The two sides began to bicker, with the situation seeming likely to escalate into another physical altercation.
Seeing the matter getting worse and worse, the innkeeper was frightened; if a life was lost, could the inn still operate in the future?
So, he instructed the waitstaff to hurry and seek help from the officials.
As a shopkeeper, he regularly provided the officials with various favors, so the officials' willingness to help him settle some minor disputes in return wasn't an issue.
Therefore, the waitstaff quickly brought back two official runners.
As soon as the runners arrived, the two fighting parties began to regret, resent, and blame each other.
"You really called someone?"
"If this matter gets any bigger, it won't look good for anyone!"
"Yet you're the one who called them?"
"It wasn't me!"
"If not you, then who?"
Both sides blamed each other, starting with verbal disputes before pushing and shoving, escalating into ripping and punching.
