Luo Jie quickly offered his master a handkerchief, which made Wei Yaozu's eye twitch. Song Qingge could sense a shift in his mood and immediately stood up.
"Shizun, are you alright?!" She said dramatically, making a show that she was very concerned for Yao Huizhong's well-being as she handed him a handkerchief herself.
Yao Huizhong himself was quite touched by her display of filial piety and accepted her handkerchief happily, leaving Luo Jie to awkwardly stuff his away. The mood in the room immediately lifted at this, and Song Qingge was comfortable enough to sit down when Yao Huizhong waved his hand to show that he was fine.
"Ahem, I'm alright everyone, I was just… feeling a bit angry when A-Song brought up that Junior Brother of mine! Yes, that's right…because we were arguing that night!" Yao Huizhong said as he slammed his fist onto the table.
"You were arguing even before we arrived?" Luo Jie asked, feeling a bit confused "I thought that you two were getting along fine before we got there…"
"Um…Well, you must have misunderstood something! We were definitely already arguing before you all arrived!"
"Were you two arguing about whose disciples would win the Inner Sect competition?" Feng Wenling asked with a slight tilt of her head.
"Sure! Er- I mean, yes that's correct." Yao Huizhong confirmed with a nod.
Feng Wenling immediately let out a long sigh and pulled a transmission talisman out of her sleeve. "Well that explains this message I received this morning."
Everyone at the table turned their eyes to the talismans with great interest, but Song Qingge was the first to speak up.
"Shixiong, what does the message say? What does Shizun and Shishu's fight have to do with it?"
Feng Wenling couldn't help but sigh once more before answering.
"It's from our fellow disciples He Qiao and He Liqin…it seems like they've sent us an official challenge for the Inner Sect Competition."
"Shizun, what exactly did you say to our Shishu last night that made him so angry that he and his disciples are seeking revenge?" Feng Wenling asked with furrowed brows "It couldn't have been just your typical bickering, right?"
Before Yao Huizhong had a chance to defend himself, Luo Jie spoke up for him.
"Ah, that's right, I forgot you and Song Shimei came in after Shishu stormed off. There was a misunderstanding last night, and Shizun mistakenly accused our Martial Uncle of causing Wei Shidi to faint, which made him so angry that he issued a challenge on the spot!"
After hearing what had happened, Feng Wenling couldn't help but give Yao Huizhong a slightly disappointed look that made his ears burn.
"Shizun, what should we do? Should we go to Yange Peak and try to apologize?" Song Qingge asked anxiously. She would rather make peace with the villains from the original novel than try to fight them!
But before Yao Huizhong had a chance to agree with her, a cold scoff cut through the air like a knife.
"Tch, do you realize how much face we would lose if we backed down from such a challenge?" Wei Yaozu said coldly.
"We wouldn't even be able to show ourselves in front of the outer disciples without ridicule. Besides, based on the skill level of the He siblings and our Seniors, they would have to face off in the Semifinals anyway. Sending a challenge is just a formality."
"But what about Shizun?! Are you really saying he should duel Master Xuan Yi?" Song Qingge protested.
Her protests were met by another scoff from Wei Yaozu.
"Do you really think that Yao Huizhong is so weak he can't win against a Junior?"
"No! But I still think it would be better if they made peace instead of fighting!"
"But Wei Shidi does have a point, Shimei." Feng Wenling said "This fight is about the honor of two Masters and their disciples. The moment we show fear, we lose."
"That's right, Shimei!" Luo Jie explained "We have to face this challenge head on! Isn't that right, Shizun?"
Yao Huizhong couldn't help but sigh internally.
But I would also like to make peace with Xiao Yi…
"You three are correct. We don't have any choice but to accept their challenge."
"So starting today, you must be extra diligent in your cultivation, understood?"
"Understood!" The four disciples echoed in unison.