"Yunxi, Zonghao, wait a second!"
The voice came from a distance, drawing closer until the two turned back. The one calling out to them was Wei Yunyīng.
"Sister Yunyīng, what's wrong?" Yunxi asked.
Wei Yunyīng approached with a helpless look on her face.
"It's Wei Yunqīng again. She never thinks about improving her cultivation, just keeps dragging us into trouble."
Hearing her tone, Yunxi frowned. The words sounded like they had been squeezed out through clenched teeth. Her curiosity was piqued.
"Didn't Sister Yunqīng move to one of the Outer Peaks for training? What kind of mess has she gotten into now?"
Wei Yunyīng rolled her eyes. "Don't even bring it up. She got full of herself after reaching the late stage of Qi Refining and decided she deserved a courtyard with richer spiritual qi. But all the good ones were already taken by senior disciples. Of course they wouldn't just hand it over to her. A conflict broke out, and she went and issued a challenge."
"A challenge?" Yunxi blinked.
"Yeah," Wei Yunyīng said irritably. "Best-of-three on the dueling platform. Winner gets first pick of courtyards. And Yunqīng, being as reckless as ever, tried to use the Wei family name to pressure them. But the other party wasn't someone to mess with either. That girl is a seasoned late-stage Qi Refining cultivator. She upped the stakes, saying each side should send three disciples of similar cultivation level for a group match."
"Wei Yunqīng herself is going to fight that late-stage cultivator. As for the other two slots, they asked for Elder Sister Yunting and Brother Zonghan. But both of them are only at the sixth layer. Then they found out you're at the seventh, so they sent me to bring you over."
Zonghao nearly cursed out loud.
Why should he clean up Wei Yunqīng's mess?
"Tch. I'm not going. If she's bold enough to cause trouble, she'd better be bold enough to deal with it herself. Don't think of dragging me into this. I've got no grudge with those people."
His face scrunched like a steamed bun, his refusal as blunt as it was firm.
But Yunxi's eyes flickered. She tugged gently on his arm and said, "Brother, don't make things hard for Sister Yunyīng. It's probably Brother Zonghan who asked for you. Even if you can't stand Yunqīng, she's still part of our Wei family. We may not cause trouble, but we can't be pushovers either. If we just back down now, sooner or later every Outer Sect disciple will think they can walk all over us."
Wei Yunyīng nodded emphatically. "Little Sister Yunxi is absolutely right. This isn't just Yunqīng's problem anymore."
Zonghao was still reluctant, but he knew he had no real way out. He grumbled under his breath.
"Fine. I'll go take a look."
"Good. We'll talk as we walk."
Wei Yunyīng, afraid he might change his mind, immediately led them toward the dueling grounds.
As they walked, Yunxi spoke openly. "Brother, when you get on that stage, just do your best. Treat it like a normal spar. Win or lose, don't overthink it."
Wei Yunyīng glanced at her with a hint of worry. "Is that really okay?"
Yunxi sighed. "She's my real sister. I know her best. Whenever she wants something, she'll do anything to get it, no matter who gets hurt in the process. If we bail her out this time and she gets what she wants, she'll only do it again, using the Wei name as her shield.
She can't keep reaping the benefits while we take the hits. Better to let her face the consequences now. If she keeps making trouble, we can just go into seclusion and avoid her altogether. Once she suffers a real loss, she'll learn restraint. What, does she think this place is still the Wei Courtyard? What if next time she offends an Inner Disciple Foundation Establishment cultivator? Are we supposed to shield her from that too?"
Yunxi didn't hold back. If Wei Yunqīng had handled things properly, there might have been some sympathy. But since she handed Yunxi such a perfect excuse, she wasn't going to waste it. Her goal was simple—to make sure the rest of the Wei disciples became just as distant from Wei Yunqīng in heart as they might appear on the surface.
Wei Yunyīng's expression grew darker the more she heard. She had long been fed up with Wei Yunqīng's arrogant behavior. Just because her talent was above average, she looked down on all her sisters. Back when she reached the eighth layer, she'd gone out of her way to brag in front of Wei Yunyīng. Smug as anything. And now? She needed their help.
"Little Sister Yunxi is right. This kind of thing should only happen once. I'm not going to be Wei Yunqīng's scapegoat."
They didn't waste time. Before long, the three of them arrived at the dueling grounds. A large crowd had already gathered around one platform, confirming something was going down.
Recognizing Wei Yunyīng, the crowd made way. The three quickly moved to the front.
There stood Wei Yunting and Wei Zonghan, both looking deeply unhappy. Their cultivation had reached the late sixth layer of Qi Refining and showed signs of another breakthrough. Clearly, they had been dragged into this mess.
Not far from them stood Wei Yunqīng. Her expression was a little awkward, though the confidence that came with her eighth-layer cultivation kept her standing firm.
When she spotted Yunxi, she immediately scanned her cultivation. Qi Refining, sixth layer. Her eyes gleamed with pride. Then she glanced toward Zonghao, confirming he had reached the seventh layer. She finally relaxed. At least the Wei family still had a full team to fight.
Yunxi and Zonghao stepped forward and offered formal greetings to Yunting and Zonghan, which eased their expressions somewhat. After all, they hadn't been the ones to stir up trouble.
"Elder Sister Yunting, Brother Zonghan," Zonghao began, "I just finished a sect mission when Sister Yunyīng came to get me. I've heard the gist of what happened. I'll fight, but not for Wei Yunqīng. I'll fight for the Wei family, and for myself.
I can't promise a win. I only just stabilized my cultivation after reaching the seventh layer." Zonghao made it clear up front, giving them no reason to expect a miracle.
Zonghan nodded. "Don't carry the burden. Just do your best."
He shot Wei Yunqīng a glare after speaking.
Meanwhile, Yunxi quietly moved to stand beside Wei Yunting and repeated what she had told Wei Yunyīng. Then she added, "Even if we win today, we can't let Wei Yunqīng take that courtyard. If she gets a taste of success, she'll just try it again somewhere else.
If she won't listen and insists on taking it, then we need to make it clear to the Outer Sect that she doesn't represent the entire Wei family. Otherwise, we'll all get targeted."
Wei Yunting listened closely. In truth, she hadn't wanted to get involved either. But among this generation of Wei family disciples, Wei Yunqīng had the most talent. She didn't have much choice but to show up.
The problem was, the person Wei Yunqīng provoked was also at the eighth layer. And the two helpers she'd brought along were one seventh layer and one sixth. That's why they had to drag Zonghao in. Honestly, she found the whole thing embarrassing.
Which was why she agreed with Yunxi. Ideally, Wei Yunqīng would lose the first match. The Wei side could then win the remaining two, preserving their reputation while giving Wei Yunqīng a reality check.
After that, just like Yunxi suggested, they could pressure her to step down. If she didn't, the other side could challenge her again after the Wei family left. Losing twice would be even more humiliating.