Chapter 126: Chapter 122: What It Means to Have an Astonishing Appetite!

Let’s start by analyzing the source text.

[Step 1: Contextual Analysis]

Literary genre: This appears to be a Chinese cultivation/martial arts (wuxia/xianxia) web novel.

Language style: Conversational with narrative elements, focused on character interactions and world-building.

Tone: Generally light and friendly with some elements of mystery and intrigue.

Plot keywords: martial arts, cultivators, restaurant meeting, powerful martial brothers, destiny meeting, protection mission

Characters:

- Wu Liangchen (武良辰): Male protagonist, apparently a skilled martial artist who has defeated some government agents (萧荣, 王天鹰).

- Yang Lian’Er (杨莲儿): Female, referred to as the "Saintess of the Heartless Dao" (无情道的圣女), Wu Liangchen is escorting/protecting her.

- Wu Mengchan (武梦婵): Female, appears to be traveling with Wu Liangchen and Yang Lian’Er.

- Xie San/Third Brother (谢三/三哥): Female, despite the male title "Third Brother," is referred to with female pronouns. She’s the first disciple of the abbot at Jingxin Courtyard and has significant influence in Flower Square.

- Niu Da and Niu Er (牛大, 牛二): Male brothers with simple minds but extraordinary physical capabilities, work for Xie San.

- Fan Peiqin (樊佩琴): Mentioned as Yang Lian’Er’s master.

Now I’ll proceed with the integrated translation and polishing:

[Step 2: Integrated Translation and Polishing]

"Please, have a seat!"

This "Third Brother" smiled at Wu Liangchen and gestured toward the seat opposite her.

Wu Liangchen didn’t stand on ceremony. He stepped forward and sat down.

"You two young ladies shouldn’t just stand there either. Please, sit down," she continued.

Wu Mengchan and Yang Lian’Er didn’t move, instead looking toward Wu Liangchen.

Wu Liangchen said, "Since she’s being so hospitable, please sit down."

Only after hearing this did the two women step forward and take seats on either side of Wu Liangchen.

Seeing this, Third Brother chuckled and clapped her hands lightly. "Distinguished guests have arrived—bring out the finest food and wine!"

At her command, people outside immediately bustled into action.

Dishes arrived in quick succession. In moments, the table was covered with cups and plates, a truly sumptuous spread.

"I don’t drink alcohol, so I’ll toast you with tea instead. This is to thank you for drawing your sword to help me earlier," Third Brother said, raising her teacup.

Wu Liangchen raised his cup in response and drained it in one gulp.

After setting down his cup, Wu Liangchen said, "You’re too kind. I was merely acting in self-preservation."

"Haha, how honest! But whether it was for self-preservation or out of chivalry, you helped me today, and I must thank you for that."

After saying this, she gazed intently at Wu Liangchen. "Your accent doesn’t sound southern. It has a hint of Dinghai City in it. Am I right?"

Wu Liangchen didn’t hide anything and nodded frankly. "Yes!"

"I visited Dinghai City once when I was young, but that was almost twenty years ago..." Third Brother reflected wistfully before continuing.

"Dinghai City is a thousand miles away, and with bandits running rampant these days, many roads have been cut off. Why would you take such a risk to come to Huangpu Guard?"

Wu Liangchen pointed to Yang Lian’Er beside him. "I came with my friend to visit an old acquaintance."

"Oh? Which acquaintance?"

"The abbot of Jingxin Courtyard. Unfortunately, we only learned today that the abbot is away on a spiritual journey. We don’t know when they’ll return."

At this point, Wu Liangchen looked at the woman across from him.

"But might you know this abbot?"

The woman smiled, not answering directly but suddenly asking, "You’re new here, so I presume you don’t know who I am?"

"I don’t."

"My surname is Xie. I’ve forgotten my real name. People who respect me call me Third Brother."

"But I have another identity—I am the first disciple of the abbot of Jingxin Courtyard."

This confirmed what Wu Liangchen had suspected.

When he first entered this room, he had detected a faint scent of sandalwood.

The fragrance was so subtle that if not for Wu Liangchen’s keen sense of smell, he might not have noticed it at all.

But one thing was certain: the scent was identical to that of Jingxin Courtyard.

So he had deduced that this Xie San must have deep connections to Jingxin Courtyard.

This wasn’t surprising. After all, this Xie San commanded such respect in Flower Square, and Jingxin Courtyard was located at the center of Flower Square. It would be strange if there weren’t a connection between them.

This was why Wu Liangchen had mentioned seeking the abbot of Jingxin Courtyard.

Meanwhile, Xie San turned to Yang Lian’Er. "So now I’m curious—what connection does this young lady have with my master?"

Yang Lian’Er put down her chopsticks, looked up and said earnestly, "I don’t know if you’ve heard of my master, Fan Peiqin."

Hearing this, Xie San’s smile remained unchanged as she waved her hand slightly.

The servants standing by the door immediately withdrew.

Only when they were alone did Xie San nod, her expression becoming solemn. "Of course I know."

"Because my master mentioned her more than once, so..."

Xie San looked at Yang Lian’Er. "You must be the current Saintess of the Heartless Dao, Yang Lian’Er, correct?"

Yang Lian’Er looked toward Wu Liangchen, who was eating. He smiled when he noticed her glance.

"No need to hide it. Just tell her."

Only then did Yang Lian’Er nod. "Yes!"

Xie San then turned to Wu Liangchen. "And you must be Wu Liangchen, who slew the imperial agents Xiao Rong and Wang Tianying?"

"Am I that famous?" Wu Liangchen asked with surprise.

"Of course. If we were to name the most prominent young Martial Artist in all of Great Yan today, it would undoubtedly be you."

"Some even praise you as a rare beacon of integrity in Great Yan’s increasingly decadent martial world."

Wu Liangchen felt almost embarrassed by the praise. "Uh... that’s too much."

Xie San shook her head. "You’re too modest!"

As she spoke, she poured another cup of tea and said with solemnity, "This cup is to honor your martial integrity—for slaying the imperial agents of Great Yan and escorting a lone girl thousands of miles."

Wu Liangchen drank another cup.

Afterward, Xie San said, "My master is indeed away on a spiritual journey, but should return in a month or two. During this time, you’re welcome to stay with me. Don’t worry about anything."

Wu Liangchen frowned slightly, about to speak, but Xie San seemed to guess what he was thinking and said:

"Don’t worry, I won’t have your companions stay in this mixed environment. That would damage their reputation."

"If you’re willing, you can stay at the First-Class Restaurant outside Flower Square."

"That’s also my property. The front serves vegetarian meals, but there’s a small courtyard in the back that’s very peaceful, perfect for your stay."

This Xie San was truly perceptive. Wu Liangchen had merely frowned, yet she immediately guessed his concerns and made appropriate arrangements.

"Good!" Wu Liangchen didn’t refuse. This wasn’t to save money on lodging, but because Xie San, as the first disciple of the Jingxin abbot and a person of such influence, could help them avoid unnecessary trouble by staying at her place.

"I’ll take you there after we finish eating."

The rest of the meal proceeded in a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere, but during a break in the eating, Wu Liangchen suddenly remembered something and asked curiously:

"Were those two large men who intervened earlier on the street your subordinates, Third Brother?"

"I wouldn’t exactly call them subordinates. Those who follow me are all unfortunate children just trying to earn a living, including these two brothers."

"I’m sure you noticed that they’re simple-minded but good-natured—that’s putting it nicely. In common terms, they’re a bit slow-witted."

"Additionally, they’ve had enormous appetites since childhood, but their parents were just ordinary people. After barely raising them to the age of ten, their parents worked themselves to death. Afterward, they began wandering, living meal to meal, sometimes being bullied."

"They get bullied?" Wu Liangchen asked with surprise.

"Of course. As I said, they’re so pure-hearted they’re somewhat simple. And from a young age, their parents taught them not to cause trouble, so even when beaten, they didn’t know to fight back." 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

At this point, an expression of sympathy appeared on Xie San’s face.

"They stumbled along like this until they were thirteen or fourteen. Once, for some reason, they offended members of a small gang who tried to kill them. I happened to be passing by and saved them."

"They’ve followed me ever since."

Hearing this, Wu Liangchen couldn’t help but sigh. "Not only did you do a good deed, Third Brother, but you gained two powerful allies. These brothers have extraordinary talent—their physical attributes alone surpass most second-level Martial Artists."

"Yes, they just eat too much," Xie San said with a wry smile.

Wu Liangchen was somewhat dismissive at first, wondering how much they could possibly eat.

His own appetite wasn’t small either. If he were operating at full capacity to accumulate Life Fire, he could consume what would feed an ordinary person for seven or eight days in just one sitting.

But when they had nearly finished eating, Xie San clapped her hands.

"Clear the table."

Immediately, two people entered carrying large basins and dumped all the remaining food from the table into them.

"This is..." Wu Liangchen hesitated.

"I’m not having them eat leftovers. It’s that they’ve known such hardship since childhood that they can’t stand any waste. Previously, when I had people throw the leftovers into the swill bucket, they would secretly fish them out to eat. I had no choice but to do it this way."

As she spoke, Xie San stood up and said, "Come, let me show you what real eating looks like."

Downstairs, the brothers Niu Da and Niu Er were squatting against the wall, each holding an enormous basin.

To put it dramatically, a small girl could bathe in one of those basins.

The basins were filled to the brim with mixed food.

People stood nearby, continuously adding more food.

But even so, they couldn’t keep up with the speed at which the two ate.

They weren’t even using chopsticks but instead wielding large wooden ladles, scooping food into their mouths nonstop.

This could hardly be described as eating—it was more like pouring food into bottomless pits.

As soon as the food entered their mouths, it disappeared without any visible chewing.

Now the basins of leftovers were brought over. Niu Da and Niu Er grinned happily and extended their "bowls."

Someone used a ladle to distribute the leftover food between them, and they continued eating with gusto.

Wu Liangchen was stunned by their appetite. Wu Mengchan and Yang Lian’Er watched with wide-eyed amazement.

Wu Liangchen finally understood why the brothers’ parents had worked themselves to death. Having such voracious children—and two of them—would certainly be exhausting in these times.

Just then, the brothers spotted Wu Liangchen and Xie San coming down the stairs with their companions. They immediately wiped their mouths and started to stand.

Xie San waved her hand. "Keep eating."

The two looked at Wu Liangchen and extended their basins toward him.

Their meaning was clear: would he like some?

Wu Liangchen: "..."

Xie San laughed. "It seems they like you. They wouldn’t share their food otherwise."

"Let’s go. I’ll take you to the First-Class Restaurant!"