Chapter Summaries

Jian Mo operated on the unfamiliar Flying-Winged Beast to remove a broken horn and treat its badly infected wound. After it recovered enough to chirp through the night, the creature settled down, and the next morning tribe members came to see it.

• Jian Mo asked Qing Kuo to assist with the operation while Wu Jiong stood guard, and the group prepared anesthetic moss water for the unfamiliar Flying-Winged Beast.
• Jian Mo opened the wound, drained the foul pus, removed the broken horn, cut away rotten flesh, and stitched the deep injury with Long-Tailed Beast sinew.
• After finishing the operation at nightfall, Jian Mo sent Qing Kuo to bring Jiujiu home, then ate fish ball noodles made by Wu Jiong and slept deeply.
• Before dawn, the unfamiliar Flying-Winged Beast chirped loudly and kept Jian Mo and Jiujiu awake, so Jian Mo and Wu Jiong went downstairs to calm it.
• The unfamiliar Flying-Winged Beast understood their instructions and lay quietly, and later that morning many tribe members came to watch it rest and eat.

Jian Mo named the wounded Flying-Winged Beast Ying'ao, which remained independent and avoided the tribe. Ying'ao later brought fruit for Jian Mo and Wu Jiong, leaving them delighted by its gift.

• Jian Mo named the new Flying-Winged Beast Ying'ao, and it learned its name while he fed it.
• After its wound improved, Ying'ao hunted and gathered on its own, avoiding the tribe and refusing food from Jian Mo.
• Jian Mo told Ban Ming and the others they could ride Jiujiu if it agreed.
• Ying'ao returned with Jiujiu and offered Jian Mo a pile of fruit, then gave Wu Jiong another pile.
• Wu Jiong showed Jian Mo how to eat the fruit, and Jian Mo found its flesh sweet and delicious.

Jian Mo and Wu Jiong followed Ying'ao to find the soft, plump fruit and gathered a large amount of food at its foraging spots. They returned to the Riverside Tribe with Ying'ao, where everyone praised the beast for leading them to such a good haul.

• Jian Mo asked Ying'ao where it had found the soft, plump fruit, and Ying'ao woke him and Wu Jiong early the next morning to show them.
• Jian Mo and Wu Jiong rode Jiujiu as Ying'ao led them beyond the Riverside Tribe to the border between the Dianxin Tribe and the Red Zheng Tribe.
• Jian Mo and Wu Jiong gathered soft, plump fruits, wild vegetables, and edible insects while Jiujiu ate his fill.
• Wu Jiong said he would take Ying'ao to one of his own foraging spots the next day, and Jian Mo agreed to trade locations.
• Jian Mo and Wu Jiong returned to the tribe with a large haul, and Zhou Fu and the others praised Ying'ao.

Jian Mo and Wu Jiong dealt with the birth of forty-four Pack-Pack Beast young and decided to trade away some of their growing herd. When Jiujiu failed to return home, they went searching and learned that other little ones were missing too.

• Jian Mo and Wu Jiong prepared the shed as seven female Pack-Pack Beasts neared birth, and Jian Mo asked Qing Kuo to care for the nervous male.
• The seven females gave birth to forty-four young over two nights and a day, leaving Jian Mo and Wu Jiong with fifty-two Pack-Pack Beasts.
• Jian Mo and Wu Jiong decided to trade away the adult males and possibly some females, since the herd had become too large to manage.
• Jian Mo treated someone from the Mengshui Tribe and returned home to find Jiujiu missing, while Ying'ao slept outside the nest.
• Jian Mo and Wu Jiong searched for Jiujiu, and a tribesman arrived to ask whether they had seen the missing little ones.

Jian Mo and Wu Jiong organized a search after discovering that Jiujiu and nearly all the tribe’s cubs were missing. Ying'ao found Jiujiu in a forest clearing with the frightened cubs, and Jian Mo and Wu Jiong reached them.

• Wu Jiong questioned the tribe and learned that twenty-one of its twenty-three cubs had gone exploring outside the tribe with Jiujiu.
• Wan Ling and Li Chen said the cubs had gone exploring, and Wu Jiong sent the tribe out to search.
• Jian Mo and Wu Jiong rode Ying'ao through the forest, calling for Jiujiu and the cubs.
• Ying'ao heard Jiujiu answer and landed in a clearing, where Jian Mo and Wu Jiong saw Jiujiu surrounded by the frightened cubs.

After Bai Lu went missing during hide-and-seek, Jian Mo and the tribe searched the forest and found him unconscious in a tree after a venomous insect sting. Jian Mo treated the cub with an antidote herb and sent him back to the tribe, then headed there himself on Ying'ao.

• The cubs told Wu Jiong and Jian Mo that Bai Lu had disappeared while they were playing hide-and-seek and that they had failed to find him.
• Wu Jiong and the other beastmen searched the forest with the cubs until Wu Jiong tracked Bai Lu to a tree.
• Wu Jiong found Bai Lu unconscious but alive in the branches, and Jian Mo called off the search.
• Ban Ming brought an antidote herb, which Bai Lu's father crushed and applied to the sting wound while Jian Mo bandaged it.
• Jian Mo told Bai Lu's fathers to take him to the tribe for medicinal decoction, then prepared to ride Ying'ao back.

After Bai Lu was bitten by a poisonous bug, Jian Mo treated him with an antidote and comforted the frightened Jiujiu. Jian Mo and Wu Jiong discussed holding evening classes for the tribe’s cubs, and Bai Lu later woke up and explained how he had climbed a tree while searching for medicine.

• Jian Mo treated Bai Lu with an antidote and cared for his wound while Ban Ming brought Jiujiu home.
• Jian Mo comforted Jiujiu as he cried, and Wu Jiong joined them and reassured him.
• Jian Mo suggested evening classes to educate the cubs, and Wu Jiong agreed to discuss the idea with the others.
• Bai Lu woke up, and Jian Mo checked his injury and changed his medicine.
• Bai Lu told Jian Mo that a poisonous bug had bitten him, and he had climbed a tree to sleep while searching for medicine.

Jian Mo enjoyed the cubs’ lessons and agreed to join a trading caravan organized by the Mengshui Tribe. Wu Jiong arranged for the Riverside Tribe to travel with them, and the tribe chose ten more people to go.

• Jian Mo comforted the little fox after hearing how the cubs had caused a commotion, and Wu Jiong and the others decided to teach the cubs basic skills.
• Jian Mo sat in on the cubs’ classes and learned about identifying food, avoiding danger, and finding their bearings.
• Yun Long visited from the Mengshui Tribe, praised the classes, and asked to observe them before inviting Jian Mo to join a trading caravan.
• Jian Mo told Wu Jiong he wanted to travel, and Wu Jiong said he had already arranged for the Riverside Tribe to go with Yun Long.
• Wu Jiong and the others decided to send ten additional people from the Riverside Tribe on the trip.

Ban Ming joined the trade trip and persuaded A Meng to come with him, while Jian Mo prepared the caravan by trading away most of his Pack-Pack Beasts and arranging care for the rest. The large group reached the Sharp Teeth Tribe, where they planned to stay for two days to trade and exchange news.

• Ban Ming drew a lot for the trip, then got A Meng to join after Qing Kuo told him he could invite him.
• Jian Mo traded most of his Pack-Pack Beasts to Kang Ying of the Ice River Tribe and arranged for the Riverside Tribe to care for the remaining eight.
• Jian Mo and Qing Kuo discussed trade goods, and Qing Kuo urged Jian Mo to bring more lubricant because every tribe needed it.
• Jian Mo's group joined a caravan of more than fifty people from the Riverside, Mengshui, Red Zheng, and True Scarlet Tribes, with Jiujiu and Ying'ao carrying part of their load.
• The caravan reached the Sharp Teeth Tribe, where they planned to stay for about two days while nearby tribes came to trade and share news.

Jian Mo agreed to pierce the Sharp Teeth Tribe members’ ears in exchange for onions, and demonstrated a safer, cleaner method on Ba Bu. After Ba Bu’s first ear was pierced with little pain, another tribesperson asked Jian Mo to pierce theirs too.

• The Sharp Teeth Tribe members asked Jian Mo to use anesthetic to pierce their ears, but he refused to waste it on a minor procedure.
• Jian Mo agreed to pierce their ears in exchange for onions, and Ba Bu volunteered to be the first.
• Jian Mo disinfected Ba Bu’s ear and a metal needle, then pierced his earlobe and inserted the bone earring.
• Jian Mo told Ba Bu to leave the earring in and explained how to disinfect ears and earrings to prevent infection.
• Another Sharp Teeth Tribe member asked Jian Mo to pierce their ear after seeing how quickly he finished Ba Bu’s.

Jian Mo pierced ears for orcs at the Sharp Teeth Tribe, trading his services for supplies and gaining a crowd of eager customers. After seeing Shan Dun’s six earrings shine in his beast form, Ban Ming and others persuaded Jian Mo to pierce their ears too.

• Jian Mo pierced Ba Bu’s ears and warned him to keep the new piercings clean.
• Jian Mo pierced several more orcs, including Shan Dun, who requested three piercings in each ear.
• Jian Mo ended the evening’s work and spent the night with Wu Jiong, who had cared for Jiujiu and Ying'ao.
• Jian Mo resumed piercing ears the next day and accepted cloth, metal, and other lightweight supplies as payment.
• Ban Ming and other feline orcs asked Jian Mo for earrings after seeing Shan Dun’s piercings sparkle in his beast form.
• Jian Mo agreed to pierce two holes in each of their ears in exchange for the good things they had traded for.

Jian Mo joined the Sharp Teeth Tribe on a gathering trip and discovered Powdered Yellow-Cap Mushrooms. After cooking them with meat, he learned that they tasted delicious but had an overpowering, unpleasant flavor.

• Jian Mo asked Wu Jiong to take him gathering after spending the previous day piercing ears for the Sharp Teeth Tribe.
• The Sharp Teeth Tribe led Jian Mo, Wu Jiong, and the others through its territory, where they saw Jiujiu cheerfully greet the group.
• Jian Mo found yellow mushrooms dusted with white powder, and the Sharp Teeth tribesmen gathered a basketful for him.
• Jian Mo stir-fried the mushrooms with meat, but the smell grew so unpleasant that everyone except Wu Jiong refused to try them.
• Wu Jiong tasted the dish, and Jian Mo found that the mushrooms were smooth and delicious but also made him want to gag.

Jian Mo discovered that powdered yellowcap mushroom caps could tenderize meat and remove its gamey taste. The Sharp Teeth Tribe planned to collect the powder and bring some to Jian Mo for trade.

• Jian Mo cooked powdered yellowcap mushrooms with bird meat, and the Sharp Teeth Tribe members showed him that the mushrooms made the bird taste delicious.
• Jian Mo cooked the same kind of bird without mushrooms and found the meat dry, tough, and gamey.
• Jian Mo added only the white powder scraped from the mushroom caps to the meat, making it tender and savory.
• Jian Mo tested the powder on other meat and found that it also made coarse-fiber meat delicious.
• The Sharp Teeth Tribe members decided to collect the mushroom powder, and Jian Mo offered to trade for some when they visited the Riverside Tribe.

Jian Mo and the others left the Sharp Teeth Tribe after arranging to take dried powdered yellow parasol mushrooms back to the Riverside Tribe, and Jiujiu’s many extra breakfasts were exposed. As the caravan traveled toward the Snow Foot Tribe, people from another tribe chased after them to ask Jian Mo for treatment.

• Jian Mo asked the Sharp Teeth Tribe to dry the used powdered yellow parasol mushrooms so he could try growing them back home, and the tribe agreed to send them to the Riverside Tribe.
• Jian Mo discovered that Ban Ming and several others had fed Jiujiu that morning, leaving the little chirper with a bulging belly.
• The caravan said goodbye to the Sharp Teeth Tribe and set off toward the Mountain Bright Tribe, the Fanbing Tribe, and the Snow Foot Tribe.
• Jian Mo fell asleep on the journey through the dry, grassy territory of the Mountain Bright Tribe.
• A group of long-necked beastmen caught up with the caravan and called for Doctor Jian Mo, saying they had come to seek treatment.

Jian Mo examined Bei Ya’s severely scarred face but said the old wounds were too difficult to treat. After Bei Ya cut open his scars in despair, his companions stopped him and pursued Jian Mo’s group again, asking him to examine Bei Ya’s fresh injuries.

• The Meng'an Tribe caught up with Jian Mo’s group and asked him to treat Bei Ya’s face.
• After the others left, Jian Mo examined Bei Ya and learned that a Horizontal-Horned Beast had injured him the summer before last.
• Jian Mo told Bei Ya that he could not treat the old scars, leaving Bei Ya devastated.
• As the Meng'an Tribe returned home, Bei Ya cut open the scars on his face, but his companions stopped him and took away his dagger.
• Bei Ya’s companions turned back and caught up with Jian Mo’s group, urgently asking him to examine Bei Ya’s injured face.

Jian Mo began surgery on Bei Ya’s badly scarred face after explaining the risks and getting Bei Ya’s agreement. While Jian Mo worked, the other tribes waited downstream and organized a search for Red Rock Grass to help treat the scars afterward.

• Jian Mo smelled blood and hurried to treat Bei Ya’s reopened facial wound, with Wu Jiong following him.
• Jian Mo explained the possible outcomes and treatment options, and Bei Ya and the Meng'an Tribe agreed to proceed.
• Jian Mo prepared an operating table by the river, gave Bei Ya anesthetic, and began cutting away old scars and stitching the wounds.
• The waiting tribes discussed finding Red Rock Grass, and people from the Red Zheng Tribe said they had seen some nearby.
• The tribes split into eleven groups, with ten groups led by Red Zheng Tribe members heading out to search while Jian Mo continued operating.

Jian Mo successfully operated on Bei Ya’s scarred face, then planned further treatment to help the wounds heal neatly. The group camped by a river, where Jian Mo and Wu Jiong prepared tension-relief strips for Bei Ya.

• Jian Mo finished Bei Ya’s surgery and showed the Meng'an Tribe the carefully stitched wounds.
• After hearing about Red Rock Grass from the Red Zheng Tribe, Jian Mo planned to apply it once Bei Ya’s wounds had closed.
• Bei Ya woke, examined his face in a mirror, and thanked Jian Mo for improving his appearance.
• The group stayed overnight by a river because Bei Ya’s surgery had taken too long for them to reach another tribe.
• Jian Mo and Wu Jiong gathered bark to make tension-relief strips, and Jian Mo tested the adhesive on his arm.

Jian Mo tested bark tension-reducing strips and applied them to Bei Ya’s facial wounds, then explained how to care for them. Bei Ya joined the group’s journey so Jian Mo could monitor his recovery.

• Jian Mo confirmed that alcohol removed the hardened glue without irritating his skin.
• Jian Mo applied tension-reducing strips to most of Bei Ya’s face and gave him instructions for caring for his wounds.
• Bei Ya asked to travel with Jian Mo, and Yun Long agreed on the condition that someone carry him.
• A Meng'an Tribe beastman offered to accompany Bei Ya, and Chief Yan Dun supported bringing him along.
• Jian Mo gave Bei Ya a large hat and clean cloth to protect his wounds from sunlight.

Jian Mo and the caravan arrived at the Snow Foot Tribe, where he enjoyed the lakeside scenery with Wu Jiong and joined the tribe’s communal dinner. The chapter leaves Jian Mo helping prepare fish with Powdered Yellow-Cap Mushroom powder.

• Jian Mo turned down the Rain Rising Tribe’s and Cypress Branch Tribe’s invitations to visit them, promising to see them another time.
• The Snow Foot Tribe welcomed Jian Mo and his companions and housed them in a stilt house beside the lake.
• Jian Mo asked Wu Jiong to transform into his white wolf form, then cuddled against him on the platform and fell asleep while admiring the scenery.
• The Snow Foot Tribe brought the caravan to a warm hall for dinner, where Jian Mo smelled familiar food and offered to help cook.
• Jian Mo recognized Powdered Yellow-Cap Mushroom powder that a beastman from the Mengshui Tribe had brought to try with fish.

Jian Mo enjoyed the Snow Foot Tribe’s distinctive food and listened as its chiefs and elders discussed the year’s conditions. The next morning, Qi Ming invited Jian Mo to visit the Rain Rising Tribe for medical examinations, and after checking Bei Ya’s healing wound, Jian Mo prepared to leave with Wu Jiong.

• Jian Mo tasted the Snow Foot Tribe’s fruit-fermented sauce and enjoyed the meal while listening to the chiefs and elders exchange information.
• Jian Mo slept until morning, when Qi Ming and Ban Ming arrived to invite him to visit the Rain Rising Tribe and examine its people.
• Jian Mo checked Bei Ya’s face wound and tension-relief strips, found that they were healing well, and advised him to return the next day.
• Ban Ming returned with Wu Jiong, who said the visit was arranged and brought food for the journey.
• Jian Mo learned Wu Jiong would accompany him to the Rain Rising Tribe.