Faced with someone who looked so hopelessly dull, he didn't need much of a strategy; casually tossing a stool to the far side of the tent was enough to capture his attention. By the time the cook went to see what the commotion was, he had already snatched up several large hunks of meat and vanished into the surrounding camp.

“The children will have meat tonight, then,” Ye Xiu exclaimed happily, bursting out from the perimeter of the pit he’d dug and sprinting toward the farmhouse on the other side of the mountain.

When Ji Jiang and the children saw him, they broke into joyful smiles. “Wow! Children, look what Uncle brought for you this time!”

The children, of course, scrambled and fought to grab the fatty meat and carry it inside.

Ye Xiu cleared his throat and spoke softly to Ji Jiang, “There’s a move tonight at the main camp. You need to take good care of yourself and these children. Do not wander anywhere.”

“And you? What are you going to do?” Ji Jiang knew exactly what Ye Xiu meant by saying that, and she worried for his safety.

“Don’t worry. You don't know me yet? Of course, I’ll be hiding off to the side,” Ye Xiu reassured her, placing a hand on her shoulder. “I’m just going to take a peek—to see if that Han Xin we’re looking for might suddenly show up somewhere. Heh heh.”

“Ah, I can’t do anything about you,” Ji Jiang sighed, knowing that when Ye Xiu got interested, no one could stop him. “But you absolutely must stay for dinner tonight, or I won’t be able to bear it if you get too worn out and thin.”

“Yes, my lady,” Ye Xiu replied with a playful salute. He knew he might have to be strong in front of anyone else in his life, but only with this little sister, Ji Jiang, could he allow himself such ease.

The night enveloped the mountains and fields in its magnificent darkness. Ye Xiu knew that squad of death warriors would surely launch their assault under the cover of this watery night, and Xiang Liang’s great army was already fully prepared. All of this hung heavy in the air of this quiet, peaceful yet murderously charged night. The Qin military camp was barely twenty li from the Western Chu forces, separated essentially by a single gorge, meaning whichever side seized control of the gorge walls first would gain the crucial advantage.

Ye Xiu stood alone atop the gorge, waiting for the death warrior contingent to approach. Naturally, he had no intention of helping Ying Bu assassinate Zhang Han; he merely wanted to know how many assassins from the Ghost Valley were embedded within the Qin army. A breeze swept by, bringing a chill that permeated the surroundings. Suddenly, a dark shadow shot across the other side of the gorge, accompanied by a flash of white light that hurtled towards Ye Xiu.

Ye Xiu instinctively broke into a cold sweat and swung his sword, deflecting the hidden projectile. However, when he looked back toward where it came from, the area was already calm and still. He stood frozen for a moment, filled with doubt. The person before him must have been a top-tier master; at the very least, his speed was first-rate. Could it be an assassin sent by the Qin army to kill Xiang Liang? Realizing this, a surge of heat rushed through Ye Xiu’s chest, and he decided he had to shadow this figure. Turning on his heel, he raced back toward the Western Chu main camp.

“This is the Qin main camp, Lord Ying Bu!” Ye Ben Niu proved himself a true master of stealth and petty thievery, having already scouted the layout of the Qin fortifications. “There are three major tents; the one in the middle must be Zhang Han’s quarters.”

Ying Bu smiled faintly, signaling everyone to remain concealed on the cliff face. “Ben Niu, we will descend directly into the central camp using ropes in a moment. You create a diversion for the patrol guards. The Li brothers will come with me inside the tent to cover my strike against Zhang Han. Gou Dan and Er Hei, you two wait here and stall the soldiers trying to rush the tent as long as possible.”

“Understood.” Everyone was filled with confidence regarding Ying Bu’s plan.

The night had grown deep, and the patrol soldiers were already exhausted. Furthermore, after days of rapid marching across a thousand li, they simply couldn't stay alert much longer. At this moment, Ying Bu waved his hand in signal, and three figures dressed in simple black clothes quietly slid down ropes from the cliff face to the rear of the large camp.

Ying Bu himself had no fear of ordinary soldiers, and if necessary, the Ghost Lotus he carried could certainly prove useful. He mused that Zhang Han, despite being a famous general, was too eager for quick success; in his rush to secure control of the gorge, he had chosen to position his tents against the mountain—a perfect situation to exploit Ben Niu’s long-range stealth capabilities so they could approach undetected.

Ying Bu led the Li brothers into the central camp. Any passing patrolman was swiftly dispatched by the Li brothers. They entered the general’s tent with surprising ease.

Ying Bu instructed the Li brothers to guard the entrance while he quietly slipped inside. Passing a small decorative screen, he discovered a general clad in silver armor snoring loudly.

“Silver Armor General Zhang Han,” Ying Bu murmured to himself, then raised his sword, ready to end him with a single strike. Unfortunately, the faint light of the candle flickered with the wind, catching the sheen of his blade. A momentary glint flashed across Zhang Han’s eye, startling him awake.

“Ah! An assassin!” Zhang Han was also a martial artist and never far from his sword. Seeing the situation, he instantly drew his weapon to parry. However, Ying Bu’s swordsmanship was clearly superior. Although Zhang Han managed to block the blow, his own sword was knocked flying.

Soldiers outside the tent heard the commotion and immediately sounded the alarm and began shouting. In a short while, a rush of men swarmed to the entrance of the general’s tent.

Er Hei and Gou Dan on the cliff face were already prepared for ranged combat. Er Hei raised his crossbow, focusing intently, and shot with perfect accuracy—one target, one kill. Gou Dan, who usually favored throwing knives, now deployed an unfamiliar projectile weapon, scattering a blinding volley that caught the advancing tent soldiers completely off guard.

“Zhang Han, give me your life!” Ying Bu lunged again, thrusting his sword at Zhang Han. But because the tent was cluttered with too many obstacles, he couldn't utilize his speed advantage. Every thrust was dodged by Zhang Han, while the Li brothers, though able to defend themselves against the surging Qin soldiers, were being overwhelmed as men poured into the tent.

Seeing the situation turning dire, Ying Bu felt a surge of annoyance and frustration. In a fit of rage, he unleashed a flurry of chaotic sword strikes, thinking that even if he couldn’t kill Zhang Han, he would certainly leave him terrified. Under such frantic pressure, his technique, the Shanjue Sword, lost all structure but, by sheer chance, grazed Zhang Han’s arm, drawing blood. Success? A faint smile touched Ying Bu’s lips. The weapons of all their group had been coated with Gou Dan’s poison—a substance meant for instant fatality. It seemed it would finally be put to use.

“Go, go!” Seeing the crucial moment achieved, Ying Bu ordered the Li brothers while leaping out of the tent. Wherever his blade swept, bodies dropped.

The Li brothers were not nearly as graceful as Ying Bu. The shouts of the Qin army and the clang of steel quickly swallowed them within the tent as countless soldiers wielding long spears continued to pour inside. The brothers, believing their dual-sword technique was formidable, found themselves utterly incapable of holding back the tide of men, which was like a mountain or a sea. In moments, their bodies were pierced by halberds, and they collapsed, spitting blood before dying.