The dead of night lay heavy upon Gato Monastery, the silence so profound that the voices of Li Yundong, Qiangbage La, and Meiduo instantly drew the attention of the patrolling Lama guards. Two monks carrying lanterns spotted their silhouettes and shouted sternly in Tibetan, "Who goes there!"

The two Lamas spoke in Tibetan, to which Qiangbage La replied in the same tongue, "It is I, Qiangba, a friend of Abbot Danba."

The two monks approached, raising their lanterns for a closer look, and then burst out laughing. "Qiangbage La, it’s you! What are you doing here so late? Oh, and Meiduo, you’re here too?"

Meiduo smiled and greeted the two young monks. Their gazes, however, fixed suspiciously on Li Yundong as they asked, "And who is this? What is he doing here at this hour?"

Qiangbage La chuckled, "This is the man who saved my life."

One of the young Lamas, slightly taller than the other, laughed knowingly. "Ah, I know, I know. I heard about this. Qiangbage La, is this the Han Chinese Living Buddha who pulled you back from Sukhavati? He doesn't look the part!"

Qiangbage La merely laughed, "The Buddha teaches that all sentient beings are equal. One must not judge a person by their status, nobility, appearance, or clothing. Mima, don't let his looks fool you; this man is incredibly capable!"

The young Lama named Mima grinned, "Of course. I certainly don't possess the skill to bring a dead man back to life."

Seeing that they were conversing entirely in Tibetan, which he couldn't understand a word of, Li Yundong couldn't help but turn to Meiduo and ask, "What are they talking about?"

Meiduo smiled, "We are talking about you. Mima and Pucheng don't believe you actually revived Qiangbage La."

Li Yundong offered a slight smile. "It doesn't matter, as long as they don't press charges for me trespassing onto the monastery grounds late at night."

To his surprise, Mima understood Mandarin. He looked taken aback and said to Li Yundong in Mandarin, "You entered the monastery grounds without permission?"

Li Yundong cursed internally: Why did I have to walk right into that? These two Lamas actually understand Mandarin? He inwardly groaned but forced a stiff nod, saying, "Actually, I’ve been inside the monastery the whole time; I never left. So, it doesn't really count as trespassing."

The other monk, Pucheng, who had been silent until now, also spoke up in slightly broken Mandarin, "You are not permitted to stay overnight at Gato Monastery without authorization."

Li Yundong knew the fault was his own and saw no point in arguing with the two Lamas. He nodded and said, "Understood. I'll leave in a moment then."

Qiangbage La was horrified. He quickly moved to block the departing Li Yundong and said earnestly, "Young Han brother, you are my savior. We Tibetans have no custom of turning away our benefactors; that would be unforgivable ingratitude. Wait here a moment. Abbot Danba, the head here, is a good friend of mine. I will speak with him, and you will certainly be allowed to stay the night."

Li Yundong smiled, "Qiangbage La, it's fine, I was planning on traveling through the night anyway."

Qiangbage La opened his arms, preventing Li Yundong from moving past him. "Young Han brother, if you insist on leaving, won't that make this old man feel deeply uncomfortable? If others find out I, Qiangba, could not repay my own savior, what will they think of me?"

Meiduo also chimed in persuasively, "Yes, Han brother, though you haven't gotten lost on your long journey, the plateau is not like the interior where roads and signs are everywhere. It is very easy to lose your way up here. Why don't you wait until morning and travel with us?"

Li Yundong felt a shift within him, realizing Meiduo had a point, and he hesitated.

Seeing that he was wavering, Qiangbage La quickly said, "I will go find the Abbot. Young Han brother, please wait here; you must wait for my news!"

As he spoke, he shot a meaningful look to Meiduo, silently instructing her to ensure Li Yundong did not leave.

Meiduo nodded slightly, signaling she understood. Qiangbage La was relieved and waved to Mima and Pucheng, "You two, hurry and take me to Abbot Danba! Quick, quick!"

The two young monks glanced at Li Yundong, seeming hesitant, but unable to resist Qiangbage La’s urgency, they turned and led the old man away.

Watching them depart, Meiduo smiled. "Han brother, don't worry. Qiangbage La and Abbot Danba are extremely close friends. They became sworn brothers when they were young; they are the best of friends."

Li Yundong chuckled, "I'm not worried. If all else fails, sleeping outside for a night is manageable. I’ve managed that way for the past month anyway."

Meiduo’s gaze involuntarily drifted down to Li Yundong’s bare feet. "Han brother, have you truly been walking all this way barefoot? Where did you come from?"

Li Yundong looked at her and smiled, "Tiannan City. Have you heard of it?"

Meiduo gasped, "I know it! That is a very, very distant city—over two thousand kilometers away!"

Li Yundong was surprised, "You know Tiannan City?"

Meiduo said proudly, "I am very good at geography! In school, I was always in the top three of all my subjects; you shouldn't underestimate me!"

Li Yundong laughed heartily, "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare! You are far more impressive than I am!"

Meiduo giggled. She opened her mouth to speak, suddenly realizing she didn't know what to say next. Her eyes darted around, and she asked, "Then, Han brother, can you tell me, how old are you? You must be working already, right?"

Li Yundong smiled, "I'm still in university, only twenty years old."

Meiduo exclaimed in surprise, "No way? You look like you're thirty! I can't believe you're only two years older than me! You're a university student? Hee hee, I'm taking the university entrance exams next year too!"

Li Yundong smiled and followed her lead, "Which university are you hoping to attend?"

Meiduo already had a favored university in mind, but suddenly her eyes narrowed shrewdly, and she said, "I haven't decided yet. By the way, Han brother, which university did you attend?"

Li Yundong replied with a laugh, "Tiannan University. It's just a third-rate school, not worth mentioning."

Meiduo, unaware Li Yundong was being genuine, assumed he was just employing Han modesty. She smiled, "Should I try to get into your university?"

As she spoke, her heart suddenly began to pound. Her ears flushed red, and while her eyes held shyness, her gaze was fiercely direct and remarkably bold.

Li Yundong failed to notice Meiduo's intense look, nor did he grasp the underlying test in her words. He just laughed, "Didn't I say the school isn't very good? If someone as excellent as you went there, wouldn't it be a waste of talent?"

Meiduo blinked, unsure what Li Yundong meant by that. Was he rejecting her, or was it something else?

She thought for a long time, feeling the words weren't a clear acceptance nor a clear refusal. Unwilling to give up, she opened her mouth, wanting to probe again, but she felt too shy, and the words simply wouldn't leave her lips.

A seventeen or eighteen-year-old Tibetan girl facing a twenty-year-old Han youth deep in the night, her thoughts tangled into a mess. Meiduo wrestled with her confusion for a long time, finally harboring a silent resentment: No wonder people say Han Chinese have so many hidden schemes. Seeing this today, it really is true! If it’s good, it’s good; if it’s bad, it’s bad! How annoying!

Li Yundong had no idea he was being inwardly chastised by the young girl. Seeing Meiduo suddenly lower her head in silence, he didn't press the conversation, merely reflecting inwardly: This girl is so much like Su Chan. I wonder where that little sprite is now, and what she's doing? Is she thinking of me?

Meiduo, seeing Li Yundong make no move to speak to her, grew even more resentful: Usually, countless young men seek me out to talk, but why is this Han brother so proud that he won't even offer me a single voluntary word?

Meiduo felt too proud to initiate conversation, yet her feet felt rooted to the spot.

While the two stood there harboring their respective thoughts, Qiangbage La located the residence of Abbot Danba in the monastery's rear courtyard. Before even entering the room, he shouted loudly, "Danba, are you asleep? If you are, wake up quickly for me!"

He then turned to Mima and Pucheng and said, "That's all, that's all, you two can go now."

Mima and Pucheng had been leading the way for Qiangbage La, but the old man’s pace quickened as they walked, and his familiarity with the terrain allowed him to reach the destination well ahead of them.

Mima and Pucheng exchanged a wry glance, shook their heads, and departed.

Not long after, with a creak, the wooden door opened, and an elderly man emerged, clad in a red monk's robe draped with a yellow kasaya. The elder's eyebrows were streaked with white, exceptionally long, and his face was etched with wrinkles. Seeing Qiangbage La, he couldn't help but sigh, "Qiangba, it's so late; what are you shouting about out here? Aren't you afraid of disturbing the Buddha!"

Qiangbage La startled, first bowing respectfully toward the location of the Buddha statue within the temple, and then anxiously grabbed Danba's arm, saying, "I have an urgent matter to discuss with you."

Danba forced a wry smile. "You haven't changed that impatient nature even after decades. What is the matter?"

Qiangbage La explained the situation, and Danba burst out laughing. "So you finally found your savior! Where is he? Hurry and take me to meet him! I too want to see what this master who could pull a man back from Sukhavati looks like!"

Saying this, he started to stride forward, showing even more urgency than Qiangbage La.

But Qiangbage La held onto Danba's arm, refusing to let him go. "No, you must first promise me that he can stay the night here!"

Danba laughed, "Is that all? Agreed, agreed!"

He tried to move again, but Qiangbage La held him fast. "Hold on, I have something else to tell you."

Danba managed a weak smile. "What else could there be?"

Qiangbage La’s expression turned serious. "This Han man saved my life. Without him, I wouldn't even have been able to complete this pilgrimage. But I don't have anything on me right now that is suitable to thank him with, so I need to borrow something from you."

Danba immediately grew alert. "What do you want to borrow?"

Qiangbage La stated, "The Mahamudra Esoteric Sutra!"