Chapter 132
Bai Tu, Lang Qi, Bai An, and the others had not expected Bao Duo to actually praise Wu Ming, while Bai Qi, Xiong Tuan, Xiong Liao, and the rest simply followed suit, looking over in surprise. Even Bai Tu himself began to ponder a question—was Bao Duo naturally cunning, or just a naive fool?
This was a question that had puzzled many. If he were truly scheming, he wouldn’t have missed such an obvious issue. But if he were naive, then how did he nearly anger Tu Cheng to death with just a few words back then? However, that was in the past. Based on today’s events alone, Bao Duo still needed to heighten his vigilance. Whether or not Wu Ming was involved in other matters was debatable, but he had certainly played a role in Wu Shi’s death.
What a coincidence that, right when Wu Shi stormed off, Wu Ming just happened to forget to distribute medicine to the low-ranking beastmen? Medicine distribution had always been Wu Ming’s responsibility.
If he was truly prone to such mistakes, the Black Forest Tribe’s shaman would never have trusted him so much. That left only one possibility—Wu Ming did it on purpose. After Wu Shi stormed off in anger, Wu Ming deliberately lingered outside for a while before returning, even creating the illusion that he had gone out to look for Wu Shi.
Others might not have known whether Wu Ming had genuinely gone to search for Wu Shi, but the Black Hawk Tribe’s beastmen definitely did. The location Wu Ming chose—a secluded spot where no one would notice—was right beneath a tree where an eagle warrior was hiding.
It was just unfortunate for Wu Ming that his luck was bad. The Hawk Tribe had been following Bai Tu’s orders, setting up their operations in discreet locations to keep watch. After all, the Black Forest Tribe did have feathered beastmen, and though they were generally lazy and didn’t patrol as diligently as the Hawk Tribe, there was still a chance they might randomly decide to take a walk. Having lookouts made the rest of the team feel more secure.
However, instead of spotting any feathered beastmen, they saw Wu Ming instead. In public, Wu Ming appeared gentle, as if he had no temper at all—polite, composed, and never angered. But his private demeanor nearly scared the Hawk Tribe warriors out of their hiding spots.
He was glaring fiercely in the direction of the Black Forest Tribe’s beastmen’s living quarters, his expression filled with resentment towards someone unknown. But one thing was clear—he was dangerous. He looked nothing like the mild-mannered Wu Ming who never got angry, who even blamed himself after being slapped, and who, despite his busy schedule, never forgot to deliver medicine to the tribe’s beastmen.
“He’s been putting on an act all along,” said an hawk beastman named Ying Quan. He was the one who had witnessed Wu Ming’s true face and was also the squad leader for this mission, responsible for planning the details of their operation in the Black Forest Tribe. So far, his efforts had been very successful.
Beside him, a young eagle beastman scratched his head. “I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere before…”
He didn’t know Wu Ming personally, but there was an eerie sense of familiarity about him, as if he had met him before.
Ying Quan shook his head. “The shaman’s trusted medicine apprentices are trained from a young age. There’s no way you could have met him.”
The Black Hawk Tribe was perhaps the most well-informed among the various tribes. This was largely due to their leader’s mate, who loved traveling, and their leader himself, who prioritized his mate above all else. Ying Quan had been accompanying them on their travels since shortly after coming of age and had become well-versed in many tribal customs.
For example, many people believed that after studying with a shaman for a few years, a medicine apprentice could either become a shaman or at least use their skills to settle in a smaller tribe.
In reality, medicine apprentices trained under shamans for much longer periods. The younger an apprentice was when they were chosen, the more trust they earned from the shaman.
Some shamans even had peculiar preferences, selecting attractive children as their apprentices. These apprentices sometimes ended up as the shaman’s mates once they grew up. The more clever among them would find ways to escape and settle in smaller tribes. If they managed to get far enough away, the shaman wouldn’t bother searching for them—after all, there was no shortage of tribes willing to send beautiful beastmen to them.
The Black Forest Tribe had brought several medicine apprentices with them this time. When Ying Quan saw them, he immediately understood that they were not just ordinary apprentices—they were ones specially raised by the shaman.
For Wu Ming to be so trusted by the shaman, to the point of being given full control over the medicine supply, it meant he had lived under the shaman’s care for many years—perhaps even since before he could remember. The Hawk Tribe understood these things, yet they were still puzzled after hearing Ying Quan’s words.
“I really feel like I’ve seen him before,” the young eagle warrior insisted.
Ying Quan was about to respond when he suddenly saw Bai Tu. He hesitated for a moment before nodding. “You’re probably not mistaken.”
“Right?!” The young warrior was thrilled that his suspicion was confirmed. Then, noticing that Ying Quan was looking in a different direction, he followed his gaze and suddenly understood why Wu Ming felt so familiar!
Both of them stared at Bai Tu, drawing the attention of the others.
Bai Tu, who had been listening to their conversation: “???” Why were they all looking at him?
“In public, Wu Ming bears some resemblance to Tu,” Ying Quan remarked. At first, he hadn’t noticed because the image of Wu Ming in his mind was still that of a sinister figure. But now, thinking about it, he realized that Wu Ming’s disguised persona did resemble Bai Tu to some extent.
Bai An understood immediately. “No wonder the beastmen of the Black Forest Tribe trust him.” If he resembled Bai Tu, it made sense. Bai Tu naturally exuded a sense of closeness that made it easy for others to trust him. Other tribes’ trust in their own tribe was, in part, due to Bai Tu’s influence.
Shi Su also nodded. “This Wu Ming knows how to disguise himself.”
Even though they hadn’t seen Wu Ming in person, Ying Quan’s description painted a clear picture—a man who portrayed himself as completely harmless while actually harboring a vicious and calculating nature, eliminating his rivals without expending much effort.
Yes, a rival. From their discussion, it was clear that the shaman’s most trusted apprentice was Wu Ming, but his favorite apprentice had been Wu Shi. Wu Shi was Wu Ming’s biggest threat. While all the other medicine apprentices followed Wu Ming’s lead, Wu Shi was the only one who openly disobeyed him, even talking back. From what they had gathered, this wasn’t the first time Wu Shi had clashed with Wu Ming—others had already lost patience with Wu Shi, yet Wu Ming had always maintained his gentle demeanor.
Whether he was truly unbothered or just pretending to be calm, only Wu Ming and Ying Quan knew. But that was before. Now, everyone knew.
After discussing Wu Ming’s deception, the eagle warriors started sharing other things they had overheard.
The Black Hawk Tribe hadn’t stayed in the Black Forest Tribe’s territory for long, as they also had to complete Bai Tu’s assigned tasks. However, since they had been hiding where others couldn’t see them, they managed to overhear quite a lot—both things they were supposed to hear and things they weren’t.
Although much of what they heard seemed like trivial chatter, these small details allowed them to see the bigger picture and uncover the true nature of the Black Forest Tribe.
For example, when Wu Ming had tried to persuade the shaman, he had said, “If we punish him like this, it will be difficult to explain to the chief.” This suggested that there was some conflict of interest between the shaman and the chief.
This kind of power struggle was common in tribes that had both a shaman and a chief, especially in larger tribes. The bigger the tribe, the less satisfied the shaman would be with just the power to heal. Sure, they could gain resources through healing, but that required ongoing effort—one cure at a time. However, if their authority surpassed that of the chief, they could enjoy endless wealth and resources.
The shaman of the Black Forest Tribe was clearly ambitious. At the very least, what they had observed so far suggested as much. He and the chief did not see eye to eye on everything.
This kind of information wasn’t something that could be easily gathered. The high-ranking beastmen of the Black Forest Tribe would never openly talk about the discord between their chief and their shaman, while the lower-ranking beastmen might not have even seen the shaman or the chief, let alone know about their relationship.
Some beastmen might have heard bits and pieces but wouldn’t have given them much thought. However, when all the details were pieced together, it was possible to uncover many hidden problems.
That being said, while they could share the things they were supposed to hear, there were things they weren’t supposed to mention…
The eagle warrior standing guard outside the shaman’s residence suddenly tried to shrink into the background, lowering his presence as much as possible.
“Fan? Why aren’t you saying anything?” Ying Quan called out to him.
The named warrior looked around awkwardly, hesitating over whether he should speak.
“You didn’t overhear anything?” Bai Tu assumed he was just embarrassed about not catching anything useful and reassured him, “That’s fine. Even if you didn’t hear anything, you all have already done an excellent job.”
The eagle warriors had successfully completed all the tasks Bai Tu had assigned them—far exceeding his expectations. He had originally given them three missions: to destroy the medicine supply, to ruin the food stores, and to investigate the identities of the Black Forest Tribe’s visitors.
The most important task was destroying the medicine. Those drugs were undoubtedly problematic. If the beastmen continued consuming them, the side effects would far outweigh the benefits. Once they became dependent, they would end up just like the lower-ranking beastmen of the Black Forest Tribe—forever trapped under their control.
The medicine was the priority. The other two tasks were more like secondary objectives.
As long as the medicine was gone, the Black Forest Tribe’s beastmen would no longer be able to continue harming others. As for the food distribution, Bai Tu was somewhat concerned that the food might also contain drugs. However, due to the sheer quantity of food, it was difficult to address this issue effectively. Therefore, he had set a clear priority for the Hawk Tribe—completing the first task (destroying the medicine) would be considered a success. Yet, the Hawk Tribe had gone above and beyond, completing all three tasks flawlessly. Now, the Black Forest Tribe’s shaman was preparing to return to their tribe.
Bai Tu was certain that if the Black Forest Tribe continued distributing food, the beastmen would remain near the marketplace. Many of them had already gone several days without eating, leaving them physically weak and avoiding interaction with other tribes. But if they received more food, regained their strength, and no longer felt desperate, would they start craving something else?
On one hand, there was the spoiled food from the Black Forest Tribe. On the other, there was high-quality food carefully chosen by other tribes in exchange for salt. It was obvious which was more appealing. Weak beastmen wouldn’t dare to steal food from other tribes—but strong ones? That was a different story.
Bai Tu wasn’t just being overly cautious. When too many unstable factors accumulate, problems are bound to arise. A single beastman without food might endure it. Ten beastmen without food might try borrowing some. But when a hundred or even a thousand beastmen are starving and gathered in one place, they might dare to take what they need by force.
If these beastmen had other options at the marketplace, it wouldn’t be a problem. However, the reality was that almost every tribe was struggling more than usual this year. Many had already encountered wandering beastmen and had no surplus food to spare. For those lingering near the market, every extra day spent there was a wasted day—apart from receiving distributed food, there was no other gain.
Since they would have to return to their tribes eventually, it was better to leave sooner rather than later—before the heavy rains started, while they could still travel and hunt as much as possible.
During the rainy season and late winter, a single hunted prey could mean survival for an entire tribe. However, many beastmen had been deceived by the Black Forest Tribe’s food distribution. This was their first time encountering a “free lunch,” and even though they knew staying here was detrimental to their tribes, they found it difficult to refuse food delivered right to their hands.
Now that the Black Forest Tribe’s beastmen were preparing to leave, there would be no more food or medicine drawing people in. Naturally, the hungry beastmen would begin dispersing, seeking other solutions.
As the sky brightened, Bai Tu yawned. “The Hawk Tribe has been working hard all day—get some rest. There’s no rush to exchange supplies. We’ll stay here for a few more days.” He wouldn’t feel at ease until he was certain the Black Forest Tribe’s shaman had left. Besides, they had brought plenty of food, and the items they originally planned to trade for were non-essential. Waiting a couple more days wouldn’t be a problem.
Regarding the food shortage in other tribes, Bai Tu, Bai An, and Lang Qi discussed the situation and decided that their two tribes would supply the necessary food for everyone.
After all, the Blood Wolf Tribe and Snow Rabbit Tribe had the largest numbers in their group. The former was the largest tribe in the region, while the latter had the backing of the Hawk Tribe and the addition of the Lion Tribe. Compared to them, the other tribes were much smaller. Even the White Bear Tribe, which had the highest numbers among them, was still slightly inferior in size. Upon hearing Bai Tu’s proposal, no one objected.
Even if food wasn’t being provided, the other tribes would have chosen to stay. With food being supplemented, there was even less reason to leave.
Just as the group was about to disperse, Hei Fan—who had been silent and hesitant—suddenly spoke in a low voice: “I heard something…”
The Black Hawk Tribe was somewhat similar to the Snow Rabbit Tribe in that multiple surnames existed within the tribe. Technically, Hei Fan was related to Hei Yan, though in a tribe where almost everyone was distantly related, such a connection wasn’t particularly significant. Unlike Hei Yan, who was more outspoken, Hei Fan was usually quiet and had a slower reaction time than most. However, he was dependable when assigned a task.
Earlier, not only Bai Tu but everyone else had assumed that Hei Fan had remained silent because he hadn’t overheard anything important from the Black Forest Tribe’s discussions, and they had even felt a little embarrassed on his behalf. Bai Tu had helped smooth things over, and they had all moved on to planning the next steps.
But just as they were about to leave, Hei Fan finally spoke up.
Those familiar with his personality—like Ying Quan—immediately realized that Hei Fan had only just processed what he had overheard.
Seeing that Bai Tu and the other leaders were about to go rest, Ying Quan hesitated. Everyone was exhausted, and if Hei Fan started speaking now, it wouldn’t be something that could be explained in just a sentence or two.
“What did you hear?” Bai Tu, with his sharp ears, caught the quiet voice. Lately, he had been taking care of young cubs, making him more attuned to his surroundings. Even the slightest sound wouldn’t escape his notice. Though Hei Fan spoke softly, Bai Tu still picked up on it.
“The shaman…” Hei Fan glanced around, noticing how many people were present. His face became even more awkward, but after some stumbling, he finally managed to share what he had heard.
The place where the Black Forest Tribe’s shaman lived was a short distance away from the medicine apprentices’ quarters. After sending the apprentices back, the shaman did not return to his own resting place immediately. Instead, he went to meet with a very young female beastman. Initially, Hei Fan didn’t think much of it—he was focused on watching the shaman’s actions from the tree. However, what caught his attention was their conversation.
The young female beastman was pregnant, and the child was the shaman’s. The shaman told her that this information must not be shared with anyone and instructed her to be sent to the chief.
Upon hearing this, the group exchanged confused glances. Sending his own pregnant mate to someone else—what kind of logic was that?
“After the female beastman left, the shaman muttered, ‘It’s almost done,’” Hei Fan recalled. Describing the scene made him feel embarrassed. The two of them had been quite intimate, embracing frequently, while the shaman casually mocked the chief for being too old and unable to sire children. He even claimed that if the chief found out about the pregnancy, he would be ecstatic.
Hei Fan, still young and without a mate, had been so embarrassed that he wanted to cover his ears, yet he didn’t dare to miss any important details. He endured the awkwardness and listened.
However, in the end, their conversation remained centered around these topics. Hei Fan had been so uncomfortable recalling it that it took all his courage to finally say it out loud.
“The shaman’s child?” Bai Tu was stunned. The shaman mocked the chief for being old, yet he himself was even older! According to what the Hawk Tribe members had observed, the Black Forest Tribe’s shaman already had graying hair.
In a tribe, there weren’t many beastmen of such advanced age. Since many naturally had silver hair, it wasn’t always an accurate indicator, but in the Blood Wolf Tribe, beastmen whose hair turned that particular shade were usually at least fifty or sixty years old.
Listening to how the Black Forest Tribe’s shaman scorned their chief, Bai Tu could only think—this was a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black. The chief might not be able to impregnate anyone, but at his age, the shaman wasn’t necessarily capable of it either.
After making his internal commentary, Bai Tu mentally noted the information. While it might not be immediately useful, it further confirmed the tension between the shaman and the chief. It was clear that the shaman despised the chief and even coveted his authority. This could be valuable in the future, possibly as a way to sow discord between them.
After discussing their plans, everyone returned to their respective areas to rest. Once Bai Tu was back in his tent, he suddenly asked, “How many people did the Black Forest Tribe bring this time?”
The Hawk Tribe had been in charge of nighttime surveillance, but when the Black Forest Tribe was preparing to leave, the Wolf Tribe had taken over.
“Around three hundred,” Lang Qi answered.
“Three hundred…” Bai Tu repeated the number, contemplating. Their own numbers were too small to take on a force of this size head-on. But what if it wasn’t just them?
*
With the biggest problem resolved and no concerns about food, the group rested peacefully—especially Xiong He.
Xiong He had received the news brought back by Xiong Tuan, and among everyone, he was the happiest. Bai Tu and Lang Qi had agreed to provide food for their tribe. Previously, they didn’t have enough food to trade for salt, but now, with the Snow Rabbit Tribe and the Blood Wolf Tribe offering support, they could conserve half their supplies for trading or bringing back to their tribe.
Unlike the food from the Black Forest Tribe, which was barely enough to stave off hunger, the food provided by these two tribes was portioned according to the average meal size of an adult beastman—so much so that they couldn’t even finish it all!
As for Xiong Tuan and Bai Qi always sticking together, Xiong He had initially been opposed to it. He had tried multiple times to separate them, assigning different tasks, but nothing worked. Every time he gave Xiong Tuan a job, Bai Qi would follow, and whenever he sent Bai Qi away, Xiong Tuan would start looking for him.
After repeated attempts, Xiong He finally gave up. Let them do as they please.
Wolf cubs learn to walk and immediately start running outside. Similarly, once children grow up, they won’t stay by their elders’ side forever.
Besides, apart from being from different tribes, there was nothing bad about the two of them being together. Xiong He had been indifferent toward Bai Qi at first—until he found out that Bai Qi was responsible for patrolling his tribe.
Patrolling wasn’t a job for weaklings. Though a tribe’s safety was the collective responsibility of all its members, patrol warriors carried an extra burden. They had to remain constantly alert to ensure that no members of other tribes intruded. A single moment of carelessness could lead to their supplies being stolen—just like what had happened to the Black Forest Tribe the previous night.
Bai Qi seemed reliable enough, Xiong He thought, especially compared to some other beastmen. Remembering his earlier encounter with the White Bear Tribe’s chief, Xiong He shook his head. I have no idea how the White Bear Tribe even chose that chief.
Xiong Liao, who had been on Xiong He’s mind, held the freshly distributed food in his hands and let out a silent sigh.
The food from the Snow Rabbit Tribe tasted much better than what his own tribe had. If Ying Mian were here, he would definitely refuse to eat it and save it for him instead. Xiong Liao wondered if Ying Mian was getting enough food in the Snow Rabbit Tribe. Without his protection, would the beastmen there treat him well?
The more he thought about it, the more upset he became. Why hadn’t he stopped Ying Mian from leaving back then? If he had, they could be eating together right now.
As Xiong Liao ate his food absentmindedly, feeling more and more miserable, a group of young beastmen approached the outskirts of the White Bear Tribe’s encampment. Leading them was a young girl who softly asked, “Can you help us?”
Several nearby bear beastmen stared in shock.
On the Beast God Continent, males far outnumbered females. For reasons unknown, the birth rate of girls had been even lower in recent years. In some cases, only two or three female wolf cubs were born in an entire year. Additionally, sub-beastmen—who once made up about a quarter of the population—had gradually disappeared, and those that remained were extremely rare. This led to a severe imbalance, with far more male beastmen reaching adulthood than there were female and sub-beast mates.
The bear tribe was no exception. Most of the warriors Xiong Liao had brought along were around his age, and apart from a few who already had mates, the rest were still single. But that alone wasn’t enough to make them react so strongly—it was the fact that the girl before them was unlike any other beastman they had ever seen. Her exposed skin was as white as snow.
Regardless of personality, beastmen spent their days outdoors, hunting, foraging, or gathering firewood—there was always work to do. Even the children in the tribes had their own tasks, let alone the adults.
With constant exposure to the sun, most beastmen had rough skin. Normally, this wasn’t noticeable, but the moment they were compared to someone else, the difference became obvious. The bear tribe had already noticed that some beastmen from other tribes had smoother skin than them.
However, no one had ever felt self-conscious about their dark or coarse skin—it was considered a mark of strength. The darker one was, the more capable they were, and the more prey they could catch. In fact, beastmen with lighter skin sometimes found it harder to attract mates. That was the norm—until now.
Seeing someone so uniquely different, the White Bear beastmen—despite their usual boldness—began rubbing their hands nervously, afraid of scaring her away. After a moment, one of them finally spoke, “What do you need help with?”
Who could bear to refuse such a beautiful beastman? The group was practically ready to agree to anything she asked.
“We got separated from our tribe. Can we borrow some food? Once we find our tribe, we’ll return twice as much to you.”
It wasn’t uncommon for beastmen to ask other tribes for food, but very few offered to return double the amount. Even rarer was the promise to return it as soon as they reunited with their tribe, instead of waiting until next year or the next market gathering.
Several of the bear beastmen nearly agreed on the spot. But just before nodding, they suddenly remembered that their chief hadn’t been informed yet. One of them immediately ran off to find Xiong Liao, while the others gathered around the girl, asking which tribe she was from and how she got lost.
The girl introduced herself as Bai Meng, a beastman from the White Rabbit Tribe. She explained that she had spotted a beautiful flower and wanted to pick it. However, what had seemed like a short distance turned out to be much farther than expected. By the time she and her protector had collected the flowers and tried to return, the rest of their tribe was nowhere to be found.
“The group was just over there when we left,” Bai Meng said, lowering her head. Her voice trembled slightly, as if she were about to cry.
The bear beastmen watching her felt their hearts tighten. But this was their first time meeting her, and none of them had any experience pursuing mates—let alone comforting one. They stood helplessly, unsure of what to do.
Behind Bai Meng, another beastman silently observed the situation. He had not spoken a word from beginning to end.
The bear beastman who had gone to find Xiong Liao had yet to return. Meanwhile, the others glanced at Bai Meng, then at the silent beastmen behind her. Seeing that they weren’t stopping them from speaking with Bai Meng, one of the bear warriors gathered his courage and asked, “Are you a shaman?”
Bai Meng was startled, her eyes widening. “How did you know?”
Seeing that he had guessed correctly, the bear beastman who had asked the question was pleased. “You have a protector with you, and you’ve collected a lot of flowers and herbs.”
In general, only high-ranking beastmen from large tribes, shamans, or medicine apprentices were accompanied by protectors when they went out. Bai Meng also carried a large number of flowers, some of which had already wilted. Looking at the withered petals, the bear beastman felt a bit distressed. “Do you want to exchange them for some fresh ones? These are already ruined.”
Bai Meng smiled and shook her head. “I’m not a shaman. I’m just a medicine apprentice who’s been learning for seven or eight years. I only started making medicine on my own two years ago.”
Then, she glanced around cautiously and lowered her voice. “Actually, these aren’t just for decoration. They’re medicine.”
“Medicine?” The bear beastmen were surprised that Bai Meng was openly sharing such information.
But they soon realized that she wasn’t stopping there.
“The seeds of this flower are a very important medicinal ingredient. They can heal wounds and even increase strength.”
“So powerful?” The bear beastmen looked at the seemingly ordinary plants in Bai Meng’s hands, unable to believe that something so small could have such a significant effect.
Bai Meng enjoyed the admiration and, encouraged by it, eagerly introduced several more types of medicinal plants she carried. Some were for treating wounds, some for enhancing physical strength, and even one that could increase fertility.
The bear beastmen listened intently, while Bai Meng spoke with great enthusiasm—until a beastman behind her subtly reminded her of something. Bai Meng suddenly realized that quite a bit of time had passed.
Why hadn’t the beastman sent to fetch the chief returned yet?
She eyed the bear beastmen before her with growing suspicion, but they only seemed puzzled by her silence.
“Is that all?” One of the bear beastmen, noticing that Bai Meng had stopped speaking, hesitated before rubbing his face in embarrassment. Had Bai Meng noticed that he was the strongest beastman in the tribe after the chief?
The bear beastmen looked innocent and clueless, but Bai Meng felt like they were playing dumb. She clenched her teeth. “You tricked me!”
“What? Trick you?”
“We didn’t trick you!”
“Why would we trick you?” The bear beastmen all responded one after another.
Bai Meng started doubting her earlier assumptions. She looked at them. “Then why hasn’t your chief arrived yet?”
The bear beastmen were just as confused as she was. One of them stood up. “I’ll go check.”
But that beastman also failed to return. Now, the remaining four beastmen exchanged glances, not knowing what was going on. Finally, the oldest among them said, “Forget it. The chief probably wandered off again. I’ll go find him.”
Bai Meng was skeptical, but this was their territory. Even though she was displeased with how they were handling things, she couldn’t openly show her frustration.
Now, only three young bear beastmen remained. They were so nervous around Bai Meng that they didn’t dare speak and merely glanced at her occasionally. Bai Meng was used to such looks. No matter where she went, she always received the same kind of attention. And no matter how many times it happened, she still enjoyed it.
Adjusting the fur cloak over her arms, she waited for the beastman who had gone to find the chief to return. But time passed, and still, no one came back.
“Does your chief even manage the tribe’s affairs?” she finally asked.
Most chiefs kept a close eye on their tribe’s situation, especially at market gatherings where it was more dangerous than in their own territory. Yet, they had been here for so long, and the chief still hadn’t shown up.
Did the White Bear Tribe’s chief not fear being targeted by other tribes?
Bai Meng surveyed her surroundings. There were at least four tribes in the area. As for why she had chosen the bear tribe, it was because they seemed the easiest to deceive. And it turned out she had been right. Even though she had already entered their territory without meeting their chief, these beastmen still hadn’t realized anything was amiss.
Suppressing her inner contempt, Bai Meng thought to herself: These brainless beastmen are only destined to become stepping stones for stronger tribes.
If only they had food…
Just as Bai Meng was deep in thought, a series of approaching footsteps caught her attention. She quickly concealed her disdain and looked up.
However, when she saw the approaching figure, she was momentarily dazed.
“This is the beastman who came to borrow food?” Bai Tu asked Xiong Liao.
“Is she the beastman who came to borrow food?” Xiong Liao repeated, turning to the beastman who had called him.
Bai Tu: “…”
They were standing less than half a meter apart. If Xiong Liao didn’t know, couldn’t he have just let the other beastman answer? Why did he have to repeat the question?
Xiong Liao, however, had his own reasoning. “I think every sentence should be reviewed carefully.”
Ever since Ying Mian left, Xiong Liao had felt like everyone’s words carried hidden meanings. So if he didn’t understand something, he would repeat it to remember it better and think it over later.
Bai Tu sighed helplessly and waited for the nearby beastmen to speak.
The beastman standing next to Xiong Liao—the one who had first walked away—had not lied to Bai Meng. He really had gone to find the chief. However, as the chief, Xiong Liao felt that this was not a decision he should make alone. Even though their tribe had enough food to spare, and even though the promise of double repayment was tempting, Xiong Liao still chose to consult Bai Tu first.
When Ying Mian left, Xiong Liao hadn’t caught the deeper meaning behind his words—but Bai Tu had. That alone proved that Bai Tu understood Ying Mian better than he did. And if Bai Tu could understand Ying Mian, that meant Bai Tu was just as reliable as Ying Mian. Xiong Liao, in a series of mental calculations that he would probably never admit to later, ultimately decided to trust Bai Tu’s judgment.
Although the reasoning behind his decision was rather odd, he had at least chosen the right person to seek help from.
In fact, Bai Tu had been aware of Bai Meng’s presence long before Xiong Liao and the others.
Their group of tribes functioned as a unit, but with hundreds of people, it was impossible for them to stay clustered together all the time. Aside from how hot it would be in this weather, even simple things like handling personal matters would be inconvenient with so many people around. Moving in and out of camp would mean passing through multiple groups.
So when they decided to rest, each tribe set up its own area, though they didn’t spread out too far. The distance between them was short enough that finding someone or organizing a group action remained convenient. Since they had arrived two days earlier, many of the surrounding tribes were newcomers. Some of these new tribes weren’t yet aware of the alliance between Bai Tu’s group, so they frequently passed through the narrow paths between different camps.
No one minded. Some beastmen were territorial and wouldn’t even allow others to walk near their tribe, but in a crowded market area, where every good spot was already taken, it wasn’t practical to block every path. Their tribes weren’t arrogant enough to be that unreasonable.
While they didn’t restrict movement, they remained alert to any suspicious individuals. Bai Meng’s group had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, and their fur clothing looked far too clean for people who had just completed a long journey. Additionally, Bai Meng’s unusually fair skin stood out among the crowd, drawing attention.
Unbeknownst to Bai Meng, from the moment she stepped into this area, a beastman had been reporting her movements every few minutes.
At first, no one paid much attention to her group. But as Bai Meng walked, she observed her surroundings carefully—almost as if she were looking for something.
Lang Qi had asked Bai Tu if they should chase her away, but Bai Tu wanted to see what she was up to.
If they drove this group away now, another one would just come later. It was better to figure out their real intentions and deal with them once and for all.
So when Xiong Liao came looking for Bai Tu, Bai Tu decided to follow him. However, instead of revealing himself immediately, he waited. Only after Bai Meng had spoken at length and was starting to grow impatient did he and the others finally step in.
Bai Meng’s moment of surprise lasted only an instant. She quickly recovered and, upon hearing their conversation, immediately nodded. “Hello, I’d like to borrow some food. Once we find our tribe, we’ll repay you with twice the amount.”
Bai Tu, however, didn’t respond to her request right away. Instead, he asked a few questions. “How many people are in your tribe? When did you set out? How much food did you bring?”
Bai Meng had expected him to either agree or refuse. She had even prepared several persuasive arguments, sure that one of them would convince him. But she hadn’t expected Bai Tu to focus solely on her tribe’s details.
The questions seemed simple, but she stumbled on the very first one.
After a brief pause, she finally answered, “Three hundred people, we set out five days ago, and we brought two hundred baskets of food.”
“That’s enough to repay what you borrow,” Bai Tu remarked, nodding as he signaled for the bear beastmen to fetch some food.
Bai Meng subtly exhaled in relief. She exchanged a quick glance with the beastman behind her. By the time anyone else noticed, they had already looked away. With gratitude filling her expression, Bai Meng said earnestly, “Thank you so much. I promise we’ll return the food once we find our tribe.”
Bai Tu glanced at her but said nothing. Then, from the distance, a commotion erupted.
Suddenly, Bai Tu spoke. “That sounds like your tribe. Looks like you won’t need to borrow food after all—you can just return to them.”
“That’s not our trib—” Bai Meng started to protest, but as she turned to look at the source of the noise, she abruptly froze.
The tribe members who were supposed to be hiding outside the market, waiting for Bai Meng to bring back food, were now being herded into the center of the marketplace.
Bai Meng hadn’t expected her tribe members to get caught. Losing the food wasn’t a major issue—she and the shaman had the skills to obtain more. It was only a matter of time. Just like with those bear beastmen earlier—they had almost agreed to give her food, only hesitating because they needed their chief’s approval first.
The plan had been simple: Bai Meng would approach several different tribes, borrow food, and then they would immediately leave. Once they returned to their own territory, everything would be fine.
But now, not only had she failed to get food, but even if she had succeeded, it would have been useless.
While Bai Meng stood there in shock, the captured beastmen were already being led to the center of the market.
The beastman driving them forward called out loudly, “Everyone, come and see! These people have been pretending to be the Black Forest Tribe’s shaman and medicine apprentices! They’ve been feeding people poison and rotten food!”
“Pretending”… “Poison”…
Hearing those words, Bai Meng was stunned. She whipped her head around to stare at Bai Tu.
“You knew! You knew all along!”
Bai Tu shifted his gaze from the captured beastmen to Bai Meng and calmly responded, “Know what? That you were disguising yourselves as the shaman and apprentices to deceive people?”
“We really are—” Bai Meng instinctively tried to argue, but Bai Tu interrupted her before she could finish.
“You weren’t even trying to make it convincing. You barely prepared any food or fake medicine. The Black Forest Tribe has so much food—why would they give out rotten supplies?”
A few passing beastmen nodded in agreement. That’s right. The Black Forest Tribe is huge, and they have an abundance of resources. Rumor has it that they waste half of what they collect. Why would they ever hand out spoiled food?
Yesterday, they hadn’t thought much about it. But now that someone had exposed these impostors, they were lucky they had been caught before escaping.
“You—”
Bai Meng hadn’t expected Bai Tu to use their own fabricated stories—the lies they had spread to lure other tribes to the Black Forest Tribe—to discredit them. Yes, they had claimed that the Black Forest Tribe was wealthy and generous, but only their own tribe knew the truth—that life in the Black Forest Tribe was far from the paradise they described.
She shuddered as she watched some of the medicine apprentices being beaten by beastmen who had taken their drugs the day before.
No. She had to get out of here.
She couldn’t stay.
The shaman wasn’t here. As long as she could find him, she could still return to the tribe.
With that thought, Bai Meng began inching away while Bai Tu was focused on the captured apprentices. Since the chief wasn’t around, they were only at the outer edges of the White Bear Tribe’s territory. There were no guards here, and Bai Tu hadn’t brought any warriors with him.
He didn’t bring anyone…
Hope flared in Bai Meng’s eyes.
“Catch him!” she suddenly shouted, pointing at Bai Tu. “He’s Bai Luo’s son!”
The beastmen behind her immediately moved to grab Bai Tu—
But before they could reach him, another group of beastmen, who had been standing nearby watching the commotion, surged forward.
They were faster.
And there were more of them.
“Isolate her,” Bai Tu ordered, gesturing toward Bai Meng.
A few wolf beastmen responded instantly, dragging her and her companions away.
Bai Tu watched her struggling figure until she and the others disappeared around the corner, then finally turned his gaze away.
Initially, his plan had been simple—just drive the Black Forest Tribe’s people away.
But now, he realized that wasn’t enough.
Here, in the market, they could destroy the tribe’s medicine and food, forcing them to leave. But they couldn’t stay here forever. Even if they delayed for a few days, they would eventually have to return to their own tribes.
Meanwhile, the Black Forest Tribe’s people could regroup and return at any time.
Since that was the case, it was better to find a more permanent solution—something that would end this once and for all.
As for Bai Meng?
She was just an unexpected complication in an already unfolding plan.
Thanks 4 the chapter!