Transmigrated to the Beastman World as a Veterinarian – CH35

After Jiang Tou had his teeth extracted, he strictly followed Jian Mo’s instructions: eating only wild vegetables. Early the next morning, just as the sun was rising, he came back for a follow-up check.

When Jian Mo yawned his way downstairs, he found Jiang Tou already waiting below with Hongqiu in tow.

As soon as he saw Jian Mo, Jiang Tou excitedly trotted up. “Doctor Jian Mo, the wound from my extraction has already closed up! I licked it a little this morning, and it doesn’t hurt at all!”

Jian Mo instinctively leaned back. Once he processed what Jiang Tou had said, he asked, “Do you feel any discomfort?”

“None at all!” Jiang Tou grinned. “Since my teeth stopped aching, even my headaches are gone. If I had known pulling them would work so well, I’d have done this ages ago.”

Jian Mo grabbed a mask from the shelf, putting it on as he spoke. “It used to be unbearable because we didn’t have anesthetics.”

Jiang Tou nodded earnestly. “Even if it hurt, it would’ve only been for a moment. You have no idea, doctor. When my teeth were bad, I couldn’t sleep and had to hold ice water in my mouth all night long. It was pure torture.”

Jian Mo motioned for Jiang Tou to follow him into the courtyard, where the light was better. “Let me check how your gums are healing.”

In the yard, Jian Mo had Jiang Tou sit on a small wooden stool and tilt his head back, opening his mouth wide.

Two of Jiang Tou’s four canine teeth had been removed, leaving two dark, hollow sockets behind.

After a careful examination, Jian Mo noted that the extraction sites were indeed healing well. The mucous membranes were regenerating, with no signs of redness or infection. It was likely thanks to Jiang Tou’s vegetable-heavy diet and his restraint from licking the wounds.

Jian Mo concluded his inspection and said, “Now transform into your beast form so I can have a look.”

Jiang Tou complied with a nod, turning away as his body shifted. He morphed into a massive, gray-maned lion and turned back to Jian Mo with an eager expression.

Jian Mo gestured. “Open wide, just like before.”

The lion let out a muffled “rawr” and opened its mouth as instructed.

In his beast form, Jiang Tou’s mouth was significantly larger, allowing Jian Mo to observe even more clearly. The mucosa deep inside his mouth had also recovered well, ruling out oral inflammation.

Jian Mo sighed in relief. Oral inflammation was an incredibly complex condition, and curing it would have been a nightmare, especially with the current state of technology in the tribe. Jiang Tou’s dental issues were likely due to a prolonged lack of vitamins and poor oral hygiene, leading to cavities and further complications. In this case, extraction effectively mitigated the problem.

After finishing his examination, Jian Mo said, “It looks great. You’re healing very nicely. Continue eating wild vegetables today. If nothing worsens, come back in two days. If anything changes, come back immediately.”

The giant lion nodded seriously.

“That’s it. You can go now.”

The lion turned its back to him, reverting to its humanoid form. Picking up his fur cloak from the ground, Jiang Tou said, “Alright then, we’ll head back.”

Jian Mo waved him off.

Jiang Tou left with Hongqiu, heading back home. Even from their retreating figures, Jian Mo could sense Jiang Tou’s newfound joy. The old beastman practically skipped along, holding onto his old companion, as cheerful as a child.

The He’an Tribe had recently completed two more batches of glass, and after a collective vote, the tribe decided to allow everyone to trade their own goods for glass. As a result, most households now had glass windows installed.

Sunlight and clouds reflected on the glass panes, turning them into orange-hued decorative paintings.

Standing in the yard, Jian Mo admired the stone houses with their shiny windows and inhaled the faint scent of smoke drifting from cooking fires. A profound sense of tranquility washed over him.

Life in the tribe was truly wonderful.

With anesthetics now available, Jian Mo’s patients weren’t limited to just Jiang Tou. Beastmen and sub-beastmen, who often lived up to 300 years, tended to accumulate many health issues as they aged. Without effective remedies, they’d typically resign themselves to their pain.

Now, many were willing to bring a few goods in exchange for Jian Mo’s help in alleviating their discomfort. Jian Mo accepted all comers, whether from his own tribe or neighboring ones, doing his utmost to treat their ailments. Though his expertise was in veterinary medicine, he strove to bridge the gap toward becoming a legendary healer. While he couldn’t cure every disease, he sought to relieve suffering as best as he could while improving his skills and gathering local medicinal resources.

One day, as Jian Mo was honing his bone needles inside, he noticed a shadow flitting outside his home. Thinking someone might need him, he stepped out, but the figure had vanished. Annoyed, he mentioned it to Wu Jiong that evening.

“I’ll ask around tomorrow,” Wu Jiong said.

“Alright. If it’s someone hesitant to seek treatment because of a lack of goods or other concerns, get Qing Kuo and the others to help persuade them.”

“Got it.”

Jian Mo had assumed it was a potential patient. To his surprise, the next day, Xilu brought Zhoufu over and sheepishly confessed that it had been him lurking outside.

With his fair complexion, Xilu’s embarrassment was all too visible as his cheeks turned red. This flaxen-haired sub-beastman was a bit shy, and Jian Mo asked, “No worries. What’s on your mind? Are you feeling unwell?”

Xilu waved his hands. “No, it’s just that… My great-grandfather once taught me an excellent method for stopping bleeding. I’ve used it twice, and it worked really well. I wanted to share it with you to see if it could be helpful.”

Jian Mo was surprised. “Of course, that’s useful! What’s the method? Come in, let’s have some tea and talk.”

It was overcast today, with the wind picking up outside. Standing in the doorway was chilly.

Jian Mo ushered them inside, took a ceramic kettle from the hearth, and poured steaming tea. “This is pepper blossom tea with honey. It’s sweet and spicy, perfect for warming up in this weather. Have a cup to chase off the chill.”

Zhoufu cradled his cup, taking a deep inhale. “It smells amazing.”

“Go ahead and try it.”

Xilu hesitated but finally took a sip. Afterward, he set the cup down and asked, “Doctor Jian Mo, have you ever heard of the fuzzball beast?”

Jian Mo searched his memory carefully but shook his head. “Never heard of it.”

Xilu gestured. “It’s a small creature, pitch black with long fur. When you touch it, it sheds a lot of powder. The powder is slightly toxic. With its hairy body, scant meat, and fishy taste, we usually don’t eat it.”

Jian Mo nodded, waiting for him to continue.

Xilu explained, “The powder it sheds is an excellent coagulant. Sprinkle it on a wound, and the bleeding stops almost immediately. Wounds treated with it also heal much faster.”

Curious, Jian Mo asked, “I’ve never heard of this. Does no one else know about this method?”

Zhoufu chimed in. “There are plenty of hemostatic herbs available, so people just use whatever they find. Until Xilu told me today, I had no idea about the fuzzball beast’s powder either.”

“My great-grandfather and his generation discovered it by chance,” Xilu said. “It’s not often used, so he only mentioned it to me once.”

Jian Mo nodded. “I see.”

Xilu clasped the ceramic cup with both hands. “What I wanted to tell you is about the fuzz powder. I’m not sure if it will be useful to you. If it is, I can take you to gather some. I know where the fuzzball beasts are.”

Jian Mo smiled. “Alright, I’ll ask around first. If I need it, I’ll come find you.”

That evening, Jian Mo brought up the fuzzball beasts during his conversation with Wu Jiong.

While Wu Jiong was familiar with the little creatures, he had no idea about the hemostatic properties of their fuzz powder.

“When we’re injured while out hunting,” Wu Jiong explained, “we just grab any herb we can find and slap it on the wound. If we don’t, we just press a hand over the injury, and after a while, the bleeding stops on its own.”

Jian Mo sighed. “That much I know—your bodies really are extraordinary.”

“Do you want to use it?” Wu Jiong asked. “If you do, we can gather some.”

Jian Mo hesitated. “I’m actually worried that animal-based materials might carry diseases—whether contact with it might cause illnesses.”

While the concept of contagious diseases did exist in the beastman world, it was mostly the stuff of legends.

Wu Jiong nodded in understanding. “People have lived on this land for countless generations. There’s no record of a tribe falling ill on a large scale because of wild animals.”

“Maybe it’s because everyone lives a life of hunting and gathering,” Jian Mo mused. “Their immune systems are stronger.”

Still, Jian Mo was curious about the fuzz powder and wanted to see what it was all about. He had heard of birds shedding feather powder, but this was the first time he’d learned that an animal could have fuzz powder.

Wu Jiong suggested, “If you’re interested, ask Xilu tomorrow.”

“Yeah, I’ll see if he can guide us.”

Xilu had already prepared himself to take Jian Mo to collect fuzz powder when he first brought it up. When Jian Mo mentioned wanting to go, Xilu readily agreed. “What day works for you? I’m free every day.”

“How about tomorrow?” Jian Mo asked. “Where do we need to go?”

“Do you know the Violet Flower Meadow?” Xilu replied. “There should be plenty of fuzzball beasts there.”

Jian Mo nodded. He was familiar with the area, having gone there in the fall with Qing Kuo to collect mushrooms. “It’s not far.”

“Right,” Xilu confirmed. “For beastmen in their beast forms, it’s just a short trip.”

“Then let’s leave after breakfast tomorrow,” Jian Mo decided. “Do you think we sub-beastmen should go alone, or should we bring beastmen with us?”

“I’d like to bring Xuan Yin along,” Xilu said. “He can carry me on his back. It’d be more convenient and safer.”

Xuan Yin was Xilu’s soon-to-be partner. The two were waiting for their house to be built so they could move in together and become formal mates.

Jian Mo had considered asking Wu Jiong to carry Xilu, but that might be awkward for a young sub-beastman. Alternatively, they could ride a winged beast to the meadow. Now that Xilu had suggested bringing Xuan Yin, Jian Mo quickly agreed. “Alright, sounds good. I’ll ask Wu Jiong to join us.”

They settled on a departure time.

Early the next morning, the four of them met outside the tribe and set off for Violet Flower Meadow.

The meadow was close enough to the tribe to be considered walking distance—just far enough for a stroll that might break a slight sweat but not leave one exhausted.

They arrived quickly.

The past few days had been snowless, and since the meadow was on the sunny side of a slope, most of the snow had already melted. Only a few clumps remained where the wind had piled them up.

Underneath the snow, the ground was covered in yellowing short grass. From a distance, the meadow seemed blanketed in stubby grass, with only some round animal droppings scattered between the tufts.

The soil on the slope was dark, as were the droppings, making it difficult to distinguish them at first glance.

Jian Mo scanned the area but didn’t see the small black creatures Xilu had described.

Anticipating his question, Xilu pointed at the ground. “The fuzzball beasts only come out at night. During the day, they usually hide in their burrows.”

“So we have to dig them out?” Jian Mo asked.

Xilu nodded.

Wu Jiong and Xuan Yin had remained in their beast forms. Like Wu Jiong, Xuan Yin was a canine beastman, but he resembled a red fox more than a wolf. Both had long snouts and keen noses, making them perfect for sniffing out the burrows.

Wu Jiong was the first to find one. He barked deeply to get Jian Mo’s attention. “There’s a fuzzball beast down here.”

Jian Mo quickly put on gloves and a mask, reminding Xilu to do the same. “On my way!”

He grabbed a stone hoe and ran to the giant wolf’s side, where Wu Jiong was sniffing a small black hole in the ground.

“Be careful,” Wu Jiong warned. “The hole is shallow. If you dig too quickly, the fuzzball beast might leap out and lunge at your face.”

Jian Mo nodded seriously and started digging.

The burrow twisted downward. After a few strokes of the hoe, he reached smooth, dry soil walls—remarkable given the damp environment. He couldn’t help but wonder how the fuzzball beasts kept their burrows so dry.

As Jian Mo focused on digging, a black fuzzball suddenly leaped out of the hole.

Before Jian Mo could react, he stood frozen as the creature darted past him like a streak of black lightning.

In the next moment, Wu Jiong’s massive paw came down lightly, pinning the fuzzball beast in place.

The beast struggled but failed to escape, letting out a high-pitched squeak: “Squeak!”

Jian Mo finally got a good look at it.

The fuzzball beast resembled a plush black toy, with a tiny body covered in long fur. It had big, round eyes—black and white—and four small paws tucked beneath its fluff. When agitated, it let out continuous squeaky cries.

It was surprisingly adorable.

Jian Mo crouched down and picked up the fuzzball beast with his gloved hands. “You can let it go now,” he told Wu Jiong.

The giant wolf lifted his paw.

Jian Mo held up the creature to examine it closely as Xilu and Xuan Yin gathered around.

Xilu pointed to Jian Mo’s gloves. “That white powder on your gloves—that’s its fuzz powder.”

Jian Mo looked down. Sure enough, his gloves were coated in a layer of pearl-like powder, with a faint iridescent sheen.

The fuzzball beast squirmed and squeaked in his hands, shedding more powder with every movement until it formed a thin layer on Jian Mo’s gloves.

Intrigued, Jian Mo shook the little creature gently.

The fuzz powder from the fuzzball beast fell like snowflakes into Jian Mo’s palm. Without the mask he was wearing, he would likely have started coughing from inhaling it.

Soon, the fuzzball beast let out a couple of weak whimpers, splayed its paws, and pretended to be dead.

Jian Mo held the fuzzball beast in his hand, giving it a squeeze. It was about the size of a tennis ball and indeed had little meat on it. After shaking it a few more times to ensure it had shed all its powder, Jian Mo gently placed it back at the burrow entrance.

The creature, which had been feigning death, immediately sprang to life and leaped into the hole, disappearing in an instant.

Jian Mo watched it vanish and remarked, “Quite nimble.”

Xilu chuckled. “Weak beasts like this tend to be good at running away.”

“That makes sense,” Jian Mo said. “It doesn’t seem to attack people much. Why don’t we split into two groups and gather fuzz powder on both sides?”

Xilu had no objections. “I’ll go with Xuan Yin.”

With that, the four split into two teams, significantly increasing their efficiency.

After observing the patterns, Jian Mo quickly learned to locate the fuzzball beasts’ burrows without relying on the giant wolf’s assistance. Once he found a hole, two digs with the hoe were enough to alert the beast inside. Sensing danger, the fuzzball beast would usually jump out, and Jian Mo could easily catch it with his gloved hands, shake it to collect the fuzz powder, and let it go.

Wu Jiong, the giant wolf, was equally adept at digging. Once he unearthed a fuzzball beast, he would pin it down and wait for Jian Mo to process it.

Violet Flower Meadow was dotted with fuzzball burrows of various sizes. By noon, Jian Mo and Wu Jiong had collected an entire jar of fuzz powder, and Xilu and Xuan Yin had gathered about the same amount.

After searching through so many burrows, Jian Mo’s eyes were starting to feel strained. He suggested, “Why don’t we call it a day? Once we confirm the fuzz powder’s effects, we can come back for more.”

Xilu agreed. “Sounds good.”

The giant wolf and the red fox carried their human companions back to the tribe.

Xilu didn’t keep any of the fuzz powder they had collected, handing the jar over to Jian Mo without hesitation.

Jian Mo had been planning to thank him, and after receiving the powder, he gave Xilu and Xuan Yin a small jar of honey chunks in return.

Xilu hesitated to accept the gift, explaining that he had shared the information about fuzz powder to help more people, not to gain anything from it. Besides, honey chunks were too precious.

Jian Mo insisted, pointing out that he charged other tribes for treatments. “Effort should be rewarded for things to remain sustainable,” he reasoned.

Xilu finally accepted the honey chunks.

Wu Jiong glanced at the two jars of fuzz powder and asked, “Does it need further processing?”

“Yes,” Jian Mo replied. “I’m not sure if it’s entirely safe to use. We need to determine its effectiveness, whether it’s suitable only for surface wounds or also for mucosal injuries, and how it feels during application. All of that needs to be tested.”

As someone trained in modern medicine, Jian Mo couldn’t introduce a new treatment casually, even if it was a traditional remedy.

To test the fuzz powder, he once again called on the little Tou Tou beasts for experiments. This time, he used two fresh ones instead of the pair previously subjected to anesthesia trials.

Over the next few days, Jian Mo discovered that the fuzzball beast’s powder was highly effective. When applied to more severe wounds, even in less-than-clean conditions, the injuries healed remarkably well with minimal redness or swelling.

In a control group, Jian Mo treated another Tou Tou beast’s wound with regular herbs under identical care conditions. The wound became infected and began festering, only improving after applying the fuzz powder.

Concerned that the freshly collected powder might harbor microorganisms, Jian Mo decided to sterilize it. He heated the powder in a clean clay pot and conducted a comparative test with unsterilized powder. Both versions yielded similar results, confirming that heating did not compromise its medicinal properties.

If conditions were better, Jian Mo knew how to conduct a double-blind test, but given the limitations, he set that aside for now.

Xilu’s assistance in finding the fuzz powder wasn’t a secret. After word spread that Jian Mo had given Xilu honey chunks in exchange for the powder, many others came forward to share their unique remedies.

In a short time, Jian Mo amassed a trove of local medicinal recipes. Despite the lack of a modern pharmaceutical system, the wealth of traditional knowledge was impressive. However, verifying their efficacy would require systematic testing.

As Jian Mo’s reputation grew, so did the number of people seeking his help. With the influx of patients, he gained valuable experience.

For members of the He’an Tribe, his services were free. For outsiders, he charged a fee based on the complexity of the treatment. The fees were modest, yet patients often brought their best goods to trade. If they didn’t have anything suitable, they would barter with others to present better offerings.

Commonly exchanged items included cloth, animal hides, and meat. Jian Mo ended up collecting so much that he started feeling it was wasteful.

One afternoon, with no visitors and nothing pressing to do, he went to the woodpile and stripped bark from some large branches. Since the tribe preferred to cut large tree limbs for firewood, the bark Jian Mo peeled was wide and thick.

He trimmed the bark, pieced it together, and fashioned it into a large flat board.

When Wu Jiong returned and saw Jian Mo scribbling on the bark with charcoal, he asked, “What are you doing?”

“I’m making a price list to post on the wall,” Jian Mo replied.

Wu Jiong walked over and saw various illustrations already drawn on the bark. Without even reading the labels, he recognized them as wild vegetables, tubers, firewood, and even pottery shards.

Pointing at the illustrations, Jian Mo explained, “Aside from cloth and hides, I’d like to collect other useful supplies.”

Wu Jiong asked, “Why include pottery shards?”

Jian Mo replied, “Qing Kuo said crushed pottery shards can be reused to make pottery, so I added them. Look through it and let me know if there’s anything else I should add. This way, when patients come, they can bring what they have without needing to trade for cloth or other items first.”

Wu Jiong went over the list and suggested, “You like fruit wine, don’t you? Add that.”

Jian Mo’s eyes lit up. “Good idea.”

The fruit wine they were brewing hadn’t finished fermenting yet, and their current supply was running low due to frequent use in cooking. Trading for more fruit wine made sense.

After finishing the board, Jian Mo surveyed his work. “When winter ends and spring arrives, we’ll probably have even more supplies than we do now.”

“Doctors are always especially popular,” Wu Jiong said. “But even with this board, not everyone will understand it.”

“I’ll explain it to them,” Jian Mo said. “Once they hear the explanation, they’ll know what I need and can bring it directly without going to the trouble of trading first.”