Chapter 9: Magical Beast Meat
The next day, dawn had just broken.
A maid approached. "Young Master… breakfast is ready!"
Ruofeng awoke from his sleep. "Oh… breakfast is ready. And the meat I gave you yesterday — has it been prepared?"
He hadn't forgotten the magical beast meat he acquired the day before. Even though it was late last night, he had still taken a sharp blade into the Trash Station, cutting a large chunk of meat from the beast. At first, he had thought it would be difficult to carve, but it wasn't much different from normal meat.
He handed the large piece to the specially assigned chef, preparing to test the magical beast meat's effects today.
The maid handed him his washing tools. "Young Master… Chef Sasaki got up early to prepare breakfast. As per your instructions, today's meals will all use the meat you brought. However, Chef Sasaki is a bit curious — he noticed this meat is unusual!"
After washing up, Ruofeng stepped out of his room. "These things are far beyond what a single chef can understand. Take me to the dining hall — I want to taste this delicacy!"
With that, he strode out of the courtyard.
The maid followed closely behind.
Although Ruofeng now lived on the outskirts of Konoha, his residence was massive. Especially this courtyard, near the noble families' homes, making it extremely safe.
Many displaced people during wartime had once dreamed of living here. Ruofeng's grandfather had recruited many young servants over the years and trained them — forming the current maids and attendants. Even the head chef, Sasaki, was trained this way.
In no time, Ruofeng arrived at the dining hall.
His grandfather wasn't present; only Jiraiya was there.
Jiraiya now reclined in a chair, no longer resembling the near-death state of the previous day.
Ruofeng exclaimed, "No way! Uncle Jiraiya has recovered this quickly?"
Jiraiya laughed heartily. "I owe it to you. You take your medicinal baths daily, and your grandfather collected a large number of rare herbs for you. Yesterday, when I was gravely injured, these precious herbs kept me alive. Then, I used summoning jutsu to call upon the Mount Myoboku toads to heal me. After just one night, I've already recovered about forty percent."
Ruofeng slowly sat down. "The Mount Myoboku toads… truly extraordinary. Having a summoning species like that is quite something!"
His gaze then fell upon the breakfast in front of him.
Chef Sasaki approached. Usually, he wouldn't personally come for breakfast, but since Ruofeng had prepared the ingredients, he naturally wanted to oversee them — mistakes here would be his own misfortune.
Pointing at the soup, Sasaki said, "This is a meat broth. The meat you provided is crimson in color, and even after cooking, it still radiates heat. Young Master, be careful when eating! Also…"
Before the chef could finish, Ruofeng scooped up a crimson chunk of meat and swallowed it.
The moment it touched his tongue, the meat melted into a warm current, flowing through his body.
The warmth spread from head to toe, as comforting as being held in a mother's embrace.
All the weariness from waking up vanished in an instant.
Ruofeng smiled. "Perfect."
Although he knew magical beast meat would be effective — perhaps even rivaling rare herbs — he had still underestimated its power. This meat didn't just provide terrifying nutrition; it subtly enhanced his physical constitution.
As he continued eating, the warm current circulated continuously, steadily strengthening his body.
Watching Ruofeng devour the meat, Jiraiya remarked, "Is it that delicious… or are you just really hungry?"
Despite his words, he gestured for a maid to feed him. Bound by injuries inflicted by Tsunade, he could barely move.
After swallowing a chunk of crimson meat, Jiraiya's eyes narrowed, emitting a faint light.
The maid fed him another piece, and he raised his right hand. "I'll do it myself!"
His previously bandaged arm could now barely move.
Ruofeng looked up. "You've recovered!"
"Indeed… this recovery is thanks to this meat," Jiraiya said while eating. "The warm flesh repairs the body and even strengthens it. Where did you get this? I've never heard of it before!"
Ruofeng stared in disbelief. "I only feel a slight increase in my own body strength, yet he recovers so fast?"
Jiraiya's transformation was astonishing. Just one bite, and his previously frail body turned healthy and robust.
He continued, "It seems you still don't fully understand chakra. This is the result of chakra. Remember, chakra is the combination of spiritual power and cellular energy. Spiritual power can be restored through rest, while cellular energy is replenished through food. Essentially, the energy we gain from food nourishes our cells. Then, spiritual power draws from these cells to form chakra.
In other words, a large portion of chakra originates from what we eat. If a person drew all chakra solely from cells, how long could the body withstand it? Eventually, it could be fatal. Furthermore, as one grows, chakra can hit a bottleneck. Once cellular energy is exhausted, drawing more would consume the very essence of life itself.
Cellular growth is a form of life. Overusing it diminishes your life force. Chakra, therefore, is both the source of a ninja's power and potentially lethal.
This crimson meat… I don't know how it works, but it replenishes cellular energy rapidly and gently. Even with broken bones and damaged organs, it heals cell by cell. Combined with my chakra, I could fully recover in three days!"
Jiraiya finished speaking and swallowed another chunk of magical beast meat, his gaze filled with curiosity as he looked at Ruofeng. "Where did you get this?"