Medicinal Bath

In the cruel Great Wilderness, where vicious birds and savage beasts prowled and lives were threatened at every turn, the villagers' wishes were simple. As long as they had food and could eat their fill, they were content. The bonfire danced, and Stone Village was exceptionally lively. Men and women, young and old, all wore smiles, their laughter and cheerful voices filling the air.

"Kids, stop running around. Come for a medicinal bath soon. You'll sleep well tonight, and one day, I guarantee you'll be stronger than savage beasts," an old man said with a smile.

"Ah... no!" At the words, the children all let out miserable cries and scattered in panic, fleeing to every corner of the village.

"You little fools, you don't know a blessing when you see one. That's a rare tonic. If you keep taking medicinal baths, your sinews and bones can rival those of gigantic beasts." The adults scolded them as they began catching their own children like chicks.

"It hurts! I don't want a medicinal bath! Last time, it felt like I was being cut by knives."

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

The children resisted fiercely, but little arms could not twist against thighs. Every one of them was caught and dragged back.

In an open area within the village, eight great bronze cauldrons had long since been set up. Fierce flames roared beneath them, and the water inside boiled. Several old men tossed in stalk after stalk of medicinal herbs. From time to time, they even added foot-long centipedes and fist-sized spiders, turning the originally clear water pitch-black, like ink. It was terrifying.

The children's faces turned green on the spot. They wished they could flee at once, but the adults held them down tightly.

Then several clansmen brought over dozens of clay jars. A few old men received them, carefully opened them, and poured some crimson liquid from within into the great bronze cauldrons. The black water immediately boiled even more fiercely.

This was a small amount of true blood extracted from the savage beasts they had hunted. It was extraordinarily precious, capable of strengthening the body whether used by adults or children. Furthermore, the villagers possessed several ancient prescriptions. Combined with medicinal herbs and the like, the true blood's effects became even better.

Besides the true blood, the old men also had the Flying Python's wing bones and the Kui Beast's leg bones laboriously ground into powder before tossing them into the boiling water.

Once the fires were extinguished, the water in the cauldrons stopped boiling, and its temperature fell slightly. Then miserable screams and repeated splashes rang out as the first batch of children was thrown in, two or three to each cauldron.

"It hurts! This water can boil people alive!"

"Help! It feels like my body is being flayed by blades! My flesh is splitting apart!"

They bared their teeth and grimaced, clawing and kicking as they desperately tried to climb out. Yet they were all pressed back in, their screams unending.

Thus, dozens of children were thrown in batch after batch. Most screamed fiercely and struggled without cease. Only seven or eight fared slightly better. Though sweat poured down their faces from the pain, they endured it without making a sound.

As for Little Dot, he did not escape either. In fact, he received special treatment and was thrown alone into a black cauldron. Only a little clear water had been added; everything else was true blood from savage beasts, crushed bones, and the like.

The villagers did not find this inappropriate, nor did they think it unfair, because their own children could not endure it. They were already crying themselves hoarse in the ordinary medicinal cauldrons, while Little Dot could take it.

Moreover, when the viscous liquid in Little Dot's black cauldron began to boil, the old chief opened two special clay jars and poured their contents into the cauldron one after another.

A crimson radiance burst from one of the jars and condensed into a Pixiu, palm-sized, imposing and savage, as if it wished to tear someone apart and escape. Its ferocity was overwhelming. Glowing symbols appeared in Shi Yunfeng's palm, Bone Script lighting up as he slapped the Pixiu apart. It turned into blood and fell into the cauldron.

A two-headed rhinoceros burst from the other jar, scarlet as fire, brilliant and intimidating. It raised its head and roared in fury, only to be similarly shattered by the old chief and sent falling into the black cauldron.

When the water temperature dropped a little, Little Dot was picked up and tossed in. He struggled hard, because he was still so small that sitting inside made him choke on water. The moment he fell in, he gulped down several mouthfuls with a glug glug.

The children across from him all showed sympathy, suddenly feeling fortunate themselves. That medicinal liquid, containing only a little water and mainly made of special true blood, beast bones, sinew chunks, and the like, would surely make one's skin and bones hurt even more.

Little Dot was so pitiful. Even some of the adults could not bear to watch. Seeing the little fellow struggle with all his might, baring his teeth and grimacing while occasionally gulping down several mouthfuls of viscous liquid, truly made them worry.

"It's fine. This isn't his first time. He was like this before, and he can take it. Drinking more medicinal liquid isn't bad either. If he can absorb it, it'll bring him immense benefits," the old chief said. His methods of conditioning and caring for Little Dot were sometimes rather rough.

"His physique is extremely strong. Besides, the mysterious power of the Bone Script may also be at work, helping him refine part of the medicinal power. Little Dot probably won't suffer too much," another old man said, stroking his beard.

The medicinal bath lasted a long time. The children were soaked until they looked like red-skinned monkeys, each one miserable. They looked at one another as tears streamed down their faces. Only when the medicinal bath ended did they stop crying, finally freed.

Little Dot did not cry while in the black cauldron. His large dark eyes darted about, and his little face was red as a big apple. Yet when he was lifted out, he swayed as though drunk.

"How do you feel?" an old man asked.

The little fellow let out a full belch and said drowsily, "I'm full."

The adults were all amused by his innocent, carefree reply.

"I'm sleepy." Little Dot wobbled, his small body falling into Shi Yunfeng's arms. He softly mumbled something, gave a faint little babble, and sank into sleep.

"Take these children to sleep well. Tomorrow, they'll all have gained quite a bit of strength," Chief Shi Yunfeng said.

In the end, several old men gathered up the remaining liquid rather than wasting it. They added fire beneath the bronze cauldrons again and put in some special medicinal herbs, intending to boil it dry and make medicinal powder. It was not only a tonic, but also a precious medicine for treating wounds. Bringing it along when hunting in the mountains could save lives.

The environment was harsh, savage beasts were difficult to hunt, and true blood was scarce and precious. Otherwise, they would not have continued boiling it into medicinal powder after the children had used it, unwilling to waste even the slightest bit.

Of course, the village's young and strong men did not care about that. As long as it could save their lives when applied to wounds, that was enough.

The children slept deeply that night. When they awoke the next day, many of the little ones cried out in alarm, for patches of old skin had fallen off their bodies, leaving their beds grimy.

"Go fetch a bucket of well water and wash yourself clean. Then lift that millstone for me."

"Dad, that's what Third Brother uses to train his strength every day. How can I possibly lift it?"

"Stop talking nonsense. If I tell you to lift it, then lift it. Did all that true blood and bone medicine last night go to waste? If you haven't improved, I'll smack your backside into eight pieces!"

That morning, Stone Village was in an uproar. A group of children were forced to move huge rocks and carry bronze cauldrons, groaning bitterly without end.

The results were indeed obvious. The children had all gained considerable strength, and their constitutions had visibly improved. But calling it a complete rebirth would have been somewhat excessive; that was not very realistic.

Crack, crack

At the village entrance, runes shone brilliantly in Chief Shi Yunfeng's palm. Holding a Purple-Gold Hammer, he smashed apart the Dragon-Horned Elephant's most precious section of dragon horn. He then took a segment of Pixiu claw bone and a small piece of Fire Rhinoceros crimson horn and smashed those as well, finally grinding them into powder. He mixed the bone and horn powder with some true blood from savage beasts, then added it all to beast milk that was being simmered. A fragrant aroma immediately curled into the air.

Afterward, the old man tossed in stalk after stalk of strange medicinal herbs. Before long, the liquid in the clay jar gradually became a paste, while its fragrance grew even richer.

"Little Dot, time to eat."

Inside the stone house, the little fellow rolled upright the instant he heard the call. Having just awakened, his large eyes were still dazed, but once the fragrance reached him, his little nose twitched several times. He immediately perked up and murmured, "Smells so good."

"Of course. This is a genuine cauldron of precious medicine. Don't waste even a speck—eat it all," Shi Yunfeng said with a smile.

Little Dot wolfed it down, and before long, he had finished all the paste in the clay jar. But the side effects immediately appeared. He was still too young, while the medicine's potency was simply too strong. That morning, the usually adorable Little Dot turned into a troublesome child. His eyes became red like a white rabbit's, and he ran everywhere, crying out without pause.

The poor big yellow dog had its tail caught by him and tugged with all his strength until the tip was nearly bald. It barked furiously for half the day, sending the entire village into an uproar without a moment's peace.

"Hey, Little Dot, why are you pulling up Auntie's fence?"

"What's wrong with the little fellow? Why has he run onto my roof? Stop at once! You're not allowed to tear off the roof tiles!"

The villagers were dumbfounded. The normally obedient Little Dot had turned into a little savage beast, charging about everywhere and wreaking havoc to his heart's content.

"A whole cauldron of medicine has been absorbed. The results are quite good." Shi Yunfeng stood with several old men, discussing it quietly as they nodded in satisfaction.

In the distance, many children who saw this became even more awed by the chief. They all shivered and kept far away, huddling together as they whispered, "Little Dot is so pitiful!"

Light shone from Little Dot's palm before spreading upward. Bone Script appeared along his small arm as well, flickering in and out of sight, mysterious beyond measure. Moreover, his physique had grown stronger, and his speed and strength had increased by a great deal. That was also why the old chief was so satisfied.

Only after two hours did he finally calm down. Scratching his head in a daze, he whispered, "Eeya... I got into trouble."