Liu Ying had already shown Yan Shouyi her capabilities, and Yan Shouyi fully believed she could assist him with his plans in Qiantang.
However, he now needed an equivalent secret to exchange with Liu Ying.
Yan Shouyi pondered for a long time, realizing that all the secrets he knew could not be easily revealed to Liu Ying. He was at a loss, even asking Xu Qian if he knew any secrets.
But Xu Qian had always been simple-minded, only knowing how to do practical things and not inquiring about any secrets, so he had none to share.
As for Long Feicheng and Weng Qian, there was even less to say. Even if they had secrets, they wouldn't be valuable.
Wei Changqing had always been taciturn and had stated he wouldn't help Yan Shouyi, so seeking his help at this moment was out of the question.
By the time the tea had grown cold, Liu Ying reluctantly said:
"You are a descendant of Lu Ban, the son of Yan Chou, you participated in the Luotian Grand Ceremony, and are on good terms with the new Celestial Master. I don't believe you have no secrets. Are you unwilling to share them?"
Yan Shouyi nodded helplessly, "How about I give you some treasures in exchange? I have no use for these treasures, nor can I convert them into cash."
Liu Ying smiled, "What treasures can you offer? We storytellers have discerning eyes. Ordinary treasures..."
Yan Shouyi reached into his satchel and took out a scroll, casually unfurling it for Liu Ying to see.
Liu Ying, who had been inattentive and didn't expect Yan Shouyi to have anything good, was stunned upon closer inspection.
"This... this is..."
"This is 'Along the River During the Qingming Festival'," Yan Shouyi asked weakly, "I wonder if this treasure can catch your eye. If not, I'll look for something else."
Liu Ying couldn't help but cover her smooth forehead.
She said her standards were high, but not this high!
"Along the River During the Qingming Festival" was a masterpiece, a national treasure!
And this fellow just took it out like this?
Seeing that Liu Ying did not respond for a long time, Yan Shouyi thought this treasure still didn't meet Liu Ying's standards, so he reluctantly produced another treasure.
"This is the Galloping Horse, commonly known as the Flying Horse Treading on a Flying Swallow, a treasure unearthed from the Han Dynasty. My grandfather left it for me as a betrothal gift, but unfortunately, my wife wouldn't accept it."
Liu Ying gasped.
Good heavens, this was another supreme treasure!
Weren't Lu Ban's descendants supposed to live in poverty? How could they produce national treasures just like that!
What poverty was this? If this was poverty, what were they?
Xu Qian asked doubtfully, "Brother Yan, why wouldn't your wife accept such a treasure back then?"
Yan Shouyi sighed, "She was richer than me."
Xu Qian: "..."
In fact, in Yan Shouyi's eyes, these treasures, while precious, were only for show and not practical.
He was destined for a life of poverty, so once he converted these treasures into money, they would either be quickly spent or might attract disaster. Therefore, these treasures could only be kept in his satchel, forever as souvenirs.
If he could exchange information with Liu Ying at this time, he felt it was quite worthwhile.
"You can put these treasures away first," Liu Ying said, feeling a bit parched, and took a sip of tea.
Yan Shouyi asked doubtfully, "Miss Liu doesn't like them?"
"No, no, no!" Liu Ying said with a wry smile, "Your treasures are too valuable, and I don't have equivalent information to exchange with you."
At this moment, Liu Ying's words made her blush, as she had just claimed her standards were very high a few moments ago.
Yan Shouyi frowned, "If these treasures are too valuable, I might not have anything cheaper."
"You..."
Liu Ying almost swore.
If it weren't for Yan Shouyi's honest and sincere appearance, she would have thought he was showing off.
But it was precisely this unintentional, subtle display of wealth that made her even more infuriated.
Helplessly, Liu Ying could only say, "If you can't produce an equivalent secret or treasure, I have another plan for you."
"What plan?"
"A secret, in exchange for a favor."
"I'll consider it."
A favor from a descendant of Lu Ban was not easily obtained. After all, Yan Shouyi had only given Old Jin a piece of Lu Ban's divine wood so far; he hadn't given it to anyone else.
A favor from a descendant of Lu Ban could secure a carefully selected auspicious land, a home with excellent Feng Shui, or even guidance for three generations in the future.
Yan Shouyi was so thoughtful because he worried he would owe too much and be unable to repay it later.
Liu Ying said softly, "Don't worry. Even if you owe me a favor, I won't make things difficult for you or force you to do things you don't like."
Yan Shouyi thought for a moment and asked, "Miss Liu, you weren't waiting for my favor from the very beginning, were you?"
Liu Ying's expression stiffened, and she feigned composure, "How could that be? I just thought you didn't have any secrets or treasures to show. Storytellers generally don't do credit business, I just find you rather pleasing to the eye."
"Oh."
Yan Shouyi's "Oh" made Liu Ying feel uneasy.
This man, who looked so honest and sincere, how could he be so meticulous? The slightest slip-up and he saw through her?
Liu Ying lowered her head dejectedly, like a defeated rooster.
At this moment, Yan Shouyi took out a dark piece of Lu Ban's divine wood from his satchel and handed it to Liu Ying:
"A favor, in exchange for a secret. I hope Miss Liu will keep her promise and not force me to do things I don't want to do."
Upon seeing the Lu Ban divine wood, Liu Ying's heart leaped with joy, and she quickly took it.
She stopped pretending now; this piece of Lu Ban divine wood was exactly what she needed, and she held it in her hand, overjoyed.
"What do you want to ask?" Liu Ying asked absentmindedly.
Yan Shouyi said, "Miss Liu knows, I want to help Senior Shen deal with the Five Great Ghost King families. I heard there are already some rifts between the Ghost King families..."
"You want to sow discord between them and weaken the Yu family's power?"
"Precisely."
"Let me think..."
Liu Ying put away the Lu Ban divine wood, propped her chin, and began to ponder.
After a moment, she snapped her fingers, her face lighting up with joy, "I've got it!"
"Please tell me, Miss Liu."
"Do you know, a long time ago, Qiantang only had three great Ghost King families."
Yan Shouyi and Xu Qian exchanged glances, and Xu Qian nodded, "That's right."
"The Yu, Wei, Shen, Zhou, and Yao families are the current five great families. Among them, the Shen and Wei families are newly cultivated Ghost King families. However, the original three great Ghost King families were not the Yu, Zhou, and Yao families, but the Yu, Zhou, and Liu families!"
Long Feicheng was a bit confused, "Wait, I don't quite understand. What is Miss Liu talking about?"
"Keep listening and you'll understand," Liu Ying explained, "The Liu family back then was the king of ghost kings in Qiantang, and the Yu family was always suppressed by the Liu family. Later, a new ghost king suddenly appeared in the Yu family, and they gained the will to challenge the Liu family. However, the Yu family was weak at the time and dared not act rashly, so they could only form alliances and play some minor tricks!"
"The Yu family colluded with the Zhou family, and together with Zhou Yuhu, they secretly massacred the descendants of the Shen family, who were not yet a Ghost King family, and framed the Liu family. The ancestor of the Shen family was enraged, and in a fit of anger, joined the Yu family. With the combined forces of the three families, they finally overthrew the monopolistic Liu family!"
"Later, the Liu family was destroyed and disappeared, the ancestor of the Shen family successfully became a ghost king, the Yu family cultivated the Wei family into their lackeys, and as for the last Yao family, they were a Ghost King family that migrated from a neighboring province. This is how the current situation of the five great Ghost King families was formed."