Lu Xuan was overjoyed. So the beastman continent wasn’t completely unfamiliar after all. With this bit of familiarity, he became even more excited.
“This is Sarcandra herb. The root and stem are thick and large, with many thin and long branching roots. The leaves are nearly leathery in texture, long elliptical or ovate-lanceolate in shape, and can grow up to two meters tall.”
According to the [1]Lu Chuan Materia Medica (Lù Chuān Běn Cǎo) is a real historical Chinese herbal medicine text. It was compiled during the Republic of China period (early 20th century) by a practitioner named Mr. … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_2282795_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_2282795_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });Lu Chuan Materia Medica, it can treat bone fractures from falls, traumatic swelling and pain, rheumatic bone pain, as well as chronic ulcers and venomous snake bites.
According to the Raw Herbal Medicinal Properties Record, it can be boiled in water and drunk to reduce fever.
In short, it’s a good medicinal herb.
Lu Xuan introduced each of these to the two beastmen. To his surprise, they listened extremely attentively, even asking him to repeat things several times.
On the way back, they took a different direction and found several more types of herbs, some that the original owner recognized, and some that he himself recognized.
There were honeysuckle, Sargentgloryvine, weeping forsythia, and dyer’s woad leaf, all of which have sterilizing and disinfecting properties.
He didn’t care whether it was reasonable for all these herbs to grow in the same forest. As long as they were useful, that was enough, after all, beasts could already turn into humans.
By the time they reached the stream, the sun was already directly overhead. The forest was no longer as damp as it had been in the morning.
The black bear’s human form was still lying under the tree, his lips cracked and dry. Small black flies were hovering above his wounds.
Lu Xuan was startled. He hurried over and checked his breath.
Fortunately, he was still breathing.
After settling the cubs down, he immediately washed the wounds with clean water, then found a clean tree leaf to spread on the ground and used a stone to pound the herbs into a paste.
Without any means to boil them into a liquid, he just had them drink the juice directly.
Finally, he spread the paste over the wounds. For the most severe injury on his leg, Lu Xuan didn’t dare dig out the rotten flesh directly, afraid that the pain might make the black bear kick him.
His small frame couldn’t withstand a kick from a black bear.
He said to Xiong Xuan: “I need to cut away the rotten flesh. It will be very painful. Who among you can help hold him down?”
“I will.”
It was Xiong Qi, who had gone looking for herbs with him.
When it came to professional matters, Lu Xuan was very serious. His expression was stern, his cuts fast, ruthless, and precise, without any hesitation whatsoever.
After the rotten flesh was cut away, there was an egg-sized hole on his thigh. Lu Xuan applied the prepared herbal paste over it. The bleeding stopped quickly, but there was no gauze or bandages, so… just left it like that.
He also used wooden sticks he had found along the way to immobilize the broken leg. There was no severe misalignment, no comminuted fracture, fortunately.
“All done. After some time resting, he should be fine.”
Lu Xuan let out a breath. His face was covered in sweat, but his eyes were very bright.
His smooth, flowing movements earned the approval of all the beastmen present, especially Xiong Xuan and the pregnant sub-beastman. They felt even more reassured.
Xiong Yue gritted his teeth and asked: “Why do you need to tie wooden sticks to Tian Xuan’s leg?”
Hearing the name again, Lu Xuan finally connected it to the black bear beastman. So that was his name.
“It doesn’t have to be wooden sticks, wooden boards would work too. This prevents the bone from shifting, reduces pain, promotes healing, and also makes it easier to move the patient.”
Xiong Yue let out a breath. He didn’t expect Lu Xuan to actually answer, and he didn’t seem unhappy about it either.
The methods of treating injuries were secrets unique to each priest. Generally, priests wouldn’t share them with anyone who wasn’t an apprentice. Xiong Yue had asked only with an eye on the future, even at the risk of being disliked by Lu Xuan.
Lu Xuan was completely different from other priest’s apprentices.
He smiled, his eyes curving into crescents: “Thank you.”
Lu Xuan smiled back: “You’re welcome.”
Explaining the reasons to a patient’s family was a necessary part of the process.
Xiong Xuan glanced at the sky and said: “Let’s leave this place. We need to reach the hide shelter before dark.”
The two brown bear beastmen quickly made a stretcher. They lifted Tian Xuan onto it, and the group left the area.
They traveled swiftly through the forest. If it weren’t for having swapped bodies, Lu Xuan definitely wouldn’t have been able to keep up with his original physical fitness.
Even the sub-beastman who was about to give birth walked as fast as flying. Lu Xuan sighed, sure enough, different species really made a difference.
Xiong Yue felt very favorable toward Lu Xuan. He walked beside him, finding topics to chat about.
“How many beastmen are there in your tribe?”
Lu Xuan thought for a moment and said: “About thirty or so.”
Everyone stared in astonishment.
Lu Xuan: “…What’s wrong?”
Xiong Yue’s eyes showed pity: “Your tribe is so small.”
Lu Xuan: “…It is a bit small.”
After saying that, he felt a bit off. He asked Xiong Yue: “How many people are in your tribe?”
Xiong Yue said sadly: “My tribe is gone.”
Lu Xuan: …
Everyone lowered their heads, and the atmosphere became heavy for a moment.
“You can’t exactly say it’s gone,” the pregnant sub-beastman said to Lu Xuan with a smile. “There are still a few of us. By the way, my name is Xiong Yuan. Yuan as in round.”
Lu Xuan curved his lips into a smile: “My name is Lu Xuan.”
Xiong Yuan blinked: “I know—Lu as in land, Xuan as in declare. Xiong Yue told us.”
When the sun was slanting westward, Xiong Xuan stopped and said to everyone: “Rest for half an hour.”
Lu Xuan immediately relaxed completely. He sat down by a nearby tree and let the cubs go play on the ground for a while.
He kneaded his arms to relieve the soreness. Carrying them the whole way had really tired out his arms.
“Actually, beastman cubs don’t need to be held all the time,” Xiong Yue said as he sat down beside Lu Xuan. “Beastman cubs aren’t that fragile.”
No sooner had he finished speaking than a sharp cry rang out.
The lynx cub was already in mid-air in the blink of an eye. His claws waved as he looked back at Lu Xuan in terror, begging for help.
“Baishe (White Lynx).”
Lu Xuan shot up in an instant and ran after the lynx cub. He didn’t forget to look back and shout: “Take care of my cubs for me!”
Damn it, if he came back and his two cubs were gone, he would chase these bears to the ends of the earth.
Xiong Qi was about to go help, but vines descending from above wrapped around his neck.
Countless vines came attacking the group from all directions. Xiong Yuan was the first to scoop up the two cubs and retreat behind Xiong Xuan.
Xiong Yan protected Xiong Yue behind him.
Meanwhile, as Lu Xuan’s body ran, it unknowingly began to change. His ears turned into two cat ears, and a long cat tail grew out from behind him.
His running speed grew faster and faster, the various plants around him blurring into streaks.
A green vine wrapped around the lynx cub’s waist and dragged him rapidly into the depths of the forest.
Lu Xuan leaped onto a tree trunk. His body instinctively used his tail to hook onto a branch, jumping from one tree to another.
He finally grabbed the vine and, in a smooth motion, climbed onto it. Lu Xuan took out the bone knife and cut the vine wrapped around the lynx cub’s waist. A dark reddish-black juice mixed with green sprayed all over his face in an instant.
The fishy yet foul smell shot straight up to his brain. Lu Xuan’s face turned even greener than the vine.
He protected the lynx cub in his arms and landed back-first. The impact of the fall made him roll several times before stopping.
Looking back at the crisscrossing branches above, the way he had been jumping from branch to branch just now really made him look like a monkey.
“And I’m clearly a tabby cat.”
The lynx cub was so frightened that his little body trembled, buried deep in Lu Xuan’s neck. Lu Xuan stroked his back over and over, soothing him.
“It’s okay. Daddy rescued you. Daddy is really amazing.”
The lynx cub tilted his little head and licked Lu Xuan’s chin.
“Aah~ aah~” Daddy is so awesome.
Lu Xuan’s eyes curved into a smile. He stood up and brushed the weeds off his backside.
“Let’s go. Find your two little brothers.”
“Aah! Aah aah…” But I’m younger than them.
Lu Xuan: “It doesn’t matter. You’re all good brothers.”
The lynx cub’s cries were really funny.
Lu Xuan scratched his chin. So cute.
He hurried back anxiously, his steps quick. Before long, he broke into a full sprint.
Halfway there, several familiar figures suddenly appeared before his eyes. Lu Xuan was startled, then immediately relieved. But before his hanging heart could even settle, the other side shouted: “Run!”
Lu Xuan’s legs went weak under him, nearly sending him tumbling to the ground. The moment he reached the others, he took the two cubs that leaped from Xiong Yue’s body, and together they turned in another direction, running swiftly.
Of the group, only Xiong Yue, Xiong Yuan, and Xiong Yan, who was carrying Tian Xuan on his back, were present. Two were missing.
“What happened?”
Xiong Yue: “Look behind you.”
Lu Xuan turned his head, and in an instant his eyes widened as big as brass bells. Vines, thrashing wildly, were roaming through the forest, chasing them.
What kind of apocalypse was this?!
Lu Xuan’s running speed increased again. Beside him, Xiong Yuan’s long hair flew behind him, but his belly was also bouncing up and down with every stride.
Lu Xuan’s heart rose and fell along with that belly.
“Is your belly okay?”
Xiong Yuan smiled slightly: “It’s fine. Don’t worry.”
Trees flashed past. Jumping, dodging, it all became almost instinctive.
No one spoke anymore. Heavy, rasping breaths sounded in their ears. A drop of sweat trickled down from his temple.
He had no idea how long they had been running. Suddenly, the view opened up, an endless expanse of green grass stretched out before them.
After running a little further, Xiong Yuan said, panting heavily: “Stop. Rest.”
Lu Xuan collapsed onto the ground. His heart pounded like thunder. He wished he could just suck on oxygen.
The three cubs squatted obediently in the hollow of his shoulder, crying out now and then, licking his chin and cheeks.
“Lu Xuan,” Xiong Yuan groaned softly.
Everyone immediately looked at him. Lu Xuan got up, took a few steps, and crouched beside him, taking his pulse.
Fortunately, judging from the pulse, the internal structure of beastmen’s bodies was the same as humans. Otherwise, the skill of pulse-taking would have been useless on the beastman continent.
At that moment, Lu Xuan fully understood his grandfather’s feelings. He had learned everything he should and shouldn’t learn in Chinese medicine, pulse-taking, acupuncture, herbs, diagnosis, and then ended up becoming a veterinarian.
No wonder his grandfather wanted to beat him. If it were him, he might have hit even harder.
Xiong Yue asked anxiously: “How is he?”
Lu Xuan’s expression was serious: “He’s about to give birth.”
“Huh?” Xiong Yue was both frightened and anxious: “What do we do? Xiong Xuan hasn’t arrived yet.”
Lu Xuan understood now, Xiong Xuan must be Xiong Yuan’s mate.
“Mmm~”
Xiong Yuan’s face showed both pain and endurance.
“Lu Xuan, have you learned how to deliver babies?”
Lu Xuan held his hand, his gaze firm: “Your body is very strong. You will be fine.”
Roar—
Just then, one roar of a bear after another came from the forest. Then, a black bear and a brown bear ran out of the forest and in the blink of an eye reached everyone.
The black bear transformed into human form, knelt in front of Xiong Yuan, and helped him up, leaning against himself.
“I’m here.”
His already sharp features became even more acute, but his voice was extraordinarily gentle.
The golden glow of the setting sun colored the horizon gold. A tender, fragile cry struck everyone’s chest like thousand-pound drum mallets.
Xiong Xuan took the animal hide he had prepared long ago and carefully wrapped it around the newborn baby.
He lowered his head and kissed the baby’s forehead. Then, slowly and solemnly, he raised the baby above his head.
The four-meter-tall black bear, holding the tiny bundle high, let out a loud roar against the golden horizon.
It was invigorating, it was new life.
Faint, indistinct figures of various colors appeared not far away.
In that moment, it was hope.
But…
Lu Xuan had to speak: “There’s one more.”
References[+]