Faraway Wanderers - V1C13
Chapter 13
Escape
Before he could finish, Wen Kexing suddenly cried out in agony, doubling over as one of the blades pierced through his body to the hilt. His face turned ashen, and he managed to gasp out, “You…”
Zhou Zishu was initially taken aback, but quickly moved in the opposite direction. In a narrow passage, he spotted a fleeting shadow. The figure didn’t manage to evade his strike in time, coughing up blood that stained their mask. They stumbled back a few paces but still had the strength to regain their footing and flee.
Zhou Zishu let out an "Oh" as he realized that the pine cone had previously failed to stop this individual, not because of a lack of power on his part, but because this person was skilled at taking hits.
Suddenly, a ghostly figure emerged from nowhere and clutched the person's neck, pinning them against the wall.
The man in black gasped in fear, “You…”
Wen Kexing tilted his head, smiling, as he let his other arm drop. The blade tucked beneath his arm fell to the ground, and not a single thread of his clothes was harmed.
Zhou Zishu spoke in a casual tone, “Did you really buy his act? It’s the first time I’ve encountered such a foolish assassin.”
At this, Wen Kexing regarded him thoughtfully. “It’s not that he’s completely hopeless; your eyes are just far too observant, my friend. If you weren’t injured, he might…”
He trailed off, shaking his head as he tightened his grip on the black-clad man’s neck. The man made a gurgling noise, his eyes filled with terror. Wen Kexing felt over the man’s torso and noted, “Gold-threaded armor… This is high quality, a pity it’s wasted on you.”
With great difficulty, the man managed to utter fragmented words, “Mas… ‘s… m…”
Wen Kexing smirked, then, with a decisive ‘Crack!’, the man convulsed before going limp.
Zhou Zishu observed his companion executing the man without attempting to interrogate him, his expression darkening slightly. He took a step back, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, lost in thought.
Wen Kexing removed the man’s mask, fully unveiling his features. The man appeared to be around forty, with a slight build and high cheekbones, marked by a prominent red birthmark on his right cheek. His eyes were small, his nose large, and he displayed buck teeth.
After examining him, Wen Kexing remarked, “Considering his looks, he certainly deserved to die.”
He then looked up and smiled at Zhou Zishu, asking, “Do you agree, Brother Zhou?”
Zhou Zishu replied, “You really do talk nonsense.”
Wen Kexing raised his arms in a gesture of mock appreciation, “I’m truly honored that you think so highly of me.”
Zhou Zishu chuckled derisively as he stepped past the man to examine the body. A flurry of questions raced through his mind: How had the renowned Golden Armor, which had vanished from the jianghu long ago, come to rest in this person's possession? Was this individual really Xue Fang, the Hanged Ghost? How were those underwater creatures created? Were they even human?
With a quick motion, he stripped the corpse and discovered a chilling tattoo of a ghostly face on the man's back. Zhou Zishu hesitated; the identity of this figure was unmistakable—he was one of the Ghosts. The Hanged? Was it true that Hanged Ghost Xue Fang had buck teeth?
Ugh… This wasn’t right. Zhou Zishu immediately dismissed the Wen Kexing-like thoughts. Could these really be the Ghosts who had pursued him and Zhang Chengling? No way—the Ghosts of Qingzhu Ridge couldn’t build a reputation solely on that.
Why was the Hanged Ghost after Yu Tianjie? And what about the one who had gone the other way—could he be the Delighted Mourning Ghost?
The act of murdering well-known figures near Zhao’s Holdings confirmed that they were implicated in the Zhang family massacre. What could the Ghost Valley gain from this?
He raised his gaze to the seemingly friendly Wen Kexing, suddenly asking, “Didn’t you, Brother Wen, claim you hadn’t killed anyone since leaving home? Why did you break that promise just now?”
Wen Kexing shot him a glare. “He intended to kill me first; if I hadn’t been clever enough, I’d be the one lying dead.”
Zhou Zishu smirked. “Were you also convinced that such misfortune wouldn’t come your way, Mister Good-hearted Wen?”
Wen Kexing spoke with earnestness, “Look at the ghostly face tattoo and then at the young man we found—he lost his head before he even had a chance to marry! Don’t you see? This man was certainly vile—he didn’t need a reason to end the life of someone good.”
Zhou Zishu stared at him in silence.
Shaking his head with conviction, Wen Kexing lamented, “Sadly, an adult like you remains so unaware of such fundamental truths; it’s hard to imagine how you were raised.”
Zhou Zishu remained quiet for a long moment before retorting, “Thanks for the lesson.”
Wen Kexing was quick to respond, “Oh, it’s nothing—don’t be so formal.”
As Zhou Zishu returned to searching the body, a small pouch fell out from the area near the chest. He carefully removed it and discovered a glittering piece of lapis lazuli inside, roughly the size of his palm, intricately carved with patterns.
Holding up a shard to inspect it in the light, he remarked, “Lapis?”
Wen Kexing gasped and leaned in for a closer look, accepting it from Zhou Zishu with both hands, as if it might break. “No wonder he wore the Golden Armor; I would have done the same with this in my possession.”
Curiosity piqued by Wen Kexing’s serious demeanor, Zhou Zishu asked, “What’s so special about it?”
Wen Kexing replied, “This looks like one of the five pieces that make up the legendary Lapis Armor… I thought it was just a myth, but it seems it's real. They say if you gather all five pieces, you’ll gain control over the entire pugilist world in Zhong Yuan, no matter who you are. Some believe those pieces hide a guide to the ultimate martial arts, while others say they conceal a map leading to your deepest desires.”
Reluctantly, he placed it back in Zhou Zishu’s hand, gently curling the other’s fingers around it. “This is something special,” he said softly.
Zhou Zishu nodded in understanding before swatting Wen Kexing’s hand away. He returned the piece of lapis to the pouch and carelessly tossed it aside to keep searching the Hanged Ghost’s body. After examining the corpse thoroughly and finding nothing else, he stood up, frowning. “This is quite the predicament. How do we get out now?”
He looked down at Wen Kexing, who was still sitting, and continued in irritation, “I’m asking you, Mister ‘Good Person’ Wen! You killed this man way too quickly; do you expect us to dig our way out like mice?”
Wen Kexing pointed to the lapis, “Don’t you want that?”
Zhou Zishu replied seriously, “If the completed piece is genuine lapis, it’s worth a small fortune, but with just this fragment, it’s entirely useless. Even a pawn shop wouldn’t take it.”
At that, Wen Kexing chuckled softly and stood up, following Zhou Zishu while asking, “Considering how cautious you are, Brother Zhou, why don’t you believe in the rumors? Don’t you have any wishes or desires?”
Zhou Zishu kept walking without looking back. “There’s no such thing as a free lunch, and if you don’t want it, why should I? Don’t you have desires as well, benevolent Brother Wen?”
Wen Kexing turned his head, carefully placing the pouch in his chest pocket. “What if I do want it?” he inquired.
Zhou Zishu glanced over and simply replied, “Ah.”
And nothing more.
They paced back and forth in the cave, retracing their steps to the spot from where they had jumped down and the entrance marked by blades. Zhou Zishu felt the walls around him with his hands. “The gate closed when we tried to leave, so the Hanged Ghost must have been nearby at that time. The controlling mechanism should be around here, too.”
However, they were both at a loss about divination, leaving their search unfruitful. The seven nails stirred slightly, signaling to Zhou Zishu that midnight was approaching again. Another full day had passed while they were trapped, and given his deteriorating condition, eating that beast might soon become unavoidable.
As they pondered their situation, a faint voice suddenly echoed from somewhere far away near the cave entrance, “Hurry, I found this place! Let me call out to them— Master! Master! Can you hear me? If you can, I’ll dig you out of this grave, but if you want to visit the King of Hell, I won’t disturb you!”
It was Gu Xiang!
Despite the bizarre circumstances—being chased by a large dog, bitten by a monster, and terrified by the Hanged Ghost—Zhou Zishu felt an overwhelming sense of relief upon hearing her voice.
Gu Xiang continued urgently, “Do you not hear me, or are you already dead? Master, if you don’t respond, I’m really going to leave!”
Wen Kexing finally spoke up in a leisurely tone. “Ah-Xiang, do you know what happens to girls who talk too much and do nothing?”
This seemed to be a particular skill of his—a way of delivering sound. Zhou Zishu had witnessed it several times; no matter the distance or how quietly he spoke, he could make his words clearly heard by the intended listener.
Gu Xiang let out a whine, nudging someone, “Come on, didn’t you hear Master say I should do more and talk less? Let’s get him out of there.”
Soon, the sound of digging began.
Zhou Zishu suddenly realized that instead of being active herself, Gu Xiang was actually doing nothing at all.
It took nearly four hours to unearth them, like pulling up two large turnips.
Gu Xiang was surrounded by a group of men who appeared to be regular workers. She shouted, “Look! They’re climbing out!”
Zhou Zishu felt disinclined to emerge at her exclamation.
Wen Kexing kept his composure, making his way out with dirt and grime covering his face. He glanced at Gu Xiang and said, “You can stop talking now.”
Gu Xiang stuck her tongue out and made a silly face at Zhou Zishu.
A ‘worker’ approached them and greeted Wen Kexing formally, “Master, we’re late.”
Gu Xiang interjected, “We actually saw the marks you left a while ago, but the Zhaos caused quite a stir because of two mysterious deaths, and all those cowards who showed up after that slowed us down—how did you two end up like this, anyway?”
Wen Kexing responded, “We saw a laughing owl.”
Zhou Zishu glanced around apprehensively, wishing he hadn’t gotten mixed up in this situation.
“Huh?” Gu Xiang asked, puzzled.
Wen Kexing elaborated, “A laughing owl indicates impending misfortune, including death. That’s why we had to hide underground; this way, the ghosts would think we were already dead and leave us alone.”
“Oh!” Gu Xiang said, her understanding dawning.
Wen Kexing patted her head and continued, “Remember this; it might save your life one day.”
Then he turned to the man dressed as a worker. “Old Meng, those clothes don’t suit you at all. Next time, dress like a butcher.”
Old Meng dutifully replied, “Yes, Master.”
Wen Kexing waved his hand. “Alright, you all can go. We don’t need a crowd here giving people the impression we’re a gang of criminals.”
Old Meng whistled, and the rest of the group disappeared in an organized manner, leaving no trace behind.
Zhou Zishu said his goodbyes too, but Wen Kexing suggested, “Brother Zhou, how about I join you?”
Zhou Zishu responded with silence to show his disapproval, yet Wen Kexing pressed on, “I’m a good guy, and I can teach you the art of merit gathering along the way.”
Zhou Zishu remained silent.
Watching the stare-off, Gu Xiang sensed the atmosphere had become quite strange. Ultimately, Wen Kexing delivered the final blow: “And I’m going to follow you whether you like it or not.”
With a stiff smile, Zhou Zishu replied, “Then feel free, Brother Wen.”
As she looked at Zhou Zishu, Gu Xiang finally understood the saying about a “mule being obedient only after a beating.” And when she glanced at Wen Kexing, it became clear how someone could be so unashamed that it embarrassed the rest of the world. She trailed behind the two men, feeling immensely proud of herself for having learned so much in just one night.
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