Chapter 136
Bai An looked at Lang Qi in disbelief. “Chief Lang Qi, you…???”
He remembered that the Wolf Tribe rarely got involved in conflicts. If they had been more aggressive, they wouldn’t have tolerated the Mad Lion Tribe for so long. Yet now, Lang Qi agreed to Bai Tu’s proposal so easily.
Lang Qi, however, had a clear reason for his decision. “If we don’t fight them now, things will only get worse next time.”
The Wolf Tribe had initially ignored the Mad Lion Tribe because, strictly speaking, the Mad Lion Tribe hadn’t directly threatened their interests. That was why they had refrained from taking action. However, after discovering the truth about Lang Yu and Lang Zhu’s deaths, they immediately orchestrated a coordinated attack on the Mad Lion Tribe with several other lion clans.
Lang Qi wasn’t one to kill without cause. But the Black Forest Tribe posed a direct threat to everyone’s safety—so he wouldn’t hesitate to act.
“That’s right,” Bai Tu nodded.
This was exactly what worried him. If they didn’t take this opportunity to eliminate the Black Forest Tribe once and for all, the tribe would inevitably retaliate. Once they realized they had been exposed, they might not even bother with pretenses anymore. Instead, they would openly invade other tribes, seizing land and food without hesitation.
“The market has just begun, and most of the beastmen are still here,” Bai Tu analyzed the situation with Bai An. They had two choices:
- Do nothing—return to their tribes and prepare for the inevitable retaliation from the Black Forest Tribe at any time.
- Strike first—attack the Black Forest Tribe now and end the threat for good.
The second option was undoubtedly riskier. Any battle would result in casualties. However, there was one major advantage—if they attacked now, they wouldn’t be fighting alone. At least half of the beastmen present at the market would be willing to help.
The reason was simple. If the Black Forest Tribe had only been luring beastmen into joining them through deception, that would be one thing. But their ambition went far beyond that. They had found a far more efficient method.
Just as Bai Tu had suspected, if their scheme hadn’t been exposed this time, the Black Forest Tribe would have taken at least a few hundred beastmen in one go. At this rate, within two years, the number of beastmen at the market would be cut in half.
And it wasn’t just about the number of beastmen taken. To maximize their gains, the Black Forest Tribe specifically targeted the beastmen who came to the market—these were always the strongest members of their tribes. If these individuals left, their home tribes would struggle to hunt, ultimately leading to starvation.
Taking away all the strongest beastmen from a tribe was no different from destroying the tribe entirely.
The Black Forest Tribe had resorted to every possible means to expand their power. This was just one of their tactics. Who knew how much worse they would get in the future?
And to make matters even more appalling, they had directly partnered with the rogue beastmen to speed up the process. If they were willing to go this far now, what kind of atrocities would they commit in the future? Any tribe with foresight wouldn’t sit back and let the Black Forest Tribe continue unchecked.
Bai An understood this logic. What concerned him was whether a few tribes alone could stand a chance against the Black Forest Tribe. However, if they could rally the beastmen at the market to join them, the situation would be completely different.
There were over a hundred tribes across the Eastern Continent, both large and small. Even though not every tribe was currently at the market, the number of beastmen present was still comparable to half of the Black Forest Tribe’s total population.
The real problem was—how could they convince these beastmen to join the fight?
Bai An was still troubled. “Even if we tell them all this, will they believe us?” After all, they had only uncovered the Black Forest Tribe’s connection to the rogue beastmen earlier that day, and the food evidence they found was only partial. It wasn’t enough to fully convince all the tribes at the market.
Lang Qi, however, had another plan. “The Black Forest Tribe’s camp still has supplies.”
That morning, they had only captured the Black Forest Tribe members. The remaining supplies had been left untouched. It wasn’t that the supplies were useless—it was just that their group was small, and after capturing the Black Forest Tribe’s beastmen, they had been too busy to retrieve anything else. At the time, those supplies hadn’t been a priority.
But now, those very supplies could serve as irrefutable proof of the Black Forest Tribe’s collusion with the rogue beastmen.
That afternoon, Lang Qi proposed that each tribe send two or three representatives to investigate the Black Forest Tribe’s former camp.
Sending just a couple of representatives wouldn’t disrupt any tribe’s trading activities. After all, some beastmen had nothing to do and were wandering the market aimlessly. And many were eager to find out what other shocking secrets the Black Forest Tribe had been hiding. As soon as Lang Qi made the suggestion, volunteers started stepping forward.
And where there were volunteers, more followed. Though they had asked for only two or three representatives per tribe, some tribes with more idle beastmen ended up sending five or six.
This year’s market had particularly few supplies available, and many tribes had already scoured most of the market without finding what they needed. They would likely have to stay for another day or two until more tribes arrived. Since they were staying longer anyway, taking some time to check out the Black Forest Tribe’s camp didn’t seem like a big deal. As long as the number of beastmen leaving wasn’t too large, most tribal leaders wouldn’t object.
But after hearing the scam warning from the morning and witnessing Hu Wan and the others’ firsthand experiences, the beastmen who volunteered made sure to check their surroundings before departing. Only after confirming that there were familiar beastmen among the group did they feel safe enough to go.
The Black Forest Tribe’s healers and apprentice herbalists were known for living in luxury, no matter where they were. And this time, at the market, they had brought only the finest supplies from their tribe.
However, the so-called “best” supplies weren’t necessarily produced by the Black Forest Tribe or traded with other tribes. A significant portion of them were actually stolen from other tribes by the rogue beastmen.
In their hurried escape that night, Wu Jiu and the others had left many belongings behind. As for the beastmen captured at the site, they had no chance to take anything with them. The Black Hawk Tribe, following Bai Tu’s instructions, had only destroyed the food and medicine—the other supplies remained intact, exactly as they had been.
Seeing these items, the beastmen who had come along didn’t even need an explanation—they immediately noticed something was wrong.
Beastmen were meticulous when it came to recognizing their own tribe’s supplies. And in this case, it wasn’t just meat or baskets—many of the items had unique tribal characteristics.
For example, a fox tribe from the southern continent frequently traded a rare type of fruit with southern tribes. These fruits were massive, larger than a head, with an extremely hard shell but sweet juice inside.
Every year, this fox tribe brought large quantities of the fruit to the market because they were highly popular. By trading one basket of meat with the southern tribes, they could get eight baskets of these fruits. Then, upon bringing them to this market, they could exchange them for two baskets of meat. Even after accounting for food expenses for the beastmen carrying the goods, they still made a substantial profit.
This trading system allowed them to thrive, despite their beast forms not being as powerful as larger beastmen. However, this year, their tribe had been among those raided by the rogue beastmen. The moment they saw those fruits among the supplies, not only did the fox tribe recognize them, but the other beastmen also realized they were part of the stolen goods.
The food had been stolen by the rogue beastmen just a few days ago—yet now, it had already ended up in the hands of the Black Forest Tribe. That alone was undeniable proof.
With both physical evidence and witness testimony, the beastmen exchanged shocked glances, finally forced to accept the truth: the Black Forest Tribe, widely admired and sought after by many, was nothing more than a deceitful, sinister tribe that colluded with the rogue beastmen. Even those who had learned of the Black Forest Tribe’s misdeeds earlier that morning were stunned.
When they returned to the market, they wasted no time in spreading the news to their fellow tribes.
This revelation sparked concern among many, especially those who, like Lang Qi, Bai Tu, and Bai An, realized the threat would only grow worse if left unchecked. Tribal leaders with a broader vision, who had seen much in their lives, understood that if the Black Forest Tribe continued unchecked, sooner or later, they too would become victims.
After all, they could refuse the Black Forest Tribe’s invitations or reject their food and medicine, but they had no control over the rogue beastmen. They could warn their people not to accept Black Forest Tribe’s offerings, but they couldn’t defend against the constant threat of ambushes from rogue beastmen.
That night, countless beastmen lay awake.
Smaller tribes, like Bai An’s, worried about being targeted by the Black Forest Tribe in the future but felt powerless to stop them. Attacking the Black Forest Tribe with their own forces was nothing short of a suicidal dream.
Larger tribes debated whether or not to launch an attack. The truth was, they had only managed to capture the Black Forest Tribe’s shaman and apprentices because they had been near the market. If they had been anywhere else, it wouldn’t have been so easy. Even a hundred beastmen resisting at full force would have been a terrifying sight.
Attacking had almost no guarantee of success. But doing nothing was even more frustrating—especially for the tribes that had been raided by the rogue beastmen. They wanted nothing more than to wipe out the Black Forest Tribe completely.
However, for most, this thought remained just that—a thought. Despite their anger, they knew their own strength still fell short of what was needed to confront the Black Forest Tribe.
Some tribes believed that since they lived far away from the Black Forest Tribe, they were safe for now. Even if the Black Forest Tribe planned to attack other tribes, it wouldn’t affect them in the short term. So they had no immediate plans to take action.
The tribes at the market had varying opinions, but they all agreed on one thing—if they could avoid dealing with the Black Forest Tribe in the future, they would.
Only a handful of beastmen still insisted that the Black Forest Tribe was innocent. But whenever they spoke up in defense of the tribe, the surrounding beastmen subtly distanced themselves.
No one was foolish. The evidence was clear. Some members of the Black Forest Tribe had even admitted to their wrongdoings. At this point, anyone still defending them seemed highly suspicious—could they be connected to the Black Forest Tribe?
In the shadows, a few beastmen discreetly positioned themselves in different spots, keeping watch over those who continued to speak on behalf of the Black Forest Tribe.
Late at night, a small group of beastmen quietly slipped away from the market, unaware that they had a tail following them.
Among the beastmen oppressed by the Black Forest Tribe, many had learned to curry favor with their captors by reporting escapees. Between unfamiliar tribes, betrayal for personal gain was even more common.
The beastmen who had spent the day desperately defending the Black Forest Tribe wasted no time once outside the market. They ran straight toward the Black Forest Tribe’s territory, not stopping for food or water, determined to deliver the message as quickly as possible.
But in their haste, they failed to notice the figures tracking them from behind.
As many beastmen lay awake outside, the discussions inside the tents continued. Several tribes gathered together, spending the entire night deliberating over whether to attack the Black Forest Tribe—and if so, how. A rough battle plan began to take shape.
On the second day of the market, several tribes, led by the Wolf, Rabbit, Lion, Leopard, Deer, and Bear Tribes, began calling on others to march to the Black Forest Tribe, expose their conspiracy, and rescue the beastmen they had imprisoned.
The first to respond were the tribes that had been attacked by rogue beastmen. Many of them were still carrying injuries—some severe, some minor.
The night before, Bai Tu had treated them with medicine, but given the heightened vigilance among the beastmen, they only dared to use the medicine after seeing members of the Bear Tribe, who were close to Bai Qi, take it first. The severely wounded beastmen needed rest, but those with minor wounds that didn’t hinder their movement were eager to set out immediately. They became the first group willing to join the attack.
Next were the tribes that had suffered from rogue beastmen in the past. Rogue beastmen were not a new phenomenon. Over the years, they had committed countless crimes, earning a notorious reputation across the entire Beast Continent. They had angered and harmed many tribes.
The tribes that had been attacked didn’t care whether they had suffered before or after the Black Forest Tribe’s alliance with the rogue beastmen. Now that the connection between them had been exposed, the beastmen considered them one and the same.
More than twenty tribes stepped forward, but Bai Tu felt that still wasn’t enough.
The last time they had attacked the Red Eagle Tribe, they had needed several hundred fighters. That success had been largely due to their strategy—exploiting the conflict between the Red Eagle Tribe’s chief and the healers to trick most of the tribe into consuming drugged food.
But this tactic wouldn’t work against the Black Forest Tribe.
Although Bai Tu didn’t know exactly how their leader treated the healers, one thing was certain—the Black Forest Tribe wouldn’t be as careless as the Red Eagle Tribe when it came to food. Since they used food to control others, they were bound to be extremely cautious about what they ate themselves.
Without the option of drugging them, they would need far more fighters.
The total number of beastmen gathered so far was around two thousand. The Black Forest Tribe, which had been lying low for a long time, was estimated to have between seven and eight thousand members. To ensure victory, they needed at least two or three times their current numbers.
Bai Tu’s concerns didn’t last long. Once all the tribes that had been attacked by rogue beastmen stepped forward, even beastmen from tribes that had never encountered them began voicing their support.
The number of tribes that had run into rogue beastmen was far greater than they had initially thought. Among them were several mid-sized tribes with populations of five to six hundred members.
In the Eastern Continent, these were considered medium-sized tribes, and within their own territories, they wielded unquestioned authority. Each of these tribes had sent at least 200 beastmen to the market to trade for food.
Yet even with 200 warriors, they hadn’t been able to withstand the attacks from rogue beastmen. If their own tribes encountered the same situation, would they be able to escape?
The thought alone made many hesitant beastmen step forward. The danger was closer than they had realized—they had to do something.
Eliminating the rogue beastmen was non-negotiable. But if they didn’t deal with the Black Forest Tribe as well, even if they killed every last rogue beastmen, the Black Forest Tribe could simply raise another group, or even multiple groups, in their place.
One by one, more tribes stepped forward, and the number of beastmen willing to join the fight against the Black Forest Tribe steadily increased.
Beastmen were not afraid of fighting. Under normal circumstances, they avoided unnecessary conflicts to minimize casualties. But in this situation, if they didn’t act now, they wouldn’t have the courage to ask for help if the Black Forest Tribe targeted them in the future.
Even those who had initially opposed the attack started changing their minds. The growing number of participants meant they had the advantage—making victory more likely.
Seeing this, Bai Tu finally breathed a sigh of relief and began calculating their food supplies.
They had originally come to investigate why certain tribes were stockpiling large amounts of food. However, instead of finding those tribes, they had stumbled upon something far more alarming.
Since they hadn’t known how long they would be gone, and they had anticipated needing supplies to barter at the market, they had brought a large quantity of food. The surplus would not only sustain the beastmen without food on the way to the Black Forest Tribe, but there would even be enough left over for them to bring some back to their own tribes.
Those who hadn’t been robbed still had their own food. While they had originally intended to trade their food for salt, after everything that had happened, taking down the Black Forest Tribe now seemed far more important.
After all, without salt, their tribes would be weak—but if they were attacked by rogue beastmen, survival wouldn’t even be an option.
Most importantly, they would still be able to trade for salt upon returning because the tribes planning to trade salt for food had also decided to join the attack. The more beastmen there were at the market, the easier it was for the salt-carrying tribes to exchange their goods for food.
While the Black Forest Tribe hadn’t directly targeted them this time, they had still been affected—less food was available, meaning a single basket of salt could now buy less food than before. Some tribes that had brought salt based on previous market rates found themselves unable to get the same amount of food as in past years, putting them at risk of starvation.
Salt production was much harder than one might think. The long hours under the scorching sun, exposure to wind and harsh weather—many tribes barely managed to produce enough salt to trade for food. But now, thanks to the Black Forest Tribe’s interference, they were coming up short.
As soon as the salt-trading tribes decided to take action, other tribes hesitated for a moment, exchanged glances, and then silently stood up.
The primary reason beastmen came to the market was to trade for salt. Now that the salt-trading tribes were leaving, were the others supposed to just wait around? And what if the warriors never returned after attacking the Black Forest Tribe?
More than 80% of the tribes decided to join the campaign against the Black Forest Tribe. Though each had their own concerns and motives, they were united in prioritizing the attack.
With such a large force, organization was crucial. They decided that Lang Qi and the other leading beastmen would relay orders to the tribal chiefs, who would then coordinate their own warriors.
The first step was to take a headcount—recording which tribes were involved and how many warriors each had contributed.
Since Bai Tu’s paper-making efforts were still unfinished, they used wooden boards again. Thankfully, unlike in the tribe, where they had to record each individual’s name and number, this time, they only needed to tally the numbers per tribe.
After counting, Bai Tu calculated that a total of 47 tribes had joined the attack, bringing together over 4,300 beastmen—almost all of them the strongest warriors from their respective tribes.
Such a massive force would undoubtedly cause a stir wherever they went.
But since their target was the Black Forest Tribe, they didn’t mind if the enemy panicked. In fact, they hoped to scare them outright.
Every extra day they delayed meant more food consumption. So, after wrapping up discussions in the morning, the army set out before noon.
During rest breaks, every time the group stopped, Bai Tu would slip into a tent.
At first, it wasn’t a big deal. But after two days of this repeated behavior, Bai Qi grew curious and finally asked, “Are you afraid of the unfamiliar beastmen? Those are Tiger Tribe members—their chief is right there in the middle, and he has a good personality. You don’t have to be scared.”
Bai Tu couldn’t help but laugh. He pulled out what he had been working on—neatly cut and polished small wooden plaques, each tied with a red string.
“I’m not hiding—I’m just making sure our warriors can recognize each other in battle.”
Beastmen from the same tribe could easily identify one another, but with so many different tribes gathered together, it wasn’t as simple. Even after traveling together for a few days, distinguishing between so many warriors amidst the chaos of battle would be difficult. They couldn’t afford to waste time sniffing each other’s scents in the heat of combat.
That’s where Bai Tu’s wooden plaques came in handy. Tied around each warrior’s neck, they would remain secure even in beast form. Seeing the red string and the plaque would immediately signal that the wearer was an ally, preventing accidental attacks.
“The only downside is that we don’t have enough woodworkers with us. Otherwise, we could have engraved the numbers instead.” Bai Tu sighed slightly. Since they lacked skilled carvers, the wooden plaques were handwritten instead. The woodworkers would cut the plaques, and Bai Tu would use a brush to write numbers on them.
This method was faster, but it had a clear flaw—if the writing got wet or rubbed off, the numbers would disappear. However, since they weren’t expecting the battle to last too long, Bai Tu figured this simple solution would suffice.
Realizing his mistake, Bai Qi picked up one of the small plaques nearby and immediately noticed that it looked different from the others. Upon closer inspection, he saw that it bore Lang Qi’s number.
“Is this one engraved?” Bai Qi asked, intrigued.
“Yeah,” Bai Tu nodded, pointing to a few others in the first row. “Besides Lang Qi’s, I made engraved ones for five cubs as well.” He had crafted a complete set for his family during his breaks with Lang Qi.
“Bai Tu, can you teach me how to carve?” Bai Qi asked eagerly.
Since there were few woodworkers in their group and carving took much longer than writing, Bai Tu had prioritized efficiency. After finishing the last three plaques in his hand, he took out two and handed them to Bai Qi, keeping one for himself.
“Sure, watch my movements,” he said.
Bai Qi examined the two identical wooden plaques in his hands and grinned excitedly.
*
Lang Qi entered the tent carrying food for the cubs, only to see Bai Qi quickly and carefully hide something in his arms. Lang Qi glanced down at the small wooden plaques on the table but said nothing. After Bai Qi left, he turned to Bai Tu with a questioning look.
Bai Tu explained, “He carved two identity plaques.” That wasn’t surprising, but the fact that Bai Qi had been so secretive about it was amusing—he had finished his own, but no matter what, he refused to let Bai Tu see the other one.
Bai Tu didn’t even need to look to know whose name was on it.
“His and Xiong Tuan’s?” Lang Qi asked.
“Most likely,” Bai Tu replied. There was an eight or nine out of ten chance it was Xiong Tuan.
The identity plaques were finally completed on the night before they entered Black Forest Tribe’s territory. Each tribe’s chief took the plaques and distributed them among their warriors.
The beastmen were curious about these strange new objects, but since they had already reached Black Forest Tribe’s territory, they followed their chiefs’ orders—putting on the plaques without further discussion and making sure to hide in places where the Black Forest Tribe’s scouts wouldn’t find them. They waited silently for their chiefs’ commands.
This time, they weren’t alone. The beastmen captured at the market had also been brought along. While they couldn’t drug the entire Black Forest Tribe like they had done with the Red Eagle Tribe, Wu Jiu himself served as an excellent key to getting inside.
Especially because Wu Jiu had woken up two days ago—but not fully. His eyes could move, but his hands, feet, and mouth weren’t functioning properly. His fingers were twisted at odd angles, and he couldn’t even get out of bed. When he tried to speak, the only sounds that came out were incoherent babbling.
The other beastmen had no idea what had happened to him, but Bai Tu recognized it immediately—partial paralysis, likely caused by a stroke. He wasn’t sure if Wu Jiu’s past lifestyle had contributed to it, but he was certain that getting captured at the market had triggered it.
However, this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. With Wu Jiu in this state, they could use him to their advantage. Otherwise, they would have had to figure out a way to keep him quiet.
On the sixth day of the market, what should have been a lively event turned eerily silent as the entire area emptied. Meanwhile, the Black Forest Tribe, which had long ceased receiving visitors from unfamiliar tribes, found itself welcoming a group of “kind-hearted beastmen” who had supposedly rescued two injured shamans and were now returning them to their tribe.
“The Black Forest Tribe’s group was attacked by rogue beastmen. Most of the apprentice shamans were taken by them, leaving only Wu Jiu and Wu Xi behind,” the beastmen said as they carried the injured shamans into Black Forest Tribe’s territory, relaying Bai Tu’s carefully crafted message.
The Black Forest Tribe’s patrol guards were stunned. After all, Wu Jiu had set out with hundreds of beastmen—how could they have been ambushed? And by rogue beastmen, no less?
The lower-ranked beastmen in charge of guarding the enslaved beastmen within the tribe were unaware of their leaders’ dealings with the rogue beastmen. But the patrolling guards knew the truth. Their chief had repeatedly warned them not to mistake the rogue beastmen for enemies. In fact, they were allies. If they saw wandering beastmen leaders, they were to let them in immediately without a fight.
Because of this, they didn’t even question the story. Wu Jiu’s injuries were evident, and Wu Xi nodded along in agreement, confirming the beastmen’ claims.
“Wait here—I’ll go get the chief!” one of the patrol guards said.
Wu Jiu, who had just woken up, scanned his surroundings and immediately realized he was back in his tribe. But before he could feel relieved, he noticed the beastmen standing beside him—the very ones who had captured him. He was furious and wanted to curse them, but his mouth refused to cooperate. No matter how hard he tried, all that came out were garbled, incoherent sounds.
Hearing Wu Jiu’s strange, slurred noises, the patrol guard trembled. Even though he couldn’t understand the words, Wu Jiu’s furious expression was unmistakable. In the Black Forest Tribe, offending a shaman was the most terrifying mistake one could make.
The patrol guards, more than anyone, knew the fate of those who angered the shamans. They not only patrolled the outskirts but also the living quarters, and they had witnessed firsthand what happened to those who crossed the shamans.
Mistakenly thinking that Wu Jiu’s anger was directed at him for taking too long to call the chief, the patrol guard quickly stepped aside. “I’ll take you into the tribe right away!”
Under normal circumstances, no outsiders were allowed into the Black Forest Tribe without permission from either the shaman or the chief.
But now, with the chief absent and the shaman already angry at his slow response, there was no way the beastman could afford to offend the shaman further. Survival instinct kicked in.
Hearing that the beastmen were being allowed into the tribe, Wu Jiu became even more agitated. However, to the others, his reaction seemed like approval of the patrol beastman’s “wise” decision. The leading beastman sighed in relief—so long as the shaman wasn’t upset, everything was fine. But there was still one thing that didn’t make sense: why would the rogue beastmen attack the shamans?
Meanwhile, in another part of the territory, a group of ferocious-looking rogue beastmen was being escorted toward the tribe by a few Black Forest Tribe warriors.
Both groups arrived at the Black Forest Tribe’s mountain pass almost simultaneously. The moment Wu Xi saw the rogue beastmen, he flinched in apparent terror and immediately hid behind one of the beastmen near him.
Wu Jiu, seeing this, knew exactly what Wu Xi was trying to do. Enraged, he weakly pounded the wooden board beneath him with his slightly functional hand.
And he was right to suspect something. Wu Xi, after trembling in fear for effect, glanced up at Black Forest Tribe’s chief, Bao Ren, and suddenly pointed at the rogue beastmen.
“Chief! They attacked our group!” Wu Xi shouted.
The rogue beastmen barely even glanced at the battered Wu Jiu and Wu Xi lying on the wooden board. They had dealings with the Black Forest Tribe, but their status wasn’t high enough to meet the shamans freely. Bao Ren, on the other hand, had always sought to keep these rogue beastmen under his control, which meant limiting their interactions with Wu Jiu whenever possible.
Since they rarely met, and because Wu Jiu and Wu Xi looked particularly disheveled at the moment—completely unlike the high-status shamans they usually appeared to be—the rogue beastmen didn’t recognize Wu Jiu at all.
Still, they could tell from their clothing that these two were a shaman and an apprentice. And even though they didn’t recognize them personally, they knew better than to mess with the Black Forest Tribe’s shamans. Even the lowest-ranking shaman had authority far beyond their own. No matter how aggressive they were, they weren’t reckless enough to cross a shaman.
But what they didn’t expect was for the unfamiliar apprentice to suddenly accuse them of attacking their group.
The rogue beastmen were stunned. They had terrible tempers, and as soon as Wu Xi accused them, they immediately bristled with anger.
“Who attacked you?!” one of them growled.
“It was them!” Wu Xi cried, panic all over his face as he ran toward Bao Ren for protection. “Chief, they said they would kill us and the shaman first—then kill you so they could take over the Black Forest Tribe!”
The leader of the rogue beastmen froze.
Because what Wu Xi had just said was exactly what they had been thinking.
Sure, it was just talk—angry words muttered when the Black Forest Tribe took the majority of their stolen food. They had never actually planned to act on it.
But how did this apprentice know their secret thoughts? And more importantly, they hadn’t even attacked these people!
Regardless of how the apprentice knew, there was only one solution—he had to be silenced.
The leader of the rogue beastmen immediately shifted into his beast form and lunged at Wu Xi.
Wu Xi took the opportunity to throw himself behind Bao Ren.
The rogue beastmen relied on brute force rather than agility. Their attacks were powerful but lacked control. The moment Wu Xi hid behind Bao Ren, the attacking beastman tried to hold back—but it was too late.
At the same time that the rogue beastmen transformed, the beastmen carrying Wu Jiu suddenly threw down the wooden board, abandoning him without a second glance as they rushed to intercept the attack. The beastmen Bao Ren had brought down from the tribe reacted similarly.
After all, this was the Black Forest Tribe’s territory, and rogue beastmen were dangerous creatures by nature.
Bao Ren might have been using them, but he still feared them. That’s why he had only allowed about a dozen of them into the tribe at once. Meanwhile, Bao Ren had brought down more than thirty beastmen himself. With the addition of the beastmen escorting Wu Jiu and Wu Xi, their numbers easily outmatched the rogue beastmen.
While the Black Forest Tribe warriors engaged the rogue beastmen, the beastmen who had accompanied Wu Xi quickly shielded him and led him away.
The battle was chaotic, and none of the Black Forest Tribe beastmen noticed Wu Xi slipping away. Bao Ren was too focused on making sure he wasn’t injured, and more importantly, he was watching to see if Wu Jiu was still alive. In his mind, the apprentice was insignificant.
By the time Wu Xi and the Wolf Tribe beastmen left, the ten or so rogue beastmen had been completely overwhelmed by the Black Forest Tribe warriors. Their agonized howls echoed through the mountains.
Elsewhere, deep within the Black Forest Tribe’s land, several hundred rogue beastmen lounged in various states of boredom—some lying on the ground, others perched in trees. They were waiting for their leader’s return.
The rainy season was approaching, and they needed to find a place to settle.
The leader had gone inside for a long time without returning, causing one of the rogue beastmen to grow impatient. “They never let us in. The Black Forest Tribe is really ungrateful.”
It was clear that the Black Forest Tribe needed their help, yet they looked down on them. Not only that, but they always took more than half of the food the rogue beastmen had looted. Why should they put up with that?
“All because we need to stay in their tribe for a few months during the rainy and snowy seasons?” another burly beastman scoffed. “And every time, we have to give up so much in exchange.”
Another beastman, just as disgruntled, grumbled, “Should’ve just killed the Black Forest Tribe’s chief from the start.”
This suggestion had plenty of support—after all, they had discussed it among themselves more than once. “We’ll wait for the leader to return and talk it over.”
Their frustration with the Black Forest Tribe had been building for a long time, and soon they were voicing their grievances one after another.
“The Black Forest Tribe sure has it easy,” someone muttered.
“Exactly. We do the hunting, and they still take our food!”
Just as they were discussing their dissatisfaction and planning how they might take over the Black Forest Tribe for themselves, a low growl suddenly echoed through the air. But instead of its usual commanding presence, the voice was filled with fear.
“What’s going on?!”
“What happened to the chief?”
“Who knows? He won’t die, anyway,” another rogue beastmen remarked dismissively. The truth was, they hadn’t always been one unified group—Bao Ren had gathered them together.
Since they had only recently been merged into a single unit, even though the hundreds of rogue beastmen technically followed Bao Ren, in reality, they were split into several smaller factions. The beastman who had spoken hoped that Bao Ren would be killed so he could take over the entire group.
Of course, not everyone agreed with him. As tensions rose and the smaller factions stirred up more conflict, the discussion quickly escalated into an argument, and both sides looked ready to fight.
Just as they were about to start brawling, a beastman—roughly the same size as them—came stumbling over, practically rolling on the ground in his haste.
“Bad news! Bad news! Bao Ren wants to kill you all!” the beastman shouted frantically.
The warring factions immediately stopped and turned toward him.
“What did you just say?” one of them demanded.
The beastman was panting, his face full of urgency. “Bao Ren says you’ve robbed too many tribes at the market, and if people start connecting the dots, they’ll realize the Black Forest Tribe is working with you. To eliminate any risk, he’s decided to wipe you all out! Your chief is already dead—Bao Ren killed him! You need to run, now!”
Upon hearing the words “run,” the already frustrated rogue beastmen erupted in fury. They had spent their lives killing others—since when had anyone dared to kill them?
Even the factions that had been at odds with the leader now stood together.
“He wants to kill us?” one of them growled, baring his teeth.
“Screw that!” another shouted, clenching his fists. “Let’s take him down first!”
Thank you for the chapter!