A sharp, tearing pain exploded through his shoulder blade.
Lang You's veins bulged violently across his forehead as his entire body began to shake uncontrollably. Blood surged from the wound in his abdomen in a frightening gush, soaking the animal hide beneath him almost instantly.
"Don't struggle," Yue Ling said softly, her voice gentle and steady as she tried to soothe him.
Her glossy black braid hung neatly against her chest, swaying slightly as she leaned forward, her expression focused and calm despite the chaos around her.
[Yes, just like that—reduce the bleeding first. Now have the beastmen prepare boiling water, bone needles, and cotton thread.]
"Female Yue Ling, what do you think you're doing?" the old shaman snapped, his brows knitting together. "You'll only make Lang You die faster!"
He hadn't expected this small female to be so reckless—actually putting her hands on the patient. As expected of a mad female.
Yue Ling felt a surge of frustration.
"So you're saying we should just let him bleed out?" she shot back. "And do nothing at all?"
She genuinely couldn't understand them. They were simply standing there, watching, without attempting even the most basic rescue.
Since becoming the most respected shaman in the entire tribe, even the most delicate, high-status females spoke to him with reverence. In decades, not a single beastman had ever dared challenge him like this.
"Lang You's injuries are too severe. He will die sooner or later," the shaman said coldly. "What you're doing will only increase his suffering."
Internally, he tried to calm himself. There was no point arguing with an underage female who knew nothing—especially a mad one.
Upon hearing the shaman's verdict, the light in Lang You's green eyes dimmed.
He hadn't expected a powerful ferocious beast to be lurking deep within the forest, waiting to ambush him when his guard was down.
"And if we don't stop the bleeding," Yue Ling asked quietly, "won't that be painful too?"
The old shaman shook his head, convinced more than ever that this mad female truly knew nothing. She was indulging in naive fantasies.
"We might as well try," Yue Ling said firmly. "What if he doesn't die?"
"You want to experiment on Lang You?" one of the nearby male beastmen asked suspiciously.
No matter how beautiful this female looked now that she was clean, she was still a mad female.
Yue Ling: ...
"If we try, he might live. If we don't, he'll definitely die."
She didn't have absolute confidence—but doing nothing guaranteed only one outcome.
Lang You looked at the arguing tribe members and forced a faint smile onto his bloodless face.
"Then… let's try," he said weakly.
The worst-case scenario was death anyway. At most, it would just hurt more.
Lang Zuo stared at the shaman, then at Yue Ling. His eyes were bloodshot, torn with inner conflict.
The shaman had declared his brother beyond saving. This small female wanted to save him. His brother himself had agreed to her absurd attempt.
But she wasn't a shaman.
"Why are you standing there?" Yue Ling snapped, turning to Lang Zuo. "I need boiled water. Now. And bone needles and thread."
Only after noticing that the bleeding from the shoulder wound had slowed did she shift her gaze to Lang You's abdomen. When she saw the tree branch impaled straight through him, her brows drew together sharply.
[System 999… please don't screw me over.]
Her heart was pounding.
[Host, trust me.]
The old shaman tacitly allowed her madness to continue. The other male beastmen watched coldly from the sidelines.
"Hold him down," Yue Ling said. "I'm pulling the branch out."
She looked up at Bai Ying.
"Help me."
Bai Ying studied her determined expression for a brief moment, then nodded. He stepped forward and firmly restrained Lang You's body with both hands.
System 999: Host is pretty clever—she even knows how to create interaction to raise affection.
The other beastmen instinctively made room as Yue Ling moved. She half-knelt on the stone bed, picked up a dry stick from the ground, and gently pushed it between Lang You's teeth.
"If it hurts, bite this," she said softly. "Don't bite your tongue."
Lang You was drenched in sweat. He nodded with difficulty, a muffled sound escaping his throat.
"…Mm."
Yue Ling placed one hand on the branch, the other pressing firmly against his abdomen.
[Male beastmen have extremely strong regenerative abilities. These shamans barely scratch the surface of medicine. The Beast God supposedly gave them fragments of knowledge through dreams, but they know less than ordinary citizens in the main world.]
[They don't know how to treat torn wounds, fractures, or penetrating injuries. In cases like this, they usually do nothing and simply wait to see whether the injured beastman survives on his own.]
[Even if they do survive, most die later from infection due to lack of disinfection.]
[They only know how to treat minor wounds, fevers, headaches, or childbirth.]
[So, Host—relax.]
Yue Ling finally understood.
This shaman was even worse than she was. A complete quack.
A sickening sound of flesh tearing echoed through the cave.
With a wet pop, scorching liquid splattered across Yue Ling's face, neck, and exposed skin. Thankfully, the branch had no barbs or joints that would worsen the wound.
She exhaled shakily and immediately pressed her hand over the bleeding hole in his abdomen.
Lang You convulsed once—then went completely limp.
His narrow wolf eyes slowly slid shut.
[…Are his intestines okay?] Yue Ling asked anxiously.
She did not have the ability to reconnect intestines.