The sage was determined to die.

Sophisticated scams often employ the simplest methods.

As Ji Bai ran, he asked Yan Ming beside him, "Why do you think they're chasing us?"

Yan Ming thought to himself that this person was having another episode, but said on the surface, "They think we have something good on us, these wicked people."

"Sigh." Ji Bai clenched his fist slightly and said, "But they can't beat us either."

"Huh?" Yan Ming's eyes widened instinctively, his feet stopping as if he had slammed on the brakes. He clapped his hands and exclaimed, "That's right!"

Before he could finish his reflection, Ji Bai grabbed him by the collar and pulled him forward. For some reason, he maintained a safe distance from the pursuing group. Ji Bai chuckled and said, "Are you stupid? I don't want to be caught by them."

Everyone was panting heavily from running, but Ji Bai remained calm and said, "Let's hide first."

Yan Ming was still waving his fists, his face showing no sign of resentment or arrogance: "Why? Are we not able to beat them?"

Ji Bai shook his head. For once, he didn't verbally attack Yan Ming, but calmly said, "It's not worth it."

He glanced back and saw that the distance between everyone remained at that seemingly close, yet impossible-to-catch level.

If the scene weren't so inappropriate, he would have laughed.

……

After a winding but not tortuous journey, Ji Bai found a cave from somewhere and was hiding inside. He explained to the bewildered Yan Ming and Gongsun Yang, whose face was full of calculation but who clearly had the wrong idea:

"This is a trap."

He held up three fingers, then broke one off, and said to the two of them, "Some people see us as a pool of fish, and that Wenxin is clearly bait."

Gongsun Yang wasn't stupid. After Ji Bai's straightforward explanation, even he, as foolish as he was, finally understood.

He didn't ask who the person was, but couldn't help frowning and saying, "Want to see us kill each other?"

After saying that, he shook his head slightly and said, "No, you want to see us kill you, don't you?"

Upon hearing this, Ji Bai gave a wry smile, but the smile looked undeniably irritating.

"Sigh," he said calmly, "people who are too outstanding always attract jealousy."

Yan Ming: "..."

Gongsun Yang: "..."

Gongsun Yang covered his mouth with his hand, coughed, and said, "It seems that you... Boss, you already have your own ideas. Just say it."

So Ji Bai bent his second finger and said to them, "The clever me naturally saw through this scheme long ago. Now that I've played along, and our allies have understood my brilliant hints, our next step should be to fish in troubled waters..."

Ji Bai's eyes gleamed, as if a wicked scheme was brewing within him.

As Gongsun Yang looked at it, his heart suddenly began to race: "We all have the Inscription Mark on us now. As long as the person who obtained that Inscription Mark doesn't go around making a fuss, it shouldn't be discovered, but..."

Ji Bai picked up where he left off, nodding: "But if the five great families want to kill someone, a large country might be wary, while a small country could easily crush them."

He looked at Gongsun Yang, his words firm and decisive: "You need a Wenxin that isn't that powerful, but is very useful, enough to attract their attention without making them want to kill you."

Gongsun Yang's heart pounded as he listened to Ji Bai's words.

He couldn't help but ask with a hint of hope, "Is it possible?"