On the way to find seats, Ye Tiancheng and the little fox quietly set up a soundproofing barrier. Zhang Liushun, being sensible, walked beside them but not too close.
After following Ye Tiancheng for a few steps, the little fox couldn't help but ask, "Big Brother, can you describe in detail what the monster you saw earlier looked like?"
Just as Ye Tiancheng was about to answer, he suddenly realized that the little fox's phrasing was a bit unusual. "Yes, I can. Although it's not easy to describe, I can try my best to tell you some of the more obvious features. But, you, you said it like that, was the one who bumped into you earlier not a monster?"
The term "monster" was actually used by Zhang Liushun. Ye Tiancheng himself couldn't tell these things. Even with his Heavenly Eye specifically opened, if something wasn't particularly conspicuous, he couldn't identify it accurately.
Zhang Liushun was an "old timer" in this奇市 (qí shì - peculiar market), having been there for many years. Moreover, because Ye Tiancheng was generous and his wealth was tempting, unless his interests were touched or he was endangered, Zhang Liushun had no reason to lie to them in this regard.
Ye Tiancheng initially thought that under these circumstances, Zhang Liushun wouldn't hide or deceive them much. However, he hadn't considered that even Zhang Liushun hadn't truly grasped the situation.
From Zhang Liushun's attitude, it could be sensed that the little "freak" who had bumped into the little fox had likely been living in the 奇市 for quite some time. At the very least, it had lived long enough for most of the evil spirits who lived there year-round to know about the existence of such a freakish little monster.
Regarding the identity of this freak, even if Zhang Liushun might have misjudged, it was impossible for the entire 奇市 to be wrong. Over time, even if Zhang Liushun had misjudged, he should have been corrected by others.
However, Zhang Liushun's current attitude and demeanor were enough to prove that he firmly believed in the facts he had stated.
Given this, if there were any other peculiarities about that freak, it might imply a significant secret hidden behind it.
It was unclear whether this secret was related to the fragments of the Fuxi Qin, or whether the freak had any connection to the little fox. These two points would determine Ye Tiancheng's next course of action.
After all, Ye Tiancheng didn't have the energy to meddle in other people's affairs, especially not the affairs of a little freak, whether it was an evil spirit or a monster. If it wasn't directly related to him, no matter how curious Ye Tiancheng was, he wouldn't pay any more attention to that little freak.
The reason Ye Tiancheng thought of so much as soon as he sensed the abnormality in the little fox's tone and attitude was also partly due to his trust in the little fox.
The little fox had definitely sensed something unusual, which was why his tone and attitude were so hesitant when speaking. He might not be sure what that little freak was, but because Zhang Liushun had already made a conclusion about the little freak, the little fox had initially continued to use Zhang Liushun's description.
However, while Ye Tiancheng thought this, he also needed to consider some aspects, such as the possibility that he was overthinking things and the little fox wasn't thinking that complicatedly. Therefore, he still needed to ask the little fox for clarification.
It was only after Ye Tiancheng asked that the little fox replied somewhat uncertainly, "I'm not entirely sure. His aura is quite mixed, making it difficult to distinguish immediately. I can't say for sure. I feel like I need to use other methods to confirm it."
After hearing this, Ye Tiancheng paused, thought for a moment, and then said to the little fox, "Little Fox, what do you think? Do you want to investigate this matter?"
The little fox immediately understood the meaning behind Ye Tiancheng's words. Whether the origin of this little freak was worth investigating depended on the limited information available, and Ye Tiancheng would definitely prioritize his opinion.
This made the little fox hesitate. If it were before, his immediate reaction would have been not to bother. However, after being bumped into earlier, the little fox became somewhat uncertain, unable to confirm his own feelings. He couldn't say whether he wanted to investigate or not.
Therefore, after much deliberation, the little fox couldn't give Ye Tiancheng an answer.
However, this behavior itself was equivalent to an answer in Ye Tiancheng's eyes. Thus, Ye Tiancheng patted the little fox's shoulder and said, "Since you're hesitating, it means you've considered investigating. If that's the case, let's investigate. It's no big deal, after all, it's not a troublesome matter for now."
However, even though Ye Tiancheng had expressed his stance, the little fox's hesitation was not dispelled. After careful consideration, the little fox still said to Ye Tiancheng,
"Big Brother, I think our main business is more important. As for whether to investigate matters related to him, let's make a decision after Zhang Liushun tells us about him. If there's no connection to them, it's best not to waste time on irrelevant matters."
Since the little fox himself said so, Ye Tiancheng had no objections. He respected the little fox's decision, so Ye Tiancheng just nodded and said, "You decide for yourself. I'll listen to you. Do whatever you want."
"Follow your heart, understand, Little Fox? Don't force yourself to do anything you don't want to do. If there's something you want to do, don't hesitate. Big Brother will always be by your side, accompanying you and supporting you. If you truly want to do it, then do it. Don't leave yourself with regrets that will haunt you for life. Do you understand?"
After Ye Tiancheng spoke earnestly to the little fox, the little fox obediently nodded slightly.
"I understand, Big Brother. I will definitely consider it carefully and cautiously before making a decision. I will never act rashly and regret it afterward."
The little fox knew that Ye Tiancheng said this for his own good; otherwise, Ye Tiancheng wouldn't have bothered with unnecessary words.
If there was anything worth investigating about that little freak, the most likely possibility was a connection to the little fox's background. The connection to the whereabouts of the Fuxi Qin fragments was likely more difficult to establish.
The reason Ye Tiancheng paid attention to that little freak was clearly out of affection for the little fox; because he cared about the little fox, he had thoughts about the existence of that little freak.
What the little fox said also put Ye Tiancheng at ease. The little fox was a sensible child. What he said was basically what he could and was willing to try to do. Since the little fox said he would consider it carefully, he would definitely consider it carefully and make a decision after weighing it in his heart.
Most of the time, the little fox didn't need Ye Tiancheng's excessive concern because, in essence, the little fox was a relatively independent and self-reliant child. He only occasionally lacked a sense of security and would then rely more on elders like Ye Tiancheng. At other times, he was a truly independent and sensible child.
Ye Tiancheng later realized that if it weren't for this reason, women like Hou Mingzhu and Su Muxian wouldn't like the little fox so much. It definitely wasn't just about his appearance; it wasn't simply because the little fox was handsome.
Although external appearance played a significant role to a large extent, the little fox's beauty did add to his popularity.
Beauty was always a sharp tool, regardless of age or gender. As long as one was attractive enough, even with a shred of pitiable quality, it could be magnified tenfold, possessing an irresistible charm.
After Ye Tiancheng and the little fox had clarified things, Ye Tiancheng hadn't forgotten the question the little fox had initially asked him.
At this point, there was nothing else to clarify, so Ye Tiancheng turned the topic back to the original subject with the little fox and said, "You wanted me to describe the appearance of that little monster in detail?"
"When I think about it, I can only say that it's absolutely impossible to describe his appearance in detail. It's not that I'm deliberately not telling you; it's genuinely impossible to describe."
"The little monster's appearance felt very strange, indescribably strange, and it gave people a sense of ugliness. This was probably related to his somewhat ferocious appearance. At that time, I only caught a glimpse, which made it even harder to describe his specific features. On one hand, it was because of this, and on the other hand, I could mention some features, as his features were truly too striking."
"His appearance was truly ferocious. At a glance, it was easy to be scared because his skin was covered in many ferocious scars, including his face, where there were huge scars crisscrossing his entire face, making them particularly conspicuous."
Ye Tiancheng tried hard to recall the memory from that fleeting glance and described it to the little fox, saying, "There were also stitch marks on those wounds, which looked truly uncomfortable. And the scars had stitch marks, as if the marks on his face had been torn open and then stitched back together."
"Because it was too ferocious, too conspicuous, and the scars were so long and so large, no matter who it was, it would be difficult not to be drawn to the scars on his face at first glance, and thus overlook other features of his face."
"Besides the scars, his face also had large patches of blue marks, much like human birthmarks, which were also very eye-catching, making it even easier to overlook his actual appearance."
The little fox listened to Ye Tiancheng's description, thought about it carefully, and then asked Ye Tiancheng, "Then, that's really strange. Big Brother, why do you think he resembles me?"
This was a good question. Ye Tiancheng was a bit stunned by that initial glance, and everything happened too quickly. The things Ye Tiancheng could react to and discover were limited.
He carefully considered his feeling at that time and spent a good while before finally reaching a conclusion.
"Perhaps it's because of the facial features. The reason people find him ugly and strange is largely due to the scars and birthmarks on his face. These marks make it uncomfortable to look at him, leading people to think he's ugly. Who would have the inclination to carefully examine his true face hidden beneath these marks?"
The more Ye Tiancheng thought about it, the more it seemed to be the case, and his feelings became clearer as he spoke.