| GB | Who Dares? | 15
In his dream, Yu Bai saw a pair of beastly eyes, sharp and calm, just like Huo Duo’er's.
When he opened his eyes, the fire was still burning; it was the second half of the night.
Yu Bai could still vaguely recall the feeling of being watched by those eyes, a wave of heat rushing through his body.
He glanced down, and a faint blush crept over his face. His eyes shimmered with both joy and embarrassment.
Although it was a bit awkward to have dreamt of Huo Duo’re’s eyes, the way his body had reacted, did it mean he was improving?
That he might have a chance to recover fully and be like a normal person again?
With that hopeful thought, Yu Bai burrowed back into the animal hide and went to sleep.
The last traces of late autumn vanished overnight. A biting wind swept through, and the world became cold and solemn.
The next morning, when Yu Bai opened the door, the small courtyard and rooftops were covered in piles of withered yellow leaves. The trees in the surrounding mountains stood bare.
He rubbed his hands together and blew a puff of white breath into the air.
“Bai.”
Huo Duo’er walked up behind him.
Yu Bai responded with a soft “mm,” the wind was too strong, tousling his hair. Instinctively, he tucked it back behind both ears.
Huo Duo’er froze where he stood.
As Yu Bai brushed his hair back,revealing her forehead and ear tips, which were clean, delicate, small and fair, becoming the first touch of warmth in early winter.
The giant’s sharp and steady gaze caught that glimpse of snowy white and lingered for quite a while.
Yu Bai looked up, meeting those beast-like eyes. He let out another soft “mm” and scratched the back of his head. “Why are you staring at the top of my head?”
Suddenly feeling a bit self-conscious, he asked, “Is my hair that messy?”
Come to think of it, he hadn’t trimmed his hair since arriving here. Usually, he just let it fall loose. Yu Bai’s hair had a bit of a natural wave, by now it was probably a complete mess.
He stepped past Huo Duo’er. “I’ll tidy it up with the bone comb.”
Huo Duo’er waited until Yu Bai went back inside before stepping out himself.
—
The winter scenery was bleak; overnight, the entire tribe looked bare and desolate.
The image of the soft, clean sub-female lingered in Huo Duo’er’s mind. Worried the wind might make Yu Bai sick again, he quickly shut the door to block out the chill.
He went into the courtyard to set a pot over the fire for hot water, then swept the fallen leaves into a corner, saving them for kindling.
Inside, Yu Bai came out holding a bowl of warm water, crouched by the wall, and began brushing his teeth carefully with a small toothbrush.
He had promised to make one for Huo Duo’er too, but unfortunately, he didn’t have any usable pig bristles yet. Wild boars weren’t easy to come by in these deep mountains, and catching one was even harder.
Huo Duo’er lifted the lid off a stone jar and saw two fish swimming inside. “Bai, you caught these?”
Yu Bai looked up and swished the water in his mouth before spitting it out. After wiping the droplets from his lips, he replied a little sheepishly, “No, A’Li gave them to me.”
He looked obedient and honest as he explained, “A’Li and Tata and his two brothers took me to the river to fish. I’m not very skilled, and my basket was empty, so A’Li gave me two.”
Huo Duo’er’s expression remained as calm as ever. Yu Bai continued, “These fish can be kept alive for now and saved for when it gets colder. In a few days, or maybe even today, we can go to the river again. If we can bring back a few more, it’d be even better.”
Huo Duo’er replied with a simple, “Mm.”
Yu Bai was about to say more when he saw Wu Yan’s mate, A’Jiao, suddenly jump up outside the wall, calling out as she bounced, “Bai!”
Yu Bai changed what he was about to say: “It’s A’Jiao. Something might be going on with Wu Yan and Wu Zhui’s leg injuries. I’ll go check on them.”
He opened the door to find A’Jiao waiting outside, holding a chunk of pork in her hands.
“Bai,” A’Jiao paused for a moment, staring blankly at Yu Bai’s features before speaking again, “Wu Yan and Wu Zhui’s legs aren’t hurting as much as before. It’s only occasional now, usually at night.”
Yu Bai said, “That’s good to hear,”
Then he asked, “Has the swelling gone down?”
A’Jiao nodded eagerly, “Yeah!”
Yu Bai said, “They’re recovering quickly, but the weather’s getting colder now. Their legs need to be kept warm, don’t let them get chilled. In a few more days, you can help them stand and walk slowly. Let them move a little bit, just enough to avoid muscle atrophy.”
A’Jiao nodded repeatedly. “Alright, we’ll do exactly as you say.”
After speaking, she handed over the piece of pork she’d been carrying.
“My brothers and their family went into the mountains to hunt. They came back early this morning before dawn with a boar. They just finished butchering it and shared some with us. Wu Yan told me to bring a piece to you, to thank you for treating their legs.”
Yu Bai lowered his gaze and responded gently, “You already gave me three hides last time. If I take more, I’ll feel bad.”
A’Jiao quickly said, “Bai, this is nothing. If we’d asked the priest to come check on Wu Yan and Wu Zhui, we’d have to give away half of what we have at home and even then, their legs might not have gotten better.”
She looked troubled. “Do you still remember A’Xin? He was recovering just fine after coming back, but the day before yesterday, he suddenly took a turn for the worse. His leg pain flared up, and he’s burning with fever. The priest went to see him and said he has to be sent to the Fire Altar.”
Yu Bai still remembered A’Xin, he was one of the orcs injured during the storm on the way back, his leg broken by falling debris.
That day, he had clearly helped set A’Xin’s broken leg properly. And A’Li had even said a few days ago that the injured orc was recovering well, how had things turned out like this?
A’Jiao sighed. “A’Xin is really pitiful. He worked so hard to raise A’Yi by himself, and now this. The priest said the leg was a lost cause, and the fever is from the infection spreading. The only way to save him is to cut the leg off. But A’Yi’s still a child and doesn’t know how to hunt. If A’Xin loses his leg and can’t hunt anymore, how will the two of them survive?”
Yu Bai remained silent.
A’Jiao went on, “That’s also why I didn’t dare call the priest. I’m afraid Wu Yan and Wu Zhui wouldn’t survive the Fire Altar’s ordeal... and I’m terrified their legs would be cut off too.”
Yu Bai frowned. “A’Xin’s injury was treated early on. No matter how it worsened, it shouldn't have come to amputation.”
At that moment, Huo Duo’er called from just behind the door, “Bai, come eat.”
Yu Bai touched his stomach, he was getting hungry.
Looking at the piece of pork A’Jiao had brought, he suddenly asked, “A’Jiao, I don’t want the meat. But can you give me some bristles from the pig’s neck?”
A’Jiao was surprised. “Of course you can.”
It was the first time she’d seen an orc refuse pork but ask for pig bristles instead.
Yu Bai smiled brightly. “Thank you.”
The soft curve of his brows and eyes carried a gentle, almost hazy charm. A’Jiao flushed quickly. “I-it’s nothing…”
She left in a hurry, and after Yu Bai stepped back inside, he noticed Huo Duo’er’s face was still as cold and stoic as usual—except now, it seemed tinged with a faint trace of displeasure.
Puzzled, Yu Bai didn’t press. He simply sat under the eaves, bowl in hand, eating his breakfast.
Halfway through the meal, there was another knock at the door.
Huo Duo’er was working on a wolf hide elt at the time. Hearing the noise outside, his thick brows knit together.
Seeing his expression, Yu Bai quickly offered, “I’ll get it.”
Outside, the orc standing at the door turned out to be A’Luo, the one Yu Bai had treated the day the beast tide struck.
A’Luo’s injuries had healed, and he gave Yu Bai a grateful look.
Yu Bai lowered his gaze, only to see a short, chubby beast cub bump into his leg. The little one had a pair of soft, tender horns poking out from his forehead and watery eyes brimming with tears.
A’Luo said, “A’Yi, this is Bai, the one who healed my injuries.”
The chubby little beast cub immediately latched onto Yu Bai’s legs, his teary face rubbing against the fabric.
“Big brother, please save my father… A’Yi doesn’t want the priest to cut off his leg—”
The cub sobbed uncontrollably, his tiny body trembling, while A’Luo spoke up again to plead on his behalf.
“Bai, please, we’re really begging you to go take a look. If A’Xin can still be saved, it would mean everything.”
He added, “A’Xin’s family has had it rough. They were killed by wild beasts many years ago."
A’Luo gently patted the cub’s head. “His name is A’Yi, A’Xin’s son. Not long after A’Yi was born, his mother died of illness. For years, A’Xin has raised A’Yi alone. If the priest can’t save him and they cut off his injured leg, how will the two of them survive?”
Yu Bai hesitated. “If A’Xin has already agreed to be treated by the priest, it wouldn’t be right for me to interfere…”
A’Luo quickly said, “He just changed his mind! A’Xin saw A’Yi crying like that and regretted it. He’s not going to the Fire Altar anymore. The priest looked really unhappy about it.”
“Fire Altar?”
Yu Bai was confused.
A’Luo explained the origins of the Fire Altar to him.
Orcs greatly revered the power of fire—it could drive away wild beasts, cook food, provide light. Many years ago, their tribe enjoyed spring-like weather year-round, all thanks to the protection of the Fire God Mountain.
But ever since the mountain’s flames were extinguished, the tribe lost its eternal spring. The Fire God Mountain’s altar eventually became the priests’ sacred platform—the Fire Altar.
If a beastman fell ill and sought healing from the priests, they would be placed inside the Fire Altar. There, glowing hot stones would be continuously fed into the chamber through the night, and only by the next morning could the orc be taken out.
If the Fire God granted his blessing, the orc wouldn’t just survive—they’d be healed, their ailments burned away by divine fire.
But in a case like A’Xin’s, if the fire’s blessing didn’t come, in order to survive, he could only cut off his broken leg according to the priest's instructions.
A’Yi raised his tear-filled eyes, his gaze shimmering with desperation and hope.
“Brother, please save my father… A’Yi doesn’t want him to lose his leg…”
The cub’s tears softened Yu Bai’s heart. He turned to A’Luo and gave a light nod. “I’ll come take a look. I can’t promise anything, but I’ll do my best.”
A’Luo let out a relieved “Ay!” and patted his arm.
“A’Yi, come on, let’s take Bai to see your father.”
A’Yi, with his short legs, climbed up into A’Luo’s arms obediently, clinging to the adult orc. Both A’Yi and A’Luo stared at Yu Bai with eyes full of hope, and Yu Bai had no choice but to follow.
—
They hurried along, Yu Bai a little out of breath from the fast pace.
He arrived at A’Xin’s dwelling with A’Luo. The area was crowded with curious orcs, and two attendants of the priest were preparing to carry away A’Xin’s belongings.
A’Luo shouted, “Wait, A’Xin’s not going to the Fire Altar! I’ve brought Bai, the one who can heal him!”
“What nonsense is A’Luo talking about? How dare you defy the priest’s wishes?”
“Here comes that sub-female again. The priest said there is no such thing as witch doctors—witch doctors are fake, they have no healing abilities!”
The orcs pushed and shoved, trying to stop A’Luo from bringing Yu Bai inside.
At that moment, a towering figure appeared behind Yu Bai, as solid and imposing as a mountain.
Huo Duo’er’s gaze was dark and dangerous. “Who dares to touch Bai?”
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