Xingtie: My silly online friend is actually a raccoon!

The young master's smile froze for a moment, then he wisely put away his folding fan and laughed heartily.

"I apologize for my abruptness, sir. I wish you all a pleasant time on the lake!" With that, he turned and left without any hesitation.

Lu Ze turned and boarded the boat, lifting the curtain on the awning.

Star and Spark were already sitting side by side at the stern of the boat. Star looked at him with a subtle expression.

"They're mine? Why do you say that like you're asserting sovereignty?"

"It saves trouble." Lu Ze said without changing his expression, "Otherwise, he would have had to deal with it for a long time."

Spark covered her mouth and laughed, her eyes curving into two crescent moons: "I never knew you had this side to you, Little Lu."

"Don't call me Little Lu." Lu Ze glared at her, then turned to the old boatman, "Thank you for your trouble. Just row to the middle of the lake, we can chat there for a while, no rush."

The old boatman responded, gently tapped the shore with his bamboo pole, and the small boat drifted leisurely away from the shore, heading towards the center of the lake.

The morning light spilled onto the lake, shattering into a pool of golden scales. The hustle and bustle on the shore was gradually filtered out by the ripples, leaving only the splashing of oars and the occasional calls of water birds in the distance.

The old boatman tactfully sat at the bow of the boat, his back to the three men, smoking his pipe. The smoke drifted in the morning breeze, not disturbing the guests' conversation at all.

Xing rubbed her swollen belly and slumped on the wooden bench at the stern of the boat, looking like a bloated beast that had drunk its fill of water.

"Alright, tell me. After drinking tea at six different teahouses, what exactly are you planning to do?"

Spark didn't keep anyone in suspense. She sat cross-legged on the edge of the boat and held up one finger.

"It's actually very simple. I'm researching suitable ways to spread niche skills."

She paused, her wine-red eyes unusually serious.

"In ancient times, there was no internet. How did information spread? Through people's mouths. A storyteller could strike the gavel and a single event could reach the ears of the entire city during casual conversation."

"But the problem is that one storyteller is not enough. After he finishes a performance, the audience leaves and may not go to another teahouse for ten days or half a month. So we need to spread out in multiple places at the same time."

"You mean..." Lu Ze lowered his hand from rubbing his stomach, raising an eyebrow, "You want to use storytelling to spread information that needs to be distorted, thereby activating your skill?"

Although he had drunk a lot of water, his brain remained clear, and he instantly understood Spark's intention.

In ancient times, without the internet, a rumor could take months or even years to spread from one place to another, but it was different in Chang'an.

Chang'an was the capital of the Tang Dynasty, where merchants from the north and south, candidates for the imperial examinations, and wandering monks all gathered.

Once the story is told in Chang'an, these people will spread it far and wide.

Storytellers were the closest thing to "network-wide promotion" in ancient times.

"Hyouka! Correct answer, but no reward."

Spark pulled out a birthday firework from somewhere, and with a bang, sprayed colorful confetti all over Lu Ze and Xing's heads and faces.

Star expressionlessly removed a piece of gold star stuck to the tip of her nose, looked at it in her palm for two seconds, and then flicked it at Spark's face.

"Come here right now."

"Hey—Little Grey, what are you doing!" Spark grinned and dodged backward, the small boat rocking from side to side from their movements.

The old boatman continued smoking with his back to them, but silently gripped the bamboo pole even tighter.