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

"In late autumn, the rain falls in torrents, and travelers on the road are heartbroken. May I ask where the tavern is? A shepherd boy points to Xinghua Village in the distance."

"We didn't see Xinghua Village, but we did see an abandoned village. Let's rest here tonight."

In late autumn, a cold rain fell incessantly, the sky a somber gray-lead color, thick clouds pressed down on the distant mountains, and the light was dim and gloomy, with not a ray of sunshine in sight. The fine rain drizzled down, and a layer of white mist enveloped the world, soaking everything in the damp rain and wind.

Such weather was really not suitable for traveling. Fortunately, we came across a village. Although it was a deserted village with dilapidated houses, it was still more comfortable than having to rest in the RV in the middle of nowhere!

As usual, they untied the oxcart, led the blue ox into a reasonably intact house to shelter from the rain, brought over the hay they had bought along the way, and fed the blue ox. They left food in the dog bowl, instructed Dahuang to guard the house in the RV, and the group from Jiangnan selected a reasonably sturdy and well-maintained house as their place of stay, cleaning out the dust inside.

The air in the room was filled with the unique moisture of a rainy season and the scent of wood at dusk. Jiangnan and Huang Rong began preparing dinner, with Xiaolongnu helping to wash and chop vegetables. This was one of Jiangnan's methods for training Xiaolongnu's martial arts, integrating martial arts into daily life to subtly improve her mastery of the art.

"It rains frequently in the south, especially during the plum rain season. Today, let's eat some spicy food to get rid of the dampness!"

"Hmm... let's have hot pot tonight!" In the Song Dynasty, this was called "Bo Xia Gong," which was convenient to eat. However, in ancient times, the preparation was very troublesome. The hot pot base had to be stir-fried fresh, the soup had to be simmered fresh, and the dipping sauce had to be made fresh. If it were in a small RV, there would be no room at all. Fortunately, tonight we are cooking in a house that is sheltered from the wind and rain and has a considerable amount of space.

"Long'er, cut all this meat and vegetables. The vegetables should be cut into small pieces, and the meat should be sliced ​​into thin slices that are translucent."

"Rong'er, go make a pot of broth. I need to use it to make the hot pot soup base to enhance the flavor."

"Okay, brother!"

"Okay, Brother Nan!"

By the time the hot pot was ready, it was already dark outside. Jiangnan placed six candles in six directions around the dining table, forming a six-way array. The candlelight covered the table, so the light wouldn't dim because of the three people's movements.

In the center of the table sat a copper plate, upon which burned smokeless charcoal. A copper pot rested on the plate, its contents bubbling and churning, layers of white foam rising and falling. A dense layer of Sichuan peppercorns and dogwood seeds floated among the foam, while dark red broad beans dissolved in the rich broth. Steam, carrying the spicy aroma of meat, rose and billowed upwards. As the broth boiled, bubbles burst open, red oil swirled, and an intense, spicy fragrance filled the air; even a brief moment of closeness felt like a burning sensation on the tip of one's nose, dispelling the damp chill of late autumn outside the window.

On the table were several kinds of ingredients: thinly sliced ​​wild rabbit and lamb, marinated for half an hour in rice wine, minced ginger, and Sichuan pepper, the meat turning a bright red; and river fish slices, winter bamboo shoots, mugwort, and cabbage arranged in a white porcelain dish, which were the main ingredients for hot pot. Next to them were three small blue and white porcelain cups containing dipping sauces: one with finely ground yellow mustard sauce, spicy and pungent; one with pepper paste, spicy and lingering; and one with a black pepper sauce, rich and numbing, a unique triple spicy dipping sauce from the Song Dynasty.

Each of the three held bamboo chopsticks, gently stirring slices of meat into the boiling broth. The red meat instantly turned a rosy pink, perfectly matching the name "Bo Xia Gong" (meaning "stirring the rosy hue"). The slices were then scooped up, rolled in a dipping sauce of pepper and mustard, and eaten. First, the warm spiciness of ginger and pepper swept over the tongue, followed by the numbing sensation of Sichuan pepper, and finally, the intense spiciness of dogwood spread from the throat, causing a sweat to break out and dispelling the chill of late autumn. As the broth simmered, it grew richer and richer. Various fresh vegetables were added to the spicy broth, absorbing the aroma of pepper, filling the room with steaming white vapor, mingling with the smoke from the charcoal fire and the fresh, spicy fragrance of the meat. Outside, the cold rain pattered, while inside, people gathered around the stove, enjoying the hot pot – this was the most pleasant way to eat in late autumn in Lin'an, Southern Song Dynasty.

While we were eating, we suddenly heard footsteps outside, accompanied by singing.

The three looked up at the door and saw a crazy girl burst in, heading straight for the hot pot.

"Silly Girl is back! Silly Girl is back! Silly Girl is hungry! Silly Girl is hungry! There's something delicious here! Something delicious! Silly Girl wants to eat! Silly Girl wants to eat!"

As he spoke, he reached out to grab the meat from the pot.

Seeing her rushing towards her recklessly, Huang Rong stood up in front of the dining table, neither dodging nor avoiding, and suddenly raised her jade hand, using the Peach Blossom Island's unique skill, the Orchid Finger Flicking Technique.

Her five fingers stretched out like a newly blooming orchid, their tips delicate and nimble, seemingly light and airy, yet landing with precise accuracy. Huang Rong's wrist twirled lightly, her finger shadows falling like petals in a flurry. One finger struck the silly girl's Quchi acupoint on her forearm, another swept diagonally to seal the Zhangmen acupoint on her waist, and finally, her little finger flicked lightly to press the Jianjing acupoint. The movements were elegant and gentle, like the caress of an orchid leaf, devoid of any brute force—the very essence of the Orchid Flicking Acupoint Hand, where strength is hidden beneath a gentle touch.

Just moments ago, Silly Girl was lunging at the hotpot with her claws outstretched, but suddenly she felt a series of numbnesses in three acupoints, and half of her body suddenly stiffened. She couldn't lift her arms or move her legs, and most of her previous frenzied strength dissipated in an instant. Her hands and feet fell limply to her sides, and she stood there blankly, making muffled noises, but her body could no longer move an inch.

Huang Rong withdrew her hand, a faint warmth still lingering on her fingertips. She adjusted her sleeves and smiled, "Silly girl, if you continue to act recklessly, I'll seal a few more of your acupoints and make you stand there for half a day longer." Outside the window, autumn rain pattered, while inside, the hot pot steamed. Silly girl, trapped in her acupoints, could only stare wide-eyed, whimpering helplessly.

Jiang Nan glanced at the simple-minded girl, then looked around the room and thought, "No wonder this house looked familiar; it's Qu Lingfeng's house!"

"No wonder this house is so well preserved compared to others; it must be because Silly Girl has been living here all along. There's an old saying: a house shouldn't be left unattended for too long, otherwise, it will lose its vitality and deteriorate quickly."

Jiangnan then said to Huang Rong, "This place should be this young lady's home. It's not appropriate for us to move in without informing the host. Later, we'll leave her some meat and vegetables as an apology for our unannounced entry!"

  

Just then, Jiangnan and the others had almost finished eating, and they prepared some more vegetables and meat for Sha Gu. Only then did Huang Rong release Sha Gu's acupoints.

As soon as her acupoints were released, Sha Gu quickly moved far away from Huang Rong and hid behind Xiao Longnv.

The silly girl was much older than Xiaolongnu, and seeing her, who was even taller than Xiaolongnu, hiding behind Xiaolongnu made Huang Rong smile.

Huang Rong taught the simple-minded girl how to eat hot pot, and she learned quite quickly. Perhaps it was because she was afraid of Huang Rong, or perhaps it was because she practiced martial arts, but her physical coordination was excellent.

As Silly Girl ate the hot pot, she felt the intense spiciness upon first bite. The spiciness spread from the tip of her tongue to her throat, and beads of sweat instantly appeared on her forehead. Her tongue felt numb and swollen, and the more she ate, the more she sweated, and the more addictive it became. Red oil clung to the corners of her lips, and the hot and spicy flavor spread layer by layer in her mouth.

Seeing her enjoying the food, Huang Rong couldn't help but smile. A chef most desires praise when diners savor their meal!

After dinner, Jiangnan, Xiaolongnu, and Huang Rong cleaned up the dishes. Sha Gu ran to a dark corner where the candlelight couldn't reach and played by herself, babbling incoherently.

Thinking of the simple-minded girl's lonely state, Jiang Nan went to treat her. He first took her pulse and examined her tongue, diagnosing that she had suffered a fright as a child, resulting in a persistent high fever that went untreated, causing her brain to become confused. This was an old brain injury, along with mental health issues; even with Jiang Nan's medical skills, he could only offer conservative treatment.

The human brain is too mysterious. Modern Western medicine has not been able to understand all the secrets of the brain through dissection. Ancient Chinese medicine could only infer brain function through external changes in symptoms, or understand the human brain through higher levels of martial arts. This method is not only slow but also has many omissions.

Jiangnan remembered reading some popular science articles about the brain in his previous life:

1. Despite their vastly different sizes, they consume an astonishing amount of energy. The brain accounts for only about 2% of body weight, yet it consumes 20% of the body's blood oxygen daily, working tirelessly without rest, even during sleep to organize memories and repair nerves. An adult brain weighs approximately 1400 grams, with billions of neurons and nearly a quadrillion synapses interconnected, its circuitry far exceeding the total complexity of all fiber optic cables used in the global internet.

2. Information storage is beyond imagination. There is no precise upper limit to the storage capacity of the human brain. All the images seen, words heard, knowledge acquired, and fragmented memories throughout a lifetime are categorized and archived. The same event may be remembered by some people for decades, while others may forget it in an instant, thanks to the hippocampus's control over memory filtering.

3. The left and right hemispheres of the brain have different functions but also communicate with each other. The left brain is more focused on logic, language, and calculation, while the right brain excels in spatial reasoning, imagination, art, and intuition. The corpus callosum acts like a bridge, instantly connecting information from both sides, allowing one to write down thoughts from images or evoke emotions from scenes in an instant.

4. It possesses remarkable self-healing and plasticity. Although neurons no longer proliferate in large quantities after adulthood, the brain has neuroplasticity. By persisting in practicing calligraphy, martial arts, and memorizing, one can reshape the neural pathways in the brain. After some brain tissue is damaged, adjacent brain regions can gradually compensate and take over the function.

5. The mystery of consciousness remains unsolved. Brain cells are merely a combination of flesh, electrical signals, and chemical neurotransmitters, yet they can generate emotions such as joy, anger, sorrow, love, hate, and longing, as well as boundless imagination. They can write poetry, paint, and deduce the laws of the universe. How matter gives rise to consciousness remains one of the greatest mysteries of modern science.

Traditional Chinese medicine and ancient health preservation methods emphasize focusing the mind and nourishing the brain. Calming the mind and regulating breathing are ways to nourish the brain nerves, which coincides with the modern brain science theory of rest and repair.

The human brain is too intricate; a slight change in one part can affect the whole body. Jiangnan dared not arbitrarily alter any aspect of the brain and disrupt the balance, for the consequences would be unbearable for most people.

..............................

When the mischievous Huang Rong had nothing to do, she went to tease the silly girl, hoping to get some information out of her and gather information about the neighborhood.

However, the silly girl was a little afraid of her, and ran around the house. Wherever Huang Rong went, she would leave, and she kept avoiding Huang Rong.

Jiangnan sat down on the bed in the room without making a sound, just smiling as he watched the two chase and play.

Little Dragon Girl was still dressed in white, her black hair tied up with a plain silver hairpin. Her clear eyes, which were usually veiled in a thin mist, now fell on the two people running around the room, and surprisingly, they showed a bit of curiosity.

The silly girl ran around the table three times, clutching her head, but Huang Rong was like a clingy nightingale, impossible to shake off. Seeing that she couldn't escape Huang Rong, the silly girl became frantic, her face turning red, and she cried out as if cornered. Finally, she stopped running, turned around, clenched her fists, and began punching Huang Rong in the chest without warning, trying to scare her away.

"Ouch, you dare to fight back?" Huang Rong laughed and dodged to the side, lightly poking the silly girl's arm with her finger. The silly girl felt a numbness in her arm, and her fist immediately went limp. She became even angrier and kicked Huang Rong's shin with a chaotic kick that resembled a shrew's fight, kicking up dust from the ground.

Huang Rong dodged left and right, her movements as light as a willow catkin. She deliberately teased the silly girl, neither fighting back nor running away, but always lightly taking half a step away just when the silly girl was about to touch her, making the silly girl scream in anger.

"Silly girl, if you can touch a single hair of mine, I'll let you taste this bottle of jade bee syrup." Huang Rong shook the exquisite porcelain bottle in her hand, slightly opened the stopper, and the sweet aroma of the syrup filled the air.

Silly Girl's nostrils twitched, her eyes lit up, and her attack suddenly intensified. She swung her arms, striking with both palms simultaneously, her moves a blend of feints and real strikes, carrying a touch of the agility and grace of Peach Blossom Island martial arts.

Huang Rong was startled and dodged the silly girl's palms. Before she could think further, the silly girl pounced again. This time, the silly girl's moves were no longer chaotic. She feinted with her left palm, then slashed with her right, her wrists twisting with a subtle, rippling motion. Her move, "Tide Rises in the East Sea," was executed with impressive skill. Although she lacked any internal energy, the form of her move was more refined than many renowned disciples in the martial arts world.

Huang Rong's heart trembled violently. Instinctively, she used her "Crashing Waves" move to deflect the attack. She had intended to test the Foolish Girl's strength, but to her surprise, the Foolish Girl's eyes lit up upon seeing her move, and she unleashed the exact same "Crashing Waves." Their palms collided, and the Foolish Girl was forced back several steps, landing hard on her backside. But she paid no heed to the pain, instead clapping her hands and laughing loudly, "Same! We're the same! Oh! We're all the same!"

Jiangnan, standing in the corner, raised an eyebrow slightly, his expression knowing. He whispered to Xiaolongnu, who was watching beside him, "These are palm techniques from the same school. This is going to be very interesting. Pay attention to their moves." Xiaolongnu nodded obediently, watching the two's attack and defense battle intently.

Huang Rong composed herself, looking at the silly girl sitting on the ground, grinning foolishly, her heart churning with turmoil. She deliberately used the "Wind Sweeps Away the Remnant Lotus" move again, a relatively difficult move in the Azure Wave Palm Technique, requiring perfect coordination of the waist, abdomen, and arms. The silly girl tilted her head to look, then stood up, imitating Huang Rong, twisting her waist and sweeping her arm horizontally. Although her movements were slightly stiff, every turn and every landing point was perfectly precise.

"Who taught you these moves?" Huang Rong strode up to the simple-minded girl, her voice trembling slightly. Startled by her serious expression, the girl shrank back and whispered, "No one taught me... I learned it myself..."

"Nonsense!" Huang Rong exclaimed urgently, "No one but the people of Peach Blossom Island knows this martial art! Did Father teach you? Where is Father?" She reached out to grab the silly girl's arm, but the silly girl thought she was going to hit her and suddenly raised her hand to block. This block seemed casual, but it used a clever technique to deflect the force, which was a move from the Azure Wave Palm technique of Peach Blossom Island martial arts.

Huang Rong flicked her wrist, intending to take her pulse. The simple-minded girl stepped aside, avoiding Huang Rong's touch.

Huang Rong calmed herself down and tried to fight the silly girl again. She found that although the silly girl knew the martial arts of Peach Blossom Island, it seemed that she had learned them by stealing. She only learned the palm techniques, but not the footwork, let alone how to use the footwork in conjunction with the palm techniques. Even her internal energy was only tempered by practicing the palm techniques. She did not know how to circulate her internal energy on her own.

After a few moves, Huang Rong captured Sha Gu again, and at that moment, the whole room fell silent.

Seeing that Huang Rong was holding her and not speaking, the silly girl thought she was angry and became frightened. She cautiously whispered, "I...I won't fight with you anymore...Please...please don't be angry...Please...please don't hit me...I...I don't want candy anymore..."

Looking into her innocent eyes, Huang Rong thought to herself that this person was definitely not raised by her father, but she should also be a disciple of her Peach Blossom Island lineage. She wondered how she had ended up in such a state. A pang of sorrow and pity filled her heart. She knelt down, gently wiping the dust from the silly girl's face, and said softly, "Silly girl, don't be afraid. I'm not angry. You can still have this jade bee jelly." She opened the porcelain bottle and poured a small sip for the silly girl.

She didn't have much of the Jade Bee Honey quota, and she only gave the silly girl a small sip because the girl was very likely from the Peach Blossom Island lineage, perhaps the child of one of her senior brothers who had been expelled from the sect.

Jiang Nan stood up, walked to Huang Rong's side, and slowly said, "Rong'er, is this young lady really using the martial arts of Peach Blossom Island? But judging from the moves she used, it seems she hasn't learned them completely."

Huang Rong nodded, a hint of doubt in her sweet voice: "I know. I wonder where she learned it from? And who exactly is she?"

"This girl must be a local to have grown up safely here," Jiang Nan paused, his gaze falling on the simple-minded girl with a hint of pity. "I think her parents must be gone, otherwise they wouldn't have let her run wild outside!"

"Once it gets light tomorrow and the rain subsides a bit, we can walk around this deserted village and look for clues related to this girl."

"It's late, let's get some rest so we'll have the energy to search tomorrow!"

…………

The next day, during the early morning martial arts practice, Silly Girl secretly peeked at them from the sidelines, mimicking their movements as she watched.

Huang Rong immediately understood how she acquired her Peach Blossom Island martial arts skills.

Jiangnan didn't care that Shagu had secretly learned martial arts. You can't learn the essence of martial arts by simply stealing it—the flow of energy, the coordination of breathing, the direction of internal force… these are things you can't learn by stealing. If someone could truly learn it by stealing, their skill level would already surpass that of a martial artist, and they wouldn't need to worry about it being stolen.

After breakfast, Jiangnan and his group searched for useful information in the village, but unfortunately, the village had been dilapidated for too long and they found nothing of value. However, Jiangnan noticed that one house had been emptied out very cleanly. Could that be Yang Tiexin's house?

After wandering around the village, Jiangnan returned to the house where he had stayed the previous night. He walked around the house and suddenly noticed that the house's interior and exterior dimensions were inconsistent. Fortunately, Jiangnan's architectural skills were at their peak; otherwise, he would have had to measure carefully to discover the discrepancy.