Chapter 170
The cubs placed on the table had no idea they were being traded for fodder. As soon as they saw Bai Tu, they wobbled toward him excitedly.
The plump, golden-furred lion cubs were too adorable. Bai Tu couldn’t resist and finally reached out to hold one in his arms.
However, no matter how cute the cubs were, he still had to get to the bottom of this.
“Who told you that cubs could be traded for fodder?” Bai Tu found this ridiculous. Their tribe had been interacting with the Yellow Lion Tribe for so long, yet Shi Su was using this kind of method?
For just half a month’s worth of fodder, Bai Tu wouldn’t have let them leave empty-handed even if they had brought nothing in exchange.
“That’s what everyone outside is saying,” Shi Su replied, glancing at Bai Tu. He noticed that Bai Tu’s tone seemed off—could it be that they’d misunderstood? Maybe Bai Tu hadn’t actually been using this as an excuse to hoard cubs?
However… seeing how comfortable the little lion cub looked in Bai Tu’s arms, Shi Su felt that this rumor must be true.
Bai Tu: “…What’s with that look?! I’m just holding it for a moment!”
Who could resist touching such an adorable lion cub that was delivered straight to them?
Shi Su thoughtfully refrained from exposing Bai Tu and instead explained how this rumor had started. “Someone in our tribe heard it from the Feather Tribe. Apparently, even Ying Qin knows about it.”
Ying Qin, the former leader of the Five Eagle Tribes and now a squad leader of the White Bear Tribe, had a parrot beast form. Because it wasn’t very intimidating, he usually just claimed to be part of the Eagle Tribe.
Feathered beastmen generally traveled more frequently than other beast tribes, and their movements were not limited to their own territories.
When Ying Qin was younger, he had traveled far and wide, making many connections, particularly with other feathered beast tribes on the Eastern Continent.
Since feathered beast tribes were often outnumbered in beast-dominated territories, they were frequently marginalized. Even when they formed their own tribes, they were sometimes still bullied by neighboring beast tribes. Because of these shared struggles, feathered beastmen generally stuck together and maintained close communication.
As Bai Tu had sent Bai An to distribute food while also taking in cubs, many tribes became aware of this. These rumors were mostly spread by the Feather Tribe and some cold-resistant beast tribes.
However, as the information spread, the story gradually changed.
It all started when some feathered beastmen became worried. Even though they had handed over their cubs to Bai An, they still felt uneasy about their well-being and wanted to check on them secretly.
But if they were caught sneaking around, it would be a problem. So they came up with an idea—they contacted Ying Qin, who lived near the Hundred Beast Tribe, for help.
Since communication among feathered beastmen was naturally more frequent, Ying Qin agreed to help. However, instead of bringing the worried parents over, he found a more indirect approach.
Using the excuse of visiting Ying Mian and his cubs, Ying Qin managed to locate some of the newly arrived cubs from other tribes and asked them: “Are you comfortable living in the Hundred Beast Tribe?”
Bai Tu treated the cubs exceptionally well. Life in the Hundred Beast Tribe was far better than what they had back in their original tribes.
So when Ying Qin returned and reported their situation, the feathered beastmen who had come to ask were overjoyed. But then, Ying Qin also asked how this rumor had started…
No one knew exactly how the details got twisted, but in the end, the story spread as follows:”If you want to borrow food or supplies from the Hundred Beast Tribe, you must not only sign a debt contract, but also send cubs to them. The more food you borrow, the more cubs you have to send. Once your tribe has saved enough resources, you can trade back the cubs later.”
And thus, the “Cubs-for-Food Exchange Program” rumor was born.
At first, Shi Su thought this rumor was unlikely to be true. However, the lion beastman who brought it up even provided several examples.
For instance, the White Bear Tribe—Ying Mian and several cubs had been living in the Hundred Beast Tribe, and the first communal cafeteria and breeding area that Bai Tu built was for them. Another example was the first tribe that sent their cubs over—they were also the first to receive aid from Bai Tu’s tribe. There were countless similar cases.
If it were just one or two coincidences, Shi Su might have dismissed it, but with so many instances piling up, even the usually rational Shi Su couldn’t help but think there was truth to this rumor.
Furthermore, all the nearby tribes knew that Bai Tu loved cubs, especially fluffy ones. And now, the Hundred Beast Tribe was raising cubs from multiple species, which seemed to further confirm this theory.
Since the Yellow Lion Tribe was running low on fodder, Shi Su thought it through carefully and selected the five plumpest cubs in his tribe—after all, the chubbier the cub, the cuter it was, making Bai Tu more likely to agree.
Bai Tu was speechless about the rumors spreading outside. He explained to Shi Su that the reason those tribes sent their cubs was simply because they saw how well the previously sent cubs were living in the Hundred Beast Tribe. Many of those tribes had already run out of food, and while they borrowed some supplies, no one knew when winter would end. Given the uncertainty, they felt more at ease sending their cubs to Bai Tu’s tribe.
Bai Tu didn’t mind at all. One cub or a whole group—it made no difference to him. The tribe’s school and kindergarten already had a well-established system, and every new cub went through the same process, moving straight into the school. The only restriction was that they couldn’t freely return to their original tribes, but other than that, everything was well taken care of.
The better prepared the Hundred Beast Tribe was, the more willing other tribes were to send their cubs. And since beastmen had a herd mentality, seeing others sending their cubs made even those who hadn’t planned to send theirs follow suit.
Bai Tu had already sensed something was off earlier, but he never expected things to turn into such a huge misunderstanding. What he found most baffling was—
It was one thing for the other tribes to believe this rumor, but why did Shi Su believe it too?!
Completely lost in thought, Bai Tu failed to realize what he was doing.
That being said, Shi Su wasn’t entirely wrong—Bai Tu had never let go of the little lion cub in his arms from the start.
Sure, their tribe already had lion cubs, but each cub felt different when held. Some were softer, while others had smoother fur. The cubs from the Yellow Lion Tribe weren’t as silky as those in his own tribe, so Bai Tu had already started thinking about adjusting their diet.
Seeing Bai Tu snuggling the little lion cub, even after hearing his explanation, Shi Su simply said:
“Just keep them. Since everyone else is sending their cubs, we’ll send some too.”
And as if afraid Bai Tu would think it wasn’t enough, he added, “When spring comes, we’ll send all our cubs over.”
Once winter ended, their tribe would need to plant crops, hunt for young prey, build houses, and deal with too many other tasks. Meanwhile, the Hundred Beast Tribe, with its large number of sub-beastmen, was a perfect place to send their cubs. Even if the caretakers weren’t their own relatives, cubs naturally trusted sub-beastmen, making it much more convenient than raising them themselves.
As for compensation, of course, the debt would be recorded—once their tribe’s crops were harvested, they would pay everything back.
*
In the end, Shi Su left with his half-month supply of fodder, while the cubs stayed in the Hundred Beast Tribe.
As Shi Su put it: “Since we already brought them here, taking them back would just be a hassle.”
Bai Tu, of course, couldn’t bear to part with the cubs either, so he kept them.
At the kindergarten, there were cubs of all species, and each class had multiple teachers, making it the perfect place to take care of them. Bai Tu even planned to nourish them further.
Even the plumpest cubs from the Yellow Lion Tribe were only considered average-sized in the Hundred Beast Tribe—
There was still room to grow rounder.
Unlike their human forms, cubs’ roundness didn’t seem to carry over when they transformed into humanoid forms—
Maybe it was a special trait of beastmen?
Since cubs with big appetites usually grew stronger, there was no risk of them becoming overweight.
With no worries about them getting too fat, Bai Tu happily prepared more food—
He just loved seeing them full of energy, running around and playing.
Bai Tu was unaware that the rumors outside had already been updated further.
The Yellow Lion Tribe had suddenly lost five cubs, either belonging to the chief or the squad leaders. Strangely, the cubs’ relatives didn’t seem anxious. At the same time, several piles of forage had appeared in the tribe.
Not everyone knew about the underground passage between the Yellow Lion Tribe and the Hundred Beasts Tribe. Those in the lion clan who were unaware of the details saw the forage and connected it with the missing cubs, quickly drawing a conclusion— the Hundred Beasts Tribe must have exchanged the forage for their cubs.
It seemed they would have to work harder next year, the tribesmen thought, as they needed to exchange their cubs back.
Shi Su only noticed that the tribe members were working harder but had no idea why. Seeing that they were genuinely putting in the effort, he was pleased.
In the late winter, food in the tribe became scarce, and he was troubled about how to motivate everyone. He had just been considering whether to borrow some food from the Hundred Beasts Tribe— and while at it, send over another batch of cubs.
As a relative of the cubs— or, as Bai Tu put it, a “cub guardian”— he had the opportunity to see the environment in which the cubs lived. After witnessing the living conditions of the Hundred Beasts Tribe’s cubs, he wished he could send all of their tribe’s cubs there, even if it cost more.
Those chubby cubs were adorable just to look at. Cubs over the age of three could already take human form, and in another room, he saw them— clearly much stronger than their tribe’s cubs, looking as if they could fight.
For beastmen, the stronger the cubs, the better. A cub who could defeat their peers from childhood would usually grow up to be a leader. Shi Su didn’t expect every cub to be like those from the Hundred Beasts Tribe, but as long as they became stronger than they were now, he would be satisfied.
After all, their tribe was developing by following behind the Hundred Beasts Tribe. Even though the Hundred Beasts Tribe wasn’t hiding anything from them, there were still areas where they fell short.
For example, in terms of food, they had invited the other tribe’s chefs to teach them how to cook, but the Hundred Beasts Tribe constantly introduced new dishes or updated their cooking tools. The Hundred Beasts Tribe had its own blacksmithing team, allowing them to create any tools they needed. In contrast, their tribe had to trade with the Hundred Beasts Tribe for everything, making them much slower. Moreover, since the chefs didn’t stay permanently, their meals would become monotonous again once the chefs left.
Another example was the cubs’ clothing. Cotton and wool were still extremely precious materials. Bai Tu had given some cotton seeds to a nearby tribe, but they would have to wait until winter ended to plant them. Wool was even more valuable— Bai Tu hadn’t even mentioned it, intending to raise a flock before considering further distribution.
As for housing, the cubs lived in dormitories converted from school classrooms. The walls had been specially modified to hold coal or firewood, which, when burned, heated both sides. The classrooms had excellent insulation— only slightly worse than their usual bedrooms but far superior to the caves that beastmen in neighboring tribes lived in.
With better food, clothing, and shelter in the Hundred Beasts Tribe, and no need for travel, it was obvious which choice was better.
The cubs in that tribe had better lives. Shi Su genuinely hoped that all cubs could go to the Hundred Beasts Tribe. However, unlike some other tribes that had no food at all, their tribe wasn’t completely destitute. Sending all the cubs away wouldn’t be appropriate. So, Shi Su changed his approach— each time he visited the Hundred Beasts Tribe for help, he would bring a few cubs along. Over time, wouldn’t more and more of them end up there?
Shi Su’s method was indeed clever. Every time Bai Tu saw him bringing over a few cubs, his first thought was simply: transfer students. With so many classes, adding one or two more cubs wouldn’t even be noticeable.
When the snow outside finally stopped and slowly began to melt, Bai Tu stared at the school roster in a daze.
“I remember that each class originally had twenty cubs…?” How had they all turned into forty or fifty now? Fortunately, the cubs who joined earlier had already adapted to classroom life, so even though there were more students, they got along quite well.
“Transfer students,” Lang Qi reminded him.
“That many?” Bai Tu was puzzled. He didn’t recall accepting that many batches.
Lang Qi just looked at him silently.
Bai Tu coughed lightly as his memory resurfaced. Every time he saw the cubs, he was only focused on taking them in and hadn’t noticed how the numbers had slowly grown this much. He flipped through the records. It turned out that, aside from those he had personally approved, others had gone to Bai Chen and Bai An, and some had even sought out Lang Ze.
No wonder—his memory didn’t include this many cubs. While he had indeed taken in more than he remembered, if others hadn’t also been accepting cubs, the class sizes wouldn’t have grown this much. Realizing it wasn’t entirely his doing, Bai Tu breathed a sigh of relief. But when he saw Bai Chen and the others’ registration records, he couldn’t help but start thinking.
“How many beast tribes are we in contact with?”
Lang Qi didn’t even need to think before answering, “Two—the Brown Bear Tribe and the White Bear Tribe.”
Bai Tu fell into deep thought. “Then why did some White Bear Tribe members come to me, while others went to Chen and An? And there were even some who went to Ze…?”
There was only one White Bear Tribe. Xiong Liao had come to him before, asking to foster a few cubs, and since the number wasn’t too high, Bai Tu had agreed. After all, he had already taken in a lot of lion cubs, and since they were all cooperating tribes, it wouldn’t be fair to favor one over the other. But why had White Bear Tribe members also gone to Bai Chen, Bai An, and Lang Ze?
Bai Tu continued flipping through the records and compared the cubs’ names to those of the White Bear Tribe members, feeling utterly helpless. “Who taught them this method?”
A single tribe with dozens of cubs had divided them up—fostering a few with him, a few with Bai Chen, a few more with Bai An, and then appealing to Langze by mentioning how pitiful the cubs were.
While Bai Tu was responsible for handling cub-related matters, he didn’t check the roster daily. As long as he confirmed that the cubs could stay, he left it at that. Over the past month, he had been busy preparing supplies to send to various tribes, planning what crops to plant in the spring, and figuring out how to arrange the planting areas of nearby tribes.
With so much to do, he hadn’t checked the roster in a while. Meanwhile, the White Bear Tribe had used this method to send all their cubs over.
On top of that, some tribes had initially only sent half of their cubs. Later, after seeing how well-fed and chubby the ones here had become, they sent the rest over as well. This happened every few days.
The sub-beastmen in charge of arranging food and lodging at the school thought this was a minor issue that didn’t require Bai Tu’s direct involvement, so they simply informed him and handled it themselves. Since the new arrivals were from familiar tribes, Bai Tu approved them without much thought, trusting that Bai An and the security team would double-check everything. He just hadn’t expected the numbers to grow this much.
Bai Tu set down the roster and let out a silent sigh. “No wonder people are saying those things outside.”
Now he finally understood how far the rumors had spread. It was even more exaggerated than what Shi Su had mentioned last time—there was now a detailed chart listing the exact amount of food a cub of a certain age could be exchanged for.
Even more ridiculously, some tribes actually believed the rumors. A few tribes that had never interacted with them before even wanted to use this method to exchange for food.
Of course, Bai Tu would never agree to such a thing. He had Bai An explain everything clearly—borrowing food was borrowing food, and fostering cubs was fostering cubs; the two were not inherently connected.
However, just because they explained it that way didn’t mean other tribes believed them. According to Bai An, Hei Yan, Ying Quan, and others, those tribes were now gearing up to cultivate crops properly once spring arrived.
Bai Tu had a feeling that this rumor would keep spreading indefinitely. He sighed and made plans with Bai An and the others to clarify the situation in the future. His main concern was that someone might take it seriously and secretly start capturing cubs from other tribes, which would be disastrous.
Some things just couldn’t be ignored.
But before Bai Tu’s worries could materialize, an unexpected issue arose with the Black Hawk Tribe. They had been attacked—by none other than two of the stronger surrounding tribes, the Iron Elephant Tribe and the One-Horned Bull Tribe.
These two tribes were among the few powerful beast tribes in the southern continent. Unlike the eastern continent, where the feathered tribes held dominance, beast tribes in the south had a far stronger standing. This was primarily because these two tribes were formidable. Even the feathered tribes wouldn’t dare provoke them lightly.
The elephant tribe’s beast forms were ten or even dozens of times larger than other beast tribes, making them nearly unbeatable in their transformed state. Even the fierce lion, tiger, wolf, and bear tribes couldn’t fully exert their strength against them.
The sheer size of the elephants meant their vital spots were out of reach, and their thick skin was nearly impenetrable, making it difficult to injure them. Moreover, the elephant tribe was incredibly united, so very few tribes dared to challenge them.
Most tribes maintained a neutral relationship with the elephants, neither interfering with nor provoking each other. The Black Hawk Tribe had lived in the southern continent for years without any prior conflicts with the elephants. In fact, they had even helped the elephant tribe before. So why were the elephants suddenly attacking them—alongside the One-Horned Bull Tribe, no less? It was baffling.
Despite their aggression, the two attacking tribes ended up wasting their efforts. While it was true that most Black Hawk Tribe members lived in the mountains, the rabbit tribe had recently dug several underground tunnels for them. These tunnels were warm, wind-free, and far more spacious than the remaining houses, which were overcrowded. Seeing this, the Black Hawk Tribe members had offered food and other supplies to the rabbit tribe in exchange for more tunnels.
The rabbit tribe had no idea when winter would end, and since they had nothing better to do, they accepted the task—especially since they were being paid. Instead of taking supplies (which were cumbersome to carry), they requested point cards.
Point cards had only been introduced in the last month of winter, but everyone quickly adapted to them, as they functioned the same way as the tally sticks on bamboo slips. In fact, they were even more convenient.
The Black Hawk Tribe already had point cards, as they interacted frequently with the Hundred Beasts Tribe. The system had become popular almost simultaneously across both tribes. Hei Yan had even specifically returned to the tribe to emphasize its importance, though in truth, everyone was already using them. His reassurance only made them feel more confident about it.
Since the rabbit tribe wanted point cards, the Black Hawk Tribe members naturally had to find ways to get more. They exchanged food with beastmen who had traveled to the Hundred Beasts Tribe to obtain point cards, then gave those cards to the rabbit tribe. In return, they received underground shelters with multiple exits—safe, well-ventilated, and impossible to track.
Before long, even the feathered tribes that had been waiting for housing construction couldn’t hold back. They also asked the rabbit tribe to dig them underground homes.
For the rabbit tribe, digging was an effortless task. They quickly fulfilled all the requests without breaking a sweat.
So, apart from the feathered tribes on patrol, the rest of them moved underground. Even the few houses above ground were nearly empty. The sight of those isolated buildings looked strange—previously, they had been occupied for hatching eggs, but since all the eggs that needed incubation had already been sent to the Hundred Beasts Tribe at the start of winter, people only visited occasionally.
The beastmen from the Iron Elephant Tribe and the One-Horned Bull Tribe charged toward the mountains where the eagle tribe had lived. A group of elephants and bulls crashed into the mountainside, creating several craters. Rocks tumbled down constantly, and many of the previously dug caves collapsed.
Although the situation appeared extremely dangerous, the eagle tribe members living underground were completely baffled—what was going on?
A group of elephants and bulls could only stare in shock as the eagles, whom they had assumed were buried under the rubble, suddenly flew out from all directions.
The eagle tribe members on patrol arrived late—these two beast tribes moved too fast, even flying couldn’t keep up with them.
Meanwhile, the elephants and bulls were covered in injuries from their own reckless charges. Seeing that all the eagles were perfectly fine nearly made them choke on their own rage.
With Hei Yan absent from the tribe, leadership fell to two of the older eagles. Assessing the situation, they made a swift decision—to lead the entire eagle tribe, along with the rabbit, wolf, and vulture tribes, to seek refuge with the Hundred Beasts Tribe.
If they couldn’t afford to provoke these two tribes, they could at least avoid them. As much as they disliked admitting they were weaker, only a fool would engage in a direct confrontation with beasts as massive as the elephants and bulls.
However, they weren’t careless. Before leaving, they sealed off all the underground tunnel exits. Given that their location was already quite secluded, unless someone dug through the ground step by step, it would be nearly impossible to notice anything unusual.
On the journey, even the vulture tribe, which had previously wanted to escape, fell silent. They had originally sought freedom, but now that their lives were on the line, it was clear that staying put was the smarter choice.
Thus, in the first month after the snow melted, before Bai Tu could even arrange matters with the surrounding tribes, he first had to deal with the Black Hawk Tribe’s predicament.
In some ways, it was fortunate. The Black Hawk Tribe’s cubs had already been sent over by their parents about half a month after Ying Mian’s egg hatched—just a few days after the eagles arrived. Just as the egg parents had hoped for all the eggs to hatch safely, the cub parents had wished for their young to survive as well.
Additionally, Hei Xiao had recently been staying in the tribe and had already arranged for the younger cubs to come and learn alongside the others. After all, it was far more convenient for the cubs to receive direct education here than for the eagle tribe to return home and try to teach them later.
Only the adult and near-adult feathered tribes remained in the Black Hawk Tribe, so their journey to the Hundred Beasts Tribe took little effort.
The Elephant Tribe and the One-Horned Bull Tribe tried to give chase, but navigating the terrain was difficult. By the second day, they had already fallen far behind.
Bai Tu and Hei Xiao discussed for half a day but couldn’t determine why the Iron Elephant Tribe and the One-Horned Bull Tribe had attacked the Black Hawk Tribe.
There was no past grievance, no conflict—if anything, the Black Hawk Tribe had even saved people from their tribes before. Was this really a case of repaying kindness with betrayal?
Bai Tu asked if anything strange had happened in the Black Hawk Tribe recently.
One of the eagles suddenly recalled something and spoke up, “Two days before the Iron Elephant Tribe came to our tribe, someone mentioned that they could help us rescue our young.”
The eagle who spoke was young. He glanced at Hei Xiao, then at Bai Tu. “Would that count as something strange?”
How could it not?
Bai Tu and Hei Xiao exchanged a look—they were clearly thinking the same thing. But what was the connection between these two events?
Then, members of the eagle patrol mentioned that more travelers than usual had passed by in recent days. However, since the snow was melting and everyone was preparing to resume hunting—both feathered tribes and beast tribes—they hadn’t thought much of it.
“Could it be that they were scouting our tribe from the beginning?” someone speculated.
Bai Tu wasn’t familiar with the Black Hawk Tribe’s situation, but Hei Xiao was. When he inquired about what kind of people had passed by, he found that most of them weren’t from nearby.
“Crashing straight into the living area—it seems like they were deliberately trying to drive us out,” Hei Xiao analyzed.
The Black Hawk Tribe wasn’t skilled at digging, and finding a suitable living space was already difficult. Now that their mountain home had been destroyed, they wouldn’t be able to find another suitable location in a short time.
With spring approaching, any delays could mean they wouldn’t be able to plant crops—or even hunt properly. After all, having a stable place to live was the first step to security for both feathered tribes and beastmen. If they couldn’t find a proper residence, even resting would be difficult.
“Could those two tribes have been drugged?” Bai Tu asked.
Hearing the eagles’ descriptions of the Elephant Tribe and the One-Horned Bull Tribe, he felt something was off. Normally, someone would hesitate before ramming into a rock. No matter how strong they were, it was unlikely they would do such a reckless thing in a clear state of mind.
“That’s possible,” Hei Xiao agreed.
Based on what he knew about the Iron Elephant Tribe, they weren’t usually this impulsive.
Could someone have drugged them? But who?
Bai Tu and Hei Xiao couldn’t figure it out.
Before they could come to a conclusion, Bai An, Heiyan, and the others returned from delivering the last batch of food.
However, this time, their baskets weren’t empty—they actually had even more than when they had left.
“Tu, these are from some of the tribes,” Bai An said as he opened a basket, revealing a pile of wrinkled fruit.
Although the fruits were shriveled, they were still a rare sight in winter. After all, storing fresh fruit for several months was difficult.
“Where did they get these?” Bai Tu examined the fruit. Most of them were long-lasting varieties, but beastmen generally didn’t know much about food preservation. Some of the fruit even carried a faint smell of rot, likely due to being stored alongside other produce.
“Some tribe gave it to them,” Bai An replied. “They said they noticed their food supplies were low, so they sent over some leftover fruit and meat. Most of the meat was roasted, but since no one in our tribe eats that, I didn’t keep it—I only brought back some fruit.”
The beastmen of their tribe had become picky eaters, only consuming fresh food. However, the tribe’s fruit supply had long been depleted, and since those other tribes kept insisting on giving them more, Bai An simply accepted some fruit. It wasn’t fresh, but in this season, having any fruit at all was already a luxury—there was no room to be choosy.
“Giving food? Did you find out which tribe sent it?” Bai Tu frowned instinctively upon hearing the word “give” because the last tribe to send food was the Black Forest Tribe.
“The ones delivering the food didn’t say. They only mentioned that we’d find out in due time and told those tribes to eat as they pleased—once they finished, more would come,” Bai An explained. “It seemed like they knew people would be wary, so they ate some themselves when distributing the food. Later, after some of the older beastmen tested it and found no issues, they all started eating.”
Bai Tu nodded. As long as it was safe, that was fine. But the fact that this food-sending tribe was acting so mysteriously was very suspicious.
With the snow nearly melted, Bai Tu had planned to focus on building houses and organizing the next phase of development. He hadn’t expected to run into two strange incidents in a row.
So, he called over a group of sub-beastmen to ask if they had encountered anything similar before.
Even Hei Xiao, who had seen a lot in his time, had never come across something like this—let alone the others. The sub-beastmen hadn’t interacted with the outside world for over a decade. The only thing they knew was the tribe that had imprisoned them, so they had no way to answer these questions.
“I never heard of a drug that could turn someone into a fallen beast before I was captured,” Bai Chi said, curious as to why Bai Tu had never mentioned it before. “Who created it?”
“We don’t know the exact origin,” Bai Tu admitted. “It was used by some people in a tribe near ours, and also by some in the Red Eagle Tribe.”
That was all he knew. He was aware that Foxstep and Wulai had access to it, but as for others, he wasn’t sure.
Once again, the discussion hit a dead end. There had been too many attackers from the Iron Elephant Tribe, and since no one knew the exact situation of the Iron Elephant and One-Horned Bull Tribes, they couldn’t investigate the drug’s role in the attack. The two people who had used the drug before were already dead.
No—wait, not all of them were dead.
Bai Tu suddenly remembered something. “The Snake Tribe!”
Wu Lai was from the Snake Tribe, and his poison had that kind of effect. What about the other snakes?
Their tribe still had several Snake Tribe members imprisoned!
Those captured weren’t being fed for free. Since their capture, they had been forced to work—no work, no food. The only exception was if they voluntarily confessed to whom they had harmed before and whether there was any way to undo the damage.
The Snake Tribe was different from other tribes. Some of their poisons didn’t kill immediately but instead caused mental deterioration, while others had hallucinogenic effects that could make people obey commands. Essentially, all of them interfered with normal thinking.
Because of this, Bai Tu had been hesitant about how to punish the Snake Tribe. While most victims had been rescued, a small number were still missing, their fates unknown. For now, the only option was to keep the captured snakes alive.
Moreover, their venom could be used as medicine when handled correctly. So, the Snake Tribe members remained in the settlement—but under the strictest surveillance. After all, some had attempted to escape before, and no one wanted a repeat incident. If that happened, they’d be laughed at by the entire tribe.
Bai Tu had come here with Lang Qi, as the Snake Tribe members were fast, and Lang Qi had previous experience dealing with Wulai. His presence would be useful. Besides, during their last fight, Wulai had been difficult to handle, but these captured Snake Tribe members were weaker than him.
However, when they arrived at the courtyard where the Snake Tribe members were imprisoned, Bai Tu did not order the opening of the room that held the largest number of captives. Instead, he pointed to another door and told them to open it.
Inside was Bai Meng.
Ever since the sub-beastmen had been rescued and the head shaman of the Black Forest Tribe had been captured, Bai Meng had become completely mute, never speaking a single word. He remained silent and extremely withdrawn, ignoring everyone. While the other imprisoned Snake Tribe members had interacted with many people in their room, none of them had ever spoken to Bai Meng.
The more this went on, the more suspicious Bai Tu became. He also had a nagging feeling that Bai Meng was even more sinister than the rest of the Snake Tribe, so he had isolated him in a separate room.
Even after being locked up for more than half a year and forced to work in between, Bai Meng hadn’t changed much from when he was first captured—except for being slightly thinner.
But this time, upon seeing Bai Tu, Bai Meng was not as silent as before. Instead, there was a trace of smugness in his expression, as if he had expected Bai Tu to come.
Seeing this attitude, Bai Tu was almost certain that Bai Meng knew something.
Bai Tu ignored him and glanced around the room, then spoke to the beastman guards:
“They’ve committed crimes, yet they still get to live so comfortably? Move out all the beds and stools. Take away their bowls and chopsticks too. Who allowed them so much food? Didn’t you see all the leftovers? From now on, give them half—no, a third of their current rations. They’re from the Snake Tribe—why do they even need to eat in winter? One meal every three days is enough.”
At the first sentence, the nearby beastmen were startled and immediately complied. But as Bai Tu continued speaking, they slowly became stunned, especially upon hearing the last part.
One meal every three days? And only a third of their current portions?
Was this really the same Bai Tu who had always instructed them to be lenient if the prisoners showed remorse?
To everyone, Bai Tu had always been known as soft-hearted, reasonable, and patient—never losing his temper. Not only that, but if Lang Qi got angry over something, Bai Tu would always step in to mediate.
Ever since Bai Tu and Lang Qi got together, the wolf tribe had even felt that their leader wasn’t as terrifying as before.
Now, hearing these words, they wondered if they had misheard or if someone else had taken Bai Tu’s place. After all, Bai Meng had been using that furniture for a long time.
But then they glanced at Lang Qi, who remained silent, and quickly dismissed the idea.
Lang Qi was still Lang Qi.
So, this had to be the real Bai Tu. No doubt about it.
Why the sudden harsh treatment?
As the beastman guard was wondering this, the beastman beside him nudged him and gave him a look. He immediately understood—Bai Meng must have been found guilty of some past crimes!
While the guard was only surprised, Bai Meng’s expression became quite a spectacle.
She could guess that Bai Tu had encountered trouble; otherwise, he wouldn’t have come here. But after arriving, instead of interrogating her, he had thrown a tantrum over trivial matters, which frustrated her immensely!
It was as if someone had proudly shown off a pile of food, only for the other person to ignore it completely and instead comment, “Your fur is too thick.”—something utterly unimportant.
Bai Meng stared at Bai Tu, refusing to believe he wouldn’t ask.
Yet Bai Tu truly didn’t ask. He simply ordered the guards to clear out her room and left.
Seeing him nearly reach the door, Bai Meng finally couldn’t hold back and asked, “Don’t you want to know the truth?”
Bai Tu didn’t even turn his head and walked away.
Left alone in the room, Bai Meng was consumed with rage and frustration.
How could he not care?
So many things were happening—even if those people didn’t take action, Bai Tu already had plenty of problems on his hands.
How could he not care? How could he?!
*
Of course, Bai Tu knew that someone like Bai Meng couldn’t be dealt with using conventional methods. The more he pressed her for answers, the more pleased she would be with herself, making her even less likely to talk.
He needed to leave her alone and let her stew.
Since this matter involved the Snake Tribe, Bai Tu began considering alternative approaches.
He planned to discuss things with Hei Xiao again to see if they could find a breakthrough. But as he reached Ying Mian’s room, he overheard Xiong Liao speaking.
“What do we do, what do we do? What if Tu finds out?!”
Xiong Liao had a naturally loud voice, and even his mutterings were practically shouted.
Bai Tu stopped and exchanged a glance with Lang Qi.
Lang Qi walked up and pushed the door open.
Xiong Liao, still looking down, continued mumbling:
“What if Tu gets mad? If Tu gets mad, then Bo will get mad too…”
“Find out about what?” Bai Tu asked.
“Find out that I secretly hid the cubs—”
Halfway through his sentence, Xiong Liao abruptly looked up and saw both Bai Tu and Lang Qi standing there.
His fur instantly bristled in fear.
Bai Tu: “?” Am I that scary?
*
Moments later, inside the room.
Bai Tu sat in the center, Lang Qi on his right, Ying Mian on his left holding several cubs, while Xiong Liao sat alone across from them, looking miserable.
“Alright, explain. What’s going on?” Bai Tu said. “Honesty will be met with leniency; resistance will be met with severity.”
Xiong Liao looked like he was about to cry. “Someone found out that I’ve been secretly sending cubs to the Hundred Beasts Tribe… They’re threatening me, saying they’ll take all the cubs I worked so hard to send away and return them to the White Bear Tribe.”
