20: Chapter 20 A Love-Obsessed Mind Has Grown

"Awoo... Awoo awoo..."

The howling of a wolf pack came from the distance.

Tang Ruan shivered all over.

"What is that sound?"

Potato ran outside to take a look, then ran back.

"The weather has cleared up now, so it must be the Wolf Tribe hunting."

"Hunting? Why haven't I heard them call before?"

Potato continued to perfect her "moon."

"Hongshu said that since the cold wave began, the prey in the forest has become increasingly scarce.

With the food shortage, many monsters from the Dark Forest have come out looking for food.

The Wolf Tribe has no choice but to hunt in groups.

On one hand, it ensures safety, and on the other hand, if they can catch a monster, it's enough to feed them for a few days."

Tang Ruan thought of the giant centipede she saw by the lake that day and felt a wave of nausea.

"They can only eat monsters now?"

Potato blinked. "What else? If you feel sorry for him, bring your Beast Husband over!"

"Our... situation is a bit special."

Potato shook her head. "If you really don't like him, just make it clear to him.

Wait until he finds a suitable Mistress, and then voluntarily send him away.

That way, you save yourself from him killing you to silence you."

Tang Ruan didn't speak again.

She walked to the cave entrance and stepped out; the snow reached right up to her thighs.

She did need to make things clear, even though it was a bit difficult.

She had thought it would only be a brief moment of sunshine, but who knew it would stay clear for three whole days.

Even the snow had melted.

"Is the cold wave coming to an end?" Mu Shu, Potato's older brother, asked while holding Mao Mao, standing next to Potato's mother.

"It won't be that short," Potato's mother said.

Potato's Second Father took a fur coat out of the cave and draped it over Potato's mother's shoulders.

"The tribespeople are all asking if they can dig up the fruits nearby while the weather is good.

They also want to go to the riverbank; the cubs are almost going crazy from being cooped up."

The cold wave had arrived suddenly, and they hadn't had time to dig up many of the fruits.

After the snow retreated, only the area by the stream remained green, making people yearn for it.

But for the safety of the tribe, Potato's mother forbade them from going too far from the cave.

"Go ahead! Tell them that as soon as it starts snowing, they must return immediately, otherwise..."

She didn't know what she had thought of, but suddenly she grasped Second Father's hand.

"I only have you left..."

Hearing that they could go out, the cubs of the Marmot Tribe all ran out.

Tang Ruan also wrapped herself in furs, carried all the dried meat on her back, and prepared to set off.

She bumped into Hongshu as she left.

Hongshu: "Are you planning to send that to the Wolf Tribe?"

Tang Ruan: ... "Is it that obvious?"

"No need to send it," Hongshu said. "They'll be coming over in a while.

Also, they don't want meat right now; they want potatoes."

Tang Ruan thought about it seriously... and asked in confusion: "Does Potato want to take in another Wolf Tribe Beast Husband?"

Hongshu's dark face turned a flushed red from anger. "It's the potatoes you can eat, the edible potatoes!"

Tang Ruan certainly knew that what the Wolf Tribe needed most right now was food.

But the idea of the Wolf Tribe switching to a vegetarian diet was too inconceivable, so she couldn't be blamed for thinking that way.

Hongshu told Tang Ruan.

Because the Wolf Tribe was finding it difficult to catch prey now, they could use a small amount of meat to exchange for many potatoes from the Marmot Beastmen to fill their stomachs.

Thus, this kind of trade had been going on quietly since a week ago.

Potato's mother turned a blind eye to it.

For one thing, their stored food was enough to last for three years.

Every Marmot Beastman couldn't even finish the share they received each month.

For another, the Marmot Beastmen had a very low birth rate due to long-term lack of meat consumption.

Eating meat could also help them withstand the cold.

However, the Wolf Tribe's appetite was three or four times that of the Marmot Beastmen, so the private trade was just a drop in the bucket for them.

Therefore, Lang Lie decided to talk directly to Potato's mother.

Tang Ruan had never imagined that when she saw Lang Lie again, he would look like this.

On his left shoulder, there was a palm-sized burn; the skin was completely gone, revealing bright red flesh.

On his back was a foot-long claw mark, still oozing blood.

There was also a shallow wound on his face, stretching from his temple to his cheek, which had almost injured his eye.

She hid in the cave, watching him speak with the tribe leader from afar.

Her heart ached with every tug.

He was so powerful, how could he have suffered such severe injuries?

A round, chubby marmot rolled to Tang Ruan's feet.

With a "pop," it turned into a short, chubby, cute little girl.

Potato dragged Tang Ruan back into the cave.

"Mother doesn't agree.

She says that although the cold wave generally ends in half a year, what if it doesn't?

Besides, the Wolf Tribe has a huge appetite and would need half of our food reserves just to last a few months."

Seeing Tang Ruan looking troubled, Potato pursed her lips toward the dried meat on the side.

"Why don't you just bring Lang Lie over!

A Beast Husband following his Mistress counts as half a member of the Marmot Tribe; Mother won't treat him badly."

Tang Ruan, however, was thinking about something else.

"Is the tribe leader worried that the Wolf Tribe won't be able to provide meat as agreed?"

"No.

They found a canyon behind the Dark Forest.

It's said that in that canyon, even beasts like tigers are used as food for other monsters.

Tsk tsk... only the Wolf Tribe would dare to go to such a terrifying place.

Fortunately, the monsters are all trapped in the canyon."

So... that's why he suffered such severe injuries?

Tang Ruan clutched her chest.

Her heart hurt so much, a love-struck brain had grown...

What could she do for him?

"Tang Ruan, help the Wolf Tribe leader take a look." Suddenly, the voice of Potato's mother came from outside the cave.

Before Tang Ruan could stand up, Lang Lie had already lowered his head and walked in through the low cave entrance.

Seeing this, Potato slipped away tactfully.

Lang Lie lowered his eyes and walked in front of Tang Ruan.

"Sorry to trouble you."

His eyes remained fixed elsewhere, as if he didn't want to look at her even for a glance.

Tang Ruan extended a finger, her fingertip trembling as she poked his shoulder.

"Ugh—" Lang Lie let out a muffled groan.

His messy hair covered his furrowed brows and eyes, but it was still evident that he was in great pain.

Tang Ruan hurriedly went to prepare medicine according to the prescription that appeared in her mind.

Before long, she returned with the medicine.

Lang Lie was still standing there like a statue.

"The medicine has a certain stinging effect," Tang Ruan warned, "it might be very painful."

As the medicine was applied to his wound, Lang Lie took a deep breath and pressed his lips together tightly.

"If it hurts, you can cry out," Tang Ruan said.

"It's nothing..."

"What?" Tang Ruan didn't hear clearly.

"This bit of pain is nothing."

Tang Ruan chuckled, feeling inexplicably angry.

It hurt just looking at it!

Yet he was still being stubborn!

If she didn't let him know the consequences of getting injured, would he get hurt every single day in the future?

She was no longer cautious and quickly applied the medicine.

Lang Lie actually didn't make another sound.

She was starting to admire him a little.

She couldn't help but say, "So you really aren't afraid of pain."

"Compared to you..." He stopped mid-sentence.

"This bit of pain really is nothing."

Tang Ruan: Was he trying to say that compared to the pain she caused him, this bit of pain was nothing?

She had the urge to slap herself twice again.

Tang Ruan was just about to say something when she suddenly noticed a purple mist swirling around Lang Lie.

It was exactly the same as what she had seen before she fainted a while ago.

She subconsciously reached out and waved her hand.

The mist immediately faded a little.

The wound on his shoulder shrank visibly.

Tang Ruan was startled.

Could these mists represent his injuries?

And besides knowing how to treat illnesses, could she also manually drive away the "disease demons"?

Thinking of this possibility, she started fanning, fanning, fanning excitedly...

"What's wrong with you?" Lang Lie exclaimed.

Watching his wound shrink as the mist got smaller and smaller, Tang Ruan became more and more excited.

"Don't worry about it! I'll be able to heal you right away!"