"Wait, wait!!"
While Taishang Laojun, Yuanshi Tianzun, and the others were caught in self-doubt, Yang Mei wasn't doing much better. Especially when he stared at the identical Jieyin and Zhunti, he found it even harder to suppress his confusion.
"Fellow Daoists, could someone clear this up for me? What's going on here?"
"Of course we can explain, but..."
Journey to the West Jieyin gave Yang Mei a knowing look. "Fellow Daoist Yang Mei, did you realize that your master acted so cautiously that even after you'd been lying in wait beside him for hundreds of years, you couldn't find a chance to make your move?"
"You?!"
At his words, Yang Mei instinctively took two steps back. When he came to his senses, his face warmed slightly. Forcing himself to stay calm, he asked, "Fellow Daoist, you're quite the tactician. Even your master, Hong Jun, couldn't detect me. How did you manage to?"
"Me? I didn't detect you!" Journey to the West Jieyin spread his hands. "You told me yourself!"
"Huh??"
Yang Mei stared blankly for a moment, then pointed at himself. "You're sure you heard it from me?"
"That's impossible!"
"To get revenge, I've spent all these years in hiding. This is the first time I've ever shown myself to speak with anyone. How could I have told you about that?"
"Not you now. You in the future!"
As Yang Mei looked at him in astonishment, Journey to the West Jieyin briefly explained the situation, then sighed. "The Heavenly Dao of this world has already gone looking for him. I'm sure it won't take long for him to discover the truth. When he gets back, we'll be the first ones he deals with!"
"Th-this... Give me a moment to process this!!"
Yang Mei rubbed his temples. He felt like he'd