The sage was determined to die.

After a hearty meal and drinks.

The dark-faced jailer stared intently at Ji Bai, his gaze making the latter feel uneasy. After a long while, he said strangely, "You know? I thought you didn't, but it turns out you already know..."

Ji Bai: "???"

What exactly did I find out?

Seeing Ji Bai's expression that said, "Brother, you're a riddle reader," the stern-faced jailer, who had gotten a free meal, awkwardly rubbed his nose and said, "After all, this matter is little known among scholars from poor families, especially considering your background—"

The dark-faced jailer stopped abruptly. Ji Bai knew perfectly well that this world was different from the ancient times he knew. Not to mention being from a poor family, the original owner had even sold his house in his hometown to go to the capital for the imperial examination. Strictly speaking, he now had neither a home nor a door...

Before Ji Bai could answer, the dark-faced jailer said sarcastically, "Even the most diligent students from Qi will never pass the imperial examinations, let alone enter the legendary 'Mountain of Books.' But what they don't know is that throughout history, anyone who enters the Mountain of Books who falls behind will die. Even those who travel with others often face a near-certain death; no one has ever survived alone on the Mountain of Books. Sometimes, to survive, one even has to..."

The dark-faced jailer slowly clenched his fist, then changed his tone and continued, "Yan Ming deliberately brought people here to ruin your reputation, hoping to cut off your chances of survival in the Book Mountain. But he never expected that you would not only see through his plan but also outsmart him."

"Now everyone knows that you have been accepted into the Shushan Academy. In order to gain literary talent, those scholars who entered the Shushan Academy will protect you even if they are unwilling. You have done a good job in this regard."

The dark-faced jailer gave Ji Bai an approving look.

Ji Bai's expression was somewhat strange, and after a long while, he said in a daze, "Hmm...that's right, that's exactly what I think."

At the same time, he was secretly startled. Had he really thought about so much just now?

It was clearly just a verbal conditioned reflex.

The pale-faced jailer reached out and hooked his arm around Ji Bai's shoulder, pressing down on him with a strong smell of alcohol. He said, "By the way, brother, remember to go to the Imperial Academy these next few days. The Chancellor will personally guide you newbies on how to survive in this academic world."

"Will I really die alone in this mountain of books?" Ji Bai asked.

"certainly."

The pale-faced jailer, as if struck by a sudden thought, sneered, "Not only will they die, but their deaths will be known throughout the world."

His death is known to all?

Wouldn't that make him famous?

Ji Bai's eyes lit up instantly.

.

The next day.

Ji Bai walked all the way to the Imperial Academy, not because he had any extraordinary perseverance, but because he had no money.

I should have borrowed some money when I said goodbye to the Black and White Duo yesterday.

Ji Bai entered Shuaixing Hall, panting. The once lively place instantly fell silent upon his arrival. Today, the chief scholar was giving a lecture, and all the newly appointed scholars present were dressed in round-necked robes. Only Ji Bai was dressed in white, unkempt, and only his handsome face kept him from looking out of place.

Yan Ming was also in the crowd. He rolled his eyes at Ji Bai as if he had seen something dirty, then led the others away from Ji Bai without causing any trouble.

No one approached Ji Bai to talk to him. In fact, wherever he went, people would disperse like a tide, and the crowded classroom would even make way for a small vacuum just for him.

The two scholars who were talking quickly fell silent when Ji Bai approached. They gave him a strange look and then went off to discuss something else.

Ji Bai understood.

I isolated them all.

Thinking of this, Ji Bai crossed his arms and walked unceremoniously to the front row, plopping down at the desk closest to the altar.

As the most popular seat closest to the chief minister, it had already been reserved by someone. When Ji Bai forced himself to sit there, the unfamiliar scholar was caught in a dilemma, unsure whether to stay or leave. He was reluctant to give up this good seat, but he didn't want to sit at the same table as Ji Bai. However, he didn't dare to speak to Ji Bai, fearing that others would see him as Ji Bai's accomplice.

However, reality didn't give him much time to struggle with it.

The chief priest, Xu Tangyi, walked in with a stern face, holding a scroll of bamboo slips in his left hand and half a cake in his right.

The students bowed respectfully.

Xu Tangyi is fifty-eight years old this year. He has a dignified appearance and white hair and beard. It is said that when he came out of the mountain of books alive, he lost one eye. Therefore, his eyes are black and gray, making people afraid to look directly at him.

The students of the Imperial Academy feared his face, but even more so his reputation.

This priest possesses a third-grade literary talent, "A Master of Literary Talk," which allows him to recognize all lies.

Before becoming the chief priest, he had been in charge of the Ministry of Justice for more than 20 years. His subordinates were covered in corpses and blood. If he hadn't focused on studying the sacred way in recent years and abandoned killing for literature, I'm afraid that even if he dared to give a lecture, few people would dare to listen.

"Since everyone here is a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination), you all have some understanding of the vast amount of books. I won't waste any more words."

Xu Tangyi seemed very busy. He opened the bamboo scroll in his hand with a "whoosh," and a rich literary aura wafted over everyone. An indescribable life force nourished every pore of his body.

Ji Bai's pupils contracted slightly.

A burst of white light emanated from the bamboo slips, which then formed a transparent screen about two square meters in size, projecting many colorful plants onto it, with small characters marking the plants next to them.

"I never expected that even after traveling to ancient times, I would still see such modern teaching methods."

Ji Bai concealed his surprise and thought to himself.

"This year, only eighteen, no, nineteen of the newly promoted scholars in Qi State are eligible to enter the mountain of books."

Xu Tangyi glanced at Ji Bai without changing his expression and said, "No matter which of you enters the Book Mountain, remember one thing: your life and death are not important."

Upon hearing this, some of the scholars already understood, while others silently frowned.

"Entering the mountain of books, the most important task is naturally to seek out the literary mind and add literary spirit to our Qi state."

Secondly—

Xu Tangyi picked up a pointer and pointed to the plants on the screen, explaining in detail: "The Book Mountain is fraught with danger, so you must remember the characteristics of these poisonous creatures. For example, this one is called the Death Amanita; it's pure white, with a round head and a slender stem. Ingestion will cause death within half a day, and it's very common in the Book Mountain. This one is called Gelsemium elegans; it looks like an ordinary wildflower, but once you come into contact with it, your whole body will rot. This one is called Castor Vine..."

Ji Bai was quite surprised. He hadn't expected the chief priest to be so kind, teaching them wilderness survival skills in such detail, which was quite different from the courses he had imagined.

After recounting an entire page of plants, Xu Tangyi's voice became a little hoarse, but his spirits gradually lifted. The content on the screen changed from plants to animals, and then to how to set traps to quickly catch people.

That's right, a person was caught.

Ji Bai frowned slightly, feeling that the more he listened, the stranger the course seemed.

Time ticked by, and Xu Tangyi finished his eloquent explanation. Then, stroking his beard, he said seriously, "Remember these things well. No matter which of you is qualified to enter the Mountain of Books, you will need to use these things to plot against the people of other countries!"

Ji Bai: "..."

Others: "..."

The audience fell silent.

"Apart from Qi, there are few good people in other countries."

It was rare for Xu Tangyi to speak so much in one breath. He took a sip of tea to moisten his throat, and spoke in a calm and nonchalant tone:

"There aren't many spots for you to enter the Book Mountain this year, simply because when the Book Mountain opened last time, my Qi Kingdom was ambushed and didn't gain much literary energy. The less literary energy we gained last time, the fewer spots there will be for the next Book Mountain. Fewer people means less excellence, and over time, our national strength will naturally decline."

"When you enter the Book Mountain, even if you don't take action yourself, people from other countries will kill you. However, due to the rules of the Book Mountain, you can only use the things that exist in the Book Mountain to kill others. If you take direct action, you will be wiped out by the Book Mountain. You must remember this."

Seeing that everyone looked like they had something to say but dared not speak freely due to the authority of the chief priest, he noticed that...

Xu Tangyi waved his hand and said, "You are all going here on behalf of the State of Qi. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have."

"Your Excellency, the Chief Priest."

One of the scholars raised his hand and whispered, "What if one of us gets captured?"

Xu Tangyi: "Then consider it as sacrificing myself for the country."

"What if you accidentally get poisoned while collecting these poisonous substances?" one of the scholars muttered. "Some of them seem to have no antidote."

Xu Tangyi's expression remained unchanged: "Then naturally it's sacrificing oneself for the country."

Below the stage, Ji Bai began to understand.

No wonder the Black and White Duo said that falling behind in the mountain of books meant certain death, and even if you didn't fall behind, it was still a matter of life and death.

Is this like entering a mountain of books?

This is like a battle royale!