Tiger tribe IX
"How could this be?" Jiang Yu said, dazed. "Just how rare is this golden thorn grass?"
If the golden thorn grass can’t be found, then endearing Mu to the tribe will simply not be possible, and Jiang Yu would have to consider other methods to get the tribe to be nicer to Mu.
"It's not rare."
When Jiang Yu heard this, his mood brightened. That means this method is not impossible. "What do you mean?"
"Actually, there’s a lot around the tribe, much more than other herbs, it’s only . . ." Ya Qi hesitated. "All the golden thorn grass is in a beast's nest. They are only found in the golden thorn animal’s den. The golden thorns are usually gentle in temperament and don’t attack people, but once a shapeshifter or a chimera approaches their lair, they become bloodthirsty, and their powerful attacks are something a shapeshifter or a chimera simply can’t resist. And because golden thorn meat isn’t good to eat, we usually never go hunting for them. And the golden thorn does not have any life-saving effects either. It can only revitalize the body, so we don’t use this herb much, so almost no one picks it."
Jiang Yu was becoming more and more discouraged, but he felt that there was something Ya Qi was leaving out.
A thought flashed through his mind. "You said earlier that when the shapeshifters and chimeras come close to their dens, they get mad, right?"
Ya Qi nodded, wondering why Ah Yu suddenly raised up this point.
“What about females?” Jiang Yu felt that his question was a little stupid, but his instincts pushed him to ask it. He felt that this was the most important point. “Will females also be attacked when they approach their dens?"
"No, that won’t happen. The golden thorns are very docile. When a shapeshifter or chimera comes close they will get mad, but when the golden thorns encounter females, they always get along with them. Once, a daring female even seated herself on one of them."
Ya Qi’s face suddenly paled. "Ah, Ah Yu, you’re not thinking about looking for the herbs by yourself, right?“
"You’re overthinking it, I’d never do that!!" Jiang Yu laughed, and immediately changed the subject.
Ya Qi didn't think about it again. He was reassured that Jiang Yu said he wouldn’t go looking for the herbs by himself, and was very happy to talk about other things with Jiang Yu.
After Jiang Yu, feigning curiosity, asked about the appearance and living environment of the golden thorns, he pretended to have forgotten to do something and waved goodbye to Ya Qi.
Jiang Yu was eager to try collecting the golden thorn grass.
He had to collect the golden thorn grass one way or another, it was only how to collect it that he needed to carefully think out.
First of all, he can’t go alone. He’s still so young and small that if he entered the forest alone, he’d probably become lunch for the other animals long before he found the golden thorns.
Secondly, this matter absolutely can’t be concealed from Uncle Ya Suo. After finding the golden thorn grass, he will still need Uncle Ya Suo or Ya Qi to help him gather the other herbs.
Jiang Yu pondered the whole way home. Before he walked to his front door, he turned to the tribe doctor’s house.
As soon as he stepped inside, Jiang Yu candidly confessed to Uncle Ya Suo.
Uncle Ya Suo was both shocked and puzzled. Although it’s true that Ah Yu, this little kid, is much more sensible than before, how can he go into the wild to collect medicine? He’s only a young female!
Uncle Ya Suo very firmly refused. "Impossible, you are only a child. Even if you were grown up, I wouldn’t approve of you going!"
Jiang Yu launched himself to at Uncle Ya Suo, tightly gripping his thigh. "Uncle, I promise I won’t be reckless. I might like to have fun, but I am definitely someone who doesn’t want to die!"
Jiang Yu pointed his face very seriously. "You see I'm serious. I don’t want to die. If it's dangerous, I will run away first!"
The tribe doctor patted him on his head. “Go back home! If you meet an animal, you can't just run away from them; you have to outrun them!”
Jiang Yu immediately stood up, pleased. "That’s why I’m here telling you what I’m going to do. Let Mu follow me. Although he is a little weak, golden thorn grass grows around our tribe, not deep into the forest. There won’t be any really big beasts.”
"Actually, I’ve gone to the forest many times before, just not to the golden thorns’ den. And anyway, aren’t the golden thorns very docile to females?" Only God knows Jiang Yu is vomiting blood when he spits out the word “female”.
"I’ll be fine!" Jiang Yu carried the uncle's clothes to him, and coquettishly stared at him, his eyes saying, "Please say yes, please say yes!"
The tribe doctor finally caved in to Jiang Yu's shameless request.
"Okay, but the first time you go, Qi must follow as well!"
Jiang Yu nodded with pleasant surprise. "No problem, I’ll make sure he does!"
After talking with the tribe doctor, the Jiang Yu felt much better. He has Qi’s help now, and with Qi’s strength, how could anything happen? Now, the next thing he should do is tell Mu. This time, he has to get Mu to agree to come with him.
"Come with me to the forest tomorrow!" Jiang Yu had just come to Mu’s house and happened to bump into him at the door, while he was cleaning out a dead animal. Mu gave him a glance and then returned to cleaning the animal’s organs.
Mu’s gloomy look made Jiang Yu tremble, but he gathered his courage, put on an insufferably arrogant appearance, and said, "In the future, you’ll come with me twice a month to the forest. That’s what Uncle Ya Suo said, so you have to do it!"
Mu shot a murderous, extremely fierce glare at him as if he was going to open Jiang Yu's flesh, leaving him with a feeling of nameless terror.
Usually, the tribe leader assigns everyone’s work, but if the tribe doctor needs people to do something, the tribe will comply unconditionally, because the doctor has saved many of them from dying before. In some respects, the tribe doctor’s status is even higher than the leader’s.
Mu stared at him silently, but his knife moved more forcefully. With a flick of his wrist, a slab of bloody meat covered Jiang Yu's face.
Jiang Yu only felt something sticky and bloody covering his eyes.
He simply stood there dumbly.
It took a long time to pull the meat off from his face. He wiped off the bloody residue on his face with shaking fingers and the crouched down, retching.
His face and body smell like vomit.
His stomach started to cramp.
Just as Jiang Yu felt like he’d rather die, he heard a sneer from behind. The laughter suddenly cleared his mind.
Jiang Yu's eyes were a little red. He threw the piece of meat by his feet at Mu’s face. Looking at that wolf-like shapeshifter, Jiang Yu was very angry.
"I’m coming back to get you tomorrow, so be ready to go to the forest!"
Without waiting to meet his murderous gaze, Jiang Yu fled the scene.
Mu, who was watching him with blood on his face, started to laugh, his eyes turning colder until they were shards of ice.
Jiang Yu washed his face beside the creek, feeling a little shameful.
How can a 20-something adult be scared by a seven-year-old child? Isn't it just a little bit of blood? Well, he can admit that he’s never seen meat this bloody before. The worst he’s seen is the cleaned pork in the supermarket.
However, as an adult, his own psychological strength is really lacking. How could he be scared of a piece of meat?
"Oops -" Once he started thinking about the piece of meat, Jiang Yu could not help but start to feel nauseous and start retching violently. His face still feels sticky no matter how much he washes it. It is nauseous and terrifying.
In the end, Jiang Yu washed his face no less than thirty times before he finally sat on the ground, his face scrubbed pale.
If he’d known what Mu would do earlier, he would’ve treated him more gently. Then he probably wouldn’t get blood all over his face.
However, as an adult, he is aware of Mu’s psychology. If he had asked My nicely, and explained to him that the medicine was for him to strengthen his body, Mu would most likely immediately refuse.
It wasn’t that Mu looked down on him, it was only because his dignity couldn't allow this kind of charity.
Instead of candidly explaining the medicine’s purpose to him, it is better to use the arrogant attitude he had in the past to force Mu to go with him. This way, at least he can be sure Mu will cooperate.
Jiang Yu didn’t really care about Mu’s attitude toward him. As long as he is able to repair the relationship between Mu and the tribe, it doesn’t matter if Mu is hostile toward him or not, and anyway, in this shapeshifter tribe, which went to great lengths to protect its females, Mu wouldn’t be able to kill him, no matter how hard he tried.
Early the next morning, someone knocked on the door.
"Dad asked me to take you to the forest," Qi said expressionlessly.
"Hey!!" Jiang Yu desperately gestured at Qi to lower his voice.
His parents had no idea what he was going to do. If they found out, they would definitely kill him!