When Lu Li asked how long they had been there, the Rat Men were once again confused. Their memory only reached back to the recent past; anything further was forgotten. Aside from the basic rat habits of eating, sleeping, and wandering, they had no substantial memories.
"I'll take you to see the Sage. The Sage must know the answer."
The Rat Men said, leading Lu Li closer to their companions. As they fed, they no longer scurried about chaotically like typical rats, only maintaining their feeding, moving in a circular motion around the food to avoid Lu Li.
Lu Li observed the souls within their shells. The faces of the souls were blurred and indistinct... These survivors were on the brink of collapse.
They had already lost their essence and self.
The Sage mentioned by the Rat Men was easy to identify: its rat whiskers were graying with age, which imparted a sense of wisdom, but only in front of Lu Li and the food. Otherwise, it was no different from others in the community.
