Wei Hengwen never imagined that one day, his clever and composed Third Junior Sister would be squatting by a pot… eating pig intestines.
Even worse—
The moment she saw him, Ruan Man swallowed the remaining piece of meat without the slightest regard for image, like she was afraid he'd snatch it from her.
Wei Hengwen's brain instantly blue-screened.
On the other hand, Zheng Liang reacted much faster. His eyes locked onto the pot of braised meat, practically glowing.
"Third Junior Sister, where did this braised meat come from?" he asked eagerly.
"Who made it? Why does it smell this good?!"
Zheng Liang had eaten all kinds of delicacies, but very few could make him salivate just from the aroma alone.
Ruan Man, however, had zero intention of answering.
She lunged straight for the pot again.
If I don't grab it now, someone else will!
Zhu Fan scratched his head and looked at the two unfamiliar senior brothers. They were dressed the same as Ruan Man.
So… direct disciples too?
Zheng Liang saw that Ruan Man was completely immersed in eating and turned to Zhu Fan instead.
"Junior brother, did you make this braised meat?"
Zhu Fan nodded calmly and repeated the same explanation he'd given earlier, complete with his improvised "new refining method."
After listening, Zheng Liang would be lying if he said he wasn't confused.
It felt like hearing a high school student casually announce he'd figured out quantum mechanics.
Shocking—but confusing.
Still, confusion didn't stop eating.
Since Zhu Fan said everyone would get a portion, Zheng Liang smiled immediately and scooped himself some meat.
As a seasoned foodie, he carried tableware with him at all times. Compared to Ruan Man's large bowl, the exquisite silver bowl in his hand looked tiny and elegant.
He picked up a slice of pig ear.
The shape was… questionable.
But the aroma seized complete control of his hands.
He stuffed it into his mouth without hesitation.
Salty, rich flavor exploded across his tongue. The chewy cartilage crunched pleasantly, every bite producing a crisp sound that paired perfectly with the taste.
Satisfaction skyrocketed.
Zheng Liang instantly transformed into Ruan Man Mode.
Wei Hengwen, watching the whole process:
"...?"
For a brief moment, he felt like he no longer recognized his junior brothers and sisters.
Zhu Fan glanced at him.
"Senior brother, would you like some too?"
Wei Hengwen hesitated.
Looking at his juniors—who now resembled starving ghosts—he felt a deep sense of unease.
He was afraid he'd turn into that.
But the smell was too tempting.
Before his brain could stop it, his hands had already taken the bowl from Zhu Fan.
Wei Hengwen had fasted for over ten years.
He had never imagined that one day, he'd be eating pig tail in the wild.
One bite in—
He understood everything.
The pig tail was rich in collagen, soaked thoroughly in the marinade. Soft, tender, and melting in the mouth, the flavor flooded his entire oral cavity.
In an instant, the three of them looked like copy-paste versions of each other.
All squatting.
All eating like maniacs.
Soon, hurried footsteps approached.
The disciples who had finished fighting their way through finally arrived.
They looked up—
And froze.
Three people.
Squatting in front of the pot.
Damn it—direct disciples again?!
How much meat was going to be left now?!
Seeing the three already devouring like their lives depended on it, the disciples' eyes turned red.
The moment the three noticed more people arriving, their expressions sharpened.
Enemies incoming. (＞д＜)!!!
For the first time in his life, Zheng Liang hated how beautiful and refined his silver bowl was.
He looked at Ruan Man's bowl.
Then at his own.
This thing holds nothing!
Thinking about how many people were rushing over, Zheng Liang made a split-second decision.
Without hesitation, he licked his bowl clean.
Then—
He pulled out several exquisitely crafted silver plates from his storage ring.
And melted them all into a single lump of silver.
The master jeweler's tableware:
Destroyed. Reduced to molten tragedy. (xз」∠)
Then Zheng Liang reshaped the silver lump into a large basin.
Zhu Fan watched in silence as what was once beautiful, art-like tableware turned into a crooked, bumpy, concave… thing.
Calling it a basin felt insulting to other basins.
If basins had feelings, they'd beat it up.
The contrast was so tragic it made one sigh—
Were beautiful things truly born just to be destroyed?
Before Zhu Fan could shield his eyes, Wei Hengwen also acted.
As the eldest disciple, he didn't even need tools.
He summoned a pile of clay, dug it out with his bare hands, burned it with fire, and crafted a massive pottery bowl on the spot.
If not for the fact that it was equally ugly, Zhu Fan would've applauded.
What is wrong with you people?!
Has immortal aesthetic sense degraded to this level?!
The artistic standards of Xuanfa Peak were somehow worse than rookie actors' performances.
Zhu Fan seriously suspected—
Was the skill of crafting ugly basins something inherited from their master?
Far away, the Xuanfa Peak Master sneezed, unaware his reputation had just taken a critical hit.
Satisfied with their creations, Zheng Liang and Wei Hengwen turned into bottomless abysses, scooping braised meat like there was no tomorrow.
The disciples who arrived later watched the meat disappear into those massive basins, hearts bleeding.
They rushed the pot immediately, trampling any chance for those behind them.
Yin Xiu Peak disciples, experts at sabotaging others' speed buffs, finally made it through. Holding their meat, tears welled up in their eyes.
Xianzhen Peak disciples weren't to be underestimated either. Despite being beaten black and blue, they still used shameless tactics to secure front-row positions.
Everyone else gnawed their teeth in hatred toward those two "old men."
If not for the last shred of sect unity, funerals might've been scheduled.
But compared to resentment—
A stronger emotion spread.
New disciples.
They ran fast.
They ate a lot.
Racing was already hard enough.
Now inner disciples were joining.
And recently, new ones too.
At this rate…
Would anyone still be able to grab the front row in the future?
A deep sense of crisis settled over the crowd.
A few disciples who failed to get a number exchanged glances, silently planning countermeasures.
Before leaving, they shot fierce looks at the two "old men" of Xianzhen Peak and Huanyin Peak—
As if trying to burn their faces into memory forever.