Hearing this, Xu Fu was overjoyed and immediately said, "I wonder what method General Li has in mind to verify it. Do tell. If it is feasible, it will indeed be a great achievement."
Standing nearby, Li Xin looked at the medicine box in Xu Fu's hands with a complex gaze. He plotted his own plan inwardly while keeping his face entirely expressionless. Deep within Li Xin's heart lay a secret: a burning hatred for Qin Emperor. From childhood, his family had been brutally wiped out by a decree from Qin Emperor. Out of ninety-six family members, only he and an elderly servant had survived because they were away at the time. The old servant had passed away ten years ago due to old age, leaving Li Xin the sole remaining member of the Li family. This hatred, like a raging fire, had never been extinguished in his heart. For years, he had endured humiliation within the Qin army, working his way up from a lowly soldier to his current position simply to await the opportunity for revenge. Now, the appearance of the Elixir of Immortality gave him hope.
Li Xin called Xu Fu aside and said softly, "Lord Xu, before I mention this method, let me first congratulate you on successfully refining this Elixir of Immortality. This is truly a magnificent feat!" Li Xin wore a smile as he offered feigned flattery.
Xu Fu nodded slightly and said with a solemn expression, "This medicine has consumed countless efforts of ours. May it fulfill His Majesty's wishes and bring blessings to Qin."
Li Xin sneered inwardly while his face remained plastered with a smile. "Does Lord Xu know of my background?"
With a puzzled look, Xu Fu asked, "General Li, we are currently discussing how to verify the Elixir of Immortality. I do not understand why you bring up your background at this moment."
Without answering Xu Fu's question, Li Xin went on to say of his own accord, "Let me tell Lord Xu a story. There was once a person born into a scholarly family. For generations, his family revered Confucianism and possessed a vast collection of books, with every member considering it their duty to inherit and promote Confucian doctrines. Locally, this scholarly family was deeply respected for its profound learning and noble morals.
"However, back then, in order to establish his prestige before the civil and military officials as well as the common people of the world, Qin Emperor issued the order to 'burn books and bury scholars,' and disaster descended upon this innocent family like a demon. Qin Emperor's soldiers rushed into the scholarly family like wolves and tigers, burning every book they saw and arresting every scholar they laid hands on. The serene courtyard of the scholarly family was instantly engulfed in chaos and terror. The elderly cried out in panic, and the children wept endlessly, but none of this could stop Qin Emperor's tyrannical acts.
"The soldiers ransacked the scholarly family at will, tossing ancient texts one by one into the fire. The flames devoured the paper, crackling as though the soul of culture was groaning in agony. The study of the scholarly family, once a treasury of knowledge, was turned into a sea of fire billowing with thick smoke and filled with a pungent, scorched odor.
"As for the members of the family, Qin Emperor showed no mercy whatsoever. He ordered the arrest of every family member connected to Confucianism, sparing neither young nor old, male nor female. Despair and fury filled everyone's hearts. His parents, who had devoted their entire lives to teaching and nurturing others and were known for their kindness, were roughly shoved about by the soldiers; his brothers and sisters, youths brimming with youthful dreams, were likewise plunged into a desperate plight in this catastrophe.
"In the end, all ninety-some members of the scholarly family were brutally murdered by Qin Emperor. Only a child escaped this ordeal because an old servant had taken him out of the family estate to travel. The family members were escorted to a large pit outside the city, facing the cold earth and ruthless executioners' blades. The cries of the children pierced the sky, but the hearts of the Qin soldiers were as hard as iron, devoid of the slightest pity. With the rise and fall of the soldiers' blades, blood splattered everywhere, staining the earth red. Ninety-six lives vanished in an instant, their aggrieved spirits seemingly wandering the sky to recount the injustice and cruelty of this world.
"When the child who had been away returned home, what he saw was only ruins and the corpses of his kin outside the city. He knelt on the ground, his hands gripping the mud tightly, tears streaming down his face as his eyes filled with endless hatred. He swore to the heavens that he would surely avenge his family and make Qin Emperor pay the price for his atrocities." By this point, faint tear tracks were visible on Li Xin's face.
By now, Xu Fu had also realized that something was amiss. Fine beads of sweat broke out on his forehead, yet he forced himself to remain calm as he said, "This person suffered such a major tragedy and is indeed very pitiful, but..." Before he could finish, Li Xin coldly interrupted him, "He neither needs the pity of outsiders, nor is anyone worthy of pitying him!"
An anxious look now appeared on Xu Fu's face, and in his heart he realized that the person Li Xin was speaking of was none other than himself. He could not understand why Qin Emperor had failed to detect the hatred in Li Xin's heart and instead trusted him so deeply, entrusting him with such an important task. The situation had now become extremely tricky, and he did not know how to handle it.
At this, the corners of Li Xin's mouth curled upward slightly, and he said in an icy tone, "Lord Xu surely already has the answer in his heart."
Xu Fu knew very well that at this very moment, he absolutely must not come into conflict with Li Xin. On this voyage out to sea, they had brought a total of three thousand people, two thousand of whom were boys and girls—one of their most important tasks. The remaining seven hundred people were soldiers who had followed Li Xin. As for his own side, only a hundred were sent by Qin Shi Huang, and the members of the Xu Clan were even fewer, numbering just over a dozen; the rest of the two hundred people were non-combatant sailors and logistics personnel. By this calculation, the gap in combat strength between the two sides was simply too vast. If a fight truly broke out, Xu Fu's side would undoubtedly be the ones to suffer. Therefore, at all costs, he had to avoid a conflict with Li Xin, placing the completion of Qin Shi Huang's mandate above all else.
Xu Fu then said, "General Li, I do not know what you are talking about. Our primary task right now is to safely bring the Elixir of Immortality back to Xianyang and hand it over to Qin Emperor. After all, our families are still waiting for us to return home." Xu Fu wanted to make Li Xin think of his family and refrain from doing anything foolish right now that would harm them.
Li Xin said calmly, "Since Lord Xu claims not to know what I am talking about, why bring up family? I might as well tell Lord Xu: ever since Qin Emperor ordered the slaughter of all ninety-six members of the Li family, my heart has already died. From that moment on, I have had no family. My only wish now is to avenge my deceased loved ones and make those who once harmed them pay the price! Therefore, do not try to threaten me with family, because that has lost all meaning to me. Now we can discuss the matter of verifying the Elixir of Immortality."
Li Xin drew closer to him and whispered softly in his ear, "Once I ingest it, I will know the efficacy of this medicine."
Hearing this, Xu Fu turned deathly pale with fright. His body jerked violently, and he instinctively stepped back a pace, his hands tightly guarding the medicine box as if it were the most precious treasure of his life. "General Li, absolutely not! This medicine is of paramount importance. Without His Majesty's permission, how can it be taken arbitrarily?" Xu Fu's voice trembled slightly with tension.
Li Xin, however, thought nothing of it. A cunning smile crossed his face before he straightened his expression and spoke in a loud voice, "Mr. Xu, both you and I serve His Majesty. This method can verify the efficacy of this medicine so that we may report back to His Majesty. Furthermore, if this medicine truly possesses miraculous effects, all of us will have made a great contribution; if there is any mishap, we can also promptly inform you and seek another method." It was unclear who exactly he intended these words for.
Xu Fu understood in his heart that Li Xin's words were merely an excuse, yet for a moment he did not know how to refute them. Looking at Li Xin's resolute and desire-filled gaze, an ominous premonition surged in his heart.
"General Li, this matter is of great consequence and still requires careful deliberation..." Xu Fu was still attempting to persuade Li Xin to abandon this dangerous idea.
However, before Xu Fu could finish speaking, Li Xin shouted out, "Lord Xu, I believe my method can verify the efficacy of the Immortal Pill. How could I let you take the medicine in person?"
Hearing this, Xu Fu was taken aback. *When did I ever say I wanted to test the medicine myself?* he thought, just about to retort when he was cut off by Li Xin.
Li Xin's mind was made up; how could he let slip this rare opportunity? "All men heed my order! Xu Fu intends to take the Immortal Pill himself, seeking to cut short Qin Emperor's path to longevity! Everyone attack, seize the Immortal Pill from Xu Fu's hands, and protect the pill for Qin Emperor!" With that, Li Xin reached out to snatch the medicine box from Xu Fu's grasp.
Seeing this, Xu Fu hurriedly turned to dodge. "General Li, do not act rashly!" he shouted loudly, his voice echoing across the volcanic peak.
Seeing this situation, Xu Lin wore a startled expression. He strode over to Xu Fu's side, walked in the direction of Xu Fu, and placed himself directly in front of Xu Fu, blocking the path of the opposing party. His face turned stern, but instead of looking back at Xu Fu, he stared straight at Li Xin ahead of him, asking in a low and resolute voice, "What is going on, Father?"
Xu Fu's reply was brief and powerful, consisting of only a single sentence: "Li Xin wants to misappropriate the Immortal Pill for himself!" This sentence caused Xu Lin's gaze to turn icy in an instant, and he knew what that meant.
Yet Xu Lin did not say much more, believing that his father would not lie. He therefore turned his gaze back to Li Xin standing before him, saying in an icy tone, "General Li, are you not afraid that His Majesty will subject you to a severe execution, make you suffer the punishment of a thousand cuts, and implicate your family in a raid and extermination of your clan?" His words were full of threats and warnings, sending a chill through anyone who heard them.
Li Xin sneered, "I am merely trying to protect Qin Emperor's Immortal Pill, while you two intend to misappropriate Qin Emperor's pill, repaying His Majesty's deep trust with betrayal. Troops, hear my command: the father and son of the Xu family intend to embezzle Qin Emperor's Immortal Pill and have failed His Majesty. Take back the Immortal Pill; those who resist shall be executed!"
Xu Lin likewise shouted loudly, "Soldiers, it is Li Xin who wants to misappropriate the Immortal Pill and is thus framing us. Do not be deceived by him!"
And so, the two of them argued back and forth, leaving a portion of the soldiers unsure of what to do. Xu Lin and his father finally understood why Li Xin had chosen to falsely accuse them in a loud voice beforehand: it was because the soldiers he brought were not entirely of one mind with him either. Li Xin likewise noticed the hesitation of the others and immediately shouted, "Do not listen to their sophistry and disrupt military morale! Follow me to take back the Immortal Pill and kill these traitors!" Li Xin charged forward first. Seeing this, the other soldiers followed suit, ultimately choosing to obey military orders.