Transmigrated to the Beastman World as a Veterinarian – CH6

Last night’s bonfire feast brought Jian Mo a rare sense of relaxation, and the next day, instead of feeling tired, he woke up early.

Wu Jiong was up even earlier than him, already busying himself with tasks both inside and outside the house.

The two of them divided their work seamlessly, starting a bustling morning.

Outside, the sun slowly emerged, dispelling the morning mist lingering in the forest.

A tantalizing aroma began to waft from within the house, drifting far into the distance.

Before long, curious little cubs who had yet to transform into human form came running over, their round eyes darting about as they peered inside. Soon after, the ones who could take on human form also arrived.

A group of little ones squatted in unison outside Wu Jiong’s home.

The beastmen and sub-beastmen who came looking for their children were also drawn in, enveloped by the rich fragrance of food.

Someone couldn’t help but shout to Jian Mo, “Jian Mo, what are you making? It smells incredible!”

Jian Mo had just finished plating the dishes. Hearing the question, he replied, “Just stir-fried meat and steamed eggs.”

People were skeptical: “Stir-fried meat doesn’t smell like this, though!”

Jian Mo looked up with a smile. “It depends on how you stir-fry it. Today, I used pickled vegetables with the meat; that’s where this aroma comes from.”

Seeing Jian Mo willing to chat, everyone stepped inside for a look.

The freshly stir-fried meat was still steaming, coated with a glossy, thick sauce. The meat pieces were slightly contracted, looking tender and juicy.

Wu Jiong brought out fresh bowls and plates, inviting everyone to dine inside.

At first, many people were hesitant, thinking of declining politely. However, after seeing the beautifully cooked meat, they couldn’t bring themselves to refuse. They simply expressed their thanks while secretly deciding to send some meat over to Wu Jiong’s house later in the evening.

All their chaotic thoughts disappeared the moment they tasted the food—

“It’s hot! But so flavorful!”

“How is this meat so tender? And why is it so juicy?”

“Is this really the meat of a horned beast? It tastes familiar yet different.”

“This is so delicious; I love this flavor!”

Jian Mo nodded. “Yes, it’s horned beast meat. But I marinated it overnight with fruit wine and spices, so it’s more flavorful.”

The fruit wine added a hint of sweetness and aroma, enhancing the meat’s flavor while removing any gamey taste.

To make the meat even more tender, he crushed a piece of a root vegetable to replace cornstarch.

As for the pickled vegetables, they were used to add complexity to the dish’s flavor.

To achieve that silky tenderness, it was crucial to heat the stone slab until it was scorching hot, add plenty of oil, and quickly stir-fry the meat in batches, taking it out as soon as it was cooked.

Jian Mo explained everything about knife skills, marinating, and controlling the heat in detail.

Many people listened with their eyes wide open, speechless, nodding their heads furiously in understanding.

The children and the little cubs squatting together also stared at Jian Mo with sparkling eyes.

Wu Jiong quietly ate his meal on the side, occasionally glancing at the visitors before lowering his head to continue eating.

More and more people filled the house. Once they had finished eating, Wu Jiong took the bowls and chopsticks to wash them.

Meanwhile, others surrounded Jian Mo, asking him all kinds of questions.

As the sun climbed higher, it was time for people to head out to hunt or gather.

Satisfied and content, everyone gradually bid farewell to Jian Mo and prepared to head out.

Today, Jian Mo planned to go with Zhou Fu and the others to gather herbs, and while they were at it, collect some tubers as well.

Before leaving, he specifically went to check on the Winged Beast tied outside.

The creature, which was eating, shrank back nervously when it saw someone approaching. Its round ears atop its head flattened, and its large eyes were filled with fear. “Whimper.”

Surprisingly, this big creature had a rather sweet voice, and its gaze was incredibly clear, making it seem less like a fierce beast.

But still—

Jian Mo glanced at the venomous stinger on the tip of its tail and felt that it was far from harmless.

Carefully, Jian Mo inspected the Winged Beast’s condition.

After a night of rest, most of its infected wounds had dried out, and several spots were already scabbing over.

It seemed that this creature had an impressive ability to recover.

Perhaps it wouldn’t even take a month for all its wounds to fully heal.

As he was checking, the sub-beastmen from the tribe who had arranged to go out with him today arrived to wait for him.

Several of them reached out to touch the securely bound Winged Beast.

The creature tucked its claws under its fluffy belly, staying silent, looking quite tense, which made it appear especially obedient.

Unable to resist, Jian Mo gave its chubby rump a few pats before turning to the others and saying, “Alright, we can head out.”

One of the sub-beastmen kindly suggested, “You can check on it a bit longer if you need to. There’s no rush.”

Jian Mo smiled. “It’s really fine.”

Seeing him say so, everyone slung their baskets onto their backs, ready to set off.

Today, they were taking Jian Mo to gather herbs, so they would be heading to a mountain known for its abundance of medicinal plants, though it was quite far away.

There were far more herbs here than Jian Mo had anticipated.

As they walked, the sub-beastmen shared their knowledge with Jian Mo about various herbs—those that reduced swelling, treated infections, stopped bleeding, helped with hairballs, detoxified, and so on. Jian Mo’s eyes sparkled with interest.

He couldn’t help but ask, “Who discovered all these herbs?”

Everyone shook their heads in unison:

“No idea.”

“Well, everyone just knows how to use them.”

“Not just us beastmen; even the wild animals out there will sometimes gather these herbs. It’s instinctual.”

“Exactly, especially for detoxifying and hairball remedies. Many wild animals eat them, and we even learned how to use some herbs by watching them.”

Jian Mo found this fascinating. “That’s amazing. But do dried herbs still work? Does anyone here collect and store them?”

Zhou Fu was puzzled, “Why would we store them? We can just gather them when we need them.”

Jian Mo replied, “But what if you need them when there’s none around, like in the winter when heavy snow kills off all the herbs outside?”

“That wouldn’t happen,” another sub-beastman said seriously. “Even when it snows, we can just dig under the snow to find the herbs.”

“Exactly. If one kind isn’t available, we’ll just find another; we can always find something,” Zhou Fu added.

Jian Mo understood then—they were accustomed to gathering herbs only when they needed them.

However, according to his knowledge, drying herbs usually preserved their effectiveness.

He put the herbs he had gathered into his basket, planning to take them back to test.

As they continued collecting herbs along the way, they stumbled upon many wild fruits and edible roots.

Everyone kept picking as they walked, and their baskets soon became heavy.

Jian Mo was hard at work when suddenly someone shouted ahead, “Come quickly! There’s a patch of Wooden Root here!”

“Where?”

“Wooden Root?!”

The excitement was clear in the person’s voice.

Jian Mo followed the others towards the source of the sound.

A sub-beastman was parting a patch of weeds, turning around to say, “Look, underneath here is Wooden Root.”

“It really is,” Zhou Fu said, putting down his basket. “Let’s dig here; I bet we can get a good haul.”

Everyone quickly pulled out their stone hoes and picks, and got to work with skillful efficiency.

Jian Mo also chose a spot and joined them in digging.

Wooden Root’s tuber was long and resembled a yam, but it was sweeter, with a fine, powdery texture that was easy to digest and didn’t cause acid reflux. It was considered one of the tastiest tubers of the season.

Wu Jiong’s household didn’t have much of it stored, so Jian Mo had been rationing it carefully, alternating it with other tubers before serving it for meals.

With so much Wooden Root available today, they’d be able to enjoy it for quite a while.

Digging Wooden Root was labor-intensive.

The soil here was uncultivated and very compact, filled with dense roots and some stones, making it quite challenging to dig with stone hoes.

Jian Mo was already panting after just a short while, leaning on his hoe with his hands on his hips to catch his breath.

Seeing him struggling, Xi Lu, his partner, swiftly took over the hoe and called out, “Jian Mo, take a break. I’ll handle it.”

Jian Mo, exhausted, stepped aside. “Call me when you’re tired.”

Xi Lu kept digging energetically. “I’m not tired.”

Jian Mo watched Xi Lu’s enthusiasm before moving away to rest.

Soon, Jian Mo spotted some round fruits on the ground.

He crushed one open, revealing greenish flesh and a black seed. Bringing it to his nose, he detected a bitter, unique scent.

While busy digging, Xi Lu glanced up and said, “Those are the fruits of the Wooden Root. They’re incredibly bitter and astringent. Eating them will numb your throat and give you diarrhea, so they’re inedible.”

Jian Mo pinched the fruit between his fingers and asked, “If you plant it in the soil, will it sprout and grow into a new Wooden Root?”

Xi Lu looked at him as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Of course, it’s the fruit after all.”

Jian Mo picked up a few of the fruits and placed them in his basket lined with leaves. “I’ll try planting them and see if they grow.”

Xi Lu was puzzled. “Why bother planting them? If you want some, just go up the mountain and dig them up. There are plenty. If you ever crave them, just let me know and I’ll take you up there.”

Zhou Fu, who was digging Wooden Root nearby, chimed in, “There are several mountains around here where Wooden Root grows. You can easily find some whenever you want.”

Jian Mo shook his head. “It’s not the same. Just think of it as me being fond of Wooden Root.”

With that, Jian Mo smoothly shifted the conversation to a different topic.

No one noticed, and soon they were chatting about other things.

The area seemed to be particularly suitable for Wooden Root, with a large patch spreading out in all directions.

As they continued to gather herbs and dig up roots, they soon collected a sizeable pile.

Seeing that the soil in the area had been thoroughly turned, Jian Mo thought for a moment and decided to bury some of the Wooden Root fruits back into the loosened earth.

The others noticed but said nothing, even helping him cover them up.

As Jian Mo was absorbed in his work, a sudden shout came from ahead: “Hey, everyone, come here! There are so many Wooden Roots here! They’re growing all the way into a cave!”

“Where?!”

“Let me see!”

Jian Mo was pulled along by Zhou Fu, joining the others who were crowding around the entrance of a dark cave.

The entrance was overgrown with weeds, and vines hung down like a curtain. If one didn’t look carefully, it would have been easy to miss.

Zhou Fu sniffed the air. “A Long-headed Beast’s den. It’s been abandoned for at least three or four years.”

Xi Lu’s eyes gleamed with excitement as he stared into the cave. “What a pity. If it were still here, we could have taken down a Long-headed Beast today.”

Zhou Fu chuckled. “Or maybe not. What if it were ferocious and ended up chasing us instead?”

Xi Lu laughed, “That wouldn’t matter. With so many of us, we could just sit on it and squash it to death.”

Listening from the side, Jian Mo gathered that this Long-headed Beast was some sort of large carnivorous predator.

However, he couldn’t detect the scent of a beast in the air nor determine how long the cave had been abandoned. The thick vegetation covering the entrance was his only clue that no wild animals currently resided inside.

Using shell knives, they cut away the plants blocking the entrance and peered into the darkness.

Xi Lu was the first to enter, walking a few steps inside. After confirming that there was no danger, he turned and signaled for the others to follow.

At that moment, Jian Mo noticed that Xi Lu’s ears had turned furry again, and his pupils had become large and round.

The others were the same—beast ears, claws, and tails all emerged.

—They were releasing their beast markings in response to the dangerous environment to better adapt.

Jian Mo, having no beast markings and little experience in dealing with danger, could only stay safely in the middle of the group.

As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he realized that the cave was much larger than he had imagined—at least 20 square meters wide.

Walking on the firm soil floor, they could even hear their footsteps echoing.

“No danger,” Xi Lu’s voice came from the dim interior.

Several people sighed in relief, and Jian Mo heard Zhou Fu muttering beside him, “There were so many weeds here earlier, I almost tripped and fell on my butt.”

Another sub-beastman suggested, “Let’s cut down these weeds and toss them out. They’re in the way.”

Everyone agreed unanimously.

Soon, the sub-beastmen cleared out all the plants inside the cave.

Standing amidst the group, Jian Mo finally caught a whiff of the distinctive, pungent scent of a carnivorous beast.

It was the smell of excrement—piles of Long-headed Beast droppings had accumulated in half the cave, still emitting a strong odor even after all this time.

Now he understood why the plants inside the cave were growing so well—with such abundant fertilizer, it would have been strange if they hadn’t thrived.

Gripping his stone hoe, Jian Mo hesitated, wondering where to start digging.

Xi Lu pulled him over. “Come dig over here. Can you see it?”

Jian Mo squinted, trying to focus on the spot ahead. “I can see it, more or less.”

Xi Lu reassured him, “No worries. If you hit something, I’ll let you know.”

The group enthusiastically swung their hoes, digging with great energy.

Before long, someone unearthed the first Wooden Root, holding it up in surprise. “This Wooden Root is huge—it’s almost as thick as my thigh!”

Everyone crowded around to look.

The Wooden Roots outside were at most as thick as a lotus root, but these ones inside the cave were as thick as a human thigh, looking exceptionally plump.

It seemed that the ample fertilizer and the long years of growth were key factors in producing such well-developed roots.

The quality of the Wooden Roots inside the cave got everyone excited, and they began digging with even more vigor.

Soon, more Wooden Roots were unearthed, each thicker than a person’s thigh.

Not only were the roots underground thick and long, but they also grew densely, with two or three roots found in just a square meter.

It seemed that the roots had absorbed nutrients from the cave while their vines extended outside to soak up sunlight and rain. This combination resulted in their impressive size and quality.

As they dug, everyone tossed the weeds and debris outside the cave.

Jian Mo looked up and noticed a lot of white, fluffy clumps. “What are those?”

Xi Lu glanced up and nonchalantly replied, “Fur.”

Jian Mo was confused. “Fur? What kind?”

Xi Lu explained, “It’s the shed fur of the Long-headed Beast. It molts twice a year, shedding a lot of fur. These clumps are probably what it left behind.”

Zhou Fu took a look and said, “Judging by the amount, it might have lived in this cave for six or seven years.”

Xi Lu added, “Probably even longer.”

Jian Mo reached out and picked up one of the clumps of fur. It was soft and fine to the touch, feeling incredibly comfortable.

He decided to keep the fur clump. “These fur clumps are so nice. Doesn’t anyone want them?”

The people around were puzzled, so Xi Lu asked, “What do you want them for?”

Jian Mo replied, “I’ll use them to make things, like clothes.”

Xi Lu said, “But we already have animal hides for clothing. Didn’t the chief give you some? If not, I can grab a few hides for you when we get back.”

Seeing that Wu Jiong’s reputation was at risk, Jian Mo quickly explained, “He did. The hides at home are available for me to use. But fur and hide are completely different materials, with different uses.”

The people exchanged confused glances.

Zhou Fu asked, “Different? But don’t they both have fur?”

Jian Mo explained, “No, they’re different. Animal fur is much more breathable. Anyway, once I make something, you’ll all understand.”

With that, Jian Mo began picking up the scattered fur clumps from the cave and putting them in his basket.

The fur was quite soft, and he thought he could try making a pair of socks out of it.

He only had one pair of socks, which he washed every night and wore every day. They were nearly worn out, and he desperately needed a new pair. Maybe he could even make a few extra pairs for backup.

Although the sub-beastmen didn’t quite understand, they still helped gather the scattered fur clumps for him.

Xi Lu looked at the fur and remarked, “It’s a bit dirty.”

Jian Mo replied, “No worries. I can wash it clean with soapy water.”

At that moment, Jian Mo felt grateful that he had previously made soap.

Soap was much better at cleaning than ash water or sand. These dirty clumps of fur could probably be soaked and washed thoroughly clean.

Originally, everyone had only planned to gather some herbs and collect food today, but they hadn’t expected to find such an abundance of Wooden Root in the cave.

They dug from morning until evening, and even as the sun was setting, they still hadn’t finished.

Since only a little was left, no one wanted to come back the next day to continue digging.

As darkness began to fall, several sub-beastmen’s partners arrived to find them and took over their hoes.

With the beastmen stepping in, the digging speed increased significantly.

When their baskets weren’t enough to hold everything, a group of sub-beastmen went into the wild to cut vines, tying the Wooden Root into bundles for the beastmen to carry down the mountain.

In the end, when they returned to the tribe and tallied their haul, they found they had dug up thirteen baskets and an additional twenty-one bundles of Wooden Root.

Jian Mo estimated by weight that they had harvested at least 1,500 pounds of Wooden Root today.

In group hunting and gathering, it was customary to set aside half of the harvest for the tribe, with the remaining half divided among the hunters or gatherers.

Jian Mo’s share came to more than half a basket of Wooden Root, enough to last him and Wu Jiong for five or six days.

Wu Jiong helped carry the Wooden Root back. “Wasn’t today especially tiring?”

Jian Mo, happy with the day’s results, replied, “Not too bad. With such a big harvest, it doesn’t feel tiring at all.”

Wu Jiong smiled.

They carried the Wooden Root back home and placed it in the food storage corner.

Jian Mo looked at the pile of tubers, wild fruits, and vegetables in the corner, and then at the various meats hanging outside. He felt a rare sense of accomplishment.

He had contributed a good portion to these food stores.

Wu Jiong glanced at the basket containing the leftover fur clumps and Wooden Root fruits. “Are these fur clumps and fruits still useful?”

“Yes,” Jian Mo said, snapping out of his thoughts. He explained to Wu Jiong, “I plan to use the fruits as seeds to plant, and I’ll see if I can spin the fur into yarn to weave something.”

Wu Jiong nodded. “Where do you plan to plant them?”

Jian Mo tentatively asked, “Is it okay to plant them behind the house? I noticed there’s a large empty patch of land there that doesn’t seem to be used for anything else.”

Wu Jiong agreed, “Sure, let them grow near the base of the mountain.”

Jian Mo responded, “No problem. I’ll plant them there tomorrow!”

Wu Jiong added, “Call me when you do. I’ll help you plant them.”