Sulwoo replied, "The lice on my body are manageable. I just transform into human form and wash carefully, and they are gone. But the ones in my hair just will not disappear no matter what I do. I have been so uncomfortable I have barely slept these past few days."
"Shave your head," Minho said.
Sometimes they had to shave the fur off hunted prey, so they were already quite skilled at it.
Shaving a person's head was not difficult.
If the bone knife was not sharp enough, they could even borrow the tribe's metal knife.
That single metal knife had been exchanged from another tribe with a huge amount of supplies.
Anyone who paid the tribe enough resources could use it.
Unexpectedly, Sulwoo reacted strongly against the suggestion. "No! I refuse to go bald! That would look terrible!"
The sudden shout made Hayoon's ears twitch slightly while she was cutting vegetables.
Haeun, who was tending the fire, was even more unable to resist his curiosity and kept trying to look over there.
Hayoon shot him several warning looks before he finally turned his head back.
Sulwoo did not notice the siblings' reactions at all.
Even after Minho explained that shaving his human hair would not affect his beast form, he still shook his head repeatedly.
"I know it would not affect it, but I am saying I do not want my human form to become bald. My beast form is a white bear. Staying in beast form during summer is way too hot."
Minho thought for a moment before asking, "Have you tried smoking it with Tanga Berry leaves?"
Hayoon knew about Tanga Berry.
It was a plant somewhat similar to black nightshade.
By autumn, its oval fruits with pointed tips would turn red and resemble goji berries quite a bit.
The stems of the Tanga Berry plant were slender, and its leaves were long and oval-shaped.
During summer, it also grew small purple flowers and was very common in the wild.
However, Hayoon had not known before that the leaves of the Tanga Berry could repel insects.
Sulwoo replied to Minho, "I already tried it. I smoked the leaves all throughout my cave for a long time, but the lice are in my hair, and there are probably eggs too. Just smoking the leaves is not enough to get rid of them completely."
"Among everyone in the tribe, your medical skills are the best, so I wanted to ask you to think of another solution."
"I have been growing this hair for a very long time. I really do not want to shave it."
Just as he said, his gray mid-length hair had clearly been cared for very well.
It was smooth, resilient, and glossy.
He had even braided parts of it into delicate little braids tied with thin strings decorated with colorful stones.
Shaving it off would solve the lice problem, but he would definitely feel heartbroken over it.
In the end, Minho told him, "Wait for me to think about whether there are other medicines that could work."
Sulwoo nodded repeatedly. "Alright! I am counting on you then! I will head back first."
After speaking, he waved goodbye to Minho and the others, transformed into a giant white bear, and ran toward the deeper parts of the tribe.
For dinner, Hayoon prepared stir-fried kudzu roots with eggs, sliced meat stir-fried with Spelon berries, egg drop soup, and steamed tubers.
Every dish was made in generous portions, enough for everyone to eat until they were completely full.
After the meal, Haeun voluntarily went to wash the dishes.
Hayoon stopped Minho just as he was about to leave. "I heard the conversation you had with Sulwoo."
Minho gave a quiet hum and waited for her to continue.
Being stared at by his red eyes for some reason made Hayoon nervous.
She rubbed her nose before continuing. "Well... I know of something that can treat lice and fleas."
Minho asked, "What is it?"
Hayoon replied, "Are there hot springs within the tribe's territory?"
Minho nodded.
Hayoon said, "Usually around hot springs, there is a kind of sulfur ore. After refining it, you can get sulfur."
She raised her hand and gestured while describing it.
"The sulfur ore has a strong, irritating smell. Its color is usually earthy yellow or brownish, and it looks very different from ordinary stones. You can recognize it immediately at a glance."
Minho flipped his hand, and something appeared from his storage space.
"Is it this?"
Hayoon focused her eyes on it.
The yellowish-brown stone mixed with black gravel and carrying sulfur's unmistakable smell was clearly sulfur ore.
She quickly took it, checked it carefully, and happily said to Minho, "Yes! This is sulfur ore! Where did you get it?"
Minho replied, "I picked up a few pieces casually when I went to the hot springs before and stored them away. I never knew what they were used for."
Hayoon clicked her tongue inwardly.
She remembered that sulfur was toxic and could even repel snakes.
Yet Minho carried it around without any reaction at all.
Then again, beastmen could not really be judged by ordinary standards, and Minho was among the strongest of them.
This level of toxicity probably posed no threat to him.
The two of them stood near the stove while talking.
Haeun who was washing dishes nearby curiously joined the conversation.
"Sis, then how do you use this thing to treat lice? Do you just crush it up, mix it with water, and rub it on the scalp?"
Hayoon burst out laughing at his question. "Even beastmen cannot do that. It would burn the scalp badly. And you too, stay away from sulfur normally. This thing is poisonous. You absolutely cannot put it in your mouth."
Haeun puffed his cheeks unhappily and muttered, "I am already ten years old. It is not like I am some clueless little cub who eats random things."
Hayoon still did not feel reassured and looked at Minho again. "Where did you store the sulfur ore in your space? It was not placed near food before, right?"