Clumsy Beast, Keep Your Paws Off Chapter 588: Can You Truly Heal Me?

The moment those words escaped her lips, the entire crowd was stunned into silence. Even Lang Chi stared at her, disbelief etched on his face.

Yue Lian immediately recognized her slip-up and frantically shook her head.

"No! No! That isn't true!" she exclaimed, her voice laced with panic. "She's lying! She has to be lying!"

Yet, Su Qinglan continued speaking in a composed manner.

"When you were very young, your uterus sustained severe damage," she stated matter-of-factly. "It was inflicted by someone intentionally. Though the injury healed, it did so improperly, leaving behind permanent internal scarring. Because of this condition, even if you were to mate normally, conceiving a cub naturally would be impossible."

A collective gasp rippled through the crowd. Several females instinctively covered their mouths, their eyes wide with shock.

Old Healer Ye's eyes widened momentarily before slowly filling with understanding.

So that was the reason. It was no wonder he had never detected any ordinary illness when examining her pulse.

It wasn't a sickness. It was old, irreversible damage.

Meanwhile, Yue Lian's breathing grew increasingly shallow. Her face drained of all color as fragmented memories suddenly surged into her mind.

That dark, hidden cave...

The cruel older female who had attacked her...

The sharp, unforgiving stone rod...

The agonizing pain and profuse bleeding she endured as a mere child... Her body suddenly felt devoid of all strength.

Tears erupted from her eyes, streaming down her face uncontrollably.

"No..." Yue Lian whispered, her voice trembling as she clutched her chest. "No..."

Her legs gave out, and she collapsed onto the ground, her sobs wracking her body.

Lang Chi stood completely dumbfounded.

"Lian'er?" he called out, his voice filled with concern.

But Yue Lian only cried harder, the years of pent-up grievances within her heart exploding forth in a torrent of anguish.

"I didn't want this..." she sobbed, her voice breaking. "I never wanted this... I wanted cubs too... I wanted them so badly..."

Her entire frame shook violently with each sob.

"I was only seven years old..." she choked out, the pain evident in her whisper. "That woman... she hated my mother, and... and she hurt me in secret when no one was around..."

The crowd erupted into hushed, shocked conversations.

"What?!"

"She was deliberately injured?"

"That's monstrous cruelty!"

"No wonder..."

Even the other females present now regarded Yue Lian with newfound sympathy.

Su Qinglan observed Yue Lian, whose body was wracked with tremors from her weeping. A growing sense of empathy softened her heart. Witnessing the female's broken demeanor and the deep despair mirrored in her eyes, Su Qinglan understood that Yue Lian's past must have been incredibly harsh.

The internal damage she carried was indeed significant.

And the individual who inflicted such harm upon her as a child was undeniably barbaric.

Su Qinglan found herself genuinely pitying her.

What she had initially disliked was Yue Lian's confrontational attitude. From the outset, it was clear the female had approached with the intent to test and humiliate her. This motive was precisely why Su Qinglan had initially held back her sympathy and spoken harshly.

However, witnessing Yue Lian's current state of utter helplessness and public breakdown, Su Qinglan felt her irritation melt away.

After all, in this world, every female yearned for cubs.

No one wished to be deemed inadequate. No one wanted to be seen as useless in the eyes of others.

And Yue Lian carried wounds far deeper than any could perceive.

Su Qinglan slowly knelt before her, gently placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Stop crying now," she said softly. "If you truly desire to heal yourself... I have a method."

The instant those words were uttered, Yue Lian froze. Her tears ceased for a fleeting moment.

She immediately lifted her head, her eyes wide and filled with disbelief, staring at Su Qinglan as if she had just heard the impossible.

"R-Really?" Yue Lian stammered, her voice trembling uncontrollably.

Su Qinglan offered a gentle smile and nodded.

"I cannot provide a complete guarantee," she admitted honestly. "But I can make an attempt. There is approximately a seventy percent chance that I can heal you."

This time, Yue Lian's entire body shook with intense emotion.

Hope. For the first time in countless years, a genuine spark of hope ignited within her chest. Her lips quivered uncontrollably, and fresh tears welled up and spilled from her eyes once more.

She had lived in constant fear, terrified that her mates would one day discover the truth and abandon her entirely, just as her mother had. Because she was deemed useless.

After all, in this society, females held value primarily for their ability to bear children.

If a female was incapable of conceiving cubs...

Then what worth did she possess?

That haunting question had plagued Yue Lian for years.

It was the reason she had desperately guarded her secret from everyone. Even when the old injury throbbed painfully during cold nights, she endured in silence. Even when she saw other females cradling their infants, she could only offer a bitter smile and console herself.

Perhaps one day she would conceive. Perhaps the injury wasn't as severe as she thought. Perhaps fate would take pity on her.

But after five long years... nothing had changed.

Inside, a flicker of hope within Yue Lian began to dim, then fade altogether.

However, the truth remained unspoken, a secret held captive by overwhelming fear—fear of abandonment by her companions, fear of utter solitude.

It was this consuming dread that propelled her to challenge Su Qinglan earlier that day.

Praise for the newcomer female echoed endlessly, her capabilities lauded by all.

Yue Lian harbored disbelief; no healer before had ever unraveled her affliction.

Therefore, her intention was to expose Su Qinglan's facade, to shame her before the assembled crowd.

But the turn of events exceeded all her expectations...

Not only did Su Qinglan discern the root cause instantaneously, but she also extended an offer of healing.

A wave of profound guilt washed over Yue Lian, an unbearable burden.

Meeting Su Qinglan’s clear, composed gaze, a deep sense of shame settled upon her. Before she could even register it, tears streamed down her face once more.

"I..." Yue Lian’s voice cracked as she looked down, a soft sob escaping her. "I am so sorry..."

Su Qinglan offered a slight, understanding blink.

Yue Lian tightened her fists, gathering her resolve before speaking with evident struggle.

"I came here today because... because I intended to make things difficult for you," she confessed tearfully, her admission raw and honest. "I believed you were deceiving everyone, just like they always do... I assumed you were merely putting on a show..."

Her voice fractured further, laden with shame and regret.

"Yet, you still chose to help me..."

A hush fell over the onlookers, the sudden silence palpable. None had anticipated Yue Lian's public confession.

Even Old Healer Ye stroked his beard, directing a gaze of profound satisfaction toward Su Qinglan.

His young grand-disciple indeed possessed the heart of a true healer.

Concurrently, Lang Chi regarded Su Qinglan with gratitude before lowering his head in a gesture of deep respect.

"Female Qinglan," he said, his voice thick with emotion, "if you can truly heal Lian'er... our family will be eternally indebted for this kindness."

Su Qinglan responded with a gesture of her hand, a hint of helplessness in her demeanor.

"You are all taking this too seriously," she replied with a light laugh. "I am merely making an attempt. Whether it proves successful will ultimately depend on her own body's response."

Suddenly, Yue Lian grasped Su Qinglan’s hand, her fingers clinging tightly. Though her eyes were swollen and red from weeping, they now shone with desperate, fervent hope.

"I am willing," Yue Lian declared without hesitation. "Whatever the treatment may be... I am ready to try."

Su Qinglan's gaze lingered on her for a silent moment before a gentle smile finally graced her lips.

"Good," she affirmed softly. "Then, starting today, you must follow my instructions precisely."

Yue Lian nodded vigorously, akin to a child fearing that hesitation might cause her precious hope to vanish in an instant.

Meanwhile, the expressions of the surrounding females shifted dramatically as they observed Su Qinglan. Moments before, doubt had clouded many of their faces. But now...

Their eyes began to fill with a mixture of awe, intense curiosity, and burgeoning excitement.

For if Su Qinglan possessed the ability to heal even such a complex condition...

Then perhaps... just perhaps, this female cultivator truly held miraculous healing abilities.