"Hahahaha! Chieftain Shi, please rise."
Pei Shaoqing finally showed himself, laughing heartily as he stepped out of the carriage and personally helped Shi Potian to his feet.
He then looked at the other bandits still on their knees. "Everyone, please rise. The stones on the ground must be uncomfortable."
"Thank you, Baron of Pingyang!" the bandits cried out in unison.
Pei Shaoqing said, "We are all on the same side now. From now on, when there are no outsiders present, call me 'Young Master'."
'I must first distinguish them from outsiders by their form of address. This will build their sense of a new identity and make them proud to be the dogs of the Baron of Pingyang.'
"Yes, Young Master." The bandits beamed, puffing out their chests a little straighter, full of vigor.
Although they would continue to be bandits, they already felt they were different from those "wild" bandits. Now that they had a master, they were a cut above their peers.
