The group wanted to cover as much ground as possible before the sun reached its peak, so they quickly finished packing and prepared to set off.
The Sharp-Tooth Tribe members came out to see them off, with one person specifically addressing Jian Mo. “Doctor Jian Mo, once the powdered yellow cap mushrooms are dried, we’ll deliver them to the He’an Tribe along with the other goods.”
Jian Mo nodded. “That would be great. Thank you.”
The Sharp-Tooth people responded warmly, “It’s nothing. Thank you for helping us with the ear piercings.”
Jian Mo smiled. “If you need help in the future, feel free to come find me. Or just visit our He’an Tribe anytime.”
After exchanging some brief farewells, the beastmen shifted into their beast forms, while the sub-beastmen secured the luggage onto their backs and climbed up to ride.
The caravan resumed its journey.
Chirpy and Ying Ao soared through the skies above, sometimes flying ahead of the caravan and other times circling behind it.
Their plan for the day was to pass by the Shan Ming Tribe and the Fan Bing Tribe before stopping to rest at the Xue Jiao Tribe.
These tribes were unfamiliar to Jian Mo, and he had no strong opinions about them. He spent much of the journey admiring the scenery.
The closer they got to the Shan Ming Tribe, the more Jian Mo noticed the differences between their territory and that of the Sharp-Tooth Tribe.
The Sharp-Tooth Tribe’s lands were full of mountains that trapped moisture, whereas the Shan Ming Tribe’s territory was clearly drier. Many of the mountains were barren, covered only in grass with few trees.
Water was scarce in the Shan Ming Tribe’s lands, and the lack of biodiversity gave the landscape a monotonous feel.
After some time, Jian Mo grew bored and leaned against the giant wolf’s back, drifting off to sleep.
He wasn’t sure how long he had been asleep when someone called his name. Assuming they had reached their next stop, he opened his eyes, only to find the sun hadn’t risen much higher. Clearly, not much time had passed.
The caravan had come to a halt, and in the distance, someone was running toward them, shouting, “Doctor Jian Mo—!”
At first, Jian Mo thought it was someone from the Sharp-Tooth Tribe, but as they got closer, he realized the strangers were from another tribe.
The approaching beastmen had a slightly giraffe-like appearance, with longer-than-average necks, though not as extreme as an actual giraffe. Their unique traits made them easy to distinguish.
The beasts panted heavily as they approached, calling out as they ran, “Doctor Jian Mo, please wait! We’ve come to seek your help.”
Jian Mo shouted back, “Is it an emergency?”
The newcomers seemed not to understand and instead introduced themselves loudly. “We’re from the Meng An Tribe. We heard your medical skills are exceptional and came to find you.”
Someone in the caravan remarked, “You must have traveled a long way.”
The Meng An beastmen nodded. “Yes, we left yesterday morning. By the time we reached the Sharp-Tooth Tribe, you were already gone, so we had to chase after you.”
As they spoke, the Meng An group finally reached the caravan.
Sub-beastmen rode on their backs, and Jian Mo addressed them directly. “Who’s unwell? Let me take a look.”
Having run all this way, the Meng An group hesitated for the first time.
Jian Mo felt something was off. Just as he was about to ask again, one of the sub-beastmen seated on a beast’s back removed a cloth wrapped around their head.
The moment their face was revealed, gasps filled the air.
Behind Jian Mo, there was the sound of several people inhaling sharply in unison.
Perplexed, Jian Mo focused his gaze and finally understood.
The sub-beastman’s face was a patchwork of scars, the skin warped and disfigured. It was clear that the injuries had been severe and had healed poorly. Yet beneath the scars, traces of delicate features hinted at what must have once been an exceptionally beautiful face.
The stark contrast made the disfigurement even more jarring, prompting the startled reactions from those around them.
The sub-beastman flinched slightly but forced himself to speak. “I’m the one seeking treatment. I want to heal my face.”
The caravan members couldn’t help but prick up their ears, curious.
Jian Mo glanced at the onlookers and raised his voice. “Chief Yun Long, Chief Yan Dun, and Chief Huo Meng, please lead the group ahead. We’ll catch up shortly.”
The three chiefs agreed without hesitation.
Wu Jiong turned to the He’an Tribe members. “You all go on too. We’ll follow soon.”
Jiang Tou and the others nodded. “We’ll wait for you up ahead.”
As the caravan moved on, Jian Mo focused his attention on the injured sub-beastman.
The sub-beastman tilted his head back, allowing Jian Mo to examine his face. “My name is Bei Ya.”
Jian Mo offered a gentle smile. “I’m Jian Mo, and this is my mate, Wu Jiong.”
Bei Ya closed his eyes briefly. “I know.”
Jian Mo softened his tone. “How did your face get injured?”
Bei Ya’s voice trembled. “Two summers ago, I went out gathering and accidentally ran into a Horned Beast. It dragged me for a long distance, and my face was scraped by all kinds of things. Even after I returned to the tribe, my face kept festering. By the time autumn came and the weather cooled, the wounds healed, but they left scars everywhere.”
As he spoke, tears streamed down Bei Ya’s face.
The sight tugged at Jian Mo’s heart, but he didn’t know how to offer comfort. The scars were so severe that treating them seemed nearly impossible.
After a thorough examination, Jian Mo asked, “Other than your face, do you feel discomfort anywhere else?”
Bei Ya shook his head.
Jian Mo sighed regretfully and said softly, “I’m afraid I can’t treat these scars. Too much time has passed.”
Bei Ya’s expression dimmed instantly. He looked utterly devastated. “You’re said to be the best healer in the nearby tribes. Is there really no way?”
Jian Mo hesitated. “I’m sorry.”
Unable to find words of solace, Jian Mo glanced at the giant wolf beside him. Wu Jiong nudged him gently before lying down.
Jian Mo climbed onto Wu Jiong’s back and waved to Bei Ya.
The wolf carried Jian Mo as they ran to catch up with the main caravan.
Perhaps understanding what had happened, no one in the group discussed Bei Ya’s plight, and a heavy silence settled over the caravan.
Far behind them, Bei Ya sat motionless, watching as the caravan disappeared into the distance.
One of his companions approached and helped him to his feet. “Let’s go home.”
Bei Ya remained silent as another beastman shifted into their large beast form and crouched down, allowing the others to help Bei Ya onto their back.
Quietly, the Meng An group gathered their belongings and turned back toward their tribe. Like Jian Mo’s caravan, they traveled in silence, the weight of their shared sorrow hanging in the air.
The giant beast carrying Bei Ya trudged along for a while, but then noticed something wet soaking into its fur. Initially assuming Bei Ya was crying, it took a few more steps before the pungent smell of blood hit its nose, and the realization dawned that the liquid was Bei Ya’s blood.
Alarmed, the beast halted and turned its head, only to be horrified by the sight of Bei Ya cutting his own face with a knife.
The beast growled in a mix of panic and anger. “What are you doing?!”
Bei Ya, his eyes dull and lifeless, met the beast’s gaze without a word, his hand continuing its self-destructive motion.
The beast acted swiftly, snapping its jaws around Bei Ya’s wrist to stop him and letting out a deep, rumbling call to alert the others.
The rest of the Meng An Tribe rushed over, gasping in shock and anger when they saw the reopened scars across Bei Ya’s face. A sub-beastman embraced Bei Ya’s shoulders and snatched the knife away. “Are you out of your mind?!”
Tears streamed down Bei Ya’s face as he lowered his head. “I’d rather hurt myself again, suffer through the pain, than live with these scars. I can’t bear the way everyone looks at me.”
For a proud sub-beastman like Bei Ya, the disfigurement was a devastating blow. Though others claimed not to mind his scars, or even found him no less beautiful, he couldn’t overcome the psychological burden.
Knowing how deeply this weighed on him, his companions hesitated to lecture him further. Instead, one of the sub-beastmen helped him to his feet, letting out a silent sigh. “Let’s go back and find Doctor Jian Mo.”
With the fresh injuries and ongoing bleeding, it was clear they had no choice but to chase Jian Mo down again.
The beast nodded, allowing Bei Ya and the sub-beastman to climb onto its back before setting off at a brisk pace toward the caravan.
Jian Mo’s group wasn’t moving particularly fast, so the Meng An Tribe quickly caught up.
This time, before Jian Mo could even ask, one of the Meng An members urgently exclaimed, “Doctor Jian Mo, Bei Ya has hurt his face again! Please take a look!”
Jian Mo asked sharply, “How bad is it?”
As they approached, the metallic tang of blood filled the air. Judging by the strength of the scent, Jian Mo knew it had to be serious.
He raised his hand to signal Ying Ao and Chirpy, who were circling overhead. Ying Ao descended immediately, and Jian Mo rushed to retrieve his medical kit, gloves, and mask from the pack strapped to its back.
Donning his gear, Jian Mo hurried over to Bei Ya, with Wu Jiong shifting back into his human form and following close behind.
When Jian Mo finally reached Bei Ya and saw the raw, bleeding cuts carved across his face, he couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath.
Bei Ya lowered his gaze and asked softly, “Doctor Jian Mo, this is a fresh wound… can it be treated?”
The rest of the caravan, having noticed the commotion, turned to observe the scene. Before Jian Mo could respond, the elder chief of the Zheng Chi Tribe, Yan Dun, stepped forward, visibly moved. “Doctor Jian Mo, please find a way to help him.”
Others quickly chimed in:
“That’s right, Doctor Jian Mo. We’ll do anything to assist; just let us know.”
Their earnest pleas made Jian Mo glance at the crowd. Everyone’s hopeful eyes were fixed on him.
After steadying himself, Jian Mo said, “First, we need to head to the riverbank. Start a fire and boil water—I need to clean the wound before doing anything else.”
The group immediately sprang into action, carrying supplies and heading toward the nearby river.
Upon arrival, the He’an Tribe members quickly set up a large pot over a fire, boiling water and preparing to assist Jian Mo.
As preparations commenced, Jian Mo began a serious conversation with Bei Ya. “The wounds on your face are severe. Treatment might improve your condition, but it could also make things worse. I can’t promise results.”
Bei Ya’s voice was resolute. “It’s already as bad as it can be. No matter what happens, it can’t get worse.”
Jian Mo nodded. “If you’re mentally prepared, here are your options. I can sew up the fresh cuts to ensure they heal properly, or we can take a more drastic approach. I’d remove all the old scars and sew everything up anew, letting your face heal again. But even with this method, there’s still a chance you’ll develop new scars.”
“I can accept either option!” Bei Ya replied immediately.
Jian Mo turned to the Meng An Tribe members, who added, “Whatever the outcome, we’re grateful for your help.”
Jian Mo nodded. “Alright, let’s prepare for surgery.”
He then addressed Yun Long, Yan Dun, and Huo Meng, the chiefs of the other tribes. “You can head to the Xue Jiao Tribe first. Wu Jiong and I will catch up after this is handled.”
Yun Long waved him off. “No rush. We’ll wait.”
Yan Dun added, “Yes, let us stay. We can help if needed.”
Seeing their determination, Jian Mo relented and returned to his preparations.
The He’an Tribe members boiled water while Jian Mo carefully mixed anesthetics, having someone brew them over the fire. At the same time, he supervised the construction of a simple operating table by the riverbank, meticulously disinfecting his instruments.
To minimize the risk of infection and shield others from the unsettling sight, Jian Mo asked everyone to step away once everything was ready.
Under the open sky, Bei Ya sat on the makeshift bed, his face pale but determined as he drank the lukewarm anesthetic. Soon, his body relaxed, and he drifted into unconsciousness.
Taking a deep breath, Jian Mo adjusted his gloves and mask, retrieving sterilized sutures made from long-tailed beast tendons.
Using the smallest instruments at his disposal, Jian Mo meticulously excised the scar tissue and carefully stitched the fresh wounds.
Thanks to his sub-beastman-enhanced agility and steady hands, Jian Mo compensated for the limitations of his rudimentary tools. His sharp vision helped him achieve precision as he worked.
Immersed in the task, Jian Mo entered a state of deep focus, ensuring each stitch was as clean and precise as possible.
Meanwhile, the others waited anxiously downstream, the sound of the river mingling with murmured conversations. After a while, someone spoke up:
“Do you think there’s anything we can do to help?”
That opened the floodgates, and others chimed in…
“Given our abilities, it’s probably better to wait here and not cause trouble—that’s already a way of helping,” someone suggested.
Another chimed in, “Maybe we can’t assist Doctor Jian Mo directly, but we could gather herbs to help treat scars for that sub-beastman.”
A voice from the Hong Zhen Tribe added, “Our tribe has Red Rock Grass. It’s really effective for scar removal.”
To emphasize the point, the speaker pulled over a He’an Tribe member. “You remember Tai Yan, right? He came to Doctor Jian Mo before with a festering sore on his back. After the infection was cleaned out, his wound healed completely, leaving no scars.”
The He’an Tribe members nodded in recollection.
Other Hong Zhen Tribe members contributed:
“I saw Tai Yan swimming once—his back is flawless now. If you hadn’t brought it up, I’d have forgotten he even had surgery.”
“Maybe it’s just because he’s young and heals fast, but Red Rock Grass wouldn’t hurt. We should ask Doctor Jian Mo if it’s suitable for Bei Ya’s treatment.”
“The question is, can we find any Red Rock Grass nearby?”
“I spotted some this morning,” someone offered.
With everyone speaking at once, the Meng An Tribe members expressed their gratitude while still visibly anxious.
After a quick discussion, the tribes decided to search for Red Rock Grass.
Sitting idly felt unbearable, and helping to find a remedy gave them a sense of purpose.
Since only the Hong Zhen Tribe members knew how to identify the herb, they divided into eleven groups. One group stayed behind to guard the camp, while the other ten, each led by a Hong Zhen Tribe member, fanned out in different directions to forage.
Bei Ya, still unconscious from the anesthetic, was unaware of the collective effort being made for his sake.
Meanwhile, Jian Mo worked diligently on the surgery. Despite feeling lightheaded, with his back and shoulders aching, he refused to stop.
The scars on Bei Ya’s face were numerous, overlapping in layers of large and small wounds. Jian Mo meticulously removed each one, striving to preserve as much healthy tissue as possible. His precision required immense concentration and consumed a significant amount of time.
The operation, which began in the late morning, extended into the afternoon. Throughout the process, not a single person disturbed him or tried to watch.
Finally, as Jian Mo stitched the last wound, he straightened his back and told Wu Jiong, “The surgery is done—it went very well.”
Wu Jiong’s expression softened with relief. “You’ve worked so hard today. You’re amazing.”
Jian Mo smiled under his mask. “It wasn’t too bad. Let’s just hope this effort wasn’t in vain.”
They cleaned up the surgical tools and waited for Bei Ya to wake up.
After a short while, Wu Jiong urged Jian Mo to rest while he called the others over. Now that the surgery was complete, there was no harm in letting everyone see Bei Ya’s condition.
Soon, people gathered by the riverbank. Jian Mo removed the cloth covering Bei Ya’s face to show the Meng An Tribe members his work.
All of Bei Ya’s scars had been excised, and his face was now carefully stitched with thin, translucent beast tendons. The result was a neat and even pattern of fine sutures, with minimal blood loss. In its own way, the delicate work held a unique beauty.
The Meng An Tribe members immediately recognized the effort Jian Mo had invested and thanked him profusely.
Jian Mo waved them off with a tired hand.
After a quick meal and some rest, the Hong Zhen Tribe members presented the Red Rock Grass they had collected to Jian Mo.
Jian Mo, not particularly well-versed in scar treatment, listened to their explanation and agreed. “Once Bei Ya’s wounds have started to close in a few days, we can try applying this herb. It’ll be safer to wait.”
The Hong Zhen Tribe members readily agreed. “We’ll do exactly as you say.”
Jian Mo nodded and said sincerely, “You’ve all worked hard.”
The crowd responded in unison, “You worked the hardest. None of this would have been possible without you.”
The Meng An Tribe members, especially, expressed their gratitude. “Doctor Jian Mo, you’ve been so kind to us. We don’t even know how to repay you.”
Jian Mo smiled lightly. “No need to worry. Once Bei Ya’s face heals, you can just pay the surgery fee.”
The Meng An Tribe members laughed, finally relaxing. “Of course—we wouldn’t expect anything less.”
