When Liu Ying drove Yan Shouyi and Kang Jinlong to Yuelu Academy by the West Lake, the academy was still filled with guests and lively as usual.
As soon as Yan Shouyi stepped over the threshold, he clearly heard the storyteller's voice.
Unfortunately, he was a step too late. After entering, he hadn't listened for a few sentences before the storyteller on stage used his wooden clapper to conclude the night's performance.
The guests were still unsatisfied, but as it was late, they began to leave in twos and threes.
They looked pleased, as if still immersed in the storyteller's tale, and kept recalling the moving stories with their companions.
As they passed by Yan Shouyi and the others, the guests recognized Liu Ying and came forward to greet them.
Yan Shouyi's gaze, however, went past these guests and landed on Yin Tang, the storyteller in a long robe seated on the stage, drinking tea.
Yin Tang was not tall, even a bit short. At his age, he still sported a slicked-back hairstyle, wore small round sunglasses, and had a small mustache. He looked like a meticulous calculator, very much like an accountant in an ancient film.
Yan Shouyi clasped his fists and bowed to Yin Tang from a distance. Yin Tang flashed a smile and gestured for Yan Shouyi and the others to come and sit before him.
By the time Yan Shouyi and the others walked over, Yuelu Academy was almost empty.
A servant brought them a pot of hot tea and then withdrew, closing the academy's main gate behind him.
In the vast hall, there were only Yan Shouyi, Kang Jinlong, Yin Tang, and Liu Ying.
Liu Ying said with a smile, "Yan Shouyi, my master greatly admires you!"
Yan Shouyi replied with shame, "I am but a junior. I hope Senior Yin can offer much guidance."
"You are too modest," Yin Tang said loudly. "Lu Ban's descendants throughout the ages have been extraordinary individuals, especially those from the Yan family."
Saying this, Yin Tang glanced sideways at Kang Jinlong and added, "Except for you."
Yan Shouyi's eye twitched. He hadn't expected Yin Tang to be so direct. Was he accusing Kang Jinlong of betraying trust and colluding with Li Genmiao to harm colleagues, or was he saying Kang Jinlong had disgraced the name of Lu Ban's descendants?
In any case, it was not good to hear...
Kang Jinlong remained expressionless, unaffected by Yin Tang's assessment.
Beside Yin Tang, Liu Ying was like a dutiful daughter, quietly pouring tea for everyone.
"This is premium Longjing tea picked before the Qingming Festival," Yin Tang introduced.
Longjing tea picked and processed before the Qingming Festival.
Yan Shouyi picked up the transparent teacup and looked inside. The tea leaves were emerald green and translucent, with uniform and lustrous leaves, completely different from dried Wuyi Mountain rock tea.
Taking a shallow sip, the taste was sweet and refreshing, with a soft, fragrant aroma that brought a sense of natural freshness.
Yan Shouyi couldn't help but show a look of regret.
Liu Ying was displeased, "Yan Shouyi, what's with that expression? My master is treating you with precious tea!"
Yan Shouyi quickly explained, "My regret is that I feel I'm wasting such good tea. If I had drunk less wine tonight and arrived earlier, I could have enjoyed this fine tea while listening to Senior Yin's storytelling! Now, only drinking the tea, my ears feel empty, and I feel something is missing."
Yin Tang laughed heartily upon hearing this, "Good lad, a Yan family member knows how to flatter."
"I'm speaking from the heart, not trying to curry favor," Yan Shouyi said earnestly.
"Alright, I'll take your word for it."
Yin Tang habitually reached for his wooden clapper, but then realized he wasn't telling a story at the moment. Instead, he picked up his folding fan, opened it with a "snap," and then gently fanned himself.
A subtle fragrance emanated from the fan, bringing peace to the mind and spirit.
"I invited you here mainly to thank you for what you did in Qiantang," Yin Tang said. "In return, I am willing to answer one question for each of you."
Yan Shouyi was prepared and had anticipated Yin Tang would do this.
He wasn't in a hurry, so he turned to Kang Jinlong, "You ask first."
He knew Kang Jinlong had been waiting for this day for a long time.
Kang Jinlong's expression finally relaxed from its stiffness. He gritted his teeth, as if loosening his jaw and cheek muscles.
"Do you know Yu Leyao?" Kang Jinlong managed to blurt out after a long pause.
Yin Tang fanned his folding fan and said, "I know of over thirty people named Yu Leyao. Which one are you asking about?"
"If you know I am Wei Changqing, you should know which Yu Leyao I am asking about."
Yin Tang glared at Kang Jinlong, "If it weren't for Yan Shouyi, I wouldn't even bother seeing you, especially since you didn't make a move seven days ago. But helping you is also helping Yan Shouyi."
Yan Shouyi gave a dry chuckle and apologized to Yin Tang for Kang Jinlong's rudeness.
Fortunately, Yin Tang didn't mind.
Yin Tang then said calmly, "Her name is not Yu Leyao. Her real name is Shang Ruman."
Kang Jinlong was slightly taken aback, his gaze drifting.
He hadn't expected that the name he had muttered for so many years was a fake name.
Yin Tang had delivered a heavy blow to Kang Jinlong just as he began speaking.
But Yin Tang had no intention of stopping there. He continued:
"Shang Ruman comes from a martial arts sect, but the name of the sect is not worth mentioning. This sect makes a living by swindling. They specialize in abducting young girls with attractive appearances, then brainwashing them, training them into swindlers, and instructing them to sacrifice their beauty to lure targets in order to achieve their swindling goals."
"Before you met Shang Ruman, she had already successfully swindled two wealthy merchants in Xiangjiang. When you first met her, she was just a little beggar, but in reality, she was already incredibly wealthy."
Kang Jinlong's face turned somewhat grim, because what Yin Tang said was true. When he first met Yu Leyao, she was indeed a little beggar freezing by the roadside.
However, the person he had longed for for so many years was so casually shattered by Yin Tang's words, and he still felt a measure of anger in his heart.
"How can you prove what you're saying is true?" Kang Jinlong asked coldly.
Yin Tang smiled and said, "The disciples of this sect, from a young age, have a wild rose tattooed on their tailbone. Have you ever seen it?"
Upon hearing this, Kang Jinlong was instantly speechless.
He had seen it.
Yu Leyao... no, Shang Ruman did indeed have this tattoo.
Because the tattoo was on a private part of her body, Kang Jinlong was certain that no one else would know about it besides himself, unless... this tattoo was not unique to her.
At this point, Kang Jinlong had already largely believed him.
Did Yu Leyao, no, Shang Ruman, approach me solely for the lower volume of the Lu Ban book?
Then didn't Master and Senior Brother do the right thing?
Was I the one who was wrong all along?!
Kang Jinlong felt a tightness in his chest and a sense of confusion. After all, it requires immense courage and determination for a person to admit that everything they have done for the past twenty years was wrong.
Yan Shouyi saw this and was about to offer some words of comfort to Kang Jinlong, when Yin Tang suddenly said:
"However, Shang Ruman's sect has another rule: they will always hide their wild rose well. Once the wild rose is seen by others, they must wash their hands of the business."
"In other words, the fact that you could see Shang Ruman's wild rose means that her approaching you back then was not for the lower volume of the Lu Ban book, but because she genuinely fell in love with you."