Chapter 87: Chapter 87: Secret Medicine, The Camp’s Surroundings
A black wooden box, and inside lay five small, round stone vials.
Tang Wen reached out and picked up a vial, his expression immediately turning to one of astonishment.
The liquid inside the vial was jumping.
It felt like a carbonated drink that had been violently shaken and was now fizzing incessantly.
Recalling Elder Ya’s explanation, this was likely a sign of the Potion’s vitality.
The Potion’s name was Body Refining Potion.
As the name implied, using it would strengthen the body.
How was it used?
Elder Ya had explained it before: "You are still young, your physique isn’t strong, and you’re still developing. When using this Secret Medicine, it’s not advisable to ingest it directly. You should divide one vial into ten parts. Each time, soak in hot water for an hour. This will waste some of the medicinal efficacy, but it has the advantage of being safe."
Tang Wen hesitated. It wasn’t because he was worried the Potion was poisonous—the people of the camp had already tested it.
He was willing to listen to Elder Ya’s advice.
’But how did he determine that my physique isn’t strong enough for direct ingestion?’
After a moment of thought, he picked up the half-full vial—the one with the least amount—uncorked it, and took a sniff.
A faint, fishy smell and an indescribable spiciness.
The combination of the two scents was overpowering.
Tang Wen poured a mouthful into a cup, and without savoring it, he tilted his head back and downed it in one go.
A line of fire seared its way down his throat and into his stomach.
Then, it spread from his stomach, burning throughout his entire body.
Good medicine is bitter.
’If it can make me stronger, it’s only natural that it tastes bad.’
He comforted himself with this thought.
The burning sensation came on quickly but faded slowly.
It only began to weaken after a quarter of an hour.
After half an hour, it finally disappeared.
And his Attribute Panel showed no reaction.
"Looks like I need to increase the dose." Tang Wen shook his head, picked up the rest of the half-full vial, and poured it all into his mouth.
The fiery, burning sensation was like downing a shot of 190-proof "Water of Life."
After enduring for nearly an hour, he finally felt a bit better and got the result he was waiting for:
[Body: 8.75→8.8]
Half a vial, for a 0.05 increase?
’That’s it?’
Tang Wen was stunned.
It was like paying top dollar for a VIP package advertised as "an exciting one-on-three experience," only to find out it was just three attendants giving you a back scrub.
A profound sense of being ripped off washed over him.
’A Secret Medicine refined from High-Level Beast Essence shouldn’t be this weak, right?’
’Could it be that my Constitution is too strong?’
’I’ll try again!’
He first picked up the teapot on the table, poured a cup of cold tea, and drank it all to wash away the taste in his mouth.
He then turned, opened a full vial of the Potion, and drank it.
WHOOSH!
It felt like his throat was about to breathe fire.
GULP GULP GULP!
Tang Wen tilted his head back and gulped down all the cold tea in the pot, but even that couldn’t suppress the fiery heat.
"Bring me two pots of tea."
A moment later, Xiaoliu walked in carrying a teapot, a plate of maize cakes in her other hand.
After placing them on the table, the young girl stole a few glances at Tang Wen before leaving without lingering.
It was currently time for the three maids to do their Martial Arts Training.
Their lives now had purpose and, more importantly, a goal: to become Martial Artists as soon as possible!
Two hours passed, and a tingling, numb sensation spread through Tang Wen’s muscles.
[Body: 8.8→8.88]
’Only 0.08?’
’Shouldn’t it be 0.1?’
He had taken twice the dose as before, but the Attribute increase was only sixty percent more.
RUMBLE RUMBLE.
A pang of hunger struck. Having anticipated this, Tang Wen had Xiaoliu bring in the stewed meat from the stove.
The young girl was very considerate. After putting down the food, she took a handkerchief from her bodice and placed it by Tang Wen’s hand.
Unfortunately, he was too focused on eating the meat to notice.
After two catties of lamb chops went down, his stomach felt pleasantly warm, and the burning sensation completely dissipated.
Letting out a comfortable burp, Tang Wen picked up the fragrant handkerchief and wiped his mouth. "This Black Rock Mutton is really good quality."
The meat of a Low-level Magical Beast was delicious and extremely filling. Just two catties were enough to satisfy his hunger.
Time to drink more Potion.
GULP!
Tang Wen downed the Secret Medicine for the third time.
After drinking it, he didn’t wait for the taste to hit him, quickly grabbing the bowl of meat broth and gulping it down.
The aroma of the lamb broth made him feel much better.
The Potion’s effects took a long time to manifest.
The results only appeared late at night.
[Body: 8.88→8.93]
It only increased by 0.05.
"The resistance is building up way too fast!"
He had expected diminishing returns, but this was too drastic.
Tang Wen frowned and drank the second-to-last vial.
This time, the effect was even worse.
[Body: 8.93→8.94]
A pitiful 0.01.
There was still one last vial, but Tang Wen didn’t touch it.
The next day, he took the Secret Medicine to Tangtang.
"Secret Medicine?"
"Yeah, don’t go to the Martial Arts Hall today. Soak in this medicine first."
"I’ll do it after I get back from training. I can eat two catties of maize in one sitting now." The Martial Arts Hall provided meals, and Tangtang couldn’t bear to miss out.
Tang Wen said with a laugh, "The Secret Medicine is more valuable; it’s worth hundreds of meals. The sooner you use it, the better. Its effects diminish the longer you let it sit."
"Hundreds of meals? Doesn’t that mean it’s worth over a thousand catties of maize? Okay!" With that, Tangtang shot to her feet.
Tang Wen was confused. "Where are you going?"
"To boil water! I’m soaking right now!"
Watching her back, Tang Wen quickly added, "The hotter the water, the better the effect."
Xiaoliu, Peach Blossoms, and Cui Lian quickly put down their bowls and chopsticks to help Tangtang.
After several months of training, Tangtang, who had a decent amount of Talent, had already reached the threshold of a Second-class Martial Disciple.
The Secret Medicine should be able to help her advance even further.
As Tang Wen ate, he heard his sister saying from the bathroom, "Add more boiling water. It’s fine, I should be able to take it. Uh, you three should take off your clothes too. If I can’t stand it, Xiaoliu, you jump in first, then Peach Blossoms and Cui Lian! In any case, we can’t waste the medicinal effect."
A dark line formed on Tang Wen’s forehead as he listened, and he quickly shouted, "Don’t make it too hot! The gain isn’t worth the pain."
"I know!"
’Alright then. She should know her limits, right?’
An hour later, Tang Wen saw Tangtang, her skin flushed red all over.
Her steps were weak. Peach Blossoms and Cui Lian supported her from either side, while Xiaoliu was now soaking in her bathwater.
Tangtang was weak and exhausted, but even while eating, she didn’t forget to summarize her experience: "Tomorrow, I’ll definitely take the bath in the morning, and then go to the Martial Arts Hall to eat. I paid the tuition, so they have to feed me until I’m full."
Tang Wen: ...
When it came to resource management, his sister was definitely an Expert.
Tang Wen didn’t say anything and went back to his room to study.
Martial Arts wasn’t something that could be mastered overnight. Daily tempering was enough; there was no need for constant secluded training.
He did, however, need to fill up the ice cellar first.
After some thought, he took a map out of his book chest.
This was a gift from Captain Liu of the Hunting Team.
The map was crude, but its locations were accurate.
It was centered on the location of Flame Camp.
To the Northwest and Southwest were large swaths of farmland.
In a valley to the Southwest, there were also two large livestock farms hidden away, raising pigs and sheep.
Exiting the west gate, about ten li out, one would first find the Scavenger Camp, and then a lake.
A day’s journey Northwest from the lake was an open-pit coal mine.
It was currently in the hands of Black Mountain Camp.
Black Mountain Camp was to the north of the mine.
Several hundred li of forests and mountain ranges separated the two.
The distance between the two camps was even greater; normally, it would take a merchant caravan on horseback with carts four or five days to travel between them.
In the mountains Southwest of the lake, Taohuayuan Village was hidden.
It now served as a sub-base for the camp.
All of this was marked on the map.
The entire western region was unsuitable for hunting.
To the east of the camp was a forest swamp formed by the Black Water River.
Scavengers fished here for food, and in turn, were eaten here.
Incidents of injury were frequent in the swamp, happening every day. Sometimes it was venomous snakes, other times Exotic Beasts; it never stopped.
But the Scavengers had no other choice.
Several tens of li south of the camp lay the wilderness.
With their level of stamina, going into the wilderness was tantamount to suicide.
Meanwhile, the northern forest had plenty of wild beasts, and even more Exotic Beasts.
Crucially, whether it was wild beasts or Exotic Beasts, their diet included Scavengers.
Their hygiene was terrible, and predators in the forest could smell them from kilometers away.
Often, after a Scavenger entered the forest, before they could even set a crude trap, a predator would already be right behind them.
This wasn’t hunting; it was serving themselves up on a platter.
The ordinary people in the camp also generally avoided hunting in the forest.
Ordinary people, with the exception of a few well-off families like Li Daniu’s, didn’t pay much attention to hygiene either.
If they went out to hunt, they would also have to face the additional threat of Scavengers.
Imagine: a few of you risk your lives to hunt, and after much difficulty, you finally bag some game and are fantasizing about the good life waiting for you back home.
Suddenly, a group of ravenous Scavengers, their eyes red with hunger, armed with sharpened bamboo poles, charge at you in a desperate, suicidal rush.
You have almost no choice but to drop your prey and run.
Besides, the maize fields yielded three harvests a year, meaning there was endless work to be done year-round.
Instead of spending time and effort hunting, it was better to figure out how to water the maize fields one more time or add a little more fertilizer.
Those who were strong and healthy could become Guards. Wasn’t a stable, guaranteed income better?
Why would anyone go out to hunt?
Tang Wen shook his head, casting aside these cluttered thoughts, and turned his gaze to the northern and southern parts of the map.
