Chapter Twenty-Nine: Zhang Cheng's Confusion

After Xu Kang granted his permission, the others dispersed to eat and rest. Yet judging by their excited expressions, it seemed none of them would find sleep easily that night.

Zhao Hong, too, was elated. However, he did not leave with the others. Instead, he carefully escorted the boxes containing magical bread back to his own tent.

Watching Zhao Hong’s behavior, Zhang Cheng, whose suspicions had already been rekindled, found himself unable to relax for dinner. Driven by curiosity, he quietly approached Zhao Hong’s tent and listened intently for any sounds within.

Soon, he heard the unmistakable sound of someone eating.

“Munch, munch... mm, delicious... fragrant, sweet, and tender. Who would have thought such delicacies exist in this world? Truly divine food... munch, munch, munch...”

Listening to these sounds, Zhang Cheng, who had not eaten yet, felt his hunger intensify. He swallowed unconsciously, muttering inwardly.

“Zhao Hong passed up gold for these things—are they really that good? He called it divine food, but maybe he’s in league with the quartermaster...”

No sooner had this thought crossed his mind than a gusty sound arose from Zhao Hong’s tent.

In an instant, Zhang Cheng recognized it.

“That’s... Zhao Hong practicing with his spear?”

Zhao Hong’s weapon was a long spear, favored by cavalry yet mastered by few. As the saying goes, ‘a month for the staff, a year for the saber, a lifetime for the spear,’ for the spear is easy to learn but hard to master. To wield it well requires constant practice.

Zhang Cheng, himself a spearman, had often sparred with Zhao Hong, so he was highly attuned to the sound of a spear in motion.

Yet this time, the noises from Zhao Hong’s tent struck him as unusual.

“How is Zhao Hong wielding his spear with such vigor? After a day’s march and no food, he ought to be exhausted... Wait, didn’t he just eat something?”

At that realization, Zhang Cheng suddenly understood. His emotions stirred, he unconsciously stepped forward—snapping a brittle twig beneath his foot.

Crack!

The sound rang out crisply, instantly alerting Zhao Hong inside the tent.

“Who’s there?”

With his words, a nine-foot spear shot out from the tent like a striking serpent, landing just before Zhang Cheng.

Moments later, Zhao Hong emerged bare-chested, his face flushed and beard bristling, leaving Zhang Cheng utterly dumbfounded.

Damn, this fellow is bursting with energy!

At the same time, Zhao Hong spotted Zhang Cheng and frowned in confusion.

“Brother Zhang, why are you here instead of eating and resting?”

“Uh... well...”

Zhang Cheng was too embarrassed to admit he’d come out of curiosity, so he forced a smile and tried to play it off.

“Heh heh... Actually, I’ve come to invite you to supper, Zhao Hong. Would you care to join?”

“Hahaha!”

Zhao Hong burst into hearty laughter, clasping his hands toward Zhang Cheng.

“Thank you, brother, but I’ve already eaten some rations and am no longer hungry. I must decline this time—please forgive me!”

“Of course! If you’ve already eaten, I won’t disturb you further. Farewell!”

Zhang Cheng returned the gesture, then turned and headed back to his own tent.

He did not eat upon his return. Instead, he sat on his bed, gathering his thoughts and carefully reviewing all he had witnessed.

At last, he reached a conclusion.

“The quartermaster is no ordinary man—he possesses many mysterious talents, and Zhao Hong knows this. That’s why he gave up gold for those strange cakes!”

Enlightened, Zhang Cheng’s spirits soared. He sprang to his feet, strode out of his tent, and summoned all the company leaders and squad commanders.

Once assembled, he spoke frankly.

“I’ve gathered you all because, after careful reflection, I believe trading for gold cakes was unwise. We should follow Zhao Hong’s example and exchange for those unusual baked goods instead!”

He paused, worried they might misunderstand, and added,

“If anyone disagrees, it’s no matter. The gold cake is worth ten thousand coins; each share you contributed is worth one hundred. I’ll compensate you accordingly. What do you think?”

The others began murmuring and discussing among themselves. Soon, consensus was reached, and they all saluted Zhang Cheng in unison.

“We obey your command, Commander!”

Then more than a dozen squad and company leaders stepped forward, handing over their round tokens to Zhang Cheng in acceptance of his decision.

Among them was Niu Sheng, the one who had previously asked if the squad leader could eat meat at every meal.

He handed over his five tokens with a wide grin.

“Ha, Commander Zhang, truth be told, I’d like to taste the cakes produced by the quartermaster myself. If Zhao Hong is willing to trade for them, we surely won’t regret it, right?”

“Hahaha!”

Zhang Cheng couldn’t help laughing, clapping Niu Sheng’s shoulder as he did.

“You’re quick-witted. Exactly—if Zhao Hong trades for them, why shouldn’t we? All right, since everyone agrees, I’ll go consult the quartermaster now!”

He gathered the gold cake and the tokens handed over by Niu Sheng and others, then set off toward Xu Kang’s tent.

A camp of a thousand men was not large; soon, he arrived outside Xu Kang’s tent, where the light still burned within. Standing at the entrance, he called out respectfully,

“Commander Qu Zhang Cheng requests an audience with the quartermaster!”

No sooner had he spoken than Xu Kang’s voice came from within.

“Is that Zhang Cheng? Come in!”

“Understood!” With permission granted, Zhang Cheng quickly responded, lifted the tent flap, and entered.

Upon entering, the scene before him left him utterly astonished.

The tent was filled with swirling white smoke. Xu Kang sat beside the brazier, smoke rising from beneath his feet, making him appear as if he were floating among the clouds—a figure divine.

Witnessing this, Zhang Cheng’s knees gave way, and he dropped to the ground with a thud.

“I did not realize you were a celestial being, my lord. Please forgive any disrespect!”

“Hm?”

Xu Kang was momentarily taken aback by Zhang Cheng’s sudden kneeling. But when he noticed the scraps of magical water pouches steadily turning to smoke in the brazier, he couldn’t help but laugh.

“It seems I do have a knack for playing the sage!”