Roaming the World

Roaming the World is a historical military novel by the web novelist Tianzi (real name Zheng Wei). Serialization began on Chuangshi Chinese Network in May 2013 and concluded on June 4, 2014, comprising 653 chapters and roughly 310,000 characters. The story spans the 1930s to the 1960s, opening in the ancient town of Shangrao in early winter: Wu Ming, a young farmer, is framed because of a family feud, left gravely injured and wrongly imprisoned. In a dark, damp cell he meets Mr. Zhang, Qingsong, and others, and is drawn into a bloody conflict during a prison assault launched by outside armed forces. He then escapes with the rioting Red Guards and is cast adrift in the world, struggling to survive amid the pressures of livelihood and love. The novel follows Wu Ming's trajectory from prisoner to wanderer to soldier as he roams the world, avenges past wrongs, and ultimately joins the army to defend his country. Woven through are brotherhood and tender romance, while the protagonist's fortunes sketch the ordinary folk and temper of a troubled era. The book continues Tianzi's signature approach: tight pacing, rising and falling plot, careful evocation of period atmosphere and brotherly bonds, and vivid characters whose joys and sorrows readers readily share. Note that this is a web-serialized work with no verified print publication; it currently circulates mainly in electronic form on web literature platforms and in various collections.