Warm morning sunlight shone on Luo Yan's face.
The adults had already called the children of Stone Village out to haul huge rocks and carry bronze cauldrons, drawing endless cries of misery.
Last night's medicinal bath had clearly worked. The children had gained considerable strength, and their constitutions had improved greatly.
As usual, Luo Yan first made a round of the Medicine Garden, checking whether any herbs had withered. With his strength, he had no need to attend to every tiny detail, but over the years, to avoid attracting too much attention, he had often made inspecting the garden his first task after waking. It had become a habit, and he went there naturally.
He sat beneath the willow tree and taught reading and writing.
Life was ordinary, yet it was also quite enjoyable.
The children of Stone Village were as mischievous as ever.
Yesterday they had raided nests for eggs, today they fished in the river, and tomorrow they would catch crabs beside the fields. They never tired of it.
Some skipped lessons too, but their parents would tie them to the posts at the village entrance and lash them with bamboo switches until their skin split and flesh tore. Their cries of pain rang through the entire mountain range, serving as a warning to the others.
Time slipped by in an instant. In the blink of an eye, two years had passed.
Little Dot was three and a half, and he now had a name of his own.
Shi Hao.
The Desolate Heavenly Emperor, who would stand alone across the Eternal Ages.
In the Medicine Garden, Luo Yan carefully tended the spirit tea he had planted. He had found it deep in the mountains, and its origins were quite extraordinary.
"Two years have passed in a blur!" Luo