Faraway Wanderers - Chapter 25

Wen Kexing’s interest in him was obviously greater than in the suspended evil ghost. As soon as he turned his head and saw him leaving, he immediately wanted to catch up. However, the man who was clearly in front of him moments ago seemed to disappear into thin air, making Wen Kexing’s footsteps halt. His gaze swept through the vast crowd looking for him.

Zhou Zishu was like a drop of water sinking into the ocean, disappearing in the blink of an eye. Wen Kexing was somewhat puzzled, squinting his eyes and unwillingly gazing in the direction where he vanished. He found that the man had really disappeared in front of him quite brazenly.

At that moment, his heart suddenly gave birth to a feeling not enough for outsiders to know. It was as if something had slipped out of control, and a faint inexplicable anger sprouted.

So, this person can disappear at any time—even if Wen Kexing guessed his identity, guessed his intentions, he can still disappear whenever he wants—just as long as he wants to.

He escaped from the Tianchuang’s heaven and earth net and became the most cunning fish in the world.

Zhou Zishu shook off Wen Kexing and went to a Yin Zhuang.

In Dongting and even the southern region, the most famous Yin Zhuang had a very plain name, called “Ping An Yin Zhuang”. Its business was booming but not drawing too much attention, and there were no thoughts of expanding business elsewhere. It was as if the owner had no great ambitions and only desired peace in this beautiful corner of the world.

Zhou Zishu looked up at the Yin Zhuang’s sign, pushed the door, and entered. Immediately, someone inside greeted, “One guest, please come in. Are you here to exchange silver notes or…”

Zhou Zishu bypassed the clerk and directly approached the shopkeeper. In a low voice, he laughed before quietly saying, “I’d like to ask for the help of your head Song Da to handle some matters. Please arrange a meeting with someone in charge for me.”

The shopkeeper hesitated for a moment, raised his head to size up Zhou Zishu, and then cautiously asked, “You are…?”

Zhou Zishu lowered his voice even more, “I’m an old friend of your Seventh Master, my last name is Zhou.”

As soon as the words “Qi Ye” (Seventh Master) were spoken, the shopkeeper’s face changed instantly, showing respect and quickly stepping forward to personally invite him to sit down. He also called the waiter to serve tea, but he himself stood by Zhou Zishu’s side with a respectful demeanor, saying, “Please have a seat. I will immediately send a message to Head Song Da; however, he may not be in Dongting at the moment. Can you… wait for a few days?”

Zhou Zishu nodded, “No hurry, please sit.”

He politely gestured again towards the shopkeeper, who, overwhelmed with anxiety, waved his hands and declined before asking, “Master Zhou, do you plan to speak with Head Song Da in person about this matter, or should I help you handle it now?”

Zhou Zishu pondered for a moment and asked, “I don’t have anything urgent, but I’m just curious if the shopkeeper has ever heard of the ‘Liu Li Armor’?”

The Yin Zhuang shopkeeper was stunned for a moment, “This… I’ve heard something about it. Zhou Ye, are you referring to the Liu Li Armor made up of five shattered Liu Li pieces?”

Zhou Zishu nodded, “That’s correct.”

The Yin Zhuang shopkeeper thought for a moment, unfolding a piece of paper and writing the three words “Liu Li Armor” on it. He then said, “I do know a bit about this, but I’m afraid it might not be comprehensive. If Master Zhou doesn’t mind waiting a few days, I do have some channels that could help you find more detailed information.”

Zhou Zishu watched him carefully. The shopkeeper appeared to be in his mid to late thirties, his face shrewd. His words didn’t overflow—measured and well-thought-out, each sentence considered thrice before spoken, like an old fox under an accomplished individual’s command. Zhou Zishu wondered how influential his old friend had become in Dongting after he had left the capital and so many years had passed. It seemed it was more than just the Yin Zhuang.

Finishing his cup of tea, he stood up to leave. He didn’t expect that the previous leader of the Tian Chuang would also have to rely on others for gathering information. Additionally, he never anticipated a day when he’d have to seek help to save the life of that brat, Zhang Chengling. However, thinking about it, even Zhou Zishu himself couldn’t quite understand why. He and Zhang Chengling just crossed paths by happenstance. What did the boy’s life have to do with him?

It just seemed so absurd, so busy for no reason.

Yet, in a lifetime, there were always a few instances, some people, and some matters, that despite knowing there would unlikely be any benefits, one still couldn’t resist butting in. Zhou Zishu mused, it must be destiny, right? Otherwise, why out of all the people in Jiangnan, it had to be him who met the little fellow?

Nonchalantly strolling along the bustling street, leisurely basking in the sun and absorbing Dongting’s beautiful scenery until the sun began to fade, he drifted into a tavern. Ordering a jar of wine and a few side dishes, he enjoyed the atmosphere. This was a good life, a life he felt like he hadn’t truly lived in a long time—not being chased around or planning strategies to run others ragged.

At the tables nearby, a young girl was playing the qin, singing a melodic tune. She was as delicate as her voice—beautiful no matter how one looked at her. When her song ended, it garnered praises from the patrons. Zhou Zishu felt a sense of satisfaction watching her and generously slid a silver ingot toward her. She looked surprised initially, then smiled warmly at him, thanking him fervently. This further improved Zhou Zishu’s mood.

Suddenly, a person took a seat across from him and said candidly, “I’m here to let you treat me to a drink.”

Zhou Zishu’s heart tensed up—apparently, a debt collector had arrived.

Ye Baiyi didn’t stand on ceremony. To him, eating and drinking were mundane activities that required his distinguished presence. Therefore, the other party should be sincere and fearful, and he himself didn’t need to be polite. So, he disregarded Zhou Zishu, and of his own accord, called over the waiter and ordered a slew of dishes. He casually addressed Zhou Zishu, “Order whatever you like; no need to be reserved.”

Zhou Zishu gave him an odd look, thinking to himself, to which of your eyes do I seem reserved?

He doubted whether this descendant of the old monk had deliberately planned to harass him. Given the number of dishes Ye Baiyi just ordered, it wasn’t just enough for two people, but even two pigs would have been well-fed.

Seeing Zhou Zishu had no intentions of adding to the order, Ye Baiyi suddenly realized something and said, “Ah, that’s right. You’re injured and probably don’t have much of an appetite. However, I’d still recommend you eat as much as you can when you’re able to eat. After all, you won’t have much time left.”

Zhou Zishu’s gaze became even stranger. He thought to himself, if this guy wasn’t the descendant of an old monk, he’d deserve a beating every day.

At that moment, another man brazenly walked over to them. Without any invitation, he dragged over a chair and sat down, scrutinizing Ye Baiyi with a grin that was neither smile nor ridicule. He said, “Ah Xue, I was wondering why you didn’t greet me all day. You went missing all afternoon. Could it be… you’ve found someone else?”

Zhou Zishu’s cheerful mood, boosted by the young girl’s laughter, dissipated instantly. He considered whether he should just stand up and leave them, saying, “I’ll leave. You two help yourself.” Wen Kexing promptly turned his head, unexpectedly revealing a gritting-teeth-like expression, and asked, “Who is he?”

“He is…” Zhou Zishu was about to say that Ye Baiyi was just a friend he happened to encounter, but something stirred inside him, questioning why he even had to explain anything to Wen Kexing. Puzzled, the words caught in his throat.

Ye Baiyi, however, nonchalantly nodded to Wen Kexing, saying, “I’m called Ye Baiyi.”

Wen Kexing smirked but did not reply. He was about to speak but was interrupted by Ye Baiyi’s composed voice, “I know you. You’re the person who burnt that Zhang family child’s house that day.”

Zhou Zishu’s hand, which was holding a wine glass, paused in midair. Wen Kexing’s smile vanished from his face instantly. His gaze rigidly fixed on Ye Baiyi, resembling someone staring at a corpse. An indescribable…deep and cold killing intent gradually surfaced.

Zhou Zishu felt a chill and his brows furrowed.

As the waiter brought over their dishes, he was spooked by Wen Kexing’s murderous aura. He trembled, nearly causing the tray he was holding to drop. But in a split second, he saw a flash of white before him. The dishes that were about to fall – quite inexplicably – landed safely in Ye Baiyi’s hand without spilling a single drop.

Even with Zhou Zishu’s quick eyes, he hadn’t been able to fully grasp Ye Baiyi’s movement. Could it be that Ye Baiyi was this skilled? If he was the descendant of the ancient monks, then that legendary ancient monk of Changming Mountain…

A cold sweat ran down Zhou Zishu’s back. He realized he might have underestimated the legendary ancient monk.

Wen Kexing’s pupils contracted in that instant. Despite maintaining his composed demeanor, he subtly reined its murderous air back in, scrutinizing the young man in white—twenty-five or twenty-six? No, looks could be deceiving. The real age was certainly much more than that. Possibly around thirty? Again, it did not seem right…

This individual gave him a feeling just like his name—completely blank. When he just sat there, quiet and unmoving, it almost felt like he was a figurine. One could not sense his emotional fluctuations, and it also seemed impossible to affect him with one’s emotions. It felt as if they were seated right next to each other, yet existed in two entirely different worlds.

Ye Baiyi continued to eat his food, unfazed by the reactions of the other two caused by his words. With each dish served, the expressions on Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing’s faces underwent a change—

This lineage holder of the ancient monk, turned out to be a world-class glutton!

He was stuffing food into his mouth at a staggering speed. Though not crude, his pace resembled a hungry tiger, as if he had not eaten for decades. His chopsticks were flying, and where they passed was as if locusts had just swept through, leaving not a single grain for his adversaries. Zhou Zishu, who was not initially hungry, and Wen Kexing, who visibly had no appetite, under his influence, could not help but pickup their chopsticks, curious to taste the delicacies this restaurant had to offer.

The scene was a battlefield of dishes, the aftermath was grim and horrendous. The table was littered with empty plates and bowls. Only then did Ye Baiyi put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth contentedly, a subtle curvature appeared at the corner of his mouth, as if almost smiling, and said to Zhou Zishu, “Thank you for the hospitality.”

With that, he offered no other gestures and just stood up to leave.

Zhou Zishu suddenly realized, just being able to afford the appetite of this guy; the ancient monk of Changming Mountain must be quite a character!

Suddenly, Wen Kexing piped up, “What he said earlier… I did not want to…”

His voice trailed off, seemingly a little confused, not knowing why he wanted to bring that up, feeling a strange sense of suffocation. He quickly dodged Zhou Zishu’s gaze, lowered his eyes, and gave a self-mocking laugh, shaking his head, resuming his usual demeanor, “Is this the descendant of the ancient monk? He seems more like a white locust to me.”

Zhou Zishu picked up the wine jar and poured the last few drops of wine left at the bottom into his cup, not lingering on the topic of burning either.

He knew, of course, if Wen Kexing intended to kill Zhang Chengling, it wouldn’t be much different from crushing an ant. So he wouldn’t be candid with the idea of arson, choosing a time when no one was around. It was less that he was malicious and more that he knew something and was sending out a warning in advance.

The question is, how did Ye Baiyi find out?

An unrelated thought suddenly popped into his mind… Zhou Zishu reached into his pocket, a fascinating expression appearing on his face, he asked, “So… did you bring enough silver?”

Wen Kexing looked at him, a baffled expression on his face.

Translator Footnotes:

銀莊 (yín zhuāng): Also known as a money house or bank, is a place that performs banking functions, such as depositing money, lending, and currency exchanging.

平安銀莊 (píng ān yín zhuāng): They say it’s a plain name, because “Ping An” literally means ‘safe and sound’, so it’s like saying the name of the bank is ‘money house safe and sound’.

江南 (jiāng nán): Jiangnan is an area in the south of the Yangtze River.

酒樓 (jiǔ lóu): A type of Chinese restaurant and also a place where people gather to drink wine.

琴 (qín): Qin is a seven-stringed Chinese musical instrument, similar to a zither.

古僧 (gǔ sēng): Gu Seng, which translates to ‘ancient monk,’ refers to Ye Baiyi’s old teacher.

Tian Chuang [天窗]: The Chinese name of an organization Zhou Zishu founded. Tian (天) can be read as “day / sky / heaven” and Chuang (窗) can be read as “shutter / window”. Together they can be read as “Skylight”

阿薛 (Ah Xue): Ah Xue is a nickname or familiar term used to address someone, frequently used in Chinese culture.

長明山古僧 (Changming Mountain guseng): Changming Mountain is a place, and ‘guseng’ refers to ancient monks.

古僧後人 (guseng houran): Translates to ‘descendant of the ancient monk.’

飯桶 (fantong): Literal translation is ‘rice bucket.’ It is a colloquial term used in Chinese to refer to someone who eats a lot.

飛快地擡眼看了周子舒一眼 (Feikuai de tai yan kan le Zhou Zishu yi yan): The phrase is a subtle expression to indicate someone looking at another person briefly and quickly.

你銀子帶夠了麽？(Ni yinzi dai gou le ma?): The phrase ‘yinzi dai gou le ma’ translates to ‘did you bring enough silver?’ Here, ‘silver’ refers to money, as historically Chinese currency often included silver coins or bars. And my answer is no. I don’t even have enough, how can I bring enough? Please, help buying a Milk Tea for this poor translator (╥﹏╥)

他話音頓住了 (Ta huayin dunzhu le): A phrase, figuratively used to describe when someone suddenly stops speaking. Equivalent to ‘his voice trailed off’ in English.