The sage was determined to die.

Gongsun Yang's expression suddenly became intriguing.

He stood with his arms crossed, coldly watching the group of scholars from small countries. They came from similar backgrounds to him, and they huddled together like quails. He knew he couldn't fit in, nor did he intend to.

After all, the previous attempt was a complete failure.

Gongsun Yang suddenly smiled and said, "So what if it's related?"

The man was taken aback by his answer and was momentarily speechless, stammering, "He...you...we can be the same, you're actually genuinely defending him?"

Gongsun Yang shook his head, praising the other party's ridiculousness: "What's there to argue about? I've never seen you shed a single tear for those dead people."

He shrugged and addressed the crowd, saying, "There's no need to feel sorry for the fallen. If large countries don't treat small countries as human beings, how have you ever treated your household servants as human beings?"

After saying this, Gongsun Yang frowned slightly. In the past, he would never have said such a thing.

Ultimately, I was still influenced by others to some extent.

"How dare you compare us to slaves!"

The man's face trembled violently at these words, and his originally pale complexion became quite vibrant with anger.

"Isn't everyone the same when they die?"

Gongsun Yang raised an eyebrow and grumbled, "What's there to be upset about? Why are you so agitated?"

He even reached out to straighten the man's clothes and said politely, "I am a fellow scholar from a small country, and I would never intentionally harm you."

"Everyone should listen to Brother Ji's advice."

He said, "He's not like Chen Ji. If I listen to him, even if I can't win Wenxin's heart, at least I can save my life."

After saying that, he left without caring what everyone thought.

……

"I've said everything I needed to say."

Gongsun Yang nodded slightly to Yan Ming in front of him, his attitude neither humble nor arrogant, and sighed, "However, I'm not good with words, and I don't know if they will misunderstand me."

"It doesn't matter."

Yan Ming, confident in his own magnanimity, rolled his eyes, then suddenly grabbed Gongsun Yang's neck and whispered, "You may be a scholar from a small country, but you have a much brighter future than those others. You understand what I mean?"

Gongsun Yang calmly removed the other person's hand and nodded politely: "...I didn't expect Brother Yan to be so kind to me."

"Sigh." Yan Ming sighed, "I noticed that Ji Bai treats you very differently, but as for him..."

Leaving his words unfinished, Yan Ming first looked around to make sure Ji Bai wasn't there, then lowered his voice even further, trying to cover up the truth, and said, "He's changed a lot."

Gongsun Yang: "..."

He thought the other party was going to say something bad. Why was it necessary to be so sneaky about such a small matter?

Yan Ming continued, "You don't understand him. He's very different from before... well, not that different."

Thinking of Ji Bai's glorious deeds, Yan Ming did not hide anything and exaggerated to Gongsun Yang how Ji Bai, a poor scholar, had entered the capital and how he had rebelliously broken the leg of the Grand Tutor's grandson...

Gongsun Yang listened attentively, his brows furrowing and relaxing intermittently. This lively listener clearly increased Yan Ming's desire to confide.

Yan Ming spoke until his throat was dry, and finally concluded: "A poor kid like this who dares to do big things as soon as he enters the capital is either tired of living or he's plotting something even worse."

"As someone who's been there."

Yan Ming then revealed the purpose of his words: "Let me give you a piece of advice: don't trust him too much."