Payment (continued)

As Jian Mo lay on the animal-hide bedding, he was still thinking about what he could make once the Pack-Pack Beasts started producing milk, if he managed to trade for some.

Could he drink some milk every day for calcium?

If he could save up enough milk, he could make things like cream and cheese. Maybe he could even make some desserts.

Jian Mo drifted off to sleep with pleasant dreams of his future life and woke early the next morning.

They were going to the Hunting Gathering again today, so he made sure to bring his medical kit and fresh medicinal herbs.

Everyone looked at the medical kit and herbs, many of them puzzled.

Jian Mo explained, "People from our tribe are still competing, so I brought them just in case."

Qing Kuo patted him on the back. "You're still softhearted."

Jian Mo muttered, "It's not that I'm softhearted. We took an oath at school to protect animals' health."

Everyone exchanged looks. Though they didn't quite understand, they had a general idea of what he meant, and they all laughed.

When they reached the Mengshui Tribe, everyone said they would help him ask around about the Pack-Pack Beasts.

Even if the Ice River Tribe refused to trade, there should be other tribes willing to do so.

Jian Mo quickly nodded and thanked everyone.

Many beastmen and sub-beastmen had never heard of a veterinarian. And because the fish pieces Jian Mo had brought yesterday were especially tasty, they all came over to watch him, eager to see what was going on.

Today, there was a hunting competition in addition to the arena matches, and the contests were just as fierce as yesterday's, if not more so.

So before the morning was over, Jian Mo had two patients: one with a broken leg and another with a large gash on his body.

Both were from other tribes, but Jian Mo didn't mind and took them in for treatment.

The two beastmen's muscles twitched from the pain as he treated them, but the treatment worked well. Once he was done, they were visibly out of danger, and both were very grateful to him.

Jian Mo was busy treating patients and had no time to ask around about the Pack-Pack Beasts.

He planned to ask in the evening, after the Hunting Gathering ended.

The beastmen and sub-beastmen would be returning to their own tribes then anyway. If all went well, he and the others could go along and lead the Pack-Pack Beasts back.

While Jian Mo was busy, someone in the crowd called out to him, "Brother Jian Mo!"

Jian Mo looked up and saw Ban Ming watching him from outside the crowd with a sub-beastman.

Thinking they needed help with something, he stood up. "What is it?"

Ban Ming grinned. "Brother Jian Mo, didn't you want Pack-Pack Beasts? A Meng brought some over."

Ban Ming stepped aside, revealing a somewhat nervous young sub-beastman behind him.

The young sub-beastman also called him "Brother Jian Mo," then pursed his lips and said, "Thank you for treating my father's leg. I heard you wanted Pack-Pack Beasts, so these two are for you."

As he spoke, the young man led the two beasts out from behind him.

The two Pack-Pack Beasts looked extremely nervous. They huddled close together without making a sound.

They looked a little like deer and were about the same size, but their backs were flat-strangely flat, as though each had a wooden board on its back.

Apparently, after giving birth, they carried their young on their backs so they could flee at any moment. That was why they were called Pack-Pack Beasts.

Without waiting for Jian Mo to respond, the young man led the two Pack-Pack Beasts over and shoved the ropes into his hands. "They're yours."

Jian Mo wasn't sure whether it was appropriate to accept them, so he looked at Ban Ming for a hint.

Ban Ming could only grin foolishly at the young man, completely oblivious to Jian Mo's gaze.

Jian Mo hesitated for a moment. "All right, thank you."

He charged people from other tribes for treatment. At worst, he could ask Wu Jiong later, and if it wasn't appropriate, he could return them or give the family some supplies to make up the difference.

After giving him the Pack-Pack Beasts, the young man quickly ran off.

Jian Mo looked at the two Pack-Pack Beasts, trembling with nerves, and felt he couldn't tie them up here. He had finally gotten his hands on two of them; if they died of fright, he would suffer a huge loss.

Jian Mo packed up his things and told the people from his tribe that he planned to lead the Pack-Pack Beasts somewhere quieter and wait there.

His tribemates readily agreed and said that if they saw Wu Jiong, they would send him over to find him.

Wu Jiong was taking part in the hunting competition, and Jian Mo didn't think he would come over so soon.

To his surprise, after Jian Mo had waited in a quiet spot for a while, Wu Jiong actually showed up.

Jian Mo stood up and looked at him. "Are you done competing?"

Wu Jiong nodded. "I'm done. I came in first."

Jian Mo said, "That's amazing! We should make a feast tonight to celebrate. Let me show you the Pack-Pack Beasts someone gave me!"

Jian Mo led the Pack-Pack Beasts out to show Wu Jiong. "I checked just now. There's one male and one female."

Wu Jiong said, "I heard about them. A sub-beastman from the Xiongying Tribe gave them to you?"

Jian Mo said, "They came from the family of that beastman with the broken leg. I don't know if I should accept them. I was just about to ask you."

Wu Jiong looked at the Pack-Pack Beasts and said seriously, "Accept them. Legs are important."

Jian Mo breathed a sigh of relief. "Then I'll keep them. I'll give Ban Ming some meat tonight and ask him to take it to A Meng for me."

The competitions outside weren't over yet, and there were other activities too.

Standing there, Jian Mo asked Wu Jiong, "Do you need to go back and keep organizing the competitions?"

Wu Jiong took the Pack-Pack Beasts' ropes from his hands. "No. I left De Jiang and Di Ya to keep an eye on things. Let's go back first. There's no way to transport the Pack-Pack Beasts, so we'll have to lead them back."

Jian Mo glanced at the Pack-Pack Beasts, whose muscles were twitching with nerves again. "All right."

Wu Jiong slung Jian Mo's basket onto his back and took hold of the Pack-Pack Beasts' ropes, planning to take a shortcut and walk straight back with him.

It was still early, and they weren't tired today, so they could treat it as a stroll.

The two left the Mengshui Tribe and headed back toward their own tribe.

The Mengshui Tribe was situated on low ground, with plenty of plants around it. Jian Mo picked quite a few fruits and spices along the way.

He had only discovered many of the spices at this Hunting Gathering. Though they were different from the spices on Earth, they had a distinctive flavor of their own and were very good.

As they walked, the two Pack-Pack Beasts ate along the way.

Pack-Pack Beasts were omnivores, eating both meat and grass. Jian Mo watched what they ate and gradually got an idea of what they liked.