"Oh dear, Junior Brother Gu, look at this mess! The flood has practically washed into the Dragon King's own temple!
"We're all on the same side here. Whatever am I supposed to do?!"
Ying Ming Hao spoke with a mischievous grin, repeatedly drawing and sheathing the Burial Life Blade in his hand, seemingly intent on putting Gu Xingchen under tremendous psychological pressure.
Meanwhile, Jie Kong stood below, bellowing at the top of his lungs, "Junior Brother Ying, hurry, hurry, hurry!
"Vent your senior brother's anger for him! Beat that bastard flat!
"Show him what we're made of!"
Jie Kong's grin looked uglier than a grimace, the very picture of someone reveling in another's misfortune. There was not a trace of the affection fellow disciples ought to have for one another. All he could think about was throwing stones at someone down a well and beating a drowning dog!
Faced with this situation, Gu Xingchen felt his face twitching incessantly, as though his facial muscles were cramping.
He knew perfectly well that he was no match for Ying Ming Hao. Forcing a confrontation would only earn him a vicious beating. Yet when he thought of all those expectant eyes fixed on him, he hesitated, swallowing the surrender that had already reached his lips.
Taking a deep breath, Gu Xingchen forced out a flattering smile and said ingratiatingly to Ying Ming Hao, "Senior Brother Ying, if you ask me, why don't we both stop short of going too far?
"After all, we're bound to keep running into each other. Senior Brother Jie Kong was only joking, too. If we really let things get out of hand, not only will it damage our friendship, but someone else might even reap the fisherman's rewards from our struggle... wouldn't you agree?"
A fawning smile