Zhong Changming furrowed his brow slightly. "Of course it's to prove his innocence. He's like the sun rising in the east at the Spring City Council, with a bright future ahead of him. He has no reason to collude with others and take such a dangerous risk."
Xia Huosong said, "So you trust Xu Yi?"
"Of course," Zhong Changming replied. "He's passed layer upon layer of scrutiny—he's absolutely trustworthy. The Righteous Alliance gave us an ironclad guarantee, even saying they'd uncovered Xu Yi's true identity. Clearly, they're absolutely certain. If a man like him can't be trusted, then I doubt we could trust any other Star Refining Master. Besides, if Xu Yi had a problem, he wouldn't have come forward on his own. If he were a spy for the Xing Tian Sect, he'd already have successfully infiltrated us. Why go through all this trouble? It would be pointless."
Xia Huosong nodded in deep agreement. "It seems Xu Yi simply doesn't want any trouble. That's understandable. A splendid future is right before him; he has no reason to invite complications. But while he doesn't want complications, I'd like to stir some up."
Zhong Changming said, "What do you mean, Brother Xia? Xu Yi is a rare talent in star refining. Think carefully."
"Talent? Fine, I admit he's a talent. But even for a talent, how many years would it take to go from junior Star Refining Master to Chief Refiner? Fifty? A hundred? And by then, will you and I still be sitting in the seats of council chair and vice-chair? Why make wedding clothes for someone else, Brother Zhong? What would we gain from it?"
Zhong Changming fell silent.
Xia Huosong continued, "On the other hand, if we use Xu Yi well, he'll be an excellent piece to plant