Feng Ting was very puzzled. In recent years, the Wang family and the Feng family had never had any major conflicts. After all, disputes within large families were detrimental to the development of the city.
Especially for families as prominent as the Wang and Feng families, being the top two in Jiangnan City, if they were to throw caution to the wind, Jiangnan City would undoubtedly fall into chaos.
This was absolutely not what City Lord Li wished to see.
"That's true. The Great Elder of the Wang family is known for his cunning and his self-serving nature. How could he be so ruthless towards the Feng family for someone as insignificant as Ye Fan?"
This was also something City Lord Li couldn't understand.
This matter was truly bizarre.
"City Lord, I have a suggestion. Since the Wang family and the Feng family are both under the Heavenly King's Mansion, if we inform them about this matter, they will certainly hold the Wang family accountable. This way, we can figure out what the Wang family is trying to achieve with you."
City Lord Li paused, frowned, and pondered for a moment, a cold smile appearing on his face.
"That's a good idea. Let's see what the Wang family intends to do first. Even if they genuinely choose to side with Ye Fan, we must ensure the Heavenly King's Mansion puts pressure on them to guarantee the Feng family's safety."
If the Feng family were truly annihilated by the Wang family, the Wang family would become the sole dominant power in Jiangnan City, making the City Lord's Mansion precarious.
In Jiangnan City, which was led by the City Lord's Mansion, such a superpower family was not allowed to emerge. The two families must be kept in check.
This was a tactic, a tactic of the City Lord.
"Alright, I'll attend to it immediately."
Feng Ting rose and quickly exited the City Lord's Mansion.
As chaos began to brew in Jiangnan City, Jiangnan's annual Treasure Appraisal Fair officially commenced.
This year's Treasure Appraisal Fair was jointly organized by the City Lord's Mansion, the Heavenly King's Mansion, and the Antiques Association.
Although the three major powers maintained a tripartite confrontation in Jiangnan City, engaging in deceit and intrigue, there was also cooperation amidst their overt and covert struggles.
After all, profit was the eternal cornerstone. If it meant making money, why not?
"This Treasure Appraisal Fair will have representatives from the City Lord's Mansion, the Heavenly King's Mansion, and the Antiques Association. Therefore, the value of this fair is immense. If you can stand out, you will surely make a name for yourself in Jiangnan, and even in Hangcheng. Ye Fan, this is an excellent opportunity."
Elder Lei looked at Ye Fan with a faint smile.
He knew Ye Fan's capabilities all too well. As long as Ye Fan wanted to, he could stand out at this Treasure Appraisal Fair.
Seeing Elder Lei's eager gaze, Ye Fan chuckled.
"Since all three major forces are participating, it won't be easy for me to stand out. Moreover, this not only requires superb appraisal skills but also the possession of sufficiently precious items, which is the difficult part."
The "Xiao Ran Pavilion" that Ye Fan had acquired from Feng Xiao earlier was obtained using a mere counterfeit. However, a counterfeit would certainly not suffice for participating in this Treasure Appraisal Fair.
Elder Lei was taken aback but then smiled frankly.
"Is it difficult to find good items? The items you presented before are naturally unsuitable for the appraisal fair, but in Jiangnan, it's not hard to find rare treasures. Don't forget, you also have the identity of a figure in the underworld."
Elder Lei's smile was quite cunning. Given his personality, if he thought of a good idea, he would never keep it to himself.
However, why did the old man's smile look so mischievous?
It was not hard to imagine that the old man was definitely hatching a wicked plan.
But Ye Fan was also very curious. What exactly had he thought of?
"My identity? What identity?"
Looking at Elder Lei, utterly clueless, Ye Fan asked.
He saw the old man slowly rise, "Brother Ye, I remember you once said you were an elder of the Ghost Market. With this identity, you can always go to the Ghost Market to snag some treasures. Moreover, the treasures that come out of the Ghost Market are absolutely top-notch."
The smile on Elder Lei's face grew wider.
Ye Fan suddenly understood. So, this was the old man's objective.
It seemed he wanted to visit the Ghost Market, which was why he thought of Ye Fan.
However, this was indeed a viable method. The items in the Ghost Market were all funerary objects. If discovered, they would be disqualified from the competition.
But if they were not discovered, winning the championship would not be impossible.
After some thought, Ye Fan smiled and nodded, "We can go and take a look. Back in Jiangcheng, I heard that the Ghost Market in Jiangnan was much larger than that in Jiangcheng, and the items within were more intricate and varied. If we go and have a look, we might be able to find some good treasures."
Seeing Ye Fan agree, Elder Lei became even more excited.
"When shall we go?"
Ye Fan turned to look at Elder Lei, his smile profound.
"What? Elder Lei, are you trying to probe my background?"
Elder Lei quickly stroked his beard and laughed heartily, having been too eager in his previous demeanor.
However, he and Ye Fan knew each other well, so there was nothing to hide.
"Brother Ye, do we need to investigate each other? I simply want to visit the Ghost Market. I haven't been there for a long time, and I wonder if there are any good items there now."
Elder Lei, being in a special position, could not easily go to the Ghost Market.
But this time, with Ye Fan accompanying him, he had no reservations.
Looking at Elder Lei's fawning smile, Ye Fan smiled helplessly and nodded.
This old man never knew what dignity was in front of him.
It seemed that only in front of him could he shed his pretense and act without restraint.
After making arrangements, Ye Fan, along with Dong Zi, left Xiao Ran Pavilion in Ye Fan's car, the three of them.
The Xiao Ran Pavilion was already open for business.
Elder Wang, Elder Li, Dong Zi, and Xiao Liu Zi, along with two appraisers and a young shop assistant. Dong Zi was responsible for logistics.
Only Ye Fan, the hands-off boss, was idle.
Thanks to Elder Lei's influence, Xiao Ran Pavilion had also secured several business deals. Although none of them were major transactions, they had still earned tens of thousands of yuan.
After leaving the factory, Elder Wang and Elder Li were as free as birds, regaining their freedom and also having a place to retire.
The two of them hummed little tunes and sipped small cups of wine when they had nothing to do, living quite contentedly.
Ye Fan and the other two arrived at a bustling shopping mall in Jiangnan City.
"Aren't we going to the Ghost Market? Why are we at a shopping mall?"
Ye Fan looked at Elder Lei in confusion.
The entrance to the Ghost Market in Jiangcheng was located in the suburbs, stretching for several miles.
Therefore, in Ye Fan's understanding, the Ghost Market in Jiangnan would certainly be in a secluded place in the suburbs.
But Elder Lei smiled and said, "The entrance to the Ghost Market is right under this shopping mall. Moreover, this shopping mall is an industry of the Ghost Market. You may not know this, but it is said that Jiangnan City is a tripartite, but in reality, the wealthiest in Jiangnan City are not these three factions, but the Ghost Market. Their industries are too vast, so much so that they have people in every sector and industry. However, the Ghost Market is keen on making money and never participates in other matters, so people naturally categorize them as a separate entity."