Li Yi watched as Shi Hao ran off, and he quickly followed. He needed to speak with Shi Yunfeng about the upcoming trade.

With so many items on hand, he had to hurry and sell them to earn more energy points to buy more things.

The air was filled with the sweet scent of milk. Shi Yunfeng was holding a large clay pot filled with a creamy substance. He had mixed powdered bones from ferocious beasts and a large amount of medicinal herbs to create this concoction.

The pot of milk now was as valuable as the true blood of ferocious beasts. Upon seeing Li Yi, Shi Yunfeng quickly called him over. He filled a large bowl and handed it to Li Yi, while the rest went to Shi Hao.

Li Yi knew that this milk was something special. He immediately took the bowl, tilted his head, and drank it all in one go.

Shi Hao, sitting on the grass nearby, eagerly ate from a large wooden spoon, devouring the milk greedily.

Before drinking the milk, Li Yi had planned to discuss the trade with Shi Yunfeng, but after consuming the large bowl of milk, his mind was no longer on business.

If the medicinal bath had only enhanced his skin, muscles, and bones, the milk mixed with medicinal herbs and beast bone powder caused him to feel as though his internal organs were being scorched.

However, it wasn’t painful. It felt as if a gentle force was protecting his organs while they were being strengthened by the fire-like sensation.

Shi Yunfeng had spoken with Shi Linhu the day before and had a rough idea of Li Yi’s situation. He and Shi Linhu both thought that Li Yi must have sustained serious injuries. Otherwise, it would be impossible for someone to be so weak while traveling through the Great Wilderness as a merchant.

Li Yi staying in the village was undoubtedly for recuperation, and Shi Yunfeng had added extra ingredients to the milk in hopes that it would help heal Li Yi’s wounds.

He knew that for someone like Li Yi, these herbs might not be as effective, but he still wanted to offer them as a gesture of goodwill.

Shi Hao finished his milk, but his was not enriched with the additional ingredients Shi Yunfeng had added to Li Yi’s. Their purposes were different: one was for healing, the other for strengthening.

The medicinal effects hit Shi Hao quickly. He was still too young to handle such potent medicine and couldn’t bear its immense power. What had once been a well-behaved child now seemed like a troublemaker.

His eyes were red, like a wild rabbit, and he let out high-pitched shrieks, refusing to move. He crawled around on all fours, knocking things over and causing a ruckus.

The poor large yellow dog was grabbed by him, its fur nearly pulled off its tail. The dog could only whine, disturbing the whole village.

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"Little one, what are you doing? Stop pulling up the fence!"

"How did you even get up there? Stop, don’t tear off the roof tiles!"

Shi Hao had turned into a chaotic whirlwind, like a husky dog destroying everything in sight.

...

The elders, gathered together, watched Shi Hao’s antics and nodded in approval.

"Seems like the medicinal effects have fully kicked in," one of them said.

Some of the children overheard and silently sympathized with Shi Hao. The poor little thing was enduring a lot.

Li Yi could now feel the burning sensation in his internal organs begin to subside. All that remained was the gentle force continuing to strengthen and enhance his internal organs.

He wasn’t sure how strong he was now, but it was clear that he was much stronger than before.

As the burning sensation completely faded, he exhaled deeply. The strengthening effects on his organs were almost visible to the naked eye. His breathing was longer and much stronger than before.

He pulled out the beast-hide book from his clothing. Shi Yunfeng was still talking to the other elders, who were considered treasures in the Great Wilderness.

In a land filled with dangers, the experience of how to properly mix and use beast blood and medicinal herbs had been passed down for generations. These elders were walking treasure troves, and their knowledge helped the next generation survive in the wilderness.

Li Yi nodded to the elders, then directly handed the book to Shi Yunfeng.

Shi Yunfeng stared at the book in surprise. Having traveled in the Great Wilderness, he knew how incredibly valuable a book could be. Books and the knowledge they contained were priceless in their village.

Shi Yunfeng had once hoped to buy a few books from the outside world. If he had brought books back, the next generation could learn from them, and they could supplement their knowledge. But they couldn’t afford it. Even with the combined effort of fifteen villagers, they still couldn’t buy a single book. They had only managed to bring back two pieces of animal hide scrolls, and only two of the fifteen made it back alive, with one dying shortly after.

Now, a thick book was placed in front of him, and he didn’t dare touch it. The other elders, although they hadn’t ventured outside, understood the value of the book. They knew that Shi Yunfeng had risked everything to bring back a few scrolls, and a book so much thicker than those scrolls was even more precious.

They eagerly eyed the book. Knowledge in the Great Wilderness was incredibly rare and valuable.

After a long pause, Shi Yunfeng finally reacted, but when Li Yi offered the book, he hurriedly stepped back and waved his hands in refusal. "No, no, it’s too precious. We can’t take it."

He lowered his head in disappointment, but couldn’t help but glance at the book again.

How much knowledge could be contained in such a thick book? It was impossible not to be tempted. But the book’s value was so high, and though he wanted it, he couldn’t accept it.

Shi Yunfeng knew that Li Yi had already given them the precious white salt, and it was already a huge loss for Li Yi. To accept the book too would be too much. No matter what, they couldn’t accept it. The salt and the book’s value far exceeded anything they could repay.

Li Yi understood what Shi Yunfeng was thinking and guessed that he wasn’t wrong about the man. It seemed that, no matter what trade he made with them, he could trust them.

"I’m not giving it to you for free. I’ll sell it to you," Li Yi said.

"No, no," Shi Yunfeng immediately said, realizing Li Yi would offer it at a price. He knew they couldn’t afford it.

Li Yi, however, insisted. "You can pay me later. Just take it for now. You can pay me a part now, and the rest later. I can’t leave for now anyway."

He grabbed Shi Yunfeng’s hand and tried to force the book into his hands.

Shi Yunfeng still wouldn’t accept it, although it was clear he was tempted. This was, after all, a fair trade. Although Shi Village would benefit more, it was still a deal.

After some persuasion, Shi Yunfeng’s resolve wavered. He turned to the other elders and called out, "Tell everyone to gather the hides and beast bones they’ve collected."