"What? Brother Ye is leaving me again?" Xiang Yu had genuinely hoped that Ye Xiu could finally be persuaded to join him this time, but instead, he was met with this response, causing a slight displeasure.

Ye Xiu, being sincere in his farewell, stated simply, "Brother Xiang must know my nature. I truly possess no great wisdom or courage, and I wouldn't amount to much in the army."

"Nonsense! Brother Ye, you must stay this time. Just like your senior, Ying Bu, you are sure to earn great merit for our forces." Xiang Yu couldn't understand why Ye Xiu insisted on leaving. Previously, he thought the man lacked ambition, but he hadn't expected such resolute refusal.

Ye Xiu shook his head weakly, "Ying Bu is Ying Bu, and I am myself. I am accustomed to a free and undisciplined life, and I have no mind for the grand affairs of the state. Furthermore, I have some personal matters that need attending to."

"What matters could possibly compare to the great plan of overthrowing Qin? You truly cannot distinguish between what is important and what is trivial." Xiang Yu, with his fiery temperament, hated indecisiveness and pettiness. His temper flared immediately. "A real man abandons the safety of the nation and the welfare of the common people for the sake of private affairs? It disgraces the talents you possess!"

"I can't help it; this is who I am. There are promises I must fulfill, and there are people I need to look after." Ye Xiu did not wish to hide anything from Xiang Yu. Moreover, he was reluctant to stay near Ying Bu. Since he currently lacked the power to avenge Wan'er by killing Ying Bu, he could not bring himself to serve the same master.

"A woman? What true man ever lacked a wife!" Xiang Yu slammed the table violently.

Ye Xiu was somewhat startled, but he knew he had to leave. His tone did not soften in the slightest. "What about the safety of the state, the common people? Isn't Brother Xiang also coveting that alluring power?"

"Insolent!" Hearing this, Xiang Yu erupted in fury, stepping forward to seize Ye Xiu by the lapel. "Brother Ye, I am truly profoundly disappointed in you."

Ye Xiu did not struggle, merely offering Xiang Yu a cold smile. He thought that Xiang Yu had not yet become the Hegemon of Western Chu, had not yet met Yu Meiren whom he would love his entire life, and thus could not understand what a promise meant, or the weight of colossal power**. When the day came that he encountered these things, he would finally realize how tyrannical and yet deeply emotional he truly was.

"Alas, go then." Xiang Yu stared fixedly at Ye Xiu, realizing he could not stop him. Keeping a short-sighted man by his side was probably useless anyway, so he released Ye Xiu. "Never let me see you again."

Ye Xiu took a breath to calm himself, bowed once, and retreated out of the doorway, only to find Ying Bu waiting for him outside.

"Rest assured, I will find Wan'er myself. You just stay here and enjoy being your great general," Ye Xiu looked at Ying Bu coldly, disdainfully. "Perhaps we shall meet again someday."

"I look forward to that day too. When we meet, it will be either your death or mine," Ying Bu grinned widely. Though he was a great general, at his core, he was a genuine swordsman. What a swordsman must do is speak to his opponent uprightly with his blade.

Bidding farewell to the camp and bowing to the eight Blade Guards, Ye Xiu led his horse and began his journey eastward. He knew the place he was headed was called Penglai, the very place where the First Emperor of Qin once set sail in search of the elixir of immortality. He was determined to find that Lord of the Eastern Sea.

The horse ambled along. Ye Xiu gradually grew accustomed to being in the saddle, occasionally breaking into a gallop for a stretch. Tragically, after several months on the road, he realized his money had completely run out. With no other choice, he found a table at a small tea house nestled in the woods to rest.

Suddenly, a group of men, all dressed alike, arrived. Without ceremony, they cleared out the other patrons at a nearby table and loudly commanded the waiter, "Bring us tea, and fetch some beef to eat!"

The waiter approached with the teapot, bowing respectfully, and whispered, "Honorable sirs, this small shop only serves tea and vegetarian buns; we have no beef."

"Damn it, what kind of business is this?" One fellow kicked the waiter aside in one motion and roared, "If you don't even have decent food, how are we supposed to travel quickly? Go figure something out, or we masters will teach you a lesson today."

"Great lords, this is the wilderness; I rely on this humble tea shop to make a living. I truly have no other recourse," the waiter knelt on the ground, begging piteously.

"Scum!" The men surrounding him crowded closer, snatching the teapot from the waiter's hand, and proceeded to deliver several kicks to his body, beating him until blood flecked his lips.

Ye Xiu found the scene unbearable and considered drawing his sword to uphold justice, but after careful thought, he decided against it. The ambush he had recently survived had taught him a vital lesson: never act rashly before clearly discerning friend from foe.

"What are you looking at? Don't think you're so great just because you carry a battered wooden sword!" One of the youths noticed Ye Xiu's gaze and roared, charging toward him with the longsword held high.

Ye Xiu wanted no trouble and simply kept his head down.

"Do you think the person Master ordered us to ambush here will even show up? We’ve been waiting half the day and are dying of heat, yet we haven't seen anyone passing by carrying a Mohist Sword," some began to grumble, and others joined in the chorus of complaints.

Mohist Sword? Ye Xiu clearly heard their words. Did the 'Mozi' they mentioned represent the Mohist School? He recalled Wang Long telling him that the Mohists specialized in aiding cities in defense, while the Valley of Ghosts excelled at assassination.

"What, you dare to doubt Master's words?" Another person suddenly stood up, patted the head of the one who had just spoken, "Stop the nonsense. Eat and drink well quickly, and keep watch so that fellow doesn't escape."

"Senior Brother, who do you think holds the Mohist Sword? Is it one of the top masters of our Mohist School? Can the few of us handle him?"

"Nonsense, what is there to fear? Master is already on his way! What high master or low master? That person is a traitor to the Mohist School. Once we kill him and reclaim the Mohist Sword and the Mohist Token, our Master can unify the entire School."

"Hush..." Ye Xiu strained his ears to eavesdrop carefully. On the surface, the Mohist School and the Valley of Ghosts seemed to have little connection. But what were these swords and tokens? Didn't both sects possess such items? Ye Xiu suddenly remembered that Wang Long had also given him a Valley of Ghosts Token, claiming it could command all within the Valley of Ghosts. It was a tragedy, though; the people of the Valley of Ghosts were covert operatives in this chaotic age, and no one would recognize him. What use was a mere scrap of wood?

At that moment, a figure suddenly flashed by in the distance at breakneck speed. A fierce gust of wind scattered the fallen leaves in the woods, and countless grains of yellow sand lashed across everyone's faces.

"He's here," the men’s expressions grew solemn as they all picked up their weapons, watching the approaching figure.