Chapter 151
Bai Tu glanced around.
Not far from him, Lang Qi immediately waved his hand, signaling the other beastmen to leave.
“Sub-beastmen,” Bai Tu then turned to Lang Qian. “What’s so special about them?”
“You don’t know?” Lang Qian looked genuinely surprised.
“Know what?” Bai Tu asked slowly.
“Sub-beastmen…” Lang Qian had just started to answer when he abruptly stopped—he had fallen into Bai Tu’s trap!
He had originally planned to plead for leniency by emphasizing that the shamans had forced them to drug other beastmen and that he had never harmed cubs. But in front of Bai Tu, he had unwittingly revealed more of his inner thoughts than he intended. What shocked him even more was that Bai Tu himself didn’t seem to know about the abilities of sub-beastmen.
Lang Qian quickly started thinking about how to cover up what he had just said, but he didn’t hold out much hope—after all, Bai Tu was also a sub-beastman, and a smart one at that.
“You know more than you’re saying,” Bai Tu commented. Finding it tiring to stand, he casually pulled over a chair and sat down, waiting patiently for Lang Qian’s response.
Lang Qian stared at him, seemingly weighing his options.
“You already said it yourself—once the second batch of beastmen arrives, your value will be gone.”
Bai Tu wasn’t in any hurry. Right now, the entire tribe was in a state of war readiness. They had stockpiled plenty of food and weapons. As for the fighters, on one side were well-fed beastmen who lived and worked comfortably in the tribe; on the other side were beastmen who had traveled long distances, crossing countless territories just to get here. It wasn’t hard to guess which side had the advantage.
If the West River Tribe had the strength to launch a direct attack, they wouldn’t have bothered sending scouts ahead first. The reason they had sent Lang Qian and his group was precisely because moving a large force over such a long distance was difficult. They had wanted Lang Qian’s team to infiltrate the tribe first and test the waters.
Lang Qian’s group was just the first wave—more would follow in the second and third waves. But Bai Tu didn’t mind this kind of strategy. As long as they came in small numbers, his tribe wouldn’t even need to disrupt their normal routines. Their patrol squads could easily capture the infiltrators.
Lang Qian remained silent, still weighing the pros and cons.
“It doesn’t matter if you don’t talk,” Bai Tu said casually. “We’ll figure it out eventually. But if I uncover the truth on my own, the consequences for you will be different than if you tell me yourself.”
He yawned. Over the past two days, he hadn’t rested much and was feeling a little drowsy. After waiting for a while with no response from Lang Qian, Bai Tu decided not to waste any more time.
“If you don’t want to talk, that’s fine. I’ll be heading back. If you change your mind, come find me.”
Perhaps sensing the tension in the air, the cubs had been less resistant to Lang Qi these past two days. Since the wolf cubs had finally softened their attitudes, Bai Tu and Lang Qi still had plenty to handle. Instead of both of them wasting time here, it was better to go home and spend time with the cubs.
More importantly, if they stayed too long, Lang Qian might take it as a sign of desperation and try to use it to his advantage.
Psychological battles were simple—whoever showed urgency lost.
Since Bai Tu said he was leaving, he meant it. Before heading out, he even untied the ropes binding Lang Qian’s hands.
“You’ve already told us quite a lot. We’re not going to kill you. Rest for a few days, then start working to earn your meals.”
Their tribe certainly wouldn’t keep these beastmen as idle captives. Since they had come with the intent to harm, they couldn’t just be let go easily. They would be put to work—just like the captured beastmen from the Black Forest Tribe and the Red Eagle Tribe.
Lang Qian saw that Bai Tu wasn’t joking. He hesitated for a moment.
Just as Bai Tu reached the door, Lang Qian suddenly blurted out, “I’ll tell you.”
Bai Tu took two more steps forward before slowly coming to a stop. He turned back at an unhurried pace. “Are you sure?”
Seeing that Bai Tu seemed ready to leave at any moment, Lang Qian clenched his teeth and said, “I’m sure.”
Only then did Bai Tu walk back to his side. “Go ahead.”
Lang Qian glanced toward Lang Qi in the distance.
“He’s not a problem,” Bai Tu assured him. “He won’t say anything.”
Bai Tu was confident in that.
Lang Qian took a deep breath and finally decided to reveal everything. “They… they’re jealous of the innate abilities of sub-beastmen. As long as sub-beastmen exist, they will never become true shamans.”
Lang Qian was intelligent, which was why he had gained the favor of the West River Tribe’s shamans and chief. But those two had never truly trusted him. That was why there was always a male beastman assigned to watch over him—something Lang Qian found utterly ironic. Some tasks could only be done by sub-beastmen, yet the very people giving them orders were still desperate to keep them under control.
If he hadn’t been captured this time, Lang Qian would have soon made his escape. Ever since his final growth phase began, he had been planning it. The shamans wouldn’t allow sub-beastmen to bear cubs too early—they invested too much effort into training them. Only after their final growth phase ended were they made to conceive, and then their cubs would be taken away and locked up, ensuring that they had no choice but to serve the tribe for the rest of their lives.
Lang Qian’s original plan had been to escape to some remote place one month before his adulthood ended. Even if the place was desolate, as long as he had food to survive, it would be better than staying in the West River Tribe. He refused to live like the other sub-beastmen before him.
Being captured by the Snow Rabbit Tribe, he was probably the most relaxed person in his group. While the others were worrying about how to report their failure to the shamans, he was thinking about how to use this as an opportunity to free himself from the West River Tribe’s control.
The reason he hadn’t revealed everything earlier was that he hadn’t planned to stay here for long. His life wasn’t meant to be controlled by anyone. Besides, in his eyes, this tribe was still in great danger.
But now, Lang Qian was beginning to think Bai Tu was smarter than he had initially assumed. Perhaps it wasn’t just luck that these beastmen had captured them. Maybe… this tribe really could hold out against the West River Tribe’s schemes.
If Bai Tu ended up winning in the end, then sharing this information wouldn’t matter—because Bai Tu wouldn’t go out of his way to inform the West River Tribe, and Lang Qian wouldn’t have to fear their retaliation.
“Hmm?” Bai Tu paid no attention to Lang Qian’s inner turmoil—his mind was focused on that one phrase.
The innate abilities of sub-beastmen.
Bai Tu glanced at Lang Qian, then thought about the sub-beastmen living in the tribe.
What ability could sub-beastmen possess that would make shamans so envious? To the point where they would spread false rumors and go to great lengths to capture them?
Shamans on the Beast God Continent had two main abilities—one was the ability to communicate with the Beast God, and the other was healing.
The first one Bai Tu had already confirmed to be fake. Not only did he himself not believe in it, but Bai Chi and the others had never mentioned anything about praying to the Beast God. Only shamans like Wu Jiu were obsessed with reinforcing that belief.
As for the second ability…
A sudden realization struck Bai Tu.
Ever since he assigned Bai Chi and the others to manage the tribe’s medicinal herbs, they had been thrilled. Other than mealtimes, they dedicated all their time and energy to the herbs.
If it had been just one or two people, he wouldn’t have thought much of it. But all the sub-beastmen were like this.
Even if they had studied medicine under Wu Jiu, could their love for plants really be this intense? If that earlier theory about their captivity was true, shouldn’t they have harbored some level of resistance toward what they were forced to learn?
Looking at it from another angle…
His own sudden familiarity with medicinal plants—
Bai Tu had once found it strange. He had come into contact with herbs before, but never with the level of instinctive knowledge he now possessed. He knew exactly how each herb should be used without anyone needing to teach him. At first, he had assumed that the body’s previous owner must have studied something similar.
But later, after piecing together information from Hei Xiao and his experiences in the Black Forest Tribe, he had confirmed one thing—before his memory loss, he had never studied medicine.
This was something worth thinking about.
Bai Tu looked at Lang Qian. “Jealous of the sub-beastmen’s natural affinity for plants?”
“I thought you said you didn’t know?” Lang Qian was surprised—he hadn’t even gotten to that part yet. This was a recent discovery for him, and also one of the reasons he felt confident about escaping. Because of his innate affinity for plants, coupled with the medical knowledge he had picked up from the shamans, he knew which plants were edible and which were not. Even if he had no prey to hunt, he could survive on plants and wouldn’t starve.
Bai Tu fell silent. So it really was this reason.
And if he thought deeper about it, he could add another factor—sub-beastmen were generally more intelligent.
Perhaps at some point in evolution, sub-beastmen diverged from male and female beastmen. They were physically the weakest, but they had an advantage in learning and critical thinking. This was evident in literacy lessons—many beastmen found the lessons overwhelming, but sub-beastmen were always eager to learn. Even older sub-beastmen like Bai Chi performed exceptionally well.
This explained why the shamans were targeting sub-beastmen. They were born with a connection to plants, and they were smart. Under the same conditions, a living shaman would naturally prefer a sub-beastman to inherit their role.
Bai Tu had heard people mention Wu Jiu’s past back in the Black Forest Tribe. Now, it all made sense. Wu Jiu’s rise to power and his persecution of sub-beastmen had happened at the same time. The moment he secured his position as a shaman, he began eliminating the more talented sub-beastmen, taking complete control of the Eastern Continent’s shamanic system.
There was another benefit to capturing sub-beastmen—their actions would never be discovered. Other beastmen simply didn’t think the way sub-beastmen did.
Bai Tu rubbed his temples. If this was truly the reason, then sub-beastmen were unbelievably unlucky. What should have been a natural gift that benefited the entire Beast God Continent had instead become a death sentence for them.
With that, Lang Qian had completely revealed everything he knew, leaving nothing out.
Bai Tu glanced at the cooperative Lang Qian and said slowly, “Get some rest.” As for work, the information Lang Qian had shared was actually useful. He needed some time to figure out how to handle things next.
Leaving the room where Lang Qian was being held, Bai Tu turned to Lang Qi. “I’m going to find Chi.”
He didn’t fully believe everything Lang Qian had said, nor did he completely doubt it. Combined with his own speculations, he needed Bai Chi to confirm the truth.
Lang Qi had remained silent ever since Lang Qian started speaking. The Blood Wolf Tribe had no sub-beastmen. When the great purge happened all those years ago, they had still been children. Lang Qi barely remembered what had actually happened, and the older beastmen he asked would only say that during that time, nearly every major tribe was hunting sub-beastmen, claiming they brought misfortune.
As for what Lang Qian and Bai Tu had just discussed, Lang Qi agreed with Bai Tu’s reasoning. So when Bai Tu mentioned going to see Bai Chi, he didn’t hesitate to go with him.
Upon seeing Bai Chi, Bai Tu wasted no time. He got straight to the point. “Chi, did you learn how to cultivate medicinal herbs in the Black Forest Tribe, or is it something you’ve always known how to do?”
Bai Chi fell silent.
If anyone else had asked this question, he would have had countless ways to respond.
But it was Bai Tu who asked.
Ever since they were rescued and brought here, Bai Chi and the others had been debating whether or not to tell Bai Tu the truth.
But after being imprisoned for so many years, they no longer had the courage they once did.
When they were younger, they had been bold enough to risk attracting the Black Forest Tribe’s attention to help Bai Luo escape. But if it were them in the present, perhaps they wouldn’t have had that same courage.
It wasn’t that they didn’t want to run—it was that they had more to worry about now. Would they actually be able to escape the Black Forest Tribe’s territory? Would they be able to find allies in other tribes? Would they encounter danger along the way?
For years, these questions haunted them. Sometimes, they even regretted helping Bai Luo escape in the first place.
After all, if Bai Luo had never left, he wouldn’t have died so early.
In the end, they had waited for Bai Tu. He had saved them.
But at the same time, they had also learned that Bai Luo had died over a decade ago.
Just like all the fears they had been wrestling with for years, the reality was the same—sub-beastmen were never truly safe, even in the outside world.
These experiences had made the sub-beastmen more cautious than ever. They had the courage to send the wolf cub away because, even if they were discovered, those people would punish them but not the cub.
As for the truth of the past, they had hesitated to tell Bai Tu, fearing it would bring him unnecessary trouble.
Their current life was already far better than they had ever imagined, and the tribe was growing stronger by the day. This was a dream they had long yearned for—what more could they ask for?
Trying to convince the Snow Rabbit Tribe and the Blood Wolf Tribe, two mid-sized tribes, to go against the tribes of other continents was never part of their plan.
All they had hoped for was to wait until the tribe became even stronger and then discuss with Bai Tu how to rescue the imprisoned sub-beastmen in other tribes. Once those sub-beastmen were freed, they could live just like them—helping to cultivate medicinal herbs, letting the past fade away. They no longer needed the honor that their talents once brought them. As long as sub-beastmen were no longer in danger, they would be satisfied.
Now, hearing Bai Tu’s question, Bai Chi found himself momentarily at a loss for how to respond. In the end, they had been too afraid.
After a brief silence, Bai Chi closed his eyes for a moment and then admitted, “It’s innate.”
Sub-beastmen were born with an affinity for plants—not just medicinal herbs, but even the seemingly useless trees, flowers, and grass outside. They still loved them.
That was just the average sub-beastman. Some sub-beastmen with stronger abilities were naturally able to distinguish medicinal herbs. It wasn’t that they inherently knew the name of every plant, but they instinctively understood what each herb could do—whether it was beneficial or poisonous.
This ability was practically tailor-made for shamans.
That was why, over twenty years ago, more than half of the shamans on the Beast God Continent were sub-beastmen. And when shamans selected apprentices or herbal attendants, they preferred those with an affinity for plants. As a result, the majority of those chosen were sub-beastmen. Even without deliberate bias, sub-beastmen naturally outperformed the other two types of beastmen in this field.
But then, at some point, shamans started dying under mysterious circumstances.
It wasn’t just shamans—some herbal attendants and apprentices also met strange fates. Some were injured, while others died outright.
In just a few short years, more than half of the shamans on the Beast God Continent were gone.
When a shaman died, their successor was usually either their apprentice or their herbal attendant. The difference between the two was that the former had learned far more, while the latter had primarily managed herbs and medicine.
A few years later, over half of the Beast God Continent’s shamans had been replaced—most of them were now young male beastmen.
At the same time, these new shamans began spreading a message: they had received the blessings of the Beast God, which was why they had survived.
And those who had died mysteriously?
They had perished because they lacked the Beast God’s protection—because the Beast God did not acknowledge them.
At the time, so many shamans had died inexplicably that no one doubted this claim. After all, aside from the Beast God, who else could have caused such a thing?
Because of this, the surviving shamans gained unprecedented prestige among the beastmen. Soon after, more ideas emerged—healing required prayers to the Beast God, insufficient food would anger the Beast God, and so on.
No one knew if the Beast God was truly angered, but the beastmen who were forced to hand over food were certainly upset. However, anyone who opposed these claims mysteriously died.
No one understood why.
But some of the descendants of the deceased shamans felt that something was off.
Before they could investigate further, a new rumor suddenly spread across the Beast God Continent— And it was this rumor that led to the capture of all sub-beastmen.
“Sub-beastmen bring misfortune to the tribe.”
This shocking claim spread faster than wildfire. In no time, every tribe on the Beast God Continent had heard the rumor. Beastmen, having witnessed the power of shamans, feared that it might be true.
At first, most tribes simply avoided discussing the matter, while the sub-beastmen in their tribes tried to keep a low profile and steer clear of outsiders. For a short while, nothing unusual happened.
But the peace didn’t last long. Within two or three months, tribes with a higher number of sub-beastmen all experienced strange disasters.
That was when people began to truly believe the rumor.
For the safety of their tribes, they had no choice but to send their sub-beastmen away. Only the more remote or isolated tribes dared to secretly shelter them.
During that time, countless sub-beastmen were captured. Some, however, were lucky enough to escape. Later, the Black Forest Tribe announced that they would reward anyone who turned in a sub-beastman. The temptation was too great for some beastmen who had initially helped hide them, and they eventually handed over the sub-beastmen in their care.
That was what had happened all those years ago.
Most of the beastmen in the tribe today had been young at the time, some too young to have participated in major decisions. All they knew was that one day, their tribe had inexplicably sent all its sub-beastmen away.
Only the sub-beastmen imprisoned in the Black Forest Tribe had managed, after years of sharing their stories, to piece together the full picture of what had happened.
If Bai Tu hadn’t asked, Bai Chi and the others had planned to take this secret to their graves—because even they didn’t know how the shamans and sub-beastmen had died so suddenly.
“Tu, don’t take risks,” Bai Chi urged, deeply worried that Bai Tu would immediately seek vengeance against the major tribes of the other continents.
Their tribe had grown strong, yes—but compared to the powerful tribes that had ruled for decades, they were still not on the same level.
Even if they wanted to rescue the imprisoned sub-beastmen, they needed to wait until their tribe had fully developed, until they held real influence in the Eastern Continent. Only then could they expose the shamans’ conspiracy with a large enough force to back them up.
That was also why the sub-beastmen had been doing their best to cultivate medicinal herbs. Medicine was the perfect way to strengthen ties between tribes. Any hunting-based tribe inevitably suffered injuries. A reliable supply of medicine that could speed up healing and reduce casualties was something every tribe needed. If they were willing to trade medicine, it would be an offer no tribe could refuse—and trust in Bai Tu would only grow.
Bai Chi had long expected that Bai Tu would figure this out someday. He just hadn’t expected that day to come so soon.
Bai Tu, of course, understood their concerns.
He was a sub-beastman himself. The reason he had been able to convince the tribes at the marketplace to help before was partly because those beastmen hadn’t known he was a sub-beastman.
If they launched an attack against the major tribes of the other continents now, those tribes could easily use this fact to turn their own beastmen against them. They might even revive the old rumor—”saving sub-beastmen brings misfortune.”
Right now, the Eastern Continent’s tribes no longer believed in this superstition. But that was only because nothing bad had happened to them.
If, right after they angered the shamans, their tribe suddenly suffered deaths and injuries, who wouldn’t start to fear it?
If Lang Qian hadn’t voluntarily admitted to their schemes, Bai Tu himself would have been worried for a time.
They all suspected that something was going on behind the scenes—but they still didn’t know how the shamans had managed to cause those deaths and injuries. That was what made the situation so dangerous.
Bai Chi had tried to dissuade him because of that uncertainty, and Bai Tu understood. So, he decided to be upfront with Bai Chi.
“The wolf beastman we captured a few days ago—Lang Qian—came here carrying poison.”
“They had brought two types of drugs. One causes severe stomach pain, leading to death within half a day. The other causes stomach cramps and headaches, taking a few days to subside.”
The first type of poison was often used on cubs or beastmen who stubbornly refused to obey. The second type was given to those who still had some value to exploit.
Within a few days, most tribes had already begun to submit to the shamans. As for the few who stubbornly refused to yield, the West River Tribe would take harsher measures—using the deadlier poison to kill them outright.
Both types of poison were still in Bai Tu’s possession.
On the very night he brought them back, the little white wolf cub had sniffed him all over, unable to sleep and watching him the entire night. It wasn’t until Bai Tu, in front of the cub, retrieved the poisons from the storage room, sealed them in a box, and buried them in the ground that the cub finally relaxed and went to sleep.
At the time, Bai Tu hadn’t realized just how familiar Bai Chi and the others were with medicine, so he hadn’t specifically brought it up to them.
Hearing Bai Tu’s explanation, Bai Chi was stunned. “Are you certain that those tribes fell because they were poisoned?”
“I’m at least 80% sure,” Bai Tu replied. It was almost a certainty. However, they had only captured Lang Qian’s team so far, and the only poisons they had obtained had come from them. The second wave of infiltrators hadn’t arrived yet, so it remained unclear whether they would also be carrying poison.
“This group…” Bai Chi was silent for a long time before finally speaking. “They’re using what they learned from sub-beastmen to harm others.”
Not only that—they had even poisoned the sub-beastmen who had taught them, including those who had studied alongside them.
Bai Chi couldn’t even begin to imagine how many lives had been taken over the years.
Bai Tu nodded. “That’s right. Once they had learned everything they needed, they killed the beastmen who had taught them, took their positions, and then began persecuting sub-beastmen.”
Sub-beastmen were a threat to their rule. They feared that one day, sub-beastmen would expose their deception.
And in truth, sub-beastmen would have uncovered it.
Had they not been imprisoned for so many years, the sub-beastmen would have figured out the truth long ago. They had the knowledge of medicinal plants—if a high-level sub-beastman had been present in one of the poisoned tribes, they would have immediately noticed something was wrong when the poison was mixed into the food.
By directly capturing over 90% of the sub-beastmen and then raising their children to serve them, the shamans had ensured that those who could identify the poisons were either dead, locked away, or working under them. This was how their scheme had remained undiscovered for so many years.
Had there still been sub-beastmen acting as shamans, so many tribes wouldn’t have fallen under their control.
Bai Chi took a deep breath. “What do we do now?”
Things had turned out to be far more sinister than they had imagined. Bai Tu had uncovered exactly how the shamans had manipulated and terrorized the tribes. But Bai Chi still worried that going against the West River Tribe now would be like an egg smashing against a rock.
After all, the tribes of the Western Continent still worshiped the West River Tribe.
Bai Tu thought for a moment before saying, “We undermine them from within.”
Bai Chi looked puzzled. He could vaguely guess what Bai Tu meant, but he wasn’t entirely sure.
“We wait for the second wave of beastmen to arrive,” Bai Tu explained. “There will always be some who, like Lang Qian, are awake to the truth.”
Many of the beastmen serving the West River Tribe were the children of captured sub-beastmen. Though they had grown up in the West River Tribe, they had never been truly treated as equals. They were constantly monitored.
Most had likely become numb to it, resigned to their fate.
But as long as there were a few like Lang Qian—beastmen who saw through the West River Tribe’s lies—Bai Tu’s plan could work.
Bai Chi fell silent for a moment, then let out a slow sigh. “What can we do to help?”
For a long time, he and the other sub-beastmen had been trapped in an internal struggle—fearful of telling Bai Tu the truth, worried he would take reckless risks, but at the same time ashamed of their own inaction.
After all, they had been rescued. But the other sub-beastmen were still imprisoned.
At least now, while they were still alive, they could do something.
Bai Chi thought to himself, We can still help Bai Tu. We can still make a difference.
“Plant all the medicinal herb seeds that can grow this season,” Bai Tu ordered.
Now that he understood the innate abilities of sub-beastmen, he no longer had to worry about the herbs failing. With the sub-beastmen handling them, they could now plant as many medicinal herbs as possible—preparing for future conflicts.
In the days that followed, the beastmen of the tribe became even more cautious than before.
Bai Tu didn’t tell all the beastmen about the truth regarding sub-beastmen. He only shared it with Bai An, Bai Chen, Tu Bing, and a few others. Without exception, everyone who learned the truth was furious.
Even though their tribe had never had sub-beastmen before, they never could have imagined that such horrors had taken place. The Black Forest Tribe’s actions were even more despicable than what they had previously witnessed—especially Wu Jiu. His own mentor had also “accidentally” died under suspicious circumstances.
Many shamans had suddenly died over the years, but most tribes had never realized it. Apart from the obvious fact that there were fewer shamans around, another reason was that tribes rarely announced the death of a shaman immediately. After all, a shaman’s death meant a decline in the tribe’s prestige.
As a result, news of shaman deaths spread at different times to different tribes, preventing people from connecting the dots.
But the sub-beastmen captured by the Black Forest Tribe were different. They came from various tribes, even from different continents. With so many of them locked up together, even though most were wary, a few were talkative. As they gradually got to know each other, they started noticing inconsistencies in their stories.
However, their realization came after Bai Luo had already escaped, which was why they had spent years worrying about him.
The sub-beastmen had hidden all of this from Bai Tu—until now, when everything was finally laid bare.
And upon learning the full truth, the beastmen became even angrier.
No one blamed the sub-beastmen for keeping it a secret. Their concern had always been Bai Tu’s safety and the well-being of the tribe. In fact, even if they had told Bai Tu earlier, before capturing Lang Qian and his group, all it would have done was cause unnecessary distress.
It was only because Lang Qian had come along, coupled with Bai Tu’s own observations of the sub-beastmen’s behavior, that the full truth had been uncovered.
Yet Bai Tu didn’t show any extreme reaction.
As always, he continued managing the tribe’s affairs, occasionally experimenting with food.
The ones who were happiest were the little wolves on patrol duty.
Recently, they had been getting daily snacks, and each time, the treat was something new—many of which they had never eaten before. Overjoyed, they enthusiastically increased their patrol shifts—previously, they patrolled once in the morning and rested in the afternoon. Now, they patrolled three times a day—morning, afternoon, and again at night after playing around.
With so many patrols, they naturally ran into people more often.
Seven days after capturing Lang Qian, the little wolves encountered another group of beastmen.
This group was different from Lang Qian’s. There were more male beastmen, with sub-beastmen and female beastmen making up only half of their numbers.
And they hadn’t come seeking help—they were looking for their lost cubs.
“We are beastmen from the Black Tiger Tribe. Two years ago, three of our cubs went missing. I am Hu Nian, the chief of the Black Tiger Tribe.”
The little wolves glanced at their numbers and silently compared their own strength to that of the Black Tiger Tribe’s male beastmen.
Then, they started whispering.
“They’re so dark.”
“They look burnt.”
“Their faces are black too. So evenly roasted.”
“I suddenly want to eat Tu’s roasted bread,” one of the little wolves muttered.
As they kept talking, their discussion drifted further and further off-topic—completely ignoring the Black Tiger beastmen still waiting for a response.
Finally, Lang Ze, who felt he was the most reasonable among them, stopped their chatter and led the Black Tiger Tribe beastmen back to the village.
*
Meanwhile, Lang Qian was speaking with Bai Tu about the beastmen of the West River Tribe.
“The West River Tribe is made up of half tiger beastmen, the rest are wolves, foxes…”
Lang Qian started detailing the ethnic composition of the West River Tribe—going from the shamans to the chief, and even listing the names and numbers of each squad.
Another list contained the names of tribes that had been deceived by the West River Tribe.
Some of those tribes no longer existed—their cubs had been poisoned, and their surviving beastmen had either joined other tribes or become wanderers.
Having no cubs in the Beast God Continent was a serious problem.
Cubs were considered the Beast God’s blessing and the future of a tribe.
If a tribe had no young cubs of appropriate age, it was seen as having no future. Neighboring tribes would ostracize and suppress them—or worse, outright raid their food supplies.
After all, while others grew stronger, a tribe without cubs could only decline.
The more Bai Tu wrote, the more he struggled to contain his fury.
If it weren’t for Bai Chi and the others urging caution, he would have already exposed everything the West River Tribe had done.
Before he could explode in anger, Lang Ze burst excitedly into the room.
“Tu! I caught another group of people!”
Lang Ze had finally figured it out—ever since they started capturing people, Bai Tu had been handing out more snacks.
Now that they had caught another group, wouldn’t that mean even more snacks in the future?
Lang Qian, watching Lang Ze’s excitement, felt complicated emotions.
On one hand, Lang Ze was one of the key reasons his plan had succeeded.
On the other hand, thinking back to that night when Lang Ze had stubbornly refused to be fooled, Lang Qian still felt suffocated.
Especially when Lang Ze, oblivious to his inner turmoil, kept asking why he looked so down.
It was an incredibly strange feeling—like throwing a full-force punch at someone, only to hit thin air.
And then the other person just turned around, completely clueless, and asked, “What’s wrong? Didn’t eat enough for dinner?”
Lang Qian’s emotions were complicated, but at the same time, he couldn’t help but admire Bai Tu.
After all, Lang Ze wasn’t the only one in that patrol team—there were dozens of beastmen just like him.
Yet Bai Tu, dealing with these people every single day, not only managed to stay sane but actually got them to do a lot of work.
Just thinking about it filled Lang Qian with respect.
“What are the names of the people you captured?” Bai Tu asked. “What tribe are they from? How many?”
“They’re tiger beastmen—twenty in total. Their leader is called Hu Nian.”
“Hu Nian?!” Lang Qian was visibly shocked.
“You know him?” Bai Tu glanced down at the list but didn’t find the name.
“Hu Nian is the name the chief’s son uses when he’s traveling outside.”
Lang Qian wasn’t sure whether he should feel happy or angry about this.
Hu Nian showing up meant that the West River Tribe had lost contact with them—but it also meant that the West River Tribe still believed they hadn’t revealed the truth. Otherwise, they would never have sent Hu Nian into danger.
Lang Qian knew full well that he hadn’t earned their trust to that extent. The fact that the shamans and the chief were so confident could only mean they had given a hidden order to someone within the team.
If the mission failed, they were to kill the sub-beastmen first.
In the minds of the West River Tribe’s shamans and chief, the sub-beastmen were already as good as dead.
But reality was going to disappoint them.
They were still alive.
Instead, it was the beastmen who were most trusted by the shamans and chief who were now in the most danger.
“Tu,” Lang Qian suddenly looked at Bai Tu seriously. “Don’t lock up Hu Nian.”
Before Bai Tu could respond, Lang Ze nearly jumped up. “Are you an idiot?!”
Lang Qian glanced at him but didn’t bother replying. Instead, he leaned in and whispered a few words into Bai Tu’s ear.
Lang Ze, watching Lang Qian deliberately keep him in the dark, pursed his lips.
As if I care to listen!
…That’s what he told himself, but his ears twitched twice involuntarily.
Unfortunately, the two of them were speaking too softly—he couldn’t hear a thing.
Damn that Lang Qian!
Bai Tu was picking up bad habits from him!
Whispering in secret—how is that wolf-like at all?! Lang Ze grumbled internally.
A moment later, Lang Qian straightened up, and Bai Tu also stood. The two of them headed outside together.
“Ze, tell the kitchen to make extra food today,” Bai Tu instructed. “Whatever you guys want to eat, just order it. Tell them it’s on me.”
“Got it!”
Hearing there would be extra food, Lang Ze instantly forgot all his frustration.
As he watched them leave, Lang Qian’s emotions grew even more conflicted.
The way Lang Ze reacted to food reminded him of how they had been captured—because of just one mention of food.
Thanks 4 the chapter!