Jian Mo had initially planned to set aside some of the clam meat for the winged beast, but in the end, it only got to taste two pieces before he decided to stash the rest for himself to savor slowly.
They had already enjoyed grilled clam meat yesterday, so today he opted to try a different preparation.
He put the remaining scallop adductor muscles into a pot with some salt, boiling them until they were just cooked. Once done, he drained the water and laid them out on racks to dry.
Once these adductor muscles were fully dried, they would transform into delicious dried scallops — known as conpoy. These could later be used to enhance soups or ground into powder to serve as a seasoning, adding a rich depth of flavor.
As he brought the clam meat outside to sun-dry, Jian Mo noticed that many villagers were by the river, busy turning large shells into shell knives.
Although the shells were quite large, their edges were too thin and brittle. To craft a durable shell knife, they had to use stones to chip away the thinner edges, leaving only the thickest, hardest part on the back. Afterward, they would sharpen the remaining edges to a fine point.
Only by doing this could they create a knife that would last longer.
Jian Mo observed for a while, then decided to head back home to fetch his own shells and try his hand at crafting.
He figured he might not be able to polish them too finely, but even a rough grind would make it easier for Wu Jiong to sharpen the blade later. It would save him some effort.
As Jian Mo turned around and headed toward Wu Jiong’s house, he suddenly heard someone calling him from behind, “Jian Mo—come help quickly.”
Turning around, he saw Hong Qiu supporting an injured beastman limping toward him.
The beastman’s left calf was severely injured, with blood streaming down, dyeing the entire leg a deep red.
Jian Mo’s brows furrowed. He quickly turned and grabbed the beastman’s other arm to support him. “How did you get hurt?”
He recognized this beastman named Ada, one of the people who went to gather shell knives yesterday.
Ada, a bit uncomfortable, tried to shy away from Jian Mo’s hand but ultimately couldn’t avoid it.
“I was out on patrol earlier and saw a Long-Headed Beast. At first I thought I could take it down, but the rocks were covered in dew and moss. The next thing I know, I slipped and fell. Not only did the beast get away, but I also cut my leg.”
Jian Mo crouched down to examine his leg after hearing the explanation.
The wound was still bleeding profusely. As Jian Mo gently pulled the flesh apart, he could see the muscles split open.
Sticky blood was continuously oozing out from the torn muscle, almost like a small spring welling up.
Jian Mo quickly removed his animal skin coat and wrapped it tightly around Ada’s injured leg, applying pressure to stop the bleeding. “This is a serious wound; it might need a few stitches.”
Ada looked alarmed. “Stitches? Like sewing clothes?”
Jian Mo nodded as he kept his focus on the wound. “Yes, something like that. Stitching it up will help it heal faster. Let’s head to Wu Jiong’s house so I can clean it up properly.”
Ada’s leg was already in pain, and at the mention of stitches, his calf twitched even more. “Is it necessary? Can’t it heal on its own?”
Jian Mo glanced at him. “If you don’t stitch it, it’ll heal slowly. Worse, it might get infected, and your leg could become crippled.”
Ada sucked in a cold breath.
Hong Qiu, standing beside them, urged, “Just listen to Jian Mo. He’s really good at medicine. He cured me when I was sick last time.”
Ada fell silent.
The two of them supported Ada as they headed to Wu Jiong’s house.
Ada’s partner Heng Man and their young child, Wan Ling, came over as well.
The child’s big, dark eyes were fixated on his father’s leg, his little face filled with anxiety like a frightened cub. Luckily, Jian Mo had wrapped up Ada’s wound, so the child couldn’t see the gory scene.
Seeing the child approaching, Jian Mo gently pushed his head with his hand. “Go play outside. No children allowed while I’m treating injuries.”
Wan Ling looked up at his father, who quickly urged him to leave.
Wu Jiong came out and took over supporting Ada, helping him inside.
Jian Mo found his medical kit on a shelf and took out the prepared tools.
Inside were various lengths and thicknesses of fishbone needles, wooden tweezers, shell scalpels, makeshift gauze, long bandages, and other supplies—all made together by him and Wu Jiong.
Wu Jiong had just finished boiling water.
Jian Mo didn’t need to boil another pot; he simply poured a half-can of white salt into the water, making a saline solution. He poured the saline into a clean basin to cool and then immersed the tools in the hot salted water for sterilization.
Most of the salt used in the tribe was coarse and reddish-brown. Hong Qiu, seeing the rare white salt for the first time, couldn’t help but take a second look.
Without explaining, Jian Mo continued preparing the tools and then asked the others to wait. He headed to the backyard to pick up some herbs known for reducing swelling and preventing infection. Using a small stone mortar, he quickly ground them into a paste.
Once everything was ready, the saline had cooled enough.
Jian Mo filled a cleaned animal bladder he had prepared earlier with the saltwater, turning it into a makeshift water pouch. Then, he unwrapped the animal skin coat from Ada’s leg.
As soon as it was exposed, fresh blood gushed out again.
Without flinching, Jian Mo used the saline-filled bladder to flush the wound.
The blood and grime were washed away, revealing the split muscle, yellow fat, and pale skin underneath—a sight that was not for the faint of heart.
Heng Man gasped sharply.
Jian Mo turned to Wu Jiong. “This will hurt a bit. Hold him steady.”
Wu Jiong placed his large hands firmly on Ada’s thigh and ankle, nodding to Jian Mo.
Jian Mo told Ada, “I’m going to start now.”
Before Ada could fully react, Jian Mo began stitching the wound using a curved fishbone needle held by wooden tweezers.
Hong Qiu and Heng Man couldn’t bear to watch; they turned their heads, sweating profusely, as if they were the ones getting stitched up.
Ada, who was already numb from the pain, clenched his fists tightly as the stitches were sewn in.
Jian Mo ignored everyone’s reactions. His hands moved swiftly and precisely, and in just a few breaths, he managed to stitch up the long wound.
Wu Jiong glanced at Jian Mo’s face.
There was no change in his expression—his eyes were focused, his hands steady, displaying an almost unbelievable level of control as he sewed flesh together on a living person.
Once the wound was sutured, Jian Mo calmly tied off the thread. Seeing that the bleeding had stopped and only an ugly seam remained, he nodded in satisfaction. “All done. I’ll apply some herbs, and in a couple of days, you can come back to have the stitches removed.”
Ada’s cramped fingers slowly relaxed. “You’ll have to take these stitches out too?”
Jian Mo nodded. “Yes, we can’t leave them in forever. Come see me tomorrow evening, and I’ll check how it’s healing.”
As he spoke, Jian Mo applied the mashed herbs to the wound, then carefully wrapped it up with cloth. “There, all set.”
Ada let out a deep sigh of relief, trying to stand up and walk around. “It doesn’t hurt as much now.”
Jian Mo explained, “As long as you don’t put pressure on it, it shouldn’t hurt much. But it’s best if you don’t go hunting these next couple of days—just rest at home.”
He glanced over at Wu Jiong.
Wu Jiong nodded, indicating his agreement. “Rest at home for a few days.”
Ada agreed, “Alright.”
Jian Mo tossed the used tools back into the pot of boiling salt water.
These tools had been painstakingly made by him and Wu Jiong. Just selecting the materials had taken a long time, so they needed to be reused.
Even though the tools had a limited lifespan due to their materials, it wouldn’t do to waste them.
Hong Qiu watched as Jian Mo tidied up, unable to help but remark, “You have so many tools here, a lot of which I’ve never seen before.”
Jian Mo replied, “These are tools we invented. Wu Jiong helped me make them.”
Hong Qiu turned to look at Wu Jiong.
But Wu Jiong completely ignored Hong Qiu’s gaze. “Anything else we need to do?”
Jian Mo shook his head. “No, that’s all. Ada, you can go home now. Try not to move that injured leg too much in the next couple of days. Let it heal properly. Heng Man, keep an eye on him.”
Heng Man nodded earnestly, “Got it.”
Wu Jiong said to Ada, “I’ll carry you back.”
Ada hesitated, “No, that’s not necessary.”
Jian Mo interjected from the side, “It would be best if you could carry him.”
So, Wu Jiong carried Ada home, remaining in his human form.
Hong Qiu and Heng Man followed along.
Not long after, Wu Jiong returned, and Heng Man came back with him, carrying a large piece of semi-dried leg meat.
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Heng Man handed it over to Jian Mo, “This is the best meat we have left at home. Please take it.”
Jian Mo smiled, “There is no need for that. I don’t charge our tribe for medical treatment. Ada’s hurt, so use this meat to make him something nutritious.”
Since Jian Mo was already living and eating at Wu Jiong’s place for free, he naturally didn’t have the right to charge others.
Jian Mo firmly refused to accept the meat, and Heng Man, having no choice, reluctantly took it back.
A little while later, their young child, the sub-beastman Wan Ling, came over with a basket filled with sweet and tangy dried fruits.
The little sub-beastman was both fearful and shy around Jian Mo. After running over, he shoved the basket into Jian Mo’s arms, telling him to keep it, and then quickly ran off.
Watching the child’s retreating figure, Jian Mo didn’t refuse this time.
The dried fruit from Ada’s family was wonderfully prepared—sweet, soft, and reminiscent of juicy gummies.
Jian Mo ate a few pieces, then washed a handful and tossed them into a pot to brew fruit tea.
Once the tea cooled down, he added a generous amount of cooling leaves, turning it into a refreshing and flavorful fruit tea.
That evening, as they ate grilled meat patties, Jian Mo served the fruit tea in front of them.
The tea was sweet and tangy, cool and fragrant, perfectly complementing the meat patties. The taste was exquisite.
Jian Mo sighed in contentment, “Grilled meat is best enjoyed with a good drink.”
Wu Jiong paused mid-drink, “What is this?”
Jian Mo replied, “Tea made from dried fruits.”
He explained how the little sub-beastman had brought over the dried fruits and laughed, “I’ve been wanting to brew some tea ever since I picked those cooling leaves, but I didn’t have enough ingredients. Now, I finally got to try it, and it tastes great.”
Wu Jiong nodded.
As a single beastman, he never had the leisure to make such things, so his house didn’t have many snacks.
He said to Jian Mo, “This is dried Huang Cheng fruit. If you like it, we can dry some more next summer.”
Jian Mo wasn’t sure if he would still be in the beastmen tribe by next summer, but he smiled and agreed, “Sure.”
This reminded Jian Mo of something, and he asked, “Ada said since he’s injured, he won’t be able to participate in the Hunting Tournament. What’s that?”
Wu Jiong explained, “It’s an event held in the Mengshui tribe every autumn. Participating tribes contribute some goods as prizes, which are awarded to the warriors who perform well in the tournament.”
Jian Mo: “So it’s a competition of hunting?”
Wu Jiong nodded, “Aside from hunting, there are other events too. There are competitions for both beastmen and sub-beastmen.”
Jian Mo understood. “So, it’s like the beastmen tribe’s version of a sports meet?”
Wu Jiong pondered the unfamiliar term Jian Mo used, then responded, “More or less.”
