In the canyon outside the cave, disciples from two sects seemed to have clashed and were shouting abuse at each other.
"You think I'm afraid of you?"
"Who's afraid of whom?"
That was more or less how things stood.
The two sects trading insults were the Jade Tide Sect and the Purple Cloud Sect. Chu Jingtang and Lao Changhai led the charge, tearing into each other verbally. Both sides looked worked up. The large crowd watching had not merely stood by to enjoy the show; many had rushed between the two groups, separating them and holding back those hurling abuse.
Some tried soothing both sides with kind words, saying they were all on the same side and so forth.
Others wrapped their arms around them and held them down.
Wan Daoxuan and the others at the cave entrance frowned at the sight. Since no actual fight had broken out, and these were not people from their area, they had not intended to intervene. Yet, to their surprise, Mulan Qingqing's name kept cropping up amid the insults.
Guan Yingjie's face was taut, while Wan Daoxuan and the other two exchanged looks, unsure what was going on. Who had swallowed a bear's heart and a leopard's gall, daring to drag Mulan Qingqing into their abuse? She was the commander of the Mystic Continent's participants. If they let this pass, would it not throw everyone's hearts into disorder?
They immediately flew down into the crowd and drove apart the people shoving back and forth.
"Make way! Move aside, both sides!"
"This side, stand over here! That side, stand over there! Make way!"
"All of you, shut up!"
With a round of sharp rebukes, Wan Daoxuan and the other two swiftly suppressed the uproar through the intimidating weight of their sects, separating the quarreling