Traveling through various miniature worlds with a small restaurant

Jiang Shuang leaned closer curiously and asked, "What special skills do they all have?"

The old beggar took a sip of wine, smacked his lips, and said, "These masters have all sorts of skills. Some have profound internal strength and can shatter boulders from a distance; some have superb lightness skills and can walk on water as if on flat ground; and some are skilled in esoteric arts and can disappear without a trace in a difficult situation."

Lin Xiaoqian's eyes widened as she pressed, "So amazing! How did they train like that?"

The old beggar took another sip of wine, squinted, and said, "Little girl, the path of martial arts is not so easy! Those with profound internal strength have all trained diligently since childhood, enduring the coldest days of winter and the hottest days of summer, tempering their bodies day after day to accumulate internal strength. As for those with unparalleled lightness skills, they must start practicing on cliffs from childhood, where a slight mistake can lead to their annihilation. And those skilled in divination and escape must be proficient in astronomy and geography, well-versed in ancient classics, and possess extremely high comprehension and talent."

Lin Xiaoqian gasped in shock: "It's that difficult? How much suffering must one endure?"

The old beggar nodded: "That's right, no pain, no gain."

Lin Xiaoqian frowned: "Old man, isn't there any martial arts manual that, once practiced, can make one's internal strength soar to the sky and instantly become a top master?"

The old beggar laughed heartily, his face turning a dark red: "Little girl, you're thinking too simply. There's no such thing as a secret manual that you can master in one go. There are no shortcuts in martial arts. Even if there were a secret manual, you'd need a solid foundation and enough comprehension to unravel its mysteries."

As he spoke, he didn't forget to remind the two girls: "Most of the so-called secret manuals in the martial arts world are just deceptive tricks. If you believe them, you will only go astray."

"Hehe." Lin Xiaoqian smiled shyly: "Then, old man, do you know what real martial arts manuals exist in this world?"

The old beggar stroked his unkempt beard, his eyes somewhat dazed: "There are countless styles. The martial arts world is now filled with numerous sects, each with its own unique techniques. Speaking of fist techniques, the Seven Injury Fist of the Kongtong Sect is the most powerful. For enhancing internal energy, the Tai Chi and Nine Yang Skills of the Wudang Sect are the best, along with the Heart-Shattering Palm of the Qingcheng Sect and the Emei Swordplay of the Emei Sect. But the most versatile and adaptable style belongs to the Beggars' Sect!"

The last sentence even sounded a little proud.

Lin Xiaoqian asked curiously, "What's so powerful about the Beggars' Sect?"

The old beggar perked up and raised his voice, saying, "The Beggar Clan's Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms and Dog-Beating Staff Technique are renowned throughout the martial arts world! The Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms are unparalleled in their power, and the force of their palm strikes is hard for enemies to withstand; the Dog-Beating Staff Technique is exquisite and unpredictable, with ever-changing moves that are impossible to defend against."

Jiang Shuang nodded thoughtfully: "I see. So these secret manuals are all hidden very carefully by the various sects, right?"

The old beggar took a sip of wine, raised his eyebrows, and said, "Of course, these secret manuals are the foundation of each sect and are not easily passed on to outsiders."

Lin Xiaoqian quietly asked the old beggar, "Old man, today at the street corner, I saw two heroes getting into a fight. They had only exchanged a few blows when they were stopped by the guards. The guards looked incredibly powerful. I heard they are government officials. Do government officials also have martial arts manuals?"

Upon hearing this, the old beggar frowned and slurred, "What martial arts secrets does the government have? Aren't they all given by the palace? All the good things in the world have been collected and sent to the palace."

Lin Xiaoqian quickly leaned closer and asked, "Old man, did you say there are martial arts manuals in the palace?"

The old beggar seemed to realize he had let something slip, his eyes became somewhat evasive, and he muttered, "No, nothing, I was just talking nonsense, just talking nonsense."

Jiang Shuang stared intently at the old beggar and said, "Old man, since you've gone this far, why don't you tell us?"

The old beggar waved his hands repeatedly: "I can't say, I can't say, this is a matter of life and death."

Lin Xiaoqian quickly poured the old beggar another glass of wine and said, "Old man, don't worry, my sister and I won't tell anyone. Please clear up our doubts."

After hesitating for a long time, the old beggar finally succumbed to the temptation of the wine and said in a low voice, "The imperial court has long wanted to suppress martial arts practitioners, so naturally it has to come up with some methods, nothing more than coercion and enticement. People have seven emotions and six desires, and there will always be people who compromise and give in, betting their entire fortune on the imperial court."

This is pretty much what Jiang Shuang guessed.

But she still asked, "You even give me martial arts manuals?"

"Some people are timid and afraid of trouble. They don't want to offend the court, so of course they obediently submit. If we go back twenty years, when the late emperor was alive, the court and the martial arts world could stand on equal footing. But the one in the palace now has many more tricks up his sleeve."

Lin Xiaoqian frowned: "So that Seven Injury Fist and Heart-Shattering Palm you just mentioned is also in the palace?"

The old beggar let out a burp and stood up unsteadily: "No, they still refuse to submit to the imperial court and are secretly competing with it."

After saying that, he waved his hand and said, "Old beggar, I've finished eating, so I'll be leaving now."

Before leaving, he didn't forget to compliment, "Your braised pork knuckle rice is delicious, and the wine is great too. Thank you for the treat! *burp*"

Lin Xiaoqian and Jiang Shuang, seeing that they had asked almost everything they wanted to know, didn't stop him. They even helped the old beggar up and smiled as they saw him to the door, saying, "Take care, old man, come back often if you like it!"

The old beggar walked out of the shop and his figure gradually disappeared around the street corner.

Lin Xiaoqian and Jiang Shuang returned to the shop and sat facing each other.

“There are indeed some good things in the palace,” Jiang Shuang concluded first.

Lin Xiaoqian nodded: "Martial arts sects can also try trading."

The two discussed it in detail, and then went upstairs to rest.

The next day, Jiang Shuang got up very early and, after her morning exercise, she didn't forget to put the advertising sign she had made at the street corner.

When Lin Xiaoqian finished washing up and came downstairs, Jiang Shuang bought two servings of chicken noodle soup for the two of them.

Lin Xiaoqian slurped up her noodles and asked, "Sister Shuang, where did you get the money to buy these noodles?"

"I traded it for a bowl of braised pork trotters rice." Jiang Shuang frowned, probably because her food standards had risen after eating Lin Xiaoqian's braised pork trotters rice.

She always thought the chicken noodle soup in this world was really awful, and it was such a waste that she wanted to try some otherworldly cuisine, a whole plate of braised pork trotters and rice.

Lin Xiaoqian wasn't picky about food. After finishing her noodles in big bites, she wiped her mouth and said, "Sister Shuang, have you found out the prices in this world? How should we price our braised pork trotter rice?"

Jiang Shuang thought for a moment and said, "The prices in this world should be similar to those in the ancient world you first visited, with pork costing seventeen coins per pound. We're selling braised meat, so let's set the price at fifty coins per bowl."

Lin Xiaoqian frowned: "Fifty coins? Isn't that a bit too expensive? What if the customers think it's too expensive and don't come back?"

Jiang Shuang shook her head: "No, our braised pork trotter rice is made with high-quality ingredients. The pork is from top-quality pigs developed by our National Academy of Agricultural Sciences. It tastes great and is worth the price. Besides, we use a unique secret recipe."

Jiang Shuang winked at Lin Xiaoqian.

Lin Xiaoqian was relieved to hear this: "Okay, shall we give it a try first? If business isn't good, we can adjust it?"

Jiang Shuang naturally agreed, but she felt in her heart that business couldn't possibly be bad. As long as people ate the pork trotter rice made with a small amount of money, even if it was sold for ten more coins, there would still be plenty of people willing to buy it.