Faraway Wanderers - V1C6
Chapter 6
Uncle Zhou
When Zhou Zishu made Zhang Chengling pass out, he did so because he was worried the boy might develop negative thoughts; calming him was necessary. The act was gentle, so the boy regained consciousness shortly after Wen Kexing's arrival.
He opened his eyes, dazedly gazing at the ceiling as if his soul had departed. Until yesterday, he was still the Zhang’s young master, cherished by many — even when his tutor called him completely stupid and useless, and his martial arts teacher secretly disapproved, considering him simply inept — his life was happy and content.
He had people dressing and feeding him, with servants following him everywhere, diligently serving him even as he struggled with his mediocre studies late into the night. They flattered him constantly, and although Zhang Chengling was aware of his own worth, he sometimes still enjoyed the false praise. For fourteen years, his life was marked by such privilege.
Then he lost it all in just one night. His home was destroyed, and his parents, along with all his relatives and friends, were killed, leaving his world completely overturned. He felt terrified and unsure of what to do next.
Zhou Zishu was the kind of person who knew how to fart better than offer comfort, so he remained silent at his place. Meanwhile, Zhang Chengling's face was blank, tears flowing down his cheeks.
He heard Wen Kexing ask Gu Xiang, “Who’s this little thing?”
“He’s said to be Zhang Yusen’s son.”
Wen Kexing nodded with a blank expression, seemingly indifferent to Zhang Yusen’s name. After a moment, he resumed, “I heard the Zhang family was so impoverished that they only had money. How did Zhang Yusen’s son end up like this? Did he leave without enough silver, or did he get lost?”
Gu Xiang lowered her voice and said, “According to what he told us, all the Zhangs were murdered. The news has probably shocked the entire city by now, but I suppose you missed it while messing around somewhere.”
Wen Kexing considered it for a moment before nodding and saying, “No wonder there were so many corpses.”
He turned to evaluate Zhou Zishu. “Then why is he here?” he inquired of Gu Xiang.
The girl scoffed. “That beggar named Zhou Xu sold himself to a dead man for two silvers, which means he now has to escort the boy to Tai Hu.”
Wen Kexing’s eyes widened as he carefully assessed the situation with a completely serious expression. He then told Gu Xiang, "Now I’m even more convinced that he’s a beauty; only beautiful people can be that foolish."
Gu Xiang ignored it, accustomed to her master’s antics; Zhou Zishu did the same since he hadn’t yet fully assessed this man’s capabilities.
She turned to glance at the tearful Zhang Chengling, feeling a bit irritated and wishing the younger one would stop. He nudged him with his toes and coughed, "Young Master Zhang, pull yourself together if you're done resting. We shouldn’t stay here long—they'll have more people coming after you to finish the job. This Uncle Zhou has been entrusted with your safety, so at the very least, he'll ensure you reach Tai Hu safely."
Zhang Chengling looked around nervously. When his gaze settled, he covered his face with his hands, curling into a ball as he wailed. Zhou Zishu felt a headache from the boy’s crying; he knew a scolding was needed, but couldn't bring himself to do it. Since comforting children wasn't his strength, silence felt like the best choice. Suddenly, he sat up and walked toward the door.
He had only planned to inspect the Buddha statue's condition and possibly return it to its original spot, thinking his previous actions were offensive and wouldn’t help him earn more merit. Zhou Zishu didn’t expect Zhang Chengling — who believed the elder wanted to abandon him at that moment — to rush forward and cling to his ankles, crying out, “Uncle Zhou, Uncle Zhou, please don’t… please don’t leave me, I… I…”
He appeared very pitiful while sobbing. Although their encounter was purely accidental, the younger individual had no one but Zhou Zishu to depend on; he was his savior, like a living Buddha.
Zhou Zishu regarded him silently, with a dull tone, and said, “Has your father never told you that a real man has gold beneath his knees?”
After a moment of being starstruck, Zhang Chengling finally understood something. He desperately wiped away his tears and snot with his sleeves. “Paying respect to the sky, the earth, the king, family, and teacher is only natural. You saved me, Uncle Zhou. Will you accept me as your disciple?”
Wen Kexing and Gu Xiang watched the scene with amusement, and Gu Xiang whispered, “Last night he was still a foolish child; he got smart real fast, huh?”
Zhou Zishu could only respond, “Stand up first.”
Zhang Chengling stubbornly refused. “I won’t stand down until you accept! If I can’t avenge my family, what’s the point of my existence? Shifu…”,
Zhou Zishu paid no mind to his arguments, grabbing the younger by the shoulder. “I’m crippled, likely to die soon. Just surviving another day is a blessing, and you expect me to teach you? I heard Sir Zhao Jing of Tai Hu is an old friend of your father. Go see him; he might be better suited to help you with your revenge.”
He focused his internal energy into his palms, carefully lifting the statue and placing it back on the altar while muttering, “Sinful, sinful.” He gave a half-hearted salute before turning to a still stunned Zhang Chengling. “We should leave now that you’re fully awake. If you want to avenge your family, we need to get you to Sir Zhao as quickly as possible. But first, let's find some food.”
He relaxed, smiling carelessly at Gu Xiang, paying no attention to Wen Kexing. Then, he quickly left the shrine without checking if Zhang Chengling could follow.
The boy was disappointed but hurriedly left the shrine upon seeing that the man was already distant.
Wen Kexing stroked his chin, observing the two figures with clear interest. “Let’s follow them; we’re heading to Tai Hu,” he said, then stood up and informed Gu Xiang.
Her mischievous expression disappeared. After a moment of thought, she replied quietly, “Young Zhang Chengling said the Ghosts of Qingzhu carried out the Zhang family massacre, and that Xue Fang, the Hanged Ghost, was present.”
Wen Kexing looked at her silently and asked, “Hm, so?”
Gu Xiang was a little taken aback and quickly followed Wen Kexing, asking earnestly, "The Hanged Ghost was definitely fake since I defeated them yesterday. Master... did you already know something?"
“Ah-Xiang.” Wen Kexing looked at her once more, his eyes like black holes that seemed capable of pulling people in.
Gu Xiang immediately quieted down, mumbling, “I know, I talked too much.”
At that moment, her face appeared pale, as if this normally fearless girl was anticipating something. Wen Kexing’s steady gaze shifted away in approval after her response as he kept walking. Gu Xiang trailed behind him, maintaining a small distance.
She heard Wen Kexing say, “We’re going to follow that Zhou person. My instincts have never failed me—he must be extraordinary. We’ll catch him in the act eventually. Ah-Xiang, let’s make a bet since you don’t believe me.”
As a result, Zhou Zishu's journey was certainly not peaceful.
Escorting Zhang Chengling felt as awkward as carrying a heavy fart, with endless “flies” buzzing around. He just swatted another one tonight, lamenting his decisions while looking at the two silvers.
He still retained half of his strength, and his skills remained intact, so those people should have known better than to challenge him. However, the Nails introduced unpredictability, which irritated him due to the constant torment of both the pain and the relentless swarm of enemies attacking him every minute, not to mention the pair of master and maid who kept following them for no reason.
He could have easily thrown them off the track had he not been burdened by a small weight. Moreover, the mysterious Wen Kexing was exceptionally talented; numerous times, Zhou Zishu managed to leave him behind, only to see his terribly punchable face again just half a day later.
By the end of the day, they found a modest tavern to eat and rest.
─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───
Zhou Zishu quietly carried another assassin’s body outside, then went back to meditate in their room. Zhang Chengling stayed unaware, still asleep and lost in his strange dreams. During their journey, he noticed that the boy no longer showed any snobbish behaviors; the crying child from before seemed to have completely disappeared, as if he had been pushed into maturity.He didn’t complain even when they moved at a very slow pace, obeying Zhou Zishu’s every instruction with honesty and sincerity. His only flaw was his persistent tendency to call him shifu, despite repeated corrections.
Zhou Zishu eventually surrendered to the idea, thinking that after dropping the boy off in Tai Hu for the Zhaos, he would leave right away to go anywhere he chose. His plans were already set: after exploring the famous mountains and lakes, he intended to head south instead of north, as he had a friend in Nan Jiang he hadn’t visited. He felt he needed to see him and share a drink before heading to the underworld…
Suddenly, the young man on the bed began tossing and turning violently, covered in sweat. This was his usual night routine; during the day, he appeared calm on the outside, harboring thoughts of revenge and trying to restore his mental stability. However, memories of that tragic night haunted him as persistent nightmares. Zhou Zishu sighed and gently shook him awake.
Zhang Chengling let out a cry and sat up, with a vacant look in his eyes. Only after a moment did he react, softly murmuring to Zhou Zishu, “Uncle Zhou… I didn’t mean to do that.”
He was so young and inexperienced that even his bloodshot eyes still carried an innocence that felt all too familiar. Zhou Zishu was immediately reminded of someone he had known in the past.
The one whose only wish was to travel everywhere in jianghu with him.
He couldn’t resist sitting there in a daze.
Zhang Chengling spoke cautiously. “Uncle Zhou, I didn’t mean to wake you up, I just had a dream about my father...” His lips quivered, looking pale. “I can stop sleeping if it’s troubling?”
Zhou Zishu gently patted his shoulder, his voice softly reassuring, “It’s alright, sleep as much as you need. I’ll wake you if you have a nightmare.”
Zhang Chengling responded with a noise, crawling back under his blanket while still unconsciously clutching Zhou Zishu’s sleeve.
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