Starting from the world of martial arts in the Condor Heroes, practicing martial arts across the hea

Upon hearing this, Huang Rong asked curiously, "Was that woman beautiful?"

Little Dragon Girl also looked towards Jiangnan. Although she didn't speak, her eyes were full of curiosity.

Sure enough, women of all ages focus on beauty, even those as intelligent as Huang Rong and as aloof as Xiaolongnu.

Jiang Nan dared not lie, for fear of being exposed; but he also dared not tell the truth, for fear that the two young women would get angry and bring up old grievances, which would be difficult to appease!

"Her appearance fits the stereotype of a woman from the martial arts world: dusty and travel-worn, heroic and dashing, well-dressed, with delicate features; however, she is not as fair-skinned and beautiful as you, with a charming smile, bright and beautiful eyes, as graceful as swirling snow in the wind, as ethereal as light clouds veiling the moon..."

Upon hearing this, Huang Rong rolled her eyes at Jiang Nan, but the corners of her mouth curled up slightly. Xiao Longnv, on the other hand, quietly gazed at Jiang Nan, saying nothing, her eyes seemingly capable of speaking.

Jiangnan couldn't hold on any longer.

"Long'er is like a fairy maiden, with skin of ice and snow, bones of crystal and jade, ethereal and otherworldly..."

Little Dragon Girl finally stopped staring at him and smiled.

To divert the two women's attention from him, Jiangnan stepped forward to help Huang Rong prepare dinner.

In recent months, Jiangnan has made a lot of purchases in Lin'an every time he leaves the palace, filling the warehouses in Niujia Village to the brim.

The warehouse was filled with all kinds of fruits and vegetables:

Peaches, rouge plums, golden apricots, and penetrating plums; plump red-tasseled agate cherries; Fuyang oranges, Luofu tangerines, crisp oranges, and round kumquats; lychees from Fujian are renowned far and wide; Gaoting bayberries, Fuyang pomegranates, snow pears, honey dates, and ginkgo nuts are sweet; green-skinned melons, yellow-fleshed melons, and honey-tube melons are delicious; West Lake water chestnuts, pond lotus roots, pond lotus seeds, and water caltrops are aquatic fruits that are the envy of many.

White cabbage, dwarf mustard greens, pickled mustard greens, bitter lettuce, leek sprouts, green onions, and garlic; purple eggplant, tender cucumber, winter melon, bottle gourd, and gourd; green radish, sweet taro, Buddha's hand yam, and sweet dew vegetable; water bamboo from the east of the city, water shield from West Lake, water celery, asparagus, and mountain mushrooms—fresh, vibrant, and fragrant throughout the city, all year round!

  [At this point, I hope readers will remember our domain name: 101 Reading Network. 101kl.kl is super convenient.]

To preserve these vegetables and fruits, Jiangnan specially used ancient methods to make ice blocks and piled them up to form an artificial ice cellar.

Of course, most of the time it's bought and eaten on the spot.

The ingredients also included meats bought last night: pork, lamb, beef, beef offal, pork tripe, lamb offal...

Jiangnan was craving the delicacies from her previous life. Luckily, she had collected all the ingredients and seasonings a few days ago, so she could enjoy the food today and ease her homesickness.

"Rong'er, tonight I'll make two dishes from my hometown for you, the chef, to try! I guarantee you'll be thoroughly satisfied and want more."

In front of the kitchen counter, Jiangnan brought out fresh beef offal: firm beef tendon, thick and chewy beef tripe, warm beef tongue, and distinct beef head skin texture.

This dish originated in the Republican era. It was originally a humble street food made by the Guo couple, who collected scraps and offal left over from slaughtering cattle and sold them from street to street. It was known as "Husband and Wife Waste Slices". Later generations gave it a more elegant name, "Husband and Wife Lung Slices". When it traveled to Jiangnan, it had already become a well-known and delicious Sichuan dish. Although the name contains the word "lung", it actually does not use lung. Instead, it uses only lean beef offal to achieve a clean, mellow, spicy and refreshing superior taste.

In Jiangnan, the ingredients are processed first because they often contain internal organs and have a fishy or unpleasant smell. If the ingredients are not carefully cleaned and processed, the dish will be ruined.

Beef tripe and beef head skin are the most likely to harbor a strong odor. They are repeatedly rubbed with coarse salt and dry powder to remove the surface grime and black membrane, then rinsed until the water is clear and the skin is clean and white. Next, they are placed in a pot of cold water with ginger slices, scallions, and cooking wine, and boiled thoroughly to remove the odor. They are then removed, scraped, and rinsed clean, leaving no trace of unpleasant smell. Beef shank and beef tongue are washed to remove blood, then blanched together in cold water, skimming off any scum. The meat becomes slightly firm, and the odor dissipates completely.

In Jiangnan, a separate pot of clear spring water is used to simmer scallions, ginger slices, star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, Sichuan peppercorns, and salt to make a clear and refreshing white broth.

The soup should boil but not surge, then simmer over low heat.

Beef shank and beef tongue have firm textures, and after 40 minutes of braising, the meat becomes translucent, tender but not mushy; beef tripe and beef head skin are even more resilient, and only after simmering over low heat for nearly an hour do they become soft, chewy, and springy. The heat is crucial when braising meat; high heat will make the meat tough and dry, locking in the flavor; only by simmering over low heat can the aroma of the braising sauce penetrate to the bone.

After turning off the heat, do not scoop or drain the offal; let it sink into the broth and soak quietly for an hour.

This step is to allow the flavors to penetrate; it's the soul of this dish.

The residual heat of the braising liquid slowly seeps into the meat, removing the smoky and dry smell, and allowing it to absorb the savory aroma of the broth. Only after it has completely cooled down should it be taken out and placed on the serving plate.

This step requires the chef to have skilled knife work. Jiangnan has practiced martial arts for more than ten years, so his hands are very steady. Moreover, his basic knife skills have reached the highest level, which can be applied to his culinary knife work. He lightly brought the knife in his hand down, slicing against the grain, as thin as a cicada's wing.

Each slice is evenly translucent with slightly curled edges. The flesh is tender and bouncy. Stacked in a white porcelain bowl, it is bluish-white and translucent with distinct texture. Just in terms of appearance alone, it is a hundred times better than ordinary street food.

Then Jiangnan prepared her own unique red oil sauce, which was perfected by a master chef.

Place minced garlic, finely ground chili powder, Sichuan peppercorn powder, a little sugar, and fine salt in a porcelain bowl. Pour the hot oil over the mixture in two batches until boiling.

"Sizzle... sizzle..." With a sizzle, the aroma of pepper, numbing spiciness, and garlic exploded instantly, filling the air with fragrance.

Jiangnan-style sauce is then drizzled over to enhance the freshness, half a spoonful of balsamic vinegar to add aroma, and three spoonfuls of chilled braising broth to balance its savory flavor. Finally, it's topped with a secret-recipe chili oil that's been simmered until it's a bright, clear red. The chili oil is clear and bright, red without being harsh, and fragrant without being overpowering.

Thinly sliced ​​beef offal is placed in a large bowl, covered with the secret red broth, and gently stirred.

Each piece of meat is coated with chili oil and soaked in sauce, glistening and moist, with an enticing bright red color.

Finally, sprinkle with toasted white sesame seeds, chopped cilantro, and finely chopped green onions.

Let it sit for a moment to absorb the flavors; it's spicy but not overpowering, fresh and fragrant, tender and melts in your mouth, with a pure numbing sensation, a rich spiciness, and a lingering freshness.

This dish of sliced ​​beef and tripe in chili sauce is a perfect blend of five flavors: numbing, spicy, fresh, fragrant, and tender. It is an unforgettable taste and a replica of the popular street food of the Republic of China era in Jiangnan during the Southern Song Dynasty. It is the most authentic and delicious flavor in Sichuan cuisine.

Huang Rong had already prepared the other dishes, and Jiangnan had cooked a large pot of rice.

Every time I cook, a lot of food is consumed.

Everyone knows that martial artists in the martial arts world are strong and healthy, with strength exceeding that of ordinary people, but very few people know that the strength of martial arts is never a talent or luck that comes out of thin air, but rather the most rigorous and cruel energy conservation.

This is a martial arts world, and a low-level one at that. Energy must follow the law of conservation of mass, specifically the conservation of energy within the food chain. It's not like a fantasy world where one can abstain from grains, consume the essence of nature, or achieve immortality, nor is it a xuanhuan world where ferocious beasts containing even more energy serve as a source of replenishment...

All things in the universe are subject to the principle of constancy. There is no power that arises from nothing, no bones and muscles that are formed out of thin air, and no superhuman physique that comes without effort. Ordinary people, with their flesh and blood, consume only a meager amount of energy from three meals a day of grains and cereals, barely enough to maintain the functioning of their internal organs, the circulation of qi and blood, and ordinary labor. Those who cultivate hard skills refine their skin, flesh, tendons, and bones, breaking down the old body and forging a new one. Behind every inch of their powerful physique lies the accumulation of a massive amount of energy, a consumption and tempering far exceeding that of ordinary people by a hundred times.

An ordinary, strong man in the marketplace can be full all day with three bowls of rice and two dishes of meat and vegetables, eating no more than a pound a day, enough to sustain him through a day of hard work. But in the eyes of a martial artist who practices external martial arts, such a diet is nothing but a drop in the ocean, far from enough to replenish the energy lost during training!

So, all we can say about Jiangnan is that he can eat a lot—not the kind of eating that's considered a blessing, but rather that he's a glutton, no, we should say he's a complete glutton. Well… even calling him a glutton is an understatement; a glutton can't hold that much…

I don't know if it's because Jiang Nan practiced hard skills, and even practiced them to a level that was unprecedented and unparalleled; later, he even created Xingyi Quan based on the national martial arts of his previous life, and practiced it to the highest level. That's why he has such a big appetite. If his digestive system hadn't evolved along with his physical body, Jiang Nan's stomach would have had problems long ago!

Internal martial arts emphasize breathing exercises to cultivate inner strength and refine the body, focusing on concealing one's strength and nourishing blood and qi. External martial arts, on the other hand, follow a path of destruction before construction and strength gained through hardship. Every shoulder strike against a wooden stake is a hard collision between tendons and bones and solid wood; every rise and fall of a stone weight is a tearing and rebuilding of muscle fibers; every hard punch and stance is the ultimate pressure on the skin, flesh, and meridians.

Internal martial arts cultivate qi, which is consumed gradually and gently; external martial arts cultivate the body, and each practice session is a process of dismantling and reshaping the physical body.

The human body's flesh and blood have limited resilience. To break free from the constraints of mere mortals and possess the ability to withstand blows and withstand powerful force, one must actively destroy the originally weak physical structure, then nourish it with qi and blood, and fill it with nutrients, allowing the broken muscles and strained tendons to become thicker, harder, and stronger during the repair process. This is a long process and cannot be achieved overnight. In low-level martial arts, no one can achieve this overnight; doing so would only lead to death.

This is the true essence of hard skill cultivation, and also the most brutal energy conservation.

Destruction requires energy, repair requires energy, and strengthening requires even more massive amounts of energy.

Huang Rong and Xiaolongnu's appetites didn't change much because they primarily cultivated internal energy cultivation techniques and external martial arts skills, similar to sorcerers. Although they ate more than ordinary people who didn't practice martial arts, their appetites were still within the normal range for martial artists. Even if they depleted their internal energy and needed to recover, they could replenish their energy by consuming medicinal cuisine. They would never have the enormous appetite of Jiangnan.

As for appetite, Jiangnan doesn't have much of a solution for now.

An ordinary person's body remains still all day, with stable muscle structure, no damage, and no consumption, so naturally there is no need for much food. But Jiang Nan's physical training has reached the highest level, with his body tempered to the point of "breaking through the void and being able to see the gods." After a training session, his body is constantly evolving.

If energy supply is insufficient and there is no adequate nourishment from grains and meat, torn muscles cannot repair and evolve, and damaged tendons and bones cannot heal and progress further. At best, one will experience body aches, depletion of qi and blood, and stagnation in cultivation; at worst, one will suffer from muscle ulceration, tendon and bone atrophy, and damage to meridians, resulting in lifelong disability.

As the saying goes, "Three parts training, seven parts maintenance."

The martial arts world is always fair. The amount of power you want depends on the amount of pain you have to endure, the amount of energy you have to expend, and the amount of energy you have to take in.

After each practice session, Jiangnan would be instantly overwhelmed by an extreme sense of emptiness and hunger.

This kind of hunger is definitely not the kind of hunger that ordinary people experience when they can't get three meals a day.

For ordinary people, hunger is an empty stomach, the desire for food, and a slight feeling of weakness. But for martial artists, the hunger after rigorous training in hard skills is a deprivation that penetrates to the very marrow of their bones. It is the agonizing hunger of every single muscle in their body, a frantic cry for help from their body, an extreme emptiness where their internal energy is completely depleted and on the verge of exhaustion.

Everyone says that martial artists have an amazing appetite, that they are born with a gluttonous nature and are exceptionally gifted. But no one knows that this enormous amount of food is not due to greed, but a necessity, and an inevitable result of the conservation of energy.

Fortunately, Jiang Nan was already a martial artist, and a very powerful one at that. Although Jiang Nan didn't know what level he was at among the Five Greats, the palace guards couldn't detect him anyway. The palace had become his ATM. The food he ate was relatively insignificant compared to the daily food consumption of the palace!

White rice enters the mouth without needing to be chewed thoroughly; it is quickly swallowed, and the warm rice instantly transforms into pure carbohydrates, replenishing depleted glycogen. The braised beef in the "Husband and Wife Lung Slices" is rich in protein, providing essential nutrients for repairing torn muscles and rebuilding bone structure. The rich chicken and duck broth is warm and nourishing, quickly replenishing deficient blood and qi, and soothing overworked internal organs.

He ate extremely fast. Although he didn't eat very well, his eating was not messy. Every bite of food was absorbed and transformed by his body.

For ordinary people, most of the nutrients from food are difficult to absorb, and the residue accumulates and turns into excess fat. However, martial artists who have been practicing hard skills for many years have a metabolism that is different from ordinary people. Their muscles are translucent, their internal organs are strong, and their digestion is extremely fast. When they eat grains and meat, they can absorb 99% of the nutrients, with almost no waste, and all of them are transformed into qi, blood, muscles, and bone energy.

Steaming white vapor slowly emanated from his pores. Through mental focus, he penetrated the body's acupoints and guided his internal energy to flow actively through the delicate muscles damaged during his recent training. Nourished by a massive amount of nutrients, the internal energy began to quietly repair, thicken, and solidify.

All the masters of external martial arts in the world have huge appetites.

It's not that I crave it, it's that I have to eat it.

An ordinary person's physical body can only bear a few hundred kilograms of force at most, and their daily consumption is negligible, so eating little is enough.

A beginner in hard martial arts, whose physical strength exceeds 1,000 jin, consumes dozens of times more physical energy, blood and qi than an ordinary person each time they practice by hitting stakes and carrying heavy loads.

If one cultivates to the point of mastering hard skills, one will have a body of copper and iron, and the force of a thousand pounds with every move. A punch can shatter rocks and a palm can break wood. Every exertion of force and every battle is an instantaneous explosion of massive physical energy.

The more bursts of damage, the greater the consumption; the greater the consumption, the greater the replenishment.

This is the eternal law of conservation of energy. Just like the saying goes: "When the cannons roar, gold pours in."

There is no such thing as overwhelming power that comes out of thin air, nor is there any combat strength that comes without a price. Those masters in the martial arts world who have achieved unparalleled physical prowess through rigorous training have all built their bodies of steel and iron by consuming food energy a hundred times greater than that of ordinary people, day after day.

In contrast, most of the mediocre people in the world who have decent talent in martial arts but can never make progress are not due to incorrect techniques or insufficient comprehension, but rather because they cannot endure the hardships of arduous training, cannot withstand the enormous consumption, and cannot replenish the damage to their physical bodies.

After daily arduous training, indulging in a bland diet and eating little food leads to more physical depletion than replenishment. As a result, the body's structure can never be repaired or strengthened. Day after day, cultivation stagnates, the physical body weakens, and ultimately, one can only become mediocre.

It breaks down muscle fibers, replenishes qi and blood, strengthens tendons and bones, and fortifies the body.

One diminishes while another increases, one consumes while another replenishes, strictly adhering to the natural order and maintaining constancy.

People admire martial artists for being invulnerable to swords and spears and possessing the strength to shake mountains and rivers, but they do not know that beneath every inch of their invincible body lies years of extreme hard training, enormous consumption that is unimaginable to ordinary people, and massive nourishment from eating thousands of kilograms of food at a time.

The most basic truth of martial arts is never about mysterious breathing techniques, but rather about how much energy you expend and accumulate determines how much power you possess.

Hunger is a warning bell for a martial artist's progress; food is the foundation of a strong physical body.

Only through perseverance and continuous cultivation, day after day, can one achieve an invincible body in the martial world.