Chapter 139
After Bai Luo escaped, everyone hoped that one day he would return with reinforcements to rescue them. But he never did.
They were all sub-beastmen and knew how difficult life was outside. Just surviving was already a challenge, let alone finding beastmen willing to help rescue them.
At first, they were filled with hope, but over time, they gradually accepted reality. However, some still held onto a sliver of hope, waiting for Bai Luo to return.
But what they got instead was repeated disappointment.
Bai Luo never came back, and the treatment of sub-beastmen worsened. Wu Jiu did not kill them or the female beastmen—not out of kindness, but because they were more valuable alive.
The ones who suffered the most were the children. Any child born to a sub-beastman or a female beastman was taken away. They had no idea where the cubs were taken, and the cubs had no way of finding them either. The only information they could get came from the guards, who hinted that only some of the cubs were still alive.
The cubs Bai Tu had discovered were indeed secretly sent away by the sub-beastmen. Before the Black Forest Tribe was attacked, pregnant sub-beastmen and female beastmen were taken to another cave—the same one that was later used to imprison the snake tribe.
Sub-beastmen, being smaller in size and lacking sharp claws like other beastmen, struggled to dig through the tunnel. To mislead the Black Forest beastmen, they dug an additional passage behind the main one, making it appear as if they had simply attempted an escape. This way, even if the beastmen found the tunnel, they wouldn’t realize there was another hidden route.
If multiple cubs were born, they would secretly send one out. There were rest stops along the way, as newly delivered sub-beastmen often needed several pauses before they could transport the cubs outside.
Using this method, they managed to send some cubs away. Along the route, they secretly transported food to sustain them. Fortunately, the Black Forest beastmen never discovered this plan. However, not everyone had the opportunity to escape, and not all the cubs survived.
Sub-beastmen’s offspring had a natural affinity for plants. They knew that as the cubs grew, they would learn to find their own food. They wished for the cubs to survive. Recently, Wu Jiu seemed preoccupied with something, and the Black Forest beastmen had relaxed their guard slightly. Taking advantage of this, they managed to send out a few more cubs. In total, they had sent out fifteen; two perished, leaving thirteen.
What happened next, Bai Tu already knew. The snake tribe had discovered the decoy tunnel, believing it to be an escape route, unaware that the real passage had been found by Bai Tu. Bai Tu and the rabbit tribe followed it and located the cubs, leading them to deduce that some sub-beastmen were still sane.
Some sub-beastmen had truly lost their minds—like the one who kept laughing ever since Bai Tu revealed he was Bai Luo’s child. Others, however, were only pretending. Any sub-beastman who displayed intelligence or rationality had met a grim fate. To survive, they did their best to appear as if they had resigned themselves to their situation, thus avoiding the scrutiny of Wu Jiu and his men.
Bai Luo had been gone for over twenty years. Most of those who had helped him escape had long since passed away. The ones left in the cave were mostly young sub-beastmen. Though they were born later, they had grown up hearing tales of Bai Luo. He remained their last beacon of hope.
Logically, they knew that after so many years with no news, and with even Wu Jiu’s spies failing to find any trace of him, Bai Luo was likely dead. But that belief was the only thing keeping them going. It was less of a hope and more of a dream they clung to for survival.
Having endured life under the Black Forest Tribe, they had learned not to trust others easily. Before Bai Tu revealed the wolf cubs and his identity, they hadn’t even trusted him, despite him being a fellow sub-beastman. In the past, some sub-beastmen had sided with the Black Forest beastmen, trying to convince their kind and the female beastmen—who were now held in another cave—to prioritize the tribe over themselves and the wolf cubs, telling them not to be so “selfish.”
What did they mean by selfishness? Did sacrificing themselves and their cubs for the tribe count as selflessness? Was wanting their children to live truly selfish?
The scariest part was that some had actually been swayed by these arguments. They believed that sacrificing some cubs for the tribe’s future was justifiable and willingly bore children for its sake.
Bai Tu’s worldview was once again shattered.
As for Bai Luo, Bai Tu and Hei Xiao only knew limited details. They were aware that Bai Luo had lived in the Black Hawk Tribe for some time before being captured by the Red Eagle Tribe. To avoid being sent back to the Black Forest Tribe, he ultimately took his own life.
After Bai Luo left the Black Forest Tribe and joined the Black Eagle Tribe, no one knew what he had experienced there. Bai Tu and Hei Xiao didn’t even know who their other father was.
They were unaware, and naturally, the sub-beastmen who had remained in the Black Forest Tribe also had no clue. For now, the question remained unanswered.
Bai Tu had a feeling that these people weren’t revealing everything, as if they had some concerns. He hesitated but ultimately chose not to press them. After all, this was their first honest conversation, and it was understandable that some things would be withheld. In any case, now that they had been rescued, there would be more opportunities to talk in the future.
The most urgent priority was to help them regain their health.
“The rainy season is approaching. We can’t stay here indefinitely. In at most five days, we need to leave for our tribes. Which tribe do you plan to go with?” Bai Tu asked.
To reduce the birth rate of cubs, both the sub-beastmen and female beastmen had been limiting their food intake, keeping themselves in a state of extreme weakness—enough to survive but not strong enough to conceive easily. Otherwise, the number of cubs killed would have been several times higher.
For some reason, Wu Jiu seemed hesitant to use drugs on them. Instead, he resorted to coercion and persuasion, but with little success. Aside from those who had been deceived by the rhetoric of “sacrificing for the tribe’s future,” the others remained steadfast in their resistance.
However, prolonged hunger and despair had left them severely weakened. If they didn’t start replenishing their nutrition soon, leaving the Black Forest Tribe’s territory—let alone making the journey back to a tribe—would be impossible.
Yet, staying here forever was not an option. Once the Black Forest Tribe’s beastmen were properly detained, Lang Qi immediately organized several hunting teams to go out.
The journey had already cost them valuable time, and if they didn’t make up for the lost days, they would either lack enough resources to trade upon returning to their tribes or face food shortages along the way.
However, the beastmen skilled in nighttime hunting soon made a concerning discovery—there was hardly any game left in the Black Forest Tribe’s territory! It wasn’t completely barren, but the number of prey was only sufficient for a few medium-sized tribes to survive.
A land of this size should not have such little wildlife. Something was definitely wrong.
After questioning Hu Wan, they learned that hunting had already been difficult two years ago, and this year was even worse. Further interrogation of rogue beastmen and some Black Forest beastmen revealed that part of the food stolen by the rogue beastmen was sent back to the tribe under Wu Jiu’s orders.
The conditions in the Black Forest Tribe were even worse than they had previously imagined. The luxurious lifestyle of Wu Jiu and his followers was entirely sustained by the relentless, day-and-night hunting efforts of the lower-ranked beastmen. But with prey becoming scarcer, Wu Jiu and Bao Ren were scheming to lure more tribes into their domain.
Whenever rogue beastmen attacked a tribe, they would take a portion of the food. When a tribe joined the Black Forest Tribe, they would bring supplies with them. Meanwhile, Wu Jiu and his people only had to use a small portion of the stolen, low-quality food and addictive substances to maintain control—ensuring they profited enormously from the whole operation.
A group of people never considered that as their numbers increased, their food consumption would also rise. Eventually, they would exhaust their resources. They only thought that bringing in more people to hunt would mean more food, without realizing that the total number of prey was limited—the more they hunted, the slower the prey would reproduce.
The Black Forest Tribe’s territory was no longer habitable, so these beastmen had no choice but to leave with the groups that had come to rescue them. Those who had connections with certain tribes would return with them, while those without a specific tribe would be distributed based on mutual agreement, ensuring everyone ended up somewhere they were comfortable with.
This was exactly what Bai Tu was eager to resolve. The beastmen and cubs who had been imprisoned were too weak. If they didn’t return to a tribe before the rainy season, they could fall seriously ill. The sooner they could set out, the better.
“We’ll go back with you.” Bai Chi made his decision immediately after hearing Bai Tu’s words.
Bai Tu had no reason to refuse. However, it wasn’t just these people who needed to leave—there were also the cubs that Wu Jiu had taken away over the years.
Wu Jiu’s methods were eerily similar to Wu Lai’s. Both harvested wolf cubs’ blood, but since the Black Forest Tribe had more beastmen and more cubs—plus additional ones brought in from other tribes—Wu Jiu’s cruelty toward the cubs was even greater. Very few managed to survive.
The cubs that did grow up faced two fates: they were either locked away in the caves, suffering the same imprisonment as their relatives, or they were sent to hunt alongside the deceived beastmen, never knowing that their families remained trapped.
Bai Tu turned Wu Jiu’s own tactics against him, using them to threaten the beastmen who had worked for Wu Jiu and Bao Ren. It was surprisingly easy to extract the truth, and he managed to locate all the surviving cubs.
The condition of the cubs was no better than that of the sub-beastmen and female beastmen. Like the cubs Bai Tu had rescued from the Red Eagle Tribe, they were emaciated and weak, their cries barely audible.
“What exactly are they trying to do?” Bai Tu frowned.
Ever since the Red Eagle Tribe, he had found the shamans’ attitudes toward cubs and sub-beastmen strange. Now, that feeling was even stronger. Could the mere rumor that a cub’s blood could grant someone the Beast God’s power really have driven Wu Jiu and so many other shamans to such extreme cruelty?
They even imprisoned countless sub-beastmen and female beastmen to increase the number of cubs.
Bai Tu even suspected that the rumor about sub-beastmen bringing disaster was spread by Wu Jiu himself. His goal was likely to capture more sub-beastmen. Female beastmen, even in beast form, could still fight back—some species’ females were just as strong as male beastmen, making them difficult to control. In contrast, sub-beastmen, whose beast forms were even more fragile than their human forms, were the easiest targets to subjugate.
However, this was all just speculation for now. Wu Jiu never allowed anyone near him when he carried out his experiments, not even his most trusted medicine apprentices. Whatever happened inside the cave was known only to Wu Jiu himself. Now that he was half-paralyzed, unable to do anything except blink and eat, even if he could speak, Bai Tu doubted he would reveal the truth.
Bai Chi glanced at Bai Tu, hesitation flashing across his lips. In the end, he chose not to tell him the truth.
Their generation of sub-beastmen had nearly been imprisoned in the cave until death. Being rescued by Bai Tu was already beyond their wildest dreams. Since the truth was so dangerous, it was best to let this secret remain buried forever.
With the help of the sub-beastmen, the imprisoned female beastmen gradually let down their guard. After several days of improved treatment, they realized that this was not just another deception, where sub-beastmen or low-ranked beastmen were used to coax them into submission. This time, they were truly saved.
Upon learning the full truth, they were faced with a choice—one Bai Tu had been considering all along: which tribe to leave with.
Meanwhile, for the tribes that had joined the rescue effort, Bai Tu and Lang Qi had a proposition. Each tribe could take back some of the Black Forest beastmen to serve as laborers, but they were also required to take in a few beastmen who had been deceived into joining the Black Forest Tribe. After the rainy season, both sides could negotiate further—these deceived beastmen could either leave or choose to stay in their new tribe.
It was at this moment that the beastmen who had come along suddenly remembered something important.
“Our tribe… has a shaman.”
“Ours too…”
The horrors of the Black Forest Tribe had shaken them deeply. Fueled by rage and solidarity, they had rushed in to overthrow the Black Forest Tribe, only now realizing a troubling connection—some of their shamans had ties to Wu Jiu.
To be honest, it was unclear when the beastmen of the Eastern Continent had started viewing shamans with more fear than reverence. In the past, shamans were seen as second only to the Beast God. But now, whenever they needed a shaman, fear overshadowed faith—after all, whether it was for their own injuries or those of their tribesmen, they had to offer an exorbitant amount of supplies just to receive medicine.
After witnessing the atrocities in the Black Forest Tribe, some of them even began to suspect that the shamans associated with Wu Jiu might have been poisoning their medicine all along.
But this thought clashed with everything they had been taught to believe. Many beastmen were torn—on one hand, shamans were the most respected individuals in the Beast God’s land; on the other, those who followed Wu Jiu’s ways were likely no better than he was.
Bai Tu had no such doubts. He spoke decisively, “Any shaman who harms cubs is not a good person. Those who deliberately demand excessive supplies for medicine are just as bad. The truth is, all the medicine in the Eastern Continent comes from Wu Jiu. I know the formulas myself—you can just come to my tribe for medicine in the future.”
To Bai Tu, this wasn’t even a difficult decision.
Wu Jiu’s method was simple—he produced medicine himself and sold it at a high price to the shamans who were nominally his disciples. Those shamans then charged outrageous prices when treating their tribesmen, demanding anywhere from several large baskets to over a dozen baskets of food for a single treatment.
Beastmen on the Eastern Continent, regardless of whether their tribe had a shaman, lived in constant fear of injury. In tribes without a shaman, obtaining medicine was impossible, and if a wound was too severe, the injured would simply be left to die. But even in tribes with a shaman, getting hurt was just as deadly—one injury could cost them most of their food stores. And if they gave all their supplies to the shaman, what would they eat in the next season?
Bai Tu decided to put an end to this exploitation.
Since most injuries among beastmen were similar, differing only in severity, why not pre-make medicine and sell it directly to the tribes? That way, injured beastmen could be treated immediately without relying on shamans and without having to pay exorbitant prices.
Under Wu Jiu’s system, a single dose of medicine cost one to two baskets of food. The shamans then resold it to injured beastmen for several times that amount. But Bai Tu had examined Wu Jiu’s medicines—they were just ordinary healing salves, made from common ingredients. Given enough time, he could produce enough medicine for everyone.
The beastmen who had feared bringing Black Forest beastmen and deceived beastmen back to their tribes—worried that their shamans would retaliate—had never considered this alternative. If they returned with medicine, they would never have to appease their shamans just to get treatment again!
Only a few tribes, who still deeply revered their shamans, refused to bring unfamiliar beastmen back with them.
Bai Tu had no objections to any choice they made.
After their discussions, they decided to leave around two thousand beastmen in the Black Forest Tribe’s territory. Although prey was scarce, it wasn’t completely gone. While the land couldn’t sustain seven to eight thousand people, it was enough to support around two thousand beastmen.
Among them, six to seven hundred beastmen had no familiar tribe to return to and didn’t want to follow an unfamiliar tribe to a new territory, so they chose to stay where they were. Some Black Forest Tribe beastmen who were difficult to relocate were also left behind.
Although both groups remained, their treatment was vastly different. The beastmen under Hu Wan’s leadership, including the Tiger Tribe, used iron chains and other restraints to limit the movement of the Black Forest Tribe beastmen. They were only allowed to work but had no freedom.
As for the remaining beastmen, some followed the tribes they were familiar with, taking along a few Black Forest Tribe beastmen as well. Bai Tu proposed a distribution system: for every deceived beastman a tribe took in, they could also take two Black Forest Tribe beastmen—who would serve as laborers—while the deceived beastman would receive the same treatment as the tribe’s own members.
This arrangement wasn’t just about punishing the Black Forest Tribe beastmen but also ensuring oversight. The deceived beastmen had suffered under the Black Forest Tribe and harbored resentment toward them. As long as these victims were present, the Black Forest Tribe beastmen would never be able to deceive another tribe again.
Although many Black Forest Tribe beastmen were foolish, some were extremely cunning. Without proper precautions, some of them could manipulate new tribes with sweet words, potentially turning those tribes into the next Black Forest Tribe.
Bai Tu did not want to see such an outcome, so the task of supervising the Black Forest Tribe beastmen fell to those they had previously bullied. The tables had turned, and now their roles were reversed.
As for the sub-beastmen, they all chose to leave with Bai Tu. He also took the snake tribe members and Wu Jiu’s medicine apprentices with him. These individuals were difficult to manage, and Bai Tu didn’t trust them enough to let them out of his sight.
Once the beastmen were settled, the next concern was supplies. Over the years, Wu Jiu had amassed a substantial amount of resources through his medical schemes, Bao Ren had acquired more through the stray beastmen, and additional supplies had been collected from the tribes that had been tricked into joining.
Previously, Bai Tu had been shocked by how much food Wu Lai had gathered, but compared to Wu Jiu and Bao Ren, Wu Lai’s stash was nothing. Multiple caves were packed with food—some obtained through hunting by beastmen of similar rank to Hu Wan, and others looted from other tribes. Two-thirds of these supplies and tools were redistributed to the departing tribes, while the remaining portion was left for the beastmen staying in the Black Forest Tribe’s territory.
The most challenging issue was the medicine. Many beastmen were tempted by it, yet they feared touching it.
Everyone wanted access to medicine—after all, even the strongest beastmen could get injured while hunting, and having medicine would make recovery easier. However, they couldn’t be sure whether Wu Jiu’s stock contained poison.
The effects of the poison were evident—among the deceived beastmen, those who had taken the most doses suffered the worst, followed by those who had consumed it a few times, while those who had only taken it once had milder symptoms, though some still experienced discomfort.
Since the beastmen had traveled together for days, they had witnessed firsthand the effects of the poison. Naturally, no one dared to touch the medicine, fearing hidden toxins. The safest course of action was simply to avoid it altogether.
Bai Tu noticed their conflicted expressions—eager yet hesitant. After some thought, he decided to take all the medicine with him. He reassured everyone that he would distribute safe medicine to their tribes instead.
The replacement medicine Bai Tu provided was evenly distributed among all the tribes, ensuring everyone received a fair share. Moreover, his medicine was free of toxins, so they readily agreed.
Why were they so confident that Bai Tu’s medicine was safe? Simple—because they had seen its effects firsthand. While the Snow Rabbit Tribe and the Blood Wolf Tribe had no injured members, the Black Bear Tribe—where Xiong Tuan, who had a good relationship with Bai Qi, belonged—had several wounded beastmen. These beastmen had been using Bai Tu’s medicine and were not only recovering quickly but also growing stronger.
With the matters of beastmen, food, medicine, and tools settled, everyone began preparing to return to their respective tribes.
As for why they were heading directly back to their tribes instead of stopping at the trading market, the reason was straightforward. Over the past few days, while discussing resource distribution, conversations had naturally shifted to the goods each tribe had brought and what they lacked. Whenever a suitable exchange was found, they traded on the spot.
By the time they had finished dealing with the Black Forest Tribe, they had also resolved their own resource shortages, making a stop at the market unnecessary.
With two-thirds of the Black Forest Tribe’s supplies distributed among them, everyone was returning with even more resources than before. There was no need to make a special trip to the trading market. Although they had planned for a five-day preparation period, by the fourth day, everything was already set.
Since the weather could change at any moment, delaying even a day would increase the risk of getting caught in the rain. Once everything was packed, the group departed early.
Bai Tu’s main concern was the sub-beastmen and female beastmen, but fortunately, they all endured the journey. After nearly ten days of travel, they finally arrived back at the Snow Rabbit Tribe.
The beastmen who had stayed behind barely had time to celebrate their return before they noticed the many unfamiliar beastmen among them, leaving them momentarily confused.
“Didn’t you go to trade for supplies?” Bai Chen asked hesitantly. Why had they returned with a whole group of strangers?
“Where’s Tu? Where’s my brother? What about the cubs?” Lang Ze had just returned to the tribe when he overheard people talking about the traders coming back. Without even changing his clothes, he rushed in.
Bai Tu was about to answer Bai Chen when Lang Ze interrupted. Seeing him, Bai Tu was momentarily speechless, exchanging a glance with Bai Chen that signaled he’d explain later. Some things weren’t easy to summarize in a few words. Instead, he turned to Lang Ze and asked, “What have you been up to?”
Lang Ze looked like he had just crawled out of a mud pit. His entire body was covered in dirt except for his face, which was barely clean.
“Cement!” Lang Ze said excitedly. “I sculpted a statue of myself on the north side of the tribe! That way, those other tribes won’t dare come over. And sure enough, today, no one came!”
Bai Tu: “……”
Was it possible that the real reason no one had come was because they had heard that the salt-trading team had returned and didn’t dare act rashly? But seeing how pleased Lang Ze looked, Bai Tu decided not to dampen his enthusiasm. Instead, he simply told him to clean up quickly, warning that once the cement dried on his skin, it would be difficult to wash off.
Lang Ze nodded and ran off to bathe, not even sparing Lang Qi a glance.
Lang Qi: “……” That “brother” was clearly just for show.
After Lang Ze left, Bai Tu exchanged a few more words with the beastmen who had come to greet them. However, as Lang Qi’s expression grew increasingly dark, they realized keeping Bai Tu outside wasn’t appropriate and quickly urged him to go rest.
After returning to his cave, Bai Tu took a bath and changed clothes before heading to Bai An’s place with Lang Qi to discuss the situation.
By the time they arrived, most of the others had already gathered. Bai Tu also called Hei Xiao over and gave a brief explanation of the events. However, he did not mention Bai Luo or the full details about the sub-beastmen.
Bai Chen was only surprised by the large number of beastmen they had brought back, but he had no objections. After all, there was plenty of work in the tribe, and even with more people, there would be enough tasks to go around.
Moreover, the tribe had already been shifting its food supply from hunting to animal domestication over the past six months. Combined with the crops that Bai Tu had introduced, they wouldn’t face the same food shortages that had plagued the Black Forest Tribe.
Bai An had already agreed to take in the beastmen, and now that Bai Chen had no objections, the other key figures—Tu Bing, Tu Cai, and the rest—also supported the decision. The vote was nearly unanimous.
However, agreeing to take them in was one thing—finding them a place to live was another issue. The caves were already overcrowded.
“Has the second batch of houses dried completely?” Bai Tu asked. Since arriving, they had headed straight to the living area and hadn’t checked the housing district. The new homes had been built in stages, and Bai Tu was referring to the later phase. If they were ready, they could move in immediately.
Lang Ze was the most knowledgeable about this. “They’ve dried completely. They’re ready to live in now,” he confirmed, having checked them just the day before.
Bai Tu thought for a moment and decided, “Let’s move in before the rain gets heavier.”
Originally, he had thought they only needed to move into the new district before winter. However, the beastmen’s construction speed had exceeded his expectations. He had assumed the houses would only be ready after the rainy season, but by the time they had left for the Black Forest Tribe, the main structures had already been completed. Over the past few weeks, the workers had even finished the roads and drainage systems he had designed. Now, they could relocate immediately.
To make the rainy season more comfortable, Bai Tu had paid special attention to waterproofing when designing the houses. The houses were built at a higher elevation than the surrounding roads, and both the roads and the houses had dedicated drainage channels that directed water to a nearby river. This eliminated any concerns about flooding.
Unlike caves, which required excavation into the mountains, these houses were built on flat ground, making them far more convenient to live in. The old caves were irregular in shape, and the paths connecting them were often winding and inefficient. Sometimes, two caves that were only a short distance apart required a long, circuitous walk to reach each other.
Now, with proper houses and structured roads, life would be much easier.
Unlike the caves, the houses had no such issues. Bai Tu had designed proper streets, and once the relocation was complete, a detailed map listing everyone’s assigned residence would be placed in the center of the village. Anyone looking for someone could simply check the map.
Light rain had started the day before, signaling that heavy storms were imminent. Knowing this, no one wasted time, and by nightfall, they had already begun preparing for the move.
For the Wolf and Lion Tribes, moving was effortless. They could transport their belongings in beast form, and since the ground was flat, they didn’t even have to worry about stepping on sharp rocks. They simply carried their possessions on their backs and headed toward the residential district.
The beastmen they had brought back had no personal belongings, making them the easiest to relocate. Bai Tu arranged for them to stay in the guest area.
When constructing the houses, they had anticipated that beastmen from other tribes might visit—originally expecting members of the Black Eagle Tribe and those searching for lost wolf cubs. However, now, the majority of the newcomers were sub-beastmen.
Unlike female beastmen, most of the sub-beastmen had been captured and imprisoned in the Black Forest Tribe over a decade ago, or they were the children of the first group of captives. They had no familiar tribes to return to, as their original homes had long since changed beyond recognition. Naturally, they had no intention of going back and instead chose to follow Bai Tu.
After assigning them their living quarters, Bai Tu asked Bai Qi to take the sub-beastmen to the Black Bear Tribe’s designated area. Meanwhile, he and Hei Xiao returned to the cave to privately discuss matters regarding Bai Luo.
Hei Xiao hadn’t expected that Bai Luo had once been captured by the Black Forest Tribe. Neither Bai Luo nor the sub-beastmen in the tribe had ever mentioned it to him.
After thinking it over, Hei Xiao said, “Watch over the egg for me. I need to return to my tribe.” He wanted to ask the sub-beastmen there about Bai Luo’s time before joining the tribe.
Bai Tu quickly grabbed his arm. “The rainy season is about to start!”
Traveling was difficult for all beastmen during the rainy season, and the feather tribes were no exception. Heavy rain reduced visibility, making it easy to crash into obstacles. Even flying at a higher altitude to avoid hazards wouldn’t help—rain would soak their wings, increasing their weight, and flying the same distance in the rain would consume several times more energy than in clear weather.
Moreover, the Beast God Continent didn’t experience light drizzles during the rainy season—it faced torrential downpours. Traveling in such conditions would mean struggling even to start a fire while resting.
Bai Tu was just as eager to learn what had happened in the past, but no matter how anxious he was, Hei Xiao’s safety was far more important.
“Yan will be here soon,” Bai Tu added.
Hei Yan rarely left Hei Xiao’s side for long. This time, he had only gone to the market to trade goods for their tribe. The markets in the Southern Continent operated on a similar schedule to those in the Eastern Continent, and based on the speed of the hawk tribe, Hei Yan should be arriving soon.
Bai Tu couldn’t even imagine how Hei Yan would react if he arrived and found out that Hei Xiao had already left. Given Hei Yan’s temperament, it wouldn’t be surprising if he tore apart the entire tribe in his rage.
In the end, Hei Xiao chose to listen to Bai Tu and stayed put, but he silently decided to return home as soon as the rainy season ended.
Meanwhile, many of the beastmen in the tribe were surprisingly adept at caring for the cubs. Now that sub-beastmen and cubs had been brought back, they extended the same care to them. After all, they were still young, and the sub-beastmen were visibly weak. Moreover, since they shared the same background as Bai Tu, it was natural to want to help them.
Initially, the sub-beastmen were worried that entering a new tribe would be dangerous, but they quickly relaxed upon realizing that the leaders of the Snow Rabbit Tribe were all from the rabbit race. Additionally, Bai Tu, despite his busy schedule, always made time to check on their living conditions and meals.
As they settled into the tribe, they also began to notice something—Bai Tu’s position within the tribe was different from what they had expected. He wasn’t just a valued member; it seemed that many major decisions depended on him.
The sub-beastmen understood that the more influence Bai Tu held, the safer they would be. While this reassured them, it also made them uneasy—was Bai Tu this busy because he had brought them back?
While receiving food from a tribe member, one of the sub-beastmen hesitantly asked, “Is Tu busy again today?”
The one delivering food was Tu Mu. Whenever Bai Tu was occupied, he entrusted the sub-beastmen and cubs’ meals to Tu Mu.
Though Tu Mu wasn’t an expert in nutrition, he followed Bai Tu’s previous instructions and adjusted the meals accordingly, ensuring they were as nutritious as possible. He also prepared easily digestible food, knowing that the sub-beastmen had suffered from prolonged malnutrition.
Tu Mu enjoyed seeing others eat the food he prepared. However, this time, instead of eating immediately, the sub-beastmen seemed more concerned about Bai Tu, which surprised him. After all, in the tribe, no one ever waited too long before digging into their meals.
As for Bai Tu—his busyness was obvious to everyone.
“Of course,” Tu Mu replied. “Tu is always busy. He didn’t even have time for lunch today.”
Hearing this, the sub-beastmen became even more worried. Bai Tu had likely promised a lot in order to bring them here—wasn’t he exhausting himself like this?
Bai Tu truly was busy. The wheat they had planted after spring had already matured. Before they returned, it had been harvested, but before it could be properly dried, the rain had started.
Knowing that the wheat was still piled up in the caves, Bai Tu immediately ordered people to spread it out. If damp wheat was left stacked together, it would spoil quickly—especially in the current hot and humid season. If they weren’t careful, this entire batch could go to waste.
It wasn’t just wheat; all the harvested crops needed to be dried. Fortunately, since many beastmen had moved into their new homes, several caves were now vacant, making them perfect for storing and drying the grain. As long as they ensured proper waterproofing and prevented rain from seeping in, the food would be safe.
The unripe crops also needed attention. Bai Tu always felt that the drainage ditches in the fields weren’t enough, so he ordered two more to be dug on the sides. This way, no matter how heavy the rain got, the water would have a proper path to flow away.
Compared to beastmen, crops were even more vulnerable to heavy rain—while beastmen could find shelter, the plants had no such luxury.
The residential area had already been arranged, and with Bai An and the others overseeing things, Bai Tu felt at ease. So for the past two days, he had focused all his energy on the crops. Their trip to the market had taken over twenty days, yet during that time, the tribe’s food stores had multiplied.
Aside from the harvested spring wheat, they now had potatoes and sweet potatoes.
Bai Tu had been eagerly awaiting the sweet potatoes, and now they were finally ready to eat. He wasn’t sure if it was due to good soil selection or the fertility of first-time cultivated land, but the harvest far exceeded his expectations.
While sweet potatoes tasted better after being left to sit for a few days, he couldn’t wait any longer.
That evening, after finishing his work and heading home, Bai Tu asked Lang Qi to carry half a basket of sweet potatoes.
“We’re having roasted sweet potatoes, and I’ll make sweet potato mash for the cubs.”
He had been craving roasted sweet potatoes since winter, but at the time, he had held off in order to focus on planting. Now, he could finally indulge. The cubs had been eating the same foods on rotation for a while, so this was a perfect chance to change things up.
Lang Qi, hearing the anticipation in Bai Tu’s voice, didn’t just pick up the half-basket—he carried an entire one.
“That’s too much,” Bai Tu protested. While he loved sweet potatoes, he wasn’t planning to eat them nonstop. Even the best food could become boring if eaten too often.
Lang Qi simply responded, “Did you forget about Ze?”
Bai Tu: “……”
He almost had.
When Lang Ze chose his house, he deliberately picked one right next to theirs. Only a single wall separated them. If they started a fire, Lang Ze would hear it immediately.
Bai Tu had no doubt that as soon as the scent reached him, Lang Ze would show up at their doorstep.
Glancing at the basket Lang Qi was carrying, Bai Tu hesitated and suggested, “Should we switch to a bigger one?”
Lang Qi fully agreed and swapped it for an even larger basket.
With Bai Tu carrying the wolf cubs and Lang Qi carrying the sweet potatoes, they walked leisurely through the village in the cool air after the rain. Along the way, they passed a few beastmen who had finished their work for the day and were heading toward the communal dining area.
Seeing Bai Tu and Lang Qi, they instinctively stopped to greet them, their voices filled with cheer.
The entire tribe was thriving.
Bai Tu turned to look at the joyous figures of the beastmen. The strange unease that had lingered ever since entering the Black Forest Tribe finally began to fade.
No matter what, the tribe was getting better and better. Their efforts had proven to be the right path. Meanwhile, people like Wu Jiu and Bao Ren—who had done so much wrong—would inevitably be exposed and face the consequences.
When they arrived home, Lang Qi pulled out a grill they usually used for roasting meat. Bai Tu selected sweet potatoes of suitable sizes and placed them on the rack, then began lighting the fire.
The best-tasting roasted sweet potatoes are those baked directly in the soil. However, although the heavy rain hadn’t started yet, light rain had been falling for most of the day, leaving the ground too damp to start a fire outside. Given the circumstances, it was difficult to cook them in the traditional way.
Still, Bai Tu was finally getting to eat the food he had been craving for so long. Even if it wasn’t the most authentic way to roast sweet potatoes, he was more than satisfied.
While the sweet potatoes were roasting, Bai Tu prepared the cubs’ food first. Making sweet potato mash was simple and didn’t require selecting specific sizes since the sweet potatoes could be cut before cooking.
He peeled and chopped the washed sweet potatoes into small pieces, then steamed them until soft. Afterward, he mashed them with a spoon—just like that, a simple meal was ready.
Bai Tu didn’t add anything else to the mash since the cubs would eat again before bedtime. Their trip to the market had noticeably increased their appetites, especially the two older cubs, who had grown significantly.
As the sweet potatoes steamed, a few wolf cubs woke up, their noses twitching at the scent. Seeing their father preparing food for them, they sat obediently on their small beds, waiting for their meal.
The small beds had been modified by a carpenter at Bai Tu’s request. He had added wheels underneath, allowing Bai Tu to easily push the cubs around—even when Lang Qi wasn’t there. This way, he didn’t have to carry them one by one. At moments like this, when it was feeding time, the setup was incredibly convenient.
Since the mash needed a little more time to cool, Bai Tu washed his hands and tied bibs around the cubs’ necks to prevent them from making a mess while eating.
The sight of the bibs made the cubs even more excited. They knew this was the final step before food arrived, and their eyes remained glued to the bowls in anticipation.
After making a final adjustment to the roasting rack, Lang Qi also washed his hands and got ready to help feed the cubs. They always fed them together—it wasn’t strictly necessary, since the two older cubs could eat by themselves now, but Bai Tu preferred to help with sweet potato mash rather than letting the cubs eat it on their own.
Just as they were about to start feeding the cubs, there was a knock at the door.
Hearing it, Bai Tu immediately knew it was someone from their inner circle. In the tribe—especially in the well-protected residential area—security wasn’t a major concern. They never locked their doors during the day, only securing them at night when they wanted uninterrupted rest.
Since it was one of their own, Bai Tu called out for them to come in.
Bai Chi pushed the door open and stepped inside. His gaze landed on the food in the courtyard, then shifted to Bai Tu, who was feeding the cubs. His footsteps suddenly froze.
Seeing that Bai Chi hadn’t spoken, Bai Tu looked over. “Chi, do you need something?”
Bai Chi sighed. “Tu… you must have been through so much.”
Bai Tu: “???”
Bai Chi continued, “I should have realized it sooner. You saved so many people—of course, it must have affected you. Now you don’t even have food left for yourself.”
Bai Tu: “???”
What exactly had these sub-beastmen imagined?!
