Transmigrated to the Beastman World as a Veterinarian – CH26

Beastmen rarely shift into their animal forms to play around in front of sub-beastmen, as they feel it’s not particularly dignified.

Today, however, was an exception.

When they finished roughhousing and snapped back to their senses, they were a bit embarrassed.

Ah Hu, on all fours, slowly walked back with his ears flattened like little wings and his eyes downcast. In a low, muffled voice, he said, “Jian Mo, brother.”

Jian Mo nodded. “Turn around. Let me take a look.”

Ah Hu felt even more self-conscious but obediently turned around, tucking his tail between his legs to let Jian Mo inspect his rear.

Jian Mo, completely unfazed, stared at the backside of the large feline in front of him. As a human with a rational mindset, he harbored no inappropriate thoughts.

Ah Hu had a few inflamed spots on his rump, which were red, swollen, and infected.

After examining the area, Jian Mo discovered some foreign objects embedded in the wounds.

Due to the beastmen’s extraordinary resilience, the wounds sustained last night had already scabbed over. However, the foreign materials were still lodged inside, causing inflammation.

Jian Mo pressed gently, and the big cat under his hand visibly flinched in pain, its tail stiffening.

“Did you shift back into human form shortly after getting injured last night?” Jian Mo asked.

Ah Hu winced. “Yeah, being in human form is more convenient.”

Jian Mo continued, “And when you shifted, the debris in your wounds—”

Ah Hu interrupted, “Human forms are smaller. The debris usually gets squeezed out when I shift.”

Jian Mo concluded his inspection and said, “Not all of it came out. Some of it got embedded in the flesh. We’ll need to use a needle to remove it, or it’ll stay stuck, hurt every time pressure is applied, and keep getting infected.”

Ah Hu’s tail stiffened once more. “Okay. Brother Jian Mo, do what you need to.”

Seeing that Ah Hu didn’t object, Jian Mo nodded. “I’ll go prepare a bone needle. Wait in the courtyard. I assume you want to stay in your beast form?”

Ah Hu nodded his big feline head, firmly unwilling to expose himself in his human form in front of Jian Mo.

The other beastmen, uninterested in shifting back to their human forms, gathered around to watch in their beast forms.

Turning around, Jian Mo saw a cluster of furry heads observing him. “Medical treatment is not a show! Go wait outside.”

Ban Ming protested, “Brother Jian Mo, if Ah Hu struggles, we can help hold him down.”

Jian Mo replied, “Wu Jiong can hold him down if needed. I don’t need the rest of you. Besides, Ah Hu won’t struggle that much.”

Ah Hu grunted in agreement, still facing away from them.

No matter how Ban Ming argued, Jian Mo still chased the onlookers out.

Once the crowd dispersed, Jian Mo fetched the boiled and sterilized bone needle and began removing the debris from Ah Hu’s wounds.

Though the snowfall outside was heavy, the light was sufficient, even if staring too long made his eyes strain. Jian Mo worked meticulously despite the growing redness in his eyes.

Thanks to his steady hands, the process of picking out the debris went smoothly.

When he finished, Jian Mo asked, “Does it still feel uncomfortable anywhere?”

Ah Hu replied in a muffled voice, “Not anymore. Before, it was itchy inside, but now it’s fine.”

Hearing this, Jian Mo double-checked the wound and, finding no issues, went to the backyard to gather fresh herbs. He crushed them into a paste and applied it to the wound.

The young cat was so mortified that he couldn’t lift his head.

Noticing Ah Hu’s discomfort, Jian Mo washed his hands and returned with a large piece of dried fish. “All done. If anything else feels wrong, come back to me right away.”

Ah Hu sniffed the fish, hesitated for a moment, then took it with a word of thanks before quickly running off.

The beastmen outside, still lingering nearby, erupted in a cacophony of howls and meows as they saw Ah Hu carrying the fish. They chased each other off into the distance.

Before long, Ah Hu returned, this time carrying a basket in his mouth. He dropped it off as a token of thanks for Jian Mo.

Before Jian Mo could refuse, Ah Hu fled again.

Watching the rapidly retreating figure, Jian Mo commented, “He sure runs fast.”

Wu Jiong added, “He’s probably afraid you’ll return the gift.”

Jian Mo shook his head. “I wouldn’t go that far.”

He examined the basket, which mostly contained tubers. Beneath them were three large eggs, each the size of a fist.

This unexpected find intrigued Jian Mo. Eggs were hard to come by in such cold weather.

Wu Jiong inspected one of the eggs, shook it next to his ear, and sniffed it. “It must’ve been collected in early autumn or summer.”

Jian Mo asked, “After all this time, are they still good?”

Wu Jiong nodded. “They’re not spoiled, but they aren’t fresh anymore. You’ll need to eat them soon.”

It had been a while since Jian Mo last ate eggs. He decided to make either fried eggs or steamed eggs for dinner.

Returning to the firepit, he spotted a pot of freshly made syrup. A new idea sparked in his mind. His eyes lit up as he turned to Wu Jiong and asked, “Wu Jiong, do you want to try some ice cream?”

Wu Jiong arched a brow. “Is that like popsicles?”

Jian Mo gestured as he explained, “The texture is quite different. Both are made of ice, but popsicles are hard and crunchy, while ice cream is soft and creamy. Personally, I think ice cream tastes much better.”

The last time Jian Mo had made popsicles, he noticed that Wu Jiong really enjoyed them. A large popsicle disappeared in just a few bites.

Before Jian Mo could finish speaking, Wu Jiong nodded enthusiastically. “I’ll have some.”

Jian Mo smiled. “Alright, I’ll get the cream. Let’s give it a try.”

The steps involved in making ice cream weren’t too complicated. They involved mixing egg yolks, cream, syrup, and milk and heating the mixture over a double boiler. Once smooth, the mixture was taken outside to freeze. After a short freeze, it was brought back to be whisked to incorporate air before freezing again. With enough air whipped in, the result would be smooth, fluffy ice cream.

Ice cream was undeniably delicious but required quite a bit of effort.

Jian Mo decided to recruit Ban Ming and a few others to help with the whisking.

The beastmen, who had nothing better to do, were happy to lend a hand.

As he whisked the mixture, Ban Ming remarked, “Brother Jian Mo, you know so much.”

Jian Mo casually replied, “Of course. I spent many years learning.”

Ban Ming, curious, asked, “How many years is ‘many years’?”

Jian Mo thought for a moment. “Nineteen.”

The beastmen collectively gasped. “No way!”

Jian Mo shook his head, smiling faintly. “It’s true. During those years, I didn’t do much else. Out of the year, I’d only rest for about three months. The rest of the time was spent studying.”

Ban Ming, still whisking vigorously, commented, “I figured you had to be a priest. Only priests from really big tribes need to learn so much.”

Jian Mo chuckled. “No, I’m just a healer.”

The ice cream mixture needed intermittent freezing, so they would periodically take it outside to chill.

In this less-developed world, ice cream could only be made when it snowed.

Jian Mo made sure to prepare extra so that everyone could share, which extended the preparation time significantly.

When he first made popsicles, many people in the He’an Tribe had never seen them before.

Now, hearing about ice cream, those familiar with Jian Mo gathered around to watch.

Once the ice cream was ready, Jian Mo distributed small scoops to his friends.

There wasn’t much to go around, but everyone got a taste.

The smooth, cold, and sweet flavor instantly captivated them.

Ban Ming, whose arm was sore from all the whisking, felt it was completely worth the effort after taking a bite. “This ice cream is amazing! Way better than popsicles!”

Jian Mo scraped the ice cream with a small wooden spatula. “That’s because it has syrup in it.”

Ban Ming asked, “The syrup made from powdered tube flowers?”

Jian Mo nodded. “Yes. Unfortunately, the flowers don’t yield much sugar. Even with two large baskets, we only got a small amount.”

Ban Ming immediately offered, “We’ll go gather more! Where did you find those flowers last time? We’ll head out tomorrow.”

Jian Mo shook his head. “We found them at the Green Marshlands. We already collected all we could find there. There’s none left.”

Ban Ming persisted, “What about other places?”

Jian Mo replied, “Wu Jiong hasn’t seen large patches of powdered tube flowers anywhere else.”

Out of nowhere, Ye Luo interjected, “That’s not necessarily true. I think there are some near the Upper South Canyon. I saw them there during the summer.”

Ban Ming was surprised. “You went that far in summer?”

Without even looking up, Ye Luo responded, “It’s not that far if you run. You can get there in half a day.”

Jian Mo, unfamiliar with the location of the Upper South Canyon, looked to Wu Jiong for guidance.

Wu Jiong replied in a low voice, “It’s by the river that marks the border between us and the Dianxin Tribe.”

That was quite far!

Jian Mo looked at the long-limbed Ye Luo with admiration in his eyes.

Ye Luo, unlike Qing Kuo, his childhood friend, had always been a solitary sub-beastman with traits akin to a clouded leopard. Single and preferring to venture outside the tribe alone, he was sharp, meticulous, and knowledgeable about things others often overlooked.

It was Ye Luo who had first informed the tribe about the nearby Mien Fruit Lake.

If anyone else had mentioned the Upper South Canyon, Jian Mo would have had to verify it. But if Ye Luo said powdered tube flowers were there, it was as good as guaranteed.

Jian Mo immediately declared, “Let’s go check it out tomorrow.”

Ye Luo suggested, “You can ride the winged beast there. Don’t bring baskets, just a few bags. Use them to carry the flowers back—they’re not that heavy.”

Jian Mo nodded. “Good idea.”

Ye Luo added, “I’ve got some spare bags stored away. I’ll bring them over later. Return them when you’re done.”

Jian Mo didn’t hesitate. “That works. We could use them.”

As Ban Ming enjoyed his ice cream, he lamented, “The Upper South Canyon is so far, and the snow’s so deep now. Otherwise, I’d have gone with you to gather the flowers.”

Jian Mo, not particularly eager to bring along a rowdy group of beastmen, replied, “Wait until the weather improves.”

With honey sources so rare, Jian Mo didn’t want to miss the opportunity.

Even though it snowed the next day, Jian Mo still set out with Wu Jiong.

This time, they bundled up with hats, gloves, fur coats, and boots, wrapping themselves tightly.

Even so, flying through the cold air was brutal.

Jian Mo turned to Wu Jiong. “Now I understand why you said Ah Hu and the others should huddle up with the other beastmen. It’s impossible to work in this weather.”

Wu Jiong asked, “Still cold?”

Jian Mo sniffled. “I can manage. The wind is just too strong up here. I think it’ll be better when we reach the canyon.”

Of the two and their winged beast, only Jian Mo struggled with the cold. The winged beast and Wu Jiong were well-adapted to the environment.

Eventually, Wu Jiong worried Jian Mo might fall ill and unfolded his fur coat, wrapping Jian Mo up and holding him close.

Jian Mo found it a bit awkward but reasoned that the harsh conditions left no room for propriety. He decided to put it out of his mind.

When they arrived at the Upper South Canyon, the cliffs on either side blocked the wind, and Jian Mo felt noticeably warmer.

There was barely any ice or snow on the canyon floor, likely because it had all melted.

Before them stretched an expanse of powdered tube flowers, their pale pink blossoms blanketing the entire canyon.

The flowers gave off a heady mix of floral and sweet, almost alcoholic aromas, infusing the air with a drowsy sweetness.

Amid the flowers, numerous insects buzzed around, seemingly collecting nectar.

Jian Mo, watching the insects flit from flower to flower, asked in astonishment, “Are there bees here?”

Wu Jiong examined the insects. “What are bees?”

Jian Mo explained, “They’re insects that eat pollen and nectar. They bring it back to their hives and make honey, which they store for later.”

Wu Jiong shook his head. “No, these insects just eat the nectar. They don’t take it back.”

Jian Mo muttered, “No bees, huh? I knew it—I haven’t heard of honey since I came here.”

Wu Jiong said, “There aren’t any bees, but there are honey sparrows. They gather nectar and store it.”

Jian Mo’s eyes lit up. “Birds?”

Wu Jiong nodded. “Yes. They swallow the nectar and regurgitate it back at their nests. They use nectar blocks to build their nests, and when their chicks hatch, the nectar blocks become their food.”

Wu Jiong added, “Honey sparrows are extremely rare and small. Apart from occasional sightings, we rarely find their nests.”

Jian Mo’s excitement was evident, and he was about to say something when their winged beast, munching on powdered tube flowers nearby, suddenly chirped softly.

Both men turned to look.

Jian Mo was stunned. “No way, you understood that too?”

The winged beast clutched a powdered tube flower and looked ahead, letting out another soft chirp: “Chirp chirp.”

Following its gaze, Jian Mo peered ahead but saw nothing.

Wu Jiong suddenly spoke. “Look down. See that patch of white?”

Jian Mo blinked in confusion. “What?”

Wu Jiong stared intently. “Up ahead—it looks like there’s a honey sparrow. With food being scarce in winter, they might be here collecting nectar from the powdered tube flowers.”

Jian Mo stared in surprise for a long while before finally spotting a white, long-beaked bird amidst the pale pink blossoms. “It really is!”

Talk about speaking of the devil…