Shi Erli clicked his tongue. "I said Brother Xu was no longer what he used to be, and you still pretended to be modest. Just look at you—now you're being compared to someone like Gong Yushang. People like me can't even dream of that."
Xu Yi waved a hand. "Enough. We're old friends, so there's no need for formalities. Otherwise, this could go on forever. Let's leave the small talk aside. I'll drink to you."
Shi Erli burst out laughing, lifted his cup, and lightly clinked it against Xu Yi's. They drank it all in one go.
By now, there were no longer any interests tying the two together. They could speak freely, each saying whatever was on his mind. Shi Erli was widely traveled and well-informed, while Xu Yi had a keen perspective. The two found themselves getting along quite well as they chatted.
"I wonder what your plans are, Brother Xu. Gong Xian's death happened in full view of everyone. Though we're far away in the Northern Continent, the Gong Family won't simply let it go. Have you thought about how you'll deal with them when you return to the Western Continent? And then there's Han Zhongjun. He comes from the prestigious Biyou Academy and has powerful connections. Otherwise, given Gong Xian's arrogance, he'd never have called Han Zhongjun his brother."
Shi Erli raised a very practical question.
Xu Yi said, "I'm the sort who kills but leaves the cleanup to others. I came to find you, Brother Shi, precisely to ask how to deal with this."
He had killed Gong Xian and Han Zhongjun because their accumulated hatred ran too deep. They had to die.
Even taking the most generous view, given the circumstances, Gong Xian and Han Zhongjun might not have wanted reconciliation even if he