"Crack, crack…"
Yan Jiao carried a man in his thirties on his back, moving forward with great care. A Totem Warrior was clearing the way in front, while another stayed behind to guard the rear, preventing beasts from catching the scent of blood and launching a surprise attack.
"Mai Mang, hang in there! Press your totem mark down onto the wound!" Yan Jiao shouted loudly.
No one had expected that while searching for plants used to make linen cloth, they would encounter a Withered Wood Wolf—one of the top-tier ferocious beasts among hybrid species.
The Withered Wood Wolf was a hairless wolf. Instead of fur, its body was covered in a keratin layer resembling dead wood, giving it about thirty percent more defense than ordinary ferocious beasts.
Not only was its defense strong, its concealment was excellent as well. With that deadwood-like keratin as camouflage, it could simply crouch beneath grass or trees and wait for prey to wander into range.
Mai Mang had been caught off guard and ambushed. If not for the Withered Wood Wolf's relatively poor agility, his head might have been bitten clean off—instead of merely having his abdomen slashed by a claw.
"Cough, cough…" Mai Mang coughed with effort and said weakly, "Chieftain, I'm afraid I won't make it."
He could clearly feel his strength slipping away, his body growing colder. He could no longer condense his totem mark, and he had lost far too much blood.
"Don't talk. Focus on suppressing the wound," Yan Jiao roared in a low voice.
He was an experienced Totem Warrior himself and knew that Mai Mang was speaking the truth. With a palm-length gash torn open in his abdomen, survival without the shaman bone talisman was impossible.
"Cough… cough… Chieftain, if I don't speak now, I won't get the chance," Mai Mang said with a forced grin. Blood spilled from the corner of his mouth and dripped onto Yan Jiao's shoulder.
"We're almost back at the tribe. The shaman will definitely heal you," Yan Jiao said, quickening his pace in grief.
"Listen to me. After I die, give my share of the dried meat to Mai Mao. He should be able to awaken as a Totem Warrior this year," Mai Mang said, his voice growing weaker.
Mai Mao—his son—was twenty-one years old this year.
"Alright. I have faith in your son," Yan Jiao said, his eyes reddening. Another brother was about to leave him.
As sorrow filled the air—
"Crack, crack…"
Suddenly, three figures appeared in Yan Jiao's line of sight. Leading them was Black Fang. Yan Jiao and the others were instantly overjoyed, assuming Black Fang had brought the shaman bone talisman.
"Chieftain, I'm here!" Black Fang shouted happily.
"Where's the shaman bone talisman? Take it out, quickly!" Yan Jiao urged.
"Huh? I didn't bring the shaman bone talisman," Black Fang said hurriedly, shaking his head.
"You—you didn't bring the shaman bone talisman?"
Yan Jiao stared wide-eyed at Black Fang, glaring as he demanded, "If you didn't bring the talisman, why did you come back at all?"
"I brought the shaman," Black Fang said, stepping aside to reveal Su Bai—bent over and panting—and Yanhua behind him.
"You—you did this on purpose to anger me, didn't you?"
Yan Jiao's body trembled as he roared, "Who told you to bring the shaman here?!"
"That's enough. If you keep yelling, he'll really die," Su Bai said as he straightened up.
"Shaman, did you bring the shaman bone talisman?" Yan Jiao asked, forcibly suppressing his anger as he looked on with hope. "Mai Mang needs its treatment right now. His wound is too severe."
"No," Su Bai said, shaking his head.
"…" Yan Jiao blinked, then asked hesitantly, "Shaman… you're saying you didn't bring the shaman bone talisman?"
"That's right," Su Bai nodded firmly.
"Hiss…" Yan Jiao suddenly felt his gums itch with rage. He turned and glared at Black Fang, feeling an overwhelming urge to activate his totem mark and beat him senseless.
"Put him down. Let me take a look at the wound," Su Bai shouted.
"Shaman, we need to hurry back to the tribe to get the shaman bone talisman. Mai Mang's injury can't wait," Yan Jiao growled hoarsely.
"If you want to save him, put him down now," Su Bai said calmly, even more composed than before.
"Without the shaman bone talisman, how can we save—" Yan Jiao began, but Black Fang had already rushed forward and carefully lowered Mai Mang to the ground.
"It really is serious," Su Bai said as he looked at the unconscious Mai Mang. The animal hide wrapped around his abdomen was completely soaked red, making it obvious how much blood he had lost.
He reached out and felt Mai Mang's neck, finding a faint pulse—proof that he was not yet dead.
"Remove the animal hide," Su Bai ordered Yan Jiao as he raised his head. "I'm going to start the treatment."
"O-oh, alright," Yan Jiao said quickly. He crouched down, hesitated for a moment, then tore open the animal hide covering Mai Mang's abdomen.
A palm-length, hideous wound gaped open, blood continuously flowing out. One could faintly see his intestines beneath.
"Healing Spell!"
Suppressing the urge to vomit, Su Bai spread his palms over the wound and activated the Healing Spell.
Instantly, a fresh green light radiated from his hands, like a spring rain falling over the wound. Just watching it made one feel refreshed and at ease.
"T-this… this is witchcraft?!" Yan Jiao stared at the green glow, his eyes wide with disbelief.
Wasn't learning witchcraft supposed to be extremely difficult? Didn't it take at least thirty days?
Old shaman—you lied to me. Clearly, one day was enough.
"Chieftain, you actually lied to me. You said the shaman needed at least thirty days to learn witchcraft," Black Fang complained indignantly.
"Cough, cough…" Yan Jiao cleared his throat awkwardly.
"So this is witchcraft…" Yanhua's red eyes were fixed on the emerald-green light. To her amazement, Mai Mang's abdominal wound was slowly healing. The speed was a bit slow, but it was healing.
Five seconds later, the green light faded.
"Haa…" Su Bai looked at Mai Mang's abdomen. The wound was still about half a palm in size. One Healing Spell at LV.1 only lasted five seconds, and the wound was simply too large—and torn open. If it had been an ordinary injury, it would have healed long ago.
He used the Healing Spell again. The emerald-green light reappeared, and Mai Mang's wound continued to slowly close.
After using the Healing Spell three times in succession, Mai Mang's wound was finally fully healed.
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