The sage was determined to die.

"If someone else had said these words..."

Gongsun Yang hesitated for a moment, then said sincerely, "I probably won't believe it."

"Ah." Ji Bai was somewhat surprised. "Then you trust me that much?"

Gongsun Yang shook his head. "No, it's just that since I'm going to take the gamble anyway, I can only choose the more advantageous one."

After saying this, Gongsun Yang's face flushed slightly, a rare occurrence: "Isn't that a rather selfish thing to say?"

"It's only human nature."

Ji Bai said with a bit of a laugh, "Seeking personal gain is selfish, narrow-minded, and dark. Seeking personal gain for others is selfless, contributing, and kind."

Ji Bai shook his head: "This reasoning makes it sound like doing something for yourself is an unforgivable crime. I don't agree with it."

"But you..."

Unable to contain his curiosity, Gongsun Yang asked, "Didn't you want to end famine in the world?"

This idea, if not a pipe dream, is at least a glimpse into the sacred path. Countless people talk about it, but few actually do it, let alone take a look.

Gongsun Yang thought to himself, "Ji Bai is really strange. He's neither good nor evil, and he seems like a good person who's trying his best to put on a sour face."

The thought of the last two words sent a chill down his spine.

Upon hearing this, Ji Bai kicked a pebble in frustration, his eyes blazing, and said to him, "Sigh, you still don't understand."

The requests I made to you were just my personal desires.

Ji Bai pretended to be relaxed and said, "Once I obtain the second and third Literary Hearts, I won't bother being a high and mighty scholar. Of course, I also won't bother being a great philanthropist in the eyes of the common people."

He scoffed, "A great philanthropist is like a white cloth; if you get even a speck of mud on him, he'll be condemned. It's better to be impurely evil than to be elevated to a high position but not truly virtuous. Maybe then people will praise him, saying, 'This guy isn't so bad after all.'"

Gongsun Yang didn't understand what the other person was saying, but he did see a hint of disappointment in their eyes.

"Why do you say that? Have you experienced these things?" Gongsun Yang asked bluntly.

Ji Bai shook his head.

"No." He looked at Gongsun Yang. "I'm just preparing myself mentally."

"From now on, you must listen to me."

……

"Brother, why don't you like killing people?"

Chu Xi tilted her head back and took a sip of water. Water droplets ran down her chin, leaving a white streak on her blood-stained cheek.

Guided by Chu Ze, they were lucky enough to encounter many lone individuals along the way. Chu Xi was ruthless and swift, and his opponents often closed their eyes before they could even be surprised.

"Because it's meaningless."

Chu Ze was impeccably dressed, without a speck of dust, and calmly asked his younger brother, "What do you think murder looks like?"

Chu Xi shrugged and said, "It depends on who we kill."

"How so?"

Chu Xi glanced up at the sky with a hint of suggestion and clicked her tongue, saying, "It would be great to kill those guys, but unfortunately, I can't."

He glanced down at the bookmark in his hand, his voice lowering slightly: "Killing them is like weeding; honestly, I don't think it's very meaningful."

Human life is certainly not like weeding.

Chu Ze knew perfectly well what was going on, but he didn't point it out to his brother. Instead, he nodded and sighed, "That's why I don't like weeding."

"What's the big deal?"

Chu Xi patted her chest and said loudly, "I'll help my brother get rid of them, but is it really okay for us to just keep fighting our way through like this?"

"Whether it's good or bad has nothing to do with it."

Chu Ze seemed amused by his words, and after a while, he said, "Consider it bait."