As soon as he asked, Zhang Shuguang realized how silly he sounded.

Given Mang Jiu’s size, if growing bigger caused him pain, he would have died long ago.

But recalling his previous molting, he said, “His frequent molting means he’s evolving—not only does he look different, but he’s also getting stronger.” 

“Right,” Mang Er nodded. “It’s probably related to his bloodline, too. We haven’t seen many evolved Beastmen yet, so we don’t know what happens to others.” 

Zhang Shuguang hummed in acknowledgment, poured the crushed ingredients into a bowl, and then evenly coated the four venison legs with the mixture.

“Second Brother, do you have anything planned for tomorrow?”

Mang Er shook his head. He was already full, so aside from going back to the cave to sleep, he had nothing else to do.

“Then could you come with me for a bit?” Zhang Shuguang said. “I want to go dig up some bamboo shoots and pick some fruit or something. We’re almost out of those green lemons, so let’s pick plenty to dry and store.”

Mang Er nodded. “Sure.”

“It’d be great if we could cut some bamboo, too.” Zhang Shuguang began counting off the tasks on his fingers, “I heard there are long-eared beasts over in the bamboo grove. It’d be even better if we could catch a few of those, plus some ducks, gugu chicken, and so on. Oh, and bullfrogs—the kind we ate last time. Anything that can be pickled, let’s pickle it and save it for the snowy season.”

As he listed each item, Mang Er nodded along, being particularly cooperative.

When Zhang Shuguang finished speaking, Mang Er asked, “Is Li coming with us?”

Zhang Shuguang whipped his head around to look at him, his eyes brimming with teasing. “Second Brother, are you trying to develop a relationship with Li that’s so close it could lead to laying eggs?” Mang Er was taken aback by the question; in truth, asking if they were leaving had been nothing more than a casual remark.

But after Zhang Shuguang’s interpretation, how had the meaning changed so completely?

Seeing that he didn’t respond, Zhang Shuguang said with a grin, “I’ll have him tag along. We’ll head out after breakfast and aim to be back by lunchtime. After lunch, we’ll start making the dried meat and those clay pots and bowls.”

“Alright!” Mang Er nodded and stood up. “You rest a bit. I’m going back to sleep.”

“Alright, then come over for dinner when you wake up. I’ll stew the venison tonight.” Zhang Shuguang also stood up, cleared the table, and returned to the cave.

Meanwhile, Mang Jiu’s hunting party set out for a nearby hunting ground. Before leaving, he had specifically instructed the others that they would not be hunting in a single location.

The hunting grounds near the Cliff Shore Tribe were quite far apart. Previously, they had almost always chosen a single hunting ground, so when Mang Jiu suddenly made this announcement, the others were puzzled.

Xiong Hong asked, “Why are we changing locations?”

“Shuguang wants hog beasts, ox beasts, and bleating beasts.” Mang Jiu didn’t hide anything; since they asked, he told them.

Lang Qing chuckled from the side. “That Sub-Beastman of yours is really something. Lately, I’ve seen a lot of Sub-Beastmen in the tribe trying to learn how to weave baskets from him.”

After he finished speaking, he pointed to the bamboo basket Mang Jiu was carrying. “What are you planning to do with that?”

“I’m picking some tasty fruit for Shuguang.” Mang Jiu walked forward with the basket on his back, glanced around, and slowly furrowed his brow. “What was that sound!”

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The ground trembled slightly, accompanied by the rumbling sound of footsteps approaching from a distance.

At the same time, Ying Wu let out a long cry from the sky: “A herd! A herd of Horned Cattle! Over a hundred of them!”

Mang Jiu frowned and quickly responded, turning to the other Beastmen: “Spread out to surround and drive them. We can’t let them run into the areas where the Sub-Beastmen are gathering.”

The hunting grounds were home to a vast number of wild beasts. Sometimes, when startled, they would flee in herds, but it was rare to encounter a hundred of them charging simultaneously—especially a herd of robust Horned Cattle. Due to their formidable combat prowess, they were rarely frightened into such a state.

They have two long, sharp horns on their heads, which serve as their weapons for attack.

“Mang Yue and Lang Qing, be careful—don’t get hurt,” Mang Jiu called over his shoulder as he pulled off his leather skirt, set down his backpack, and transformed into a massive, thick python. Raising his serpentine head high, he saw from afar a rolling cloud of dust approaching like a giant wave, along with the clearly frenzied herd of Horned Cattle.

The herd of horned cattle soon charged close by. The Beastmen had transformed into their animal forms; unlike Mang Jiu, they couldn’t fight alone. The sharp horns of the cattle would inflict severe injuries on them, so they worked in small groups of two or three. While dodging the horns, they also had to be careful not to be knocked over—if they fell to the ground, they risked being trampled to death by the cattle following behind.

Although the Beastmen’s movements appeared effortless, they knew full well that if the herd changed direction and launched a flanking attack, surviving the ordeal would be nothing short of a miracle.

Fortunately, this herd of horned cattle did not stop upon seeing them. Instead, Ying Wu, who had been keeping watch in the sky, let out another urgent, piercing cry:

“It’s earthworms and multi-legged beasts!!”

The Beastmen’s hunting movements halted, and they all turned simultaneously to look for Mang Jiu.

“What do we do?”

Earthworms are massive, underground, soft-bodied creatures, pale pink in color, and legless. They possess a pair of black antennae on their heads; even without eyes, they can sense the location of their prey through these antennae. Their gaping maw is filled with sharp fangs, and they secrete a corrosive mucus from their mouths—even a Beastman with thick, tough fur would suffer severe damage if exposed to it.

The multi-legged beasts share similar habits with the earthworms; they, too, live underground and use their antennae to sense living creatures in the absence of eyes. However, they are clad in hard armor, possess a pair of massive claws at their mouths, and have a sharp, venomous stinger at the tip of their tails.

Worst of all, these two types of giant insects eat anything—be it wild beasts or vegetation. Once they set their sights on a target, they won’t rest until they’ve devoured it completely.

They usually dwell in deep underground burrows, occasionally emerging in small groups of three or five to forage. However, a mass appearance like today’s is extremely rare; it is likely that some disturbance underground has forced them to emerge en masse.

The Beastmen had no time to ponder why they had surged from the ground in such numbers. They knew only that not far behind them lay the area where the Sub-Beastmen usually gathered for foraging. If these giant insects were allowed to pass, destroying the vegetation there before settling underground, the distant tribes would likely face the danger of being attacked by them.

Even the elderly Mang Yue and Lang Qing wore solemn expressions. They exchanged a glance and simultaneously transformed into colossal beasts. Lang Qing spoke up, “We’ll block the front; you drive them back and eliminate them.”

Shaking his head at the suggestion, Mang Jiu asked calmly, “Ying Wu, how many are there in total?” 

Ying Wu called back from the sky, “I can’t see clearly—they’ve burrowed underground!”

Mang Jiu turned to the other Beastmen and said in a deep voice, “Kill them.”  

“Yes!” No one panicked; they were ready to fight with all their might.

“Ying Wu, return to the tribe and notify the chieftain.” As soon as Mang Jiu finished speaking, his thick, serpentine tail shot high into the air and slammed violently into the ground. With a thunderous boom that shook the earth and mountains, a long fissure split open where his tail had struck.

Ying Wu flapped his wings and soared into the sky, turning without a word and flying straight back toward the tribe.

Mang Jiu slammed his tail against the ground repeatedly, widening the fissure.

He didn’t stop until the fissure was over two meters wide. Flicking his purplish-black tongue, he said coldly, “Earthworm saliva is poisonous. Everyone, be careful.” 

“Got it!”

He led the way, slithering forward and slamming his thick tail into the ground every few paces to split the earth.

The earthworms and multi-legged beasts were hidden underground; they couldn’t see them, so they had no choice but to use this crude method to provoke them and lure them out.

A dozen or so burrowing worms crawled out of the ground first. Mang Jiu twisted his body upward, opened his mouth to bite one and fling it away, then raised his tail to whip another.

His massive body rolled over the earthworms like a bulldozer, leaving a trail of blood and flesh in its wake.

The Beastmen of the Giant Wolf Clan followed close behind Mang Jiu, pouncing to tear into the earthworms as he flung them aside.

The earthworms were as massive as the Giant Python Clan; though not as large as Mang Jiu, they were still colossal. A single Giant Wolf Clan Beastman couldn’t kill one with a single bite; they had to work together.

The same was true for the Giant Bear and Giant Rhinoceros Beastmen; they clawed and gored with their sharp horns.

But there were simply too many insects, and as the frenzied battle raged, the Beastmen were inevitably splattered with the foul-smelling saliva raining down from above. A sizzling sound rang out as the Beastmen’s fur began to corrode.

Caught off guard by the Beastmen’s attack, the earthworms launched a counterattack once they realized their opponents were outnumbered.

They waved their antennae and opened their massive jaws filled with sharp teeth. From their crimson, gaping mouths, viscous, corrosive saliva dripped between their teeth as they wriggled their supple bodies toward the Beastmen.

The multi-legged beasts swung their massive claws, sharp as scissors, and the sound of snapping filled the air. Mang Jiu narrowly dodged a giant claw aimed at his tail, wrapping himself directly around a multi-legged beast and crushing its body.

The multi-legged beast’s corpse collapsed limply to the ground. Even in death, arthropods attack reflexively; their venomous spines pounded the ground with a thudding rhythm. Lang Qing couldn’t dodge in time and was pierced through the left leg.

“Lang Qing!”

Seeing the massive gray wolf lifted off the ground, flung through the air, and crash to the ground, Mang Yue twisted his body and lashed out with his tail, sending the multi-legged beast flying.

Mang Jiu glanced back but couldn’t spare the energy to help further; even more insects swarmed around him, determined to tear fresh flesh from the giant python’s body even at the cost of their own lives.

More and more multi-legged beasts and earthworms burrowed out from beneath the ground. Like suicidal warriors with nothing to lose, they would trample over the corpses of their own kind just to kill the prey before them, devouring their flesh and blood raw.

The scent of their own kind’s blood only drove them into a frenzy. While attacking the Beastmen, many earthworms did not forget to viciously gnaw at the corpses of their fallen kin, devouring their flesh and blood.

The blood grew thicker and thicker, covering the ground in a sticky, foul-smelling pool.

The beastmen were utterly exhausted but dared not let their guard down for a moment. Covered in blood, they held their ground before the fissure, fighting to the death.

Mang Jiu was covered in blood—his own and that of the worms. Much of his body had been corroded by the saliva; some of his scales had fallen off, while others hung there crookedly, connected by threads of flesh, teetering on the brink of detachment.

Like a bloodthirsty beast immune to pain, he stood with his massive, burly body blocking the front line, time and again flinging, ramming, and whipping away every insect that tried to get past him, or twisting and strangling them.

The Beastmen fought with blind fury. Even as the light of day faded, the bloody slaughter continued, with the insects charging at them in wave after wave. By then, Ying Wu had already returned to circle above the tribe. He soared in the sky, letting out a series of urgent, piercing cries.

“Screech! Screech!!!”

The Beastmen in the tribe froze for a moment, then rushed out of the cave.

“Something’s wrong!” Xiong Kui emerged from the cave and looked up at the giant eagle circling in the sky.

“We’ve encountered earthworms and multi-legged beasts—there are so many of them!” Eagle Five landed on the mountaintop, panting heavily, his wings trembling slightly. “Mang Jiu and the others are holding them off, but there are just too many.”

Xiong Kui’s face darkened as he shouted, “Hunting Squad One, Two, and Three, follow me!” The Beastmen responded and galloped after Xiong Kui.

Zhang Shuguang, who had been preparing dinner, stood pale-faced by the low wall, gazing up at the giant eagles flying away across the sky, his lips pressed tightly together. Mang Er also furrowed his brow; the usual laziness had vanished from his face, replaced by a chill.

“Second Brother…” Zhang Shuguang took a deep breath, his hands ice-cold. “Are the Earthworms and the Multi-Legged Beasts hard to kill?”

Mang Er shook his head. “The earthworms’ saliva can melt flesh and bone. The multi-legged beasts’ tail spines are poisonous and cause excruciating pain, and their claws are razor-sharp—if you’re caught in them, they could even snap a bone. One or two aren’t a problem, but if there are many, it’ll be difficult. You stay here; I’ll take some men to set up a perimeter.”

They couldn’t mobilize the entire tribe. If Mang Jiu failed to hold them off, they would have to serve as the second line of defense to protect the tribe.

Xiong Kui led the Beastmen in a mad dash; they had only one thought in their minds: they could not let their kin die.

On the blood-soaked battlefield, the Beastmen were already exhausted. Xiong Hong bore multiple wounds, bleeding profusely; her thick fur was soaked through with blood, strands hanging limply. Even as her limbs trembled, she gritted her teeth against the excruciating pain and refused to collapse, for she knew that if she fell, it would be nearly impossible to rise again.

As Beastmen of the Giant Rhinoceros Clan, Xi Er and Xi Jiu, lacking the protection of fur, had their skin directly corroded by the saliva, exposing large patches of raw, red flesh; in some places, blood-soaked bones were even visible. They breathed heavily, gently shaking their heads to dislodge the fragments of insect carcasses clinging to their horns.

The Beastmen of the Giant Wolf Clan were surrounded by the multi-legged beasts, fighting back with all their might. Lang You’s tail was severed by a claw, exposing the broken bone; Lang Zou’s left flank was torn open by a venomous stinger, and his left foreleg was struck by a claw. Dragging their agonized bodies, they held their ground firmly at the fissure, determined to bite any multi-legged beast that dared to peek out to death, even if it meant shattering their teeth or breaking their legs.

The beastmen of the Giant Eagle Clan were no better off. One of Ying San’s sharp talons had been snapped off by a claw, preventing him from soaring high. Enduring the pain, he flapped his mangled wings and used his sharp beak to pierce through the multi-legged beasts’ hard armor.

Mang Jiu and Mang Qi were locked in a fierce struggle with earthworms and multi-legged beasts; scales had been corroded and fallen off in many places on their bodies. Mang Yue had even been bitten on the tail; if it hadn’t been for Mang Jiu’s quick reflexes, his tail would likely have been severed.

Covered in blood, their bodies cold and trembling from severe blood loss, yet none of them backed down. Mang Jiu’s eyes turned crimson as he threw back his massive serpentine head and let out a furious roar.

The swarming insects, as if stunned by the roar, paused for a moment. Seizing the opportunity, Mang Jiu’s body coiled like a long rope, wrapping the three earthworms before him into a single coil and wringing them to death.

Night had fallen completely; the dark sky held not a single star, only a hazy moonlight spilling onto the ground.

Mang Jiu shifted back into human form and swung his fist at the charging earthworm, his fist piercing through its body. He reached out and tore the massive, supple body apart at the wound.

Foul-smelling blood poured down over his head, soaking his entire body. Mang Jiu raised his hand to wipe his face, his expression as fierce as a demon’s, then kicked the oncoming multi-legged beast away.

“Mang Jiu!” Ying San leapt toward Mang Jiu, using his right wing to forcefully block a smaller earthworm that had darted out from a crack behind him. The worm’s sharp teeth sank viciously into his wing.

“Ugh…” Ying San stumbled and knelt on the ground, his wing throbbing with excruciating pain.

Mang Jiu watched helplessly as the feathers on his wing fell out one by one, exposing the flesh beneath. The flesh quickly turned into a trickle of pus and blood, like a receding tide, until only a blood-stained skeleton remained, and the corrosion finally ceased.

“Ying San!” Mang Jiu punched the charging earthworm to death and cried out in alarm.

A massive claw struck out. Mang Jiu staggered, and a deafening bear roar echoed through the air as Xiong Kui bit right through the multi-legged beast’s skull. Xiong Kui had arrived with the Beastmen.

The blood-soaked Beastmen, upon seeing their kin, fell one after another.

The enraged Beastmen had no time to tend to their kin’s injuries; they swung their claws, bared their fangs, and ferociously pounced on the few remaining insects.

Mang Jiu stood where he was, his hands trembling slightly. His body was covered in gaping wounds, from which bright red blood flowed. He raised his hand, pulled the tail spine embedded in his chest out, and threw it to the ground.

The battle raged on for a while longer before finally coming to a complete end. The ground was littered with the corpses of insects, and the soil, soaked through with blood, had turned into a muddy mess. Xiong Kui wiped his face and ran swiftly toward his clanmates.

“How are you? Are you okay?”

He helped Lang Qing, who lay on the ground with his eyes half-closed, to his feet and examined his wounds.

Lang Qing struggled to open his mouth, but before a single word could escape, he passed out.

“Lang Qing! Open your eyes!” 

“Xiong Hong! Xiong Hui!” 

“Xi Er! Xi Jiu!” “Ying San!”

“Lang Zuo, Lang You!”

“Mang Qi! Mang Yue!”

“Open your eyes, don’t fall asleep!”

Mang Jiu staggered and fell backward, landing flat on his back.

“Mang Jiu! Mang Jiu!”

The Beastmen rushed frantically toward their gravely injured comrades, but since they were still in their animal forms, they couldn’t do anything to help and could only call out their names in desperation.

Back at the Cliff Shore Tribe, after the chief had led his people away, Zhang Shuguang paced back and forth in the cave, his mind in turmoil. The three cubs sat quietly on the stone slab bed, staring at him without daring to make a sound.

A deep furrow formed between his brows, and his face was tense.

“Kids, Daddy’s going out to find your father. You must listen to your older brother.” Zhang Shuguang picked up the three children and ran to Li’s cave.

“I’m leaving the kids with you. I’m going to find Mang Jiu.” Zhang Shuguang shoved the three children into Li’s arms. Without waiting for Li to speak, he turned and ran down the mountain. He was running so fast that he lost his footing and fell to his knees, but he quickly scrambled to his feet and turned back.

He grabbed a backpack, stuffed it with a thick bamboo water tube, firewood and sticks, sea salt, thick vines, fish spines, a fishbone knife, and a hoe, then hoisted it onto his back and ran down the mountain once more.

“Uncle Ying Cao!” Zhang Shuguang ran breathlessly to Ying Cao’s cave, his face pale and bloodless. “Please, take me there.”

Ying Cao’s face was equally grim. Seeing his frantic state and the blood on his knees, he couldn’t bring himself to refuse.

Zhang Shuguang pleaded urgently, “Please bring plenty of herbs. I—I know my herbs. I can stitch up wounds. I can do so many things. Uncle Ying Cao, I beg you—”

“Take me there—I have to go!” He spoke incoherently, his whole body as taut as a stretched string.

Ying Cao thought for a moment, then nodded. “Wait here for me.” He turned, grabbed a leather bag, and stuffed all the unprocessed herbs from the cave inside. He also took two empty bamboo tubes and a wooden pestle—presumably for pounding the herbs into a decoction.

Zhang Shuguang watched him anxiously, not even noticing the footsteps approaching from behind.

“You can’t go,” Mang Er said coldly, standing behind him and grabbing his arm. “You’re a Sub-Beastman; you can’t travel long distances.”

The hunting grounds were quite a distance from the tribe; even if they ran as fast as they could, it would take them a long time to get there.

Zhang Shuguang shook his head vigorously, his eyes bloodshot. “I have to go. If I go, maybe they won’t die if they’re seriously injured!” Mang Er froze. “What do you mean?”

Zhang Shuguang had no time for small talk. Instead, he grabbed his wrist and said solemnly, “Second Brother, trust me. I’ll definitely bring everyone back safely.”

Even without knowing the details of the battle, Mang Er could guess the gravity of the situation. If things weren’t dire, Mang Jiu wouldn’t have sent Ying Wu back to order everyone to be on high alert.

He’d just led his men out of the tribe, only to turn back halfway, precisely because he feared Zhang Shuguang might escape.

But now, he wasn’t sure if he should stop him.

Ying Cao placed the leather pouch into the backpack Zhang Shuguang was carrying and said to Mang Er in a low voice, “I’ll take him there. You must guard the tribe.”

With such a large-scale fight breaking out in the hunting grounds, there’s no way the nearby tribes wouldn’t know about it. It’s hard to say if they’ll come to help, but it’s quite possible they’ll send people to sneak into the tribe and cause trouble.

“Keep an eye on the Shaman. I’ll make sure to get Shuguang there safely.” Ying Cao patted Mang Er on the shoulder, his wings spreading behind him. “Don’t worry.”

Zhang Shuguang nodded vigorously, shifting the backpack from his back to his chest, then soared into the air, carried by Eaglegrass.

The Giant Eagle Clan were natural hunters with a keen sense of tracking, and since the Beastmen had only been gone a short while, Ying Cao took advantage of the remaining daylight to spread his wings and fly swiftly along their trail.

Zhang Shuguang had no time to be afraid of heights. He closed his eyes and called out to Xiao Cai in his mind.

“Xiao Cai, Xiao Cai!”

Xiao Cai: “Master, I’m here.”

Zhang Shuguang: “Is there any medicine in the Points Store that can treat corrosive poison wounds?”

Xiao Cai: “Yes, Master. It’s called ‘All-Purpose Antidote Potion.’ It costs 100 points per bottle.”

Zhang Shuguang: “How much is in one bottle?”

Xiao Cai: “Two hundred fifty milliliters.”

Zhang Shuguang frowned. That’s only half a bottle of mineral water—and with so many Beastmen injured, it definitely wouldn’t be enough.

“I’ll take ten bottles.”

Xiao Cai: “…Master, you don’t have enough points.”

Zhang Shuguang: “I’ll forgo the reward from my last report. Tell your main system I’m running a deficit and will pay it back with 0.1% interest per day.” 

Xiao Cai: “…Master, I’ll contact the main system for you. Please wait a moment.”

Zhang Shuguang suppressed his impatience and waited with gritted teeth.

About five minutes later, Xiao Cai’s electronic voice sounded again.

Xiao Cai: “Master, the main system says you can only redeem five bottles, and you’ll have to pay back the debt with 0.2% interest per day.”

Zhang Shuguang: “Alright! Go ahead and redeem them for me. Bring them to me when I need them later.”

Xiao Cai: “Yes, Master. Your current score is -339 points.” 

Zhang Shuguang: “Get me some more hemostatic medicine.”

Xiao Cai: “…You didn’t mention that earlier!”

Zhang Shuguang: “Is it too late to say it now? Just calculate it based on that interest rate. Hurry up.” If they have a potion that cures all poisons, how could they not have a hemostatic ointment?

Besides, he was in such deep debt that it didn’t bother him anymore—it was like having so many lice that they didn’t even itch. Owing a thousand points or just over five hundred made little difference. Zhang Shuguang: “How many points for a tube of hemostatic ointment? How many grams?”

Xiao Cai: “Fifty credits for fifty grams.”

Zhang Shuguang: “Fifty grams? In a tiny box the size of a child’s face cream?” 

Xiao Cai: “Master, you really know your stuff.”

Zhang Shuguang: “Of course! I’ve bathed my little nephew—how could I not know how big a tube of face cream is!” 

Xiao Cai: “……” So you’re something special just because you have a little nephew, huh?

Zhang Shuguang: “Exchange ten boxes—that’ll make exactly a thousand points.” 

Xiao Cai: “…I…”

Zhang Shuguang: “What do you mean by ‘I’? Hurry up and exchange them, or I’ll refuse to do the mission, and we’re both done for.” 

Xiao Cai: “Master, you can’t threaten me like this every time.”

Zhang Shuguang: “Methods don’t have to be fancy—as long as they work. Hurry up and exchange them. Right now, I owe you 839 points. Remember that. Go rest.” 

Xiao Cai: “……”

Zhang Shuguang opened his eyes and looked around, realizing it had already grown dark. He shouted into the wind, “Uncle Ying Cao~~.”

Ying Cao, whom he was holding close to his chest, twitched the corner of his mouth. “…I can hear you. We’re not that far apart.”

Zhang Shuguang gave an awkward smile, but realizing Ying Cao couldn’t see him, he quickly composed his face, lest the howling wind turn him into a meme.

Ying Cao: “What do you want to say?”

Zhang Shuguang: “I wanted to ask you how much longer it’ll take to get there.”

Ying Cao: “Long enough for you to get a good night’s sleep. I don’t fly as fast as those young Beastmen; if we go too fast, we’ll end up falling.”

Zhang Shuguang quickly said, “Take it easy, take it easy. We have to get there safely. Uncle Ying Cao, I’m going to get some sleep. Wake me up when we’re almost there. Thanks for everything.” 

He needed to rest up. He had a premonition that once they arrived, he would likely face a scene of bloodshed—it was going to be a terrible sight. He had to steel himself mentally so he wouldn’t break down.

It was more than just a gruesome sight—even from a great distance, the night breeze carried a thick, metallic stench of blood and a foul, putrid odor. Zhang Shuguang wasn’t woken by Ying Cao, but by the overpowering smell.

He stared blankly down below; it was pitch black, and he couldn’t make out a thing, yet his heart was beating faster and faster, and he was growing increasingly panicked.

“Shuguang, you’re trembling,” Eaglegrass said in a low voice. His own expression was grim; though they were still some distance away, he could vaguely make out the scene below.

The ground was littered with corpses and mangled insect bodies. The Beastmen were huddled together, and a giant beast lay sprawled on the ground. Zhang Shuguang took two deep, chilling breaths, then coughed as the foul, fishy stench choked him.

Ying Cao held him close. “I’m going down.” Zhang Shuguang: “Mm.”

On the battlefield, since Mang Jiu and the others were severely injured and unable to move far, the rest could only hastily clear away the scattered insect corpses. The critically wounded Beastmen lay unconscious on the ground; even Xiong Kui was at a loss, let alone the others.

“Go fetch water. Go, go start a fire. Wipe them down, wipe them clean.” Xiong Kui’s hands trembled as he pressed hard against the gaping wound in Mang Jiu’s chest, from which blood was gushing. The cool, warm blood made him shiver as well.

“Mang Jiu, you mustn’t fall asleep. Shuguang—Shuguang is still waiting for you to come home.”

Mang Jiu opened his mouth, and blood trickled down the corner of his lips.

He wanted to speak; he had promised Shuguang he’d bring back a bull beast for him.

“…Cough, cough, cough…” He struggled to speak, but the effort only caused him to cough up even more fresh blood.

Zhang Shuguang was set down on the ground by Ying Cao. Before he could even steady himself, he began to run. His foot slipped on the muddy ground soaked with blood, and his body lurched as he fell, and half his body slammed hard against the ground.

He braced himself with one hand, his back still hunched, and crawled forward.

“Mang Jiu… Mang Jiu…” He mumbled, his lips moving, but the sound seemed stuck in his throat, unable to escape. Mang Jiu, whose eyes had been half-closed, suddenly opened them wide and turned his head laboriously to the left.

Xiong Kui heard the sound as well and turned to look, only to see Zhang Shuguang, covered in grime, stumbling toward them. Zhang Shuguang lunged forward and knelt beside Mang Jiu, his hands and body smeared with blood and dirt.

“I—I’m here,” he said, reaching out with a trembling hand to touch Mang Jiu. He paused in shock at the filth on his hand, then pulled it back and rubbed it vigorously against his leather vest. “I’m here, I’m here. Mang Jiu, I’m here. Keep your eyes open and look at me. Don’t close them. Don’t close them.”

He had no idea how utterly bedraggled he looked—his face streaked with tears and sweat, one side of his body caked in blood-stained mud, and his knees raw and bleeding from the fall. He was oblivious to all this, frantically rubbing his hands against his leather vest, rubbing until his hands grew hot, yet still failing to clean the grime from his palms. “Water! I have water! Where’s the water!” He rummaged through the backpack, shaking his hands as he grabbed inside several times, but failed to pull out the thick bamboo tube.

Xiong Kui reached out and pressed his arm down, then pulled out the thick bamboo tube. He opened the fur lining and the lid, tilted the tube, and poured out some of the slightly warm water inside.

Zhang Shuguang quickly washed his hands, shook them twice, and then reached toward the wound on Mang Jiu’s right chest.

“Don’t worry, I have medicine—Xiao Cai, Xiao Cai!”

Xiong Kui looked at him in surprise.

Zhang Shuguang hadn’t even realized what he’d just said; in his panic, he’d called out “Xiao Cai” twice. “Ointment! Hemostatic ointment!” 

Xiao Cai: “Master, the ointment is in the backpack.”

Zhang Shuguang turned to look at the backpack, pulled out a small bamboo tube, opened it with trembling hands, scooped out a large chunk, and smeared it directly onto Mang Jiu’s bleeding wound.

The stinging sensation made Mang Jiu frown. Seeing this, Zhang Shuguang quickly blew on the wound, chanting, “Blow, blow, blow the pain away.” He blew and blew, tears streaming down his face.

Xiong Kui was at a loss for words. Staring at Mang Jiu’s chest, which was gradually stopping the bleeding, he steeled himself and awkwardly opened his mouth: “…Shuguang…”

Zhang Shuguang raised his hand to wipe his face, then took the other four small bamboo tubes filled with hemostatic ointment out of his backpack and handed them all to Xiong Kui. “This is for stopping the bleeding. Apply it to the wound. And also—” He had Xiao Cai place the antidote potion into the backpack, then took out ten small bamboo tubes, keeping one for himself and giving the rest to him. “This is the antidote potion. Chief, please open them and check the ointment and potion—don’t use them up the wrong way.”

Xiong Kui nodded vigorously, then got up and went over to the giant beast lying nearby, whose injuries were so severe that it couldn’t even shift back into human form.

Ying Cao was already helping to assess the injuries of the Beastmen. The wounds were all too severe; he couldn’t stop the bleeding, and he had no idea how to set the broken bones.

Just as he was at a loss, Xiong Kui ran over and handed him the small bamboo tube he was holding. “The ointment stops the bleeding; the potion neutralizes the poison.” 

Ying Cao stared at him in astonishment. “Where did you get that?”

“Shuguang gave them to me.” Xiong Kui looked at him solemnly. Ying Cao’s eyes were filled with astonishment and doubt. “Shuguang?”

“Yes. Stop the bleeding and neutralize the poison first; we’ll deal with the rest of the injuries later.” Xiong Kui patted Ying Cao on the shoulder. “We’ll talk about this later.”

Ying Cao nodded, opened the small bamboo tube, and sniffed each one in turn. A faint, refreshing medicinal scent wafted up—even just the smell was enough to clear one’s head and refresh the spirit.

“This is a medicinal decoction… and this is an ointment.”

Xiong Kui walked over to Xiong Hong and Xiong Hui with the two small bamboo tubes. He first applied the ointment to their wounds, then poured the medicinal liquid into their mouths. Ying Cao distributed the ointments and liquids he had identified. Soon, several of the Beastmen who had been bleeding profusely and poisoned regained consciousness.

At least some of them were already able to shift back into human form.

Zhang Shuguang knelt on the ground, cradling Mang Jiu’s head in his arms. Tears streamed down his face as he applied ointment to the wound on Mang Jiu’s neck.

“Open your mouth and take a couple of sips of this medicine.” He held the small bamboo tube to Mang Jiu’s lips and coaxed him softly to open his mouth. Mang Jiu was very obedient; once the bleeding stopped, he gradually regained some strength, so opening his mouth to drink the medicine was no problem. He took two sips of the medicine, and the wound that had felt like it was burning was relieved in an instant.

“You… the medicine…”

“I changed the dressing. I’ll explain later. You have so many wounds; I need to apply medicine to them, or you’ll bleed to death.” His voice sounded steady, but his body trembled uncontrollably, and the tears on his face hadn’t dried.

Mang Jiu looked at him, slowly raising his arm covered in wounds. With a hand dripping with blood, he gently tapped Zhang Shuguang’s face. “Don’t cry.”

Zhang Shuguang pouted, sniffled loudly in a pout, lowered his head, and let the tears stream down, cold droplets splashing onto Mang Jiu’s face.

Mang Jiu let out a long sigh and pressed his hand against Zhang Shuguang’s neck. “I want a kiss.”

“Mm,” Zhang Shuguang leaned in and gently kissed his forehead. “You scared me to death, sniffle, sniffle. As long as you’re okay, as long as you’re still alive, sniffle, sniffle.”

After one kiss, he kissed him again, his face streaked with snot and tears. “Don’t die, sniffle, sniffle.”

Mang Jiu felt helpless. Although he was quite happy to be kissed, Zhang Shuguang’s intense crying was making him panic.

“Stop crying. My back… It’s wounded.” He spoke up, reminding the other that his wound was still bleeding.

Zhang Shuguang turned his head and wiped his face on his arm, then gently helped him turn onto his side. When he saw the large, bleeding gash on his back, tears began to fall again.

He scooped some ointment onto the wound, only to discover he’d used up all the ointment in the small bamboo tube.

“Xiao Cai! Get me two more boxes of hemostatic ointment.”

Xiao Cai silently replaced the ointment without uttering a word. It could clearly sense the turmoil within its host’s heart at that moment. If it dared to say anything more right now, it feared that this surge of anger might cause its host to truly take it down with him.

Zhang Shuguang applied the hemostatic ointment all over Mang Jiu’s body, not even skipping the wounds on the soles of his feet. Mang Jiu lay on the ground for a moment to catch his breath, then slowly sat up, propping himself up on his arms.

“All done?” Zhang Shuguang was a bit dumbfounded. How could he recover so quickly?

“No more bleeding, the poison’s out—I’m fine.” Mang Jiu was still a bit dizzy; he tilted his head against Zhang Shuguang’s shoulder and said weakly.

Zhang Shuguang nodded. He’d just given Mang Jiu a thorough once-over; aside from the through-and-through wound in his chest and the various scrapes and cuts all over his body, there were no other serious injuries.

As for internal injuries, even if there were any, he wouldn’t have been able to treat them.

He’d already tried everything possible; just bringing her back to life was a miracle.

Zhang Shuguang wiped his face clean, raised his hand, and touched Mang Jiu’s forehead. It felt cool to the touch, and he breathed a sigh of relief. “Want some water?” 

“Mm-hmm,” Mang Jiu replied.

Zhang Shuguang quickly grabbed the thick bamboo tube and held it up to his lips to help him drink.

After drinking some water, Mang Jiu’s parched throat felt much better, and he could speak much more easily. He looked at Zhang Shuguang, his eyes sparkling. “I want another kiss.”

Zhang Shuguang glared at him. “What are you talking about? I’m going to check on the others. You just stay put.” 

Though his tone was harsh, his movements were gentle as he helped Mang Jiu lean against the large tree behind them.

The few Beastmen nearby had all had their bleeding stopped. In fact, the hemostatic ointment in that small bamboo tube was more than enough; if they’d used it sparingly, there would have been some left over.

Unfortunately, Zhang Shuguang had panicked and mistaken the ointment for paint, essentially slathering it all over Mang Jiu’s body before stopping.

There was some ointment left over from the others, and after their wounds had been staunched, they returned all of it to Ying Cao. Ying Cao handed the small bamboo tubes to Zhang Shuguang and thanked him.

“Uncle Ying Cao, you keep them. I don’t have much use for them.” Zhang Shuguang knew that everyone had survived and felt a huge weight lifted off his shoulders as he gave a slight smile. “Keep that antidote potion, too.”

Ying Cao nodded excitedly. “Don’t worry, I’ll make good use of it.”

Zhang Shuguang hummed in acknowledgment and walked over to Xiong Hong and Xiong Hui. Xiong Hong was already able to sit up like Mang Jiu, but Xiong Hui was still lying on the ground. He reached out and pressed gently on Xiong Hui’s chest, asking, “Does it hurt?”

“It hurts. My bones are broken,” Xiong Hui gasped, the pain evident in his labored breathing.

Zhang Shuguang turned to the Beastman beside him and said, “I saw some hard armor over there earlier. Bring me two pieces that can cover Xiong Hui completely. There are thick vines in the backpack I brought—could you tear them into strips about as thick as a finger and as long as possible?”

“What for?”

Zhang Shuguang pointed at Xiong Hui: “Tie him up. Let him be a Giant Turtle Clan member for a while.”

The Beastman who had asked the question burst out laughing, dispelling much of the sorrow and grief among his severely injured clanmates.

“Shuguang,” Xiong Kui crouched beside Langzuo and waved him over, “Come take a look at Lang Zuo.”

Zhang Shuguang replied and hurried over.

Of the two brothers, Lang Zuo and Lang You, Lang Zuo had suffered the most severe injuries. Half of his tail was severed, three of his teeth were missing, and his right leg was broken, with the bone protruding from the wound. He had only just transformed back into human form.

On the left side of Lang You’s abdomen was a vertical gash where flesh and blood were torn open, stretching from his chest down to his lower abdomen. The bleeding had stopped, making the severity of the wound all the more evident. His left arm was broken, just like his brother’s—though the bone hadn’t protruded, it was clearly twisted out of place.

Zhang Shuguang frowned and pressed his lips together. The fracture on the Lang Zuo leg was jagged; to set it, the bone would need to be pushed back into place, and the fracture lines realigned.

“I—” He swallowed hard. “I’ll give it a try.”

The people here had likely never even seen a simple suture, let alone a surgical procedure. When they had wounds, they simply endured them until they healed on their own. It was fortunate that Beastmen had such robust vitality and recovered quickly; otherwise, with that much blood loss and such severe injuries, an ordinary person would have died twice over.

He took a deep breath and gently ran his hand over Lang Zuo’s leg. Aside from the protruding broken bone, there were no other comminuted fractures. However, several tiny bone fragments embedded in the muscles near the fracture made his expression grow even more grim.

He shook his slightly trembling hand and looked at Lang Zuo with concern. “I’ve never done this before. I can only try to set the bone back in place and secure it, and I’ll have to remove the bone fragments as well.” Pushing the bone back into place was the simplest part; cleaning out the bone fragments would be the tricky part.

Zhang Shuguang took a deep breath and licked his dry lips. “My personal suggestion is to find a Beastman with good eyesight to help clean out the bone fragments before we set the bone.”

Lang Zuo grinned at him. “Come on.”