Li Yi held a bottle of Wangzai Milk, watching as Shi Hao, who had gradually calmed down and stopped destroying tree bark, leaves, fences, and furniture, looked at him.
He gently waved his hand. "Come here, little one. I have something good for you."
Upon hearing this, Shi Hao immediately sprinted over. After spending the last few days with Li Yi, he had realized one thing: Li Yi could produce a lot of delicious food. So, upon hearing his call, Shi Hao dashed over.
He was very fast, and in just a few steps, he reached Li Yi. He raised his head high, looking at the rectangular red item in Li Yi's hand. There was a plump, white doll printed on it. It looked nice, and the doll resembled him a little, though he had no idea how it would taste.
Li Yi opened the packaging, inserted a straw, and handed the Wangzai Milk to Shi Hao. Shi Hao, without any instruction, immediately grabbed it and began sucking. After just one sip, he instantly fell in love with the taste. "So sweet, so fragrant, so delicious!"
Frankly speaking, compared to the beast milk Shi Hao usually drank, Wangzai Milk might not have much nutritional value, nor would it help him build a foundation for strength. But there was one undeniable fact: it was truly delicious. This was something that couldn't be ignored—it was the triumph of industrial society over agricultural society.
Wangzai Milk contained many food additives designed to enhance its taste and texture. These additives didn't exist in this era, making it an overwhelming treat for Shi Hao. Even something as simple as instant noodle seasoning mixed with water could produce a high-quality broth, although they didn't know what MSG was; they only recognized freshness.
Shi Hao quickly finished the entire bottle, and learned to tear open the packaging with his mouth, licking it clean and carefully saving the packaging. Even in a world without any dyeing techniques, this packaging was a bright spot in the Stone Village.
With longing eyes, Shi Hao continued to gaze at Li Yi, eager for more milk.
"Do you want more, little one?" Li Yi asked with a smile. After asking, he suddenly felt like a strange older man.
"Mm-hmm!" Shi Hao nodded furiously, his gaze never leaving the Wangzai Milk.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Li Yi took his small chubby hand and led him inside. Inside, Li Yi had already prepared something. He had a rectangular wooden board with many characters carved on it—simplified Chinese characters, which no one else in this time could read except for him.
The note read: "I, Shi Hao, hereby borrow two bottles of Li Yi's Wangzai Milk, to be repaid in the future with one hundred purebred beast bodies and ten pieces of treasure artifacts. No empty promises—this contract is a witness."
In the lower-right corner, Shi Hao's name was written. Li Yi pulled him over, dipped a burned twig into ink, and stamped Shi Hao's handprint onto the wooden board. With satisfaction, Li Yi nodded at his work.
"Come on, little Shi Hao. Drink your milk." He said, handing him two more bottles of milk. Although Shi Hao didn’t understand the writing on the board, he didn’t care and quickly grabbed the milk again, sucked it down greedily.
Li Yi initially thought of writing more, but after considering it, he decided not to burden Shi Hao too much. He lowered the repayment requirements, since a hundred purebred beast bodies would be relatively easy for Shi Hao to acquire in the future.
He thought about writing something extravagant, like the Daluo Immortal Sword or the Five-Colored Battle Chariot, but decided against it. After all, those items belonged to Shi Hao, and taking them could cause complications. Instead, he opted for something more practical—something he could settle for.
Li Yi chuckled to himself, thinking how Shi Hao’s future might be quite tragic, but meeting him could be a turning point. Li Yi hoped he could make some changes and help Shi Hao.
"Come here, little one. Let me show you something interesting." Li Yi took out another item from his cart, a scroll. It depicted a person pointing at another person and saying, "Today, let's go visit my brother’s house... it’s beautiful!"
After purchasing it, Li Yi already knew how to use it. The most powerful aspect of this item was not just that it allowed him to take anything from someone else's house, but that it forced a brotherly bond between him and the other person.
What is a brother? A brother shares good fortune and bad times alike. It sounds easy, but is incredibly difficult to establish.
Li Yi hesitated for a moment before using the item to make Shi Hao his brother. Although it was clearly dangerous, Li Yi figured it was a gamble worth taking. The potential benefits far outweighed the risks. If it worked out, he would gain much, including possible access to powerful cultivation techniques in the future.
"Shi Hao."
"Mm."
"Brother."
"Mm."
At this moment, Shi Hao still didn’t have a proper name, but Li Yi thought that would come soon enough. As long as Shi Hao agreed, the bond would continue to deepen.
"Your Supreme Bone is very beautiful."
"Huh?" Shi Hao looked up, vaguely sensing that the Supreme Bone might be something important, but not fully understanding it. Still, with a delicious bottle of milk in his hand, he didn’t focus too much on it.
As he slowly drank, he didn't realize how much trust and reliance he was starting to place in Li Yi, instinctively seeing him as a trustworthy and reliable companion—his brother.