Chapter 61 Staying the Night

"This..."
Zhang Bo cast his gaze toward the pitch-black sky outside.
"Lord Xuande, it is pitch-black outside right now."
Hearing this, Liu Bei had been too excited and completely forgotten about the time.
He smiled wryly and shook his head.
Yet, he still felt an itch of curiosity.
"However, Lord Xuande, although we cannot view distant scenery, we can look up at the heavens."
"Look up at the heavens? Surely the shopkeeper means stargazing."
"Well, strictly speaking, looking at the moon."
Though he could not test the miraculous nature of the device on distant landscapes, using it to observe the moon was also exceptionally fine. Liu Bei was eager to see if the legendary tale of Chang'e flying to the moon was true.
Liu Bei stepped into the courtyard, raised the telescope in his hand, and looked up at the sky.
Clearly, Liu Bei was deeply disappointed.
Not only was there no sign of Chang'e, but he also discovered that the moon was not as pristine and flawless as he had imagined.
Instead of being unblemished white, it was clearly marked by patches of sizeable gray areas.
Of course, this did prove what the shopkeeper had said—that the device possessed the power of distant vision.
Zhuge Liang took the telescope handed over by Liu Bei and immediately inspected the moon himself.
Seeing them taking turns like a relay team, Zhang Bo returned to the dining table and began to feast heartily.
Having left halfway through the meal earlier, he had not eaten much, and now his stomach was rumbling in protest.
Glancing at Zhang Fei, who was not far away and currently sleeping like a baby, and catching sight of the clay jar of distilled liquor on the table, Zhang Bo already guessed what had happened.
The liquor of the Eastern Han dynasty was at most twenty degrees proof. To prevent Zhang Fei from running amok after drinking, he had deliberately provided a thirty-six-degree spirit instead, but it seemed Zhang Fei still couldn't handle it in the end.
Fortunately, Zhang Fei was thoroughly drunk and completely unconscious, sparing Zhang Bo any worry about him going on a rampage.
About a quarter of an hour later, the Eastern Han trio and Song Yingxing all returned.
Judging from the radiant expressions on their faces, they were extremely satisfied with the item.
"Shopkeeper, this telescope truly possesses the power of distant vision. I wonder what the value of this item and those walkie-talkies might be."
"No need, Lord Xuande. The gold beans you brought today are more than enough to pay for all of these."
Zhang Bo was not lying.
He had bought six telescopes and eight walkie-talkies this time, costing him less than two thousand yuan in total, whereas Liu Bei had brought thirty thousand yuan worth of gold beans alone. He would simply consider this batch a gift to them.
Although Liu Bei wanted to say more, he knew that with his current financial means, he probably could not afford so many wondrous treasures.
He secretly resolved to repay this debt the next time he visited.
Seeing that everyone had returned, Zhang Bo prepared to hand over a crucial item into their keeping.

Looking at the exquisite and dainty trinket in their hands, everyone present was filled with curiosity.
"Shopkeeper, this thing looks rather like a miniature sundial. Could it be a timekeeping tool?"
Zhang Bo was well aware of what a sundial was—an ancient method of telling time based on shadows, divided into twelve double-hours.
"Indeed. This item is called a wristwatch. Is it not much more convenient than a sundial?"
Everyone nodded in unison.
"However, unlike a sundial whose dial is divided into twelve double-hours, this dial is divided into six double-hours, which means twelve hours."
"Does that mean one traditional double-hour equals two hours, meaning for a complete day, this wristwatch must complete two full revolutions?"
"Precisely so."
As expected of Zhuge Liang, he grasped the workings of the wristwatch with remarkable speed.
"Shopkeeper, surely this item is not used merely for something as simple as telling time?"
"Correct. My intention is to conduct an experiment."
"An experiment?"
"It is to have people from different dynasties wear these watches, agree upon a specific time, and use the time on the watches to confirm their arrival. This will prevent situations where someone waits in vain for a visitor or wastes time waiting around aimlessly."
Zhuge Liang's expression turned one of sudden realization.
This was indeed a brilliant method.
Immediately, everyone put on their watches, and Zhang Bo began teaching them some modern methods of telling time.
None of the people present were fools, and they quickly understood the relationship between the seconds, minutes, and hours that Zhang Bo described.
"Since it is already late, why don't you all rest here for the night and depart tomorrow?"
"In that case, we must impose upon the shopkeeper."
Afterward, Zhang Bo led the four of them to a room and began instructing them on how to use the modern facilities.
Throughout the teaching process, the looks of astonishment on the faces of the Eastern Han trio and Song Yingxing never faded.
Water flowed automatically with just a gentle twist of a handle, and not just cold water—even hot water was readily available.
One had to understand that in their respective eras, getting cold water required drawing it from a well, while getting hot water required burning firewood; how could anything be as convenient as this?
Not only that, but the lights in the bedroom could be turned on and off instantly simply by pressing a small switch, unlike candlelight which required blowing out and relighting. It truly broadened the horizons of the entire party.
After settling everyone in, Zhang Bo was about to leave Liu Bei's room.
Liu Bei suddenly called out to him.
"Shopkeeper, I almost forgot. There are still two matters I have yet to tell you."
Oh, Liu Bei, what is wrong with you? Why do you have so many issues?
"Please speak, Lord Xuande."

"The first matter is that we have found Deng Fan. He and his mother have been brought by me to Xinye City, and for now, he is following the military strategist to study."
Deng Ai is studying under Zhuge Liang? Damn it, why am I having such a dream?
Fine, I suppose Jiang Wei has now become the junior martial brother.
"The second matter is that we have tracked down the whereabouts of Master Yuanhua, and Master Yuanhua is currently hurrying toward Xinye."
Oh? Hua Tuo is on his way?
Splendid, simply splendid.
Previously, due to a misunderstanding, he had believed Hua Tuo was going to be executed next year.
However, now that Hua Tuo was coming, he certainly could not let him slip away.
"Thank you for your trouble, Lord Xuande."
"It is only what Bei should do."
Early the next morning, Zhang Fei's wide-open eyes suddenly regained their clarity. As he tried to get up, a splitting headache assailed him, as if he had just been thoroughly beaten up.
Shaking his groggy head, Zhang Fei struggled to recall what had happened the previous night.
He had been eating at the eatery last night, then drank the liquor prepared by the shopkeeper, after which his head had grown heavy and he lost consciousness.
Thinking of that liquor, Zhang Fei instinctively licked his lips.
That wine was truly magnificent; he must definitely take some back with him to savor.
Of course, Zhang Fei quickly realized that his surroundings were entirely wrong.
Why did the surface beneath him feel so soft?
He bounded up from the bed, checked his clothes, and found that everything seemed normal.
Scanning the design of the room, Zhang Fei felt a sense of puzzlement.
This room looked completely different from any inn he had ever stayed in before.
"A strange affair."
Zhang Fei muttered to himself and prepared to leave the room.
However, as he walked to the door, he was dumbfounded.
How on earth did this door open?
Fortunately, just as Zhang Fei was about to resort to kicking the door open by force, it opened by itself.
A man with a crimson face, phoenix eyes, and silkworm eyebrows walked in—none other than Guan Yu.
"Third Brother, you are awake. Hurry up and wash up, and then I will take you to see some wonderful things."