Chapter 214: Oh No, I’ve Become a Substitute
"AHEM, COUGH, COUGH..." This time, Arabella Donovan truly lost her composure. She had inhaled water straight into her nose, choking so hard she saw stars.
’I’ve been enjoying all this drama, only to find out I’m the main character?!’
"The... The Pavilion of Many Treasures?" Brandon Jennings was also stunned and bewildered. "Does this mean the Pavilion...?"
"That’s right. The Pavilion of Many Treasures is an enterprise that my son and I helped Master Rooney purchase and manage on behalf of his disciple—Miss Donovan. Theoretically, Miss Donovan is the Pavilion’s true owner."
Brandon Jennings: "!!!"
The Kerr mother and son: "!!!"
Arabella Donovan: "..." ’Did I just reach the pinnacle of life all thanks to my master?’
Caspian Rhodes: "..."
"Are you sure you haven’t made a mistake? My master has some real skills, but..." ’This is just too ridiculous! I’ve suddenly become a multi-millionaire—no, a billionaire. Even cheat codes in a game aren’t this broken! Power fantasy novels wouldn’t dare to have a plot this outrageous!’
"There’s no mistake." Man Vance, however, was completely certain of his deduction. "Twenty years ago, before your master left, I asked him how I would be able to find you in the future to hand this place over. He only said that the time was not yet right and that you would appear when it was."
Arabella Donovan: "..." ’But I wasn’t even born twenty years ago! And why does that sound like some vague nonsense a charlatan would spout? The vibes are way too strong. Somebody help me!!!’
"That’s a bit too vague. How can you be so certain that my master and I are the ones you’re looking for? If you accidentally identified the wrong person..."
Before Arabella Donovan could finish, Man Vance cut her off with a laugh. "Hahahaha, I thought the exact same thing at the time! There are so many people in this world, and it’s been so many years. Mistaking the person and repaying a debt of gratitude to the wrong party would be no small matter."
"I pestered him for a long time before he finally left some more specific information. He said his future disciple’s surname would be Donovan, and that she would appear twenty years later—the year you turn eighteen—with the string of copper coins he held at the time as proof. The very same string you’re holding right now."
Arabella Donovan froze, looking down at the string of copper coins in her hand.
Before she had much time to process this, she heard Man Vance add, "Oh, and there was also that stone from earlier."
"That stone? What about it?"
"That stone isn’t actually part of my collection. It was left behind by your master before he departed all those years ago."
"My master left it?" Arabella Donovan’s eyes widened in fresh shock. "Why would he leave something like that behind?"
"I don’t know for sure. When he left it, he only said that it would be useful to you. He said that when you came to this auction house upon turning eighteen, you would see the stone and understand what to do. In other words, the person who bought the stone today is the one we’ve been looking for."
Brandon Jennings’s brow furrowed slightly. "So that’s why you set that special rule and came here personally to wait for the person who bought the stone."
"That is correct. Of course, I was also quite curious myself. What kind of treasure could be hidden inside a stone that Celestial Master Rooney specifically left for his beloved disciple?"
Arabella Donovan pressed her lips together, saying nothing.
This explained why the stone reacted so strangely the moment Arabella touched it, as if it were deliberately trying to capture her attention.
It was, after all, a memento from an old acquaintance.
Not to mention, the raw stone inside contained spiritual marrow, something Arabella had only ever seen in her master’s possession before.
Arabella Donovan clutched the Five Emperors Coins in her hand. As she recalled everything Man Vance had just mentioned, a peculiar feeling stirred within her.
But she quickly pushed the feeling aside, letting out a long breath. "Even so, I still have to go back and confirm this with my master. Besides, this auction house was founded by you, and you’ve been managing it all these years. To just suddenly offer it to me..."
’No matter how I look at this, it seems too good to be true. I can’t tell if this windfall is a blessing or a curse.’
’Many of fate’s gifts come with a price tag attached. I can’t let myself be blinded by this sudden splendor and drop my guard.’
Hearing this, Man Vance turned to exchange a look with his son, the smile on his face growing a little more genuine.
Not many people could remain grounded and cautious in the face of sudden, immense wealth, let alone a girl so young. It was a testament to her character.
"That’s the right way to think about it. But you don’t have to be overly concerned. It was agreed from the start that this auction house was opened for you. And while our family has been managing it all these years, we’ve certainly been paying ourselves a fair wage."
In other words, she was the boss, and they were merely her employees, earning a reasonable salary for their work.
"Besides, considering the immense debt of gratitude our family owes your master, giving our entire fortune in return would not be an exaggeration. A single auction house is nothing in comparison."
Arabella Donovan: "..." ’An auction house that takes up an entire mountain is "nothing"? Is this how the super-rich see the world?’
"And to be perfectly honest, business people like us often make offerings to auspicious beasts or celestial beings to protect our homes and fortunes. To our family, your master is essentially in the same category, so..."
In other words, they had been treating the auction house’s profits over the years as offerings to Arabella’s master.
Arabella Donovan: "..." ’So, after all that, this is what it boils down to. Why do I suddenly feel the urge to laugh? What am I supposed to do?’
Master: "..." ’Oh no. I’ve become a stand-in!’
"I understand what you mean, but let me confirm it with my master first before we discuss it further."
"Of course. The doors of our auction house will always be open for you and Mr. Rooney."
The night had been a true roller coaster. While she had gained a great deal, it was also utterly exhausting.
After entering the private room, the Kerr mother and son dutifully faded into the background. Much like Caspian Rhodes, they became part of the scenery, not uttering another word during the entire exchange.
It wasn’t until they had left the private room that Miss Kerr finally broke her silence, sighing in admiration. "I never imagined Miss Donovan’s master would have such a deep connection with the auction house. But it makes sense. Only a transcendent master like yours could produce such an exceptional disciple."
"...To be honest, I didn’t expect it either." Arabella Donovan let out a dry laugh, clearly still reeling from the shock of discovering her master was, in fact, a legendary figure.
But she couldn’t be blamed. In her experience, her master had always been somewhat unreliable. Most of the time, she was the one cleaning up his messes. He didn’t seem like a legendary figure in the slightest.
"Anyway, let’s move on. Miss Kerr, I’ll leave the Blessing, Fortune, Longevity, and Joy stone with you. Please have your company’s artisans put a rush on it and carve the bracelet for me first. I need it urgently. As for the crafting fee and the one hundred million you lent me today, I’ll pay you back once I’ve sorted things out."
"Entrusting this to us means you have faith in our work. I guarantee I’ll have it done beautifully for you and won’t delay your important matters. As for the money, there’s no rush. And speaking of which, I happen to have something I’d like to discuss with you."