Chapter 130

Chapter 130

"With this level of artistry, you actually dare to ask for five million dollars?"

The shop owner smiled. "If this painting were truly ordinary, why would you have picked it out at first glance? Take a closer look."

Hearing this, Mona looked at it again, but still couldn't figure out what made this plain, unremarkable painting worth such a high price.

Damien walked over and studied the painting carefully. He noticed something unusual.

"This painting is interesting. The surface layer is just plain paper — the real value is in what's underneath, isn't it."

During certain periods in history, some people would protect valuable paintings by having a skilled artist paint another layer over the original. The top layer was usually mediocre work, meant to disguise the painting's true value.

"You've got a sharp eye," the shop owner said approvingly.

Damien smiled but said nothing. He picked out a few mineral stones and bought them along with the painting.

"I'll throw in these stones for free. Don't underestimate them — they're only found here right now. Take them back and have a look," the shop owner said cheerfully as she wrapped everything up.

Damien was actually quite curious about the stones.

After paying and collecting his items, Damien was about to take Mona back to the hotel when they stepped outside and found someone blocking them at the alley entrance.

The man leading the group was the same one who had harassed Mona earlier.

"Well, isn't this my lucky day — I was just looking for you two!" the man shouted at them.

"Hand over what you're carrying and give me the woman, and I'll let you walk away!"

He yelled at Damien while his eyes crawled all over Mona.

Damien laughed coldly. "Come and take it, if you think you can."

The man's face darkened. One of his men stepped forward and pointed at Damien.

"Still acting tough? Our boss is Bryce — the Dragon Society president's son."

"Get smart and bow your head right now, or you're going to regret it!"

As the man finished speaking, Damien held out the items in his hand. The others thought he was giving in and reached forward — but Damien turned and pressed everything into Mona's hands instead, then threw a punch.

They hadn't expected him to move so fast. Once they caught on, several of them rushed at Damien together. He took them all down without breaking a sweat.

"With this little fighting ability, the Dragon Society really has no reason to exist."

Damien rolled his wrists and looked down at the men on the ground with cold contempt, then stepped over them and walked away without another word.

Mona followed behind him, then turned back after a few steps and made a face at them.

Bryce was leaning against the wall clutching his stomach. When he saw Mona's face, his own face flushed red with rage — but all he could do was watch them leave.

"Help me up already!" he screamed at his men, who were in too much pain to even stand.

Back at the hotel, Mona curiously unrolled the painting again.

"How did you know there was another painting underneath?" She looked it over from every angle and couldn't spot anything.

Damien set down the mineral stones and looked up. "The thickness."

He pinched the edge of the painting and held it out for Mona to see. "This painting is a little thicker than normal — that's because an extra layer of paper was added. Most people won't notice by looking, but if you handle it, something feels slightly off."

Mona tried it herself, copying his gesture. "I can't feel anything."

Damien smiled. "That just means you're not an expert."

Mona was annoyed enough to roll up the painting on the spot and toss it into Damien's arms. "Fine, fine — you're the expert, you figure it out yourself."

Damien honestly couldn't do much with it either. He'd spotted the hidden painting, but he knew nothing about how paintings were mounted or faked.

His plan was to find someone who actually knew what they were doing, have the painting taken apart, and if it turned out to be valuable, maybe use it to get an introduction to the mayor of Crescent City.

Word was that this mayor, aside from his interest in medicinal herbs, had a passion for paintings.

With that in mind, Damien put the painting away, then took out the mineral stones, planning to have someone bring them back to Ghosthand for a thorough look.

Meanwhile, Bryce had gone straight back to his place and called his father.

"Father, I didn't get the painting." Bryce hadn't shown up at that shop by coincidence — he'd been there to buy it too.

"Useless." The old man's sharp rebuke came through the phone, and Bryce's expression soured.

"Get it back by whatever means necessary. Do I really need to spell out again why that painting matters?" the voice snapped.

"Yes, Father."

Bryce hung up and immediately had people dig into Damien's identity and whereabouts.

As for Damien, he was heading out with the painting and stones to arrange for them to be sent back, when a strange old man stepped into his path.

"Sir, something unlucky is coming your way today — best watch yourself." The old man had a full head of white hair and carried an air of mystery about him.

Damien looked at him and thought of Harold. His tone softened considerably.

"Thank you for the warning," he said.

But the old man didn't step aside. His gaze drifted to the scroll in Damien's hands.

"That thing you're carrying — it's going to bring you trouble." The old man let out a quiet sigh.

Damien raised an eyebrow. "Do you know the secret behind this painting?"

"No," the old man said simply, then turned and walked away.

Damien watched him go, his questions multiplying by the second.

He was still lost in thought when he suddenly heard a rush of air behind him.

A chill shot up his spine. He threw himself sideways just in time — a massive axe, glinting in the light, flew past his face and buried itself in the wall beside him.

"Lord, are you all right?"

Ironclaw had just arrived and caught the whole thing. He sprinted over, a few of his men close behind him, all of them glaring at the group who'd thrown the axe.

"I'm fine." Damien handed Ironclaw what he was carrying.

Bryce's eyes followed the items as they changed hands. Damien understood immediately what he was after.

"If you know what's good for you, hand over the painting!" Bryce said, eyes wide.

Damien almost laughed. Those words sounded awfully familiar.

"I paid five million dollars for that painting. You think I'll just hand it over because you say so?"

Bryce didn't care whether Damien had paid for it. If he wanted something, it was his. He waved his hand, and his men rushed forward all at once.

This time he'd brought extra people on purpose — specifically to mob Damien.

Let's see how tough you are when it's a dozen against one, Bryce thought.

More than ten men charged in aggressively, but Damien moved so fast he was barely more than a blur.

He took on all of them alone, driving them back step by step. Several men were curled up on the ground with arms and legs twisted at wrong angles, clearly done fighting.

Ironclaw and the men he'd brought hadn't moved an inch.

Bryce's face went pale. His legs took two steps back on their own.