Ge Gen didn't understand what Ji Mo Fan was thinking, but he understood that Ji Mo Fan didn't want him to reveal his true identity. So he smoothly changed his tone, which can be said to be quite sensible and considerate.
"Uncle, may I have a moon?" he asked, "The brightest moon of every month, on the fifteenth!"
The sugar-selling uncle was genuinely taken aback by what he said, "The full moon on the fifteenth?"
“Isn’t that just a big round cake?” Ji Mofan said.
Does this child think that this way they can eat more sugar?
Ge Gen shook his head. "I just want a moon. I want to give it to my master... to my brother!"
"My brother is like the moon in my heart!"
Ji Mofan felt somewhat confused about his assessment.
Like the moon? What kind of description is that?
Will it reflect light?
But since it was Ge Gen who said it, Ji Mo Fan was happy to accept it. Especially the part where he changed his address to "brother" halfway through, which subtly satisfied Ji Mo Fan's little desires.
"Uncle, then please draw him a moon." He took out a few copper coins from his Qiankun bag and placed them on the sugar figurine vendor's table.
Spirit stones are the currency circulating among cultivators; for mortals, gold and silver are far more valuable.
Ji Mofan used to go out to do various commissions, and in order to make it easier to deal with mortals, he carried a lot of mortal currency with him.
After all, for cultivators, these mundane things would only taint them with the stench of money.
In the past, Ji Mofan would hand over all his spirit stones to the authorities, and only these things that they disliked could remain on his person.
"Alright! I'll pour a thick layer of syrup on you!" The vendor was naturally delighted, not only because he had encountered such an endearing child, but also because the child's request was so simple.
He simply scooped out two spoonfuls of syrup and drew a sugar cake bigger than a kudzu root's head... uh, he meant, a sugar moon.
Once the sugar syrup cooled and became brittle, he held the bamboo stick and handed the "moon" to Ge Gen.
"Master!"
Having moved away from the sugar figurine stall, Ge Gen reverted to his old nickname and presented the candy to Ji Mofan like a precious treasure. Through the light brown sugar, he could see that the child's face was slightly distorted.
I couldn't resist giving it another squeeze. "Didn't I tell you I bought it for you? Eat it yourself."
“But I want to give it to Master!” Ge Gen still bounced around holding the sugar moon. “Master saved me at sea, and I felt like Master was a god who descended from the moon.”
Ji Mofan recalled the scene at that time.
The little girl, who was tied to the boat with Ge Gen, was completely terrified. She almost forgot to breathe when she saw Ji Mo Fan holding a sword in his right hand and the tail of a dead fish in his left.
Ge Gen still had some sense, but it was better to have none at all. He pulled the little girl down and bowed his head in worship, calling out to the gods.
It took Ji Mofan a whole cup of tea's time that night to explain to him that he was not a god, but just a cultivator.
Back then, I never imagined that I would have such a connection with him.
“I appreciate your kind gesture.” Ji Mofan smiled somewhat helplessly. “However, since I paid for this sugar mooncake, it’s up to me to decide what to do with it.”
"I know how much you like me, but you should keep the food for yourself."
In the end, Ge Gen broke off a small piece from the large sugar cake and insisted on giving it to Ji Mo Fan to try.
Unable to refuse, Ji Mofan opened his mouth and ate it.
It's just a small piece; I should be able to remove any impurities from the food in a little while...
Ji Mo Fan chewed and thought at the same time.
However... these ordinary foods from the mortal realm actually taste quite sweet.
After taking Ge Gen for a walk, Ji Mo Fan bought him a lot of little trinkets.
Ge Gen would always refuse seriously, but seeing the undisguised joy on the child's face after receiving the new toy, Ji Mo Fan Xin said that he really couldn't escape his true nature.
Seeing others happy makes me happy too.
On the way back to the restaurant, Ji Mofan didn't rush back to his room. Instead, he ordered a pot of tea from a seat in the corner of the lobby and sat down to drink it casually.
Ge Gen didn't know what his master was planning to do, but he obediently didn't ask any questions and sat quietly to the side, playing with his new toys.
"Manager, I heard the wages are going to be reduced again this month?" A waiter peeked over the counter during his break, trying to find out more. "Hasn't our restaurant always been doing pretty well?"
The manager could only sigh helplessly, "Don't blame me for not paying everyone. The protection fees that Qianhelou is collecting are getting higher and higher lately. If our restaurant doesn't cut expenses, we'll be unable to make ends meet."
"Didn't we already fire two employees last month? Isn't that enough? Boss, the work is getting busier but the pay is even lower. If this keeps up, I'm going home too."
"Sigh, there's nothing I can do about it."
Upon hearing the words "Qianhelou" from Ji Mo Fan, his eyes darted around, and he raised his hand to call out "Waiter," beckoning the man over.
"Coming right up, sir! What else would you like to eat?" The waiter, who had just been playing the victim with the manager with a worried look on his face, now put on a big smile as he came to serve the customer.
"Let me ask you something," Ji Mofan casually tossed some loose silver to the waiter, "What kind of sect is Qianhelou?"
"Oh! Sir, I can tell at a glance that you are an extraordinary immortal. You must be here to pay your respects to Thousand Crane Tower, right?" The waiter accepted the tip, and his smile became more genuine. "Thousand Crane Tower has stood in our area for hundreds of years, protecting our Qiuguan City from the invasion of demonic beasts."
"From what you're saying, Qianhe Tower is actually a pretty good place?" Ji Mofan neither confirmed nor denied the compliment he was receiving.
For mortals, several hundred years might be several generations. But in the cultivation world, there are countless small sects that have existed for several hundred years, and the Yun Cang Sword Sect can be traced back to several thousand years. Time is really the least important thing.
The waiter's smile immediately became somewhat forced.
"Qianhe Tower is good as it is, but recently something seems to have gone wrong. They've suddenly started charging exorbitant protection fees to the merchants in the city." He looked worried. "They've done it before, but never much. We've all worked hard to exorcise demons, so we certainly won't complain..."
"But recently, we've been receiving more and more."
Ji Mofan tapped his fingertips lightly on the table twice. "When did this practice of raising protection fees begin?"
"It's been about half a year," the young man said, tilting his head to recall.
"Did anything unusual happen in Qiuguan City six months ago?" Ji Mofan pressed.
"Nothing much... Oh right, there is something strange." The waiter pondered for a while, then his eyes suddenly changed.
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