After viewing all the auction items, Hou Mingzhu glanced at Ye Tiancheng. Ye Tiancheng subtly shook his head. Hou Mingzhu understood his meaning, knowing that the fragments of the Fuxi Qin were not among the items.
The reception staff, not noticing their subtle exchange, asked Hou Mingzhu after introducing all the items, "Have you seen anything you like?"
Having received Ye Tiancheng's hint, Hou Mingzhu put on a thoughtful expression and said, "It seems I haven't seen anything I particularly like. Tiancheng, what do you think?"
Ye Tiancheng chimed in, "I'm much the same. Shall we take another look?"
Hou Mingzhu then asked the receptionist, "Can we see other items? Do you have any recommendations?"
The receptionist pondered for a moment and asked Hou Mingzhu, "Miss Hou, how urgent is your need?"
Hou Mingzhu knew the answer without needing to consult Ye Tiancheng.
Regarding the collection of Fuxi Qin fragments, while it was indeed a pressing matter, the timeline wasn't strictly fixed. It wasn't an immediate emergency, so they weren't in a desperate rush.
Therefore, Hou Mingzhu replied to the receptionist, "It's not particularly urgent. We can attend the auction next month. We have ample time."
Upon understanding this, the receptionist recommended, "Actually, we have two other auctions coming up. One is similar to next month's auction, a smaller event. The other is a large-scale auction with many excellent items, perhaps there will be something you fancy."
"However, similar to the items you've already seen, these items have entered the process and cannot be purchased in advance."
Ye Tiancheng's objective was to view as many items as possible to confirm whether the Fuxi Qin fragments were among them. Regardless of the reason, as long as the fragments hadn't been found, they needed to continue looking.
However, Hou Mingzhu still feigned contemplation. After a pause, she asked, "When are these two auctions scheduled?"
The receptionist replied, "Both are next month. The items you've seen are for the auction at the beginning of the month. The second smaller auction follows in the middle of the month, and the large auction is at the end of the month."
Hou Mingzhu then looked to Ye Tiancheng for his opinion, "What do you think?"
Ye Tiancheng responded, "The timing is still quite ample. It should be fine."
Only then did Hou Mingzhu agree and say to the receptionist, "Then let's take a look at the items for those two auctions."
The receptionist, not bothered by the extra work, as they were serving important clients and this was a normal situation, maintained a welcoming attitude and led Hou Mingzhu and Ye Tiancheng to continue their viewing.
The next smaller auction yielded no results, with items so numerous they blurred the vision. However, Hou Mingzhu did find something else of interest, deciding that regardless, she would attend the mid-month smaller auction for personal reasons, and thus requested an invitation from the receptionist.
This was considered a successful transaction. Regardless of whether Hou Mingzhu acquired what she desired, simply by her interest, the auction house would profit more from potential bidding wars.
Consequently, the receptionist's demeanor improved further as they guided Hou Mingzhu and Ye Tiancheng to view the items for the large auction.
Fortunately, this time they were more fortunate. It wasn't necessary for Hou Mingzhu and Ye Tiancheng to tour the entire auction house to find what they were looking for. This time, the collection of Fuxi Qin fragments was not difficult. Ye Tiancheng found the Fuxi Qin fragment among the items for the large auction at the end of the month.
This particular Fuxi Qin fragment was not a particularly conspicuous item in this auction. It resembled jade, with good texture, and might attract some interest, but it was unlikely to cause a fierce bidding war, thus not requiring excessive expenditure. This was also a stroke of luck.
However, to avoid making their intentions too obvious, Ye Tiancheng inquired about several other items. After confirming with the receptionist that these items could not be purchased in advance, they obtained their invitations and left the auction house together with Hou Mingzhu.
After exiting the auction house, Hou Mingzhu was quite pleased and said to Ye Tiancheng, "It seems this time was quite smooth. Problems that can be solved with money are not problems at all."
Ye Tiancheng smiled and replied, "It will still depend on you then."
Hou Mingzhu responded, "Don't worry, leave it to me."
Having confirmed the whereabouts of the Fuxi Qin fragment, Ye Tiancheng was in good spirits. However, he couldn't help but worry, "I just hope nothing else unexpected happens. That would be good."
Hou Mingzhu looked at him, exasperated and speechless, and said, "Pah, pah, pah! Pretend you never said that. Don't you know about Murphy's Law? Saying things like that is like inviting bad luck. What if something really happens?"
Ye Tiancheng shrugged, not believing he was jinxing anything.
"What is meant to happen will happen. Murphy's Law is merely a psychological factor. External events are not truly swayed by one's thoughts. Self-comfort is useless. It's better to think ahead and prepare for contingencies, which will reduce the possibility of mishaps."
Hou Mingzhu pouted, "Perhaps, but it's still good to think positively. Maybe you're just overthinking it."
"Actually..." Hou Mingzhu began, then paused briefly before continuing, "Actually, in my heart, I also wish for you to have an easier time, with fewer troublesome matters."
Ye Tiancheng smiled faintly, "Mingzhu, I truly understand your good intentions. However, some things are destined to be part of my journey. No matter what, I cannot avoid them. But your thoughtfulness is truly wonderful. Thank you."
Hou Mingzhu understood this and truly felt for Ye Tiancheng, but she also knew there was no alternative. What Ye Tiancheng said was the truth.
Therefore, in response to Ye Tiancheng's words, Hou Mingzhu playfully remarked, "You always tell us that as husband and wife, as siblings, we don't need to say thank you, as it makes things too distant. Yet, you are the one who says thank you the most."
Ye Tiancheng lowered his head in apology, "It's my fault. I forgot."
But his gratitude towards Hou Mingzhu was genuine. Since that incident, Hou Mingzhu had been of immense help to him, offering support and significant assistance in many matters.
Hou Mingzhu said, "In short, I just hope our family can all be well and stay together. And you are a very important part of this family."
Ye Tiancheng nodded seriously and promised, "I understand. I will take good care of myself and will not take risks."
The couple exchanged a look, everything unspoken between them.
With the location of the Fuxi Qin fragment confirmed, the next steps were simpler: merely waiting for the auction at the end of next month.
Upon learning of this, the little fox sighed, thinking it would have been better to have rushed over directly and played there. Instead, they had wasted so much time on the road.
Ye Tiancheng was unfazed. Having more time to rest was a good thing. Thinking of it this way reduced his mental burden, making it feel like an unexpected bonus.
Seeing Ye Tiancheng's positive attitude, the little fox and the others were no longer as anxious. After all, they followed Ye Tiancheng's lead. If Ye Tiancheng himself found something difficult or unmanageable, then they would truly have reason to worry.
However, even so, Ye Tiancheng was not idle. Besides his daily cultivation, he also prioritized training Ye Qingcheng. Ye Qingcheng had awakened a very powerful force, and he needed to teach her to control it herself. The earlier she learned, the better it would be for her.
Therefore, in addition to her regular studies, Ye Qingcheng had a new curriculum: cultivation, personally taught by her father, Ye Tiancheng.
Fortunately, Ye Qingcheng was obedient and well-behaved. Moreover, she showed a genuine interest in these matters. When Ye Tiancheng taught her, she learned with great enthusiasm. The feats achievable through cultivation were quite extraordinary in the eyes of ordinary people, making Ye Qingcheng exceptionally curious and thus fueling her immense interest.
Even when the little fox was occasionally invited by Ye Tiancheng to give Ye Qingcheng supplementary lessons in certain aspects of cultivation, Ye Qingcheng absorbed it all with gusto.
At such times, Ye Tiancheng couldn't help but sigh, feeling that his daughter possessed even greater talent and interest than he did, and her future achievements might even surpass his own.
Nuwa Stone, however, felt Ye Tiancheng was viewing his daughter through a doting father's lens.
He believed that while Ye Qingcheng had excellent talent, her primary advantage was starting cultivation early and having Ye Tiancheng as her father. However, when compared to Ye Tiancheng, there was still a gap. Even at Ye Tiancheng's current age, her strength could not be said to surpass his.
Nevertheless, among most cultivators, she had indeed reached a very commendable level and could be considered a prodigy.
If placed within cultivation families or sects, she would be a disciple worth actively recruiting, which explained why Hou Mingzhu had mentioned that some people were eyeing Ye Qingcheng with the intention of "kidnapping" her.
Given Ye Qingcheng's aptitude, this was not an exaggeration.
Regardless of what Nuwa Stone said, Ye Tiancheng was overjoyed that his daughter was so capable, and he became even more proactive and enthusiastic in teaching her.
If Ye Qingcheng could become even more powerful, it would be a good thing. No one would be able to bully her, and her self-preservation abilities would greatly improve. However, he also needed to teach her well, to not casually use these abilities in front of ordinary people and not to harm others easily with them.
If someone acted with ill intent and did something detrimental to Ye Qingcheng, she could use this ability to retaliate. But if she harbored malice and proactively used this ability to attack others, that would be absolutely forbidden.
Ye Tiancheng knew that since he was teaching Ye Qingcheng about cultivation, he must pay more attention to her development in other aspects.
Otherwise, if he accidentally spoiled Ye Qingcheng and turned her into an arrogant and overbearing young lady, it would be quite problematic. Especially since Ye Qingcheng, as the daughter of him and Hou Mingzhu, would eventually be a wealthy young lady, a beautiful and affluent heiress. If she became overbearing, the things she could do would be limitless.
It could even be said that she could do more than the former Hou Mingzhu.
After all, the former Hou Mingzhu had done some less-than-ideal things, which Ye Tiancheng was well aware of. But Hou Mingzhu was just an ordinary person then, and she had already reached that point. If Ye Qingcheng had the same temperament and embarked on the path of cultivation, it was hard to say what she might achieve.
In short, it was imperative to raise Ye Qingcheng properly. Otherwise, it would not only harm Ye Qingcheng herself but also many innocent people.
Hou Mingzhu also supported Ye Tiancheng in this endeavor. She knew that Ye Tiancheng disapproved of some of the practices within their social circle. Teaching Ye Qingcheng to have a more upright demeanor was not a bad thing, especially since they had the backing of the Hou family.