Male Lead, Please Don’t Covet the Mob Character Cannon Fodder (Quick Transmigration) - Chapter 36

The moon was shrouded by dark clouds, and the forest was lively even at night.

Following a series of rustling sounds, a gray-furred rat the size of a half-grown human darted out from the woods, its head twitching as its nose sniffed left and right.

“Squeak, squeak! I think I smell Ma Yan’s scent!” Shu Rong shouted.

“Really? That is great!” The hulking Xiong Lin rushed toward Shu Rong with a level of agility that defied his massive frame. “Where is he?”

Upon hearing the news, the heavy stone weighing on Qingshi’s heart as the hunting captain eased slightly.

Shu Rong shifted back into his human form, his face clouded with worry. “It is the smell of Ma Yan’s blood.”

“Oh, Brother Ma Yan, I am so sorry! Waaah!” The brawny man, Xiong Lin, actually began to wail and cry.

Qingshi paused, feeling somewhat speechless. He cut him off with a cold reprimand. “Enough! Stop crying. Finding him is the priority.”

“Hic. Right. Find him first. Hic.” Intimidated by Qingshi, Xiong Lin looked toward Shu Rong while still hiccuping.

Shu Rong was startled by Xiong Lin’s loud wailing. He sized up Xiong Lin’s massive build and felt a bit sighful. It seemed not all tall beastmen were strong; some were just simple-minded.

He sniffed the air and led the way. “This way.”

Shu Rong darted past a thicket and stopped. What appeared before them was an irregular, deep pit. Layers of fallen leaves had collapsed inward to form this hole, though its origin remained a mystery.

“Is Ma Yan down there?” Qingshi peered into the pit. It was quite deep, and the bottom was not visible.

Shu Rong nodded. “The scent of blood ends here.”

Qingshi unslung his bow and arrows. “You stay up here and keep watch. I will go down and check.”

Quan Bai stepped forward to stop him. “Captain, let me go instead. I have more strength.”

Qingshi understood his meaning. If Ma Yan were truly down there, it might take a lot of strength to pull him out. After all, a deer’s strength lay in agility, not raw power.

“Fine.” He agreed to the eager Quan Bai without hesitation.

Quan Bai jumped into the pit as soon as he received the word. Before long, a white wolf-dog the size of two men leapt out from the hole. After gently placing the human-shaped figure he held in his mouth onto the ground, Quan Bai shifted back into his human form.

Qingshi and the others gathered around. The person on the ground was indeed Ma Yan, who had been missing for a long time. His face was pale, his eyes were tightly shut, and his skin was covered in dozens of bulging lumps. Some had burst, oozing pus and blood, while others had swollen to the size of a fist.

“Brother Ma Yan!” Terrified by Ma Yan’s wretched state, Xiong Lin thought he was dead and almost started wailing again.

Qingshi hurried forward to examine the situation. Even with a quick glance, his brow furrowed deeply.

Quan Bai knelt beside him. Noticing his serious expression, he asked, “Can he be saved?”

Qingshi let out a deep sigh. “Perhaps he can.”

Quan Bai, who had assumed the man was beyond help, raised an eyebrow.

“Captain, you must save Ma Yan! I would give my own life to swap with his!” Hearing that there was hope, Xiong Lin fell to his knees on the other side of Ma Yan’s body, facing Qingshi.

Qingshi stood up to avoid the direction of the kneel. He looked at the group and gave his orders. “The bee venom in Ma Yan’s body is very severe. Only the Flowing Rock Grass from Star-Moon Cliff can save him.”

“I will go pick the Flowing Rock Grass. You stay here and watch him. Find a clean spot and help him pull all the bee stingers out of his body.”

Star-Moon Cliff was two sun-days away from the hunting grounds. However, with Qingshi’s speed, he could make it back in less than one sun-day if everything went smoothly.

“Are you going now?” Quan Bai asked.

“Yes. Ma Yan cannot wait. If it is too late, it will be too late for him.” As he spoke, Qingshi transformed into his beast form on the spot.

His jade-white antlers were as intricate as tree branches. His slender four legs leapt several meters across the grass in a single bound. Like a beautiful forest spirit, he moved through the shadows of the trees, riding the wind.

Quan Bai’s pupils constricted slightly. It was the first time he had seen such a beast form. From the neck to the back, this white deer possessed an elegant curve. The moonlight filtered through the dark clouds and landed on that figure, adding a hazy white veil. It was mysterious and sacred, looking like something that did not belong to the mortal world.

Star-Moon Cliff, as the name suggested, was a tall and jagged cliff where one could see the stars and moon up close. There were no large predators nearby, but the most dangerous element was the swampland surrounding the cliff. It was inhabited by a group of snake-lizards that could reach a meter in length. They were sharp-toothed carnivorous hunters. However, they usually lived at the bottom of the swamp and only emerged to hunt; they would not attack if left undisturbed.

The swamp was very quiet, without even the sound of frogs. Qingshi felt this was abnormal, but since it was his first time visiting the cliff at night, he did not know if this was typical nocturnal behavior for the area.

Qingshi knew a relatively safe route to the cliff. He made it there and gathered the Flowing Rock Grass without any incidents. Before dawn, as the moon set and the night was at its darkest, Qingshi began his return journey.

Passing through the swamp again, Qingshi felt more alert due to the silence. However, as he was nearly through without any movement, the unexpected happened.

Sensing a change in the airflow beneath him, Qingshi transformed into his beast form and leapt upward. Although his movements were fast enough, the black shadow that sprang from the swamp was faster.

Qingshi landed on the dry ground and shifted back into human form, drawing his bow and aiming at the swamp. A stinging pain radiated from his hind leg as warm liquid slid down his calf to his heel.

He stared unblinkingly at the oval, snake-like head emerging from the swamp. Its mouth was slightly open, revealing hundreds of sharp teeth with fresh red blood clinging to the front ones.

A snake-lizard had tasted his blood. Qingshi saw the predatory determination in its eyes and knew that if he turned his back now, he would surely become its meal. The snake-lizard also seemed to sense the threat from Qingshi and did not dare to approach easily.

The man and the beast remained in a stalemate. When the first light of dawn broke through the darkness, the impatient snake-lizard launched its attack. Its long neck lunged toward Qingshi.

Qingshi aimed at its right eye and fired a ready arrow before rolling to the side to dodge the attack. With a loud thud, the lizard’s rock-like head hit the ground. Ignoring the worsening injury on his leg, Qingshi drew his bow again, aiming at the large creature that had fully revealed itself.

Its body had reached a length of two meters. It was the first time Qingshi had seen a snake-lizard of such size; it was likely a king among its kind. The bone arrow was deflected by the lizard’s eyelid and did not pierce through, but it did scratch the corner of its eye. The pain made it realize the danger of the weapon in Qingshi’s hand. It moved slowly and eventually retreated into the swamp, leaving only its eyes visible.

Qingshi watched the swamp, not daring to be careless. He kept his bowstring taut and slowly backed away. Only after he was a significant distance from the swamp and certain the lizard was not following did he let out a sigh of relief.

With the relaxation came the pain. Qingshi looked at his left calf. There was a row of teeth marks deep enough to see the bone. It was a gash, and blood had stained his entire leg. The strong scent of blood hung in the air. Qingshi did not dare linger and hurriedly treated the wound before continuing his return.

By the time the sun reached the middle of the sky, Qingshi used his last bone arrow to drive away an attacking tusked beast, a carnivorous creature resembling a wild boar. He leaned against a tree trunk, panting slightly. The impact of the leg wound was far greater than he had anticipated. If he were uninjured, he would be only half a sun-day from the hunting grounds, but now he had not even covered half that distance.

After a brief rest, Qingshi glanced at the wound that was bleeding again due to his previous exertion. He transformed into the white deer. He had no time to treat the wound properly. If he did not make it back before sunset, Ma Yan would be beyond saving.

The sweet scent of blood attracted a succession of predators. Qingshi used his speed to shake off most of them, but some cunning hunters were not so easily evaded.

The running white deer suddenly stopped, stomping its hooves anxiously. Wild wolves, each half a meter tall, emerged from the bushes and surrounded the injured deer. Qingshi turned slowly to face the one-meter-tall gray wolf behind him. It was the alpha of this pack and the hunter Qingshi had failed to lose.

Bloody light flickered in its pale yellow eyes, and thick saliva dripped from its mouth. Qingshi felt a chill run through his body. He knew he could not break through the encirclement. His only choice was to fight. If he could defeat the alpha, he might survive; otherwise, he would become a meal for these beasts.

“Awoo!” The alpha growled and lunged at the solitary white deer.

After one exchange, Qingshi had a claw mark on his back, while the alpha had a wound on its face. It was a trophy from the sharp antlers that had almost pierced its eye. Realizing this prey was unusual, the alpha changed tactics. It stopped charging and instead began to circle Qingshi, launching occasional sneak attacks.

Although Qingshi dodged every time, his heart sank. With his current injuries, the longer the fight lasted, the worse it would be for him. The dizziness from blood loss caused his vision to darken.

Qingshi was forced to take the offensive. He attacked first, leaving another mark on the alpha’s face, but he was also caught in an opening and swatted away. The injured white deer slammed into a tree trunk and slid to the ground. Qingshi could no longer maintain his beast form and shifted back to a human. He lay on the ground, propping himself up with his arms to stand, but fell back due to the pain in his back.

The alpha approached slowly, its foul breath hitting his face. Qingshi closed his eyes in despair.

Suddenly, a gust of wind swept past him. Following a loud thud and a pained howl, Qingshi slowly opened his eyes. A two-meter-tall white creature stood in front of him. Qingshi recognized him; it was Quan Bai.

Qingshi could not see the confrontation between Quan Bai and the alpha. He only saw Quan Bai lower his body into an attacking stance. After a low growl from his throat, the surrounding wolf pack scattered.

“Qingshi, are you all right?” Quan Bai shifted back to human form and reached out to help him.

Qingshi looked at the hand, did not refuse, and used his strength to sit up. He pulled a plant with sword-like leaves and a white flower from his waist pouch and held it out to Quan Bai. “You arrived just in time. This is the Flowing Rock Grass. Take it to Ma Yan immediately.”

Quan Bai frowned at Qingshi’s injuries and did not reach for the plant. “If I leave, what will you do? If another wolf pack comes, no one will be able to save you.”

Qingshi shook his head. “I will handle it myself. It is nothing major.”

Quan Bai grit his teeth while staring at the sweat on Qingshi’s brow. He simply picked up the stubborn white deer. “Let us go back together.”

“?” The strange bridal-carry position startled Qingshi. His brow furrowed. “Put me down.”

“Hmph, if we keep wasting time, we will not be able to save Ma Yan!” A light snort came from Quan Bai’s throat. “Do not worry. Even with you, we will make it back on time.”

Hearing this, Qingshi opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing more. Quan Bai lowered his gaze and hoisted the person in his arms higher. “Hold on to my neck. I am going to speed up.”

To save Ma Yan in time, Qingshi did not have the luxury to care about the strange embrace. He wrapped his arms around Quan Bai’s neck to steady himself.

Quan Bai had not exaggerated; his speed was indeed very fast, only slightly slower than Qingshi at his peak. The two finally returned to the hunting grounds before sunset.

“Captain, you are finally back!” Shu Rong saw them from afar and rushed to meet them. When he saw Qingshi’s injuries, his eyes widened. “Captain, why are you so badly hurt?!”

“I am fine. How is Ma Yan?” Qingshi asked.

Shu Rong sighed. “Xiong Lin and I pulled all the stingers out. He has been moaning but has not woken up.”

Quan Bai did not put Qingshi down. He carried him to where Ma Yan was lying. Qingshi checked Ma Yan’s status and found the situation was not as bad as he had feared. He handed the Flowing Rock Grass to Xiong Lin, who was waiting nearby. “Feed him the juice squeezed from the grass.”

“Okay.” Xiong Lin took the grass, pried Ma Yan’s mouth open with one hand, and crushed the plant with the other to drip the juice inside. Only after the plant was withered did he stop. “Captain, is this enough? When will Ma Yan wake up?”

Qingshi nodded tiredly. “Yes. Flowing Rock Grass is the antidote for bee venom. When he wakes depends on his physical constitution.”

“That is great!” Xiong Lin wept with relief. “It is a good thing you were here, Captain.”

Shu Rong also remarked, “Captain, you are truly amazing. You even know the medical skills of a Shaman.”

Excessive blood loss made Qingshi feel chilled. He leaned against Quan Bai, lacking the energy to respond. I will rest for a bit before treating my wounds, Qingshi thought. The next second, he was picked up again. He looked up at Quan Bai’s sharp jawline and asked in confusion, “Quan Bai?”

“Mhm.” The chest pressed against him vibrated slightly. “I am taking the Captain to treat his wounds.”

Shu Rong added, “Okay, go ahead. We can watch Ma Yan.”

Quan Bai took Qingshi to a clear stream. He stepped into the water and set him down. The overflowing water reached just past his ankles. The cold current provided a stimulus, and Qingshi regained some strength. He sat in the water and began to wash the wound on his leg.

The wound, now free of blood and dirt, looked hideous. Due to the excessive activity after the injury, it had torn multiple times. Qingshi estimated it would take at least ten days to two weeks to heal completely. This was entirely thanks to a beastman’s powerful constitution. Any ordinary person with this level of injury in a primitive era with no medical equipment would be left to die.

Quan Bai stood behind Qingshi, staring at his defenseless, soft nape. He felt his canine teeth itch, wanting to bite something. Suppressing this inexplicable urge, he stepped forward and brushed aside the hair on Qingshi’s back, revealing the three claw marks hidden there.

The dark red blood spread across his snowy back like red ink on rice paper. The hideous scars added a sense of fragmented beauty to this perfect picture. Quan Bai stared at the scars, his throat bobbing.

Qingshi turned back because of the itch on his back. He noticed Quan Bai’s action and asked, “What are you doing?”

Hearing the question, Quan Bai met his gaze and grinned, showing two prominent canine teeth. “I will help you clean the wounds on your back. It is inconvenient for you to handle them yourself.”

Qingshi hesitated for a moment but did not speak. He simply turned back and swept his hair to the front, signaling his consent.

Startled that the habitually cold and proud white deer had not refused, Quan Bai froze for a moment. Then he narrowed his eyes, licked the corner of his lip, and knelt to scoop up clear water, pouring it over the snowy back.

The transparent water dispersed over the skin, turning red as it passed through the wounds. It flowed down, staining the lean waist before disappearing into the stream.

Quan Bai’s nose twitched with excitement. The water washed away the old blood, but fresh blood continued to seep out. He leaned closer, his nose filled with the sweet scent of blood. He used to think blood smelled foul, but at this moment, his mind changed. How could there be such a pleasant scent? Quan Bai did not notice that his eyes had shifted into the vertical pupils of his beast form.

A hot breath brushed against the sensitive wounds, causing the muscles of the back to tremble involuntarily. Qingshi’s brow furrowed slightly as he asked in confusion, “Quan Bai, what are you…”

Quan Bai’s beast-like eyes stared intently at the bleeding scars. Hearing Qingshi’s voice, he curled his lips and licked his lower lip. “Captain, these wounds on your back, shall I lick them for you? They will heal faster that way.”

Beastman saliva could indeed accelerate healing, but a male licking another male’s wounds seemed inappropriate.

“No need.” Qingshi stood up from the water and faced Quan Bai, looking down at him. “I have the hemostatic medicine given by the Shaman.”

“Alright.” Qingshi thought he saw a flash of disappointment in Quan Bai’s eyes, though it might have been an illusion.

After going ashore, the two returned to the campsite. A fire had been lit. Although Ma Yan was still unconscious, his complexion looked much better.

Qingshi took the hemostatic medicine provided by the tribe Shaman from his small arrow pouch. He applied it to his leg. After he finished, the ointment was taken by Quan Bai. His firm fingertips, carrying the moist medicine, touched Qingshi’s back without allowing for refusal.

Qingshi could not see the expression in Quan Bai’s deep black eyes behind his long lashes, but the touch on his back was so gentle. Ultimately, he did not refuse the help. After all, they had already been in the water together; this extra bit of help did not make much of a difference.

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