Journey to the West: The Immortal Clan Begins by Feeding Monkeys at Five Elements Mountain

Chapter 10 Medicinal Bath Body Refining
Jiang Yi stood to the side, his eyebrows lowered, his expression unchanged, but a glint of light secretly appeared in his eyes.

I already have a plan in mind.

He bent down and touched the child's hot head, his palm covered in stubbornness and sweat.

His tone was gentle, but his words carried a firm certainty:

"Liang'er, don't be anxious... I'm afraid your father has taught you wrong. From now on, follow your brother and learn properly."

Jiang Liang's face turned bright red, and he pouted, still feeling unconvinced.

Seeing that their father had said so, and with their older brother suppressing a laugh, he finally stopped arguing.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ming immediately exuded a smug air.

However, knowing the gravity of the situation, he quickly cleared his throat and swallowed back his arrogance.

He then put on a stern face, adopted a serious posture, and meticulously led his younger brother to practice the technique again.

Jiang Yi didn't go back inside; he just stood with his hands behind his back on the veranda.

Watching his eldest son's moves, he found them increasingly pleasing to the eye.

Each step is methodical, and movement and stillness are well-balanced.

The vitality within the stance completely overwhelmed the rigidity of the book.

I casually sketched a stance and then practiced it a couple of times.

I felt that my breath flowed more smoothly and my joints felt much looser.

He had been lost in thought when he heard two boys in the yard whispering to each other.

Just as I was engrossed in watching, there was a sudden "thump" from inside the room, as if something had jumped out of the pot.

Immediately following was Liu Xiulian's exclamation.

In her anger, she also felt a mix of exasperation and amusement:
"The medicine! The medicine is overflowing!"

……

Two days later, Doctor Li arrived as promised, carrying a heavy bag of medicine.

The medicinal herbs were plentiful, and they even slipped in a wild ginseng root, its color warm and lustrous. Judging from its fibrous roots and skin, it must have been at least five or six years old.

If it were sold at the market, it would easily fetch twenty or thirty coins.

Doctor Li placed the medicine packet on the table, casually stuffed the ginseng into Jiang Yi's hand, and muttered to himself:

"This ginseng isn't worth much, but I'm giving it to you... Before you use it to make medicinal soup, remember to stew an old hen with it first, so that the medicinal effects will be just as good."

He spoke casually, then dusted himself off and disappeared around the corner.

Jiang Yi took the ginseng without saying much.

They started working on it that very day; as soon as the stove was lit, the aroma of medicine filled the air.

The medicinal herbs were divided into two portions, and two pots were placed in a row, with flames licking the bottom of the pots.

The medicinal aroma gradually intensified, becoming spicy and pungent, a scent that warmed the heart.

Then he caught an old hen in the chicken coop, cleaned it, and put it into the small stove to stew along with the ginseng root.

Once the soup in the pot was boiling, the room was filled with a warm and fragrant aroma.

The aroma of herbs and meat mingled together, gradually dispelling the damp chill of the mountains.

After simmering for two full hours, the medicinal soup had become so thick it was almost black, with a deep brown hue, and its aroma was both spicy and mellow.

Jiang Yi had prepared two large wooden tubs and poured the medicinal soup into them. The soup was steaming hot, making people's faces feel damp.

The two boys came running at the summons, took off their clothes, and shakily got out of the soup tub.

As soon as she sat down, her face turned red, beads of sweat appeared, and her eyes trembled.

This medicine is really potent.

It's not that superficial warmth, but a warmth that comes from within, like a flame flickering within the bones.

Jiang Yi sat to the side, sleeves rolled up, his gaze quietly fixed on the two brothers.

The two boys were quite determined; they gritted their teeth and refused to come out of the water first, as if they were competing to see who could soak the longest.

He soaked in the herbal medicine until it cooled down, the water stopped fogging, and his body stopped burning before getting up and drying himself off.

As soon as I stood up, I felt an intense burning sensation inside my body.

It felt as if something was churning inside my bones, causing an uncomfortable swelling that I had to release. This condition has long been described in books.

After the medicinal bath, the refining process must be carried out immediately.

Such potent medicine will cause chaos if not properly prepared; only by preparing it well can one truly absorb and digest it.

Jiang Yi remained calm and told the two boys to quickly put on their clothes, go barefoot onto the porch, and stand in the courtyard to set up their own stakes.

The night was deep, and the moonlight fell on the bluestone slabs, casting dappled and swaying shadows.

Standing meditation and medicinal baths are recorded in the same book, and they complement each other.

Use the soil to refine medicine, and use the medicine to nourish the soil.

Since the two boys started practicing the breathing technique, their bodies have become incredibly strong.

Now, with the medicinal effects kicking in, it feels as if wind and thunder are churning within my bones, and I unleash each strike with ferocious force.

His previous somewhat childish demeanor has now become more composed and powerful once he settles down.

Fortunately, the Jiang family's courtyard was in a remote location, far from the edge of the village.

Even if the neighbors heard the noise, they would just assume it was someone's dog going crazy at night.

The two boys were completely unaware, driving the stakes in one precise and methodical manner, sweat dripping from the tips of their noses onto the stone slabs, leaving rings of watermarks.

The medicinal power surged like a tidal wave, turning into heat that forced open the pores, and even the breath carried a hint of medicinal fragrance.

This commotion lasted until the moon was high in the sky and the night dew was pattering on the eaves before the courtyard finally quieted down.

The two boys lay sprawled on the ground, their backs pressed against the stone slab, panting like bellows, their stomachs growling loudly with hunger.

Fortunately, Doctor Li had left a message beforehand, and the pot of ginseng stewed with old chicken had been simmering on the stove.

As soon as Jiang Yi lifted the pot lid, a wave of steam rushed out, carrying with it the aroma of medicine that made one's jaw clench.

He quickly scooped out two large bowls.

The two boys didn't even care that it was hot; they picked up the bowls and gulped it down.

The chopsticks made a loud thud against the bottom of the bowl, and the chicken was swallowed after only a few chews; they even wanted to use the bones to grind their teeth.

After finishing his meal and finishing his meal, he slumped onto the small chair, burping contentedly.

After eating and drinking to your heart's content, sleepiness naturally sets in.

The two boys burst into the room, not even bothering with the bedding, and immediately began snoring loudly, sleeping like logs.

Jiang Yi, however, did not rush to sleep.

They simply took the two buckets of cooled medicinal soup, found a large pot, and poured them all in at once.

Adding firewood to the stove, the flames leaped high, and the pot of medicinal soup began to gurgle and pop.

Two buckets were boiled down to one, and the soup changed from dark brown to inky black, so thick it looked like it was about to drip. It had a strong medicinal smell and a pungent aroma.

Jiang Yi glanced at it but didn't think much of it.

He took off his clothes, sank down, and submerged himself in the medicinal soup.

In an instant, I felt as if a thousand needles were piercing my bones, and every inch of my body was burning hot.

The medicine penetrated deep into the bone marrow, and a surge of heat rose from the internal organs, rushing straight to the head, as if even the soul was about to be steamed out of the shell.

Yet, hidden within this pain and heat lies a solid and steady strength.

Jiang Yi gritted his teeth, remained silent, and sat down with his eyes closed.

Only when the medicinal soup in the bucket gradually cooled down, the heat dissipated, and a cool sensation crept onto the skin, did the surging heat within the body slowly subside.

Jiang Yi got up from the bucket, put on his clothes, and stood still in the yard. Following the stance he had learned from his eldest son, he assumed a horse stance.

With shoulders relaxed and elbows dropped, spine straight and waist sinking, one moves like a crouching ape, yet remains calm and composed, employing a method of borrowing strength to sink one's energy.

As each movement unfolds, the breath becomes long and even.

The lingering medicinal energy within his body, which had not yet fully dissolved, was slowly guided by this set of stance training, sinking inch by inch into his muscles, bones, and flesh.

The surging, tumultuous mass was drawn back to the sea by that force that was both gentle and strong, and secretly seeped into the limbs and bones.

The heat subsided, but my body felt lighter, and a refreshing coolness permeated every bone.

Every inch of skin and flesh seemed more solid than yesterday, and even the muscles and bones exuded a dense strength.

(End of this chapter)