The sage was determined to die.

After Ji Bai left, Yan Ming nudged Gongsun Yang with his elbow, openly probing for information: "How did he bribe you?"

Gongsun Yang was taken aback: "What?"

"Stop pretending." Yan Ming said irritably, "We Qi people have always been stingy. I don't believe that if I can't give it to you, he can."

Gongsun Yang exclaimed "Ah!" and looked at him with a cryptic expression. Suddenly, he said, "But Young Master Yan, you haven't promised me anything."

Yan Ming's glare lessened considerably, and his mouth agape as if he couldn't open it properly: "...That's because I'm worried you'll force me to swear an oath."

Yan Ming didn't say the last sentence. He thought to himself that if any fool was forced to make a written oath, he would be cleaved in two by the Book Mountain, much faster than in the various kingdoms.

Gongsun Yang suddenly stopped smiling, the curve of his smile disappearing, and said with a deep look in his eyes, "Indeed, I swore an oath."

"What?" Yan Ming's voice suddenly rose. "You swore an oath? He forced you? You really believe him?"

Gongsun Yang hadn't expected such a strong reaction. He suddenly smiled maliciously and said ambiguously:

"Hmm? Since we're going to make a deal, of course I have to swear an oath."

Gongsun Yang stared intently at him, his tone suddenly turning serious: "Although I cannot tell you what oath I made, I truly dare not and cannot break my oath."

They're really forcing people to make solemn oaths.

Yan Ming suddenly saw Ji Bai's smiling face and felt that the smile was particularly malicious.

Yan Ming took a few steps back, putting some distance between himself and Gongsun Yang.

He wasn't actually afraid of Gongsun Yang, but he was somewhat intimidated by Ji Bai, the man Ji Bai had forced to swear a poisonous oath to, much like the eye he had left behind.

We still need to be careful.

As Yan Ming was thinking this, the person in his line of sight followed him again, shamelessly.

"Why are you so far away from me, Brother Yan?"

Gongsun Yang, without any restraint, strode towards him and said, "I'm hoping that Brother Yan, a talented and gifted young man, can lend a hand to protect us."

……

Ji Bai, who didn't need anyone's protection, walked alone on the road, trying to figure out the patterns of this place.

Those missing people disappeared after leaving the group.

Ji Bai found a deserted road and wandered around alone, walking with his eyes closed for a long time. When he opened his eyes again, the road in front of him had changed.

He rubbed his eyes to make sure that the corpses were gone, replaced by countless stones.

Ji Bai bent down and picked up a stone with formulas he didn't recognize written on it. He carried the stone and walked forward, and unsurprisingly, he saw her there again.

The girl squatted there, like a stone that had come to life, writing words on the stone stroke by stroke.

Hearing footsteps, she didn't stop what she was doing, but turned around to look at Ji Bai's face.

Her tone wasn't enthusiastic: "You've come."

What are you doing here?

Ji Bai carefully placed the stone he was holding on the ground, squatted down next to her, and asked curiously, "Is this where you rest?"

The girl shook her head, her gaze somewhat vacant, no longer the same as when Ji Bai last saw her.

"No," she said slowly, "it's more of a place to slack off."

"What are you doing here?" The girl scratched her head. "Don't you have things to do?"

Ji Bai looked at her, but didn't talk to her about the second personality. He just smiled and said, "I'm lost."

"oh."

The girl curled the corners of her lips: "You're quite lucky."