Free Web NovelChapter 361: Chapter 361: I’ll Leave After I Get Better
"They’re here, in the room next door. After they ate, I gave them a bath, and they fell right asleep. Xixi, you and the cubs are amazing."
Thinking of the cubs who had fought alongside them, Qiao Xixi felt a sense of relief and pride in their growth. At the same time, her heart ached. After all, the cubs were still so young. She wished they could grow up in a more peaceful environment.
"I’m going to check on the cubs."
Qiao Xixi went into the stone house next door. The cubs were lying peacefully on the bed, fast asleep.
They had been cleaned up, and even the wounds on their bodies were well-treated.
Qiao Xixi carefully checked them over and discovered that even Qiao Qiao’s inner arm now had four stars. All the cubs had ranked up.
She was relieved to see they were all okay.
The cubs were sleeping soundly, so Qiao Xixi didn’t wake them. After eating the food Gu Man and the others had prepared, Qiao Xixi decided to head back to the inner city to check on things.
"Gu Man, please look after the cubs for me. I’m just going to take a look and I’ll be right back."
"Don’t worry, you can count on me to watch the cubs."
"Okay."
Before returning to the inner city, Qiao Xixi first went to the stone house where the wounded were being kept.
She had just arrived when she saw the witch doctor walking out of one of the stone houses.
"Witch Doctor."
"Clan Leader, what are you doing here?"
The witch doctor looked at Qiao Xixi with some surprise, but her astonishment was quickly masked by exhaustion.
Since the battle began, the witch doctor had been tirelessly treating the wounded who were brought in. She had only managed to nap for a short while before getting up again to tend to more injuries. Now, she was so tired she didn’t even want to speak.
"I came to see how everyone is doing."
"It’s all thanks to your medicine, Clan Leader. Even though there wasn’t much, it was incredibly effective for treating the seriously injured beastmen. We’ve basically been able to save everyone who was brought in."
Hearing this, Qiao Xixi felt a measure of relief.
"That’s good. You should go get some rest. I’ll take over here."
The witch doctor wanted to refuse, but she was truly exhausted, as were the other beastmen who had come to help. So, she agreed. After briefly explaining the situation to Qiao Xixi, she went to rest.
Qiao Xixi took the medicine and pushed open the door of the nearest stone house, intending to change a patient’s dressing. She never expected the beastman inside to be Kunlin.
Kunlin heard the noise and looked up. He, too, was stunned to see Qiao Xixi walk in.
Although he had previously stopped her from attacking Kunqi and the others, Kunlin had also followed her into the inner city that day to help fight the beastmen from Tiger Beast City. As far as she was concerned, they were even.
Kunlin glanced at the medicine in her hand and was the first to break the silence. "I’ll leave as soon as my wounds are better. I won’t cause any trouble for the Black Panther Tribe."
Qiao Xixi raised an eyebrow. ’He thinks I’m here to kick him out.’
She didn’t deny it, though. He was a beastman from Wing Beast City, and she really didn’t want him staying in her tribe.
"Alright. The witch doctor was exhausted, so I told her to rest and took over her duties changing the patients’ dressings."
Seeing that Qiao Xixi didn’t contradict him, a flicker of disappointment flashed in Kunlin’s eyes.
But he quickly regained his usual cold demeanor.
"No need. I can do it myself. Just give me the medicine."
Qiao Xixi saw that he didn’t seem to be incapacitated, so she placed the medicine by his hand.
"Fine. I’ll be going then."
Kunlin looked down at the medicine beside him and gave a soft grunt of acknowledgment.
Qiao Xixi turned to leave, but she heard a muffled groan from behind her.
She paused. After a moment’s thought, she turned and walked back.
Kunlin was holding the medicine, but he must have accidentally pulled at a wound while moving. His face had turned pale with pain.
"Let me."
Qiao Xixi took the medicine from his hand.
This time, Kunlin didn’t refuse.
Kunlin watched Qiao Xixi as he slowly removed his beast-hide clothing, revealing a powerful upper body. His skin tone was similar to Sangze’s—a healthy, smooth, dark tan, with clearly defined muscles.
But right now, his body was still covered in a dense network of wounds, many of which were from when he had shielded Kunqi and the others from the blood beads.
Because there were so many casualties, the witch doctor hadn’t been able to treat him with great care. Some of Kunlin’s wounds were now red, swollen, and inflamed.
It wasn’t the witch doctor’s fault, though. She was truly overwhelmed, and with the limited supply of Recovery Glue, she had to reserve it for the most critically injured. Wounds like Kunlin’s didn’t qualify.
’Huang Ying died in the Black Panther Tribe’s territory, and Kunlin knows the reason why,’ Qiao Xixi thought. ’He also seems to have some authority in Wing Beast City. Making him owe me a favor might come in handy in the future.’
"Your wounds are serious. If they’re not treated properly, you’ll likely develop a fever."
After saying this, Qiao Xixi took out a tube of Recovery Glue.
"But, seeing as you helped the tribe, I’ll heal these wounds for you."
Kunlin was a little surprised. "You... you know how to heal?"
Qiao Xixi raised an eyebrow. "A little."
She rinsed the old herbs off his wounds with clean water, then meticulously applied the Recovery Glue to the red and swollen areas.
As she applied it, she instinctively blew on the wounds.
Kunlin felt a faint coolness spread over his feverish, burning wounds. The next moment, a stream of slightly warm breath blew across them, and his whole body stiffened in shock.
A crack appeared in his icy facade.
After blowing twice, Qiao Xixi realized what she was doing was inappropriate and quickly stopped.
’It’s my fault,’ she thought. ’I got used to blowing on wounds while applying medicine when I was treating the cubs and Jin Ling. It’s just become a subconscious habit.’
But doing this for another male was inappropriate. She quickly finished applying the medicine and stood up.
"It’s done. If the wounds are still feverish tomorrow, tell the witch doctor to use more Recovery Glue on you."
Kunlin kept his eyes lowered, not looking at her. "Thank you."
Qiao Xixi didn’t linger and turned to leave.
Just as she turned, Kunlin quickly looked up, a strange emotion flickering in his eyes.
A wild thought suddenly popped into Kunlin’s mind.
’In that instant she was applying the medicine, how he wished time could stand still...’
Kunlin closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and suppressed the strange thought. Perhaps the medicine was working, because his wounds really didn’t hurt anymore.
Or perhaps it was because his thoughts were no longer on his wounds at all...
Most of the wounded in the tribe had already had their dressings changed. Some, upon seeing it was Qiao Xixi, respectfully insisted on doing it themselves, not wanting to trouble her.
Seeing that everyone was recovering well, Qiao Xixi didn’t stay long before heading toward the inner city.
Just as she reached the gate of the inner city, she saw Feiyan and Jin Ling with Ma Qing and the others, spraying something on the ground and walls.
"Feiyan, Jin Ling."
Hearing her voice, the two of them stopped what they were doing. The tense expressions on their faces relaxed when they saw Qiao Xixi approaching.
"Xixi, what are you doing here?"
