Bai Lu’s two fathers arrived as Jian Mo was examining him.
The small white fox was unconscious, its right forepaw swollen with a visible sting wound from a venomous insect. It appeared the sting had caused the fainting.
Without a stethoscope, Jian Mo pressed his ear to Bai Lu’s chest to listen closely.
The fathers were beside themselves with worry. “Doctor Jian Mo, how is he?”
Jian Mo reassured them, “Wu Jiong has gone to gather herbs and should be back soon.”
As they spoke, a chirp echoed from the sky. Everyone looked up to see Ban Ming jumping down from Ying Ao’s back, a handful of herbs in his hand.
Ban Ming said, “I knew where to find these antidote herbs, so I went to collect them. Brother Jian Mo, will these work?”
Jian Mo took the herbs, inspecting them in the torchlight. “Perfect, this is exactly what we need.”
He immediately prepared to crush the herbs and apply them to Bai Lu’s wound.
One of Bai Lu’s fathers interjected, “Let me.”
With sharp beast claws extended, he crushed the herbs into a paste in just two strokes.
Jian Mo held Bai Lu’s tiny paw and directed, “Apply it directly to the wound.”
Once the herbs were applied, Jian Mo wrapped the paw in a simple bandage. He then instructed Bai Lu’s fathers, “Take him back to the tribe. In a little while, you’ll need to give him two bowls of detoxifying herbal soup.”
Not daring to delay, the two fathers quickly picked up Bai Lu and ran toward the tribe.
Jian Mo turned to Ban Ming. “I’ll head back to the tribe too. Can you wait here and tell Wu Jiong what happened when he returns?”
Ban Ming nodded. “How will you get back?”
Jian Mo replied, “I’ll ride Ying Ao.”
He waved, and Ying Ao approached, kneeling to let him climb on.
Ban Ming hesitated. “Brother Jian Mo, are you sure you’ll be okay?”
Jian Mo reassured him, “No problem. Ying Ao is very clever. Oh, and when you find Chirpy, can you bring it back home for me?”
Ban Ming agreed without hesitation. “Of course! You go ahead. Once I find Chirpy, I’ll bring it back.”
The situation was urgent, so Jian Mo didn’t linger. He hugged Ying Ao’s neck and urged it to fly toward the tribe.
Ying Ao’s speed far surpassed that of ordinary beastmen, quickly pulling ahead.
Bai Lu’s fathers, seeing Ying Ao in the distance, changed direction to follow it.
Once they reached the tribe, Jian Mo immediately began preparing the detoxifying herbal soup.
When it was ready, he instructed Bai Lu’s fathers to feed it to Bai Lu while he reexamined and rebandaged the wound.
That night, the entire tribe was in chaos.
While Jian Mo cared for Bai Lu at home, the sounds of scolding and crying echoed from all around. It was clear that the other young ones were being disciplined.
Chirpy had returned home and curled up tightly in its nest, looking both guilty and frightened. After finishing with Bai Lu’s treatment, Jian Mo went over to check on it. Despite his presence, Chirpy remained huddled and lethargic in its nest.
Ying Ao paced nearby, letting out a couple of calls at both Chirpy and Jian Mo, as if urging him to look closer.
Jian Mo patted Chirpy’s fluffy back. “What’s wrong? Is Chirpy scared?”
As soon as he asked, Chirpy couldn’t hold back anymore.
It turned its head, tears glistening in its eyes. They rolled down its face, soaking its feathers.
Jian Mo felt both amused and pained. “Why are you crying? No one’s blaming you.”
He had seen crying kittens and puppies before, but this was his first time witnessing a crying winged beast. The sight tugged at his heartstrings. “Alright, alright. It’s okay now.”
But Chirpy only cried harder, letting out pitiful whimpers, “Whine, whine, whine.”
Jian Mo used his sleeve to wipe its tears. “Don’t cry anymore.”
Hearing the commotion, Wu Jiong walked over. “What’s going on?”
Jian Mo, patting Chirpy’s plump body, replied, “I think it’s scared and a little upset.”
Wu Jiong joined him in soothing Chirpy. “It’s not your fault, Chirpy.”
Chirpy plopped onto the ground, focusing all its energy on crying.
Ying Ao squatted nearby, its expression one of stunned disbelief, clearly unprepared for how much Chirpy could cry.
Jian Mo glanced between Chirpy and Ying Ao, torn between laughter and exasperation, continuing to pat and comfort Chirpy.
After a while, Wu Jiong asked about Bai Lu’s condition. “How is he?”
Jian Mo replied, “He’s had two bowls of the detoxifying soup. He should be fine now. I sent him back to his family. If anything happens during the night, they can come find us.”
Since they all lived in the same tribe, it wasn’t necessary for Bai Lu to stay at Jian Mo’s house or the small clinic.
Wu Jiong nodded. “I think everyone got a scare today.”
Jian Mo sighed. “Who wouldn’t? If you hadn’t caught Bai Lu’s scent, we’d all be frantic right now.”
Wu Jiong said modestly, “Just luck.”
Jian Mo frowned. “Those kids need some discipline and education.”
Wu Jiong nodded. “The tribe is already discussing it but hasn’t decided on a plan.”
Jian Mo suggested, “How about setting up a small classroom? Hold it in the tribe’s clearing every evening. There doesn’t have to be a fixed teacher—just assign someone daily, like we do for patrols. They can teach whatever they’re familiar with.”
Wu Jiong considered it. “That might work.”
Jian Mo continued, “Think of it as a basic education class. You, Qing Kuo, and De Jiang could also give lessons on things like values and safety. You’re all respected in the tribe, and the young ones are more likely to listen to you.”
Wu Jiong and the others carried authority in the tribe, and the young ones feared them enough to take their words seriously.
Jian Mo then explained the concepts of “classroom,” “teacher,” and “literacy education,” terms Wu Jiong hadn’t heard before.
After some thought, Wu Jiong said, “I’ll discuss it with the others.”
Jian Mo nodded. “If you’re making a schedule, add me to the rotation. I can teach general knowledge and maybe spot any young ones interested in learning to read or study medicine.”
Jian Mo was still unsure whether it was right to influence the development of beastmen and sub-beastmen society.
He had grown up in a civilized society where education was an established concept, accepted and practiced by all. But the beastmen society had no such traditions.
He wasn’t certain if introducing his concept of civilization would truly improve their lives.
The people of the He’an Tribe lived well.
The people of the Meng Shui Tribe lived well.
Even the people of the Lin Yan Tribe seemed content with their way of life.
Wu Jiong understood Jian Mo’s concerns. “Take it one step at a time. Nobody knows what the future holds. Let’s focus on solving the current issues first.”
Jian Mo nodded. “That’s how I see it too.”
Before Wu Jiong could leave to discuss things with the others, Bai Lu woke up.
The little white fox proved to be quite resilient. Upon seeing Jian Mo, he smiled, revealing his not-yet-fully-grown teeth, and called out in a soft voice, “Brother Jian Mo.”
Jian Mo gently picked up his swollen little paw to examine it. “How do you feel now? Does your paw hurt? How about your head?”
The little fox, still unable to shift into human form, shook his head and grinned. “Doesn’t hurt.”
Jian Mo ruffled his head affectionately. “That’s good. Let me take another look at your wound and change your medicine.”
The little fox nodded eagerly. “Okay, awooo.”
What a well-behaved and adorable little one.
As Jian Mo changed the dressing, he asked, “How did you end up climbing the tree yesterday? Were you playing hide-and-seek?”
Bai Lu shook his head and recounted what he remembered.
It turned out that after being stung by the venomous insect, his paw hurt badly even after he licked it. He had gone looking for herbs to treat it and had even mentioned it to Zhou Dao.
As he searched, he grew increasingly drowsy. Fearing he’d fall asleep on the ground and get taken by a predator, he climbed a tree and buried himself under fallen leaves to hide.
Hearing the full story, Jian Mo didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
The little fox was undeniably clever, but Zhou Dao, the little white wolf, had proved unreliable, forgetting his friend’s plea for help.
Still, it was a good thing this incident caused a stir.
If it hadn’t, the tribe might not have realized how far the young ones were wandering. Next time, something truly serious could happen.
Jian Mo patted the little fox in reassurance.
Wu Jiong and the others quickly agreed on a solution.
Everyone agreed that gathering the young ones to teach them something would benefit them. At the very least, it would keep them from wandering off.
And so, the young ones, who were accustomed to carefree eating, drinking, and playing, found themselves enrolled in lessons.
This prospect upset them far more than any scolding or punishment.
A group of young ones huddled together, groaning in misery.
Jiang Xing sighed, “If I’d known this would happen, I wouldn’t have gone out to play. Now we have to attend class.”
He Feng grumbled, “We shouldn’t have brought the youngest ones along.”
Ban Jiu puffed up indignantly. “I’m not too little!”
He Feng pinched the back of Ban Jiu’s neck. “You’re not little? You can’t even shift yet.”
Ban Jiu turned and bit He Feng’s wrist. “I’ll shift soon!”
Jiang Xing sighed again, “If only I were as old as Brother Ban Ming and the others, I wouldn’t have to take lessons.”
This prompted another round of collective sighing from the group.
Chirpy, not understanding the situation, sat with the young ones and joined in their sighing: “Whine.”
Its perfect emotional support left no wonder why the young ones adored Chirpy so much.
Jian Mo, watching from nearby, found the scene both amusing and exasperating. He decided not to intervene.
The lessons were already in place; letting them complain a little was harmless.
With only 23 young ones in the He’an Tribe, it was easy to keep track of all of them in one glance. Add in the curious onlookers, and the group grew even livelier.
No young one could escape the lessons. Even trying to slack off in class would result in one of the nearby adults pulling them back into focus.
The young ones were thoroughly miserable.
The adults taught them basic knowledge, such as identifying edible plants and animals, surviving dangerous situations in the wild, and navigating their surroundings.
These were simple, practical lessons—common knowledge for most of the tribe.
While the young ones grumbled, Jian Mo found himself enjoying the classes as an observer.
Much of the information was new to him. Since nobody expected him not to know these things, they’d never bothered explaining them to him.
Now, by tagging along with the young ones, Jian Mo learned a great deal, gaining a deeper understanding of this world.
The changes in the He’an Tribe soon attracted the curiosity of nearby tribes.
The Meng Shui Tribe sent representatives to observe.
As the largest and most well-informed tribe in the area, they were quick to notice such developments.
Their chief, Yun Long, led the visit himself.
Watching the young ones sitting upright on small stools, Yun Long praised, “This is a great idea. It keeps the young ones from wandering off while teaching them useful things.”
Wu Jiong replied, “It was Jian Mo’s suggestion. Will your tribe try it too?”
Yun Long stroked his chin thoughtfully. “We might. If we wait until we’re out hunting to teach the young ones, it’ll be too difficult. But we have no experience with this. Can we stay here for a couple of days to observe and learn?”
Since the classes only covered common knowledge, there was no reason to refuse.
Wu Jiong agreed readily. “If you don’t mind the trouble, you’re welcome to stay.”
Yun Long grinned. “It’s no trouble. We can make the trip daily. By the way, where’s Doctor Jian Mo today?”
Wu Jiong replied, “At home. Why?”
Yun Long explained, “I heard that people from the Bai Zhi and Yu Qi Tribes visited you recently.”
The Bai Zhi Tribe, whose beast forms resembled sparrows, and the Yu Qi Tribe, whose forms were like Pallas cats, were both nearby. Hearing this, the surrounding beastmen and sub-beastmen perked up their ears.
Wu Jiong nodded, gesturing for Yun Long to get to the point without veering off-topic.
Yun Long chuckled. “We’re planning to organize a trade caravan to explore beyond the area and gather news. Would Doctor Jian Mo like to join us? He could meet plenty of patients and learn unique remedies along the way.”
Wu Jiong was surprised. “Isn’t it early to be setting out this year?”
Yun Long replied, “It’s a good time. The weather’s mild, making travel easier, and it won’t interfere with autumn hunting or foraging.”
Wu Jiong considered this. “We’ll need to discuss it.”
Yun Long nodded. “Fair enough. We’ll also check with other tribes. It’s been years since we’ve organized a caravan. It’ll be good to see if there’s anything new out there.”
