The moment those words were spoken, the peaceful atmosphere beside the Eight Treasures Merit Pool instantly froze.
The warm, beaming smile on Zhunti's face stiffened for an instant.
The faint smile Jieyin had just squeezed out also quickly withdrew, leaving only endless sorrow on his bitter face.
The two swiftly exchanged a glance, thoughts racing through their minds.
Playing dumb would not work anymore. After all, Hongyun had already laid everything bare.
Zhunti cursed inwardly, but his face quickly shifted into an expression of sudden realization tinged with a little guilt.
Stand firm? No.
They were in the wrong, and Hongyun had just attained the Dao, his momentum at its peak. Standing firm would only make things worse.
Admit defeat? Even less possible!
That was Saint Position Karma. If they truly had to repay it, their Western household would probably be hollowed out.
Delay!
They could only delay for now!
Zhunti settled on a plan in an instant. The stiffness on his face swiftly melted away, replaced by an expression carrying a trace of grievance.
"Back then in Zixiao Palace, Fellow Daoist showed such high righteousness and yielded the Saint Position Cushion to us martial brothers. How else would the two of us have today?"
"Such great kindness is something we two will never forget to our dying day, and we feel it in our hearts day and night."
He spoke these words with genuine feeling, as if Hongyun's question just now had been a tremendous insult to the character of the two of them.
"It is just... sigh..."
Zhunti let out a heavy sigh. That shrewd face was filled with helplessness and bitterness.
Jieyin, at his side, also spoke at the right moment, his bitter face carrying endless emotion and difficulty.
"Fellow Daoist Hongyun."
"It is not that we