True and False

All the hungry ghosts were drawn in by the fragrance, their gazes fixed intently on the feather as if it were some peerless delicacy.

"Mine, it's mine!"

"Get away, I want to eat it!"

Before the feather could even touch the ground, it was snatched and torn apart by countless withered palms.

The hungry ghosts bit and gnawed at each other just to cram that tiny feather into their mouths.

The feather shattered during the struggle and was devoured.

However, many more hungry ghosts failed to even grab a fragment, and they began to frantically attack their own kind who had obtained the feather.

One ghost had just managed to snatch a piece of the feather and stuff it into its mouth, but before it could even swallow, its belly was ripped open by a ghost above it, spilling its intestines across the ground.

The other ghosts swarmed forward, devouring its internal organs and snatching the blood-stained feather.

Screams, chewing sounds, and the cracking of bones blended into a single cacophony.

The Nine-Age Crane was terrified by this scene and carried Chen Zhou higher into the air as fast as it could.

Chen Zhou looked down at the tragedy below, his brow furrowed.

He unleashed another wave of death qi, attempting to attack.

But just like before, the death qi passed right through the bodies of the hungry ghosts without causing any damage.

"Still an illusion."

"No, that's not quite right."

The crane feather had already been torn apart; if it were a pure illusion, it would be impossible for it to affect a physical object.

Chen Zhou was certain that if he went down now, the transformed hungry ghosts would definitely not pass harmlessly through his body as they had done moments ago.

The Path of Hungry Ghosts was a combination of the virtual and the real, making it difficult to distinguish truth from falsehood.

"Ignore them, keep ascending and head toward the cooking smoke."

Chen Zhou gave orders calmly.

His purpose in coming here was not to get entangled with hungry ghosts.

In just this short while, he felt himself becoming even hungrier.

Time was of the essence; he could not afford to delay.

The Nine-Age Crane avoided the frenzied hungry ghosts and flew into the mid-air.

The layout of the palace below was fully visible.

This path was very familiar; although the surrounding scenery was vastly different and the architectural style much older.

Chen Zhou could still recognize that this was the same place he had traversed during his previous night excursion into the palace.

Chen Zhou recalled that back then, he had followed this very path to find the kitchen filled with Happy Meat.

"If I'm not mistaken, the kitchen should be ahead."

"Will Song Zi'an be there?"

Chen Zhou patted the back of the Nine-Age Crane and said, "Speed up."

The closer they got to the kitchen, the more clearly they could see a wisp of cooking smoke rising.

But at the same time, a dense fragrance wafted through the air.

It was an extremely enticing meaty aroma mixed with the scents of various spices—rich, fresh, and savory—making one's mouth water just from the smell.

Even an evil spirit like Chen Zhou, who did not need to eat, felt his divine soul feel a wave of comfort upon smelling this scent, while his stomach cried out even more violently.

"This smell..."

Chen Zhou's eyes flickered, "It's very similar to the Soul-Settling Banquet Song Zi'an makes."

Chen Zhou followed the cooking smoke and looked down into the courtyard below.

It was very clean and tidy, and in the center of the yard stood a large pot.

A roaring wood fire burned beneath the pot, where the broth was bubbling, stewing a full pot of meat that emitted a burst of fragrance.

Steam rose up, creating a dreamlike scene.

Two people were standing beside the large pot.

One was an elderly man with white hair and beard, looking quite energetic.

He was somewhat plump and wore a faded white chef's robe, his face glowing with health and a kind expression.

The old man held a giant wooden ladle and was stirring the meat broth in the pot.

His expression was focused and peaceful, a trace of a satisfied smile on his lips.

Hearing the crane's cry from above, the old man looked up at the Nine-Age Crane carrying Chen Zhou, and a warm smile immediately rippled through his eyes.

That smile reached his very depths, filled with pure joy.

"A Ling is here?"

The old man's voice was warm and mellow, like an elder waiting for a returning family member.

"It really has been a long time. Did A Ling miss me?"

"The Lights of Ten Thousand Homes has just come out of the pot, and the heat is just right."

"Come, just like old times, you take the first bite to test the seasoning."

As he spoke, he scooped up a ladle of the rich, milky-white broth and held it toward the sky, his gaze gentle as he looked at the Nine-Age Crane.

His movements were natural and familiar, as if he had repeated this scene thousands of times.

Beside the old man, another young man also turned around.

It was none other than Song Zi'an.

At this moment, his face beamed with a heartfelt smile, as if he had laid down all his burdens, leaving only the relaxation and joy of having his wishes fulfilled.

He also held a coarse porcelain bowl filled to the brim with soup, carefully blowing on the steam before speaking respectfully to Chen Zhou.

"Your Lordship, you've come too!"

"Thanks to you, Zi'an has already found his master!"

Song Zi'an pointed at the old man beside him, his tone excited.

"Master isn't dead! Master has been here all along, cooking for the hungry ghosts of this entire city!"

"Your Lordship, you have worked hard too, running about for the sake of the big picture. It must have been exhausting."

"I don't have any great abilities and can't help you much."

"Fortunately, Master has stewed a pot of his specialty meat broth. You should come and taste Master's skill as well."

Song Zi'an's tone was fervent and sincere, like a child showing off to a parent.

"Master is a Heavenly Chef after all, this is his unique skill."

"Although the ingredients are simple, the intent is there."

"After eating this, you will surely find peace and satisfaction, forget your worries, and settle your soul and soothe your spirit!"

The Nine-Age Crane stared blankly at the familiar figure below, listening to that gentle voice it had been separated from for so long and had dreamed of constantly. Its eyes grew misty with water, filled with deep attachment.

The meat fragrance emanating from the pot held a fatal attraction for it.

It wasn't just because of its current unbearable hunger, but because that was the scent of home and belonging from its memories.

It couldn't help but swallow its saliva, and retracting its wings, it prepared to dive down recklessly.

It wanted to throw itself into that warm embrace and drink the soup its old master was personally feeding it.

"Calm down!"

Chen Zhou barked a low shout, and death qi instantly wrapped around the Nine-Age Crane's neck and wings like chains, dragging it back by force.

The Nine-Age Crane was constricted painfully and let out dissatisfied squawks, struggling with all its might, its eyes filled with urgency.

Its master was right down there!

Both its old master and its young master were there!

They had cooked soup and were waiting for it!

Chen Zhou raised his hand and gently covered the Nine-Age Crane's eyes, blocking its vision.

"It's fake."

Darkness descended.

The Nine-Age Crane froze, its struggling movements slowing slightly.

Instinctively, it didn't want to believe it.

Its masters were right in front of it; they had spent so many years together day and night, how could it possibly be mistaken?

That voice, that demeanor, even the habitual way he stirred the ladle—everything was identical.

But it also felt that Chen Zhou certainly wouldn't lie to it.

Although the evil spirit had plucked its feathers, stolen the Old Pine's pine nuts, and scraped the plates from the old tortoise's shell.

Each and every incident was appalling, his misdeeds notorious, too numerous to count, and more than any scroll could record.

But he had also saved Song Zi'an and countless others.

He had also taken it in, along with the kind souls of an entire city.

Though the Nine-Age Crane was burning with anxiety, its remaining logic and its trust in Chen Zhou allowed it to forcibly suppress its impulses.