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

The sky is high and the land is vast, the mountains are clear and the waters are beautiful.

"The rooster crows at dawn, the crows chatter at dusk. Who doesn't go out to stir up trouble in the mortal world? The road is long, the water is long, fame and fortune lie on the road to Chang'an. Today's youth will be tomorrow's old. The mountains are still beautiful. People, however, grow haggard."

In the morning light, Jiangnan rode a thin horse, its hooves shattering the morning light, slowly making his way along the official road.

That day, Jiang Nan didn't force Yang Guo to return to the Ancient Tomb. After returning, he told Xiao Longnv that Yang Guo had gone to wander the martial world with his adoptive father. Xiao Longnv only responded faintly. Although her expression didn't change, Jiang Nan could sense that she was in a bad mood.

The senior sister broke down the door without hesitation, and the newly accepted disciple also found a chance to leave the ancient tomb, which really made her feel frustrated.

"I have been cultivating in seclusion in the mountains for more than two years. I am now restless and want to go out and explore the world. This house is yours to do with as you please."

Upon hearing the sound, Xiaolongnu looked towards Jiangnan.

"You're leaving too!"

"Hmm...the world is so big, I want to go see it!"

Of course, he was more interested in seeing the plot of this world and playing with the things he found special, such as the Xuan Tie Heavy Sword, the Gentleman's Sword, and the Lady's Sword. In his previous life, he had thought about going to the Valley of Heartbreak to retrieve the Gentleman's Sword and the Lady's Sword, so that he and Huang Rong could each have one. Unfortunately, he couldn't go because he didn't have a legitimate reason to do so.

  

Now, following the plot, unafraid of getting lost, with a legitimate reason, we can take advantage of the chaos and seize the bamboo shoots!

The next day, Jiangnan left Zhongnan Mountain with an iron sword and several throwing knives.

He didn't turn around. He knew that Xiaolongnu was watching him leave from a high place. However, saying goodbye was too sad and not suitable for someone like him, nor for Xiaolongnu's aloof nature.

On this day, Jiangnan rode his skinny horse on his way, and for some reason, he thought of the poem "Mountain Slope Sheep" and felt a strange sense of emotion: It's not easy for anyone to live!

No one has it easy. We work hard for a few pennies to make a living, or we strive to realize our ideals.

With the vast sky and boundless earth, and the towering mountains and flowing rivers, may good fortune come to you in all things.

Jiangnan, roaming freely across the northern lands, often missed towns and villages, and had to sleep in the wilderness.

He found joy in this, often gazing at the brilliant starry sky at night, letting his thoughts wander freely. Unconsciously, he seemed to merge with heaven and earth, his breathing involuntarily entering a state of fetal breathing, until the morning light rose and the sun shone brightly in the east, only then did he awaken from his daze.

I didn't have any particular feelings. I just felt that my mind was a bit clearer.

And so, along the way, Jiangnan worked at sunrise and rested at sunset, following the instincts of life and in harmony with the seasons, until finally arriving at the foot of Mount Hua.

I found an inn in the county town, had a nice hot meal, took a shower, tidied up, slept well, changed into a clean set of cotton clothes, and then went up Mount Hua.

There is no Huashan Sect nowadays, but there are still many Taoist temples, Buddhist temples and shrines in various places, as well as many myths, legends and rumors.

Yang Chan, the Third Holy Mother of Mount Hua, is the younger sister of Erlang Shen Yang Jian and one of the main characters in the legend of Chen Xiang splitting the mountain to save his mother; Chen Tuan, the Patriarch, once won Mount Hua in a chess game against Zhao Kuangyin, and practiced sleeping skills on Mount Hua, it is unknown whether he ascended to immortality; the titles of the Five Greats in The Legend of the Condor Heroes and The Return of the Condor Heroes were determined after a martial arts competition on Mount Hua...

Jiangnan went up Mount Hua alone and stayed at the temple of the Three Holy Mothers. Every morning, he would sit cross-legged on Lotus Peak of Mount Hua to watch the sunrise.

Actually, Chaoyang Peak is more suitable for watching the sunrise, but Jiangnan prefers the name Lotus Peak because of its auspicious meaning!

My happiness is priceless!

As the morning sun rises over the mountains of Dongfeng and Zhongyuan, its rays sweep across the red granite of Lotus Peak, turning the layered lotus petal cliffs a golden-orange hue. When the sea of ​​clouds surges through the valley, the entire Lotus Peak resembles a blue lotus floating on the sea of ​​clouds, just as Li Bai's poem describes: "Stone forms a lotus, clouds form a platform."

Jiangnan sometimes practices Taizu Changquan on Lotus Peak in the morning light, pondering the variations of the fist technique on the rugged mountain path; sometimes he dances Quanzhen swordplay high in the mountains, singing with his sword and speaking to heaven and earth; sometimes he goes to Luoyan Peak to fly with wild geese and comprehend the goose flight in the Golden Goose Skill...

Jiangnan sometimes wonders if Qu Yuan's "Heavenly Questions" was created in such a state.

Ask the heavens? Ask the earth? Ask yourself? Ask all living beings?

See the sky, see the earth, see yourself, see all living beings!

Time passed slowly. Jiangnan would occasionally go down to Huayin County at the foot of the mountain to have a good meal and satisfy his cravings. He heard that Guo Jing and Huang Rong were holding a martial arts conference at Dasheng Pass. Since it was still early, there was no rush to set off.

I wonder if, because of this little butterfly flapping its wings, Hong Qigong and Ouyang Feng will still come to Mount Hua to perish together?

Jiang Nan wasn't sure either. He thought to himself, "If I still don't see that old beggar Hong Qigong and that old madman Ouyang Feng in a couple of days, then I'll leave Mount Hua and head to Dasheng Pass as soon as possible to see what's going on!"

Sigh! That's how it was in ancient times. Even if you knew the plot in advance, you still had to wait.

"In the past, the days were slower, carriages, horses, and mail were slower, and a lifetime was only enough to love one person."

Information traveled so slowly in ancient times, but was it only enough to love one person? Ha... that's because you didn't see the advanced entertainment venues of ancient times.

Back on the mountain, Jiangnan spent most of his time sitting cross-legged on Lotus Peak.

He selected a suitable piece of bluestone on Lotus Peak and carved a lotus pedestal. Lotus Peak, Lotus Peak, how could it be without a lotus pedestal? Jiangnan added it, making it truly deserving of its name.

This lotus platform in Jiangnan is modeled after the lotus platform of Guanyin Bodhisattva in the TV series Journey to the West. Although it is made of stone, it perfectly captures the sacred charm of the lotus. The size of the lotus seedpod in the middle is just right for placing a meditation cushion. Moreover, this stone is integrated with Lotus Peak. From a distance, it looks like a lotus flower growing on the mountaintop. When the morning sun falls on the lotus, it seems as if a halo of Buddha is generated on the lotus, majestic and holy, illuminating all things, and beautiful beyond compare.

Jiang Nan wondered if the White Lotus Sect of later generations would regard this stone lotus as evidence of their belief in divine intervention. He was both curious and expectant.

On this trip up the mountain, he also bought several large roosters from the foot of the mountain, intending to learn from Hong Qigong and set a trap to catch some large poisonous centipedes, fry them in oil, and taste the gifts of nature from ancient times.

Today, Jiangnan feels that he should have reaped the rewards.

Jiangnan arrived at the location where the trap had been set and dug the dead rooster out of the soil. This place was on the shady side of Mount Hua, a spot he had chosen based on his hunting knowledge. Sure enough, he found many centipedes on the rooster's body. There were about a hundred seven- or eight-inch centipedes biting into the rooster's body, their red and black markings and colorful patterns all wriggling.

Looking at these centipedes, Jiangnan's trypophobia was triggered. Watching them wriggle made her skin crawl and she felt uncomfortable all over.

Although Jiangnan often collected medicinal herbs in the mountains after studying medicine, and centipedes could be considered a medicinal ingredient after processing, he still hadn't processed so many centipedes at once!

However, centipedes are alright; if he were to eat snakes, he really wouldn't be able to bring himself to do it.

"What Hong Qigong said about chickens and centipedes being inherently incompatible is indeed true!"

Jiangnan took out a piece of cloth and wrapped the dead rooster and centipede together, making a total of four bundles. He tied them together, carried them in his hand, and used his lightness skill to walk on the snow of Mount Hua without leaving a trace.

Back at the temple where they had stayed, they gathered stones behind the temple to build a stove, lit a fire, took an iron pot, and boiled a pot of snow water until it was boiling hot. They opened their bundle, grabbed the centipedes by their tails, not afraid that the centipedes would bite back, and pulled them out of the chicken's body one by one, throwing them into the pot.

The centipedes struggled for a while before being scalded to death. According to Hong Qigong in the original story, and based on Jiangnan's medical observations, the water was extremely poisonous. Jiangnan wasn't afraid, but he didn't want to drink the poisonous water, so he poured it into the deep valley ahead.

Jiang Nan took out his "Little Jiang Flying Knife" series of small knives, cut off the centipede's head and tail, and with a gentle pinch, the shell fell off easily, revealing the flesh, which was snow-white and transparent, like a large shrimp, and was very beautiful.

Jiang Nan thought to himself, "This centipede's meat really does resemble shrimp meat—it's white and tender. I wonder if it's chewy?"

Not knowing whether the venom would affect the taste, Jiangnan boiled two more pots of snow water to wash the centipede meat clean, making sure there was no venom left, so as not to affect the taste and flavor.

Then he retrieved various seasonings he had bought from the foot of the mountain, such as oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar, from the temple. He heated the oil in a wok, poured in the centipede meat, and fried it. Immediately, a fragrant aroma wafted to his nose.

"This aroma is really good, no worse than steamed prawns!" Jiangnan waited for the centipedes to turn slightly golden brown, then mixed them with the seasonings. He wasn't afraid of the hot oil, so he reached into the pot, lifted one out, put it in his mouth, chewed it a few times, and closed his eyes slightly. He felt that for someone with his culinary skills, the ingredients were still the most important thing.

High-end ingredients often require only the simplest cooking methods.

The centipede meat is all fresh meat, and the proper frying time preserves its tenderness and juiciness, making it chewy and springy in the mouth...

Jiangnan was enjoying a delicious meal when she heard the sound of clothes being rustled.

The newcomer was incredibly agile, making no sound at all; only the faint rustling of clothes in the wind could be heard.

Jiangnan naturally turned to look in the direction of the sound and indeed saw a person. This person was dressed in the clothing of the Beggars' Sect, with patches upon patches on the clothes, but the clothes were still quite clean, without much dirt, only some old and faded. Judging from his appearance, he was an old man in his twilight years, with completely white hair and beard, a rectangular face, and a shaggy silver beard under his chin; judging from his physique, he had rough hands and feet, loose skin but strong bones, and a slightly round belly, probably because he usually ate well. Under the snow, his face was ruddy and full of energy, showing no signs of old age or decline.

Judging from appearance and attire alone, it's impossible to tell who this person is. The key point is that Jiangnan had never met Hong Qigong in his previous life, so he doesn't know if their temperaments are the same.

However, this person only has four fingers on his right hand, missing his index finger, which should make him the legendary Nine-Fingered Beggar. The missing finger is a mark left from when he cut off his own finger as an apology for making a mistake due to gluttony in his youth.

Jiangnan fried centipedes on Mount Hua for two reasons: first, to satisfy his craving and taste the delicacy highly praised by gourmets in the original novel; and second, to attract Hong Qigong and see if he could lure this glutton out, so that Jiangnan wouldn't have to wait foolishly on Mount Hua.

Unexpectedly, the first time they blew up the centipede, they managed to bring Hong Qigong out. That was incredibly efficient! Hong Qigong's nose is truly sharp, even more so than a dog's; Jiangnan is completely outmatched.

Hong Qigong was also startled by the sensitive sensor in Jiangnan. Although he did not deliberately hide his movements, the young man sensed his arrival from a distance, which showed that he was no ordinary expert.

Judging by his age, he's only in his early twenties, a few years older than his foolish apprentice when he first entered the martial world. Judging by his physique, he doesn't seem to practice external martial arts. So, this kid's internal strength must be incredibly high, which is why he has such sharp senses under the enhancement of his internal strength.

Hong Qigong, as expected of a seasoned veteran, analyzed quite a bit from Jiangnan's mere movement. Although not entirely accurate, it was a lucky guess—Jiangnan's internal energy cultivation was indeed incredibly high, surpassing even Hong Qigong's own cultivation throughout his entire life.

Hong Qigong was both highly skilled and daring. Of course, it's more likely that he was simply craving something and, once his craving took hold, he didn't care about anything else.

"Young brother, old beggar, could you please cut in line? I have some wine here. How about we exchange food and drink?" Hong Qigong thought to himself, "Eating centipedes means I won't drink wine, so exchanging them is worthwhile."

"Please sit wherever you like. It's a pleasure to meet an elder like you. It'll be more lively if we eat together." Jiang Nan had gone to great lengths to attract Hong Qigong, so he naturally wouldn't refuse his invitation and readily invited him to join them for a meal.

You have to give to receive. Since Hong Qigong had eaten his food, he felt embarrassed to refuse his request to spar.

He was still very curious about the famous Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms. After sparring with Hong Qigong, he wanted to spar with Guo Jing to see how the same martial art would differ in the hands of these two masters who had reached the pinnacle of their skills. Of course, it couldn't be ruled out that Jiang Nan also wanted to give Guo Jing a good beating. Although the Huang Rong of this world wasn't the same Huang Rong from the previous world, he just couldn't stand it. He wouldn't be at peace without beating Guo Jing up!

The two sat around the simple stove, enjoying the delicious fried centipedes. With the culinary skills of Jiangnan, the centipedes were fried to perfection, bringing out their flavor and texture to the fullest. Hong Qigong beamed with delight, exclaiming that it tasted even better than the "Mandarin Duck Five Treasures" he had stolen from the palace years ago. As he ate, he sighed, lamenting how he would live without such a taste! Why couldn't he recreate it...?

Jiang Nan ate while smiling without saying a word. As a chef, hearing diners praise the deliciousness of the food is a pleasant thing, but to think that he could keep cooking for Hong Qigong forever is truly wishful thinking.

Ugly as a person, yet dreaming!

Jiangnan and Hong Qigong divided and ate the five hundred centipedes. Although there was no dry food, only centipede meat, the taste of this poisonous creature was unforgettable. It was indeed a delicacy that Hong Qigong, a gourmand, never tired of.

After finishing his meal, Hong Qigong patted his belly, sighed contentedly, closed his eyes, and savored the taste for a long time before finally picking up his wine gourd, taking a swig of wine, and bursting into laughter!