Chapter 2 Welcome to Muxue

HOURS AGO

"There's a turbulence, young master Dong," a low voice said, interrupting a tall and slim figure with a silvery mane, reading on the deck of the trading vessel. The young master was unusually calm, and even after how the ship was shaking, he maintained his calmness and continued reading.

"Previously, I have studied the seafarer's charts. This path should be safe to proceed, and the monsoon season won't hit till a few months after.

Hearing Zhan Dongyue's words, the younger man, Ya'Xing, relaxed and returned to his business with the mast of the ship. In his years of working in shipyards and on the vessels with different employers, he had never seen anything like this before, and he knew it was not good news. However, how the young master remained unmoved despite how the vessel was now rocking wildly was appalling!

Zhan Dongyue, being the eldest young master of the Zhans, was a humble fellow, thirsty for knowledge and exploration. It had taken him much persuasion on his part for his parents to allow him on such a risky journey. Many traders had not come back alive on the route to the city of Sanggui, but for Dongyue, it was a totally different story.

Since young, he was estranged from the very people who gave him life, Zhan Yihai and Ming Yue. The severity of his birth and horoscope made him no ordinary person, and at the same time, people shunned him like a disease. On the other hand, the young master sincerely believed that his brutal horoscope made him resilient against the hazardous journey he chose to lead.

He was seriously exhausted and no longer wanted to continue living like a disabled person, locked at home, so he decided he would do what his other male cousins were incapable of; taking the trading vessel and loading it with merchandise for travel through the dangerous seas of the Puying en route to Sanggui, ten thousands of 'li' away from Yilong, where such materials such as cotton, silk, saffron and spices were scarce. He was overly ambitious in his plans that no words from his soft and gentle mother would dissuade him.

"I will bring honour to the Zhan family and return victorious," he had announced. Lady Ming Yue responded with not a single word as he returned and packed his belongings. It was going to be a long journey.

Other than Ya'Xing, he had another loyal companion, one who was willing to fight the odds by his side! This man owed him a debt of gratitude, but other than his servitude, he had no other ways to repay Dongyue's kindness: because he had amnesia, and no longer remembered who he was! 

However, when Dongyue found him months ago, collapsed and unconscious on the shores of the city of Yilong, he was adamant about saving his life. He had even given him a name: Xiao Tian.

..........

"Young Master, there's a ripple in the water, and it looks like the vessel will be sucked inside," Ya'Xing told Dongyue his thoughts, to which the young master replied with a serene nod.

Dongyue's calmness spooked the younger Ya'Xing during such a state. As poor as he was, he wasn't keen on dying with the young master! He wondered what he should do, and if he should jump ship before the three of them, all perished aboard. Without realising it, he was prancing up and down so much that Dongyue broke the silence abruptly.

"Ya'Xing, fret not. There are no storms, and everything is just an illusion. In time, the ship should steer clear of anything, and move calmly ahead. Just close your eyes and take a rest, like what Xiao Tian is doing."

Xiao Tian was calm? That man was nuts, Ya'Xing thought. Nobody knew what had happened to Xiao Tian before his salvation, but the man was undoubtedly traumatised, shaking from time to time throughout the day. He turned and took a closer look at the man, realising the man had his eyes closed and his palms clasped together as if making a deep prayer. 

He took a deep breath. Perhaps he should pray as well, for their safety. Then, the real terror struck. The ship shook wildly, turning so rapidly that the men were flung across the ship, grabbing on whatever they could for dear life.

Then, all of a sudden, everything went calm, and the trading vessel resumed its journey smoothly as if nothing had occurred. Ya'Xing focused, peering curiously around him. Dongyue was sitting again with his book at the deck, and Xiao Tian in a far corner of the ship, engrossed in silent prayer. 

Was everything just an illusion, as the young master had said? Ya'Xing thought. He resumed working with the mast of the ship as he had been before the turbulence. 

Dongyue retrieved the magical compass from his pocket and flipped it around in his palm. 

"That's strange, we should have been hearing northeast, but it appears we are now in the southwest." Again, he seemed unbothered. But then, a further movement from the compass caused him to halt momentarily. The needle of the compass was jerking so fervently that he no longer knew where they were!

Dongyue's smug grin transformed into that of turmoil. Before his very eyes, he witnessed himself the calm waters and clear sky abruptly fading away and being replaced immediately with the sparkling snow-covered earth of the island of Muxue. The chilly winds blowing from the north swept up his silky smooth tresses and undid the strap that bound his hair. His silvery mane swept up behind him in waves, blending with the white of the snow.

It was the first time he had ever seen actual snow. How beautiful it was, he thought silently. His mother had never allowed him out of the house during a snowy season, fearing he would catch a cold. He had never got the chance to creep up close to the snow or to touch and smell it at all.

The vessel finally came to a sudden stop upon touching the ground of the island. Without further thought, the normally calm young master disembarked, running crazily across the snow. Much to the disbelief of the two men, their companion and young master had turned insane and was now not just touching the snow, but kissing and tasting it as he went. Was he out of his mind?

Dongyue stopped as he heard footsteps, but the audience that assembled before their ship was not just a few men, but a crowd of the entire residents of the island! An elderly, amiable voice greeted them kindly.

"Welcome to the island of Muxue, young travellers."