the water, and suddenly laughed.

Zhiyi turned to look at Xu Ning and asked, "What's so funny?"

Xu Ning apologized first, saying, "Don't mind it, I wasn't laughing at you. I was just thinking about my Beidou. If she were here, she would definitely say something like, 'There are no big fish here, the big fish are all in the deep sea!'"

Zhiyi nodded in agreement, saying, "Yes, Captain Southern Cross, who has traversed mountains and seas and seen the vast ocean, would naturally look down on these few fish in the shallows. But for the fishermen on this shore, catching them is enough."

Xu Ning sat down against the bluestone pillars used for mooring boats at the dock, took a sip of wine, and remained silent for a long time.

A few years ago, when I was fishing here with Zhiyi, I told him not to be blinded by the sight of a big fish and to be patient and wait. The fish would be his sooner or later.

But this guy still seems so eager even after all these years.

Given Uncle Tian's meticulous guidance over the years, coupled with his own abilities and methods, he shouldn't have been so radical.

Just as he was pondering, Zhiyi suddenly spoke up: "Give me a bowl of wine, not the kind you had last time, just the kind of Tianlu sold in Liyue Harbor."

This is the first time this guy has ever asked me for a drink.

Xu Ning took out a bowl and poured it for him; they toasted each other.

Zhiyi picked up the bowl and took a big gulp, then suddenly coughed violently.

"Cough cough, is it really that strong...? It smelled so good to me, I thought it was the same as the wine you gave me the last two times..."

Xu Ning laughed and said, "I know you can't drink, so I used to pour you the mildest sweet wine and Qianfeng from here. Besides, Tianlu isn't the strongest. I wouldn't easily bring out the strongest immortal brew."

Zhiyi wiped away the tears welling up in her eyes from the choking and chuckled, "So that's how it is. I even wanted to drink like you back then, but luckily your price scared me off, so I didn't waste my Mora."

Upon hearing this, Xu Ning asked curiously, "Why did you learn to drink like me back then?"

Zhiyi smiled slightly, without directly answering Xu Ning's question.

"I first met Uncle Tian here. I was starving at the time. My father was going crazy at home, and I didn't dare to go back. I was hoping to catch a fish to fill my stomach."

"Uncle Tian gave me bait and taught me how to catch the first fish in my life."

"Later, Uncle Tian helped me a lot in various ways. I gradually realized that he was different from others. Until one day I saw him coming out of Yujingtai and heard how others addressed him. That's when I realized that he was one of the Seven Stars of Liyue."

“Since then, I have worked even harder, repeatedly studying everything he taught me, striving to gain his praise, and dreaming that one day I could take over his power and become a great man like him.”

Zhiyi lowered his head and slowly took a sip of wine as he finished speaking.

Then, looking up at Xu Ning, he slowly said, "And then, you came."

Xu Ning was taken aback. "I'm here, what's it to you?"

Zhiyi chuckled and said, "Don't you know how much you've done in Liyue Harbor?"

"You raised two unknown little girls, one to the position of the Seven Stars, holding the power of Liyue; and the other to become a Dragon King who roams the seas, famous throughout the land and sea."

Xu Ning waved his hand and said, "That's all their own skill; I didn't contribute much."

Zhiyi smiled and shook her head, "Do you know the way Uncle Tian looked at you back then? That look full of admiration, I've never seen Uncle Tian look at me like that before..."

Xu Ning lifted the gourd and took a swig of wine, thinking to himself, "Damn it, why do I feel like I'm going to have to take the blame? What did I come here for in the first place?"

Zhiyi smiled and said, "At that time, I had a feeling that Uncle Tian actually wanted you to be his successor, but who would have thought that you would leave so suddenly."

"Some time ago, Uncle Tian was feeling unwell and suddenly realized that he needed to find a successor sooner. I thought he was talking to me, and I thought my chance had finally come."

Zhiyi laughed and stared at Xu Ning, saying, "I just had this thought, who knew you'd come back."

"Xu Ning, what exactly did you come back for?"