Reborn As Super Heiress

Chapter 1818: Chapter 1721: Familiar Calligraphy and Painting

After rummaging through for a while, Hattori Keiko suddenly let out a startled cry. Jiang Qisheng Shu quickly turned around, and both Huo Sining and Gu Xu couldn’t help but crane their necks.

However, since those two were ninjas, they were undoubtedly more alert than ordinary people, worried about being discovered. Huo Sining and Gu Xu dared not get too close, so they could only see that the scroll used for the painting seemed similar in length to an ordinary painting’s scroll. It appeared to be a landscape painting, but the specific details were unclear to Huo Sining.

Huo Sining thought that the museum surely wouldn’t make a mistake. If there were genuine calligraphies and paintings inside, they wouldn’t have been left behind unless they were overlooked. Such situations might happen in antique shops or with street vendors, but the chance of it happening here at the museum was very slim. Therefore, Huo Sining didn’t believe that the painting they held was of much value.

However, what puzzled Huo Sining was that Hattori Keiko and Jiang Qisheng Shu seemed extraordinarily excited upon seeing the painting. Apparently, their purpose here was specifically for this particular calligraphy and painting.

Once they confirmed that the calligraphy and painting they were holding was indeed what they were seeking, they quickly took out a cylinder, rolled up the painting, and tucked it inside. Without even glancing at the other objects in the room, they headed straight for the door.

After exchanging a glance, Huo Sining and Gu Xu finally decided to make their move.

The two of them stealthily approached Hattori Keiko and Jiang Qisheng Shu from behind. The instant Jiang Qisheng Shu sensed danger and turned his head warily, Huo Sining swiftly reached out and pulled the two of them into Space.

Once inside the Storage Space, they were at her mercy. Huo Sining proudly glanced at Gu Xu and took the cylinder from Hattori Keiko’s hands, then pulled out the painting.

What she saw shocked her — the moment the painting was in her hands, Huo Sining felt a strong aura of Spiritual Energy enveloping it. The sensation it gave her was very familiar.

Huo Sining had a faint sense of realization. She quickly unrolled the painting.

It was an ink wash painting, two meters in length and over sixty centimeters wide. In the center of the silk of the scroll was written ”Penglai Xian Pavilion” in cursive script.

In the painting, one could see a solitary sail in the distance and the vast ocean. At the end of the sea, the mountains loomed faintly in the distance, much like an ordinary landscape painting with a rather profound ambiance. However, the painting had no signature or personal seal; only on the left side of the silk was the phrase: Penglai Mountain lies within the sea, a market for Da Ren within the sea.

Huo Sining remembered this phrase very clearly; it was a line from the Classic of Mountains and Seas: Inland Seas Northern Scripture.

Huo Sining never expected to encounter another bizarre painting so similar to ”Buzhou Mountain,” which was in her possession. Apart from the words ”Penglai Xian Pavilion,” there were no extra marks, making its origin unknown. However, Huo Sining clearly saw faint watermarks left on the painting.

This revelation left Huo Sining astounded. She stared dazedly at the painting, certain now that it was the work of the same artist as her ”Buzhou Mountain” painting!

Huo Sining was filled with bewilderment. She didn’t understand why such a painting would appear in Qingya Museum, nor did she comprehend why Fujiwara Seiho would send ninjas to steal it. How did he know the painting was hidden in Qingya Museum? And why was he so determined to obtain it? Did he know about the strangeness of the water painting, or had he uncovered some secret from it?

Various thoughts flashed through Huo Sining’s mind, creating chaos within her. She wished she could immediately pour water over the painting to see if it would reveal the same strange scenes as ”Buzhou Mountain.”

However, Huo Sining knew that the current situation was inappropriate. The security guards in the museum hall were only temporarily unconscious and could wake up at any moment, leaving no time to delay.

”Is there something wrong with this painting?” Gu Xu, unable to contain his curiosity, asked as he noticed Huo Sining staring intently at the painting.

Huo Sining nodded: ”I don’t know how to explain it, but I have a painting in my possession that seems to be part of a set with this one, created by the same artist. However, I haven’t figured out the significance of this painting yet. I need to take it back for further study.”

Gu Xu had no objections to Huo Sining’s decision. Not only had the museum abandoned the painting, but if they hadn’t followed those two Dongyang ninjas here, the painting would have already been stolen. Thus, Gu Xu saw nothing wrong with his wife keeping the painting for herself.

”Then let’s take it back for further study. In the meantime, we need to deal with those two Dongyang people before the three security guards wake up.”

Huo Sining looked up at Gu Xu: ”How should we deal with them?”

Gu Xu smiled: ”We don’t need to do it ourselves. Let’s hand them over to the Cultural Relics Bureau. Maybe we can even learn something from them.”

Huo Sining was taken aback. Gu Xu leaned in and whispered a few words in Huo Sining’s ear, causing her to chuckle. She shot Gu Xu a playful glare: ”Your plan is quite mean.”

Gu Xu raised an eyebrow: ”Mean? This is the most straightforward plan I could think of.”

Huo Sining motioned to Gu Xu, then released Jiang Qisheng Shu and Hattori Keiko from the Storage Space. Unaware that they had just vanished for a while, the two quickly realized the danger upon being released. In the next second, they attempted to attack Gu Xu, who was standing behind them. However, Gu Xu was prepared and quickly knocked them out, efficiently subduing them both.

Huo Sining took out some ropes from the storage ring and, according to Gu Xu’s instructions, stripped the two down to their underwear.

Gu Xu swiftly tied their hands and feet, then secured them to the warehouse’s stone pillars, writing the words ”Dongyang Thieves” on them.

Having learned professional knot tying techniques in the military, Gu Xu was adept at it and could confidently ensure that, without rescue, the two wouldn’t be able to escape on their own.

After completing these tasks, Gu Xu thoroughly searched the Dongyang thieves to ensure they weren’t carrying any hidden items like blades or concealed weapons. Only after confirming this did he nod to Huo Sining. The two then casually left the museum.