Xiang Liang already stood amidst the entire camp, clad in brass armor and gripping a gold-inlaid longsword. With a mere wave of one hand, the air around them fell silent. "Soldiers! The massive army of the Tyrannical Qin presses upon us. Yesterday, General Xiang Yu led a small contingent to scout the enemy, and the commander this time is the famous general Zhang Han—the very man who dealt a crushing blow to Chen Sheng's regime! If we can slay this man here, our fame will echo throughout the world!"

"Slay Zhang Han, and let our names ring out! Slay Zhang Han, and let our names ring out!" The soldiers below were incomparably agitated, roaring until their throats were raw.

Xiang Liang exchanged a knowing glance with Xiang Yu beside him, yielding the right to speak.

Today, Xiang Yu was completely devoid of yesterday’s frantic desperation. Today, too, he was encased in armor. He drove his greatsword deep into the earth and roared sternly, "The Qin army’s strength today is comparable to ours, but from yesterday's battle, I discovered assassins within their ranks. Therefore, everyone must heighten your vigilance today! Any man found neglecting his duty will be executed without question!"

The soldiers knew the temperament of General Xiang Yu. Though straightforward and rugged in daily life, he would never hesitate to kill when necessary.

Xiang Yu coldly surveyed his surroundings. He suspected that Ye Xiu, whom he had glimpsed in the chaos yesterday, might be lurking among these tens of thousands of troops, but finding one man in such a massive sea of humanity was near impossible. He continued with his deployment: "Facing assassins, our army must not show fear. Today, we select five exceptionally skilled, die-hard warriors who will accompany General Ying Bu on a mission to assassinate Zhang Han. Which heroes are willing, please step onto the platform."

"Damn! So they're selecting the dead men," Ye Xiu thought. He had expected a full-scale army deployment, not this scheme to send men for an assassination, much like the enemy. The Qin army's assassins hailed from places like the Heavenly Realm Ghost Trace Island or the Valley of Ghosts; how could these common soldiers hope to succeed?

"I am willing to go with General Ying!" At this moment, a soldier holding a crossbow raised his hand and boldly walked toward the platform.

Xiang Yu nodded and stepped forward, intending to pull the man up from below the stage. To everyone’s surprise, the soldier merely leaped lightly, already standing atop the three-meter-high platform.

"Good skill!" Even the silent Ying Bu offered praise. "Brother, what is your name?"

"Reporting, sir, my comrades usually call me Er Hei. I specialize in crossbows. I dare not claim a hundred paces hitting the bullseye, but I can certainly guarantee no one survives within thirty paces." Er Hei was quite adept at recommending himself.

"Good, I trust you. Bring me an apple," Ying Bu immediately ordered someone to fetch an apple, which he then balanced on his own head, stepping backward as he asked, "Er Hei, use your crossbow now and shoot the apple on my head. If you hit it, you shall be rewarded with wine and meat; if you fail, you will be dragged out and beheaded."

"As you command." Er Hei replied, lifting his crossbow, loading an arrow, and taking aim.

Ye Xiu, hidden in the crowd, felt deeply displeased by Ying Bu's arrogance. He silently prayed that this ancient sniper could take Ying Bu down with a single shot.

"Whoosh..." Er Hei didn't hesitate long before releasing the arrow. Once the string snapped free, he had no regrets, striking the apple on Ying Bu's head and shattering it completely.

"Good, good! A reward!" Xiang Liang couldn't help but clap, nodding toward Xiang Yu to signal that this man was selected.

"What's this? When it comes to assassination and making a clean getaway, I, Ye Ben Niu, am the truly capable one," another voice called from below the platform.

"Which brother is it? Please come up," Xiang Liang called out, unable to locate the source of the voice, glancing left and right from the platform.

Suddenly, a rope shot out from the crowd, wrapping perfectly and securely around a large wooden stake on the platform. Separated by tens of meters, a shadowy figure utilized the rope's momentum, soaring through the air toward the assembly stage.

"Wow!" This display stunned the soldiers into an uproar.

A flying man! Ye Xiu looked up too. This fellow was probably a former thief; such technique would be perfect for scaling walls.

"Brother, what is your name?" Xiang Yu was extremely satisfied with his performance.

"Sir, I am Ye Ben Niu." The man spoke without hesitation; his name alone suggested a life lived on the edge.

"Good, you're in," Ying Bu agreed with a nod.

"Who else is willing to go?" The atmosphere returned to its previous tension. Everyone awaited the arrival of more extraordinary individuals. Ye Xiu was curious to see what other bizarre characters might appear.

Under the scorching sun, all eyes were fixed on the composition of this assassination squad. Ye Xiu knew he absolutely could not step forward. Firstly, because of Xiang Yu—he didn't wish for further entanglement with him. Secondly, because of Ying Bu—he wanted no connection whatsoever with this treacherous villain.

"Is there no one else?" Xiang Yu was displeased with his soldiers' lack of response, roaring sternly, "All capable men under heaven should rise for the Will of Heaven and exterminate the Tyrannical Qin! Those who cling to life and fear death, quickly get home and await your end! Why join the army?"

"General, my brother and I wish to try!" At this point, two remarkably refined-looking men walked onto the platform. They looked nearly identical, wore similar clothing, and were even more conspicuous because each held a purplish-green treasured sword.

"You two are..." Xiang Liang felt a flicker of familiarity. After thinking for a long moment, he sighed, "It's the Li brothers. Your father, Li Bolang, served under me previously."

"I am Li Wang, and this is my younger brother, Li Ba," the slightly taller one spoke first, bowing. "We both wield the Single-Split Double-Stock Sword; we are confident we can aid General Ying Bu in successfully assassinating Zhang Han."

"Good! I long heard your father say that your combined twin swordsmanship was formidable. I did not expect such heroes to emerge so young." Xiang Liang was genuinely delighted to see the sons of an old subordinate and turned to Ying Bu for his opinion. "What say you, General Ying?"

Ying Bu nodded, signaling acceptance. He himself hailed from the Valley of Ghosts, and not as an ordinary disciple. In truth, sending anyone to assassinate Zhang Han was meaningless; he didn't take these expendables seriously. Often, one man could accomplish everything. Moreover, Ying Bu was supremely confident in his swordsmanship.

"Then there is only one spot left! Who is willing to go!" Xiang Yu hoisted his greatsword onto his shoulder and roared, "Anyone else!"

The area below the platform fell into utter silence. Most men feared death, yet for those wishing to make a name for themselves after the war, this was a rare chance. As the saying went, fortune is sought in danger.

"Ye Xiu, Brother Ye! I know you are nearby. If you can hear me, step out!" Xiang Yu suddenly exclaimed, his face flushed red, astonishing everyone present. Even Xiang Liang glanced at Xiang Yu, bewildered.

Xiang Yu paid no mind to the reactions and continued shouting, "Brother Ye, I know you saved me yesterday. You must be nearby. Come out and show yourself!"

Ye Xiu was startled, thinking perhaps his handsomeness truly set him apart, allowing Xiang Yu to spot him in the vast crowd. After a moment of thought, he realized this wasn't Xiang Yu being clairvoyant; this was Xiang Yu trying to provoke him. He certainly wouldn't fall for it easily, even though he was genuinely intrigued by the Ghost Valley assassins serving Zhang Han.

Ying Bu could not tolerate Xiang Yu's shouting any longer and pulled him back. "General Xiang, my junior brother is a carefree wanderer and does not involve himself in military affairs. He probably saved you yesterday by chance while passing by. Don't take it to heart."

"Alas!" Xiang Yu sighed, feeling helpless.

"I am willing to go!" Finally, someone dared to raise their hand and step onto the stage. Everyone watched this last man with keen concern.

The man was small and painfully thin. He displayed no extraordinary martial skill when ascending the platform.

"Brother?" Xiang Liang was perplexed but felt he had to see this through.

The man slowly walked onto the stage and bowed, "Sir, my name is Gou Dan. I usually enjoy playing with throwing knives and making various poisons. I hope I can be of some use this time."

"Poisons..." Xiang Yu disliked such underhanded tricks and immediately wanted to drive Gou Dan off the stage, but Ying Bu stopped him.

"Gou Dan, you say you play with throwing knives. To what extent?" Ying Bu asked, looking at him sideways. "Can you contend with Er Hei?"

Gou Dan glanced dismissively at Er Hei's crossbow. "A crossbow relies on mechanical force. My throwing knives certainly cannot match its range."

"Then..." Ying Bu smiled. "What do you propose?"

"Reporting, sirs, we are going for an assassination, not an open, direct battle. If poison is applied to the weapons, even a slight wound to the target will lead to immediate death. My throwing knives are precisely the weapon for surprise attacks. I ask for the sirs' discernment." Although Gou Dan's name was unrefined, his speech was logical point by point.

"Mmm, not bad." Xiang Liang, standing nearby, nodded slightly, but Xiang Yu remained silent, utterly disliking these parlor tricks of the martial world.

"Good, these five it is," Ying Bu declared, raising the short sword in his hand and announcing loudly, "Men, bring the wine! Today, everyone will bid farewell to these five heroes."

"Roar! Roar!" The soldiers below shouted in unison. Though their voice didn't shake the heavens, it certainly resonated across the four corners of the camp.

Ye Xiu hid behind someone, carefully watching the five men on the platform drain an entire jar of wine. These expendables, going with Ying Bu on this assassination, were likely to return never. Ye Xiu knew that even if the assassination succeeded, Ying Bu, that treacherous villain, would surely kill them on the return journey to claim the entire credit. How many people would ever believe that the historical fierce general Ying Bu was actually a traitor from the Valley of Ghosts?

"Excellent. You five rest well today; we will begin deployment for action tonight," Xiang Liang declared, highly satisfied with the day's arrangements, shouting, "Disperse!"

The soldiers formed neat ranks preparing to return to camp, but Ye Xiu had already slipped away to the cooks' quarters. As expected, only one plump cook was preparing the day's meal.