"It's you again!" I looked the mysterious figure emerging from that cloud of black, murky fog from head to toe. A jolt of realization struck me. I couldn't even remember whether it had been a year since I'd last seen him.
"Did you think that aside from your wife, there was anyone else who would show up beside you every time things reached a critical moment?" The black-robed man's voice carried a trace of laughter. By the time he had fully emerged from the darkness, not a single glimmer of light remained in the sky.
Everything around us was silent and still. Although I was standing not far from the lakeshore, I was more than half a li from the bank. The surroundings were wide open and barren, with only the calm surface of the lake occasionally stirring with ripples.
Beneath the water, several enormous fish that had wandered over from time to time circled below the surface, yet showed no sign of attacking. It seemed even the fish were about to gain spiritual awareness, knowing how to distinguish strength from weakness.
"Hmph. You didn't come early or late, but only showed up after everyone was at their wits' end. How do you plan to rescue me this time?" I knew why he had come. Once the wheel of history entered a state where it could no longer turn on its own, he would appear and push the gears, making them continue to rotate.
"Heh heh, I haven't figured it out yet. But I'd already been thinking about it when I came. For now, continue cooperating with them here. I'll find a way to come up with a solution, and it won't take too long. I'm just here to give you a heads-up," the black-robed man said with a grin.