He slept very soundly, not waking until dinnertime. Mu Chen was amazed to find 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 you have much more energy than before?" the Profound Old Ghost chuckled, speaking casually. Mu Chen nodded. "Yes. Why is that?"
The Profound Old Ghost loved it when Mu Chen asked him "why." He smiled. "What you call 'energy' is actually Spiritual Power, also known as Soul Power—the strength of a person's soul. Theoretically, once your Spiritual Power reaches a certain intensity, you can't be completely killed even if your physical body is destroyed. Methods for cultivating Spiritual Power were extremely rare hundreds of thousands of years ago; by now, they've likely vanished completely."
The Profound Old Ghost paused before continuing, "The Willpower you used yesterday to reforge your Dantian was actually Spiritual Power. I just called it Willpower because it was easier for you to understand. By controlling the rotation of the Dantian's vortex, you were unknowingly and forcefully draining your Spiritual Power. Each time it was depleted, your body was forced to release a little more. Through this repeated process of exhaustion and release, that new Spiritual Power doesn't get reabsorbed. So, when you recover, your total Spiritual Power is significantly greater than before. That's why you feel the way you do now."
After hearing the Profound Old Ghost's explanation, Mu Chen finally understood. 'So that's how it works,' he realized. 'It's just like when a Martial Artist breaks through their limits during Body Forging and their body gains new strength.'
"Not bad," the Profound Old Ghost praised.
GROWL...
Just then, a strange sound broke the silence, and his face flushed red. He hadn't eaten for a day and a night. Mu Chen rubbed his stomach with a wry smile. 'Looks like I need to find something to eat.'
He slowly got up. Night fell quickly in the spring, and the lamps in his room were unlit. But Mu Chen was shocked to discover that even with his eyes closed, he could see every object in the room with perfect clarity. He could even make out the intricate patterns on the cup on his table.
After putting on a white shirt, Mu Chen gently pushed open the door, and a refreshing breeze washed over him. Just as he was about to head to the dining hall, a crisp voice stopped him.
"Mu Chen, where are you going?"
Mu Chen turned around. It was her, as beautiful as ever. In the hazy moonlight, her slender figure seemed to glow with a unique radiance. Beads of sweat trickled down her forehead, a sign she had just finished her Body Forging.
"Why are you walking with your eyes closed? What if you fall down?" When Mu Chen didn't answer, Mu Bingling took a closer look and realized his eyes were shut tight.
'I'd like to ask that question myself.' But the Profound Old Ghost wasn't talking, so there was nothing Mu Chen could do. He knew that sooner or later, people would notice something was off, so he had already prepared an excuse. "Even a cripple like me wants to train an ability others don't have," he said casually. "Like... using my heart to sense everything around me with my eyes closed."
Mu Bingling was taken aback, her lips parting slightly. Suddenly, she burst out laughing. "You silly goose. While it's true some people can do that, they're usually blind. They have to train for a very long time to make even the slightest progress, and they all use their ears to do it. This is the first I've ever heard of using one's 'heart'."
An idea suddenly struck Mu Chen. He smiled. "Big Sister, don't underestimate me. My training method is different from everyone else's. I can't just sense my surroundings; I can also sense their appearance, their colors, and even their expressions."
Mu Bingling paused. This time, she didn't laugh at him. Having watched Mu Chen grow up, she knew he never lied. "Alright then, let me test you," she said. "If you're telling the truth, I'll grant you one request. If you're not, you have to grant me one request. How does that sound?"
Mu Chen nodded eagerly. 'I should pretend to lose,' he thought, suddenly curious about what kind of request Mu Bingling would make.
"Tell me, what color ribbon did I use to tie my hair today? No peeking." Mu Bingling took a few steps closer, staring intently at his eyes as if terrified he would cheat. The corners of Mu Chen's lips curled up. 'She's really cute right now,' he thought.
"A white ribbon," Mu Chen blurted out. Of course, he had no intention of telling her the real color.
The caution in Mu Bingling's eyes instantly melted into a wide grin. She smiled sweetly. "Wrong! I knew you'd say white, but my white one broke today, so I switched to a blue one. You lose."
Mu Chen smiled faintly. "Alright. So what's your request, Big Sister?"
"Hmm..." Mu Bingling thought for a moment. She seemed to remember something, and a flicker of pain crossed her eyes before vanishing. She then smiled. "Next time... you're not allowed to 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, a lump formed in his throat. "Okay," he promised. "I won't ever again."
With that, Mu Chen took Mu Bingling's small hand and hurried toward their family's dining hall. It was dinnertime. The clan's dining halls were separate, so Mu Chen typically only ate with his parents and their household maids and servants. The entire extended family only gathered for meals during holidays and festivals.
When Mu Chen took her hand, Mu Bingling felt a wave of warmth spread from his palm. 'This is the first time he's ever taken my hand on his own.' At the thought, a blush crept up her cheeks. She glanced at him shyly, but seeing his eyes were still tightly closed, she relaxed and let him pull her along as they ran toward the dining hall.
Wait a minute. Mu Bingling suddenly realized something was off. The dining hall wasn't far, but they had to pass through several small alleys to get there. The alleys weren't particularly winding, but Mu Chen's eyes were closed, and he was running so fast... If she didn't know for a fact that he never went to the dining hall, she would have assumed he'd memorized the path after walking it countless times.
"Mu Chen, can you really sense your direction with your eyes closed?" Mu Bingling asked again.
Mu Chen nodded slightly. "I can."
By the time Mu Chen finished speaking, they had arrived at the dining hall. It was a tasteful, two-story building. As they stepped inside, they saw a dozen maids and servants laughing and chatting amongst themselves. The dishes were all laid out on the table, but none of them had touched their chopsticks. It was customary for the masters to eat first.
Seeing Mu Chen and Mu Bingling enter together, the servants were all stunned for a moment. The quickest one to react immediately said, "Young Miss, Young Master, please, go on upstairs to have your meal."
The others quickly rose and bowed as well. They were all wondering why the young master, who never set foot in the dining hall, had suddenly appeared today.
Mu Chen waved a hand dismissively and led Mu Bingling directly to the second floor. The door there was open, revealing a small, private room where they could eat in peace. When Mufeng and Bi Wan saw Mu Chen pull Mu Bingling inside, their faces filled with disbelief.
The gloomy expression on Mufeng's face gave way to a slight smile. "Well, well. Did the sun rise in the west today? Our little young master has deigned to join us for dinner."
"I... I..." Mu Chen was instantly embarrassed, at a loss for words.
Bi Wan covered her mouth with a graceful smile. "Alright now, you're a grown man. Stop teasing Chen'Er. It's a rare treat for us all to eat together. Come, Bing'Er, sit here by me. Chen'Er, you can sit with your father."
Mu Bingling obediently sat down beside Bi Wan, her head bowed as if lost in thought. Mu Chen, however, acted perfectly at ease. He plopped down next to Mufeng and, without a second thought, immediately served himself a bowl of rice. Then, under the bewildered gazes of the other three, he began to wolf it down.
"What's gotten into him?" Mufeng asked, looking at Mu Bingling in confusion.
Mu Bingling just shook her head. Even Bi Wan was completely baffled. Mortified, Mu Chen mumbled, "I'm just hungry."
Mufeng paused, then burst out laughing. "Good! Being hungry is good! It means your body is recovering, Chen'Er. This is a great sign. 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, still looked puzzled. She felt something was off about Mu Chen but couldn't quite put her finger on it. Suddenly, she saw his closed eyes and it all clicked.
"Chen'Er, why are your eyes closed? Did you get something in them?" Bi Wan asked with concern.
Mufeng, sitting next to him, noticed it too. Mu Chen's mouth was stuffed with food, so he couldn't speak. Seeing his cheeks puffed out like steamed buns, Mu Bingling couldn't help but let out a little laugh. Realizing it wasn't very ladylike, she quickly explained, "Actually, Little Brother is trying to practice sensing his surroundings without using his eyes, so he's keeping them closed for everything."
Mufeng and Bi Wan were both stunned. Bi Wan shot Mu Chen a reproachful look, then broke into an exasperated smile. "But you don't have to practice while you're eating, do you?"
Mu Chen finally swallowed the food in his mouth, took a sip of water, and said, "Father, Mother, my training is different. I can clearly sense all sorts of information about things around me. For instance, Father, you're wearing a black robe today. Mother, you're wearing a Jade Hairpin. And Big Sister's chopsticks are currently holding a slice of red Thousand Vine Melon. Also..."
Mu Chen proceeded to describe every object around them—their colors, their shapes, and even the expressions on Bi Wan, Mufeng, and Mu Bingling's faces—without a single error before finally stopping.
Mufeng's face was a mask of astonishment. He murmured, "How strange. I've only ever heard of sensing sounds. I've never heard of a technique that can perceive colors and even expressions. It seems Chen'Er possesses a unique talent I never expected."
Hearing Mufeng's praise, both Bi Wan and Mu Bingling felt a genuine happiness for Mu Chen. After all, having any kind of talent was far better than being a cripple, even if this particular one wasn't of much use in their world.
"By the way, Bing'Er," Mufeng said to Mu Bingling as everyone was finishing up, "your grandfather told me yesterday that he wants you to participate in the family competition six months from now. Teachers from the Xuanling Imperial Academy will be there recruiting students. In the coming six months, feel free to ask your mother about anything you don't understand in your Cultivation. You may not be chosen, but it will be an excellent chance for some real combat experience."
He had always been easy-going and wasn't overly concerned with whether or not his children were geniuses, so he mentioned it casually before leaving the dining hall.
"Bing'Er, I'll guide your Cultivation for the next six months. I'll come get you tomorrow morning," Bi Wan said gently. "Alright, it's getting late. You both should get some rest."
"Okay," Mu Chen and Mu Bingling replied in unison.
Watching the two of them leave the dining hall side-by-side, a faint smile graced Bi Wan's lips...