Banished to Another World

Chapter 8

Chapter 8 - Not Doing Your Best Will Also Receive Punishment

Da He's condition was worse than Yan Mo initially thought. His body emitted a foul, rotten odor. If the smell were on his own body, he could tolerate it, but on someone else's—it was unbearable. Yan Mo wished he had an ultra-filtered medical mask at this moment.

The tent was very dark. Even if the curtain was completely lifted, it wouldn't help. Da He's two children had been sent outside to play. They were too young to understand the situation. It was better for them to be outside rather than in the dark, stinking tent, watching their father wither away.

From now on, Da He's family would depend on these two children, ages 4 and 8, especially the 8-year-old. He would need to learn the basics of hunting this winter, so by next spring, he could join the adults in hunting and ensure his younger brother wouldn't go hungry.

Yan Mo had two people pull Da He's fur bedding from beneath him and move him closer to the tent entrance. He would have had them carry him outside, but he feared drawing attention.

He Tu did not view Yan Mo as an equal, partly because he was only fourteen, and partly because of his injury. When she was fourteen, she had married Da He, and at fifteen, she gave birth to her first child. By the age of ten, even the priest's disciples were already helping the priest.

However, He Tu was unaware that Yan Mo was a disciple of the Yanshan priest. Cao Ting had kept that secret, telling her only that Yan Mo had some knowledge of herbs. If He Tu had known that Yan Mo was the priest's disciple, the situation could have become complicated.

Whenever a tribe went to war, everyone from the captured tribe could stay, except for the priests and their disciples. A priest represented the soul of the tribe, and no one would allow a foreign spirit to enter their home with ulterior motives. The original priest could never leave behind another tribe's priest, not even their young disciples.

Cao Ting had informed Yan Mo not to tell anyone that he was the Yanshan priest's disciple, and this had made Yan Mo wary. He hadn't been aware of the significance of this detail, but now he realized that it was important.

He was also curious about what his master, Yuan Zhan, was thinking. Did Yuan Zhan know he was the disciple of his tribe's priest? Was it possible that Yuan Zhan brought him back to use him for his own purposes, despite the risk of bringing bad fortune to the tribe?

Yan Mo didn't think that Yuan Zhan was ignorant. If he wasn't sensitive, then he had no brains at all. Upon reflection, he considered whether Yuan Zhan had been preparing to let him go, but his "priest status" had put him in a position where he now had to work physically. This seemed like a way for Yuan Zhan to make use of him.

Regardless, Yan Mo wasn't worried about being plotted against. As long as he still had some value, he would fight back if needed. After all, what was there to fear at this point?

Da He's right arm was in a sorry state. Only two-thirds of it remained. The wound had been burned by fire to stop the bleeding, but without proper treatment, it had become infected, turning black and leaking yellowish pus.

To save him, it was essential to remove the decayed flesh and bone.

Da He's abdomen had been wrapped in mud, likely a method they used to stop bleeding. Yan Mo gently pressed on the wound, then said, "Remove the mud, there's no use. His insides are already rotting."

He Tu had stopped crying. Her tears had dried up over the past two days. She knew the situation well. Now, all she wanted was to make her husband's passing a bit more comfortable. She didn't want him to waste food if he was going to die. She wished for him to pass peacefully with a full stomach, though Da He had refused to eat. He knew he was dying and didn't want to waste any food that could be given to his wife and children.