After Senior Dan Lei of the Lotus Secret Realm, Liu Kaiyun of the Golden Crow Liu Family, and Bai Teng of the Prestigious Bai Family—three esteemed elders—stepped forward to plead for mercy, everyone in the vicinity had already guessed the outcome. They were certain that the mysterious Great Old Master, faced with the 'Tyrant's Sentiment' from these three elders, would have to agree whether he wanted to or not.
Originally, seeing how this mysterious Great Old Master had ascended to the eighty-first layer of the Tower of Stolen Gold and remained unmoved at first by the pleas of the three great secret realm clans, many had thought he truly possessed vast supernatural powers and didn't even put the three great secret realm clans in his eyes. Now, it seemed, he was nothing more than that.
Upon careful thought, it made perfect sense.
After all, the fact that the Great Old Master had lost all his cultivation was as solid as iron. Even if his divine sense was powerful, what did it matter that he had ascended to the eighty-first layer of the Tower of Stolen Gold?
Faced with the 'Tyrant's Sentiment' from the Lotus Secret Realm, the Golden Crow Liu Family, and the Prestigious Bai Family, he dared not refuse.
If he refused, those three great secret realm clans could summon countless experts with a single message talisman; they could scare him to death.
Under such circumstances, anyone present would also dare not refuse.
Ultimately, the Great Wasteland was a place where strength reigned supreme. With strength, others acknowledged you as a Great Old Master. Without strength, even if you were once a Great Old Master, if you lost all your cultivation, in the eyes of most, you were nothing but a toothless tiger, utterly unworthy of fear.
Within the area, Xuan Yun, Liu Feng, and Bai Yufei immediately changed from their previous despondency, becoming radiant once more.
Earlier, when Gu Qingfeng had ascended to the eighty-first layer of the Tower of Stolen Gold, they had been utterly dejected, not daring to lift their heads, and had lost all face when kneeling to apologize.
But now that Dan Lei and the others had employed 'courtesy before force,' pleading the Tyrant's Sentiment and offering the Tyrant's Courtesy on their behalf, threatening Gu Qingfeng into agreement, the three of them stood tall and proud, their arrogance overflowing once again. Their proud, smug, and delighted expressions seemed to tell everyone that they weren't the ones who couldn't afford to gamble or couldn't afford to lose; it was this Great Old Master who couldn't play the game, lacking the guts and not daring to play with them.
Although kneeling and apologizing earlier had caused them great loss of face, now that the elders of the three great secret realm clans had stepped up for them, forcing the mysterious Great Old Master to agree, they had managed to salvage at least a bit of their dignity.
"Yun'er, why don't you quickly thank the Great Old Master for his magnanimity!"
Dan Lei stood to the side, one hand behind his back, the other stroking the white beard on his chin. His solemn expression fully displayed the bearing of a senior expert.
Xuan Yun and the other two glanced at Gu Qingfeng, their eyes filled with a smug, contemptuous, and disdainful smile. Just as they were about to offer their thanks, Gu Qingfeng, sitting in his chair, spoke up: "Alright, no need to thank me. If you want to thank someone, thank Young Lord Xuan Yun for treating me to that meal earlier."
"Oh?" Dan Lei seemed somewhat puzzled. "May I ask what you mean by that?"
"Isn't it like this? When I first arrived in the Fengyue Small World, Young Lord Xuan Yun treated this lord to a grand feast. I've always remembered that favor. Before the bet, I said I'd repay him that favor. Consider this as repaying that favor."
"There was such a matter?" Dan Lei looked at Xuan Yun.
"There was indeed such a matter, but..." Xuan Yun said arrogantly, "This Young Lord said earlier that the meal was only for Ling'er. It had nothing to do with you. The only reason you could sit down was entirely because of Ling'er's face. Therefore, you owe this Young Lord nothing and need not repay any favor."
"Xuan Yun!" Mu Lingyao could no longer stand it and stepped forward, shouting, "You are utterly shameless! Our Great Old Master, out of respect for Senior Dan Lei and the other elders, is not holding you to the bet. He has already given you plenty of face. Not only are you not grateful, you actually have the audacity to stand here making sarcastic remarks!"
"Hah!"
"Young Lady Mu, this Young Lord has already knelt, already apologized, already admitted fault. As for the bet, this Young Lord can afford to gamble and can afford to lose. It's just ten million kowtows. If the Great Old Master says this Young Lord should kowtow, this Young Lord will not hesitate. I'll kowtow right now. If I alone cannot finish, all my fellow disciples from the Lotus Secret Realm will surely accompany me in kowtowing. Ten million kowtows, not one less!"
Following this, Liu Feng and Bai Yufei also stepped forward to echo his words.
Now that they had the elders of their secret realm clans backing them, Xuan Yun and the other two had gained much more confidence. Coupled with Dan Lei's earlier verbal threat that ultimately forced Gu Qingfeng to agree, Xuan Yun and the others were convinced that Gu Qingfeng must fear the might of the Lotus Secret Realm. They couldn't help but become carried away with arrogance. Turning around, they stared at Gu Qingfeng and sneered, "Great Old Master, today this Young Lord dares to kowtow to you, but do you dare to accept it? If you dare accept, this Young Lord will immediately send a message talisman to summon all the disciples of my Lotus Secret Realm to come and finish kowtowing ten million times for you!"
"Our Bai Family will certainly not short you a single kowtow."
"Our Golden Crow Liu Family is the same. If you dare accept, what's another hundred million kowtows? The only fear is that you don't dare accept!"
At this moment, Xuan Yun, Bai Yufei, and Liu Feng were each more arrogant and overbearing than the last. The people from the three great secret realm clans also believed Gu Qingfeng feared their secret realm clans. Even Senior Dan Lei thought so. Earlier, he might have reprimanded them a few times, but now he simply closed his eyes, allowing Xuan Yun and the other two to act so arrogantly.
Gu Qingfeng watched them, shaking his head with a faint smile. "Don't say it—this lord truly doesn't dare!"
"Since you don't dare, then don't talk about doing this Young Lord a favor."
Xuan Yun grew even more smug, declaring arrogantly, "This Young Lord will say it again: that meal was only for Ling'er. It had nothing to do with you. The only reason you could sit down was entirely because of Ling'er's face. Therefore, you owe this Young Lord nothing and need not repay any favor."
Xuan Yun thought Gu Qingfeng's claim of doing him a favor was merely an attempt to find a way out for himself, and he clearly had no intention of giving Gu Qingfeng that way out.
"Whether you acknowledge this favor is your business."
Gu Qingfeng picked up a cup of wine, took a sip, and smiled. "Whether I repay it is my business. Before the bet, this lord said I'd repay you that favor today. I still say that now: consider this bet as repaying you that favor."
"Hah!" Xuan Yun laughed disdainfully. "You're just trying to find a way out for yourself. Fine! This Young Lord will give you a way out today and acknowledge this favor!"
"Oh ho, listening to your tone, does this lord still need to thank you?"
"No need, and unnecessary."
"Alright, then let it be so. Today's matter ends here. Consider that meal's favor repaid by this lord. We're even."
Gu Qingfeng picked up his purple-gold white jade tobacco pipe, took another puff of spiritual smoke, and said indifferently, "From now on, you play your games, and I'll play mine. Don't come looking for trouble with this lord anymore. This lord is just an honest man who doesn't like causing trouble."