Chapter 00105: Entangled
# Entangled
Chapter 105
Novel: After the Immortals Disappeared
Chapter 105: Entangled
"What else?" Lu Han prompted him.
"If I want to cast a curse on you, what else do I need to know? There are so many people with the same name. What if I curse the wrong person?"
"Your birth date and time?"
"Exactly, your birth date and time, along with the name given by your parents, make you who you are," Lu Han said with a smile.
"So, all I need to do is go to the registry and change my name to He Chunhua, and then swap my birth date and time with his. Once I become an official in Xiazhou and pick up the Yuan money, that ghostly thing will glow! Hmm, changing the birth date isn't easy. I'll need to perform a ritual to deceive the heavens, but it's not impossible. I still have some connections."
He snapped his fingers.
"Anyway, we need to get our hands on the official seal and documents. Once we reach Xiazhou, you might have to start calling me—"
His men chimed in unison: "Lord He!"
Everyone laughed, but then one of the lackeys cautiously asked, "So, are we still moving tonight?"
Originally, General Lu had said they would let these soldiers go and part ways in the morning.
"No!" General Lu waved his hand grandly.
"We stay put. No one is to strike first!"
The men were puzzled.
Weren't they supposed to seize the official seal and documents? Why weren't they fighting now?
But soon, one of his trusted aides caught on.
"General Lu wants to delay the fight until tomorrow, preferably when the Wu and Pei troops arrive as well."
"The soldiers the corrupt officials bring on long journeys are all carefully selected, strong men, possibly with battlefield experience. Plus, he has the Sheji Order, which grants his troops enhanced strength. A force of three hundred can easily fight like four hundred," General Lu said calmly.
"Even if we could take them all down, our losses would be significant. Then, when we face the Wu and Pei forces, we'd be at a disadvantage. It's better to wait until everyone is gathered, and then we can use these corrupt soldiers as a blood sacrifice to raise our banner. Wouldn't that be better?"
His men nodded in agreement.
Just then, chaos erupted outside, with shouts and cries filling the air.
Lu Han, who least wanted any surprises at this moment, tossed aside the duck leg he was eating, wiped the grease on his pants, and hurried out.
￥￥￥￥￥
Fatty Wang entered the room and plopped himself down on a bamboo chair.
The chair creaked pitifully under his weight, unable to bear the load.
Facing a high-ranking official, such behavior was incredibly rude, but he couldn't care less.
He glared at Madam Zhu and barked, "Are you stupid? Go get me... and the young master some water."
He couldn't vent his anger on the dog, but scolding "his own" woman was fine, right?
Madam Zhu silently turned to leave, but before she could take two steps, Fatty Wang reached out and slapped her backside.
"Hurry up!"
Madam Zhu glanced back, and the man's bear-like eyes filled her with unease.
He Lingchuan smiled.
"Seems like you've had some schooling. You even know about 'making a humble abode shine.'"
"Ah, yes," Fatty Wang muttered to himself, trying to stay calm.
Later, he'd rip out this kid's tongue.
Then he could decide whether to roast it or make it into a spicy stew!
He Lingchuan changed the subject.
"Are you working for Boss Lu?"
"Ah?" Fatty Wang was startled.
"No, I'm not."
"Then how long has Boss Lu been away before returning?"
Fatty Wang was stumped.
There was no answer to that question.
"I don't remember. Why are you asking?"
"I just think Boss Lu has quite a story," He Lingchuan shrugged.
"Let's change the topic. How long have you and Madam Zhu been married?"
Years of labor and exposure to the elements had darkened Madam Zhu's skin and reddened her cheeks.
But upon closer inspection, her features were delicate, and her figure was slender.
"Her?" The sudden shift caught Fatty Wang off guard.
"It's been several years."
"How did she end up marrying—" He Lingchuan gestured at Fatty Wang's entire body, "—you? No offense, but you two don't seem like a good match."
The two were like a flower stuck in cow dung, or a precious gem embedded in mud.
Fatty Wang's face turned red, not from embarrassment but from anger.
"Out of all the men in the village, she chose me! She wouldn't marry anyone else!" he snapped.
"Is that not allowed?"
"Of course, of course. I just don't know what she sees in you. Is it your love for sleeping or your aversion to bathing?"
"I have money!" Fatty Wang hissed through clenched teeth.
"I went out and made a fortune, then came back!"
He Lingchuan sighed and muttered something that sounded like "a pearl covered in dust," then asked, "How many children do you have?"
"... Two."
Why was this kid picking a fight? Did he have a thing for Madam Zhu, or had he already hooked up with her?
Fatty Wang's anger had initially clouded his judgment, but now that he had calmed down a bit, he started to feel that something was off.
"Where are the kids?" He Lingchuan glanced toward the inner room.
"I don't see them."
The inner room was completely silent.
Fatty Wang was clearly the type who couldn't handle being provoked, yet despite being repeatedly insulted, he hadn't exploded.
He Lingchuan guessed that these guys were indeed planning to make their move later in the night.
Fatty Wang was at a loss for words.
This kid's questions were like cannonballs, one after another, fast and relentless.
It was hard to keep up.
Fortunately, he had some quick wit and mumbled, "They're staying with relatives in town. They'll be back in a couple of days."
He was terrified that He Lingchuan would ask, "Which relatives?"
Luckily, he didn't.
Just then, Madam Zhu came out with a pot of hot water and two wooden cups, pouring water for both of them.
He Lingchuan didn't drink, and neither did Fatty Wang.
Because Fatty Wang suddenly remembered that some farmers kept rat poison at home.
They say a woman's heart is the most poisonous.
What if she had put something in the water...
"You rest. I'll head back to my room. Call me if you need anything."
Fatty Wang, still fuming, turned to Madam Zhu with a scowl.
"Come on, follow me to the room."
He'd vent his anger on this little woman first.
As the "head of the household," he could do whatever he wanted to his own woman in his own home.
That brat He could only watch.
As he stood up, the chair let out a long creak, as if relieved it hadn't fallen apart.
Madam Zhu looked at the chair and knew that her fate in the room would be far worse than the chair's.
What could she do?
Her only hope was the young master from the He family and his guards inside the house.
Just as she was in a panic, He Lingchuan's voice came from behind Fatty Wang.
"By the way, Fatty Boss, what's the deal with the Water Spirit shrine?"
The question was too direct.
Fatty Wang had no choice but to turn around.
"What about it?"
"You rely on the water for your livelihood, so the Water Spirit you worship must be a spirit from this lake, right?" He Lingchuan pointed to the large lake outside.
"What kind of creature is your Water Spirit?"
"Ah, yes."
Fatty Wang couldn't answer that question, but the woman behind him kept her mouth shut tight.
"Why are you so interested in it?"
Since there was a Water Spirit shrine here, it meant the local water deity had been officially recognized and given a title.
But the types of spirits were incredibly varied.
Unless the locals spoke up, outsiders would have no way of knowing what the Water Spirit's true form was.
(End of Chapter)