Wang Rongrong's face had gone from green to black. Gu Beiting and Old Sui were both seething with frustration. They had recognized the voice in the message: it was Shen Lang, the Pavilion Master of the Southern Fire Pavilion, who had always been close to Wang Rongrong.
"It seems Xun Bingjun has made up his mind to make things difficult for Brother Wang. He let the news out so quickly. Now Brother Wang hasn't caught the fox, but he's ended up covered in its stink. Truly vicious."
Xu Yi stroked his smooth chin and thought, That Xun fellow has a bit of my old flair.
Wang Rongrong, Gu Beiting, and Old Sui were already miserable enough. Xu Yi's remark only made them feel worse.
Suddenly, Xu Yi clapped his hands hard. "Better to take what you can straight on than seek it through crooked means. Since we've already offended everyone, there's no reason to abandon this halfway. Brother Wang, don't you have anyone suitable in your pocket? From what the Heavenly King said, he wants someone in the First Realm of Domain. Does that mean he's limiting the candidates to the Azure Dragon Pavilion Master and the White Tiger Pavilion Master?"
"Surely not," Gu Beiting said. "In my view, the two Pavilion Masters hold high positions and wield great authority. Their daily conduct is that of Pavilion Masters in all but name as Hall Masters. They may not even care for a Deputy Hall Master position. Brother Sui, you brought this up—could the Heavenly King be planning to grant the position to a newcomer?"
Wang Rongrong paused. "Now that you mention it, I remember. The Heavenly King said he hoped the Deputy Hall Master would be a cultivator in the First Realm of Domain, or a Golden Witch powerhouse. It