Shen Yunyun looked at the beastman who had come to deliver the message. It was snowing heavily, and he was barefoot, draped in animal fur that couldn't fully cover his body. She was somewhat startled. But then again, these were beastmen, with physical constitutions far stronger than ordinary humans, so she quickly grew accustomed to it. After all, animals wore the same hide whether in winter or summer.
Upon hearing that the Great Elder was on the verge of death, Zhi immediately scooped up Shen Yunyun and, as he used to, sat her on his shoulder. Caught completely off guard, Shen Yunyun instinctively wrapped her arms around his large head. Zhi strode swiftly, following the beastman.
The snow outside was heavy. Shen Yunyun felt that if she walked on her own, the snow would reach her waist. But the beastmen were tall and sturdy, and though walking was difficult, it wasn't impossible.
They arrived at a cave. Before they even got close, they heard violent coughing, as if the person was trying to cough out their very lungs and heart. The coughing was mixed with wheezing, and Shen Yunyun could basically tell that the beastman inside was burning with a high fever.
Zhi carried her inside. All the beastmen knelt upon seeing Shen Yunyun, crying out, "Beast God." Shen Yunyun raised her hand to signal them to stop and motioned for Zhi to put her down. She hurried over to the Great Elder.
The Great Elder was a small, dark, and skinny old man. His age was hard to tell, but his black face was flushed a deep, feverish red. He couldn't stop coughing after a few breaths, looking utterly drained. Shen Yunyun felt his forehead—it was scorching hot. She had never touched such a high temperature; it was definitely over 42 degrees Celsius. Luckily, he was a beastman; if it were an ordinary modern human, their internal organs would probably be cooked.
No matter how strong the constitution, once a fever reaches a certain level, proteins begin to change, causing irreversible damage or even death. That's why some people end up with brain damage from fevers—the proteins in brain cells alter. Shen Yunyun assessed the beastman's size and, considering these beastmen had never taken medicine, decided to give him a dose of ibuprofen suitable for a normal human adult, along with some cough medicine. After administering the medicine, she had someone give him water.
When the beastmen heard they needed to give him water, they quickly fetched some snow from outside, melted it in their hands, and fed it to him. Shen Yunyun remembered that during the last flood, she had told them to drink boiled water. Had they not taken it seriously? Although this was a world without industrial pollution, animal waste contamination was still a concern. It was better to be cautious.
After a moment's thought, she took some tap water from her space and had them build a fire to boil it. Only then did she realize they hadn't prepared any firewood for the winter. What a mess. Shen Yunyun glanced at the items she had taken from Sheng Sinian's space and directly chopped up a wooden computer desk for firewood.
After the Great Elder drank the water, his fever subsided within a short while. His coughing also stopped. Shen Yunyun found it quite remarkable. Fever reducers might work instantly, but cough medicine usually doesn't take effect so quickly. Yet he recovered—it was simply his strong constitution.
"Beast God, others in the tribe are also sick," a beastman said to Shen Yunyun. "The Mo family's cub is ill too."
It turned out many in the tribe were unwell. Shen Yunyun quickly followed Zhi to check on them and give them medicine. Seeing their living conditions, still the same as before—staying in caves with nothing to block the wind, no fire for warmth—it was just one word: cold. Shen Yunyun tightened her long down jacket. She couldn't afford to get sick herself.