137

Seeing Guo Jia’s expression, Wang Bo and Xun Yu could not help but exchange a smile.

After lunch, all the students returned to their rooms to rest. After resting for about an hour, the afternoon studies commenced. However, our dear Guo Jia was still bearing a bowl of water on his head with a pathetic look, writing, "Master, I was wrong; please forgive me, Master."

Time flew by quickly, and in the blink of an eye, a month had passed. Wang Bo had also been studying at the academy for a month. This month had been immensely beneficial to Wang Bo. As the saying goes, "He who touches pitch shall be defiled," but conversely, studying alongside many great talents allowed Wang Bo's knowledge to grow at an extraordinary speed. Even their teacher, SiMA Hui, showered praise on Wang Bo's progress.

However, the days of attending classes were always so tedious. Reading, reading, and more reading—nothing else. This gave Wang Bo a terrible headache. If it were not for the lively prankster Guo Jia by his side, Wang Bo truly believed he would have been bored to death.

Turning his head to look at Guo Jia, he saw him kneeling upright and stiffly in his seat. Do not assume this meant Guo Jia had turned over a new leaf; if you were to look at the bowl of water balanced on top of Guo Jia's head, you would immediately understand what was going on. Throughout this entire month, Wang Bo rarely saw Guo Jia when he wasn't balancing water. Yet, through a month of practice, Guo Jia's water-balancing skills had grown increasingly refined, and now one could hardly ever see him spilling a single drop.

Aside from this, another change in Guo Jia was that his face was no longer as pale as before. Practicing the Five-Animal Play with Wang Bo for a month had greatly improved Guo Jia's physical condition. This left Guo Jia quite pleasantly surprised, and seeing how effective this set of exercises was, Xun Yu also started waking up early every morning to learn it from Wang Bo. Naturally, Wang Bo did not refuse. Medical science was not advanced in this era, and having a robust physique would at least help them fall ill less often.

During this month, Wang Bo also made the acquaintance of two more great talents. One of them was Xun Yu's nephew, Xun You. Upon first meeting Xun You, Wang Bo was quite surprised. Xun You's very first impression on Wang Bo was that he appeared entirely ordinary on the outside, and even seemed rather dull and timid. Yet, once one actually engaged in conversation with him, it became apparent that his inner mind was resourceful and courageous. He was the epitome of a person who appears foolish while possessing great wisdom—outwardly foolish, yet inwardly brilliant. Xun攸 was already of age at this time, so he did not study at the academy, but instead remained within the Xun clan. Aside from Xun You, the second person was Xi Zhicai. Xi Zhicai clearly had a very close relationship with Xun You, as the two were inseparable day in and day out.

Xi Zhicai was a rather tragic strategist. In the early stages, he served as the chief strategist for Cao Cao, but like Guo Jia, he suffered the same fate of dying young. His premature death left him virtually unknown, and historical records gave him only a few brief sentences of introduction within the unofficial biographies of Xun Yu and Guo Jia. Xi Zhicai's scholarship was absolutely impeccable; had he been mediocre, Xun Yu would never have recommended him to step forth and assist Cao Cao, let alone allowed him to become Cao Cao's primary strategist during that era. Yet such a great talent met an early demise, which filled Wang Bo with deep sympathy and sorrow for this strategist. Driven by this empathy, Wang Bo also imparted his Five-Animal Play to him, hoping that this set of exercises might help prolong Xi Zhicai's life and allow him to shine even more brightly.

Regarding Wang Bo's action, both Xun You and Xi Zhicai were filled with puzzlement. However, once Xun Yu explained the benefits of the exercise routine, the two of them felt immensely grateful for Wang Bo's gesture, and their favorable impression of Wang Bo increased significantly.

"Xiaobo, what are you thinking about?" Wang Bo's distraction clearly did not escape Sima Hui's eyes. By the time Wang Bo came back to his senses, Sima Hui was already standing before him with a smile.

"Uh..." Wang Bo felt somewhat helpless. Clearly, his posture was entirely standard, but every time his mind wandered to other things, Sima Hui would catch him red-handed. This gave Wang Bo a major headache. However, since he had already been caught, Wang Bo admitted it quite frankly, then said apologetically, "Master, I was wrong."

To Wang Bo's surprise, Sima Hui did not punish him this time. Instead, with an inquiring smile, he asked, "Could it be that you are feeling homesick?"

"Home?" A word that was almost fading from Wang Bo's thoughts was brought up once again by Sima Hui at this moment. This caused Wang Bo's mood to sink instantly. "I wonder how Brother Yun, Brother Feng, and Duo'er are doing, and I wonder if Big Brother Dian Wei has returned yet." A complex wave of melancholy welled up from the bottom of his heart, making Wang Bo feel all the more sorrowful.

Hearing the conversation between Wang Bo and Sima Hui, both Guo Jia and Xun Yu turned their heads to look. Having known Wang Bo for so long, the two of them truly knew nothing of Wang Bo's background. Judging by Wang Bo's words and manners, he possessed the distinct air of a noble family's scion. Yet, which young master of a noble family would ever work as a hand in a winery? However, since Wang Bo had not spoken of it, the two of seeing him like this did not find it polite to ask.

Seeing Wang Bo's expression, how could Sima Hui not realize he had said the wrong thing? He hurriedly comforted him, "Xiaobo, do not be like this. Surely your parents would also wish for you to return home only after completing your studies."

Mentioning his parents made Wang Bo completely unable to control the sorrow within his heart, and tear after tear began to stream down his face.

"Why is this happening?" Sima Hui, who had thought his words of comfort would help, saw them produce the exact opposite effect and anxiously asked, "What is the matter?"

"My parents have already been murdered by bandits," Wang Bo said, his voice choked with tears.

"This..." Never had Sima Hui expected things to turn out this way, leaving him entirely at a loss. He had thought it a well-intentioned remark, never imagining it would happen to strike so coincidentally upon Wang Bo's deepest heartbreak.

Seeing Wang Bo's mood in such a poor state, Sima Hui surmised that Wang Bo would hardly have any inclination to continue studying. Thus, he said, "You may take the day off to rest today."

Wang Bo knew this was Sima Hui showing concern for him. He stood up, bowed in gratitude, and said, "Thank you, Master. This student will take his leave first."

Wang Bo had just stepped out of the side door when Guo Jia stood up from his seat and said to Sima Hui, "Master, I will go keep him company." Without waiting for Sima Hui's reply, he bolted out like a dart. Watching Guo Jia's retreating figure, Sima Hui shook his head with a wry smile. At that moment, Xun Yu also stood up.

"Are you going as well?" Sima Hui looked at Xun Yu in perplexity and asked.

Xun Yu nodded, then bowed and said, "I hope Master will grant permission."

Sima Hui waved his hand and said, "Go on then. Persuade that lad properly."

"Thank you, Master." With that, Xun Yu also walked out of the classroom.

Wang Bo walked very quickly. By the time Guo Jia caught up with him, Wang Bo was already inside his room, drinking away his sorrows in solitude.

"Wouldn't it be lonely for Big Brother to drink all by himself?" Just as Wang Bo finished a bowl of wine, Guo Jia's voice echoed from outside the room. His voice arrived before his person; by the time Wang Bo raised his head, Guo Jia had already entered the room. Catching sight of the jar of wine on the table, Guo Jia put on a heart-rending expression and said, "Does Big Brother realize this is my very last jar of aged brew?"

Seeing Guo Jia acting like a comical imp, Wang Bo's mood lifted considerably. "Look at that face of yours! It's just a jar of wine. I'll replace it for you later—I guarantee it'll be ten times better than this one."

"Big Brother has told me that exact line quite a few times already," Guo Jia said with a mournful expression.

"Uh... In a few days, I promise I'll bring it to you."

"Then I shall await it with anticipation." With that, Guo Jia poured himself a bowl of wine and tossed it back in one gulp.

"I wondered why the two of you ran off so fast—so it was to sneak away with the wine! Since you're drinking, you didn't even call upon me; this is truly heartbreaking." Just as the voice trailed off, Xun Yu stepped into the room. Without missing a beat, he snatched the bowl of wine that Guo Jia was about to pour down his own throat and drank it down in one go.

The three of them exchanged glances, and all burst into hearty laughter.

Not far away, Sima Hui listened to the laughter echoing from the room. He smiled and shook his head as well. "It seems I truly am old. Matters of the future should be handed over to these youngsters now." Sighing and shaking his head, Sima Hui turned and walked back.

That evening, Wang Bo and his two companions drank themselves completely into a stupor, to the extent that none of the three woke up on time. They slept soundly all the way until noon before gradually coming to their senses. In the end, driven by Guo Jia's instigation, Xun Yu's hesitation, and Wang Bo's decisive verdict, the three of them resolved to skip class. This was undeniably a bold decision. Xun Yu was extremely hesitant, but unable to withstand the joint persuasion of Wang Bo and Guo Jia, he could only yield helplessly and go along with it.

Since they had decided to skip class, the three of them certainly could not remain within the academy grounds. Yet, to leave the academy, they had to pass right by the classrooms. How could they slip out safely? At this moment, Guo Jia said with a beaming smile, "Follow me." With that, Guo Jia led the other two toward a certain direction.

Guo Jia guided them past the back courtyard and brought them to a rather secluded spot. They saw Guo Jia run to a corner of the courtyard wall, push aside a wooden board leaning against the wall, and then wave at Wang Bo and Xun Yu.

The two hurriedly rushed over and discovered a hole in the wall beneath the wooden board. The hole was not particularly large, but it was evidently still passable for a few youngsters in their early teens. Guo Jia did not say another word and was the first to wriggle through. Once on the other side, he urged Wang Bo and Xun Yu from outside the wall. Wang Bo let Xun Yu go through first, while he himself took the rear guard.

Xun Yu had never done such a thing in all his life, so he appeared rather timid. His movements were inevitably hesitant and clumsy, which made Guo Jia, waiting anxiously outside the wall, frantic with worry. When Xun Yu finally managed to squeeze through, Wang Bo hurriedly followed right behind him. Having successfully slipped out of the academy, the three of them set off without a moment's rest toward the county town.

"We've finally made it." Looking at the city gates of Yangzhai, the three of them sighed with emotion. Each of them wiped the sweat from their brows and walked into the city with cheerful smiles.

The city streets were as bustling and lively as ever with a constant stream of pedestrians. For the three who had sneaked out of class, everything felt wonderfully novel. Wandering aimlessly down the main street, the three of them had no idea what to do next. Originally, Wang Bo suggested going to find Xun You and Xi Zhicai to spend some time together, but this was jointly voted down by both Guo Jia and Xun Yu. Guo Jia's reasoning was that since they had managed to sneak out for once, they naturally had to play to their heart's content. Xun Yu, on the other hand, worried that his family must under no circumstances find out about him skipping class.

Seeing that their own respective opinions had been unanimously vetoed by both companions, Wang Bo simply gave up and let Guo Jia and Xun Yu call the shots. However, neither of the two knew where they should go to play either. Suddenly, Guo Jia caught sight of a building in the distance and abruptly exclaimed, "Let's go right there!"

Following the direction of Guo Jia's finger, Wang Bo looked ahead and, upon recognizing that somewhat familiar-looking structure, instantly felt a row of black lines sprout across his forehead. He turned his head to look at Guo Jia with an expression of utter astonishment. "You brat, you haven't even grown up yet and you want to visit a brothel?" Seeing Guo Jia's beaming, joyous expression, Wang Bo asked helplessly.

"What of it? The Book of Rites says: 'Eating, drinking, and the relations between men and women are the greatest desires of human nature,'" Guo Jia completely ignored Wang Bo's astonished look and put on an utterly righteous demeanor.

"Uh..." Seeing Guo Jia act like this, Wang Bo could only summarize with a sigh, "To be able to visit a brothel with such righteous justification, you truly are the number one person of this era."

"Hahaha!" Hearing Wang Bo's "praise," Guo Jia let out a shameless laugh. Passersby on the street cast strange looks toward Guo Jia, prompting Wang Bo and Xun Yu to quickly turn their backs in unison to prove they were not acquainted with this individual.

"Let's go," seeing that he was indeed attracting a bit too much attention, Guo Jia stopped laughing and said to Wang Bo and Xun Yu. Yet both of them simply stared at the brothel not far away, neither making a move.

"What? Could it be that the two big brothers are afraid?" Guo Jia asked with a teasing smile.

"Who—who is afraid?" Wang Bo insisted stubbornly, refusing to let himself be intimidated by a mere child.

"Then let's go!" Without waiting for the other two, Guo Jia walked straight toward the brothel. Wang Bo and Xun Yu exchanged glances, shook their heads with helpless resignation, and followed closely behind Guo Jia. Finally, harboring their respective complex emotions, the three arrived before the brothel doors and simultaneously came to a halt. Gazing at the structure before them, even Guo Jia could not help feeling a twinge of timidity, as this was his first time visiting such a place as well.

"What is this? Why aren't you going in?" Behind him came Wang Bo's bantering voice. Hearing this, Guo Jia turned his head back and replied in an equally teasing tone, "With Big Brother right here, how would I dare go first? You should lead the way, Big Brother." With that, Guo Jia took a step aside.

Seeing Guo Jia's beaming smile, Wang Bo felt utterly helpless. *Ah, outmaneuvered by a single move; I've been plotted against by this kid again.* However, things had already reached this point, and Wang Bo had no choice but to go in. If he backed down now, wouldn't he lose face before an eight-year-old child? Thinking of this, Wang Bo took a firm first step forward with a heart full of tangled misgivings. To tell the truth, this was his very first time visiting a brothel—whether in modern times or the present era. Although he was no longer a virgin, entering such an establishment for the first time still left him harboring some apprehension. *Recalling the television dramas and movies I watched in later generations, it seems the entrance of a brothel should always be lined with countless maidservants welcoming guests. Why is this entrance completely deserted?* With this peculiar thought in mind, Wang Bo slowly walked toward the main doors of the brothel. Behind him, Guo Jia and Xun Yu watched Wang Bo's cautious demeanor and could not help finding it somewhat amusing. However, neither of them dared to laugh out loud for fear of being heard by Wang Bo and press-gangued into chores.

Hearing some commotion behind him, Wang Bo turned his head and discovered that Guo Jia and Xun Yu were holding back their laughter so hard their faces were completely flushed. He felt a wave of irritation and snapped, "What are you laughing at? If you laugh again, the two of you are going in first."

Hearing Wang Bo say this, the two hurriedly clapped their hands over their mouths.

"Hmph." Letting out a cold snort at these two unloyal companions, Wang Bo once again turned and headed toward the brothel.

After finally making it through the front gates, he still didn't see a single young woman. This genuinely surprised Wang Bo. Just at that moment, a wave of boisterous noise drifted over from the inner courtyard. Wang Bo glanced back at Guo Jia and Xun Yu, then walked toward the inner courtyard, with the other two hurriedly following behind.

Once inside the inner courtyard, Wang Bo finally understood why the main entrance had been completely deserted—it was because everyone had gathered right here. He saw a group of brightly dressed maidservants crowding together in the middle of the courtyard, craning their necks to look inward. The clamor originated precisely from the center, accompanied by the occasional sound of scuffling.

Neither Wang Bo nor Xun Yu were particularly fond of meddling, so they weren't overly interested in whatever was happening inside. Moreover, the outer perimeter was blocked entirely by these brightly dressed women, so the two of them, still somewhat thin-skinned, remained motionless. Guo Jia, however, found it impossible to restrain his burning curiosity, and with a whoosh, he rushed forward. True to his slender build, after a few shoves and squeezes, he managed to worm his way into the crowd. Fearing that Guo Jia might run into trouble, Wang Bo and Xun Yu hurriedly squeezed in after him.

Pushing into the crowd, Wang Bo was suddenly overwhelmed by a fragrant crush of bodies. The intermittent cries of surprise from the women nearly made his soul wander. He looked over at Xun Yu and discovered that the latter appeared far more composed than he was, which left Wang Bo feeling rather inferior. *Could it be that men in ancient times all mature this early? Judging by Xun Yu's demeanor, he looks like a seasoned veteran who has drifted through a thousand blossoms without a single leaf sticking to his clothes. When will I ever reach such a realm?* Sighing inwardly at the thought, Wang Bo continued pushing forward.