Martial artists can never be ultimately insulted.

Yuan Chen made the suggestion.

No one objected to Yuan Chen's suggestion. After all, it was the middle of the night, and apart from the remaining ingredients in the refrigerator, there weren't many other materials for Yuan Chen to showcase his culinary skills.

Or perhaps... more than the food itself, Baki and the others look forward to exchanging martial arts insights during and after meals.

While cooking, Yuan Chen felt a little fortunate—although there wasn't much food left in the refrigerator, thanks to the fact that the Sakura family owns a barbecue restaurant, whose main business is charcoal-grilled meat and barbecue rice bowls, there was plenty of meat, rice, and side dishes.

Then, amidst gasps of surprise, the rice in the pot rose and fell like waves.

It's hard to say about other dishes, but Yuan Chen has been making fried rice for three years. He is an absolute master of fried rice. Even for a serving of ten people, with sufficient ingredients, Yuan Chen only needs about twenty minutes to cook the fried rice using multiple stoves, multiple woks, and multiple threads simultaneously.

When the ten servings of diced meat fried rice were placed in a bowl in front of everyone, even though Baki hadn't had much of an appetite before and was just looking forward to a late-night snack to replenish his nutrition...

As the steam rises and radiates like light in the night, the edges of the diced meat are crispy, the scallions are vibrant green, and the egg wash coats each grain of rice evenly. Finally, the fried rice is coated with a glistening layer of fragrant lard...

Almost instantly, the hunger that had been infected by Yuan Chen's will resurfaced in Baki's body.

"It feels... even more tempting than I imagined!"

After serving the rice and plating it, Baki was the first to eat.

Use a spoon to put the fried rice into your mouth. As you chew, the outer shell of the fried meat, which has been fried until it's slightly browned, cracks open, releasing a rich aroma. The crispy crust makes a slight crackling sound, and the fatty, sticky oil melts in your mouth, mingling with the savory and salty flavor of the sauce, flowing freely between your lips and teeth.

After the diced meat comes the rice, steamed in advance for tomorrow's rice bowl. Now cooled, the rice is dry, fragrant, and chewy with a slightly crispy outer layer and a soft, chewy interior. The rich aroma of eggs and the pungent fragrance of scallions waft through the air, adding depth while cutting through the greasiness, leaving a refreshing aftertaste.

As you chew, the aromas of rice, meat, eggs, scallions, and wok hei (the smoky flavor imparted by a hot wok) blend together...

It's just one dish, but it satisfies almost everyone's needs.

While Baki was still marveling at how such simple ingredients could create such a balanced, harmonious, and almost perfect deliciousness,

Suddenly, a slightly heavy breathing sound came from the side.

"Ugh, ah~"

Looking over, Wu Fengshui, holding a rice bowl, had a beautiful blush on his cheeks. He was panting as he happily chewed the freshly cooked fried rice, and even his fair skin was tinged with a faint pink.

It wasn't just Wu Fengshui; the other girls beside him also clearly entered a strange state. Their body temperature rose, their cheeks flushed, and their eating and chewing speed increased. Every now and then, they would let out a comfortable breath because of some wonderful feeling coming from inside.

Eating... can you really eat to this extent?

Baki was slightly taken aback—had something been put in the food?!

While Baki was still confused, Hori Su also let out a soft exclamation.

Just as he was about to ask, Baki felt a warm current slowly seeping outward from his stomach wall, spreading layer by layer along the texture of blood vessels and fascia throughout his body!

Realizing something, Baki suddenly looked up and stared at Yuan Chen.

Yuan Chen simply smiled and took the apron, saying:

"We were not well received!"

Volume 1: Chapter 78 - Wu Lei'an, Awakening

Baki could feel an invisible stream of heat spreading throughout his body as he chewed and swallowed. This warm, tingling yet incredibly comforting heat, like lukewarm water, traveled between the torn muscle fibers, stitching them back together like a needle and thread.

Those scars accumulated from long hours of training and combat... even those subtle marks that were previously imperceptible and might only become noticeable with age, became so apparent at this moment.

Similarly, at this moment, Baki could feel them gradually dissipating under the heat.

This was undoubtedly a comfortable process—and that's what surprised Baki the most.

Because these kinds of minor injuries are actually the most difficult to treat. Each time they are discovered, tools such as fascia scrapers are needed to scrape them hard in order to affect the inside to some extent.

And now... it's like the surface grime on the toilet tiles, which isn't even deliberately cleaned, but is naturally washed away when you take a shower.

“Dietary supplements are also a part of the treatment,” Yuan Chen explained succinctly.

Upon hearing Yuan Chen's words, Baki's lips moved slightly, but in the end he simply nodded in deep agreement, without saying anything more, and just shoveled a large mouthful of rice into his mouth.

Just as everyone was enjoying their meal, a sigh suddenly came from the side.

This immediately attracted everyone's attention; they couldn't understand who would utter such a disappointed sigh while enjoying such delicious food.

Feeling the gazes of everyone, Wu Fengshui said somewhat embarrassedly, "Um... I didn't mean to say this tastes bad."

"..."

No one spoke; they simply stared at Wu Fengshui with curiosity.

There wasn't much malice involved; after all, they had only eaten a few bites of food, and it wasn't enough to turn them into the chef's devoted sons.

But these stares made Wu Fengshui feel a little embarrassed, so he scratched his head and said:

"Well... mainly because it's all fried rice, I subconsciously compared it to the Yuan Hanting fried rice that Brother Yuan Chen made before."

Wu Fengshui said with a sigh, "I ate this often when I was in Hong Kong and didn't notice the difference, but now I've switched to a similar fried rice. Although they're both fried rice, Yuan Hanting Fried Rice is definitely tastier."

Upon hearing this, Chun-Li smiled and shook her head, saying:

"Yuan Hanting fried rice also includes Chinese sausage, ham, and fresh peas... but the ingredients left in the refrigerator are limited, so this is already very good."

"Fully nutritious!" Baki added, his eyes shining.

"Actually, fried rice... isn't it very unhealthy? It's high in carbohydrates, and you have to stir-fry it with lard. The eggs also need to be fried until dry and fragrant, causing the protein to denature, in order to release more aroma at the cost of losing nutrients. But nowadays..."

Baki pursed his lips and looked down at his own body, saying:

"Although I don't know why, I can feel that not a single nutrient has been lost, and it has entered my body in a more comprehensive way..."

"Yes, some hidden injuries that I couldn't feel before have also been healed." Wu Horisaki nodded in agreement, saying while shoveling rice into her mouth:

"But thinking about it carefully, it's more like being purified rather than cured... By the time the body is weak enough to feel these hidden injuries, it will probably be impossible to treat them."

Just as everyone was chatting idly, some rustling sounds of struggling to get up came from the side.

Looking to one side, Wu Lei'an, who had been lying flat on the sofa and was clearly on the verge of death, actually sat up.

"…woke up?"

Upon seeing this, Wu Hori and the others also showed expressions of shock. They knew that Wu Lei'an had previously been only a step away from death, and now…

"The human body is amazing."

Baki sighed, "As long as the wound heals before it becomes ineffective, even a near-fatal injury can be turned into a minor one... It's truly..."

Although he didn't finish speaking, everyone could sense the emotion in Baki's words.

Although this sentence sounds simple, isn't it just another way of saying that as long as a person is alive, they won't die?

However, this very thing, which seems like nonsense, is now being presented to everyone in an undeniable way.

The overwhelming sense of absurdity made it difficult for those who witnessed it to accept for a while.

Looking at the crowd in front of him, and then at Yuan Chen, Wu Lei'an, whose memory was still stuck on the moment he was knocked unconscious, rubbed his head in annoyance.

Although he was a madman in battle and a crazy demon in daily life, perhaps because he had just experienced a painful defeat? Or perhaps because he could clearly feel that his body had not yet fully recovered, Wu Lei'an, in the end, still gave people the feeling of being somewhat restless, but at least he was able to control himself.

With a rumbling sound coming from his stomach, Wu Lei'an propped himself up and walked towards the dining table.

"Lei An, how are you feeling?"

"...Tsk, I'm hungry."

While in a deep sleep, Wu Lei'an was almost powerless against Yuan Chen's hunger. The activation and healing of life energy also required the body to consume stored nutrients and convert them into life energy, so Wu Lei'an felt extremely hungry.

It was clear that Wu Lei'an was indeed very hungry, so hungry that he lost his usual energetic and sharp-tongued manner, and his whole being exuded a listless and dejected air.

Thinking it over, Wu Lei'an glanced at the crowd eating at the bar in front of Yuan Chen.

Wu Lei'an didn't take Wu Horisaki and Wu Horisaki seriously, but when he saw Baki, he raised an eyebrow and said impatiently, "Who is this kid?"

“My junior,” Yuan Chen replied.

"Hello~" Baki smiled and said in response to Wu Lei'an's question, "My name is Hanma Baki, I'm seventeen years old, and I'm a second-year high school student!"

After introducing himself, Baki added with some anticipation:

"I saw your fight with Senior Yuan Chen and felt your determination. If there's a chance, I hope we can spar sometime! A park or a more suitable place is fine with me!"

Initially, Wu Lei'an didn't take Baki seriously, but after hearing Baki's challenge, a sinister smile appeared on his face:

"Huh? You think you can defeat me just because Yuan Chen can? Fine, come on! I'm ready anytime!"

"Calm down, Lei'an." Hearing Wu Lei'an's words, Wu Horiqi, who was standing next to him, shook his head helplessly and said:

"Your first priority is to recover your health before you think about fighting..."

And to be honest, even if you weren't injured right now, I don't think the champion of the Tokyo Dome's underground fighting arena is an opponent you could easily defeat.

Upon hearing Wu Horisuke's words, Wu Lei'an frowned in displeasure: "The Tokyo Dome underground fighting arena?"

After thinking about it with some suspicion, Wu Lei'an seemed to remember something, and a look of great interest appeared in his eyes as he looked at Baki.

"Hanma... Baki! I remember now, it's you! The son of the one who claims to be the strongest creature on earth... I've wanted to mess with you guys for a long time, so you'll know that the one who becomes the strongest creature on earth can only be me!!"

Although I was just knocked down by Yuan Chen, it doesn't matter. That's how we Fighters are. Even if you are the strongest creature on earth, even if you are the king of the underground fighting arena, as long as you haven't crushed me, I will let you know what a damn black hand is!

Upon hearing Wu Lei'an's words, Baki showed no anger whatsoever, simply smiling and saying, "Alright, I'll be waiting for you. I think Grandpa Tokugawa is also looking forward to a strongman like you coming to his battlefield!"

After saying this, Baki paused, then added, "But the one who will ultimately defeat Yujiro Hanma... will definitely be me."

When he said the last sentence, Baki's voice was very calm, as if he were stating an absolutely certain fact.

"Not necessarily."

Nearby, while serving rice to Wu Lei'an, Yuan Chen said calmly, "It could also be me."

"Huh? Senior is participating too?" Upon hearing this, Baki was taken aback at first, then suddenly slapped his forehead and said, "Oh right! If it's senior, he'll definitely want to challenge the strong."

While in the park, he had already sensed Yuan Chen's fighting spirit. Now, Baki only needed to recall it briefly to remember the undisguised madness contained within Yuan Chen's fighting spirit—the desire to humiliate all the strong in the world and become a unique and unparalleled powerhouse.

Thinking this, Baki smiled and invited, "Then if you have the chance, senpai, come visit me at the Tokyo Dome! Grandpa Tokugawa would definitely like you too—"

As he said this, Baki suddenly paused.

Recalling Tokugawa Mitsunari's almost bloodthirsty fervor for battle and slaughter, and then recalling Genji's intense fighting spirit, as well as his gentle and courteous demeanor so different from his behavior during the fight, Baki thoughtfully remarked:

"Hmm, maybe it's because I really like it!"

"Then I'll look forward to it~" Yuan Chen smiled upon hearing this.

He then looked at Wu Lei'an beside him and said, "You lost a lot of nutrients during the emergency treatment. Now, the most important thing is to find a place to sit down and eat."

Upon hearing this, Wu Lei'an glanced around.

Baki... This is Junior Yuan Chen, and he seems rather interesting? He's worth defeating, I'll keep him for now.

Wu Huxi... I even stole Yuan Chen's opportunity to fight. Although Wu Lei'an is a troublemaker, he is also a guy who clearly distinguishes between gratitude and resentment and would not do anything to betray him.

Wu Hori... is an elder in the family, but it doesn't really matter if he targets them.

Wu Fengshui...

Wu Lei'an turned his gaze to Wu Fengshui and fell into a brief silence.

Feeling the gaze from his own brother, Wu Fengshui shrank back and asked weakly, "Uh... what's wrong?"

"...Why are you eating here?"

Upon hearing this, before Wu Fengshui could say anything, Yuan Chen couldn't help but steal a glance.

Does it mean it can't be served at the table?

Wu Fengshui said somewhat unwillingly, "Why can't I eat here?"

"...Did you feel how Yuan Chen's punch killed me?" Wu Lei'an asked calmly.

"...Uh..." Upon hearing this, Wu Fengshui opened his mouth, then weakly said, "Because...it was very heavy? And then, you couldn't dodge it?"

Upon hearing this, even someone as unruly as Wu Lei'an remained silent for a long time before finally taking a deep breath and comforting himself, "Never mind, after all, your liberation rate is only twenty-eight percent."

"...That really makes you look bad." Wu Fengshui couldn't help but roll his eyes.

"Enough with the nonsense, you brat." Wu Lei'an pointed disdainfully at the three little girls, Huang Ying, who were happily eating not far away and said, "Go to the kids' table."

"Fine, I'll go..." Wu Fengshui pouted, then excitedly ran over with his rice bowl, saying, "Sister Chunli, I'm here!"

Well, Chun-Li didn't think she could connect with these natural-born battle maniacs, so she had already gone over to chat with these lively high school girls about girlish thoughts.

After getting rid of the bratty girl, the area in front of Yuan Chen's bar was completely taken over by the stinky man.

After accepting the rice, Wu Lei'an offered a simple thank you.

Although their reactions were calm, and even their words were still barbed, everyone was surprised to see Wu Lei'an, whether it was Wu Hori or Wu Hori Xiong—or even Wu Fengshui, who had been relegated to the children's table but was still secretly observing his scoundrel older brother for fear of displeasing Yuan Chen.