As the Golden Crow Liu family members approached, Huadiexianzi asked, "May I ask what brings you all here?"
Despite Huadiexianzi having just told her not to speak carelessly, Mu Lingyao couldn't help herself. "If you want a fight, just say the word! This Grandaunt will definitely keep you company to the end!"
"Huadiexianzi, Young Lady Mu, please don't misunderstand," said the speaker, who was not a Golden Crow Liu member, but Xuan Yun. He, along with Liu Feng and Bai Yufei, walked at the forefront. "We have not come here to cause trouble, nor to fight."
Huadiexianzi frowned slightly and asked softly, "Then for what purpose?"
Liu Feng said, "Surely you two haven't forgotten about the wager between the three of us and this so-called 'Great Lord' Nouveau Riche?"
"That's right," Bai Yufei stepped forward. "Earlier, we made a bet with this Nouveau Riche. If he can ascend to the twenty-seventh layer of the Tower of Stolen Gold, the three of us will kneel and kowtow ten million times to him. If he fails to ascend, then he must kneel and kowtow ten million times to the three of us."
"Oh?" Perhaps because the earlier incident caused by Mu Lingyao was too significant, Huadiexianzi had forgotten all other matters. It wasn't until Bai Yufei and the other two brought it up now that she recalled the wager between Gu Qingfeng and them.
However, the fact that the three had come with such a large entourage, accompanied by the Golden Crow Liu family, made Huadiexianzi realize this matter was probably not so simple.
Mu Lingyao also just remembered there was such a wager. She stared at the three and said, "That wager between you is completely unfair!"
"Unfair? How is it unfair?" Xuan Yun said. "Many people present earlier heard with their own ears this Nouveau Riche say that ascending to the twenty-seventh layer of the Tower of Stolen Gold was as easy as playing for him, and that even reaching the eighty-first layer would be a piece of cake. Now Young Lady Mu says it's unfair—could it be you don't want to honor the debt?"
After Xuan Yun finished speaking, Liu Feng added, "Young Lady Mu, earlier when you made a bet with Liu Shuangyan, why didn't you say it was unfair? Why is it that when it comes to our wager, you cry unfair? What kind of logic is that in this world? Aren't you being too tyrannical and unreasonable?"
"Young Lady Mu, one shouldn't conduct oneself like this, right? Is it just because your Mu family is a member of the Elder Council Clan of Fengyue Small World that you can distort right and wrong and bully others?"
"Earlier, regarding your wager with Liu Shuangyan, she was only joking and didn't refuse to acknowledge the debt, yet you viciously attacked her. Now, if you refuse to acknowledge your debt, what then? Can we also viciously attack this Nouveau Riche?"
The Golden Crow Liu family members spoke in a clamor, angrily denouncing Mu Lingyao for relying on the Mu family's status as an Elder Council Clan of Fengyue Small World to act wilfully and tyrannically.
Hearing this, Huadiexianzi understood. The real purpose of Liu Feng and the other two this time was not the so-called wager at all, but to deliberately stir up public opinion using this matter.
She understood, and Mu Lingyao was no fool either. She naturally guessed these people were deliberately targeting her. She sneered coldly, "Heh, playing this game with this Grandaunt? If you have the guts, come at me directly! Stop dragging other matters into it. You're just unconvinced and want to cause trouble for me, right? Just say it plainly! Why bother with this charade!"
"Young Lady Mu, please don't misunderstand. We are not targeting you, nor are we deliberately looking for trouble with you. We are merely discussing the matter at hand." Xuan Yun, Liu Feng, and Bai Yufei stepped forward one after another, speaking.
"Since you dared to bet, you must dare to acknowledge the debt. Those were your own words, Young Lady Mu. Now I give you two choices: either make this Nouveau Riche kneel and kowtow ten million times to us, or hand him over. We will slap him just as you slapped Liu Shuangyan earlier!"
"Fine! This Grandaunt would like to see who dares to lay a finger on him!" Mu Lingyao grew angrier as she spoke, her beautiful face radiating killing intent. Pointing at Liu Feng, Bai Yufei, Xuan Yun, and all the Golden Crow Liu family members, she shouted, "Let me tell you, as long as this Grandaunt is here today, if anyone dares to harm a single hair on his head, I guarantee you'll regret it!"
Mu Lingyao's words were so resolute that neither Xuan Yun, Liu Feng, nor Bai Yufei dared to make a move. However, not daring to act didn't mean they were without methods.
Beside them, Huadiexianzi sent a secret voice transmission, advising, "Ya'er, don't be impulsive."
"I'm not impulsive, Sister Huadie. Can't you see they are deliberately using this matter to target me?"
"I know, but..."
"Knowing is enough. Don't interfere in this matter. I have my own judgment. Since we've already fallen out with the Golden Crow Liu family, I don't mind making this bigger."
At that moment, Gu Qingfeng spoke up, "I say, girl, haven't you gotten this wrong? I haven't yet..."
Sitting in his chair, Gu Qingfeng had just opened his mouth when Mu Lingyao interrupted him before he could finish. "Don't be afraid. With me here today, no one dares to do anything to you."
"Girl, I'm not afraid." Gu Qingfeng smiled helplessly. "But haven't you gotten this wrong? This seems to be a wager between me and them, right? I haven't even spoken yet. How come you're making decisions for me? And also..."
This time, he was interrupted again before he could finish. Mu Lingyao said, "Nonsense! If I don't make decisions for you, who will? Should I really let you go kowtow ten million times? You might be able to bear that shame, but this Grandaunt certainly cannot!"
"Girl, even if I kowtow, it's my shame. How does it become yours?"
"Are you stupid? They're not just targeting you now; they're targeting me! This Grandaunt slapped Liu Shuangyan in front of them earlier. Now they're preparing to repay me in my own coin, preparing to slap you in front of me. I used Liu Shuangyan to slap their face; they plan to use you to slap my face!"
"How did I, minding my own business, get dragged into this with you? Them slapping me, how does that equate to slapping your face?"
"Nonsense! Everyone knows now that you're under this Grandaunt's protection! If they slap you, doesn't that mean they're slapping my face?"
"When did I ever come under your protection? Besides, when have you ever protected me? I don't remember that."
"I've been speaking up for you all along earlier. Didn't you hear?"
"You speaking up for me counts as protecting me? I say, Grandaunt, isn't being a boss a bit too easy for you?"
"I can't explain this to you clearly right now! Anyway, everyone now thinks you're under this Young Lady's protection."
"Wait! That's not the logic! The more I listen, the more confused I get!"
Gu Qingfeng scratched his head. He originally wanted to say something, but for a moment, he couldn't remember what it was. "I feel something's not quite right, like something's missing. Let me think carefully."
"Think what? What's there to think about? By the time you figure it out, the opportunity will be long gone. Just sit there quietly and behave!"