Chapter 6

In the harsh and cruel wilderness where fierce beasts and dangerous creatures roamed, threatening lives at any moment, the villagers' demands were simple: as long as they had food and could eat their fill, they were content.

The bonfire flickered, and the stone village was bustling with activity. Men and women, young and old, all wore smiles, filled with laughter and joy.

"Children, don't run around. Come for the medicinal bath later. Sleep well tonight, and you'll be stronger than beasts in the future," an old man said with a smile.

"Ow... No!" A group of children screamed in unison and fled in all directions, scattering throughout the village.

"A bunch of brats, they don't know what a blessing this is. That's rare medicinal soup. If you can persist with the baths, your bones and muscles will rival those of giant beasts," the adults scolded, grabbing their children like chicks.

"It hurts, I don't want the medicinal bath. Last time it felt like being cut with a knife."

"Dad, let go, I don't want to be boiled."

The children resisted fiercely, but their small arms were no match for the adults, and they were all caught.

In an open area of the village, eight large bronze tripods were already set up. Fires burned fiercely beneath them, and the water inside boiled. Several elders threw in various herbs, occasionally adding foot-long centipedes and fist-sized spiders, turning the once clear water black and ink-like, which was quite terrifying.

The children's faces turned green, and they desperately wanted to escape, but the adults held them down tightly.

Then, several villagers brought dozens of earthen jars. The elders took them, carefully opened them, and poured a dark red liquid into the bronze tripods, making the black water boil even more.

This was the true blood taken from the bodies of the hunted beasts, extremely precious. Whether used by adults or children, it could enhance physical strength. Moreover, the villagers had a few ancient recipes, and when combined with herbs, the true blood's effects were even better.

In addition to the true blood, the elders also had the wing bones of flying pythons and the leg bones of ku beasts ground up and thrown into the boiling water.

When the fires died down and the water in the tripods stopped boiling, the temperature slightly decreased. Cries and splashes were heard as the first batch of children were thrown into the tripods, two or three per tripod.

"It hurts, this water can boil a person alive."

"Help, it feels like being cut with a knife, my skin is splitting!"

They gritted their teeth and kicked, trying to escape, but were pushed back in, their screams echoing.

One by one, dozens of children were thrown in, most screaming and struggling fiercely. Only seven or eight children were slightly better, though they were in pain and sweating profusely, they endured without making a sound.

As for the little one, he couldn't escape either and was given special treatment, thrown into a black tripod alone. The tripod contained only a little water, the rest being true blood, crushed bones, and other ingredients.

The villagers didn't think it was unfair, as their own children couldn't bear it and cried out in agony in the ordinary medicinal tripods, while the little one could endure it.

Moreover, when the sticky liquid in the black tripod began to boil, the old chief opened two special earthen jars and poured the contents into the tripod.

From one jar, a red glow emerged, forming a small, palm-sized pixiu, fierce and terrifying, as if trying to tear through and escape. The old chief's palm glowed with runes, and he slapped the pixiu, turning it into blood that fell into the tripod.

From the other jar, a two-headed rhinoceros, red as fire, emerged, its head raised in a fierce roar. It was also struck by the old chief and fell into the black tripod.

When the water temperature slightly decreased, the little one was lifted and thrown into the tripod. He struggled because he was small and would choke in the water, gulping down several mouthfuls as he fell in.

The children across from him showed sympathy, suddenly feeling lucky. The medicinal liquid, mainly composed of special true blood and animal bones, would surely cause more intense pain. The little one was truly pitiful.

Even some adults felt a bit sorry, seeing the little one struggling, his face contorted, and occasionally gulping down the sticky liquid, which was a bit worrying.

"It's fine, it's not the first time. He can endure it. Drinking more of the medicinal liquid is also good for him if he can absorb it," the old chief said. He was sometimes quite rough in his care for the little one.

"His constitution is very strong, and the mysterious power of the bone runes might be helping him to refine some of the medicinal effects. The little one shouldn't be in too much pain," another elder said, stroking his beard.

The medicinal bath lasted a long time. The children were soaked like red monkeys, each looking miserable, tears streaming down their faces. They only stopped crying after the bath ended, finally feeling relieved.

The little one didn't cry in the black tripod. His big eyes rolled, and his face was rosy like a big apple. However, when he was lifted out, he swayed as if drunk.

"How do you feel?" an elder asked.

The little one burped and said dazedly, "I'm full."

Hearing his innocent and simple response, the adults were all amused.

"I'm sleepy." The little one wobbled, his small body falling into Shi Yunfeng's arms. He mumbled softly, "I'm sleepy," and then drifted off to sleep.

"Take these children to sleep well. They'll grow stronger tomorrow," Chief Shi Yunfeng said.

Finally, the elders cleaned up the remaining liquid, not wasting any. They added more fire under the tripods and put in some special herbs, intending to boil them down into medicinal powder. This was not only a tonic but also a healing balm, which could save lives during hunts in the mountains.

The living conditions were harsh, and fierce beasts were hard to hunt, making true blood rare. Otherwise, they wouldn't have continued to boil the liquid into powder after the children used it, not wasting a bit.

Of course, the young and strong in the village didn't mind, as long as it could save their lives when applied to wounds.

That night, the children slept deeply. The next morning, many of them woke up screaming because their old skin had peeled off, making their beds dirty.

"Go, fetch a bucket of well water and wash yourself, then lift that grindstone."

"Dad, that's what Third Brother uses to train. How can I lift it?"

"Stop whining. If I tell you to lift it, you lift it. Did all that true blood and bone medicine go to waste last night? If you don't improve, I'll spank your bottom until it's in pieces!"

In the early morning, the stone village was in chaos as a group of children were forced to move large stones and carry bronze tripods, complaining bitterly.

The effects were very noticeable. The children had grown much stronger, and their constitutions had significantly improved, though saying they had been completely transformed would be an exaggeration.

"Crack, crack"

At the village entrance, Chief Shi Yunfeng's palm glowed with runes. He held a purple-gold hammer and shattered the most precious part of a dragon-horned elephant's horn. He then took a segment of a pixiu's claw bone and a small piece of a fire rhinoceros's red horn, also shattering them and grinding them into powder. He mixed the bone and horn powder with some true blood and added it to the boiling beast milk, which immediately emitted a fragrant aroma.

Then, the elder threw in one herb after another. Soon, the liquid in the earthen jar turned into a thick paste, and the fragrance became even more intense.

"Little one, it's time to eat."

In the stone house, the little one rolled over and sat up at the call. His big eyes were still dazed from sleep, but the aroma quickly revived him. He sniffed a few times and murmured, "It smells so good."

"Of course, this is a true treasure. Don't waste a bit, eat it all," Shi Yunfeng said with a smile.

The little one gobbled up the paste in the earthen jar in no time. However, the side effects were immediate. He was still too young, and the medicinal effects were too strong. That morning, the usually adorable little one turned into a troublemaker, with red, rabbit-like eyes, running around and making noise.

Poor Big Yellow Dog was caught by the tail and pulled relentlessly, almost losing it. He barked for a long time, causing a commotion throughout the village.

"Hey, little one, why are you pulling down Auntie's fence?"

"What's wrong with the little guy? Why is he on my roof, tearing off the tiles? Stop it, no tearing!"

...

The villagers were stunned. The usually well-behaved little one had turned into a little beast, causing chaos everywhere.

"All the medicine has been absorbed, and the effects are excellent," Shi Yunfeng and the other elders said, nodding in satisfaction.

In the distance, many children, seeing this, felt even more awe for the chief. They shivered and stayed far away, whispering, "The little one is so pitiful!"

The little one's palm glowed, and the light spread up his arm, revealing bone runes that flickered mysteriously. His constitution had improved, and his speed and strength had increased significantly, which was why the old chief was quite satisfied.

It wasn't until two hours later that he calmed down, scratching his head dazedly and muttering, "Oops, I caused trouble."