Faraway Wanderers - V1C11
Chapter 11
Monsters and Illusions
Wen Kexing was uncertain about the nature of the dust Zhou Zishu had scattered, but he chose not to inquire, seemingly aware of Zhou’s abilities. He stood quietly beside him. Moments later, the heavy, labored breathing of an approaching creature echoed in the air. The beast, sensing something amiss, moved cautiously and passed by just ten feet from them.
It resembled a dog but was the size of a pony, entirely black. It panted through its nose, and a subtle, fishy odor lingered around it. As it advanced slowly, it began to sniff the air, clearly suspicious of its surroundings.
Zhou Zishu crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, his narrowed eyes focused intently on the unfolding scene. A fleeting, chilling smile appeared on Wen Kexing’s face, but it vanished almost immediately.
The creature remained unaware of their presence as it paused momentarily before moving on. It followed the scent of blood to the corpses of the aquatic monsters. After sniffing, it let out a bellow, lowered its head, and began to chew contentedly; it was evident that it could easily decapitate the humanoid monsters.
Wen Kexing and Zhou Zishu exchanged a glance. Zhou Zishu felt a quiet dread; though not a coroner, his life experiences had endowed him with considerable knowledge, and he found it impossible to misidentify a human head. Could this creature truly be human? he wondered. If so, how did it end up like this?
Wen Kexing nudged him, indicating a small path. Zhou Zishu nodded, moving cautiously.
The path twisted and turned unpredictably. After what felt like an eternity of navigating away from their original route, Wen Kexing remarked, “There are bite marks on the bones of those dead monsters. Do you think they eat each other?”
When he wasn’t being playful, his voice drifted low, almost weary, as if he didn’t want to expend extra energy. He paused before asking, “Are they human?”
Zhou Zishu met his gaze and replied quietly, “Forgive me; I’m just a fool with limited knowledge.”
Wen Kexing chuckled softly, “You, limited knowledge? Hah.”
Without pursuing the topic further, he continued walking.
After an uncountable number of twists and turns, they finally came upon the rushing ‘Yellow Spring’ again. Zhou Zishu called out, “Wait.”
Wen Kexing turned back, his earlier irritating demeanor returning. “What’s wrong, beautiful Brother Zhou?”
Zhou Zishu knew that responding would only encourage him, so he remained silent. “Those underwater creatures are incredibly strong and swift; they navigate water effortlessly. The beast we saw moves on land and knows to avoid the river; if it’s not hunting near the water, how can it catch the monsters?”
Wen Kexing halted, inspecting the ground beneath them. It was uncertain whether he was speaking to himself or to Zhou Zishu, “How vast is this place?”
Zhou Zishu broke the silence, lost in thought. “This river flows from east to west. I clearly remember the direction; even though we've taken some turns, we're still heading north-south…”
“Are you saying we’re going around in circles?” Wen Kexing said, his eyes wide with sudden excitement. “That reminds me of a story I heard about someone who…”
Zhou Zishu turned away from him, marking the wall with his fingertip, before silently continuing his journey along the mysterious river.
Wen Kexing wasn’t bothered by the lack of attention to his story. He rubbed his nose, grinning as he followed Zhou Zishu.
Suddenly, a roar reverberated through the cave, accompanied by a piercing scream that sounded like a child in distress.
Zhou Zishu halted in his steps.
The child’s sobs grew increasingly louder.
Without hesitation, Zhou Zishu sprinted toward the source of the sound, covering ten feet in the blink of an eye. Wen Kexing's hand reached out instinctively, but he was left speechless, swallowing back his words as he shook his head and followed closely behind.
They soon spotted a half-dog, half-horse creature looming over a little girl. Its enormous fangs were perilously close to her pale neck, threatening to bite down at any moment. Zhou Zishu leaped into the air and struck at the monster. Utilizing his ranged attack skills, he landed a hit directly on the creature’s head, sending it tumbling to the side.
He quickly picked up the girl, who was barely clinging to life.
The beast shook its head violently, disoriented from the blow. When it finally realized its prey had been taken, it let out a furious roar and charged at Zhou Zishu.
Initially, Zhou Zishu's instinct was to throw the girl to Wen Kexing, but he hesitated. Instead, he began to move in an unusual pattern, skillfully retreating several feet. He placed the girl down and kept moving.
The beast pursued him, its foul breath nearly overwhelming. Zhou Zishu sprang into the air, landing on the creature's back within moments.
Wen Kexing stood there, his face expressionless, seemingly indifferent to the sobbing child. Zhou Zishu utilized ‘The Fall of A Thousand Weight’[1] to restrain the beast, but it was cunning, rolling over to avoid capture; anyone who followed would surely be crushed, regardless of their strength. Seizing the moment, Zhou Zishu leaped down with a yell, delivering a kick to its belly.
Though its back was fortified with tough muscles, the creature’s stomach was vulnerable, and its kick jarred its insides. It roared in agony yet remained upright, shielded by its thick skin and with its mouth opening wide to bite Zhou Zishu, its powerful hind legs propelled it forward despite the pain. Just as Zhou Zishu prepared to evade, he felt a sudden barrier in his internal energy.
At that very moment, the beast’s sharp teeth loomed close. He pressed down on his chest with one palm and bent his elbow, taking a desperate risk by striking the creature’s nose with his elbow. The sound of its nose breaking echoed as its claw grazed Zhou Zishu's left shoulder, causing immediate bloodshed. Realizing that the creature's nose was its weak point, he disregarded his injury and aimed another blow, shattering the bones in its forehead. The beast staggered back with a loud crash.
Zhou Zishu frowned, blocking the acupuncture points on his shoulder to stem the bleeding. He considered using water from the “Yellow Spring” to cleanse the wound, but recalled the half-human, half-demon beings lurking below and abandoned the idea. He caught Wen Kexing’s exclamation of “Oh,” followed by, “Do you have internal injuries?” Zhou Zishu glanced at him and replied nonchalantly, “I just haven’t eaten enough tonight.”
He bent down to scoop up the young girl, gently patting her back as he spoke softly, “Where are you from? How did you end up here?” Wen Kexing chuckled mockingly. “You should be asking her what kind of demon she is. Why did you save her in the first place?” The girl remained silent, burying herself deeper into Zhou Zishu’s embrace.
Zhou Zishu ceased his inquiries and replied to Wen Kexing, “It’s for accumulating merits.” Wen Kexing scrutinized the blood on Zhou Zishu's shoulder thoughtfully before suddenly grinning, “I’ve caught you; Brother Zhou forgot to conceal the skin on your shoulder, which looks quite different from your face and neck.”
Zhou Zishu paused for a brief moment before responding curtly, “It’s just from sunbathing.”
Wen Kexing continued to smile, “Is that so? This is the first time I’ve heard that a pale beauty can develop such a haggard complexion after sunbathing.”
Zhou Zishu crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, his narrowed eyes focused intently on the unfolding scene. A fleeting, chilling smile appeared on Wen Kexing’s face, but it vanished almost immediately.
The creature remained unaware of their presence as it paused momentarily before moving on. It followed the scent of blood to the corpses of the aquatic monsters. After sniffing, it let out a bellow, lowered its head, and began to chew contentedly; it was evident that it could easily decapitate the humanoid monsters.
Wen Kexing and Zhou Zishu exchanged a glance. Zhou Zishu felt a quiet dread; though not a coroner, his life experiences had endowed him with considerable knowledge, and he found it impossible to misidentify a human head. Could this creature truly be human? he wondered. If so, how did it end up like this?
Wen Kexing nudged him, indicating a small path. Zhou Zishu nodded, moving cautiously.
The path twisted and turned unpredictably. After what felt like an eternity of navigating away from their original route, Wen Kexing remarked, “There are bite marks on the bones of those dead monsters. Do you think they eat each other?”
When he wasn’t being playful, his voice drifted low, almost weary, as if he didn’t want to expend extra energy. He paused before asking, “Are they human?”
Zhou Zishu met his gaze and replied quietly, “Forgive me; I’m just a fool with limited knowledge.”
Wen Kexing chuckled softly, “You, limited knowledge? Hah.”
Without pursuing the topic further, he continued walking.
After an uncountable number of twists and turns, they finally came upon the rushing ‘Yellow Spring’ again. Zhou Zishu called out, “Wait.”
Wen Kexing turned back, his earlier irritating demeanor returning. “What’s wrong, beautiful Brother Zhou?”
Zhou Zishu knew that responding would only encourage him, so he remained silent. “Those underwater creatures are incredibly strong and swift; they navigate water effortlessly. The beast we saw moves on land and knows to avoid the river; if it’s not hunting near the water, how can it catch the monsters?”
Wen Kexing halted, inspecting the ground beneath them. It was uncertain whether he was speaking to himself or to Zhou Zishu, “How vast is this place?”
Zhou Zishu broke the silence, lost in thought. “This river flows from east to west. I clearly remember the direction; even though we've taken some turns, we're still heading north-south…”
“Are you saying we’re going around in circles?” Wen Kexing said, his eyes wide with sudden excitement. “That reminds me of a story I heard about someone who…”
Zhou Zishu turned away from him, marking the wall with his fingertip, before silently continuing his journey along the mysterious river.
Wen Kexing wasn’t bothered by the lack of attention to his story. He rubbed his nose, grinning as he followed Zhou Zishu.
Suddenly, a roar reverberated through the cave, accompanied by a piercing scream that sounded like a child in distress.
Zhou Zishu halted in his steps.
The child’s sobs grew increasingly louder.
Without hesitation, Zhou Zishu sprinted toward the source of the sound, covering ten feet in the blink of an eye. Wen Kexing's hand reached out instinctively, but he was left speechless, swallowing back his words as he shook his head and followed closely behind.
They soon spotted a half-dog, half-horse creature looming over a little girl. Its enormous fangs were perilously close to her pale neck, threatening to bite down at any moment. Zhou Zishu leaped into the air and struck at the monster. Utilizing his ranged attack skills, he landed a hit directly on the creature’s head, sending it tumbling to the side.
He quickly picked up the girl, who was barely clinging to life.
The beast shook its head violently, disoriented from the blow. When it finally realized its prey had been taken, it let out a furious roar and charged at Zhou Zishu.
Initially, Zhou Zishu's instinct was to throw the girl to Wen Kexing, but he hesitated. Instead, he began to move in an unusual pattern, skillfully retreating several feet. He placed the girl down and kept moving.
The beast pursued him, its foul breath nearly overwhelming. Zhou Zishu sprang into the air, landing on the creature's back within moments.
Wen Kexing stood there, his face expressionless, seemingly indifferent to the sobbing child. Zhou Zishu utilized ‘The Fall of A Thousand Weight’[1] to restrain the beast, but it was cunning, rolling over to avoid capture; anyone who followed would surely be crushed, regardless of their strength. Seizing the moment, Zhou Zishu leaped down with a yell, delivering a kick to its belly.
Though its back was fortified with tough muscles, the creature’s stomach was vulnerable, and its kick jarred its insides. It roared in agony yet remained upright, shielded by its thick skin and with its mouth opening wide to bite Zhou Zishu, its powerful hind legs propelled it forward despite the pain. Just as Zhou Zishu prepared to evade, he felt a sudden barrier in his internal energy.
At that very moment, the beast’s sharp teeth loomed close. He pressed down on his chest with one palm and bent his elbow, taking a desperate risk by striking the creature’s nose with his elbow. The sound of its nose breaking echoed as its claw grazed Zhou Zishu's left shoulder, causing immediate bloodshed. Realizing that the creature's nose was its weak point, he disregarded his injury and aimed another blow, shattering the bones in its forehead. The beast staggered back with a loud crash.
Zhou Zishu frowned, blocking the acupuncture points on his shoulder to stem the bleeding. He considered using water from the “Yellow Spring” to cleanse the wound, but recalled the half-human, half-demon beings lurking below and abandoned the idea. He caught Wen Kexing’s exclamation of “Oh,” followed by, “Do you have internal injuries?” Zhou Zishu glanced at him and replied nonchalantly, “I just haven’t eaten enough tonight.”
He bent down to scoop up the young girl, gently patting her back as he spoke softly, “Where are you from? How did you end up here?” Wen Kexing chuckled mockingly. “You should be asking her what kind of demon she is. Why did you save her in the first place?” The girl remained silent, burying herself deeper into Zhou Zishu’s embrace.
Zhou Zishu ceased his inquiries and replied to Wen Kexing, “It’s for accumulating merits.” Wen Kexing scrutinized the blood on Zhou Zishu's shoulder thoughtfully before suddenly grinning, “I’ve caught you; Brother Zhou forgot to conceal the skin on your shoulder, which looks quite different from your face and neck.”
Zhou Zishu paused for a brief moment before responding curtly, “It’s just from sunbathing.”
Wen Kexing continued to smile, “Is that so? This is the first time I’ve heard that a pale beauty can develop such a haggard complexion after sunbathing.”
The term “Pale Beauty” sent a shiver down Zhou Zishu's spine. He was about to respond while still carrying the girl when something caught his eye. He stared in shock as he witnessed an unusual sight: from the dead beast's body, a plant began to grow, glowing and blossoming… it was a cherry blossom tree!
Wen Kexing followed his gaze, his expression rapidly draining of color.
Zhou Zishu was too transfixed to think about anything else; he stood frozen, marveling at the blooming tree. An unfamiliar fragrance filled the air. The beast's body had vanished, and the flowers continued to bloom, seemingly drawing on some magical energy; it felt like he could reach out and touch them.
Then, he spotted someone standing beneath the tree.
It was a young man with thick eyebrows and large eyes, his lips seemingly perpetually smiling. Petals floated down onto his shoulders, but he paid them no mind, extending his hand as he spoke. Zhou Zishu could make out the words—“senior brother.”
It was Jiuxiao...
In that moment, it felt as though his heart had stopped.
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his shoulder. Zhou Zishu gasped in surprise, as he had let his guard down. He glanced down to find the little girl in his arms biting into his wound.
Acting on reflex, he used his internal strength to throw her away. When he regained his composure, the cherry blossom tree and the young man had vanished, leaving only the dark cave with the beast's carcass and the pile of bones they had examined moments earlier.
The girl he had cast aside let out a horrible scream. Upon closer inspection, he realized she was not a girl at all but an underwater monster!
The little monster shrieked, its eyes fixated hungrily on his bleeding wound, ready to attack again. But before it could pounce, a hand shot out and seized its neck. The creature was dispatched swiftly, its neck snapped before it had a chance to resist.
Wen Kexing smirked in amusement, discarding the lifeless body nonchalantly. He spoke as if nothing had happened, “Those underwater creatures still dare to venture onto land even though they fear the beast. It seems we're not the only ones down here.”
Zhou Zishu felt completely drained of energy, managing a forced laugh, “So we just went in circles and returned to where we started?”
Wen Kexing assessed him critically. “Can you walk? I can carry you… bridal style if you prefer, as long as you let me see your real face.”
Zhou Zishu replied dryly, “Thanks, but that's unnecessary.”
He covered the wound on his shoulder, mustering his strength to continue along the ‘Yellow Spring.’ Then, as if recalling something, he asked, “Earlier, I saw a tree with flowers sprouting from the beast’s corpse, with the prince’s feathers dancing and singing. What did you see?”
Wen Kexing answered from behind him, “I saw an owl—I told you before that an owl laughing brings only bad luck, and wasn’t I right? I also saw a person carrying a bowl of red water, and then the owl knocked it over…”
Zhou Zishu chose to remain silent. Having lied earlier, he felt it was only fair for his companion to do the same.
Taking the lead, he didn’t glance back, unaware of Wen Kexing’s expression at that moment. The smile on the man’s face seemed to freeze, his eyes vacant, lost somewhere far away. Seeing that Zhou Zishu was impatient with his owl tale, he swallowed it and followed behind.
[1] In Kung Fu, the phrase "The Fall of a Thousand Weight" (often referenced alongside related concepts like "Four Ounces Deflect a Thousand Pounds") refers to specific advanced techniques of weight manipulation, balance, and force application.
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