Bai Ning was thrilled. She immediately closed her eyes and followed Tongtong’s instructions. Sure enough, a space appeared in her mind. Inside were several transparent glass vials, a massive, thick book, and a small box—which she assumed was the “Beginner Survival Toolkit.”
“Host, Host! Take out that bottle of blue medicine!” Tongtong’s cheerful voice echoed in her head. With a single thought, a vial of blue liquid appeared in her hand.
“Host, this is the Intermediate Injury Potion! Drink this, and your external wounds will heal quickly. It works for fractures, too!” Tongtong urged her excitedly.
Bai Ning raised her hand and gave the glass vial a little shake, watching the blue liquid swirl inside. After a moment of thought, she willed the bottle back into the space.
“Host?” Tongtong’s voice was full of confusion. It couldn’t understand why she wasn’t drinking the medicine immediately.
“Don’t worry, Tongtong. I’m still on someone else’s turf. They all know exactly how badly I’m hurt. If I recover too quickly, it will raise suspicions.”
As soon as Bai Ning explained, Tongtong understood and immediately praised her for being clever. Before Bai Ning could feel embarrassed by the compliment, Tongtong spoke again: “Host, someone is coming.”
Hearing this, Bai Ning looked toward the cave entrance. Moments later, footsteps sounded from outside. As they drew closer, the grass curtain was lifted, and a grey-haired female orc walked in. A male followed behind her, carrying something in his hands.
Seeing Bai Ning watching her, the orc gave a kind smile and walked over. “Little female, you’re awake. Are you hungry? Come, eat some freshly roasted meat while it’s hot.”
Bai Ning watched her warily, trying her best to ignore the mouth-watering aroma, her growling stomach, and the frantic salivating of her mouth.
The elder wasn’t offended by the reaction. She smiled gently, gestured for the male to set the meat on a nearby stone table, and sent him out. She then sat down beside Bai Ning.
As Ye Lan looked at the defensive girl, her heart ached. She couldn’t imagine what this little female had been through—covered in wounds, bones broken, and so guarded. She must have suffered terribly.
“Little female, I am Ye Lan, the Witch Doctor of the Wolf Tribe. Don’t be afraid; no one here will hurt you. Our Wolf Tribe is the most united and brave tribe in this forest. Our warriors will protect you. Do you remember where your tribe is? We can send someone to fetch them so they can take you home. It’s just that your injuries are very serious; you’ll need to rest for a while.”
The scent of roasted meat wafted through the air. Bai Ning swallowed hard, but the guard in her eyes didn’t waver. She looked at Ye Lan cautiously and shook her head. “My tribe is very far from here. You won’t be able to go there.”
“Very far? Then how did you get here? Were you… captured by the Wicked Beasts?” Ye Lan’s expression turned solemn. “That must be it. If you hadn’t been snatched by Wicked Beasts, how could a female end up so deep in the forest and so badly hurt? So, little female, did you escape from them?”
Perfect, Bai Ning thought. She found an excuse for me. Bai Ning nodded silently, not daring to speak for fear that she might actually drool.
Ye Lan’s gaze became even more pitying, but it was now tinged with a hint of admiration. Although their tribe was strong and others rarely dared to provoke them, they had lost females to Wicked Beasts before. Those females never survived the torment; they usually “returned to the Beast God’s embrace” before the warriors could rescue them. To her knowledge, no female captured by those monsters had ever made it out alive.
The little female before her was covered in wounds, but the fact that she escaped on her own proved she was different from the rest. Ye Lan observed Bai Ning and nodded inwardly. What a beautiful and brave little female. Her gaze swept over Bai Ning’s arm and leg, and a flash of regret crossed her eyes, though it vanished quickly. Females were treasures in their tribe. Even if she remained crippled, it didn’t matter; the males of the tribe would take good care of her.
Having lived through the apocalypse, Bai Ning was far more sensitive to others’ gazes than she used to be. She caught Ye Lan’s brief look of pity instantly.
After a moment of reflection, she spoke: “Witch Doctor Ye Lan, could I trouble you for a favor?”
“Of course, little female. What do you need me to do?”
“My arm and leg are broken. I need wood to keep them still. Could you find me a few pieces of wood to splint them? Flat boards would be best.”
Ye Lan blinked in surprise. When the little female was brought in, a stick had been tied to her leg. She hadn’t understood why at the time. Was it to stabilize the injury?
“Little female, why use wood to fix the leg? Won’t that be uncomfortable?”
Bai Ning shook her head and explained, “My bones are broken. If they aren’t held in place, the injury will get worse and the bones will shift. Even if I heal, I’ll be a cripple.”
This simple explanation opened a door to a whole new world for Ye Lan. Was that how it worked? Their tribe had many injured warriors. Some, like this girl, had broken bones that healed into deformed shapes. Was it all because the bones had shifted? Even some cubs who broke limbs while playing lost their chance to ever become warriors because of it.
A wave of regret washed over Ye Lan. If she had known that broken bones could be treated this way, those warriors wouldn’t have been forced to give up hunting and spend their lives doing odd jobs! They were the bravest beastmen of the tribe!
“Then… little female, if someone is already crippled, can they still be saved?”
Every tribe had its secrets, and Ye Lan hadn’t intended to pry, but thinking of the disabled beastmen in her tribe, she couldn’t help but ask.
Looking at the hope in Ye Lan’s eyes, Bai Ning hesitated for a moment, then answered thoughtfully, “There are many types of fractures. Some can’t be helped—for example, if the bone is completely shattered. But I heard our tribe’s Witch Doctor say that if it’s just a bone that healed out of place, and it hasn’t been too long, you might be able to break the bone again and let it reset. However, if it’s been too long, then probably…”
Bai Ning didn’t finish the sentence, and Ye Lan understood the implication. But it didn’t matter. As long as there was a method, it was worth a try.