Chapter 26

He had narrow, elegantly shaped eyes, as if meticulously painted, with a subtle movement at the corners that carried a faint, alluring charm. When he gazed at someone, his eyes were as deep as the ocean, as light as the blue sky, and as clear as the emerald sea.

Mysterious and captivating.

When Ye Baizhi met his gaze, she felt an almost overwhelming presence emanating from those eyes. His focused stare seemed to draw people in, capturing their very souls. For some reason, she was certain he was looking at her—his gaze carried an intoxicating charm, rendering her unable to move.

Especially those bewitching eyes, naturally expressive, stirring something deep within, making it impossible to look away.

At a single glance, Ye Baizhi could tell—though he appeared pale and fragile, carrying an air of brokenness, his actual strength was formidable. She couldn’t gauge the full extent of his power. He might seem unassuming, but he was anything but ordinary.

The moment he entered, everyone in the room involuntarily turned their attention toward him. Although they had seen him many times before, the doctor’s appearance never failed to astonish them.

“Doctor, please, I beg you, save my grandmother.” As soon as Gesi saw the Witch Doctor arrive, he rushed forward and knelt, pleading for help.

Ye Wulan gently helped Gesi up and said softly, “Don’t be afraid. Your grandmother will be fine.”

His voice was soothing and melodious, like a jade flute playing in the forest, drifting through the clouds. Yet, upon closer discernment, it carried a lazy and indifferent tone. As he moved, a faint herbal fragrance lingered around him—light yet alluring.

At that moment, Ye Dashan composed himself and spoke respectfully, “Master, Grandma Lin’s condition is not good. Please take a look. If any herbs are needed, the tribe will gather them.”

“Whatever you require, the tribe will do its best to fulfill your needs.”

Even Ye Dashan, facing such a young doctor, felt a deep sense of pressure.

Ye Wulan always carried an air of nobility, as if it was an innate power flowing through his bloodline. Even in the Rabbit Tribe’s settlement, his presence remained undeniably regal.

“No need for such formality, Chief Ye.”

“As the tribe’s witch doctor, it is my duty to heal.”

Ye Wulan stepped forward, sitting by the bedside as he reached out to check Grandma Lin’s pulse.

The room was silent—no one dared disturb him during the diagnosis. Then, he pulled out silver needles and began acupuncture. His fingers moved swiftly, each needle seemingly infused with an unseen force.

Ye Baizhi couldn’t help but glance at his hands. They were long and slender, like polished jade, with distinct knuckles—so exquisite, reminiscent of the hands of male protagonists in post-apocalyptic shoujo manga. Yet, his fingers were unnaturally pale, almost translucent.

This man was cloaked in mystery and eeriness.

After some time, Ye Wulan withdrew the silver needles and said, “Her condition has stabilized for now.”

“Let her rest well tonight. Tomorrow, I will prepare herbal medicine for her.”

“But medicine alone won’t help—she needs plenty of food to truly recover.”

Ye Baizhi understood. When she examined Grandma Lin earlier, she realized the primary issue was prolonged malnutrition. Her body had severely deteriorated, and what she needed most was proper nutrition.

Ye Baizhi also became aware that many beastfolk in the tribe faced similar struggles. Even with the tribe’s strength, they couldn’t fully resolve this issue.

Food was scarce—those who managed to procure it had to share it with others, while those who hunted had to endure hunger. Weakness from hunger made hunting impossible. It was a vicious cycle that posed a serious challenge to the tribe. She had to find new food sources to help them.

Ye Dashan said, “Thank you, Master. Tomorrow, I will bring some food.”

The food, of course, would come from Ye Dashan’s own home. As the chief, he could only do his best to support the tribe’s beastfolk.

Ye Wulan nodded. “In that case, she will survive.”

He rose to leave. But for some reason, he slowly turned his head, casting a glance at Ye Baizhi. That one look made her feel as if her soul had been snatched away—especially when his gaze settled on her stomach.

“Miss Ye is with child. She should rest more in the coming days.”

Ye Baizhi instinctively placed a hand over her abdomen, wanting to escape his piercing gaze.

“Thank you for your concern, Doctor.”

Ye Wulan murmured, “Miss Ye need not thank me.”

“If you ever need anything, you are welcome to seek me out.”

With that, he lifted his oiled-paper umbrella and stepped into the rain once more.

Ye Dashan quickly took a few steps forward, saying, “Doctor, allow me to see you off.”

Ye Wulan paused mid-step. “Chief, stay where you are.” With that, he vanished into the rain like a fleeting gust of wind.

Ye Baizhi gathered her thoughts, and for some reason, the tension in her heart slowly eased.

Ye Dashan reassured Gesi with a few words, and then they all headed back.

It was late, and the rain continued to fall. Ye Dashan, Zhu Min, and Ye Shuo all returned home first.

Meanwhile, Ye Baizhi made a small nest using dry grass, placing the fertilized eggs inside to hatch. The unfertilized ones were set aside for cooking.

Seeing Ye Baizhi lost in thought, Ye Lu grew concerned. “Baizhi, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

Ye Baizhi shook her head. “No, Mother. I’m fine.”

“These eggs are fertilized and will hatch into chicks. We can raise them in the yard, and once they mature, the hens will lay eggs for us to eat daily.”

“As for the roosters, we can raise them until they’re big enough to be eaten.”

Ye Lu was astonished. “Are you saying these eggs will hatch into chicks right here at home?”

“Yes,” Ye Baizhi confirmed.

Ye Lu marveled, “If that’s true, it’s incredible. I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

“But how will we raise them? We have no experience. Won’t they run around and peck at the weaker beastfolk in the tribe?”

She couldn’t help but worry.

Ye Baizhi reassured her, “Mother, don’t worry. Newly hatched chicks are small and adorable. Once they grow a bit, we can build a coop…”

Ye Baizhi explained her reasoning to Ye Lu. Only then did Ye Lu feel reassured.

“You always have such novel ideas. No one ever thought of doing something like this before.”

“If it really works—if we can raise chickens in the yard and have fresh eggs to eat—more beastfolk in the tribe will survive. That would be a great achievement.”

“But those soybeans you’ve soaked… can they really be turned into food?”

To Ye Lu, those tiny grains looked like mere grass seeds—useless and inedible. She was quite curious about how her daughter planned to turn them into something edible.

Ye Baizhi playfully kept it a mystery. “Mother, even if I explained now, you wouldn’t understand. Just wait until tomorrow.”

“But I will need Brother Ye Shuo’s help to craft a stone mill.”

Fortunately, there were rocks nearby that could be used to make one.

After chatting for a while, Ye Baizhi couldn’t resist asking, “Mother, is that doctor one of our tribe’s beastfolk?”

Ye Lu shook her head. “No, he doesn’t belong to our tribe. But he has done us a great favor—he has saved many of our people.”

Ye Baizhi continued, “Then where did he come from? How did he become our tribe’s witch doctor?”