"The word 'umbilical cord' was just said, and Yu Sheng noticed the visible peculiarity in Little Red Riding Hood's expression.

She then slightly frowned: "I always feel… it's not the first time I've heard this term."

"The earliest mention was when I went to the Special Service Bureau to look into the materials about the 'coming of age' operation seventy years ago," Yu Sheng nodded lightly, his expression especially serious. "After I came back, I mentioned it to you. The materials recorded that one of the deep divers who returned to the real world kept repeating the phrases 'baby's cry' and 'umbilical cord' on his deathbed."

Little Red Riding Hood took a light breath.

Yu Sheng couldn't help but cast another look at the 'umbilical cord' inside the box.

…Why did Old Zheng have this thing? What exactly is the so-called 'umbilical cord'? Whose umbilical cord is it? What kind of connection does it have with 'Fairy Tales'?

The answer seemed to be looming. Yu Sheng's eyebrows were tightly knitted as he tried to piece together those vague and fragmented clues and thoughts into a complete loop. While contemplating, he hesitantly spoke, "If this 'umbilical cord' really has something to do with the Dark Angel trapped in the 'Fairy Tales'..."

Little Red Riding Hood unconsciously took another breath: "That statement of yours is a bit chilling."

Then she paused and continued uncertainly, "The key is… Old Zheng is just an 'ordinary person' who collects and studies mysterious objects. At most, he knows some minor means to protect himself in the face of extraordinary powers. Something as high-level as the 'Angel Umbilical Cord' would be explosive even in the Special Service Bureau. How could it end up in his hands?"

Yu Sheng didn't speak for a moment, but he couldn't help remembering that 'Spirit Communication Ring' he saw in Old Zheng's bedroom earlier. And when he touched that Spirit Communication Ring, he saw the black tentacle that drilled out from the crack in the ceiling.

The tentacle swayed in the air at that moment, seemingly searching for something.

After thinking, he hesitated to speak again, "What if this umbilical cord wasn't 'found' by Old Zheng from somewhere, but was voluntarily given to him by the Dark Angel?"

Little Red Riding Hood's brows furrowed tightly. She understood the meaning of Yu Sheng's words, and then her expression became increasingly peculiar. Gradually, this strange expression turned into a certain helpless yet complex smile. She just chuckled bitterly and murmured, "Old Zheng... Old Zheng..."

She raised her head to look at Yu Sheng beside her, her smile bitter, "Do you remember those 'Spirit Communication' runes left by Old Zheng? They were crude and simple. Even among beginners, they would be considered clumsy work. But he could easily contact the 'Dark Angel' that those cultists struggled to meet just with those runes. And now there's this umbilical cord… Do you know how ironic this is?

"Those Angel Sect believers treated Old Zheng as a disposable tool, even killing him because they thought Old Zheng 'contaminated' their Lord. But according to their theory, Old Zheng might truly be the chosen one of 'Anka Aela'—at least in terms of 'closeness' to the Dark Angel, he was closer than any cultist."

"For ordinary people, being inherently close to a Dark Angel is not a good thing," Yu Sheng sighed and closed the box, "What those Angel Sect believers are desperately pursuing is something normal people avoid at all costs."

"We'll take this thing with us," Little Red Riding Hood nodded to Old Zheng's nephew, "If you find any other suspicious items among your uncle's belongings, contact us immediately."

Then she paused and took out a notepad and a pen from her pocket, scribbling an address before handing it to him, "Also, you might experience some nightmares in the next few days. That's normal after coming into contact with the 'pollutant,' but the impact is shallow, so there won't be any lasting effects. If the nightmares persist, go to this address and find a doctor named Lin. Just say 'Little Red Riding Hood' referred you, and she can help you."

The young man hastily accepted the note, "Oh, oh, thank you. I'll remember."

After leaving Old Zheng's house, Yu Sheng and Little Red Riding Hood didn't return directly to the orphanage. Instead, they walked slowly along a quiet path near the apartment building.

"I'll make another trip to the Black Forest after we return," Yu Sheng said while weighing the wooden box in his hand, "I'll bring this 'umbilical cord' and the bullet the Hunter gave me last time to see what happens."

"...I always feel that every step you're taking is on the edge of the taboo for Spirit Realm detectives," Little Red Riding Hood couldn't help but roll her eyes, "Do you know how many safety regulations you've violated just by that one statement——if you were an ordinary Spirit Realm detective, your way of doing things would have gotten you killed several times over."

Yu Sheng chuckled, "Even as an extraordinary Spirit Realm detective, I've already died several times."

Little Red Riding Hood slapped her forehead, "…Fine, I almost forgot about that."

Yu Sheng laughed and took a long breath, looking up at the sky, "Alright, everything is wrapped up here. Time to head home separately—should I walk you back first?"

"No need, I'll take the shadow shortcut with my Wolf Pack and run a bit on the way to relax."

"Alright then, I'll head home on my own. Be safe on your way."

"Got it, got it—bye."

A phantom door opened in the living room of No. 66 Wutong Road. Yu Sheng stepped through it, and in the blink of an eye, he was back home in another part of the city.

As soon as he entered the house, he saw three Erins crowding around the computer. One was clacking away at the keyboard, another was flinging the mouse, leaving afterimages, and the third was keeping an eye on the mini-map. Not far away, Hu Li was hanging freshly washed fox tails one by one on the clothes rack on the balcony. The neatly arranged silver-white fox tails glittered in the sunlight.

Seeing this familiar and ordinary daily scene, Yu Sheng couldn't help but relax. He casually hung his coat on the coat rack near the entrance and shouted towards the busy puppet and fox, "I'm back."

"Savior is back!" Hu Li was the first to happily run over, circling Yu Sheng several times at high speed. "Was everything smooth?"

"Smooth, smooth," Yu Sheng, dizzy from the demon fox girl's circling, had to reach out and stop her, then glanced at the pile of tails drying on the balcony, "By the way, you've been washing your tails a lot lately, and it's always such a big deal."

Hu Li looked serious: "It's winter, it's cold and dry. The tails need proper care, and after washing and drying, they're fluffy and comfortable to hug while sleeping!"

Yu Sheng couldn't quite understand, considering that in a fight, Hu Li's well-maintained tails would be fired off like missiles, and she could grow new ones any time. Was there really a need for maintenance?

But seeing the demon fox girl's happy and serious expression, he decided not to ask. This must be what Cyber Fox Deities are like...

At this moment, one of the Erins walked over and looked up at Yu Sheng, curiously asking, "What's in your hand?"

Yu Sheng weighed the wooden box in his hand, his expression turning serious: "If I'm not mistaken, it should be the 'umbilical cord' of the Dark Angel."

As soon as he said this, all three Erins were stunned.

The sound of being killed came from the computer on the coffee table.

"Oh my gosh..." The two Erins in front of the computer exclaimed and quickly clattered on the keyboard, taking the chance to lash out at the game developers during the few seconds of respawn time.

The Erin standing in front of Yu Sheng took a dramatic step back: "What?! What did you bring home?!"

Yu Sheng bent down and opened the wooden box for Erin to see.

"I found this among Old Zheng's belongings. I went to see his nephew before coming back," he explained the origin of the object. "I suspect that Old Zheng and the Dark Angel trapped in the 'Fairy Tales' are strongly connected, and he probably didn't fully trust those Angel Sect members. So after obtaining this umbilical cord during a ritual, he hid it away. Now, this might be the key to uncovering the mystery of the Dark Angel 'Anka Aela'."

Seeing the shriveled umbilical cord in the box, Erin instinctively took a step back. Though she wasn't affected by spiritual pollution, she instinctively found the thing unsettling. After hearing Yu Sheng's explanation, a suspicious look appeared on her face as she gave Yu Sheng a strange look: "You're not planning to use it to brew wine, are you?"

Yu Sheng: "…?"

Seeing his silence, Erin's expression became even more complicated: "…You're not planning to use it to brew wine, are you?"

"Do I give you that impression? That I'd eat anything?" Yu Sheng said, amused and annoyed. "I plan to take this into the Black Forest, to see how the 'subset' of the Fairy Tales reacts to this Angel's umbilical cord. Hopefully, we can take this opportunity to understand the state of 'Anka Aela' and find its weakness."

Erin listened to Yu Sheng's 'plan' blankly and then furrowed her brows: "Maybe you should just use it to brew wine?"

Yu Sheng: "Is my plan that unreliable?"

"It's not a matter of reliability," Erin's expression suddenly turned serious, "Have you considered the possibility that taking the 'Angel's umbilical cord' into the Black Forest might hasten the Dark Angel's awakening or escape? After all, it's that kind of item."

Yu Sheng frowned.

"Indeed, there is that risk. So we must be prepared to 'cut off' this cord at any time," he said slowly and seriously. "But we have to give it a try—right now, we desperately lack information about the Dark Angel 'Anka Aela'."

Seeing Yu Sheng's serious demeanor, Erin felt somewhat relieved but still instinctively asked: "The plan sounds good, but can you ensure you can cut off the connection between this umbilical cord and the outside world at any time? You should know nothing about seals..."

Yu Sheng thought for a moment, looking serious: "If worse comes to worst, I'll eat it on the spot."

The little puppet was instantly dumbfounded.

A few seconds later, she jumped up: "…So in the end, you still plan to eat it?!"

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