Chapter 00111: Her True Identity
# Her True Identity
Chapter 111
Novel: After the Immortals Disappeared
Chapter 111: Her True Identity
Soon, He Lingchuan escorted Fatty Wang into He Chunhua's temporary residence, where two guards left by He Chunhua were stationed.
The lady of the house was also present, trembling as she watched the group.
He Lingchuan asked her, "Was the man who was here earlier also a bandit?"
"My husband was killed. That damned thief pretended to be him to spy on you."
The thief had done more than just that to her.
Tears streamed down the lady's face as she pleaded, "Please, sir, save us!"
He Lingchuan sighed, "Go inside and lock the door. What happens out here has nothing to do with you."
The lady nodded silently and retreated into the main room.
The sound of the door locking echoed through the house.
He Lingchuan placed Fatty Wang and Zhu Shi in the kitchen, with five men guarding the doors and windows, their weapons firmly in hand.
Not long after, footsteps could be heard outside.
He Lingchuan listened carefully.
There were quite a few people, their steps unhurried, indicating they were calm and not panicked.
More importantly, he heard the light, quick steps of Lady Ying.
He immediately opened the door and stepped out.
Sure enough, He Chunhua had returned with his wife and son, followed by his guard, Zhao Qinghe.
Another man, Mo Zhe Jingxuan, whom He Lingchuan also recognized, was a strategist his father had brought back from Blackwater City.
Everyone was surprised to see He Lingchuan open the door.
He Chunhua let out a sigh of relief, "You're back, good, good!"
During the chaos by the lake earlier, he had been worried about his eldest son, who had been missing.
The group entered the house, and the guards took up positions around the perimeter to ensure the safety of their master.
Lady Ying asked her son, "Where did you go earlier?"
"I prepared a gift for Father," He Lingchuan said, leading his father inside and pointing at Fatty Wang on the floor.
"This fat man is one of Lu Lao Da's close associates, holding a high position among the bandits. He was left with Zhu Shi, and I was worried about how to bring him back. Luckily, the battle by the lake broke out..."
Hearing that this fat man was one of Lu Han's close associates, He Chunhua's furrowed brow relaxed slightly.
He patted He Lingchuan's shoulder, "Well done!"
"He has already confessed that the bandits took over Qian Teng Town two days ago. They still have over two hundred accomplices in the town."
"Accomplices?" He Chunhua was startled.
"The interrogation was interrupted earlier, but I can still..."
Before He Lingchuan could finish, He Chunhua interrupted, "No need. Leave the rest to me."
He sent someone to interrogate Fatty Wang, and Zhu Shi, who had been in the kitchen, hurried out.
The small dining room now held six or seven people.
She walked straight up to He Chunhua and knelt down with a thud.
"Lord He, save me!"
This unexpected move left even He Chunhua stunned.
Lady Ying stepped forward to help the woman up, saying softly, "Get up and speak."
"My name is Zhu Xiuer. I am the granddaughter of Zhu Xiyan, the Minister of the Imperial Stud. Seven years ago, I was drugged and kidnapped at the Huazhao Temple Fair in Xin'an and sold to a wealthy merchant from Qianhai. His wife was jealous and secretly sold me here."
She rolled up her sleeves, revealing thin arms covered in old scars, likely from whips.
"I tried to escape several times but was caught each time, leaving these marks. Other scars are in more private places and cannot be shown."
Everyone exchanged glances, momentarily speechless.
After a while, He Chunhua said quietly, "Minister Zhu lost his granddaughter seven or eight years ago and searched for her for a long time without success. This was widely known in the capital, and the county magistrate of Xin'an even lost his position because of it. But how can you prove that you are Zhu Xiuer?"
This kind of "prove you are you" problem was always tricky.
But Zhu Xiuer was clearly prepared.
She turned around, pulled up her hair, and showed everyone a lotus-shaped red birthmark on the back of her neck.
"This lotus-shaped red mark has been there since I was born. When my grandfather first saw it, he said I would grow up to be as graceful as a lotus orchid. My grandfather loved wine and always warmed it under the pergola in the backyard."
She paused, "I can tell you all about my childhood, every detail, and it can all be verified."
Seeing her respond fluently and without guilt, the strategist said to He Chunhua, "My lord, this matter is easy to verify."
He Chunhua nodded, "Alright, you will travel with us."
Zhu Shi was overjoyed and bowed deeply, "Thank you, my lord!"
"You have helped us greatly. We should be thanking you," He Chunhua waved his hand.
"Otherwise, the bandits would still be plotting against us in secret."
He glanced at Lady Ying, who understood and stepped forward to take Zhu Shi's hand, leading her aside to talk.
Upon hearing that her husband and mother-in-law had been killed and her two children taken hostage by the bandits, Lady Ying sighed, "These scoundrels deserve to be brought to justice."
He Lingchuan took out a green apple and took a bite, "Justice? Justice doesn't care about these things. Only evil can deal with evil."
Ouch, why are the apples in the mountains so sour? He held his cheek, feeling like his teeth were about to fall out.
Lady Ying glared at him.
Comfort, this is comfort.
What does this brat know?
￥￥￥￥￥
After both leaders nodded in agreement, the soldiers and the defeated bandits quickly retreated to their respective territories, with the former occupying the east side of the village and the latter taking the west.
He Chunhua had wanted the bandits to release the villagers from the west side as well, but Lu Yao wasn't foolish.
He knew these were valuable hostages and refused to agree.
Hearing this news, the villagers on the west side wailed.
Lu Yao initially ignored them, but the cries were so loud they annoyed him.
He finally waved his hand, "Tell them to shut up, or I'll cut out their tongues and have them for a drink."
He had done this before, but with the soldiers right across from them, it wouldn't be wise to provoke them too much.
At this point, he looked around, "Where's that fat guy?" Normally, he wouldn't even need to speak for such trivial matters; Fatty Wang would be the first to rush out and handle it.
Of course, he couldn't see Fatty Wang.
Several bandits were starting a fire to roast fish, and Lu Yao took a sip of wine.
Although they had just fought, he was in a rather good mood.
He had always been worried that his unreliable subordinates would slip up and be discovered by the soldiers.
But now, everyone had dropped the act, and establishing a village alliance had brought peace.
A close confidant beside him advised, "General, drink less. What if they attack at night?"
Lu Yao scoffed, "They? Attack? Don't overestimate that dog official!"
He wiped his mouth, "The official is on his way to take up his post in Xiazhou. These three hundred men are his entire entourage, just like you are to me. Without these trusted men, he would be a stranger in Xiazhou, and nothing would go smoothly! Even if half of them died, or just a third, he couldn't bear it! Do you think he wants to leave early in the morning or launch a night attack on us?"
"Of course, he wants to escape early," another flattered.
"That dog official's insight and courage are far inferior to our general's. Besides, he's just a passing official. Why would he meddle in local affairs? As long as we tell him we'll part ways safely tomorrow morning, he won't make a move tonight!"
Lu Yao narrowed his eyes and put down his wine cup, "Increase the guard after the fourth watch. We can't let them escape. By the way, where did you say Wu Shaoyi and Pei Xinyong's troops are now?"
(End of Chapter)