Although the investigation process was somewhat circuitous and required considerable effort to finally locate the fragments, they also managed to eliminate evils and save many people during the process, so they didn't feel their time was wasted.
Moreover, Ye Tiancheng had a premonition.
The occurrence of these coincidences was also a necessary path for him, so Ye Tiancheng was quite accustomed to it.
Ye Tiancheng made a decision.
He said, "Because there's a possibility that the fragments might be easy to obtain, to save time, we'll spend the first few days exploring our surroundings to see if we can find the fragments directly. If not, we'll start investigating this cabin."
"However, during these days, while searching for the fragments, we can also keep an eye out for any unusual clues about this cabin, so we don't have to start from scratch when we get to it later."
The little fox and Long Miaomiao both agreed.
The little fox was very accustomed to this routine; he had always followed Ye Tiancheng and understood more than Long Miaomiao.
Since the plan was made, Ye Tiancheng and the others went to rest separately.
It was so late that it was already completely dark outside. Even if they wanted to search for the whereabouts of the Fuxi Qin fragments, it wouldn't be now. It was inconvenient to move around at night, let alone on the summit of a snow-covered mountain.
Wandering around outside in the middle of the night could easily cost them their lives.
Ye Tiancheng was very sensible.
They rested in the cabin for a night. Fortunately, Ye Tiancheng and the little fox had experienced all sorts of harsh environments, so they didn't feel that the night would be particularly uncomfortable.
As for Long Miaomiao, she had lived quite comfortably before and wasn't very accustomed to such an environment. However, as a dragon, she didn't need rest, so she could make do.
Not only did she not need rest, but since climbing the snow mountain, Long Miaomiao had also stopped eating.
After leaving the bottom of the lake with Ye Tiancheng, Long Miaomiao had tried new delicacies from the outside world, but it was only to satisfy her appetite. She no longer needed to eat to sustain her life.
On this snow mountain, Long Miaomiao knew that in such a harsh environment, humans were fragile. Therefore, she was more inclined to leave all the supplies for Ye Tiancheng and the little fox to use. If she used them herself, it would indeed be a waste of resources.
This was because they were not necessities for her, but they were for Ye Tiancheng and the little fox.
When Ye Tiancheng and the others woke up the next day, it was not yet dawn.
Since it was inconvenient to do things in the dark, Ye Tiancheng and the others did not rush to set off. Instead, they first checked their various equipment and supplies inside the house, then distributed and arranged them, preparing to take them out when they went out at dawn.
Long Miaomiao refused her share of the supplies, and Ye Tiancheng, thinking of Long Miaomiao's special status, did not insist.
Ye Tiancheng and the little fox had breakfast. At that time, there were no good conditions, so they made do with some bread and biscuits. The weather was so cold that the bread and biscuits were frozen hard, making them difficult to eat.
Ye Tiancheng then put the bread and biscuits on the fire to roast, which tasted like a unique flavor.
Although he could imagine that if they continued to eat like this for a long time, no one's body could withstand it, he could only hope that this matter could be resolved sooner. The environment of the snow mountain was really too harsh, and unlike other places, staying on the snow mountain also required caution against natural disasters.
If there was an avalanche at any time, even a small one, it would be no small danger.
Ye Tiancheng was even more afraid that the little fox might be buried by snow. He planned that while on this snow mountain, unless he was staying in the cabin, he would not let the little fox leave his side, so as to avoid the little fox encountering danger.
Originally, they had discussed whether someone should stay behind to watch the situation in the house. If the owner returned halfway, or if other mountaineers discovered the place, it would be troublesome.
Moreover, their supplies were also left here. If someone with bad intentions came, they would be in danger.
Hearing this mentioned, the little fox volunteered, saying, "Why don't I stay behind to watch things? Anyway, I can't help much in the initial investigation."
"Big Brother has the Fuxi Qin fragment and can sense the whereabouts of other fragments, and Miaomiao has used the Fuxi Qin fragment and has some ability to search. But I have no such senses and can't help much if I go along. I might even drag you down, so it's better for me to stay here."
On the surface, this arrangement seemed reasonable, but Ye Tiancheng couldn't feel at ease.
Ye Tiancheng hesitated and said, "Perhaps we should think of other ways. We still don't know if there's anything unusual about this house. If you stay here, little fox, and something unexpected happens when we don't know, and you can't handle it, won't it be too late when we find out?"
He couldn't feel at ease leaving the little fox in unknown danger.
The little fox said, "Big Brother, I actually have quite a bit of self-preservation ability, and my situation isn't that dangerous. If I follow you, I'll be dragging you down too much. It's better for me to stay on guard."
Long Miaomiao listened to their conversation, thought for a moment, and said, "Ye Tiancheng's concern is also valid. There's something unusual here, and I can't fully perceive it, which means the entity behind it is quite capable. Before we determine the level of danger, it's indeed a bit too risky for the little fox to stay here."
"How about this? I'll keep an eye on the spiritual consciousness here. If anyone approaches, I'll be able to sense it in time and return here, so you can rest assured and go search for the fragments."
This way, no one would be forced into a dangerous situation.
The same danger might be a crisis at most for Long Miaomiao, but for the little fox, it could be a matter of life and death.
Ye Tiancheng agreed to this plan.
"Then I'll trouble you, Miaomiao."
Long Miaomiao waved her hand, indicating that she didn't mind.
Ye Tiancheng bid farewell to Long Miaomiao, took the little fox with him, and walked out of the cabin. Their figures gradually disappeared into the vast white snow.
Long Miaomiao watched the two of them leave, and instead of rushing to search for the Fuxi Qin fragments, she stayed in the cabin, moving around and carefully sensing the situation inside, trying to find any useful clues.
However, the thing behind it was probably afraid of her, or too cautious. In any case, Long Miaomiao couldn't find anything.
Seeing that it would be difficult to gain anything in a short period, Long Miaomiao eventually left the cabin, leaving a trace of spiritual consciousness to monitor the situation, and then began searching for the Fuxi Qin fragments in the vicinity.
Finding the precise location of the fragments was not an easy task.
The search for fragments easily fit the saying, "You search everywhere with worn-out shoes and find nothing, but it comes effortlessly."
Sometimes it could be very frustrating. After searching all over, it turned out that the fragment was right beside you, but you were circling around looking for it, not knowing that what you were looking for was already in your hands.
The closer one got to the fragment, the less sensitive the perception became.
Either the fragment's aura was hidden extremely well, and even when it was right in front of you, you felt nothing, or the aura was everywhere, coming from all directions, making it impossible to sense the correct direction.
Ye Tiancheng and Long Miaomiao didn't have much hope.
They found nothing on the first day, and the same on the second day. However, no one else found this place. It wasn't until the third day, before Ye Tiancheng and the others had even left the house, that they heard footsteps outside.
They had heard the sound of footsteps treading on snow countless times during this period, and they recognized it immediately.
Their attention was instantly drawn to the sound of footsteps.
Long Miaomiao's face immediately changed, and her brows furrowed tighter. Ye Tiancheng and the little fox were both wondering who it could be.
There were actually quite a few mountaineers climbing this snow mountain. For some unknown reason, no mountaineers had ever come here, and the owner of the cabin had never returned.
Who could the owner of this sudden footsteps be, a mountaineer or the owner of the cabin?
The footsteps grew closer and closer. With a creak, the door of the cabin was pushed open from the outside. Before they were about to set off, Ye Tiancheng had moved the things blocking the door and the bolt, so the door could indeed be pushed open easily.
They looked towards the door. The person opening the door was tall, roughly estimated to be over 1.9 meters. He had a thick beard, wore a heavy cotton-padded coat, and carried a dead animal. The animal was not small. Ye Tiancheng and the others looked closely and finally recognized it as possibly a wild boar.
The burly man, over 1.9 meters tall, had a curved saber at his waist and a hunting rifle on his back. His gaze swept across the room, looking at Ye Tiancheng and the others. His expression was solemn, and he said, "Who are you people, and why are you in my house?"
The burly man's voice was deep and hoarse, and coupled with his physique, he looked like a bear.
Ye Tiancheng quickly stepped forward to explain, "We are mountaineers who came to climb the snow mountain. We wanted to stay on the snow mountain for a few more days and discovered your house, so we wanted to borrow it. But no one ever came back, so we thought we'd stay first and discuss it with you when you returned."
"Please rest assured, we haven't touched your things during these days, and we will pay you for it."
The burly man's gaze swept back and forth among the three of them, and finally, he said, "Whatever you want."
Ye Tiancheng breathed a sigh of relief.
The burly man ignored Ye Tiancheng and the others, carried the wild boar on his shoulder, and walked towards the place that Ye Tiancheng and the others had checked, which seemed to be the storage room and kitchen.
The little fox looked at the burly man's back and quietly said to Ye Tiancheng, "Can people still hunt now? Isn't what he's doing a bit wrong?"
Ye Tiancheng was speechless when he heard the little fox say this, but he still said, "When you're under someone else's roof, you have to bow your head. We can't leave here right now, and we're living in someone else's house. We can't interfere for now. If you have any thoughts, wait until there's an opportunity later."
The little fox then fell silent.
Ye Tiancheng turned to Long Miaomiao, intending to discuss something with her, but found that Long Miaomiao's expression was unusual, seeming very serious, as if she had discovered something. He couldn't help but feel nervous.
He asked Long Miaomiao, "What's with your expression? Did you discover something?"
"Is there something wrong with the owner of the house just now?"
Long Miaomiao finally came back to her senses when Ye Tiancheng spoke to her. Long Miaomiao's expression was not good. She said to Ye Tiancheng, "Don't you smell it? The smell on him."
Ye Tiancheng was stunned for a moment, not immediately understanding.
"What smell?"
He knew he wasn't very sensitive in this regard, so he immediately looked at the little fox. If there was anything, the little fox might be able to sense it.
The little fox hadn't sensed anything at first. Hearing Long Miaomiao mention it, it was as if something was suddenly revealed. Receiving Ye Tiancheng's gaze, the little fox concentrated and sensed it. A moment later, his face suddenly turned pale.