A Wandering Youth

Wanderings of a Young Man

Volume One: There is a Fish in the Northern Sea

1. Accession to the WTO

Suddenly, I heard of a fairy mountain in the sea, a mountain in the misty void.

This statement is absolutely true.

Far off on the shores of the East China Sea, amidst layers of white mist, lies a small island unknown to the world. So mysterious and ethereal, it has drawn wave after wave of seafarers,江湖人士 (jianghu figures), and outlaws to venture there, but none have ever returned. From then on, this overseas island became a forbidden place in the martial arts world, let alone in this vast and chaotic era.

The rising sun had already pierced through the misty morning fog above the East China Sea, quietly casting its light on the clean and tidy streets.

The shops lining both sides of the street had all been cleaned up, and the shopkeepers stood smiling in front of their doors, beginning their day's business. A coffin shop owner murmured, "In this world, I both yearn for peace and pray that there will be no more chaos..." A middle-aged man in a blue scholar's robe next to him smiled slightly at him.

The shopkeeper sized up the man: fair-skinned and beardless, no more than forty years old, wearing a scholar's square cap, holding a black paper fan, with gentle, jade-like eyes, and raising his thin hand to bow to him.

The shopkeeper, unusually polite, returned the greeting, quickly saying after a few quick thoughts, "Ah, it's Mr. Zhu Ge... I'm so sorry for not welcoming you sooner."

The strategist in green didn't point it out, but smiled slightly; "I dare not accept such praise."

"As usual, the doctor goes out to see patients on the 1st and 15th of each month; he truly has the heart of a bodhisattva." This man in blue robes, who calls himself "Zhu Ge," is a familiar face to the islanders. Every 1st and 15th of the month, he would step out of his clinic and set up his practice on the street. This man was gentle and approachable, not only possessing extremely high medical skills but also being a skilled fortune teller. However, all extraordinary talents in the world have peculiar habits: from the moment he opened his door each day, he would only see ten patients, and no one else would be seen.

Zhuge remained unfazed; "In that case, I won't disturb the boss's business." With that, he politely bowed and slowly walked onto the rocky street. Behind him followed closely a servant boy who walked briskly with his head down.

Mr. Zhuge arrived under the holly tree, set up his divination tools, and sat down gracefully. His eyes scanned the street as usual. After a while, he saw a young man in a white collar and blue shirt walking from the other end of the street. As dappled sunlight filtered through the sharp leaves, he couldn't help but squint.

The boy seemed to have been pulled from the sea; he was soaking wet from head to toe, his black hair glossy, his eyes large and coldly clear. He walked aimlessly through the morning mist, appearing unexpectedly before the island's inhabitants. Surprisingly, shards of ice still clung to his temples, but he seemed oblivious, walking straight ahead, water gushing down his path in the warm sunlight.

Zhuge was certain he had seen this person before, but where had he seen him? He couldn't help but lower his head in thought; the young man's aura of nonchalance and his cold, unfathomable black eyes were something that ordinary people could not easily imitate, and where had he seen his eyes before? This young Zhuge, known for his wit, pondered for a moment, then immediately stepped forward with a smile and stopped him.

The boy stood quietly, looking at him without saying a word.

Zhuge in blue inwardly praised him, and the smile on his face was irresistible. He bowed politely and said, "Please wait, young master."

The boy seemed to have foreseen this and silently took a step back.

Seeing that the young man did not resist, his smile became even warmer; "May I trouble you for a moment, sir? May I move with you to the side of the road so that I may tell your fortune?"

The boy remained as calm as a distant mountain, seemingly having not spoken for a long time, his voice low and hoarse as he finally uttered, "...Thank you for your trouble..."

"please!"

Two men in blue robes walked one after the other to the signboard of Zhuge Liang by the roadside and sat down at the table.

“Young master is not from the island.” Mr. Zhuge was certainly qualified to affirm this. He smiled and continued, “But I wonder how you came to this island?” Facing this unfamiliar young man, he couldn’t very well ask his questions, especially since he had just suddenly appeared on this small island without alerting the island’s experts.

The boy's face remained calm as he slowly began to speak: "When I first awoke, I saw Yunyi. On the shore stood a dark reef with the inscription 'Wufang' on it..."

Zhuge looked directly into the boy's eyes, which were clear and bright.

“Indeed, the island you are standing on now is ‘Wufang Island’.”

In the beginning of heaven and earth and all things, there was no square, no circle, no merit, and no name.

"This island is hidden behind the clouds, and its entrance can only be vaguely seen during high tide. The tide is also turbulent, and only a sturdy ship with strong hull can reach this place. You came alone, young master, and there are no ferries at the sea entrance, nor any news of anyone entering the island." Zhuge paused here, carefully observing the young man's expression, but the other party still kept his head slightly lowered, looking indifferent.

The strategist in blue calmly stopped the servant behind him from taking another step forward, and with a wave of his wide sleeve, he dispelled the faint killing intent behind him.

The young man in the blue robe seemed unaware. He lowered his head for a long time before raising it, his eyes fixed on Mr. Zhuge opposite him. He hesitated and asked, "Sir, you know everything. Could you tell me why I have come?"

Master Zhuge noticed the young man's eyes were wide open, staring intently at him, the confusion in his eyes seemingly genuine. He smiled slightly: "May I ask your honorable name, young master?"

The boy looked at him calmly and said, "A nobody, insignificant."

Zhuge didn't press the matter. He extended his clean and steady hands, picked up the tortoise and rhinoceros divination sticks, and cast a hexagram for him: "The hexagram indicates that the young master's fortune is auspicious. The hexagram indicates that the young master comes from afar and is waiting to accomplish the great thing he has been determined to do in his life. As long as you get through the hardships of the past six months, the young master will surely rise to prominence in the future."

The boy remained silent, listening quietly with a clear expression on his face.

"Whether you heed my words or not, I will tell you that there is a manor two miles away. Please be careful when entering."

The young man stood up and bowed deeply to Zhuge Liang: "Thank you, sir."

Zhuge smiled and returned the greeting, saying loudly, "If fate allows, we will meet again, young master." Upon hearing this, the young man slightly twitched the corners of his mouth, turned around, and calmly walked towards the end of the street.

Zhuge Liang, dressed in blue, watched the young man's retreating figure disappear around the corner, remaining standing for a long time. The streets gradually filled with people, becoming bustling and lively. The warmth of the rising sun dispelled the thin mist, finally revealing the island's first radiant glow. He stood with his hands behind his back, his posture upright, but his heart surged like a turbulent sea: "If he can evade the young master's scrutiny, this man is definitely more capable than Leng Qi. I just wonder if Wu Suanzi has spared him beforehand..."

In a quiet corner of the street, Zhuge Dongge, dressed in a scholar's robe, stood calmly beneath a tall, vigorous holly tree. On this peaceful seaside morning, he would never know that he had rewritten the fate of this boy of unknown origin. In his mind, he had merely turned his head slightly and whispered, "Tell Steward Wu: do not kill him."

"Yes, sir." The cautious servant behind him bowed and quickly disappeared behind a tree. His blue robes seemed to blend into the trees, a testament to their young master's strategic planning.

Zhuge Dongge stood quietly under the tree, motionless.

He could foresee that the young man was heading to the Evil-Slaying Manor, for the island was surrounded by water, and the final passage led to the manor. This young man, so deeply pleasing to his eye, profound yet not frivolous, reserved yet not impatient, had managed to safely reach Wufang Island from the chaotic outside world—a miracle indeed. He only wondered about the young man's fate, whether he could pass the severe tests within the manor. After all, only the intelligent could survive in this chaotic world, let alone in the deadly Evil-Slaying Manor.

Just as Zhuge Dongge had predicted, the young man indeed went to the Bixie Manor on Wufang Island.

The island's inhabitants could come and go freely, and as long as no one approached the manor, no one would care whether they lived or died. However, Wufang Island had a rule: anyone who trespassed into Bixie Manor would die. This young man seemed to have wandered off aimlessly, but eventually he still arrived at the manor, only to be ne

……