Seeing Ye Fan's deep gaze and cold expression, Elder Ji sighed.
He knew Ye Fan's character; once he made a decision, he would never give up easily.
Beside him, Shen Tianyin looked at Ye Fan affectionately, raised her hand, and slowly took his big hand.
"Whatever you do, I will support you, but you must protect yourself. I won't allow you to be harmed."
This was the first time she had spoken such words filled with deep affection to Ye Fan.
Looking at Shen Tianyin's worried gaze and her face full of tenderness, Ye Fan smiled and nodded, tightly gripping her hand.
Seeing the two of them being so intimate, Elder Ji helplessly rolled his eyes at them and coughed lightly.
"Should I leave first and come back after you've had your sweet moments?"
He felt like he was an unnecessary presence there given their behavior.
Shen Tianyin's face instantly flushed with two patches of red, feeling fiery. She let go of Ye Fan's hand and lowered her head, not daring to look directly at Elder Ji.
Ye Fan, however, had a thicker skin. He smiled and said to Elder Ji, "Elder Ji, you're acting disgracefully for an elder. Why are you meddling in the affairs of us young people?"
He glared at Elder Ji and gave him a look.
Elder Ji gave a wry smile but still got to the point: "Besides the Liu family, the Dark Alliance also has three other families: the Zhao family, the Wu family, and the Wang family. These three families have also been developing in Jiang City for hundreds of years. They are deeply entrenched and have profound foundations. Normally, the four major families of the Dark Alliance scheme against each other. On the surface, they are peaceful, but in reality, they attack each other, all wanting to seize the interests of the others. However, when major events occur, the four families will unite to fight common enemies. This is why, despite dissatisfaction with the Dark Alliance over the years, no one has been able to deal with them."
Elder Ji was a native of Jiang City, so he knew the situation in Jiang City better than many.
The four major families?
Ye Fan's lips curled into a cold smile. Such an alliance, though seemingly strong, would instantly crumble when truly faced with danger.
"Do you have a plan?"
Seeing Ye Fan's expression, Elder Ji quickly asked in a low voice.
Ye Fan smiled without answering. He naturally had a plan, but it couldn't be revealed yet. When the time was right, they would know.
The three of them ate the meal slowly and left in the afternoon.
The Tianyin Pavilion was also participating in the Appraisal Convention, so Shen Tianyin and Elder Ji returned to prepare.
Ye Fan, on the other hand, decided to go home and check on things.
Time flew by, and the Appraisal Convention finally began.
This Appraisal Convention would rank various antique organizations within Jiang City.
This was officially certified, so every antique organization attached great importance to it.
After all, once ranked high, business would naturally flourish.
Ye Fan, accompanied by Sun Yilang and Ye Xuanxuan, walked in slowly. The venue was vast, easily accommodating all antique forces in Jiang City.
Shen Tianyin had already arrived. Seeing Ye Fan and the others enter, she quickly strode forward with Elder Ji to greet them.
"I heard that City Lord Lin himself will be attending this Appraisal Convention. The scale is unprecedented."
Shen Tianyin lowered her voice and whispered to Ye Fan.
Lin Yue was also returning? Ye Fan was slightly taken aback, then sneered, "That's right, he's bound to come because he wants to see how chaotic things will get here today."
"What did you say?" Ye Fan mumbled softly. Shen Tianyin hadn't heard clearly and asked with confusion.
Ye Fan smiled and shook his head, "Nothing."
This time, he didn't want to involve Shen Tianyin. After all, even he himself didn't have much confidence.
If the plan failed, not only would he be implicated, but his loved ones around him might also be affected.
Seeing that Ye Fan didn't seem willing to elaborate, Shen Tianyin wisely didn't press further.
"Brother Ye."
Jiang Zhitao saw Ye Fan and quickly came over to greet him excitedly.
Seeing Jiang Zhitao approach, Ye Fan smiled, "You've come too?"
The Jiang family held a high status in Jiang City and owned several antique businesses, so Ye Fan wasn't surprised by Jiang Zhitao's arrival.
"I came with my old man and brought a few appraisers."
Jiang Zhitao smiled, then leaned towards Ye Fan and whispered in his ear, "I heard you're going head-to-head with the Liu family. I specifically brought a few more appraisers. This time, no matter what, we can't let the Liu family succeed." httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
He was inherently lawless, and seeing Ye Fan in trouble, he naturally wouldn't stand by idly.
Patting Jiang Zhitao on the shoulder, Ye Fan smiled, "Thanks, brother."
Understanding Jiang Zhitao's personality, too many words would seem too distant, so Ye Fan didn't express his gratitude excessively.
Pulling Jiang Zhitao aside, Ye Fan looked around. Seeing that no one was paying attention to them, he lowered his voice and said to Jiang Zhitao in a low tone, "Regarding the issue of selling forged goods last time, your Jiang family was also involved, but I didn't pursue it further. When you go back, tell your Jiang family that they must never engage in such absurd behavior in the antique business again. Otherwise, no matter who it is, I will never let them go."
Although he didn't mention who in the Jiang family was responsible for this, Jiang Zhitao wasn't a fool and already had a guess in his mind.
Seeing Ye Fan's resolute gaze, Jiang Zhitao sighed, "Brother Ye, I've already told my family. Moreover, my father personally promised me that he will definitely take it step by step and make the Jiang family flourish in the future."
Seeing that Jiang Zhitao had said this, Ye Fan nodded with satisfaction.
If Jiang Bo could truly do so in the future, then Ye Fan would have no reason to take action against the Jiang family.
Numerous antique forces in Jiang City began to enter.
Among these people were those Ye Fan knew and those he didn't. However, compared to the current Bogu Zhai and Tianyin Pavilion, these people were clearly inferior.
But the personal reception by Zheng Zhilong made these people feel honored.
Seeing Zheng Zhilong chatting happily with them, Ye Fan shook his head helplessly.
"Hmph, what's so arrogant about him? Isn't he just a dog of the City Lord's Mansion?"
Jiang Zhitao spat with a look of disdain.
At this moment, Liu Piaoxu finally arrived, followed by several young people, and surprisingly, not a single appraiser.
This woman was full of confidence. To not bring an appraiser to such an important occasion showed her self-assurance.
"What? Is there a problem?"
Seeing Ye Fan looking at her in surprise, Liu Piaoxu asked with a frown.
Ye Fan smiled and shook his head, "No, I just feel that your style is unique, but that also fits your personality."
Ye Fan's smile grew more pronounced.
Glancing at Elder Sun and Elder Ji behind Shen Tianyin, Liu Piaoxu quickly understood what Ye Fan meant and couldn't help but roll her eyes at him.
"I am an appraiser myself, so why would I bring anyone else? Besides, it's just an appraisal convention hosted by the Antique Association. I'm not the protagonist, so why make a grand fuss?"
It seemed that nothing in this woman's eyes was a big deal.
This calm demeanor made Ye Fan have to admire her.
But at this moment, a sarcastic voice rang out.
"I didn't expect that a traitor of my Liu family would dare to show up here."