Chapter 153
Unlike the Black Forest Tribe, which had directly enslaved its captives and forced them to work, the West River Tribe had adopted a more efficient method—simply demanding that the smaller tribes surrender food and supplies.
In the beginning, when the West River Tribe wasn’t as powerful as it was now, some tribes had chosen to resist. The result? Their tribes suffered unexpected misfortunes.
They truly believed these were punishments from the Beast God. They had to believe it—because as soon as they obeyed the shaman’s orders, the sickness would disappear. But for the tribes that continued to resist handing over their food, their warriors and cubs began to die one by one.
No tribe could withstand such a punishment. Watching their young and their people perish before their eyes, no matter how harsh the West River Tribe’s demands were, they had no choice but to submit.
Over time, the shaman’s commands became synonymous with the will of the Beast God, and very few tribes in the Western Continent dared to defy the West River Tribe.
But now, for the first time, they were realizing the truth—this had all been a manipulation tactic devised by the shaman to control them.
Had anyone else said this, they might have questioned whether it was true or not.
But the one who had spoken these words was Hu Nian.
And who was Hu Nian?
The eldest son of the West River Tribe’s chief. The own nephew of the West River Tribe’s shaman.
If even he was saying this, what other possibility could there be?
It meant that everything—their suffering, their hardships—had all been orchestrated by the West River Tribe. Their cubs and tribesmen weren’t punished by the Beast God. They had been deliberately killed by the West River Tribe to force them into submission.
The realization hit them like a hammer.
Some were overwhelmed with regret, wondering how they had failed to see through the West River Tribe’s deception. Others were consumed with anger, imagining how prosperous their tribes might have been if not for the West River Tribe’s oppression.
Outside the house, the chiefs stood in stunned silence, reflecting on how their tribes had been driven to their current state.
Inside the house, Lang Qian continued to interrogate Hu Nian.
Hu Nian, drunk from the liquor, was like a broken sieve—leaking everything he knew.
“Lord Hu Nian, what was the purpose of your visit this time?”
Hu Nian clutched his bowl, treating this questioning as if it were some kind of test from the Beast God. “To steal… steal their land… land and food…“
“Why hasn’t the West River Tribe sent reinforcements?”
“Heh heh.” Hu Nian let out a perverse laugh. “To… to kill all the… the disobedient ones…“
The moment these words left his mouth, the group standing in the corridor stiffened.
Among them, only Bai Tu remained calm. The rest were already itching to storm inside and beat Hu Nian senseless.
But before they could act, another group of beastmen stepped in front of them, blocking their path.
Seeing the tense expressions of the wolf beastmen standing guard, the small tribe chiefs suddenly snapped back to reality.
They were still in someone else’s territory.
And this tribe—was the very one that Hu Nian had brought them here to conquer.
The atmosphere turned visibly awkward.
The chiefs had indeed come here under the orders of the West River Tribe, with the intention of attacking the Snow Rabbit and Blood Wolf Tribes. But now that they had learned that they were also on the West River Tribe’s kill list, they didn’t know how to face the wolf and rabbit beastmen beside them.
If it weren’t for Bai Tu and his people exposing the West River Tribe’s scheme, their own tribes would have suffered massive casualties.
Even though they had arrived with hundreds of warriors from over a dozen tribes, the truth was that their forces barely totaled four or five hundred men.
If they had actually fought against the Snow Rabbit and Blood Wolf Tribes, they would have lost.
Even from a distance, the West River Tribe had already heard about the planned merging of these two tribes. Separately, they were easier to defeat, but if they truly united, their beastmen would become more unshakable than ever. That was why Hu Que had rushed them to launch an attack.
The chiefs’ original plan had been to wipe out the two tribes before their merger could be completed.
But now, they had realized that they themselves were merely pawns to be discarded by the West River Tribe.
For the first time, they found themselves struggling to meet the gazes of Bai Tu and Lang Qi.
Once their anger settled, they looked at the Snow Rabbit and Blood Wolf beastmen with complicated expressions.
By all logic, they should be grateful to these people.
But looking at the way Bai Tu and the others carried themselves, it was obvious—they knew what the chiefs had come here to do.
The once-powerful and commanding chiefs, accustomed to ruling their own tribes without question, were now at a loss.
Should they apologize first?
Or should they just turn around and run?
One by one, they found themselves reflecting—if the situation were reversed, and they had been the ones under attack, would they have remained as calm as the Snow Rabbit and Blood Wolf beastmen?
Probably not.
No wonder this tribe had developed so rapidly.
The chiefs exchanged glances, then turned their attention to Lang Qi and the beastmen behind him.
Finally, their gazes landed on Bai Tu—the only one who had maintained a calm and composed demeanor from the beginning.
A beastman who looked to be in his late twenties or early thirties finally stepped forward and spoke.
“You must be Lord Bai Tu.”
He hesitated for a moment, then continued, “How exactly… did you get Hu Nian to say all this?”
The others quickly nodded in agreement, their gazes locking onto Bai Tu. Yes, how had they managed to make Hu Nian talk so much?
They had traveled with Hu Nian on the way here and had long since figured out his personality. However, what puzzled them was that no matter how foolish he was, even he knew not to speak of such things openly—otherwise, he wouldn’t have kept it hidden all this time.
Moreover, the West River Tribe’s use of poison to harm surrounding tribes had been going on for years. Hu Nian had clearly known about it all along yet had never let it slip. This proved that while he was stupid, he wasn’t that hopeless.
So why had he suddenly spilled everything so easily?
It wasn’t that they doubted what Hu Nian had said—after all, the events he described had actually happened. But as tribal chiefs, they were naturally more level-headed than ordinary beastmen. Their initial fury had subsided, and now they were carefully considering the situation.
Had the Snow Rabbit and Blood Wolf Tribes used some special method to force Hu Nian to reveal the truth?
“Sacred water.” Bai Tu didn’t hide anything from them. “We gave Hu Nian sacred water, and he started talking. He even told us how to contact you.”
Bai Tu knew they would be skeptical.
After all, no matter how foolish Hu Nian was, he was still over twenty years old—would he really betray his own tribe just like that? It sounded absurd.
But Bai Tu had already prepared an explanation. Here, alcohol was known as sacred water, so technically, he wasn’t even lying.
The realization dawned on them immediately.
Hu Nian might have been unreliable, but sacred water was something else entirely.
Even the younger beastmen—those who had never consumed sacred water themselves—had heard of it from their elders.
As expected, the West River Tribe had gone too far. Even the Beast God couldn’t tolerate their actions any longer. They had used the Beast God’s name to justify their cruelty.
Inside the room, Hu Nian was still talking.
Outside, the chiefs—who had barely managed to suppress their rage—clenched their fists once again.
If it weren’t for the wolf beastmen standing guard, they would have already stormed in and torn Hu Nian apart.
The West River Tribe had built its reputation by mercilessly harming other tribes, using brutality to establish its dominance.
The chiefs standing here today were only a fraction of the victims. There were countless other tribes that had suffered even worse fates. Some had been so thoroughly wiped out that their names had been lost to history.
An older tribal chief shook his head in bitter regret. “We should have figured it out sooner… We should have known…”
Every time a tribe defied the West River Tribe, they were immediately punished by the so-called Beast God. The timing had always been suspiciously fast.
Their own tribes had survived for decades, even centuries, without issue—yet the moment they resisted the West River Tribe, the Beast God’s punishment came swiftly.
When the shaman prayed for healing, it always took days, sometimes even weeks for results.
But when the punishments came, they always happened within three days.
Back then, they had been too terrified by the mere mention of the Beast God’s wrath. They had been blinded by the shaman’s words, convinced that the Beast God was punishing them and forcing them to join the West River Tribe.
Inside the room, Hu Nian continued listing the tribes that had been destroyed by the West River Tribe.
Meanwhile, Lang Qian had moved on to another question—the disappearance of the sub-beastmen.
Hu Nian didn’t know much about this, but even he understood that the idea had come from the shaman.
Having only tasted alcohol for the first time earlier that day, he had zero resistance to it. His mouth and brain were completely out of sync, and he had blurted out everything—even things he probably shouldn’t have.
This revelation shocked the chiefs even more.
Especially the older ones.
Most of the younger beastmen had never even seen a sub-beastman growing up. They had no personal attachment to them. Some tribes had even stopped mentioning the existence of sub-beastmen altogether.
But the chiefs who were over thirty years old?
They remembered.
Some of them were even children of sub-beastmen themselves.
Back when the disappearances happened, they had been too young to fight back. They had watched, powerless, as their loved ones were taken away.
The eldest beastmen, those who had spent the most time with sub-beastmen, were hit the hardest.
For some, their mates had been sub-beastmen.
Hearing the truth now—clear and undeniable—was too much for one of them to bear.
A white-haired, elderly beastman’s face drained of color. His body swayed for a moment before he collapsed on the spot.
The others panicked, rushing to support him.
When he regained consciousness, the old beastman’s eyes were filled with tears.
He opened his mouth, trying to speak.
But in the end, he could only whisper a few broken words, his voice hoarse and filled with regret.
“I… failed them…”
When the rumors about sub-beastmen bringing disaster spread across the Beast Continent, he had only just become chief.
At the time, his tribe had over ten sub-beastmen.
And he—he had personally sent them to the West River Tribe.
But now, the truth was clear.
Sub-beastmen never brought disaster.
Just like the Beast God’s so-called punishments, it had all been a lie.
A conspiracy.
Realizing how many lives he had personally condemned, the old beastman felt an unbearable weight of guilt crashing down on him.
The more he thought about it, the more agonizing it became.
But regretting now was pointless. These events had taken place over twenty years ago—so much time had passed that no one knew whether the sub-beastmen sent to the West River Tribe were even still alive.
The silence outside lingered until Lang Qian finished his questioning inside the room, ensuring that nothing had been left out. Bai Tu then walked to the doorway and made a pause gesture.
Lang Qian pulled his hands away from Hu Nian, looking utterly disgusted. He wiped his hands several times on a piece of beast hide nearby.
Hu Nian had already passed out, and Bai Tu had no intention of wasting any more attention on him. Instead, he turned to the tribal chiefs standing nearby. “Did you all hear that? These are the things the West River Tribe has done.”
The chiefs all nodded.
They had heard everything—too clearly.
At this point, worrying about how to face the Snow Rabbit and Blood Wolf Tribes was the least of their concerns.
Right now, their priority was exposing the West River Tribe’s deception and rescuing the sub-beastmen. Every day they delayed meant another tribe would suffer and more sub-beastmen would remain in captivity.
The young chief who had spoken earlier hesitated before cautiously asking, “Lord Bai Tu, how… how do we rescue them?”
“By defeating the West River Tribe, of course.” Bai Tu’s tone was calm. “But when the time comes, we’ll need your help leading the way.”
Leading the way was a polite way of putting it—what he really meant was that they needed their cooperation.
Just as the West River Tribe couldn’t directly march into this region, the Snow Rabbit and Blood Wolf Tribes were also too far away from the West River Tribe’s territory. If they wanted to reach it, it would take time.
Whoever controlled the battlefield held the advantage.
If a fight broke out in the West River Tribe’s territory, they would have the upper hand. But if all the surrounding tribes sided against them, the situation would change completely.
Bai Tu hadn’t let these chiefs listen to Hu Nian’s confessions for nothing. He had no intention of sending all his people to attack the West River Tribe—this was where these closer, already-oppressed tribes would prove useful.
“I need a few days to prepare,” Bai Tu continued. “In the meantime, you all need to secretly spread the truth to the other tribes.”
He looked at them seriously. “You just heard how the West River Tribe deceived you. Exposing their lies and warning other beastmen shouldn’t be too difficult, should it?”
Hu Nian had explicitly described how the West River Tribe had drugged their people. This was practically an open-book test—if they still couldn’t figure out how to reveal the West River Tribe’s schemes, then Bai Tu would have to reconsider whether they were reliable allies.
“Not difficult, not difficult at all…” The white-haired elder chief spoke up. “This is something we must do. We need to help them. And the sub-beastmen… we have to save them…”
Those other tribes—the ones about to fall into the West River Tribe’s trap—weren’t they just like them all those years ago?
The chiefs felt an urgent need to return and warn their people. They wanted to tell their warriors not to believe the West River Tribe’s lies, not to interact with unfamiliar beastmen, and not to be fooled by wandering strangers—no matter how pitiful they appeared.
Bai Tu’s voice remained steady. “You were all deceived by the West River Tribe—you are victims in this, not enemies. I have prepared food for you to take back. But for now, avoid direct confrontation. If you encounter any of their warriors, just say these supplies are your spoils of war and that Chief Hu Nian has already taken over our tribe.”
Bai Tu wasn’t afraid of the West River Tribe sending people after them. In fact, he hoped they would.
The more of their forces he could eliminate now, the easier things would be later.
*
As the crowd moved toward the food supply area, two beastmen remained behind, staring intently at Bai Tu and Lang Qian.
The moment the other chiefs followed Bai Tu’s people to collect their supplies, the two beastmen suddenly shifted into their beast forms—one lunging straight at Bai Tu, the other at Lang Qian.
In the same instant, over ten wolf beastmen appeared out of nowhere.
Some rushed in front of Bai Tu and Lang Qian to shield them. The rest pounced, sinking their teeth into the attackers’ vital spots.
Hearing the sudden commotion, the departing chiefs turned back, only to see two of their own people going berserk—but instead of attacking the West River Tribe, they were going after Bai Tu and Lang Qian.
The chiefs exchanged bewildered glances.
They had all just listened to the revelations about the West River Tribe. If anything, their hatred should be directed there.
So why were these two attacking Bai Tu and Lang Qian instead?
The two restrained beastmen glared at Bai Tu and the others with hatred in their eyes, as if they were ready to pounce and tear into them at any moment.
Suddenly, someone in the group exclaimed, “I remember now! He’s Hu Que’s sister’s child!”
“The previous chief of the Black Fox Tribe passed away, and Hu Que sent him over to take control of the tribe.”
The gathered tribes were considered closer to the Eastern Continent compared to others in the Western Continent, but their territories were still quite far apart. Even the two closest tribes required half a day’s journey to reach each other.
Under the West River Tribe’s rule, these tribes had been forced to hand over huge amounts of food every year. Because of this, their beastmen spent nearly all year hunting or searching for food, leaving them with even fewer connections than the Snow Rabbit Tribe had once had.
Due to this lack of communication, many had been unaware that the Black Fox Tribe’s new chief had actually been sent by the West River Tribe.
As for the other captured beastman, the chiefs exchanged glances.
He looked familiar, but no one could immediately recall where they had seen him before.
After a long silence, someone finally spoke. “I think… he’s Bao Pan’s mate.”
Bao Pan had been one of the beastmen following Hu Nian earlier, but now, only a few Tiger Clan warriors remained at Hu Nian’s side. Bai Tu had already sent them away, and it was easy to assume that Bao Pan had been killed by Bai Tu.
This beastman had likely come seeking revenge.
Their sudden attack on Bai Tu and Lang Qian only made the chiefs trust them even more.
Wasn’t this a classic case of people lashing out in anger after their schemes had been exposed?
Clearly, the West River Tribe had committed far more atrocities than they had imagined.
A final glance at Hu Nian, still passed out inside the house, filled them with murderous intent.
If he wasn’t still useful, they would have ripped him apart on the spot.
The elderly chief’s hands trembled violently.
It wasn’t just the countless deaths caused by years of food tributes to the West River Tribe that haunted him.
It was the sub-beastmen from his tribe, the ones he had personally sent away decades ago, believing it was necessary.
The guilt was suffocating.
He hated himself so much he felt like throwing himself into the nearest river and drowning.
Bai Tu had prepared ahead of time.
While the two Tiger Clan warriors had been out summoning the chiefs, he had already arranged for supplies to be gathered.
Knowing that these beastmen might be hesitant to eat food given to them by outsiders, he had the wolf beastmen eat some first to prove there was no trickery involved.
Since moving to the residential district, their warehouse had been stocked with only the best-quality food.
Especially ready-to-eat items—each one was considered a high-value delicacy.
Even the cheapest cut of meat among them was far more valuable than standard roasted meat, often traded for salt at prices much higher than ordinary game.
But Bai Tu didn’t hesitate at all.
Basket after basket of food was handed out to the visiting chiefs.
Even after each one had been given two full baskets, Bai Tu wasn’t done—he personally assigned a group of wolf beastmen to help carry additional supplies back to their tribes.
Of course, it wasn’t just meat that was being distributed.
Among the supplies were also sweet potatoes, wheat, and other staple foods.
Bai Tu even took the time to explain simple cooking methods and handed out cooked samples from the tribe’s kitchens, allowing them to taste the food firsthand.
“Take as much food as you need. If it’s not enough, come back next time,” Bai Tu said, waving his hand. The wolf beastmen, each carrying a load of supplies, stood ready, waiting for the group to depart.
“Lord Bai Tu, we owe you an apology,” the elderly beastman said solemnly.
They had almost become executioners for the Snow Rabbit Tribe. If they had followed Hu Nian or Bao Pan’s orders and actually attacked the Snow Rabbit and Blood Wolf Tribes, how would they have been any different from the West River Tribe?
“We can talk about this later. Be careful on your way back,” Bai Tu instructed.
In the end, these small tribes were also victims. They had already suffered enough—he had no intention of holding them accountable. Besides, they were crucial in exposing the West River Tribe’s crimes.
No matter how wealthy the Snow Rabbit and Blood Wolf Tribes had become, they were still Eastern Continent tribes. Sending warriors on a long journey to the Western Continent wasn’t just a logistical nightmare—it was also uncertain whether they could even defeat the West River Tribe, which had been entrenched there for years.
Moreover, the surrounding tribes of the West River Tribe still didn’t know the truth. If they launched an attack too soon, the first wave of resistance wouldn’t even come from the West River Tribe—it would come from the deceived tribes under their control.
Bai Tu wouldn’t allow this to turn into a battle of mutual destruction.
From the beginning, his target had always been the West River Tribe—the true perpetrators.
The tribes who had been deceived, like Hu Wan and the others, were victims, not enemies.
Once the small tribe chiefs had left, Bai Tu didn’t send anyone to follow them.
Nor did he immediately seek out information about the Western Continent.
Instead, he focused on preparing emergency food supplies for his people.
Whether or not the West River Tribe would retaliate, the tribe needed to be prepared with food that could be consumed immediately in case of an emergency.
Besides, there was no guarantee that the deceived tribes would win against the West River Tribe. If they needed reinforcements, the Snow Rabbit Tribe might have to send a significant force to assist them.
Regardless of whether the food would be needed or not, it was better to prepare in advance.
Even if it wasn’t used for battle, it wouldn’t go to waste—the beastmen in the tribe would eat everything long before it spoiled.
Bai Tu’s priority was nutritious, ready-to-eat foods—things that wouldn’t need further processing.
He focused on jerked meats and dried meat strips, which had the added benefit of providing high energy.
For the same weight, meat could sustain someone for two to three days, whereas vegetables and fruits would only keep them full for half a day.
Aside from the usual dried meats, Bai Tu was also planning to introduce something entirely new—canned food.
If properly sealed, canned food could last two to three years.
Although their current technology wasn’t advanced enough to achieve that kind of shelf life, they could still preserve food for several months.
Once Bai Tu finalized the plan, he immediately began gathering materials and tools.
The ingredients were easy to decide—all kinds of meat could be canned, and even some fruits could be preserved.
However, fruit-based canned goods weren’t an immediate necessity. Spending an entire day making fruit cans would only provide a single meal’s worth of food.
So Bai Tu prioritized meats, selecting chicken, lamb, beef, and pork for the first batch.
The principle behind canning was simple—sterilizing food at high temperatures and sealing it in an airtight container to create a vacuum inside, preventing bacteria from spoiling it.
As for containers, the tribe actually had durable, sealable vessels.
They weren’t mass-produced, but they could be made as needed.
Metal containers were out of the question.
Even with the Black Hawk Tribe’s support, metal was still considered precious. While they were no longer at the point where a single iron knife was impossible to find, iron and steel were still far too valuable to waste on food storage.
After careful consideration, Bai Tu decided that glass and ceramic containers were the best options.
Thanks to the tribe’s advancements over the past year, their glass production had improved enough to safely store food.
Moreover, glass was abundant—they could find the raw materials within their own territory, unlike iron ore, which still had to be transported from the Black Hawk Tribe.
However, glass had an obvious drawback—it was fragile. A little too much force or a sudden change in temperature, and the bottle could shatter instantly.
Ceramic containers also had a risk of breaking, but they were slightly more durable than glass and could withstand rough handling a little better.
In the end, Bai Tu decided to use both.
First, he sought out Tu Miao, the beastman in charge of glassmaking, and sketched several different sizes of glass bottles on two sheets of paper, instructing him to begin production.
“A little bigger or smaller is fine, but try to keep them within this range,” Bai Tu explained.
Without any machines to standardize production, it was difficult to make perfectly uniform glass bottles by hand. However, as long as they were kept within a certain size range, it would still be manageable.
Keeping the bottles a consistent size was important for controlling the ratio of meat to liquid during the canning process. If the bottles varied too much, it would be hard to balance the ingredients.
The same rule applied to ceramic jars—they needed to be as similar in size as possible.
Once the bottle and jar production was arranged, Bai Tu turned his attention to sealing methods.
While the bottles themselves might not be perfectly identical, their openings could be kept consistent. Bai Tu planned to seal them with iron lids, then coat the outside with a layer of beeswax.
This method had a key advantage—even if the metal lid wasn’t completely airtight, the beeswax would block air from entering.
Since both the lids and bottles were handmade, there was a chance they wouldn’t fit perfectly. To account for this, Bai Tu designed an alternative sealing method:
- First, cover the jar opening with a layer of cotton cloth.
- Then, coat the cloth with a thick layer of beeswax to seal it.
Once both methods were in place, they could compare which one was more effective.
While Bai Tu was busy preparing long-term food storage, Bai An was growing increasingly anxious, constantly pacing back and forth.
He had one thing on his mind—when were they finally going to choose a new name for the tribe?
Technically, this should have been settled before they moved, but they had been delayed by one issue after another.
Now that the salt production had increased significantly, Bai An felt that they couldn’t put it off any longer.
Finally, unable to wait any longer, he personally went to Bai Tu and demanded that the matter be settled soon.
Bai Tu sighed and said, “Chief, can we handle the West River Tribe first before dealing with this? Even if we pick a name now, how can we celebrate when we’re still being watched by them?”
Some things had clear priorities, and rescuing the imprisoned sub-beastmen and exposing the West River Tribe’s crimes was far more urgent.
Bai An thought for a moment and had to admit that Bai Tu had a point.
As long as a powerful and sinister enemy was still lurking, it wasn’t the right time to be focusing on renaming the tribe.
However, the salt production team had been working nonstop, and the amount of processed salt was only increasing.
While not much of it had been used for trade, a large amount of manpower, food, and tribal points had gone into its production.
“Should we pause salt production for a while?” Bai An suggested. “Or maybe I should take some of the salt out to trade with other tribes?”
Even though the tribe already had plenty of food, Bai An couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
If they had a massive stockpile of salt that wasn’t immediately being traded for supplies, it felt like the tribe was losing out on potential gains.
Bai Tu shook his head. “Don’t stop for now. Keep producing as before—this salt will be useful.”
Hearing that the salt was still needed, Bai An was puzzled. “Are you planning to take the salt to the marketplace and trade for supplies?”
At this point, the tribe had already accumulated a substantial amount of salt. If they kept producing more, the only way to fully trade it away would be through the marketplace.
But doing so was highly risky.
Taking salt to the marketplace meant that every tribe would see it—and see just how much they had. That was completely different from quietly exchanging small amounts with a few tribes.
With private trades, as long as they provided a believable excuse, the other party would simply assume they were low on resources and had no choice but to exchange their salt for food.
This was an easy cover story, especially after the recent influx of new beastmen into their tribe. A lack of resources wouldn’t seem suspicious at all.
But taking salt to a public marketplace was another matter entirely.
There were too many tribes moving through those trade hubs, and the moment they saw large quantities of salt, it would be obvious that their tribe had a steady supply.
At that point, they’d become a target.
“We’re not going to the marketplace,” Bai Tu clarified. “This salt will be put to use elsewhere.”
His plan was to win over certain tribes and rally their support. Salt—lightweight, valuable, and easy to transport—was the perfect tool for that.
Seeing Bai Tu’s firm stance, Bai An didn’t ask any further. Instead, he returned to oversee the continued storage of salt produced by the salt-making team.
*
For the next half a month, the tribe was buzzing with activity.
Just as things were settling down, the beastmen who had been sent to the White Bear Tribe to help construct houses finally returned home.
But almost at the same time, an unexpected guest arrived.
“Su?” Bai Tu was genuinely surprised to see Shi Su at this time of year—the peak hunting season.
Only a tribe like theirs, which had switched from hunting to livestock farming, would spend this season focused on other matters.
For most other tribes, every single day counted, and they would never waste valuable hunting time on visiting another tribe.
Yet here was Shi Su, having abandoned hunting entirely to come here in person.
Clearly, something urgent had brought him.
As he watched the beastmen returning from the White Bear Tribe, heading home with their belongings, Shi Su quickly stepped forward and voiced his request.
“Tu, can our tribe build a livestock area and a food hall, just like the White Bear Tribe?”
He had accidentally discovered that the White Bear Tribe had begun constructing a livestock area.
Having visited the Snow Rabbit Tribe many times, Shi Su understood exactly what that meant.
Instead of hunting for food, they could raise their prey inside enclosures and feed them on a schedule—making them grow much faster than they would in the wild.
The reason the Snow Rabbit Tribe always had fresh food was because they had built their own livestock system.
Shi Su had seen it so many times that he could no longer pretend he wasn’t envious.
However, while his tribe had a good relationship with Bai Tu’s, it wasn’t close enough for him to feel comfortable making such a request outright.
So he had waited for the right opportunity.
When he discovered that the White Bear Tribe was receiving direct help from the Snow Rabbit Tribe in building new housing, Shi Su immediately knew that this was his chance.
He also knew that the construction work at the White Bear Tribe was nearly finished.
Without hesitation, he skipped that morning’s hunting trip and came straight here.
And his timing was perfect—the construction workers were arriving back at the tribe at the exact same time he did.
“A livestock area and a food hall? Sure.”
This wasn’t a big request.
Bai Tu had already been planning to strengthen relationships with neighboring tribes—Shi Su’s request aligned perfectly with that goal.
“Really??!” Shi Su was genuinely shocked by how easily Bai Tu agreed.
After all, both the livestock area and food hall had originated in the Snow Rabbit Tribe.
And the key resources needed to build and sustain them were completely controlled by the Snow Rabbit and Blood Wolf Tribes.
In any other tribe, if they had exclusive knowledge of something valuable, they would never share it for free.
Instead, they would demand an outrageous price, pushing their trade partner to the limit and gradually draining them of every last resource.
In the Beast God Continent, for small and mid-sized tribes, healers and medicine were critical resources.
If someone got injured or sick, it often meant that the entire tribe would go hungry—either because the wounded warrior could no longer hunt, or because the tribe had to ration food to support them during recovery.
Some tribes couldn’t afford to treat the injured at all and were forced to make the cruel decision to abandon them.
Losing a single adult beastman was a devastating blow to any tribe.
It could even disrupt hunting operations—no matter what choice they made, survival would only become more difficult.
Shi Su thought back to the food and medicine the Snow Rabbit Tribe had previously lent to them.
Not only had the medicine been more effective than the ones provided by shamans, but the Snow Rabbit Tribe had never used it to extort them for resources.
They had only ever asked for a small amount of food in exchange for each dose of medicine.
And now, even with a massive project like building a livestock area and a food hall, Bai Tu still wasn’t demanding extra resources from them.
The payment for construction labor could be deferred for two years, and they were even given young livestock for free—the only condition being that once the prey matured, they would return a portion to the Snow Rabbit Tribe.
Shi Su had come today prepared to negotiate.
If Bai Tu’s demands were too high, he had already planned out different strategies to lower the cost or delay payments, similar to how food debts had been handled before.
But to his complete shock, Bai Tu had set the terms even lower than what he had been prepared to accept.
By the time the livestock area and food hall were built, their standard of living wouldn’t drop at all.
All they had to do was work hard for six months to a year, and they would no longer need to hunt for food at all—just like the Snow Rabbit Tribe.
The Yellow Lion Tribe had already attempted livestock farming, but they had never built a proper livestock area.
Instead, their captured prey was kept in caves—which weren’t nearly as spacious as the ones the Snow Rabbit Tribe had once used.
The caves were too close together, and the beastmen living nearby often complained about the strong smell.
Still, everyone endured it—because those prey animals were their lifeline for the winter.
Now that they were about to build a dedicated livestock area, they could raise even more prey.
Shi Su couldn’t hide his excitement.
He wanted to rush back to his tribe immediately to share the news.
But would it seem rude to leave right after Bai Tu had just agreed to help?
Besides, Bai Tu had only agreed to the construction—he hadn’t specified when it would begin.
Shi Su hesitated, wondering if he should send a batch of prey to the Snow Rabbit Tribe as a show of goodwill.
*
Bai Tu noticed the shift in Shi Su’s expression—from excitement to hesitation—and guessed that he was worried about the prey situation.
After all, even if they built the livestock area and food hall, actual livestock farming wouldn’t begin for at least a month.
And it would take until after winter for any of the animals to be fully grown.
This winter, the Yellow Lion Tribe would still need to hunt as usual.
“The construction team just got back. Let them rest for two days first,” Bai Tu said. “Come back the day after tomorrow, and you can take them back with you.”
“Alright! I’ll be here in two days!” Shi Su was overjoyed.
Now that the timeline was confirmed, there was no chance of the plan being changed.
Just thinking about his tribe soon having its own food hall and livestock area made Shi Su want to express his gratitude even more.
Bai Tu waved his hand dismissively. Since he was already helping, he figured he might as well go all the way. “Do you want to send a few beastmen who are good at cooking? They can learn how to prepare food properly.”
“Not just the food that’s meant to be eaten right away,” he added. “But also foods that are easy to store—useful for when you’re going to the marketplace or traveling elsewhere.”
“Yes, yes!” Shi Su nodded eagerly.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Lang Qi entering the room and instinctively shifted backward a little.
Even though he wasn’t part of the Snow Rabbit or Blood Wolf Tribes, Shi Su knew that Chief Lang Qi didn’t like other people getting too close to Bai Tu.
And honestly, who could blame him?
With a mate this exceptional, anyone would be protective. What if someone tried to steal him away?
That was exactly what Shi Su was thinking.
Lang Qi glanced at Shi Su. Seeing that he wasn’t overstepping any boundaries, he didn’t say much. Instead, he simply informed Bai Tu, “The White Lion Tribe’s chief has arrived.”
Originally, Bai Qi was supposed to deliver this message.
But after escorting Shi Su here, Bai Qi had spotted Lang Qi on his way back. Not wanting to make the trip all over again, he had simply relayed the news to Lang Qi instead.
“The White Lion Tribe?” Bai Tu was even more surprised now.
They had frequent contact with the Yellow Lion Tribe, but almost none with the White Lion Tribe.
Aside from their previous visits to search for missing wolf cubs or borrow food, the White Lion Tribe rarely came to their territory.
Why now, all of a sudden?
Compared to Bai Tu’s curiosity, Shi Su looked more nervous than ever. “Are they here for the livestock area and food hall too?”
“Hmm?” Bai Tu was even more puzzled now.
He turned to Shi Su. “How does the White Lion Tribe know about it?”
The White Lion Tribe’s situation was somewhat similar to the White Cat Tribe.
The main difference was that, unlike the White Cat Tribe—which was openly rejected by the neighboring tribes—the White Lion Tribe wasn’t actively excluded.
However, as a small tribe of lion beastmen, they had suffered their fair share of bullying.
The Mad Lion Tribe and the Black Lion Tribe had both caused trouble for them in the past.
To be fair, the White Lion Tribe’s warriors weren’t weak.
But no matter how skilled they were, their total population was simply too small compared to the other two tribes.
As a result, they suffered significant losses in past conflicts.
Because of this, the White Lion Tribe was even more isolated than the Yellow Lion Tribe.
Bai Tu had only ever seen them communicate with the Yellow Lion Tribe—but never with any other tribes.
The White Lion Tribe was separated from the White Bear Tribe by a significant distance.
Unlike the Yellow Lion Tribe, which had a small stretch of land bordering the White Bear Tribe, the White Lion Tribe had almost no direct interaction with them.
So the fact that even they had heard the news left Bai Tu completely surprised.
Shi Su glanced at Bai Tu and realized that this conversation wasn’t going anywhere.
So he took the initiative to explain. “The White Bear Tribe’s beastmen told them.”
Lately, the White Bear Tribe’s beastmen had been absolutely ecstatic.
After all, among all the nearby tribes, only the Snow Rabbit Tribe and the Blood Wolf Tribe had livestock areas and food halls.
Now, their own tribe was about to become the third.
How could they not be excited?
Before sending his men back home, Ying Mian had repeatedly reminded them not to talk about the livestock area and food hall to outsiders, just in case something unexpected happened.
And Xiong Liao had also given strict warnings to keep it a secret.
But there was just one problem…
The White Bear beastmen had a particular way of thinking that was eerily similar to Xiong Liao’s.
They had interpreted the warning differently.
“We were told not to talk about it before because there might be an accident.
But now that construction is almost finished, that means nothing went wrong. So it’s fine to talk about it now!”
And so, the not-so-secretive White Bear beastmen began casually dropping hints about their new livestock area and food hall to every tribe they encountered during their patrols.
Much like during the rainy season, whenever their patrol team ran into another tribe, they couldn’t help but mention it.
The nearby beastmen, of course, knew exactly what livestock areas and food halls meant.
Thanks to the White Bear Tribe’s boasting, they were now the object of envy among the surrounding tribes.
Bai Tu fell silent for a moment.
But he still couldn’t shake one question: “How did the White Lion Tribe hear about it?”
There was a whole stretch of land separating their tribes.
Surely the White Bear beastmen hadn’t gone out of their way to brag that far away, right?
Shi Su continued explaining.
Apparently, the White Bear patrol team had been a little too excited yesterday and accidentally took the wrong path.
Not a big issue, since the territory they wandered into belonged to the Yellow Lion Tribe.
But as luck would have it, a White Lion patrol team happened to be patrolling that same area at the time.
Even though the White Bear Tribe wasn’t particularly familiar with the White Lion Tribe, they were neighboring tribes.
And true to their nature, the White Bear beastmen enthusiastically shared their “big news” with the White Lion patrol.
This morning, the White Lion Tribe’s chief had approached Shi Su, wanting to confirm whether it was true.
At the time, Shi Su had just been preparing to leave for the Snow Rabbit Tribe, so he had simply told them it was true before parting ways.
The White Lion chief hadn’t pressed the matter further, so Shi Su assumed he had just gone back to his tribe.
But to his surprise, the White Lion chief wasn’t far behind him at all—he had already arrived.
Bai Tu: “…”
For a moment, he didn’t know whether to be impressed by the White Bear Tribe’s ability to spread information…
Or shocked by the White Lion Tribe’s reaction speed.
Meanwhile, in another part of the tribe, Bai Qi was running out of breath as he sprinted toward the residential area, dragging Lu Hui along.
As he ran, one thought burned in his mind—
“So many tribes have shown up today looking for us. Whoever started this mess—I swear I won’t let them off!”
“Rabbit lives matter too!!!”
Thanks for the chapter!