Chapter 119

Chapter 119

It was an exquisitely crafted painting scroll. The exposed ends of the scroll radiated a pure black luster, engraved with mysterious patterns resembling unknown flowers.

Xie Biao suddenly recalled the origin of this painting.

It was their last acquired item, obtained from a small collector. Originally, they had intended to steal an antique vase from the Ming Dynasty in the collector’s possession, but seeing that this painting also looked valuable, they decided to take it as well.

According to the collector’s dying words, he wasn’t sure if the painting was authentic or which dynasty it came from. He had stumbled upon it in the black market, sensing that the materials used were extraordinary and the artist’s skill was exceptional. Believing it unlikely to be a forgery, he had taken a gamble on it.

Was this painting the other’s target?

If only he had known, he wouldn’t have taken it...

Xie Biao instantly regretted his decision.

But there was no time for remorse now. He kept his eyes fixed on the young man who was intently focused on the scroll. The youth was motionless, carefully examining the scroll’s rollers, seemingly searching for any possible damage. His gaze was utterly concentrated, oblivious to his surroundings and ignoring Xie Biao’s presence.

The long-haired youth slowly unrolled the painting.

“Now’s my chance!” Xie Biao thought.

The door to the collection room was wide open behind him. He quickly channeled his internal energy to his feet, then forcefully pushed off the ground. His body defied logic, floating lightly as he twisted in mid-air, darting towards the exit like an agile monkey.

In that moment, his movements were as swift as lightning, faster than a fleeting vision.

But before the joy of escape could surface, his expression changed dramatically.

The door within reach had begun to melt inexplicably. The rectangular doorframe dissolved in circles, as if transforming into a chocolate-colored donut. Centered on the doorframe, the ceiling, walls, tall red sandalwood cabinets, nearby square display stands with their unfinished exhibits, and the deep red carpet on the floor – everything rapidly melted. It was like a huge glob of multicolored paint mixed together, constantly stirred into swirling, colorful vortexes.

As he rushed towards the door, Xie Biao plunged into this vortex. His body seemed to lose control and began to melt, flowing towards the center of the whirlpool...

“No—” All the internal energy in his body exploded within his meridians, blood surging wildly through his vessels. Xie Biao struggled with all his might, but it felt as if another force had descended upon his shell, commanding his body, causing every inch of his flesh to melt into paint, joyfully leaping into the colorful vortex.

Xie Biao watched his distorted arms deform, each finger dripping like paint, merging with the melting ceiling, walls, and carpet.

He saw all these melted elements flow towards the seven-colored whirlpool, where the paints slowly streamed, sketching an enormous painting before his eyes.

In a living room lit by a warm yellow light, more than ten silhouettes sat around a table laden with delicacies. Their outlines were blurry, their forms dyed with various colors, emanating a distorted and ethereal quality from within. Only the hot tears brimming in their indistinct faces conveyed a sense of heartfelt fervor.

The figure seated at the head of the table was neither black nor white, just an empty outline.

An atmosphere of beauty, warmth, harmony, and happiness seemed to pour out of the painting. It was so comforting that it almost felt as if immortal music was playing, making one imagine they were witnessing a holy scene in heaven.

How wonderful it was to be the paint that depicted such a heavenly scene, to become a part of this paradise!

An incomparable longing arose in his heart, causing the struggle on his face to slowly relax into a contented smile.

He felt his body falling as it continued to melt, seemingly dropping into that painting, appearing at the long dining table, becoming a member of this heavenly scene.

At the same time, the person sitting at the head of the table slowly raised their knife and fork. Suddenly, the diners surrounding the table melted like the paint on their bodies. The dishes on the table also melted, and the liquefied paint slowly flowed towards the table...

“No, no, I don’t want this—!”

Just before completely melting, Xie Biao suddenly awoke!

In the midst of his violent struggle, his body, on the verge of melting into a glob of paint, seemed to finally sense the presence of his internal energy. Xie Biao desperately tried to summon the internal energy deep within the paint.

It was as if firecrackers had been lit. Continuous bursts of explosions resonated from the man’s blood vessels. The self-destructing internal energy exploded throughout his body, yet the man seemed oblivious to the pain. He let out a maniacal laugh, like a prisoner who had finally broken free from his chains!

Xie Biao indeed felt very light now.

In the collection room, a group of people lay sprawled on the ground. Some were crying, some were laughing, and some were as quiet as chickens.

The Ji siblings leaned shoulder to shoulder in a corner, seemingly lost in a beautiful dream, with drool almost trickling from the corners of their mouths. Xue Hao and Shi Cheng were giggling foolishly, their gazes fixed ahead, seeing who knows what.

The surrounding robbers were broadly divided into two categories.

The first was similar to Xue Hao and the others – dazed expressions, slight smiles, peaceful demeanors, as if they had all become Buddhas.

The other category laughed maniacally, engrossed in their own “body art.” Some with bloodshot eyes fought each other as if battling mortal enemies. Hands, feet, and even teeth became their weapons. Even when they had beaten each other to a pulp, they continued fighting tirelessly.

The nearby display stands had long since been toppled. Several antiques had crashed to the ground, making An Xiaoxi’s heart ache.

At the entrance, the leader of the robbers was in an even more horrific state. One of his arms lay severed on the ground, the wound suggesting it had been forcibly torn off. Yet he seemed oblivious, lowering his head to frantically gnaw at the fingers of his other hand like a crazed beast.

The bright red flesh and stark white bone fragments around him formed a grotesque painting, emitting a strong smell of blood.

“Ugh...” The scene was too shocking. An Xiaoxi, who had never witnessed such a spectacle in her life, immediately began to retch.

“Hmm?” Her movement seemed to startle the only other person still standing in the collection room.

—It was the mysterious long-haired youth, who had been standing at the center of the room all along, silently admiring the unrolled painting in his hands, seemingly oblivious to everything happening around him.

At that moment, he finally turned his head to look at An Xiaoxi. He seemed surprised that she had managed to break free from that bizarre atmosphere.

His gaze briefly swept over the bronze short sword in An Xiaoxi’s hand. The youth named Joey showed a faint look of realization. “I see, it’s because of this sword...”

He disinterestedly withdrew his gaze.

Then, he slowly rolled up the painting.

He turned to leave, as if the purpose of his visit was solely for this painting, caring nothing for anything else.

“...”

Behind him, An Xiaoxi watched his retreating figure with a complex gaze.

Her mind was brimming with questions. She wanted to call out to him, but the eerie scene around her made her hesitate.

This mysterious extraordinary was clearly not someone to be trifted with.

As she wrestled with her thoughts, someone spoke up for her.

“Um, wait a moment!”

An Xiaoxi turned in surprise to find that Shi Cheng had somehow regained consciousness and called out the moment he opened his eyes.

Without hesitation, he scrambled to his feet. Almost without a second’s thought, he chased after the departing figure, shouting, “Please wait!”

An Xiaoxi listened in disbelief as muffled voices carried from the corridor outside the collection room—

“Excuse me, you must be a powerful extraordinary, right?”

“—Please accept me as your disciple!”

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