Chapter 16: A Simple Test

“Whoa! That’s quite a lot!” At this moment, Chang Yu felt as if he’d stepped into a celestial realm; everywhere he looked, dazzling spirit stones gleamed, filling the room with an unusually rich spiritual energy. The spirit stones, which had been no larger than grains of rice inside the storage pouch, swelled to the size of peach pits the instant they were poured out—a discovery that left Chang Yu amazed.

“So this storage pouch can shrink items? What a convenient tool!” He picked up the now-empty pouch, and with a thought, threads of true energy flowed from his hand into it. Instantly, the spirit stones that had been spilled out shot back into the pouch like a flock of birds returning to the forest.

“Easy to use and effortless to control—this is wonderful.” Chang Yu stroked the two storage pouches excitedly, then stowed them with great care under his bed. That was the safest spot in the whole house—only with the pouches hidden there could Chang Yu feel at ease.

“I remember Master telling me these spirit stones could be used as money, but I’ve never seen them in circulation.” Chang Yu turned the peach pit-sized stone over in his hand, examining it closely. The more he looked, the more puzzled and conflicted he became.

As someone born and raised on Earth, Chang Yu couldn’t recall any country that used spirit stones as currency. He pulled out his phone to search the world’s currencies, only to confirm, rather helplessly, that these stones couldn’t be used as money.

At present, only one country in the world used stones as currency: Yap Island—a tiny nation with fewer than ten thousand citizens. Due to its isolation and underdeveloped civilization, it still used stones for money. Yet even there, the stones were flat, round, and gray, each as large as a millstone—completely different from the spirit stones in Chang Yu’s hand.

So, the problem was clear: since there was no country where spirit stones served as currency, the ones given to him by Master Hao’er were useless for daily expenses. In essence, Chang Yu was still a pauper who couldn’t afford his rent…

“But Master didn’t seem like he was lying to me. Could it be these are only used among cultivators?” Chang Yu muttered, puzzled. “That’s possible, I suppose. I’ve only ever lived among ordinary people, so it makes sense I haven’t seen them before.”

“Though I’m grateful for Master’s generosity, I really want to say: I have money, but I have no idea how to spend it!” He wasn’t complaining about the spirit stones—after all, they were invaluable for cultivation. But no matter how wonderful they were, they couldn’t solve his urgent problem.

Right now, what he needed wasn’t currency from the world of immortals, but good old-fashioned worldly cash! If only Master had tossed in a bag of gold along with the spirit stones, Chang Yu wouldn’t be in such dire straits.

“How am I supposed to make enough money to cover my rent shortfall?” The thought left Chang Yu frustrated. “My paycheck won’t come for another two weeks, but the rent’s due in just two days—there’s no time!”

“Maybe I could ask Aunt Zhang to give me a few more days?” He immediately dismissed the idea. She wasn’t known for her patience or generosity.

Just thinking about Aunt Zhang’s usual sharp and caustic demeanor left him with zero confidence.

Aunt Zhang was not the type to grant extensions—money was all she ever saw, nothing else.

“If I don’t pay the rent on time, she’ll definitely throw me out!” Chang Yu concluded grimly.

Disheartened, Chang Yu slouched over the battered desk in the company’s security booth. At that moment, Fatty Wang sidled up to him, a look of caution on his face.

“Xiao Yu, I wanted to ask you something—if you don’t mind?” Fatty Wang licked his lips nervously as if he had to muster great courage.

“Go ahead, Wang. What is it?” Chang Yu blinked, unsure what Fatty Wang was getting at.

“Suppose—I’m just saying suppose—you had a big bathtub full of water, and you wanted to empty it. In front of you are a small spoon and a large spoon. Which would you use to empty the tub?”

“Is there some special meaning to this question?” Chang Yu didn’t understand why Fatty Wang was asking such an odd thing.

“Don’t ask, just answer.” Fatty Wang waved off his doubts. “But… before you do, I suggest you think carefully.”

“What’s there to think about? Obviously, I’d use the big spoon! Why would I use the little one?” Chang Yu replied without hesitation.

Everyone knew a big spoon was faster than a small one; only someone not in their right mind would do otherwise.

“Xiao Yu, you really are sick!” To Chang Yu’s astonishment, Fatty Wang grabbed his hand. His palm was slick with sweat.

Chang Yu: …

“Trust me, mental illness is treatable and preventable,” Fatty Wang intoned. “As long as you’re willing to cooperate, you can recover! I hope you’ll have confidence and beat this illness so you can get well soon!”

“Wang, what are you talking about? I’m not sick!” Chang Yu was dumbfounded, his head throbbing.

What had gotten into Fatty Wang today? Why insist he was ill? It made no sense at all!

“Enough! No mental patient would ever admit they’re sick!” Fatty Wang’s expression grew even more solemn. “Every mental patient thinks they’re normal—just like you!”

“Wait, why are you saying I’m sick?” Chang Yu was both amused and exasperated.

“I’ve been suspicious since yesterday, so I paid special attention to your case—and even contacted an old friend I hadn’t spoken to in years.” Fatty Wang began his tale. “He’s the chief psychiatrist at H City’s top mental hospital, with doctorates from France and Germany. He’s cured countless patients with his skillful hands.”

“Not only is he a renowned expert in China, he’s also famous internationally—people line up for his help!”

“He told me that nowadays, there are lots of patients who believe they can cast immortal spells. After I described your situation, he judged your condition to be quite severe.”

“To determine whether you have a mental disorder, he gave me a very simple test that can easily diagnose mental issues.”

“Don’t tell me that bathtub question was his test?” Chang Yu groaned, suddenly understanding.

“Exactly! According to him, anyone who chooses the big spoon is mentally ill!” Fatty Wang declared.

Chang Yu looked at Fatty Wang with an odd expression, as if regarding a simpleton. In his eyes, it was Wang and his so-called expert who were truly deranged.

“You’re the crazy ones. How is using a small spoon instead of a big one the sign of sanity?” Chang Yu replied weakly, troubled by the expert’s strange logic.

Fatty Wang said matter-of-factly, “Both big and small spoons are the wrong answers. The right answer is to pull out the bathtub’s plug.”

“Haven’t you ever taken a bath in a tub? Don’t you just pull the plug to drain the water after bathing?”

“Who scoops out bathwater with a spoon after a soak? That’s just making life hard for yourself!”

“If you’re not a bit unwell, why not just pull the plug instead of fussing with a spoon?”

Chang Yu fell into a complex silence—there was a certain logic to Wang’s words. Of course, a normal person would simply pull the plug.

But the problem was, when Wang posed the question, he hadn’t mentioned the option of pulling the plug. It made Chang Yu assume this was a multiple-choice question, with only A or B to choose from.

Had he known it was open-ended, he wouldn’t have made such a blunder.

“Wang, enough. You never said I could pull the plug.” Chang Yu pried open Wang’s grip and managed a smile more pained than tears. “If you really care about me, stop being so suspicious all the time. There’s something I want to ask you.”

Wang’s interest was instantly piqued. How could a healthy man like him be fooled by a patient?

He nodded eagerly. “Alright, ask away—I’m listening.”

“I just want to know—which country is Eastern Victory Divine Continent in? Is it in America?” Chang Yu took a deep breath and asked slowly.

“I’ve already checked—my master from my dreams lives in the Poria Valley of Mount Qiyun, Eastern Victory Divine Continent.”

As he spoke, Chang Yu suddenly noticed Wang was looking at him as if he were some rare animal.

“Xiao Yu!” Wang said in a tone laden with concern.

Chang Yu: ???

“Now you’re talking about Eastern Victory Divine Continent and still say you’re not mentally ill?”

“Even a three-year-old knows that’s one of the four continents in Journey to the West—the birthplace of the Monkey King!”

“That’s a place from mythology, not somewhere you can find in the real world!”

“America? You won’t find it in Antarctica, let alone the United States!”