"Xu Yi is back."
"It's Xu Yi."
"Hahaha, Xu Yi, long time no see."
As soon as they entered Kunlun Academy, the disciples who saw Xu Yi took the initiative to greet her with strange smiles, leaving Xu Yi baffled.
She had been gone for less than a month, so why were these senior brothers and sisters so enthusiastic?
"Xu Yi..."
"Senior Brother Wang!"
Before Xu Yi could figure out what was going on, she saw Wang Chen walking towards her. She immediately stepped forward to greet him and blocked his path.
Wang Chen raised his hand and touched his nose, unaccustomed to Xu Yi's enthusiasm.
He awkwardly made small talk, "While you were away, Teacher Li mentioned you several times."
After being repeatedly discouraged by Xu Yi and Yu Xiaoyu, Wang Chen had long abandoned his intention to become a disciple. Therefore, his attitude towards Xu Yi was much gentler now, which was the main reason Xu Yi stopped him.
"I'm asking if something related to me happened while I was away from the academy?" Xu Yi got straight to the point.
Wang Chen's expression stiffened, and he then shook his head, "No."
Xu Yi raised her eyebrows, "Senior Brother Wang, we are both from the Artifact Pavilion, and our relationship is much closer than with other disciples. Please don't hide anything from me."
"This..."
Wang Chen thought for a moment, feeling there was no need to hide anything from Xu Yi. After all, she would find out eventually. He directly told her everything he knew, which made Xu Yi frown deeply.
She finally understood why the expressions of the previous senior brothers and sisters were so strange.
The matter did not concern her directly, but it was related to someone she knew.
Simply put, Yu Xiaoyu, who had been solely focused on cultivation, had fallen for Xi Ren, a senior disciple who specialized in body refinement.
To attract Yu Xiaoyu's attention, Xi Ren had deliberately blocked her and said a few harsh words.
This was then witnessed by Xiong Zhuangzhuang, who happened to be passing by.
Xiong Zhuangzhuang and Yu Xiaoyu were disciples who entered the academy in the same batch and were good friends. Seeing Yu Xiaoyu being bullied, he flew into a rage and ended up going to the dueling arena with Xi Ren for a wagered fight.
Xiong Zhuangzhuang had excellent strength and talent, but he had cultivated for several hundred years less than others, so he lost that match badly. He was eventually carried to the medical hall by others.
Upon hearing that Xiong Zhuangzhuang had been beaten, the other residents of Courtyard Forty-Four naturally could not stand idly by.
As Xu Yi was absent and Lu Zaiye was in seclusion, Bei Xinghan stepped forward and challenged Xi Ren again.
Xi Ren, feeling he was in the wrong, was initially not prepared to accept. However, Bei Xinghan's cold demeanor and venomous tongue provoked Xi Ren into accepting.
Bei Xinghan won that battle, but not by his own ability. Instead, it was due to a surge of sword energy that suddenly erupted within him.
That sword energy struck Xi Ren severely and sent him to the medical hall.
This attack greatly displeased the disciples who were good friends with Xi Ren, who then challenged Bei Xinghan again.
"No one expected Xue Qi to fall for that Bei Xinghan, so she took on all the wagered fights for him. Three matches have already taken place, and the next one is rumored to be held tomorrow."
Wang Chen remarked, stroking his chin.
What was originally a minor conflict had somehow escalated into the current situation.
Many people were now waiting to see the spectacle of both sides, even hoping they would both suffer losses so they could benefit from the aftermath.
"Thank you, Senior Brother Wang. I'll treat you to a drink sometime."
After learning the full story, Xu Yi could only send a message to Teacher Yuwen and then head straight to Courtyard Forty-Four.
Inside Courtyard Forty-Four.
Bei Xinghan, Hong Jing, Bai Shan, and Yu Xiaoyu sat together, their expressions all grave.
"Should we tell Xu Yi about this?"
Yu Xiaoyu clasped her hands together, her face full of worry.
"What's the point of telling her? Do you think things aren't chaotic enough?" Bai Shan retorted forcefully, frowning.
Yu Xiaoyu buried her head even lower.
Yes, these troubles were all caused by her. Why should she wait for Xu Yi to resolve them?
Xu Yi couldn't possibly watch over her all the time.
If she had handled things properly back then, none of this would have happened.
"Bai Shan," Hong Jing said disapprovingly, shaking his head.
Bai Shan snorted in annoyance. Seeing Yu Xiaoyu flinch at his movement, he awkwardly turned his head away and stopped speaking.
"This is not Yu Xiaoyu's fault. We are gathered here now to figure out how to stop tomorrow's wagered fight," Hong Jing said softly.
"Xue Qi has already agreed, and we can't stop it. Besides, Bei Xinghan injured the person so badly that he's already made an enemy. It's not that easy to make them give up," Bai Shan complained again.
This unexpected situation was undoubtedly a disaster for him.
First, Xiong Zhuangzhuang impulsively caused trouble, then Bei Xinghan fanned the flames. In the current situation, unless a winner was decided, neither side could stop now.
"Bai Shan, we are sitting here to solve problems, not to create them."
Hong Jing's anger was becoming difficult to suppress.
He also knew it would be hard to stop tomorrow's wagered fight, but they had to think of a way, not just do nothing and passively await developments.
Bai Shan, unwilling to be outdone, wanted to argue, but he ultimately restrained himself and irritably scratched his head, "Then what do you suggest we do?"
Hong Jing turned his gaze to Bei Xinghan, who had been silent the entire time. "Bei Xinghan, why don't you and I go find Xi Ren to clear up the misunderstanding and resolve the conflict?"
The person Bei Xinghan would be dueling tomorrow was ranked in the top ten at Kunlun Academy and was one of the most senior disciples. Xue Qi only had a fifty percent chance of winning against him.
Recalling the scene of Nalan Yan and Murong Xue being mutually injured last time, Hong Jing felt it was imperative to prevent this fight.
Bei Xinghan lowered his eyes, making it impossible to read his thoughts.
After a long while, he finally managed to utter a "Good."
Given his personality, asking him to humble himself before others was truly difficult for him.
However, upon thinking of Xue Qi, who might get injured tomorrow, Bei Xinghan finally compromised.
"Alright, let's go now."
A hint of surprise flashed in Hong Jing's eyes. He had initially thought it would be difficult to persuade Bei Xinghan, but he had been so accommodating that his prepared arguments were no longer needed.
Hong Jing and Bei Xinghan stood up together.
"I'll go with you too," Yu Xiaoyu also stood up, raising her head to reveal her reddened eyes.
Hong Jing hesitated for a moment before nodding.
As the three took a step towards the courtyard exit, Bai Shan's exasperated voice came from behind them.
"Wait a minute, I'll go with you."
Bai Shan did not want to get involved in this mess.
But seeing the three of them walk out together, his legs moved on their own, and he involuntarily stood up.
He thought to himself that he was just going to watch the excitement and would definitely not interfere.
Hong Jing seemed to have expected this. He nodded at Bai Shan, and after Bai Shan joined them, they set off again.
"Where are you planning to go?"
Xu Yi's figure suddenly appeared outside Courtyard Forty-Four. She stood at the entrance with her arms crossed and asked in a deep voice.
"Xu Yi, you're back," Hong Jing exclaimed in surprise.
"Xu Yi!"
The moment Yu Xiaoyu saw Xu Yi, the grievances she had been holding back could no longer be contained, flooding over her like a tide.
She cried and threw herself into Xu Yi's arms, tears streaming down her cheeks.