The sage was determined to die.

Chu Ze kept quiet.

Ji Bai adopted a mysterious and inscrutable demeanor, seemingly casually saying, "If you're really that worried, why not just comply with the envoy's wishes? With your talent, bringing Wenxin into Baiyujing and protecting her shouldn't be too difficult, right?"

Chu Ze looked at Ji Bai with a strange expression.

Ji Bai sighed and said, "I'll give you another chance, but you'd better choose the right one this time."

As soon as he finished speaking, Ji Bai's figure disappeared.

Everything happening before his eyes was flowing backward, and Chu Ze stood before the living messenger once again.

The messenger was currently fiddling with the spider silk.

The pure white spider silk grows by sucking his flesh and blood. This is the power of the literary heart within his body. The only function of this literary heart is to forcibly tear other people's literary hearts from their bodies.

Disembowelment is nothing more than this.

The messenger stared at his fingertips and suddenly burst out laughing.

"Chu Ze, you're really unlucky, but I'm unlucky too."

The envoy stared intently at the other with his dark, numb eyes, then suddenly spoke: "I was once a prince of a small country, far less powerful than Chu, but I chose the right path—I joined Baiyujing. Why can't you make the same right choice as me?"

Chu Ze suddenly spoke up, "Which country's prince are you?"

The messenger casually remarked, "My country has already perished."

"I see."

Chu Ze smiled calmly and raised the sword again.

……

"Brother, are you really going to kill me?"

Chu Xi gripped the dagger tightly against her chest, maintaining a distance from the other person, her tone incredulous: "You're going to kill me for Wen Xin?"

Chu Ze looked sickly and seemed about to collapse at any moment, yet he still walked towards Chu Xi step by step.

"It was my fault."

Chu Ze said regretfully, "I shouldn't have let you come in with me. It forced us to fight each other, brothers."

"Brother, wouldn't it be better to give up on this literary passion?"

Chu Xi gripped the dagger in her hand tightly; it was the only weapon in the entire cave.

I don't want to lay a hand on you.

With red eyes, he repeated over and over, "Brother, I really don't want to hurt you."

Chu Ze's face tightened, and he suddenly opened his arms to his younger brother.

"Axi, just kill me."

Looking at the other person's face, Chu Ze said firmly, "As princes of Chu, one of us must survive to obtain this Wenxin."

Chu Xi suddenly raised her head, two clearly visible tear tracks running down her reddened eyes.

He took a deep breath, stopped running away, gripped the dagger tightly in his right hand, raised his stiff legs, and approached his opponent step by step.

"Brother, for an uncertain literary heart."

Chu Xi repeatedly pondered these words: "Are you really forcing me to kill you?"

"Compared to myself, I'd rather you live." Chu Ze coughed twice, covering his mouth, his gaze still gentle.

The two were only a few fists apart, and Chu Xi could even see his brother's pale face.

Chu Xi's expression turned somber, and she said in a serious tone, "What if this is a first-grade literary heart? Once I obtain it, I will immediately become the target of everyone's hatred."

Chu Ze's eyes flickered slightly as he said, "Take this literary heart and join Baiyujing..."

Before he could finish speaking, Chu Ze lowered his head in disbelief.

The dagger pierced his waist with precision, the blood-stained white blade gleaming with a cold, eerie light.

Chu Xi said expressionlessly, "I won't kill my brother, but unfortunately you're not him."