Xu Yi fell silent.
Xi Mengfan continued, "It's obvious who this is aimed at. They already knew what you'd choose and sealed off your escape route ahead of time. I have to say, this move is vicious and ruthless. We can't afford to let our guard down!"
Xi Mengfan was deeply worried. He had been forced to tie himself to Xu Yi's boat, and if Xu Yi went down, his own fate would surely be grim.
As soon as he heard about the personnel changes at the Territory Temple, he had rushed straight over.
"They acted so quickly. Gong Xian must have a high standing. The Gong family really does consider me someone worth taking seriously."
Xu Yi lightly tapped the pearwood table, his brow furrowing into a deep knot.
Although he had anticipated all this, now that it had actually happened, he still felt the enormous pressure pressing down on him, invisible but palpable.
From Gong Xian's account alone, the Gong family was already a behemoth. The personnel maneuvering at the Territory Temple was no more than that giant creature shifting slightly, yet it was already more than Xu Yi could withstand.
Xi Mengfan said, "At this point, our only option is to go through the Territory Lord. If you can get his approval and take up a post as a Prefect somewhere, at least you won't have to worry about your immediate safety."
Xu Yi's eyes lit up. "That's certainly an option." Then his gaze turned distant. "You think they could anticipate blocking the route through the Territory Temple, but wouldn't they also think of the Prefect route? Maybe our great Territory Lord Meng is sitting there right now, waiting for me to come knocking."
Xi Mengfan pondered for a moment, then said, "That may be true, but