Chapter 40

Let's start from the beginning, from Zhai Rang...

The Great Sui Empire implemented a three-tier administrative system of prefectures, counties, and districts. Zhai Rang was from the Sili Prefecture, Hedong County, and was a young hero. Feeling the hardships of the common people, he realized that he had to bend over to earn money... and by "common people," he meant himself. So, he engaged in speculative activities and initially became a legal officer in the county. He thought that this time he could stand straight and earn money, but unexpectedly, being an official was worse than being a commoner, as he had to kneel to earn money! After pondering, wanting to stand straight and earn money, in a fit of anger, Zhai Rang killed his whiny superior, looted gold and silver, and fled to Wagon Fort with his only relative, his younger sister Zhai Lingling.

Being a highwayman wasn't as easy as it seemed. They had to recruit soldiers, win people's hearts, and so on. The most critical point was that they couldn't just rob someone and hide in the fort to feast and divide the loot! The traveling merchants didn't carry much silver; mostly, they carried goods like southern rice, silk, tea, northern cattle, and animal skins. Rice and cattle could be used, but what about silk, tea, and animal skins? They couldn't just let them mold! Therefore, they had to find a place to sell the loot.

Wagon Fort was located in the northeast corner of Xingyang Prefecture. To the west of Xingyang Prefecture was Luoyang. What kind of place was Luoyang? It was known as the richest place in the world! It was also known as the place with the most merchants in the world! The loot from Wagon Fort couldn't be easily sold in Xingyang Prefecture, but in Luoyang, it was like a drop of water in the sea, who would notice? Every few months, the people from Wagon Fort would come to Luoyang to do "business." Five or six days ago, it was their time to come again...

The rest of the story is much simpler. While doing business, the Zhai siblings happened to encounter Hu Che'er, who had been beaten by Wu Fan's wife and was hungry, wanting to return to his old trade and rob them. Zhai Lingling beat up Hu Che'er, but Zhai Rang found Hu Che'er extraordinary. After some planning, he invited Hu Che'er for a meal, reasoning and appealing to his emotions, inviting him to join the bandits and rob the rich to help the poor.

When Hu Che'er met Wu Fan again, he seemed a bit excited and ashamed, bowing from a distance and saying, "Master, please accept Hu Che'er's salute!"

"Master? What does that mean?"

Although Wu Fan was surprised, he quickly helped Hu Che'er up and sighed, "I also feel guilty towards you! Brother, you left without a word, which made me very worried!"

Hu Che'er blinked his honest eyes and said, "Master, didn't you receive my letter?"

"Letter? What letter?" Wu Fan was puzzled for a long time, then suddenly remembered that the only letter he had received recently was the one only gods could understand. He said, "You mean... that letter... the one with all the pictures?"

Hu Che'er nodded quickly.

Wu Fan instantly covered his face and said, "What should I say? Because of your letter, I almost died!" He then asked, "A donkey, many people with knives, a gold ingot, the sun, an arrow... can you tell me what you wanted to say?"

"Ha!"

Zhai Rang, behind Wu Fan, burst out laughing, then quickly covered his mouth, turning red.

Hu Che'er looked very awkward, scratching his head and said, "Master, that's not a donkey, it's me!"

Wu Fan: "...", I see why the donkey had such thick eyebrows and big eyes!

Hu Che'er continued, "What I meant was—I'm going to become a bandit, robbing the rich to help the poor. If we meet again, it will be by fate."

Wu Fan: "..."

What to say? What to say? What can I say?

Wu Fan felt a lump in his heart. It turned out that was the meaning. At the time, he had misunderstood it as—blocking someone's path, and someone wanting to kill him so he wouldn't see the next day's sun, and they might even use crossbows... Such a misunderstanding led to him almost being killed by Zhong Xiu, and later killing Zhong Xiu.

Wait!

His expression changed, Wu Fan frowned and asked, "Become a bandit? Why do you have this idea? I've already handled the matter when I returned, and it won't happen again. I've also prepared to arrange your household registration and a job in the government... You have a clear and easy opportunity to become an official! Why become a thief?"

"Cough, cough!"

Zhai Rang coughed and said, "I'll go ahead and handle some things. Wu brother, you talk with Hu Che'er first!"

Wu Fan quickly bowed and said, "I..."

Zhai Rang waved his hand to interrupt Wu Fan and smiled, "No problem, no problem! I'll go first, you talk, and we'll have a drink later!"

Faced with Wu Fan's questioning, Hu Che'er scratched his head, finding it hard to speak, looking very troubled.

After a long time, Wu Fan sighed and said, "If you really want to go, then go! Here... it's very dangerous, not suitable for someone with a simple heart like you. It's good! Maybe one day when I have no way out, I'll have to find you! Forget it! Tell me why you call me Master?"

While speaking, Wu Fan thought about his current situation, which was indeed very dangerous and not suitable for Hu Che'er to follow. Moreover, even a cunning rabbit has three dens; he, a living person, couldn't lack a backup plan. With no family and few trustworthy people around, it was undoubtedly a good idea for Hu Che'er to go to Wagon Fort, leaving a way out for the future in case something happened.

Hu Che'er was indeed a simple-hearted person, so he felt very guilty about Wu Fan's sigh, and... he actually believed Wu Fan's story about the underworld!

Hu Che'er looked around, speaking in a low, sneaky voice, "Now I understand! I'm already dead, and Master turned me from a ghost into a person with flesh and blood. And I've heard, this place is definitely the underworld! That Dong Butcher from Xiliang is now the emperor, yes! Only someone as vicious as him could be the emperor in the underworld..."

Listening to Hu Che'er's incoherent words, Wu Fan was both amused and exasperated. He said, "You haven't drunk the Mengpo soup, so you still have memories from your past life. Remember, you must keep this a secret, even if you die! Otherwise, you'll go to the eighteenth level of hell and never be reborn! Definitely don't talk about it! If someone asks where you're from, say you're from Xiliang, and you forgot everything else due to a serious illness, understand?"

Hu Che'er immediately swore to the heavens, his serious expression making Wu Fan, who lied effortlessly, feel a bit moved.

"Your letter was from several days ago, why haven't you left yet?" Wu Fan turned and asked, "And what did Zhai Lingling mean when she said you saved me?"

Hu Che'er said, "I was supposed to leave with Zhai Chief today, but I suddenly heard that Master was being heavily searched for, so... Master, why don't you join Zhai Chief as a bandit? Zhai Chief is quite decent!"

Wu Fan shook his head and said, "We're not the same kind of people, we can't be in the same door. Besides, some things are not as simple as they seem!"

"Oh! Taking advantage of my absence to gossip behind my back!"

A clear, bell-like voice came from outside the door. Who else could it be but Zhai Lingling?

Wu Fan shivered; he really didn't want to have any contact with this little vixen. The fancy binding still made him feel a burning pain, as if he had taken a step too big and pulled his groin.

Hu Che'er also shivered; he still couldn't figure out how this little girl had beaten him that day.

...

PS1: Please collect, recommend, like, and roll for everything!

PS2: Thank you to the support from the 588-point coin donation from "Rifle Mosquito" and the 100-point coin donations from "Huangguo" and "Wang Shengfang". Thanks.

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