piratefiction Chapter 10 Anger Arises
Chapter 10 Anger Arises
Back in the cabin, Cai Xuan began to process the three-colored crabs and red eels he had brought back.
After killing the three-colored crab, set it aside. After killing the red eel, fry it in a wok until golden brown, then put it in a deep iron pot that can be used for stewing meat, making soup, and steaming. Add water, a few pieces of sweet potato, and a small handful of goji berries, then cover and cook.
Then, they began processing the giant ferns they had brought back.
The Great Wilderness Materia Medica refers to the giant fern as "Dragon Beard Vegetable," saying that its tender stems are as thick as dragon whiskers.
Cai Xuan found it hilarious, as if the author of this book had actually seen a dragon and even knew what a dragon's whiskers looked like. It was truly laughable.
However, the dragon's beard vegetable was indeed astonishingly large, with each tender stem reaching three meters in height. Even after removing the fist-shaped curled buds at the top, the remaining stems were still three meters long. Cai Xuan picked three stems today, cut them into three sections, and brought them back. If it weren't for his recent increase in strength, he might not have been able to carry all of these.
He peeled off the outer skin of the dragon whisker vegetable he brought back, placed the iron bucket on the stove, cut the tender stems (after peeling off the outer skin) into pieces slightly lower than the height of the iron bucket, inserted them vertically one by one, and then added water to boil.
All kinds of wild game carry the flavor of the wild animals themselves.
Wild vegetables, in particular, often contain medicinal properties. If these medicinal properties are not removed, then eating wild vegetables is no different from taking medicine. The same principle applies to boiling dragon's beard greens; they must be boiled in hot water to remove the wild medicinal properties they contain before they can be eaten.
A large bucket holds a lot of water, so it takes a long time to boil.
Once the water in the iron bucket boils, the stewed eel with sweet potatoes is ready.
Cai Xuan removed the pot from the heat, poured the prepared three-colored crabs into the wok, added water, and cooked them. They were done in no time and were immediately eaten. Although there was no ginger, scallions, or wine to remove the fishy smell, the wild game here didn't have the same strong fishy or gamey smell as at home, so it wasn't necessary to go through that trouble. It's worth mentioning that the wild game here not only didn't have a strong fishy or gamey smell, but even had a slightly sweet aftertaste.
Cai Xuan rarely experienced this feeling from the wild animals in his home.
Because he was busy preparing the dragon whiskers, he forgot to cook rice, so he simply ate the red eel and the three-colored crab as his meal.
After eating, he felt a warm current flowing through his body, his spirits were high, and he was full of energy. It was as if he had a violent impulse that he wanted to release. Cai Xuan changed the water in the iron bucket and put it back on the stove to boil.
However, the violent energy within him not only did not subside, but intensified, causing him to have the urge to smash things.
Cai Xuan felt he couldn't continue like this, so he went outside to practice his boxing on the platform.
In an instant, a series of moves were unleashed.
White cranes swooping down, wild cranes soaring through the clouds, crane wings fanning the lamp, eagles shooting through the mist... each move, each style, sometimes as heavy as Mount Tai pressing down, sometimes as fleeting as drifting clouds skimming the sky. When fierce, it's like thunder exploding; when gentle, it's like spring water flowing without a trace. It switches freely between strength and gentleness, yin and yang complementing each other, perfectly natural.
Cai Xuan's figure moved nimbly and darted across the platform, his clothes fluttering in the wind.
The ground beneath his feet trembled slightly with his movements, and the air was filled with the whooshing sound of his fists cutting through the air. His movements became faster and smoother, and he seemed to transform into a real white crane—sometimes soaring in the heavens, sometimes standing amidst turbulent waves, his movements and stillness governed by rules, and his opening and closing movements subtly in accordance with the secrets of heaven.
Initially, it was Cai Xuan's consciousness that guided the moves.
But as he practiced, he no longer needed to think about each move; they became natural reactions of his body. His mind had long since entered a state of selflessness and nothingness—he didn't remember that he was practicing boxing, he didn't remember where he was, and even the concept of "self" disappeared; only the moves flowed and the energy circulated.
The warm current within his body, guided by the moves, continuously circulated through him.
Sometimes it was in his hands, sometimes in his feet, sometimes in his head, sometimes in his elbows, sometimes in his knees—wherever it touched, that place felt as if it had been soaked in warm water, warm and incredibly comfortable. The warm current was like a nimble snake, flowing through his meridians, clearing away stagnation wherever it passed, making stiff joints flexible, and even making his breathing exceptionally deep and long.
I don't know how much time passed.
Cai Xuanzhen's spirit stirred, and he returned to his roots.
The warm current generated by the move seemed to hear some kind of call, slowly, slowly descending towards his dantian. At this moment, he was still in a state between waking and waking, in a daze, but the fist in his hand naturally subsided, gradually transforming into the White Crane stance, standing quietly on the platform, like a white crane standing with its wings folded, motionless.
After a while, Cai Xuan slowly opened his eyes.
Two beams of light shot out from his eyes in an instant.
He moved his body slightly, and his joints immediately made a series of crisp "crackling" sounds, like gold and jade striking each other, which were pleasant to hear.
Suddenly, Cai Xuan froze. To his surprise, he discovered a wisp of energy within his dantian. This wisp was extremely fine and subtle, almost imperceptible, like a wisp of silk drifting slowly through his dantian. He couldn't believe it and quickly closed his eyes to sense it; it was indeed there. Although it was only a wisp, thinner than a hair, so light it seemed a breeze could disperse it, it was undeniably present, warm and gentle, carrying a faint, almost imperceptible warmth.
Could this be the legendary internal energy? Cai Xuan couldn't believe it.
In the world before he transmigrated, internal energy existed only in martial arts novels and legends; no one in reality had ever encountered it. He never imagined that today he would become the protagonist of such a legend.
What exactly happened? Cai Xuan was still completely bewildered.
Reflecting on his recent activities, he realized it was nothing more than building houses, clearing land, practicing martial arts, and eating—very ordinary, without any extraordinary encounters. Suddenly, he remembered something: there's a saying in martial arts, "Refining essence into qi." When a person's essence is abundant, if it's not leaked out, it will be slowly refined into internal qi.
I've been eating so many wild animals rich in vital energy lately: three-colored crab, red eel, golden-edged giant soft-shelled turtle, and Nine-Ox Divine Potato...
Eating every meal gives you plenty of energy and vitality, and with daily practice, could it be that you've cultivated a trace of internal energy as a result?
Cai Xuan thought about it and felt that this conjecture made a lot of sense.
While it made sense, he still found it hard to believe that he could develop internal energy just by eating, drinking, and practicing. If he had been able to cultivate internal energy back at home, he wouldn't have had to abandon his beloved martial arts for so many years.
Cai Xuan was happy for a while, but his emotions gradually calmed down.
After all, having internal energy is just the beginning; it needs to be nurtured and cultivated slowly to grow stronger.
The Crane-Eating Technique in Crane Fist has a specific method for cultivating internal energy. I practiced it for a long time without achieving any results, so I didn't take it seriously. Now I can pick it up again and practice it seriously. Once my internal energy reaches a certain level, I can formally practice the Grand Crane Technique. That's a skill for strengthening the body. Without the assistance of internal energy to nourish the internal organs, muscles, and bones, forcing it to practice will only lead to a host of health problems.
Cai Xuan stood on the second-floor platform, gazing at the dark mountains and forests in the distance, and took a deep breath.
Only at this moment did he truly understand: this world is ultimately different from his hometown, which is in the Dharma-ending Age.
"Mwah mwah mwah"
In the kitchen, the water in the iron bucket kept bubbling and boiling. He quickly put aside his many thoughts and went to change the water. He changed it three times before the water for cooking the dragon's beard vegetables became clear.
He scooped out all the wild-looking dragon beard vegetables and spread them out on stones to dry.
Once they are slightly dry, put them in a steamer to steam.
After being steamed three times, the dragon whisker vegetable gradually changed from its original bright green color to a dark brown, resembling dried vegetables, and even had a faint sweet aroma. Cai Xuan picked off a small piece and put it in his mouth to taste. It had a crisp and tender texture, somewhat like dried radish, but with a hint of sweetness.
This was an unexpected delight for Cai Xuan.
He originally planned to salt it, but he only had one box of salt, which would last a long time if he used it sparingly. If he used it for pickling, it would run out quickly, and without salt, his body couldn't handle it. So, he decided to use the method of making dried vegetables to process the dragon's beard vegetable, and he never expected such a good result.
He specially cooked some rice for dinner that night, and it tasted really good.
From then on, dragon's beard vegetable was added to his list of foods to be stored.