Li Zhong stood to one side and said nothing at first.
He knew just how great an impact this news had on his master. When he first heard that Yang Jing had made the rankings, his own calves had nearly cramped, and his reaction had been even more unbecoming than Ning Xuezhi's was now.
But no matter how shocking it was, they had to face reality. This was the trickiest situation they now faced.
He waited a moment. Seeing the deathly pallor on Ning Xuezhi's face begin to fade, replaced by a clarity born from internal struggle, Li Zhong finally asked cautiously, "Master, what... what do we do now?"
Ning Xuezhi took a deep breath, his chest heaving violently a few times as if he'd come to a decision.
He looked toward Yang Family Village and gritted his teeth. "I have to go to Yang Family Village myself. I must present the right attitude, and we need to talk things out."
