| GB | Unexplained Numbness | 47
Yu Bai held the lamb cub in his arms, his left hand clenched into a fist while his right hand pressed firmly against the cub's abdomen.
He moved swiftly, racing against death to save a life.
To the orcs who were unaware of the situation, this action seemed like he was harming the child, and they were all shocked.
"What is this sub-female doing? Is he trying to kill the cub?!"
"Quickly let go of the cub, don't hurt him!"
Some orcs, still unwilling to give up, staunchly supported the priest, eager to seize this opportunity to prove themselves, perhaps even hoping for divine reward.
After speaking, they even tried to snatch the lamb cub into their arms.
Before their outstretched hands could be stopped, Huo Duo'er grabbed their wrists with a "crack," as if their bones had been twisted.
"Don't touch Bai."
Huo Duo'er coldly warned, "Or it won't just be a hand that gets hurt."
The orcs with injured wrists howled in pain, but under Huo Duo'er's icy glare, they gritted their teeth and swallowed their cries, not daring to make any more noise.
They wanted to ask the priest for help, but the priest only glanced at the giant, frowned, and remained silent.
Apart from those who opposed and those who watched without interfering, gradually, a few scattered voices of support began to emerge.
"I heard in the tribe that he healed an orc with a broken leg. Maybe the sub-female really has some skill."
"Don't be foolish, the most powerful one is the priest. If the priest says it can't be saved, how could it possibly... uh..."
The orc who had been speaking halfway suddenly shut his mouth, rubbing his eyes in disbelief.
In the silence, a sudden "waa" of crying was heard, the clear yet hoarse cry coming from the lamb cub in Yu Bai's arms.
All the orcs gasped in astonishment, unable to believe that such a weak sub-female had actually saved the cub who had been punished by the gods.
They all fell silent, turning to glance at the priest on the altar, not daring to speak.
The lamb cub's mother was so moved that she burst into tears, even kneeling on the ground and kowtowing several times to Yu Bai.
The female orc, trembling and cautious, took the cub from Yu Bai's arms with tears streaming down her face.
The lamb cub, having walked the edge of death, now clung to its mother's neck, unusually dependent.
After a moment of warmth, the lamb cub sat in its mother's arms, curiously looking back at Yu Bai with wet eyes, feeling a sense of familiarity.
The cub didn't know how to express itself, only biting its fingers and smiling foolishly at Yu Bai.
Yu Bai smiled gently and reservedly at the lamb cub.
This interaction further amazed the surrounding orcs.
A voice of doubt arose, "The priest said it was divine punishment, so it must be punishment. This sub-female has defied the divine decree and will be forsaken by the fire god!"
"That's right, when has the priest ever been wrong?!"
At the edge of the crowd, an orc slowly raised his hand.
"Bai healed my leg injury before, and not just mine, but also the injuries A’Luo and others suffered in the storm."
The voice came from the hunter orc, A’Xin.
A’Xin was filled with gratitude towards Yu Bai. If it weren't for Yu Bai treating his leg injury and teaching him how to tame wild horses, A’Xin, with his lame leg, would certainly not be living as well as he is now.
He hugged the cub in his arms tightly, and A’Yi also opened his big, black eyes and smiled foolishly at Yu Bai.
Yu Bai felt a warmth in his heart and walked over to stand beside Huo Duo'er.
The priest held a very important position in the tribe. Without Huo Duo'er by his side for protection, the orcs who supported the priest might have rushed up to subdue him.
It would be a lie to say he wasn’t scared. Yu Bai’s age and limited experience were evident. Yet, as he approached Huo Duo’er, an inexplicable sense of calm washed over him, and his slightly chaotic emotions gradually settled.
He mustered the courage to continue speaking.
"This young orc did not suffer divine punishment."
Yu Bai pointed to the fruit the young orc had just spat out—the blood fruit, as the orcs called it, which he knew as raspberries, also commonly referred to as cloudberries.
"The young orc accidentally swallowed the whole fruit, and it got stuck in its throat, blocking the airway. If the obstruction isn’t removed in time, it would soon lead to death due to lack of oxygen, as if a hand were gripping your throat from inside your body."
The surrounding orcs stirred in confusion, many unable to fully grasp Yu Bai’s words, as many of the terms he used were unfamiliar to them.
However, the latter part of Yu Bai’s explanation gave them a vague understanding of the situation.
After all, the throat was a vulnerable and vital part of their bodies. If the passage for breathing was blocked, death was inevitable!
A few female orcs suddenly realized, "So that’s how it is…"
Some even teared up, "If only we could have saved the young orcs like this before…"
A few braver orcs glanced furtively at the altar, and even those lying at the bottom of the pit raised their heads, their eyes flickering with confusion before they quickly lowered them again.
Yu Bai didn’t know what the surrounding orcs were thinking. After explaining the cause of the young orc’s condition, he proceeded to demonstrate the Heimlich maneuver to the orcs present.
"When you notice an orc around you unable to speak, their face turning increasingly purple, especially in the case of young orcs, you must act quickly and use this method to help them expel the obstruction from their body."
He extended his left hand, clenched it into a fist, and initially thought of using Huo Duo’er as a demonstration. However, the giant’s stature was too tall, and it would have been awkward for Yu Bai to reach around his waist…
Yu Bai abandoned that idea. Fortunately, A’Xin, quick-witted as ever, raised A’Yi’s paw and squeezed through the crowd of orcs, handing A’Yi over to him.
"Thank you…" Yu Bai smiled faintly. A’Xin grinned, feeling fearless since he had already offended the priest!
Yu Bai held A’Yi in his arms, gently lifting his robe to reveal a bit of his soft, chubby belly.
A’Yi, tickled by the touch, couldn’t help but giggle.
Yu Bai explained, "We stand behind the choking orc, form a fist with one hand, place it between the navel and the ribcage, and use the other hand to grasp the fist, pushing upward quickly and forcefully to apply pressure."
"Repeat the motion until the orc expels the object from their throat."
He touched the ribcage area and pointed to A’Yi’s navel, demonstrating the technique without actually performing it on A’Yi.
Some of the orcs instinctively touched their own bodies, thinking to themselves, "So this is called the ribcage."
The female orcs paid close attention, as such incidents had happened more than once before, and even the priest couldn’t save them!
On the altar, Priest Mien’s expression darkened. He hadn’t expected this submissive orc to be so bold, not only snatching the young orc from the hands of the Fire God but also exposing the excuse for the so-called punishment.
Had the priest ever tried to save those young orcs?
He had, but to no avail.
The time from the onset of the condition to death was simply too short, leaving no time to send them to the fire altar for the Fire God’s test.
Once, twice, three times…
Facing the young cubs that could not be saved in time, the priest had been privately discussed, but he suppressed it all, not allowing any orc to undermine his status and prestige in the tribe!
Thinking again, the inability to save those dead young cubs might all be due to the instructions of the Fire God. The god wanted them to return to the earth, and as a priest, how could he defy the will of the god?
But just now, this sub-female challenged his authority, actually defying the oracle of the Fire God and saving the young cub that should have returned to the earth.
The priest's eyes shot out flames of anger: "You dare to provoke the Fire God, touch the divine, and will suffer eternal punishment!"
The female orcs who were somewhat delighted and encouraged gradually fell silent, lowering their heads, and even those who were wavering bowed their heads because of the priest's reprimand.
No one was not afraid of the priest, and no one dared to offend him, after all, the priest was the one guided by the god, the spiritual core of their existence.
Yu Bai looked around, feeling a bit scared, and subconsciously leaned closer to Huo Duo'er.
Huo Duo'er remained indifferent, as the giant tribe did not worship any Fire God or Water God.
Facing the priest's coercion and accusations against his mate, he was about to speak when he heard a deep, aged voice from the periphery.
"Mi En, you are really becoming more and more arrogant."
Hearing this voice, the orcs turned their heads and voluntarily made way.
They bowed their heads, with respect and reverence, and a bit of nostalgia.
"Old Priest!"
"The Old Priest is here—!"
Yu Bai heard the voice and turned his head, slightly raising his face to look at the old orc of the tribe who appeared.
He couldn't help but widen his eyes, his lips trembling, and Huo Duo'er didn't even react, only seeing Yu Bai rushing over with wetness at the corners of his eyes.
Yu Bai rushed to the old priest of the tribe, shouting incoherently: "Grand... grandpa?!"
He was trembling all over, completely unable to believe that he had met his grandfather in another world!
The old priest chuckled, and this smile, originally stern, rarely revealed a bit of kindness.
"Grandpa, what kind of address is this?"
He added: "Was it you, little guy, who saved the lamb young beast?"
Huo Duo'er stepped forward, even though he was not an orc of the tribe, looking at the old orc in front of him, and combined with the orcs' address, he knew this was the former high priest of the tribe.
"Bai..." He was worried about his mate's condition, and when he looked down and saw the tears at the corners of Yu Bai's eyes, he wished he could gently lick them clean.
Yu Bai, who had slightly regained his composure, faced Huo Duo'er's concern and the reactions of the surrounding orcs, gradually realizing that he had mistaken the person.
The appearance of this old priest of the tribe was six or seven parts similar to his grandfather, but he was taller and stronger, and his temperament was also different; the old priest was more authoritative.
He sniffled, somewhat lost, and hung his head.
"I'm sorry, I mistook you for someone else."
Thus, the old priest’s heart softened.
He looked at Yu Bai with surprise, having heard rumors about the little sub-female earlier, and now seeing him use his skills to save the young cub, his favor increased even more.
"Are you a witch doctor?"
Yu Bai shook his head, whispering: "No..."
The old priest asked again: "A priest?"
He frowned: "There are no priests that young, but if you are a priest's disciple, the inheritance you have received is much more than that of a priest."
Priest Mien came down from the altar, even though he was the current high priest of the tribe, he still held respect for the old priest.
In the entire tribe, no orc dared to disrespect the old priest.
With the intervention of the old priest, Priest Mien found himself at a loss for words regarding Yu Bai's act of saving someone.
After a brief conversation, the old priest, having other matters to attend to, left with Priest Mien.
Yu Bai was cradled back into Huo Duo'er's arms, his eyes still slightly moist. Only after they had walked a distance did he sniffle, his nose red, and say guiltily, "I made you worry."
Huo Duo'er: "Bai, about the old priest..."
"It's nothing, I must have been mistaken."
Yu Bai sighed.
Perhaps the scene had stirred up old emotions, as he found himself missing his grandfather and mother.
Yu Bai pressed himself closely against Huo Duo'er, his arms tightly wrapped around the orc's neck.
Seeing him so dependent, Huo Duo'er lowered his head and kissed his mate's forehead, lingering with a gentle lick.
Yu Bai laughed and tried to dodge, "No, don't do that."
He covered his lips, which had just been licked by the orc, feeling an inexplicable tingling sensation.
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