Yan Tang gave Liu Ying a look, and Liu Ying took out a thick stack of roster materials and placed them in front of Yan Shouyi.
Yan Shouyi casually flipped through a few pages and found the information to be incredibly detailed, far richer than Weng Qianxiang's register of folk sects.
Not only did it record the names and origins of the Twelve Zodiacs and the Twenty-Eight Constellations, but it also documented their life stories. Even their characteristics, personalities, and weaknesses were included.
Once he thoroughly reviewed it, if Li Genmiao were to send someone to attack again, Yan Shouyi would be able to recognize the identity and background of his opponent at a glance and exploit the weaknesses recorded within to deal with them.
The only drawback was that the roster still included a few individuals who were already deceased.
For instance, Dou Muxie He Zhijing, Niu Jinnui Chen Tang, Nv Tufu Jiang Chengan, and Xu Rishou Lu Kui, and even Kang Jinlong Wei Changqing, who had been by Yan Shouyi's side for many days, were still on the list.
This meant the list was not the most current, and Li Genmiao might have already made adjustments.
However, Yan Shouyi did not look a gift horse in the mouth. After accepting the roster, he thanked Yan Tang repeatedly.
Yan Tang seemed to have let go of his earlier offense, reopened his fan, and said softly,
"There is one last matter I must tell you."
Yan Shouyi said solemnly, "Senior, please speak."
"Before you arrived, I received a guest and told him some things that will affect you."
"Who?"
"Someone from the Yu family," Yan Tang said in a deep voice.
Upon hearing this, even Liu Ying could not sit still. "Master, the more I see you, the less I understand you."
"What do you mean by that?" Yan Tang squinted at Liu Ying.
Liu Ying said softly, "The Yu family are our enemies. Yu Jinhong's escape this time has become a thorn in everyone's side. Someone from his faction came to see you, why didn't you call us to capture him instead of treating him as a guest?"
Liu Ying was a former member of the Liu family, and they harbored an irreconcilable hatred for the Yu family.
Although Yan Shouyi found it strange, he remained composed. "Let's hear Senior's explanation first."
Yan Tang said leisurely, "That person from the Yu family is an informant I planted beside Yu Jinhong. I invited him over specifically to leak some of your whereabouts to Yu Jinhong."
"Ah?" Liu Ying was stunned.
"Yan Shouyi, your next destination is Mount Li, isn't it?" Yan Tang asked.
Yan Shouyi nodded. "That's right, most likely the northern foothills of Mount Li, near Chang'an."
"I thought as much," Yan Tang said with a smile. "I leaked your whereabouts to Yu Jinbo. Given Yu Jinbo's personality, he will definitely ambush you in Chang'an and cause trouble. You can take care of him then."
Yan Shouyi gave a wry smile. "Senior, Yu Jinhong is a Ghost King, after all. Isn't the word 'take care of him' a bit too casual?"
He was also unsure if he would encounter new enemies upon arriving in Chang'an, especially since he had to find Ma Xingping in the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor. If Yu Jinhong interfered at this time, it would be a huge problem.
However, Yan Tang appeared confident and said calmly,
"Yu Jinhong has many friends in Chang'an. So, when you get there, you will definitely not be facing only Yu Jinhong, one of the Ghost Kings. Perhaps all eleven Ghost Kings currently in Chang'an are waiting for you."
"Eleven?!" Yan Shouyi's expression changed. "Senior, you think too highly of me!"
Chang'an was an ancient capital of thirteen dynasties, with Western Zhou, Qin, Xin Mang, Eastern Han, Western Jin, Former Zhao, Former Qin, Later Qin, Western Wei, Northern Zhou, Sui, and Tang dynasties all establishing their capitals there. Therefore, the number of Ghost Kings there was far greater than in Qiantang.
Moreover, some of those aristocratic families of Ghost Kings were once imperial clans.
Whether in terms of wealth, power, connections, or the strength of the Ghost Kings themselves, they were incomparable to mere Qiantang.
Yan Shouyi's pressure increased significantly, and he even considered detouring or calling for reinforcements.
Then, Yan Tang took out an envelope from his embrace and tossed it lightly. The envelope automatically flew into Yan Shouyi's hand.
"What is this?"
"This is a letter of recommendation I wrote. When you arrive in Chang'an, go to Yuelu Academy. The storyteller there will arrange some people to assist you upon receiving this letter."
Yan Shouyi was greatly surprised. "Are the descendants of folk sects in Chang'an already so united?"
"Not exactly united; it's merely an exchange of interests for now," Yan Tang said meaningfully, looking at Yan Shouyi. "But if you go there, perhaps you can change the current situation."
Yan Tang's words carried deep implications, and Yan Shouyi understood some of them.
It seemed that after the Qiantang incident, Yan Tang had recognized his ability to unite people and wanted to use this opportunity to have him reorganize the folk sects in Chang'an.
If he couldn't succeed, he could at least eliminate Yu Jinhong.
But if he succeeded, it would be beneficial for everyone!
Yan Shouyi greatly admired Yan Tang's strategic planning abilities, but he would not let anyone dictate his life. What he did in Chang'an would be entirely up to him.
Yan Shouyi accepted the envelope and asked, "Senior, are there any unspoken words or gifts you haven't given? Perhaps you can bring them out together?"
"Hmph, you brat!"
Yan Tang snorted impatiently. "Do you really think I'm a pushover? Let me tell you, I only have one female disciple left. If you want her, you can take her too, so she doesn't chatter in my ear!"
"Master, if you speak like that, aren't you afraid I won't offer incense for you in the future?" Liu Ying said playfully.
Yan Tang laughed heartily, regretting that he had taught such a sharp-tongued disciple. In another two years, he might not be able to outtalk her.
So, it was better to tease her more while he still had the energy.
Liu Ying said resentfully, "When you go to the crematorium, Master, and your flesh, bones, and skin are all burned away, leaving only your lips, who will say you have a hard mouth!"
"Alright, alright, I won't tease you anymore, okay?"
Yan Tang conceded, waved his hand, and said, "It's fine. You can take Yan Shouyi and Wei Changqing back!"
"Hmph!"
Liu Ying blushed and got up to go prepare the car.
Yan Shouyi found the master-disciple relationship between Yan Tang and Liu Ying quite amusing. He smiled and stood up to bid Yan Tang farewell.
Yan Tang nodded without getting up to see him off, simply sitting in his spot and humming a tune softly.
After leaving Yuelu Academy, Liu Ying went to get the car. Yan Shouyi saw Wei Changqing standing by the West Lake, his back forlorn.
He walked over, stood shoulder to shoulder with Wei Changqing, and said softly,
"Wei Changqing, now that you know the truth, have you prepared yourself for whether to stay or go?"
"Why are you starting to call me Wei Changqing?"
"Before the truth was clear, I called you Kang Jinlong. That way, when you tried to kill me, we were still enemies. But now that the truth is out, I call you Wei Changqing because I still consider you my second uncle, my grandfather's favorite disciple."
Wei Changqing was silent for a moment after hearing this.
Honk honk!
Liu Ying drove the car over and stopped behind them, honking to urge them to get in.
Wei Changqing suddenly turned and got into Liu Ying's car, then rolled down the window and said to Yan Shouyi,
"I still owe Long Feicheng thirty thousand yuan. I'll leave after I repay it."