Meadow let out a joyful cry as she watched Zhou Qin slowly awaken. The surrounding Tibetans gathered around, curiosity etched on their faces, murmuring in awe, "Heaven's blessings, she's actually alive!"

Qiangba Gele whirled around, waving a hand dismissively. "Quick, bring the barley wine! She needs a bit to warm her up."

Soon, a young local produced a warmly wrapped deerskin wineskin, ready to offer it to Zhou Qin. But upon seeing her ethereal beauty, despite being clad in simple, thin clothing, her complexion possessed a striking, cold luminescence even in the frigid snow.

The villagers were inwardly shocked. The young man holding the wine was so mesmerized by Zhou Qin's radiance that he dared not approach, instead deferring and handing the wineskin to Meadow.

Meadow took it with a smile and affectionately brought the mouth of the wineskin close to Zhou Qin's lips. "You must be freezing. Drink some barley wine quickly; it will warm you right up!"

Zhou Qin was just drifting back from her meditative state. The moment her eyes opened, she saw a crowd of Tibetans surrounding her. In front of her, a beautiful local girl held a deerskin wineskin, gazing at her with undisguised delight.

Zhou Qin paused. Having cultivated her Foundation Establishment purely through walking, and being a young, unattached woman of such beauty, she had encountered countless men with ill intentions along the road. Consequently, her vigilance had been honed to an extreme degree. She eyed the wineskin with palpable caution, leaning back slightly, and uttered in a low voice, "Who are you people?"

Meadow genuinely wished to grow closer to Zhou Qin, hoping to glean more information about Li Yundong from her. Seeing Zhou Qin's wary and hostile gaze, she grew anxious and blurted out in the Tibetan language, "You collapsed by the roadside earlier. We saw you and thought you were dead! We never expected you to still be alive. Now that you're awake, we wanted you to have a sip of barley wine to warm up. We mean no harm; please rest assured, we are good people."

Saying this, Meadow turned and gestured toward her kin. "This is barley wine brewed by Lhamo. His brew is potent and has a wonderful flavor. Drinking it will certainly warm you through!"

Zhou Qin watched Meadow chatter at her with what seemed like excessive enthusiasm. Unsure why this girl was so warm towards her, Zhou Qin only grew more suspicious.

With a subtle movement, the icy armor encasing Zhou Qin's body fractured, clattering to the ground. Any remaining ice clinging to her clothes, she merely brushed off with a serene hand.

The Tibetans watched this slender, seemingly fragile woman, clad in so little yet remaining perfectly composed in the biting wind and snow, and their awe deepened.

Meadow blinked, startled when Zhou Qin ignored her. Why isn't the Han sister responding to me? Ah, right, she probably doesn't understand my words!

Meadow immediately repeated everything she had said, this time rapidly in Mandarin. Upon hearing this, Zhou Qin offered a faint smile and replied to Meadow, "Thank you for your kindness. I am not cold and don't need to drink this. Furthermore, thank you all for your good intentions in saving me; I am fine."

With that, Zhou Qin dusted off the ice shards clinging to her garments and prepared to turn and continue her journey toward Karil Holy Mountain.

Zhou Qin's aloofness stunned the Tibetans. They exchanged bewildered glances, speechless; they had never encountered someone so utterly unreasonable.

Yet, most of the villagers noticed that despite her thin attire fluttering in the cold wind, Zhou Qin's cheeks were naturally flushed with color, her beauty unparalleled, and her demeanor exuded a lofty, reserved majesty. Instead of finding her rude, they felt that for someone of her caliber, this was precisely the attitude and bearing expected.

Meadow stood frozen for a long moment, holding the wineskin, watching Zhou Qin walk away. Only when Zhou Qin's silhouette slowly vanished into the blizzard did she involuntarily shout out in Mandarin, "Han sister! Do you happen to know Li Yundong?"

That shout stopped Zhou Qin mid-stride.

Zhou Qin spun around sharply, gazing at Meadow with suspicion and surprise. "How do you know him?"

Meadow rushed forward, overflowing with surprised joy. "Han sister, you really know him? What is your name?"

Zhou Qin frowned slightly, replying with a counter-question instead of answering, "What is your name?"

Meadow didn't mind Zhou Qin's tone, smiling cheerfully. "My name is Meadow. And you, Han sister?"

Hearing the name, Zhou Qin paused. She recalled Li Yundong mentioning this Tibetan girl, Meadow, during their casual chats. But she knew that names were often repeated among the Tibetans, so she dared not let her guard down, smiling as she asked, "How do you know Li Yundong?"

When Li Yundong's name was mentioned, a soft tenderness instantly entered Meadow's eyes. She spoke softly, "When I first saw him, I thought that Han brother was terribly dirty and sloppy! Oh, and that Han brother also saved Qiangba Gele's life!"

Hearing this, Zhou Qin's doubts vanished entirely. The wariness and defensiveness left her face, replaced by a slight smile. "So it is you people. I have heard of you."

Meadow clapped her hands, laughing delightedly. "You really know Han brother? Oh, what a coincidence!" Turning back, Meadow waved toward Qiangba Gele. "Qiangba Gele, this Han sister really knows Li Yundong! Hurry up and come here!"

Qiangba Gele also hurried over to Zhou Qin, exclaiming with overwhelming joy, "Little Han sister, what is your relation to Li Yundong? Is she his girlfriend?"

A flicker of sadness crossed Zhou Qin's eyes with lightning speed. She formed a palm salute in the Daoist manner and said, "Infinite blessings upon you. I am his disciple."

Qiangba Gele paused for a moment, then quickly laughed again. "No wonder, no wonder! When I saw the Han young man's astonishing power last time, I knew he couldn't be ordinary. I was right. Seeing you today confirms that saying from the Central Plains is true: A great master produces a great disciple! Only someone as capable as Han brother could teach such an impressive disciple!"

Qiangba Gele inquired, "Little Han sister, are you here for spiritual cultivation?"

Zhou Qin nodded slightly. "Yes, but unfortunately, I encountered a slight detour along the way, which almost ruined my practice."

Qiangba Gele gave her a hearty thumbs-up. "In all my decades, I've never seen a girl so young and beautiful who dares to travel alone, especially dressed so lightly in this season to cultivate at Karil Holy Mountain! Remarkable, truly remarkable! People from the Central Plains are indeed extraordinary!"

Hearing the elderly Tibetan praise her, Zhou Qin offered a slight, reserved smile. "It's nothing, really. Thanks to you all, if you hadn't appeared, I fear I would have run into trouble."

Meadow said with a mischievous grin, "Then, Han sister, how will you thank us?"

Zhou Qin glanced at Meadow with a smile playing on her lips. "Whatever you wish to ask, just say it. If I can do it, I certainly will."

Neither Meadow nor Qiangba Gele knew Zhou Qin's true background or status, nor that a single sentence from her could alter the course of one person's—or many people's—lives.

Qiangba Gele shot Meadow a look and sternly called out, "Meadow! How can you demand repayment from a respected guest! Apologize quickly!"

Meadow pouted and made a face at Qiangba Gele. "Hmph, I wasn't asking for anything unreasonable!" Then, turning back to Zhou Qin, she smiled brightly. "I’ll just ask you a few questions, and if you answer, that will be repayment enough for us!"

Hearing this, Qiangba Gele relaxed, glaring at Meadow with mock anger and chuckling, "When will you ever speak for all of us?"

Meadow seemed not to hear Qiangba Gele, gazing intently at Zhou Qin, her eyes filled with hopeful anticipation. "Is that okay, Han sister?"

Zhou Qin looked at the Tibetan girl, seeing eyes so pure they seemed utterly flawless, like the sacred Namtso Lake—so clear one could almost see straight through to the bottom.

Zhou Qin observed this and mused internally: What a lovable Tibetan girl. No wonder Master mentioned her to me several times after returning.

Zhou Qin replied with a smile, "Of course, ask away."

Meadow was overjoyed and laughed. "Then my first question: Han sister, what is your actual name? Is it Su Chan?"

Zhou Qin shook her head with a gentle smile. "No, my name is Zhou Qin. Su Chan is the name of another girl."

Meadow immediately pressed further. "Then... do you know this girl named Su Chan? Is she Li Yundong's lover?"

Zhou Qin sighed softly within her heart, then nodded. "Yes!"

Meadow gasped, her expression becoming complicated. She asked again, "May I ask one more question?"

Zhou Qin smiled faintly. "Yes, but I will have a question for you afterward."

Meadow giggled. "Alright, then Sister Zhou Qin, you ask first?"

Zhou Qin considered for a moment, deciding not to be overly polite. "Where are you all from? Why did my Master run into you when he was here, and why do I run into you here now?"

Hearing this, Meadow and Qiangba Gele exchanged glances, realizing Zhou Qin still harbored some lingering doubt. They both laughed.

Qiangba Gele explained cheerfully, "Little Han sister, we travel to Karil Holy Mountain to worship every four years. Last time, we met Han brother during our pilgrimage. You must understand, we travel by ox-cart and horse-drawn carriage, and we stop to worship at every temple we pass, which takes a great deal of time. So, it took us more than a month to return from the Karil pilgrimage. Now, we are heading back to our homeland."

Only then did Zhou Qin realize the truth, and she smiled apologetically. "I am truly sorry; I can be overly suspicious sometimes."

Qiangba Gele waved his hand, laughing heartily. "It's fine, it's fine! For a young, beautiful girl like you, being vigilant is necessary to avoid bad people!"

Meadow chimed in with a smile, "Han sister, can you answer my questions now?"

Zhou Qin laughed. "Go ahead."

Meadow asked nervously, "If I tried to take the entrance exam for the same university as Han brother, do you think I could pass?"

Hearing this, Zhou Qin felt as though all five flavors—sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and salty—had been churned up inside her. She thought with bitter resignation: Oh, Li Yundong, Li Yundong, you truly are a peerless romantic! You scatter your affections everywhere! Not only have you brought misery upon me, but now you have ensnared this innocent and lovely young Tibetan girl!

A wry smile touched the corners of Zhou Qin's mouth; for a moment, she didn't know how to answer this pure young girl before her.

Just as she struggled for a reply, a series of soft ringing bells drifted through the wind and snow—like camel bells, or perhaps the sound of prayer wheels being turned by the locals.

Qiangba Gele and Meadow both froze at the sound, turning in unison to look out into the swirling snow.

In the blizzard, a procession was slowly emerging, consisting of about a dozen people, each riding either a yak or a Bactrian camel.

Meadow wondered aloud, "Camels? Those are only found near Lhasa, aren't they? Why would someone be riding camels here?"

Qiangba Gele examined the group closely. He noticed that everyone in the procession was dressed in Buddhist robes of yellow trimmed with red. Those riding the double-humped camels wore long, yellow feathered monastic hats.

Qiangba Gele gasped in surprise. "This is the entourage of a Living Buddha! What are they doing out here?"

At that moment, Meadow recognized the young monk leading the group as Dorje Tenzin, whom she knew. She waved her arm enthusiastically. "Dorje Tenzin! It's me, Meadow!"

Dorje Tenzin was also quite surprised to see Meadow. He spoke briefly to the older monk behind him, then turned his yak and slowly approached Meadow.

After Dorje Tenzin drew near, Meadow smiled and asked, "Dorje Tenzin, why are you out in such a heavy snowstorm?"

Dorje Tenzin cast a curious glance at Zhou Qin beside her, then smiled back at Meadow. "The Panchen Lama said the Goddess of Auspicious Fortune has descended, and we have been sent out to seek the Buddha!"

Apologies for forgetting the update last night; I'm catching up this morning~ Today will still have two updates.