Seeing Ye Fan’s attitude shift, Lei Shi smiled and said, “Young friend Ye, this was all my oversight. I will certainly toast you and apologize later. Please, come in and take a seat.”
“Elder Lei is too kind. Though I, Ye Fan, am no important figure, I simply have this temperament. I can’t stand those arrogant bastards.”
Elder Lei offered a wry smile and walked in alongside Ye Fan.
In the reception hall, tea had already been served by someone.
“May I ask why Elder Lei asked me here? I’ve never met Elder Lei before, nor do we have any connection. We are certainly not old acquaintances, so I truly cannot fathom why Elder Lei sought me out,” Ye Fan asked, getting straight to the point without ceremony.
Elder Lei was not offended by Ye Fan’s attitude. Instead, he smiled, picked up his teacup, and took a shallow sip.
He then fixed his gaze on Ye Fan and spoke, “To tell you the truth, when I first saw young friend Ye, you seemed very familiar. You might not know, but I was born in the Republic of China era. In that chaotic time of war, appraisers were extremely rare. During that era, there was a profession in the antique circle called tomb keepers. They were the cream of the crop, able to judge the authenticity of artifacts with just their eyes, performing miraculous feats.”
Lei Shi’s eyes remained fixed on Ye Fan’s face, unblinking. Although he already had an answer in his heart, believing this young man before him could not possibly be that person, he still felt a pang of sentimentality upon seeing someone reminiscent of the past.
“Tomb keepers?”
Ye Fan was inwardly shocked but maintained his composure.
Seeing Ye Fan’s reaction, Elder Lei’s conviction grew stronger. He nodded heavily, “Indeed, tomb keepers.”
“Back then, among the tomb keepers of Jiangnan, there emerged a rising star. In just a few short years, he became famous throughout the southern province. He was only around twenty years old, yet his keen eyes were praised by even the old veterans. His name was Ye Fan.”
At this, Ye Fan could no longer remain calm. He stood up abruptly, his body trembling slightly.
Since his rebirth, he had never lost his composure like this. But today, before Lei Shi, before this recollection of the past, his long-settled heart was in turmoil!
Seeing Ye Fan’s reaction, Elder Lei’s heart jolted.
“Young friend Ye, what is wrong?”
Ye Fan furrowed his brow slightly, a hint of coldness on his face.
Elder Lei’s question brought him back to his senses. He slowly shook his head, “It’s nothing. I was merely a bit shocked to hear that person shares my name.”
Despite his words, his reaction had already betrayed him.
Lei Shi observed Ye Fan, saying no more, but the answer he had long settled in his heart began to subtly waver.
Had he guessed wrong? Could this Ye Fan really be that person from the past?
But why was he so young? This was clearly not scientifically plausible.
“Elder Lei, please continue,” Ye Fan sighed, calming his agitated mind, and spoke indifferently.
Elder Lei nodded. “That Mr. Ye was renowned throughout Jiangnan at the time, an idol in the hearts of many. I was one of his admirers. However, prominent figures in those times rarely met good ends. Mr. Ye was ultimately ambushed, and his fate remained unknown.”
He had intended to say Ye Fan had died, but he swallowed the words, changing them to ‘fate remained unknown.’
“Is that so?” Ye Fan said coldly. “That truly is a heroic and touching story.”
Recalling that past, Ye Fan still felt his blood surge within him.
If he hadn’t swallowed the Suihou Pearl at the last moment and unexpectedly revived in this world, he would likely have perished in the inferno.
Lei Shi narrowed his eyes, trying to glean something from Ye Fan’s expression.
But he was disappointed. The composure Ye Fan displayed far exceeded his expectations.
“I’ve heard young friend Ye is very talented in appraisal. We recently discovered a Buddhist ruin in North Street, and there are many aspects we don’t understand. I wonder if you would be interested in helping us unravel these mysteries?”
Finding no clues from Ye Fan’s reaction, Elder Lei had to find another approach.
If he could discover something from Ye Fan’s appraisal of ancient artifacts, he could similarly confirm Ye Fan’s identity.
Ye Fan frowned, initially intending to refuse, but then he thought of the meteorite he had transported back, and his heart couldn't help but be moved.
Smiling, he cupped his hands, “In that case, I shall trouble Elder Lei.”
His prompt agreement to the matter made Lei Shi ecstatic. He immediately ordered a banquet to be prepared to host Ye Fan.
During the feast, he introduced the people he had brought one by one to Ye Fan.
These were either Lei Shi’s subordinates or his disciples. Most were very polite to Ye Fan, except for Lei Shi’s disciple, who showed considerable hostility towards Ye Fan.
Being of similar age and seeing Ye Fan as Elder Lei’s honored guest, how could he be convinced?
“Elder Lei, did you make any discoveries within that great Buddha statue?” Ye Fan asked suddenly during the feast.
Among the unearthed artifacts, only that Buddha statue had piqued Ye Fan’s interest.
Its peculiar shape seemed to convey a great secret hidden within to future generations.
As for the Buddha’s sarira or other artifacts, they had been found in other Buddhist ruins. Besides their precious value, there was nothing else to explore.
Lei Shi shook his head, sighing.
“That seated Buddha is quite peculiar. We have only conducted preliminary examinations, obtaining only simple information such as its material and internal structure. As for the meaning of its one open and one closed eye, I cannot ascertain it and require further research to draw a conclusion.”
Even the experienced Lei Shi did not know the meaning behind the strange features of the great Buddha, let alone others.
At this moment, the disciple named Xue Tao let out a cold snort and looked at Ye Fan, “Since Mr. Ye is so capable, why not explain it to us?”
He would not let such a perfect opportunity to target Ye Fan slip by.
Ye Fan’s gaze deepened. He had previously ignored Xue Tao’s repeated attempts to cause trouble, as he felt his status was above that of Lei Shi, and there was no need to bicker with this junior.
However, his forbearance had only led to Xue Tao’s continuous provocation. Even a clay statue would show anger, let alone Ye Fan, whose nature was to abhor evil!
He cast a cold glance at him, “With you, you wish to test me?”
Even his teacher, Lei Shi, treated him with respect, yet this junior did not warrant Ye Fan’s attention.
Xue Tao sneered, “I naturally wouldn’t dare to test Mr. Ye. It’s just that I’ve heard Mr. Ye is a leading figure in Jiangcheng’s antique world, but we have only heard his name and have never seen Mr. Ye display his skills. Naturally, we are eager. If it’s inconvenient for Mr. Ye, then please disregard my words.”
This young man was cunning, and his words were insidious.
If Ye Fan did not explain, it would be admitting defeat, and he would inevitably become a laughingstock among these people.
But if he explained, he would gain no advantage, and could even end up in trouble. It was a no-win situation.