Black Meat

Chen Zhou watched as the Nine-Age Crane's eyes began to lose focus again and let out a sigh.

"It seems conventional methods won't work."

"Since you won't listen to reason, then..."

Chen Zhou reached out, a seed as black as ink condensing at his fingertip.

【Seed of Resentment】.

"Bear with it."

Chen Zhou injected the seed into the Nine-Age Crane's brow.

Immediately after, he activated 【Evil God Whispers】.

"You are the auspicious beast of Zhenlong Mountain, your lifespan equals the heavens, and your blessings are boundless."

"You should remain clear-headed and undisturbed by external fiends."

"I know you are anxious to see your masters and are filled with worry, but the more it is so, the more you must hold onto your heart."

"Otherwise, not only will you fail to save them, but you will be completely assimilated by this Path of Hungry Ghosts, turning into a monster just like the things below."

The voice of the Evil God was low and raspy, carrying a strange penetrative power that detonated deep within the Nine-Age Crane's sea of consciousness.

The Nine-Age Crane felt thunderous roars in its ears, shaking its soul to the core.

The appetite that had previously occupied its entire brain was gradually forced down by this majestic will.

The aroma of food seemed to drift away, and the rising kitchen smoke became blurred.

"Ga."

The Nine-Age Crane let out a grateful cry, lowering its head to nuzzle Chen Zhou's palm.

'Thank you, My Lord.'

Chen Zhou withdrew his hand and looked into the distance.

Although the recent commotion was dangerous, it had indeed served a purpose.

As the kitchen smoke rose everywhere, he discovered a pattern.

Most of the smoke was concentrated near the side halls and corridors on the east and west sides, which were also the places where hungry ghosts gathered the most.

Only in one direction was there almost no smoke.

That was the central axis of the imperial palace.

"Let's go now that you're awake."

Chen Zhou pointed in that direction and said, "Go there and take a look."

The Nine-Age Crane flapped its wings and took flight.

Its speed was much faster; even if an aroma wafted from below, with the Seed of Resentment suppressing its urges, it only swallowed hard and forced itself to look straight ahead.

After flying for a short while, Chen Zhou's gaze sharpened.

"Stop."

Below, in a desolate Cold Palace courtyard, another wisp of kitchen smoke rose.

This wisp was very faint; if one didn't look closely, it would be almost unnoticeable.

Chen Zhou signaled for the Nine-Age Crane to land.

They landed on the wall; Song Zi'an and the Heavenly Chef were both there.

But this time, the scenario had changed.

In the yard, there was only a broken pot with a missing corner.

The pair's faces were gaunt and their eyes sunken, while their skin had an unhealthy grayish-blue tint. They appeared withered, with hair as messy as tangled dry grass.

Their clothes were tattered, clearly showing they had been starving for a long time.

They were still stewing a pot of soup.

But there was only clear water in the pot, with a few weeds pulled from somewhere and two pieces of tree bark floating in it.

"Master, please drink some."

Song Zi'an tremblingly served a bowl of hot water and handed it to the Heavenly Chef.

"There's not much, but something hot will make your stomach feel better."

The Heavenly Chef took the bowl, his hands shaking so violently that a lot of the liquid spilled out and scalded his hands, but he seemed not to feel it.

"Zi'an, you've suffered."

The Heavenly Chef's voice was hoarse, like sandpaper rubbing together.

"Following me, you can't even get a full meal."

"I am useless; I've cooked my whole life, only to die of hunger here."

"I'm not thirsty. You drink. You drink it."

This scene was too realistic.

It was so realistic that tears instantly welled up in the Nine-Age Crane's eyes.

This was exactly how it imagined its old and young masters suffering!

Just as it was about to cry out, Chen Zhou held it down.

"Don't be in a rush."

Chen Zhou plucked a feather from the Nine-Age Crane and tossed it down.

The feather drifted and fell into the broken pot.

In the next second, the warm and tragic master-disciple bond instantly shattered.

The two who were previously offering each other the hot water looked at the feather in the pot as if they had seen some peerless delicacy.

Their eyes turned blood-red and their mouths split open, revealing rows of sharp teeth.

"Meat! It's meat!"

"Give it to me!"

The Heavenly Chef slapped the bowl out of Song Zi'an's hand and pounced on the large pot.

Song Zi'an was not to be outdone, jumping directly onto the Heavenly Chef's back and biting his ear.

The two rolled on the ground in a frenzy, fighting over the feather.

After they finished devouring the feather dipped in hot water, their desire was not satisfied; instead, it was completely ignited.

Their expressions changed, and they began to gorge on the contents of the pot.

The few weeds, the two pieces of bark, and even the boiling water at the bottom were fought over and gulped down.

Until their bellies were swollen like balls and their skin was so thin it seemed it would burst at any moment, they continued to mechanically stuff things into their mouths.

"Hungry... still hungry..."

Seeing this, Chen Zhou's eyes turned cold.

He took the black, meaty lump he had picked up earlier from his robe and threw it down.

"Thud."

The black meat landed between them.

The hungry ghosts didn't care what it was; the food in the pot would only make them hungrier, but anything would do as long as it could be eaten.

Both pounced recklessly, reaching for the black meat.

Song Zi'an grabbed it.

He snatched the black meat and shoved it into his mouth.

"Crunch, crunch."

He chewed forcefully, unbothered even as his teeth broke.

As the black meat entered his stomach, the frantic agitation within him actually calmed down.

He became quiet, hunched over, and silently retreated to a corner to gnaw on the remaining half of the lump. He no longer stared at the pot or attacked the Heavenly Chef.

Meanwhile, the Heavenly Chef, who hadn't grabbed it, was still frantically eating the food in the pot. When the roots and bark were gone, he began to gnaw on the pot itself, and when the pot was finished, he ate the soil on the ground.

Chen Zhou was thoughtful.

"As I thought."

"All food in the Path of Hungry Ghosts is bait; it only deepens the hunger."

"Only this black meat is different."

Chen Zhou looked up toward the depths of the palace.

The Nine-Age Crane prepared to fly to another wisp of smoke, but Chen Zhou stopped it.

"No need to test further."

"The kitchen smoke is likely all fake."

"Let's go over there."

Chen Zhou pointed to the very center of the imperial palace, in the direction of Taihe Hall.

That place should have been where all officials paid homage, the symbol of imperial power.

But Chen Zhou had noticed that throughout this journey, the hungry ghosts in the palace, when in their normal state, mostly entered and exited from the direction of Taihe Hall.

They went in empty-handed and came out with their heads down, clutching something.

Including the maidservant who had passed through him when he first entered the Path of Hungry Ghosts.

They all held things and gnawed on them with lowered heads; it was likely this black meat.

Moreover, while kitchen smoke rose everywhere else, the direction of Taihe Hall was very quiet, with not even the sound of a ghost crying.

Yet it accommodated the entry and exit of so many ghosts; in such a chaotic Path of Hungry Ghosts, it was a bit too conspicuous in its attempt to hide.