A medicinal aroma wafted out, and every villager’s gaze was drawn to the large cauldron.
“Wow, it smells so good!” Hu Zi stopped running, sniffing the air with all his might, and even started to drool.
It wasn't just Hu Zi. Every child who caught a whiff of the scent quieted down and began to drool.
Even the adults felt a pang of craving. The unique medicinal fragrance was unlike anything they had ever smelled before.
“Good stuff!” The Old Village Chief rubbed his hands together, gazing at the cauldron of precious concoction as if he were seeing the bright future of Zaoye Village.
Zhang Chu, however, spoke up, “Don't be hasty. Let it simmer on low heat for an hour. The medicine is only complete when this precious concoction has been rendered down into a gelatinous paste.”
Little grapes brought over a small hourglass and started the timer.
It was the same hourglass Zhang Chu used for their lessons, and it would run out in exactly an hour.
After only a few minutes, a child blinked his eyes and asked, “Teacher, is it not ready yet? My tummy is rumbling.”
“Meng Zi, what’s your hurry? You think you’ll be left out later?” an adult called out with a laugh.
“But it smells so good! I really want to eat a big bowl right now!”
The crowd burst into laughter, the atmosphere light and filled with anticipation.
An hour later, the concoction in the cauldron had finally been rendered into a gelatinous paste.
“It’s ready!” Zhang Chu announced.
Tong Qingshan directly lifted the entire cauldron of paste and carried it to the stone table.
At this point, the paste had lost its strong aroma. It looked tender and fresh, like a giant block of jelly.
The Old Village Chief first scooped a bowl of the paste and placed it at the foot of the Old Jujube Tree, praying piously, “Thank you for your protection, Jujube Tree God. Please, enjoy this offering!”
The top of the Old Jujube Tree glowed faintly, and the bowl of paste vanished in an instant.
Afterward, the Old Village Chief began to share it with the crowd.
“I’m not sure how potent it is. Qing Shan, you should have the first spoonful,” the Old Village Chief said.
Tong Qingshan nodded and slowly ate a spoonful.
Everyone watched him nervously. They saw a flash of pain cross Tong Qingshan’s face. His neck and face turned beet red, and plumes of hot steam billowed from his back.
At the same time, they heard a series of sharp cracks, like the sound of knuckles being popped, coming from within Tong Qingshan’s body.
But soon, his complexion returned to normal.
He opened his eyes and shot to his feet. His essence and spirit were markedly different, like a fierce tiger descending the mountain!
“Qing Shan, how do you feel?” the Old Village Chief asked excitedly.
The surrounding villagers also wore looks of eager expectation.
Tong Qingshan’s expression was one of elation. “It works!”
*Crack!* The spear’s shaft couldn't withstand Tong Qingshan’s strength and split open.
“This…” The crowd gasped in unison.
“My heavens, Brother Qing Shan’s strength! How did it become so terrifying all of a sudden?” exclaimed Tong Qinglei, who was still covered in soot from a previous explosion.
“Qing Shan’s spear is made of high-quality bronze and can withstand at least six thousand jin of force. To crack the shaft with a simple flourish, how much strength is that? It must be over ten thousand jin!”
“Qing Shan is probably the strongest man in the entire region now!” someone cried out in excitement.
At that moment, Tong Qingshan spoke with joyous surprise, “Teacher, the potency of this paste is incredible!”
“Yes, this paste is too powerful!” The crowd was once again completely won over by Zhang Chu.
Although his spear had broken, Tong Qingshan was delighted. “Perfect. Teacher had me gather some meteoric iron before. I can forge an even better spear.”
Zhang Chu then asked, “Qing Shan, can you eat more?”
Tong Qingshan nodded. “I can. I feel like I can still eat three more spoonfuls.”
He then turned to remind the others, “Everyone can take it. It will be uncomfortable at first, but if you endure it for a little while, you will reap the benefits.”
Zhang Chu then began to distribute the precious medicine, portioning it out according to each person’s physical condition.
Adult men could have a spoonful or two, while children could only have one spoonful, which had to be further divided into four parts and consumed bit by bit.
The women and the elderly also received some. The cauldron of paste was more than enough for everyone, with plenty to spare.
Zhang Chu also took some himself, but his body could only handle a single spoonful.
It couldn't be helped; his constitution was too poor. Zhang Chu’s current physical body was not even a match for Hu Zi’s.
Furthermore, the Shanhai Map disdained this kind of medicine and wouldn't help him absorb it, so he only dared to take one spoonful.
But even with just one spoonful, Zhang Chu felt as if he could lift five hundred jin.
However, he didn't test his new strength.
Right now, Zhang Chu had too much to do. He had to watch the children to make sure they didn't get greedy, and he had to figure out a way to store the demon meat.
There was so much demon meat, but he could only use a few ounces at a time. If it wasn't stored properly, it would go to waste.
Fortunately, the demon meat itself possessed a special spiritual property that prevented it from rotting. As long as it was wrapped in specific medicinal herbs, it could be preserved for a long time.
On this day, the physique of every person in the small village underwent a monumental change.
The village’s strongest, Tong Qingshan, began to forge a new weapon.
Of course, this was also thanks to Zhang Chu finding some simple smelting methods in *The Great Wilderness Scripture*, allowing Tong Qingshan to obtain a very mystical material.
The other adults looked as if they were brimming with a fierce, primal energy. Each one of them was eager to go into the mountains and challenge the creatures they previously dared not provoke. This story is hosted at novelping dot com.
However, Zhang Chu and the Old Village Chief held them back.
The outside world was not peaceful at present. It was best not to venture out for now.
The changes in the children were the most obvious. The robust and energetic Hu Zi now ran like a little demonic beast, charging about with a seemingly endless supply of strength.
As for Little grapes, a sharp glint would flash in her eyes from time to time. She would stare into the distance and occasionally exclaim, “Wow, what a big fire-breathing bull! It looks like it can burn the sky!”
But when the others followed her gaze, they saw nothing at all.
Zhang Chu felt a sense of unease. *Is she really seeing something, or has the potent medicine muddled her mind?*
Fortunately, aside from seeing strange things, Little grapes showed no other abnormal behavior.
Zhang Chu could only assume that her eyes had undergone some kind of mutation, allowing her to see things that ordinary people could not.
Over the next few days, Zhang Chu brewed the Yaoning Paste for everyone daily, and the physique of every person in the village continued to strengthen.
Of course, their dosage of the Yaoning Paste also increased rapidly.
Tong Qingshan, for example, could only take four spoonfuls at first, but now he could consume an entire bowl.
Even many of the children could now eat it by the spoonful.
Correspondingly, the physical constitution of the villagers rose by a whole new level.
The Old Village Chief looked much younger. He even took out the weapon of his youth and practiced with it in his small courtyard, his movements still full of vigor, proving he was as sharp as ever.
The children were all like little fierce beasts, with inexhaustible strength and energy, each one possessing astonishing destructive power.
Zhang Chu naturally benefited greatly as well. Not only did he consume the Yaoning Paste, but he was also nourished by the Shanhai Map. His physical body was undergoing a complete metamorphosis.
The current Zhang Chu felt he had the strength of eight hundred jin. This Yaoning Paste was truly a treasure.
Even the temperament and appearance of many of the women had changed significantly.
Of course, Zhang Chu had also been busy with other matters these past few days.
The three female demons had left behind more than just demon meat and Demon Cores. There was also a small reed boat and two satchels, which also contained some items.
The small reed boat could not be revealed. It was too easily recognizable. If an outsider saw it, it would surely bring disaster upon Zaoye Village.
In the end, Zhang Chu and the Old Village Chief hid the boat in a secret cellar. They covered it with several layers of soil and then placed some medicinal herbs on top, making it look like a cellar specifically for storing herbs.
At the same time, Zhang Chu found two books inside one of the satchels.
One was titled *The Myriad Demons Register*, and the other, *The Great Demon Technique*.
The Old Village Chief solemnly handed these two books to Zhang Chu.
Zhang Chu felt that the key to a true qualitative transformation for the small village might very well lie within these two books.
Proofreader: Peter Pan