Tick-Bone hesitated for a moment before saying, "I'll only give you a quarter of an hour to consider. Once that time is up, I will kill your master."

While Tick-Bone remained silent, my mind raced. After a moment, I transmitted my voice to her, "Mo Caiwei, tell them in a moment that the inheritance of the Blood-Soaked Paper Puppet is in my head. Release me and let me drift away with the current in exchange for your master."

"Don't worry, I have a way to escape."

Mo Caiwei's voice trembled, "Aren't you affected by the ghost god's secret art?"

"Use the borrowed power of the ghost god to suppress the secret art, and I'll take care of the rest." I smiled calmly, "Don't worry, I value my life! Just escape yourself, and don't worry about anything else."

"But, don't release me right away. Wait until Tick-Bone calls you. Remember, the faster you run, the safer I'll be."

I closed my eyes after I finished speaking.

I wasn't trying to deceive the ghost gods, but Mo Caiwei. I closed my eyes to enjoy a moment of peace before my death.

I couldn't break the situation the moment the ghost gods threatened Mo Caiwei to hand over the inheritance using her master.

Unless, I could trick Mo Caiwei into abandoning her master and then get the three ghost gods to use me to threaten Mo Caiwei. Perhaps, there might be a glimmer of hope to break the situation.

However, that "unless" couldn't be established.

I wasn't anyone to Mo Caiwei. The relationship between a Feng Shui master and a client wasn't enough to threaten her. Even if Mo Caiwei had fallen out with Jiu Ci to protect me, it was out of Jianghu principles and didn't involve any other factors.

From a normal person's point of view: If one had to choose between a stranger and a close relative to die, few would choose to sacrifice themselves.

Mo Caiwei wouldn't make that choice unless I tricked her!

And then what after tricking her? Kill her to silence her and eliminate the roots?

After all, Mo Caiwei wasn't my enemy. A person had to have some principles, and sometimes, the price of upholding those principles was annihilation!

If you say I wasn't willing, well, maybe there was a bit, but it just flashed through my mind!

I had killed so many people; retribution should have come long ago, and I had long since taken life and death lightly. At that time, the only thing I thought about was how to drag one or two ghost gods down with me.

I couldn't die too pathetically.

Just as that thought welled up in my heart, Tick-Bone impatiently said, "Mo Caiwei, have you thought it over?"

Mo Caiwei said in a deep voice, "If you want the inheritance, I'll put it in Li Po's head. Release him from the formation, and you send my master into the formation. That will complete the trade."

Tick-Bone said in a deep voice, "I'm afraid you're not being sincere with this deal, are you? Li Po is already afflicted with a secret technique. He will die on the spot as soon as he leaves the formation. Do you want to use a dead man to deceive us into making a deal?"

Mo Caiwei sneered, "Aren't you planning to kill after the deal? Why should I believe that you will keep your promise? Haven't you three just deceived me and Li Po?"

Tick-Bone said sharply, "You don't want your master's life anymore?"

Mo Caiwei's voice was full of killing intent, "If anything happens to my master, I, Mo Caiwei, swear that after learning the inheritance, I will wipe out all four of your lineages."

Tick-Bone, as a ghost god, also changed his expression under Mo Caiwei's killing intent. Blood-Letting persuaded, "Boss, this girl dares to do anything when she goes crazy. I think we should agree to her terms!"

"Anyway, we're just after the inheritance. If we push her too hard, it might create complications."

Tick-Bone pondered for a moment before nodding, "Alright, we'll do as you say!"

Mo Caiwei put me in the water and pushed me out with both hands. I drifted like a log toward the gap between the two paper bridges.

Tick-Bone on the shore said in a somber voice, "Skin-Peeler, you send the hostage into the paper bridge formation, and the three of us will control Li Po."

As Tick-Bone spoke, three ghost gods stepped out of the human bodies and stood expressionlessly by the river. Skin-Peeler, hidden within Jiu Ci's body, stepped forward, caught the hostage, and threw him onto the paper bridge.

The human body smashed down, and the paper bridge sank half a foot into the water under the impact of the great force. The waves raised by the bridge pier pushed me toward the outside of the formation at the same time.

The three ghost gods on the shore didn't rush to act but stood by the water, watching me drift with the current.

Blood-Letting said, "Boss, are we going to attack?"

"Wait a little longer!" Tick-Bone said, "Wait until he drifts out of the paper bridge range."

Tick-Bone suddenly said, "Why do I feel like something is wrong? Although Li Po is a Transcendent Realm expert, he can't suppress the power of our four ghost gods. Why doesn't he have any blood on him?"

"Skin-Peeler, did you not exert your full strength?"

Skin-Peeler said in a deep voice, "You are being suspicious. Where has Li Po drifted to? Wait a moment, in three more Chi, it will be when he begins to shed his skin. You must act quickly."

"Skinning and flaying is a cruel punishment that not everyone can withstand. If Li Po is in so much pain that his soul flies away, you will get nothing."

Tick-Bone sneered, "We won't let his soul fly away. He can't die even if he wants to. Be prepared. When Li Po sheds his human skin, we will act to protect his ghost."

My heart sank again.