Regarding Ye Tiancheng and the little fox, their method of disguising themselves in this peculiar market was detailed in an ancient text found by the little fox. The text stated that their disguised auras were transformations of their original ones.
Ye Tiancheng was a living person, and even though he was a cultivator, he was still a living human being. Perhaps it was precisely because of this that Ye Tiancheng appeared to these malevolent spirits as a genuine and powerful one, a fellow being whose identity could be confirmed.
The little fox, however, was different. Zhang Liushun's inquiry into the true relationship between Ye Tiancheng and the little fox was partly due to this. The little fox's aura was peculiar, and they couldn't discern it. Furthermore, the little fox's aura clearly did not originate from Ye Tiancheng, so no one would have assumed the little fox was Ye Tiancheng's biological brother.
Without Zhang Liushun mentioning it, Ye Tiancheng and the little fox could sense some clues. As time passed and they stayed longer in the peculiar market, coupled with the little fox's sensitivity to such matters, the little fox had long since sensed this.
As for Ye Tiancheng, he didn't truly feel anything; rather, the description in the ancient text had already led him to speculate and anticipate this possibility.
However, this possibility did not affect the little fox's decision to join him in entering the peculiar market, so Ye Tiancheng did not pay too much attention to this characteristic.
Afterward, Ye Tiancheng and the little fox heard more from Zhang Liushun about the little monstrous talent.
In reality, there was nothing particularly new or valuable to report. However, Zhang Liushun's account was enough for Ye Tiancheng and the little fox to understand how miserable the little monstrous talent was living there, and they wondered why he insisted on living and residing in this place.
In any case, Ye Tiancheng and the little fox felt that unless there was a special purpose, hiding in any corner would be better than living in this dilapidated place and being bullied. No matter how impoverished, it couldn't be worse.
When Zhang Liushun had said all he could, the topic of the little monstrous talent was temporarily concluded.
Afterward, Ye Tiancheng and the others chatted for a while longer, discussing casually where they should go to "play" next. At least, that was Zhang Liushun's intention. They spent some time setting their goals, but after setting them, they still had tea and snacks to finish, so they didn't rush to leave the tea stall.
Instead, they continued to sit at the tea stall, slowly sipping tea and eating pastries and snacks.
Later, during their casual conversation, Ye Tiancheng casually brought up, "Speaking of which, I wonder how much longer we can stay here, and when we can leave the peculiar market and go outside."
"The outside is sealed off for some unknown reason. I don't know if the Grand Market Master here has any thoughts on the matter."
Zhang Liushun was now incredibly attentive and loyal to Ye Tiancheng, so he wouldn't let Ye Tiancheng's words fall by the wayside.
Upon hearing Ye Tiancheng bring this up, although Ye Tiancheng's tone seemed to be one of reflection rather than genuine worry, Zhang Liushun still promptly picked up the conversation.
"My guess is that we probably can't leave for a while. Some of our kind have reported this matter to the Grand Market Master, but the Grand Market Master has not responded and seems to not take it seriously. If that's the case, it's probably not a big deal."
"Since the Grand Market Master has such an attitude, it means he's indifferent. We can only wait for the outside to naturally unseal at some unknown time, or wait until the Grand Market Master loses patience and feels that there are too many chaotic existences within the peculiar market and wants to drive them out. Perhaps then he will actively investigate the outside and resolve this matter."
Ye Tiancheng found this somewhat speechless. He didn't know if this Grand Market Master was being deliberately mysterious or if he truly had the same attitude and mindset as he outwardly displayed.
He was like a Buddhist fish, lazy to move, with no particular thoughts, as long as he wasn't bothered or his eyes weren't offended, he wouldn't bother with anything.
Looking at the Grand Market Master's mansion, the security was so poor so close by, and malevolent spirits were bullying the little monstrous talent every day in the vicinity, yet the Grand Market Master didn't intervene. It seemed that as long as they weren't killed or dealt a fatal blow, the Grand Market Master would turn a blind eye.
Zhang Liushun noticed the speechless expressions on Ye Tiancheng and the little fox's faces. Although he himself had similar thoughts, as someone who had lived under the Grand Market Master's deterrence for many years, his reverence for the Grand Market Master was deep, and he wouldn't outwardly express it.
He could only say sheepishly to Ye Tiancheng, "But fortunately, there's no need to worry too much. The territory inside is actually very large. Many who come here regularly might spend hundreds of years without being able to traverse the entire peculiar market."
"Thinking about it this way, even if we can't easily get out this time, there's no need to worry about being bored. There are places to explore. Compared to being outside, the difference doesn't seem particularly large. After all, it's just wandering around all day..."
"And thinking about it from another perspective, in the past, the peculiar market was only open for a limited time. An opportunity like being able to play inside for such a long time is something that cannot be sought after. This is actually a rare opportunity."
Zhang Liushun paused slightly as he spoke, then continued to Ye Tiancheng, "But perhaps there's no need to worry too much, because around the Lantern Festival, on the day of the Heavenly Official's Blessing, the peculiar market will definitely open once more."
"By then, if the outside is still sealed, the Grand Market Master should no longer ignore the situation outside."
"It's not far from the first lunar month now. No matter how long we are kept here, we will be able to leave by then."
Ye Tiancheng was completely at a loss for words upon hearing this. Zhang Liushun might have similar thoughts, but Ye Tiancheng absolutely did not, because he knew very well that things were not that simple.
This was because this formation existed to track and locate the fragments of the Fuxi Qin. Since it had been transferred here, as long as Ye Tiancheng did not take the Fuxi Qin fragment from here, this formation could not be opened.
There was absolutely no being in this world that could bypass Ye Tiancheng and the Nuwa Stone's control over the formation and open it through any other means.
Therefore, even if it was the first lunar month and the Grand Market Master took action, as long as Ye Tiancheng did not obtain the Fuxi Qin fragment, the formation could not be opened. This matter was unbreakable and unsolvable.
So Ye Tiancheng was not worried at all that the formation would be opened by the Grand Market Master. On the contrary, what Ye Tiancheng truly worried about was that the Grand Market Master might not be able to open the formation, but instead discover the illusion constructed by the Nuwa Stone component within the formation. If he then felt it was a breakthrough and changed direction, opening the illusion, Ye Tiancheng would truly be afraid.
Even if the Grand Market Master could truly break the formation's seal, Ye Tiancheng would not be so afraid.
However, Ye Tiancheng could not voice these matters or thoughts to Zhang Liushun. Therefore, Ye Tiancheng finally said to Zhang Liushun, "I hope so. I don't want to think about it too much. Since the opportunity is rare, I should really think about where I can go to explore during this time."
Zhang Liushun naturally nodded repeatedly and said, "Exactly, that's the principle. The matters outside are not worth worrying about at all. With the Grand Market Master here, why worry about it?"
If one were to truly differentiate the attitude of the malevolent spirits who came and went to the peculiar market towards the Grand Market Master, it must be said that the malevolent spirits who resided in the peculiar market feared and revered the Grand Market Master the most.
On one hand, they feared the Grand Market Master's power and lived here under his pressure, adhering to the rules he set. But on the other hand, they were also captivated by his strength, possessing an extraordinary admiration and trust in his power, believing that the Grand Market Master was omnipotent and could achieve anything with his intervention.
In fact, if it weren't for this, such an existence as the peculiar market would not exist.
Rather than saying that the Grand Market Master established the peculiar market, it was more accurate to say that because of the Grand Market Master's presence here, those malevolent spirits followed the strong and gathered here, and the peculiar market eventually formed.
Thinking about it, if the Grand Market Master was truly as Buddhist and lazy as he appeared, then the peculiar market would never have been something he actively established. It was highly likely that he was simply here, and many malevolent spirits and other beings followed him, gathered here, and eventually formed a peculiar market.
After this trip, Ye Tiancheng could basically confirm that the Fuxi Qin fragment was indeed within the Grand Market Master's mansion.
This was a truly troublesome matter. How to retrieve the Fuxi Qin fragment was extremely difficult to come up with a foolproof plan.
Should he force his way into the Grand Market Master's mansion? Although Ye Tiancheng did not have a full understanding of the Grand Market Master's strength, he could imagine that he would not be easy to deal with. It was best to avoid confronting such an existence altogether and to steer clear of him.
If Ye Tiancheng had any choice, he would not want to confront the Grand Market Master, only wanting to take the Fuxi Qin fragment and leave.
Thinking of this, Ye Tiancheng felt a bit disheartened. A direct visit seemed impractical. It was said that the Grand Market Master was very difficult to meet, and Ye Tiancheng could not think of a reasonable excuse to request an audience.
Forcing his way in was definitely out of the question, as it would inevitably lead to a confrontation. He could only find a way to sneak in.
Fortunately, he met Zhang Liushun. The matter of the little monstrous talent could be entirely handed over to him. Ye Tiancheng felt he had enough troubles already. At least for now, if he could push the pressure onto someone else, he didn't want to bear it himself.
This trip was truly fraught with difficulties. He didn't know why. Ye Tiancheng almost wished that all the remaining Fuxi Qin fragments were in this damned place.
If he could take all the Fuxi Qin fragments in one go and restore the Fuxi Qin to its complete state, then he would accept the current troubles. Although Ye Tiancheng also felt that such a good thing was unlikely to happen, it was better to not daydream.
Finally, as they left the tea stall, Ye Tiancheng paid for the cup he had accidentally crushed earlier.
Since he had asked Zhang Liushun to investigate the matter of the little monstrous talent, Ye Tiancheng no longer demanded that Zhang Liushun follow him and the little fox around all the time and be available at a moment's notice. When not required, Zhang Liushun was free to act as he pleased.
Otherwise, if Zhang Liushun kept following them, it would be difficult to investigate the matter of the little monstrous talent. In that case, Ye Tiancheng's request would be as if he hadn't made it at all.
Moreover, for Ye Tiancheng, there was another very important point to consider. He was well aware that if he didn't find a reasonable excuse to send Zhang Liushun away, then how would he and the little fox investigate the Grand Market Master's mansion without alerting anyone?