Chapter 104: How to prove you are you?

She looked absolutely terrified, her body trembling. The man couldn't immediately tell if she was truly foolish or just pretending, as he had encountered village women with even more bizarre ways of thinking. He had no choice but to intensify his tone and threaten, "Remember this: your two children are in our hands! If you dare to go near that family again, I will kill one of your children right before your eyes!"

Madam Zhu stammered, "Don't... don't hurt them!"

"Behave yourself, and we'll release all of you tomorrow morning!" After the threat, the inducement followed decisively.

Madam Zhu nodded frantically.

Just then, pebbles on the village road crunched underfoot as several people approached. The one leading them waved at Madam Zhu, "Well, Madam Zhu, what a coincidence!"

Both turned their heads to see that the newcomer was none other than the scoundrel official He's eldest son, trailed closely by two personal guards, looking every bit the high-ranking entourage.

Seeing his smirking face, a wave of joy momentarily washed over Madam Zhu, tears welling up in her eyes. Yet, she had to force herself to smile back at him and say, "Greetings, Young Master He."

"I came out for a walk after dinner and found myself here," He Lingchuan said, stepping forward naturally. "Your village has beautiful scenery. Would you care to walk with me for a bit?"

"I..." Madam Zhu was about to speak when the fat man couldn't stand it anymore. He pulled her against his chest and said, "This is my wife."

He Lingchuan pointed at him and asked Madam Zhu, "Is this an outsider?"

Madam Zhu's eyes curved into a smile, but she said nothing.

Before the fat man could react, He Lingchuan gave a hearty laugh. "Just a joke, don't take it seriously. What's your name, old brother?"

"Wang," the fat man said, remembering Lu Han's instructions, and a corner of his mouth twitched. "Your presence, Young Master He, graces our humble abode."

"From your house, you get a direct view of the lake. Very nice," He Lingchuan remarked, turning his head. Suddenly, he tossed something silvery towards him.

Wang, the fat man, instinctively caught it. Only then did he realize it was a piece of broken silver weighing five qian. What was this?

"You're lucky. I'll be staying here tonight," He Lingchuan said, putting his hands behind his back and raising his chin. "Well? Aren't you going to make up the bed?"

A muscle twitched in the corner of Wang, the fat man's eye, and he froze on the spot. Normally, with his temper, he would have likely erupted and chopped off the scoundrel's head with a knife!

But Boss Lu had said to endure!

He forcibly suppressed his anger. "Hasn't your lodging already been arranged?" Boss Lu himself had arranged it.

"It's too far. It's inconvenient to chat with family." Ever since He Lingchuan realized that this fellow in front of him was also a bandit, he had paid attention to the lodging arranged for him in the village. He found that it was the furthest from He Chunhua and his wife's residence, being on opposite corners, one west and one east.

These guys were planning to divide and conquer.

"What, not enough?" He Lingchuan asked, seeing the fat man standing motionless. He pulled out a few more qian of broken silver and forcefully shoved it into his hand.

This was the exact manner in which one would tip a waiter in a theatre. With this shove, the veins on the fat man's forehead pulsed twice.

He Lingchuan silently remained vigilant, but the man tightened his jaw, clearly suppressing his temper once more. He said hoarsely, "Come in."

He also wanted to drag the young man inside and give him a good beating, but two personal guards were close behind. He wasn't afraid of not being able to win, but he feared causing too much commotion.

When would he finally be able to kill all these despicable curs?!

He turned and entered the house. Madam Zhu cast a glance at He Lingchuan and followed him in. Only then did He Lingchuan notice the undisguised fear and anger in her eyes.

If these men posing as villagers were bandits, then she must be an innocent civilian, right?

He Lingchuan looked around and noticed idle people everywhere, either eating from their rice bowls or sitting by doorways picking their feet and enjoying the breeze, all of them watching him, intentionally or not.

Boss Lu was currently gnawing on a duck leg in the village chief's house.

The free-range ducks by Xianling Lake grew up eating local aquatic plants and snails. They had a thick layer of white fat under their skin. When roasted over a fire, the golden fat and aroma soon emerged. Just sprinkle some flavored pepper and rub on some salt, then dig in.

Boss Lu also kept an eye on the village chief's family. There wasn't much to see in the old man, old woman, and a few "stinky men," but the grandchildren, who had already been taken by the bandits, were only three to five years old, so tender they seemed as if water could be squeezed from them.

Thinking of those children, he felt the meat in his mouth tasted even sweeter.

As he was enjoying his meal, a henchman slipped in and said to him, "Boss Lu, I've heard something! That scoundrel official, surnamed He, is going to take up a new post as Governor in Xiazhou."

"What kind of governor?" Lu Han initially paid no mind, but then he quickly realized the implications, and his eyes lit up. "Are you saying, the Governor of Xiazhou?!"

"Yes, that seems to be the case," the man replied. "I heard it from the womenfolk of their soldiers."

For this long journey, some members of the He family's personal guard unit had brought their families, as it was a thousand-li trip, and they might not have another chance to return to Blackwater City later.

Lu Han slowly spread his mouth into a grin and burst into laughter, looking up at the sky!

After just one laugh, he suddenly remembered that the mountains were quiet at night and sounds carried far, so it wouldn't do to scare off their prey. He forcibly stifled the laughter, causing a muffled thud throughout his chest.

His trusted subordinates standing beside him exchanged glances, wondering what made their boss so happy.

"General, isn't this an exceptionally fat sheep?"

"More than just fat?" Lu Han's eyebrows danced with excitement. "When he announced his identity earlier, it clicked! This fellow is the Prefect of Qiansong Commandery. He's been in that border region for over a decade, so probably few people in the inner official circles would even recognize him. Ha, from Qiansong Commandery to Xiazhou, it's more than a thousand or eighteen hundred li! Do you know what this means?"

Everyone shook their heads.

"The people of Xiazhou have never even seen this new Governor!" Lu Han finally couldn't help but burst out laughing. "If I go to Xiazhou with his official documents and seal, I'll be the newly appointed Governor!"

"Heaven never seals off all exits! I thought tomorrow would decide our life-or-death fate, but who knew Heaven would send me an escape route!" Lu Han clicked his tongue twice. "I'm taking that official position! His wife looks tender and delicate, and those two brats look just as tender and delicate!"

He licked his lips, and his subordinates chuckled in response. However, a question was soon raised: "That scoundrel official also has a Sovereign's Writ. You want to impersonate... no, take his place, but what if you can't produce the Sovereign's Writ?"

"Who says I can't produce it? Do you know the basis of the Sovereign's Writ?"

His subordinates naturally shook their heads. They all knew that the Sovereign's Writ was usually designated by the royal court, and officials or generals holding it could command vital energy. It was precisely because of this that government troops had a natural suppressive effect when fighting bandits and rebels—

Not that it guaranteed a win.

"First designate the official position, then designate the person," Lu Han explained with authority. "Obtaining his official documents and seal is equivalent to obtaining his official position. As for the person, it's a bit troublesome, but not impossible to arrange. Today, I will tell you a secret method."

He patted a subordinate's shoulder. "How does Heaven determine that you are you?"

"How does Heaven determine that I am me?" The subordinate thought for a while, then pointed to his nose and asked, "My name?"