Martial artists can never be ultimately insulted.

As they walked, they continued talking with great interest:

"It's been three or four years since Chunli went to take the Interpol exam with you, hasn't it? Speaking of which, I heard you've run into some trouble?"

"Grandpa Yuan!"

Upon seeing Yuan, Chunli smiled and waved in greeting.

Chun-Li's martial arts journey and her understanding of martial arts stemmed from her father Tong Ang's family-inherited Qigong Fist on one hand, and from her grandfather Yuan's Assassination Fist on the other.

Yuan nodded in response to Chunli's greeting, then turned his amused gaze to Tong Ang.

Seeing this, Tong Ang didn't try to hide anything, but simply said:

“An organization called Shadow Luo has been unusually active lately, and I wanted to ask if there are any leads.”

"Yingluo?" Upon hearing Tong Ang's question, Yuan stroked his chin and then said thoughtfully:

"I've heard that they've been recruiting powerful fighters lately... but as you know, I've already retired from the martial arts world, so it's just hearsay."

"You? You've given up your life of crime?" Tong Ang shook his head helplessly upon hearing Yuan's words.

Others may not know, but Tong Ang is quite clear about what the Yuan in the inner world represents.

It's no exaggeration to say that for such a living legend, worldly fame and fortune hold no allure whatsoever. His so-called "retirement" is merely waiting for an opportunity.

Waiting for an ending unrelated to fame and fortune, called 'death union'.

Thinking this way, Tong Ang was not worried about Yuan's safety.

From the beginning of his career as a police officer, he pursued and investigated many things about Yuan. Although he was initially manipulated by Yuan, the two also formed a subtle friendship in the process.

Especially after discovering that Yuan had killed wicked and evil people, Tong Ang began to actively befriend him.

Later, after they became friends, Yuan also recognized Chun-Li's talent and even taught her his own unique skills.

Knowing what a mentor's lineage means to those in the inner fighting world, Tong Ang felt more gratitude towards Yuan.

Tong Ang was well aware of Yuan's power; at least, in his memory, there were very few people who could rival Yuan.

While I was pondering, suddenly, a familiar yet extremely aggressive aroma wafted from the side.

He hadn't eaten when he set off in the morning, and now that it was noon, although he was not starving thanks to his martial arts prowess, Tong Ang still couldn't help but feel his appetite whetted when he smelled the aroma.

Look in the direction from which the fragrance is coming.

With slightly long bangs on his forehead, his face was shrouded in shadow, appearing as black as ink. His eyes were terrifyingly bright, and his appearance and physique far surpassed those of ordinary people. Yuan Chen also walked out from the kitchen.

Carrying several plates covered with lids, Yuan Chen approached the table and distributed them to the seated guests one by one.

"Due to limited ingredients, today's lunch is Yuan Hanting fried rice! By the way, I still don't know your names?"

Yuan Chen turned his gaze to Tong Ang and Chun Li.

Seeing this, Tong Ang smiled and said, "Yuan and I are old buddies, just call me Uncle Tong Ang."

“Okay, Uncle!” Yuan Chen nodded vigorously—his cheap uncle!

"My name is Chunli! I'm older than you, just call me sister!" Chunli raised her hand with a grin.

“Okay, sister!” Yuan Chen nodded seriously—Auntie is so cute.

"Compared to this... fried rice, it probably doesn't need to be covered, right?"

Looking at the metal lid in front of him, Tong Ang said, "Otherwise, the steam will get trapped and there won't be any wok hei (wok aroma) left."

What started as a simple joke quickly turned into something else. Tong Ang noticed out of the corner of his eye that Yuan's face was filled with excitement, and even the boy named Yuan Chen had a smile on his face, as if he was looking forward to what was about to happen.

But just as Tong Ang was still thinking, suddenly, as Chun Li picked up the lid, a dazzling golden light shot out from it.

The dazzling light rose upwards in a column, and against this backdrop, even the surrounding ambient light seemed to dim considerably.

First to be affected, Chun-Li, who was already hungry and ready to eat, was caught off guard and suddenly felt a flash of light before her eyes. She immediately covered her eyes and let out a wail:

"Ugh! A flashbang?! It's a flashbang, isn't it?!"

"Hahaha~~" Seeing Chun-Li's reaction, Yuan also let out a hearty laugh.

Judging from his expression, he had clearly anticipated this and was happy to witness it.

The sudden turn of events left Tong Ang somewhat bewildered. He could only look at Yuan with a puzzled expression, hoping that the other party could provide an explanation.

Yuan laughed for a while, then, wiping away tears of laughter, stared at his old, murky eyes and said leisurely:

"Although we don't know where it came from, Yuan Chen has mastered the unique skill of completely transforming the nutrients in food into life energy."

Volume 1: 2. Where's my food?!

Upon hearing Yuan's words, Tong Ang and Chun Li's faces showed surprise and confusion.

After hesitating for a moment, Tong Ang also asked:

"Life energy...food? What does that mean?"

Tong Ang's face was full of confusion, while Chun-Li, recovering from the 'flashbang', rubbed her teary eyes and said:

"Yeah, that's practically a flashbang!"

Upon hearing Chunli's words, Yuan chuckled twice, clearly quite satisfied with Tong Ang and Chunli's reaction.

But then Yuan shook his head and said:

"No, that skill is real."

As he spoke, Yuan stroked his beard and said leisurely:

"It is said that in the late Qing Dynasty, there was a master chef in the Sichuan region named Chen Bangling. Her dishes were able to integrate and stimulate the life energy of the ingredients with her own spiritual power during the cooking process, which could make people feel a heartfelt happiness. Therefore, she was also known as the Fairy of Shells."

After a pause, Yuan said with some regret:

"Unfortunately, with the changing times, both this skill and the restaurant Juxialou that he founded have disappeared into the long river of history."

Although I have never actually tasted the dishes at Juxialou, there is no doubt that if Fairy Bei's special skills truly existed, then they must have been the same as those possessed by Yuan Chen.

After saying that, Yuan leaned back slightly to avoid the path of the rising beam of light, then picked up the lid and slowly scooped up a full spoonful of fried rice and put it in his mouth.

He chewed slowly and deliberately, and soon, a look of satisfaction and contentment appeared in his slightly closed, cloudy white eyes.

"Ah, the feeling of vitality and everything thriving is still lingering on my lips."

Hearing his old friend's words and seeing Yuan's expression, Tong Ang's face also showed a hint of curiosity. Then, the father and daughter looked at the food in front of them at the same time.

As he picked up the spoon, Tong Ang said:

"It's hard to say about other dishes, but when it comes to Yuan Hanting fried rice, I do have some personal opinions~"

Yuan Hanting Fried Rice is not a famous dish; it's just the signature dish of this small restaurant.

Once Tong Ang realized that Yuan was not a killer in the conventional sense and that he was actually quite upright, he had quite a bit of contact with him.

After a while, the two became friends.

Yuan's specialty, fried rice, was also Tong Ang's preferred quick lunch for a long time.

As for the ingredients and preparation of Yuan Hanting Fried Rice, Tong Ang not only knew them by heart, but he was also confident that he could make a similar dish to Yuan's old-fashioned skills.

Thinking this to himself, Tong Ang's eyes narrowed almost immediately as he put the spoon into his mouth.

It was a familiar taste and flavor, but the overpowering aroma instantly captured one's attention.

Now in his middle age, Tong Ang is at the most mature stage of his life, both psychologically and physically.

With his usual keen sense of taste, Tong Ang could clearly feel the rich aroma that swept through his mouth.

The sausage pieces, forced by the hot oil, ooze amber-colored oil, releasing a smoky, sweet aroma that fills the nostrils.

The teeth grind together, and a slight hint of alcohol and a delicate sweetness burst forth along with the golden-brown grease from the stir-frying.

Diced ham follows closely behind, its salty and savory flavor, nurtured by time, is rich and robust, intertwining with the subtle sweetness of the sausage.

The scrambled eggs were fluffy and tender, coated with plump grains of rice, and glistening with golden oil.

With each chew, the layers of flavor become increasingly distinct—

First, the sweetness of the sausage melts on the tip of your tongue, followed by the salty aroma of the ham. As you chew, the crispy rice contrasts wonderfully with the tender egg.

Occasionally, a bite into a vibrant green scallion releases a burst of fresh, spicy aroma that perfectly balances the overall richness of the dish, dissolving any lingering greasiness in the mouth and providing a perfect finish to the final swallow.

I originally wanted to offer some comments as a seasoned food connoisseur, but once I tasted it, regardless of the skill involved, the flavor, texture, and wok hei alone demonstrated the amazing and solid basic skills involved.

After that, Tong Ang could clearly feel that almost the instant the food entered his stomach, it turned into a pure warm current that flowed into his whole body, making him feel warm all over, as if he had come back to life.

As people reach middle age, they have no choice but to soak goji berries in their thermos.

Having not experienced such a technique in a long time, Tong Ang closed his eyes and silently enjoyed the technique brought about by the activation of life energy.

Tong Ang finally understood just how magical the 'life-giving cuisine' his old friend had described was.

About seven or eight minutes later, Tong Ang, having recovered, stretched out his spoon, ready to take another bite and savor it properly.

result--

"Where's my food?!" Tong Ang looked at Chun Li, who was eating so hard that her face was puffed up like a hamster as she chewed.

"Uh……"

Hearing her father's words, Chunli paused, then shrank back and said:

"I...I didn't eat breakfast, and I've been traveling a long way...right?"

Seeing Chunli shrinking back in fear, Tong Ang also turned his gaze to the plate in front of Chunli.

Looking at the empty plate, a look of helplessness appeared on Tong Ang's face, but then he seemed to realize something and said:

"You finished eating so quickly... Chun-Li, don't you feel anything strange?"

"A strange feeling..."

Upon hearing Tong Ang's question, Chunli tilted her head, then stretched her body a few times before replying:

"If I had to say what's strange... well, would you say it feels good? I feel all over my body, like I have inexhaustible energy!"

"Chun-Li is not yet old enough to understand this feeling."

Yuan chuckled a few times, then stroked his beard and looked at Tong Ang, saying:

"The more battles and deaths you experience, the more you can feel the power of life—and of course, even just in terms of taste, it's impeccable."

"Yes, yes, it's delicious!"

Although she didn't know what Yuan meant by "the power of life," Chunli still gave Yuan a thumbs up and smiled approvingly:

"This is absolutely the most delicious meal I've ever had!"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Chen smiled and nodded.

Meanwhile, seeing that there was no food, Tong Ang didn't care too much, and simply looked at Yuan and said:

"I was a little worried before, since I had only been cultivating with you for three years. Would it be safe for Yuan Chen to go to the Battle Realm alone?"

But now it seems that, in terms of both strength and ability, Yuan Chen is more than capable.

Upon hearing this, Yuan chuckled and then looked at Tong Ang, saying:

"Well, even a rough gem needs to face real trials. But speaking of which, I wonder if Chun-Li's martial arts skills have become rusty after not seeing her for a while?"

Volume 1: 3. Discussion

Having understood the meaning behind Yuan's words, Tong Ang also turned to Chunli beside him and said:

"In that case, Chunli, why don't you have a spar with Yuan Chen?"

"Huh? Me?"

Hearing this, Chunli was also taken aback, pointed to herself somewhat blankly, and then scratched her head and said, "Personally... I'm fine, but Yuan Chen, what about you?"

"Of course, there will be absolutely no problem!"

Upon hearing everyone's words, Yuan Chen's face revealed a passionate smile full of aggression and fighting spirit.

Although Yuan Chen mostly watched from the sidelines and didn't say much, he was actually constantly recalling things about Chun Li.

In fact, three years ago, Yuan Chen had already realized that he had traveled to the world of Street Fighter.

But then Yuan Chen realized that the world he had come to seemed to be more than just Street Fighter.