Ye Fan looked at Elder Ji and sighed. While Elder Ji was an expert in appraising antiques, his observation skills were lacking.
"He's not dead. That earthen grave, though the tombstone was erected five years ago, the mound itself is new. This proves that the area is frequently disturbed. Think about it, if Old Man Xu really died five years ago, why would his grave still be disturbed? Doesn't that seem contradictory?"
"Besides, we clearly saw Old Man Xu with our own eyes that day; he was flesh and blood, not a fake."
"But why would he fake his own death?" Shen Tianyin frowned, becoming increasingly confused.
Ye Fan narrowed his eyes, wearing a look of understanding everything.
"If my guess is correct, the situation at the time must have been that Old Man Xu had no time to dodge and was bumped into by us, so he could only feign ghostly appearances to scare us and create psychological trauma. However, this idea is quite clever. If I hadn't discovered the clue, I might have been completely fooled by him."
Although all of this was speculation, Ye Fan never doubted himself.
Moreover, this was the most logical explanation.
Elder Lei, Elder Ji, and Shen Tianyin all breathed a sigh of relief and slowly sat down.
Ye Fan's analysis and speculation were too shocking for them; they couldn't quite process it yet.
"What about Wei Chengmo then? What's his story?"
Shen Tianyin suddenly looked up at Ye Fan.
Regarding this, Ye Fan could only shake his head: "I have no clue about this matter either. However, Wei Chengmo's death is definitely not as Xu Sanhu claimed. There must be something strange about it. But to know, we can only ask Xu Sanhu."
Ask Xu Sanhu? Was that even possible? Even if they asked, would he tell them?
Elder Lei and Ji Nanshan both shook their heads, clearly not holding out any hope.
Only Ye Fan remained confident: "Some things, as long as you try, there will always be hope. Perhaps Xu Sanhu will have a change of heart and tell us everything."
Elder Lei and the others exchanged glances. Could that really happen?
Suddenly, Elder Lei thought of something. "What about the counterfeit manufacturing you mentioned earlier? What does it have to do with this Dong Village?"
He had been confused earlier and hadn't gotten any answers when he asked.
Ye Fan glanced at Elder Ji. "Elder Ji should explain this matter."
Ji Nanshan gave a wry smile. This kid was truly good at shirking responsibility.
However, since he had been pushed forward, he could only bear the burden.
So, he recounted the discovery of numerous pieced-together antiques in Jiangcheng to Elder Lei in detail. He spoke until his throat was dry, picked up the teapot, and gulped down several large mouthfuls of tea before feeling more comfortable.
"Bang."
Elder Lei slammed his fist on the table.
"Bastards! These scoundrels deserve to die. It's because of them that the antique circle has become so chaotic, with fakes rampant and people's hearts unsettled."
As a veteran figure in the Jiangnan Antique Association, Elder Lei had a deep affection for the antique trade.
Almost all his energy in his life had been dedicated to antiques, so he was uncontrollably enraged upon learning of the counterfeiting.
Deeply moved by Elder Lei's passion, Ji Nanshan greatly admired him.
"Elder Lei is upright and honest. How could he know the dirty thoughts and devilish tricks of these people? For profit, they will stoop to any means and have long lost their humanity. They only consider how much they can earn and never think about how many people their imitation antiques will harm."
On this point, Elder Ji was also filled with indignation.
The antique industry in Jiangcheng, which had finally developed, had become increasingly chaotic due to the impact of these fakes.
Once these counterfeits completely infiltrated Jiangcheng, the antique industry would likely collapse instantly. At that time, with fakes everywhere, who would still engage in buying and selling?
"This matter requires careful consideration. For now, we can only investigate based on the clues. The most important thing at the moment is that we must stall Xu Sanhu and his group. I believe since he locked us up, he must have further plans. We must stall him and preserve our lives. Just one night, and by tomorrow, we will have a chance to escape."
His gaze was fixed coldly on the outside, his expression tinged with coldness.
He had never been so indifferent before, but this time in Dong Village, he felt the coldness of human hearts.
Having lived two lives, he had never hated so much, but now, his inner cold blood had been completely ignited.
"Why will we be fine after tonight?"
Elder Lei asked, perplexed.
Ye Fan shook his head and did not answer him.
Just then, the door was pushed open, and Hu Liu walked in arrogantly.
"Ye Fan, our village chief wants to see you."
"Just me?"
Ye Fan pointed to himself, calm and unhurried.
"Stop the nonsense. If the village chief wants to see you, then go obediently, lest I rough you up."
Exhibiting the characteristics of a sycophant to the fullest, Hu Liu was clearly a turncoat.
Maintaining his composure, Ye Fan said coldly, "Lead the way."
"Ye Fan."
Shen Tianyin called out anxiously, her eyes filled with worry.
Xu Sanhu was no easy person. Asking Ye Fan to come over was likely detrimental to him.
However, Ye Fan smiled at Shen Tianyin, a sweet smile. "Don't worry, I'm going to have a chat with Village Chief Xu. We have clear consciences, so we naturally aren't afraid of their questions."
"Perhaps, after our conversation, Village Chief Xu will believe us."
Hu Liu beside them sneered, "You still want us to believe you? Before you came to Dong Village, the village's ancestral sacred object had never been lost. But ever since you stepped into this village, strange things have happened one after another, and even treasures have been stolen. All of this is caused by you. If you ask me, you should be thrown into the mountains to be fed to wolves."
Previously respectful and subservient to Ye Fan and the others, Hu Liu now displayed a cunning and ugly countenance.
Ye Fan suddenly turned his head. "With you? Do you dare?"
A terrifying aura suddenly erupted from him, instantly enveloping Hu Liu.
The moment the arrogant Hu Liu felt this aura, he felt as if his heart had stopped beating.
A deep sense of suffocation surged through his body, and his legs trembled uncontrollably, nearly causing him to collapse to the ground.
Ye Fan glanced at him coldly, snorted dismissively, and then got up to walk outside.
Hu Liu's forehead was already covered in a layer of cold sweat, and he thought to himself, "Who exactly is this Ye Fan? Why are his eyes so terrifying? What just happened to me? It felt like being stared at by a devil."
The feeling of terror lingered for a long time.
Still at Xu Sanhu's house, Xu Sanhu greeted Ye Fan with a beaming smile as he stepped into the courtyard.
"Brother Ye, you've finally arrived. Please come and sit."
From his expression, it was impossible to tell that Xu Sanhu was a sinister and cunning person.
Moreover, even his smile seemed filled with sincerity.
However, in Ye Fan's eyes, all of this was superfluous.
Without sitting down, he went straight to the point.
"Village Chief Xu deliberately framed us and locked us up. What is the reason? If you have any intentions, please state them directly. Such tricks are hardly clever."
Even Xu Sanhu hadn't expected Ye Fan to be so direct.