Chen Xiao was certain that his mother did not have Alzheimer's, nor was she suffering from amnesia due to a severe head injury.
Therefore, the most likely reason for her current state, where she didn't even remember him, was that her soul had been taken by Xuan Mingzi!
"Soul taken?"
Upon hearing Chen Xiao's words, Gu Zhendong first questioned, then a look of affirmation appeared in his eyes.
He nodded and said, "Yes, Chen Xiao, I also agree with this theory. It seems that Xuan Mingzi knew he might fail, so he just wanted to spite you!"
Chen Xiao sighed. Even if he had figured this out, what good would it do?
His mother's soul had been taken by Xuan Mingzi, and he had hidden the soul fragments wherever he pleased, making it impossible for Chen Xiao to find them.
Moreover, only a wisp of a remnant soul had been taken by Xuan Mingzi, not the entirety. If the whole soul had been taken, his mother wouldn't even have woken up.
Now that Xuan Mingzi was dead, Chen Xiao had no one to interrogate, even if he wanted to.
A soul was not like a physical object that could be hidden in a fixed location.
There were countless wandering souls in this world. Finding the wisp of soul taken from his mother would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.
"No matter what, I will find my mother's remnant soul. Even if I have to search the heavens and the earth, I will not give up."
Chen Xiao gritted his teeth and said with determination.
His mother had never enjoyed a few days of comfort in her entire life.
And recently, due to his rapid rise, his mother had become a target, which made Chen Xiao feel even more guilty.
If it weren't for him, his mother, though she might have worked harder, could at least have lived a peaceful and stable old age.
Gongsun Yi and the others nearby also wore worried expressions, and the atmosphere in the room became somewhat oppressive.
Just then, Gu Zhendong slapped his thigh and suddenly exclaimed, "That's right, I remember now!"
Chen Xiao quickly looked at Gu Zhendong and asked, "Uncle Gu, what do you remember?"
Gu Zhendong said excitedly, "I remember there's a Yiwu Mountain in Jiaodong Qingcheng, and on that mountain, there's a Mohe Sect. The Mohe Sect possesses a sect-protecting treasure called the Seven Fiends Blood Banner. The greatest function of the Seven Fiends Blood Banner is to summon souls. If we can borrow this Seven Fiends Blood Banner, I believe it can definitely help Sister-in-law Liu summon her soul!"
Chen Xiao's spirits immediately lifted, "Uncle Gu, are you serious? If it's true, I'll leave right now and make a trip to Jiaodong Qingcheng!"
Gu Zhendong nodded, "Of course, it's true. I've personally witnessed the power of the Seven Fiends Blood Banner, so there's definitely no problem. How about this, I'm an old acquaintance of the Mohe Sect leader, so I'll go with you personally!"
"Uncle Gu, I'll have to trouble you then!" Chen Xiao cupped his hands in thanks.
Gu Zhendong waved his hand, "Hey, why are you being so polite with me? There's no time to lose, let's set off now!"
"Alright!"
As soon as he said it, Chen Xiao packed a few things and prepared to leave.
Before leaving, he instructed Gongsun Yi and Lin Zicong, "I'll leave my mother in your care for the next few days!"
Gongsun Yi said with great fervor, "You can rest assured and go. I will protect your mother with my life if necessary."
Lin Zicong added, "Me too!"
Chen Xiao's forehead creased, "It's not necessary to risk your lives. Xuan Mingzi is already dead, so no strong enemies will trouble us in the short term. Just take good care of my mother!"
Gongsun Yi nodded in agreement, and only then did Chen Xiao feel at ease to leave.
He and Gu Zhendong headed to the airport, but the earliest flight to Qingcheng was not until almost evening. By the time they arrived in Qingcheng, it was already dark.
Since they were asking for a favor, it was not appropriate to visit someone in the middle of the night. Therefore, despite being anxious, Chen Xiao could only stay in the city for the night.
After a simple dinner, Gu Zhendong saw Chen Xiao's worried and preoccupied expression and proactively suggested, "Chen Xiao, I remember there's a ghost market in Qingcheng. It has many strange items, though most of them are fake. However, if we're lucky, we might find a hidden gem. Since we're both idle, why don't we go for a stroll? It'll help us digest our food!"
Chen Xiao knew what Gu Zhendong was thinking. Although he wasn't very enthusiastic, he couldn't refuse Gu Zhendong's kind offer, so he agreed.
"Alright, let's go take a look."
Many old cities have ghost markets. These places are often hidden from view and usually only open late at night or in the early morning.
They sell everything imaginable: antiques, calligraphy and paintings, jade carvings, ancient artifacts, and even firearms and ammunition.
However, most of the items are fake, and it's not easy to find a bargain. Especially in this era, coming to such a place is just for leisure, and not being cheated out of money is considered a gain.
The ghost market was set up in a large shed. The words 'Farmers Market' were written on the roof of the shed, which looked like it had been abandoned for a long time.
To enter, one had to buy a ticket, which cost a thousand yuan each.
Gu Zhendong bought two tickets and muttered, "Everything's getting more expensive these days. When I last came here, the tickets were only three hundred yuan each."
Chen Xiao asked him, "When was the last time you were here?"
Gu Zhendong scratched his head and thought for a moment, "It seems like fifteen or sixteen years ago? It's been too long, I can't remember."
Chen Xiao smiled, "Three hundred yuan fifteen years ago was worth more than a thousand yuan now."
Gu Zhendong also gave a sheepish smile, "That's true."
The two walked inside. The shed was large, with rows and rows of many makeshift stalls.
There were many people, but judging by their attire, most of them were tourists who had come to join the fun.
The stall owners were shouting loudly, using a lot of jargon to attract customers.
Chen Xiao and Gu Zhendong walked through the entire market. As they passed by, Chen Xiao didn't find anything worth buying.
After all, genuine good items carried spiritual energy.
With just a glance, Chen Xiao could distinguish the genuine from the fake.
"Gentlemen, what would you like to buy? I have everything here, guaranteed to be authentic!"
Just then, a greasy fat stall owner approached them, greeting them enthusiastically, and then lowered his voice.
"Gentlemen, I can tell you're connoisseurs. Look at these items, they're all from underground, just dug up, and have thousands of years of history. If you buy them, you're guaranteed to make a profit!"
Chen Xiao glanced at the fat stall owner's stall. A plastic cloth, two meters square, was spread on the ground, with dozens of objects scattered on it. They looked very old, and some were covered in patina.
Seeing Chen Xiao looking at his stall, the fat stall owner's spirits immediately perked up, and he introduced them more enthusiastically, "Young man, feel free to look and choose. If you like anything, I'll get it for you. To be honest, my family member is sick and urgently needs money, otherwise I wouldn't be setting up a stall here!"
Chen Xiao ignored the fat stall owner and squatted down, picking up a rusty piece of iron and examining it carefully.