Chapter 172
After kicking She Sa to the ground, Lang Ze looked around and was instantly shocked when he didn’t see Lang Qi.
“Tu, where’s my brother?”
It was extremely rare for his brother not to be by Bai Tu’s side.
“He went to find someone.” Bai Tu replied briefly without elaborating.
As for where Lang Qi had gone—he was, of course, tracking down She Sa’s main hideout.
From the very beginning, Bai Tu and Lang Qi never believed that only a small number of people were involved in this attack. The ones leading the charge were more like pawns who had been deceived—She Sa included.
The real masterminds were probably still lurking nearby, watching from the shadows, waiting to swoop in and reap the benefits.
Capturing She Sa and his group would undoubtedly alert those behind the scenes—but that was exactly what Bai Tu wanted. A direct confrontation might not flush them out, but if they startled them into making a move, they had a better chance of tracking them down. Many species, especially snake tribes, were extremely skilled at hiding their tracks. If they didn’t take action now, they might never be able to catch them.
Currently, the wolf tribe and the white bear tribe from the White Bear Tribe were both out searching for these hidden enemies.
Of course, Bai Tu wasn’t going to share any of this with She Sa. In fact, he suspected that She Sa himself might not even be aware of the forces manipulating him from behind the scenes.
When She Sa heard Bai Tu mention “finding someone,” his eyes widened in shock. But no matter how much he glared, no one paid him any attention—only Shi Su understood what Bai Tu really meant.
Meanwhile, Xiong Chong was earnestly trying to persuade She Sa.
“We were all wrong. Joining the Hundred Beasts Tribe is way better than trying to fight them! If you join, you’ll never run out of food to eat!”
And you get to sleep in warm, spacious houses! Xiong Chong was very satisfied with his life.
She Sa, however, was infuriated by his words.
“What do you know?!”
Sure, there was plenty of food now—but if he became the leader of the Hundred Beasts Tribe, how much more would he have? Being the leader was his real goal. He had no interest in joining the Hundred Beasts Tribe as just another ordinary member.
Seeing Xiong Chong looking so content just because he had enough to eat only made She Sa even angrier.
“I can’t even talk to you! You’re hopeless!”
Unlike Xiong Chong, who was completely unambitious, She Sa wasn’t willing to settle for just food—he wanted power. How could Xiong Chong be satisfied with just being a nobody in the Hundred Beasts Tribe?
Xiong Chong scratched his head. He truly believed his current life was great, but for some reason, She Sa just wouldn’t believe him.
Bai Tu, having already seen through She Sa’s thoughts, didn’t bother explaining to Xiong Chong. He simply waved a hand and said, “Go back to work.”
Currently, most of the beastmen from the Chiwen Tribe had been assigned jobs. There were several different types of work, but one unspoken rule was that they were never allowed to be involved in food preparation.
Hearing Bai Tu’s words, Xiong Chong nodded and gave up trying to convince She Sa.
Honestly, in his opinion, She Sa was just a fool. Life was so good now! Even in the harshest winters, when prey was scarce, they still had enough to eat.
Seeing Bai Tu say just one sentence and Xiong Chong immediately leave without hesitation only made She Sa even angrier.
“Idiot! Moron! Fool! You’ve been completely tricked and you don’t even know it!”
But Xiong Chong never heard She Sa’s insults—because as soon as he stepped out the door, he took off running.
Today, their farming instructor was a very good-looking sub-beastman! He had to study extra hard!
Seeing the cheerful figure of Xiong Chong running off, She Sa became even angrier.
That guy is a complete idiot!
Bai Tu merely watched She Sa seethe in frustration. From his expression and eyes, it was clear that he was truly furious.
But it was useless. With Lang Ze and Shi Su standing nearby, She Sa couldn’t do anything. Even the slightest movement would result in him being instantly restrained.
For the first time, She Sa realized the gap between himself and others.
The Flower Snake Tribe was made up of various snake species. Though they seemed united, each species actually had its own small group. In their minds, only snakes of the same species were truly “their own people,” while those from other species were considered more distant.
Their tribe ranked individuals based on species:
The highest status belonged to large venomous snakes, next were large non-venomous snakes, then came small venomous snakes and the lowest rank belonged to small non-venomous snakes.
She Sa’s species was originally low in status. However, a few years ago, a shaman from his species gained prominence. Though the shaman didn’t stay in their tribe, he needed their venom for his work and often brought food in exchange. As a result, snakes of She Sa’s species received preferential treatment, and their status gradually improved.
She Sa was the largest among his peers in his original form. Back in his tribe, he was constantly flattered and admired. But ever since he arrived here, he had already been beaten three times. Now, with Xiong Chong’s uncooperative attitude, he was absolutely fuming.
And yet, his humiliation was far from over.
Lang Ze, annoyed by his noise, pulled out a bundle of cloth from somewhere and stuffed it into She Sa’s mouth. Then, just for good measure, he tied She Sa’s hands to a nearby stool.
Since winter had ended, the fire pit in the meeting hall hadn’t been used. The insulating animal skins that once covered the doors had also been removed. The entire room felt empty and cold—but not for long.
Because Lang Qi and Xiong Liao arrived with reinforcements.
Two hundred wolves and eagles, plus over a hundred bears and lions, marched in—dragging behind them a captured horde of hidden snake tribesmen.
Just as Bai Tu had suspected, all of these snakes had been hiding around the outskirts of the Hundred Beasts Tribe. They weren’t all in one place, but the wolves’ and bears’ keen sense of smell, combined with the sharp-eyed eagle tribesmen, made it impossible for them to stay hidden.
Many snake species had poor eyesight in their animal forms, making them easy prey once discovered.
Lang Qi took less than half a day to lead his forces and capture every single snake tribe member in hiding.
Out of laziness—or perhaps convenience—instead of tying up each snake individually, they tied them together in bundles. Some were even tied up in pairs.
At first, the snakes thought this method of restraint was a joke.
They believed that, when their captors weren’t paying attention, they could easily slip away.
But when they actually tried to untangle themselves, they discovered a horrifying truth—the more they struggled, the tighter the knots became.
Some had even transformed into their original snake forms, thinking it would help them escape. It didn’t.
Now, trapped even worse than before, they deeply regretted their decision.
When they were in human form, at least they could communicate. But now? They couldn’t even speak, let alone escape.
Looking at the fierce wolves, towering bears, and powerful lions surrounding them, the snakes trembled in fear.
They were used to being the predators but now, they were the prey.
Despite their stronger resilience, even snakes feared death. For example, losing their tails or even part of their heads wouldn’t necessarily kill them. They could still wriggle and fight. But if they were crushed into a tight ball like this and then slashed?
Instead of being cut in half, they would be chopped into a dozen pieces. Not even the most tenacious snake could survive that. The real reason these snake tribesmen had plotted to invade the Hundred Beasts Tribe wasn’t out of loyalty or greed—it was fear of death.
They wanted a better life, and they saw the Hundred Beasts Tribe’s prosperity as an opportunity.
But ironically, the most cowardly ones—the ones who had been hiding and watching from the shadows—were even more terrified of dying.
Otherwise, they wouldn’t have sent She Sa and his followers to fight first, treating them like sacrificial pawns.
Their plan was simple:
Let She Sa and his forces storm the Hundred Beasts Tribe. Once the Hundred Beasts Tribe was weakened, emerge from hiding and finish them off. Finally, kill She Sa and declare that “the Beast God’s mission was complete.” With She Sa gone, they could claim to be acting under the Beast God’s will and seize power.
It was a flawless plan. They had been waiting for She Sa’s attack to begin.
They had never expected that She Sa’s own allies would suddenly turn against him.
The snakes hiding in the shadows realized something was wrong. Their first instinct? Run.
The Hundred Beasts Tribe was already strong enough. Now, with all these reinforcements, the snake tribe’s forces were too few. They stood no chance.
With She Sa and his group completely captured, they had no reason to fight anymore. So, several groups of snake tribesmen fled but they didn’t get far.
Normally, snakes were not easy to catch even if they were captured, they had plenty of ways to escape. However—this time, they were up against the Eagle Tribe.
The Eagle Tribe captures members of the Snake Tribe with almost perfect accuracy. Their sharp claws can pierce the snakes’ skin, and once a snake is caught midair, it has no ability to resist.
However, instead of taking them directly to the tribe, the eagles drop them from midair. A group of disoriented and dazed snakes barely has time to recover before they are immediately seized by waiting beastmen from other tribes, who twist them into a tangled mess. At this point, escaping is out of the question—even moving is difficult. The only part they can move is their heads, but since they are surrounded by their own kind, trying to bite or release venom would only end up harming their own people.
Cunning! The Snake Tribe thought to themselves. Yet, no matter how much anger they felt inside, the only sound they could produce was a hissing noise.
Bai Tu glanced at the number of captured snakes and finally instructed Lang Qi to keep only the largest individual from each snake species while locking up the rest.
After giving these instructions, Bai Tu addressed the remaining snakes, “Only those who reveal the truth first will regain their freedom. Afterward, you will live as ordinary members of our tribe without any punishment. You can stay in the tribe, and if you wish to leave, we will let you go. The rest of you will be sent to do hard labor. There are many jobs in the tribe—I hope you can adapt.”
The wolf beastmen carrying the captured snakes hadn’t gone far when they heard this statement. Several snakes began writhing frantically.
They knew exactly what was happening—why weren’t they allowed to speak?
However, the wolves carrying them seemed unaware and continued walking until they reached the place where the snakes were to be imprisoned. Lang Qi glanced at the snakes and ordered, “Untie them.” The wolves followed his command, untying and tossing the snakes into confinement one by one.
The snakes that had been writhing desperately on the way saw that everyone else was being untied except for them, making them even more anxious. What if someone else spoke first?
Their original plan had been to take over the Hundred Beasts Tribe, but now that they were all captured, their ambitions were impossible to achieve. Instead, their best course of action was to confess voluntarily—just like the Mad Lion Tribe had done before. As long as they told the truth, they could regain their freedom. Who wouldn’t be tempted by that?
Realizing that only the first to confess would be granted freedom, the snakes grew even more desperate.
Lang Qi, as if oblivious to their reactions, continued ordering the release of more snakes. When only a dozen or so remained outside, he suddenly said, “Take these ones back for separate interrogation.”
A few snakes, who had previously given up hope, instantly had a glimmer of light in their eyes—they still had a chance to be free!
Meanwhile, the few snakes Bai Tu had kept behind remained as silent as stones. Even after being untied, they refused to speak, each more tight-lipped than the last.
But Bai Tu was far more patient than they were. Rather than waste time trying to pry words from them, he left to attend to other matters—such as assigning work to the newly captured prisoners.
The first group, which had followed She Sa, numbered around 400. The second group was larger, with over 500, adding up to more than a thousand captives in total.
Bai Tu rubbed his temples. In fact, he had already planned out the work for these captives—they would be responsible for tilling the land.
The Hundred Beasts Tribe now occupied a vast territory, and several areas had been designated for cultivation. Without machinery, tasks like plowing and irrigation had to be done manually.
These newly captured individuals were the perfect labor force for the job. This year, Bai Tu had cultivated an especially large number of seedlings, precisely because he knew there would be workers available. Last year’s food supply was nearly depleted, and if it weren’t for high-yield crops like sweet potatoes and corn, it would have been impossible to support so many tribes. Even so, many places had never been visited during the winter. Bai Tu could only hope that the tribes that had received seeds would make it through the season safely.
It would take another half a month to learn how those tribes were faring. After all, the Feather Tribe had been busy all winter transporting goods. Once the Snake Tribe issue was resolved, they would need a break before heading out again.
Before capturing these people, Bai Tu hadn’t known what species they were. Now that he realized there were so many snake tribesmen, he had to carefully consider ways to restrain them. He didn’t want to step outside and see a writhing mass of snakes every day. When Bao Ren had taken him to see the Snake Tribe before, he had been startled—he even had a bit of a psychological aversion to them.
After thinking for a while, Bai Tu decided to create rope lassos for the guards to use. When the snake tribesmen moved normally, the ropes would remain loose. But if they tried to escape, the ropes would tighten, making it impossible to break free, even if they transformed into their original snake forms.
With a plan in mind, Bai Tu adjusted the layout of the planting areas, mainly increasing the number of guards. Since the snake tribesmen carried venom, the guards had to be beastmen immune to snake venom. Fortunately, snake tribesmen in human form couldn’t inject venom through bites, otherwise, managing them would be much more difficult. While most adult beastmen could overpower a snake tribesman, accidental exposure to venom was still a serious risk.
Bai Tu pulled out a list of the tribes they had assisted and began scanning it, searching for thick-skinned beastmen who could serve as guards. As he looked through the list, he suddenly spotted a species he hadn’t considered before—the Grey Ape Tribe.
Seeing their name, another species came to mind—honey badgers. He quickly flipped through the list and found them as well.
Both of these species were natural enemies of the Snake Tribe. Bai Tu checked the population numbers of both tribes and immediately made a decision: he would hire outside help.
Using food and other supplies, he would recruit beastmen from these two tribes to guard the snake tribesmen. They would be far more effective than the Hundred Beasts Tribe at handling the snakes.
Moreover, the situation of these two tribes was similar to that of the Snow Rabbit Tribe—they had little land and scarce food. Transporting supplies to them would help solve their food shortage, making it a win-win situation.
Wasting no time, Bai Tu set out to contact the leaders of both tribes.
The Gray Ape Tribe had a total of seventy-plus members, including nine young ones, all of whom were currently in their own tribe. The Black Badger Tribe had a slightly larger population of over a hundred, with more than thirty young ones, who were also studying in the Hundred Beasts Tribe.
Upon hearing Bai Tu’s proposal, the Black Badger Tribe hesitated, but the Gray Ape Tribe immediately agreed. They had lost many young ones before, and last winter, they had sent their remaining children to the Hundred Beasts Tribe, where they were now thriving. Even if Bai Tu hadn’t invited them, they would have wanted to stay—after all, every tribe living under the Hundred Beasts Tribe’s protection, whether beastmen or birdmen, had a high birth rate.
Bai Tu had no idea about their real motivations, but he was relieved to see their agreement. With one tribe on board, the Black Badger Tribe’s decision would be a bonus. If they refused, he could simply assign more reinforcements to the Gray Ape Tribe—they would still be able to manage the snake tribesmen effectively.
The Black Badger Tribe’s refusal was simple—they were either fighting or on their way to a fight. Unlike other tribes that had small populations due to being bullied, their low numbers were entirely self-inflicted. Because they were skilled fighters and loved combat, they suffered injuries more frequently than most species.
A tribe that valued freedom so much naturally disliked the idea of joining another and being restricted. However, since they had indeed received help from the Hundred Beasts Tribe, Bai Tu’s proposal left them hesitant.
Seeing their internal conflict, Bai Tu didn’t force the issue. After all, forcing things never led to good results. Instead, he reassured them, “It’s fine if you don’t want to stay. The previous agreement still stands. Thank you for coming all this way. Whatever seeds you need, our tribe will provide.”
Not only seeds but also seedlings ready for transplanting—Bai Tu had prepared everything in advance.
Hearing that Bai Tu wasn’t going to insist they stay, the Black Badger Tribe members sighed in relief.
They loved fighting too much. A large tribe like the Hundred Beasts Tribe surely wouldn’t want internal conflicts. If they stayed, tensions would inevitably arise. It was better to decline outright than to cause trouble later.
Afterward, Bai Tu took the opportunity to ask the tribal leaders about their respective territories. He hadn’t left the Hundred Beasts Tribe all winter, and all the information he had came from Bai An’s reports. While Bai An had done his best to be thorough, details could still be lost in transmission. It was better to ask directly.
It was rare to see so many tribes gathered in one place. Not just for Bai Tu—Bai An had never seen it either. The only time they had encountered this many people before was at trade markets.
Bai Tu’s main interest was whether these territories had any useful plants or resources. For example, the realgar used to deter the Snake Tribe had been discovered in the White Monkey Tribe, which had been mentioned by the Gray Deer Tribe.
The White Monkey Tribe’s location was unique—it was surrounded by several metal mines. After discovering these resources, the tribe had relied on crafting metal ornaments to trade for supplies. Since the mines were shallow, they could easily extract colorful ores without much effort, making trade a much easier option than hunting.
However, prolonged exposure to heavy metals, combined with the lack of hygiene practices like washing hands before eating, had led to widespread heavy metal poisoning in the tribe. More than half of them suffered from unexplained illnesses until Ying Quan visited and identified the cause—the very ores they handled daily.
Long-term contact with heavy metals indeed led to poisoning, but once refined, those metals became valuable resources. Now that Bai Tu had secured a supply of copper, he no longer had to rely entirely on the Black Hawk Tribe’s iron mines for metal tools.
With this experience in mind, Bai Tu questioned the tribes more carefully.
When these tribes arrived, they had brought their own food and tools, in addition to the provisions previously sent by the Hundred Beasts Tribe. Their supplies weren’t abundant, but they were enough for Bai Tu to analyze the plant life in their regions.
And sure enough, his inquiries led to some interesting discoveries.
One tribe regularly harvested a plant that could be used for sugar production. Since it had a naturally sweet taste, they had been reluctant to eat it when other food was available.
When Bai An had previously visited for trade, they hadn’t exchanged it because they didn’t lack salt at the time. Later, when winter food supplies dwindled, they had considered using it, but then the Hundred Beasts Tribe offered food aid, so they had saved it until now.
Bai Tu had been worried about his limited seed supply, so the plants the tribes brought were just what he needed. He wanted to test if they could be propagated through their roots and stems.
Besides the white sweet fruit, Bai Tu also noticed two frost-resistant plants—Xue Li Xue and Chinese chives. Although they looked slightly different from the ones he had seen in his past life and had wilted somewhat after being uprooted for so long, he recognized them instantly.
Over the past two years, his vegetable options had been extremely limited, mostly consisting of wild greens he had occasionally eaten before. Seeing these two plants, countless cooking ideas immediately came to mind.
Bai Tu discussed with the two tribes, offering to trade some meat in exchange for the vegetables.
However, the tribes refused to take anything in return. Instead, they insisted on gifting the plants to him and even promised to search for more once they returned to their territories.
Bai Tu waved his hand and stopped them. “No need to dig them up. I’ll send people to collect the seeds later.”
After being transplanted once, the plants wouldn’t grow as well as they did in their natural environment. Moreover, when beastmen “dug up” plants, they often didn’t consider whether the roots or stems were damaged.
Bai Tu definitely wanted to cultivate them, but the best approach was to let the plants mature and produce seeds first. Right now was the peak growing season, and in a short time, the seeds would be ready. Digging them up now would only waste effort.
After inspecting the food the tribes had brought—especially the plants—Bai Tu sent Bai Qi and the others to check on the young beast cubs.
After all, the cubs had been here for quite a while. The first group had arrived before winter, meaning it had already been four months. If his own wolf pups had been away that long, Bai Tu knew he’d be desperate to see them.
Thinking from their perspective, he assumed the beastmen must be longing to reunite with their cubs as well.
But just as he asked who wanted to visit the young ones, the crowd immediately responded—some waving their hands, others shaking their heads.
“Lord Bai Tu, we don’t miss them at all. Not one bit.”
“We’re not going to see them.”
“Yeah, yeah, it’s nice here. We’ll just stay put.”
Bai Tu: “…?”
Some of them claimed they didn’t want to see their cubs, but the concern on their faces was unmistakable—even from a distance, Bai Tu could clearly tell. Beastmen didn’t hide their emotions, so he knew they were just saying the opposite of what they truly felt.
Seeing Bai Tu remain silent, one of the beastmen cautiously added, “Lord Bai Tu, we really don’t miss our cubs. Just let them continue staying here.”
Bai Tu suddenly understood. He had expected them to assume he was going to send the cubs away, but he hadn’t anticipated that even they would think so.
“I’m just asking you to check on your cubs, not take them back,” Bai Tu clarified. “You haven’t seen them in months. If you don’t visit, don’t be surprised if they forget you next time.”
He wasn’t just trying to scare them—it was the truth.
The cubs Bai An had brought back were of various ages, but since the infant mortality rate among beastmen was high, many of them were very young. About a third were under three years old.
Young cubs who hadn’t yet shifted into human form had a poor memory. They could forget someone after just a few days or half a month of separation—let alone several months. If they visited now, the cubs might still remember them. But after a few more months? Most likely not.
“You can leave them here if you want,” Bai Tu continued, “but it’s best if you visit them regularly. Or, you can take them back to your tribe for a while and bring them here again later.”
His intention in caring for the cubs was to use this period to teach them agricultural techniques, livestock rearing, and sustainability. However, he had never planned on keeping them indefinitely.
The beastmen exchanged glances. Did they hear that right?
Did that mean… even if they took their cubs back now, they could send them here again later?
The beastman who had spoken earlier cautiously asked again, “Lord Bai Tu, are you saying that if we take our cubs back now, we can bring them back later?”
Bai Tu nodded. “That’s right. You can even send them over during the rainy season. Their food and housing costs will be added to your tribe’s account. As usual, you have two years to repay, and if needed, the deadline can be extended.”
It had never been a secret that the cubs’ care wasn’t entirely free, and the tribes understood this well. Even when they borrowed food, they had chosen to send their cubs to the Hundred Beasts Tribe—not just because they feared a prolonged winter, but also because they hoped their children would grow stronger here. At the very least, they wouldn’t be as frail as they were in their own tribes.
Originally, when they had sent their cubs here, there had been some ulterior motives involved. Later, when people like She Sa suggested taking the cubs back, they had worried that the Hundred Beasts Tribe might think they wanted to reclaim their children.
Of course, they missed them—but they were afraid that if they visited, Bai Tu would take the opportunity to force them to bring their cubs back.
Even without seeing their own children, just looking at the cubs playing outside or being carried by their parents, they could already tell how well their own children must be living here.
So, rather than taking them back and possibly making their lives harder, they would rather endure the longing and leave them in the Hundred Beasts Tribe.
Bai Tu’s words had completely caught them off guard.
None of them had expected the Hundred Beasts Tribe to continue taking care of their cubs, with food provided on credit, and without strict repayment deadlines!
Of course, they would still work hard to repay their debts. But Bai Tu’s assurance put them at ease.
Most importantly, they no longer had to fear that visiting their cubs would result in them being sent away!
A group of people was overjoyed and eagerly expressed their desire to see the cubs.
Bai Tu had a record of how many cubs each tribe had sent, but identifying their relatives was up to the tribal leaders, which took some time.
By the time everything was sorted out, it was already late. Bai Tu checked the time and invited everyone to dinner.
“The cafeteria has already prepared food. The cubs are also eating at this time, so let’s have dinner first, and after that, you can go see them,” Bai Tu said.
These tribes had helped them, so there was no way he would send them off immediately. When they had first brought the Snake Tribe over, he had already informed the cafeteria to prepare extra food.
As for accommodations, they would be staying in the former wolf tribe’s caves, just like the Black Hawk Tribe had. Since there were plenty of caves, there was no need for one per person—several people could share a cave just fine.
Bai Tu had been busy the entire day and was quite hungry. On top of that, he had talked so much that his throat felt like it was on fire. After dinner, he let Bai Qi take everyone to see the cubs, while he took his time heading home.
Halfway there, he suddenly paused.
He had forgotten to arrange food for the Snake Tribe.
Then again… it’s the Snake Tribe. Going hungry for a meal or two shouldn’t be a big deal. After all, he had heard from Shi Su that Shi Hu once said She Sa could go half a month without eating.
If they can last half a month, one missed meal should be nothing.
With that thought, Bai Tu stretched lazily and decided to deal with the Snake Tribe tomorrow. For now, he would go home and rest.
*
The next morning, after breakfast, Bai Tu went to the meeting room with Lang Qi.
Inside, several Snake Tribe members—who had refused to say a word the day before—were either sitting or standing. When they saw the two enter, an elderly snake narrowed his eyes and sneered, “You’re ruthless!”
Bai Tu: “…?”
He turned to Lang Qi, confused. Was this guy out of his mind? What was he even talking about?
Lang Qi glanced at the snake and guessed, “Probably hungry.”
Bai Tu: “…Didn’t they say they could go half a month without eating? And they’re like this after skipping just one meal?”
“One meal?!” The Snake Tribe leader lost it.
They were not like She Sa. The latter had boldly led his people near the Hundred Beasts Tribe, and though it was reckless, they had at least been able to eat along the way.
But they had been secretly hiding around the tribe’s perimeter, trying not to attract attention. To avoid suspicion, they hadn’t even brought food.
They had left their own tribe on full stomachs and camped around the Hundred Beasts Tribe, lying in wait.
To avoid being discovered by She Sa, they had set out several days earlier than him. In other words, they had already been starving for days.
Their original plan was simple: She Sa would attack the Hundred Beasts Tribe, and the battle should last about a day. By evening, when She Sa celebrated his victory, they would sneak in, kill him, and enjoy the victory feast themselves.
But plans never keep up with reality.
Both they and She Sa ended up being captured.
No breakfast. No lunch. No dinner.
She Sa’s group had at least eaten before getting caught, so they were in slightly better condition. But after spending an entire day dodging the Eagle Tribe’s attacks—only to fail in the end—they were now starving.
At this point, they finally realized—this was Bai Tu’s punishment for them.
Snakes might be able to endure hunger, but they weren’t immune to it. Seeing Bai Tu’s indifferent attitude, they could tell he still had no intention of feeding them. Of course, they were furious.
Bai Tu: “…?” How is this my fault?
“Who told you to stir up trouble?” Bai Tu said bluntly. “Don’t think about playing any tricks. Someone has already started talking, but I still have some questions. If you cooperate, things will go well for all of us. If not, don’t blame me for being ruthless.”
There were four Snake Tribe members in the room. Three of them had no intention of cooperating, their eyes still filled with hostility. Only the elder who had spoken earlier seemed resigned to his fate.
With a sigh, he finally said, “Forget it. You’re going to find out sooner or later anyway. I might as well tell you now.”
Bai Tu nodded, signaling for him to continue.
“A few years ago, I ran into Hu Bu on my way to the market. He told me he knew what would happen in the future and wanted to work with me. He said that together, we could rule the Eastern and Western continents.”
The snake observed Bai Tu’s reaction. Seeing that he wasn’t surprised, he realized that someone had already revealed this information. He sighed again and went on.
“Hu Bu told me that one winter would last a long time. If we stored enough food, we could easily take control of other tribes after winter. He claimed we could conquer the Black Forest Tribe and the West River Tribe, becoming the strongest force across both continents.”
This matched what Xiong Chong had said before, but compared to last night’s testimony, it was still lacking some details.
Bai Tu patiently waited for him to continue.
The snake hesitated but finally spoke: “I did want to take over those two tribes, but it was too risky. So, I made excuses and hinted at the idea to She Sa instead.”
He knew that with She Sa’s personality, he would definitely take the bait.
Sure enough, She Sa was tempted. After winter ended this year, he led his people and their stored food to attack. But by then, the Black Forest and West River Tribes were already gone.
Instead, She Sa had rallied other tribes to attack the Hundred Beasts Tribe—only to suffer a crushing defeat.
The snake sighed deeply. “It was my greed for power. I wanted to seize more food for…” He trailed off before continuing, “Punish me if you must, but spare the others in my tribe. They had nothing to do with this.”
“Chief!”
The other three Snake Tribe members were instantly shocked when they heard him say that. Although they often had disagreements, they were still from the same tribe. Hearing their chief plead for them, they immediately spoke up:
“It wasn’t the chief’s idea—it was mine!”
“She Sa is from my family. If you want to punish someone, punish me!”
“The chief just wanted to get more food. Our territory doesn’t have enough.”
Bai Tu looked at the Snake Tribe members, who were all trying to take the blame for each other, and sighed.
“The Snake Tribe really has it rough.”
The three who were pleading nodded. They had a decent number of people, but their territory was remote. During their molting period, they were extremely weak and often became targets for revenge from the tribes they had previously fought. Even the prey in their land was frequently stolen. Thinking about all the hardships their tribe had endured, they lowered their heads in guilt. They really shouldn’t have argued with their chief so much.
At that moment, Lang Qi suddenly grabbed the Snake Tribe chief, who had silently crept behind Bai Tu.
The chief had thought his plan was flawless. He opened his mouth, intending to shift into his snake form and bite either Bai Tu or Lang Qi. But before he could act, Lang Ze rushed in at the sound of the commotion and clamped his jaws around the chief’s neck, dragging him outside.
The three Snake Tribe members, who had just been feeling deeply moved, lifted their heads in confusion.
What just happened?
Hadn’t they already told the truth?
Why did the chief attack Bai Tu?
“Too naive.” Bai Tu shook his head.
If things had really happened the way the Snake Tribe chief claimed—if he had simply run into Hu Bu on the way to the market—then how had Xiong Chong just so happened to overhear everything?
It was obvious this had been a deliberate scheme.
First, they had the Chiwen Tribe launch the initial attack. Then, She Sa led the second wave. Meanwhile, the Snake Tribe planned to swoop in at the end and take advantage of the chaos.
But an unexpected turn of events led to their complete failure.
Now that everything had fallen apart, the Snake Tribe chief had clearly decided to make one last desperate move.
And as for the real person working with the Snake Tribe chief?
It wasn’t Hu Bu at all.
It was Bai Meng, who had infiltrated the Black Forest Tribe long ago.
Everyone else had just been pawns in their game.
As for why Bai Tu knew all of this so clearly?
Well, let’s just say Hu Que wasn’t the only ‘foolish son of a rich family’ out there.
The Flower Snake Tribe’s chief had gone to great lengths to hide his own foolish son among the other snakes, but last night, that very son had exposed himself without even realizing it.
It seemed the Beast God Continent had quite a few “kids who give their parents headaches.”
Was it just that beastmen were naturally too simple-minded?
Thinking of the cubs back home, Bai Tu raised his head and looked at Lang Qi.
Lang Qi: “…What’s with that look?”
