The next morning, Meng Yuqing woke up earlier than the day before. Stepping out of his room, he didn't see Qiuye around.
"Qiuye, are you here?" he called toward Qiuye's room.
No response.
He's probably gone out, Meng Yuqing thought, grabbing his makeshift water bottle before heading outside for a quick wash, as he had done the day before.
Many people passed by, glancing at him with curiosity but saying nothing before hurrying off.
Everyone seems so busy, he mused, stroking his chin. It made him feel like he was the only idle person in the tribe.
The afternoon stroll with Qiuye yesterday had given him a general sense of the tribe's layout. It was large but sparsely populated, and the houses were scattered across the land.
Back in his room, Meng Yuqing rummaged through his bag, inspecting the items he'd brought back from the wilderness.
There were several bundles of Bleeding Grass and Blackthorn Grass, a small amount of Blood-Nurturing Grass, the simple water bottle he had made from Brown Shell Fruit, and the woven bag itself.
He recalled how many people, especially sub-beastmen, had cast curious looks at his woven bag since his arrival.
Meng Yuqing took everything outside and began sorting the herbs in the sunlight.
When Qiuye returned, he saw Meng Yuqing crouched on the ground, surrounded by a pile of plants. These weren't vegetables he recognized.
"What are you doing?" Qiuye asked, crouching beside him with curiosity.
"You're back! I'm sorting these herbs. I didn't clean them when I collected them in a rush, so there's still a lot of dirt stuck to them. I'm checking if any got damaged," Meng Yuqing replied while sifting through the herbs.
"Herbs?" Qiuye's voice rose in surprise. "You're saying these are herbs?" He immediately drew his hand back as if afraid of ruining them.
Just then, the system chimed in with a new task.
Random Task: Teach sub-beastman Qiuye to identify three herbs.
"Why are you backing away? You're just in time—help me clean these herbs," Meng Yuqing gestured for Qiuye to come closer.
"I don't know anything about herbs! I might ruin them!" Qiuye said, shaking his head and staying put.
"It's fine, I'll teach you. These herbs aren't rare. Come on, help me out," Meng Yuqing encouraged.
"You're sure you want me to handle these?" Qiuye asked hesitantly, but he eventually moved closer.
"Yes, come here," Meng Yuqing urged.
When Qiuye sat down beside him, Meng Yuqing handed him a bundle of Bleeding Grass.
"This is Bleeding Grass. It stops bleeding and prevents infection. Just crush it and apply it to a wound to stop bleeding quickly and prevent inflammation. For now, just clean off the dirt from the roots."
"Okay, I'll be careful not to damage it," Qiuye said, holding the grass as if it were a treasure.
"Relax! This isn't a rare herb. Even Xuan has used a lot of it," Meng Yuqing said, chuckling at Qiuye's overly cautious demeanor.
Hearing that, Qiuye seemed to relax a little. "Was Xuan badly injured back then?"
"When he returned at night dragging the Shadow Beast, he was covered in wounds and smelled of blood. He could barely stand."
…
"At least he managed to bring the beast back alive," Qiuye sighed in relief, though his eyes betrayed a deep sorrow.
Seeing Qiuye's expression, Meng Yuqing felt uneasy. Fortunately, Qiuye had almost finished cleaning the Bleeding Grass. Seizing the chance to change the subject, Meng Yuqing handed him a few stalks of Blood-Nurturing Grass.
"This is Blood-Nurturing Grass. Eating it speeds up blood regeneration. It's great for treating severe blood loss. When combined with Bleeding Grass, it can save lives."
Qiuye quickly collected himself and focused on the two herbs in his hands. He realized how beneficial they could be for the tribe.
"Yuqing, are these herbs really easy to find?" he asked.
Noticing Qiuye's intent expression, Meng Yuqing nodded.
"While they're not everywhere, they're not particularly hard to find. Even Xuan knows them. These are just what we gathered casually on the way back. If we searched deliberately, we'd probably find more."
"Could you… teach others as well? Especially the hunting party members? They could help collect them, and… they're the ones most at risk." Qiuye's voice grew softer as he spoke, unsure if such knowledge should be shared. After all, knowledge about herbs was often exclusive to the tribe's healer, a precious and sacred figure.
"Of course. Herbs are meant to be used. If no one knows about them, people might die with life-saving remedies right under their noses. That would be a terrible waste."
As soon as Meng Yuqing finished speaking, the system issued another task.
Random Task: Promote the knowledge of three herbs.
Accepting the task silently, Meng Yuqing said to Qiuye,
"Qiuye, arrange a time for the hunting party to come learn about these herbs. If they find them in the wild, I'd appreciate their help bringing them back."
Qiuye smiled gratefully. "I'll talk to Xia about this and have him schedule it as soon as possible."
"Also, ask them to keep an eye out for this one." Meng Yuqing held up the Blackthorn Grass.
"What's this used for?" Qiuye asked, intrigued.
"This is Blackthorn Grass. It's not exactly medicinal. I'd call it a weakly toxic plant with a unique effect. See the black thorns on its leaves? If these thorns pierce the skin, it causes numbness and temporary paralysis. In larger quantities, it could even knock someone unconscious. The effect wears off after a while, though," Meng Yuqing explained.
"Toxic? Put it down right now! That's dangerous!" Qiuye exclaimed, alarmed.
"It's fine. I understand its effects and how to handle it. I plan to use it for something specific."
Qiuye frowned, clearly uneasy about the idea.
"Don't worry. I'll be careful. I already told Xuan about it and will involve him when the time comes," Meng Yuqing reassured him.
Hearing this, Qiuye finally relaxed but still warned,
"Just promise me you won't mess with it alone. Always have Xuan with you."
"I promise. I won't do anything reckless. I'll let Xuan know when I'm ready to use it," Meng Yuqing assured him, nodding.
Only then did Qiuye drop the subject.