"Congratulations, Brother Xu—oh, no, congratulations, Your Excellency! My congratulations, Your Excellency! For Zhang to have made Your Excellency's acquaintance is truly a blessing earned over three lifetimes, a blessing earned over three lifetimes!"
The Confucian-robed middle-aged man had barely steadied himself before he began bowing repeatedly to Xu Yi. His manner was utterly deferential, nothing like the equal footing on which they had once associated.
This man was the first acquaintance Xu Yi had made at Immortal Martial Cliff. Though he had once set Xu Yi up, he had also helped him a great deal. Now that Xu Yi had business in the prefecture, this was the first person he had thought of.
"It's only been a few days, Old Zhang. You've gotten so formal."
Xu Yi smiled.
The Confucian-robed middle-aged man hurriedly flattered him. "Your Excellency is like a hidden dragon in the depths, soaring skyward in a single day and riding the winds for ten thousand miles. How would Zhang dare treat you as I did before? To be honest, when I heard Your Excellency had topped the imperial examination, I spent days congratulating myself. I was so overjoyed, so overjoyed!"
Xu Yi waved a hand, cutting off his long-winded flattery. "I've come to ask you something. Just give me an honest answer."
"Zhang will tell you everything I know, and hold nothing back."
The Confucian-robed middle-aged man smiled ingratiatingly.
Xu Yi's unexpected triumph and swift rise to prominence had genuinely delighted him. Though he had once set Xu Yi up, he knew this lord's temperament well and knew Xu Yi held no grudge against him.
He didn't expect Xu Yi to give him any special consideration after rising to the top. All he wanted was a familiar face among the upper ranks, so he wouldn't be left