I heard you had a white moonlight who died young.

Fan Zhiyi sounded somewhat disappointed: "So, where do you rank as a candidate now?"

“Every time, I am number one.”

"If, and I mean if, you really become a candidate to be sealed away, what would you do?"

"If I succeed, I might disappear along with the Ghost Gate."

That means death, and Bing Nandong will never exist in this world again.

Fan Zhiyi felt a tightness in his chest. A candidate, yet another candidate. Xue Xiuniang died because of it, and the person today also died because of it. Even Bing Nandong was bound by it.

If you know that someone's fate is death, what would you do?

As Jin Wu's words echoed in Fan Zhiyi's mind, he knew he wouldn't do anything. People were rushing to their deaths, and there was nothing he could do about it.

However, living in such a world, Bing Nan Dong's preconceived notions naturally differed from his own.

Fan Zhiyi was deflated. After a long silence, he sighed and said, "It's alright. When you really leave, I'll erect a monument for you. Why don't we erect it next to A Yu's? That way you won't be too lonely."

“Fan Zhiyi.” Bing Nandong gritted her teeth and reached out to pinch his face. “I don’t need it. All the candidates know their fate. And after everything is done, no one else will know about it.”

Fan Zhiyi was in pain from his pinch, and tears were about to well up in her eyes: "Can't I mourn for you myself? It hurts, it hurts so much!"

"Can't you wish me something better?" Bing Nandong looked at his face, which she had stretched long, and let go. "What if I exhaust all my spiritual power and successfully seal the Ghost Gate, only to become an ordinary person like you who can no longer cultivate?"

Bing Nan smiled without any fear. His smile seemed to be contagious, calming Fan Zhiyi down as well. But no one knew what would happen after the Ghost Gate was truly sealed.

"What if there's no way to come back?" Fan Zhiyi said, feeling that this possibility was more likely.

Bing Nandong reached out, and Fan Zhiyi, thinking that this person was going to pinch his face again, immediately covered his face and backed away. Bing Nandong was speechless: "I'm not that bored."

No, you're just that boring.

Bing Nandong used his spiritual power to relieve the pain on Fan Zhiyi's face: "In the end, everyone is born to face the next death. It's something everyone will experience. I'm not afraid, and you don't need to be afraid for me."

Fan Zhiyi's heart stirred slightly. He looked at the boy with a hint of unease. "Oh." Although he had initiated the conversation, the boy's answer always seemed pitifully sensible. "Besides that, is there anything else you want to say?"

Fan Zhiyi looked at Bing Nandong, who blinked, his thoughts unreadable.

"What I mean is, if not, I'll go and make you a new bowl of noodles." Fan Zhiyi stammered, feeling that he had no relation to Bing Nandong and that it wasn't good to press him like this. He was still staying at Bing Nandong's house and didn't want to provoke him into being thrown out.

"There's more," Bing Nandong said, "Let's go to the kitchen, I'll tell you slowly."

What's going on? Is today another confession session? What triggered this guy? Why is he blurting out all the information he usually keeps so tightly under wraps? Will I be silenced for knowing too much?

Upon arriving in the kitchen, Bing Nandong didn't rush to eat. Instead, he gestured for Fan Zhiyi to sit down at the small wooden table, then took out a few yellowed scrolls from his Qiankun bag and placed them on the table: "These were found in the illusion at the Xue residence. I thought I wouldn't be able to bring them out, but thankfully they didn't disappear."

Fan Zhiyi took the letters and glanced at them. They were correspondence, roughly saying that these sects were going to search for a large number of talented children in various places for secret training, and then secretly sell them to other sects in exchange for spirit stones.

The report also recorded, in an unusually calm tone, the number of children who died from the intensity of the training, and that new children were constantly being brought in. The sheer scale of this was enough to terrify Fan Zhiyi.

As for which sects were involved, the authorities were very cautious and did not specify. However, it is undeniable that the Xue family was involved, based on the first-person perspective and the Xue family emblem on the paper.

These people are absolutely insane.

There aren't many surviving sheets of paper, and since Fan Zhiyi has been diligently studying characters lately, understanding them isn't a big problem.

The instant he finished reading it, he felt he had guessed Bing Nandong's thoughts; otherwise, why would Bing Nandong go to such lengths to keep this thing on his person?

"You want to expose this matter completely while all the sects participating in the Ghost Gate candidate competition are present?"

“That’s right,” Bing Nandong said. “The matter of the Ghost Gate should not be exploited.”

Fan Zhiyi sighed. It wasn't that he was attacking Bing Nandong or anything, but rather that when it comes to interests, human nature often can't withstand any test.

He didn't know how the world was developing, but it was absolutely inappropriate for a seventeen or eighteen-year-old like Bing Nandong to act purely out of enthusiasm without considering the consequences: "What if many sects are involved, or even..." Tianyun Sect might be involved as well.

Bing Nandong has the filter of sect affiliation, but Fan Zhiyi does not.

“Then find the culprits.” Bing Nandong’s eyes were fixed on him. “This was not my idea on a whim, Fan Zhiyi.”

This answer was a little off. Bing Nan Dong hadn't defended his own sect. Fan Zhi Yi thought of a possibility: "Do you already know that Tianyun Sect is one of the people involved?"

Bing Nandong pursed his lips and remained silent. The boy's back was ramrod straight, his lips were pale, and his complexion was terrible.

"Have you spoken to the sect leader about this?"

Bing Nandong shook his head.

Fan Zhiyi sighed, not knowing what to say. Now, even Bing Nandong probably couldn't be sure which elder or high-ranking member of the Tianyun Sect was trustworthy, and he didn't dare to tell anyone else for fear of bringing disaster upon them. He had been investigating quietly on his own for a long time, which was truly remarkable.

"If Tianyun Sect has done something wrong, as the senior disciple, I naturally have to set things right."

“But Bing Nan Dong, one person’s strength is always insignificant. What you’re doing is too reckless. Do you know how difficult your life will be if you don’t wipe out all the sects in one fell swoop? What will they do to you when their interests are threatened? Moreover, if Tianyun Sect is also involved, then perhaps someone in Tianyun Sect will secretly take action against you. Have you considered all of this?”

Bing Nandong stared at Fan Zhiyi for a long time. Fan Zhiyi realized that he might have been a bit too aggressive, but Bing Nandong suddenly laughed and said, "It's rare to see someone whose mind works so quickly."

Fan Zhiyi was momentarily unsure whether this person was mocking him or praising him. No, brother, he was talking to him about serious matters, so why was he acting like this?