Chapter 129
Xiong Tuan and Bai Qi were both at a loss. After all, they were still young. However, Xiong He, who had experienced much more, held onto his injured shoulder and told Xiong Tuan to hide first. When he heard Bai Qi say that someone in their tribe knew medicine, he immediately asked for help.
Fortunately, the area between the two tribes wasn’t far. Moreover, as soon as Bai An realized Bai Qi was missing, the first thing he did was search in this direction. Before Bai Qi could even return, Bai An had already arrived and quickly took charge of the situation. He instructed Bai Qi to find Bai Tu and Lang Qi and also told Lang Qi to bring more members of the Wolf Tribe.
When Bai Tu reached the Black Bear Tribe, he first treated Xiong He’s injuries. The wound on his shoulder was from when Xiong Tuan had hit him earlier. Xiong He also had a leg injury, and since he hadn’t been on guard against Xiong Tuan, he hadn’t dodged in time. Fortunately, his internal organs weren’t harmed, and it was just a surface wound. However, the worsening gash on his leg was far more serious—if left untreated, the entire limb could become necrotic.
Even in broad daylight, Xiong He had looked thin. Now, seeing him up close, he was practically skin and bones. This was shocking, especially considering he was a bear beastman. Although black bears were smaller than brown and polar bears, they were still large, powerful creatures. If even they had no food to eat, what about the smaller tribes?
While Bai Tu treated Xiong He’s wounds, Bai An led a few beastmen to calm the frightened Black Bear Tribe.
Xiong Tuan, in a bad mood, had chosen a secluded spot. Only a few of his fellow tribesmen had seen him transform into his beast form. Now, being so close to the marketplace, they absolutely couldn’t let this news spread. If others found out, even though Xiong Tuan was still conscious, many beastmen—fearing he might lose control and become violent—would pressure the Black Bear Tribe to execute him.
Lang Qi used iron chains to bind Xiong Tuan’s hands and feet. Since Xiong Tuan was still conscious, the chains were only meant as a restraint and weren’t too tight. Bai Qi, anxious, quickly found some animal hides and soft cloth to cushion Xiong Tuan’s wrists.
By the time Bai Tu finished treating Xiong He’s injuries, it was already midnight. The others had mostly finished their tasks as well. Whether due to the early stage of his corruption or simply his weakness from hunger, Xiong Tuan reverted to human form sooner than expected.
Bai Tu asked him a few questions and compared his experience to what Lang Qi had gone through when he transformed. He was almost certain it was caused by the same type of drug.
The question now was: When had Xiong Tuan been drugged?
Even Xiong Tuan himself had no idea. The last time he fought someone was a few days ago, on his way to the marketplace. Since then, he had barely interacted with beastmen from other tribes—his only contacts were members of his own tribe and Bai Qi, whom he had encountered that afternoon.
The Black Bear Tribe members, having snapped out of their initial shock, split into two groups—some checked on Xiong He, while others hurried off to guard their food.
“Xiong Tuan was fine the whole way here. The moment he met Bai Qi, this happened!” A bear beastman of about the same age as Xiong Tuan accused Bai Qi, his tone full of suspicion. “It must be something Bai Qi did!”
“I didn’t!” Bai Qi, who had been entirely focused on Xiong Tuan’s condition, immediately retorted. How could he possibly harm Xiong Tuan? Besides, they didn’t even have the kind of drug that turned someone into a corrupted beast. The only one who had possessed such a drug was Hu Bu, and he had been dead for half a year.
“It was you!” The furious young bear beastman refused to listen. “None of us had any issues, but right after Xiong Tuan met you, he transformed! It’s all your fault!”
Bai Qi was about to argue back when Bai Tu suddenly questioned the accuser, “Who told you that Xiong Tuan turned into a fallen beast because of Bai Qi?”
They had only just determined that Xiong Tuan’s transformation was likely drug-induced. A moment ago, those bear beastmen had been on the other side, under Bai An’s watch. Here, they had been speaking in hushed tones, careful not to alert beastmen from other tribes. Unless this young bear had supernatural hearing, there was no way he could have overheard their conversation.
Would a normal beastman immediately assume that someone turning into a fallen beast was the result of deliberate sabotage? While the causes of corruption were still unclear to most, the general belief was that it was some kind of mysterious affliction.
Even Bai Tu and his group had only figured it out after piecing together clues from Hu Bu’s words and Lang Qi’s own experience with the drug. Aside from the Rabbit Tribe, the Wolf Tribe, and Hei Xiao, no one else should have any real knowledge of the corruption’s origins.
The Black Bear Tribe had never had a fallen beastman before. So how did this guy know that corruption had to be caused by someone else?
The aggressive bear beastman was momentarily stunned by the question. Then, he pointed at the injured Xiong He and said, “He attacked the chief! Isn’t that what a fallen beast does?”
“No, he was just feeling unwell. He’s already back to normal now. Since when can a fallen beast revert to human form?” Bai Tu took advantage of the information gap, firmly refusing to acknowledge Xiong Tuan as a fallen beast. Once admitted, even the slightest abnormality would make Xiong Tuan a target for attacks.
He and Hei Xiao had previously studied the differences in corruption severity—some were mild, others severe. Someone like Xiong Tuan, who quickly returned to human form, had only been mildly affected. His condition was only slightly worse than Lang Yang, who had merely touched a drug-coated blade in the past. Given beastmen’s metabolic abilities, Xiong Tuan would fully recover within a few days, making his situation even less severe than Lang Qi’s at the time.
After all, when Lang Qi was affected, he had only recognized Bai Tu. In contrast, Xiong Tuan had no trouble recognizing people. His fatigue and hunger were merely aftereffects of temporarily shifting into his beast form.
Bai Tu had just finished bandaging Xiong He’s wounds. Although the Black Bear Tribe beastmen remained wary of Lang Qi and his group, they still trusted Bai Tu to some extent. His firm stance, coupled with the fact that Xiong Tuan’s transformation differed from the legendary fallen beasts, made them hesitate. In the past, the Brown Bear Tribe’s fallen beast had killed many people before being captured. In contrast, Xiong Tuan had merely swiped at Xiong He—it wasn’t the same at all.
However, the young bear beastman who had spoken earlier still refused to back down. “Impossible! He transformed into his beast form! He is a fallen beast—”
“Enough,” Xiong He interrupted, mustering his strength to stop the argument. “Tuan is not a fallen beast. I just said something that angered him, and he lost his temper. That’s all. Everything is fine now.”
Yet the Black Bear Tribe member wasn’t convinced. “But he clearly—”
Before he could finish, Bai Tu suddenly pointed at him and said to Xiong He, “Chief Xiong He, I suspect he’s colluding with the rogue beastmen.”
He was so insistent on labeling Xiong Tuan as a fallen beast that he wouldn’t even accept Xiong He’s explanation. Could he be the one who administered the drug?
Bai Tu was merely testing him, but the man immediately panicked. “I didn’t contact the rogue beastmen! They came on their own!”
“Oh?” Bai Tu raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the unexpected response. He turned to Xiong He and suggested, “You should interrogate this man thoroughly.” There was definitely more to this.
In hindsight, the beastman had acted too hastily. If he had first whispered his suspicions about Bai Qi among the crowd, letting others raise doubts naturally, he wouldn’t have been exposed so quickly. But instead, he had rushed to declare Xiong Tuan a fallen beast and even tried to drag Bai Qi and the Snow Rabbit Tribe into the matter. That made him an easy target.
Every tribe’s chief was chosen carefully by the previous leader and the tribe’s elders. Those who became chiefs were all shrewd individuals. Xiong He took over the interrogation of the bear beastman, and Bai Tu decided not to interfere further. After making his point, he prepared to leave.
Naturally, Lang Qi was going with Bai Tu. The Wolf Tribe members who had been standing guard near Xiong Tuan, ready to act if he lost control, also stood up and prepared to leave.
Xiong He did not reject Bai Tu’s suggestion. Instead, he made a request: “Chief Lang Qi, could you leave a few wolf beastmen behind…”
Xiong He knew that letting beastmen from another tribe stay near their own tribe overnight was dangerous, but he had no other choice.
After being ambushed by rogue beastmen once, only two-thirds of their original tribe members remained. The ones who were injured or killed had been among the strongest warriors. Then, on the salt trade route, they were targeted by rogue beastmen again. Now, Xiong Tuan was bound and unable to fight at full strength. His body bore both fresh and old wounds, and they still had to interrogate a suspicious tribesman. With the tribe divided, they were vulnerable to other tribes eyeing them.
During previous trade markets, Xiong He would not have worried so much. But this year was different. Food shortages affected not just their tribe but all tribes. Many had encountered rogue beastmen, not just them. With so many tribes lacking food, it was inevitable that some would resort to stealing. Their own food supplies were already insufficient—if they were raided again, they wouldn’t even be able to trade for salt this year.
Without salt, even if they found food, their beastmen would grow weak. The entire tribe would become easy prey for the rogue beastmen, who might even devour them.
Xiong He couldn’t allow that to happen. That was why he sought help from Lang Qi and Bai An. The rabbit tribe’s beastmen were weaker than the bear tribe’s and couldn’t protect them. For security, they could only turn to Lang Qi.
Lang Qi looked to Bai Tu, letting him decide.
“Leave a few behind,” Bai Tu said. After all, Xiong Tuan and Bai Qi had a good relationship. Bai Tu still remembered how Bai Qi had mentioned Xiong Tuan when he first woke up—more than a year had passed since then. He couldn’t bear to see them suffer more misfortune. Besides, their team had enough people, so leaving a few wolf beastmen wouldn’t be an issue.
To the other tribes, all beastmen who arrived together at the market appeared as a single group. It didn’t matter which tribe they came from—if they traveled together, others saw them as one unit. So even though Lang Qi only left a few wolf beastmen behind, their presence was enough to deter those who had been considering taking advantage of the situation.
Offending a group of several hundred beastmen for a bit of food wasn’t worth it. If they angered the wrong people, it wouldn’t just be about food—they could lose their lives.
Although Xiong He remained wary of the wolf and rabbit tribes, he had no choice but to rely on them for protection. Even if he still had concerns, he had to endure them for now. The sooner they got answers, the better.
But even Xiong He hadn’t expected the truth they uncovered to be so shocking.
The beastman who had accused Bai Qi earlier was named Xiong Tai. He was two years older than Xiong Tuan and even stronger.
Logically, he had a chance of becoming the next chief. However, based on his behavior within the tribe, Xiong He knew Xiong Tai was too afraid of death. A tribe’s leader couldn’t be someone who feared danger. If they were attacked by another tribe, or if their hunting grounds were invaded, a chief who ran away instead of fighting back would doom them all.
Originally, Xiong He wasn’t in a rush to decide his successor. He was still young. But after the winter ambush by rogue beastmen, where nearly half of their strongest warriors perished, he had to consider the future. He and another senior tribesman discussed the matter and ultimately chose Xiong Tuan. In hindsight, their choice had been correct.
Through Bai Tu’s questioning and Xiong Tai’s guilty reactions, Xiong He suspected that Xiong Tai had said something to Xiong Tuan that nearly pushed him into corruption. But what they uncovered went far beyond that.
Xiong Tai, cowardly and lacking close allies within the tribe, quickly broke under Xiong He’s aggressive interrogation. Before dawn, he had confessed everything. Not only had he known about the rogue beastmen they encountered on the road, but he had also known about the winter attack long before it happened.
The one who had contacted Xiong Tai was the tribe’s former shaman. Before leaving, the shaman had hinted that if Xiong Tai could become chief, he would introduce the Black Bear Tribe to the Black Forest Tribe. If that happened, they would become part of the Black Forest Tribe’s ranks.
The Black Forest Tribe was the largest tribe in the Eastern Continent. They were the only tribe that had begun learning written language. It was said that every Black Forest beastman was incredibly strong, their tribe never lacked food, and their warriors didn’t even need to hunt to be well-fed. Their shamans could even summon the Beast God. Every word was deeply enticing, and Xiong Tai had eagerly agreed.
But while Xiong Tai was strong, he wasn’t the strongest in the tribe. Others were still more powerful than him, and Xiong He’s son was still in the way.
On the Beast God Continent, most tribes select their chief based on two factors: one, whether the candidate is physically strong enough, and two, whether they can improve the tribe’s well-being.
The first factor is influenced by upbringing—those with better access to food grow stronger. The second depends on the beastman’s knowledge, personality, and other traits.
Typically, the chief receives the largest share of food, and their children also receive more food than other children of the same age. Growing up alongside a ruling parent, they gain insights and experience that others cannot match. So, while any beastman of the same generation may compete for the chief’s position, more than half the time, it ends up going to the chief’s child.
Xiong Tai knew he was no match for Xiong He’s son—not only in terms of knowledge and experience but also in sheer size.
If he wanted to become chief, he had to eliminate both Xiong He and his son. However, he couldn’t let Xiong He die first, as that would only ensure the leadership passed directly to his son.
So, Xiong Tai first targeted the tribe itself, using the opportunity to get rid of stronger competitors. The outcome pleased him—rogue beastmen wiped out nearly half of the tribe’s strong young warriors. Originally just average in size, Xiong Tai suddenly became the strongest among the remaining young beastmen.
But despite this, Xiong He still chose to train Xiong Tuan instead of him. Unlike younger chiefs, older chiefs often kept their chosen successors close, gradually involving them in tribal matters to ensure a smooth transition. Xiong He didn’t hide his decision from anyone, so Xiong Tai immediately realized he wasn’t the chosen one. With no other options, he secretly contacted the shaman again before the tribe set out on their journey.
The shaman’s response was simple: get rid of Xiong He and make sure Xiong Tuan couldn’t take over. Since no one in the tribe would suspect him, as the strongest young warrior, the leadership position would naturally fall to him.
Killing Xiong He was easy. With so many young warriors dead, there were fewer beastmen left to fight at the front. If the tribe faced danger, Xiong He would inevitably step forward to protect them.
Things played out exactly as Xiong Tai expected. When the second wave of rogue beastmen attacked, Xiong He was indeed injured—wounded in his leg, no less. Whether traveling or hunting, he would have to push through the pain, making the injury worse over time.
After dealing with Xiong He, Xiong Tai turned his focus to Xiong Tuan. As long as Xiong Tuan was alive, even if Xiong He died, Xiong Tai still wouldn’t be able to become chief.
Xiong Tai secretly fed Xiong Tuan a drug provided by the shaman—a substance that could turn a beastman into a fallen beast.
He didn’t dare let Xiong Tuan transform on the road—there weren’t enough allies to ensure his own safety. Instead, he waited until they reached the trade market to poison him. With so many beastmen around, if Xiong Tuan transformed in public, he would never be able to become chief and might even be killed on the spot. After all, no one wanted to keep a fallen beast near them.
The shaman had explained the different ways the drug could be administered:
- Sprinkling it directly onto an open wound would cause an instant transformation.
- Pressing a soaked cloth over the nose would take a few moments.
- Mixing it into food or drink would take several hours.
Since Xiong Tuan had no visible wounds, the first method was unusable. The second method—covering the nose—was impractical for a strong beastman. So, Xiong Tai chose the slowest but safest option: mixing the drug into Xiong Tuan’s food.
Xiong Tuan ate the drugged food at noon but didn’t notice anything unusual. In the afternoon, he had a dispute with Bai Qi and hid in a corner, where only Xiong He found him. Later, as he reflected on the day’s events, he entered a partial beast transformation. However, Xiong He and Bai Qi—who had come looking for him—reacted quickly, preventing any other beastmen from noticing.
Xiong Tai grew anxious. The drug had only partially worked, and Xiong Tuan recovered too quickly—no one from other tribes had seen him transform. Desperate, Xiong Tai decided to redirect suspicion by blaming Bai Qi.
What Xiong Tai didn’t anticipate was how fiercely Bai Tu would protect his own. If he hadn’t initially accused Bai Qi, Bai Tu—who was simply tending to Xiong He’s wounds—might not have paid much attention to him.
Xiong Tai believed every step he took was flawless, perfectly aligned with the shaman’s instructions. Yet, he couldn’t understand why everything went wrong at the most crucial moment—when Xiong Tuan was supposed to become a fallen beast.
Unlike most beastmen in the tribe, Xiong Tai had kept these secrets to himself, confident that no one else knew. Yet, when Bai Tu exposed the truth about his collusion with rogue beastmen, Xiong Tai panicked instantly. His first reaction was to deny everything, but that very denial only made his guilt even more obvious.
Of course, Xiong Tai didn’t tell Xiong He the full story. He only claimed that he had been tricked, insisting he hadn’t known that the medicine from the rogue beastmen would turn people into fallen beasts. He said his original plan was just to use them to scare the tribe members, and he hadn’t expected them to go on a killing spree.
Xiong Tai tried his best to absolve himself of responsibility, but Xiong He was more than twenty years older than him and had experienced far more in life. Xiong Tai’s explanations were inconsistent, and after a few pointed questions, Xiong He got the full truth.
When he realized that both attacks by rogue beastmen had happened simply because Xiong Tai wanted to become the tribe’s chief, Xiong He, despite his serious injuries, struggled to his feet and slapped him hard across the face.
That was one-third of their tribe—not just young warriors, but also elderly beastmen and children. Some of the pups had been born just this past winter. They hadn’t even had the chance to see the world properly before being slaughtered by rogue beastmen, all because Xiong Tai wanted power.
As for Xiong Tai’s claim that he “didn’t expect the rogue beastmen to be so ruthless”, Xiong He didn’t believe a word of it.
Everyone on the Beast God Continent, even small children, knew how dangerous rogue beastmen were.
When a small tribe encountered rogue beastmen, they had only two choices: join them or be slaughtered.
Their tribe was not small, yet they had been attacked by over a hundred rogue beastmen. No one had expected that many of them to gather together or to be bold enough to launch an attack on a well-known tribe. They hesitated for just a moment, and that moment had cost them countless lives.
On top of that, rogue beastmen fought like madmen—they didn’t care about their own lives, while the tribe’s warriors had to protect their people, which meant fighting cautiously. That was why the casualties had been so severe.
Even during their most recent encounter on the road, despite being prepared in advance, several beastmen were still injured while defending the tribe’s food supplies.
Thinking about everything the tribe had lost, Xiong He was furious. He looked at Xiong Tai with utter disappointment.
He had never imagined that his son had died because of this.
And the shaman who left the tribe? All it took was a promise to recommend Xiong Tai to the Black Forest Tribe, and Xiong Tai had betrayed his own people?
Xiong He was heartbroken.
Just earlier, he had been frustrated with Xiong Tuan, thinking he was too soft-hearted, too trusting of outsiders. But now, looking at Xiong Tai, he started to think that being soft-hearted might not be such a bad thing after all.
Xiong Tai, after all, wasn’t soft-hearted at all—he had nearly destroyed the entire tribe.
*
The Next Day
Bai Tu only learned the full story at noon the next day, when Xiong He sent Xiong Tuan over to explain everything.
After listening, Bai Tu exchanged glances with Lang Qi—they immediately recognized the pattern.
It was almost identical to what had happened before.
The only difference was that Tu Cheng had been exposed early, before he could do any real harm to the tribe. Xiong Tai, however, had already gotten people killed.
Bai Tu sighed. “Is the temptation of joining a major tribe really that strong?”
Back then, Tu Cheng had been obsessed with joining the Mad Lion Tribe, willing to risk his life for it.
And now, Xiong Tai had done the exact same thing—betraying his own tribe, his chief, and his people, all just to join the Black Forest Tribe.
“They’re fools,” Lang Qi said bluntly. “They got tricked. They think joining a powerful tribe will make them like the warriors they admire.”
The Black Forest Tribe was indeed famous and immense, but the only beastmen allowed to leave the tribe or interact with other tribes were the ones with high status.
These were the ones who never lacked food, had the privilege of learning to read, and didn’t even have to participate in hunts.
Beastmen who had never seen the reality of the Black Forest Tribe thought this luxurious lifestyle was the norm.
But in reality, these privileged individuals lived well because others suffered for them.
Beastmen at the bottom of the hierarchy in the Black Forest Tribe had lives just as miserable as the low-ranking warriors in the Mad Lion Tribe.
Their sole purpose was to hunt for the entire tribe—and they were beaten constantly.
If they caught too little prey, they were beaten.
If they caught a lot of prey but let it spoil, they were beaten.
If their supervisor was in a bad mood, they were beaten.
Even if the supervisor was in a good mood, they might still get beaten.
Some of these beastmen had a lower status than prey itself—working endlessly, yet barely getting enough food to survive.
No one cared if these beastmen lived or died. Once they entered the tribe, they could never leave. They had no way to contact the outside world, and the high-ranking warriors didn’t care about their suffering.
If a batch of low-ranking beastmen died, it didn’t matter—soon, another batch would be brought in to replace them.
If Xiong Tai had successfully led his entire tribe into the Black Forest Tribe, this would have been their fate.
Some smaller tribes still have some news about the beastmen they take in from other tribes. For example, in the White Bear Tribe, the later-joined Eagle Five Tribe has a slightly lower status but can still communicate with other tribes.
However, no beastmen who joined the Black Forest Tribe ever came out to talk about how good life there was, how beautiful the tribe was, or how comfortable their lives had become. It was always the same beastmen tricking batch after batch of naive beastmen into joining.
Before meeting Bai Tu, Lang Qi had once encountered a high-ranking beastman from the Black Forest Tribe, who was introducing the tribe’s supposed wonders to a younger beastman.
Lang Qi found it suspicious from the very first sentence, while Lang Ze, listening beside him, naively asked, “You don’t even have to hunt for food? Do the prey just run into your mouth on their own?”
Lang Ze’s question was sincere, but the beastman speaking with the Black Forest Tribe member mistakenly thought that Lang Qi and Lang Ze were envious of his acceptance into the tribe. Lang Qi didn’t argue with him and simply led Lang Ze away. Some people only believe what they want to believe.
As Bai Tu listened to Lang Qi’s explanation, he nodded seriously from time to time. When Lang Qi finished, Bai Tu stared at him, deep in thought.
Realizing Bai Tu was still watching him as if about to say something, Lang Qi uneasily asked, “Do you also think their life sounds great?”
The low-ranking beastmen in the Black Forest Tribe lived miserable lives, but the high-ranking ones had lifestyles many envied. Even though he knew Bai Tu wasn’t that kind of person, Lang Qi couldn’t help but worry.
“No, it’s just a sugar-coated trap,” Bai Tu replied. “Actually, it’s not even that—at least sugar-coated traps offer some sweetness before the deception. The Black Forest Tribe takes everything without giving anything in return.”
As for what he had been thinking just now, Bai Tu suddenly exclaimed, “That’s the most I’ve ever heard you say!”
After all, Lang Qi usually spoke as little as possible, summarizing everything in the shortest way possible. Although he had improved a little, this was the first time he had explained something in such detail.
Lang Qi: “……”
He averted his gaze and looked at the young wolf cubs nearby. He had only been worried that Bai Tu might be drawn to the Black Forest Tribe’s lifestyle. With Bai Tu’s abilities, he would undoubtedly fare better than most there. Of course, Lang Qi wanted to give Bai Tu a carefree life too, but that would take time.
When Bai Tu saw Lang Qi remain silent, he asked in confusion, “Are you angry?”
Lang Qi shook his head.
“As long as you’re not angry.” Seeing that Lang Qi didn’t look upset, Bai Tu was relieved.
As for the Black Forest Tribe, the ones who got tricked into joining were often inexperienced beastmen who blindly believed the promises made to them. They never considered the simple truth that effort and rewards must always be balanced—why would others just hand them food for free?
“Ze is the smart one,” Bai Tu said, recalling the story Lang Qi had just shared. “He may not seem reliable at times, but his reaction was sharp. Too bad that beastman didn’t catch his hint.”
Lang Qi paused for a moment and then replied, “It wasn’t a hint.”
Lang Ze had genuinely been wondering—if you didn’t have to hunt, cook, or do any work, did the food just run into your mouth by itself?
Bai Tu: “……”
Bai Tu chuckled. “That’s quite an innovative thought.” He felt that if Lang Ze lived in the modern world, he might have become an inventor, given his endless bizarre ideas.
Having figured out why Xiong Tuan suddenly transformed yesterday, Bai Tu still had one lingering question—since the drug was supposed to turn a beastman into a fallen beast within half a day, how did Xiong Tuan recover so quickly?
Of course, recovering sooner was a good thing, but Bai Tu wanted to understand the reason. If they encountered another beastman turning into a fallen beast in the future, they could use this knowledge to help treat them.
Even Xiong Tuan himself had no idea—he hadn’t even known he was poisoned, let alone why he recovered so fast.
Still, Bai Tu decided to investigate. He asked Xiong Tuan what he had eaten over the past two days.
The Black Bear Tribe had brought limited food, so they foraged for energy-boosting wild fruits along the way. The previous morning, they found a type of green fruit that most of the tribe ate.
Xiong Tuan hadn’t eaten it at the time—he had picked some and saved them for Bai Qi. However, after lunch yesterday, he felt a bit hungry and ate most of them himself. Not long after, he vomited. He wasn’t sure if he had eaten too much or if the fruit itself was problematic.
Bai Tu looked at what Xiong Tuan had eaten—it was an unripe tomato. He wasn’t sure whether to feel relieved or frightened.
Xiong Tuan had suffered mild poisoning from eating the unripe tomato, but that very poisoning had caused him to vomit most of the drug he had been given earlier.
Overall, it was good news. Bai Tu only felt at ease after confirming that Xiong Tuan wasn’t experiencing any discomfort. If this had been their first encounter with such a situation, they would have panicked. However, they had already seen Lang Qi go through an even more severe reaction and recover just fine. Besides, Hu Bu had previously mentioned that the drug, despite its side effects, could also make people stronger. It wasn’t something that could be entirely dismissed—it had both advantages and disadvantages.
Bai Tu didn’t pay attention to the punishment that Xiong Tai received. In any case, he hadn’t seen him again since that day. Meanwhile, the other beastmen of the Black Bear Tribe had changed significantly compared to before. They had once been wary and fearful of Bai Tu’s group, but now they had voluntarily moved to live just one street away.
Xiong He looked at the wounds on his shoulder and leg, which had stopped bleeding, then glanced at Xiong Tuan, who was excitedly sharing a small happy moment with Bai Qi. He couldn’t help but sigh.
He had thought that as long as they guarded against beastmen from other tribes, they would be safe. He never expected that the greatest harm would come from their own people.
Before last year, they had always respected the tribe’s shaman. They gave him the best food, provided him with the most comfortable cave, and fulfilled all of his requests as long as they weren’t excessive. Even though injuries in the tribe were rare, they continued to support him. The only thing they hadn’t agreed to was his demand for three partners within the tribe. Despite all this, the shaman still left without hesitation. Leaving wasn’t enough—he had to drag the tribe into disaster as well.
Xiong He looked at his injured leg, which was missing a large chunk of flesh. Bai Tu had said that he was lucky it hadn’t damaged the tendons or bones. However, even after it healed, he wouldn’t be able to exert the same strength as before.
The tribe needed to be handed over to the younger generation. Xiong He thought that he should step down as chief sooner rather than later. Xiong Tuan was still young, but with his guidance and support from others in the tribe, he could lead them to a better future.
Thinking of this, Xiong He remembered another pressing issue. Now that they had uncovered the conspiracy between the shaman and Xiong Tai, even though they had captured Xiong Tai, their tribe’s territory could still be attacked by rogue beastmen.
Previously, the tribe had over 300 members, yet they still couldn’t completely defeat the rogue beastmen. Now, with only a little over 200 members left, defending their land would be even harder. Perhaps it was time for them to relocate—somewhere farther away from the Black Forest Tribe.
*
Bai Tu was unaware that Xiong He was considering abandoning their territory. He was focused on observing the newly arrived tribes.
These new tribes were in a similar state to the previous arrivals. Most looked thinner than when he had last seen them, and their spirits were visibly low.
Some tribes had arrived empty-handed, without any food, and with varying degrees of injuries on their bodies.
The more desperate a tribe was, the more cautious they became. Bai Tu didn’t approach them but observed from a distance. Injured tribes would settle in a concealed spot, shifting into their beast forms to lick each other’s wounds.
Bai Tu knew that this was a method beastmen used to accelerate healing. Without medicine or other supplies, this was their only way to disinfect wounds.
Noticing his interest in the injured beastmen, Lang Qi finished his meal and took a few wolf clan members with him to investigate. When he returned, he reported to Bai Tu, “They encountered rogue beastmen. The rogues stole their food but didn’t kill anyone.”
Lang Qi frowned as he spoke. It was, of course, a good thing that no one had died, but it was also unusual. Rogue beastmen rarely spared lives.
Typically, once they took food, they would also kill their victims to prevent revenge later. Additionally, most rogue beastmen had been expelled from their original tribes, and they harbored deep hatred toward those who still had tribes. Some tribes had even tried to avoid conflict by willingly offering food, yet they were still slaughtered.
Rogue beastmen had earned a terrible reputation across the Beast God Continent for their cruelty. For them to suddenly change their behavior—stealing food without killing—made Lang Qi suspicious.
He didn’t believe they had turned over a new leaf. There was only one possible explanation: something even bigger was driving them.
Keeping these beastmen alive must serve some greater purpose.
Bai Tu had the same thought. The two of them pondered over it but couldn’t figure out the reason. Just then, a loud cheer erupted from a distance.
Bai Tu was used to hearing cheers—his little wolf cubs howled at the smallest things, whether it was catching prey or tasting good food. But this time, the cheers were from a large crowd.
The two exchanged glances and turned toward the source of the noise. Not far away, Bai An and others also looked in the same direction.
From their distance, they could only vaguely see someone seated on a platform, being carried by others.
Bai Qi grew anxious and dragged Xiong Tuan along to check it out.
Shortly after, the two of them ran back.
“The shaman from the Black Forest Tribe heard that people were injured and is giving out free medicine!”
