Transmigrated to the Beastman World as a Veterinarian – CH91

This foraging group comprised the core members of the two tribes, both sub-beastmen and beastmen, all highly skilled.

The beastman who had dodged the “leg-hair plucking” earlier volunteered to delicately attach his companion’s fur to the Green Velvet Beetle.

The fluff was light and large enough. Using tree resin, they adhered it to the beetle. After a brief struggle, the beetle took off again, wobbling slightly but moving forward.

Watching the beetle, the group realized it seemed to have abandoned its search for pollen and was heading back to its nest. Spirits lifted, they quietly followed it.

With the fluff attached, the beetle couldn’t escape their sight, no matter how fast it flew.

After chasing it for quite some distance, they saw the beetle land on the ground and crawl into a hole no bigger than a soybean.

Without the beetle’s guidance, they would have never noticed such a tiny hole in the vast wilderness.

Now, things were much simpler.

The group exchanged glances.

“Should we dig?”

“Dig!”

Those with knives drew them, those with hoes raised them, and everyone began excavating around the hole.

Jian Mo crouched nearby, observing.

As the hole widened, he noticed the beetle’s tunnel was surprisingly distinct. The surrounding soil was moist, but the tunnel walls were dry and smooth.

Following the tunnel, they quickly spotted the beetle scuttling about and soon uncovered its nest.

The Green Velvet Beetle’s nest resembled an underground palace, standing over a meter tall.

The nest was tightly fused with the soil, emitting a unique, musky sweetness that even Jian Mo, whose sense of smell wasn’t particularly sharp, could detect.

“We actually found the nest!”

“And it’s a big one, too!”

“Careful not to collapse it. Let’s start removing it from the four corners and only take half.”

They carefully broke off sections of the nest, placing them in baskets lined with dry grass.

As they worked, the pressure released a large amount of sticky liquid from the nest.

Jian Mo couldn’t help but stare at the viscous substance.

Noticing his curiosity, Ye Luo asked, “What’s on your mind?”

“How is this stuff used?” Jian Mo asked, genuinely puzzled.

Lowering his voice, Ye Luo explained, “You strain it, boil it, and let it cool. Some people add beast oil while boiling—it works even better that way.”

Jian Mo, lowering his voice further, asked, “Better… as in, it’s more slippery?”

The two, being single sub-beastmen and less versed in such matters, had been relegated to the outskirts of the group, allowing them to chat discreetly.

“It’s not just that,” Ye Luo replied, his tone becoming serious. “Apparently, the liquid also has a bit of an aphrodisiac effect.”

Jian Mo’s eyes widened, his expression a mix of astonishment and amusement.

Embarrassed, Ye Luo added with a more solemn tone, “Elders in the tribe say the liquid from the Green Velvet Beetle’s nest can also help with conception.”

In this world, it was notoriously difficult for people to conceive. This potential benefit was a significant allure.

Jian Mo remained skeptical. “Really?”

“Several sub-beastmen who conceived shortly after bonding with their partners claimed they used the liquid,” Ye Luo confirmed.

Jian Mo stared at the nest, pondering. Could it actually increase sperm motility?

Despite its rarity, the group only harvested half of the nest.

Once the extraction was complete, they refilled the hole with soil and left a pathway for the beetles to continue using the site. If the beetles remained, the group might find another nest here during their next visit.

As Jian Mo watched, he suddenly spoke up. “Wait.”

Everyone stopped. “What’s wrong?”

Jian Mo hesitated before explaining, “Don’t you think this nest looks unusually new? Even the outermost layers seem as fresh as the center.”

His observation intrigued the group, who inspected the nest and agreed. “You’re right. It’s quite new. So what?”

Jian Mo began reasoning, “If the nest is this new, it likely means the beetles recently relocated here. The entire nest was built at once without any expansions. If they moved recently, there might be other nests nearby—where they came from.”

While Jian Mo wasn’t familiar with Green Velvet Beetles, his background in veterinary studies included lessons on bees. Their behavior often mirrored insect colony tendencies. Typically, when insects relocated, they didn’t stray far from their original site, especially if there were no predators in the area.

The group hadn’t considered this possibility but found it logical.

“Let’s search nearby for other Green Velvet Beetle nests!”

“They’re so small, though—it might be hard to spot them.”

“Ya Zheng, as a Giant Armored Beast, your sense of smell should be sharp. Can you help us sniff them out?”

“We can split up and search for small holes first. Once we find one, Ya Zheng can confirm it.”

After a brief discussion, they finalized their plan.

Jian Mo teamed up with Qing Kuo and Ye Luo to search in one direction.

While searching, they discovered plenty of wild vegetables, bird eggs, and insects. Anything edible was promptly collected into their baskets.

Although their group didn’t find anything, another team from the He’an Tribe located a suspicious hole and quickly called over Ya Zheng.

Sniffing the area, Ya Zheng confirmed the scent of Green Velvet Beetles.

The group wasted no time and began digging, soon unearthing another beetle nest. As before, they took half the nest and refilled the hole, leaving a pathway for the beetles.

With their newfound experience, the group efficiently moved on, searching for a third nest. Based on their observations, the second nest also seemed relatively new, as though the beetles hadn’t lived there long.

To Jian Mo, the second nest didn’t seem as fresh as the first, though he kept his thoughts to himself. Regardless, continuing the search allowed them to find more herbs and food along the way.

While foraging, Jian Mo asked, “If the Green Velvet Beetle nests are so useful, why doesn’t anyone farm these beetles? You could dig up the nest and relocate the beetles—seems simple enough.”

Qing Kuo explained, “Some tribes have tried, but none succeeded. The beetles stopped leaving their nests and died inside, rendering the nests useless.”

“Could they be sensitive to human scents?” Jian Mo speculated. “But if that’s the case, why are they okay living in a nest that’s been partially harvested?”

“No idea,” Qing Kuo admitted. “It’s a mystery.”

“Fascinating,” Jian Mo said. “Oh, one more question—”

Qing Kuo sighed. “Why do you have so many questions?”

“Last one, I promise,” Jian Mo assured him.

Qing Kuo sighed. “Alright, ask your question.”

Jian Mo cleared his throat. “So… does using the beetle nest really help with having children? About your two kids—”

Before he could finish, Qing Kuo knocked him lightly on the head and refused to answer.

Ye Luo, standing nearby, stifled a laugh but also kept silent.

Jian Mo couldn’t help speculating that they must have used the beetle nest, judging by their reactions.

As they continued their search, news came from the other groups—they had found more nests.

Excavating them revealed two additional Green Velvet Beetle nests, one notably larger and older.

After that, the group found no further nests, suggesting there were only four in this area.

By the time they finished, the sun was high overhead, and the heat was becoming oppressive. The group decided to head back to the temporary camp.

On the way, the sub-beastmen divided the beetle nests evenly between the two tribes: two nests each.

Back at camp, the He’an Tribe further distributed their share among both single and partnered sub-beastmen.

Jian Mo ended up with two pieces of the nest.

Qing Kuo gave him a pointed reminder, “Don’t use it until we’re back in the tribe.”

Blushing slightly, Jian Mo protested, “Am I the kind of person who’d mess around?”

Qing Kuo shrugged. “Who knows? Young couples can be impulsive.”

“We’re not like that,” Jian Mo retorted, stowing the beetle nests in a clean jar and sealing it tightly with cloth.

When the beastmen returned from their hunt, they noticed the camp had an unusual atmosphere. Curious, they asked what was going on but were promptly rebuffed by the sub-beastmen.

Even Wu Jiong quietly inquired about it.

Jian Mo glanced at him, then held his hand up to Wu Jiong’s nose.

One sniff was all Wu Jiong needed. “Green Velvet Beetles?”

Jian Mo nodded mysteriously and tapped the jar he had sealed. The soft “ding” of the tap confirmed the contents.

The beastmen had brought back even more game that day, including several massive creatures resembling elephants.

These enormous beasts, covered in long hair and sporting thick, broad horns, were called Horizontal-Horned Beasts.

Standing before them, Jian Mo felt a mix of awe and disbelief.

Their sheer size seemed out of place on land, more akin to marine creatures.

As the freshly caught beasts were skinned and butchered, their hides were partially treated to prevent spoilage.

While helping with minor tasks, Jian Mo was approached by two beastmen. One had been stepped on by a Horizontal-Horned Beast, while the other had been gored. Both required treatment.

Jian Mo quickly led them aside to check their injuries.

Fortunately, neither wound was serious. A bit of anti-inflammatory and disinfectant ointment was sufficient. Given the resilience of beastmen, they were likely to recover fully within three days.

When Jian Mo returned to the main area, he found the hides and meat had already been processed, leaving a pile of white bones nearby.

The bones had been stripped of most meat, and Chirpy was gnawing on a particularly meaty one, though its weak bite left little progress.

Watching Chirpy struggle, Jian Mo shook his head with a smile and went to find Wu Jiong.

Wu Jiong was busy kneading hides with leaves when Jian Mo approached. “What’s up?” he asked.

“I came to help. By the way, are those bones useless now?” Jian Mo gestured toward the pile.

Before Wu Jiong could answer, Ban Ming chimed in, “Of course. Even Chirpy doesn’t want them—what good are they?”

Chirpy, hearing its name, paused briefly to chirp, “Chirp!” before resuming its efforts.

Jian Mo argued, “But there’s still marrow inside.”

Ban Ming shrugged. “Who cares? With all this meat, we don’t need marrow.”

Overhearing their conversation, Yun Long laughed and called out, “Doctor Jian Mo, if you want those bones, take them. It’ll save us the trouble of figuring out how to dispose of them.”

Jian Mo turned to Wu Jiong, silently asking if it was appropriate to take the bones.

“Go ahead,” Wu Jiong said. “If you plan to take them back to the tribe, we can make an extra trip to carry them later.”

Jian Mo shook his head. “No need to haul them back. I just want the marrow. Could you crack them open with an axe later? Or just smash them?”

Wu Jiong nodded. “I’ll try when I’m done here.”

As the group finished processing the meat, Jian Mo headed to the large pots to prepare dinner.

Today, there was a lot of offal to cook. Jian Mo retrieved some pickled vegetables from a jar, planning to stir-fry them with the offal.

With two sturdy iron pots and a roaring fire, he could cook dishes that had a delightful smoky flavor.

While stir-frying the offal, he set a clay pot to simmer bone broth, adding the day’s freshly foraged wild vegetables. The soup would be both detoxifying and rich in vitamins.

For the main course, roasted meat was the clear choice. After a long, exhausting day, everyone needed something hearty.

As the sky darkened, the camp was finally ready to eat.

Jian Mo’s cooking earned unanimous praise.

Members of the Meng Shui Tribe joked:

“Doctor Jian Mo, I wish we could go out with you every day.”
“I’ve tried to learn your cooking, but mine never tastes as good.”
“Once this trip is over, when will we get to eat your food again?”

Jian Mo replied with mock solemnity, “Tomorrow morning.”

The group erupted in laughter.

Jian Mo added, “Cooking isn’t that hard. All you need is a good pot, the courage to let the food brown a bit, and a generous hand with the seasonings. Do that, and it’ll taste fine.”

Cooking in a large iron pot sometimes meant the fire would flare up, causing flames to lick the sides of the pot. Nearby people often panicked, wanting to drop the spatula and flee.

But it was precisely this intense heat that gave the dishes a crisp, flavorful edge.

As for seasonings, Jian Mo spared no effort. Even without soy sauce or oyster sauce, he regularly used five or six kinds of seasonings in his cooking—sugar, salt, shellfish powder, garlic powder, peppercorn powder, and more. With so many ingredients, it was almost impossible for the food to taste bad.

This, combined with his advanced tools, diverse seasonings, and innovative cooking techniques, was why others struggled to replicate his dishes despite his willingness to share.

After dinner and a short break, Wu Jiong began breaking open the massive animal bones.

With his great strength, he easily split the large bones with a single blow from his axe. Once cracked, he placed them on stones and struck them with the blunt side of the axe, causing the bones to break cleanly.

Jian Mo picked up the fractured bones and checked the marrow inside.

Sure enough, the marrow was plentiful. Thanks to the size of the bones, a light scoop with a spoon yielded rich, creamy marrow.

Initially, Jian Mo planned to toss the whole bones into a pot for soup, but they were too large to fit. Extracting the marrow for cooking seemed like the better option.

Curious about his methods, a group of people stayed to help smash bones and scoop out marrow, while others collected fuel for the fire.

That evening, Jian Mo set up two pots and began simmering the marrow on the spot.

Unlike beast oil, bone marrow emitted an even richer aroma as it cooked.

As night fell, the beastmen on patrol took responsibility for tending the fire, ensuring it wouldn’t die out.

Throughout the night, the scent of simmering marrow wafted through the temporary camp, filling everyone’s dreams with the fragrance of delicious food.

The smell even attracted wild animals, which the patrolling beastmen promptly dealt with, cleaning and storing the carcasses for the next morning’s breakfast.

Eager to check on his marrow, Jian Mo woke early the next day.

The marrow had simmered to a clear, golden state. Around the edges of the pot, where it had reduced, were bits of concentrated marrow. Jian Mo scooped a piece, popped it into his mouth, and found it incredibly flavorful.

The taste was entirely different from beast oil, reminiscent of chicken essence with a deeply savory profile.

The marrow hadn’t solidified yet, so Jian Mo poured it into jars, filling three large ones. The remaining oil at the bottom of the pots was left for later use.

Curious onlookers gathered to see what the marrow tasted like.

Seeing their eagerness, Jian Mo offered them a sample, which was met with enthusiastic praise.

“This marrow is incredible—no hint of gaminess at all!”
“No wonder you said wasting these bones would be a shame. Leaving the marrow inside would’ve been such a waste.”
“We should try extracting marrow next time too—it’d make a great base for soups.”

The group crowded around the pot, eagerly sharing the cooked marrow.

Chirpy, drawn by the aroma and upset at being left out, waddled over with its plump body, chirping insistently: “Chirp chirp chirp!”

Seeing how desperate it was, Jian Mo scooped a piece for Chirpy. “Go eat over there. No crowding.”

Holding the marrow delicately with its front claws, Chirpy happily waddled away to nibble in peace.

Inspired by everyone’s enthusiasm, Jian Mo suddenly had an idea. “We still have some of the sour berries we foraged yesterday, right?”

These berries, resembling small ground cherries, were tiny but intensely sour. Often used as a seasoning, Jian Mo had already utilized some for stir-frying offal.

Qing Kuo dragged out the basket. “There’s plenty left.”

“I want to use them to make a dish from back home,” Jian Mo explained. “It’s a sour soup used to cook meat, vegetables, or even eggs. We simmer the broth and then dip food into it to cook.”

After describing it, he received unanimous support from the group, all eager to try this new dish.

“Some of you might not like the taste,” Jian Mo cautioned. “How about I use one pot for this soup and keep the other for stir-fried dishes?”

Yun Long, smiling, suggested, “Make it in both pots. If anyone doesn’t like it, they can always roast some meat separately. It sounds delicious, though.”

With no objections from either tribe, Jian Mo began making a hotpot base on the spot.

Replacing chili with peppercorns and butter with bone marrow, the hotpot leaned towards a sour broth flavor rather than a spicy one.

Thanks to the abundance of fresh ingredients—various meats, poultry, offal, fish slices, eggs, mushrooms, and wild greens—there was plenty to cook.

For the dipping sauce, they used onion paste mixed with mushroom sauce, allowing everyone to customize their flavor. Those who preferred could simply enjoy the food straight from the pot.

As everyone worked together, they arranged the ingredients on large leaves, forming two massive circles around the boiling pots.

With 160 people gathered around eight pots—two large iron pots and six clay ones—the scene was impressively lively.

This hotpot feast was far simpler than preparing a full meal. Normally, cooking for this many people with both iron and clay pots plus roasted meat would take two to three hours. But with hotpot, it only took half an hour before everyone was seated and ready to eat.

Jian Mo taught them how to use chopsticks to swish the meat in the broth, emphasizing the importance of retrieving it once it changed color to avoid overcooking. He explained that mushrooms and eggs could be left in the broth longer, but leafy greens were best added later.

Though initially clumsy with chopsticks, everyone quickly got the hang of it, even competing to snatch food from the pots.

With the broth bubbling and steaming, the camp bustled with energy:

“My meat’s ready! Who wants it?”
“Where’s my egg? I can’t find it!”
“Are the mushrooms done? No? Okay, I’ll wait.”
“More meat! Someone dump that whole plate in!”
“Ah! It’s spicy, sour, hot, and so fresh!”

Sitting next to Wu Jiong, Jian Mo watched the chaos with a smile.

Thanks to Wu Jiong’s dexterous chopstick skills, long reach, and strength, he consistently snagged the best cuts, placing them into Jian Mo’s bowl.

Panting from the heat and laughing, Jian Mo asked, “How does it taste?”

Qing Kuo, seated on Jian Mo’s other side, sniffled and said, “Do you even need to ask? Look at how everyone’s fighting for it!”

Even the Meng Shui Tribe members chimed in:
“Your previous tribe must have been culinary geniuses!”
“Who knew marrow could be used this way?”
“Could we skip the marrow and just make a thick soup for dipping?”

Jian Mo nodded. “If the broth is good, it’ll work. For a spicy version, you’ll need to add more oil.”

Ya Zheng from the Meng Shui Tribe declared, “We’ll try this at home tonight! Can we add extra beast oil?”

“Sure,” Jian Mo said. “Just remember to fry the seasonings first and use a meat or bone broth for the base. If it’s too bland, you can always adjust with dipping sauce.”

Yun Long grinned. “Another fantastic method to bring home.”

Jian Mo hadn’t expected the sour berry hotpot to turn out so flavorful. The addition of mushroom paste as a dip made it even better.

The fresh ingredients and competitive eating brought their hotpot feast to life, resulting in an unforgettable meal.

Once back in the tribe, Jian Mo planned to enjoy the leftover bone marrow oil for at least two more hotpot dinners. Using one jar today left two more for future feasts.

After their hearty meal, the beastmen quickly set out for another hunt while the sub-beastmen stayed to process dried meat and tidy the camp.

The past two days’ hunting had already yielded an impressive bounty, enough to make transporting everything back a challenge.

By midday, the group planned to process their haul, and then head home in the afternoon. If all went well, they would return to their tribes by evening with a wealth of supplies.