Chapter 62: Y-You, You, Who Exactly Are You?

The person who entered was an unkempt old man, dressed in ragged clothes, looking like a beggar.
But the moment Tang Mi saw him, her eyes instantly welled up with tears.
After so many years, she was finally seeing her master again.

Ye Chenxuan, who had been following quietly, saw the old man come in, and his restless heart inexplicably calmed.
Guixi, standing outside, had noticed the firelight and guessed someone was here, but never expected it would be a young lady.
Tang Mi seemed not to notice Guixi at all, busily adding firewood to the fire.

“Little girl, can an old man sit here by the fire to warm himself?” The weather before September wasn’t really cold, just a bit cool, but this delicate little girl somehow invited warmth and closeness.

Tang Mi finally looked up at him: “I also gathered this firewood. Please feel free, senior.”

Unexpectedly, this little girl spoke quite straightforwardly. Guixi liked her even more and sat down accordingly.

Tang Mi didn’t talk to him, just kept feeding the firewood until the fire burned well, then opened her food box and took out the two dishes she had made.

Seeing the food, Guixi’s eyes lit up instantly: “Little girl, you even brought food? Let this old man see what you brought.”

He leaned closer and saw a big bowl of vegetarian soup and several scallion pancakes. Although simple, the dishes were exquisitely made and looked delicious. Most importantly, they were still hot, and the fragrant aroma was irresistible.

“Little girl, your food looks great! Did you make it yourself? Can you give this old man a piece to taste?” Guixi tried to cozy up to Tang Mi and reached out to grab a scallion pancake.

“Slap!” Tang Mi didn’t hesitate to smack the back of Guixi’s hand.

Guixi immediately grinned flatteringly: “Your pancakes smell so good, this old man just wants one piece. You have so many; you can’t eat them all, right?”

“Who says I can’t eat them all? The pancakes I make are the best; of course I can finish them,” Tang Mi deliberately didn’t fall for his trick and tore open a pancake in front of him. The crisp sound and rich aroma instantly made Guixi drool.

Not only did Guixi, a greedy old man, get tempted, but even Ye Chenxuan couldn’t help swallowing his saliva.

“Little girl, don’t be stingy. Just give me one piece, only one,” Guixi pleaded again, reaching out once more.

“Slap!” Another crisp smack, Tang Mi knocked away Guixi’s sneaky hand and gave him a reproachful look: “I gathered the firewood, you can warm yourself by the fire, but these things I made myself. I put in effort and used good ingredients. If you want to eat, you can’t just take them for free.”

The little girl spoke sharply and with reason. Guixi felt a bit embarrassed: “So you want silver?”

Tang Mi curled her lips disdainfully: “Who said I want silver? As if I’m short of money.”

Guixi looked her over from head to toe. Though dressed like a maid, she was very pretty, almost stunning. Her aura was not something an ordinary maid could have. Also, her cloak was clearly made of fine material, indicating a distinguished identity.

Guixi chuckled awkwardly, shaking his ragged clothes: “You’re right, even if you wanted silver, this old man has none to give. Just say it, what do you want?”

Tang Mi took a bite of her crispy pancake, sipping the hot soup, and smiled at him: “You senior speak as if you’re some immortal who can give me anything. Of course, you have to show me what you have first, then I’ll decide if I want to trade.”

“You’re clever, little girl,” Guixi liked her proposal very much. He eagerly pulled out a book from his bosom and handed it to Tang Mi: “How about I trade you this for your pancake?”

Tang Mi glanced at the book, The Hundred Herb Records, and inwardly rejoiced, but outwardly she showed disdain: “This? I don’t want it.”

Seeing her reject the book, Guixi instantly frowned: “You little girl don’t know its value. This is a treasure, many have begged for it and couldn’t get it.”

Every year, countless people tried to get this book, and she actually didn’t want it. He was getting angry!

In the shadows, Ye Chenxuan glanced at The Hundred Herb Records and his pupils shrank sharply.

Tang Mi scoffed: “I didn’t say it’s no good. I don’t want it because I already know the content inside very well; I don’t need it.”

Guixi sneered: “Little girl, if you lie, you’ll get a tongue twist.”

The food was too delicious, and Guixi no longer cared. He shoved the book into Tang Mi’s arms and immediately grabbed a scallion pancake to eat.

Crunch! The fragrant, crispy pancake in his mouth made Guixi feel ecstatic, as if his soul left his body.

“Mm~ mm~” He wolfed down several bites, speechless.

Tang Mi, afraid he’d choke, quickly poured a bowl of vegetarian soup and handed it to him.

Guixi didn’t feel choked at all, but after sipping the soup, his eyes brightened even more: “Little girl, you didn’t exaggerate about your cooking skills.”

Tang Mi smiled: “When have I ever lied? I really have memorized that book.”

Guixi didn’t believe her: “Then recite something for this old man.”

Tang Mi wasn’t annoyed. She began to recite: “This book contains eight sections: The first is root and rhizome herbs; the second, seed herbs; the third, fruit herbs…”

Guixi had been focused on eating, paying no attention at first, but as she kept reciting, he gradually became stunned. His eyes grew wider with each line.

“The sixth section is flower herbs; the seventh, vine and stem herbs; the eighth, whole plant herbs…”

Guixi stared blankly at Tang Mi. This little girl repeated every word perfectly. Could she have peeked at the table of contents before? But he had been watching carefully, and she hadn’t opened the book. This book was only in his possession and had never been shown to anyone. How on earth had she memorized it?

“Shall I keep going?” Tang Mi asked, holding back laughter as she noticed his stare.

“Continue!” Guixi had no appetite left. He stuffed the last bite of pancake into his mouth and looked seriously at Tang Mi, secretly pocketing The Hundred Herb Records from her hands.

Tang Mi almost laughed out loud but pressed her lips together and resumed:
“Section one, root and rhizome herbs: Ai Jiao Luo San (a herb), activates blood circulation medicine, harvested in autumn and winter, sun-dried. Properties: bitter, pungent, neutral. Used to dispel dampness, activate blood…”

If Guixi had been shocked before, now he looked like he had seen a ghost:
“Y-You, y-you, who exactly are you?”