Ye Xiu gestured towards the soldiers below, exchanging a meaningful look with Old Liu before they plunged into the darkness, taking down the guard with a single, swift strike and leaving him sprawled on the ground. "Put on their clothes, stand watch for a bit—we might even score a decent dinner out of this!"

The manual labor inevitably fell to Old Liu. He managed to conceal the two unconscious soldiers behind a haystack, though the rough, coarse fabric of the Qin armor chafed uncomfortably. "What if someone recognizes us like this?"

"Put on a cloth hat and grab some soot; who's going to recognize us?" Ye Xiu said, tugging at the restrictive fabric that seemed to bite into his own skin. He planted himself by the gate, holding his long halberd with a passable air of authority. "In times of chaos, these soldiers are all conscripts. Nobody cares who you are; as long as you can eat your fill, that’s all that matters."

Speaking of eating, Old Liu's stomach immediately rumbled in agreement. He glanced toward the entrance where some soldiers were already dipping bowls into a large cauldron. "Why don't we grab a bowl too?"

Ye Xiu’s physique meant his need for sustenance wasn't as pressing, but watching the soldiers devour their meal, he couldn't resist following Old Liu toward the massive pot. Sure enough, few people paid them any mind. "Hey brother, can you spare a couple of bowls for us?"

Old Liu was far less restrained. Squatting down, he casually snagged a bowl and filled it to the brim with gruel, slurping it down while praising it. "Damn, I never knew being a soldier meant eating this well. This is practically Eight-Treasure Porridge!"

"Hmph, what do you know?" A burly man with a rough face, clearly overseeing the cooking, interjected. "General Xu has sailed out on the King’s orders to find the Elixir of Life. The fact that we have such good rations suggests the Elixir might have already been found!"

Ye Xiu found this intriguing. Forgetting his own meal, he chimed in with exaggerated flattery. "My good brother knows so much! You must be one of General Xu’s trusted favorites. Could you enlighten us humble folk a little more about this Elixir?"

"Nonsense, how would little fry like you know about such things?" The big man sneered dismissively, tossing a steamed bun onto the ground with an air of superiority. "When we return to Xianyang, every one of us will be promoted and rewarded!"

"Hahahaha... Oh..." Hearing this, all the soldiers present erupted in cheers. Those four words—promotion and reward—were perhaps the greatest motivation for every soldier.

Ye Xiu watched them with a hint of resignation. The First Emperor was no benevolent ruler; these men, having sailed out to the Eastern Sea, might very well be silenced later. "Brother, don't be so coy. Let us little ones know a bit more. Besides, when you get your promotions, your rank will still be the highest, and we’ll still need to rely on you."

"You sure know how to talk, kid." Flattered by Ye Xiu's praise, the big man settled down, crossing his legs, and glanced around conspiratorially before whispering, "Do you know what General Xu found?"

"One more bun for me," Old Liu mumbled, too engrossed in eating to pay much attention to the big man's words.

The burly man pushed Old Liu’s hand away and continued, "There really are Immortals on that sacred island in the Eastern Sea where we went! General Xu not only found the Elixir of Immortality but also brought back an Immortal Maiden for the King!"

"An Immortal Maiden? Wow..." These soldiers hadn't experienced a woman’s company in ages. The mention of an Immortal Maiden instantly thrilled them. "What's an Immortal Maiden like? Is she beautiful?"

The big man covered his face with a smile, suddenly appearing shy. "I only caught a glimpse once when I was delivering food to General Xu. That woman was indescribably beautiful; seeing her made my legs turn to jelly."

Hearing this, Ye Xiu became even more certain of his suspicion: the Empress of Ten Thousand Demons had completely ensnared Xu Fu. But what exactly was her goal?

"Spy!" Suddenly, the clang of weapons rang out. A group of men rushed out from the pavilion, and several masked figures clad in black suddenly appeared atop the perimeter wall. "Spy! Protect General Xu immediately!"

"Go, go, go!" The burly man yelled, frantically pushing away the various soldiers. A cold sweat broke out on his brow as he grabbed a kitchen utensil and charged into the center of the courtyard.

Ye Xiu stayed hidden behind the crowd, observing everything coldly. Old Liu, meanwhile, was completely at ease, still continuously sipping his Eight-Treasure Porridge.

The main door of the pavilion burst open, and Xu Fu rushed out, drawing his sword and pointing it at the black-clad figures. "Which rebellious traitors dare trespass upon the Qin Imperial Post Station!"

The black-clad men were clearly prepared. They entered the courtyard in groups of three or five from various directions, systematically isolating the guards. The long blades in their hands shimmered with an abnormal brilliance, illuminating the night. The two sides clashed back and forth for a long time. The Qin troops, exhausted and weary, naturally found themselves at a disadvantage. Due to the attackers’ extremely peculiar fighting styles and sheer numbers, the battle rapidly devolved into a one-sided rout.

"Protect the Third Immortal Consort!" Seeing the situation turn dire, Xu Fu himself joined the fray. Unfortunately, the black-clad assassins didn't just wield long knives; they also used massive grappling claws. No matter how high Xu Fu's martial arts skill, he could not withstand an assault from several directions at once, and he soon found himself in grave peril. "Help! Someone, help!"

"Hey, shouldn't we step in and help?" Old Liu, his stomach full, felt a slight itch in his hands watching the chaos of spears and clubs. "If this keeps up, aren't we just forcing the Empress of Ten Thousand Demons to act herself?"

"I just want to see how the Empress of Ten Thousand Demons intends to deal with these common soldiers," Ye Xiu gritted his teeth, staring up at the pavilion. Wisps of smoke still curled from above, but there was no trace of soul energy. He twirled a finger and asked, "Susu, can you sense any soul energy? The Empress’s power shouldn't be completely concealed, should it?"

Susu hadn't emerged in a while and sounded drowsy. She chuckled softly, "This place is very clean; there is no external power present. Master, my energy is damaged; you must let me rest a while longer."

"Help! Save me!" Xu Fu swept his long saber, cutting down several black-clad figures, but their numbers and thorough preparation indicated they were no mere rabble. A sudden realization struck him. "Are you men sent by the Crown Prince!"

"You shall not live!" The leader's voice was muffled, and after Xu Fu finished speaking, his attacks intensified.

"Hmph!" A light laugh echoed from mid-air just then. Old Liu brought the ordinary long halberd he was holding down squarely onto one of the black-clad figures. He controlled the force, yet it was still immensely powerful. The assassin raised his blade to block but was sent flying back against the wall, hitting his head and bleeding profusely. "General Xu, are you alright?"

Xu Fu, still shaken, was greatly relieved to see a young soldier rush to his aid. "Kid, be careful! They have too many men!"

Ye Xiu also surged into the fray, swinging his red iron rod and striking anyone in sight. When the black-clad figures tried to surround him, they found Ye Xiu's brute strength considerable; before the giant claws could latch on, they were simply dragged away and flung far off. "General Xu, leave this to us. Hurry and protect the Third Immortal Consort."

"Good!" Xu Fu felt as if divine soldiers had descended from the heavens. He swiftly led a few guards back toward the pavilion. At this moment, no matter the cost, the Immortals of the Three Sacred Mountains had to be protected.

"Whoa, whoa, aren't you being a bit much?" Old Liu clapped Ye Xiu on the back after seeing him single-handedly take down dozens of attackers. "These are regular people. Two hits from you, and they’ll probably be dead!"

Ye Xiu grinned smugly, feeling the sensation of crushing low-level opponents. "Why worry about it? As long as we don't use soul energy or magic, that slow-witted Xu Fu might just think we're gods descended to earth and treat us royally. Then we can get close to the Empress of Ten Thousand Demons with him!"

"And then get close to the First Emperor!" Old Liu thought Ye Xiu’s idea made sense. Just then, a black-clad figure dropped from above, aiming a chopping strike at him. Old Liu leaped up and kicked the man, sending him soaring back into the air. "I've been fighting the Ancient Powers too much; I can't quite control my strength. A light touch feels like kicking a soccer ball."

"Monsters! Run! Run, quickly..." The remaining black-clad figures saw the tide had turned. They threw down their armor and fled in disarray. When the courtyard finally settled back into silence, all that remained were the Qin soldiers groaning in pain.

Ye Xiu pulled Old Liu, and they bolted into the pavilion behind them. The structure only had two floors; the first floor was clearly a reception hall, simple but equipped with every necessary utensil. He spotted a staircase leading to the second floor but was blocked by a soldier clad in dark armor.

"We just came to report to General Xu that the black-clad men have fled." Ye Xiu shot the guard a dismissive glance; where was this cold demeanor when the fighting was happening?

"I am a guard personally selected by General Xu, specially responsible for the safety of the Third Immortal Consort. No one ascends without General Xu's direct order!" The guard's expression was stiff, showing no mercy. "You mere foot soldiers, step back immediately!"

"General Xu, we drove the black-clad men away!" Old Liu roared toward the upper floor. "It's safe now, General! Everything is fine!"

"You court death!" The guard glared, instantly drawing his sword and pointing it at Old Liu’s neck. "Try shouting that again, and I'll lop off your head."

"Insolent!" At that moment, Xu Fu descended from the second floor. Before the guard could react, Xu Fu slapped him across the face. "You witless fool! Why aren't you kneeling down to apologize to these young masters immediately!"

"My Lord." The guard, seeing stars, looked utterly bewildered. "These two trespassed here; I was just, I was just..."

"Apologize, you idiot..." Xu Fu kicked the guard hard before instantly turning with a dazzling smile toward Ye Xiu and Old Liu. "You two young sirs are truly divine beings! I was blind not to realize my own ranks held such heroes. Thanks to you both today."

"This... this..." The guard looked utterly aggrieved, but seeing Xu Fu's expression, he knew he had committed a grave error.