The words of the Blade Soul do make some sense. Ye Shikai has always believed that he has no forces of his own. Shangguan Jian, Man Cang, and Wan Qi Yuan are indeed his loyal brothers, faithful to him, but ultimately, they are all commanders or generals, all belonging to Mi Wen. Of course, once Ye Shikai encounters danger, they will certainly risk their lives to save him. But what Ye Shikai truly needs is a guard unit that obeys only him, entirely composed of skilled warriors. In ancient terms, they would be called the "Death Soldier Corps."

Ye Shikai seems to have always overlooked one aspect: he is now a commander of the Chu Army. Although he has become the focus of everyone’s attention, he can also be regarded as "having high status and power" now. Since disbanding the troops and returning, Mi Wen ordered the recruitment of new soldiers to replenish the troops. Shangguan Jian trains day and night in the camp, and counting the cavalry, he commands a force of twenty thousand soldiers. Although some fellow commanders find him "unlikable," many have begun to ingratiate themselves to him, flattery and praise among them, including former nobles from the Chu State and descendants of the General’s Family. These are entirely "resources" that he can use.

"Yes, why didn’t I think of this. I can recruit many skilled warriors through them, and additionally, I can recruit some talented individuals from the martial world and enlist them as trusted aides." Ye Shikai realized suddenly, and immediately conceived a plan in his heart.

"If you indeed plan to gather skilled individuals from across the land, I can lend you a helping hand. My sensing ability is sufficient to detect their strength, and I can even perceive their innermost thoughts."

"Innermost thoughts... This sounds too exaggerated."

"It is not truly their innermost thoughts, but with the experience I’ve gained over thousands of years judging countless individuals, determining who is genuinely loyal and who harbors ulterior motives is not a difficult task."

"In any case, I must thank you." Ye Shikai was deeply grateful to the Blade Soul. Previously, he had the Ghost as his "Brain" and "Think Tank". After the Ghost left, he essentially lost a strong support. Now with the Blade Soul offering guidance, it will surely be much easier in the future. Ye Shikai stayed awake all night, planning for the future in his mind. As long as he establishes a foothold in this unknown "paradise" and organizes a Death Soldier Corps, Mi Wen can no longer use He Linghan to threaten him.

In reality, many distinguished families maintain guest retainers. These retainers have no specific tasks and do not handle chores; they simply act according to the owner’s requests. Among the retainers are those of the "Brain" type. When the owner hesitates, they will offer advice. If favored, they can become a close confidant, and their position will naturally rise. Among them, there are also strong and robust retainers. If the owner needs them, they can be formed into "suicide squads" either for protection or to assassinate others.

At present, Mi Wen will certainly "monitor" Ye Shikai. If he begins to recruit loyal aides and Death Soldiers, it would inevitably attract criticism. But if he uses guest retainers as an excuse, at least it would be considered legitimate.

.................................

The following day.

"Kid, remember that this is a secret place, so under no circumstances can it be discovered by others." The Blade Soul reminded.

"What about the guard unit I plan to organize?"

"Of course, it needs to be screened to ensure all members are absolutely loyal. Otherwise, if a traitor is among them, they could seize everything here." The Blade Soul continued, "But given the current situation, you can’t tell anyone."

"Building a secret base here, isn’t it solely up to me then?"

"Naturally, unless you plan to hire craftsmen to build houses. It’s not impossible, but you must silence them, otherwise..."

"Forget it, I’m not one to kill innocents recklessly." Ye Shikai quickly abandoned this thought. Any ambitious person wouldn’t care about a few civilians’ lives, rationalizing "great achievers don’t fuss over minor matters." But Ye Shikai is quite the opposite; his true intention is "to save one more person if possible," so how could he stoop to such a filthy act?

At dawn, Ye Shikai mounted his war horse, preparing to return to the city. According to estimation, the city gates should be open when he arrives at Linxiang City.

Ye Mansion.

"Husband, where did you go last night? You didn’t say a word, it was really worrying." Just after returning to the mansion, He Linghan approached and asked. The house servants could finally breathe a sigh of relief upon seeing Ye Shikai return.

"If you didn’t come back soon, the servants would scour the entire Linxiang City searching for you."

"Sorry, Ling’er, something urgent came up yesterday, and I left in a hurry without notifying you." Ye Shikai vehemently slapped his forehead, feeling regretful. Speaking of which, he got excited and muddled when Blade Soul mentioned a "secret base" yesterday. The last time he left for Ba Shu, He Linghan was traumatized with fear. Fortunately, he returned early, or else only heaven knows what He Linghan might have done.

"Honestly, what did you go out for last night? I asked Shangguan Jian, you didn’t go to the camp or the official residence. You left without saying goodbye, there must be something urgent. Tell me." He Linghan’s demeanor resembled a wife suspicious of her husband’s "affair."

"Ling’er, you’ve misunderstood me." Ye Shikai entered the house with her, closed the door and windows tightly, preventing anyone from overhearing.

"What’s going on, husband? You can speak frankly, no need for such mystery." He Linghan smiled faintly.

"I went to find a place—an uninhabited paradise where we can live later, undisturbed by anyone. How does that sound?" Ye Shikai leaned close to her ear and whispered.

"Undisturbed, unknown to others, husband, are you serious?" He Linghan froze instantly. Ye Shikai’s sudden revelation left her understandably astonished.

"Yes, I’ve checked it. No one knows about it, we are absolutely safe."

"Husband, are you worried about the master?" He Linghan’s eyes flashed with sadness. She isn’t just a simple housewife; the astute He Linghan immediately grasped the implication behind Ye Shikai’s gesture. Who would abandon a splendid mansion to build a house in the wilderness? The only possibility is evading assassination. It seems He Linghan had long discerned the hidden danger in it. After all, Mi Wen is using her safety to threaten Ye Shikai; this is something He Linghan couldn’t overlook.

"Ling’er, it’s just you and me here, and since we are married, I shall speak my heart. Even though my relationship with the master is special, akin to both monarch and minister as well as friends, ultimately, the master’s greatest wish is to restore the nation. To achieve this, she will remove any obstacle in the way. If one day I become that obstacle, then..." Saying this, Ye Shikai truly dared not continue further.