The sage was determined to die.

The sudden disappearance of a large number of people left those on the shore extremely anxious.

Of course, they were not worried about the life or death of Yan Ming and his men; in fact, it might have been more advantageous for them if they had died.

They are worried about themselves.

However, the group did not rush to leave. They knew that there were other traps waiting for them in this dangerous place. They huddled together for warmth and consciously re-established contact with Gongsun Yang.

That traitor has gone completely insane!

Gongsun Yang stood hesitantly on the shore, his brow furrowed in thought, a mixture of wanting to go down and being filled with worries...

As he swayed from side to side, a series of splashes of water suddenly erupted from the shore, instantly raising goosebumps among the crowd and creating a tense atmosphere.

"Who's there?" Gongsun Yang raised his voice and shouted, "Stop playing tricks!"

The next moment, pairs of pale hands crawled ashore like water ghosts, a sight that terrified everyone, who immediately took a few steps back.

"Our own people..."

A voice barely audible broke the silence. Yan Ming, soaking wet, immediately rubbed his face as he climbed up, revealing his handsome and distinctive features.

Little did they know, his appearance only instilled even greater fear in everyone.

Gongsun Yang narrowed his eyes and asked warily, "How are you still alive?"

"Pah! Who are you cursing?!" Yan Ming shouted. "Can't I just be lucky and live a long life?"

Yan Ming even offered a friendly helping hand to the person next to him. From an angle where no one was paying attention, his arms were very stiff, as if they had just been put on.

Gongsun Yang, remembering the script he had received, also shouted, "Why were you all dragged away, yet none of you were injured?"

Upon hearing this, Yan Ming froze for a moment, his gaze darting left and right in a pretentious manner, as if afraid others wouldn't notice his guilty conscience.

"The Book Mountain is inherently unpredictable and treacherous; isn't it normal that we were just attacked?"

As soon as Yan Ming finished speaking, the others who had climbed up beside him echoed, "We were indeed attacked by... by some unknown creature, but we're alright, aren't we?"

"Yeah yeah."

"We're lucky to be alive."

The others echoed this sentiment, though their words were somewhat evasive and hesitant.

"This place is really dangerous."

Yan Ming coughed a few times, gestured to the others with his eyes, and then said to Gongsun Yang, "Although we don't look like we've been hurt on the outside, we're actually quite badly injured inside."

Gongsun Yang frowned slightly: "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is," Yan Ming said, as if he had made a tough decision, "why don't you leave first, and we'll rest here for a while?"

After an eerie silence.

Gongsun Yang's eyes burned as he spoke, "Brother Yan, do you think we're fools?"

The people weren't idiots. It was already strange that these people could come out of the water unharmed. No one would believe it unless they had some kind of opportunity.

Now they're so eager to get rid of them, it's like they don't even want to keep up the act anymore.

"What did you get down there?"

Gongsun Yang abandoned his usual refined demeanor, unleashing his acting skills to the fullest, his expression exaggerated and his eyes wide with astonishment: "Could it be... that you... Wenxin..."

Seeing the sudden burning gazes from everyone, Yan Ming couldn't help but curse inwardly.

Before he went ashore, Ji Bai removed the petrification from them and temporarily suppressed Wen Xin's pain. He then asked him how he would seduce the crowd after he went ashore.

Yan Ming immediately launched into a long and confident speech, employing both threats and inducements as well as a gradual approach.

Upon hearing this, Ji Bai simply clicked his tongue and uttered two words: "Too slow."

The guy casually told him that once they got ashore, all he needed to do was rush them away.

Yan Ming also asked, "Isn't this move too obvious? What if people don't fall for it?"

He regretted saying that as soon as he said it.

Ji Bai simply smiled and said something.

"Even if a gambler knows gambling is a pit of fire, wouldn't they still jump in?"

……

It actually jumped.

"These are my heartfelt words," Yan Ming said earnestly. "You'd better leave now."

Upon hearing this, the people on the shore hesitated for a moment.

However, this hesitation was quickly dispelled.

Would Yan Ming really be that kind? Of course not.

He must have gotten some benefits down there.

Gongsun Yang patted Yan Ming on the shoulder, acting like a close friend, and said to him, "Brother Yan, I know your character well, but I must say, your acting is really bad."

Yan Ming: "..."