Chapter 10: Don't You Dare Let Go of My Hand Again.
He slept soundly and didn't wake until dinnertime. To Mu Chen's surprise, he had far more energy than ever before. His mind, once perpetually groggy, was now exceptionally clear.
"Heh heh, my good disciple. Have you noticed your energy is much stronger than before?" the Profound Old Ghost chuckled, speaking in a casual tone.
Mu Chen nodded. "Yes. Why is that?"
The Profound Old Ghost loved it when Mu Chen asked him "why." He laughed and said, "What you call energy is actually Spiritual Power, also known as Soul Power. It is the power of a person's soul. In theory, once your Spiritual Power reaches a certain level, you cannot be completely destroyed, even if your physical body is obliterated. Methods for cultivating Spiritual Power were extremely rare even hundreds of thousands of years ago; by now, they have likely vanished completely."
The Profound Old Ghost paused for a moment before continuing, "The Willpower you used when you reforged your Dantian yesterday was actually your Spiritual Power. I just called it Willpower because it was easier for you to understand. Controlling the rotation of the vortex in your Dantian constantly consumes your Spiritual Power. Each time you completely exhaust it, your body is forced to release another wisp of Spiritual Power to sustain you. This cycle of depletion and recovery is what enhances your Spiritual Power. The power released this way is not retracted, so the next time you recover, your reserves of Spiritual Power will be significantly greater than before."
After hearing the Profound Old Ghost's explanation, Mu Chen nodded in understanding. "I see. It's just like when a Martial Artist breaks through their limits during Body Forging, allowing their body to gain new strength."
"Exactly," the Profound Old Ghost praised.
"GROWL..."
Just then, a strange sound echoed, and a blush crept onto Mu Chen's face. He hadn't eaten for a day and a night, and for the first time, he felt an appetite that went beyond mere instinct. He rubbed his stomach and said with a wry smile, "Looks like I need to find something to eat."
Night fell quickly in spring. The lamps in his room were unlit, yet Mu Chen was pleasantly surprised to find that even with his eyes closed, he could see everything inside with perfect clarity—even the patterns on the cup on his table were distinct. 'This must also be due to my increased Spiritual Power,' he thought.
He put on a white shirt and pushed open the door. A refreshing breeze greeted him. Mu Chen was about to head for the dining hall when a crisp voice stopped him just as he stepped out.
"Mu Chen, where are you going?"
Mu Chen turned to see the same stunningly beautiful girl. In the hazy moonlight, her slender figure seemed to glow with a unique radiance. Beads of sweat dotted her forehead; it looked like she had just finished her Body Forging.
"Why are you walking with your eyes closed? What if you fall?" When Mu Chen didn't answer, Mu Bingling's casual glance caught his odd behavior—he was walking in the dark with his eyes shut.
Mu Chen wanted to ask the same question, but the Profound Old Ghost hadn't explained, so there was nothing he could do. He knew others would eventually notice something was different about him, so he had already prepared an excuse. "My talent isn't great," he said offhandedly, "so I thought I'd try a different approach and train an ability others don't have. For example, sensing everything around me with my heart, with my eyes closed."
Mu Bingling was taken aback, her mouth slightly agape. Suddenly, she let out a light laugh. "You silly goose. Some people can do that, but they're usually people who were born without sight. And it often takes them a very long time to make even the slightest progress. Besides, they all use their ears. This is the first I've ever heard of someone using their 'heart'."
An idea suddenly struck Mu Chen. He smiled. "Sister, don't underestimate me. My training method is very different from others. I can't just sense the things around me; I can also sense their appearance, their color, and even their expressions."
Mu Bingling's delicate brows furrowed slightly. This time, she didn't laugh at him. She had watched Mu Chen grow up; aside from lying to hide the pain in his body, he had never been dishonest about anything else, especially not when it came to Cultivation.
Thinking of this, Mu Bingling immediately asked, "In that case, let me test you. If it's true, I'll grant you one request. If it's not, then you have to grant me one request. How about it?"
Mu Chen pondered for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled. He knew he couldn't possibly lose, but he was a little curious about what kind of request Mu Bingling would make. 'I might as well guess wrong on purpose,' he thought.
"Tell me, what color hair tie am I using today? No peeking." Mu Bingling took a few steps closer to Mu Chen, staring intently at his eyes as if afraid he would sneak a look. The corners of Mu Chen's mouth curved up. 'She's so cute right now,' he thought.
"A white hair tie," Mu Chen blurted out. Of course, he wasn't going to say the real color.
A deep smile instantly bloomed in Mu Bingling's cautious eyes. She grinned. "Wrong! I knew you'd say white, but the white one broke today, so I switched to a blue one. So, you lose, don't you?"
Mu Chen chuckled to himself, but his expression was one of regret. "Alright," he said helplessly, "a bet's a bet. What do you want me to promise, Sister?"
"Hmm..." Mu Bingling thought for a moment. She suddenly seemed to remember something, and a flicker of pain flashed in her eyes before vanishing. She then smiled. "Next time... don't you dare let go of my hand again."
'Because when you do, it feels like I've lost the entire world...'
Mu Chen clearly saw that trace of pain in her eyes. Recalling what the Profound Old Ghost had said, his nose tingled, and he nodded firmly. "It will never happen again."
With that, Mu Chen grabbed Mu Bingling's small hand and quickly headed toward his family's kitchen hall. It was dinnertime, and the family's kitchens were naturally separate. Mu Chen usually only ate with his parents and the household Maids and servants. The entire extended family would only gather for a meal during festivals or holidays.
When Mu Chen took her hand of his own accord, Mu Bingling felt a warmth spread from his palm. This was the first time he had ever initiated contact. At that thought, a blush bloomed on her cheeks. She glanced shyly at Mu Chen, but seeing that his eyes were still tightly shut, she felt a little more at ease and let him pull her along as they ran toward the kitchen hall.
'Wait a minute.' Something suddenly felt wrong to Mu Bingling. Although the kitchen hall wasn't far, the path required them to pass through several small alleys. The alleys weren't overly winding, but Mu Chen had his eyes closed and was running exceptionally fast. If she didn't know that Mu Chen never went to the kitchen hall, she would have assumed he had memorized the route by walking it countless times before.
"Mu Chen, can you really sense the direction with your eyes closed?" Mu Bingling asked again.
This time, Mu Chen wasn't modest. "I can," he stated plainly.
By the time Mu Chen had finished speaking, they had already arrived at the kitchen hall. The hall was an elegant two-story building. As soon as they entered, they saw a dozen or so Maids and servants chatting and laughing. The food was already set on the table, but none of them had touched their chopsticks, as etiquette dictated that the masters eat first, and the servants after.
Mu Chen and Mu Bingling entered the kitchen hall together, and the servants all fell silent. A quick-witted one immediately said, "Young Miss, Young Master, please head upstairs to have your meal."
The others quickly stood and bowed. They couldn't help but be shocked, as the Third Master's son had never come here to eat before.
Mu Chen waved his hand, signaling that there was no need for such formalities, and led Mu Bingling directly to the second floor.
The door on the second floor was open, leading into a small, private room where one could eat in peace. When Mufeng and Bi Wan saw Mu Chen walk in, pulling Mu Bingling along, their faces were filled with astonishment.
A smile replaced the gloomy look on Mufeng's face. He teased, "Oh? Has the sun risen in the west today? Our little young master is actually joining us for dinner?"
"I..." Mu Chen was suddenly at a loss for words, embarrassed.
Bi Wan covered her mouth with her hand and smiled gracefully. "Alright now, you're a grown man, stop teasing Chen'Er. It's rare for the whole family to eat together. Come, Bing'Er, sit next to me. Chen'Er, you can sit with your father."
Mu Bingling obediently sat down next to Bi Wan, her head lowered as if lost in thought. Mu Chen, however, acted completely at ease. He plopped down next to Mufeng and, without a second thought, ladled a bowl of rice for himself and began to wolf it down under the strange gazes of the other three.
"What's gotten into him?" Mufeng asked, looking at Mu Bingling in confusion.
Mu Bingling just shook her head repeatedly. Even Bi Wan was completely bewildered. Mu Chen continued to shovel rice into his mouth and mumbled, "I'm just hungry."
Mufeng was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing. "Good! Being hungry is good! Knowing you're hungry means your body is getting better, Chen'Er! Here, eat up." With that, Mufeng picked up a chicken leg with his chopsticks and placed it in Mu Chen's bowl.
Bi Wan, however, wore a strange expression. She felt that something was off about Mu Chen but couldn't quite put her finger on it. Suddenly, her eyes fell on his closed eyelids, and she realized what it was.
"Chen'Er, why are your eyes closed? Did you get sand in them?" Bi Wan asked with concern.
As Bi Wan spoke, Mufeng, sitting next to Mu Chen, also noticed the oddity. Mu Chen's mouth was stuffed so full of food that he couldn't speak. Mu Bingling looked at his cheeks, puffed out like a steamed bun, and said with a smile, "Actually, he's trying to practice sensing his surroundings without using his eyes. That's why he's keeping them closed for everything he does."
Mufeng and Bi Wan were both astonished. Bi Wan shot Mu Chen a reproachful look before breaking into a helpless smile. "But you don't have to practice even while you're eating, do you?"
Mu Chen had just swallowed the food in his mouth. He took a sip of water and said, "Father, Mother, my training method is different from others. I don't just sense the existence of things; I have to sense information about them. For example, Father is wearing a black robe today. Mother is wearing a Jade Hairpin. And Sister is currently picking up a slice of red Thousand-Vine Melon with her chopsticks. Also..."
Mu Chen proceeded to describe everything around them—their colors, their appearances, and even the expressions on Bi Wan, Mufeng, and Mu Bingling's faces—down to the last detail, before finally stopping.
Mufeng look astonished. "How strange," he murmured. "I've only ever heard of sensing sounds, never a technique that can perceive colors and expressions. It seems Chen'Er has an unexpected and unique talent."
Hearing Mufeng's praise, Bi Wan and Mu Bingling were both genuinely happy for Mu Chen. After all, having some kind of talent was far better than being a good-for-nothing, even if this particular talent wasn't of much use in their world.
"By the way, Bing'Er, your grandfather told me yesterday that he wants you to participate in the family competition in six months. Teachers from the Xuanling Imperial Academy will be there to recruit students. For the next six months, if there's anything about your Cultivation you don't understand, you can ask your mother. You might not get chosen, but it will be an excellent opportunity to test yourself." Mufeng said to Mu Bingling as he was about to leave, seeing that everyone had finished dinner.
He had always been laid-back and wasn't overly concerned with whether his children were geniuses, so he mentioned it casually before leaving the kitchen hall.
"Bing'Er, I will guide your Cultivation for the next six months. I'll come get you tomorrow morning. Alright, it's getting late. You two should go get some rest," Bi Wan said gently.
"Okay," Mu Chen and Mu Bingling replied in unison.
Watching the two of them walk out of the kitchen hall side by side, a faint smile appeared on Bi Wan's face...