Divine Tang Era

Chapter 166 Spicy Cultivation

"Sigh, I forgot again."

Just as Xu Dan was about to go upstairs after closing the door to his heart, he remembered the matter of cleaning the signboard.

Those guys hung up his signboard with blood dripping from their noses, so much so that it was stained with blood. He had to wipe it off; it was bad luck to see blood so soon after opening the shop.

So Xu Dan opened the shop door again, fetched a bucket of clean water from the yard, took a clean rag, found a ladder, climbed up, and carefully wiped the bloodstains on the signboard.

"Brother, what are you doing?" Little Magpie skipped out, carrying the little eagle, and looked up to ask curiously.

"The signboard is a bit dirty, let me wipe it. Please move aside so you don't get water dripping on it," Xu Dan said as he wiped the sign.

Upon hearing the warning, Little Magpie quickly grabbed Little Eagle and hid inside the house. Then, she cautiously peeked out from the doorway, her furtive manner making people laugh.

After cleaning the sign, I'll take a short break.

Xu Dan went to the kitchen, packed the prepared ingredients and hot pot into a storage bag, and headed towards Master Xue's residence.

As dusk fell, the sky over Jingning seemed shrouded in a vast, dark blanket of ink, a deep twilight descending. A biting wind howled through the streets and alleys, rustling the trees lining the roads. Xu Dan, dressed in a fur coat, walked slowly, the snow crunching under his feet as if playing a winter symphony.

As he passed by each house, the aroma of cooking wafted through the air, and enticing fragrances wafted through the walls, filling Xu Dan's nostrils. His stomach immediately began to rumble, and he unconsciously quickened his pace.

Before long, Xu Dan arrived at Master Xue's door and raised his hand to knock.

Footsteps approached, the door opened, revealing Xue Bao'er's chubby, smiling face. "Come in quickly, we've been waiting for you."

Upon entering the room, a wave of warmth washed over him. Xu Dan took out a hot pot and ingredients from his storage bag, arranged them, and lit the charcoal fire.

Soon, the blazing charcoal fire in the hot pot made the thick bone broth boil and bubble, and the rich aroma instantly filled the whole room, making everyone's mouths water.

"Master Xue, you can eat now. Come on, let me teach you how to eat it?" Xu Dan said, picking up his chopsticks to demonstrate.

"Do I need you to teach me? It's not like I've never eaten this before," Master Xue said irritably.

"You've eaten hot pot?" Xu Dan asked with a look of suspicion, clearly not believing him. After all, Shen Tang Hot Pot was his invention, and it was the only one of its kind in the world.

"I've never had this kind of hot pot before, but everyone knows how to cook. In the capital, it's not uncommon to find cauldrons set out at banquets for people to cook their own food."

"Master Xue, those ideas are from a bygone era. Hot pot should be enjoyed like this, with a group of people gathered around, creating a lively atmosphere. What's the point of cooking alone in an empty hall, with no flavor and all that cold food?"

As Xu Dan spoke, he picked up a piece of marbled long-haired beef, dipped it lightly in the pot, then dipped it in the special sauce and put it into Master Xue's bowl.

"Try it, I guarantee even the gods can't replicate this flavor; it's the only one of its kind in the world."

After saying that, he turned to Xue Diao and Xue Bao'er and said, "Diao and Bao'er, you should eat too, don't be shy."

, 7

His manner made him seem like the owner of the house, while Master Xue, Xue Diao, and Xue Bao'er seemed like guests.

Xue Diao and Xue Bao'er exchanged a smile, said nothing, picked up their chopsticks, took some meat, and started cooking it in the hot pot.

Master Xue tasted the meat that Xu Dan had given him and nodded in praise, "Hmm, the taste is indeed very good. Even in the capital, it's no worse than those big restaurants."

"That's right. I'm confident in what I make, otherwise why would I dare to sell it? Master Xue, come on, keep eating. Let me tell you, if we could find something spicy here, I could make you a spicy hot pot. The taste would be absolutely amazing on a cold day like this."

"How could there not be?"

Master Xue looked puzzled and said, "Ginger, garlic, scallions, leeks, dogwood, Sichuan peppercorns—aren't they all spicy? There are plenty of them on the market."

"What I want isn't the spiciness of ginger, garlic, or scallions, but a unique flavor that's both numbing and spicy, making your tongue tingle and your whole body sweat. Sichuan peppercorns and dogwood are somewhat similar, but dogwood has a slightly bitter aftertaste, so it's not quite right. Sichuan peppercorns are alright; I'll try using them to make a spicy hot pot sometime. Actually, there's another medicinal herb in the south called Litsea cubeba, which has a truly unique combination of numbing and spicy flavors. I've also heard that there's a very red and spicy chili pepper in India, which is the perfect ingredient for spicy hot pot, but unfortunately, we don't have any here."

As Xu Dan spoke, he gestured to indicate the names, explaining them in great detail.

"Things within India are difficult to obtain, but they are easier to find in the south. Describe in detail what Litsea cubeba looks like, and I'll have someone try to find it; perhaps we can find it," Master Xue said after listening.

"They're everywhere if you want to find them; they're not some rare species. I'll draw you a picture after we eat. Let's not talk about this now, let's eat quickly, or A-Diao and Bao'er will eat them all."

Xu Dan smiled and picked up another piece of meat and put it into the pot.

Master Xue didn't ask any more questions and started dipping the long-haired beef into the hot pot with his chopsticks.

After finishing their hotpot, the group chatted together, and Xu Dan casually drew a picture of the Litsea cubeba. Litsea cubeba grows in many places, but it's most abundant in the south. It's called by many names, such as mountain pepper, mountain chili, or mountain ginger.

The numbing and spicy part of Litsea cubeba is its outer skin; the kernel is actually a bit bitter.

This stuff is easy to find, but it's snowing now, the weather is cold, and Jingning is cut off from the outside world. Even if we find Litsea cubeba in the south, we'll have to wait until next spring when the roads are clear before we can transport it here.

Since he was already there, Master Xue took the opportunity to check Xu Dan's archery skills. Seeing that he had practiced well, he gave him some encouragement and a few more words of advice before letting him leave.

When we left Master Xue's residence, it was already completely dark.

Because of the snow, the weather was exceptionally cold, and the streets were deserted. Everyone was already asleep, and few people were out. The whole world seemed to be shrouded in a veil of silence, with nothing but the crunching sound of Xu Dan's footsteps on the snow.

Back at the hot pot restaurant, Xu Dan greeted his mother and the others, then went inside, with Black Bear following him eagerly.

Sitting on the bed, he took out the long arrow that Xue Diao and Xue Bao'er had given him.

Perhaps because it was recently purchased, the arrow was stained with dirt, turning a dark black color. Xu Dan frowned, took a clean cloth, dampened it with water, and carefully began to wipe it. His movements were gentle and focused, one stroke after another, as if he were polishing an extremely precious treasure.

Soon, the two long arrows were revealed.

One arrow had fletchings the color of purple jade, shimmering with a mysterious luster under the dim light; its shaft was engraved with lifelike phoenix patterns, as if ready to take flight at any moment; the arrowhead was an ancient bronze color, exuding the vicissitudes of time; the shaft was ebony, hard in texture and finely grained. The other arrow had fletchings the color of silver-white, pure and dazzling; its shaft was engraved with lively serpent patterns, seemingly winding and dancing. The arrowhead was also an ancient bronze color, and the shaft was ebony.

He now has eight long arrows with different patterns engraved on their shafts.

Because each arrow is engraved with animal patterns, Xu Dan calls them "spirit beast arrows".

Each of these arrows has a different colored fletching and is decorated with a variety of patterns. Xu Dan has been trying to figure out the meaning behind these different colors and patterns.

However, he didn't dwell on it too much. His greatest strength was that he didn't think about it if he couldn't figure it out.

Immediately, he circulated his internal energy and blood to nourish the long arrow. Nourishing with energy and blood is a method of refining artifacts; this was a little trick recorded in the Xue family's summary of energy and blood martial arts cultivation that Master Xue had given him. Master Xue had been incredibly kind to him, not only teaching him superb archery skills without reservation but also giving him such a precious book on the application of energy and blood. Xu Dan was filled with gratitude and didn't know how to express his thanks.

Affection is only useful to those who care about you.

If one party cares, but the other takes it for granted or feels disgusted, then this relationship is destined to be short-lived.

Only when both parties care, know how to be grateful, and cherish the relationship with their hearts can it remain fresh and grow ever deeper.

After storing the long arrow in its sinew and nurturing it, Xu Dan began preparing for cultivation. Each time he completed the Nine Revolutions of the Primordial Embryo cultivation, he could feel the vigorous growth of his internal energy and blood, and his strength also increased, to the point that he became somewhat obsessed with cultivating this technique.

Remove your clothes, apply the Longevity Divine Cauldron Jade Liquid Ointment, place the Sacred Ten-Complete Elixir under your tongue, and circulate your inner energy.

In an instant, the blood in my body surged like a mighty river, crashing against the shore, roaring and surging.

A painful yet itchy sensation, like being scratched by thousands of ants, came from between his muscles. It was an unpleasant feeling, but Xu Dan gritted his teeth and persevered in his cultivation.

With each breath, the sea of ​​blood surged and receded, and immense power seeped into every inch of his muscles. The spiritual energy that roamed between heaven and earth, as well as the spiritual essence that had been condensed in his meridians and hindered his cultivation, now slowly loosened under the operation of the technique, transforming into spiritual energy, merging into his blood, tempering his muscles, and nourishing his bones and internal organs.

"Um----"

Xu Dan sensed the subtle changes in the solidified spiritual energy within his meridians and was overjoyed. However, he knew that extreme joy or sorrow was most dangerous during cultivation, so he quickly suppressed his excitement and continued to concentrate fully on his cultivation.

Time slipped by unnoticed, and before we knew it, the sky was beginning to lighten.

Xu Dan slowly opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing within them. He felt refreshed and invigorated, his body brimming with surging power. After a night of cultivation, he clearly felt his blood and energy had increased, and his strength had grown considerably. The most significant gain was the loosening of his meridians. If he could clear the blockages in his meridians, he would be able to cultivate Qi in the future, instead of being limited to cultivating only the path of Qi, blood, and spirit.

In an instant, Xu Dan's enthusiasm for cultivating the Nine Revolutions of the Primordial Embryo burst forth, like a fiercely burning flame that kept rising.