"Mmm," Lü Xu replied with unwavering certainty, absolutely convinced she would wait for the day he returned.

After many days, Pei County finally experienced a relatively lively day. Rumor had it that the wealthy merchant Lu Gong was marrying off his two daughters, and one of the fortunate sons-in-law was the county magistrate, Liu Bang, with the other being a handsome, accomplished young man skilled in both martial and literary arts.

The wedding ceremony was a local custom. Both Liu Bang and Ye Xiu joyfully lifted the veils of their beautiful brides, and amidst the teasing and laughter, they were ushered into the bridal chambers.

In Liu Bang and Lü Zhi's room, the expected sounds of intimacy naturally arose, piercing the solitude of the long night.

On the other side, Ye Xiu and Lü Xu sat quietly by the bed, their joined hands never letting go.

Ye Xiu slowly massaged Lü Xu's hand, his voice tinged with melancholy, "Xu'er, do you regret marrying me?"

Lü Xu shook her head without a word, gently caressing Ye Xiu's face with her own hand.

Ye Xiu was not typically so sentimental, but he knew this beautiful bride was a blessing earned over countless lifetimes, someone he absolutely needed to cherish.

"Xu'er, I truly love you, but there are things I must attend to on my own..." Ye Xiu tried to explain in more detail, but Lü Xu stopped him instantly by placing a finger over his lips.

Ye Xiu looked intently at Lü Xu, wanting to memorize every line of her expression, holding her tightly and pressing his face close to hers.

Lü Xu cast aside her usual shyness; the moment Ye Xiu leaned in, her lips met his with force.

Ye Xiu closed his eyes; he no longer needed his sight to remember Xu'er. In this moment, all that mattered was using their bodies to sense each other’s softness and strength. Ye Xiu gently lowered Lü Xu onto the edge of the bed, slowly lifting the sheer fabric covering her and softly trailing his hands over her body.

Lü Xu also closed her eyes, quietly savoring her lover's touch. Though they both knew an unavoidable separation would follow this night, neither cared. This night belonged to Ye Xiu, and he belonged to her; this single night was enough—it needed no title, no concept of time, just entanglement together was everything.

Until the faint blush, like the first light of dawn, appeared on the edge of the bed.

...

Dawn broke. Ye Xiu carefully rose and straightened his clothes. After leaving a deep kiss mark on Lü Xu's forehead, he walked alone toward Lu Gong’s room. He completely failed to notice that Lü Xu was actually weeping.

"Brother-in-law, you must truly leave?" To his surprise, Liu Bang was waiting for him in the hallway. "Are you off to bid farewell to Lu Gong, or to beg forgiveness?"

Ye Xiu's mood was already heavy, but hearing Liu Bang say this gave him a strange sense of comfort. He slowly walked past Liu Bang, saying, "Since Brother-in-law sees the signs, you naturally won't try to stop me."

Liu Bang leaned his arms on the corridor pillars, lamenting, "Can Miss Lü Xu not keep you here either?"

"This..." Ye Xiu felt the words strike a nerve, bringing a fresh wave of sadness.

"What if I, Liu Bang, wanted to keep you, Brother-in-law?" Liu Bang turned somberly to look at Ye Xiu, his gaze intensely focused. "I won't hide it from you; I am planning an uprising, determined to expand the forces against Qin."

Ye Xiu felt a momentary urge to laugh; everything Liu Bang spoke of was already clear to him.

Liu Bang didn't pause his persuasion, stepping forward proudly. "With my ability, and the talented scholars I have for governance, when do you think Brother-in-law believes great things can be achieved?"

"Within ten years," Ye Xiu replied. He knew the timeline wasn't perfectly accurate, but because it was Liu Bang, he would succeed—because he was a true schemer, one who knew how to use men and understood how to use any means to achieve his ends.

"If that's the case, why won't Brother-in-law lend me a hand?" Liu Bang remained bewildered by Ye Xiu's refusal, the only conclusion he could reach being that Ye Xiu was unwilling to relinquish power; yes, he wanted to establish his own domain.

Ye Xiu stopped focusing on Liu Bang's doubts. In truth, aside from the concept of love, no other line of thought could escape the mind of this young master of the Guigu School.

Some traits are simply inherent. Ye Xiu knew perfectly well that even if he had the chance in the future, he wouldn't contend with Liu Bang for power, yet he was too lazy to explain or use any means to alleviate Liu Bang’s suspicion—even though he knew Liu Bang's last resort might be to eliminate him preemptively.

"I must leave, Brother-in-law, there is no need to say more," Ye Xiu declared, stepping past Liu Bang and brushing him aside. He failed to notice the flash of resentment on Liu Bang's face the moment they passed each other; in that instant, Liu Bang had decided this brother-in-law could not be spared.

"Ye Xiu!" A voice like a great bell boomed from nearby. At that moment, Lu Gong stood stiffly right in Ye Xiu's path.

"Father-in-law," Ye Xiu bowed deeply, not daring to raise his head without Lu Gong's permission.

"You are still leaving?" Lu Gong seemed to have already guessed Ye Xiu's decision. Just as his physiognomy suggested, he knew this man was a free-roaming crane, yet also a soaring swan—no one could stop him.

Ye Xiu took a careful breath, guilt coloring his tone, "I promised Xu'er I would return."

Lu Gong sighed softly and waved his left hand dismissively. "If Xu'er understands, that is enough. Go. I have already ordered many horses and travel funds prepared."

"Father." This was the first time Ye Xiu had used that title in his life; the word held immense significance. He felt Lu Gong understood him just as Xu'er did, realizing he had received unprecedented trust. He began to feel that the three men in this corridor were of the same mold, capable of such mutual understanding.

"Go, and remember what you promised certain people," Lu Gong said, turning and walking slowly toward Liu Bang, hands clasped behind his back.

Ye Xiu glanced back at the two men behind him, then turned and walked out with resolute determination.

"Greetings, Father-in-law," Liu Bang greeted respectfully, though his heart felt no relief at Ye Xiu’s departure.

Lu Gong helped Liu Bang up with one hand, glancing sideways as he asked, "For Xu'er's sake, can you spare Ye Xiu?"

Liu Bang suddenly tensed, thrown into uncertainty.

"Do you think I value you and Ye Xiu for nothing?" Lu Gong's tone sharpened. "Because when facing certain issues, the three of us are fundamentally the same person."

Liu Bang felt that his inner calculations might no longer be hidden from Lu Gong. Shaking his head, he replied, "I fear this matter is beyond my control now. Father-in-law knows that on certain considerations, the three of us think as one."

"Alas," Lu Gong sighed regretfully. "Perhaps all of this is the will of heaven. To think Ye Xiu knew your plans yet insists on his own path. Very well, promise me, just this once, we will see what heaven chooses."

Liu Bang closed his eyes, concealing a slight dampness at the corner of his eye, and looked up with a sigh, "Just this once, to see what this will of heaven truly is."

Outside Pei County, the sandstorm raged relentlessly; along the desolate Yao Mountain path, a chilling wind howled mournfully.

Under Liu Bang's command, Fan Kuai had already masked himself and concealed dozens of elite axe-wielding guards along the sides of the horse trail, and the tripwires had long been set.

After a long wait, Ye Xiu finally appeared on horseback. But to everyone's astonishment, Ye Xiu’s horse wasn't galloping; it was moving slowly, with a limp.

"Hey, brother, don't give me such disrespect," Ye Xiu muttered, flicking the reins at the horse, "Damn it, Father-in-law really meant to kill me! Knowing I can barely ride, he still gives me a nag like this."

Indeed, when Ye Xiu first ventured out, he relied on clinging to Hong'er's waist to borrow a ride. Now, he was forced to ride alone. Thankfully, Lü Zhi had taught him a few basics during his stay at the Lu residence.

Fan Kuai had expected Ye Xiu to flee Pei County at a full gallop, setting the tripwires specifically to instantly incapacitate him. Now, by sheer bad luck, the tripwires were utterly useless.

Ye Xiu rode his horse leisurely to the mouth of Yao Mountain. Looking up, he saw it was indeed flanked by sheer cliffs—a legendary spot for military ambushes. If a complex arcane formation were set here, it would truly be a pass that a single man could hold against ten thousand.

With a sudden, earth-shattering rumble, stones began cascading down from the cliffs toward him. Ye Xiu looked up in panic, realizing that countless boulders were rolling viciously down both steep walls.

This was Ye Xiu’s first encounter with such a barrage, and he broke out in a cold sweat. However, his reaction was swift enough: he jumped off the horse, pulled the animal toward him, and sought cover against the nearest cliff face. In that instant, several massive stones smashed heavily into the horse, spraying a gout of blood that drenched Ye Xiu.

The horse, severely struck, tried to flee its master, but another falling rock hit its leg, instantly collapsing it where it stood.

Ye Xiu had intended to use the horse as a shield against the barrage from one side while he found a solution on the other, but this tactic failed before it could be deployed. The horse was already useless. Watching the chaotic rain of stones, he could only raise his wooden Zijian sword, dodging left and right.

He sought refuge under a slightly protruding rock formation at the base of the cliff, just as he was about to reach safety, a large stone, deflected by a branch jutting from the cliff wall, changed its trajectory.

Ye Xiu cried out, "Aiya!" nearly fainting from the pain as the stone slammed directly onto one of his feet. A searing, drilling pain shot from his foot up his leg and instantly flooded his mind, forcing him to clutch his foot with both hands.