Chapter 147
Bai Tu was stunned by what he had just heard. Grab his leg and cry? What kind of shocking tactic was that?
What surprised him even more was that Xiong Liao actually nodded in agreement.
Bai Tu: “……” Does he have to be this straightforward? He just agrees to anything, huh?
The two white bear beastmen clearly had no idea that their little scheme had already been overheard by the person in question. The bear beastman next to Xiong Liao was still patiently coaching him on how to properly express his grievances.
While Xiong Liao was still diligently learning, Bai Tu had already pieced everything together. This bear definitely overheard the feline tribe’s conversation. Seeing that playing the sympathy card worked, he must’ve decided to teach Xiong Liao the same trick.
No wonder they were suddenly pulling this stunt today. Seeing that the two of them were about to continue strategizing, Bai Tu cut in, “Good afternoon.”
Xiong Liao and the bear beastman were so startled that they nearly jumped out of their skins.
“I think I just heard Tu’s voice…” Xiong Liao clutched his chest. “Scared me half to death.”
The bear beside him muttered slowly, “I think I heard it too…”
The two locked eyes, as if coming to a realization. Then, very, very slowly, they turned their heads—and the moment they saw Bai Tu standing there, their eyes widened in sheer panic.
The bear beastman gave Xiong Liao a hard nudge with his elbow, urging him to hurry up and say something.
Xiong Liao stared at Bai Tu, struggling to organize his thoughts.
Seeing him hesitate, the bear beside him was so anxious he nearly jumped in to speak for him. But he also knew that it would be pointless—because this wasn’t about just one person staying. They wanted to move the entire White Bear Tribe here.
The White Bear Tribe had already sent nearly twenty beastmen over in two separate groups. Life in the Snow Rabbit Tribe had been incredibly comfortable compared to what they were used to.
But while these twenty beastmen were here, their relatives, mates, and cubs were still back in their original tribe. They couldn’t just leave them behind. However, if they moved their families over, then their relatives’ relatives would still be in the old tribe—so they’d have to bring those people too. And those people also had family members…
Once they did the math, they realized that moving in piece by piece was completely impractical.
So, after some discussion, the White Bear Tribe came up with a simple solution—what if they all just moved in together?
Of course, the problem was that this wasn’t a small group of ten or twenty beastmen. They were talking about relocating an entire tribe.
Naturally, the moment this request reached Bai Tu, it was rejected outright.
For many reasons—security concerns, logistical challenges, and overall stability—the Snow Rabbit Tribe was in no position to accept the entire White Bear Tribe. Even after merging with the Blood Wolf Tribe, it still wasn’t feasible.
With a small number of newcomers, they could integrate them gradually and assign them work. But if a huge influx of beastmen arrived all at once, and especially if they were joining voluntarily, they couldn’t be managed the same way as the captured or assimilated tribes like the Black Forest Tribe, the Red Eagle Tribe, or the two lion tribes (the Wild Lion and Black Lion Tribes).
Letting hundreds of strong, physically powerful bear beastmen settle inside the tribe was a risk in itself. Even if they had no ill intentions, their sheer numbers made them a potential threat.
More importantly, the White Bear Tribe’s total population was already about half the size of the entire wolf tribe. But their relationship with the Snow Rabbit Tribe was nowhere near as deep as that of the wolf tribe, which had been part of their alliance since the very beginning.
Right now, the tribe’s foundation had been solidified through years of effort. If the White Bear Tribe were to join at this stage, they would essentially be reaping the benefits of the hard work put in by the original members.
There’s a saying: “Distant relatives smell sweet, but close ones stink.” This applied to tribes as well. The Snow Rabbit Tribe currently had good relations with the surrounding tribes because their cooperation was based on mutual benefit. But if the White Bear Tribe joined, suddenly everyone would start prioritizing their own people’s welfare.
Resources were limited—if one side got more, the other side would inevitably get less. The moment resources became a source of competition, conflict would be unavoidable. Rather than dealing with the fallout of a messy separation later, it was better to avoid the problem from the start.
Besides, the White Bear Tribe had two to three hundred members. Even if they all squeezed into the communal dormitories, they would need at least ten to fifteen buildings. The Snow Rabbit Tribe didn’t have that kind of housing space available. And aside from accommodations, there simply weren’t enough canteens to handle such a massive population surge overnight.
Currently, the Snow Rabbit Tribe was only suited to accepting small tribes or scattered beastmen—they simply couldn’t absorb an entire mid-to-large-sized tribe all at once.
Aside from practical concerns, there was another major issue. If they suddenly incorporated a neighboring tribe into their own, those who understood the situation might see it as the White Bear Tribe joining voluntarily for the sake of food, but those who didn’t might assume the Snow Rabbit Tribe was trying to annex the surrounding tribes.
Once that kind of misunderstanding took root, it would be difficult to dispel. Even if they managed to clarify things later, the nearby tribes would still be wary of them.
The situation with the Black Forest Tribe had already set a precedent—no one wanted to risk becoming the next target of forced assimilation. If the Snow Rabbit Tribe gained a reputation for absorbing other tribes, even groups that genuinely needed help—like the White Cat Tribe, which had only just learned about the cubs’ whereabouts—might hesitate to come.
That was something Bai Tu absolutely didn’t want to see happen.
However, that didn’t mean he was ignoring the White Bear Tribe’s situation. He had another plan in mind. It was still in its early stages, without concrete steps yet, but one thing was certain—he wouldn’t let them down.
“Get to work.” Bai Tu didn’t intend to make things difficult for the two frightened bear beastmen. “I have other plans for your tribe. The rainy season is over, so earn some points over the next few days and trade for supplies to bring back to your families.”
All the bear beastmen who had come were strong adults. Including Xiong Liao, they could form a small hunting team—a great asset to the Snow Rabbit Tribe, but their home tribe was undoubtedly growing anxious about their absence.
“Oh… okay.” The bear beastman answered softly, realizing that their hopes of joining had been dashed.
Xiong Liao, however, hadn’t fully grasped the situation. He still seemed puzzled. “But Mian is here.”
Since Ying Mian was here, of course, he had to stay too. Not to mention, the cubs were here as well.
“Can you at least act like a leader?” Bai Tu was utterly exasperated. He wasn’t sure if it was a good or bad thing that the White Bear Tribe had ended up with Xiong Liao as their chief. However, seeing how his people still respected him as a leader despite his antics, it was clear that his hunting skills must be exceptional.
As for everything else… Bai Tu had already experienced enough over the past few days to know better than to think too deeply about it.
A chief couldn’t just abandon his entire tribe. With so many beastmen depending on him, he couldn’t just leave everything behind.
Bai Tu waved a hand, motioning for Xiong Liao to get moving. “Go do your work.”
As for sending the bear beastmen back to their tribe, Bai Tu figured it would be better to discuss it with Ying Mian later.
After sending the two bears away, Bai Tu carried his bag of snacks and headed home.
By the time he arrived, the wolf cubs were waiting anxiously, their eyes locked on the doorway.
The moment they heard the familiar sound of footsteps, they rushed to the very edge of the porch, eager to run forward—only to be held back by their father, Lang Qi, who pressed down on their tails.
The three smaller cubs were no match for their much larger father. Despite their protests, they had no choice but to remain where they were, sulking.
The two older cubs exchanged glances and, in the next second—shifted into their human forms.
Human form = no tails!
After a few months of practice, the wolf cubs had already mastered the basics of their own anatomy. They knew their paws were actually hands and feet and understood the difference between beast form and human form.
In their human form, they didn’t have fluffy fur or tails. In their beast form, they did.
Realizing they had found a loophole to escape Lang Qi’s grasp, the cubs were feeling quite smug.
However, in the next second—they both froze.
Their tails were still being held down.
Even after shifting into their human forms, their tails remained attached, firmly pinned in place.
They were still trapped.
Lang Qi calmly looked down at his sons. A fully grown beastman could use shape-shifting to escape an opponent’s grip—but only if they weren’t completely overpowered.
The cubs, however, were still far too young. They hadn’t yet learned how to fully control their transformations, let alone retract their tails on command. With Lang Qi still holding onto them, they had no way to run to their papa.
“Bad!” Lang Ying patted Lang Qi’s hand furiously, calling out for Bai Tu as he struggled.
“Mean!” Lang Sui quickly followed suit, echoing his brother’s complaint.
Lang Qi still didn’t let go.
Lately, the cubs had been getting faster and faster. If he let go now, they’d be out of the courtyard in the blink of an eye. Unlike the porch, the courtyard floor hadn’t been as thoroughly cleaned—it wasn’t a safe place for them to play.
Just then, Bai Tu, hearing the urgency in their voices, hurried his steps.
“Who’s not behaving?” He asked as he approached the porch.
Seeing that Bai Tu had arrived, Lang Qi finally released his grip.
As the wolf cubs had been struggling to break free just moments ago, they all suddenly froze at Bai Tu’s arrival.
Instead of trying to run, they sat obediently or stood up straight, proving that they were the most well-behaved cubs ever.
“Such good little ones,” Bai Tu praised them before turning to Lang Qi. “Have they eaten yet?”
“They refused to eat without you,” Lang Qi said, pointing at the defiant cubs.
“Is there still food left? I’ll feed them.”
Bai Tu picked up the younger cubs, while Lang Qi carried the two who had shifted into human form. With the family gathered, they headed to the dining area.
Although they called it a dining area, it was really just half a room connected to the kitchen. Originally, it had been one large space, but it had been divided into two smaller sections—an inner and an outer room. Compared to the other rooms, this one was smaller, but the central table could comfortably seat ten people, with extra high chairs placed nearby for the cubs to use when they were in human form.
On the table, the cubs’ meals were already prepared.
Today, Lang Qi had cooked meatballs using the ones Bai Tu had previously made. Now that they had an abundance of corn, Bai Tu had experimented with producing corn oil and starch.
Though they seemed like two different ingredients, their production was actually linked.
First, he selected plump corn kernels, soaked them until soft, and separated the germ from the endosperm. The corn germ was used to extract corn oil—though the yield was a bit low, it was more than enough for cooking meals for the cubs. Any dishes that weren’t suitable for lard were now cooked with corn oil instead.
Meanwhile, the endosperm was ground and sedimented to produce corn starch.
With starch now available, many previously unfeasible recipes could finally be attempted.
Meatballs had been made before, but without starch, the texture had been completely different.
Now, the cubs were eating miniature meatballs—tiny enough that even in beast form, they could swallow them whole without needing to be cut up.
Bai Tu touched one of the bowls. It was still warm, meaning there was no need to reheat it. He sat down and began feeding the cubs.
Lang Sui and Lang Ying were placed in their high chairs, which were designed based on modern baby chairs—they had a wooden tray in front for bowls and utensils, and the structure ensured the cubs wouldn’t fall out.
However, today, instead of waiting to be fed or eating on their own, the two cubs were locked in a fierce battle with their own tails.
Lang Ying could feel something behind him and instinctively tried to grab it.
But no matter how hard he pulled, it wouldn’t budge. Worse, the more he tugged, the more his backside hurt.
Frustrated and on the verge of tears, he turned to Bai Tu for help.
Bai Tu took one glance and immediately fell silent.
They actually managed to pull on their own tails so hard that they made themselves cry… That takes talent.
Setting down his bowl and spoon, Bai Tu walked over to rescue the struggling cubs.
The problem was that they had sat too far back in their chairs.
Their tails had been pressed between their bodies and the backrest, making them feel uncomfortable. That was why they had tried to pull them out in the first place.
Bai Tu adjusted their positions, creating a small gap between their backs and the chair, then turned to Lang Qi. “We should drill a hole in the backrests for their tails.”
He had only just remembered—before reaching adulthood, young beastmen often couldn’t fully control their transformations. Their ears and tails would sometimes appear unexpectedly.
Lang Ying and Lang Sui rarely stayed in human form for long, so this issue hadn’t come up before. Normally, they would shift back into their beast forms after only a short time. Because of that, Bai Tu hadn’t thought about modifying their chairs.
But this was bound to happen more frequently in the future.
They couldn’t just keep making the cubs suffer, so it would be easier to drill a hole in the back of each chair to let their tails pass through.
“No need,” Lang Qi said flatly. “They should learn to retract their own tails.”
If they can’t even control their tails, they’re too slow.
When I was their age, I was already wrestling with my older brothers.
Bai Tu: “……”
Bai Tu: “They’re three years old. Full adulthood takes at least fourteen more years.”
In the Beast God Continent, the average age of adulthood was around eighteen.
Even if the cubs were well cared for and matured a little earlier, it would still take over a decade before they could fully control their transformations.
Even now, some of the young wolves in Lang Ze’s squad would accidentally reveal their wolf ears or tails when they got too excited.
That was completely normal.
It was only rare among stoic wolves like Lang Qi, who had learned to suppress their emotions from a young age.
Lang Qi glanced at Bai Tu, then at the cubs.
So… for the next decade or more, he’d have to keep putting up with them stealing Bai Tu’s attention?
For a moment, Lang Qi seriously wished he could travel back six months to knock some sense into his past self—the one whose entire mind had been filled with thoughts of cubs.
…Of course, going back in time wasn’t an option.
Even if he didn’t think it was necessary, Bai Tu had already made up his mind.
So, in the end, he had no choice but to modify the chairs just as Bai Tu suggested.
Bai Tu already knew Lang Qi would agree.
As he spoke, his spoon was already in front of the cubs, ready to feed them.
Even though it was the same food, having Papa around made all the difference. The wolf cubs immediately became well-behaved and ate obediently.
Lang Qi frowned slightly as he watched them. They were acting completely different from before.
To make things worse, the cubs were glancing at him smugly as they enjoyed being fed by Bai Tu. Daddy wasn’t feeding Father—Daddy was feeding them!
“Eat properly,” Bai Tu reminded them, not noticing their competitive little stares but noticing their unusually pleased expressions. They were so distracted by showing off that they weren’t even paying attention to the food—it was right in front of their mouths, yet they still weren’t eating.
Lang Qi suddenly said, “They don’t want to eat anymore. Probably because they’re not hungry.”
“Not hungry?” Bai Tu looked at the cubs again. Their focus really did seem to be on something other than food.
“Did they eat something this morning?”
“They had snacks earlier,” Lang Qi replied with a perfectly straight face. “You should eat first. I’ll feed them.”
These little brats… I should never have let them wait for Bai Tu to come home before eating. The ones who refused to eat earlier should’ve been smacked.
Bai Tu reached out and gently pressed on their bellies—they still felt a bit empty.
The cubs looked back and forth between Daddy and Father, their big, shiny eyes filled with confusion. Why weren’t they eating now?
“Daddy, eat~” Lang Sui pointed to the food in front of him, worried something was wrong.
Bai Tu: “……”
He turned to Lang Qi. “You really gave them snacks?”
They were definitely hungry now. It must’ve been a while since they had those snacks.
“If they don’t listen, just let them go hungry next time,” Lang Qi said flatly.
Bai Tu: “……”
He’s still competing with the cubs…
“Next time, you can feed the obedient ones first,” Bai Tu suggested. “Let them eat first, and the ones who don’t eat don’t get to come out.”
The cubs were smart. Once they connected eating properly with being able to go out and play, they would definitely behave during mealtime.
Lang Qi was silent for a moment. “Obedient ones?”
Bai Tu also fell silent for a second. Then, looking at the cubs who had finally finished their food, he patted each of their little butts before setting them down on the bed.
“None of you were obedient.”
Afterwards, he turned back to Lang Qi and said, “I’m done disciplining them.”
Lang Qi: “……”
“Alright, let’s go eat snacks. Without them,” Bai Tu said, coaxing Lang Qi.
The older cubs were harder to distract than the younger ones—the little ones could play with a wooden bone toy for half a day, but the older ones needed something new to shift their focus.
The snack Bai Tu had brought from the canteen was honey twists—fried dough made from flour and eggs, coated in a layer of honey and sesame seeds. They were crispy, fragrant, and not greasy at all, no matter how much you ate.
Even though snacks cost more points, there were never any leftovers whenever the canteen made them. Bai Tu had asked Tu Mu to set some aside for him as soon as he arrived—otherwise, there wouldn’t have been any left.
Bai Tu hadn’t given the cubs too many snacks, so when he brought home the honey twists, he only set aside a small portion for them. The rest? They were for him and Lang Qi.
Tu Mu had definitely misunderstood the cubs’ appetites. Yes, the cubs could eat a lot—but most of the snacks actually went to Bai Tu and Lang Qi.
…And also one other person, who wasn’t around today.
Of course, eating snacks was just a side activity—the real reason Bai Tu had called Lang Qi over was because he had something important to discuss.
Specifically, the White Cat Tribe joining them.
Bai Tu hadn’t extended the invitation on a whim.
Rather, the White Cat Tribe’s size and situation made them a perfect fit.
A small tribe wouldn’t cause major disruptions, even if they had hidden intentions. The beastmen in the Snow Rabbit Tribe weren’t fools—if anyone joined with ulterior motives, it would quickly become obvious.
Right now, the White Cat Tribe had been driven out of their territory and had traveled all this way, both to seek medical help for their cubs and to retrieve the ones that had been stolen.
Even if they returned home, there was no guarantee that their land would still be intact. And even if their land was still there, going back wouldn’t be easy.
It took over ten days to travel between the Snow Rabbit Tribe and the White Cat Tribe’s territory—a round trip was as long as going to the marketplace.
The longer the journey, the more exhausting it became.
Ten days wasn’t just twice as long as five days—the difficulty increased several times over.
Mao Chuan’s emotional reaction at lunch had also proven how difficult life had been for the White Cat Tribe. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to move, but rather that they were afraid—afraid that even if they moved, they would face the same rejection they had before.
If they went through all the effort of relocating, only to face the same discrimination, then it was better to not move at all.
But if they joined the Snow Rabbit Tribe, it would be a completely different story.
- They wouldn’t need to find a new territory.
- They wouldn’t have to worry about being ostracized by other tribes.
Right now, half of the White Cat Tribe was made up of white-furred beastmen.
But in the Snow Rabbit and Blood Wolf Tribes, that number was insignificant.
There were already plenty of white-furred beastmen here—rabbits, wolves, lions, deer… Many species had white-furred members.
So, no one would discriminate against them because of their fur color.
For the Snow Rabbit Tribe and Blood Wolf Tribe, having a small tribe like the White Cat Tribe join was the perfect opportunity to test their new integration policies. This way, when other beastmen wanted to join in the future, they wouldn’t have to go through the same trial-and-error process again.
When establishing a new residential area, everything—from its positioning to its relationship with surrounding tribes and the implementation of new policies—needed to be settled as early as possible.
Originally, Bai Tu had planned to discuss this matter with Bai An. However, Bai An had been preoccupied with managing the tribe’s growing salt reserves and had already begun planning trade negotiations with other tribes.
On top of that, Bai An wasn’t fond of dealing with written regulations—partly because his age made it difficult to learn more complex characters and partly because he simply found reading and writing a headache. Every time he saw Bai Tu writing, he would complain about it. So, he had left all these matters entirely in Bai Tu and Lang Qi’s hands.
Because of this, once Bai Tu and Lang Qi finalized their discussion about the White Cat Tribe’s integration, they would simply notify Bai An afterward.
Lang Qi listened to Bai Tu’s reasoning for inviting the White Cat Tribe and then silently stared at him.
“What?” Bai Tu thought. Why does his gaze feel so intense?
“So if someone cries, you’ll just let them stay?” Lang Qi asked flatly. “Does that mean any beastman who wants to stay just needs to cry a little?”
Bai Tu: “……”
Wait… don’t say it… Don’t—
But now that Lang Qi mentioned it, there really were people planning to cry their way in—like the two beastmen they had encountered on their way back earlier.
Lang Qi immediately caught onto Bai Tu’s reaction and knew he had guessed correctly. He thought for a moment about the beastmen in the tribe and asked, “Xiong Liao?”
Bai Tu sighed helplessly. “Can you stop being so smart?”
If he hadn’t known for a fact that Lang Qi had been home all day taking care of the cubs, he would have suspected that he had secretly witnessed everything on the road.
“Did you agree?” Lang Qi asked.
“Of course not,” Bai Tu immediately clarified. “The White Bear Tribe isn’t suited to join. We already discussed this before—why would I suddenly change my mind?”
He might be easygoing, but he wasn’t the type to agree to anything just because someone asked nicely.
Especially not with the White Bear Tribe.
There were too many of them, and they were too straightforward.
Bai Tu had a feeling that if he gave them the slightest sign of approval, those bears would immediately pack up and move in.
Just look at how quickly Xiong Liao moved in—that alone was proof of how efficient the White Bear Tribe could be.
Since allowing them to stay wasn’t an option, Bai Tu discussed alternative plans for them with Lang Qi.
When the White Bear beastmen had first come to work in the tribe temporarily, Bai Tu had already known that it wouldn’t be possible to keep them all. Now, it was even clearer.
At most, they could stay until the next batch of White Bear beastmen arrived, but after that, these ones had to return.
Even if the White Bear Tribe tried to pull a ‘Havoc in Heaven’ strategy, where each group that left kept calling for reinforcements, Bai Tu wouldn’t allow it.
Besides, their tribal territory was still intact.
Their land wasn’t small, and it was quite a distance from the Snow Rabbit Tribe’s settlement. If all their people moved in, what would happen to their homeland? Just abandon it?
Managing distant land was far too difficult.
So instead of integrating them, Bai Tu planned to follow a model similar to their arrangement with the Black Hawk Tribe—sending people over to help build a new settlement and teaching them how to establish a livestock industry.
While the tribes in this region seemed scattered, in reality, they were interconnected—like parts of a larger whole.
If one tribe suffered, the others wouldn’t remain unaffected.
Even if the Snow Rabbit Tribe was thriving now, they couldn’t stay prosperous forever if their neighboring tribes struggled.
Their strength depended on the well-being of the entire region.
The best approach was to help other tribes whenever possible. Previously, several other tribes had received assistance from them in varying degrees, which ultimately strengthened their relationships and brought them closer together.
This method of cooperation and mutual aid had proven successful and could continue moving forward. Bai Tu was very satisfied with their current tribal model, but he couldn’t force other tribes to adopt the same standards. However, the White Bear Tribe was different—they actively wanted to join.
Since the White Bear Tribe had already considered moving their entire tribe over, then if Bai Tu offered to help transform their settlement into something like the Snow Rabbit Tribe, the White Bear beastmen would certainly not refuse.
“Send some people from the construction team and the kitchen staff to help them set up a canteen and a livestock area first.”
Bai Tu figured that since the White Bear beastmen wanted to stay because of food, the easiest solution was to replicate what they had here.
As it happened, now that the residential district had been completed, the construction team suddenly had much less work. Before, they had mobilized nearly all available beastmen to rush the construction, but now that the major project was finished, it was difficult to immediately assign everyone to new tasks.
By sending the construction team to the White Bear Tribe, he could solve two problems at once—the builders would have work to do, and the White Bear Tribe would finally get the canteen they had been longing for.
As for compensation, the rainy season had only just ended, and even though the White Bears were strong, they didn’t have much stored food. Not to mention, the Snow Rabbit Tribe didn’t need any aged or surplus food from them.
Bai Tu’s plan was to not ask for payment in the first year.
Instead, they could loan some young livestock to the White Bear Tribe—once their livestock farming scaled up and their settlement developed, they could repay the cost of the canteen, housing, and the borrowed livestock.
Bai Tu genuinely hoped that the surrounding tribes would grow stronger. Ideally, every tribe would become powerful in their own right—that way, even if word eventually spread that the Snow Rabbit Tribe could produce salt, the surrounding tribes would support them rather than exploit them.
It was always safer to act as a united front rather than fighting alone.
“Sounds good,” Lang Qi nodded, agreeing that Bai Tu’s plan was well thought out.
“Then let’s do it,” Bai Tu finalized the decision.
Now that the rainy season was over, the construction team had been waiting for new assignments. Other than a few lazier beastmen, most of them were eager to earn more points—their appetites had grown, and the canteen kept introducing new snacks, making everyone desperate for more spending power.
Meanwhile, the other workforces—such as brickmakers and glassmakers—were also waiting for their next task. They all looked to Bai Tu for his next set of orders.
Bai Tu didn’t want to keep them waiting too long—after all, the prime working season only lasted for a few months.
Though several months seemed like a long time, it would pass in the blink of an eye—soon, it would be winter again.
If they delayed too long, beastmen wouldn’t be able to accumulate enough points, and their winter bonuses would also be smaller.
It was better to start cooperating with the White Bear Tribe as soon as possible.
Bai Tu didn’t want to waste time, and since there was still plenty of daylight left, he turned to Lang Qi and said:
“I’ll head over to Mian’s place and discuss this with him now.”
If they finalized the details today, then the work teams could set out as early as tomorrow—and every extra day they delayed meant one more day the White Bear Tribe went without livestock farming.
“You’re going to see Ying Mian again?” Lang Qi frowned slightly, noting how often Bai Tu sought out Ying Mian and Hei Xiao for discussions.
“I’ll be back before dark,” Bai Tu promised, tilting his head up to nuzzle Lang Qi’s chin affectionately. “I’ll try to be quick—just discussing the plan, then stopping by my brother’s place to check on the cubs. After all, these are the first two clutches of feathered beast cubs to be born in our tribe. The more that hatch, the better our tribe’s reputation will become.”
Lang Qi was very satisfied with Bai Tu saying “our tribe.” Only then did he release him.
Bai Tu chuckled, waved goodbye, and hurried off to find Ying Mian.
After witnessing Xiong Liao’s questionable comprehension skills last time, Bai Tu had changed the way he communicated with the White Bear Tribe.
Now, whenever he explained something, he made sure Ying Mian was present.
Whether or not Xiong Liao understood wasn’t important—as long as Ying Mian got it, that was enough.
Because no matter how much Xiong Liao misunderstood, Ying Mian would have to re-explain everything to him anyway—and supervise him to ensure that things didn’t get completely derailed.
As expected, Ying Mian was inside, tending to the cubs’ clothing, while Xiong Liao was nowhere to be found.
Bai Tu wasn’t going to wait for him to return—having Ying Mian here was enough.
That said, the clothes Ying Mian was making looked quite well-crafted, so Bai Tu took an extra glance.
“The cubs will hatch right before winter,” Ying Mian explained, noticing where Bai Tu’s gaze had fallen.
The cubs had been incubating since before the rainy season. Based on the timeline, they would hatch in about a month or two, just as winter arrived.
If the White Bear Tribe wanted to stay here long-term, they would need to prepare for the cold.
However, Ying Mian knew that staying here forever wasn’t realistic.
“That’s true,” Bai Tu nodded. The temperature would indeed drop once the cubs were born, but he hadn’t expected Ying Mian to start preparing this early.
Then, after noticing the cotton and fabric on the table, he understood immediately.
These two materials weren’t available in most surrounding tribes—at least, not yet.
Ying Mian had probably spent all of Xiong Liao’s earned points on them.
“Mian, what do you think of our tribe?”
Even though Bai Tu already had an idea of what the answer would be, he still asked.
“It’s the best tribe I’ve ever seen or heard of,” Ying Mian said without hesitation.
He hadn’t personally visited many tribes, but back when he was younger, there had been a talkative young leader in their group—back when the Eagle Five Tribe still had its own chief.
That person had often told stories about other tribes to the young wolves, but Ying Mian had never heard of any tribe as good as the Snow Rabbit Tribe and Blood Wolf Tribe.
It wasn’t just that their own people lived well—they also helped others.
After living here for so long, Ying Mian had learned a lot about the tribe’s past.
He knew that even before the tribe became this strong, Bai Tu had already started helping others.
Especially with the rescued cubs—many of them still hadn’t been reclaimed by their families.
Some of them had been orphaned due to their tribes suffering accidents, while others had been treated as bargaining chips by their own parents and given away to the Red Eagle Tribe.
Ying Mian had seen those cubs himself and understood that even a large tribe would struggle to raise so many cubs.
Yet, the Snow Rabbit Tribe had managed to do it—despite not being as strong back then.
And before the rainy season, Bai Tu had also rescued many sub-beastmen and female beastmen, bringing them back to safety.
Sometimes, Ying Mian wondered: If his father hadn’t managed to escape the Black Eagle Tribe with him, would Bai Tu have ended up rescuing him as well?
The longer Ying Mian stayed here, the more he admired Bai Tu.
To him, Bai Tu was the most capable person he had ever met.
Seeing the admiration in Ying Mian’s eyes grow stronger, Bai Tu was momentarily confused.
I just asked about the tribe… Why is he looking at me like that?
Unable to figure it out, he simply continued, “Are you satisfied living here?”
Ying Mian nodded immediately—of course, he was.
If he hadn’t discovered the truth behind Xiong Liao’s past actions, he would have stayed here forever.
But now, that was clearly impossible.
Since he and Xiong Liao had cleared up their misunderstandings, they had to return to the White Bear Tribe.
At most, Ying Mian would stay until the cubs hatched.
Meanwhile, Xiong Liao would be leaving in just a few days.
Despite not caring whether Xiong Liao remained the chief, Ying Mian worried about the people back home—especially the feathered beastmen living there.
If the White Bear Tribe’s leadership changed and the position went to one of Xiong Liao’s rivals, those feathered beastmen would definitely be mistreated.
Previously, when Xiong Liao was chief, that particular beastman had done everything he could to reduce the feathered beastmen’s food supply.
Ying Mian didn’t even want to imagine what would happen if that man became the next chief.
This was one of the main reasons he had been urging Xiong Liao to return—but Xiong Liao was still preoccupied with figuring out how to stay in the Snow Rabbit Tribe, preferably by moving the entire White Bear Tribe in with him.
Of course, joining the Snow Rabbit Tribe would be ideal—but Ying Mian remembered all the troublemakers in his tribe and didn’t want to cause problems for Bai Tu.
He worried that if they brought too many complications, the beastmen of the Snow Rabbit Tribe might give up on helping others altogether.
Unbeknownst to them, both Ying Mian and Xiong Liao had arrived at the same conclusion—even though their perspectives were different.
Bai Tu asked Ying Mian a few more questions before finally saying:
“What if we turn the White Bear Tribe into something like this?”
“Huh?”
Ying Mian had still been thinking about how to convince Xiong Liao to return to their tribe, so for a moment, he thought he must have misheard.
Wasn’t this the same idea that Xiong Liao had been dreaming about?
“You don’t want to?” Bai Tu asked again.
Ying Mian was still in disbelief.
“Is that… even possible?”
The Snow Rabbit Tribe and Blood Wolf Tribe were the envy of every tribe in the region. Even their closest allies—the lion, deer, and leopard tribes—hadn’t been able to achieve the same level of prosperity.
Could his tribe really become like this?
“Of course,” Bai Tu nodded confidently. “It’s not difficult at all—just a matter of cooperation.”
He then explained the plan he had discussed with Lang Qi earlier, emphasizing that this wasn’t a free handout—once the White Bear Tribe’s livestock industry became stable, they would repay the cost of the canteen, housing, and livestock.
This was beyond anything Ying Mian had expected.
“Yes! Absolutely, we can pay!”
He never imagined that such an important decision would be discussed with him, but that didn’t stop him from agreeing immediately.
He knew how much the White Bear beastmen wanted to stay in the Snow Rabbit Tribe.
If their own tribe could be built into something like this, then not a single bear beastman would refuse.
Even if Xiong Liao and the other White Bears weren’t around, Ying Mian was certain of how they would answer.
Of course, some members of the tribe would oppose the idea, but that didn’t matter—as long as the majority supported it, that was enough.
Not every decision needed unanimous approval.
“Alright, then tell Xiong Liao about it later,” Bai Tu instructed.
Since there were a lot of details, he felt more comfortable letting Ying Mian explain things.
“Understood,” Ying Mian replied seriously. “I’ll make sure he understands everything clearly.”
Satisfied with his response, Bai Tu turned his attention to the incubation box where the eggs were being kept.
“They should all be alive, right?” Ying Mian murmured nervously.
It was his first time laying eggs, but he had seen other feathered beastmen in his tribe perform “egg culling” before.
Dead eggs were usually discarded, and if they fell and broke, the stench was overwhelming.
The line between a developing life and a pool of foul-smelling liquid was shockingly thin.
Ying Mian had been worried that his own eggs might not survive.
“Of course, they’re all alive,” Bai Tu reassured him after checking the eggs and monitoring the temperature and humidity levels.
Although Ying Mian was a first-time father, he had been extremely careful in caring for the eggs—even though the other father was completely unreliable and useless, Ying Mian had still managed to ensure the eggs were in excellent condition.
Hearing Bai Tu’s confirmation, Ying Mian finally relaxed.
He had felt that his eggs were alive, but he hadn’t been completely sure—having both Hei Xiao and Bai Tu confirm it finally put his mind at ease.
After inspecting the eggs, Bai Tu headed next door to Hei Xiao’s place—there were still a few more eggs to check on.
However, what Bai Tu hadn’t expected was that eagle beastmen eggs actually grew larger over time.
The longer they were incubated, the bigger they became.
Shortly after Bai Tu left, Xiong Liao rushed home, having just finished his work.
In the Snow Rabbit Tribe, all White Bear beastmen were treated the same, even if Xiong Liao was their chief.
So, like everyone else, he had been busy earning points to support his cubs.
As soon as he stepped inside, Ying Mian opened his mouth to speak.
“Bai Tu came by and said—”
Before he could finish his sentence, Xiong Liao blurted out excitedly, “Did he agree to let our tribe move in?!”
Ying Mian: “……”
I knew it! No matter how fast I talk, he still jumps to conclusions!
