The luxurious Eight Great Bowls of Xi'an landed in front of Zao Ying and her one hundred and twenty men like a full-on divine intervention.
Not just good food. Not just rare food.
This was the kind of feast that made people question their life choices.
Each of them held their chopsticks with slightly trembling hands.
"How many years has it been since we last ate something like this?"
"Three… maybe four years?"
"The smell of that pork knuckle… I think I am about to cry…"
"This eight-treasure rice… it is so sweet…"
One hundred and twenty hardened men, the kind who lived by the blade and rode through blood and fire, were now eating and crying at the same time.
Over on the other side, the militia was in no hurry at all.
This was not their first rodeo.
They had already lived through things like the "Dao Xuan Tianzun Sudden Whim Festival" and the "Dao Xuan Tianzun Hotpot Festival." Compared to those, this Eight Great Bowls feast was just another good day.
No need to act like country bumpkins.
Instead of rushing in, they casually went back to their rooms first, took off their armor, washed up a bit, and only then came out to eat.
And when they ate, they did so with remarkable composure.
No pushing, no grabbing, no chaos.
Elegant.
Cultured.
Almost suspiciously civilized.
As the meal went on, a few of the leaders gradually gathered around the same table.
Cheng Xu picked up a piece of steamed pork with rice flour and smiled at Zao Ying. "Chief Zao, how is the food here? Acceptable?"
Zao Ying let out a long sigh. "Acceptable? I have not seen food like this in years. Even in normal times, this is something only officials and nobles get to eat. And here, you are feeding it to soldiers."
Cheng Xu thought to himself that boasting had to be done in moderation. Too much and it would come back to bite later.
So he waved it off with a casual smile. "Ah, we do not eat like this all the time. Maybe once every month or two. Normally, it is much simpler."
Zao Ying shook her head. "Even once every month or two is already unbelievable. Most people would never experience a single meal like this in their entire lives."
Cheng Xu laughed. "Well, our training intensity is high. If we do not eat well, we cannot keep up. That is what Dao Xuan Tianzun says."
Zao Ying tilted her head. "Dao Xuan Tianzun is…?"
Cheng Xu raised a finger and pointed upward. "The one above us."
Zao Ying immediately understood.
So they had a big boss backing them.
"Bang."
Xing Honglang dropped herself onto the seat beside Zao Ying with all the grace of a sack of bricks. She pulled out a jar of liquor like a proper Jianghu brute. "Come. Drink."
Cheng Xu waved his hands quickly. "Not me. Alcohol is forbidden in the military camp. Dao Xuan Tianzun's rule."
Xing Honglang grinned. "I am not military. I am a merchant. And Chief Zao is a guest. Guests can drink."
Cheng Xu chuckled. "Fine. You drink. I will use tea instead."
Zao Ying blinked again, clearly confused. "Rice costs a thousand coins per dou out there, and you still have grain to brew alcohol?"
Xing Honglang burst out laughing. "Who cares how much rice costs outside? That has nothing to do with us. Come. This is Luzhou Laojiao, specially granted by Dao Xuan Tianzun. Fill it up… well, not too much. First-timers can drop real fast. I will pour you half a cup."
Zao Ying stared at the tiny cup in front of her, barely bigger than a sesame seed in her eyes.
Her temper flared instantly. "Who are you looking down on? What kind of cup is this? And only half? Bring a bowl and fill it properly."
Xing Honglang gave her a sideways glance. "Do not show off. Take a small sip first."
Seeing her expression, Zao Ying hesitated for a moment. Then she picked up the cup and took a cautious sip.
The moment the liquor touched her tongue, her expression changed dramatically.
"This… this wine… it hits hard…"
"Hahahaha!"
At that moment, Gao Chuwu and Zheng Daniu came over together.
Two massive figures walking side by side, heading straight for the "management table" without a shred of politeness. They plopped themselves down, nearly knocking Cheng Xu off his seat.
Cheng Xu looked at the two of them with helpless resignation and shifted aside to make room.
Gao Chuwu sat down right next to Xing Honglang. The moment he settled, he broke into a silly grin. "Miss Xing, when are we going to spar again?"
Xing Honglang snorted. "You just lost to me a few days ago. Go train more first."
Gao Chuwu sighed. "Ah…"
Zao Ying found this strange. "You two fought? You could not beat her?"
Gao Chuwu nodded honestly. "Yes. I cannot beat Miss Xing."
Zao Ying looked at his massive frame and imposing presence. In her mind, someone like him should be a frontline powerhouse, the kind who could charge through enemies in heavy armor with a spear and keep ten men at bay.
How could he lose?
Before she could finish that thought, Xing Honglang leaned closer and whispered into her ear, "When he spars with me, he only uses Hongquan. He does not use anything else. That is why he keeps losing. If he fought seriously with everything he has, I would not be able to beat him."
Zao Ying froze for a moment, then understanding dawned.
"Oh… you two…"
Xing Honglang quickly hushed her. "Shh."
Zao Ying got it.
After spending so long drifting through the Jianghu, one developed a certain sensitivity to these things. And for some reason, the realization stirred a faint warmth in her chest.
Even someone like Xing Honglang had someone who cared about her.
Maybe…
No, no, no. What was she thinking.
She was a horse bandit. A fierce one at that. None of that soft nonsense mattered.
Meanwhile, Gao Chuwu and Zheng Daniu had already started drinking and eating noisily.
Hearing Zheng Daniu's voice, Zao Ying suddenly recognized him.
This was the same iron giant who had pulled her off the horse and saved her from Dahonglang's arrow.
"Brother Mang Niuzi," she said, cupping her fist. "Thank you for saving me earlier."
Zheng Daniu grinned foolishly. "Small matter, small matter. Not worth mentioning."
Then he immediately lowered his head and focused entirely on the eight-treasure rice in front of him. He grabbed a spoon and shoveled half a bowl into his mouth in one go, his face lighting up with pure joy.
"This kind of rice is so sweet. Next time I earn merit, I am going to ask Dao Xuan Tianzun to reward me with this."
Gao Chuwu laughed. "Daniu, you used to ask Dao Xuan Tianzun for that Fat Otaku Happy Water. You kept drinking it all the time. Dao Xuan Tianzun said it was unhealthy and cut you off. Now you have your eyes on this?"
Zheng Daniu blinked. "This should be healthy, right? It is rice."
Cheng Xu could not help but laugh. "It is made from glutinous rice. Eat too much and you will get bloating and stomach pain. Do you think Dao Xuan Tianzun would give you a lot of this? You have zero self-control. You will eat yourself sick."
Zheng Daniu looked shocked. "Huh? Huh? Huh?"
Zao Ying watched him and could not help but smile to herself. This Mang Niuzi had no scheming mind at all. Simple to the core. Almost… cute.
Zheng Daniu suddenly grabbed Gao Chuwu's arm. "Tell your wife to help buy some glutinous rice from Xi'an. We have sugar. We can make this ourselves, right?"
Xing Honglang immediately cut in. "I am not helping with that. Glutinous rice is hard to buy, and even harder to transport. And once you get it, you will just eat yourself sick."
Cheng Xu raised an eyebrow. "He said Gao Chuwu's wife should help. He did not mention you. Why did you jump in the moment he said that?"
Xing Honglang froze.
"!!!"
After a brief moment of awkward silence, she suddenly sprang to her feet and kicked Gao Chuwu flat onto the ground.
Then she turned and ran.
Just like that. Gone.
Gao Chuwu slowly got up from the ground, completely baffled. "Why did she suddenly kick me?"
Zao Ying burst out laughing. She laughed so hard she almost choked, grabbed the small cup on the table, and poured it straight down her throat.
Only after swallowing did she realize her mistake.
Wait.
This was not the kind of alcohol she used to drink.
This one was strong.
Very strong.
It was too late.
A moment later, her body swayed, and with a dull thud, she collapsed onto the ground.
Completely drunk.
Ming Context
During the late Ming famine years, even a spoonful of rice wine or a scrap of pork was an unthinkable luxury. Luzhou Laojiao, a distilled spirit, could drop anyone unaccustomed to strong drink. The scene illustrates how absurdly "divine" Dao Xuan Tianzun's supplies must appear to those living in scarcity.
Trivia
Red Fist (紅拳) was a genuine Shaanxi martial art famous for raw, explosive power—perfect for Gao Chuwu's brawler style.
The kick became a fan-favorite gag known as "The Honglang Reflex."
In later folk retellings, this feast was remembered as "The Drunken Bandit Banquet," the night Zao Ying truly joined Dao Xuan Tianzun's legend.