Xu Yi repeatedly thanked Dong Guo Shun and chatted with him for quite a while, expressing his gratitude again and again before finally seeing him off.
Not long after Dong Guo Shun left, Song Huanshan came by. When he heard that the council planned to grant Xu Yi the status of Star Refining Master ahead of schedule, Song Huanshan was so excited his eyes reddened. "Brother Xu, this is cause for immense celebration. Don't underestimate the status of Star Refining Master. It's important not only in Spring City, but throughout the entire Tu Hun Alliance. This time, the Spring City Council is granting you the title solely to curry favor with you. You should know that when an ordinary Refining Soldier is promoted to Star Refining Master, approval lies with the Tu Hun Alliance. The Spring City Council has only a limited number of appointments it can make on its own, and each one is extremely precious. The fact that they chose to give one to you, Brother Xu, makes their intentions obvious."
Xu Yi said, "No matter how you put it, I owe this to you, Brother Song. If you hadn't recommended me, how could I have become a Refining Soldier? If you hadn't talked me out of it, I might have left the ranks of the Refining Soldiers long ago. Then where would I be today? I'll remember your kindness, Brother Song."
Of course, he knew that Song Huanshan had come for much the same reason as Dong Guo Shun: to curry favor with him.
He was happy to accept their goodwill. Everyone liked to be carried along in a sedan chair; aloofness was a strategy, not a genuine desire to keep everyone at arm's length and cut off all outside support.
Sure enough, when Song Huanshan heard