One hundred and eleven.

At this moment, Zhou Meng pulled Wang Bo close and whispered into his ear, "Don't worry, brother won't force you to drink today. I guarantee you'll be..." As Zhou Meng’s voice trailed off, the smile on his face grew increasingly suggestive.

Zhou Meng’s words set Wang Bo’s heart ablaze, stirring up a great deal of anticipation and causing his expression to shift subtly.

Seeing the two of them like this, the serving maids felt shy and turned their gazes away.

Observing the surrounding environment, Wang Bo was the first to snap back to reality. He tugged at Zhou Meng’s sleeve. Zhou Meng, still wearing his lecherous smile, was taken aback by the sudden pull. Seeing Wang Bo’s awkward expression and following his signal to look around, his own face flushed red. He grabbed Wang Bo and scurried away in embarrassment.

Throughout the day, Wang Bo was somewhat distracted, his inner anticipation constantly reminding him of what was to come. When night fell, Zhou Meng kept his word and did not make Wang Bo drink.

After they finished their meal, Zhou Meng went off to rest, leaving Wang Bo alone. Wang Bo was conflicted and anxious. He paced back and forth in his room, unable to take the first step. As time ticked away, his inner urgency grew. "I can't just stand here worrying. I’m a man, after all." Gritting his teeth to bolster his courage, he finally headed toward his own room.

Arriving at the door, he saw the lights were still on, likely because Li'er hadn't slept yet. Wang Bo felt another wave of hesitation. Just then, the maid by the door hurried to open it. Faced with this situation, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and step inside.

Once inside, he found Li'er sitting quietly by the bed. Seeing the door open and Wang Bo enter alone, she looked up in surprise and a hint of concern. "Is it finally time?"

After Wang Bo entered, the maid outside promptly closed the door. The room was left with just the two of them. Both were lost in their own thoughts, neither speaking, which made for an awkward silence.

Eventually, Li'er stood up and walked slowly toward Wang Bo, saying softly, "Second Master, you’ve returned." Her tone was charming yet carried a trace of trembling.

"Ah," Wang Bo replied blankly. Watching her approach, his mind went blank, his limbs felt numb, and he stood there stiffly, not knowing what to do.

Seeing his dazed expression, Li'er couldn't help but want to laugh. "This man is so interesting. Since I am already his, what is there to be shy about?" With that thought, she leaned toward his ear and whispered, "Master, it is late. Let your servant help you change." As she spoke, a blush spread across her face.

Feeling the warmth against his ear and breathing in her faint, elegant fragrance, Wang Bo could no longer control his impulses. He pulled her into his arms.

"Ah!" Startled by his sudden action, Li'er let out a soft cry. She quickly regained her composure and whispered again, "Let your servant help you change."

"Mm," Wang Bo replied softly. He released her, led her to the bed, and blew out the lamp. In the darkness, everything felt natural.

The next morning, Wang Bo woke up feeling refreshed. Looking at Li'er, who was still fast asleep in his arms, and thinking back to the wildness of his first night as a man, he felt deeply satisfied and cherished the moment. "I must protect this. I must grow strong before the Yellow Turban Rebellion—strong enough to ensure my own survival."

Suddenly, he felt a movement in his arms; Li'er was waking up. Seeing herself in Wang Bo’s embrace, she wore a contented smile. Wang Bo smiled back and withdrew his arm, intending to get up and dress.

"Ah!" Li'er tried to rise, but as soon as she moved, she felt a sharp pain in her lower body and couldn't help but cry out.

Wang Bo hurriedly reached out to support her, saying with concern, "You should rest. I can manage on my own."

"Mm," Li'er nodded softly. Wang Bo helped her lie back down before dressing and heading outside. Pushing open the door, he felt a breath of fresh air. Thinking that he hadn't practiced his boxing for several days due to Zhou Meng’s interruptions, he decided to practice a few sets before Zhou Meng arrived. He walked into the courtyard and began to train.

As he suspected, he hadn't been practicing for long when Zhou Meng came over, shaking his head. Seeing Wang Bo in the courtyard, Zhou Meng became interested and stood by to watch. He thought that with his own background, he might be able to pick up a thing or two, but the more he watched, the more confused he became. Once Wang Bo finished, Zhou Meng couldn't wait to ask.

"Second Brother, what kind of boxing is this? It has me completely baffled."

"This is the Five Animals Boxing," Wang Bo said proudly. The efficacy of the Five Animals Boxing was, needless to say, incredible.

"Five Animals Boxing..." Zhou Meng muttered, his mind spinning as he tried to identify the origin of the technique.

"Brother, don't waste your energy. This style was created by my teacher; no one else knows it." Seeing Zhou Meng’s intense contemplation, Wang Bo spoke up, shamelessly claiming Tong Yuan as his teacher.

"I see." Zhou Meng nodded, then looked at Wang Bo with astonishment. "If your teacher can create his own martial arts style, he must be a grandmaster of his generation."

"That goes without saying," Wang Bo said, holding his head high. Whenever he mentioned Tong Yuan, his expression was filled with reverence and admiration.

"Then could he..." Zhou Meng asked, sounding somewhat hesitant.

"What?" Wang Bo asked in confusion. It was the first time he had seen Zhou Meng act so bashful.

Seeing that Wang Bo was his own brother and there were no outsiders present, Zhou Meng gritted his teeth and said, "You don't know, Second Brother, but I have loved martial arts since I was young. Yet, I never grasped the essentials. Though I’ve hired several masters, I’ve achieved nothing. Since your teacher is a grandmaster, could you ask him to give me some pointers?"

Hearing this, Wang Bo felt a pang of regret. "You had to show off, didn't you? Now look at the mess you've made."

Seeing Wang Bo’s expression, Zhou Meng immediately understood. He said nonchalantly, "If it's difficult for you, Second Brother, then just pretend I never asked."

"Don't worry, Brother. My teacher has lived in seclusion for years and no longer takes on disciples. I am powerless to help there. However, if you truly just want some guidance, I do have someone else in mind. Although not as skilled as my teacher, he has learned all of his true essence." Helpless, Wang Bo had to sell out Zhao Yun.

Upon hearing the first half of the sentence, Zhou Meng had felt despair, but the sudden turn of events made him jump for joy like a child.

Seeing his brother’s surprisingly cute side, Wang Bo couldn't help but smile and shake his head.

Ever since he learned that Wang Bo would help him find someone, Zhou Meng remained in a state of high excitement. He pestered Wang Bo all day, but Wang Bo would only reply that the person he had found was a true expert. His attitude whetted Zhou Meng’s appetite, leaving him restless and pacing in agitation.

That night, ignoring the over-excited Zhou Meng who couldn't sleep, Wang Bo shamelessly slipped back to his own room. Inside, Li'er was half-reclined on the bed. Looking at her neatly pinned hair, Wang Bo felt completely fulfilled.

"I have a woman, and my career is about to take off. What could be better than this?" Wang Bo was very satisfied with his current life. A sense of grand ambition filled his heart.

Seeing him enter, Li'er immediately rose to serve him, but Wang Bo gently held her back. "Your body hasn't recovered yet; don't move around so much."

"Mm," Li'er nodded, her expression full of emotion. A single sentence had warmed her heart. "Perhaps choosing him was not a bad decision," she thought happily.

After undressing, Wang Bo lay on the bed and gently held Li'er. Feeling the warmth of her body, he felt a surge of desire, but he restrained himself. Forcing his mind to wander elsewhere, he slowly drifted off to sleep.

Because his mind was so restless, his sleep was light.

*Thump, thump, thump.* A violent knocking at the door woke him up. Wang Bo opened his eyes. Seeing the sky outside was still dark, he cursed the sleep-disturbing Zhou Meng under his breath.

Needless to say, there was no one else in the Zhou household who would dare knock like that.

"Brother, please wait a moment, I'm coming," he shouted toward the door. He rose helplessly, let Li'er help him dress, then kissed her and whispered, "It's still early, rest a while longer."

"Mm," Li'er nodded shyly.

Yawning, he opened the door to find Zhou Meng dressed in martial attire, his face filled with extreme excitement, though his eyes were bloodshot. "Don't tell me this guy didn't sleep all night," Wang Bo thought.

Seeing the door open, Zhou Meng grabbed Wang Bo by the collar, breathing heavily. "After a night of deep thought, I’ve decided that before your senior brother arrives, I want to learn that boxing style of yours." Without waiting for a response, he dragged Wang Bo toward the courtyard.

"This guy... this guy..." Wang Bo’s mind went blank from the sudden ambush. He was simply dragged into the courtyard by Zhou Meng.

Once there, Zhou Meng released him and said, "Come on. Teach your brother how to box."

Wang Bo felt the world spinning. Looking at Zhou Meng, he wanted to slap himself. "Why did I agree to this?"

While Wang Bo was wallowing in regret, Zhou Meng grew impatient. He reached out with his thick hands, grabbed Wang Bo’s shoulders, and began shaking him back and forth. "Second Brother, why are you just standing there? Say something!" He shook Wang Bo so hard that he grew dizzy and weak-limbed, nearly collapsing to the ground.

"Brother, if you keep shaking me, I won't be able to take it!" Wang Bo shouted.

"Uh," Zhou Meng stopped immediately, giving Wang Bo a foolish, honest grin.

"This guy... this guy..." Wang Bo cried out silently in his heart. Ultimately, he had to resign himself to fate and began teaching Zhou Meng the Five Animals Boxing.

The morning passed, and the sun climbed to the center of the sky. In the courtyard, the two figures were constantly busy. Watching Zhou Meng, Wang Bo wanted to bang his head against a wall. He had thought that with Zhou Meng’s strong, martial build, it would be easy. But things went against his expectations; for the entire morning, Zhou Meng couldn't even master the most basic movements.

"I've seen martial arts idiots, but I've never seen one this hopeless." Wang Bo held his head, silently despising Zhou Meng.

Just as Wang Bo was reaching his limit, the butler walked in at a leisurely pace. He bowed to them and said, "Master, Second Master, the blacksmith has arrived. He claims the items you requested are ready."

"Really?" Wang Bo was first startled, then ecstatic. "Where is he? Quickly, take me to him!"

Seeing his brother’s reaction, Zhou Meng knew the training was over for now. He stopped and told the butler, "Have him bring the items to the study. I want to see what this thing is actually for."

"Understood," the butler bowed and retreated.

Once he was gone, Wang Bo hurried toward the study, and Zhou Meng followed closely. "Second Brother, slow down."

At this moment, Wang Bo had no heart to listen to him. Not only did he not slow down, but he increased his pace.

"This Second Brother is even more impatient than I am," Zhou Meng shook his head.

No sooner had they reached the study than the butler brought the blacksmith inside. The blacksmith was holding a strange-looking iron barrel. It didn't quite look like a barrel; it had holes in the sides, and the bottom was concave.

Zhou Meng looked at this odd object, unable to imagine its use.

Wang Bo looked at it too, but unlike Zhou Meng’s confusion, Wang Bo’s eyes were gleaming with excitement. If one looked closely, they could almost see piles of copper coins dancing in his vision.

The blacksmith set the object down and bowed. "Masters, have I forged it correctly?"

Wang Bo walked over and examined it carefully. He was very satisfied; it wasn't much different from what he had imagined. He nodded happily. "Good, very good."

Seeing Wang Bo’s approval, Zhou Meng nodded and ordered, "Butler, settle the payment with the blacksmith and give him a reward of 1,000 copper coins."

"Thank you, Master!" Upon hearing that he was getting both his payment and a 1,000-coin bonus, the blacksmith bowed repeatedly and left happily with the butler.

Once they were gone, Zhou Meng closed the door and asked, "Second Brother, what is the use of this thing?"

Wang Bo looked at the impatient Zhou Meng, hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "This is a distiller. It is used for purification."

"Distiller? Purification?" Zhou Meng repeated the words, not knowing what they meant.

Knowing that it was difficult for an ancient person to understand something that had never existed before, Wang Bo said, "Find a secluded place, set up a large pot, and get a few jars of fine wine and a hollow bamboo pole—the diameter should be slightly smaller than this hole." He pointed to the opening in the distiller. "Call me when everything is ready, and I will demonstrate its use to you, Brother."

"A large pot and fine wine?" Zhou Meng hesitated, then nodded firmly. "Fine, I will order the servants to prepare it."

"Wait." As Zhou Meng was about to call someone, Wang Bo stopped him. His expression was solemn. "This matter is of great importance. The fewer people who know, the better."

Seeing Wang Bo’s serious demeanor, Zhou Meng closed his mouth. "Could this Second Brother be planning something world-shaking?" A thought occurred to him, and he couldn't help but feel shocked.

"Very well, I will prepare it myself." With that, Zhou Meng turned and left, returning shortly after.