Chapter 52: A Bribe from the Grandmaster.

“Say, how come all of you know about this Mirror Image Bracelet?”

“Isn’t it just some ordinary treasure from a Taobao shop?”

Chen Fan asked curiously.

“It is now, but it wasn’t always.”

“The Mirror Image Bracelet originally came from my hands—it once appeared at an auction.”

“But no one bid on it.”

“Later, I invited quite a few restoration masters and array inscription masters to examine it, but none of them could repair it.”

“So, for a while, the Mirror Image Bracelet was quite well-known.”

“I’d bet plenty of masters secretly went to study it, but since they weren’t confident enough to fix it, they simply didn’t act.”

Ji Yaoyao explained, her words peeling back a layer of truth, causing the faces of several masters to flush slightly with embarrassment.

“Say, was it you who repaired it?”

Ji Yaoyao asked expectantly.

“No, it was a senior in my family who did it.”

Chen Fan shook his head—he didn’t want to be in the spotlight.

If those masters swallowed their pride and asked for advice, wouldn’t his cover be blown?

If he didn’t give them pointers, he’d offend them.

So he might as well invent an imaginary senior from his family—it helped keep his mysterious persona while raising his status a little.

“A senior in your family?”

“I see now…”

Ji Yaoyao’s eyes lit up with sudden realization.

She thought of the powerful and mysterious aura she had sensed in Chen Fan’s territory—that aura carried the presence of time itself.

“Whew…“

The others, too, secretly let out a breath of relief.

Chen Fan was just too young.

If he could repair a treasure that even those masters had failed to fix, that would be far too unrealistic.

No matter how heaven-defying your talent is, restoration work demands experience, technique, and time.

The old folks felt relieved, and so did the younger generation.

After all, no one really likes their peers being too much better than them.

“I’ll be visiting again another day. I hope you’ll introduce me!”

Ji Yaoyao gazed at Chen Fan with blazing eyes.

As the person in charge of an auction house, knowing a master craftsman whose skills bordered on the divine was a huge advantage.

If she could convince the master to lend a hand, what would she ever need to worry about in terms of having a final, show-stopping treasure for an auction?

She knew now—her bet on Chen Fan was the right one.

“No problem.”

Chen Fan nodded, though he was cheering wildly inside.

After all, he was the so-called senior master behind the repairs.

He could more or less guess what Ji Yaoyao had in her eyes—wasn’t it all about fixing treasures?

As long as the price was right, he could earn a healthy markup.

Free repair services?

No way.

Even a grandmaster’s gotta eat.

And all the materials needed for the repairs? You’d better have those ready yourselves.

For a moment, Chen Fan seemed to see a mountain of points and wealth waving cheerfully at him.

He hadn’t expected a simple Mirror Image Bracelet to create such a ripple effect, bringing him unseen business opportunities.

“Thanks…”

Seeing how readily Chen Fan agreed, Ji Yaoyao beamed with joy.

“Little friend Chen Fan, may I ask if you could introduce me to some of these masters one day…”

At that moment, an elderly man slowly walked up to Chen Fan, speaking with utmost humility and sincerity.

Chen Fan was a little shocked.

“This is Master Gu, a highly renowned restoration master in South City.”

Ji Yaoyao said with a smile by way of introduction.

“Greetings, Master…”

Chen Fan bowed respectfully.

Restoration masters were in high demand and held great sway—many complete treasures on the market were products of their craftsmanship.

Besides, Master Gu hadn’t shown any disrespect earlier.

“I’m merely someone with an undeserved reputation.”

“You’re senior, now they

 are the one with divine craftsmanship, a true marvel.”

“I do hope you might introduce me one day—I would be honored to pay them a visit.” Master Gu remained exceptionally modest.

“Master Gu, you flatter us too much.”

“My senior prefers simplicity and rarely meets strangers…”

“If there’s an opportunity, I will surely introduce you. But it’s not something that can be rushed.”

Chen Fan shook his head, refusing outright.

Come on, this was a bona fide master. If he made the introduction, wouldn’t his lie about “the senior” collapse?

“Then I shall await good news from you, little friend.”

“As this is our first meeting, please accept a small gift from me…”

As he spoke, Master Gu took out a precious-looking box and handed it to Chen Fan—a clear attempt to bribe him.

“Master Gu, I can’t accept this!”

“I’ve done nothing to deserve such a gift…”

Chen Fan’s eyes lit up with excitement, but his reason held firm.

After all, there’s that saying: you feel guilty when you take someone’s money without doing anything for them.

He couldn’t bring himself to just take the gift without giving something in return.

“There’s a small misunderstanding. I’m merely hoping to form a good connection with you, not asking for you to put in a word for me.”

“A true master has a peculiar temperament and can’t be swayed by others or material gain. I am already like that—so how could a real grandmaster be any different?” Master Gu explained sincerely.

“Xiao Fan, you should accept it.”

“Master Gu’s gifts never come with hidden strings attached.”

Ji Yaoyao chimed in to support him.

“In that case, I humbly accept, and thank you for your generosity.”

Now reassured, Chen Fan happily took the box without hesitation.

He didn’t even open it—just tucked it straight into his storage ring.

A gift from a true master—how could it be ordinary?

The effort he put into repairing the Mirror Image Bracelet had paid off.

He’d only come here hoping to snack on some spiritual fruits.

He never imagined he’d end up walking away with so many unexpected gains.