"What are you? Get lost now! If you utter another word, I swear I'll yank out your tongue and feed it to the dogs! Damn bad luck. Sporting a head full of thin, sparse, grey hair and calling yourself an ancestor... Seeing as your hair turned white before you even hit a hundred, it only proves you're utterly useless! Lacking any real ability yet still trying to play the hero? On what grounds do you presume to intervene—just because of that mouth of yours... 'If you aren't ashamed, I'm mortified on your behalf...' Jun Mo Xie snarled fiercely.

Everyone present was utterly stunned!

This kid didn't seem like much during the match, but now, seeing his glib tongue... If it came to outright verbal abuse, perhaps no one in the entire Illusion Manor could best him; he was simply too sharp...

But after the whole 'elderly man got screwed' incident, no matter who the Zhan Qingfeng brothers looked to for aid—be it friend or stranger, close acquaintance or distant one—they simply turned their heads away, pretending not to see. Hadn't they just witnessed that white-haired old man being verbally flogged within an inch of his life? If we step in, won't we just get cursed out as well?... Where would we even put our faces then...

We really can't afford such disgrace... He's the rumored owner of the Ethereal Constitution; even your Zhan Han only dares to use underhanded tactics against him, not daring to kill him outright. Who are we to intervene? What could we possibly say? Not only would we fail to mediate, but we’d also directly find ourselves opposing a supreme genius. Do they take us for fools?...

Jun Mo Xie's objective had undoubtedly been achieved.

Now, the Zhan brothers were plunged into a state of complete isolation and awkward helplessness.

Finally, it was Miao Xiaomiao who, after careful deliberation, stepped forward and whispered, "Brother Mo... Let's call it a day here. Moderation benefits both sides... If you completely alienate the Zhan family, it will affect your future development..."

"Benefits both sides? Only benefits the Zhan Qingfeng brothers, surely! What benefit do I reap? Do you truly believe that after today's events, there remains any space for peaceful coexistence? Even if I generously let them off today, will those two brothers truly cease to hold resentment for this day's affair? Will the Zhan family truly spare me and put aside their vengeance because of this?" Jun Mo Xie asked with surprise.

"Uh... No." Miao Xiaomiao instantly understood; she had indeed been too idealistic.

Since Mo Jun Ye had already thoroughly offended the Zhan family, adding a bit more offense now didn't seem to matter much. The situation had already escalated to the utmost severity; even if it became ten times worse from this point, the outcome would ultimately be the same... Worrying about debt when you already have too much, or feeling itchy when you have too many lice—it's the same principle...

"I say... You two, hurry up! Everyone is busy... How long do you intend to drag this out?" Jun Mo Xie said impatiently to Zhan Qingfeng. "It's such a simple matter, it's not like I'm asking you to commit suicide or anything. Why make such a fuss? Isn't it just ten forehead kowtows and ten shouts of 'Grandpa'? What's the big deal? Just bend your knees slightly and move your lips—it's done... Look at how you're dawdling, like a bunch of women?"

Everyone present nearly collapsed!

'Just' ten forehead kowtows and ten shouts of 'Grandpa'?

And that's all?

Why do you say it so lightly?

Why don't you try it yourself?

"Mo Jun Ye, must you push things to this extreme? Must you ensure that the enmity between us can never be resolved?" Zhan Yushu's expression was tragically bleak.

"Second Young Master Zhan jokes. What enmity do we have? Isn't it just that you lost badly in a small wager? We explicitly agreed beforehand to honor the bet, and you both clearly understood the consequences of violating that agreement. The choice was entirely in your hands, brothers... But since the Second Young Master asks, I won't waste any more breath. I’ll just ask you this: in the five previous rounds, if I had lost even one, forfeiting my stake, would you have given up those three conditions? Do not inflict upon others what you yourself would not desire! You reap what you sow; how is that anyone else's fault!"

Jun Mo Xie looked at him mockingly: "Second Young Master Zhan, a piece of advice: never assume you are the only intelligent person in this world while viewing everyone else as simpletons you can manipulate... With your current level of intellect, I truly don't deign to speak with you..."

"Indeed! There are plenty of clever people in this world! And plenty who pretend to be tigers only to reveal they are cats. Those with ulterior motives are certainly not few in number..."

A voice suddenly sounded gently. As the voice spoke, an old man in white robes leisurely appeared in the center of the assembly: "Young Master Mo is certainly a peerlessly intelligent man, one who has seen through everything happening here with perfect clarity. Everything is naturally within your grasp. Am I correct in saying this?"

"Zhan Bingfeng! The Zhan family's Chief Consecrated Elder, and the sworn brother of the former Zhan family head! He's come personally!" Miao Xiaomiao rapidly sent a telepathic message to Jun Mo Xie to alert him to the newcomer's identity.

When Zhan Qingfeng and the other brother saw this old man, their eyes shone with the intense light of 'a savior has arrived,' much like a drowning man suddenly finding a piece of driftwood close at hand!

"Chief Consecrated Elder? I doubt that very much..." Jun Mo Xie secretly chuckled. He believed that for the Zhan family, this scene was, at most, a minor incident. And someone appearing when the Zhan family was overwhelmingly defeated and losing face—even if he held a high position—he certainly wouldn't be the true Chief Elder of the Zhan family...

It seemed this so-called Chief Consecrated Elder was merely a facade...

Of course, this so-called Chief Consecrated Elder's strength should not be underestimated; he had already reached the level of a Second-Tier Saint Sovereign, comparable to my nominal Second Master, Bai Qifeng...

"May I ask the elder why you appear at this critical moment? Are you perhaps here to help the Zhan brothers renege on the deal?" Jun Mo Xie asked coldly, his tone utterly lacking politeness!

"Our Zhan family has always stood by its word and honored its bets; how could we renege?" Zhan Bingfeng said righteously. "Furthermore, these two beasts caused such a major incident without prior consent from the family. Even if you hadn't demanded the wager settlement, this old man would not have let them off!"

"A fine declaration of honoring bets. I certainly won't give up the wager settlement," Jun Mo Xie replied flawlessly. "Even if your Zhan family refuses to acknowledge the actions of these two today, the two Young Masters Zhan are still descendants of your family, having sworn a blood oath involving your eight preceding generations and future descendants! Every person present today can bear witness to this—and Heaven and Earth can serve as witnesses too!"

Upon hearing the words 'Heaven and Earth as witnesses,' Zhan Bingfeng's heart skipped a beat. He knew this meant the opponent was determined not to let the matter drop.

However, Zhan Bingfeng reaching his current status was no accident. He smiled faintly: "Young Friend Mo, please rest assured. As the saying goes, 'Words are like the wind.' Regardless of any blood oath, the Zhan Clan will not deny that wager. Now, I shall command these two beasts to fulfill their bet!"

With that, he stepped forward, standing beside Jun Mo Xie. He turned back and barked fiercely, "You two little beasts! You dared to gamble but refuse to accept defeat, bringing shame upon the Zhan family's descendants—come here and kneel! Fulfill your wager!"

Zhan Qingfeng and Zhan Yushu turned ashen-faced and simultaneously dropped to their knees with a thud. They dutifully performed ten kowtows and respectfully shouted ten times, "Grandpa!"

Miao Xiaomiao's expression instantly changed.

Jun Mo Xie snorted, "What are the two young masters doing? Who are you kneeling and shouting for right now?"

Zhan Bingfeng maintained an appearance of righteous indignation, but his imposing figure completely blocked Jun Mo Xie from view. Whether Zhan Qingfeng and Zhan Yushu were kowtowing or shouting 'Grandpa,' they were directing it all towards Zhan Bingfeng.

And Zhan Bingfeng was their grand-uncle...

The fulfillment of this contract was truly infuriating!

But now that Jun Mo Xie had asked the question, they were instantly silenced. There was no way to answer that statement; any clear-minded person could see that the two were trying to pull a trick, finding a loophole to cheat...

But precisely because they were trying to cheat, they couldn't answer honestly...

Were they supposed to admit right there that they weren't addressing him?!

"Heh heh... Young Friend Mo, it is clear the Zhan family lost today. I understand. We shall honor the bet. Young Friend Mo, rest assured. Regarding the allotment for entry into the Spirit Medicine Garden, when it opens five days from now, I, on behalf of the Zhan family's reputation, guarantee that Young Friend Mo will have his share! As for your other condition, you may present it to the Zhan family at any time; our family will comply with any reasonable request!"

Zhan Bingfeng laughed loudly, "The Zhan family's reputation was utterly disgraced by these two little beasts today. I shall now return to the Zhan Family Ancestral Hall to preside over the family discipline for these two whelps. I take my leave now." Suddenly, he stooped down, lifted Zhan Qingfeng and Zhan Yushu with both hands, and with a swoosh, flew out through the window. In an instant, they vanished completely.

He didn't even leave Jun Mo Xie and the others a chance to speak—they fled as if pursued by demons...

"Damn it! Cheaters! If the young ones are cheats, the old ones must be cheats too! The Zhan family is simply the family of cheats! They are utter scoundrels! Chief Elder? Bah! Bullshit Chief Elder!"

Jun Mo Xie was furious and broke into a torrent of curses.

But despite his cursing, even though everyone knew the Zhan family was attempting to cheat, those final ten kowtows were an indelible mark of humiliation for the Zhan family! Even with Zhan Bingfeng standing in front of Jun Mo Xie, it was the same!

Because everyone knew exactly why those ten kowtows were performed...

Everyone present fell into a deep silence; it seemed that for thousands of years, no one had dared to curse the Zhan family so openly in public. Now, only Young Master Mo’s voice could be heard. If anyone accidentally made a sound, and the Zhan family misunderstood them as an accomplice, leading to future retribution, they would be utterly ruined...