Xiu Li’s family and the Clan Leader were all gathered in the Shaman’s cave, with Ji Nuan lying quietly inside.
Xiu Yan sat cross-legged on a Beast Skin laid at the mouth of the cave, his wounds being tended to by Grandma Shaman. Inside the cave, apart from the sound of Grandma Shaman treating the wounds and the breathing of the orcs, it was eerily quiet.
The atmosphere was uncommonly heavy, causing Ji Nuan’s heart to tighten involuntarily.
The events of today were her fault, becoming heedless at the sight of durian, without any vigilance.
If it weren’t for Xiu Yan, she probably wouldn’t be lying here now in one piece.
And judging by the expressions of the orcs, Xiu Yan’s injury must be quite serious.
Thinking of their primitive living conditions and medical facilities, and how an orc she hardly knew was enduring substantial harm because of her...
Ji Nuan felt as if something was harshly gripping her heart, a mix of sourness and guilt. It was unbearably distressing.
"Shaman, how bad is Xiu Yan cub’s injury, will he...?"
Ge Xing crouched down somewhat nervously, his inquiry cautious and filled with pain.
The Shaman applied some crushed herbs onto Xiu Yan’s cleaned wound and bandaged it with Beast Skin.
Looking at the worried eyes of the orcs, she heaved a deep sigh, "Xiu Yan cub’s arm is broken!"
"What? Xiu Yan’s arm is broken, doesn’t that make him useless then?"
Manli, upon hearing the news of her mate’s injury, rushed into the Shaman’s cave disregarding the orc guards’ warnings, never imagining that she would hear that Xiu Yan’s arm had been broken.
A broken arm, that would make him like the disabled orcs in the tribe, being able only to gather some wild fruits, grind some stone tools, and take a share of food each day that was never enough to fill his own stomach. What use was a mate like that? She would even need to share her food to sustain him?
Ji Nuan, hearing the term ’useless’, was stunned for a moment.
Ge Rou looked on with red-rimmed eyes at Manli’s look of disappointment, tightly grabbing hold of her Beast Skin dress to prevent herself from rushing forward.
"Manli, my son Xiu Yan won’t be able to hunt in the future, you two should call off your engagement."
She had been worried that Manli would make a scene, but with what happened to Xiu Yan, she doubted Manli would want anything to do with the engagement anymore.
Sure enough, a flash of relief crossed Manli’s eyes as she pretended to wipe away non-existent tears, "Alright then, since aunt Rou and Brother Xiu Yan no longer wish to be engaged, I won’t force it.
I still have a punishment to serve, so I’ll head back first."
Having said that, she quickly turned and left without hesitation, as if some terrifying beast were chasing her.
Watching Manli leave, Ge Rou finally broke down. She threw herself beside Xiu Yan and clung to his uninjured arm, sobbing uncontrollably. Her tears flowed down her cheeks and soaked into the Beast Skin beneath her.
Ge Rou’s tears fell onto his arm, Xiu Yan’s eyelashes fluttered. He pressed his lips together, "Mother, do not cry, I still have sharp teeth, I won’t starve."
Xiu Yan had just turned 35 this year, already a mature male. His separate dwelling had already been dug out, and he had graduallybeen moving his belongings into it throughout the past few days.
After reaching maturity, orcs lived separately in their own caves, sustaining themselves without any aid from their orc parents. Now, having lost an arm, Xiu Yan knew his life was going to be difficult from here on out.