He moved with lightning speed, his long legs striding forward to catch the Witch Doctor steadily, shouting anxiously, "Fei! Are you alright? Where do you feel unwell?"
Having his plan thwarted by an unexpected interloper, and unable to jump up and punch the culprit, the Witch Doctor nearly choked on his frustration. He closed his eyes and played dead.
At the same time, a soft, sticky-sweet voice sounded.
"Mouth, blow air."
Every head turned in unison toward the little white ball that had somehow run over and was now clinging to Shan Cang's calf.
Shan Cang bent down and scooped up the cub, a glimmer of light appearing in his eyes. "You can talk now?"
The little white ball rubbed its head against his palm. "A little bit."
The cub extended its small paw toward Bo. "Bo, amazing."
Bo had cared for the cub for a long time with meticulous patience. He could understand the cub's meaning just from its eyes and body language, and teaching the cub to speak came naturally to him.
After several days of studying with Shan Cang, both parties had been utterly miserable, and yet nothing had been learned. But with a change of teacher to Liang Ye, the cub's learning progress was like a rocket.
It was clearly the teacher's problem after all. Liang Ye was one of the few college students in their village—how could he possibly fail to learn a foreign language?
A loving smile spread across Bo's face as he waved his hand repeatedly. "It's because the cub is clever. It has nothing to do with me."
A sharp glint flashed through Shan Cang's eyes. He'd found a reliable tutor.
Gathering his thoughts, Shan Cang looked down at the cub and asked, "What does 'mouth, blow air' mean?"
Liang Ye solemnly raised his little paw and pointed at He. "You."
Then he pointed at the unconscious Witch Doctor. "Mouth."
He brought his two little paws together, puffed out his cheeks, and blew. "Blow air."
"Save a life!"
Shan Cang fell into thought, then asked the cub, "Was this taught by your former tribe?"
Liang Ye couldn't explain the concept of a nation to him, so he vaguely nodded. "Mm."
"There's such a method? I've never heard of it before—blowing air into someone's mouth can save a life?"
"It might be a Healing Art passed down exclusively by the White Wolf tribe."
"The White Wolf tribe is so mysterious, it's not strange they'd have such an unusual Healing Art."
"Should we give it a try?"
The tribespeople murmured among themselves, their eyes burning with anticipation as they looked at their chief.
Everyone in the tribe knew that He liked the Witch Doctor, the Witch Doctor liked the chief, and the chief liked living alone.
Shan Cang lowered his gaze to meet the cub's clear, innocent puppy eyes. "We can give it a try."
The cub's eyes burst with dazzling light, as if it could blind a person.
Oh yeah! This was going to be good!
He's palms were sweating, his Adam's apple bobbing as he slowly lowered his head under the gaze of countless eyes burning hotter than flames.
His scorching breath sprayed across the Witch Doctor's cheeks. The Witch Doctor could bear it no longer and suddenly snapped his eyes open.
Even though he had been prepared, the moment he lifted his eyelids, the Witch Doctor still couldn't control his emotions. He swung his hand and delivered a resounding slap.
He stood frozen in place as the Witch Doctor shoved him away, glaring at Shan Cang with a gaze full of grievance and indignation—like a wife looking at a helpless husband who had watched her be molested by a scoundrel without lifting a finger.
"Wow! The Witch Doctor really woke up!"
"The White Wolf tribe's Healing Art is amazing!"
The naive tribespeople were overjoyed, showering praise on the method Liang Ye had provided. But the Beastmen with sharper minds and more life experience could see that the Witch Doctor had deliberately pretended to faint to avoid the tribespeople's request.
If he had simply said he had no solution, no one would have made things difficult for him, nor would they have blamed him. But the Witch Doctor had chosen to fake unconsciousness instead.
Why?
Naturally, it was to preserve the Witch Doctor's dignity and authority.
Zhu and Bo exchanged a look and sighed, shaking their heads.
As elders who had watched them grow up, the two understood Fei's character flaws—arrogance, selfishness, and tyranny.
If there had been any other choice, Fei would never have been the first pick for the tribe's Witch Doctor. Unfortunately, among the previous Witch Doctor's disciples, only Fei had survived. A Witch Doctor could communicate with the Beast God, master the Healing Art, and preside over blessings and rituals. A tribe without a Witch Doctor could hardly endure, let alone thrive.
They had thought that with the chief keeping him in check, the Witch Doctor wouldn't be able to stir up too much trouble. But who would have thought the boy's temperament would drift further and further off course? They could only hope the Beast God would admonish him and guide him back to the right path.
The Witch Doctor weakly lifted the corners of his lips, pressed his palms together, closed his eyes, and wore a devout expression. "My sudden fainting just now was due to a summons from the Beast God."
"He told me that this crisis facing our tribe was brought by a Beastman bearing the Omen of Misfortune. If he is not expelled, he will bring even greater calamity upon the tribe."
"What!?"
"A Beastman bearing the Omen of Misfortune?"
"By the heavens! Who could it be?"
Everyone was like startled birds, distancing themselves from those around them, their eyes turning strange and wary.
"It's him! It must be him!" A sturdy little cub suddenly jumped down from his father's arms and pointed at Liang Ye, shouting, "Mum, I told you—he looked at me with such a strange gaze, like he wanted to eat me!"
Cai looked in surprise toward where her cub was pointing. "Gui, don't talk nonsense. He's only three months old—there's no way he could eat you."
Even though Cai minded the cub's identity, she wouldn't go so far as to recklessly suspect a three-month-old cub of being an Omen of Misfortune.
Gui stamped his feet, spinning around anxiously. "It's true, Mum! I'm not lying to you. Today he looked at me with that terrifying gaze again! Tian He can vouch for me!"
Tian He, caught off guard by being named, tilted his little head topped with a pair of fluffy black wolf ears. His grape-like big eyes were moist and sparkling, so adorable it could melt anyone's heart.
Liang Ye's heart truly melted—so adorable! Those little ears were just begging to be rubbed!
"Look, look! Everyone, look!" Gui pointed urgently at Liang Ye, then shrank back into his father's embrace in a flash.
How terrifying!
"Hiss—"
The crowd drew in sharp breaths. What a perverted look!
Could this cub be some kind of monster that preyed on younglings, disguised as a cub to deceive Beastmen and lower their guard?
"Ch-Chief, he really is a bit sinister."
"That's right, the Fireseed was fine before, but the moment he arrived, it went out."
"Maybe his tribe abandoned him because he's an ill-omened being."
"That makes sense—he's got all his limbs, he's not sick, so there's no reason the White Wolf Tribe would abandon a cub."
"Chief, we can't keep this cub. He'll bring disaster to the tribe!"
"Chief, the Beast God has sent a warning. You must take this seriously!"
On one side was the Witch Doctor's authoritative words; on the other, a cub of unknown origin just picked up from outside. Which was more trustworthy? No question at all.
Things were developing exactly as he'd anticipated. The Witch Doctor's lips curved up almost imperceptibly.
Time and again, this creature had made him look foolish in front of Shan Cang. The Witch Doctor had a feeling that keeping this pest around would only bring more trouble. He had to drive it out of the tribe.
Becoming the target of everyone's hostility for no reason, Liang Ye sighed helplessly. Superstition was a real problem. What ill intentions could a yeye obsessed with fluffy things possibly have?
Shan Cang's brows drew together, frost sealing his gaze for miles as he locked onto the Witch Doctor. "Disaster comes from an ill-omened body? Then I, who brought that ill-omened body back to the tribe, should be the greatest source of calamity."
The moment those words left his mouth, you could hear a pin drop.
The Witch Doctor felt as if something was covering his nose and mouth. His breathing grew shallow, his face drained of all color, his whole body trembling, his guts quaking with terror.
"N-No… that's not…" he rasped, shaking his head wildly, sobbing uncontrollably.
Everyone was struck dumb by Shan Cang's words. An oppressive aura spread silently, and one after another, they fell to their knees in fear. No one dared utter another word against Liang Ye.
Liang Ye never expected Shan Cang to defend him so firmly. His heart pounded like a drum, warm currents surging through his veins.
He lifted his little head, starry eyes sparkling, and nuzzled into the man's palm.
As expected of the golden thigh this yeye had personally chosen—so reliable!
Feeling the softness in his hand, the cub's downy baby fur tickled Shan Cang's heart through his skin.
Since you helped clear this yeye's name, this yeye will return the favor.
Yeye's little paw pads patted Shan Cang's skin, leaving behind two plum-blossom prints.
Shan Cang lifted him up to eye level. The fluffy, soft white bun puffed out its little chest, its glossy black almond eyes clear and watery. "I can make fire."
Liang Ye expected this to be the moment Shan Cang's expression changed most vividly, but instead, the man calmly patted his head and patiently corrected him: "Fire falls from the sky."
The word "make fire" had never existed in the Beastmen world. Shan Cang probably hadn't understood—how could fire be "made"?
Yeye sighed, pulled his hand away, and stared at the man without blinking. "Make fire. I'll teach you."
Shan Cang's fingers paused. He silently met the cub's gaze. An ordinary Beastman under such scrutiny would have already cowered in guilt, but this little one was calm and confident. Did he actually have a real grasp on this?
Impossible.
But… what if he did?
The exchange was heard word for word by the tribespeople, and it exploded like cold water dropped into a pot of hot oil—crackling and popping everywhere.
"Liar! No wonder his tribe abandoned him."
"So young and already full of lies. The Chief is too kind-hearted."
"The Fireseed is a gift from the Beast God, and he claims he can make fire himself."
"Hahaha, is he going to say he's the Beast God incarnate next?"
"Forget it, forget it. Why bother arguing with a cub who knows nothing? Hopefully the Chief will come to his senses and stop protecting him so much."
Unexpectedly, the tables had turned. The Witch Doctor nearly laughed out loud.
Even if he did nothing, this cub would bring about his own destruction.
Amidst the mockery, a cold, deep, authoritative voice crashed down like thunder, silencing all the noise.
"Alright. Teach me."