Yue Ling shoved the wooden branch into Lang Zuo's hands, signaling for him to place it between Lang You's teeth. She chose to suture the abdominal wound first.
Lifting away the blood-soaked hemostatic herbs, the grotesque injury beneath was fully exposed. Even Yue Ling's hands began to tremble. The bone needle in her grasp was threaded with animal-hide cord that had been boiled in scalding water.
[You can do this, Host. You're the best.]
System 999 cheered her on enthusiastically.
Yue Ling: "..."
She took a deep, steadying breath, then lowered her head and forced herself to focus.
When the bone needle pierced through Lang You's abdominal flesh, his body jerked violently. His muscles went rigid, every line taut with pain.
"Relax," Yue Ling said softly, though her own voice trembled.
"You two—hold him down," she reminded them quickly.
She was terrified that Lang You might break free and knock her over. This body of hers was fragile—there was no way she could withstand a kick from a one-point-nine-meter-tall beastman.
"Got it," Lang Zuo said heavily, increasing the pressure of his grip to keep his brother still.
Lang You himself was tense beyond belief. To lessen his reaction, he turned his head slightly away, refusing to look in Yue Ling's direction.
Seeing that everyone was ready, Yue Ling continued. Her craftsmanship was terrible—the stitches crooked and uneven—but she forced herself to keep going. By the time she finished, Lang You had been tortured into unconsciousness.
Her vision swam. Darkness crept in from the edges, and she nearly collapsed forward onto Lang You's body—until a strong arm caught her firmly.
Yue Ling looked up at Bai Ying and smiled sincerely. "Thank you."
Her sweet, genuine smile stunned him. This little female was polite, beautiful, and even knew medical arts.
[Congratulations, Host. Bai Ying's favorability has reached 50%.]
Hearing System 999's announcement, Yue Ling felt a surge of joy. The smile on her face grew even more heartfelt.
Outside, the sky had already darkened. She hadn't realized she'd stayed in the shaman's cave until nightfall. Right on cue, her stomach let out a loud, pitiful growl.
"My oversight," the old shaman said at once. After witnessing Yue Ling's suturing technique, his tone had grown noticeably respectful. "Bai Ying, take Female Yue Ling to eat."
Yue Ling truly was starving. The original owner of this body had often gone hungry, eating one meal and missing the next. She hadn't eaten at noon, and now her stomach burned and ached painfully.
Forcing herself to endure a little longer, she applied the remaining hemostatic herbs to Lang You's wound. Then she instructed Lang Zuo, "Stay with him tonight. Watch for a high fever. Tomorrow, I'll look in the mountains for more medicinal herbs."
Hemostatic herbs alone weren't enough—she needed to help the wound heal properly.
Lang Zuo looked at her with deep gratitude, shame rising in his heart over how he had treated her before. "Thank you, Female Yue Ling."
She tugged her lips into a faint smile and joked lightly, "Just don't lock me up again."
Lang Zuo lowered his head deeply. "I won't."
"Let's go," Bai Ying's low voice sounded by her ear.
Yue Ling leaned lightly against him, almost absentmindedly.
Her unique, sweet scent drifted straight into his nose—soft, alluring, carrying a subtle sense of seduction. Bai Ying's throat went dry as a sudden heat surged through his body.
He was about to step away when he noticed how pale her face was. His brow furrowed, and instead of retreating, he adjusted his hold and supported her more firmly.
Yue Ling gave an apologetic smile. "Sorry to trouble you. My body isn't very strong."
Looking at the excessively frail little female, Bai Ying only gave a muffled "Mm."
The old shaman watched their retreating figures, eyes narrowing slightly. It seemed that this little female had taken a liking to Bai Ying.
Outside the cave, beastmen had been waiting from dawn until dusk. Many hunters who had just returned also gathered after hearing what had happened.
Before Yue Ling even reached the cave entrance, she heard several female voices.
"What is that old shaman thinking? Yue Ling is just a mad female—what if she ends up killing Lang You instead?"
"I was even planning to bond with Lang You next year."
A mocking laugh followed immediately.
"Ayima, you actually have your eye on a male like that? Even if Lang You survives, he'll just be a crippled male."
The little female called Ayima pressed her lips together. She genuinely cared for both Lang Zuo and Lang You, and at those words, anger flared in her eyes. She shot Anna a sharp glare.
Anna merely shrugged, clearly unconcerned. Stretching her neck to peer inside the cave, her gaze abruptly froze.
There—supporting someone—was Bai Ying, the strongest male of the Snow Wolf Tribe, the male she admired most.
And in his arms was a petite, unfamiliar, visibly weak little female.
"Bai Ying," Anna demanded sharply, storming forward, "who is that wild female you're helping?"
Fury surged through her. Without hesitation, she rushed over and shoved Yue Ling hard.
Yue Ling only felt a rush of wind before her body was violently pushed aside by the one-point-eight-meter-tall female. She stumbled backward, about to slam into the stone wall of the cave—
A powerful hand caught her shoulder.
Pulled by instinct and momentum, she crashed straight into Bai Ying's chest.
"Anna, what do you think you're doing?" Bai Ying's voice turned ice-cold as he stared at her.
Anna snorted, folding her arms across her chest as she looked down arrogantly at Yue Ling, who was still protected in Bai Ying's embrace.
"So this is why you won't bond with me, Bai Ying? For this wild female?" she sneered.
"What does she have that I don't? She's short, small, and a weak female. Can she even give birth to healthy cubs?"
Her words spilled out relentlessly, sharp and loud.
"As long as you agree to bond with me, you'll be my first beast husband. My first litter of cubs will be yours."
The tall female's barrage of words hit Yue Ling like a hammer. Her head buzzed from the sheer overload of information.
So… this was her rival?
The old tribal chief stood near the cave entrance, watching the unfamiliar female being guarded in Bai Ying's arms, and Anna's explosive emotions.
A new female arriving in the tribe was undoubtedly a great blessing—but disputes over beast husbands were not something male beastmen were supposed to interfere with.
"Bai Ying," the chief called loudly, attempting to shift the tension, "how is it inside?"
Bai Ying glanced down at the small female in his arms.
Yue Ling leaned out slightly from his chest and answered gently, her voice soft but clear,
"Lang You is resting now, Chief. You can go take a look."
The old chief was taken aback. How did this little female know his identity?
Yue Ling smiled knowingly. "I'm Yue Ling—the mad female."
"What?! She's that mad female?"
"No way… that's Yue Ling?"
"She actually looks pretty clean now. And she smells really nice."
"She's the one! The female who said she received the Beast God's blessing—and even has shaman abilities!"
"She came out—does that mean Lang You is still alive?"
The gathered beastmen erupted into chatter, voices overlapping in astonishment.
Yue Ling raised her voice calmly.
"You can all go inside to see Lang You, but be gentle. Don't touch him—he needs rest."
Bai Ying shot Anna a cold look.
"Chief, I'm taking Female Yue Ling to eat."
The old chief immediately nodded. They had been inside the cave almost the entire day—this little female must be starving. He had also heard that the so-called mad female claimed to have awakened shamanic powers and was treating Lang You.
If that were true, then even a noble female like Anna would have to yield before her.
"Go quickly," the chief urged. "Don't let Female Yue Ling go hungry."
Then he turned to Anna, his expression stern.
"Anna, this is not the time for tantrums."
Anna had heard the rumors too—but she still refused to accept them. She shot Yue Ling a hostile look, baring her teeth as she declared aggressively:
"Bai Ying is mine."