Chapter 89: Big Sister, You’ve Gotten So Thin
"Why are these Scorpion Beastmen chasing you?" Nan Zishi asked.
Wolf Mu said, "They’re beastman traffickers."
Lang Xian immediately snapped, "Don’t even think about sending us back! Or I swear I won’t let you get away with it!"
Nan Zishi’s eyes curved into crescents as she gently ruffled the two little cubs’ heads.
Once the Scorpion Beastmen were far away, she jumped down from the tree with the two cubs.
Lang Xian turned to leave.
Nan Zishi grabbed his hand and pinned him to the ground.
"Don’t move."
"What are you doing? You perverted female, keep your hands to yourself!"
Nan Zishi held the cub’s skinny leg and examined it. "How long has this been injured?"
"What’s it to you?" Lang Xian struggled.
Nan Zishi’s professional instincts as a Beast Doctor took over. "If we don’t treat this, it’ll get infected. And if it gets infected and you still want to live, you’ll need an amputation! You believe that, don’t you?!"
"What’s ’amputation’?" Little Wolf Mu asked.
Nan Zishi put on a frightening expression. "It means we take his leg, like this, and like this, and CHOP it off!"
Little Mu was truly scared. As soon as he got nervous, he spilled the beans. "Brother Xian got hurt when he fought that stinky fox. It’s been two days already."
"Stinky fox?"
"Yeah, he’s a fox from Stone Village. His name is Fox Walk," Little Mu said.
Nan Zishi remembered the name. She seemed to recall Hu Bai mentioning it once. He was Hu Li’s mate.
’Hu Li’s family is truly rotten!’
When Lang Xian saw Nan Zishi pull a scalpel out of nowhere, he was instinctively terrified.
"What are you doing?" Lang Xian struggled.
"You’re Little Xian? Don’t move, I’m going to cut out the rotten flesh."
Nan Zishi took out a syringe, preparing to inject him with anesthetic.
Little Mu chimed in from the side, "Yep, he’s Brother Xian. Sister, my name is Little Mu."
Nan Zishi took a moment to greet Little Mu. "Hello, Little Mu. You can call me Sister Nan."
’No woman wants to be called ’Auntie’.’
But just as the anesthetic was about to be injected, Lang Xian—who feared neither heaven nor earth—felt an instinctive terror the first time he ever saw a syringe!!
"AHHH, NO!!"
Lang Xian knocked the syringe away, sending it flying. The needle separated from the barrel, becoming contaminated.
And just like that, Nan Zishi was down one of her rare anesthetic shots!
"You little brat! Can you calm down?! Don’t make me carve out your flesh while you’re still awake!"
Nan Zishi quickly took out a second anesthetic shot and injected it into him while he wasn’t paying attention.
Lang Xian was scared stiff. "What are you doing, you perverted female?!"
After giving the shot, Nan Zishi quickly disposed of the syringe. Then, patting his injured leg, she asked in a leisurely tone, "Does it hurt?"
Lang Xian felt it hurt at first, but then it just felt numb.
"It... doesn’t seem to hurt??"
Once the anesthetic had kicked in, Nan Zishi started disinfecting the wound with iodine. After it was completely clean, she used her scalpel to remove the rotten flesh.
Lang Xian watched her work, his initial fear turning into shock and incomprehension.
’She’s cutting my leg with a knife, but I... don’t feel anything?’
’How can it not hurt?’
’Is my leg already ruined?’
Lang Xian’s face went pale with fright.
"My leg... is it ruined? Am I going to lose my leg?"
"What’s this? Scared now?" Nan Zishi had intended to tease him, but seeing the little cub was about to cry, her heart softened.
"I gave you an anesthetic, so you’ve temporarily lost sensation. Your leg is fine for now. As for what happens next... who knows."
Lang Xian pressed his lips together, looking utterly wronged.
He was only a five-year-old cub, after all.
Nan Zishi patted his head. "Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you’re healed."
When Nan Zishi’s gentle hand patted his head, five-year-old Little Wolf Envy’s silver wolf ears couldn’t help but twitch.
He suddenly grew quiet and obedient.
Nan Zishi quickly finished the procedure and bandaged the wound.
She also gave him an antibiotic shot.
"Alright. There are no major problems. But after the anesthetic wears off, your leg is going to hurt a lot."
"I’m not afraid of pain!" Lang Xian shouted at Nan Zishi.
’Who’s afraid of pain?’
He was just afraid—afraid of failing to protect his younger brother, afraid of not finding their wicked mother and rescuing their two fathers.
Little Wolf Envy was finally free. The most important thing now was to rescue the little mermaid still in the hands of the Cold-blooded Scorpion Beastman.
"Perverted female, I’m leaving." With that, he got up to go.
Nan Zishi asked, "You’re leaving right after surgery? You’re not going to rest?"
Little Mu was just about to speak, "Sister Nan..."
Then Lang Xian instantly covered Little Mu’s mouth with his hand.
Little Mu: "MMPH, MMPH MMPH MMPH."
Lang Xian looked at Nan Zishi coolly. "We’re not headed the same way."
He was going to the sea to meet the mermaids and tell them the whereabouts of the little mermaid, Little Fu.
’As for this female in front of me...’
’She doesn’t seem the least bit worried about her own cub. She’s too busy stroking the tails of other people’s kids.’
’She’s just a shameless, wicked female. I don’t want anything to do with her!’
Nan Zishi asked curiously, "Where are you guys going?"
Wolf Mu tried to speak, but Lang Xian kept his mouth covered.
"You saved us today, and we will repay you in the future. But I don’t want to answer your question. Because it’s none of your business."
Nan Zishi pouted.
’Whose wolf cub is this? Such a foul temper. Nothing at all like my sweet, angelic Fox Qi.’
"Fine, don’t tell me. I’m going to the ocean to find the mermaids. You two do whatever you want."
But to her surprise, as Nan Zishi walked toward the ocean, the chubby Little Mu followed behind her, supporting the limping Little Xian.
Nan Zishi turned around. "Why are you following me?"
Lang Xian raised an eyebrow, retorting snidely, "Are all you females this full of yourselves? Which one of your eyes saw us following you?"
Nan Zishi turned, continued walking forward, and after a while, looked back. The two wolves were still following behind her.
She put her hands on her hips. "And you say you’re not following me?"
Lang Xian’s mouth twitched. "I just happen to be going to the ocean, that’s all. Who said I was following you?!"
Nan Zishi studied his expression carefully. "Little cub, has anyone ever told you you’re contrary and stubborn?"
"No one has," Lang Xian pressed his lips together.
"What about your father and mother?" Nan Zishi asked.
"None of your business," Lang Xian retorted.
Nan Zishi’s eyes twinkled mischievously. "Who says it’s none of my business? You used my medicine, so I have to ask your father and mother for payment."
Lang Xian’s expression froze, and he said quickly, "I can give you the money for the medicine myself! There’s no need to ask my father and mother!"
Nan Zishi continued to observe Lang Xian probingly. Not wanting to be watched, Lang Xian walked towards the ocean with Wolf Mu, his tail drooping.
Nan Zishi went the same way as them, and just like that, they walked awkwardly all the way to the seashore.
Nan Zishi shouted towards the sea, "Is anyone there? Are there any mermaids?!"
Lang Xian also shouted towards the sea, "Hey, we’re looking for mermaids too!!"
Before long, a mermaid broke the surface. The moment the male mermaid saw Nan Zishi, he waved joyfully. "Princess!!! We’ve finally found you!!!"
* * *
After the mermaids found Nan Zishi, they quickly notified Lanxing.
A flash of bluish-purple light zipped past.
Then, the bluish-purple Mermaid Prince flew swiftly from the surface of the sea to the shore and threw his arms around Nan Zishi.
"Sister!!! You’re finally back! I was worried sick, I was really worried sick!"
The male mermaid held her tightly, and Nan Zishi could truly feel his worry and anxiety.
She gently patted Lanxing’s back to soothe him. "Don’t worry, I’m back now, aren’t I?"
Large teardrops, like pearls, from Lanxing fell onto her shoulder. "Sister, you’ve gotten so thin. You must have suffered so much these past few days. Why did you lose so much weight?"
Nan Zishi was a bit dazed. She sighed.
’My little fish is crying again.’
Nan Zishi hugged Lanxing and noticed that he had also gotten thinner.
"Lanxing, you’ve had a hard time too."
She looked up and saw that the mermaids who had followed Lanxing were also shedding tears of pearl.
"SOB, SOB, SOB... The Prince has finally found the Princess! I’m so moved."
"Yes, yes! Seeing the Prince and Princess reunite is just... It makes you want to cry. It really does. SOB, SOB, SOB."