The sage was determined to die.

A flash of astonishment crossed Ji Bai's eyes.

After a while, he resumed his cunning demeanor, even nodding at the other person and saying, "Not bad, you figured it out."

"No wonder your brother was so sweet-talking to me," Ji Bai laughed. "It's nothing like his personality at all."

When Chu Xi was mentioned, Chu Ze's expression changed slightly, and a hint of doubt appeared.

"You might have used the wrong words." He shook his head and said, "Axi isn't good at flattery; he just does what I say."

"Right?"

Ji Bai forced a question with a forced smile: "Then why do you think I don't care if you kill someone?"

Chu Ze stared intently into his eyes, then suddenly lowered his eyelashes and said, "It seems I misspoke; you do care."

"But your level of care, like mine, varies, doesn't it?"

Ji Bai's eyes widened slightly, uncontrollably.

"But that's quite normal," Chu Ze said, fiddling with the bone skewers in his hand, his eyes filled with a mix of emotions. "This world is all about big fish eating small fish, and small fish eating shrimp. When poor people rarely get to eat meat, they don't care how the meat died."

He rubbed the bone skewer with his fingertips, and the cool touch gradually turned warm.

"So you treat those people like meat?"

Ji Bai's lips curled into a slight smile, his eyes revealing an unreadable emotion: "Was that meat delicious?"

"I don't look down on them that much." Chu Ze put down the bone skewer and said to him, "We are all equal. If I were killed by them, I would accept the consequences of my bet."

"Oh? You didn't do it this way before," Ji Bai asked.

"After all, I'm not dead yet," Chu Ze said. "Ji Bai, it seems you prefer to be addressed this way. As a prince of Chu, I can only categorize people into different classes. I know you wouldn't do that, but don't you really think... some people's lives are more precious than others'?"

After a while, Ji Bai replied, "I don't like the word 'noble'."

"I have a friend who is just like you. He doesn't like to categorize people into different classes, but he will admit that some people are more special."

"How about we each compromise and cooperate briefly?"

Ji Bai frowned, puzzled: "Why do you insist on cooperating with me? With your abilities, obtaining a high-grade literary essence wouldn't be difficult."

Chu Ze nodded. He was like a mannequin that had been wearing a mask for years, his features assimilated by the mask. His handsome face could not show any complex expressions, and his true feelings had melted into pretense.

"I know," Chu Ze said calmly, "but it's difficult to take him out without being discovered."

Ji Bai's feelings were somewhat complicated. If he hadn't been certain that the other party hadn't met with Gongsun Yang, he would have almost thought that the kid was leaking information.

He remained expressionless; as negotiators, both he and Chu Ze appeared far too calm.

"After listening to all that nonsense you've said, I haven't seen any benefit in it."

Chu Ze was not angry.

He shook his head slightly, the curve of his head barely visible, and said, "There are some benefits, I suppose?"

"Although I don't know what kind of deal you made with Gongsun Yang and the others, a small country can't give you much in the end."

"I want less than they do, but I'll have to give much more than they do," Chu Ze asked politely. "Isn't that a good thing?"

Is this a good thing?

Ji Bai flicked his sleeves, leaving him with only his standing back.

"That's good." Ji Bai smiled. "It's just that small countries can give me things that large countries can't."

"Chu Ze, although I do like it when people call me by my name directly."

Before he knew it, Chu Ze was already standing beside him. Looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar face in front of him, he said nothing.

Ji Bai turned around and looked at him: "You called me by my name directly, so you don't want to be brothers with me, do you?"

"What do you mean by 'different classes'? You almost believed it yourself."

Ji Bai curled his lips into a sly smile, a cunning glint in his clear black and white eyes: "Your brother is just a knife to you. You're far more cold-blooded than him. How could you possibly categorize people into different classes?"

"I doubt you would even consider your own people as equals to yourself, would you?"