Chapter 34

"Is it you?" Chen Fan was quite surprised to see the visitor.

"Mr. Chen, I apologize for the intrusion. Please forgive me." The visitor turned out to be 'Uncle Lin,' whom Chen Fan had met a few days ago at Qianlong Manor.

He bowed slightly and then said, "My master heard about Mr. Chen's recent exploits and is very interested in your claim about the true magical artifact. He wishes to meet you."

"Is it Old Master Wei?" Chen Fan frowned slightly.

After Zhou Tianhao and the auction house manager Zhu, Chen Fan had a poor impression of this Old Master Wei.

"That's right. My master has recently taken a fancy to a 'true magical artifact,' but he's unsure about it, so he wants you to help him appraise it," Uncle Lin said with a smile.

Chen Fan originally intended to refuse, thinking there was nothing worth discussing with Old Master Wei, but Uncle Lin's words piqued his interest.

Although the previous Heavenly Pearl was just a facade, the jade marrow did come from Old Master Wei's collection, indicating that he still had some genuine items.

"Alright, I'll go and meet him," Chen Fan said, curious to see how the 'magical artifacts' in this world differed from the ones he had created.

Upon leaving the neighborhood, a Bentley Continental was already waiting at the gate. Even if it wasn't Old Master Wei's personal car, it was still his second-best luxury vehicle, worth three to four million.

After getting into the car, Uncle Lin explained in detail:

"A buyer from Zhongzhou Province brought a magical artifact to Chuzhou for sale. Old Master Wei has already seen it twice, and ever since, he has been obsessed, saying that his previous collections were all junk and then auctioning them off."

Chen Fan nodded.

No wonder there was the recent auction. It seems Old Master Wei had a point of comparison and found his own collection unbearable to look at.

"But as you know, Chuzhou isn't just home to my master. In their circle, they highly value treasures that can harmonize feng shui, bring good fortune, and calm the mind. Not only the big bosses from Chuzhou, but even a big shot from Tianhe City has come. They are meeting for the third time to buy this treasure, and it's likely to be sold this time," Uncle Lin sighed.

"Such a magical artifact can't be obtained for less than tens of millions. So Old Master Wei wants you to appraise it one last time. If it's genuine, he'll do whatever it takes to buy it."

Chen Fan shook his head slightly.

These wealthy people would spend mountains of gold and silver to pursue so-called feng shui magical artifacts and consecrated treasures. No wonder! Just think of the tycoons in Hong Kong, who revere feng shui masters as if they were gods.

Although Old Master Wei had strong backing, his net worth might not even place him in the top ten in Chuzhou, and there were many who could compete with him.

Soon, the car arrived at a secluded courtyard in the suburbs. This courtyard was very quiet, hidden by the lakeside. From the outside, it looked ordinary, but once inside, it was like stepping into a Jiangnan water town, with pavilions, terraces, and flowing streams.

Entering the hall, the ancient and elegant room was furnished with two rows of armchairs, reminiscent of a grand mansion from the Republic era.

A middle-aged man sitting in the main seat smiled and said, "Mr. Chen has arrived?"

Old Master Wei had a pale face, heavy eyelids, and a frail appearance, with a frivolous demeanor despite his designer clothing, giving off a sense of a monkey in a crown.

Chen Fan shook his head inwardly. No wonder Xiao Qi hesitated to mention him, and even Wei Ziqing didn't want to say much. This man was far inferior to his grandfather, Old Master Wei, who, despite his injuries, exuded a steady aura from their initial meeting, befitting his decades of military service.

"Um." Chen Fan nodded.

Before he could speak, a man sitting in an armchair beside him sneered, "Old Master Wei, you brought a mere boy to appraise it? Is there no one left in Chuzhou? If you need help, I can lend you someone."

Old Master Wei's face darkened, and he coldly snorted, "Xing Zhong, this is Chuzhou, not Tianhe. You have no place to act recklessly here. If you say another word, I'll kick you out right now."

"Ha, if your second brother were here, I'd shut up immediately. Or if the head of the Wei family were here, I'd say nothing and go back to Tianhe right away," Xing Zhong said with a disdainful smile.

"As for you, Old Master Wei... you don't have the qualifications."

He had a fierce look, and behind him stood a row of men in suits with sunglasses, some of whom had visible bulging muscles, clearly skilled fighters.

Beside him sat an old man in a white shirt with a centipede clasp, with silver hair and an ethereal aura, exuding a chilling presence. His eyes were half-closed, and even when Chen Fan arrived, he didn't open them, maintaining a grand demeanor.

"You!" Old Master Wei slammed his hand on the table, glaring at Xing Zhong, who remained seated, his face full of contempt.

"Enough," a man in a Tang-style robe, sitting at the head of the left row, frowned. "Old Master Wei, don't take it too personally. Xing Zhong is just a talkative person. We've known each other for decades; you should know him."

"And this appraiser, since he's here, please have him sit down."

Old Master Wei's face twitched, clearly recognizing the weight of the speaker's words, and could only hum and slowly sit down.

Uncle Lin quickly leaned in to explain to Chen Fan.

The man who had spoken rudely, Xing Zhong, was a big shot from the coastal city of Tianhe, controlling a maritime trade group, doing business overseas, and wielding significant influence in Tianhe, comparable to the tycoons in Chuzhou. Even in Jiangbei, he was a notable figure.

Old Master Wei's 'Fangsheng International' also dealt in foreign trade, naturally leading to significant conflicts with Xing Zhong. Their fleets had clashed multiple times at sea, and they had long-standing enmity. The old man with the ethereal aura was the appraiser Xing Zhong had brought.

The last person to speak was a man in a Tang-style robe named Zheng Jiuling, a well-known tycoon in Chuzhou, with assets spanning hotels, construction, hospitals, transportation, and supermarkets, earning him the nickname 'Half the City.' He was second only to Chuzhou's richest man, Shen Ronghua, and everyone respectfully called him 'Old Master Zheng.'

Compared to Zheng Jiuling, Old Master Wei's assets were insignificant. Without the Wei family's backing, he wouldn't even have the qualifications to stand on equal footing with Zheng Jiuling.

"I understand," Chen Fan nodded absentmindedly, his gaze drifting past Xing Zhong to the silver-haired old man, lost in thought.

Seeing everyone seated, Zheng Jiuling said calmly, "Since everyone is here, can Mr. Gu show us the item?"

A fat man sitting on the other side of the main seat frowned, "You've already seen it three times this week. Are you going to buy it or not? Give us a clear answer."

"Rest assured, this is the last time. If it's genuine, we will definitely take it," another big boss said, patting his chest.

He was a tycoon from the development zone, with a textile group employing thousands, making him a notable figure in Chuzhou.

"Everyone has gathered three times in a row. If you're not here to buy, what else could it be?" someone else chimed in.

"Alright," Mr. Gu nodded, signaling his subordinate to place an ancient box on the table in the hall.

Inside the box was a wooden 'Bagua Plate,' heavy and weathered. As soon as it was brought out, the entire hall seemed to cool down, and everyone's attention was drawn to it.

"Hmm?"

As soon as the box was opened, Chen Fan's gaze shifted from the silver-haired old man.

Seeing the Bagua Plate, he couldn't help but let out a light exclamation.

"Mr. Chen, what do you think?"

Old Master Wei's face still looked displeased, and his tone was impatient.

He didn't actually have high hopes for Chen Fan, but with no one else available and after listening to Uncle Lin, he impulsively called Chen Fan over. However, as soon as Chen Fan arrived, he regretted it.

This boy looked ordinary, with no aura of a master, and was far inferior to the appraiser Xing Zhong had brought and the other appraiser.

Thus, his old rival Xing Zhong had jumped in to mock him, causing him to lose face.

At this moment, Xing Zhong spoke sarcastically again.

"What else can it be? We've seen it before. Do we need to say whether it's genuine?"

"But this boy probably doesn't even know what a magical artifact is. Asking him is like asking a blind man for directions."

Chen Fan chuckled but remained silent.

His first glance at the 'Bagua Plate' did surprise him. The plate had a magical array, or something similar, engraved on it. Its effect was somewhat like his 'Spirit Gathering Array,' capable of gathering the essence of heaven and earth, but the power was vastly different, like the gap between a wild university and a prestigious one.

'Unexpectedly, such an item exists on Earth. This could be considered a prototype of a magical artifact.'

Chen Fan shook his head inwardly. With his protective jade talisman, he had no interest in this imitation. Moreover, the Bagua Plate had clearly been used too much, and the material was already strained, with many cracks, likely to break soon.

But seeing everyone's eyes light up, treating it as a treasure, whether it was Old Master Wei, Xing Zhong, or the others, all seemed determined to get it. In the hall, except for Uncle Lin, no one seemed to take Chen Fan seriously. Why should he bother to warn them?

Seeing Chen Fan remain silent, Zheng Jiuling turned and bowed.

"Master Qi, we rely on your expertise."

"Old Master Zheng, you're too kind."

A man in his fifties stood up, hands behind his back, and walked over. All the tycoons from Chuzhou leaned forward, their eyes serious, clearly relying on Master Qi.

PS: Thanks to Devil丨angel and Xin Shang for the 588, and to Lao Na Fahao Koubi Zhong, Feng Ye Xia Shang, Jin Jun He, Wang Zong 1120, Zai Tong Li Xiang Jia Ren, Wan Qian Shi Jie Jin Shi Yan Yuan, and Xin 0425 for their support. Very grateful, and I continue to seek recommendations. O(∩_∩)O

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