Chapter 52: Draw Your Sword

Zhong Yilan gaped at me as if I had just grown a new head. "Where did you get your guts from today?" she mumbled.

"Yun Qing-er." Wen Shiyin's voice came from behind me. "You might want to reconsider. I understand your anger, but trust me that she'll get the punishment she deserves. Everyone here is your witness. However, if you challenge her to a fight right now, it is considered private strife and against Mount Hua's rules. It will do more harm to you than to her."

Wen Shiyin was right. The punishment for private strife could range anywhere from penitence to being expelled, depending on the decision of the disciple's master. With Zhong Yilan's act of poisoning and sabotaging the tournament, she was already facing severe enough consequences that she didn't need to worry over extra penalties for strife, but the story was entirely different for me.