"Ha, there!" Following the massive stones, dozens of axemen surged down the cliff face in unison, firmly surrounding the fallen Ye Xiu on the ancient path. Judging by their movements, not one of them was ordinary.

"Ah..." Ye Xiu grit his teeth against the agonizing pain in his leg and managed to stand up. But this effort was costly; blood was already streaming down his leg. It was likely broken.

Fan Kuai, wearing a black mask, raised his blade and stated coldly, "My apologies, young sir, but today marks your final moment."

"Hoo..." Ye Xiu supported himself with his sword, large beads of sweat already rolling down his brow. Yet, the intense pain hadn't managed to strip him of his usual confidence. "You people work for Liu Bang, don't you?"

"Heh!" Fan Kuai sighed softly, lifting his hand to remove his mask. He admired him, "As expected of a capable and insightful man, undaunted in the face of peril. Fan Kuai is truly impressed." With that, the other axemen also discarded their masks.

Upon hearing the name Fan Kuai, Ye Xiu let out a faint smile. He had just recommended this man to Liu Bang. Indeed, Liu Bang was a genius at recognizing talent. He sneered, "Ye Xiu is such a minor figure, yet it requires Brother Fan's personal attention. My brother-in-law truly holds me in high regard."

Fan Kuai, originally a rough man, greatly admired those heroes who faced death without flinching. Meeting Ye Xiu today made him feel a particular kinship. "Brother Ye is indeed a character. Had the Warden not ordered us to lay this ambush, we would truly be letting a tiger return to the mountains later on."

"The Warden is..." Ye Xiu had some questions.

Fan Kuai replied, "Warden Xiao He is the one."

"Hmph! He certainly holds me in high esteem," Ye Xiu thought, pinching the bridge of his nose with a hint of admiration. Liu Bang indeed possessed extraordinary means; not only had he won over Fan Kuai, but he had also managed to bring Xiao He, whose official position was currently higher than Ye Xiu's, into his service. It was astonishing.

"Very well, Brother Ye, I am only following orders today. Perhaps we can be friends in the next life." Fan Kuai gestured, and the axemen on either side immediately charged toward Ye Xiu, their blades drawn. There was no complex formation, just a simple tactic of overwhelming numbers.

Ye Xiu respected Fan Kuai's loyalty, and he knew deep down that this situation was his own making. He understood Liu Bang's intentions but refused to submit. Liu Bang was clearly someone capable of decisive action; any talent that could not be fully utilized was simply a threat that had to be eliminated by death.

Innumerable rapid sword-flashes converged with the quiet seclusion of the ancient path, hacking down at Ye Xiu. His left foot was virtually useless for movement, meaning his practiced footwork was now entirely unavailable. Furthermore, the Ghost Valley Mystical Arts he prided himself on had not yet reached perfection. For a moment, he remained rooted to the spot, waiting for death.

A horizontal blade approached him. Ye Xiu managed a single-legged leap, bracing Mu Shang across his chest to deflect several fatal strikes. However, several blades still managed to slash his leg, drawing fresh spurts of blood. Ye Xiu couldn't afford to dwell on the pain, as blades were already descending from behind. It seemed this time he was truly doomed.

"Swish..." Ye Xiu only managed to block one of these incoming strikes. His entire abdomen was deeply gashed by the merciless blades. He immediately collapsed to the ground, unable to remain standing. He felt an overwhelming pressure in his chest that he could no longer contain, forcing him to open his mouth and vomit, blood pooling across the ground.

"Ya-ha!" The axemen nearby showed no signs of stopping, leaping in unison to hack off Ye Xiu's head.

Though grievously wounded, Ye Xiu had not entirely lost his ability to fight. In that instant, using his sword for support, he rolled clear of those lethal blows. Before he could recover, another wave of axemen moved in, twisting their bodies to chop down where he lay.

In this critical moment, Ye Xiu couldn't help but marvel at Liu Bang's capabilities—to recruit and cultivate such an elite force, his ambition for rebellion was clear. But was he truly destined to become carrion under the sword today?

At this moment, Ye Xiu's mind flooded with memories: Sister Ji Jiang, Lü Xu, Wan'er, Hong'er, Wang Long, and Zhang Liang—all their faces surged into his consciousness simultaneously. Was this the hallucination before death? Ye Xiu had once been so confident, possessing so many fortuitous encounters, yet why must he die here on this ordinary ancient road in Yaoshan...

Despite his reluctance, he was truly powerless now. He could only clench his jaw and watch helplessly as countless flashes of steel reflected off his body. Where was the chance? Where was fate?

Ye Xiu had almost given up, yet the lingering fragrance of Xu'er's kiss remained on his lips, on the verge of being drowned out by pain and blood.

Suddenly, a masked figure flashed before him. With a casual sweep of his sword, he deflected countless horizontal blades. Immediately afterward, a burst of smoke rushed into the ancient path. Ye Xiu smelled a familiar scent—the pollen of the Ghost Lotus. And that sword in the masked man's hand, a blade shorter than most—that person was Chen Feng!

Ye Xiu’s vision began to blur, the pain and sorrow dissolving. He felt himself drift into a hazy world, a world where nothing needed to be thought of, only sleep.

Xu'er stood smiling at him from the far bank. She was dressed exquisitely today. Ye Xiu couldn't help but wish to cross over and take her hand again, but the river current was too fierce, preventing him from crossing. He could only stretch out his hand, trying to bridge the distance separating him from Xu'er.

"Pfft..." A chilling sensation washed over Ye Xiu's forehead. He felt himself plummeting into the abyss, only to be suddenly hauled back up by something.

"Hmph!" A familiar voice echoed near his ear.

Ye Xiu forced his heavy eyelids open with immense difficulty, vaguely discerning the features of the person before him. Who? Who else could carry the Ghost Lotus powder and wield that sword? Who else could possess Qishuo? Chen Feng!

"You're finally awake, Young Hero Ye? Junior Brother!" True to form, Chen Feng splashed a bucket of water directly onto Ye Xiu, his tone exceedingly smug. "You've finally fallen into my hands."

Ye Xiu lacked the strength to speak to Chen Feng. The sheer agony of his wounds made him miserable, compounded by the fact that Chen Feng had now bound him to a pillar. All he could do was hang his head and gasp the fetid air.

Chen Feng knew how severe Ye Xiu’s injuries were, but his purpose wasn't to indulge in the tedious act of tying Ye Xiu up for sport. There were things he desperately wanted. "If it hadn't been for me today, you would surely have died at the hands of those brutes, right, Sect Master of Ghost Valley!"