As he said that, Lu Yan was confused again. “The leads we have are too complicated. Let’s put aside Mo Yang’s appearance and treat it as a coincidence. If we have to involve Mo Yang, then we should eliminate Eastern Ling and the only option left would be Southern Ming. The person in Southern Ming would need to have a high ranking position and decent looks. Based on the theory that sons take after their mothers while girls are like their fathers… you should resemble your father.”
Qi Qingyao shook her head. “My three children all look like me so that point doesn’t stand. We can only take it as an assumption.”
Lu Yan suddenly patted his thigh. “Then, the problem is even more simple.”
“How sow?” Qi Qingyao asked.
Lu Yan gritted his teeth. “We forget about appearance! We only need to find out which prominent figure from Eastern Ling and Southern Ming died twenty years ago. Wouldn’t everything be easily solved?” He added as an afterthought, “Even though you still refuse to show me what the keepsake looks like!”
Qi Qingyao smiled faintly and said, “Your deduction is very reasonable. So, let’s go with what you said, and we’ll have you—no—you can send someone to buy this information from the Zhaixing Administration in secret.”
Lu Yan tentatively asked again, “That’s not a problem, but will you really not let me take a look at the keepsake?”
Qi Qingyao said with no surprise, “Naturally there is a reason why I don’t plan on letting you see them.”
“What’s the reason?” Lu Yan was really curious about the keepsake.
Qi Qingyao crossed her arms and said, “My gut tells me that your deduction is very reasonable but it also tells me we might end up empty-handed.”
Lu Yan retorted, “We’ll discuss this after we get the intelligence from the Zhaixing Administration.”
With that, Lu Yan went out and called for Dong Jin, instructing him secretly. Dong Jin frowned. The master was really weird for asking him to plant some spies just to buy information…
Dong Jing quickly left.
Lu Yan went back and sat down beside Qi Qingyao. He even got a servant to bring in a plate of confectioneries.
He ate as he reviewed what he just said before.
Qi Qingyao took another sip of tea before saying slowly, “Lu Yan?”
“Yes?” Lu Yan frowned.
Qi Qingyao smiled and turned around. “I think you’re treating me as a friend now. That’s why, as a friend, I’ll let you in on something, since you’re worried about me.”
“Say it.” That smile…was very profound.
Qi Qingyao said unhurriedly, “It’s not one keepsake, it’s two.”
“Can you tell me what they are?” Lu Yan’s eyes twinkled. “I won’t look at them, I’m just asking what they are.”
Qi Qingyao contemplated for a moment and said, “A jade tablet and a jade ring.”
“Wow…” Lu Yan was not usually surprised, but he could not help but let out an exclamation at this.
Qi Qingyao pursed her lips. “What are you wowing at… Are you that naive?”
Lu Yan raised his eyebrows suddenly and he seemed to be completely shocked. He held his forehead and muttered, “You don’t understand… you don’t understand at all how important telling me this is to my assessment of this situation.”
Qi Qingyao raised her brows then said in a carefree manner, “Are you trying to say that, while the twill tape possibly represents an important figure of high ranking, a jade ring possibly represents someone from a martial arts background?”
Lu Yan looked at her gloomily. “Yes, jade rings are usually carried around by martial artists on the mainland. Therefore, the information you gave me now is basically…making things a lot more complicated.” These two matters could not possibly equate to each other, right?
“No worries, we’ll go with your first hunch and look into it.” Qi Qingyao was still very laid back.