I said, "Messenger of Allah, a man from my people insults me, and he is beneath me in status. Is there any harm if I defend myself against him?"He replied, "The two who insult one another are two devils, blurting at each other and lying to each other."
حدثنا يحيى بن سعيد حدثنا سعيد عن قتادة عن مطرف
قلت يا رسول الله رجل من قومي يشتمني وهو دوني علي بأس أن أنتصر منه قال المستبان شيطانان يتهاتران ويتكاذبان
Its isnad is sahih. Haythami said in 8/75, Ahmad, Tabarani in Kabir and Awsat, and Bazzar narrated it, and the men of Ahmad's narration are the men of the Sahih. It is also found in Tabarani 17/365, Ibn Hibban 1977 in Mawarid, and Bayhaqi 10/235.