As the weather gradually warmed, the days here grew brighter earlier.
In the winter, when Jian Mo woke up at the same time, it was still dark outside.
Now, waking up at the same hour, the sun was already about to rise.
After getting up, Jian Mo yawned and freshened up, then headed to the riverside to pick vegetables for breakfast preparation.
Thanks to their careful maintenance over time, the vegetable patch by the river had flourished. Only the tough-stemmed Jin Grass, which had been harvested too often, grew sparse. The other plants, however were quite lush.
Jian Mo inspected the patch. The green onion leaves had already grown, their hollow, plump blades resembling their Earthly counterparts.
He plucked a handful and held it, then went over to check on the Mu Ding Roots and Mao Roots. Both tubers were doing well, though it was too early to discern much.
Among all the plants, the Mien Grass thrived the most.
These lush, verdant patches looked like meticulously maintained lawns. If not for their limited area, they could have been mistaken for vast fields of greenery.
After finishing with the vegetables, Jian Mo turned and headed back.
The little cubs from the tribe and Chirpy were playing outside. When they saw Jian Mo, they stopped and called out sweetly, “Brother Jian Mo!”
Jian Mo smiled and greeted them. “Good kids, keep playing.”
The little cubs, along with Chirpy, resumed their energetic games, running until they were breathless.
Returning home, Jian Mo chopped the green onion leaves and mixed them with garlic powder, adding salt and powdered shellfish meat. He intended to make a flavorful onion paste.
The paste, when mixed into mashed tubers, had a far better flavor than plain boiled ones.
While Jian Mo was in the kitchen, preparing breakfast, Wu Jiong entered from outside.
“Did you finish feeding the Tou Tou Beasts?” Jian Mo asked casually, glancing at him. Unfortunately, at that moment, he noticed a red mark on the back of Wu Jiong’s hand.
“What’s wrong with your hand?” Jian Mo asked, picking up Wu Jiong’s hand to inspect it. “How did you get hurt?”
Wu Jiong replied, “The Tou Tou Beasts were restless today. When I went to feed them, a few charged at me, and I ended up scraping my hand. It’ll heal in no time; don’t worry about it.”
Jian Mo examined it carefully to confirm there were no broken bones before asking, “Restless? Could they be in heat?”
“Maybe,” Wu Jiong responded.
“I’ll go take a look after breakfast,” Jian Mo said.
They quickly finished breakfast and fed Chirpy before Jian Mo found time to check on the Tou Tou Beasts.
Their household had two adult Tou Tou Beasts and six juveniles, totaling eight. Among them were five females and three males.
The ones that had rushed at Wu Jiong that morning were the three males.
Jian Mo observed them and noted their reddened eyes, elevated body temperature, and changes in their external genitalia. They were indeed in heat.
Calculating the time, it had been nearly two hundred days since the young Tou Tou Beasts were born, which meant they were at breeding age.
Tou Tou Beasts, known for their timidity and prolific breeding, had been neglected due to the household’s recent busyness.
Wu Jiong asked Jian Mo how he planned to handle the situation.
Jian Mo proposed, “How about we trade for two unrelated male Tou Tou Beasts for breeding?”
Seeing Wu Jiong’s puzzled expression, Jian Mo explained, “Offspring from unrelated parents are less likely to have health issues. Besides, we don’t have much use for the three male Tou Tou Beasts anyway. We can exchange them for food or other males.”
“Which tribe should we trade with?” Wu Jiong asked.
Jian Mo thought for a moment. “Several tribes could work, but since the two adult Tou Tou Beasts were gifts from Ah Meng, how about we go to the Xiong Ying Tribe? It’s a bit far, but their Tou Tou Beasts are likely the same breed as ours, making them a good match.”
Wu Jiong agreed without objection. “We can leave shortly and spend the night at the Xiong Ying Tribe or on the way if needed.”
“Let me prepare some food to bring along,” Jian Mo said, starting to pack.
Once everything was ready, they attempted to tie up the three male Tou Tou Beasts for transport to the Xiong Ying Tribe.
However, possibly due to the morning scare or their natural timidity, the beasts resisted furiously when tied. They ran wildly around the pen, and before Jian Mo and Wu Jiong could catch them, the five females huddled trembling in a corner.
“This isn’t working,” Wu Jiong said. “Why don’t we herd them with branches instead?”
For overly timid creatures, herding with sticks was the usual approach rather than forcibly tying them.
But Jian Mo found the distance too daunting. “That’s still too far. I’ll give them some sedatives instead. They’ll be easier to handle once they’re groggy.”
Wu Jiong agreed, so they brewed the sedative and fed it to the three males, quickly subduing them. Transporting them now became much simpler.
Before setting off, Jian Mo informed Qing Kuo that he and Wu Jiong were leaving to trade the Tou Tou Beasts and might not return by nightfall. He asked Qing Kuo to look after their remaining beasts and Chirpy.
Qing Kuo readily agreed without hesitation.
Wu Jiong transformed into his giant wolf form, carrying Jian Mo and the sedated Tou Tou Beasts on his back with ease. He sped off at a brisk pace.
Unexpectedly, they hadn’t yet left the He’an Tribe’s territory when someone came rushing toward them, calling their names and asking them to stop.
Jian Mo squinted and recognized the individuals as members of the Meng Shui Tribe.
“Are you looking for us?” Jian Mo called out.
“Yes, we’re here for you!” one of them replied, hurrying closer. “Doctor Jian Mo, we have a patient in our tribe and need your help.”
“What’s wrong with the patient? Did you bring them here? I can examine them now,” Jian Mo offered.
The Meng Shui Tribe members explained, “We didn’t bring them here because it’s not suitable to bring them to the He’an Tribe. We’d like you to come to our tribe instead.”
“Why not suitable?” Jian Mo asked, suspecting there was more to their reluctance.
The response was unexpected but direct: “It’s a wandering beastman cub. We don’t know which tribe they’re from, but they’re not from any nearby ones.”
“The little one’s entire body is covered in scabs and looks in terrible condition. We’re worried about potential diseases or parasites, so we didn’t bring them here. Some tribe must have abandoned the cub—unbelievable cruelty.”
They added indignantly, “We asked for a long time but couldn’t learn anything from the cub. They might be mentally impaired.”
“And so, we had no choice but to seek your help.”
Jian Mo immediately asked, “Is it serious? How bad is their condition?”
The Meng Shui Tribe member replied, “It doesn’t seem too severe. We examined the cub and found their condition troubling, but we don’t know the exact illness.”
Hearing this, Jian Mo said, “Let’s head back to your tribe first, and I’ll examine them there. Afterward, I’ll stay behind to tend to them while Wu Jiong goes to trade the Tou Tou Beasts and returns to pick me up.”
The latter part of his comment was directed at the giant wolf.
The giant wolf, Wu Jiong, responded, “Let’s both stay at the Meng Shui Tribe for a bit before heading to the Xiong Ying Tribe.”
The Meng Shui Tribe members overheard their conversation and asked, “What are you trading the Tou Tou Beasts for? Our tribe has some too—why not trade with us instead?”
Jian Mo was surprised. “When did your tribe start keeping Tou Tou Beasts? I remember you didn’t have any before.”
The Meng Shui Tribe member explained, “We decided to try raising them after seeing how well you’ve done. They’re useful for daily milk production. But it hasn’t been easy—we’ve lost several for unknown reasons.”
Jian Mo speculated, “Could it be a lack of proper care?”
“We’re not sure,” the member admitted. “They’re quite troublesome. Our chieftain has decided to give it another year, and if we still can’t manage, we’ll stop raising them altogether.”
The familiar group chatted as they made their way to the Meng Shui Tribe.
The Meng Shui Tribe members hadn’t expected Jian Mo and Wu Jiong to arrive so quickly. Yun Long came out personally to greet them. “Doctor Jian Mo, Chief Wu Jiong, it’s been a while. Thank you for helping us today.”
“No need for formalities,” Jian Mo replied. “Where’s the wandering beastman cub? Can I see them now?”
Yun Long nodded. “We’ve placed them in an empty house in our tribe. I’ll take you there right away.”
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, they headed directly to see the wandering cub.
The cub had been placed in an empty house, with members of the Meng Shui Tribe stationed outside to ensure the little one didn’t run off or encounter any mishaps.
Jian Mo opened his medical kit, donned gloves and a mask, and handed out masks to the others for safety.
No one declined the offer.
Once inside, Jian Mo took one look at the cub and immediately understood the anger of the Meng Shui Tribe members.
The cub was tiny, no bigger than an adult sheep, with a thick layer of matted fur that made them resemble a miniature woolly mammoth.
Having spent considerable time around young beastmen in the tribe, Jian Mo knew that beastman cubs were typically much larger. A cub this size was no more than three years old.
For beastmen, who lived extraordinarily long lives and matured only around twenty, this little one was essentially an infant.
Sending an infant into the wilderness—it was a level of cruelty Jian Mo couldn’t fathom.
His anger flared, but he took a deep breath to calm himself. Softening his tone, he spoke gently to the cub. “I’m Jian Mo, a healer from the He’an Tribe. I’m here to check on you. Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you.”
The cub flinched slightly but didn’t respond.
Seeing no resistance, Jian Mo moved closer and lightly patted the cub’s head, trying to soothe them.
Wu Jiong stayed close, ready to act if anything went wrong to ensure Jian Mo’s safety.
After a while, Jian Mo began his examination.
The cub’s fur was so matted it had turned into a solid, felt-like layer filled with dried blood, grass, and dirt. The smell was overwhelming, and it was clear the fur hadn’t been groomed in ages.
Under normal circumstances, cubs would lick and clean themselves instinctively, maintaining a tidy coat. This level of neglect was unusual, which likely led the Meng Shui Tribe to suspect the cub might be cognitively impaired.
Pushing such thoughts aside, Jian Mo focused on assessing the cub’s condition.
The cub was abnormally thin, its four slender limbs bony yet intact without deformities. While it had no actively bleeding or festering wounds, parasites infested its body, and several patches of skin showed signs of disease.
“Shaving the fur is necessary,” Jian Mo concluded.
He explained his plan to the Meng Shui Tribe members: “I’ll need to shave off the cub’s fur and proceed with further treatment. Please bring me a large basin of hot water and some soap.”
Yun Long agreed immediately. “We’ll prepare those right away. Do you need a blade?”
Jian Mo opened his medical kit. “No, I’ve got scissors and razors here. They’ll do fine. I’ll start shaving now. It’d be best if two of you stay to assist when needed.”
“I’ll stay,” Yun Long volunteered.
Jian Mo nodded. “Then I’ll begin.”
As Jian Mo began cutting the cub’s fur, the little one shrank away but stopped when Jian Mo gently pressed its back to steady it. The cub appeared resigned as if it had learned through hardship that resistance was futile.
Jian Mo sighed inwardly, then continued to shave the cub.
He started by trimming the long, crusty fur before moving on to the shorter coat, a labor-intensive task.
Thankfully, the cub was cooperative. Jian Mo estimated they would be done by mid-morning.
As he worked, Jian Mo spoke soothingly to the cub. When trimming sensitive areas, he took extra care to shield them with his hands before cutting.
The cub, feeling the gentleness of Jian Mo’s touch, turned its head to look at him. Its gaze flickered with a trace of light.
