Chapter 851: The Path of the White Sheep

Neither Zhang Qiang nor I dared to speak; we just quietly watched Bai Yang in front of us.

"First, I have to compliment you both," Bai Yang said. "I was randomly assigned to this room. Although I can choose 'Sheng Xiao' teammates, I can't choose the 'participants'. For me, whether there are smart people in the room is very important, and luckily, I wasn't disappointed."

"We... are smart people?" Zhang Qiang asked tentatively. "But we haven't done anything."

"Self-awareness is valuable; do what you can with your abilities," Bai Yang said. "This 'Shuo Huang Zhe' game reveals a lot. The first thing people learn as they grow up is to know when to keep quiet."

After hearing his words, I confirmed my earlier thought: Bai Yang was incredibly powerful.

His power didn't come from physical strength or endurance, but from his thoughts and mindset.

"In this world, some people always want to express their ideas and try their best to make others follow them," Bai Yang continued. "The seven people who disappeared before you were like that. Even if you two figured out who the 'Shuo Huang Zhe' was, it wouldn't have helped. They didn't understand you, so they wouldn't believe you. They could convince those around them to trust them in a short time, but unfortunately, everyone thinks that way, so no one succeeds."

At that moment, I spoke up; I really wanted to have a chance to talk with Bai Yang.

"But according to what you're saying... shouldn't a truly skilled person be able to convince everyone to vote for you...?"

"It doesn't work just on your own," Bai Yang said. "It also depends on the other people in the room. Once you realized those people were hard to communicate with, you gradually gave up trying, and I would have made the same choice."

"I see..."

"Now, there's an opportunity right in front of you, but it requires your cooperation," Bai Yang interrupted our thoughts. "I need to make this room completely empty."

Zhang Qiang and I paused slightly, sensing that the situation might be turning dangerous.

"Completely empty..." I looked up and stared into his eyes. "Does that mean... you want us to disappear too?"

"No." Bai Yang shook his head. "I know you won't disappear on your own, so I've prepared a 'Jin Sheng Road' for you."

"Jin Sheng...?"

"That's right." Bai Yang replied. "Every time you drew 'identity cards', I left messages for you. After many experiments, I've ensured you stably obtain 'Hui Xiang'. This is the first Jin Sheng, and the next will be the second."

Zhang Qiang cleared his throat and said, "So, you deliberately passed that information to us?"

"Yes, and only to you two." Bai Yang looked at Zhang Qiang with approval, then continued, "I can identify the right people after just one round of observation. From then on, I'll guide you through notes until you gain 'Hui Xiang'. Add in the 'death threats' from these two cycles, and now you can freely control 'Hui Xiang', putting you among the top ranks in the 'Zhong Yan Zhi Di'."

Zhang Qiang and I were both slightly stunned, because we knew our own limits—how could becoming top ranks be that easy?

"Then what does the second 'Jin Sheng' mean...?" Zhang Qiang asked again.

"I've prepared two paths for you," Bai Yang said. "One is the 'absolutely safe participant path', and the other is the 'absolutely safe Sheng Xiao path'. If you accept this proposal, I'll start arranging the details."

"Absolutely safe...?"

The phrase sounded both strange and absurd, and Zhang Qiang and I hesitated at the same time.

Because I knew that nothing in this world is absolute, so why was Bai Yang so confident...?

"The 'Sheng Xiao path'...?" I paused. "What kind of path do Sheng Xiao have?"

"Oh, that's my fault." Bai Yang nodded. "Based on my guess about you two, even if you left here, you probably wouldn't join the game, so it's hard for you to understand why Sheng Xiao exist and make sense. Let me briefly explain the situation here."

What Bai Yang said next was far beyond our expectations.

He explained that all the Sheng Xiao here were once "participants", and theoretically, as long as you obtain someone's mask, you can become any Sheng Xiao.

That's also why some participants are willing to risk their lives against Sheng Xiao, besides seeking the "Dao".

One of the two paths he offered us was to become Sheng Xiao; he would directly provide the mask, saving us a lot of unnecessary trouble.

"Even if that's true..." Zhang Qiang looked up and asked, "the Sheng Xiao path still can't be absolutely safe. Whether we're 'Ren Ji' or 'Di Ji', we could still be challenged in a gamble and die in the game."

"This involves the Sheng Xiao promotion rules," Bai Yang said. "Theoretically, once you earn three thousand six hundred 'Dao' for your teacher as a 'Ren Ji', the teacher will apply for a 'Sheng Xiao Ascension Gamble Contract' to enter the interview room. Then, you have to find a way to make everyone in the room disappear. After three cycles, you become 'Di Ji', and legend has it that after killing three thousand six hundred people as 'Di Ji', you become 'Tian'."

"Tian...?"

Zhang Qiang and I had thought "Tian Ji Sheng Xiao" was just a concept, but apparently, it really existed here.

"But there are always stronger opponents..." Zhang Qiang said. "Even the most powerful 'Tian Ji' should face the risk of being challenged, right?"

"Yes, Sheng Xiao spend most of their lives walking on thin ice," Bai Yang continued patiently. "Although they seem stronger than all participants, they're ultimately in a passive role. They can only stay put forever, with every day bringing unknown events."

"That matches what I thought." I nodded and asked, "In that case... there can't be such a thing as an 'absolutely safe Sheng Xiao', right?"

"No, there's one exception," Bai Yang turned to me. "I said Sheng Xiao are on thin ice most of the time, but not in one situation—and that's now."

"Now...?"

"That's right." Bai Yang glanced at the sheep beside him, then turned back to me. "Only in the 'Mian Shi Fang Jian' are Sheng Xiao absolutely safe."

"But that doesn't make sense..." Zhang Qiang thought for a moment and asked. "Even in the 'Mian Shi Fang Jian', everyone in this Sheng Xiao room could still disappear, allowing the Sheng Xiao to promote to 'Di Ji'... that still involves danger."

"No, you can rest assured." Bai Yang said to Zhang Qiang. "The 'Mian Shi Fang Jian' I'm arranging for you will never promote."