C3. Rescuing Each Other.

Chapter 3: Rescuing Each Other

A crimson figure descended from the sky, catching everyone off guard.

The crowd of attackers immediately scattered.

"Who dares to strike the noble son of this world?"

The leader was dressed in a long indigo robe, with silver cloud patterns embroidered around the collar. However, due to his large stature, from a distance, he looked like a bloated ball of flesh trembling on its own.

Upon seeing Ji Li, he arrogantly shouted, "Who are you? Mind your own business!"

The few young men beside him hesitated to speak up in Ji Li's defense, impressed by her demeanor.

Feeling slighted, he stepped forward to confront her.

"You ignorant fool!" He caught sight of Ji Li's eyes and hesitated, "The, the...beautiful woman!"

Out of pure kindness, she had no intention of revealing her true identity.

Therefore, before striking, she pulled a handkerchief to cover her face slightly.

But in the moonlight, her porcelain-white skin became even more striking, complemented by her bright eyes, creating the image of a delicate and ethereal beauty.

Yet another young girl.

The person who had confronted her couldn't help but soften their tone unknowingly, stumbling over their words.

"You, you as a young girl, why are you here at this late hour? Leave now!"

Unmoved, she stood her ground, "Bullying the weak with arrogance and injustice."

"It should be you who should leave."

As consecutive muffled sounds mixed with sharp whistling noises, the stones on the ground flew one after another from under her hand.

This time, the man was completely alert.

The cold wind blew, causing him to change his tone directly, "Lady, please forgive me! It was this boy who insulted me first!" He then moved back several steps.

Whether due to the chill or fear, no one could tell.

Ji Li glanced at the man, his head hung low, his jet-black hair scattered over his face, hiding it from view.

Only a glimpse of his tall and lean figure could be seen under the moonlight.

Seeing that Ji Li had taken charge of the situation, no one dared to approach, whispering words of advice to him.

Already considering a retreat, the leader quickly gave in, "It was all a misunderstanding, just a misunderstanding."

"Lady, you are kind-hearted. In that case, we will leave now." Without waiting for a reply, they all rushed out of the door and didn't look back.

With the night enveloping them, the man finally lifted his head.

Ji Li could finally see his face -

The first impression was his pallor, looking almost sickly under the moonlight.

It seemed like he had been injured during the scuffle, with a hint of blood at the corner of his lips.

These contrasting features, combined with his striking facial features, exuded a captivating allure.

He was now looking at her expressionlessly, revealing no emotions.

The young man remained cautious, even his thanks were barely audible, "Thank you... for saving me, miss."

In the next moment, he seemed to want to say more, but his hand paused abruptly, his eyes filled with embarrassment.

"If in the future, you ever need help, I will repay the favor of today."

Realizing that his words sounded like an empty promise, he hastily added, "I mean it."

The faint moonlight filtered through the branches, highlighting a small red mole at the corner of the young man's eye, making it stand out.

Ji Li gazed quietly at the mole, and suddenly, a different thought flashed through her mind.

With her clean and innocent appearance, even her soft-spoken voice suggested, "It's no trouble at all, just a small gesture." She suggested, "You are injured, it's not wise to tough it out. Why don't you come with me, and I'll get you some medicine?"

The young man was startled and quickly waved his hand in refusal, "I'll be fine on my own later, no need to trouble yourself."

The night was deep, and the bone-chilling wind blew, he was only wearing a thin garment, looking pitiful.

Ji Li wanted to help, noticing the forced tightness of the young man's lips, she could tell he was trying to tough it out.

With a stern expression, she said, "Wait here for me for a moment, I'll be right back." She then took off her cloak and tried to put it on him.

The man across from her was frightened by this gesture, his eyelashes trembling, making him seem like a scared rabbit.

He quickly stood up and bowed, "Thank you, miss."

"I..." He suddenly moved and winced from the pain of his injuries being touched, but he still endured it, seeing her determined expression, he added, "Then, I'll accompany you back to get the medicine."

Satisfied, Ji Li returned with him.

As they walked, she shielded him from the cold wind.

"By the way, I haven't asked for your name yet."

"I... they all call me A Ché."

"A Ché (阿撤)? Which character is it from?"

"The 'retreat (撤退; Che Tui)' character."

Defeated and retreated (兵败撤退)?

The meaning of this name was not good, and Ji Li was puzzled.

Beside her, the young man's dark eyes were filled with loneliness, indicating that he was aware of the name's implications.

"How... could parents bear to give their children such a name?"

Was she mistaking him for someone else?

Perhaps it was just a resemblance in appearance and voice.

But faced with the man's shrinking demeanor, she couldn't bring herself to say it.

Yun Yi had already prepared the medicinal wine as instructed, waiting early.

Upon their arrival, he handed over the warm furnace.

Ji Li took the warm furnace and offered it to the young man, who hesitated for a few moments before only accepting the medicinal wine.

"I'm already indebted to you for today's kindness." He bowed, "The medicinal wine is enough, please take back the rest."

Seeing his determination, Ji Li withdrew her hand.

The young man had been staying in this temple for years, so he must be well-versed in using the medicinal wine.

She simply said, "Okay," as she bid farewell to the others.

In the moonlight, his figure stood tall, emitting a sense of cold majesty.

After watching him for a while, Ji Li turned and headed back to the room.

The next day, she was awakened by one of the servants of the Ji family.

Yun Yi wiped her face with a damp cloth, noticing the dark circles under her eyes, she pitied her, "Miss, you had nightmares for several nights in a row, your mood only improved after paying respect to the Buddha and getting a good rest..."

"And then the general sent someone early in the morning, what a bother!"

Still sleepy, Ji Li slightly nasal, said, "It must be urgent if he's calling me."

"He's used to urgent matters." Seeing her maid's indignant expression, she found it amusing.

After a quick wash, she took Yunyi to the Ji family's room.

In the shadowy forest on this clear morning, heavy frost silently spread, with a few patches of green and yellow autumn leaves drifting in the damp air.

In an instant, they fell into the weeds.

The father and daughter's rooms were not far apart, so they quickly arrived at the place.

However, upon entering, Ji Yunshan's eyes were filled with scrutiny.

"What is Father doing?" Ji Li poured herself a cup of tea and picked up a pastry from the table to eat.

As the tea flowed down her throat, the morning dew on her clothes was swept away, leaving a comforting warmth.

"The Longjing tea today was brewed really well, did Father try it as well?" she asked.

Ji Yunshan stared at his daughter's calm and composed demeanor and cut to the chase, "I heard that you went out last night?"

"Not only that, you brought a man back with you?" he continued.

His words caught her off guard, furrowing her eyebrows slightly.

It wasn't a holiday, and there weren't many worshipers in the temple, let alone treating guests with such hospitality.

Moreover, their rooms were close together, so he must have heard some commotion last night.

Seeing Ji Li's silence, Ji Yunshan sighed heavily, "Daughter, I have to tell you, why did you go searching for something in the temple when you had perfectly good suitors waiting for you?"

"I picked them out for you, they were all ready to leave the monastery and follow the proper procedures."

"You... you... how could you do this? What if he was still in training, how shameful would that be!"

"How shameful..." Ji Yunshan's words were as vague as holding a lute and hiding his face.

She was confused, "What did I do wrong?"

Since when did it become improper to offer medicinal wine to someone in need?

Seeing her lack of remorse, Ji Yunshan became frustrated, "You let the man go back on his own in the middle of the night, is that true?"

After recalling the incident, she nodded, "Yes, it's true."

This admission only infuriated Ji Yunshan even more, "Tell me, what exactly did you do? Not only did you force yourself on a civilian, but you also sent him away in the middle of the night? Our general's mansion can't afford such scandalous behavior!"

Ji Li finally understood, she was in big trouble.

"Father, please be careful of your words." She said helplessly, "I just saw that young monk had injured his hand while wandering around yesterday, so I came back to get some medicine for him."

Ji Yunshan paused, contemplating her explanation.

"So, you really brought him back here, is that true?" he asked.

"It's true," she added, "but all I did was bring back some medicinal wine for him."

"…"

Ji Yunshan was starting to believe her explanation, his tone shifting to concern.

"Well, how does this young monk look? How old is he?" he asked.

Ji Li was taken aback by the sudden change in topic, trying to recall, she thought of the slender figure of the young man from yesterday, who was almost the same height as her when they returned together.

After a moment of contemplation, she replied, "He looks good, and he seems to be around twelve or thirteen years old."

"Is that so..." Ji Yunshan sighed, feeling a sense of regret.

According to the rules, one could only return to secular life at the age of fifteen or sixteen.

"That's a bit too young," he remarked.

Forgetting about the previous night's incident, he turned to invite her for breakfast.

Ji Li glanced at him, silent. "You're not afraid I'll tell on you when Mother returns, are you?"

"Nonsense! I've been fighting on the battlefield for decades. What do I have to fear?"

"This is called the conduct of a gentleman!" he muttered to himself. "But she's been away with the caravan for a bit too long this time."

"I always feel like the world outside has been in turmoil lately. I'm afraid there will be another war in three or five years."

"It's just the common people who suffer..."

Ji Li also fell silent.

Memories of her previous life flooded back.

With the Ji family's downfall and the rise of villains, she wondered what had become of the people on this frontier.

The room was quiet when a knock on the door suddenly interrupted the silence. "General Ji, Miss Ji, please," a voice called out.

"The abbot requests your immediate presence in the Zen Room. He also asks that you accompany him."

"Is something wrong?" Ji Li asked tentatively.

"I cannot disclose that, Venerable Monk replied. "You will know once you arrive."

Seeing Ji Yunshan nod, Ji Li opened the door and returned a smile.

"Very well, then. Thank you, Master."

On an autumn morning, the mountain scenery was fresh and invigorating. The sound of the bell echoed through the air, and the chanting of sutras was incessant.

The courtyard behind the Zen Room seemed like a pure land far from the hustle and bustle of the world.

High atop the mountain, the terrain sprawled before her. The view stretched far and wide, offering a breathtaking panorama of the world below.

Bluestone steps, weathered by countless storms, snaked their way up the peak, disappearing behind the summit.

Years of countless pilgrims had polished the ground smooth, leaving not a single blade of moss to mar the surface's mirror-like sheen. Each footstep, a whisper against the ages, had worn away the rough-hewn stone, transforming it into a glassy expanse that reflected the ever-changing sky.

It was a testament to the unwavering devotion of generations, a silent prayer etched into the very earth itself.

Sunlight dappled through the swaying trees, illuminating a group gathered around a stone table nearby. The murmur of their conversation caused her to pause.

As Ji Li approached, the group instinctively parted, creating a path that led her to the center. A voice boomed from the side, "Miss Ji, a thief has been caught stealing your belongings!"

Her gaze followed the voice, meeting a pair of dark eyes that held her captive.