Hua Cheng has always managed to eat all the terrible things that Xie Lian has cooked in the past so he knows that the man is capable of eating just about anything. He smiles as he starts to feast on actual edible things, even as he starts eating as well.

"I do believe I am mortal again. I don't really feel any different but apparently our powers have been removed from us. That might mean we need to take care not to be too reckless."

Which means he can't be as self sacrificing as he normally is.