Chapter 155
Bai Tu, who had been preparing food, froze for a moment before he fully grasped what the old chief meant.
The speed at which the tribes of the Western Continent had acted took him by surprise. His original plan had been to wait for these beastmen to spread the truth to the nearby tribes around the West River Tribe. He hadn’t expected that in just a month, they would have already resolved the problem entirely.
Despite his shock, Bai Tu was more concerned about the old chief’s facial injury. He immediately instructed the beastman carrying him to take him to the designated medical room and quickly began preparing medicine. The chances of saving the chief’s eyesight were slim, but at the very least, he needed to prevent the wound from becoming infected.
The old chief, however, had long stopped caring about his injury. The moment he heard Bai Tu’s voice, it was as if he had been injected with pure adrenaline. He began chattering excitedly, recounting everything that had happened over the past month.
The reason the Western Continent tribes had attacked the West River Tribe so soon was because of the shaman’s latest target—the cubs.
The other injustices they had endured could still be tolerated, but once the West River Tribe started harming the cubs, no tribe could stand for it.
Hu Que and his brother had believed that by killing the younglings, the smaller tribes would be even more fearful and obedient. But in reality, it had the opposite effect—now that their most precious cubs were gone, there was nothing left to hold them back.
What purpose did they have if they couldn’t even protect their own young?
With no cubs left to safeguard, these beastmen no longer cared about their own survival. Every single warrior in the tribes—strong or weak—joined the battle.
As for those whose cubs were still alive, they might not have been as frenzied as those who had lost theirs, but they fought just as fiercely.
After all, who knew if Hu Que would one day decide that they, too, were “disobedient” and target their cubs next? Who could say for certain that the West River enforcers stationed in their tribes wouldn’t spread false reports and bring disaster upon them?
They had been under the West River Tribe’s control for far too long. It was time to break free.
The adult beastmen who had suffered from West River’s schemes in the past joined the battle without hesitation. They had all been drugged before—they knew firsthand how agonizing it was to consume the West River Tribe’s poison.
Just imagining that their own cubs might one day fall victim to the same fate was enough to push them over the edge.
There was no need to convince anyone—everyone was ready to settle the score with the West River Tribe.
Although the West River Tribe was the largest tribe in the Western Continent, the number of smaller tribes they had harmed was even greater. The moment the truth spread, every single one of those tribes wanted revenge.
The old chief had initially thought he would need to spend time persuading the others. But when he saw how fearless they were—how none of them hesitated to rise against the West River Tribe—he was so overwhelmed with emotion that tears rolled down his face.
The beastmen who had been sent to attack the Snow Rabbit and Blood Wolf Tribes, along with a massive force of beastmen who had been oppressed by the West River Tribe for years, rose together in rebellion.
Hu Que had always relied on two things to maintain control: the shaman and the West River Tribe’s reputation.
Now that the people no longer feared “Beast God’s punishment,” the shaman was useless. And as for the West River Tribe itself? No matter how large it was, could it possibly withstand the combined forces of over a hundred tribes?
At that moment, Hu Que was in a meeting with his shaman brother, discussing whether they should send someone to check on Hu Nian. When the report came that over a hundred tribes were attacking them, his face turned pale. He immediately cursed at the messenger, accusing him of lying.
How could there be a hundred tribes coming for them? The entire Western Continent was under his rule—if there was an uprising, wouldn’t the surrounding tribes have reported it first?
But when he stormed outside with the messenger, reality struck him like a hammer.
The ones attacking weren’t outsiders.
They were the very tribes he had ruled over for years.
Seeing the assembled forces, Hu Que instantly realized—the enforcers he had stationed in those tribes were already dead.
Furious, he spat out a string of curses, blaming his subordinates for being completely useless.
“So many tribes defying my orders, and none of you saw it coming? A bunch of idiots.”
“They deserved to die. Useless fools, all of them.”
Hu Que vaguely heard someone mention the sub-beastmen issue and immediately gestured for one of his men. “Go kill all the sub-beastmen.”
If these people wanted to use the sub-beastmen as an excuse to attack him, then he would simply eliminate them. Without the sub-beastmen, those leading the rebellion would become targets of resentment themselves. After that, he could just poison them all in one sweep.
He already had a plan in mind for how to deal with them.
“Idiots. Every last one of them,” Hu Que cursed, glaring at the dense crowd outside.
In many ways, Hu Que and Hu Nian were the same kind of person—the only difference was that Hu Que was better at hiding it. But now, faced with the reality of so many tribes rising against him, his fury got the better of him. He didn’t even bother to filter his words anymore, openly voicing his disdain.
Behind him stood a group of beastmen who had always followed his orders. Hearing how easily he cursed the beastmen who had just died in battle, a chill ran down their spines.
They were no different from those who had been killed. The only difference was that they had received different orders.
And then there were the sub-beastmen Hu Que had sent out before. They had done plenty of work for him over the years—yet now, he was giving the command to kill them all without a second thought.
The beastmen around Hu Que were no fools. They couldn’t help but wonder: If we become useless one day, will he treat us the same way?
Many of them had the same thought, especially with the overwhelming number of enemies outside. If they went to kill the sub-beastmen now, they would soon have to fight those beastmen outside. If the rebels found out that they were the ones who had carried out the execution…
Several beastmen exchanged glances, then wordlessly accepted the order and headed toward the area where the sub-beastmen were kept.
*
The sub-beastmen had already heard the commotion outside.
With hundreds of beastmen shouting in the distance, there was no way the noise wouldn’t reach them.
However, even though they could hear the uproar, they never once thought it meant salvation.
They had been imprisoned by the West River Tribe for too long. Long enough that they had already resigned themselves to their fate.
In another part of the tribe, there were the sub-beastmen who worked for Hu Que. To prevent them from escaping when they weren’t assigned new tasks, they were kept under conditions similar to the imprisoned sub-beastmen—though they were given slightly better treatment, at least enough to keep them fed. Even so, they still lived crammed together, ten or more to a single cave.
When they saw Hu Que’s beastmen arrive, several of them immediately looked disgusted.
Whenever Hu Que sent someone to them, it usually meant they were about to be ordered to harm someone again.
The few sub-beastmen who still had some conscience were already sick of this way of life, but to survive, they had no choice but to obey. It was either follow orders or die.
But this time, something was different.
The beastmen who had come to their cave pushed away the stone at the entrance and tossed out a single sentence before leaving without looking back.
“If you want to run, run now.”
A stunned silence filled the cave.
They were… letting them go?
Excitement surged through the group, but they remained cautious. The beastmen had only said that one sentence—what if it was a test?
Only a few of the bolder ones, desperate for freedom, risked stepping outside.
To their shock, the usual guards were gone. Even the beastmen stationed at the base of the mountain had disappeared.
Of course, they had disappeared.
The beastmen who had freed them knew that if anyone reported the sub-beastmen’s escape to Hu Que, he would come down on them first. So they had taken it a step further—driving off any remaining guards in the area.
The sub-beastmen who had stepped outside hurried back into the cave to report what they saw. Within moments, the entire cave erupted with energy.
Everyone locked up here had one thing in common: they had not been brainwashed by Hu Que.
As for the sub-beastmen who blindly obeyed him, their treatment had always been better—they weren’t imprisoned like the rest.
Which meant that every single sub-beastman in the cave wanted to leave.
Without hesitation, they followed the ones who had first stepped out, making their way down the narrow path leading out of the cave.
And once they reached the open ground, they finally understood why Hu Que’s men had let them go.
Someone was attacking the West River Tribe.
To them, this was the best news they had heard in years.
Hu Que had sent his men away for most of the day, assuming the sub-beastmen had all been dealt with. But when he suddenly saw so many of them still alive, he nearly scared himself to death. Panicked, he immediately ordered his men to attack the sub-beastmen.
However, the beastmen guarding the perimeter of the West River Tribe had no intention of giving him that chance. It didn’t matter which tribe the sub-beastmen had originally belonged to—they were all victims, just like them. A group of beastmen stepped forward to shield the sub-beastmen, clashing fiercely with Hu Que’s warriors.
The beastmen from the smaller tribes were thin, but that didn’t mean they were weak. If they had truly been weak, they wouldn’t have survived this long. Their physical strength had been reduced only due to years of malnutrition—plain and simple, they were starving.
Every year, the prey they hunted wasn’t just for themselves. The best portions had to be reserved for the West River Tribe, and they had to start preparing tribute the moment hunting season began. Caught prey wasn’t eaten right away; instead, they preserved whole slabs of meat, too afraid to consume it themselves.
But this time, when they set out to fight against the West River Tribe, they had brought with them the food originally meant as tribute. Not to offer it to West River, of course, but to sustain themselves on the journey.
A beastman who had eaten well was completely different from one who was starving. Now that they were well-fed, they could fight with everything they had. And standing before them were the very people responsible for the deaths of their loved ones and cubs—of course, they were going to fight with all their strength.
The beastmen of the West River Tribe were undeniably well-fed, their bodies thick with muscle. But when it came to battle, they were nowhere near as agile as the warriors from the surrounding tribes.
“Those who attack me will face the Beast God’s punishment!”
Hu Que was too used to bullying others. He thought that bringing up the same old excuse would intimidate them.
Instead, his words only made them fight more fiercely.
“Still talking? Keep talking!” A young beastman shouted before shifting into his beast form and pouncing on Hu Que.
Their tribe had been deceived by these lies before. Their former chief had even taken his own life in atonement. But in the end, it was all a scam. The West River Tribe had tricked them.
The other beastmen followed, lunging at Hu Que.
The smarter ones among Hu Que’s men had already fled the moment they sensed the tide turning against them. Some hid within the chaos of the battle, while the ones left behind were too entangled in the fighting to save him.
Hu Que was strong, but no matter how strong he was, he couldn’t stand against more than a dozen enraged beastmen at once. With no one coming to his aid, he was completely overwhelmed.
“Hu Que is dead! We killed him!”
The old chief, recounting the moment, was so excited that he waved his arms wildly, nearly startling Bai Tu as he applied medicine to his wounds.
Bai Tu quickly steadied his hands and asked, “What about the sub-beastmen?”
Compared to Hu Que’s fate, he was more concerned about the sub-beastmen’s safety.
Before the old chief could respond, the beastman who had carried him over spoke up instead. “Those who still have a tribe have returned to their homes. As for those without a place to go…” He hesitated and looked at Bai Tu uncertainly.
The sub-beastmen had heard that an Eastern Continent tribe had seen through Hu Que’s schemes, and they all wanted to visit. Right now, they were on their way.
The old chief’s injuries were severe, and no one knew how much longer he had to live. Desperate to share this good news with Bai Tu, they had rushed ahead as fast as they could. The others, traveling in a larger group while escorting some captured criminals from the West River Tribe, were moving at a slower pace.
“They’re coming here? That’s fine.” Bai Tu had always had a good impression of sub-beastmen. Every single one he had met so far had a gentle temperament and was easy to get along with.
The young beastman carrying the old chief let out a sigh of relief. He glanced down at the elder, who had already fallen asleep from exhaustion, and whispered, “The old chief was most worried about the sub-beastmen.”
The old chief’s name was Wu Shou. His surname sounded the same as the word for “shaman,” but it was written differently—the wu in his name meant “black.”
As for his species, no one really knew. Wu Shou had come from another continent when he was young, and no one had ever seen his beast form. However, he had experienced more in his lifetime than most beastmen ever would. It was said that he had lived for over sixty years, making him one of the oldest beastmen still alive.
“The old chief deeply regrets what happened back then.”
More than twenty years ago, shortly after becoming chief, Wu Shou had sent all of his tribe’s sub-beastmen to the West River Tribe.
At the time, he had believed that this was the only way to spare them—that allowing West River to take them in was better than having his entire tribe condemned by the Beast God’s judgment.
It was only after learning the truth that he realized just how terrible a mistake he had made.
Lately, he had often repeated one sentence: “I have no face to face the sub-beastmen. No face to face my people.”
Since he had fought in his human form, Wu Shou had suffered grievous injuries. Beastmen in beast form had a much easier time injuring those in their human shape. If someone hadn’t noticed his plight in time, he would have been killed by the West River warriors.
Even after being rescued, Wu Shou hadn’t cared about his own survival.
There was only one thing that truly made him happy—they had won. The sub-beastmen were free.
He had been so eager to share this news with Bai Tu that he had refused to stay in his tribe to recover.
Now that he had told Bai Tu everything, and now that he had heard Bai Tu was willing to take in the sub-beastmen, he was completely at ease.
And that was why, the moment Bai Tu agreed, he finally allowed himself to fall into deep sleep.
After forcing himself to stay awake for nearly ten days, Wu Shou could finally rest in peace.
Meanwhile, Bai Tu continued preparing medicine while listening to the young beastman recount what happened next.
The young beastman was named Lu Ti. He was exceptionally fast, which was why he had been tasked with escorting Wu Shou. The group that arrived with him was composed entirely of deer and horse beastmen.
After the West River Tribe was defeated, the rebel forces searched their settlement and discovered that all the food they had been forced to hand over over the years had been hoarded by the shaman.
The so-called “offerings to the Beast God” had been nothing but lies. All the food had been enjoyed by Hu Que and the shaman themselves. Naturally, those two would never admit the truth—it was their own people who exposed them.
Just like how the more cunning beastmen in Hu Que’s inner circle had fled, the shaman’s side also had people who knew when to switch allegiances. The moment they saw things turning against them, they quickly revealed all the shaman’s crimes—of course, carefully removing themselves from any blame in the process.
With food tributes coming in from so many tribes, it was impossible for the shaman to use all of it for “Beast God offerings.” In reality, he only symbolically placed a small portion in the so-called offering hall before winter or the rainy season. The rest was either kept for personal consumption or used to reward obedient beastmen.
When tribes were on the brink of starvation and came begging for help, they were given food—but only the worst-quality leftovers.
Even then, the West River Tribe wouldn’t simply give it away. They would enjoy watching these desperate beastmen grovel, mocking them for their stupidity even as they handed them scraps.
Hearing this, some of the beastmen who had once received aid from the West River Tribe fell silent.
Not everyone who had joined the attack had originally held hatred toward the West River Tribe. Some had been helped in the past and had only followed along, knowing they couldn’t stop such a massive army.
Many had planned to rescue the beastmen from the West River Tribe who had once given them food after the battle was over.
But after learning the truth, they realized—their suffering had been caused by the West River Tribe all along. And the food they had received? It had been the absolute worst of what they had originally given up as tribute.
Shame filled their expressions. Not a single person dared to argue that anyone from the West River Tribe was “innocent” anymore.
At this point, Lu Ti remembered something else. “There are still some sub-beastmen who believe Hu Que did nothing wrong. We’ve locked them up. Should we punish them?”
No one had shown mercy toward the beastmen who had helped Hu Que oppress others. But when it came to the sub-beastmen who still defended him, the group was unsure how to proceed.
Sub-beastmen were supposed to be victims, yet some had actively assisted Hu Que, not out of desperation, but by choice.
Unlike those who had been coerced, these sub-beastmen had willingly harmed others—even beastmen and cubs from other tribes. Some, out of convenience, had directly targeted cubs to make their own lives easier.
Bai Tu’s expression was cold. “Punish them based on their actions, not their identity.”
Just like beastmen, sub-beastmen who committed crimes should be held accountable.
Even if they had been brainwashed, that didn’t erase their responsibility.
They might be pitiful, but what about the beastmen and cubs they harmed—even killed? Were those lives not pitiful as well?
Besides, some of them weren’t ignorant of right and wrong.
As Lang Qian had once said—some people, in order to secure a better life for themselves, were willing to betray even those they had grown up with.
Any sub-beastman who reported escape attempts or defiance was rewarded with better treatment. Some, desperate to win Hu Que’s trust as quickly as possible, had stepped on their own kind to climb higher.
Bai Tu liked sub-beastmen, but that didn’t mean all of them deserved leniency.
Those who betrayed others, those who had harmed cubs— they would be punished accordingly.
Lu Ti nodded repeatedly in agreement.
After hearing the full account, Bai Tu dismissed them. “Get some rest. Chief Wu Shou will be watched over.”
This courtyard was specifically built to house the injured. Since there were almost no beastmen wounded from hunting in either tribe right now, most of the patients were those who had fallen while walking or jumped off buildings and broken their legs.
With skilled sub-beastman healers stationed here, Wu Shou naturally didn’t need Bai Tu’s people to care for him—after all, while Lu Ti and the others were fast at traveling, they were nowhere near as capable as sub-beastmen when it came to tending to the wounded.
Recently, Bai Tu had also noticed that when it came to herbal medicine and pharmaceuticals, sub-beastmen did indeed have a natural advantage. But it wasn’t an absolute rule—some male beastmen and female beastmen also learned herbal medicine quickly, just in much smaller numbers.
Among ten sub-beastmen, typically six or seven had an innate talent for identifying medicinal plants. Among female beastmen, the ratio was much lower—only one or two in every ten. And among male beastmen, the proportion was even smaller, with only one in several dozen showing an aptitude for it.
It was no wonder that over half the shamans across the Beast God Continent had historically been sub-beastmen—it was simply their natural strength.
At the same time, Bai Tu had come to another realization—each of the three types of beastmen had their own unique strengths.
- Male beastmen excelled at hunting.
- Female beastmen were skilled at gathering food.
- Sub-beastmen were best at distinguishing which foods were edible.
Originally, they were meant to complement each other, closely linked in a cooperative cycle. But some selfish individuals had shattered that balance, plunging the entire continent into hardship.
Female and male beastmen couldn’t accurately identify whether a plant was poisonous. Even if some had learned from sub-beastmen in the past, without writing tools like paper and pens, all knowledge had to be passed down by word of mouth and memory.
With so many similar-looking plants growing around them, it was easy to confuse toxic ones with edible ones.
The most terrifying part was that some plants were harmless on their own but became highly poisonous when consumed together with certain other foods.
Back when sub-beastmen were present, such dangers could be avoided. But after their knowledge was lost, there was no way to prevent these accidents.
Over time, tribes with even a little strength completely abandoned foraging for food on the ground, relying only on fruits from trees and hunted prey.
The shift in diet didn’t take long—but once hunting became the dominant way of obtaining food, a serious problem arose: overhunting.
With all the tribes constantly hunting, prey had no time to reproduce before being caught again. The natural breeding cycle couldn’t keep up with the rate of hunting.
And when winter arrived, large numbers of prey would freeze to death, further reducing their numbers.
As a result, there were fewer and fewer animals left, making it impossible to sustain the growing number of beastmen.
At this rate, if nothing changed, the Beast God Continent would face an unprecedented famine within just a few years.
However, Bai Tu wasn’t too worried.
After all, his tribe and the surrounding tribes had already started making adjustments.
As for the more distant tribes—the Eastern Continent tribes had already traded seeds with him. If they followed his instructions, they would definitely be able to grow crops and secure food sources.
The Western Continent tribes hadn’t started planting yet, but now that they were here, Bai Tu finally had the chance to bring it up.
*
Just as Bai Tu had expected, three days after Wu Shou’s arrival, the beastmen from the Western Continent finally reached the Snow Rabbit Tribe.
Because of their numbers, they couldn’t be directly accommodated in the residential areas like Wu Shou and Lu Ti had been. Instead, they were settled in the area where the Snow Rabbit Tribe had once lived.
Though these houses hadn’t been occupied for a long time, they remained well-preserved thanks to the young wolf cubs frequently visiting. Even the canteen was still there, with some kitchenware still intact, since the cubs often came here to cook.
The location was a little farther from the main residential area, but not a single person complained.
After all, they had come specifically to express their gratitude to Bai Tu and the others for warning them about West River’s schemes.
Given their large numbers, even if Bai Tu had refused to let them inside the territory at all, no one would have dared to complain.
Even as temporary housing, this place was far from bad—in fact, it was better than most tribes’ permanent living conditions.
After all, not every tribe was as skilled as the rabbit tribe at digging tunnels, let alone digging them in such an organized manner.
Since they had come to show gratitude, the Western Continent beastmen had also brought plenty of food—most of it found within the West River Tribe’s warehouse.
When they saw the sheer amount of supplies, the Snow Rabbit Tribe finally understood just how much the West River Tribe had been hoarding all these years.
The surrounding tribes had been starving, suffering more than anyone could have imagined.
Meanwhile, the West River Tribe had been living in luxury—without even needing to hunt—because they had over a hundred small tribes feeding them.
The West River Tribe alone couldn’t possibly consume all the food it had hoarded over the years. Now that the rebel tribes had uncovered the stash, they distributed part of it among their own people and brought a portion to the Eastern Continent, intending to gift it to Bai Tu and Lang Qian.
Bai Tu, of course, was the most deserving—if not for him, they might still be trapped in the West River Tribe’s deception. As for Lang Qian, while he had harmed some tribes in the past, he had been forced into it under Hu Que’s threats. More importantly, he had never harmed cubs—and that alone was enough for the beastmen who had suffered under the West River Tribe to forgive him.
If someone had to be hurt, they would rather endure the pain themselves. They were grown beastmen, after all—they could bear it. But wolf cubs couldn’t.
Since Lang Qian was also one of the beastmen who helped expose the West River Tribe’s lies, it was only right that he received a share of the supplies.
However, both Bai Tu and Lang Qian refused to accept the food.
Lang Qian felt unworthy—though the cubs had remained unharmed, he had still hurt many beastmen. The poison had been his doing. Even if no one had died, he was still responsible.
As for interrogating Hu Nian, that had been Bai Tu’s idea—if it hadn’t been Lang Qian, Bai Tu could have asked someone else to do it just as easily. Lang Qian had only helped because it was a step toward regaining his own freedom.
So how could he accept this reward?
Bai Tu, on the other hand, already had more than enough food for his tribe. He had barely participated in the battle against the West River Tribe—all he had done was warn them about the conspiracy. He didn’t believe that small act deserved such an excessive reward.
But even though Bai Tu refused, the Western Continent beastmen were determined to give him something.
A group of tribal chiefs, who were used to giving orders in their own tribes, camped outside the Snow Rabbit Tribe’s residential area before dawn every day. The moment they spotted Bai Qi, Lang Ze, or any other beastman who regularly reported to Bai Tu, they rushed over to push the food on them.
Bai Tu didn’t want to take the supplies, but he also didn’t want these beastmen lingering outside indefinitely. After all, winter was less than a month away—if they stayed here too long, who would take care of their tribes?
Finally, Bai Tu came up with a solution—he accepted their food, but in exchange, he gave them something in return.
He provided wheat seeds, corn seeds, sweet potatoes, and other crops. Over the past few weeks, he had already been teaching them how to farm, and many had already learned the basics.
It just so happened that now was the perfect time to plant wheat. If these tribes returned immediately, they could sow their fields right away.
Before they left, Bai Tu also gifted them several newly hatched chicks, personally instructing them on how to raise poultry.
“I hope that next year, you can try raising larger prey as well,” Bai Tu told them.
Since these tribes didn’t yet have proper livestock enclosures, it wasn’t practical for them to raise large animals right away. Winter was approaching, and if they weren’t careful, livestock could freeze to death—which was why Bai Tu didn’t give them young livestock or larger creatures.
Chickens, on the other hand, were small. A few mountain caves would be enough to house them. They required minimal fodder, and even if the tribes didn’t prepare in advance, they could still manage once they returned home.
The beastmen had arrived with their hands full, and they left the same way—except this time, they weren’t just carrying food, but hope for a new future.
The entire journey back, their hearts were filled with joy.
The biggest crisis had been resolved. They would no longer have to hand over food to another tribe. Now, they had received new seeds they had never even heard of before, and once they returned, they could start planting immediately.
Some of the sub-beastmen who came with them chose to stay with Bai Tu, while a few others decided to return with the tribes they had previously interacted with.
Even better, Bai Tu had given them herbal seeds—so even without the West River Tribe, they would never have to worry about lacking medicine again.
In the end, everything was far better than before.
Wu Shou’s eye injuries still hadn’t healed, and with damage to both eyeballs, he would never regain his sight.
Yet, despite this, he remained joyful.
He didn’t stay long at the Snow Rabbit Tribe—instead, he chose to return to his own tribe with his people.
Beastmen had a deep attachment to their own tribes.
Wu Shou had arrived in his current tribe when he was very young and had grown up there. The bond he had formed over the years was something no other tribe could replace.
Even though he could no longer see, he still wanted to stay with his people.
Bai Tu respected every beastman’s choice. Since Wu Shou wanted to return to his tribe, Bai Tu didn’t try to stop him. Instead, he simply instructed one of the sub-beastmen accompanying Wu Shou’s tribe on how to prepare his medicine. Bai Tu also provided them with seeds and useful medicinal herbs. With a sub-beastman around, Wu Shou would still receive proper care in his own tribe.
For those sub-beastmen who chose to return to their tribes, Bai Tu gave them herbal seeds, ensuring they could be of help in their new homes. As for those who chose to stay, Bai Tu assigned them to Bai Chi, who would teach them herbal medicine and literacy.
As for those who had committed crimes—they didn’t get such good treatment.
Instead, they were all assigned to hard labor.
Even within the same type of work, there were lighter and heavier tasks.
For example, in farming, tilling the soil was the most exhausting; Digging planting holes was moderate; Sowing seeds and covering the holes was the easiest.
Naturally, the criminals were assigned to the most grueling tasks, while the sub-beastmen could take it easy. With forced labor taking care of the hardest work, Bai Tu didn’t need to pull extra people from his tribe to assist.
For the idle beastmen, Bai Tu assigned them to dig cellars.
The sweet potato harvest had exceeded expectations, and with the second batch planted in greater numbers, everything needed to be harvested before winter. Once dug up, they all needed proper storage, and the existing underground cellars weren’t enough. New ones had to be dug.
For anything involving food storage, Bai Tu never allowed criminals to handle it—only trusted members of his own tribe.
*
With the West River Tribe completely dealt with, a huge burden was lifted from the Western Continent tribes.
The preparations they had made for the battle had barely been touched—aside from some food given to the visiting beastmen, most of it remained in storage.
When Lang Ze went to the warehouse to fetch supplies, he immediately noticed the untouched stock and asked Bai Tu if they could eat it.
The wolf cubs had been eyeing the canned food for a long time.
Back when Bai Tu was making the canned goods, they had been drooling over them, but Bai Tu had said they were being saved for later. At the time, he had only given them a few small pieces of meat, which they had cherished and eaten with great joy.
Now, with so much delicious food right in front of them, how could they not be tempted?
But they still remembered Bai Tu’s words from before—so instead of taking it themselves, they came to ask for permission first.
Bai Tu thought for a moment.
Now that the West River Tribe was gone, these canned foods—originally prepared for long-distance travel—weren’t urgently needed anymore.
However, canned food was high-temperature sterilized and sealed, making it valuable for long-term storage. Simply eating it now would be wasteful. After all, the tribe had plenty of fresh food.
Even though the wolf cubs were giving him their best pitiful eyes, Bai Tu ruthlessly refused, “Don’t eat those for now. If you want meat, let the canteen cook fresh ones.”
If Bai An wanted to visit the market or another tribe in a few days, canned food would be the perfect travel supply. It only needed a quick reheat to be ready to eat—unlike jerky, which was dry and tough.
“Okay…”
The wolf cubs left in disappointment, dragging their paws as they listlessly patrolled the area.
If they couldn’t eat canned food, what was even the point of life?
Feeling dejected, everything they saw seemed annoying.
And just their luck—today, of all days, they ran into the boastful White Bear Tribe.
The White Bear beastmen had some habits exactly like their chief, Xiong Liao.
For example, right now—after enjoying a newly learned dish, beef stew with potatoes, they were so excited that they couldn’t resist showing off to the wolves.
However, the wolf cubs were already in a bad mood. Seeing the White Bear Tribe flaunting their food was the last straw.
“What’s there to be happy about? You won’t have any left to eat tomorrow!”
The White Bear beastmen immediately fell silent.
Because… that was actually true.
The potatoes they had gotten were limited, and bears had massive appetites. They had already eaten through their supply, so tomorrow’s meals would go back to normal.
Seeing them momentarily defeated, the wolf cubs finally felt a little better.
Hmph. Misery loves company! If they couldn’t be happy, then neither could the White Bear Tribe!
After parting ways with the White Bear beastmen, the wolf cubs sulked again.
I really want to eat canned food. I really want to eat canned food. I really want to eat canned food.
After completing their usual patrol route, they returned to their starting point.
Lang Ze sniffed the air around him. Something seemed off, but the white bear beastman had just left not long ago—maybe the scent belonged to him.
Little did he know, the white bear beastman who had just left was thinking the same thing about the scent.
The smell wasn’t strong. Both sides assumed it was something the other had picked up from their respective tribes. After all, they were from different tribes and didn’t know each other well enough to get close and confirm scents. That faint trace of scent lingering in the air—both sides simply defaulted to believing it came from the other.
“Boss, I wanna eat,” a young wolf called out loudly.
The other young wolves all knew exactly what he was talking about.
Lang Ze responded, “Me too.”
Just thinking about that half-warehouse full of canned food made his mouth water. He didn’t even dare imagine how satisfying it would be to eat to his heart’s content. Rubbing his stomach, he quickly forced himself to stop thinking about it—if he kept going, he’d just get hungry again. And he had only eaten lunch not too long ago.
“I wanna eat too.”
“I wanna eat a whole bunch.”
Voices rose one after another, making Lang Ze’s head ache. He simply covered his ears—ah, much better. No more howling.
Mmm, the sun was warm. He felt like taking a nap.
Lang Ze slowly closed his eyes.
“Boss,” a young wolf came over and shook him awake. “Should we go find Tu again?”
The other young wolves nodded vigorously. “Yeah, yeah! Let’s go beg again! Maybe this time it’ll work.”
“…Alright, I’ll try asking again.” Lang Ze stood up, deciding to give it one more shot.
If… if it really didn’t work…
Then he’d just hug Bai Tu’s leg and cry.
Rumor had it that if you did that, Bai Tu would agree. Lang Ze wasn’t sure where the rumor came from, but everyone seemed to believe it.
With that thought, Lang Ze led the young wolves charging toward the residential area.
Meanwhile, on the other side, a beastman scrambled down from a tree and bolted out of the Snow Rabbit Tribe’s territory.
“Chief! Their tribe really is running out of food! Even their patrol squad is starving and howling.”
The patrol squad was one of the most important units in the entire tribe. If even they were going hungry, then the tribe definitely had no food left.
Though they only dared to move along the edges of the Snow Rabbit Tribe and the Blood Wolf Tribe’s territories, never daring to venture deeper, they had still seen enough—neither tribe had any food left.
The leading beastman nodded in satisfaction. “As expected. They must have given all their food to those small tribes on the Western Continent.”
How foolish. They hadn’t even ensured their own people were fed.
Beside him, a young beastman spoke excitedly, “Chief, when do we attack?”
They had been preparing for a whole year. Originally, they planned to defeat the Black Forest Tribe and seize the Eastern Continent, but before they could act, the Black Forest Tribe was wiped out. Then, they set their sights on the West River Tribe, hoping to conquer the Western Continent—only for the West River Tribe to be annihilated as well.
The small tribes on the Western Continent were too scattered. Instead of wasting effort on them, it would be better to take down the Snow Rabbit Tribe and the Blood Wolf Tribe and claim this land for themselves.
The leading beastman raised his hand. “No rush. Go spread the word among the surrounding tribes—whoever is willing to attack the Snow Rabbit Tribe and the Blood Wolf Tribe, I’ll reward them with ten baskets of meat!”
One thing he had learned from these two tribes: food could be used to entice others into fighting for him, minimizing his own casualties.
