Building a Civilization and Raising Cubs in the Beast World – CH122

Chapter 122

Bai Tu sniffed himself but couldn’t detect any difference from before—probably because he spent most of his time inside the cave.

“Don’t bother. You won’t be able to smell it,” Hei Xiao sighed with a hint of resentment. “You’ll only start smelling more like them over time.”

Sub-beastmen naturally had weaker scents compared to other beastmen—barely noticeable. But after spending so much time with others, especially with Lang Qi and the wolf cubs practically glued to Bai Tu all day, it was inevitable. Even if Lang Qi wasn’t nearby, people would still recognize Bai Tu as his mate just from his scent.

Bai Tu: “…”

Bai Tu: “So you and Hei Yan smell alike because you’ve been together for so long?”

Hei Xiao: “…”

Alright, neither of them had the right to criticize the other. They wordlessly dropped the subject.

Hei Xiao had come to pick up a blanket. While Bai Tu had teased Lang Qi about it earlier, he genuinely wasn’t lying—he did want to find something to wrap around the hawk eggs for extra insulation. He hadn’t decided what to use at first, but since Lang Qi had pulled out this particular blanket, it was a convenient choice. It wasn’t as soft as Bai Tu’s winter blanket, but it was still better than most other blankets or animal hides.

“Is Hei Yan bringing anything else back when he leaves today?” Hei Xiao asked. Since the eggs were being incubated here, Hei Yan had only stayed in the Black Hawk Tribe for a day before rushing back. Now, after resting here for two more days, he needed to return again. This time, though, he wouldn’t be coming back immediately—he had to stay in the tribe for a while. As the chief, he couldn’t always be away, even if there wasn’t much to handle. His presence alone helped maintain order and deter rival tribes from taking advantage of his absence.

“Bring back more rubber, iron, and as much as possible,” Bai Tu said. Although the new houses were single-story structures, he planned to build flat-roofed homes with staircases, which would require iron to reinforce certain areas and make the buildings sturdier.

Building an entire residential area wasn’t something that could be done overnight. It had already been two months since the snow melted, and the inner houses had only just finished laying their foundations.

But they had always planned to move in after the rainy season. As long as the houses were completed before winter, there was no rush. Bai Tu had already told Bai An and the others that taking their time was fine—quality mattered more than speed.

“No problem, I’ll let him know,” Hei Xiao agreed. Both materials were abundant in the Black Hawk Tribe, so acquiring them wouldn’t be difficult. The only real challenge was transporting them over such a long distance.

Thinking about the distance, Hei Xiao sighed. “It would be so much easier if you agreed to move to the Black Eagle Tribe. No more transportation hassles.”

But he was just saying it—he knew that if Bai Tu had refused last year, he was even less likely to agree now.

Bai Tu pointed to the other side of the cave. “If I were in the Black Hawk Tribe, we wouldn’t have coal or limestone.”

These two minerals were also essential for the tribe’s development. No matter where he lived, there would always be some resources that needed to be transported. The world was fair—no single location had everything. If he had to choose, transporting iron ore and rubber was much easier than hauling coal and limestone, which were heavier and more cumbersome.

The two brothers let out a synchronized sigh.

“You can’t have everything in life,” Bai Tu mused. Finding all necessary resources conveniently in one place would be a miracle. In a way, this setup was actually beneficial—it encouraged trade and cooperation between the tribes.

Before they could discuss the issue further, Lang Qi entered the room carrying food. He set down a bowl in front of Bai Tu. “Eat first.”

When there had only been two wolf cubs, Lang Qi could handle feeding them on his own. But with more cubs now, they had to feed them together so they could all eat at the same time. Lang Qi didn’t want Bai Tu to go hungry while waiting for the cubs to finish, so he always prepared Bai Tu’s meal first. By the time Bai Tu was done eating, they could feed the cubs together.

Seeing that Bai Tu’s food was ready, Hei Xiao didn’t linger. He simply reminded Bai Tu not to forget to check on the cotton fabric later before leaving.

“The cotton fabric is finished?” Lang Qi asked as he set the food on the table in the bedroom.

At first, they had tried eating outside, but they eventually realized that eating in the cave was more convenient. So, they had designated a small dining area in the corner of their bedroom—it was spacious enough to accommodate everything.

Lang Qi had heard Bai Tu mention cotton fabric before and knew it was meant to replace animal hides and blankets. When Bai Tu confirmed that it was finished, Lang Qi hesitated for a moment.

After all, if it could replace blankets… what would happen to his blanket?

“The weaving started yesterday, so it should be almost finished today,” Bai Tu said as he went to another room to wash his hands. When he returned, he picked up his bowl and took a sip. The taste was rich and fragrant. “This soup is really good.”

Today, the communal kitchen had made chicken soup, but Lang Qi had taken some back and added more ingredients, making it even more flavorful and nutritious. After spending so much time with Bai Tu, Lang Qi had become much more skilled in the kitchen. It was hard to believe that the same person had once made that barely edible meal during their journey last year.

“I’ll make it again for you tomorrow,” Lang Qi said immediately.

“No need…” As delicious as it was, Bai Tu didn’t want to eat the same thing two days in a row. “I remember seeing that the wheat is starting to fill out. Let’s pick some and roast it over the fire.”

It had been years since Bai Tu had eaten freshly harvested wheat roasted straight from the fields. People always tended to crave childhood foods. His memories of this world were limited, and even if he did have some from the time before joining the Red Eagle Tribe, he probably hadn’t had much to eat back then—otherwise, he would have dreamed about it. The food he truly missed was from modern times, with all its variety.

“Alright, we’ll roast some,” Lang Qi agreed easily. “What else do you want to eat?”

“I want roasted sweet potatoes, but we’ll have to wait two more months,” Bai Tu said, practically salivating at the thought of their soft, sweet texture. But he had to be patient—sweet potatoes had high yields, but they had been in short supply. To ensure they had enough for next winter, Bai Tu had used all of them as seedlings and planted them.

This past winter had been easier to survive largely thanks to their abundant corn harvest and the food they had brought back from the Red Eagle Tribe. Otherwise, the Vulture Tribe would have struggled with hunger. Now, with the Vulture Tribe and the newly integrated Lion Tribe working, the need for food next winter would only increase. Plus, the wolf cubs in the tribe were all growing.

Bai Tu didn’t want to rely solely on hunting or put all their eggs in one basket. That’s why he planted as many different crops as possible. No one could predict which would yield the best results, but having a variety ensured they wouldn’t be left empty-handed. His concerns weren’t unfounded—since the weather had warmed, several tribes had already resumed hunting, but the results hadn’t been promising.

In previous years, during the first month after the snow melted, they couldn’t eat to full satisfaction, but they could still catch a meal every few days. This year, however, some hunting parties had returned empty-handed even after searching for five or six days.

The experienced hunters in the tribe had all noticed the decline—there were significantly fewer prey animals than before. This wasn’t a sudden problem; the decline had been happening gradually. People just hadn’t paid much attention until they started returning from hunts empty-handed.

Fortunately, the tribe had been raising some livestock, so even if they didn’t catch wild prey for ten days or more, they wouldn’t go hungry. But they couldn’t afford to be as generous with food as before.

With the rising temperatures, Bai Tu’s appetite had returned to normal. Since he wasn’t particularly hungry in the mornings, a bowl of chicken soup and a small portion of food was enough. Lang Qi ate quickly, and by the time they finished, the food for the wolf cubs had cooled to just the right temperature.

The cubs were more delicate than adult beastmen—food that was too hot or too cold wasn’t good for them. In this weather, food usually needed to be left to cool for a while before serving. Bai Tu and Lang Qi’s meal times worked out perfectly—by the time they finished eating, the cubs’ food would be ready.

The little ones had been eagerly waiting to be fed, but they knew better than to interrupt their father during meals. Even though they were hungry, they obediently stayed inside their enclosure, watching with wide eyes until Lang Qi brought their food over.

As soon as they recognized their meal, the cubs clung to the enclosure railing, fluffy tails wagging as they lined up neatly in a row.

Bai Tu adjusted their positions. Today, he would feed the two older cubs and the small white one, while Lang Qi took care of the other two. They switched roles at the next meal to keep things fair.

The two older cubs barely needed any help—just placing their food down was enough for them to eat on their own. Wolf cubs preferred eating in their beast forms since it was faster.

Bai Tu’s main focus was on the little white cub—not because of its color, but because it was the smallest. Even after months of growth, it was still noticeably smaller than the others. It ate much slower too—while the other two could take two bites in the time it took for the white cub to manage one. That meant Bai Tu had to feed it separately.

Not only did the little one eat slowly, but it also had a much smaller appetite. After just a few bites, it refused to eat any more. Bai Tu set the food aside and gently rubbed its belly.

Even in his dreams, this cub had always been particularly delicate. After being born, it remained just as sensitive. Fortunately, while wolf cubs could be domineering, they were also fiercely protective of their littermates. The other cubs never bullied it.

The cubs had limited energy. Not long after eating, they started yawning one after another—even the two older ones. As Bai Tu gently soothed them to sleep, he brought up something with Lang Qi.

“Shouldn’t we name these two now?” he asked. The three younger ones could wait, but the two who had already been in their human forms for a few months should have names by now.

Without any hesitation, Lang Qi said, “You choose.”

“Are you sure?” Bai Tu was surprised. Usually, other beastmen in the tribe were involved in naming. Weren’t the elders supposed to bestow names as a blessing?

Lang Qi simply replied, “The names you choose will be more accepted.”

The tradition of having the elders name the cubs came from the belief that older beastmen were more favored by the Beast God, and thus their blessings carried more weight. However, over the past year, Bai Tu had done far more for the tribe than any prayers to the Beast God had ever achieved. That alone was proof that Bai Tu was more blessed than anyone else. Naturally, the tribe would accept any name he chose.

With the naming responsibility falling on him, Bai Tu thought for a moment before deciding on Lang Sui and Lang Ying.

As for the three younger cubs, Bai Tu chose to follow the continent’s customs and wait until they turned three and could shift into human form before naming them.

With their names settled, Bai Tu sewed simple little sachets from the newly woven cotton fabric, dyed them, and embroidered the names onto them. Inside, he placed herbs that repelled insects but were harmless to wolf cubs, then tied them around the cubs’ necks. Originally, he wanted to tie them to their wrists, but their paws were too small in their beast forms, and the sachets would have fallen off.

The three younger ones also got sachets, but theirs were smaller and didn’t have names.

At first, the newly named cubs didn’t respond to their names. When Bai Tu called them, they ignored him. But the moment he called “Baby,” they turned their heads immediately. Despite having names now, their daily routine remained the same—eating, sleeping, and playing as they pleased—while Bai Tu shifted his focus to the cotton fabric.

The first batch of cotton cloth was all used up. Bai Tu had initially worried that they wouldn’t be able to produce fabric of the quality he remembered, but the final product turned out much better than expected.

There were two reasons for this:

1. The tribe’s weaving team had gained a lot of experience from making wool blankets and other textiles. They had become skilled in weaving smooth, even fabric.
2. The cotton on this continent was larger, with longer fibers, which made for stronger and finer thread.

After processing several hundred kilos of cotton to remove the seeds, the fibers were spun into thread and then woven into cloth using the looms. Large sheets of cotton fabric could be cut to make clothing or even tools. For example, Bai Tu improved their sieves by replacing the bottom with cotton fabric, which worked much better.

What Bai Tu was most excited about was clothing. Cotton fabric finally solved the problem of scarce silk and overly warm animal hides. It was breathable, easy to sew, and comfortable to wear. The only downside was that it was plain and lacked variety in color.

Since the cotton supply was still limited, Bai Tu prioritized making practical items. After reserving fabric for tools, only a small portion was left for clothing. The cubs were growing fast and spent most of their time in their beast forms, so for those under five or six years old, two pairs of shorts per child were enough.

After making clothes for the cubs, there was barely any fabric left. What remained was immediately snatched up by several beastmen.

What puzzled Bai Tu was that most of the beastmen who exchanged their hard-earned points for cotton fabric were young males around the same age as Lang Ze and Bai Qi.

Male beastmen had larger bodies and bigger appetites. After three meals a day, they often got hungry again and had to use their points to buy snacks. Even though they earned a lot of points, they usually had little left over. For them to save up enough to exchange for cotton fabric was quite impressive.

The ones who got the fabric were overjoyed, while those who missed out were visibly disappointed.

The next morning, Bai Tu saw two or three female beastmen in the tribe wearing different colored cotton dresses—and instantly understood.

So that’s why! Those young beastmen hadn’t bought the fabric for themselves—they had gifted it to others. No wonder they had been so happy when they managed to grab some.

Soon, Bai Tu noticed a shift in the tribe’s atmosphere.

Beastmen usually didn’t focus on appearances because they had more pressing concerns—like securing enough food. But this period, between the transition from winter to summer, was traditionally the mating season.

In fact, the season should have started earlier, but everyone had been too busy with farming and construction. Even Bai An, as the chief, had overlooked the fact that many young beastmen needed to court mates.

On the Beast God Continent, beastmen weren’t subtle about their affections—when they found someone they liked, they wasted no time in making it official.

Over the next few days, Bai Tu started receiving multiple requests from beastmen asking to switch living arrangements.

Previously, single beastmen lived two to a room. Since young beastmen rarely stayed indoors all day, two people sharing a single chamber carved from a large cave was more than enough. But now that they had partners, they couldn’t continue living with others, so they turned to Bai Tu for help.

Bai Tu rearranged the easier room swaps himself. For those that were more difficult to switch around, he simply relocated the couples to vacant rooms further down the mountain. Since the new residential area would be completed in less than six months, these moves were only temporary anyway.

The empty houses at the foot of the mountain were originally meant for guests. However, as more members of the Wolf Tribe settled here, there weren’t enough caves to go around. Additionally, some of the Lion Tribe members had proven themselves and deserved better accommodations than shared dormitories. So, while constructing the residential area, they had built two extra rows of houses at the foot of the mountain. Now, these houses were perfect for the beastmen who had just found mates.

Besides the tribe’s affairs, Bai Tu noticed that the people around him were acting differently. Lang Qi had become even clingier, rarely leaving the cave unless necessary. He even seemed reluctant to let Bai Tu go outside. Since the weather had gotten hotter, Bai Tu had started handling tasks that could be done indoors in the outermost room. However, some matters required him to go out and coordinate with others. Each time, Lang Qi stuck to him like glue.

Bai Tu had already checked—this wasn’t a lingering effect from the herbal medicine he had taken earlier. Apart from being extra affectionate, Lang Qi was acting completely normal.

Hei Xiao, on the other hand, had started acting strangely as well. While Lang Qi was glued to Bai Tu’s side, Hei Xiao had become increasingly hostile toward him. Any chance he got, he would throw out sarcastic remarks, mocking Lang Qi’s excessive attachment.

Yet Lang Qi ignored him completely and continued behaving as he pleased.

With his mate on one side and his brother on the other, Bai Tu did his best to keep them apart.

Then, one day, while helping a couple choose their new home, a young rabbit beastman suddenly ran up to him and handed him a piece of meat.

Bai Tu: “???”

He wasn’t very familiar with this particular rabbit beastman. While he was involved in managing the tribe, most negotiations were handled by Bai An, Bai Chen, Bai Qi, or Tu Cai. Bai Tu usually focused on planning and logistics.

Not remembering the young rabbit’s name, Bai Tu simply said, “You should keep it for yourself. I have enough food.”

Even though he didn’t do physical labor, designing housing plans and figuring out how to use resources efficiently wasn’t free work. Even without that, the medicine he made was enough to trade for his own meals.

However, after he spoke, both the rabbit beastman and Hei Xiao fell silent.

Hei Xiao waved the rabbit away before turning to Bai Tu and, after a long pause, asked, “You don’t seriously not know what that was about, do you?”

Bai Tu was confused. “Was he trying to bribe me?” This was the first time something like this had happened, and he honestly had no idea what was going on.

Hei Xiao: “…”

Hei Xiao: “Do you know why Lang Qi has been so clingy lately?”

Bai Tu shook his head. “No idea.” That was the problem—he didn’t understand, and Lang Qi wouldn’t explain. Meanwhile, Hei Xiao kept antagonizing Lang Qi, and Bai Tu was stuck trying to manage them both.

Hei Xiao looked at him suspiciously. “So you really don’t know?”

Bai Tu immediately pressed, “Know what?”

Instead of answering, Hei Xiao pointed to the side.

Bai Tu followed his gaze and saw a young wolf beastman holding something in his hands while speaking to another wolf beastman about the same age. A moment later, he handed the object over. They seemed to exchange a few words before one of them suddenly looked in Bai Tu’s direction.

At first, Bai Tu thought he’d been caught spying, but instead of showing displeasure, the young wolf trotted over.

“Tu, we want to move in together too,” he said directly.

Boom. Bai Tu’s mind exploded with realization.

There was no need for an explanation anymore. It was the mating season, and the offering of food—it was a courtship gesture! He had been so busy that he hadn’t connected the dots.

But what did this have to do with Lang Qi being so clingy?

That night, he found out.

Lang Qi carefully lifted the sleeping wolf cubs off Bai Tu and onto the bed, surrounding them with furs to keep them comfortable. Then, he leaned in and began sniffing Bai Tu.

Bai Tu had already bathed after dinner, so apart from his usual scent and the herbal fragrance of his bathwater, there was nothing else lingering on him.

Even so, Lang Qi was clearly displeased. He suddenly bit Bai Tu hard. “Did a rabbit beastman bring you food today?”

Bai Tu had long given up on trying to reason with this overgrown, bite-happy wolf. He simply pushed Lang Qi’s head away and emphasized, “I rejected it!”

Even if he hadn’t understood the rabbit’s intention at first, he had still turned down the offer. Did they really need to go over this again?

“I knew it,” Lang Qi murmured against Bai Tu’s ear. Then, lowering his voice further, he added, “Did Hei Xiao try to convince you to take another mate?”

Bai Tu’s face darkened. These two were unbelievable.

“Don’t accuse my brother unfairly. He just doesn’t like how possessive you are,” Bai Tu retorted.

Hei Xiao hadn’t been trying to set him up with someone else—he simply disapproved of Lang Qi’s controlling behavior. He had assumed Bai Tu wanted to end their relationship but felt pressured by Lang Qi’s overbearing presence. Even so, Hei Xiao had never outright suggested Bai Tu leave Lang Qi. He just opposed the way Lang Qi was restricting Bai Tu’s freedom, believing Bai Tu should make his own choices.

However, today it became clear that it was all just a misunderstanding. From beginning to end, he never knew the reason for Lang Qi’s nervousness.

“That still won’t do.” Lang Qi lay on Bai Tu, rubbing against him repeatedly.

Hearing something off in his voice, Bai Tu originally intended to comfort him, but as soon as he noticed Lang Qi’s actions, his previously muddled mind instantly cleared up. “Enough already! My brother said it just two days ago—you reek of wolf!”

Being rubbed against by this big wolf and five little ones all day long, how could he not be covered in wolf scent? Lang Qi, who had intended to use this opportunity to reaffirm his claim, had no choice but to stop and look down at Bai Tu.

His pitiful expression successfully made Bai Tu forget his earlier insistence.

The night passed without sleep. As dawn broke, the sound of crowing roosters woke the wolf cubs.

Hearing the noise, Bai Tu, who had just fallen asleep, frowned deeply.

Lang Qi, who had been watching him the whole time, immediately noticed and gently covered his ears with a piece of animal hide. Carefully, he carried the wolf cubs out of the enclosure. “I’ll feed you today.”

Without their father, the wolf cubs were a little displeased. The three younger ones were relatively easy to handle, only wriggling around a bit and whining, but the two older ones, who could already shift into human form, directly transformed and tried to climb down from Lang Qi.

When they were still in their beast form, Lang Qi could grab two or three of them with one hand, but in human form, he could only carry one per hand. Not wanting these little wolves to disturb Bai Tu’s rest, he simply tucked Lang Sui under his arm, picked up Lang Ying with his other hand, and carried the remaining three cubs outside.

Bai Tu slept until noon. As soon as he woke up, a cup of warm water was handed to him.

“Drink some first, food will be ready soon.” Lang Qi helped him change clothes with a concerned look.

Bai Tu: “…” Don’t think that just because you’re acting all considerate now, I’ll forget what you did yesterday.

Still, he drank the water. The dryness and itchiness in his throat eased considerably. After freshening up, he came out of the bathroom to find food already laid out on the table.

“Where are the cubs?” Bai Tu glanced at the time—it was already past noon. By now, they should have been fed at least twice. He wondered if Lang Qi had taken care of it.

“They’re sleeping,” Lang Qi replied while handing Bai Tu a bowl of goat’s milk.

Even in their sleep, the cubs always wanted to be near Bai Tu, but Lang Qi wouldn’t allow it. Those little ones were too restless, and if they accidentally woke Bai Tu up, it would be troublesome.

So after feeding them, Lang Qi decisively moved all the cubs to the bedroom next door. Since they didn’t need a heated brick bed at the moment, it didn’t really matter where they slept.

Hearing that they were asleep, Bai Tu didn’t ask any further. Wolf cubs spent more time sleeping than awake, so it was natural for them to rest more. Since they had already eaten, there was no need to wake them up.

Having skipped breakfast, and with last night’s food long since digested, Bai Tu ate more than usual. After finishing his meal, he instinctively touched his waist and warned Lang Qi, “Be careful.”

Hei Xiao might not be interfering with their relationship for now, but if Lang Qi overstepped, he would definitely notice. Bai Tu didn’t want to end up having another cub before the three they already had even grew up. Besides, five wolf cubs were already more than enough. Among wolf beastmen, having five offspring was rare— even Lang Qi’s parents had only four children.

Lang Qi didn’t respond to Bai Tu’s warning. He knew himself too well and understood that making a promise he couldn’t keep was pointless.

Bai Tu: “…” Don’t think I can’t tell what you’re thinking.

With personal matters settled, Bai Tu shifted his focus. “Did anyone come by this morning?”

“A beastman from the Flower Bear Tribe came,” Lang Qi replied.

“That was fast.” Bai Tu was a little surprised. He hadn’t expected the first ones to arrive to be from the Flower Bear Tribe.

Back when winter hadn’t fully ended, the Black Hawk Tribe had already reached out to various other tribes. But considering the time it took for messages to be sent and for people to travel here, Bai Tu hadn’t expected anyone to arrive so soon.

It had already been a month since the Black Hawk Tribe’s first visit, and only now did the first tribe show up to inquire about the cubs. Bai Tu had assumed it would be the Brown Bear or Black Bear Tribe, since they were closer. The Flower Bear Tribe, on the other hand, was so elusive that no one even knew where they lived.

Noticing Bai Tu’s confusion, Lang Qi explained, “Other tribes are still preparing food, but the Flower Bear Tribe doesn’t need to stockpile prey, so they were able to come faster.”

“Did they come empty-handed?” Bai Tu asked. In reality, whether they brought gifts or not didn’t really matter. He couldn’t refuse to return the cub just because they didn’t bring a token of gratitude—that would mean separating a mother from her child. However, he was slightly concerned that some members of the tribe might be unhappy about it. Moreover, if cubs were taken away without any kind of exchange, some beastmen who weren’t keen on taking back cubs might feel reluctant.

It wasn’t about fearing bad parents—though that was always a possibility—but accepting some form of goods acted as a barrier. For Bai Tu, it was more about the attitude than the actual items. In the end, whatever food they received in exchange would be used to supplement other supplies anyway.

Just like with the Yellow Lion and White Lion Tribes—the food they brought to exchange for the cubs had already been quietly returned to them when their tribes faced food shortages. It was just never publicly mentioned. Bai Tu wasn’t the only one who felt this way—Bai An and the others also agreed. No one wanted to use the cubs for personal gain. But whether or not they accepted something, and whether the other party was willing to offer something, were two separate matters.

Bai Tu decided to carefully observe the Flower Bear Tribe before making a final decision on whether to return the panda-cub.

Regardless, losing a cub in the first place was a serious failure of responsibility.

“They’re not exactly empty-handed,” Lang Qi said with an odd expression. “You should come and see for yourself.”

“Alright.” Bai Tu headed straight for the guest quarters at the foot of the mountain. When he arrived, he finally understood why Lang Qi had looked so perplexed.

A group of beastmen were munching on bamboo. A considerable pile of leftover bamboo scraps had already accumulated beside them. Nearby were several carrying baskets filled with bamboo, bamboo shoots, and similar items.

Bai Chen saw Bai Tu approaching and immediately walked up to him to offer an explanation. “Tu, these are the people from the Flower Bear Tribe. They’ve been eating non-stop.”

Bai Tu nodded, somewhat surprised. He hadn’t expected to see beastmen who were purely vegetarian.

Normally, after transforming into beastmen, whether they were originally carnivores or herbivores, they all relied primarily on meat. The reason was simple—meat had much higher nutritional value. The energy in a piece of meat was several times, or even dozens of times, greater than the same weight of plants. Eating one piece of meat could provide the necessary nutrients, whereas consuming plants would require ten times the effort and nearly constant eating throughout the day just to meet their daily energy needs.

Almost all animals were vulnerable while eating, making them easy targets for attacks. But aside from safety concerns, the bigger issue was the difficulty of finding enough palatable plants. During their transformation, beastmen’s digestive systems changed as well—they couldn’t digest grass as easily as true animals could. This was one of the reasons why Bai Tu sought out food items he had seen in his past life. Compared to wild plants, human food was more easily accepted by beastmen.

Even so, Bai Tu still promoted a balanced diet of grains and meat. He didn’t want beastmen to rely solely on grains, as that would inevitably lead to malnutrition.

However, the Flower Bear Tribe had clearly taken a completely different path from other beastmen—they had chosen to survive on bamboo and bamboo shoots.

Just like the challenges other beastmen faced, the biggest issue with the Flower Bear Tribe’s diet was that they had to eat constantly, without stopping. Otherwise, the energy they consumed wouldn’t be enough to sustain their bodies.

“Did you ask them about it? What’s going on?” Bai Tu glanced at the beastmen in the room, still fully focused on devouring their food. He figured Bai Chen would be able to explain more quickly.

Bai Chen nodded. He had indeed asked earlier and now understood how the Flower Bear Tribe had fallen from being a strong, powerful tribe to their current state.

It turned out that the region they had passed through on their way to the market had once been the Flower Bear Tribe’s territory. But as the number of cubs in their tribe dwindled, they began to believe in the words of a shaman. Coupled with a growing food shortage, they decided to relocate to a new territory.

But moving territories was no simple task. The only reason the Spotted Leopard Tribe had managed to migrate successfully last time was because they had the support of the Wolf Tribe and the Snow Rabbit Tribe. The presence of the wolves deterred other tribes from bullying the newcomers, and the food Bai Tu had lent them helped them establish themselves in their new home.

However, after the Flower Bear Tribe left their original territory, the first challenge they encountered was starvation.

For the sake of their cubs, the beastmen chose to endure hunger. Afraid of being attacked by the owners of the territories they passed through, they barely stopped to hunt along the way. They traveled without rest until they finally found an unclaimed territory.

But there was a reason no tribe had settled there—like many other unoccupied areas, it lacked prey.

The land where the Spotted Leopard Tribe now resides originally had very little vegetation, but after implementing an irrigation system and planting drought-resistant crops, it had improved significantly.

In contrast, the territory the Flower Bear Tribe had found was a bamboo forest. Bamboo grows quickly, and once mature, the lower parts near the ground are just stalks, which most prey animals don’t like to eat.

Because the bamboo was so dense that it blocked out sunlight and had deep, sprawling roots, other plants struggled to grow there. With little vegetation, there was no food for prey animals, so they naturally avoided the area.

As a result, the surrounding tribes had long abandoned the bamboo forest. Even when the Flower Bear Tribe moved in, no one tried to drive them out. It was land that nobody wanted—whoever was willing to take it was free to do so, as long as they didn’t encroach on others’ territories.

In fact, this wasn’t the first time a tribe had attempted to settle there, but none had lasted more than a few days before leaving. Other territories had vast areas of vegetation that prey animals liked, so migrating herds would linger for a while. But in the bamboo forest, even if prey animals passed through, they never stayed—they couldn’t wait to leave as soon as they arrived.

Hunting in a bamboo forest was far more difficult than in other areas, and very few tribes could survive in such an environment.

But then, the Flower Bear Tribe did something that shocked all the other tribes—they settled in the bamboo forest and stayed there for a long time. It wasn’t because they had some special hunting techniques; rather, they had changed their diet. Instead of eating prey, they started eating bamboo.

Eating bamboo was much easier than hunting. The entire territory was filled with it, and even with the entire tribe consuming it daily, they couldn’t eat faster than the bamboo could grow.

Over time, they even developed expertise in selecting the best bamboo and learned which seasons were best for harvesting bamboo shoots.

When they set out to retrieve the lost cub, other tribes had to spend time preparing gifts as tokens of gratitude, but the Flower Bear Tribe simply mobilized their entire tribe. Some were tasked with snapping bamboo stalks, while others dug up bamboo shoots.

The only problem was that the Flower Bear Tribe’s math skills seemed to be lacking. The entire tribe, young and old, set out together. They ate continuously along the way, and by the time they were only halfway to their destination, all the bamboo and bamboo shoots they had carried were already gone. Forget using them to exchange for the cub—they didn’t even have enough for their own food and drink.

Fortunately, beastmen had a common trait: they could endure hunger. While they couldn’t go without food for ten or fifteen days, they could manage for four or five.

Whether it was good luck or bad luck, when the Flower Bear Tribe entered the Snow Rabbit Tribe’s territory, they didn’t encounter a patrol team. Instead, they stumbled upon a patch of bamboo.

After going hungry for four or five days, the sight of bamboo felt like a joyous homecoming. The entire group immediately started digging and eating.

At this point in the story, Bai Chen sighed. “This morning, when Qi was leading a patrol, they saw someone digging up bamboo and thought a tribe had come to steal it.”

At first, Bai Qi was confused—who would steal bamboo? He never expected that it was actually a group of beastmen who had come to retrieve a cub. He had intended to provide them with some food, but they refused to let go of the bamboo they were holding.

Since the Snow Rabbit Tribe had plenty of bamboo, Bai Qi figured that even if these beastmen were using it as food, how much could they possibly eat? So, he let them be.

But Bai Qi had clearly underestimated them. Ever since they were brought here in the morning, they hadn’t stopped eating. Watching them devour bamboo nonstop, it was hard not to wonder—after eating for so long, didn’t their teeth hurt?

“Qi has already gone to dig up a fourth batch,” Bai Chen added, marveling at their staggering appetite.

Just as they were talking, a sudden cry rang out: “Someone, come quickly!”

Hearing Tu Bing’s voice, Bai Chen immediately ran toward the source.

Bai Tu followed closely behind.

When they arrived, Tu Bing was holding a squirming bundle in his hands.

Upon seeing Bai Tu, Tu Bing looked as if he had found his savior. “Tu, what is this?”

Bai Tu: “…”

He wanted to know too. Who on earth was leaving cubs lying around?