Chapter 4: The Medicinal Bath

In the harsh wilderness where fierce beasts roamed and life was constantly under threat, the villagers' needs were simple: as long as there was food and they could eat their fill, they were content.

The campfire flickered, and the Stone Village was bustling with activity. Men, women, old and young all wore smiles, filled with laughter and cheer.

“Kids, don’t run around! Come for the medicinal bath later. If you sleep well tonight, you’ll be stronger than the fierce beasts in the future,” an elder said with a grin.

“Waaah!” The children all screamed at once, fleeing in panic and hiding in every corner of the village.

“You ungrateful little rascals, you don’t know what’s good for you. This is a rare tonic. If you stick with the medicinal bath, your muscles and bones could rival those of the giant beasts,” the adults scolded as they began to catch their own children like they were grabbing chicks.

“It hurts! I don’t want the medicinal bath; it felt like being cut with a knife last time.”

“Dad, let go! I don’t want to be boiled alive!”

The children struggled fiercely, but their small arms couldn’t compete with the adults' strength, and they were all dragged back.

In a cleared space of the village, eight large bronze cauldrons had already been set up. Fierce flames roared beneath them, and the water inside boiled vigorously. Several elders tossed herbs into the cauldrons, occasionally adding centipedes a foot long and fist-sized spiders, turning the once-clear water into a black, inky concoction that looked quite frightening.

The children’s faces turned green at the sight, desperately wanting to escape, but the adults held them firmly.

Next, the villagers brought dozens of clay jars. The elders carefully opened them, pouring some crimson liquid into the cauldrons, which caused the already dark water to boil even more fiercely.

This crimson liquid was a small amount of genuine blood taken from the beasts that had been hunted. It was extremely precious and could enhance physical strength whether used by adults or children. Moreover, the villagers had a few ancient recipes and combined the blood with herbs and other ingredients to make it even more effective.

Besides the genuine blood, the elders also added crushed wing bones of flying serpents and foot bones of Kui beasts into the boiling water.

When the flames were extinguished and the water in the cauldrons stopped boiling, and the temperature had cooled slightly, the first batch of children was thrown into the cauldrons, two or three at a time.

“It’s so hot! The water could cook a person alive!”

“Help! My body feels like it’s being cut open, my skin and flesh are splitting apart!”

They gritted their teeth, scratching and kicking, each trying desperately to get out, but were pressed back in, their screams continuing.

Thus, batches of children were thrown in one after another. Most screamed loudly and struggled, while only about seven or eight of them were slightly better, though they sweated profusely from the pain, they endured in silence.

As for the little one, he didn’t escape either and was given special treatment. He was thrown into a separate black cauldron with only a little clear water, the rest being the genuine blood of beasts and crushed bones.

The villagers didn’t find this unfair or problematic. After all, their own children were already crying out in agony in the regular medicinal cauldrons, while the little one seemed to be able to endure it.

Additionally, when the viscous liquid in the little one’s black cauldron started boiling, the elder opened two special clay jars and poured their contents into the cauldron.

One jar released a red mist that condensed into a fierce-looking Pixiu (a mythical beast with a lion-like face and dragon’s body), palm-sized, fierce, and looking as if it wanted to tear people apart and escape. The elder’s palm glowed, and a glowing character appeared. With a single slap, he dispersed the Pixiu into blood, which fell into the cauldron.

The other jar released a two-headed rhinoceros, red as fire and dazzlingly intimidating. It roared angrily, but was similarly dispelled by the elder and fell into the black cauldron.

When the water temperature had slightly decreased, the little one was lifted and thrown into the cauldron. He struggled vigorously, as he was still small and choked on the water when he fell in, gulping down a few large mouthfuls.

The other children looked on with sympathy, suddenly feeling fortunate. The medicinal liquid, with its special genuine blood, beast bones, and sinews, was likely to cause even greater pain, and they pitied the little one.

Even some adults felt a bit reluctant as they saw the little one struggling, gritting his teeth, and occasionally drinking the viscous liquid, which was worrisome.

“It’s fine, it’s not the first time. He’s been through this before and can handle it. Drinking more of the medicinal liquid is also good; if he can absorb it, it will be greatly beneficial to him,” the elder said, sometimes handling the little one’s treatment quite roughly.

“He has a very strong physique. Besides, the mysterious power of his bones might be helping him refine some of the medicinal strength. The little one shouldn’t be in too much pain,” another elder said while stroking his beard.

The medicinal bath lasted a long time. The children were soaked until they looked like red-skinned monkeys, all of them pitiful and tearful until the bath ended, and they were finally relieved.

The little one didn’t cry while in the black cauldron. His big eyes rolled around, and his face was as red as an apple. However, when he was taken out, he wobbled like he was drunk.

“How do you feel?” an elder asked.

The little fellow burped and groggily replied, “I’m full.”

Hearing his innocent and carefree response, the adults all laughed.

“I’m sleepy,” the little one mumbled as he leaned into Stone Yunfeng’s arms, murmuring softly and yawning slightly, falling into a deep sleep.

“Take these children to get a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow they will have much more strength,” said the clan leader Stone Yunfeng.

In the end, several elders cleaned up the remaining liquid, not wasting any of it. They added more fire beneath the bronze cauldrons and put in some special herbs to dry and refine it into medicinal powder. This not only served as a tonic but also as a healing elixir that could save lives during hunting trips in the mountains.

In such a harsh environment with dangerous beasts and scarce genuine blood, they couldn’t afford to waste a drop. They were determined to use every bit of it.

Of course, the able-bodied villagers 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 crying loudly as patches of old skin fell off, leaving their beds dirty.

“Go, fetch a bucket of well water to clean yourself, and then lift that grinding stone for me.”

“Dad, that’s the stone Third Brother uses for strength training. How can I lift it?”

“Don’t talk back. If you don’t lift it, I’ll spank you till you’re in pieces. All that genuine blood and bone medicine last night won’t go to waste, understand?”

In the morning, Stone Village was in chaos. A group of children was forced to move big stones and carry bronze cauldrons, complaining loudly.

The effects were indeed noticeable. The children had gained a lot of strength, and their physiques had significantly improved, though claiming it was a complete transformation was a bit exaggerated.

“Crack, crack.”

At the village entrance, the clan leader Stone Yunfeng’s palm symbol glowed brightly. Holding a purple-gold hammer, he shattered a rare piece of dragon horn. Then, he took a segment of Pixiu’s claw and a small piece of red horn from a fire rhinoceros and crushed them as well, finally grinding them into powder. He mixed these bone and horn powders with some genuine beast blood and added them to the boiling beast milk, filling the air with a fragrant aroma.

Next, the elder threw in a series of unusual herbs. It didn’t take long for the liquid in the clay pot to turn into a thick paste, and the aroma became even richer.

“Little one, it’s time to eat,” came the call from the stone house.

The little fellow, hearing the call, quickly sat up. His big eyes were still groggy from sleep, but upon smelling the aroma, he became alert, sniffing eagerly and mumbling, “It smells so good.”

“Of course, this is truly a precious medicine. Don’t waste a bit of it; eat it all,” Stone Yunfeng said with a smile.

The little one devoured the paste quickly, finishing it in no time, but the side effects soon appeared. Being so young, the potent medicine was overwhelming. That morning, the usually adorable little one turned into a troublemaker, with red eyes like a rabbit, running around and making a racket.

The poor big yellow dog had its tail yanked mercilessly, almost losing its fur at the end, and barked incessantly for half the day, causing quite a commotion throughout the village.

“Hey, little one, why did you pull down Auntie's fence?”

“Why is this little rascal on my roof? Stop it, don’t tear the tiles off!”

The villagers were astonished. The usually well-behaved little one had turned into a tiny terror, running wild and causing trouble.

“One batch of medicine has been absorbed. The effects are quite good,” Stone Yunfeng and a few elders discussed