The sage was determined to die.

"trade?"

Gongsun Yang pondered these words repeatedly. After his journey through the mountain of books, although he didn't have an in-depth understanding of the immortal sects and families, he wasn't completely ignorant either.

He raised his head and stared intently at the newcomer, his eyes showing little fear.

He thought to himself, "This envoy doesn't look anything special. He's just like me, with two eyes and a nose."

So what exactly is this sense of superiority that comes from?

The envoy casually set his teacup aside and said, "My time is limited. I have to rush to another country later. Please leave Wenxin to me now. I'm very busy."

Gongsun Yang slowly clenched his fist.

"Are you here on behalf of Bai Yujing to steal my Wenxin?" Gongsun Yang asked.

The envoy slapped his forehead, as if he had just remembered something, and looked at the reclusive king, saying:

"I almost forgot to mention, after Wenxin is handed over to me, your country will be under the protection of Baiyujing for the next three years, and no more ignorant small countries or bandits will harass you."

"During the spring planting season, scholars from Baiyujing will come to perform rituals and pray for your well-being. If you encounter a year of disaster within these three years, you can also seek help from Baiyujing."

After saying this, the envoy suddenly exclaimed, "You really made a profit by exchanging a top-grade literary talent for the opportunity to befriend Baiyujing."

Their conversation was as if they were discussing an object, without mentioning at all the miserable fate that would befall the scholar after he lost his literary talent.

Gongsun Yang felt a sudden, inexplicable panic.

He instinctively looked at the king, his expression showing a hint of anxiety.

For any weak or small country, exchanging a person's heart for these things is undoubtedly a win.

The king had already opened his eyes, but deliberately avoided Gongsun Yang's gaze.

His lips opened and closed, and he hesitated for a long time, but ultimately he did not give a definite answer.

No, that's already an answer.

Gongsun Yang's heart sank instantly.

Spider silk had already formed in the messenger's palms. The silk looked thin, but it was extremely sharp. The longer it solidified, the closer his hands got to a pair of white bones.

"Actually, you don't need to be afraid, really."

The envoy gradually approached Gongsun Yang and whispered, "I've extracted many Wenxins before, and my technique is excellent. I guarantee you won't feel any pain."

Gongsun Yang suppressed the urge to punch the man in the face, his voice trembling slightly, almost pleading: "Why must you strip me of my Wenxin? I want to join Baiyujing as a whole, is that not allowed?"

The envoy suddenly stopped, his gaze sweeping over his hands, which were already numb with pain, before looking at Gongsun Yang, whose limbs were intact.

He suddenly sighed and said, "The two brothers from Chu can join Baiyujing, Chen Ji from Chen, and even people from Qi can, but you are the only one who cannot."

Gongsun Yang, his face filled with grief and indignation, gritted his teeth and said, "Why? Just because they are from a great power, and I am from a small country? Does being weak mean we deserve to be bullied?"

No, that's not the only reason.

The envoy licked his lips, his gaze piercing through the skin and flesh, looking adoringly at the other's heart: "It's because your heart is so beautiful that it's already been reserved."

Gongsun Yang suddenly fell silent.

The next moment, he threw a punch at that annoying face.

……

What would happen if someone rashly killed the envoy of Baiyujing?

Gongsun Yang chose to flee immediately. The king did not stop him, nor could he, as he was no match for Gongsun Yang, and the king did not attack him.

Despite the king's immediate report to Baiyujing and the subsequent arrest warrant for Gongsun Yang, the fate of the small country remained unchanged.

After hiding his identity and fleeing for two months, Gongsun Yang relied on his literary talent and experience to escape several pursuit attempts from Baiyujing.

He rarely stayed in a city for more than five days, yet he still received the disappointing news that his country was gone.

For Bai Yujing, destroying a small country was as easy as crushing an ant.

After all, crushing an ant requires one's own finger, but destroying a small country only requires Bai Yujing to convey a message of enmity towards that country, and the surrounding hyenas will instantly pounce and devour the country.

At this time, Gongsun Yang had completely become a fugitive. He looked as if he had just been dug out of the ground, haggard and exhausted. He was also extremely suspicious of everything and could be described as seeing enemies everywhere.

Countless nights, he couldn't help but wonder, "Am I doing the right thing?"

"Can I really protect this heart of mine?"

Just when he was at his most uncertain, Ji Bai appeared.

……

Of all the candidates, Ji Bai was actually most interested in Chu Ze.

In the third round of assessments, Gongsun Yang and Chu Ze were almost identical.

And their choices were almost identical.

This surprised Ji Bai.

Previously, he had stood beside Chu Ze, observing this person once again.

Ji Bai watched as Chu Ze made another choice in front of the envoy. Unlike Gongsun Yang, Chu Ze, as a prince of a great power, had more choices. He could even join Baiyujing directly, but he still decisively chose to kill the envoy.

And it wasn't just once or twice, but time and time again.

Chu Ze never hesitated when killing; on the contrary, he was always swift and decisive.

Ji Bai watched silently from the sidelines, thinking to himself, "What kind of adult game scene is this? It's like NPCs keep respawning and you keep killing them."

This envoy is quite pitiful.

As he watched, Ji Bai finally couldn't help but reveal himself and, using his position as an examiner, offered a reasonable critique: "It's going to be hard for you to maintain your integrity like this."

"No, it's almost impossible to hold on," Ji Bai affirmed.

At this moment, Chu Ze was covered in blood, no longer possessing the calm and composure of a refined gentleman. He looked as if he had just been pulled out of a pool of blood, his face stained red with blood, and at first glance, he even bore a resemblance to Ji Bai.

Chu Ze was panting heavily, but his expression was very relaxed. After a while, he stood up, looked at Ji Bai, nodded, and said, "I know I can't protect it, as long as this literary heart is a first-grade literary heart."

Ji Bai was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "If this is a first-grade literary talent, are you absolutely certain you won't want it?"

Chu Ze did not answer for a moment.

His expression flickered for a moment, but quickly calmed down.

"Although the rank of a scholar does not determine his future fortune."

Chu Ze gave a somewhat bitter smile and said, "But nobody doesn't want a First-Class Literary Heart."

He took out a handkerchief from his body, wiped his sword, and slowly said, "If this were in reality, I would definitely not kill the envoy of Baiyujing, but since we are in the Book Mountain Illusion, let's kill him all at once."