Cao Yi was just hoping for a bit of luck, so when the other party didn't know the whereabouts of Gao Yao, he wasn't too disappointed.

"Don't worry, sir, I'll take care of this. Even if I have to dig three feet into the ground, I'll find this Gao Yao," Lu Gong confidently promised.

As a shrewd person, he knew that for someone like Cao Yi, who needed help, this was a priceless opportunity that many would envy.

"Thank you, Lu Gong," Cao Yi replied, clasping his hands in gratitude.

For other matters, he could rely on himself, but finding someone was best left to local experts like Lu Gong.

"Sir, you flatter me," Lu Gong said, quickly getting up and stepping back three feet.

In the past, Cao Yi might have found this amusing, but now, having experienced it firsthand, he felt nothing but respect.

He lowered his hands, and Lu Gong returned to his seat. Just then, hurried footsteps approached from the direction of the creek. It was clear that Xiang Yu had returned after chasing the wild dogs.

Cao Yi glanced toward the sound and saw a tall and robust figure moving closer through the sparse trees.

"Is that the burly benefactor returning?" Lu Gong asked, unable to see Xiang Yu from a distance due to his age and ordinary status, but he had good eyesight.

"Indeed," Cao Yi confirmed with a nod.

Lu Gong immediately stood up, straightening his somewhat dirty robe, greeting him with a serious demeanor.

Xiang Yu was fast; he covered the long distance in just two minutes, arriving nearby.

"Where are the wild dogs?" Cao Yi asked with a smile, noticing that Xiang Yu was empty-handed.

"The wild dogs are too fast. I chased for nearly ten miles and couldn't catch them," Xiang Yu replied, a hint of embarrassment on his face.

Cao Yi chuckled and pointed at Lu Gong, who seemed hesitant to speak. "This is Lu Gong."

Before Xiang Yu could respond, Lu Gong bowed first, saying, "Thank you, brave warrior, for your help just now."

Xiang Yu was too strong, so Lu Gong didn't address him as ‘sir' like he did with Cao Yi.

"It was just a small effort; there's no need to worry about it," Xiang Yu casually waved his hand, his bold demeanor matching his title as a warrior.

"That small effort saved my family, so you must stay with us for a few days," Lu Gong insisted sincerely.

"Stay at your home?" Xiang Yu turned to Cao Yi.

His uncle had entrusted him to Cao Yi, so he couldn't make the decision alone.

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"We'll be lingering in Peixian for a while," Cao Yi said.

"Alright," Xiang Yu agreed to Lu Gong's request.

Lu Gong's face brightened, but then he turned serious: "Where have those two children gone?"

Cao Yi turned to look. In that open area, not only were Lu Su and Lu Zhi missing, but also Yi Xiaochuan, leaving behind only corpses and a tall black figure.

"How could I forget to collect her?"

Feeling guilty for his oversight, Cao Yi hurried over.

With so many dead, there were pools of blood and limbs scattered about; although he hadn't directly killed anyone, seeing such a bloody scene made him wonder if he had been too ruthless.

"How could there be so many corpses?"

Xiang Yu, who had followed, looked bewildered.

There hadn't been this many corpses when he left.

Cao Yi explained what had happened.

"Two or three hundred bandit cavalry?"

Xiang Yu was astonished.

After the Qin unification, strict control was imposed on horses, and even during the Warring States, it was unusual for there to be two or three hundred bandit cavalry.

"By the way, they mentioned Brother Peng Yue."

Cao Yi felt a stir at the mention of this name. During the late Qin era, Peng Yue had allied with Liu Bang to defeat Xiang Yu, later being butchered by Liu Bang—he was indeed notorious.

"What? Those bandits are under Peng Yue?"

Xiang Yu's expression darkened, his once bold face now serious, his iron fists clenching involuntarily.

Over the years, as he traveled with his uncle, he had learned a bit about various rebellious factions, and Peng Yue was one of the most infamous.

"How many subordinates does he have?"

Cao Yi's expression grew grim, realizing he might have stirred up a formidable opponent.

"It's hard to say; some say he only has a few hundred subordinates, while others claim he can mobilize thousands of bandits," Xiang Yu replied uncertainly.

As a descendant of Xiang Yan, he had always looked down on bandits, knowing only a little about them.

Thousands of bandits?

Cao Yi instinctively glanced at the motionless Yelv Zhigu in the cold northern spring breeze; if they really encountered thousands of bandits, he might have to tear off that yellow talisman from Yelv Zhigu's forehead.

"Rumor has it he fought against the official army near Juyazhe before, using peculiar tactics. When the official army approached, he retreated; when they camped, he disturbed them at night. When the official army grew tired in the morning, he would strike, chasing them when they retreated and running when they turned back."

Xiang Yu frowned as he spoke.

"Enemy advances, I retreat; enemy camps, I disrupt; enemy tires, I strike; enemy retreats, I chase. Isn't that the legendary anti-Japanese guerrilla warfare strategy?"

Cao Yi's expression turned strange.

"Anyway, we need to be cautious," Xiang Yu advised.

"Forget it, we'll respond to force with force," Cao Yi said, coming to a stop.

He had reached Yelv Zhigu.

Surprisingly, despite all the killings, Yelv Zhigu had no blood on him.

"What do we call this?"

Xiang Yu couldn't recall how to address the being that had knocked him down.

"Zombie," Cao Yi replied flatly.

"Right, zombie; Xiaochuan called her that," Xiang Yu suddenly understood.

Cao Yi opened the lid of the purple-golden red gourd and uttered a word of collection. A suction force emanated, and Yelv Zhigu's body shrank rapidly, disappearing in an instant.

"Daoist Priest!"

Xiang Yu's eyes sparkled with enthusiasm.

"What is it?"

Seeing the imposing Xiang Yu gazing at him eagerly, Cao Yi was puzzled.

"Daoist Priest, do you accept disciples?"

Xiang Yu stepped closer.

Accept disciples?

"No," Cao Yi declined firmly.

He was well aware of his own abilities; he wasn't capable of teaching a disciple.

Disappointment flickered in Xiang Yu's eyes.

At that moment, Lu Gong's voice called out.

"Why are you all running around? Come meet our benefactor!"

Cao Yi turned to look.

In the direction slightly off from the creek, a boy and two girls were leading several clean horses back; they had gone to wash the horses.

"Hurry up!"

Lu Gong urged.

A girl in white walked briskly toward them. She could be described in many ways: pure and charming, with bright, beautiful eyes, clean and innocent…

As she approached, a sweet smile lit up her face, radiating warmth, simplicity, and naturalness.