[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-lord-of-the-proles":3,"chapter-lord-of-the-proles-lord-of-the-proles-chapter-96":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Lord of the Proles",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2290394,4478,"Chapter 96: The Namesake and the Hauler","lord-of-the-proles-chapter-96",96,"\u003Cp>“Within a hundred li, there’s only one checkpoint, but its location isn’t fixed,” You Taoyao explained the checkpoint’s nature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If there’s only one checkpoint, why isn’t its location fixed?” Li Banfeng still couldn’t understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You Taoyao patiently explained: “It’s a rule set by the Border Guard Officer—the checkpoint moves daily. Those wishing to cross must bring their travel permits, gather at the Patrol Office at dawn, and cross together at noon. This is said to prevent smugglers from preparing in advance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It really was hard to prepare in advance; Li Banfeng currently had no chance to arrange anything ahead of time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment’s thought, Li Banfeng asked: “Do you have a way to cross?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You Xuetao blinked her eyes: “Why would you need a trick? Have your friend bring his travel permit, and in two days I’ll take him to the Patrol Office—he just walks right through.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng raised an eyebrow: “What if he doesn’t have a travel permit? How do you cross then?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No travel permit means smuggling. What’s your friend’s background?” You Taoyao stepped closer and playfully hooked her finger under Li Banfeng’s chin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cough! Cough! Cough!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A woman’s coughing came again from upstairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You Taoyao shouted toward the upper floor: “I told you, this is my friend!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The coughing stopped. You Taoyao looked at Li Banfeng: “This is difficult. Unless your friend’s cultivation base is absurdly high, without a travel permit he won’t get across.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Does it even depend on cultivation base?” Li Banfeng thought the man riding the immortal crane had high cultivation, yet he still hadn’t crossed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You Taoyao nodded: “Yes, cultivation base matters. Without a travel permit, there are only two ways to cross the border.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The first is impersonation: someone obtains a travel permit, and you can pay a fortune to buy it and pretend to be him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng nodded: “That’s a good method. How much does one travel permit cost?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can’t say—I’ve never done it myself, but I’ve heard of cases where someone happened to meet a person with the same name and surname, and managed to pull it off.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng was puzzled: “Why does it have to be someone with the same name and surname?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You Taoyao explained: “The Border Guard Officer possesses a magic treasure from the Virtue Sect. He asks your name—and before that treasure, you must tell the truth, or you’ll drop dead on the spot. Unless you share the exact name and surname of the permit holder, or your cultivation level surpasses the treasure’s power.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Same name and surname?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That seemed like something you could only stumble upon by chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Better to target the treasure itself—Li Banfeng was already a Level Two Dweller Cultivator.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What level is that treasure?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You Taoyao answered: “I heard it’s Level Eight. Only if your cultivation exceeds Level Eight, and you can suppress the treasure briefly without revealing any trace, can you cross successfully.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng nodded: “Let’s talk about the other method.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Level Eight?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How many Level Eights are there in Pulu Province?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You have to surpass Level Eight!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That means Level Nine or Ten.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng had never even heard of such people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You Taoyao said: “The other path is called the Hauler’s Road. It’s said haulers travel across regions via the Hauler’s Road.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng’s eyes lit up: “Where is the Hauler’s Road?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Two hundred li west.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Distance doesn’t matter.” To Li Banfeng, two hundred li was just over three hours’ walk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You Taoyao sighed: “It’s not about distance—the Hauler’s Road is just a legend. Though I’m not well-traveled, I’ve lived twenty-six years and never heard of anyone finding the Hauler’s Road, let alone surviving its exit from Yaowang Gully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Legends say finding the Hauler’s Road requires both sufficient skill and fortune, and within it lie countless demonic beasts and monsters, a hundred times more dangerous than the New Lands. If your friend lacks such ability, don’t waste your thoughts on it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neither path was viable. Li Banfeng’s expression grew grim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With all suggestions given, You Taoyao cautiously asked: “Why must you leave Yaowang Gully?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Forget about friends—by now, both knew the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng didn’t beat around the bush: “To evade an enemy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The answer was simple, but You Taoyao sensed the gravity of the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stay here for now. I doubt your enemy would chase you to such a remote place.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng hesitated long, then shook his head: “He hasn’t come yet, but he will. I can’t hide here. Take me to the Patrol Office.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You Taoyao shook her head: “Going there won’t help—it’s impossible to slip through. The checkpoint won’t open today or tomorrow. Wait until the day after.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng glanced at the calendar—it was Saturday.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Being from another province, the Border Guard Officer still kept the weekly two-day weekend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You Taoyao walked around the village, bought plenty of ingredients, set up a stove at the bamboo house’s front, and cooked Li Banfeng a lavish meal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng took out salted fish and wine. After days of canned food, this meal was satisfying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Won’t your companion come down to eat?” Li Banfeng glanced upstairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You Taoyao shook her head: “She’s afraid of strangers. Ignore her.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After eating and drinking, You Taoyao brought out a hanging bed and had Li Banfeng sleep on the first floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once You Taoyao went upstairs, Li Banfeng heard a few voices arguing—her companion was clearly angry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s my friend. I haven’t done anything with him. Why are you throwing a fit?” You Taoyao scolded her companion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her companion remained silent, only sobbing one breath after another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng didn’t sleep in the bamboo house. He walked to the fields beside it and entered his Personal Dwelling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No sooner had he lain down than the phonograph crackled: “Husband, why do you smell of perfume? Who have you been meeting?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng touched the front of the phonograph: “Not a harlot. A good woman.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why call her good?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She can help me leave Yaowang Gully.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Leave Yaowang Gully? Where are you going, husband?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To Green Water Bay!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clatter!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To Green Water Bay! Husband, what a brilliant plan!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng’s eyes lit up: “Wife, you think this plan is good too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hiss~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Little servant doesn’t understand plans. Wherever you go, I follow. Whatever plan you make, little servant thinks it’s perfect.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to Li Banfeng’s plan, the day after tomorrow, he’d go to the Patrol Office to see who was leaving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once he spotted a suitable person, he’d immediately enter his Personal Dwelling and find a way to place the key on him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The move had to be stealthy, precise, and sure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If that person successfully crossed, Li Banfeng could cross with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was different from the train situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng didn’t need to worry about timing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he emerged too early, he’d only startle the man—he wouldn’t face terrifying conductors, nor the hopeless escape scenario of the train.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At dawn the next day, You Taoyao came downstairs but didn’t see Li Banfeng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where did he go?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did he leave because he heard us arguing last night?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t even say goodbye?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By noon, still no sign of him, You Taoyao grew anxious. Hearing footsteps outside, she thought it was Li Banfeng returning, but when she opened the door, it was Patrol Captain Wu Jinming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Captain Wu? Looking for me?” You Taoyao quickly masked her disappointment with a bright smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Jinming didn’t smile—he had an important mission: “Where is the older brother who came to see you yesterday?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You Taoyao smiled: “I’m looking for him too. That ungrateful man—he ate his fill last night and vanished this morning.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s his name?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“His surname is Bai, Bai Sha.” You Taoyao didn’t lie—whether true or false, she couldn’t fabricate a name, or Wu Jinming might encounter Li Banfeng and their stories wouldn’t match.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Surname Bai?” Wu Jinming didn’t believe it. He pulled a photo from an envelope and handed it to You Taoyao: “Is this him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You Taoyao glanced at it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Li Banfeng’s university photo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first glance, they didn’t look much alike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the photo, Li Banfeng had a crew cut, wore sportswear, and looked youthful and naive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, Li Banfeng hadn’t cut his hair in a long time—it had grown, and his frequent wearing of suits added a cold, mature air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if you studied his facial features closely, traces of Li Banfeng were still visible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You Taoyao feigned ignorance: “His clothes—he’s from another province?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t care which province. Is this your older brother?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You Taoyao shook her head: “No, he doesn’t look anything like him. Bai Sha has a square face; this young man has a long face. Bai Sha is thirty-five?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bai Sha has dark skin and small eyes; this young man has big eyes and fair skin. They’re nothing alike—completely different.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could a photo and the real person really differ so much?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes—they did. That was You Taoyao’s skill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng truly had a long face; in school, his crew cut made it look even longer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when he appeared in Mazhu Village yesterday, he wore a hat, making his face appear shorter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the hat’s shadow, Li Banfeng’s skin looked darker, his eyes smaller—so everything You Taoyao said was true.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Added to that, Li Banfeng had glued on a full beard, instantly aging him—he truly looked like two different people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under this psychological suggestion, Wu Jinming also felt the man he saw yesterday didn’t resemble Li Banfeng much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he couldn’t shake his unease, so he asked You Tao: “What does your adopted brother do for a living?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You Tao shook her head: “I don’t know. It was just a fleeting affair—only for mutual pleasure. I didn’t bother asking about such things.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Jinming kept his eyes fixed on You Xuetao’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You Xuetao’s gaze was calm and natural, showing not the slightest avoidance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Jinming frowned: “You Xuetao, in Mazhucun, nearly everyone with cultivation has been to the Patrol Office, but I’ve never troubled you—don’t go giving me trouble.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If your adopted brother comes back, go straight to the Patrol Office and tell me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You Xuetao blinked her eyes, shaking her head rapidly: “How could I dare let him come back? Now that you say this, I’m actually frightened. Officer Wu, what did this man do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Jinming said: “The man we’re looking for is named Li Banfeng. A notice is posted at the village entrance—you can go take a look when you have time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t know if your adopted brother is Li Banfeng, but Li Banfeng offended the Lu family. Now the Lu family is searching the entire Yaowang Gou for him. He’s likely trying to sneak across the border.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll say it again: if you hear anything about him, tell me immediately—or you’ll be considered an accomplice!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: Last night I dreamed of You Tao—her back view was so alluring!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I asked her to come help me type, but she shook her peach and ran off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1833,"2026-06-20T03:43:13.043Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","b431676cfad574c0a716cebbb0514310c17b4d0aa84450884cb483478591361d","lord-of-the-proles-chapter-97","lord-of-the-proles-chapter-95",863,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Flord-of-the-proles-cover.jpg"]