Last night, Jian Mo had a series of chaotic dreams filled with pained groans. Even now, his head was throbbing faintly.
Dreams reflect the concerns of the day, and he had a nagging feeling that there might truly be something in the gorge.
Seeing how insistent Jian Mo was, Wu Jiong thought for a moment before saying, “Let’s go check it out in a bit.”
Jian Mo was surprised. “But aren’t you supposed to lead the hunting party today?”
Wu Jiong dismissed it casually, “I’ll just have someone else take over.”
After breakfast, Wu Jiong indeed arranged for another beastman to lead the hunting team.
Jian Mo also informed the sub-beastmen about his change in plans.
They were a bit surprised but understanding.
Qing Kuo nodded. “Sometimes, I also go out alone with my partner.”
Zhou Fu, his cheeks slightly flushed, added, “When we go out with our partners, we sometimes find special things. It’s also good for bonding. The Chief encourages us to take turns going out with our partners.”
Ye Luo chimed in, “It’s not just with partners. Sometimes, we go out with beastmen or sub-beastmen we get along with. Going out with the whole group every day can get tiresome.”
Jian Mo nodded repeatedly, signaling that he understood.
Qing Kuo glanced off into the distance and said to Jian Mo, “The Chief is waiting for you over there. You’d better go quickly.”
Following Qing Kuo’s gaze, Jian Mo indeed saw Wu Jiong standing outside the crowd.
Without a word, Wu Jiong turned his back, quickly pulling off his fur skirt. In a swift motion, he transformed into a giant wolf before anyone could see clearly.
The massive wolf grabbed the fallen fur skirt with his mouth, tossed it onto his back, and then looked up at Jian Mo.
Jian Mo had seen Wu Jiong’s beast form before but had never taken a close look.
Now, seeing the enormous wolf up close—those thick, furry ears, the strong muzzle, and the slightly narrow eyes—Jian Mo couldn’t look away.
So majestic!
As a veterinarian who had handled countless dogs, this was the first time he had seen such a handsome canine creature.
Standing there staring at the giant wolf, Jian Mo’s palms itched with excitement.
The wolf, seeing Jian Mo frozen in place, called out, “Come over.”
In his beast form, Wu Jiong’s voice was much deeper, carrying a unique, sexy resonance.
Jian Mo walked over and stood in front of the giant wolf, looking up at him.
The wolf prompted, “Climb up from my front paw.”
Jian Mo’s eyes lit up as he approached the wolf’s right front paw, using both his hands and feet to clamber onto his back. Under Wu Jiong’s guidance, he settled onto the area between the wolf’s shoulders, using the fur skirt as a cushion.
The wolf instructed, “You can grab onto my fur, hold on tight—it won’t hurt.”
Jian Mo nodded eagerly. “Okay, got it!”
Once Jian Mo was secure, the giant wolf stood up and began to trot along the riverbank.
The wolf’s shoulders were so high that Jian Mo estimated they were about three meters off the ground. Seated on his back, the view was entirely different.
Jian Mo was filled with awe and excitement as he looked around. The river, the forest, and the distant snow-capped mountains were all laid out clearly before him.
The wolf ran with incredible stability, and the wind was surprisingly gentle.
Jian Mo focused intently on listening to the surrounding sounds—the chirping of insects, the calls of birds, the roars of beasts, and the flow of water—but none of them matched the eerie sound he had heard the previous night.
They ran a long distance along the river, but there was no sign of any strange noises.
The giant wolf said, “We’re already quite far from the tribe. That peculiar sound is unlikely to be coming from any further downstream.”
Jian Mo looked around in confusion. “I still don’t understand what it could be.”
The wolf reassured him, “It’s fine. Being alert to anything unusual is a very good habit.”
Encouraged by his words, Jian Mo suggested, “On our way back, could we go through the mountains? Maybe if we get to higher ground, we might see or hear something more.”
The wolf agreed, “I’ll follow the ridge then.”
With his massive strides, the wolf easily covered six to seven meters with each step. The dense forest below seemed almost insignificant beneath his powerful leaps.
Jian Mo eagerly scanned the surroundings, hoping to catch that strange sound again.
Though they didn’t find the source of the noise, Jian Mo did spot plenty of fruits and roots worth collecting along the way.
Together, the wolf and the man gathered as they traveled, quickly filling Jian Mo’s basket.
This eased his mind a little. Even if they didn’t discover anything unusual today, at least they had gathered plenty of food, so the trip wasn’t a waste.
While Jian Mo was concentrating on listening to his surroundings, the giant wolf suddenly spoke up, “I think I know where that strange sound is coming from.”
Jian Mo’s eyes lit up. “Where?”
The wolf responded, “Look at the mountain peak ahead.”
Jian Mo squinted in the direction he was pointing and soon noticed something unusual. “Is it that area where the trees are broken?”
The wolf confirmed, “Yes.”
With that, the wolf took off, carrying Jian Mo swiftly towards the mountain peak.
Before long, they reached their destination.
Jian Mo could clearly see that several trees on the mountaintop had been snapped, with the broken branches tinged yellow, indicating that they had been recently broken, likely within the past couple of days.
However—
He didn’t see any injured animals.
The wolf prompted, “Look down.”
Jian Mo snapped out of his thoughts and looked at the ground. After a few moments, he suddenly noticed something. “There’s a big hole here!”
The wolf explained, “Something might have fallen down, smashing through the mountain top and dropping into a cave below.”
Jian Mo was shocked. “There’s a cave down there?”
The wolf, still carrying Jian Mo, walked closer to the edge of the hole. “This entire mountain has a network of caves beneath it.”
Reaching the edge, Jian Mo slid down from the wolf’s back, holding onto his leg for support as he leaned forward to peer into the dark opening.
The entrance was an irregular hole in the ground, with moist soil that looked freshly disturbed.
However, it was quite dark inside, and Jian Mo couldn’t see anything clearly after staring for a while.
The giant wolf stared into the darkness for a moment and said, “There seems to be a Flying Winged Beast inside.”
Jian Mo thought hard but couldn’t recall what a Flying Winged Beast was. He asked, “Should we go down and take a look?”
The wolf replied, “We can’t get down from here. Let’s go to the base of the mountain and enter the cave from there.”
The wolf lay down to let Jian Mo climb back onto his back, then carried him as they raced down the mountain.
Before long, they reached the riverbank.
Jian Mo looked around and spotted an inconspicuous small hole in the mountainside. “Are we going in through that entrance?”
Wu Jiong shifted back into his human form, quickly grabbing the fallen fur skirt and wrapping it around himself. “Yes. Stay close to me.”
Bending down, Wu Jiong led the way into the cave.
Outside, the sun was shining brightly, and the weather was hot, but as soon as they stepped into the cave, a damp chill mixed with the scent of earth enveloped them. Jian Mo shivered.
Wu Jiong glanced back at him.
Jian Mo waved his hand to indicate he was fine, pulled his coat tighter around himself, and lowered his head to follow closely behind.
The cave’s passageways twisted and turned, with very little light, but that didn’t hinder Wu Jiong at all.
Wu Jiong led Jian Mo through the maze-like tunnels, and soon they passed through the narrowest section, where a faint light appeared ahead.
Jian Mo perked up, quickly realizing that the light was coming from the hole in the mountain they had seen earlier, where sunlight was streaming in.
After walking another dozen meters, the passage suddenly opened up.
It was no longer a narrow tunnel but a large cavern.
The roof of the stone cavern had been smashed open, and a shaft of sunlight streamed down, forming a bright column of light.
With the aid of the sunlight, Jian Mo immediately saw the enormous creature lying in the center of the cavern.
It was a giant beast with its eyes tightly shut, sprawled out on the ground.
The creature was covered in long fur and looked somewhat like a raccoon, indicating it was likely a mammal. However, on its four legs were large wings similar to those of a bird.
These wings were spread out, each as large as a house.
No wonder it was called a Flying Winged Beast!
After recovering from his initial shock, Jian Mo caught a whiff of a putrid, rancid odor.
The beast was likely wounded and had developed an infection.
Wu Jiong, still observing the creature, remarked, “The strange sound you heard last night was probably its cry when it was awake.”
“That’s possible.” Jian Mo examined the unconscious beast closely. “So, what do we do now?”
Wu Jiong explained, “Flying Winged Beasts are generally gentle. Some tribes even train them as pack animals. We should take it back to the tribe.”
Jian Mo looked back at the narrow passage they had come through. “The path is too tight; it might not fit through.”
Wu Jiong gestured upwards. “We’ll need to return to the tribe to get help. We can use ropes to lift it through the hole at the top.”
After making their plan, they returned to the tribe.
Not many people had stayed behind in the village, but when they heard that a Flying Winged Beast had been found, everyone was excited:
“I remember going to the Mengshui Tribe for a hunting festival years ago and seeing beastmen riding Flying Winged Beasts.”
“Was that twelve years ago? I saw it too! I even begged my father to raise one for me, but he said we don’t have any here.”
“Chief, is the one you found big enough to ride?”
…
When Wu Jiong announced that they needed people to help with ropes to hoist the beast up, everyone eagerly volunteered.
In the end, almost all the adult beastmen and sub-beastmen, except for the patrol team, went along. Even a group of teenagers tagged along, hoping to watch the excitement.
They headed straight to the mountaintop, where they enlarged the hole and tied ropes around the Flying Winged Beast. Slowly and carefully, they hoisted it up.
By evening, they had successfully transported the creature back to the tribe, where they laid it down in the central square.
Jian Mo stood among the crowd, observing the beast and noticing multiple wounds on its body.
The most severe injury appeared to be on one of its wings, which was clearly broken and positioned awkwardly.
While Jian Mo was inspecting it from afar, someone called out to him, “Jian Mo, come over here and see if you can treat this Flying Winged Beast!”
Jian Mo approached. “I’ll need to examine it first.”
Wu Jiong instructed the others to hold the beast steady to prevent it from lashing out and injuring anyone. “Be careful.”
Jian Mo stood near the injured wing, gently lifting it to check its movement. He immediately heard the unmistakable sound of bone fragments grating against each other—confirming that it was indeed broken.
In addition to the broken wing, the creature had multiple cuts and abrasions, with the worst wound located on its head.
Someone nearby asked, “How did it get injured and fall into the cave? There shouldn’t be any animals strong enough to defeat it in the sky, right?”
“It might have been struck by lightning,” Jian Mo suggested, pointing at the charred, blackened wound on the beast’s head. “See the web-like burn marks? Those are classic signs of a lightning strike.”
Everyone crowded in to take a closer look, filled with curiosity.
Wu Jiong asked, “How should we treat it?”
After assessing the situation, Jian Mo said, “First, we need to immobilize the broken wing, then clean the wounds with salt water to remove the dirt and pus. After that, it will have to heal on its own.”
If they were still in modern times, Jian Mo could have thought of several treatment options immediately.
But in this primitive setting, without medical equipment or proper medicine, he couldn’t even assess its internal injuries.
The tribespeople were both fascinated by the Flying Winged Beast and curious about Jian Mo’s treatment methods.
Whenever Jian Mo requested something, someone would immediately run to fetch it.
By the river, Jian Mo set up a large pot and began boiling salt water.
He even threw his clean T-shirt into the pot to sterilize it.
Once the saltwater boiled, he filtered it briefly, let it cool, and used the T-shirt to wipe the beast’s wounds.
The Flying Winged Beast groaned in pain as it regained consciousness, its eyes wet with tears, making pitiful whimpering sounds and weakly struggling.
Upon hearing the sounds, Jian Mo realized that this was indeed the cry he had heard the previous night.
Fearing that the creature might lash out, the beastmen quickly transformed into their beast forms, using their powerful claws to hold it down and keep it from moving.
Seeing that the beastmen had secured the Flying Winged Beast, Jian Mo began carefully rinsing and wiping down its wounds.
The primary purpose of the cleaning was to eliminate bacteria and clear out any dirt, leaves, or debris lodged in the injuries.
The Flying Winged Beast’s wounds seemed to be a few days old; bacteria had likely already formed a fibrous membrane, trapping pus underneath.
Jian Mo meticulously cleaned the wounds and helped squeeze out the trapped pus.
After draining the pus, the healing process would likely speed up.
While they were treating the Flying Winged Beast, the hunters and gatherers who had been out returned to the village and came over to watch.
The locals were familiar with draining pus from wounds, so Jian Mo’s method resonated with them and felt oddly familiar.
Once the wounds were thoroughly cleaned, large sections of the beast’s fur were left wet and clumped together, and its eyes appeared damp and lifeless.
Jian Mo gently touched its belly, suspecting that it hadn’t eaten for some time. He quickly asked someone to bring food.
The Flying Winged Beast was omnivorous, able to eat meat, roots, fruits, and even grass, so feeding it wasn’t too difficult.
After a while, as the beastmen fed it, it gobbled down the food ravenously, gradually becoming calmer, and a spark of clarity returned to its eyes.
Once the treatment was done, they used ropes to tie the creature securely to the ground and warned the children to stay away.
Jian Mo, still worried, looked back at the Flying Winged Beast. “Maybe we should secure it with a few more ropes. It seems pretty strong.”
Wu Jiong noticed his concern for the children and smiled, ordering more ropes to be brought over. They tied all four of the beast’s legs securely.
The Flying Winged Beast struggled briefly but couldn’t break free, eventually resigning itself and lying down passively.
The tribe was thrilled to have captured such a rare creature.
Everyone quickly agreed to hold a communal feast on the open grounds to celebrate.
Jian Mo looked puzzled, prompting someone to explain, “We often gather like this. When we get tired of eating our own cooking, trying food made by others makes it less monotonous.”
Thinking back to some of the less appetizing dishes he had tried, Jian Mo nodded in rare agreement.
In a world without takeout, communal feasts were indeed a great way to improve the diet.
Since there would be a feast, they decided not to distribute today’s meat separately.
The tribespeople brought out knives to cut the meat into small pieces, dividing tasks among themselves as they cleaned and prepared the various ingredients.
Initially, Jian Mo wanted to help wash vegetables, but the others insisted that, since he was the best cook, he should handle the cooking instead.
It wasn’t until then that Jian Mo discovered there was actually quite a variety of seasonings available—Wu Jiong’s household simply hadn’t been using them.
The most surprising discovery for Jian Mo was that they even had alcohol!
The sub-beastmen had gathered fruits during the summer, sealed them in containers, and allowed natural yeast on the fruit peels to ferment into a low-alcohol fruit wine.
Seeing Jian Mo’s eyes light up in astonishment, the sub-beastmen burst into laughter.
Qing Kuo personally handed him a jar and placed it in his arms. “Take this and enjoy it.”
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Jian Mo accepted it with a grateful smile.
Today, with the tribe’s great success, the atmosphere was as festive as a holiday.
People ate roasted meat, drank fruit wine, and some even started singing, pulling those around them into dance.
Sipping his fruit wine, Jian Mo watched them with a radiant smile—the first genuine smile since he had arrived in this world.
Unbeknownst to him, Wu Jiong had been quietly watching him for quite some time. When someone noticed, Wu Jiong quickly averted his gaze.
Thank you for the translation!