Chapter 179: A New Method

When Jian Mo and the others returned to the Riverbank Tribe, it was the middle of the night.

They should have camped outside and come back at dawn, but neither he nor Wu Jiong wanted to wait. They decided to head home in the dark and finally sleep properly in their own house.

The Riverbank Tribe always had people on patrol.

The moment they crossed into the settlement, the patrol spotted them and came running, excited. “Chief! Jian Mo—you’re back?!”

Wu Jiong nodded. “Mm.”

Overjoyed, the patroller said, “What great news! Wait here—I’ll go tell Qing Kuo and the others!”

Jian Mo hurried to say, “It’s so late—maybe don’t wake anyone?”

“How could I not?” the patroller said. “Everyone’s been worried about you. Now that you’re back, we have to tell them. I’ll go—this will make their night!”

Off he sprinted like the wind.

The Fat Chirpers helped carry in their luggage. Seeing the scene, they said, “Brother Jian Mo, your tribe’s vibe is great too.”

Jian Mo smiled. “Mostly it’s that the people are good. Sit for a bit—we’ll tidy a room and make do here tonight.”

Late Zheng quickly waved him off. “No need. Once we unload, we’re flying back.”

“At this hour? You can’t see well. And after flying so long, aren’t you tired?”

“We can see fine—there’s moonlight tonight.”

“If we’re tired, we’ll just sleep anywhere along the way. It’s only one night; no need to bother with rooms.”

They firmly refused to stay. They set down the goods and left.

Fen Hui went with them, saying he’d come thank them another day.

Watching them go, Jian Mo said to Wu Jiong, “They’re too polite.”

“I think it’s because we’re close,” Wu Jiong said. “They’re just being themselves—easygoing.”

“When you put it that way… true.”

Though they’d been away nearly a month, their house was spotless. The bedding smelled of sunshine; the rooms were fresh and airy. Clearly, Qing Kuo and the others had kept the windows open and helped with the cleaning.

Wu Jiong hauled in water and set it to boil for a bath.

Bathing on the road was never convenient. Now that they were home, they wanted a proper wash before sleeping.

If it were just Wu Jiong, he’d bathe outside. But it was cold, and Jian Mo’s health was still delicate; Wu Jiong didn’t want him bathing outdoors, so he heated extra water.

While they were washing, Wu Jiong suddenly said, “Someone’s outside—probably Qing Kuo and the others.”

Jian Mo had been taking tonic and was in better shape; his beast ears had gone from floppy to slightly upright.

He paused, turned his ears, and listened. “You’re right—sounds like them.”

“Finish bathing first,” Wu Jiong said.

Jian Mo hurried through the rinse, pulled on a clean robe from the wardrobe, and ran out—sure enough, it was Qing Kuo and company.

A bit embarrassed, he rubbed his hair with a cloth. “It’s so late—what brings you here?”

They’d paid no mind to the two of them bathing together.

Qing Kuo arched a brow. “What do you think? Don’t act so distant. You’ve been gone forever. Now that you’re finally back, of course we came.”

Jian Mo smiled. “I just thought it’s late and you were probably asleep—sorry to drag you out.”

“Not as hard as your trip,” Qing Kuo said, pulling him closer for a look. “How was it? You look thinner and a bit tanner. The chief looks about the same.”

“It was fine,” Jian Mo said. “We were outdoors a lot—hard not to get sun.”

“How’s your health? And Fen Hui? Is he cured? Did he stop by just now and leave?” Qing Kuo asked.

Ye Luo added, “Did you meet other healers? What were they like? Any as awful as Healer Lian Ke?”

Jian Mo waved both hands. “Definitely not! We met several healers with excellent skills and kind hearts. Fen Hui’s almost recovered, and I’m much better too.”

Everyone had a thousand questions and a lot of enthusiasm.

Jian Mo invited them out into the yard to talk.

Somehow the little ones had come too. Seeing Jian Mo, they ran up, hugging his legs and waist. “Brother Jian Mo!”

The big gray cat Ban Jiu even tried to climb into his lap like before, but his beast form was now larger than a typical leopard—easily seventy or eighty jin—so no chance.

He could only stand on his hind legs and nuzzle Jian Mo’s neck with his round head. “Brother Jian Mo!”

The Samoyed-like white wolf Zhou Dao pranced in circles, while the big fox Bai Lu seized the moment to burrow into Jian Mo’s arms. “Brother Jian Mo, we missed you so much.”

It was autumn; their fur was thick and silky—heavenly to the touch.

Jian Mo stroked one after another and ruffled the human kids’ hair too. “I missed you all as well.”

He Feng pursed his flat mouth. “We almost thought you’d never come back.”

Jian Mo laughed. “How could I not? This is our home. If we didn’t come back, where would we go?”

Under the moonlight they chatted, eager for stories of his travels.

Patiently, Jian Mo started from the beginning—what happened at the Chuxing Tribe, the prescriptions he copied, the herbs he learned to identify, the ocean feasts and grand vistas.

Wu Jiong filled in details.

Everyone listened with mouths agape.

Qing Kuo: “You really didn’t waste this trip.”

Jian Mo’s eyes curved with his smile. “Right? We gained a lot. Once the route’s familiar, others can go too.”

Ye Luo’s eyes shone. “Didn’t you say the Bozhi Tribe already started trading between tribes? We might not have to wait—if we want, we could go this winter.”

Jian Mo thought it over. “Then we’d have to raise flying beasts.”

The biggest hassle with flying beasts was their enormous appetite. Without frequent travel demands, keeping them cost more than it returned.

But if they planned to do merchant runs, flying beasts were a must—you couldn’t always rely on Bozhi’s Fat Chirpers to carry you.

Ye Luo said, “I’ll ask around. If we really raise some, we’ll probably send them here for Chirchirp and Ying’ao to teach.”

Jian Mo laughed. “Maybe skip Chirchirp—see if Ying’ao is willing.”

Chirchirp, who was up past midnight to join the hubbub, understood and stuck his head in front of Jian Mo, letting out a hoarse protest: “Krak!”

Everyone burst out laughing.

Jian Mo kneaded Chirchirp’s big rump. “Your talent isn’t teaching other flying beasts. You’re best at bringing everyone joy.”

Whether the bird understood or not, he felt the gentle touch and happily tried to rub his head against Jian Mo’s chest.

Jian Mo quickly pinched the loose skin at the back of his neck. “No rubbing! You haven’t bathed in ages—and there’s grass stuck to your head.”

Chirchirp objected, shook himself, and forced his way in anyway. “Chirp-chirp!”

More laughter. “Chirchirp is just like a cub,” Qing Kuo said.

“Chirchirp’s getting smarter,” Jian Mo said, pinching his chubby cheeks.

They chatted in the courtyard until the dew fell and dawn neared; yawning, everyone went home at last.

They also agreed to have a bonfire party that night to celebrate.

Jian Mo said they’d been away so long—they should gather, relax, and enjoy themselves.

He and Wu Jiong tidied the yard, washed their hands, then went upstairs hand in hand to sleep.

They’d been away many days. Their companions were capable and life on the road had been fine—but nothing beat home.

Jian Mo crawled into bed, curled into Wu Jiong’s arms, and dropped into deep sleep.

He slept until afternoon, limp as noodles, before waking.

Yawning, he washed up, then ambled downstairs.

From the window he saw the leaves were fully yellow. The sun was setting, pouring gold over the treetops. The sky was slate-blue; birds flew in lines. It was gorgeous, and his mood soared.

He wrapped his robe tighter and headed down—only to see Dan Guan sitting in a chair.

Dan Guan spotted him, let out a yowl, and sprang up. “Doctor Jian Mo! I missed you so much! Can the bald patches be cured now?”

“How are you here already?” Jian Mo said, smiling. “I did hear about a new treatment, but I can’t promise it will definitely work.”

“I’m willing to try!” Dan Guan said. “Yan Zheng from the Mengshui group bringing the cubs to class said you were back.”

“Let’s go outside,” Jian Mo said. “Shift to beast form and let me take a look.”

“No problem!”

“Hold on,” Jian Mo added. “Let me grab my stethoscope.”

Dan Guan bounded out. “I’ll wait outside!”

By the time Jian Mo came out, Dan Guan had shifted.

His beast form was like a clouded leopard; recent training had sharpened his lines—elegant and powerful—marred only by the unsightly bald plaques.

“Lie on your side,” Jian Mo said. “The healers there think your condition might be oily tinea. Let me examine you and see if that fits.”

The big cat nodded repeatedly, tucking his long tail under his belly. “Check me however you want—I’ll do whatever you say.”

“No big ‘howevers,’” Jian Mo laughed. “Just lie still and let me listen to different parts of your body.”