As for Black Peony, who had watched the painting leave, her eyes were filled with reluctance. She hadn't seen enough, hadn't looked at it carefully, and it was taken away just like that.
The charcoal pen wasn't easy to use, and her hands were black. Niu Youdao went to the small room to wash his hands. When he came out, he saw that Black Peony was still in a daze. He couldn't help but chuckle. "Looks like you like this painting."
He reckoned that he should like it as well. Now that he saw Black Peony's reaction, he was even more relieved.
Black Peony's gaze became extremely gentle as she looked at him. She still asked the same question, "Daoye, are you really giving it to me?"
Niu Youdao said, "It's you. If I don't give it to you, who should I give it to? Give it to Old Bear, or keep it for myself? "
Black Peony didn't say anything else. She walked to the side and opened the seal on the wine that the waiter had brought. She poured a cup of wine and held it with both hands. Everything was said without words.
Niu Youdao raised his cup and drank it. He asked very seriously, "If this painting wasn't given to you but sold to you, would you buy it for 100,000 gold coins?"
Black Peony was stunned for a moment. She nodded and then shook her head. "I can't afford 100,000 gold coins. If I had enough money, I would definitely buy it."
Yuan Fang curled his lips. He felt that Black Peony was flattering him. The painting was beautiful, but who would spend 100,000 gold coins to buy it? That person would be crazy. He might consider it if it was 10 gold coins, but 100,000 was impossible!
When Black Peony said this, she seemed to understand what Niu Youdao meant by 'making money'. She asked doubtfully, "Daoye, do you want to make money by painting?"
"Make money by painting?" Niu Youdao laughed involuntarily.
If painting could change Monkey and Old Bear's thoughts, if painting could make the Song family give up their hatred, if painting could solve all their troubles, he wouldn't mind.
However, this thing could only make people who hadn't seen it feel fresh for a while. Ornamental things were ornamental things. When faced with profit, a painting might not be as tempting as a bowl of rice. He shook his head and said with a smile, "I don't sell my art!"
The waiter walked out of the inn and quickly came to the inn's lobby. He went directly to the counter. "Shopkeeper, take a look."
"What?" The shopkeeper was puzzled. He stared at the unfurled scroll, and when he saw the contents, he was stunned. "Is this a black peony?"
He recognized who the painter was at a glance. The key was that the painting was too realistic. It was completely different from those ink and wash paintings that showed a vague artistic conception.
"That's right." The shop assistant nodded.
The shopkeeper took the painting into his hands and his eyes lit up. He looked at it carefully and clicked his tongue in wonder. "What kind of painting technique is this? Where did you get it? "
"The guest in Room B painted it for Black Peony. I saw it with my own eyes when I brought the wine in, so I used a piece of charcoal as a brush and scribbled on the paper …" The waiter gave a detailed account of what he had seen and explained that the guest had asked him to frame it. After that, he asked tentatively, "Should we show this fresh thing to the back?"
The shopkeeper's eyes flickered. He carefully rolled up the painting and instructed, "There's no rush to mount it. You stay here and look after it first. I'll go see the chief."
"Alright!" The shop assistant nodded.
The shopkeeper quickly left the counter with the painting and walked quickly to the castle behind the inn …
In the garden, Huang Engui and Junior Brother Cui Yuan paced back and forth, observing the surroundings and looking for the target.
The counter should have the registered room number of the target, but they didn't dare to ask. The counter wouldn't tell them even if they asked, so they could only search slowly.
After searching for a long time, there was no clue. It was impossible for them to knock on the door one by one. If they really did that, they were afraid that they would immediately be targeted by the Inviting Moon Inn.
The target must be going out. The two were preparing to wait at the entrance of the inn, when Cui Yuan suddenly touched Huang Enping's arm.
Huang Enping looked in the direction he indicated. Through the gaps between the trees, the two saw Lei Zongkang come out of a room on the opposite floor and open the door to enter the next room.
"Let's go and find him." Huang Enping, who had memorized the room number, called out in a low voice.
Cui Yuan pulled him back. "Senior Brother, it's not appropriate to go directly to the door. Didn't Martial Uncle say not to alert the enemy?"
Huang Enping stared at the room and said, "Since they're riding on that person's coattails, they shouldn't be so rude. They didn't even knock on the door when they entered. The target shouldn't be in that room. It's a good time to find him to confirm the news."
Cui Yuan nodded, agreeing with his point of view.
The two left the garden and went to the opposite building. Paying attention to their surroundings, they approached the door of the room where Lei Zongkang had disappeared.
As they slowly approached, Huang Enping suddenly opened the door and entered while no one was paying attention. Cui Yuan followed and quickly closed the door.
Inside the room, Lei Zongkang was standing in front of the window, his thoughts drifting. He was a little worried about Black Peony's decision. Today, Daoye's behavior in the city didn't seem like someone with any knowledge. How could he have any background?
Last night, he had asked for two more rooms. He, Duan Hu, and Wu Sanliang were a group of three, so he stayed in one room by himself. It wasn't suitable for a man and a woman to share a room with Black Peony. He had just discussed this matter with Duan Hu and Wu Sanliang in their rooms. After a round of interaction and understanding, the two also felt that Daoye didn't seem like someone with a powerful background. However, the two still decided to believe in Black Peony. They had been together for so many years and understood each other. They believed that Black Peony wouldn't do anything to harm them.
Lei Zongkang's original intention was to persuade Wu Sanliang and Duan Hu to join him in persuading Black Peony. Some things could still be regretted now, but it would be too late when they were caught up in it. In the end, the two's attitudes disappointed him.
After so many years, it was impossible for them to agree on everything. There would be times when they would disagree on a certain issue. Under normal circumstances, the minority would obey the majority. Since Wu Sanliang and Duan Hu had such attitudes, he couldn't say anything more.
It wasn't that he didn't believe in Black Peony, but he felt that everyone had made this decision too rash and rash.
Suddenly, there was the sound of a door opening behind him. Lei Zongkang thought it was Duan Hu and the others, but when he turned around, he was stunned.
Before he could speak, Huang Enping made a shushing gesture and maintained a safe distance from him to show that he didn't have any ill intentions. At the same time, he lowered his voice and said, "Lei Zongkang, don't worry. We won't cause trouble in the Moonseeking Inn."
Lei Zongkang was bewildered. "Why did Lord Huang and Lord Cui suddenly come to visit?"
Huang Enping: "It's nothing. We just have something to ask you."
Although the other party had put on an attitude of no offense, Lei Zongkang still didn't dare to approach. He said suspiciously, "Lord Huang, there's no harm in asking."
Huang Enping: "I heard that you've found a sponsor?"
Speaking of this, Lei Zongkang couldn't help but smile bitterly. "There's a bit of a misunderstanding. It's not what it looks like on the outside. He didn't agree to any recommendation or guarantee."
Huang Enping immediately asked, "What's his name?"
Lei Zongkang didn't know why Huang Enping was so concerned about this, but it didn't seem like it was a big deal. He replied, "Xuanyuan Dao!"
"Xuanyuan Dao … Dao …" Huang Enping muttered and exchanged a meaningful look with Cui Ping. Then, he asked again, "Do you know which sect he's from?"
Lei Zongkang shook his head. "I don't know! Lord Huang, I'm not lying to you. He didn't reveal anything about his background. None of us here know. "
After exchanging another look with Cui Ping, Huang Enping slowly walked to a chair and sat down. Sighing slowly, he said, "I think the few of you are really tired of living. How dare you go against our Immortal Retaining Sect."
Lei Zongkang was surprised. "Lord Huang, why do you say that? When have we not been respectful to the Immortal Retaining Sect? When have we ever gone against you? "
Huang Enping: "Do you really not know where that person is from, or are you pretending not to know?"
Lei Zongkang sensed something in Huang Enping's words. "Indeed, I don't know. Do you have any advice for me, Lord Huang?"
"That person is not Xuanyuan Dao at all. Xuanyuan Dao is a fake name. His real name is Niu Youdao. His real identity is an abandoned disciple of Yan's Shangqing Sect. He killed the grandson of Lord Yan's Supreme Court …" Huang Enping briefly explained the negative aspects of Niu Youdao, from killing Song Yanqing to killing Liu Ziyu, then to killing the envoy of Yan, Song Long, and so on. When he was done, he asked, "If you guys are hanging out with him, then what is it if not going against the Immortal Retaining Sect?"
Lei Zongkang's heart skipped a beat. No wonder he felt that Daoye was a little abnormal. If what he said was true, then he was really going against the Immortal Retaining Sect. The Immortal Retaining Sect was not something they could afford to offend. He hurriedly said, "We really don't know anything about this. We actually have nothing to do with him …" He emphasized that they had only agreed to follow him. Finally, he reiterated, "Don't worry, Lord Huang. I will inform Hei Peony and the others immediately and sever all ties with him. We definitely won't go against the Immortal Retaining Sect!"
Huang Enping sneered. "Now that you're involved in this matter, do you think you can go on and off as you please? You're really desperate. Don't you think about how serious it is to kill Envoy Yan? Will Yan let him off? Even Prince Yongping Shang Chaozong was so afraid that he couldn't avoid him and abandoned him. Yet, you guys are still rushing forward. You're really not afraid of death! "
Lei Zongkang broke out in a cold sweat. "Lord Huang …"
Huang Enping raised his hand and interrupted him. "Since I've come to your door and can sit down to discuss this matter with you, I'm not here to cause trouble. You and I have no enmity. Besides, you've only just met him and haven't done anything for him. There's no need for me to make things difficult for you. However, this matter is not up to you to decide. Let bygones be bygones. "
Lei Zongkang hurriedly stepped forward and cupped his hands. "Lord Huang, please enlighten me."
Huang Enping said calmly, "You know the rules of Picking Star City. We can't simply touch the guests staying at the Moon Inviting Inn. We also don't want to alert the enemy and let him escape. Do you understand?"
Lei Zongkang was stunned for a moment. Then, he suddenly realized that Huang Enping wanted them to keep an eye on him. He immediately nodded and said, "Lord Huang, don't worry. I'll immediately inform my companions to help the Immortal Retaining Sect keep an eye on him and atone for their crimes!"
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