"Indeed, I asked the little fox for it, and he gave it to me very readily, without the slightest hesitation."
Ye Tiancheng paused as he spoke, "Actually, I had several purposes in asking the little fox for this bead."
"On one hand, I was thinking, because that ghost fox and the little fox looked so much alike. Although he appeared older than the little fox, I wasn't entirely sure of the little fox's true origins. Appearances can't prove anything."
"So I wanted to verify the relationship between the little fox and that ghost fox, or at least, I wanted to know if there was any relationship between them."
"Another point is that I wanted to check for the dark energy you mentioned was on the little fox. I'm not suspecting you of anything, I just wanted to confirm it to make a judgment. However, I couldn't sense that dark energy myself, and I don't know why."
Upon hearing Ye Tiancheng's explanation, Nuwa Stone had a general idea of what Ye Tiancheng was thinking at the time.
As expected, Nuwa Stone heard Ye Tiancheng continue, "I actually wanted to confirm the source of the dark energy on the little fox, whether it was from him or if he had accidentally picked it up from somewhere else."
"As I said before, after returning from the strange market with the little fox, the strange market was a mixed bag, with all sorts of messy existences. Even if he accidentally picked up some dark energy, it would be understandable."
"But then I thought, you only detected dark energy on the little fox after he returned this time. I wondered if he had acquired anything unusual. After carefully recalling, I confirmed that there was only one thing – this bead from the ghost fox – that only the little fox possessed."
"I thought, could the dark energy you feel is complementary to the little fox actually be from this bead? You feel the dark energy and the little fox are complementary, and it might be because of the bead, not because of the little fox."
Nuwa Stone pondered for a moment and felt that Ye Tiancheng's analysis was very reasonable. Therefore, Nuwa Stone didn't say much more but chose to act diligently and began to carefully examine this bead.
"Then wait a moment, I'll check the condition of this inner core, and then I'll sense the situation with the little fox. Then we'll know what's going on."
Ye Tiancheng nodded and waited for a while before receiving Nuwa Stone's response.
Nuwa Stone finally spoke to Ye Tiancheng, "The matter is a bit complicated, but one thing I can tell you is that the problem of the ghost fox being unable to fuse with his old skin is at least resolved now."
"I've attached runes to his inner core. You take it back and give it to him. Let his old skin swallow the inner core, and then have him and his old skin pass through the spatial entrance together. He will then return to his old body."
Ye Tiancheng thought to himself that this was truly a case of finding something without looking, and an unintentional act yielding results. His actions were impulsive and sudden, but fundamentally, they were more for the little fox. Unexpectedly, it resolved the ghost fox's problem first.
Ye Tiancheng nodded, but he asked, "Then what is the complicated matter you mentioned?"
Nuwa Stone pondered for a long time, and after a considerable pause, replied, "It's related to the little fox. It can now be confirmed that the dark energy discovered on the little fox after he returned with you is indeed related to this inner core and was picked up from it."
Before Ye Tiancheng could relax, Nuwa Stone continued, "But don't relax too soon, I haven't finished yet."
"However, the problem is that if I hadn't seen this inner core, it would have been fine. But seeing this inner core makes things even stranger."
Ye Tiancheng was momentarily stunned, but he eventually calmed himself and said to Nuwa Stone, "Just tell me directly if there's anything. I can handle it. What exactly is the complicated problem? Is there really something wrong with the little fox?"
Nuwa Stone hesitated for a long time because it was truly difficult to explain. He didn't quite know how to put it.
Finally, because Ye Tiancheng was waiting for his answer, Nuwa Stone could only choose to speak, "It's like this. Don't rush. Wait patiently, listen to me finish, and then think carefully about what's going on."
"Because this matter sounds really complicated, and I'm even a little unsure if the little fox has a problem now."
Ye Tiancheng nodded with a solemn expression, "Little Stone, tell me."
Nuwa Stone then said, "I've discovered that the reason I feel the little fox and the dark energy he's contaminated with are complementary is not only related to this bead but also somewhat to the little fox himself."
"The little fox himself might not have carried any dark energy, but he can integrate very well with the dark energy emanating from this bead, appearing seamless and forming a unified whole. The reason is that the little fox and the origin of this inner core seem to be the same."
As soon as Nuwa Stone finished speaking, Ye Tiancheng was startled. Wasn't this the inner core of the ghost fox Ah Zi? Why would its origin be the same as the little fox's?
Even if the little fox and the ghost fox Ah Zi had some relationship, their origins shouldn't be the same! Origin is such a crucial thing. The little fox shouldn't be a part of the ghost fox, let alone the same person. Where were the ghost fox's soul and skin? Where did a third part come from?
Finally, Nuwa Stone said heavily to Ye Tiancheng, "You probably can't stay in the formation anymore to look for fragments."
"I need to meet that ghost fox, and the safety of your wife and niece needs attention. They need to be sent away from here. You've already concealed some things from them, and now you have to continue lying to send them away. This formation must be forcibly broken. This means that regardless of whether there are new fragments you need to find later, you'll have to go out and look for them yourself."
"And this is very necessary because, as you know, the ghost fox's existence is tied to the entire strange market. Once the ghost fox leaves this space, the entire strange market will collapse. Then, all the evil spirits in the strange market will likely be released. How will you send your wife back then?"
At this point, Ye Tiancheng's original plan was truly shattered. As expected, plans couldn't keep up with changes.
Ye Tiancheng's expression was not good. He asked Nuwa Stone, "Is this the only way? Is there really no other option?"
Nuwa Stone persuaded Ye Tiancheng, "You know me. If this weren't the best way, I wouldn't have mentioned it. We'd better do this. If we are indecisive and delay until the last moment, some things might be too late."
Ye Tiancheng gritted his teeth. He also knew that Nuwa Stone wouldn't harm him. After a long while, he nodded and said, "Then let's do it this way. I'll discuss it with Mingzhu. As for the little fox, you can tell him. Try not to arouse his suspicion."
Nuwa Stone naturally agreed, "Don't worry, I can handle this small matter. You go and talk to your wife properly."
Since Ye Tiancheng had made up his mind, he didn't say anything more. Instead, he carefully planned his words in his mind and then went to find Hou Mingzhu.
When Ye Tiancheng found Hou Mingzhu, it was almost time for dinner. Ye Tiancheng hinted to Hou Mingzhu that he had something to tell her privately. Hou Mingzhu then coaxed their daughter, Ye Qingcheng, to go to her dedicated study room to read, saying she would call Ye Qingcheng down when it was time for dinner.
Ye Qingcheng was a very sensible child, so she obediently went back without saying much.
After coaxing Ye Qingcheng, Hou Mingzhu accompanied Ye Tiancheng to the kitchen. While helping Ye Tiancheng cook, she spoke to him, "What do you want to tell me? I've coaxed our daughter back, so you can tell me now. Has something serious happened?"
Hou Mingzhu was very perceptive, and more importantly, she understood Ye Tiancheng very well. Although she didn't understand some of the things Ye Tiancheng did, she could sense them.
Ye Tiancheng organized his thoughts and then said to Hou Mingzhu, "It's like this. Because of the trip to find the fragments of the Fuxi Qin, there's been an unexpected situation. I have to forcibly break this formation to send you and Qingcheng out."
"In fact, I can't stay in Nuwa Stone's illusion anymore, nor can I stay in this formation. I have to go out and rely on my own abilities to find clues to the fragments."
"Because of certain current matters, I have to give up this convenience, even though I might encounter greater dangers outside."
Upon hearing Ye Tiancheng's words, Hou Mingzhu knew that the situation might be serious. "How could this happen? But I don't mind, I won't hold you back. But what about our daughter? It hasn't been long, and those who are watching Qingcheng should not have completely given up."
Ye Tiancheng was also a bit worried, but now, more important issues had to be prioritized. "Although it's truly unavoidable, since I'll be going out soon, I'll try my best to accompany you. With me here to deter them, few would dare to act under my nose."
"Even if they do act, they shouldn't succeed. I have some confidence in that."
Although Ye Tiancheng had been hit hard by the experiences of the past few years and sometimes felt powerless, he was actually confident in his cultivation. He wasn't inherently an insecure person.
Hou Mingzhu nodded, "It seems that's the only way. I won't ask for the reason, because I might not fully understand your matters, and it wouldn't be very useful for you to explain them to me."
"However, hearing you say this now, I have another idea. I wonder if you can agree to it."
When Ye Tiancheng heard Hou Mingzhu say this, he looked at her, wondering what she wanted to say. "You say it. If there's anything you want, as long as I can do it, I will definitely do my best to satisfy you and our daughter."
Hou Mingzhu then said, "Before, I couldn't pay attention to you because you were trapped alone in this place, and my daughter and I might not see you for years."
"But now that you can get out of here, in the future, when you do what you need to do, can my daughter and I follow you and travel all over the world? It would be much better than being trapped here, wouldn't it?"
"Moreover, if we are always separated after going out, we won't be able to guarantee mutual care. But if we act together, at least you can protect us no matter what happens, right?"