After the trade, the days in the village began to settle down. Yu Ziqing cooked during the day and spent his remaining time learning from Yang. At night, he followed Er Han to practice his fist skill, and his physique grew stronger day by day, as did his knowledge. His days were fulfilling.
Honestly, Yu Ziqing mused that if he had been this diligent in the past, he could definitely have scored over 700 points.
A week of peaceful days passed, and tonight, instead of practicing his fist skill, a modest event began in the village shrine after most people had gone to rest.
The Molten Lava Yellow Rice Cake, which should have been eaten before the trade, was finally available to be tasted.
However, contrary to what Yu Ziqing thought, only just over forty people were eligible to eat the scalding Yellow Rice Cake, and Yu Ziqing was the only one among the new villagers.
Er Han, dressed in clean clothes, very solemnly fetched the Yellow Rice Cake from a cave hot enough to cook a person.
The village chief, hands on his walking sticks and back straight, watched Er Han place the Yellow Rice Cake on the sacrificial altar. He softly spoke to Yu Ziqing who was standing by.
"Many years ago, before there was a village here, a group of mortals who were nearly starved to death due to wars caused by cultivators found this place under the leadership of the First Generation village chief and discovered Jinlan Ore.
The First Generation village chief recognized Jinlan Ore; he knew that the cultivators needed this valuable item.
He established the village here, mined the Jinlan Ore, and traded with the cultivators outside to obtain things that could keep the villagers alive."
The village chief sighed softly, his tone somewhat complex.
"Keeping the trade going wasn't easy..." Yu Ziqing knew that there must be many stories behind it.
In any world, a group of powerless commoners possessing a rare resource is always a disaster.
"Yes, it was very hard; human nature is greedy, and cultivators are even greedier," the village chief knew this very well. "He knew very well that blood would eventually be spilled in the village.
But since there was no way for the villagers to undertake Qi Refining, he found another method to grow stronger — constantly strengthening their bodies until the conflicts began, burying the cultivators' bloody bones in the village.
Moreover, the cultivators once occupied this place but found that ordinary people couldn't survive long in the dangerous mines and could mine only a small amount.
Under all these circumstances, the trade was able to proceed normally.
Because only we could mine the Jinlan Ore properly."
Yu Ziqing shook his head and laughed scornfully. Indeed, there was nothing new under the sun; the village's survival was merely because it was the most cost-effective for those cultivators.
The village chief mentioned this, making Yu Ziqing realize that the extraordinary common people in the village were definitely directly related to the Molten Lava Yellow Rice Cake.
"The Yellow Rice Cake is a village secret. How to make it is known only to each generation's village chief, and only those who practice the fist skill can eat it. For everyone else, it would be fatal. Moreover, the quantity is limited; only those who have made significant contributions each year are eligible."
The village chief did not mention how it was made, and after paying homage to the ancestors, he lifted the lid from the stone pot.
The boiling hot steam, thick and persistent, turned the surrounding area into a furnace with blasts of hot and cold air in just a few breaths.
After a short wait, the steam suddenly rolled back and entered the stone pot again, leaving only the Molten Lava Yellow Rice Cake, still radiating its brilliance.
The village chief grabbed a piece as big as a fist with metal chopsticks and called out.
"Er Han."
Er Han, somber-faced, stepped forward and opened his mouth.
The Yellow Rice Cake, resembling viscous magma, squirmed off the chopsticks and fell directly into his mouth.
His throat moved, and he swallowed the fist-sized piece whole.
After swallowing, Er Han, without a word, moved aside and began to practice his fist skill. As he moved, his skin turned reddish, and billowing black gas spurted from the pores and orifices all over his body.
The swirling black smoke formed a massive column and rushed toward the back mountain.
The others, used to the sight, quietly waited.
"Er Han mined the most ore this year, hunted the most insects and defended the village the best.
Next, the one who contributed the most is Yu Ziqing. Any objections?"
The village chief looked around. Everyone nodded in agreement, clearly convinced; not to mention whether his cooking was good, just being able to let the village utilize its resources to store more food and reduce reliance on the outside was undeniable.
If it weren't for Yu Ziqing's short time in the village, the top place should have been Yu Ziqing's.
The village chief used the chopsticks to pick out a piece as big as a thumbnail cap and shouted.
"Yu Ziqing."
Yu Ziqing stepped forward, still a bit apprehensive. This thing wouldn't kill someone, would it?
A small piece entered his mouth; before he could even feel the heat, the small piece of Yellow Rice Cake seemed to move consciously, burrowing down his throat.
No sooner had it settled in his stomach than he felt as though a fire was burning inside, getting hotter and hotter.
"Quick, go practice your fist skill." The village chief hurriedly urged.
As he practiced his fist skill, Yu Ziqing immediately felt the heat in his abdomen growing hotter, yet the discomfort was less overwhelming.
Wisp after wisp of faint black smoke billowed from the pores of his body, collected into a mass, and surged toward the column of smoke erupting from Er Han, flying together toward the back hill.
Yu Ziqing calmed his mind and focused on his fist skill. After completing a set, the scorching heat within him dissipated, and the light smoke emitting from his body completely vanished.
He took a deep breath, feeling a sense of relaxation and clarity from inside out, and his body seemed even more robust.
He looked at the others still practicing their fist skills. The black smoke emerging from them varied in amount, but none was as outrageous as Er Han's.
Yu Ziqing raised his head, and the collected column of smoke charged toward the back hill. From a distance, he could faintly see the columns rushing horizontally for a while before plunging into the ground.
At the back hill, thick columns of black smoke fell from the sky, striking a massive black rock, yet like droplets in the ocean, they left no impact and were completely absorbed by the rock.
The surface of the black rock, covered in footprints of varying depths, slowly evened out as the black smoke filled it.
Meanwhile, Yang poked his head out from a burrow in the ground, marveling at the black smoke columns flying across the sky.
"The creator of this Nourishing Body Technique was truly a genius, borrowing power from that unknown place. In a single year, all was returned without a trace, yet the benefits of the nourishment remained entirely intact. Even the power was cleansed, making subsequent nourishing somewhat easier than the year before.
Despite that, relying solely on the Nourishing Body Technique for enhancement would take increasingly longer, but it's still an improvement. This is much easier than the Body Cultivation that only gets tougher."
"It's truly a pity that the first generation village chief never left this place..."
After watching for a moment, inspired by this free-charge nourishing method, Yang seemed to have an epiphany and crawled back into his burrow, pondering something.
When Yu Ziqing returned, Yang opened his eyes.
"Take me to see the village chief here."
"Hmm?"
"Just take me, don't worry about it."
Not understanding the reason, Yu Ziqing could only take Yang to find the village chief. The village chief certainly knew something, and there was no need for secrecy.
Upon meeting the village chief, before anyone could speak, he immediately made Er Han guard the entrance and personally led Yu Ziqing and Yang deeper into the mountain cavern.
The three sat down, and Yang spoke first, expressing his words distinctly.
"I've seen the village chief, and I'd like to make a trade with you."
The village chief appeared calm, showing no signs of surprise.
"Please speak, elder."
"I want a bit of that thing from your back hill, and the method to create Yellow Rice Cakes."
Yang observed the village chief's expression, and without waiting for him to respond, immediately lowered his demands.
"If the method is too complex, just supply a portion of Yellow Rice Cakes each year, enough for Yu Ziqing's use."
Yu Ziqing was surprised. Did Yang do this for him?
"Yang..."
"When an elder is speaking, do not interrupt," Yang scolded sharply, cutting off Yu Ziqing's words.
Yu Ziqing quietly closed his mouth and stood aside like a wooden man, knowing Yang was not the kind to care about hierarchy. Better to just listen.
The village chief glanced at Yu Ziqing, smiled slightly, and shook his head.
"Elder, you are mistaken. Brother Yu is now our villager and has learned our fist skill. His annual needs will naturally be met, so your concern is unnecessary."
Unswayed, Yang continued.
"A portion of that thing from the back hill, fist-sized will do, plus the Yellow Rice Cakes needed by Yu Ziqing. I can try to improve your fist skill, and provide the raw materials you need annually, without requiring any Jinlan Ore."
"Currently, only Daqian trades with you, and the raw materials you need can only come from Daqian. A few months ago, the wilderness changed; from now on, your annual necessities may not be guaranteed.
"I can provide you with an extra supply of raw materials that aren't specially processed, which you can preserve for a long time."
At this final remark, the village chief's expression subtly changed.
The raw materials needed for the Yellow Rice Cake now indeed came only from the people of Daqian, and upon their arrival, spoil within seven days, necessitating immediate production for the next year's batch.
The village chief was busy with this task for several days after each transaction.
Yang's words immediately swayed the village chief, who seized the chance to escape this bottleneck.
"Alright, I can give you the black stone and even an extra piece. That will be the trade."
"But Brother Yu's annual benefits are not part of this trade."
"He is one of our villagers, now and forever. Each year's share of Yellow Rice Cakes is his, whether he's in the village or not."