The inn, named Qingju, while appearing to be in an ancient architectural style, was a multi-story building, something uncommon in ancient times.
The scholar behind the counter assigned Ye Tiancheng and the little fox rooms on the thirteenth floor, the very top of the inn. After ascending the stairs, the east side was to their right. From the outside, the entire inn seemed to be a cylindrical tower.
Ye Tiancheng followed the attendant to the superior room. Inside, the furnishings appeared quite luxurious, antique, and a faint fragrance permeated the air.
The jade pendant-like key only needed to be worn, and the room door would automatically open for Ye Tiancheng. If Ye Tiancheng did not wish for it to open, he could control it with a mere thought.
After Ye Tiancheng and the little fox entered the room, the attendant, standing nearby, asked with a smile, "Does the esteemed guest require anything else?"
Ye Tiancheng pondered for a moment and then said, "Bring us some tea and snacks. Serve your finest tea, and a few of your signature pastries, for my brother to try."
He then produced a wooden token. This one was significantly less valuable than the one he had used to book the room. Previously, thinking he was staying in a fine inn and had booked a superior room, Ye Tiancheng had used a relatively good item. Not knowing the exact value, he had inadvertently paid enough for half a month's stay.
Although this time the token was much less valuable, it was more than enough to order tea and snacks, with plenty left over.
Ye Tiancheng said to the attendant, "You can keep the remainder. It's for your hard work in running errands for us."
While this wooden token was not as valuable as the previous one, judging by external circumstances, for the attendant, it was akin to a waiter receiving a substantial tip. The attendant's smile thus became even more genuine.
"Ah, thank you, honored guest, for your generosity. If you require anything further, please do not hesitate to call upon me. There is a bell by the door in the room; ring it three times, and I shall be here at your service."
Before leaving, perhaps due to Ye Tiancheng's generosity, the attendant offered a bit more advice. "If the esteemed guest possesses many such fine items, you might consider visiting a place nearby called 'Qian Tang.' You can exchange them for loose currency circulating in this Odd Market, to avoid inconvenience."
"You should know where 'Qian Tang' is, right? Do you require me to show you the way?"
That was not necessary. This was the second time Ye Tiancheng had heard the name "Qian Tang." Therefore, Ye Tiancheng simply told the attendant, "Thank you for the reminder, but there's no need to show me the way. I just came from that direction and saw it, so I know the way."
The attendant then did not linger further and left Ye Tiancheng's room. Before long, he very diligently delivered what Ye Tiancheng had requested, clearly won over by Ye Tiancheng's generous tip.
After the attendant brought the tea and snacks, Ye Tiancheng called the little fox over. "Little fox, take a look at these things. Do you think they're edible?"
Ye Tiancheng had specifically ordered some food to see if there was anything edible in the Odd Market. This would largely determine the quality of life for him and the little fox during their stay in the Odd Market.
The little fox, hearing Ye Tiancheng's call, walked to the table and observed the tea and pastries. Then, it said to Ye Tiancheng, "Although the yin energy is quite strong, it won't harm us if we eat it. It might even be slightly beneficial, perhaps because these are good quality items. However, many things created by those who exist after death are actually inedible."
"Although these are edible, it doesn't mean everything in this Odd Market is edible."
Hearing the little fox's words, Ye Tiancheng picked up a pastry and took a bite. "It tastes much like normal food, but when I swallow it, the sensation of swallowing food is gone. It feels like a cool stream of energy entering my esophagus."
The little fox explained, "That's normal. Evil spirits cannot consume earthly food. They either need to be offered sacrifices by people still living in the mortal world, or they consume things like this. Most of it isn't very tasty. If something is considered delicious and can even bring benefits to humans, it's already quite remarkable, and it's also very precious food for evil spirits."
"However, even when eating these foods, the sensation is not like eating normally in the mortal world. It's like when ghosts consume food; they are merely absorbing the energy from it."
Ye Tiancheng sighed as he looked at the table full of pastries. "I originally thought that if one could live and eat similarly in both life and death, then whether one reincarnated or not after death wouldn't be so important. One could live quite freely and without the troubles of aging or sickness."
"But judging by the current situation, eating only like this is quite uncomfortable. It's truly better to be alive."
Seeing Ye Tiancheng speak, the little fox replied earnestly, "Although it may seem on the surface that ordinary people no longer have to worry about aging or sickness after death, they still face similar troubles."
"For example, if one lingers for too long without reincarnating, they will become a lonely wandering spirit. And if their soul remains for too long, it will gradually be negatively affected. Their rationality will slowly decrease, and they might become violent and ferocious."
"Furthermore, lingering and not reincarnating does not mean one can live carefree indefinitely. Before a certain period, one must undergo a heavenly trial of conscience. One must have an irresistible reason for lingering and must never have harmed anyone to pass. But even if one passes, it won't be very comfortable."
"Moreover, if one is not strong enough after death, the afterlife is a world where the strong prey on the weak. It's not really a comfortable place, and one will be bullied by other powerful evil spirits."
"If no one in the mortal world remembers you and offers you paper money, offerings, incense, and candles, you will become increasingly destitute, eventually having no clothes to wear and starving. This will lead to a vicious cycle: unable to get food, being bullied, becoming weaker and weaker, and ultimately dissipating into nothingness."
"And you will still get sick after death, just not with the same ailments as ordinary living people in the mortal world."
After hearing the little fox's account, Ye Tiancheng burst into laughter, with a hint of helplessness. "I was just joking, but after hearing you say all that, it's quite frightening."
"It's already difficult enough to be alive. I never expected that even after death, things wouldn't be easy. One still has to suffer. The afterlife isn't any easier either. If it's like this, then it's truly not pleasant to be alive, and not pleasant to be dead either. Thinking about it is quite terrifying."
The little fox blinked its eyes and then looked at Ye Tiancheng. "But I think there are good things about being dead, and there are good things about being alive."
"If you only look at the disadvantages, then nothing is easy. But if you look at it from another perspective, after death, you can live in any house you want for free, as long as no one permanently resides there. You can go watch movies, visit amusement parks, and experience all the rides for free without buying tickets. There are many similar benefits."
"And when alive, if I hadn't persisted, I wouldn't have met you, Big Brother."
Ye Tiancheng was slightly taken aback. He stroked the little fox's head for a long time before saying, "Being alive is also good. There are so many good things in the mortal world. Otherwise, why would everything, whether dead or alive, human or not, cling so dearly to everything in the mortal world?"
The little fox smiled and said, "That's right, that's the reason. People after death still cling to the feeling of being alive. And why do monsters rack their brains trying to become human? Isn't it for these reasons?"
Further discussion would be too profound, and now was not the time for philosophical musings. Thus, after a few words, Ye Tiancheng and the little fox paused their conversation and put the topic aside.
Ye Tiancheng also needed to consider carefully from what angle to begin his investigation to locate the fragments of the Fuxi Qin.
Because upon entering the Odd Market, Ye Tiancheng was certain that without any assistance, if he did not get close to the Fuxi Qin fragments, he would be unable to sense their location. Therefore, Ye Tiancheng had no choice but to find ways to use other means.
The simplest and most direct method was to utilize the Fuxi Qin fragments that Ye Tiancheng had already found to sense their presence.
Ye Tiancheng had used this method before, and it had indeed been effective. As long as the aura of the Fuxi Qin fragments was not obscured by anything, there was no problem.
However, the reason Ye Tiancheng had not immediately used this method upon entering the Odd Market was his concern that rashly taking out the Fuxi Qin fragments might attract unnecessary attention and cause him trouble. He needed to reach a safe location before he could do so.
After settling into the inn, Ye Tiancheng sensed the situation in the room and cautiously examined the surroundings. The little fox also checked everything with him. Once they confirmed there were no issues, Ye Tiancheng took out the Fuxi Qin fragments and began to circulate his cultivation, attempting to sense the direction of the Fuxi Qin fragments in this location.
After some time, it was not without some results. Perhaps because the distance was not very close, Ye Tiancheng only obtained a general direction, with no further information.
Next, he would likely need to deepen his understanding of this Odd Market. Ye Tiancheng had already established their cover stories with the little fox, pretending to be newcomers curious about the Odd Market. Those he had bribed, including Zhang Liushun and the inn attendant, now totaled two people.
After Ye Tiancheng and the little fox finished their tea and pastries, they called the attendant to clear the table. Typically, attendants should know a lot and be well-informed. Therefore, Ye Tiancheng thought he could try to get some information from the attendant.
When the attendant arrived, Ye Tiancheng asked him, "Thank you for coming up again. My brother and I are visiting the Odd Market for the first time. Since we've only just heard of it, we don't know much about it. Could you please introduce it to us?"
As Ye Tiancheng spoke, he slipped something into the attendant's hand. With a hand that received something, the attendant was naturally willing to enlighten Ye Tiancheng. "Of course, esteemed guest. You are too kind."
The attendant rubbed the item Ye Tiancheng had given him, treasured it, and then said, "This Odd Market is vast, and there are many places to visit. It's difficult to explain in a few words. Normally, there isn't such a good opportunity to explore."