"Ziqian!" Xue exclaimed.
Cai also turned, startled by the sight of the bleeding and swaying sub-beast.
"Let's go out," Xue said quickly, reaching to lift Ziqian, but before he could, the sub-beast grabbed his arm.
Ziqian leaned into Xue's arm for support, his breath unsteady, as he wiped the thin trail of blood from his nose with a trembling hand.
"No! I want to see Huo." Ziqian's voice quivered. "I just felt a little dizzy, but I'm fine."
Xue wasn't convinced. "You're not."
The sub-beast hadn't had proper rest for days, and now he was pale, shaking, and bleeding. A knot of guilt tightened in Xue's chest. Why had he agreed to bring him? He should have protected him better than this.
"I'm really fine," Ziqian insisted. "Where is Huo?" he asked, scanning the dim interior.
Xue had already seen Huo's condition, but Ziqian, with his slightly blurred vision, had not.
"…There." Cai reluctantly pointed toward the far corner of the tent.
Ziqian took a moment to steady himself before walking to the far corner and slowly crouching beside Huo. His hand trembled as he reached out and gently brushed the man's bloodless cheek.
Ziqian let out a faint sigh. With just one glance, he knew the medicine Lia had given him wouldn't be enough, not for injuries this severe.
His eyes swept across the tent. That was when he noticed another figure lying nearby—someone in an even worse state than Huo. The man's arm and leg were gone, his body wrapped in blood-soaked hides, and his chest barely moved. Ziqian couldn't tell if he was still alive.
The sight made Ziqian's heart sink even further.
"That's Rei," Cai's voice turned solemn. "The man Lin used as bait."
They had done everything they could to save him, but no one knew how long Rei could hold on. In some ways, Cai thought, it might be better if he didn't survive—living in such a state would be nothing but suffering.
"Let's first give those who have serious injuries a concoction to ease their pain and stop their bleeding," Xue said after a moment of silence. "Then we will return to the tribe as soon as possible so Mother can treat them properly. You should rest first while I prepare everything."
Ziqian exhaled softly as he stood up. He turned toward Xue, meeting the man's beautiful ocean-blue eyes as they stared back at him.
"Xue, do you believe in me?" he asked softly.
Without the slightest hesitation, Xue nodded.
"Then can you give me time to treat them?" Ziqian asked, his voice soft but his eyes sparkling with confidence. "If we travel while they're like this, many of them will die," he added.
Xue knew it too.
Traveling now would be a death sentence for several of the wounded. But staying another day was also dangerous, with the threat of monster attacks on both sides.
Yet with Ziqian looking at him like that… how could he refuse?
"Please," Ziqian whispered, seeing the hesitation in Xue's eyes.
Xue's resolve softened instantly. "Just one more day, all right? And don't push yourself too hard."
Ziqian nodded with a faint smile. He still felt dizzy, but his heart was warm. Leaning forward, he wrapped his arms around Xue's waist and listened to the man's steady, rhythmic heartbeat. "Thank you," he murmured.
The interaction of the two all falls in Cai's line of sight. His gaze shifted from the two embracing to Huo, who was lying unconscious on the bundle of fur nearby.
Aside from seeing Ziqian riding on Xue's beast form earlier, these gestures were far too intimate. It made Cai believe the two had already established a relationship.
Then… what about his friend?
Yet the worry in Ziqian's eyes when he looked at Huo was undeniably genuine.
So what was their relationship…?
Before Cai could dwell any further on his thoughts, the entire camp stirred as Ziqian began listing all the things he needed.
Everyone was assigned a task.
Some were sent to gather whatever herbs they could find in the nearby forest.
Others were told to collect sturdy branches and broad leaves.
A few were ordered to wash the blood-soaked hides and then dry them over the fire.
Xue took command effortlessly, dividing the tasks among the group. He even sent a few men to retrieve large stones so they could carve makeshift pots for boiling soup.
The beasts from the hunting group exchanged puzzled glances. What is soup?
But the fifteen warriors who had come with Xue… their eyes lit up.
They had already tasted Ziqian's food and knew exactly how delicious it was. Because they were stationed at the tribe's border, news of the sub-beast cooking reached them late, but Xue had once brought them some of the food Ziqian cooked.
Now, they might get to try it again.
~
Because of Xue's insistence for him to rest while preparations were made, Ziqian found himself inside a small tent hastily built near the tent where the wounded were. Xue had been visibly worried about him, so he agreed.
He lay on soft red fur, eyes closed and breathing steadily. He appears asleep to anyone who looks. In truth, he was having a conversation with Ero and Phi.
How was Nia? Ziqian asked.
Nia lay unconscious beside Huo. There were small arcs of electricity flickering across his body, sharp and restless. Because of that, the two guardians couldn't go near him.
"He was fine, Ah-Zi. He was just weak because he triggered the realm's protective detection, so it's suppressing him for now. He'll recover after some time. What worried us more is the punishment from the Beast God Cernnuno," Ero replied.
Ziqian sighed inwardly. He was deeply grateful to Nia for saving Huo, yet there was nothing he could do to save him from a god's punishment.
What do you think Huo needs now? Ziqian asked, rereading the descriptions of the items in his shop basket.
He had basic medical knowledge now, but he didn't want to take any risks. If there was an item that could help Huo immediately, he wouldn't hesitate to spend his points.
"His arm bones are almost completely shattered, several major vessels have ruptured, his internal organs are bleeding, and he continues losing blood." Ero counted all Huo's injuries with a hint of astonishment and admiration in his voice. "I'm honestly impressed he's still alive after all that. His willpower is something else."
"You could try buying the Fruit of the Man-Eating Tree, the Unary Bone Restoration Pill, and the Basic Blood Replenishing Pill," Phi suggested.
"If it's still not enough, buy the Bacta," Ero added.
Bacta?
It is a healing pill from a higher realm—highly effective, capable of accelerating recovery at an astonishing rate. But the drawback made it tagged as cheap and low-class: it shortened a person's lifespan. Ziqian had no desire to resort to something like that unless he truly had no other choice.
He reviewed once more the items Phi suggested. Each one was crucial in Huo's current condition. After a moment of thought, he decided to purchase them.
[Fruit of the Man-Eating Tree – 100 points]
Instantly halts bleeding and mends ruptured vessels.
Description: A fruit born from the resentment of the dead.
Origin: Witch Sphere
Warning: Tastes disturbingly like blood.
I didn't expect that I would buy this fruit.
[Unary Bone Restoration Pill – 15 points]
A pill capable of instantly reattaching severed limbs or mending severe bone damage.
Description: A low-level medicinal pill crafted by an apprentice alchemist.
Origin: Murim
Warning: Effective only in first use.
It is cheap for a godly pill.
"That pill is a trial-grade pill," Ero explained. "It's only effective the first time—if you take it again, it won't work. In the Murim world, their pills are ranked, and this one is at the very bottom."
I see.
[Basic Blood Replenishing Pill – 3 points]
A pill used by martial artists to restore and increase their blood.
Description: A common pill used in cultivation.
Origin: Murim
Warning: Excessive intake may lead to overdose.
Ziqian purchased three Basic Blood Replenishing Pills. It is not just for Huo but for Rei as well. Both of them had lost far too much blood.
Even so, he still had no real solution for Rei's condition. His injuries were far too severe. All Ziqian could do now was keep him alive… and hope it would be enough until they returned to the tribe.
[Antibiotic – 2 points]
Helps prevent and treat bacterial infections.
Description: A bottle of medicine derived from beneficial bacteria to combat harmful ones. (30 tablets)
Origin: Earth System
Warning: Superbugs.
He wasn't sure how antibiotics would affect beastmen, so he only bought one bottle for now. Some of their wounds were beginning to show signs of infection, and he couldn't ignore it.
After confirming everything he needed, he chose the purchase button. A moment later, a notification flickered on his mind.
Purchase Complete!
Ziqian opened his inventory to check the items before allowing himself to relax.
Absorbing so much information at once had left his mind overstimulated, and the long night of travel had taken its toll on his body.
He would just take a short nap.