Chapter 1268: Will that be enough?
"Something worthwhile..." said Yang Qing in a contemplative tone. "What exactly counts as worthwhile?" he added, his gaze shifting from the painting to Sun Biya.
"Anything, really—paintings, poems, stories, musical compositions, even research journals on any topic, whether related to cultivation or more mundane subjects like agriculture, infrastructure, and so on. Cultivation arts or even broken treasures with a verifiable history attached to them are also acceptable.
Anything and everything that stimulates the mind would be welcome here," Sun Biya patiently explained, a friendly smile on her face. Yang Qing wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but ever since she’d brought up the idea of him donating something as an alternative means to gain access to their collection, her smile—and the faint shine in her eyes—seemed to grow in intensity, for lack of a better word.
"That’s still pretty vague, isn’t it?" said Yang Qing with a light smile. "Anything can hold worth in the eyes of the beholder, but that doesn’t mean it will be valuable to others. Which can only mean..." He paused, his gaze settling solely on Sun Biya.
"For something to be considered worthwhile, it has to meet a universal standard—something that many, as long as they’re observant enough, can instantly recognize as special. Like that painting," he said, gesturing toward the mysterious artwork. "Is my assessment correct?" he asked, still smiling.
"It is," Sun Biya replied with a smile of her own.
"So what is the standard grade?" Yang Qing immediately followed up.
"Blue grade," Sun Biya answered succinctly.
"And am I correct in assuming that the collection I get access to will have items of a similar standard?" Yang Qing asked slowly, his pupils flickering slightly, reflecting the combined glow of the luminescent reeds and the lanterns around him.
"Not all of it is at that level, but we do have a sizeable number that are," said Sun Biya. She still maintained the same affable demeanor, but Yang Qing could sense something else mixed in now.
Having made plenty of deals himself—in and out of the courtroom, and during his occasional visits to cultivators’ markets—he could sniff out a mercantile air anywhere, and Sun Biya was positively oozing with it at the moment.
"If I give you something and it meets the standard," Yang Qing said with interest, "when it comes to your collection, could I leave with it?" He quickly added, "I know I obviously can’t own it. What I mean is—could I be loaned a particular item for a set period of time, outside your premises?"