Chapter 154
Bai Qi cursed under his breath as he dragged Lu Hui along to find Bai Tu. Meanwhile, Bai Tu also told Lang Qi to bring over Shi Lin, the chief of the White Lion Tribe. Although they weren’t particularly close, they were still good neighbors, and it wouldn’t be right to leave him waiting outside the residential area for too long. Lang Qi went out to find a fellow wolf to fetch Shi Lin while he himself returned to the room.
“You’re not going to check on the canteen?” Bai Tu asked when he saw Lang Qi come back. He knew that Lang Qi had already sent someone over, but he was still surprised to see him staying here instead of supervising things.
“No.” Lang Qi shook his head. Something felt off today, and he needed to stay here and keep watch.
Seeing that he wasn’t joking, Bai Tu didn’t press further. After all, once Lang Qi made up his mind, it was nearly impossible to change it.
Still, Bai Tu found it strange—why did Lang Qi suddenly refuse to leave? However, the thought only flashed through his mind before something even more puzzling took his attention. Lu Hui had also shown up.
If not for the fact that each of the three newcomers looked more surprised than the last, Bai Tu would have suspected they had planned this in advance. Shi Lin glanced at Bai Tu, his eyes filled with hesitation. Meanwhile, Lu Hui was looking at Shi Su, trying to figure out how exactly he had made his request.
Bai Tu looked at the group of beastmen standing there in silence and asked, puzzled, “Zai, Lin, do you need something from me?”
As he had said before, this was the most crucial time for hunting, and every single day counted. Bai Tu didn’t want to waste time watching them hesitate, so he decided to steer the conversation forward. Since they were all here for the same reason and the three tribe leaders had gathered in one place, he might as well settle everything in one go—it would save him time.
Hearing Bai Tu’s urging tone, Shi Lin hesitated, glancing at Lang Qi, who stood beside Bai Tu. He cautiously asked, “Tu, is there… another way?”
He was worried he’d be beaten to death by Lang Qi before even getting a chance to speak.
“Huh?” Bai Tu was confused. Weren’t they here to discuss the construction of the livestock area and canteen? What did he mean by “another way”?
Lu Hui also gave up trying to get answers from Shi Su and instead looked anxious. “With Chief Lang Qi here… wouldn’t clinging to his thigh be inappropriate?” Crying might be one thing, but throwing themselves at his legs—one wrong move, and they could lose their lives.
Lang Qi turned to look at Bai Tu. As expected, staying here had been the right choice.
Bai Tu was furious. “What kind of nonsense did those White Bear beastmen tell you?!”
He knew it! The White Bear Tribe was never up to anything simple. He should never have trusted them even for a second.
With a serious and resolute expression, Bai Tu sternly clarified to the group that there was no need to cling to anyone’s thigh or cry—just tell him how many people were in their tribes. That was all he needed because he had to calculate the size of the canteen accordingly.
The reason he had told Shi Su to pick up the construction team in two days wasn’t just for the workers to rest—he also needed time to design the canteen’s size and location based on the Yellow Lion Tribe’s population.
Shi Lin watched Bai Tu, who had already started asking about their tribe’s numbers, and felt like the conversation had skipped several steps. So… the White Bear beastmen’s claims about crying and clinging to someone’s thigh were completely false???
Thinking about how he had agonized over this for half a day before his tribesmen urged him to come over, Shi Lin fell into silence.
Lu Hui had the same reaction—silent and embarrassed. She had spent quite a bit of time with Bai Tu, so how had she so easily believed the White Bear beastmen’s words? She hadn’t expected them to speak with such conviction while spreading outright lies.
Shi Su, on the other hand, didn’t say anything, but he was secretly relieved. Thankfully, he remembered Lang Qi’s personality and hadn’t stood too close to Bai Tu. Otherwise…
In short, all three of them had been completely fooled by the White Bear beastmen’s message. Aside from Shi Su, who had been cautious, the other two had almost followed the misleading advice.
After thinking for a moment about the population of the three tribes, Bai Tu spoke. “With three tribes involved, there’s no way we can finish building both the canteen and the livestock area before winter. We don’t have enough people for that.”
Even though each tribe only needed one or two breeding areas, the workload for building them was no small matter. Beastmen had large appetites, and if the breeding area was too small, it wouldn’t be able to support enough prey. Although the three tribes currently didn’t have many animals to raise, they still needed to prepare storage areas for hay, firewood, and other essential supplies.
It had been some time since the rainy season ended, and winter was only about two months away. From gathering raw materials to completing construction in such a short period—it was definitely going to be a tight schedule, especially since Bai Tu’s tribe also needed to allocate manpower for winter preparations.
Shi Su and the others exchanged glances, snapping out of their initial excitement. So… that meant they couldn’t build it?
Bai Tu then continued, “If we build the canteen now, it won’t be put to use right away. Why not prioritize the breeding area first? We can build it larger from the start, so we won’t have to keep expanding it later.”
One alternative was to construct a smaller breeding area first and then expand it after winter. However, that would mean repeatedly transporting materials back and forth, which was troublesome. Additionally, to keep the breeding area warm, heated kang beds had to be installed. With more facilities needed, even if they wanted to keep the structure small, it wouldn’t end up being that small.
The best approach was to postpone the canteen. By the time it was built, winter would already be setting in. In colder temperatures, beastmen preferred preparing food in their own caves, so even if the canteen was completed, it might not see immediate use. It would be better to plan for it after winter.
Hearing this, the three of them all sighed in relief. To be honest, their main goal for coming here was to get the breeding area built. As for the canteen—if Bai Tu could help construct it, that would be great; if not, they could still manage without one.
Beastmen from their tribes did enjoy good food, but not to the extent that they would abandon everything and join another tribe just for better meals. So Bai Tu’s suggestion to delay the canteen was not an issue for them at all.
In fact, even if the canteen project was scrapped entirely, no one would complain.
Bai Tu then discussed further with the three, mainly about which tribe the construction team should go to first or whether they should build simultaneously. He hadn’t expected so many people to come today, and since he had already agreed to help Shi Su, the choices were now either to build for the Yellow Lion Tribe first or to split the construction team into three groups—one for each tribe.
“Let’s build together,” Shi Su suggested. “Our tribe’s beastmen can also help.” That way, things would progress faster.
However… Shi Su hesitated as he looked at Bai Tu. Offering their help was their own decision, but whether Bai Tu was willing to accept it was another matter.
After all, this was Bai Tu’s construction team doing them a favor by building the breeding areas. What the construction team knew, the beastmen from their tribes might not necessarily know. Even if they warned their people not to spy on Bai Tu’s builders, bringing it up still carried the implication of trying to steal their methods.
“Let’s do it that way.” Bai Tu nodded in agreement.
As for whether they would try to learn—he didn’t mind at all. In fact, he preferred that all the tribes learned this skill so that his own tribe could focus on supplying materials instead.
Bai Tu wasn’t afraid of others learning their techniques. There was a limit to how much work a single tribe’s beastmen could handle. Even if his construction team worked day and night, it would be impossible for them to build breeding areas for every tribe on the Eastern Continent.
A prosperous region wasn’t one where only one tribe had sufficient resources while others remained impoverished—it was one where all the surrounding tribes flourished together.
Seeing how cautious the three of them were, Bai Tu simply stated outright, “Any available beastmen from your tribes can follow the construction team and learn. That way, when it’s time to build your canteens or residential areas, you can handle it yourselves.”
In truth, Bai Tu had a deeper plan in mind. If these tribes learned how to build, they could later help other tribes construct breeding areas as well.
Based on the current distribution of prey, it was only a matter of time before the way beastmen obtained food shifted from hunting to livestock farming. And compared to breeding areas built with stone and earth, those made with bricks and cement were undoubtedly more durable.
Bai Tu was already thinking ahead. Once most tribes began constructing breeding areas, the demand for materials would surge, and his tribe needed to be prepared to supply them.
After all, construction skills were relatively easy to pick up. Even if they didn’t actively teach others, beastmen from other tribes could still figure out how to build something similar just by examining the finished structures.
However, when it came to raw materials—as long as Bai Tu’s tribe didn’t reveal the final formula, no one could replicate it just by looking at the end product.
Between sharing construction techniques and supplying materials, selling raw materials was the far more profitable option. Plus, they could process everything within their own tribe rather than having to travel long distances for work.
When other tribes needed materials, they could come to collect them themselves. Bai Tu’s tribe would only need to manage the resources and collect the payment—it was a win-win situation.
Bai Tu didn’t share his bigger plans with the three of them, but just the idea of being able to build their own canteens and residential areas was enough to excite them. After all, their initial goal for coming here was only to request a breeding area—some hadn’t even dared to hope for a canteen. Just securing a breeding area was already their biggest dream.
With just a few words, Bai Tu resolved their biggest concerns. The three exchanged glances and decided to return immediately to prepare the designated area for the breeding zone in their tribes.
Lu Hui and Shi Lin had come with the same mindset as Shi Su—just giving it a try without expecting much. None of them had expected Bai Tu to agree so easily. Especially the latter two, who, after hearing from Shi Su about Bai Tu’s proposed payment method, felt incredibly fortunate that they had made the trip today.
Since these were all tribes with good relations, and Bai Tu knew they were currently focused on hunting preparations, he didn’t keep them for long. Once everything was settled, he let them leave.
Even as they left the Snow Rabbit Tribe, they still felt a sense of unreality. Bai Tu had agreed to something so beneficial for them without a moment of hesitation. He was even willing to teach their beastmen how to build breeding areas.
The three of them looked back at the settlements of the Snow Rabbit and Blood Wolf Tribes. Could Bai Tu’s words today mean that, in the future, their own tribes could become like this too?
Living in caves was fine, but after seeing the houses in the Snow Rabbit and Blood Wolf Tribes, who would still prefer living in caves? The thought that, in just a few years, their tribes might also have such houses filled them with excitement. As soon as they returned, they eagerly shared the news with their fellow tribesmen.
“Tu said that the construction team will arrive in two days to help us build the breeding area.”
“We need to select who will follow the construction team to learn.”
“Learn???” One beastman thought he had misheard and repeatedly asked Shi Su for confirmation. “Chief, did you just say we can learn from the Snow Rabbit Tribe’s construction team?”
“Yes.” Shi Su nodded, understanding the other’s shock. After all, even he had doubted his own ears when he first heard it. But it was true—Bai Tu had no intention of hiding the method for building breeding areas.
This was almost equivalent to a shaman openly sharing their medicinal recipes. Teaching another tribe one’s unique skills was something few would willingly do.
Even within their own tribe, they would never easily reveal their secrets to outsiders. Yet Bai Tu had taken the initiative to offer them this knowledge, which was truly unexpected.
Lu Hui and Shi Lin had similar experiences upon returning to their tribes. It was a day of immense joy—getting a breeding area and learning a new skill, either of which was reason enough to celebrate.
The beastmen were so thrilled that they even forgot about missing a day of hunting. Soon, they would have breeding areas, and they would be able to build their own canteens and homes. Compared to that, one day without hunting was nothing.
After all, prey in the wild was becoming scarcer. Going out to hunt didn’t necessarily mean they would return with a catch. But Bai Tu’s promises today were real and tangible.
Building a breeding area wasn’t as simple as putting up a shelter. On top of that, the Snow Rabbit Tribe was even willing to provide them with some young animals to raise.
Some of them had seen the Snow Rabbit Tribe’s breeding areas before—packed with animals and young lifestocks, all visibly fatter than the wild ones outside.
A few had even tasted the food made by the Snow Rabbit Tribe. Foods that their own tribes prepared to be tough and hard to chew were somehow transformed into delicious meals by the Snow Rabbit Tribe.
A prime example was chicken. Chickens existed in their territories too, but they were difficult to catch. Usually, they had to wait until nighttime when the chickens became sluggish to have a chance at catching them.
But even when they managed to catch some, there wasn’t much meat on them. Unlike beef or mutton, which could be eaten in large chunks, their chickens were often too scrawny to enjoy properly.
Yet the chicken dishes from the Snow Rabbit Tribe were completely different. Thick, juicy chicken meat and palm-sized drumsticks were coated in a fine, powdery substance—something called “flour.” The meat was then deep-fried in a pot until the coating turned golden brown, releasing an irresistible aroma.
One bite, and the outside was incredibly crispy, while the inside remained tender and soft. It tasted nothing like the chicken they were used to eating.
If they were lucky enough to get their hands on the special seasonings made by the Snow Rabbit Tribe’s canteen, the flavor would be even better.
The beastmen who had accompanied their chiefs to the Snow Rabbit Tribe couldn’t help but swallow at the thought of those delicious meals. If their own tribe could start raising prey in breeding areas like the Snow Rabbit Tribe, would they also be able to get such fat and juicy animals?
Even though they had never raised livestock before, they had eaten enough prey to know that, generally, the fatter an animal was, the better it tasted. The prey in the Snow Rabbit Tribe was all exceptionally plump—even the ones they hadn’t personally tried must taste amazing.
Just imagining their future, where they too could eat large quantities of delicious food like the Snow Rabbit Tribe, had everyone eager to get started. If they could, they would have begun construction that very day.
Although the Snow Rabbit Tribe’s construction team hadn’t arrived yet, they could still begin preparations—clearing the ground of weeds and trees, digging trenches, and making sure the land was ready for building.
While the other tribes got busy, the Snow Rabbit and Blood Wolf Tribes weren’t idle either. Apart from the construction team, which had just finished a project and was given two days of rest, everyone else was working even harder than before, with their rest time now cut in half.
To help the beastmen focus on their work—and because the young cubs had reached the right age—Bai Tu officially announced the opening of a kindergarten.
This was big news for the tribe. While the cubs had previously been gathered in a designated area for care, it had never been done so formally before. Now, Bai Tu even divided them into classes—pups of similar ages were grouped together, and if there weren’t enough of the same species, they were paired with others of similar size.
This way, the cubs wouldn’t accidentally hurt each other when they roughhoused since their strengths were evenly matched. For example, young wolf cubs would be grouped together only if their ages were close.
When other beastmen were dropping off their cubs at the kindergarten, Bai Tu was doing the same with his own, all while observing how well the young ones adapted.
Lang Sui and Lang Ying were placed in a class with other three- to four-year-old cubs. At this age, they weren’t yet fully familiar with their humanoid forms and still preferred to stay in beast form most of the time. However, they could already understand simple commands.
So when Bai Tu told them to shift into their humanoid forms, Lang Sui and Lang Ying immediately transformed and scrambled to his side.
Seeing them move, the other cubs quickly followed suit—changing into humanoid form and rushing toward Bai Tu as well.
A whole group of wolf cubs, completely unaware of their weight, saw that Bai Tu could carry ten or more beast-form cubs at a time and assumed he could also carry just as many in their humanoid forms. So, they all clambered onto him, trying to get picked up.
Bai Tu: “……”
The teachers Bai Tu had chosen for the cubs—including wolf beastmen, sub-beastmen, and even rabbit beastmen—were all at a loss. There were simply too many wolf cubs in this class, with at least twenty to thirty of them.
If nothing unexpected happened, these cubs would eventually form a hunting team. However, hunting was no longer the primary way to acquire food—most of their meals now came from livestock farming.
This meant that in the future, the cubs’ career paths would change as well. But none of that changed the present reality: there were too many energetic cubs causing chaos.
No matter their species—wolves, rabbits, or others—when the young ones were around Bai Tu, they always got extra excited.
The teachers could barely keep up. They would pull one cub away, only for two more to take its place. As soon as they carried a new set of cubs off to the side, the previous ones would circle back around.
No matter how many they moved, the number of cubs swarming Bai Tu never seemed to decrease.
These were the well-behaved ones, who at least didn’t resist when carried away—they just sprinted right back to him the moment they were set down.
As for the more stubborn ones, the moment they were picked up, they started howling.
Wolf cubs had inherited their parents’ powerful voices. While they couldn’t quite make their howls echo across the entire tribe, half the tribe could definitely hear them.
Drowning in a sea of cubs, Bai Tu quickly turned to Lang Sui and Lang Ying and said, “Shift to beast form! Beast form!”
The two had heard this command countless times at home. Although they didn’t understand why their father had just told them to turn human, only to immediately tell them to change back, they did know one thing—they didn’t like all these other cubs fighting to be near their dad.
So, they obediently shifted into their beast forms.
Now in their small wolf forms, they immediately climbed onto their father’s shoulders, delighted—after all, in beast form, they could perch on top of their dad. Happy!
The other wolf cubs followed suit, shifting into their beast forms and scrambling to climb onto Bai Tu. However, dealing with them in beast form was much easier—several teachers each grabbed a bamboo basket in one hand and a cub in the other, dropping the cubs straight into the baskets.
The bamboo baskets had lids that only allowed one cub to enter or exit at a time, but inside, multiple cubs would wrestle for position. One would climb to the top, only to be yanked down by another. Whenever a cub nearly managed to escape, the teacher holding the basket would give it a firm shake, sending all the cubs tumbling back to the bottom.
After a chaotic struggle, they finally managed to settle all the cubs. Bai Tu let out a long sigh and told the teachers, “For the next few days, just let them play freely. Once they’ve adapted, we’ll start teaching them to shift into human form and speak.”
His original plan was to start their language lessons early, but given the current situation, it seemed like letting them practice wrestling first was the better option.
In the other classrooms, the cubs were just as rowdy. Whenever cubs gathered in a group, they became even more energetic than usual.
Even the cubs who had previously lived together in caves were incredibly excited about their new rooms. However, among beastmen, an active cub was considered a healthy cub, so seeing them playfully fighting only brought smiles to everyone’s faces.
This year’s number of cubs was the highest anyone could remember. Even excluding those rescued from the Black Forest Tribe and Red Eagle Tribe, just counting the Snow Rabbit and Blood Wolf Tribes, the number of newborns still surpassed previous years.
In the past, it wasn’t just that cubs under three years old had a high mortality rate—even those older than three sometimes didn’t survive. But this year, ever since Bai Tu woke up, every cub over the age of one had made it through. Even the frailest little rabbit cub, who once seemed too weak to survive, now looked no different from the others.
Some cubs who were born with health issues had also been saved by Bai Tu. If someone had told them two years ago that this would happen, no one would have believed it. But now, they had seen it with their own eyes.
This excitement only made them more diligent in following Bai Tu’s orders.
Bai Tu was also pleased to see the cubs so full of life. After checking on them for a bit, he turned to leave. No matter how reluctant he felt, this was a necessary step—eventually, the cubs would have to grow up.
Through the window, Bai Tu took one last look at Lang Sui and Lang Ying. The two little wolf cubs, realizing their dad was no longer there, looked around anxiously. When they finally spotted him outside the window, their eyes lit up, and they excitedly dashed toward the door.
However, before they could make it out, the teacher in charge of the room caught them. “Your dad is going home now,” the sub-beastman teacher said as he picked them up.
Although they didn’t quite understand why Bai Tu had the cubs call him “Dad” instead of “Father,” they had to admit—the title did sound much more affectionate.
Through the window, Bai Tu waved at the two little wolf cubs before turning to give a few more instructions to the teachers at the door. His visit today wasn’t just to drop off his own cubs—he also needed to see how well both the cubs and the teachers were adjusting to the new system.
Compared to the three- and four-year-olds, the five-year-old wolf cubs were much more obedient. Once they shifted into their human forms, they sat quietly in their seats and listened to the lessons.
Since paper was still in limited supply and the cubs were too small to hold brushes properly, Bai Tu hadn’t included writing in their curriculum yet. Instead, the teachers started with basic lessons—teaching the cubs the names of different foods, commonly used tools, and family terms.
Many of the cubs in this class were those rescued from the Black Forest Tribe. Even though they remained in human form, they were easy to identify—the rescued cubs were noticeably thinner than the others. Having suffered too much in the past, they hadn’t recovered as well as the cubs who had lived in the tribe from birth, despite being well-fed through an entire rainy season.
Bai Tu lingered outside for a moment before making his way toward the school’s entrance, where Lang Qi was waiting.
Glancing at Lang Qi, who was staring intently at the school, Bai Tu smirked but didn’t call him out on it. This was the same wolf who had stubbornly claimed he wasn’t reluctant to leave the cubs behind—yet here he was, following along anyway.
With the cubs and the beastmen in the tribe all accounted for, Bai Tu had everything arranged. Meanwhile, on the other side of the continent, the beastmen who had returned to the Western Continent were also busy.
The first thing they did upon arriving back was to hide half of their numbers before reporting to Hu Que about the situation in the Snow Rabbit and Blood Wolf Tribes.
Following Bai Tu’s suggestion, they told Hu Que that Hu Nian had led them in an attack on the two tribes. However, after entering the tribes, they found that the food was simply too delicious, and the living conditions were so comfortable that they didn’t want to leave. So, they had decided to stay in the Eastern Continent for now.
As for the main combat forces, they had been driven back by Hu Nian. Since the food in the Snow Rabbit and Blood Wolf Tribes was too good, Hu Nian feared that having too many people around would deplete the supplies before winter. So, he had given them some food and sent them back early.
One young beastman even added that the defeated tribes had quite a few young female beastmen. As he said this, he subtly glanced at Hu Que.
Everyone knew that Hu Nian had a particular fondness for young beastmen, which had caused significant delays in the past. However, no one dared to openly criticize him in front of Hu Que.
Hu Que noticed that their group had indeed returned with only half their original numbers. However, when he tried to call on a specific beastman among them, he found that the person was nowhere to be found.
The informant they had planted among the returning group was responsible for keeping an eye on these small tribal chiefs, ensuring they didn’t secretly disobey Hu Que’s orders.
Seeing Hu Que scanning the crowd, the others immediately guessed who he was looking for. One of the chiefs stepped forward and said, “Lord Hu Que, when we arrived there, we were starving. Chief Hu Lai launched an attack on the Blood Wolf Tribe before we were even ready and was accidentally killed by the wolves.”
This statement was half true and half false—Hu Lai had indeed been bitten by the wolf tribe, but he hadn’t died. The real reason he was attacked was that he had tried to attack Bai Tu.
Of course, there was no need to explain that to the man in front of them. Outwardly, all the tribal chiefs remained respectful, but inwardly, they wished they could tear Hu Que apart. Their tribes, their people, and their young cubs had all suffered at the hands of Hu Que and his brother.
Hu Que found it strange that only this group had returned while there was no word from his son or the sub-beastmen he had sent out. However, knowing Hu Nian’s personality, he figured that it was entirely in character for him to be distracted by food and beautiful beastmen. In the end, he simply waved them off, uninterested in dealing with these tribes any further, and ordered them to leave.
The chiefs continued to respond with respectful affirmations, filing out one by one.
Just as they reached the entrance of the cave, Hu Que suddenly added, “Wait. Leave your food behind—the shaman needs offerings for the Beast God.”
Thinking of the various foods Bai Tu had given them, the group felt a deep sense of loss. However, they had already hidden away a portion of their supplies before coming here. What they brought out now were only sweet potatoes, corn, and vegetables.
Bai Tu had instructed them that if they had to hand over food to the West River Tribe, they should only give these types. If they returned empty-handed, Hu Que would definitely grow suspicious. But at the same time, they couldn’t bring anything too good—because given Hu Nian’s personality, he would never have left behind any meat or high-quality food for others.
Sure enough, when Hu Que saw that all they had brought back were things he himself wouldn’t normally eat, he was convinced they weren’t lying. He knew his own son well—if Hu Nian had taken over a new tribe, the food he gave to these beastmen would only be the scraps he didn’t want.
Even though it was food they didn’t eat, Hu Que still wasn’t about to let these people have it easily. He gave the supplies a quick glance, saw nothing that interested him, and waved his hand, instructing his men to take it to the shaman.
The tribal chiefs lowered their heads, looking heartbroken over losing their food but too afraid to resist.
Seeing their reluctance, Hu Que was satisfied. He coldly warned them, “You need to understand—if it weren’t for the shaman and the beastmen, all of you would be dead by now. You should learn to be grateful. It is the shaman who has allowed your tribes to continue existing.”
“Yes.” The elderly chief at the front immediately responded, bowing slightly. “We will forever be grateful to the shaman.”
Satisfied at last, Hu Que finally allowed the group to leave.
The tribal chiefs returned to the area where their people were waiting. When the beastmen saw them come back empty-handed, they immediately understood that all the food had been taken by the West River Tribe.
A wave of helplessness washed over the group. Ever since the so-called Beast God’s Punishment began, this same situation had repeated countless times. No matter which tribe hunted the prey or traded for food outside, as long as they brought it back into West River Tribe’s territory, it would inevitably be seized.
The West River Tribe was never truly lacking food, yet they still took everything. Their goal wasn’t just to hoard supplies but to force the smaller tribes into desperation. When these starving tribes had no choice but to beg the West River Tribe for help, that was when Hu Que and the shaman would finally “graciously” grant them a meager portion—while preaching that it was a divine gift from the Beast God.
The desperate beastmen who received this “blessing” would be moved to tears, completely forgetting that this was the very food they had originally brought to the West River Tribe.
In the past, everyone had vaguely felt that something wasn’t right, but they could never quite pinpoint the problem. It was only after arriving in the Snow Rabbit Tribe and learning the full truth that they finally understood. The realization of how they had once been grateful to the West River Tribe now filled them with burning rage.
The eldest chief turned to the others and said, “We need to hurry back and warn the other tribes.”
Now that they had handed over all the food they had openly brought back, Hu Que would definitely send people to look for Hu Nian. He wouldn’t have the energy to keep an eye on them, giving them the perfect chance to slip away and alert the tribes that were next in line to be deceived by the West River Tribe.
The chiefs grew serious—this was their most urgent task. If they didn’t act quickly enough, more tribes would fall victim to the West River Tribe’s schemes.
To avoid suspicion, they didn’t linger together for too long. After a brief discussion to assign each person a different region to cover, they swiftly split up, each returning to their own tribe as if they were just a group of beastmen eager to reunite with their people after a long journey.
A group of tiger beastmen had been secretly following them, hoping to eavesdrop on their conversation. But after listening for a long time, they heard nothing—no complaints about the West River Tribe, no expressions of resentment. When the group finally dispersed, the spies abandoned their surveillance and returned to report to Hu Que.
“They still know their place,” Hu Que remarked upon hearing that none of them had spoken against him or the tribe. He nodded in satisfaction. “Then let them live—for now. They might still be useful later.”
He had little regard for these weak, scattered tribes, especially the ones that had come today. Their territories were located between the Eastern and Western Continents, in barren lands that yielded little food. Not only did they contribute the least in annual tributes, but he also had to constantly send people to keep watch on them in case they got any rebellious ideas.
Hu Que’s original plan had been to use this opportunity to eliminate them all, then send a group of strong beastmen from his own tribe to occupy the western edge of the continent. From there, he could use the same tactics to take control of the tribes in the Eastern Continent.
After all, the Black Forest Tribe was gone. Now, the only true great tribe across both continents was the West River Tribe. Naturally, that meant both continents should belong to him.
But the plan had run into an unexpected problem—these people had returned alive. Even though half of them had perished, the remaining survivors were still too many.
Hu Que had originally hoped to catch them complaining about him or the West River Tribe—any excuse would have been enough to justify wiping them out. But to his disappointment, they showed no signs of discontent.
Idiots.
Hu Nian had thrown them some food, and they had obediently come back wagging their tails.
Still, Hu Que was pleased. His son might not have been the smartest, but at least he had learned to keep the good things for himself. Not bad.
He was getting older—perhaps in another two years, he could pass the position of chief to Hu Nian.
As Hu Que silently celebrated his son’s progress, the young tribal chiefs who had escaped from the West River Tribe led their people home, determined to take action.
The West River Tribe had large numbers, but they also had their own affairs to handle. Their method of controlling the smaller tribes was simple—stationing one or two beastmen in each tribe to keep watch. If any of these smaller tribes showed dissatisfaction with West River’s rule, the stationed tiger beastmen would immediately report it to Hu Que.
The young chiefs, who now knew the truth, returned to their tribes with one goal in mind—to deal with these overseers sent by the West River Tribe.
These enforcers had long been used to throwing their weight around in the smaller tribes. Although they held little status within the West River Tribe itself, here in the small tribes, their word was law. If anyone dared disobey them, they would fabricate reports to Hu Que, claiming that the tribe was disloyal.
Hu Que, managing a massive tribe, would never waste time verifying such reports. The moment he heard a tribe was disloyal, his response was simple—kill.
Because of this, these enforcers lived more comfortably than the actual chiefs of the smaller tribes. They never imagined that after participating in just one battle, these so-called “insignificant” tribes would dare to turn against them.
The attacked beastmen were both furious and panicked. “How dare you attack me?! I will report this to Lord Hu Que! You are rebelling! You are rebelling!”
The moment those words left his mouth, the beastmen who had only intended to capture him felt their fury intensify. It was because of threats like these that they had endured so much humiliation in the past, agreeing to countless unreasonable demands. Their tribes had been reduced to this state, and the blame lay squarely on Hu Que, the witch doctor, and the beastmen he had sent to oppress them.
The beastman restraining the enforcer tightened his grip and, with a fierce bite, tore through the tiger beastman’s arm. A bloodcurdling scream rang out, but before he could react, the beastmen around the chief transformed into their beast forms and pounced.
They had endured too much for too long. Now that they finally knew the truth, their hatred for these enforcers had reached its peak.
The chief did not stop them. Once the enforcer was dealt with, he immediately set out to contact the other tribes that had suffered under West River Tribe’s oppression—especially those that, like them, had been drugged and manipulated.
It was time for everyone to know the truth.
*
One month later, Bai Tu was in the middle of checking the food supplies when the elderly chief, carried on the back of his tribesmen, arrived at the Snow Rabbit Tribe.
“Lord Bai Tu, we have defeated the West River Tribe!”
As the old chief spoke, he pressed a hand over his eye—his vision had been lost in the battle, leaving him blind.
But it didn’t matter.
Because they had won. They had defeated the West River Tribe.
Thanks for the update!