"What did you say? The auction house was burned down?"
Hearing Bu Er and Jiang Zhizhou's report, Yang Qing rose to his feet at once.
With such a blatant move, how could he fail to see what was happening?
Someone knew why they had come and had stayed one step ahead, destroying what they wanted.
"That's right. By the time Young Master Jiang and I arrived, the fire had only just gone out."
Whoever was acting behind the scenes wanted them to watch their hopes crumble right before their eyes.
A faint smile curled Yang Qing's lips. "It seems someone knows our movements and intentions like the back of their hand."
They had even managed to get ahead of them and settle the matter first.
"If it's destroyed, so be it. Since we're already here, let's rest for two days before setting off again."
With that, Yang Qing had Jiang Zhizhou and Bu Er leave the inn with him.
"Someone around us must be watching our movements. They know we want to learn where that portrait came from, and they may well use it to stir up trouble."
Hearing Yang Qing's words, Bu Er said, "They've already destroyed the auction house. Where would we find the painting... ah, Young Master, are you saying the painting is in their hands?"
Yang Qing said, "I couldn't be sure before, but after this fire, there's a good eight or nine chances out of ten that they have it."
Having taken the painting, they would naturally come to bargain with them.
As for what their terms would be...
"We'll know when they come."
Yang Qing's prediction proved correct. They had spent only one night at the inn when, the next morning, a letter of unknown origin was found stuck to their door.
There were