Extreme Spirit Chaos Technique

They traveled in silence...

When the two of them reappeared, they had already arrived before the gates of a town. It was now evening.

"Ghost City?" Mu Chen stared blankly at the two large words on the city gate, rubbing his nose. "A town with a name like this... How strange."

Chu Aoqing smiled. "This is nothing. If you visited every town in the Central State, you’d find names even stranger than this one. It’s getting late. We should find a place to stay."

Mu Chen was, of course, all for the suggestion. Upon entering Ghost City, they found the scene inside wasn’t nearly as eerie as its name suggested. It was quite lively. Not only that, but Ghost City’s night market seemed more crowded than in other places, and the number of people out and about at night was simply astounding.

"Hey! You two! Care for a bowl of Meng Po Soup?"

Just then, a stall owner near the city gate called out directly to Mu Chen and Chu Aoqing. Mu Chen was taken aback for a moment, then pointed to himself and asked the stall owner, "Are you talking to this handsome fellow here?"

The stall owner burst out laughing. "Of course, I am, young man."

Mu Chen chuckled as well and continued, "Did you say Meng Po Soup? Does such a soup really exist?"

The stall owner nodded gravely. "Of course. It’s the specialty of our Ghost City. And I’m not just bragging, but you probably won’t find anyone in the entire city who makes a more authentic Meng Po Soup than me. Young man, pretty lady, how about a bowl?"

Mu Chen glanced at Chu Aoqing with a dark look, saying in a strange, mocking tone, "Well, *Miss*, would you care for a bowl of Meng Po Soup?"

Chu Aoqing was startled by Mu Chen’s odd behavior. Realizing he was just teasing her, she scoffed at him. "Who are you calling ’Miss’?"

Mu Chen laughed. "You, of course! Haha! But this Meng Po Soup is pretty interesting. Besides, we didn’t really get to eat properly back in Border City. Let’s have a bowl. We can also ask about a good place to stay."

"Alright." Chu Aoqing certainly had no objections when it came to food, and besides, Mu Chen had given another good reason.

Hearing Chu Aoqing agree, Mu Chen said to the stall owner, "We’ll have two bowls, then."

The stall owner beamed. "Coming right up! You won’t be disappointed."

As he spoke, the stall owner gestured for them to sit at a nearby table. A moment later, he brought over two bowls of Meng Po Soup and placed them in front of Mu Chen and Chu Aoqing.

Staring at the Meng Po Soup before him, Mu Chen grew increasingly baffled. This wasn’t soup at all; it was clearly just a bowl of plain water! It was so crystal clear that he could even see the tiny cracks at the bottom of the bowl.

"This... certainly lives up to the ’soup’ part of its name," Chu Aoqing remarked, picking up her spoon. But instead of scooping up the liquid, she just stared at it for a long time.

Seeing that neither of them was drinking, the stall owner nodded in understanding. "First-time customers who see Meng Po Soup always react like you do. Don’t be fooled by its appearance as plain water. You’ll only know its true flavor once you drink it. Also..."

At this, the stall owner’s expression became mysterious. He said to Mu Chen and Chu Aoqing, "People with different things on their minds will taste different flavors."

Mu Chen heard this and said incredulously, "That amazing? You’re not just trying to trick us, are you?"

The stall owner didn’t seem to mind. He smiled. "Then why don’t we do an experiment? How about this: first, you each take a sip of your own soup, but don’t tell the other what it tastes like. Then, you’ll swap bowls and take another sip to taste it. Finally, you can each describe what you tasted both times, and that will prove whether I’m right or not."

Mu Chen and Chu Aoqing exchanged a glance, then nodded. "Alright."

He then picked up his spoon, scooped up a mouthful, and brought it to his lips. But in the next instant, an unbearable bitterness flooded Mu Chen’s throat, as if he had just drunk the most bitter medicine in the world. He immediately put down his spoon, his brow tightly furrowed.

Seeing him frown, the stall owner and Chu Aoqing frowned as well, though for completely different reasons. However, the stall owner said nothing and asked no questions, simply turning his gaze to Chu Aoqing’s face.

Seeing Mu Chen in such agony, Chu Aoqing hesitated. But then a thought occurred to her. ’Since Mu Chen drank it, I have to try it too, no matter if it’s good or bad.’

With that thought, Chu Aoqing also scooped up a spoonful and put it in her mouth. Just as she braced herself for a disgusting taste, an inexplicable sweetness and smoothness slid down her throat and into her stomach, spreading a warm current through her entire body. It was an indescribably pleasant feeling. Chu Aoqing couldn’t resist taking another spoonful, and the taste was just as exquisitely delicious.

At this point, the stall owner’s expression changed again. He turned and said, "Now, swap with each other."

Without waiting for their agreement, the stall owner swapped their bowls and made a "please" gesture. Mu Chen didn’t mind; he and Chu Aoqing had been sharing food from the same bowl for a long time. He directly scooped up a spoonful of the Meng Po Soup and put it in his mouth. This time, however, Mu Chen couldn’t stop himself from spitting it out. The bitterness and the shock to his senses nearly made him dizzy.

"What’s going on?"

Chu Aoqing was the first to ask. She hadn’t tasted from the bowl Mu Chen had drunk from; his reaction alone was enough to tell her that the stall owner had been right.

The stall owner shook his head and gave Mu Chen a profound look. "Young man, in all these years, have you ever been happy?"

"Happy?"

Mu Chen sighed. "I suppose I have been."

The stall owner nodded in understanding. "Then I understand. You’re the first customer I’ve had who found my Meng Po Soup so disgusting they had to spit it out. The taste of the soup depends on your true, innermost emotions. Let me offer you a piece of advice, young man: don’t wear yourself out."

He patted Mu Chen’s shoulder, then turned to Chu Aoqing. "These two bowls of soup are on me. Also, if you’re looking for a place to stay, the Yuelai Guest House in the center of the city should suit you well."

Mu Chen had recovered by now. He placed a Purple Elemental Crystal on the table and said to the stall owner, "Thanks, but we can’t let you pay for it. After what you said, though, I really do feel a bit tired. We’ll be on our way."

The stall owner smiled and nodded, watching their figures recede into the distance. He shook his head. "A strange young fellow. I have a feeling we’ll meet again..."