| GB | Injured Giant | 2
Two of the most devastating disasters in the Wild Continent struck simultaneously, making Yu Bai’s heart nearly stop in panic.
The storm wielded immense destructive power, tearing through everything in its path.
The beast tide was even more ferocious and domineering—rampaging as an unstoppable force, devouring every living creature in sight.
This small group of orcs had absolutely no means to resist.
Enduring the pain in his ears, he squinted his eyes, swiftly grabbed a beast hide and a grass mat to cover himself, and curled up in the cramped space filled with raging wind and sand. Holding his head tightly, he desperately crouched behind a rock.
The entire rocky mountain range trembled, loose stones tumbling down, while the furious winds seemed like they would tear the space apart.
At that moment, the beast tide surged past, wailing like ghosts, shaking the earth and mountains.
Yu Bai’s ears and eyes ached, his heart pounded violently as he prayed for the sudden storm and beast tide to pass quickly.
That night was utter chaos. The storm and beast tide only began to fade away before dawn.
As the fierce winds subsided, the howls of the beast tide also faded away like receding waves, as if they had never come. The surroundings were shrouded in a gray haze, with dust drifting in the air and a strong, pungent stench lingering.
Yu Bai’s entire body was stiff. A layer of sand and small stones had fallen onto his back, but luckily, the grass mat had shielded him. He had also protected his head well, though his arms had suffered a few scratches.
Once sensation fully returned to his body, he carefully shook off the beast hide and mat he had used for protection. Picking up the bundle that had been blown into a corner, he stuffed all the gathered supplies back into his basket.
After catching his breath, Yu Bai, still trembling, forced his weak legs to crawl out of the cramped hiding space.
Other orcs who had been in hiding also began emerging from their corners. A’Li, having reunited with the rest of the male orcs, quickly ran over to find him.
"Bai—!" A’Li's voice was hoarse, choked with sand, causing him to cough a few times. He scanned Yu Bai from head to toe and asked anxiously, "Are you hurt?!"
The storm had been so fierce that A’Li had been deeply worried Yu Bai might have been swept away.
Yu Bai shook his head. "I'm fine."
Though his hiding spot had been small, it had at least been sturdy.
Yu Bai lifted his gaze and saw that the orcs were gradually gathering together, each bearing injuries of varying severity. Compared to them, the scratches on his arm were insignificant.
After assessing the situation, they found that among the twenty orcs, most had only superficial wounds. Though some bled, they could endure it.
However, three male orcs had been severely injured by falling rocks. Their arms and legs were rendered immobile, and their wounds bled profusely.
A breeze picked up, gradually dispersing the dark clouds and allowing glimpses of bright daylight to filter through.
The male orcs surrounded their gravely wounded companions, momentarily at a loss for what to do.
Some of the more experienced orcs attempted to press medicinal herbs against the wounds to stop the bleeding, but to no avail.
If the blood loss continued, the three injured orcs wouldn’t last long, they would die from excessive bleeding.
“The priest isn’t here. There’s no way to treat A’Luo and the others properly.”
“Think of something, quick!”
The rest of the male orcs remained silent, seemingly resigned to the fate of their wounded companions.
Suddenly, one of the orcs following A’Li spoke up, “Can this sub-female take a look at A’Luo and the others?”
In an instant, all eyes turned toward Yu Bai, who was nearly squeezed to the outermost edge of the group.
After enduring the storm, he looked utterly disheveled. His messy hair had fallen over his brows, completely covering his eyes, and his cheeks were smudged with dust and sand.
“Him? He’s so weak, how could he possibly heal A’Luo?”
“Only the Grand Priest has the ability to do that.”
A’Li’s expression shifted slightly. With some hesitation, he said, “Bai really can treat illnesses. Last time, when my mother wasn’t feeling well, she got better after taking the herbs he gave her.”
He glanced at A’Luo’s arm, which was still bleeding profusely. Even though he was determined to vouch for Yu Bai, his voice wavered slightly.
After all, A’Luo’s injuries looked severe, perhaps only the Grand Priest’s medicine could truly help.
Under the weight of several doubtful gazes, Yu Bai, who had remained silent all this time, quietly stepped out from behind A’Li.
"Can you let me take a look at A’Luo’s injuries? Maybe I can stop the bleeding," Yu Bai said.
His grandfather had been a barefoot doctor in the countryside, where transportation was inconvenient and most villagers were elderly or children. Because of this, his grandfather often treated urgent cases.
Though he couldn’t cure major illnesses, he could handle common ailments like fevers, headaches, and external injuries.
Yu Bai had spent much of his childhood recovering from illness at home. During that time, he often helped his grandfather and, over the years, had picked up knowledge about treating minor wounds and injuries.
The orcs surrounding A’Luo scoffed, their eyes filled with skepticism.
A’Li raised his voice and shouted, “If we waste any more time, A’Luo will really die!”
Reluctantly, a few of the orcs stepped aside.
Yu Bai, carrying his basket, stepped forward and examined A’Luo’s wound.
A’Li hovered beside him. Seeing Yu Bai leaning in for a closer look, he lowered his voice to avoid disturbing him. “How is it?”
The other male orcs watched without expression. They glanced at the frail sub-female in front of them and shook their heads.
"A’Li, don’t bring useless orcs like him on the road next time. They’ll only drag us down."
Yu Bai spoke calmly, “He’s losing too much blood, it’s likely an arterial bleed.”
The bleeding was concentrated in the upper limb and left shoulder.
For common external wounds, typical hemostatic methods worked fine. However, in cases of severe arterial bleeding, compression techniques were often more effective.
He briefly explained the treatment method to the orcs, not bothering to check if they understood. Then, he poured some water from a pouch to clean the wound slightly.
“I’m starting,” he announced.
Without hesitation, he located a point about one-third of the way along A’Luo’s clavicle, applying light pressure with his fingers. Then, he pressed down on the pulsating area, directing force toward the ribcage.
Using the pads of his fingers, he maintained firm pressure on the key point below A’Luo’s collarbone. After a while, the heavy bleeding from the orc’s upper limb gradually slowed and then stopped entirely.
A’Li exclaimed in shock, “A’Luo isn’t bleeding anymore!”
Hearing the commotion, the other male orcs crowded around. After confirming that A’Luo’s bleeding had indeed stopped, they looked at Yu Bai with newfound astonishment.
Without wasting time, Yu Bai moved on to examine the other two seriously wounded orcs. He handed the hemostatic and anti-inflammatory herbs to A’Li, and asked him to clean the wound first, and then apply the crushed herbs to A’Luo.
The condition of the remaining two male orcs was similar to A’Luo’s, both had arterial bleeding and crushed legs.
Yu Bai located the arterial pressure points near their wounds and applied firm pressure with his fingers. One after another, their bleeding gradually stopped.
The surrounding orcs erupted into cheers.
“It worked!”
From the other side, A’Li shouted excitedly, “See? I told you Bai would have a way!”
Amid the murmurs of the orcs, Yu Bai remained composed, fully focused on his task.
He pulled out a small stone pestle from his bundle and began crushing medicinal herbs to prepare a poultice. Carefully, he applied the mixture and wrapped the wounds of one of the injured orcs.
The storm had scattered debris everywhere. Yu Bai asked the nearby orcs to gather some wooden sticks, he needed them to immobilize the injured orcs' legs.
His hands were stained with blood, and his old hemp robe was covered in dust, yet his gentle and precise movements while treating the wounded gave him an almost sacred aura.
One of the observing orcs scratched the back of his head, feeling a twinge of guilt for his earlier scorn toward the frail-looking yet highly capable sub-female. His usually rough voice softened slightly.
“I can help apply medicine to A’Xin’s wound.”
Yu Bai glanced over, nodded, and handed over half of the crushed herbs from his stone pestle.
The male orc took the crushed herbs and clumsily mimicked Yu Bai’s movements, applying the medicine to his injured companion.
With the wounded temporarily treated, the rest of the group began gathering their belongings. Once everything was in order, they resumed their journey, carrying their supplies forward.
By midday, they had been traveling north without pause.
Ahead, beyond the rocky mountains, the terrain transitioned into a forested region. The surrounding hills were covered in vegetation, their foliage tinged with a faint yellow hue, showing signs that early autumn was approaching.
Yu Bai trailed at the back of the group. Since sunrise, he had been tirelessly tending to the injured and then marching forward all morning. Exhaustion finally caught up with him, and his pace slowed, causing him to lag further behind.
Noticing this, A’Li turned back, deliberately waiting for him. He patted his sturdy shoulder and said, “Bai, I’ll carry you.”
Yu Bai didn’t want to trouble him and was about to refuse when, suddenly, the orcs in front came to an abrupt halt.
The path leading back to their tribe was blocked, massive boulders had tumbled down, sealing the way forward.
The mountainside, ravaged by the storm, was left riddled with jagged holes. Piles of rocks, soil, and broken tree branches were strewn about, forming a chaotic wasteland.
The leading male orc called for the able-bodied members of the group to clear a path through the debris. Not wanting to sit idly by, Yu Bai voluntarily joined in, gathering wooden branches and clearing smaller obstructions.
During the process, he seemed to have uncovered something. As he brushed aside some damp soil, his eyes widened in shock.
"Ah!" Yu Bai let out a startled cry, staring at the distinct jawline emerging from the dirt.
“There seems to be an orc here…”
A’Li, the closest to him, quickly rushed over. With just a few swipes, he cleared more of the top layer of wet mud. Upon seeing what lay beneath, he sucked in a sharp breath.
"Ah, it's true!"
The orc buried in the mud was clearly a male.
A’Li scooped away the remaining dirt and frowned. “It turned out to be from the giant tribe. He’s covered in blood. He’s probably already dead.”
The giant orc’s body was caked in mud and wounds, his face smeared with grime. But beneath it all, the outline of his sharp, well-defined features was still discernible.
Yu Bai frowned and reached out, placing his fingers near the giant orc’s nose.
The leading male orc approached, examined the situation briefly, and declared, “He was probably attacked by the beast tide. There’s no way he’ll survive. We still have injured tribesmen to take care of, so leave him.”
Yu Bai: “…”
Without protest, he followed A’Li to another part of the clearing. The leader wasn’t wrong, their priority was getting their wounded and supplies back to the tribe. They had neither the time nor energy to spare for a stranger.
As the path was nearly cleared, Yu Bai found himself distracted.
He gripped the rough rope of his basket, staring absentmindedly at the sky.
Perhaps it was the sight of the helpless giant orc, but memories of his own past resurfaced.
When he first arrived in this strange world, he had also been on the brink of death, lying by the riverbank, ignored by passing orcs. If not for the old gray ram orc who had taken him in, he wouldn’t have survived.
When Yu Bai had checked the giant orc’s breath earlier, he could still feel the faintest trace of life.
A’Li, carrying a stone, tossed it aside and noticed Yu Bai standing still, lost in thought. He approached with concern and asked, “Bai, what’s wrong?”
Yu Bai pressed his lips together, and his eyes, hidden beneath the strands of his messy hair, flickered with uncertainty.
He tightened his grip on the rough rope of his basket, as if making up his mind.
“A’Li, I need you to help me with something.”
Carrying the injured giant orc on his own was impossible for him.
Yu Bai continued, “I want to save that giant orc.”
He paused, then added quietly, “If he can’t be saved, I can bury him somewhere later.”
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