It was quite a troublesome matter that the fragments of the Fuxi Qin were not visible on the surface, and Ye Tiancheng was somewhat conflicted, unsure whether he should let Ou Xiaoxue discover that he was looking for something.
Fragments of the Fuxi Qin were unlikely to be dull in color unless something was wrong with them. However, if there were significant issues, like when Ye Tiancheng searched for the Nuwa Stone, it had appeared as a dull, ordinary stone due to an accident.
With such a strong presence, it was improbable that the Fuxi Qin fragments would go unnoticed if seen by anyone. It was possible they had been exploited, but it was impossible that no one had discovered them. Ye Tiancheng believed that no matter how foolish Ou Xiaoxue was, she couldn't possibly be unaware of everything.
Having confirmed that he couldn't find any leads on the Fuxi Qin fragments this time, Ye Tiancheng felt he had returned defeated in a way.
He wondered if he should tentatively ask Ou Xiaoxue if she had encountered anything unusual, hoping it might help him locate the Fuxi Qin fragments.
Unfortunately, human nature could not withstand testing. If Ou Xiaoxue had any ulterior motives, it would be inappropriate to question her. If she had issues, it would indicate a poor character, and revealing the existence of the Fuxi Qin fragments would not be a good thing.
Ye Tiancheng was exceptionally quiet because he was deep in thought. The little fox was even quieter. He mostly spoke to Ye Tiancheng and rarely spoke to others unless necessary. He could exchange a few words with Fatty when he was around, and he was more enthusiastic when speaking to Su Muxian.
However, that was likely because he had been influenced then. Since distancing himself from Su Muxian, the little fox had become much colder towards her, no longer harboring those feelings. Instead, he felt closer to Hou Mingzhu and Ye Qingcheng.
After all, one was his elder sister-in-law, and the other was his niece. While his age might seem a bit strange, as he was more than ten years younger than Ye Tiancheng, and visually, he wasn't much older than Ye Tiancheng's daughter, Ye Qingcheng.
But then again, he had become brothers with Ye Tiancheng, and his seniority naturally rose accordingly.
The little fox was also contemplating the origins of the evil spirits in Ou Xiaoxue's villa and how they were operating. This was primarily his area of thought, as the little fox was more adept at such matters. It would be more difficult for Ye Tiancheng to discern more.
Ye Tiancheng might be able to detect anomalies and dangers based on his experience, making his perception of anomalies and dangers more acute than the little fox's. However, for finer details, only the little fox could manage. It was a matter of specialization; whoever was more skilled would handle it. Ye Tiancheng and the little fox had a tacit understanding of their division of labor.
For instance, on this occasion, although they hadn't explicitly defined their roles, they had implicitly agreed that one would primarily investigate clues about the Fuxi Qin fragments, while the other would be engrossed in researching the evil spirits. Their division of labor was very clear.
Ye Tiancheng had no leads, but the little fox had a vague feeling, as he was genuinely sensitive to such entities.
He vaguely sensed that something was amiss, but if he had to elaborate, he couldn't quite explain it. After all, he hadn't been able to investigate the true nature of the evil spirits. It was their first time seriously visiting, and they couldn't just pick a fight without reason or rush into battle rashly.
They hadn't even figured out how many enemies they had. Rushing in blindly would be too foolish. What if, during an intense battle, something suddenly attacked them from the side? That would be a serious problem.
Moreover, the little fox hadn't forgotten that their primary objective for this trip was to investigate the whereabouts of the Fuxi Qin fragments. This was their main task. However, judging by Ye Tiancheng's reaction, it was clearly not going well.
Ye Tiancheng could sense that the Fuxi Qin fragments were indeed within the villa, their aura very distinct, but he couldn't pinpoint their exact location.
This was why Ye Tiancheng hesitated and wanted to ask Ou Xiaoxue if she had ever come into contact with the Fuxi Qin fragments. Although he wouldn't ask directly, he would have to beat around the bush, as being too direct would seem suspicious.
Ye Tiancheng could sense a general area, but within that area, he couldn't pinpoint a specific location. The aura was too strong, making it impossible to distinguish them.
He wasn't sure if he couldn't find the Fuxi Qin fragments because his search wasn't thorough enough, or if the intense aura he felt was merely a false impression deliberately created by the Fuxi Qin fragments for self-protection.
However, after careful consideration, Ye Tiancheng decided not to ask anything, as it likely wouldn't be meaningful. Ou Xiaoxue might not even realize she had come into contact with the Fuxi Qin fragments, even if she truly had.
Furthermore, Ye Tiancheng lacked a suitable, justifiable reason to question Ou Xiaoxue. He wasn't even sure how to ask without revealing his intentions.
Knowing that Ye Tiancheng and the little fox had returned, Ou Xiaoxue remained in her tent. On their way back, the Nuwa Stone had reported to the little fox and Ye Tiancheng that Ou Xiaoxue showed no signs of abnormality.
This meant she was either an excellent actress or genuinely carefree and completely fine. However, if it was due to her carefree nature, it was unlikely they could get any information from Ou Xiaoxue because she was simple-minded.
After Ye Tiancheng and the little fox returned, Ou Xiaoxue actively greeted them and inquired about their findings.
The little fox regretfully told Ou Xiaoxue, "We didn't have much success, and we didn't want to damage your house too much. After all, even if we destroyed the house, it wouldn't be a good way to expel the evil spirits. Those evil spirits don't seem to want trouble; they're the intelligent kind. When facing my elder brother and me, they didn't even dare to show their faces. This makes it a bit difficult to understand the situation."
Ye Tiancheng also shrugged, expressing his regret. If the little fox couldn't do anything, he was even more powerless.
Seeing Ye Tiancheng and the little fox's reaction, Ou Xiaoxue was a bit disheartened. After having dinner with them, she returned to her tent alone. Due to the separation of sexes, even though Ou Xiaoxue was outgoing and enjoyed conversing, at night, unless there was a necessary reason, Ou Xiaoxue and Ye Tiancheng wouldn't gather together.
However, while Ye Tiancheng and the little fox had poor results, Hou Mingzhu's progress outside was much faster. No one could have anticipated that Ye Tiancheng would be able to investigate the school himself. Hou Mingzhu directly sent people to investigate, and in such circumstances, much more could be discovered.
The little fox's earlier statement that the bad game popular in Ou Xiaoxue's school was called "Fox Spirit" was correct; it was accurate information. The school indeed had it, and "Fox Spirit" was the most popular game.
Many people at the school, for reasons unknown, truly believed in such things. "Fox Spirit" was the most widely spread because even some of their teachers played it. It was baffling how such an absurd situation could occur. Some even enshrined statues of Fox Spirits, which were not their local deities.
It was a foreign evil spirit that had spread from other countries, and technically, it should be managed by their country.
It was hard to say why they were so resistant to their own country's things but so credulous of foreign ones.
At their school, they also played other games, such as "Mirror Spirit," occasionally.
Of course, they played "Fox Spirit" the most because they believed it was the most effective. The entire school had such an atmosphere, which was incredibly perplexing, as if they were bewitched by the Fox Spirit.
Ye Tiancheng asked Hou Mingzhu to instruct the people she sent to be careful. Given the bizarre situation, if the opponent was powerful, they shouldn't risk their own people.
Hou Mingzhu naturally heeded Ye Tiancheng's words and agreed without hesitation. Moreover, she was doing this for Ye Tiancheng, so everything was based on his instructions. She would have people act as Ye Tiancheng directed.
In this situation, it was no wonder that the little fox had seen a negative aura surrounding the teachers and classmates who visited Ou Xiaoxue that day. It turned out these people were in such a state because of this reason.
Given their condition, it was illogical that Ou Xiaoxue, of all people, was the one who got into trouble, especially since Ou Xiaoxue claimed she didn't play, and others corroborated that Ou Xiaoxue didn't play.
Logically, if one frequently engaged in such negative activities, others at the school should have been the first to encounter problems. Furthermore, it was even stranger that Ou Xiaoxue, having provoked it, was still alive after two days, only suffering malicious torment from the evil spirits.
If it was due to these bad games, then what kind of game had Ou Xiaoxue become entangled with?
In addition to investigating the strange atmosphere of the school, Hou Mingzhu also took additional actions. She had people investigate the profiles of everyone in Ou Xiaoxue's social circle, covering the grades and classes she interacted with.
Then, besides these teachers and classmates, Hou Mingzhu also had people investigate the school's leadership and compiled a report, which she submitted to Ye Tiancheng.
Furthermore, this wasn't all. Due to insufficient time, the information provided at this point was only basic. More detailed information would require some time to compile. Hou Mingzhu informed Ye Tiancheng that they would need to wait a while longer before she could consolidate that information and submit it to Ye Tiancheng again.
This was precisely why Ye Tiancheng sought Hou Mingzhu's help. Only someone like Hou Mingzhu could accomplish such tasks. Ye Tiancheng thought to himself that with his own capabilities, he certainly couldn't achieve this. Even if he could, he wouldn't be as thorough as Hou Mingzhu.
Such information was indeed very useful. However, after reviewing it, Ye Tiancheng's biggest thought was that once he confirmed Ou Xiaoxue was truly fine, he would still advise the young lady to transfer schools. Staying in such a school for too long, one never knew what might happen.
The atmosphere of this school was very strange. Under normal circumstances, the school's higher administration would be ruthless in dealing with such situations, so why would they be involved?