They investigated here for a long time, but found nothing unusual. It was just a ghost town with no inhabitants. Li Xue couldn't even detect the presence of any spirits, only feeling that the aura here was very wrong and that they needed to be extremely careful.
"Let's find a place to stay first. It's not a solution to just wander outside all the time. We've been traveling all morning and need to rest," said Ye Tiancheng.
Since Ye Tiancheng had made the decision, Fatty, who always listened to Ye Tiancheng, immediately began to carry it out.
"There are quite a few houses here. Since no one else lives here, we can stay anywhere we want. However, some places give me a feeling of too much Yin energy. Inside, it might affect you and Miss Xue. Since you two are cultivating, I'll select a few spacious rooms and then let Miss Xue choose specifically."
"That's a good idea, but it will be a bit of work for you to select them."
"It's no trouble. I'm quite bored anyway. There are only the three of us in this Zengli, not even anyone else to talk to. I also wanted to experience the local customs and traditions of Hope City, but it seems there's no opportunity."
Fatty was always humorous and loved to liven up the atmosphere. Ye Tiancheng was used to this and had long been accustomed to it.
"It's best not to experience it. If you experience it here, it probably won't be anything good. Let's settle down first. We still need to eat and drink, and we also need to rest."
Ye Tiancheng and Lin Xue both understood a principle: at any time, they had to seize every opportunity to create good conditions for their cultivation. Otherwise, once the effective period passed and danger truly arrived, they could only choose to passively deal with it, just like they had done every time before.
"Alright, then let's not waste any more time. I'll go find it quickly."
Fatty originally wanted to find a place to stay by himself, but Ye Tiancheng was particularly uneasy. So, he reminded his disciple to hurry and follow him. Fatty and Lin Xue walked together, leaving Ye Tiancheng alone. Ye Tiancheng wanted to find some usable materials here.
Along the way, more than half of the supplies Fatty had brought had been consumed. Ye Tiancheng was still unsure how long they would have to stay in Hope before finding the secret of their ancestors, so he had to make a long-term strategy. He couldn't just think about the immediate matters; he had to consider things more thoroughly.
Twenty minutes later, Fatty and Lin Xue returned and called Ye Tiancheng to go and see. The situation over there was acceptable; there was a house that could be lived in with a little tidying up.
"Okay, I happened to find some things here that can be used as firewood. Let's take them over together. I haven't found any food, but this can be considered supplies."
"That large mansion has everything. I also found a cellar with quite a few vegetables and eggs. We don't need these anymore. Let's just go and take a look."
When Ye Tiancheng arrived, he found that this mansion was much more magnificent than Fatty had described. In a ghost town like this, where there were no people, to have such a good mansion made one have to feel that it was truly too bizarre.
"This place is completely different from the style of Hope City. Xue'er, don't you find it very strange?"
"It's alright. I've already investigated. Master, I haven't found any problems. The facilities here are quite good, with comfortable beds and soft pillows, very suitable for human habitation."
"But I always feel that this place is very strange, inexplicably eerie, making my whole body tingle."
Ye Tiancheng felt that something was wrong, but he wasn't sure what was wrong. He just felt as if a pair of eyes were staring at him from behind.
"So many people have died here. Even if the aura is strange, it's normal. You don't need to worry too much. If there's any danger, we can easily deal with it. Master, don't forget, there are three of us now, and no one is holding us back."
"Alright."
They couldn't have good places and had to live in dilapidated ones. Even though this place seemed to have a calm before a storm, there was no need to be overly worried before anything happened. That would be very tiring for the heart.
"We've finally arrived at Hope City. Perhaps for others, this is a very bad place, but for us, this place is actually full of hope. I hope everything goes smoothly for us from now on."
Fatty made dumplings. For some reason today, he just wanted to eat dumplings. Although they were vegetarian, made only with zucchini and eggs, with Fatty's special seasoning, they were definitely uniquely flavored.
"Fatty, the dumplings are indeed delicious, but there isn't a single person here. Are these ingredients really okay? Even if they've been checked, I don't dare to believe who brought these ingredients."
Ye Tiancheng found it a bit terrifying. A deserted Hope City had so much food, and such a luxurious small mansion, making one have to suspect if there were people in Hope City who were just hiding somewhere.
"Who cares? Since Miss Xue has already checked, these things are not poisonous, and they are all very normal ingredients, which is why I started cooking. There shouldn't be any problems. Don't be overly worried. Eat more later. I've professionally seasoned this dumpling filling; even five-star hotels can't get it."
Besides the dumpling filling, the dumpling wrappers were also very impressive. The main reason was the dough-kneading technique, coupled with the guaranteed quality of the flour. They were very chewy, and the wrappers were rolled very thinly when making them, yet they wouldn't break. They were crystal clear and very appetizing.
"They're really delicious. They look delicious and taste even better. Fatty, I've discovered that as your strength grows, your culinary skills are also not to be underestimated. It's truly amazing!"
"I'm glad you like it. I've been adjusting it according to your tastes. After all, we are a team, and we must take care of each other."
Fatty's words were quite affectionate. Ye Tiancheng was used to it. Fatty could be quite mushy at times, but in Ye Tiancheng's eyes, it was also another form of cuteness.
"Alright, after we've eaten, we'll investigate further. Perhaps things don't show themselves during the day, and only reveal themselves at night. I don't believe those things hiding in the dark can remain hidden forever. One day, they will lose control and reveal their true forms."
Ye Tiancheng had a premonition that by night, everything would have a new breakthrough. It wasn't late yet, and everything was still hidden, but it couldn't be hidden for too long.
As he ate dumplings alone, he looked at the swaying leaves in the courtyard. The shadows kept flickering, giving him a sudden feeling, as if he were on vacation.
"It's already very dark outside. It's really terrifying. I feel like someone is crying softly. It's so scary. Could it be the sound of a female ghost?"
Ye Tiancheng deliberately created a somewhat terrifying atmosphere because, for him, just looking outside was quite boring. Perhaps chatting casually could also alleviate the awkwardness.
"Brother Ye, don't joke. I know you're too bored, which is why you're doing this. There are no female ghosts anywhere. You're definitely playing a trick on us."
"Just to liven up the atmosphere. I'm very clear that there's not a trace of Yin energy here, so there shouldn't be any female ghosts. However, this is still a rather strange place. It's too prosperous, which is actually abnormal."
Ye Tiancheng knew that something was about to happen, but he wasn't sure what exactly. His heart was pounding, and he felt unwell.
Ye Tiancheng's sixth sense was quite strong. With a strong tremor from the ground, many dark, sticky things soon emerged from the ground in the courtyard.
Those black lumps, each covered in thorns, were unrecognizable. However, they gave the impression that those things were constantly oozing oil. In any case, the sensory impression was not good.
"See, I knew it. These things definitely couldn't stay hidden and would pop out soon. I didn't expect it to be so fast. They're so impatient, which makes me think I overestimated them."
"En, Brother Ye, let me handle it. I think these things only have a grand appearance but no real strength. Just leave them to me to deal with."
Fatty, wearing a bracelet on his hand and holding a shovel, went into action. He unleashed a flurry of activity in the courtyard, smashing all those messy things to the ground.
First, they were flattened into oily residue, which was soon absorbed by the shovel. The energy absorbed was all merit generated from subduing demons and ghosts. While the lonely souls and wandering ghosts benefited, Fatty also felt his body becoming lighter, as if he were about to fly.
"Brother Ye, I really have to thank these scoundrels. Each one is more powerful than the last, it's incredible! I've never seen anything so fierce, allowing me to absorb so much power. It's much stronger than I imagined."
Fatty was now tasting the sweetness of success. He felt as if he were floating on clouds, as if he were about to ascend to immortality. The more he fought, the more energetic he became, fearing that there wouldn't be enough of these things for him to absorb energy from.
"Brother Ye, I think these things just want to win by quantity. Individually, they don't have much real attack power, so just leave them to me."
"Alright, let's do that."
Coincidentally, Ye Tiancheng was too lazy to make a move. Now that someone was willing to take action, he was overjoyed. How could he possibly ruin this beautiful mood?
"Good, then it's all up to me, Fatty. Today, I'll let these scoundrels see what it means to truly be scattered into dust with a single move from Fatty."
After another bout of activity from Fatty, which ended half an hour later, all the black, oily monsters that had been continuously surging in were eliminated by Fatty.
Soon, the black, oily monsters that came to replenish themselves became fewer and fewer, giving a strong impression that everything was about to end.
"How boring. I thought there would be many more monsters, but there are so few. It's really frustrating. The energy I've absorbed is far from enough."
Just as Fatty finished off the last black, oily creature, a mass of black mist descended from the sky. Within that black mist, there was a very familiar face: Ouyang Xinuo.
Ouyang Xinuo looked thinner, and his face was more pointed. It was just an image, his hair flying wildly in the strong wind, giving him a very disheveled appearance.
"Ye Tiancheng, long time no see. You must be very anxious to find me, right? Unfortunately, this is just an illusion. You'll never know where my true body is, never."
"You cowardly turtle, you have so many excuses. Do you really think I care? I just feel sorry for you, having been beaten into such a sorry state by me. And you still have the nerve to show up? It's truly astonishing."
Ye Tiancheng verbally insulted Ouyang Xinuo, hoping to provoke him into appearing quickly for a direct confrontation. At least then he could gauge Ouyang Xinuo's strength.