Shen Feng, after his weapons were confiscated, followed the children back to their village. This village was hidden within a mountain valley, surrounded by dense trees that made it inconspicuous. This was a survival tactic for those living in the mountains, as everyone had to remain as concealed as possible to avoid being discovered by fierce beasts or birds of prey.
"I didn't expect you to live here. It's quite difficult to find. Where are your elders?" Shen Feng inquired.
"They've all gone out hunting. After all, if we want to eat meat, the people at home have to keep going out to hunt," the children answered innocently.
Upon hearing this, Shen Feng couldn't help but shake his head. Life in the mountains meant facing the hardship of food scarcity. The lack of plains suitable for cultivation and the barren land forced them to hunt for meat.
Many women stayed home to do chores. Seeing the children bring a stranger home, they immediately came forward, but they were all holding kitchen knives and other weapons, clearly very wary of Shen Feng.
"Mom, don't be scared. We've already confiscated his weapons. He's no threat now," the child holding the weapons shouted loudly, appearing very pleased with himself for having achieved something.
The weapons were very heavy, weighing over ten catties. For a child, carrying such a heavy weapon was a significant burden, yet he was still holding onto it tightly, preventing Shen Feng from touching it.
However, the women remained vigilant. They knew that there were terrifying individuals in the outside world who could kill large numbers of people with just a flick of their fingers. If the person before them was one of those terrifying individuals, it would be truly dreadful.
Shen Feng then said, "My name is Shen Feng. You don't need to be nervous. I'm not here to cause trouble. I heard that there's a medicinal herb in your village that can treat fruit fly infections, so I wanted to see if it's available."
"Are you Lord Fengshen? Haven't you always been active outside? Why have you come to our mountains?" To his surprise, the women recognized Shen Feng immediately after his introduction.
"I was a bit disheartened when I heard these children didn't recognize me. I'm glad you recognize me. It's not easy. Now, Dian Province is under my jurisdiction, and I'm here to resolve the crisis of these insects in the mountains." Shen Feng finally felt a sense of relief, as someone had finally recognized him.
A child said to his mother, "This guy fell from the sky earlier. He said he could fly, but we didn't really believe him."
"Don't be disrespectful to Lord Fengshen. He's a good person and our savior. Hurry and return his weapons to him." The women immediately scolded the children, urging them to return the weapons.
One of the children returned the weapons, and Shen Feng simply smiled, saying, "These children are quite bold, but it seems they haven't seen much of the world, so they don't even recognize me."
"These children have grown up in the mountains, so they've never had the experience of going outside. It's their misfortune not to recognize Lord Fengshen," the women said with great helplessness. Children who grew up in the mountains were indeed healthier, but unfortunately, they lacked education and had never seen the outside world, which was a pity.
Shen Feng quickly comforted them, "Actually, the outside world isn't all that great. Many big cities are also facing catastrophic disasters. Places where people gather are often targets for enemies."
"We'll take you to see the herbs we've cultivated. It was our barefoot doctor who discovered this herb. Most people wouldn't believe he found it, but it can save countless lives." The women remembered the important matter and quickly said to Shen Feng.
Shen Feng followed them and entered a very bright room. He saw the setup there. The windows had no glass; instead, they were covered with white plastic film, which could block wind and rain and also provide insulation. Of course, it was difficult to get glass in the mountains, so plastic film was used as a substitute. Upon entering the room, a warm aura filled the air. Although it was autumn, the room was still very warm.
"Is this a greenhouse you've built? That's quite creative and good for cultivating herbs," Shen Feng realized what the room was for after seeing its arrangement.
The women quickly replied, "The herbs inside are what we've cultivated. All you need to do is crush this stuff and apply it to the skin to ward off insects. Even if someone is accidentally infected by insects, applying this sap to their body will quickly kill the insects. If that doesn't work, boiling it into a soup and drinking it can also cure the illness."
Shen Feng thought of the many people infected by fruit flies. Their condition was miserable after being infected. There were holes appearing on their bodies, and insects were constantly flying out. Pus would occasionally flow from these holes, making them look unsightly. The stench was palpable when one got close.
He never expected to find such a miraculous herb in the mountains. With this herb, he could save countless lives and increase his reputation.
So, Shen Feng quickly asked, "Can you give me some of these herbs? I will definitely give you adequate compensation. Whether you want gold, silver, or firearms and ammunition, I can provide them. I won't take them for free!"
The women immediately showed a look of difficulty and said, "This is not something we can decide. We need to ask the village chief."
Soon, someone was sent to find the elderly village chief. He became the village chief because of his high prestige. Although in a village of a few hundred people, the chief didn't have much power, major decisions still had to be made by him.
Upon hearing the news of Shen Feng's arrival, the village chief was astonished. When he saw Shen Feng, he was about to kneel, as he was well aware of Shen Feng's capabilities. He had also heard that Shen Feng alone had annihilated thousands of people on a mountain. Such power was beyond what their village could resist.
Shen Feng quickly helped him up and said, "Elder, please don't worry. I am not a bad person. I just want to exchange for some herbs. Just name your price, and I will send whatever you need immediately."
"Is that so? Our village is actually lacking in food and many medicines. However, I don't want to exchange for these things now. I only hope that Lord Fengshen can gift us some books and writing materials, because the children in the village have never seen the world and don't know how to read or write. If this continues, they will eventually become illiterate. I don't want their future to be ruined in my hands," the village chief said earnestly.
"No problem. The things you want will be delivered soon, within a day. If everything is ready, a helicopter will arrive overhead in the afternoon and drop supplies. You just need to pick them up!" Shen Feng promised.
"Thank you for your generosity, Lord Fengshen," the village chief said respectfully.
After obtaining the herbs, Shen Feng prepared to leave. In each of his hands, he held a flowerpot, with an herb in each. These herbs were very light. Shen Feng was sure he had never seen them before, nor were they varieties from traditional Chinese medicine. They were definitely newly discovered species that had mutated in the Hengduan Mountains, developing resistance to insects.
Many things in this world are truly wondrous. He had thought that anyone infected by insects was bound to die, but unexpectedly, near the insects' lair, he found plants that could control them. These herbs, if widely cultivated, could undoubtedly cure many people.
When Shen Feng brought the herbs back, they quickly attracted the attention of many people. They wondered why the city lord had been gone for so long and returned carrying two flowerpots. What did that mean? Was he literally picking flowers?
"City Lord, what are these? Why did you bring them back from so far away?" Yang Chang inquired with great confusion.
"I discovered these. They are medicinal herbs that can treat fruit fly infections. If they can be widely cultivated, these fruit flies will be no match for us, and those who have been infected will have hope of recovery!" Shen Feng said quickly.
"So they are such good things. We must cultivate them quickly. Otherwise, why not crush one of the herbs into sap and let our infected brothers use it?" Yang Chang suggested.
Many soldiers who had been infected by insects had fallen into despair. They felt they had contracted an incurable disease and had no hope of survival, so they had begun to give up on themselves.
"I absolutely don't believe it. These two herbs are very precious. We must send them to Yuzhou immediately!" At this moment, Yu Renshu arrived. After hearing their conversation, she immediately intervened to stop them.
Shen Feng then asked, "Although these herbs are very precious, aren't there many more? Many villages have already cultivated these herbs. If we find other herbs later, can't we still exchange for them?"
"That's not what I mean. Chang Jianyi's ability is to accelerate plant growth. If these herbs are sent back to Yuzhou, they can be cultivated on a large scale very quickly. With control over so many medicinal resources, we can win over people's hearts and stabilize our position in Dian Province," Yu Renshu explained.