Faraway Wanderers

Chapter 5. The Evils

“My last name is Zhang, I’m Zhang Chengling.”

The young boy sat down,face dark; but even when his clothes were in tatters, the colors made it clearthat they were made from expensive materials and not something acommoner would wear. “Zhou…”

He stopped, unsure how to address this beggar-looking man.

“Just call me uncle.” Zhou Zishu replied
blatantly.

Zhang Chengling tried to smile but didn’t really succeed. He lowered hishead, looking at the ground inside the shrine that was covered in dust andovergrown with grass, still in a state of shock.

The great tragedy came in ablink of an eye without knowledge, and his mind had yet to catch up towhat happened.

Gu Xiang whispered, “Zhang Chengling? Sounds kind of familiar.”

Zhou Zishu asked, “Is your father Sir Zhang, lord of Nam He Holdings?”

Gu Xiang blurted out in surprise, “You’re Zhang Yusen’s son?”

Doubt and ‘How on earth does Zhang Yusen have such a useless offspringlike this one’ was
evidently written on her face.

Zhang Chengling must have seen it too, as his head dropped even lower,hands balled into fists by his side.

Zhou Zishu had to swiftly interrupted Gu Xiang’s spirit crushing session.

Having realized earlier that this girl would just say whatever people hatedhearing, he coughed,

“I hadn’t known, my apologies.”

Gu Xiang started bombarding him withquestions.

“Your father has quite areputation, huh… A few days ago when we arrived here, we got to hear
about his glory days back when he was younger, and that the family andbusiness recently have been doing really well. People said after getting
successful he’s settled here and half detached himself from society, neverengaging in any affairs. The holdings were also said to house guests whoare pretty decent at martial arts, so no one dared stir up troubles. Whowould hunt you down when you have a father like that?”

Her voice carried a flippant attitude since the whole problem didn’t concernher in the
slightest. The old woman clearly felt indignant as she stood up,

“My lord is the best well-doer you can find, the most honorable, kind-hearted and generous; he will always help people even when he has no ideawho they are…”

Gu Xiang only scoffed, tone enigmatic, “Alright alright auntie, we knowhow good of a father this little one has already. But does this honorable,
generous father stop you two from being chased down at late night…”

Zhang Yusen had only reached fifty not long ago, and it was not anexaggeration to deem him someone of virtue and prestige.

He had not beendoing a lot of jianghu business ever since he started building a family for
himself; but if there was ever a grand event, it’d still be obligatory to sendhim an invitation.

Zhou Zishu felt the dead should at least deserve somerespect; and while the girl’s attitude might be unintentional, it was still ill-mannered of her to have said those things.

He cut in, “Just now, who wasthat person trying to kill you?”

Zhang Chengling went silent for a bit, then spoke under his breath, “He’sXue Fang the Hanged Ghost.”

“What did you say?”
“What did you say?”

Zhou Zishu and Gu Xiang both exclaimed.

The former was frowning, andon the latter’s face was quaint surprise.