When Xu Linghe passed the buck, Lu Zhongyuan and the others all shrank their necks, afraid Plum Blossom Seven would call their names. If they went to the Ruyi Realm and botched the job, they would be branded traitorous lackeys who had fawned on the enemy. Even if they succeeded, that reputation would still stick. But refusing seemed impossible. Xu Linghe had been building momentum for ages, and if they turned him down now and angered him, Jiang Shangkun's tragedy might be repeated at any moment.
Xu Yi knew people's minds inside and out. He could see straight through everyone present. "As for the candidate, someone of low standing won't do; it won't show sincerity, and they won't even agree to meet. I think it should be one of those present, at the very least. But someone too high-ranking won't do either. For instance, if Dao Master Xu went, there'd be no room to maneuver. If the Ancestral Court sent some lackey to receive him, it would be an insult to our Sect. The candidate should fall somewhere in that range. I'll leave the decision to Dao Master Xu."
Xu Linghe swept his gaze across the room. Suddenly, Lu Zhongyuan declared, "I believe Plum Blossom Seven has rendered meritorious service. The Night Army is the sword of our Sect, and the position of its commander shouldn't remain vacant for long. Since Plum Blossom Seven is already on equal footing with Jiang Shangkun and the others, we might as well immediately appoint him as commander of the Night Army."
As soon as Lu Zhongyuan finished speaking, the old schemers all understood. They chimed in one after another, several of them especially impassioned, as if ready to remonstrate unto death. They made it seem as though failing to appoint Plum Blossom Seven