The triceratops cub was stunned by the collision, clearly not understanding why this fool was attacking "one of their own"!
But it wouldn't stand there foolishly and be attacked. If the big-horned one charged, it would charge back with all its might!
The big-horned one's hind legs were injured, and Wente also injured the triceratops cub's hind legs. This was to ensure a fair duel.
The three adults watched from the side. No one was home; the children were with Hu Sha, and Da Bao had gone off somewhere to be sad.
With his parents nearby, the big-horned one gained confidence. The grievances it had endured for a day and a night seemed to have given it boundless strength. Even when it saw stars from the collisions, it didn't stop. The triceratops cub was bigger than it, and each collision hurt the big-horned one greatly!
The big-horned one had never lived in a herd and didn't understand the techniques of triceratops attacks. It relied entirely on brute force and conviction. The cub opposite couldn't exert its full strength either; with people watching menacingly from the side and being injured, it felt fear, and its attacks became weaker and weaker.
The big-horned one kept charging until it killed the other. It didn't stop even when the cub was bloody and mangled. Wente didn't call a halt. It was his oversight; he had only thought about sending the big-horned one away, neglecting how difficult survival was in a herbivore herd.
The big-horned one had to be sent away, but not now. Sending it away now would be akin to sending it to its death. He needed the big-horned one to learn to protect itself and to fight for food in the shortest possible time before he could let go with peace of mind.
Shu Yue looked at the big-horned one, its eyes bloodshot, and said with heartache, "Big-horned one, stop charging. You've already won. It's dead."
Hearing his mother's voice, the big-horned one finally stopped attacking. Immediately after, it collapsed to the ground. Having not rested for a day and a night, being bullied, and not having eaten that morning, its body could no longer hold on.
Shu Yue was about to check its injuries with concern, but Wente was faster. The big-horned one was hoisted up again and thrown by Wente into a dense patch of ferns in the tribe.
"Big-horned one, you'll recover your injuries here. Go home when you're well." Wente was not at all like his usual gentle self. He had never treated the big-horned one as a male like Da Bao, so his upbringing had been too lenient, leading to today's situation.
The big-horned one was bewildered, looking blankly at its father, not understanding why his father was so stern with it!
Without giving it time to react, Wente left, informing the other tribesmen not to bother it.
Shu Yue chased after him in confusion, but Wente stopped her with a look. "Yue Yue, I'll tell you when we get back. Let's leave first."
Shu Yue: "..."
As they walked away from where the big-horned one was carried, Shu Yue asked, "Wente, why did you abandon the big-horned one outside!"
Wente explained, "Yue Yue, it will leave sooner or later. You saw today; it was bullied in the herd and couldn't survive. I dare say that within five days, the big-horned one would have been tormented to death."
"This is our fault. We are not triceratops, and we cannot raise a qualified triceratops cub. Therefore, the big-horned one cannot return to the herd. So, from now on, we must change our way of educating the big-horned one and treat it like a triceratops cub."
Herbivores could not transform into human form, and in terms of intelligence, they were inferior to beastmen. Reproduction was an instinct, and the offspring were raised freely. At most, they could provide a fertile feeding ground; nothing more.
So, the big-horned one would also be raised in this manner from now on. It would recover from injuries on its own and endure them. It would no longer live in houses or caves but in the open, on the ground, exposed to wind and rain, unless it was very cold in winter.
Otherwise, how could a big-horned one raised in a greenhouse adapt to a migratory life?
Not only that, but it also had to practice head-butting exercises daily. Wente discovered last night that the big-horned one's horns were too tender compared to other cubs. The horns of other cubs were much harder than its own. Adult triceratops horns were as hard as a wall of iron, and even a ferocious beast might not be able to bite them off in one go.
Triceratops that could become leaders were the strongest males in the herd. Unless absolutely necessary, ferocious beasts would not dare to chew on such bones.
Wente wanted to train the big-horned one to be such a strong male, not only mentally but also physically, and the sparring partner would be Da Bao.
After listening to Wente's explanation, Shu Yue fell silent. There were more beasts than people here, so using the ways of beasts was the most appropriate.
The big-horned one was a male; pampering it would harm it.
"I understand, Wente. From now on, I will not stop you from educating the big-horned one. I hope it can learn the skills to survive."
Wente nodded and let out a sigh. "Don't worry too much. We'll raise the big-horned one for a few more years. It doesn't eat much yet, and I can still afford to feed it."
"I'll go find Da Bao first to tell him about the big-horned one's situation, and then I have to start cutting grass. Otherwise, as the herbivores increase, the big-horned one will have nothing to eat."
Shu Yue thought of the big-horned one's appetite and knew this was a huge undertaking. Soon, they would have to store food for winter, and time was tight.
"You go quickly. I'll be here at home."
...
After Wente left, Shu Yue secretly went to see the big-horned one. She expected to see a sad, tearful big-horned one, but instead, she found the injured big-horned one still eating. The grass around it had already been cleared.
Dragging its injured body, it crawled and searched for food, seemingly unaffected by Wente's sternness.
It was good that its intelligence was not high; at least it wouldn't overthink things.
Soon, Da Bao flew over. He had learned from his father and uncle that the big-horned one was different from them. It would never transform, always remaining as it was, unable to speak or communicate.
Da Bao didn't care about any of this; he couldn't lose his playmate. When he arrived with a heart full of joy, he saw the heavily injured big-horned one and was furious!
Who! Who bullied it!
Da Bao tenderly touched the wounds on its body with his paw. The big-horned one was overjoyed to see Da Bao and rubbed its horns against him.
"Roar roar!" Who beat you up like this? I'll get revenge for you!
The big-horned one sensed its brother's emotions and, instead of excitedly rubbing, it rubbed with a hint of grievance, making whimpering sounds as if complaining.
In fact, it was complaining, bad-mouthing those cubs, but the only listener couldn't understand.
This made Da Bao, at such a young age, worry endlessly. His brother was foolish, and if he was bullied in the future, he wouldn't even be able to say who bullied him. What should they do!
Frowning, Da Bao gently poked the big-horned one with his claw tip, still lecturing it. No one could understand what he was saying.
Shu Yue wiped her eyes. Seeing the strong bond between the two children reassured her.
Her heart also felt at ease. Although the big-horned one would eventually leave, at least it wasn't leaving now. The future would take care of itself; cherishing the present was enough.
Life returned to normal. Their friends knew about the big-horned one's situation and wouldn't let Wente work alone. Lei Te and A Shui planned to take a day off to cut grass for the big-horned one.
The other tribesmen heard about it and wanted to help, but Wente politely declined. How could he trouble others with his family's affairs!