One, two, three.

"Come now, a man does not shed tears lightly. Wipe them away, and then show them with facts that the men of our small village are true warriors." Zhao Yun patted Wang Bo’s shoulder, offering words of encouragement.

"Yes," Wang Bo nodded firmly.

"Second brother, have you truly decided?"

Inside the study, Wang Bo, Zhou Meng, and Zhao Yun sat before the table. Zhou Meng looked at Wang Bo with undisguised reluctance.

"Elder brother, do not try to persuade me further. My mind is made up. I know who the masterminds behind the murders are; staying here any longer is meaningless." Seeing Zhou Meng’s heartfelt reluctance, Wang Bo was deeply moved, yet it did not shake his resolve to leave.

"But..." Zhou Meng remained deeply concerned about Wang Bo traveling to Yingchuan all by himself.

"Brother Zhou, there are no 'buts'," Zhao Yun suddenly interjected. "Xiao Bo is no longer a child."

Seeing that even Zhao Yun had spoken, Zhou Meng knew he could no longer offer dissuasion. He could only nod in agreement. "Very well. If that is the case, I wish you success in your endeavor, second brother." With that, Zhou Meng stood up and bowed with cupped hands.

Wang Bo hurriedly rose to return the salute, then suddenly added, "However, there is one more thing I must trouble you with, elder brother."

"Speak your mind, second brother. Anything I can do, I will walk through fire and water to accomplish," Zhou Meng promised without a moment’s hesitation.

"The journey ahead is long, but I am penniless. I hope you might provide some assistance," Wang Bo said, feeling somewhat awkward.

Seeing Wang Bo’s bashful expression, Zhou Meng burst into laughter and said dismissively, "Is that all? Just a bit of coin. I may lack many things, but I have more money than I could ever spend. I shall notify the accountant to fetch it for you."

Having said this, Zhou Meng summoned the butler and gave his instructions. Before long, two sturdy men arrived carrying a heavy chest. They set it down in the room, bowed to Zhou Meng, and retreated.

Zhou Meng walked over and flipped open the lid, revealing a chest filled to the brim with copper coins.

Staring at the mountain of copper, cold sweat began to trickle down Wang Bo’s back. Thinking of the two strong men who had struggled to carry it, he realized his own frail frame would likely be crushed to death by this chest of coins.

"Elder brother, this is..." Wang Bo asked with a darkened face.

"It’s the money I prepared for you," Zhou Meng said, looking completely unbothered. "With this full chest, it should be enough to see you all the way to Yingchuan."

"But how am I supposed to carry it?" Wang Bo asked, casting a side-glance at Zhou Meng.

"Uh..." Zhou Meng was rendered speechless by the question. He suddenly slapped his own forehead and said apologetically, "Look at me. Second brother, wait here." Before Wang Bo could react, Zhou Meng ran out. A moment later, he returned clutching a cloth bundle. He approached Wang Bo, handed him the bundle, and beamed.

Watching Zhou Meng’s strange behavior, Wang Bo asked, "Elder brother, what is this?" As he took the bundle, he felt a weight in his hands and hurriedly asked again.

"Heh heh heh, just see for yourself," Zhou Meng gave him a mischievous, leering grin.

Filled with curiosity, Wang Bo opened a corner of the cloth, and a blinding, golden glow shone forth.

"This..." Wang Bo was stunned.

On a desolate path, a thin, frail youth was walking under the scorching sun. He was dressed in rags, his hair disheveled, appearing every bit the beggar. He carried a bundle on his back and held a wooden staff in his hand.

"Pah! Bad luck. Waited all this time just for a beggar," a ragged man in the roadside woods spat. He plunged his steel sword into the ground, looking at the beggar on the road with a look of pure disgust.

"Elder brother, we’ve waited for two hours; it’s just one person. Let’s rob him," a younger subordinate remarked, lacking any sense of the situation.

"Rob him? Look at his clothes—they’re worse than mine. What could you possibly get from him?" The man addressed as 'elder brother' glared at his subordinate and felt so frustrated he struck him. Feeling that a single blow wasn't enough, he let his malice take over, turning the frustration into a brutal beating.

The subordinate, facing his ruthless leader, looked aggrieved, but since the hierarchy was set, he could only endure the violence in silence. Seeing this, the other subordinates felt a lingering fear, yet were secretly relieved that they weren't the ones being beaten.

After a few more strikes, the leader felt his temper cool and his mood improve. "Forget it, let’s head back. No point in waiting; there’s nothing here." He curled his lip, glanced at the desolate path, and, having lost all interest, pulled his sword from the ground and led his men away.

"Phew..." Hearing the sounds fading in the woods, the beggar breathed a deep sigh of relief, wiped the sweat from his brow, and quickened his pace.

Indeed, this tattered, disheveled beggar was none other than Wang Bo, on his way from Zhending to Yingchuan. This disguise was carefully prepared by Wang Bo to hide his identity and avoid unnecessary trouble. Although it was not yet the era of the late Han dynasty when human life was as cheap as grass, there were still bandits and thieves about. Without such measures to conceal himself, Wang Bo would surely have lost his life long before reaching Yingchuan. Clearly, the disguise was effective—it had at least fooled a band of ignorant mountain bandits.

One must know that the bundle on Wang Bo’s back contained a map of the late Han dynasty that Zhou Meng had spent a fortune to acquire, not to mention the many gold leaves Zhou Meng had stuffed inside. Zhou Meng cared deeply for his second brother and, fearing he would run out of money, kept shoving gold into the bundle as if it were worthless. Had Wang Bo not insisted that he truly couldn't carry any more, Zhou Meng might have done something even more impulsive. As it stood, the bundle contained only the *Three Strategies of Huang Shigong* given to him by the village elder, a set of worn-out clothes, and the rest was all money.

As the sun began to set, a village appeared in the golden twilight. Wang Bo wiped the sweat from his forehead, a smile of relief crossing his face. Seeing the village, he knew he wouldn't have to sleep in the wilderness that night. He quickened his pace, hoping to arrive before dark.

Hard work pays off; through his persistent efforts, Wang Bo managed to enter the village before nightfall.

The village was small, consisting of only about twenty households, similar in scale to his own small village. At the thought of his home, Wang Bo’s expression dimmed.

"Young friend, where are you from, and what brings you to our Xu Village?" Just as Wang Bo was lost in thought, a voice—aged but steady—came from the side. He turned to see an old man gazing at him with a gentle smile.

Wang Bo hurriedly stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Greetings, elder. I am from a small village in Changshan Commandery. Not long ago, our village was raided by bandits; everyone was slaughtered, and no one survived. I only escaped because I had gone into the city at the time. Now, having no one to rely on, I intend to go to Yingchuan to find relatives and seek a living. Passing through here, I was hoping to find a place to stay." As he spoke, he thought of the tragic fate of his village and the hardships he had endured in the past few days, and could not help but shed tears.

Seeing this, the old man hurriedly stepped forward to comfort him: "Child, do not cry. We are all people who have suffered. If you do not mind, you may stay at my home."

"How could I mind? I am only too grateful," Wang Bo said, wiping the tears from his face and calming his emotions.

"Then follow me," the old man said, leading Wang Bo toward his home.

The old man was named Xu Hui, the village elder of Xu Village, now fifty-four years of age. He was currently living in solitude. His only son had joined the army years ago and had been gone for five years without a word; he did not know if his son had fallen in battle or what had become of him. His wife had fallen ill from the grief of missing their son, and without timely medical treatment, she had passed away shortly after.

The old man and the youth spoke, their stories growing increasingly sorrowful, so much so that they nearly broke into tears before reaching the house. Fortunately, Wang Bo managed to control his emotions, or both of them might have lost their composure entirely.

On the way to Xu’s home, many villagers greeted the old man. It was clear that Elder Xu held great prestige in the village. As for the beggar following him, no one said much. They all knew the elder was lonely and possessed a kind heart; seeing someone more unfortunate than himself, he would naturally extend a helping hand. They assumed the beggar was just another soul the elder had taken in out of charity.

Upon arriving at the house, the interior appeared quite austere, with little in the way of furniture.

Elder Xu realized this and hurriedly said, "Xiao Bo, please do not mind. In recent years, to pay for my wife’s medical care, the house has fallen into poverty. So... so..." As he spoke, his emotions began to slip again, and he used his rough hands to wipe away his tears.

"Elder Xu, what are you saying? I am already deeply grateful to have a place to stay; how could I possibly mind?" Wang Bo hurriedly consoled him, and the elder managed to regain his composure.

"I have made a fool of myself in front of you, Xiao Bo," the old man said with a wry smile, wiping away his tears.

Looking at the wrinkles on the old man’s face and his snow-white hair, Wang Bo couldn't help but think of his teacher, the village elder. His nose stung with sorrow. He touched the three bamboo scrolls in his bundle, drawing a modicum of comfort. "These are the only things the teacher left for me; they contain his beliefs and his expectations. Rest assured, teacher, I will return having achieved fame and success to avenge this blood feud. The Zhang family, just wait. The day I return shall be the day your entire clan is extinguished." At this thought, murderous intent surged within him, a predatory light flashing in his eyes.

"Xiao Bo, Xiao Bo, what is wrong?" Seeing Wang Bo’s solemn expression, Elder Xu asked, feeling a touch of fear.

"Ah?" Wang Bo snapped back to reality. He looked at the elder apologetically and said, "Nothing, I was just missing home."

"Sigh," Elder Xu let out a breath and patted Wang Bo’s head. "Good child, one must always look forward. You rest now, I will go prepare some food."

Wang Bo wanted to help, but was stopped by the elder. Helpless, he sat alone on the bed, reading the *Three Strategies* by the dim light.

Seeing that Wang Bo had bamboo scrolls in his bundle, a flicker of surprise crossed the elder's eyes, but he said nothing and walked out.

"Xiao Bo, come and eat," the elder’s voice called from outside. Wang Bo put down the scrolls and stepped out.

On the table sat a bowl of steaming white rice, a dish of wild vegetables, and two eggs. It looked simple, but for Elder Xu, these two eggs represented his entire worldly wealth.

"Elder Xu, this is..." Seeing the two eggs, Wang Bo’s expression shifted.

"Heh heh," Elder Xu gave an honest, simple smile and said apologetically, "I searched everywhere, but these were the only two eggs I could find. Xiao Bo, please don't mind."

"Elder Xu, you are too kind," Wang Bo said, rubbing his eyes and trying to remain calm.

"Come now, eat. It will get cold if you don't," the elder said, pushing the rice toward him.

"Aren't you eating, Elder Xu?" Wang Bo picked up his bowl and asked.

"Heh heh, I have already eaten. You go ahead," the elder said with a benevolent look.

"Very well." Seeing the elder’s insistence, Wang Bo had no choice but to start eating.

"You should eat the eggs too," the elder said anxiously, seeing that Wang Bo had not touched them.

"I'll eat them in a moment," Wang Bo said, looking up before returning to his rice. When he finished, he tucked the two eggs away.

"Xiao Bo, what are you doing?" the elder asked, puzzled.

"I'll eat them when I'm hungry later tonight. I can't bear to eat them just yet," Wang Bo said with a smile. Seeing this, the elder didn't know what else to say.

"Xiao Bo, it is very late. Are you not going to sleep?" Seeing Wang Bo diligently reading, the elder asked with concern.

"I’m going to sleep now." Realizing the hour was indeed late, Wang Bo said no more. He blew out the oil lamp, lay down on the bed, and soon drifted into a dream.

At dawn, before the sun had risen, Wang Bo woke up early. He glanced at the still-sleeping Elder Xu. He rose from the bed with light steps, reached into his bundle, and took out a gold leaf. He also pulled out the two eggs from his robes and placed them gently on the table. Then, he quickly and quietly packed his belongings and crept toward the door.

Once outside, Wang Bo softly closed the door and stepped out of the courtyard. He cast a meaningful look back at the elder’s house before walking quickly toward the village entrance.

Though the sun had not yet risen, some in Xu Village were already awake. Wang Bo found a middle-aged man and asked for directions, then hurried off.

The man was puzzled by the beggar’s sudden departure, but since the man had been a guest of the village elder, he didn't press for answers and let him leave.

Not long after Wang Bo had gone, Elder Xu woke up. He looked toward Wang Bo’s bed and saw only an empty mattress; Wang Bo and his luggage were long gone. The elder hurriedly sat up and dressed.

He walked toward the door, but suddenly caught sight of the gold leaf and the eggs on the table. He was stunned. He walked tremblingly to the table, picked up the gold leaf, and examined it closely. The more he looked, the more shocked he became.

After a moment, he finally exclaimed in disbelief, "This... this is gold." He then picked up the eggs, feeling that they were still warm. Remembering how Wang Bo had kept them in his robes, the elder grabbed the eggs and the gold and rushed out the door.

By now, the sky was beginning to brighten, and more people were stirring in the village. Suddenly, the entire village witnessed a bizarre sight: the village elder was running toward the village entrance.

The scene frightened the villagers. Elder Xu was a man of great virtue and prestige, known for his kindness and humility. Everyone respected him deeply. But today, they saw their respected elder running toward the entrance in such an agitated state. Had something terrible happened? The villagers, confused and concerned, slowly began to converge toward the village gate.