The massive bear that Shu Guang had transformed into slept through the entire day in the cave and woke up that evening.
Jian Mo, who had been keeping watch nearby, immediately approached when he heard movement. “How are you feeling now?”
The bear appeared more alert, staring at the cave ceiling as he murmured, “I thought this time I’d be meeting the Beast God.”
Jian Mo, still exhausted, replied, “Not yet, it seems.”
The bear managed a small grin. “Thank you so much.”
“You already thanked me earlier. Let’s focus on your condition. Do you feel any discomfort?”
“Thirsty. I’m very, very thirsty,” Shu Guang admitted.
Typically, after intestinal surgery, water could be introduced in small amounts six hours later. However, Jian Mo wasn’t sure if this applied to beastmen, nor could he fully trust the effectiveness of the beast gut sutures. He cautiously poured one-third of a bowl of water, planning to let Shu Guang sip it to moisten his throat.
As soon as the bear saw the water, he tried to sit up to drink. Jian Mo quickly stopped him. “Don’t move! Be careful not to tear the sutures. I’ll feed you.”
The bear sighed. “I feel like an invalid.”
Jian Mo didn’t miss a beat. “If you keep moving, you will end up an invalid. I used Tou Tou Beast intestines to suture your wounds. You know how fragile they are—one wrong move, and they’ll tear.”
The bear relented. “Got it.”
Jian Mo fetched a small spoon and carefully fed him the water one spoonful at a time.
After a few sips, the bear commented, “This spoonful’s smaller than my spit, Doctor Jian Mo. Why not just pour it directly into my mouth?”
“You can’t drink too much. Savor what you’ve got; when it’s gone, it’s gone. This way, you won’t crave more,” Jian Mo replied with a chuckle.
The bear sighed as he lay there. “Next time, I’m not getting hurt this badly.”
This grumbling bear was a stark contrast to the composed Chieftain Shu Guang. Jian Mo figured it was the influence of his beast form—beastmen were prone to behaving more instinctively in their animal states.
He glanced over his shoulder at Wu Jiong, thinking of how even Wu Jiong’s typically calm demeanor softened when he transformed into his wolf form. The giant wolf often nuzzled him with its snout—a clear sign of affection.
Wu Jiong noticed the look and silently asked with his eyes, What’s wrong?
Jian Mo shook his head, turning back to feed the bear.
When Qin Hai Tribe members offered to take over, Jian Mo refused. After going through all the effort to save the bear, he wasn’t about to risk a setback due to poor postoperative care.
After ensuring Shu Guang finished his water, Jian Mo checked his condition again. The bear’s natural resilience was astonishing—his wounds showed no signs of redness or seepage, and his overall state was stable.
Though his personality seemed a bit more carefree, likely due to his beast form, there were no other concerning changes.
Jian Mo gave him strict instructions: “Chieftain Shu Guang, you need to rest completely. Don’t move if you can help it. Absolutely no shifting back into human form, no sitting up, and trying to hold it in if you need the bathroom. If you can’t, then go while lying down.”
The bear nodded in agreement.
Shu Ming, the beastman standing nearby, assured him, “Don’t worry, Doctor Jian Mo. We’ll keep a close eye on him.”
Jian Mo added, “Good. Make sure you do. He’s already been saved—losing him now over minor mistakes would be tragic. Worse, people might mock your tribe for hundreds of years.”
No chieftain could tolerate the idea of being remembered as a fool who died due to negligence, dragging their tribe’s reputation down with them.
Hearing this, the bear, who had been fidgeting, immediately stilled. “I won’t move, I swear.”
Jian Mo encouraged him. “Good. Hang in there. I’m going to get some sleep now. Call me if anything happens.”
Having been awake for two days and a night, Jian Mo finally dragged himself and Wu Jiong to a temporary cave to rest.
He slept deeply and soundly. When he returned to check on the bear, Shu Guang’s condition had improved even more.
Jian Mo instructed the Qin Hai Tribe members to prepare some meat broth with minced meat and feed the bear a small bowl.
The tribe members hurried to comply.
Shu Guang seemed to be recovering well so far, with no signs of his sutures tearing. However, Jian Mo couldn’t completely rule out potential complications.
Wu Jiong had responsibilities back at the He’an Tribe and needed to return temporarily. Jian Mo, on the other hand, decided to stay in the Qin Hai Tribe for a few more days to respond quickly if anything went wrong.
Traveling from the He’an Tribe to the Qin Hai Tribe took too long. If something happened to Shu Guang, they couldn’t afford the delay.
Wu Jiong agreed and promised to return for Jian Mo in a few days. To ensure safety, Wu Jiong left Chirpy behind.
While Chirpy had no combat ability, it was reliable for quickly carrying Jian Mo away if trouble arose.
Before leaving, Wu Jiong solemnly asked Shu Ming and Kuang Ning to take care of Jian Mo.
The two had become friends with Jian Mo during last year’s gathering trip for Mien Grass and garlic, so they agreed earnestly.
Satisfied with their assurances, Wu Jiong reluctantly departed, looking back repeatedly.
Kuang Ning commented to Jian Mo, “I never expected Chief Wu Jiong to be like this.”
Jian Mo smiled. “He just worries about me, that’s all.”
Kuang Ning studied Jian Mo for a moment. “You two have a great relationship.”
Jian Mo teased, “Don’t you and Jin Ping get along?”
Hearing his mate’s name, Kuang Ning chuckled and didn’t deny it.
Jian Mo temporarily settled into life in the Qin Hai Tribe. The tribe treated him warmly, offering abundant food and drinks daily and responding promptly to any of his requests.
His tasks were minimal: monitoring Shu Guang’s condition and providing advice. With plenty of free time, Jian Mo decided to bathe Chirpy since the weather was warm.
Chirpy, who had been playing with the tribe’s younglings, was starting to stink. Jian Mo worried the dirt and smell might affect the cubs, who had weaker immune systems.
Luckily, Chirpy was accustomed to baths and even enjoyed swimming. It flapped its wings happily when Jian Mo mentioned a bath, carrying a bundle in its beak and waddling behind him like a duck.
Compared to the dogs Jian Mo had bathed before, Chirpy was far more cooperative.
At the river, Jian Mo had Chirpy sit in the shallow water, wetting its feathers before scrubbing it vigorously with soap.
For harder-to-reach areas, Jian Mo had Chirpy lie down, continuing to scrub until soapy yellowish-gray bubbles covered its feathers. Its eyes darted around curiously as it lay there, looking both obedient and adorable. Jian Mo couldn’t resist shaping a foam flower on Chirpy’s head.
As he worked, several Qin Hai Tribe members passing by the river stopped to watch and enthusiastically asked if Jian Mo needed help.
He politely declined them all.
Once the bath was finished, Jian Mo roughly dried Chirpy off and let it lounge on the smooth river rocks to air dry. Manually wringing out all the water was too exhausting, and with the sun shining brightly, Chirpy would dry off quickly on its own.
Chirpy dried its back in the sun and then flipped over to dry its front. The weather was perfect—not too hot, making sunbathing ideal.
As Chirpy lay sunning itself, the younglings of the Qin Hai Tribe came wandering over.
Among them were small beastmen and sub-beastmen who could already take human form, as well as bear cubs that had yet to shift.
The bear cubs spotted Chirpy lounging by the river and eagerly ran over to snuggle against it.
The others in human form followed, gathering around to watch.
After a while, one of the younglings asked, “Chirpy, do you want to come watch us fish?”
Hearing the word “fish,” Chirpy opened its eyes. “Chirp?”
The younglings chimed in enthusiastically:
“We’re going to the river to fish!”
“The fish in this river are so plump and tasty!”
“There’s fish roe! The fish have roe this time of year, and it’s delicious!”
Chirpy hadn’t fully caught on yet, but the younglings’ own descriptions made them salivate. They started swallowing audibly.
This universal gesture of hunger immediately clicked with Chirpy, who flapped its wings excitedly. “Chirp chirp!”
The younglings laughed and patted Chirpy’s soft feathers and fluffy backside. “Chirpy, don’t rush. We’re heading out now.”
They raced back home, dragging Chirpy along, to grab fishing rods and bait.
The Qin Hai Tribe’s fishing rods were similar to modern ones: short wooden poles with attached lines and hooks. The hooks, made from “V”-shaped fish bones, were designed to hold large chunks of juicy meat as bait.
Once the bait was set, the rods were ready to cast into the water for fishing.
Armed with their gear, the younglings led Chirpy to an upstream section of the river near a makeshift dam. They perched on rocks and cast their baited lines into the water.
Their chatter filled the air:
“Chirpy, just wait a bit. We’ll catch a fish soon!”
“Last year, I caught a fish as long as my arm.”
“My brother once caught a fish bigger than our cave.”
“My dad doesn’t even need to fish; he just jumps in and grabs them!”
When it came to food, Chirpy was always especially attentive. It listened intently, drooling as the younglings talked. Unfortunately, despite their enthusiasm and effort, the younglings didn’t seem to have much skill. After chattering for ages, they still hadn’t caught a single fish.
Chirpy sat behind them like a forlorn puppy, obedient but clearly disappointed.
The younglings occasionally turned back to stroke its wings, offering words of comfort:
“Just wait a little longer, Chirpy. We’ll catch one soon.”
“We’ll give you the juiciest part of the fish belly.”
“You’re such a good Chirpy.”
Jian Mo checked on them twice, finding Chirpy having fun with the younglings but still fishless. The bucket remained empty, and Chirpy hadn’t even gotten a whiff of fish.
On Jian Mo’s third visit, Chirpy turned to him with a pitiful look. “Chirr…”
The younglings turned as well, their small voices chorusing sweetly, “Brother Jian Mo—”
Their politeness was heart-melting. Jian Mo patted each one on the head, giving special attention to the soft, fluffy bear cubs. “Can I borrow your fishing rod for a bit?”
The younglings were quick to agree. “Brother Jian Mo, you can take it!”
Jian Mo smiled. “Thanks.”
He inspected the meat they were using as bait—large chunks that were easy for fish to snatch away in one bite.
Taking one rod, Jian Mo selected a piece of bait and, using his knife, cut it into four smaller portions. He hooked one onto the line and threw the rest into the water to chum the area.
The younglings abandoned their own fishing efforts to gather around and watch Jian Mo.
The river must have been teeming with fish. As soon as Jian Mo cast the line, a fish took the bait almost immediately. With quick reflexes, Jian Mo reeled the line in, pulling up a shiny, silver fish. Just as he swung the rod toward the shore, the fish flopped off the hook and hit the ground with a slap.
A particularly nimble bear cub pounced, pinning the fish under one paw and holding it down firmly with both front paws.
The younglings erupted in cheers:
“Wow—Brother Jian Mo, you’re amazing!”
“What a big fish!”
“It looks so juicy!”
The younglings chattered excitedly, their enthusiasm infectious.
Jian Mo instructed them to take the fish farther from the water.
One youngling glanced at Chirpy, then back at Jian Mo, and asked hesitantly, “Brother Jian Mo, can we give this to Chirpy? It’s been drooling all this time.”
Jian Mo explained, “Chirpy can’t eat raw fish, and neither should you. Fish can carry parasites, and if you eat them, they might grow inside your intestines.”
One of the younglings asked skeptically, “Really?”
“Absolutely. Some parasites can grow as long as a cave,” Jian Mo replied.
He then vividly described the parasites he had encountered or heard about during his career.
The younglings huddled together in fear, exclaiming, “Ahhh—”
Watching the little bear cubs and younglings clinging to each other nervously, Jian Mo suppressed a laugh.
Perhaps it was luck or the supposed “beginner’s protection” on his first fishing experience in the beastman world, but since catching his first fish, Jian Mo kept reeling them in one after another. Before long, he had caught several large fish.
An adult from the Qin Hai Tribe happened to pass by and stayed to help process the fish. They even managed to net a few more from the river.
The summer fish were indeed plump and long.
Looking over the catch, Jian Mo turned to the group of younglings. “Want me to teach you a new way to roast fish?”
The younglings shouted excitedly, “Yes!”
A slower-reacting bear cub quickly chimed in, “Mmm—yeah!”
Smiling, Jian Mo instructed someone to go to his temporary cave and fetch the spice powder he had brought, along with a jar of beast oil.
Once the ingredients were gathered, Jian Mo evenly coated the cleaned fish with the spice mixture and then applied a thin layer of beast oil. He wrapped each fish in large, non-toxic leaves, tied them securely, and covered the packages in a layer of river mud.
The younglings eyed the odd-looking mud-wrapped bundles with skepticism.
Jian Mo smiled mysteriously. “Don’t judge it by its looks. Once it’s roasted, you’ll understand.”
The younglings weren’t entirely convinced. When the adults came by and saw the muddy packages, they were just as dubious.
Despite their reservations, they followed Jian Mo’s instructions. A bonfire was lit, and the mud-wrapped fish were placed over the flames, with more firewood piled on top to keep them roasting.
Jian Mo kept a close eye on the color of the mud. When it turned pale and the moisture had been mostly burned off, he had the bundles removed and cracked them open.
The dried mud broke apart easily, revealing the yellow-green leaves inside.
A rich, savory aroma wafted out.
Using a stick, Jian Mo peeled back the leaves to reveal the tender, juicy fish within.
Because the fish had been sealed while cooking, the meat retained all its juices, and the beast oil and spices had permeated thoroughly. The scent was mouthwatering.
The younglings exclaimed in unison, “Wow—”
Jian Mo unwrapped another bundle. “See? Told you I wasn’t lying.”
“True!” they chorused.
One by one, Jian Mo opened the mud packages and let the younglings divide the fish among themselves, even setting aside a bundle for Chirpy.
Chirpy, eager but wary of the heat, alternated between picking up the fish and setting it down, calling out in frustration but never giving up.
Jian Mo couldn’t help laughing at its antics and left it to figure things out.
The younglings, especially the bear cubs who couldn’t yet shift forms, behaved much the same. These fluffy white cubs looked like oversized glutinous rice balls as they pawed at the freshly roasted fish. Each attempt to pick it up ended with them blowing on their singed paws.
Some cubs even hopped around after being burned, their chubby bellies and backsides jiggling, making them resemble particularly bouncy rice cakes.
The adults nearby couldn’t stop laughing.
After dividing the fish among the younglings, Jian Mo turned to the adults. “This fish doesn’t have many bones right? Can the cubs eat it safely, or is there a risk of choking?”
Kuang Ning reassured him, “They can eat it. They’re used to eating fish. Qin Hai Tribe cubs don’t choke on fish bones.”
Another adult added with a smile, “They’ve been practicing their fish-eating skills since they were little. Don’t worry, Doctor Jian Mo.”
“Good to know. Try some of the fish I roasted,” Jian Mo said, offering them pieces.
Kuang Ning took a piece of fish wrapped in a leaf and commented, “This cooking method is really unique. Why wrap it in mud?”
Jian Mo explained, “The mud seals in the fish’s flavor and juices, and it prevents the fish from burning. Where I’m from, we sometimes use kilns to roast things like this.”
Kiln-baked chicken and fish came to mind. It had been a long time since Jian Mo had enjoyed such dishes. Judging by the results, his fish-roasting skills were still as good as ever.
Unfortunately, Wu Jiong wasn’t around to taste it. Jian Mo decided he’d make another batch once he returned to the He’an Tribe.
Thanks for the chapter! Adorable!