Xue's cold aura still lingered, wrapping protectively around Ziqian, a wordless warning to everyone present.
The fight was over before Ziqian could even speak a single word.
A faint warmth spread through Ziqian's chest, soft and almost overwhelming. He wasn't unfamiliar with ridicule—mockery, scorn, and ugly names were things he had long grown numb to. Back on Earth he had only ever had his grandmother stand up for him, shielding him when others turned their backs. After she was gone, he learned to endure it alone, to let the insults enter one ear and leave the other.
But here… things were different.
It wasn't just Xue, who had always stayed by his side, but also Tei, Qiu, and the other females he had interacted with. They all stepped forward, shielding him from the venomous words without a moment's hesitation. Their actions pierced through his defenses and struck straight at his heart.
His nose stung slightly, and he had to bite the inside of his cheek to steady himself.
For the first time in a long while, he didn't feel like someone unwanted. For the first time, he wasn't standing alone.
Ziqian hadn't spoken a word. He stood calmly behind Xue, his lips pressed together, and his peach-blossom eyes unreadable. But the lack of protest, the quiet composure in his bearing, only made his figure stand out more, which made the other sub-beasts hate him more.
Silence fell over the crowd, broken only the moment Lia's voice rang out. The high priest rarely raised his tone, and his words carried the kind of weight that made even the most unruly sub-beasts shrink back.
"You know I have a patient inside," Lia said coldly, "and yet you stand here bickering like children."
Several sub-beasts lowered their heads—no one dared to meet the high priest's eyes.
"Lia, can I see Pen?" Only Ziqian's calm voice cut through the rising storm. Heads turned, eyes widening at his boldness. It wasn't loud, but it was steady and composed, yet filled with a quiet urgency that made even those who scorned him falter.
Lia, who had been scowling, instantly softened. His gaze lingered on Ziqian for a breath before he nodded firmly. "Let's go inside."
"I've already tried everything I know," Lia admitted in a low voice as they moved toward the entrance. "But nothing worked. His breathing is weak, his pulse unstable… You may be our only hope."
Gasps and murmurs can be heard from the crowd. They were all thinking the same thing. Their high priest himself… counting on him?
Ziqian felt the weight of countless eyes pressing on his back. He inhaled deeply, forcing his trembling hands to steady. He wasn't a doctor. He wasn't even sure he could do anything. But when he met Yan's tear-streaked face, her trembling lips mouthing, "Please…" he knew he had to try.
Pushing aside his fear, Ziqian entered the patriarch's tent. The smell of herbs and smoke enveloped him. On the furs at the center lay Pen, his small frame curled, lips pale, sweat beading across his forehead as his body full of rashes shivered and twitched in pain.
"Pen!" Yan choked back a sob, rushing to his side. She forced a smile, smoothing his damp hair away from his clammy forehead. "I'm here. It's okay, little brother. You'll be fine," she whispered, her voice trembling despite her attempt to be strong.
Lia stepped closer to Ziqian, his expression grave. "The beasts who were with them said he ate a fruit while gathering this morning. The fruit is light in color, and once you open it, many wrinkly black beans are inside, growing low near the roots of a tree. Shortly after, he began to vomit violently, and by the time they carried him back, his breathing had already turned weak."
Ziqian knelt beside the young sub-beast, his heart pounding. "Let me see," he murmured, reaching out carefully to Pen's wrist to check his pulse.
Ero floated toward him. "Ah-Zi, it's not poison. It looks more like… an allergic reaction," he informed Ziqian.
"Allergic reaction," Ziqian muttered, feeling stunned for a moment. What should we do? he asked.
"We need to know exactly what fruit he ate, Ah-Zi. The reaction may worsen if we don't act fast. Let's check the fruit first," Phi answered, his gentle voice calm yet urgent.
Ziqian looked at the people present. "Who here brought back the fruit Pen ate?" he asked aloud so that the crowd outside could also hear.
The crowd exchanged looks, but no one answered.
"It will help Pen if I can check the plant," he added, arousing another round of whispers.
Someone scoffed from the back, "As if you actually know everything!"
Before the doubt could spread, Lia's sharp voice resounded. "If you know nothing, then leave! Or keep your mouth shut and stop wasting time!" His piercing glare silenced the mutters instantly.
Yan, desperate, stepped forward. "I'll get it for you. Tei, Qiu, come with me."
But before they could even move, Tin squeezed out of the crowd, holding up a leafy branch with several pear-shaped fruits attached to it. "I have some here!" she said breathlessly.
Yan quickly took it and handed it to Ziqian. Without wasting a moment, using the interface, he checks the fruit's properties.
[No poison found!]
[No harmful elements found!]
[Found vitamins E, Bs & K.]
[Found Magnesium, Zinc, & Iron]
[Highly Nutritious.]
[Edible.]
Seeing the highly nutritious label floating faintly above the fruit, Ziqian's eyes lit up. Without thinking, he picked a wrinkly black bean from the opened pod and slipped it into his mouth.
The familiar sweet, nutty flavor spread on his mouth, startling him. This taste… it's like the peanut from Earth!
"Ziqian!" Xue shouted in surprise. He cupped Ziqian's chin and forced his mouth open, but the sub-beast had already chewed and swallowed the fruit.
Xue's face darkened instantly, his expression twisting with fear and fury. "Why would you eat something so dangerous?" His voice was low and hoarse, betraying the panic he was trying to control.
Gasps echoed from the people crowding the entrance.
"He ate it!"
"Is he crazy?"
"What if he gets poisoned too?"
Ziqian himself froze, startled by Xue's reaction and his own recklessness.
"Why do you always have an urge to taste the plant you find?" Ero said, chuckling.
"It's not a good habit, Ah-Zi!" Phi softly reprimanded.
It's not my fault. Ziqian defended. I wouldn't know what plant it is if I didn't taste it. The interface only shows me its properties. As long as it isn't labeled poisonous, it'll be fine… He sighed inwardly.
Xue's grip on his chin lingered, his thumb pressing a little too tightly as though to remind Ziqian never to try something so foolish again. His eyes, usually cool and restrained, were stormy with emotions that made Ziqian's chest tighten.
"I'm okay," Ziqian quickly said, forcing a calm smile. "It's not poisonous."
But Xue's gaze didn't soften. Instead, his jaw clenched, and his voice came out low and dangerous. "Don't ever do that again."
Ziqian hurriedly nodded with a faint smile on his lips.
Everyone saw Xue's reaction. The man's face, which was usually cold and unreadable, had softened with naked worry the moment Ziqian swallowed the fruit.
The onlookers in the tent exchanged glances, whispering quietly among themselves. They had never seen their young patriarch display such emotions for anyone.
Gio's eyes never left Xue, and the more he watched, the more his chest burned with jealousy. The tenderness in Xue's gaze and the way he unconsciously shielded Ziqian were something Gio had long yearned for but never received. His fists clenched at his sides, nails digging into his palms, yet he couldn't look away.
Even Lia and Bei were surprised by this development.
"Hey, you two, stop flirting. Pen still needs help," Ero snapped, hovering impatiently.
When he heard Ero's voice, the urgency of Pen's condition pulled Ziqian's attention back.
Ziqian's ears flushed red, but he forced himself to act normal as he patted Xue's hand lightly away from his chin.
The wrinkled black bean reminded him of peanuts from Earth, something that was considered nutritious and delicious but could trigger allergies in some people.
If these fruits were really the equivalent of peanuts in this world… then Pen's reaction makes sense.
Ziqian was relieved that the wrinkly black beans weren't poisonous and at the same time overjoyed that he had found nuts, his number one favorite snack. But his excitement vanished the moment a pale-blue screen flickered before his eyes.
[Side Quest: Save Pen
Time limit: 20 minutes
Reward: 300 points
Failure: Death of Pen.
(Cause of death: Anaphylactic shock.)]
Anaphylactic shock!? Ziqian's blood ran cold. He remembered the term from health classes and dramas back on Earth. It is an allergic reaction so severe it could kill within minutes if untreated.
Then a red timer burned into existence before his eyes, each second ticking away with a sharp beep… beep… beep…
[20:00]
"Shit…" he muttered under his breath, his hands trembling.
"Ziqian?" Xue's voice came low and urgent, noticing the sudden change in his face.
"He'll die if we don't act now," Ziqian unconsciously blurted out.