Chapter Seventy-Nine: The Mysterious Man

It had been raining for quite some time during the night, but now the rain had lessened, and the sound of dripping water felt somewhat lonely. The original candle had burned out, replaced by a new one...

It was already late at night, and apart from the monks who were on night duty, Yun Si was likely the only one still awake, diligently writing away. By now, Yun Si's eyelids had grown heavy, and she felt as if she could fall asleep any second.

"In a little while, I'll just take a short nap..." she weakly muttered, already leaning on the table and drifting off to sleep.

Knock, knock, knock!

Once again, there was a knock at the door. Just as Yun Si had finally drifted off to sleep, she was startled awake by the noise, thinking it might be her master sending someone to check on her. Instantly alert, she quickly crumpled the paper covered in her drool, replaced it with a fresh one, and went to open the door.

"Ah!!!" As soon as she opened the door, she was startled by the figure standing outside. Her legs went weak, and she collapsed to the ground, blurting out incoherently, "Who... who are you? What are you doing here in the middle of the night, trying to scare people?"

"Heh, little monk, don't you remember me?" The man suddenly chuckled. Shedding his robe, a tightly structured face appeared before Yun Si's eyes—familiar yet elusive, like someone she had seen before but couldn't recall.

Seeing Yun Si's puzzled expression, the man raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "You haven't forgotten me already, have you?" Although he said it with a smile, Yun Si could sense a tinge of disappointment in his tone.

Struggling to get up from the ground, Yun Si's efforts were in vain, and she fell back down, eliciting laughter from the man. Feeling embarrassed, Yun Si didn't know whether he was shy or angry, but her fair cheeks turned red, inviting a teasing pinch.

"What are you laughing at? Who are you, anyway?" It seemed she was genuinely angry now. Despite sitting helplessly on the ground and appearing vulnerable, she wore a fierce expression that lacked any real threat.

The man stopped laughing, his expression turning serious as he stared straight at Yun Si. "Looks like you really have forgotten me. Hmm, despite searching for you for so long. You've made it quite difficult for me to find you."

"Since you've forgotten, let me help you remember. On the night of the Double Ninth Festival, didn't you save a man covered in injuries who was thrown into a pile of corpses in the back mountains of Fulin Alley?"

Yun Si tried to recall, and it seemed like there was such an incident. She remembered getting lost in the mountains and stumbling upon a pile of corpses, which frightened her into running away. But because it was too dark, she hadn't gone far before tripping over something.

Feeling dazed, she suddenly felt a cold sensation wrapping around her ankle. She didn't even realize when she had lost her shoes, and her exposed skin was now pressed against something icy cold. Yun Si began kicking frantically, not only with her feet but also waving her hands randomly.

"Help... help me!" It wasn't until the man called out that Yun Si stopped. She forced her eyes open, only to find that the man had grabbed her foot, seeking her assistance.

But in these remote mountains, there were no pharmacies or doctors to save him. So, she gave him the pill she carried with her.