Chapter Thirty-Eight: Fellow Traveler, Kindred Spirit

“Is this gentleman here the famed Chen Bo?” A gentle and refined voice sounded beside his ear. Chen Bo turned his head and was instantly struck as if he beheld a celestial—what a fair and delicate youth, with crimson lips and white teeth, sword-shaped brows and a handsome face!

Standing beside the pretty boy were two others. One was a young man, not very old, but built like a wall of muscle, bare-chested with biceps larger than any steamed bun. He stood seven feet tall, which was about two meters by Earth’s measure—a veritable giant.

His features still bore a hint of youthfulness, making it obvious he was a student of Tianyang Academy, and a new recruit at that. Judging by his age, he was only a year or two older than Chen Bo, yet he already possessed such a towering physique. Had he been dosed with growth hormones?

The other was a youth clad head-to-toe in black: black tunic, black trousers, black boots, even the sheath and hilt of his sword were black. One could only wonder whether his heart was black as well. He looked cool and aloof, his gaze sharp as a blade—this one’s swordsmanship was surely formidable.

Since they had addressed him so politely, Chen Bo felt it would be rude to ignore them. He clasped his hands in greeting and replied, “You flatter me, brother. If there is no other by the name of Chen Bo in Tianyang Academy, then I must be the one you seek.”

“So you really are Chen Bo!” The pretty boy clapped his hands in delight. The three of them gazed at Chen Bo as if they'd discovered a new continent.

“So, what exactly do you want?” Chen Bo took a few steps back. From what he’d seen so far, there seemed to be plenty of men with certain tastes at Tianyang Academy. He decided to be cautious; after all, he intended to save his first time for his future wife.

“Brother Chen, would you consider joining us?” The pretty boy looked at Chen Bo with hopeful eyes.

“Join you? Are you some kind of criminal gang? I’m pure and upright—I’d never associate with your kind! Besides, there’s no future in that line of work these days,” Chen Bo refused without a second thought.

The pretty boy was briefly stunned, then gave a wry smile. “Brother Chen, you misunderstand. We’re not thugs. My name is Bai Ge, the muscular fellow is Guo Zi’ang, and the cool one in black is Du Gu Yixiao.”

“Hold on! Why should I care what your names are?” Chen Bo asked, puzzled.

Bai Ge replied, “We saw at once that Brother Chen has an extraordinary bearing. Though you’ve been mocked by many, you simply laugh it off. This composure alone proves you are no ordinary man. And we most enjoy befriending those who are not ordinary, for we are that sort ourselves.”

Bai Ge’s words left Chen Bo somewhat bewildered. Couldn’t this pretty boy organize his thoughts before speaking? What did he mean by ‘not ordinary’? Were these people insane? Hell no, I’m not one of you!

“Brother Chen, to tell the truth, the three of us are in much the same position as you here at Tianyang Academy. Among us, your attitude is the most admirable,” Bai Ge said with another rueful smile.

“In the same position as me? Yet you all dress and carry yourselves far better than I do. Surely your backgrounds are anything but humble, and unlike me, you’re not regarded as useless. Why would you be mocked as I am?” Chen Bo was at a loss as to what these kindred spirits were after. Did they think he was so easily fooled?

“Sigh! Brother Chen, you need only ask around to learn the truth. I, Bai Ge, once had a marriage arranged in the capital; my fiancée a daughter of a high official. But there was no real affection between us, so I wished to call it off.

“However, my father cares deeply for his reputation and would never agree. With no other choice, I secretly fled to hide at Tianyang Academy.

“Somehow, the news was leaked by some vile character, and now my name is known throughout Tianyang Academy and the capital. See those people over there? When they look at you with us, their disdainful eyes are truly vexing!”

Chen Bo was astonished; he hadn’t expected the pretty boy to have such a checkered past! And it also involved a fiancée! A kindred spirit, indeed!

“Don’t be angry, Brother Bai. As the ancients said, ‘Let them slander and ridicule, just forget it.’ Ah, whatever—just ignore what others think and be yourself.” Chen Bo put on a ‘wise elder’ expression. He really didn’t see what was so special about it.

“And what about you two?” Chen Bo’s gaze shifted to the muscular Guo Zi’ang and the cool black-clad Du Gu Yixiao, his curiosity ablaze.

Guo Zi’ang was talkative enough and sighed, “Me? My father is the city lord of Tianyang, but I’m only a concubine’s son. My mother was once a maid, and I was born after my old man got drunk.

“When I was born, my mother died in childbirth. The main wife considered me unlucky and wanted me dead, afraid I’d threaten her son’s position. I don’t know what happened afterward, but somehow I survived.

“But for reasons unknown, I’m now naturally impotent. The whole city knows of the city lord’s household scandal, and from then on, I was shunned and became a laughingstock.”

This time, Chen Bo wasn’t just surprised—he was shocked. What a tragic fate! Suddenly, he felt quite fortunate by comparison; at least his own equipment was in top form. Whether he was any good was yet to be tested, but the hardware was certainly impressive.

He offered a few words of comfort to Guo Zi’ang, a man whose scholarly name belied his rugged appearance. He truly was a pitiful soul. Who knew how he’d survived all this? His cultivation level was higher than Chen Bo’s own—worthy of respect.

“I have nothing to say,” the black-clad youth Du Gu Yixiao said coolly. But the twitching of his eyelid suggested he had some explosive secrets. Chen Bo looked to Bai Ge.

“Brother Du Gu, there’s really nothing to be ashamed of. If you’re too embarrassed, I’ll tell it for you,” Bai Ge offered.

“Do as you like, just don’t embellish.” Still so cool—another heartbreaker like Bai Ge, no doubt.

“Brother Du Gu was drugged a few years back…” Bai Ge stammered, leaving the story incomplete to spare Du Gu Yixiao’s dignity.

“Pfft!” Chen Bo instantly understood what kind of drug it was and blurted, “Who did it? Was it a man or a woman? How did it end?”

“Brother Du Gu is also from the capital and quite popular among the ladies. That’s how it happened—he was drugged by several women and, in the end, was taken advantage of…”

“That sounds like Brother Du Gu got the better end of the deal!” Chen Bo remarked in confusion.

“Bai Ge, you’re too vague. Let me tell it straight!” Guo Zi’ang interjected. “Brother Chen, you don’t know—the women who drugged him were all more muscular than I am! Brother Du Gu wasn’t much harmed physically, but the scars on his heart are deep indeed.”

“More muscular than you?” Chen Bo’s imagination conjured the scene. Considering Guo Zi’ang’s towering height and bulging muscles…

Yikes! That’s quite a taste. He got goosebumps just thinking about it.