The number Tang Shanhai had offered was simply too large. If Xu Yi hadn't known the man had come to sound him out, he might have thought otherwise. But now that he knew Tang Shanhai's purpose, how could he believe him?
Xu Yi didn't want to beat around the bush with Tang Shanhai, so he simply laid the matter bare and said, "Sounding me out."
Tang Shanhai paused in surprise, then burst out laughing. "You live up to your reputation. No wonder Brother Xu rose from a trial disciple to where you are today—you're no ordinary man. It's no wonder Great Guest Elder Xi thinks so highly of Hall Master Xu. I'd planned to test the waters, but you saw right through me at a glance."
Xu Yi said, "Great Guest Elder Xi—is that Elder Xi of my Xuanqing Sect?"
Xu Yi wasn't surprised that Tang Shanhai had managed to learn about him. What puzzled him was why Tang Shanhai had bothered to ask.
He was in the open, while Tang Shanhai was shrouded in mystery. With the situation unclear, Xu Yi could only believe one-tenth of what Tang Shanhai said, and even that tenth had to pass through the fine mesh of careful scrutiny.
"Indeed, Elder Xi," Tang Shanhai said. "Allow me to introduce myself properly. I'm the vice president of Guanglong Trading Company's Southeastern Branch, and Elder Xi is one of our branch's guest elders. He and I have been friends for many years. He was the one who told me about Hall Master Xu. In his words, Hall Master Xu's future achievements are boundless. Even attaining the position of a tribulation-transcending great cultivator is probably only a matter of time."
"I know Elder Xi's character well. He never speaks carelessly, and I've never seen him praise a