Chapter 34: Shamaness

He, amid the tangled smells, caught that barely audible scent, his brows knit tightly:

"Is it him…"

……

By the Rock Wall.

Lin Manzhi declined Xi Tao's invitation, glanced at the sun on the horizon, about three hours passed, and now it's roughly ten o'clock.

After she was left alone here again, she took the Water Bag, drank it, and kept digging Sand‑tail Grass Stalks and placing them into the space.

She didn't go to the Yang Suo Shop with Xi Tao today; she plans to sell only fifty stalks, storing the remaining fifty in the space's warehouse.

She heard that before the dry season a heavy rain will fall here, so she intends to go to the nearby town in the next few days, sell some Lettuce, and stock up supplies to bring back.

After digging more Sand‑tail Grass Stalks alone, Lin Manzhi paused and turned her head toward the blue sky where the sun hung high.

Strange—Mo Lie isn't the type to be unreliable; why hasn't he arrived yet even this late?

While Lin Manzhi was puzzled, a rapid footstep sounded from the rock cave, and before any figure appeared a voice shouted:

"Lin Cixing! Trouble! Your Beast Husband, drenched in blood, has collapsed on the tribe's street!"

What!

Lin Manzhi's breath tightened; she hurriedly lifted her bag and rushed out, spotting a tall white‑haired beast. She asked urgently, "Where is he now? Take me there quickly."

The white‑haired beast was Yang Mai; his light‑golden eyes brightened at the sight of Lin Manzhi, and he ran that way.

Because he had helped repair the Water Cellar at his home, his favor toward Lin Manzhi grew a bit more respectful.

So when he and his companions returned from hunting to the tribe and saw an unmoving beast lying on the street at the gate, he recognized it as the black‑haired beast from Lin Cixing's family and didn't ignore it.

Who would normally concern themselves with the life or death of a stranger beast?

This time, he also thought of Lin Cixing, recalling that she seemed quite kind to that beast.

Yang Mai seized the chance to act before the female, soothingly saying, "Don't worry, we have someone taking him home first; I'll come now and bring you back."

As he spoke, his muscles stretched, and in an instant he became a three‑meter‑tall mountain goat with curved double horns, cotton‑white fur, and black hooves.

Lin Manzhi, panicked, saw a huge shadow fall over her and involuntarily stepped back.

The goat Yang Mai lowered his head, his light‑gold double pupils gazing at Lin Manzhi, displaying his supposedly proud, soft fur at the perfect angle.

Lin Manzhi steadied herself, looked up at the three‑meter‑tall goat, and recognized him as one of the beasts who helped her family repair the Water Cellar, the same Beast Form used when delivering Small Exotic Beast meat.

Yang Mai stared blankly at the female admiring his Beast Form, knelt on all fours, and thought delightedly, "Lin Cixing, climb onto my back; I'm fast and steady."

"Thank you…"

Lin Manzhi twisted her brows in thanks, gripped the goat's lowered horns, hauled herself onto his shoulders, patted the side of his back, and hurried, "I'm seated; please take me back as fast as possible."

"Alright, hold on tight," Yang Mai said, flinging his limbs forward and sprinting, shouting into the wind, "Lin Cixing, don't worry too much; beasts get injured on hunts all the time, a few days of rest will heal them."

"If it doesn't heal, I can be your Beast Husband."

He added that thought inwardly; Yang Mai also reads moods, and seeing the female's affection for his family's Beast Husband, saying that now would surely irritate Lin Cixing.

Lin Manzhi was anxious all the way, the sharp wind blew, the veil over her face made breathing a bit difficult.

This morning, Mo Lie seemed perfectly fine.

In the ten‑plus days since arriving here and taking Spiritual Repair Agent, he behaved like an ordinary person—going hunting and doing chores.

She thought Mo Lie's body wouldn't have issues and relaxed, but he suddenly had an accident!

Covered in blood, he collapsed on the ground…

Lin Manzhi's fingers clenched; recalling that scene made her heart tighten—after being together so long, she was truly worried.

Yang Mai ran swiftly; the tribe wasn't large, and soon he stopped at Lin Manzhi's home entrance.

Lin Manzhi stared at the tightly shut courtyard gate; before Yang Mai could settle down, she flipped from nearly two meters up, steadied herself, and rushed into her own courtyard.

Yang Mai followed closely behind Lin Manzhi as she entered.

She burst into the bedroom, and the figure on the bed immediately captured her gaze, so she didn't notice the Yang beside her.

Sunlight streamed through the window onto the smooth Beast‑skin; the black‑haired beast's face was pallid, eyes shut, motionless, and the dried blood on his light clothing had darkened, magnifying Lin Manzhi's unease.

"He's injured!"

He was injured while hunting.

Lin Manzhi was startled, walked over and sat on the bedside, her hand involuntarily brushed the beast's nose tip, feeling a moist breath, then she withdrew.

She turned, saw Yang Mai following, and whispered, "I have a favor to ask; could you invite the Shamaness over?"

"A beast isn't that delicate; a little rest will fix it. Inviting the Shamaness would be costly…"

Lin Manzhi rose, took a small box from the foot of the bed containing 17,000 Beast Coins, and handed it to Yang Mai, saying:

"Give these to the Shamaness; if it's not enough I can add more. With Mo Lie's condition, we don't even know if he's injured inside; it's really hard to move him."

Lin Manzhi looked at Yang Mai, "Please."

Yang Mai, under Lin Manzhi's gaze, reached for the box, and with an unwilling tone said, "Fine, I'm going now."

Yang Mai agreed to act for the female, didn't linger, and turned to run toward the spot nearest the lake's center.

In the original description, the Shamaness comes from the Mountain Classic Beast Temple; they are all pheromone‑strong females, and the medicine the beasts need originates from the Mountain Classic Beast Temple.

The Shamaness also oversees Ritual Communication with the Beast God, excels at healing; every tribe has a Shamaness, whose status surpasses that of the clan chief.

The only Shamaness in the Rosanya tribe is nearly two hundred years old; her appearance has entered old age, with a head of gray‑white hair coiled atop, and a round ruby set in her hair.

Shamaness Oti wore a white silk robe, sat on a blanket, wore ruby‑inlaid bracelets, and upon seeing Yang Mai kneeling before her, holding the box:

"Luo Feng, take it; I'll go there."

Upon receiving the Shamaness's order, the sturdy young male beast guard reached out and took the small box from Yang Mai's hands.

Shamaness Oti rose; a tall, robust male beast followed behind her, shielding her as they approached the courtyard door, extending a hand to hold the entrance.