Hard to Take Someone Down With Him . . .
In a rather disgruntled tone, Ji Mo expressed his discontent, declaring, "Do they think they can deceive by simply delivering a long-winded spiel of nonsense? I just want a straightforward explanation!"
Beside the Chief, a man, also clad in black, scolded Ji Mo with a furrowed brow, uttering, "Tianji, when our Chief placed that bet with you, he had complete certainty of his victory. He was exploiting your ignorance. Besides, in this vast universe, who could possess the power to shatter the illusion conjured by the nine of us?"
"Even Chief Xie in his prime might have struggled with it. That young man is hardly stronger than an ant... and you can't grasp this? I'm almost tempted to slap some sense into you. Please tell me you haven't squandered all those years of cultivation," the man continued, his words brimming with irritation.
Bird Man chimed in with a mocking tone, "Oh, Ji Mo, you thought you had the upper hand against the Chief, but it turns out he's been playing you all along. What a colossal loss on your part. You shouldn't have fallen for it. Hahahaha..."
Ji Mo found himself stunned, but his experience as a cultivator allowed him to quickly comprehend the situation. Regret immediately washed over him as he muttered, "I'm such a fool... It's such a simple truth... I knew Chief would never bet on something he wasn't confident in, yet I accepted it... I'm a complete fool..."
Trying to offer some consolation, the Chief, clad in black, said, "Don't be too pessimistic. It might actually be a good thing. You and your wife have been treating your daughter as if she were the most precious treasure. Yet, after all these years, you haven't found her a suitable husband. You need to understand that all young women should marry when they reach the right age. Why are you keeping her so close? Do you want her to be alone her whole life? Is that really what you want for her?"
Ji Mo hung his head and replied, "But... But there's no man in this world who deserves my daughter..."
His companions couldn't help but chime in, "You fool!"
Ji Mo sighed deeply, still consumed by regret.
"Why do you have to be like this? It's just a seven-day battle against Chief Xie. He won't kill you, after all. Why sigh like that?" one of them commented dismissively. "Just grit your teeth, and it will be over soon..."
Furious, Ji Mo retorted, "Who said I was thinking about that! Those seven days mean nothing to me..." He quickly calmed down, his tone melancholic. "You all know about my wife... If she finds out I've lost the most significant event of our daughter's life... she'd definitely kill me..."
The others fell silent, clearly remembering Ji Mo's formidable wife, and their faces turned slightly pale. They were genuinely apprehensive of her.
"Right!" Ji Mo exclaimed suddenly, his spirits lifted. "Brothers, we haven't seen each other in a long time. Today, I extend a heartfelt invitation to you all to visit my home. Let's enjoy some drinks and have a wild time together..."
However, before Ji Mo could finish, their Chief coughed and spoke with a serious expression, "It's a generous offer from our brother, and we should put all other matters on hold for this occasion. However, Qingwu asked me to handle something for her... It must be quite important. Matters concerning one's wife are paramount. I shouldn't have forgotten about this... It must be the source of the mess."
He furrowed his brow, feigning deep thought, and swiftly walked away. And just like that, he was gone.
"Oh, I remember now! My sister... she... you should consult me... Why are you leaving so abruptly..." Wizard slapped his leg and said, "I have to tell him what my sister asked him to do. He can't mess it up..."
And with that, he too vanished.
Bird Man burst into laughter and remarked, "He truly is the Wizard. He spun a lie that sounded like the truth! But this isn't right. I have to catch up with him and tell him not to do it anymore. How can he deceive his own brothers like this? That's dishonest. You guys stay here. Don't even think about trying to steal my chance..."
With that, he hurried off, giving chase to Wizard.
Ji Mo let out a sigh and mumbled, "He's my real brother, unlike the rest. They don't value brotherhood..."
The most striking figure among the group of men let out a deep sigh. He mused aloud, "Well, it seems I haven't been a good brother to him. I see. Perhaps it's time for me to take my leave..."
In the blink of an eye, he was gone.
Ji Mo, taken aback by this sudden departure, hurriedly protested, "I didn't mean you... I truly didn't..."
The others, feigning anger but secretly amused, responded. One of them raised his voice, exclaiming, "So, you didn't mean him? You're implying that we don't value brotherhood? Ji Mo, I can't believe you're talking about us like this. Finally, your true feelings come to light. This isn't over. Ji Mo, you should spend some time alone. Don't come to us for three thousand years. We can't forgive this grudge in our hearts so easily..."
With these words, they dispersed like a flock of birds, leaving all their troubles behind.
Ji Mo stood there, initially stunned, but soon he regained his composure. He yelled in frustration, "Bastards, a bunch of bastards! You disregarded our brotherhood, conned me, and left... You know exactly what I meant, yet you shifted the blame onto me at the end... This talk of erasing the grudge in your hearts is nothing but absurdity..."
As he turned around, he noticed one man who had remained behind.
Ji Mo, still upset but hopeful, approached the lone figure in a friendly manner. "Ah! I knew Wolfy was the best. Come on, let's go to my place and enjoy some drinks... Eat whatever you like, drink whatever you desire..."
He sighed and continued, "You can only recognize the good friends in turbulent times and true heroes in chaos. Wolfy, your choice touches my heart deeply. I'm certain now, you're my best brother..."
Wolfy, initially standing there in silence, suddenly started trembling, and a fierce aura enveloped him. He erupted with frustration, shouting, "Goddamn it, Rabbit! He actually blocked my Jing and Mai just before he left... It held me in place! That... That... That's an unforgivable offense..."
Ji Mo was taken aback.
"Oh, damn!" Wolfy realized Ji Mo was still there and started trembling. He abruptly stopped shouting and made a swift getaway.
"Wait! Just a moment!" Ji Mo grabbed Wolfy's arm and pleaded earnestly, "Brother, please, show me some kindness... You're all I have now..."
Wolfy, pretending to be angry, retorted, "What are you doing? You said they understood what you meant, right? I may be foolish, but I don't know what you mean. You want them, not me. Let go of me! Don't drag me into this!"
Frustrated, Ji Mo retorted, "Holy hell! So now you're going to play word games, huh? No way! You're the only one I have left, kid! You can't leave! This is our last chance to prove whether we're still brothers or not!"