Chapter 144
It wasn’t just the White Bear Tribe beastmen—once a beastman had tasted honey, it was hard to resist eating more.
The White Bear Tribe’s way of preparing food was quite straightforward. This had already been apparent during their trip to the market; every time a new dish was introduced, they would be visibly shocked.
When traveling, they mostly carried foods that could be stored for long periods. Aside from flavored jerky, their other provisions were either heavily salted or dehydrated to extend shelf life. These preserved foods could last more than half a month even in hot temperatures, but they certainly didn’t taste as good as freshly cooked meals.
The freshly made food was already fragrant, but when paired with the rare sweetness that beastmen seldom got to eat, it immediately won over the White Bear Tribe’s palates.
The beastmen who had come to persuade Xiong Liao to return ended up eating a meal in the Snow Rabbit Tribe’s settlement. After that, they completely forgot their original mission and instead started asking how to join the tribe.
Bai An was hesitant about this. The White Bear Tribe actually wanted to join them?
Although the Snow Rabbit Tribe and the Blood Wolf Tribe were currently living together, they still operated separately in many ways. Merging everyone into a single tribe would take time, and certain tasks were not suited for joint efforts. For now, the two tribes had yet to officially become one.
And yet, the White Bear beastmen were asking to join the Snow Rabbit Tribe.
In the past, this would have been unthinkable.
The last time a tribe voluntarily joined them, it was the Cat Tribe. But that was a situation of desperation—their territory had been taken, they had no place to go, and many of their people were injured. They had no other choice.
Before that, the Flower Bear Tribe had joined because their hunting grounds had become barren. Even their favorite food, the bamboo rats, had fled. The conditions in their own tribe were worse than those of the Snow Rabbit Tribe, so they had decided to stay.
But the White Bear Tribe wasn’t facing any problems at all. They were strong, their territory was larger than the Snow Rabbit Tribe’s old land, and their beastmen were powerful. So why did they want to join?
“Tu, do you think we should agree?” Bai An asked.
Accepting members from another tribe wasn’t a simple decision. There were many things to consider. Right now, the Snow Rabbit Tribe already had a lot to handle. Bai An was unsure whether they should take these beastmen in.
If he agreed and they couldn’t find suitable work for the newcomers, what then? But if he refused and Bai Tu later needed more beastmen, what would happen?
After mulling it over, Bai An decided to ask Bai Tu for advice.
Previously, when it was just Xiong Liao alone, they could joke about him being an extra pair of hands. But now, with multiple beastmen involved, the decision had to be taken seriously. Once a choice was made, it wouldn’t be easy to take back.
“Are they really that eager to join us?” Bai Tu asked.
“They were urging me to come talk to you about it last night,” Bai An sighed. Those White Bear beastmen were truly impatient. Big and burly, they had crowded around his door at night, scaring him for a moment—he had thought he had offended another tribe and they had come to settle accounts.
Seeing how excited the White Bear beastmen were, Bai Tu came up with a plan. “Let’s do this—agree to let them stay for now and assign them some work. They’ll earn points according to the standard system for tribe members. Let them try it out for a while. If it doesn’t work out, they can go back. But if they insist on staying even after some time, then we can officially accept them.”
The Snow Rabbit Tribe already had beastmen from various races, so a few more wouldn’t make much of a difference.
Bai An thought about it and realized it was a good plan. It would keep the White Bear beastmen occupied, preventing them from pestering him, while also keeping the question of their membership somewhat open-ended. Later, whether they chose to stay or return to their original tribe, it would be easy to explain.
“Alright, let’s go with that,” Bai An agreed and went to make arrangements.
There was plenty of work to do in the tribe, and there were tasks suited for White Bear beastmen as well. Even though it was still raining, they could be assigned some work.
Even though Bai An had given vague responses—neither fully agreeing nor refusing—the news of the White Bear beastmen’s arrival spread throughout the tribe.
The White Bear Tribe’s chief had voluntarily joined the Snow Rabbit Tribe. The beastmen sent to bring him back not only failed to do so but ended up staying as well.
This news quickly spread to the surrounding tribes.
Bai Tu learned about it from Shi Su.
Since returning from the market trip, relations between the nearby tribes had improved significantly. Previously, patrol teams would avoid each other upon meeting. Now, when they crossed paths, they would exchange updates on their respective tribes.
The fact that the White Bear Tribe’s chief had left, along with several of its beastmen, was big news. The surrounding tribes were all talking about it.
Some believed it was because the Snow Rabbit Tribe provided better conditions. Since they were practically merging with the Blood Wolf Tribe, they were bound to become a powerful tribe in the future. Joining now would secure them better treatment before it became harder to enter later on.
Others suspected that the Snow Rabbit Tribe had used some method to lure beastmen over, even speculating that they might turn into another Black Forest Tribe.
Every tribe had its own opinions.
Shi Su had come to confirm the truth. On the surface, he congratulated the Snow Rabbit Tribe on gaining new members, but in reality, he was gauging their response.
The Black Forest Tribe had just been destroyed by the combined forces of multiple tribes. No one wanted to see another one rise in its place.
Fortunately, the Snow Rabbit Tribe hadn’t changed much, and Shi Su was able to see the White Bear Tribe beastmen with his own eyes. They were alive and well, not mistreated in any way.
He had judged correctly, Shi Su thought to himself.
“They’re only interested in our tribe’s delicious food,” Bai Tu explained.
The rainy season hadn’t ended yet, and while the White Bear Tribe beastmen claimed they wanted to join, there was no guarantee they would stay once the season was over. After all, the White Bear Tribe was their home, where they had lived for many years. Leaving wasn’t something to be done lightly.
If they just wanted better food, their tribe’s cooks could come here to learn. The Snow Rabbit Tribe wouldn’t refuse them.
Shi Su nodded in understanding. Leaving one’s home tribe was never an easy decision. Even if a beastman was willing to leave, their fellow tribesmen might not agree.
Although adult beastmen were generally independent and not bound by their families, a decision as significant as leaving the tribe would almost always meet with resistance from their kin.
For one, a newcomer’s status and treatment in another tribe would always be at the lowest level. Additionally, no tribe would want to see its numbers dwindle, as population directly correlated with strength. The more people who left, the weaker the tribe became. Whether for the sake of the individuals wanting to leave or for the well-being of the tribe as a whole, most wouldn’t let their members go so easily.
Just like when Tu Cheng wanted to leave his tribe—many beastmen had been persuaded by their families to stay behind.
Normally, unless a tribe was truly on the brink of collapse, beastmen who considered leaving would face strong opposition. And in most cases, these words of persuasion were enough to stop 90% of impulsive decisions.
Neither Bai Tu nor Shi Su realized how different the White Bear Tribe actually was.
Shi Su’s knowledge of the White Bear Tribe came mostly from patrol reports. After finishing the discussion about Xiong Liao and the others joining the Snow Rabbit Tribe, he quickly moved on to the main purpose of his visit.
His tribe wanted to start growing medicinal herbs and had sent a few people to learn from the Snow Rabbit Tribe.
Back when Bai Tu had acquired herb seeds from the Black Forest Tribe, he had asked the other tribes if they wanted any. However, most beastmen had little knowledge of medicinal herbs, and the tribal healers had complex ties to Wu Jiu. Rather than bringing the seeds back to their tribes, they had simply left them with Bai Tu.
After all, Bai Tu had said he could cultivate the herbs himself, and if any other tribes wanted to learn, they could send people to his tribe for training.
It wasn’t that Bai Tu was being secretive—there were just too many types of herbs, and they didn’t all grow in the same season. It wasn’t something that could be explained in a short time. Moreover, among the healers and apprentices who could be trusted to handle the herbs, only Wu Xi was reliable.
Back then, Bai Tu hadn’t realized that the sub-beastmen also knew about medicinal herbs. But thinking back, even if he had known, he probably wouldn’t have felt comfortable letting them be taken away.
In the end, he had taken most of the herb seeds himself. Tribes further away would have to wait until he successfully grew the herbs and prepared medicines for trade. Meanwhile, nearby tribes, which were more familiar with the Snow Rabbit Tribe, could safely send people over to learn.
This time, Shi Su had brought over a few children to study herb cultivation.
Bai Tu hadn’t specified any age requirements, but Shi Su felt that learning about herbs would require staying for many days. Sending adult beastmen to another tribe wouldn’t be appropriate—after all, the Lion Tribe was known for its combat prowess. Sending adult warriors into another tribe’s territory could be seen as a provocation.
Even though the relationship between the two tribes was good, Shi Su didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks.
So instead, he had brought four young lions. The oldest was twelve or thirteen years old, while the youngest was only ten.
For something this harmless, Bai Tu didn’t even need to consult Bai An before agreeing.
In truth, even if the Yellow Lion Tribe had sent adult beastmen, the Snow Rabbit Tribe wouldn’t have been too concerned—after all, the Wolf Tribe was right next door.
Still, a beastman with such a considerate attitude was always appreciated. The fact that Shi Su had thought this through so carefully showed how seriously he took the matter.
Bai Tu planned to have Bai Chi take care of the young lions.
From his observations, Bai Chi and the others claiming to be “learning” from the tribal healer seemed to be downplaying their abilities. Judging by how adeptly the sub-beastmen had been handling herbs recently, they had clearly been exposed to this knowledge before.
Bai Tu even suspected that some of them had originally been healers themselves.
As he was escorting the lion cubs to Bai Chi’s area, he passed by Ying Mian’s residence. From beyond the wall, he heard Ying Mian’s voice.
“This is the last time I’m saying this—it’s your child.”
Ying Mian sounded exasperated, as if he had reached the end of his patience.
“I’ve told you already. I don’t have a new partner. The cub isn’t mine or some feathered tribe’s child!”
Bai Tu kept his gaze straight ahead and continued walking as Xiong Liao’s voice followed closely behind:
“Mian, I’ve told you, as long as it’s your cub, I’ll take good care of it. Even if it’s not mine, that doesn’t matter. You don’t have to say things like that—the cub will be upset if it hears.”
Although he wanted to defeat his opponent, he wanted to do so honorably, not by using a child.
To Xiong Liao, young cubs were the most vulnerable and needed to be protected. As for whether the cub was his or not, that kind of talk should never be said in front of the cub.
How could anyone carelessly claim a cub’s father wasn’t who they thought? What if the cub misunderstood and thought no one wanted them? Xiong Liao disapproved and said firmly, “I won’t hurt the cub. No matter who its father is, I will never harm it.”
Ying Mian’s new partner was one thing, but the cub was another. Xiong Liao had always kept that distinction clear. Even if the cub wasn’t his, he would never harm it.
Bai Tu: “…” How many times had this happened already?
Shi Su, who had followed along: “…” Was this conversation implying what he thought it was?
Shi Su quietly asked Bai Tu, “I remember Ying Mian is Xiong Liao’s partner?” The conversation had completely shocked him.
Bai Tu closed his eyes for a moment, then nodded.
“Then the cub…?” Shi Su hesitantly asked. Now he was truly curious about the full story.
Bai Tu fell silent for a moment before replying, exhausted, “It’s Xiong Liao’s.”
Everyone except Xiong Liao knew this fact. But Xiong Liao was still fixated on finding Ying Mian’s so-called “new partner,” who didn’t even exist.
Previously, some members of the Bear Tribe had tried persuading Xiong Liao to find a new partner. But once they learned that Ying Mian had stayed in the Snow Rabbit Tribe to hatch an egg, they all fell silent.
If there was no cub, they might have convinced them to separate. But now that a cub had been born—even if it was still in an egg—it was undeniably Xiong Liao’s child. There was no way they could keep pushing for a breakup.
They had originally opposed Xiong Liao and Ying Mian being together because they wanted Xiong Liao’s cubs to be stronger. But now that the cub had already been born, even if it was from an egg and hadn’t hatched yet, it was still his cub. They couldn’t just reject it simply because it might not be strong enough.
They weren’t particularly fond of the Feather Tribe, but if a Feather Tribe member was born within their own tribe, what could they do? They had to accept it.
In the end, instead of persuading Xiong Liao to leave Ying Mian, they started advising him to take good care of the cub. They insisted that all of the cubs must successfully hatch. That way, in the future, if other tribes mocked their leader’s cub for being part of the Feather Tribe, they could at least counter with sheer numbers.
Xiong Liao’s response to these suggestions was similar to what he had said today:
“You guys can apply to join the Snow Rabbit Tribe, but don’t try to trick me.”
Xiong Liao sincerely believed that the other Bear Tribe members had only pretended to accept Ying Mian because they wanted to join the Snow Rabbit Tribe. So, being the generous leader he was, he kindly reassured them that he bore no grudges over their past objections. There was no need for them to lie to him.
Shi Su hesitated and asked, “Then… when will Xiong Liao finally figure it out?”
“He can’t stay like this forever, right?”
“Exactly. When will he realize?” Bai Tu also wanted an answer to that question.
Originally, they had assumed that in about two months, when the cubs hatched, it would become clear. But Feather Tribe wolf cubs didn’t necessarily carry a strong scent from their beastman parent.
In fact, Bai Tu suspected that even if the cub had Xiong Liao’s scent, Xiong Liao might just convince himself that Ying Mian had intentionally rubbed his fur on it.
The question left both of them momentarily silent. They wordlessly moved on from the topic and delivered the Lion Tribe cubs to the sub-beastmen.
When Bai Chi heard that the cubs were coming to learn about medicinal herb cultivation, he happily agreed.
“Of course! Tu, should we teach the Rabbit Tribe and Wolf Tribe cubs together as well?”
It had been a long time since Bai Chi had taught young ones. In his original tribe, he had been too young to qualify as a teacher. Later, in the Black Forest Tribe, he hadn’t dared to teach at all—he had even hoped the cubs there would stay ignorant, because that was safer.
Bai Tu had initially worried that Bai Chi might dislike having too many students, but hearing him take the initiative to ask, Bai Tu immediately replied, “I’ll arrange for them to come over.”
He had previously taught Bai Dong and the others, but as the tribe’s responsibilities grew, his time for teaching became limited. Meanwhile, Bai Chi and the others had more time. Bai Tu was even considering giving them the task of teaching written language.
Beastmen tended to be impatient by nature, but for some reason—perhaps because they had been suppressed for so long, or maybe because of their long exposure to plants—the sub-beastmen had slightly calmer temperaments.
Since they had to learn the language themselves before teaching it, they were well-suited for the task.
On the other hand, the beastmen—especially the adult males—struggled with even the basics. Many of them had already reached their breaking point while learning numbers.
At first, when the tribe heard they could learn writing, they were excited. But once the actual lessons started, their enthusiasm dropped by a third—especially after they had to learn numbers.
For the beastmen who truly couldn’t keep up with their studies, Bai Tu only required them to learn numbers and how to write their own names. Anything more would be too difficult for them. Once they mastered those two things, they could move on to learning the names of others in the tribe and commonly used words.
Literacy and herbal medicine could even be taught together, and Bai Tu took this opportunity to mention it to Bai Chi.
Bai Chi was already aware that the tribe had been learning to read and write. After all, during the rainy season, most beastmen had little to do, and even those with tasks weren’t too busy.
With plenty of free time, many took the opportunity to study. He had been thinking about bringing it up with Bai Tu himself, as it would be useful to write down the names of herbs. So when he heard Bai Tu’s suggestion, he was overjoyed.
Bai Tu’s idea hit the nail on the head for him.
However, Bai Tu was a bit surprised. “The Black Forest Tribe didn’t teach you how to read?”
The question suddenly reminded him that he had forgotten to ask Wu Xi what the writing system of the Black Forest Tribe looked like. As for Wu Jiu and the other apprentice healers, Wu Jiu was barely clinging to life, and the others still seemed to be holding onto the hope that Wu Jiu would take them away. Bai Tu decided to keep them locked up for a while longer.
“That was just Wu Jiu deceiving everyone,” Bai Chi’s expression instantly grew cold at the mention of Wu Jiu. “They’ve been saying for over ten years that they would teach the writing passed down by the Beast God, but not a single word has ever been written.”
Even if he hadn’t learned from Bai Tu directly, Bai Chi had still picked up some numbers thanks to the influence of the Snow Rabbit Tribe and the Blood Wolf Tribe. Meanwhile, in the Black Forest Tribe, everything had always been just talk—Wu Jiu spoke grandly, but no one had ever actually learned anything. The beastmen there had revered Wu Jiu like a god, yet Bai Chi and the others could see clearly that Wu Jiu actually knew nothing.
“They never learned at all?” Bai Tu hadn’t expected this answer.
He had to admit, Wu Jiu was incredibly skilled at putting on a false front—he had even managed to make up something like that. If only all the effort put into suppressing and deceiving others had been used to genuinely develop the tribe, things wouldn’t have turned out like this.
Bai Tu shook his head, unable to understand the man’s thinking. After setting a time with Bai Chi to start teaching them the real writing system, he prepared to head back the way he came.
Shi Su had only come along to deliver the cubs. Now that the cubs were with the sub-beastmen for lessons, it was time for him to return as well. Instead of following Bai Tu back to his residence, he took a nearby exit and left.
Bai Tu walked back alone. Over the past two days, the rainfall had visibly decreased, meaning it was time to start preparing certain crops—like corn.
The beastmen in the tribe had become increasingly accepting of these new foods, largely thanks to the seasonings available. After all, there were no inherently bad-tasting foods, only people who didn’t know how to prepare them properly.
As Bai Tu walked, he suddenly realized he was getting a bit hungry. He decided to stop by the communal kitchen for something to eat. However, halfway there, he spotted two unexpected people.
Xiong Liao and the White Bear tribe members had been in the tribe for the past few days, but they rarely went out together—especially since Ying Mian had been busy caring for the egg. Seeing them outside together today was unusual, but it was also a good sign. The misunderstanding between them really needed to be cleared up.
Bai Tu originally planned to leave them alone and take another path, but just as he was about to turn away, he noticed something was off about Ying Mian’s expression.
Neither of them was moving. Instead, they seemed to be arguing.
Had they still not figured things out?
Thinking back to the things Xiong Liao had said earlier, Bai Tu paused for a moment, sighed, and walked over to check the situation.
A Feather Tribe member incubating an egg was in a state similar to a beastman carrying a cub—sometimes they could be excessively cautious. Remembering what had happened last winter, Bai Tu rubbed his temples. Forget it. The past wasn’t worth revisiting.
As he approached, he called out tentatively, “Mian?”
Ying Mian quickly lowered his head, wiped his face, and then looked up to greet him. “Tu.”
“Where’s the cub?” Bai Tu asked.
“At home,” Ying Mian replied in a low voice.
“Are you two fighting?” Bai Tu could hear the tears in Ying Mian’s voice. He glanced at Xiong Liao. In the past, it had always been Xiong Liao getting kicked out by Ying Mian, which meant that while Ying Mian had been angry, he hadn’t taken it too seriously. But today was different—this seemed much more serious.
“No,” Ying Mian shook his head. He didn’t want to admit that he had finally mustered up the courage to tell Xiong Liao the truth—that the cub was his—only to almost be driven to tears by Xiong Liao’s response.
Hearing Bai Tu’s question, Xiong Liao actually sounded self-righteous.
“Tu, I already said—even if the cub isn’t mine, I’ll still take good care of it!”
Xiong Liu didn’t understand. He had said this so many times—why didn’t Ying Mian believe him? And why did the beastmen from the White Bear Tribe keep trying to fool him?
Bai Tu: “……” This still hasn’t been cleared up?
Taking a deep breath, Bai Tu turned to Xiong Liao, “Xiong Liao, is there really no chance that Ying Mian’s cub is yours?”
“Impossible!” Xiong Liao frowned and shook his head. “Mian gave birth to the cub in the Snow Rabbit Tribe!”
Xiong Liao was frustrated. Why was it that when he said he would take care of the cub even if it wasn’t his, no one believed him? Instead, they insisted on deceiving him.
“But when Mian came back, he was carrying an egg,” Bai Tu felt exhausted. “It was wrapped in the material I gave him. The egg was laid before we went to the market. When we encountered him on the road, it had already been four days.” Bai Tu remembered it clearly—at that time, Ying Mian had even worried that the hatching success rate would be lower because the egg had been left too long.
“That’s still impossible,” Xiong Liao insisted, shaking his head. “Last spring, we weren’t even mates yet.”
Bai Tu: “???”
“Mian gave birth to the cub this year. What does last year have to do with anything?” Bai Tu was baffled by Xiong Liao’s logic. Finally, he understood why Ying Mian had struggled to explain things for so long—with logic like this, how could anyone clarify the situation?
“That’s how it is for all the beastmen in the tribe,” Xiong Liao said seriously. “Only those who become mates in spring will bring out their cubs after winter.”
Bai Tu fell silent for a moment.
“You’re a bear. He’s an eagle. Do you really think it’s the same?” Bai Tu finally couldn’t hold back. “Why do things have to follow your biology, but not his?”
After all, the cub came from an egg—shouldn’t it follow the customs of the Feather Tribe?
Xiong Liao seemed stunned. His understanding of the world had just been shaken to its core, and he stood frozen, lost in thought.
Ying Mian also fell into deep contemplation—he had never considered that their miscommunication stemmed from this.
Watching their reactions, Bai Tu could only hope that Xiong Liao would figure things out quickly. This misunderstanding had dragged on way too long.
Then again, when he thought about it, how was Xiong Liao supposed to know? The beastmen in the tribe didn’t have any kind of scientific education—no books, no internet. Everything was passed down by word of mouth or left for individuals to figure out on their own. If no one had told Xiong Liao, it wasn’t surprising that he had misunderstood.
Maybe he had simply observed that beastmen in the tribe found mates in the spring and had cubs after winter—so he assumed everyone needed a full year. If the White Bear Tribe didn’t have any sub-beastmen, this explanation made even more sense. Bai Tu himself hadn’t realized how quickly sub-beastmen could give birth until he experienced it firsthand.
Wait…
A sudden realization hit Bai Tu.
Every time Xiong Liao wanted to get close to Ying Mian, he would bring food first. Could it be that no one had ever explained things to him, and he was just copying what he had seen others do?
Xiong Liao probably never got the chance to witness normal interactions between beastman couples. What he had likely seen instead were casual, transactional encounters—where food was exchanged for something more.
Which meant… he wasn’t just copying. He had internalized it. Maybe he even believed that if you love someone, you have to do this.
That would explain why he kept force-feeding Ying Mian before getting close to him. Ying Mian had even secretly complained that the bear tribe’s food wasn’t very tasty.
At least there was one bit of relief—Xiong Liao had only forced Ying Mian to eat food, and he had never forced anything else. He had always respected Ying Mian’s boundaries in that regard. If he hadn’t, he would have been kicked out a long time ago.
Bai Tu turned to Ying Mian, and their eyes met. They stared at each other in silence for so long that Xiong Liao almost interrupted to demand if Bai Tu was the cub’s other father.
Before he could, Bai Tu suddenly pulled Ying Mian aside and shared his theory.
“…That can’t be right…” Ying Mian was so shocked he momentarily forgot his anger. He had just been reeling from Xiong Liao’s denial of their cub—now Bai Tu had hit him with this. And this revelation was even more shocking.
So Xiong Liao wasn’t acting on his own instincts—he was imitating the beastmen he had seen outside? Did he really think that giving food meant they had to sleep together?
“You two need to talk things out,” Bai Tu sighed, thoroughly drained. He patted Ying Mian on the shoulder. “This might actually be our fault.”
They had never expected Xiong Liao to be this straightforward.
With heavy steps, Bai Tu walked away.
Ying Mian was still too stunned to react.
Xiong Liao, on the other hand, was still deep in thought—wondering if the cub might actually be his.
—
After dealing with such an exhausting situation, Bai Tu completely forgot about going to the communal kitchen. He didn’t even realize until he got home that he had walked in empty-handed—he hadn’t grabbed any snacks.
Forget it.
He hesitated for only a second before deciding to leave the task to Lang Qi.
He missed the wolf cubs.
The cub was playing in the room when he arrived. Lang Qi was keeping an eye on him while sketching on a wooden board—it was a new defense plan, marking key positions where beastmen should stand guard in case of an invasion.
After both tribes moved to the residential area, life became much more convenient. In the past, people had to climb one or two mountains to get home, not to mention some steep paths where only one person could pass at a time. If they wanted to cross, they had to wait for beastmen coming from the opposite direction to reach a certain point before proceeding.
However, there was a drawback to this ground-level residential area. If the external defenses were not strong enough, it would be extremely dangerous. After all, being on flat land made it easier for invaders to attack while also making it convenient for the residents to live.
Lang Qi was currently arranging security measures, ensuring that guards would be stationed outside at all times. Fortunately, this duty was rotated among them, and each person might only be assigned once a month, which was still much more convenient than before.
The cubs were lying on the bed next to Lang Qi. Lang Sui and Lang Ying had reverted to their beast forms and were tangled up in a playful brawl with three other little ones, making it impossible to distinguish friend from foe. Each of them was essentially fighting against four others.
Bai Tu entered the room and deliberately asked, “Let me see who’s still not asleep?”
The wolf cubs, who had been roughhousing, immediately scattered at the sound of his voice. The older ones excitedly ran toward the edge of the bed, while the smallest white cub shut its eyes and pretended to be asleep.
Lang Qi placed the wooden board he was holding to the side, deciding to postpone his work until the next day—after all, as long as everything was ready before the rainy season ended, there was no rush.
Bai Tu smiled as he reached out to pick up a few wolf cubs. Every time he saw them, his mood would automatically improve. Even if he’d been feeling a little down on the way home, seeing the cubs made him feel much better.
Anyway, Ying Mian would soon explain to Xiong Liao what was right, and the misunderstandings between them would be resolved.
Lang Sui shifted into human form on Bai Tu’s lap and hugged his arm. “Dad!”
Lang Ying immediately grabbed the other arm, also preparing to shift into human form.
Bai Tu let them climb on him like a jungle gym. Wolves usually didn’t climb trees, but somehow these little ones had developed the habit and loved scrambling to high places.
He didn’t want to restrict their natural instincts—after all, it wasn’t a big issue. As long as the cubs enjoyed it, he let them climb, but only when he was around. That said, whenever he wasn’t present, the cubs always behaved obediently. This proved that while they were playful, they weren’t reckless.
As the smaller cubs clambered over him, Bai Tu used one hand to support them while the other hand shielded the two humanoid cubs.
Lang Sui and Lang Ying quickly realized that climbing in human form wasn’t as fun, so they shifted back into their beast forms and joined the others in climbing.
Having anticipated this outcome, Bai Tu expertly spread his arms, allowing them to climb freely—after all, the highest they could reach was his shoulders.
But his shoulders couldn’t fit so many cubs at once. They took turns, moving in an orderly fashion. The first to reach his shoulder, the little white wolf cub, gave Bai Tu a kiss on the cheek, rubbed his nose against Bai Tu’s, and then slid down his arm. The gray one immediately followed suit.
Lang Qi coldly watched as the cubs clung to Bai Tu in front of him. Once the last cub finished cuddling, he grabbed each one and tossed them back onto the bed. “Sleep.”
“Awwooo~” The gray cub howled at Lang Qi, but since it was so tiny, Lang Qi easily pinned it down with just one finger.
The black cub glanced at his younger brother, then at their father, and ultimately decided to pounce on Lang Qi to help his brother.
Meanwhile, the white cub looked left and right before choosing to run to Bai Tu to complain.
The two older ones, knowing that their human forms were more effective in combat, shifted back and tried to fight their father. However, they were no match for Lang Qi’s other hand. Both ended up pinned to the bed, flailing their limbs like overturned turtles.
Lang Qi effortlessly held down all four sons, then looked toward the little one nestled in Bai Tu’s arms. The white cub buried its head against Bai Tu’s chest, letting out a pitiful whimper.
Bai Tu looked at Lang Qi and said, “Even if they all team up, they’re still not as old as you…” Not to mention their size—stacked together, they weren’t even half as tall as Lang Qi.
Lang Qi let go of his hands.
The two little wolf cubs immediately bit his hand, while Lang Sui and Lang Ying shifted into their beast forms and pounced on his other hand, biting down without letting go.
The youngest cubs had just started growing their milk teeth, so their bites were practically negligible. Lang Qi’s skin wasn’t even reddened, while the cubs were already getting exhausted, their teeth sore. The two older ones had stronger bites—wolves over three years old already had relatively sharp teeth—but even that level of damage was nothing to Lang Qi.
Suddenly, Lang Qi looked at Bai Tu.
“What?” Bai Tu had a feeling there was some hidden meaning behind that gaze.
“They bite harder than you.” Lang Qi said matter-of-factly.
The wolf cubs, even though they couldn’t actually hurt him, at least caused a bit of pain. In contrast, a beast-form little rabbit pushing against him for half a day only ended up pushing itself further away. Even the softest fur on his belly was completely unharmed—he had to pluck some off himself just to humor the rabbit.
Bai Tu: “…” Alright, he got it. His beast form was weak. No need to rub it in.
Seeing that the wolf cubs had now completely treated Lang Qi’s hands as prey, even coordinating their attacks—unlike earlier when it was every cub for themselves, now it was four against one—Bai Tu gently rubbed the little one in his arms before placing it back on the bed.
The white wolf cub immediately pounced on Lang Qi’s last remaining free finger.
Bai Tu glanced at the father and sons playing around before checking Lang Qi’s patrol assignments.
After reviewing the list, he noticed something. “You’re not letting Xiong Liao’s group take a shift?” After all, they had been eating the tribe’s food. They should at least do some work, even if it was just standing guard for a single day.
“They’re assigned, just not written down,” Lang Qi explained. The bear tribe’s stay in their area was uncertain—if he included them now, but they left midway, he’d have to redraw the entire plan. So instead of writing them in formally, he simply assigned them verbally when organizing tasks.
Bai Tu nodded in agreement. That made sense. The white bear tribe’s warriors had been making noise about settling in the Snow Rabbit tribe, but switching tribes wasn’t that easy. The bear tribe would definitely send people to retrieve them.
And Bai Tu was right. The very next day, a few more white bear tribe warriors showed up outside the settlement.
Their purpose was straightforward—to meet with their leader and find the tribe members who had previously joined the Snow Rabbit tribe.
The white bear tribe had a fairly decent relationship with them, and since these particular warriors had always followed Xiong Liao closely, the patrol team didn’t immediately reject their request. Bai Qi’s attitude remained polite—as long as Xiong Liao wasn’t involved, Bai Qi was generally easygoing.
After counting the number of white bear warriors present, Bai Qi instructed the other patrol members to wait while he went to find Bai Tu.
Normally, Bai Tu mainly handled beastmen who had lost wolf cubs, but since Xiong Liao had come looking for Ying Mian—and Ying Mian had been brought back by Bai Tu—Bai An had left matters concerning Xiong Liao’s entry and exit in Bai Tu’s hands.
A few days ago, when other beastmen had come for Xiong Liao, Bai Qi had defaulted to letting Bai Tu handle it. Now, these newcomers were looking for the other bear tribe members, so Bai Qi once again sought Bai Tu’s judgment.
Bai Tu had anticipated this scenario ever since the bear warriors had joined their tribe. After confirming that the number of visitors was small, he nodded and instructed Bai Qi to let them in.
“Just take them straight to Xiong Liao and the other bears,” Bai Tu said.
The patrol team was currently divided into two main squads—one led by Bai Qi and the other by Lang Ze.
Their patrol routes did not overlap. Bai Qi was responsible for the rabbit tribe’s residential area, while Lang Ze managed the wolf tribe’s section. However, there were wolves or lions stationed at intervals throughout the settlement, so as long as the number of bear warriors entering was limited, there was no real threat.
Bai Qi acknowledged the order and led the white bear warriors into the settlement, guiding them to Ying Mian’s residence.
On the way, they passed by the communal dining hall.
The continuous rainfall had finally stopped, and many of the tribe’s daily activities were gradually resuming. To boost morale, Tu Mu had been improving the meals day by day. It was lunchtime, and even from a distance, the rich aroma of food filled the air.
The white bear warriors caught a whiff of the food and unconsciously slowed down. One of them swallowed hard and asked Bai Qi, “What’s that smell?”
Looking at the beastmen who had suddenly become reluctant to leave, Bai Qi had a bad feeling.
After lunch…
“Tu, this is bad! They want to stay too!” Bai Qi said in a panic. Weren’t they supposed to take Xiong Liao back with them?!
Bai Tu: “???”
Was this a “Rescue Grandpa” situation, where every time someone came to take one away, they ended up staying instead?
