Chapter 173
The Snake Tribe chief had prepared a total of three plans.
The first two involved Xiong Chong and She Sa—as long as either of them could deceive some people into joining their cause, they would be able to take down either the Black Forest Tribe, the West River Tribe, or even the Hundred Beast Tribe later on. At that point, they could simply eliminate Xiong Chong or She Sa and fabricate a story to justify it.
However, when both the Black Forest Tribe and the West River Tribe were wiped out, the Snake Tribe chief activated his third strategy:
If the first two plans failed, he would feign surrender and lead his people to submit to the Hundred Beast Tribe.
Before Xiong Chong even launched his attack on the Hundred Beast Tribe, the Snake Tribe chief had already investigated their way of operating. He knew that as long as they sincerely admitted their mistakes, the Hundred Beast Tribe would accept them, just like any other beastmen.
Unlike other tribes, they wouldn’t even need to undergo strict vetting before joining.
If any step in the plan failed, he could pretend to surrender, earn their trust, and then find an opportunity to assassinate the leaders of the Hundred Beast Tribe.
So the moment they were captured yesterday, the Snake Tribe chief was already preparing to execute his final plan—to infiltrate the Hundred Beast Tribe and wait for the right moment to kill its key figures.
But after seeing Bai Tu, he changed his mind.
Why?
Because Bai Tu was too weak.
And yet, he was the one in charge.
If he killed Bai Tu, Lang Qi, as Bai Tu’s mate, would definitely lose control.
How many Snake Tribe members were there here?
How many Beast Tribe members?
If they could drug Lang Qi, then his rage would cause him to slaughter the Hundred Beast Tribe himself.
The moment Lang Qi killed someone, the Snake Tribe could swoop in, pretend to “rescue” the Hundred Beast Tribe, and take over the entire tribe.
But the plan fell apart immediately.
Lang Qi was faster than him—before he even had the chance to lay a hand on Bai Tu, he was nearly strangled to death by Lang Qi.
And now, he was only one bite away from being killed by Lang Ze.
The Snake Tribe was good at constricting their enemies, but in this case, they were never given the chance.
Wolf beastmen were simply too large—the Snake Tribe’s body size wasn’t enough to fully restrain them.
*
Bai Tu watched as Lang Ze dragged the uncooperative Snake Tribe chief away.
Then, he turned to the remaining Snake Tribe members and asked,
“Are you going to talk on your own, or do we have to force it out of you?”
The three Snake Tribe members exchanged glances.
The chief’s sudden attack had completely caught them off guard—and now, in this situation…
One of the weaker-looking Snake Tribe members hesitated for a moment before stepping forward.
“I’ll talk! I’ll talk!”
With their leader captured, they didn’t really have a choice anymore.
“The chief has been planting people in other major tribes for years now.”
“Snake beastmen have attractive human forms, so many tribal chiefs take our people as mates.
For the younger ones, the chief would send them to work as medicine apprentices.”
“The chief wanted to take over the Black Forest Tribe and use its beastmen to hunt for us so we wouldn’t have to worry about being attacked during our molting period.”
“Originally, the plan was to stir up conflict between the Black Forest Tribe’s shaman and its chief over the past two years.”
“But two years ago, the chief met Hu Bu.”
“Hu Bu told him… that he was a messenger chosen by the Beast God himself and that he knew what would happen in the future. If we worked with him, he would keep sharing information about the future with our tribe.”
“The chief wanted to know the future but didn’t want to blindly follow Hu Bu or take unnecessary risks. So before doing anything else, he first contacted Bai Meng in the Black Forest Tribe, then hinted at the plan to She Sa. If She Sa succeeded, they would join forces to kill him afterward.”
It was a coordinated plan from both inside and outside the target tribe—a much smarter strategy than simply charging in recklessly.
And if Bai Meng had already taken over as the tribe’s shaman, their success would be guaranteed.
The Snake Tribe glanced at Bai Tu, unsure if they had said enough.
Bai Tu looked at them but didn’t tell them to stop.
The Snake Tribe gritted their teeth and continued:
“The chief planned to kill Hu Bu after he finished revealing future events. He didn’t want anyone else interfering in the power struggle, so he never told Wu Lai.”
Wu Lai was a shaman in the Red Eagle Tribe.
Hu Bu had once studied under Wu Lai, something most people didn’t know, but the Snake Tribe did.
In fact, Wu Lai’s method of controlling people was something Hu Bu had learned from him.
The Snake Tribe wanted to know what Hu Bu had foreseen, but they didn’t want to follow a fox.
So, they planned to kill Hu Bu immediately after he finished speaking—if he told anyone else about the prophecy, they wouldn’t get another chance.
But before they could act, Hu Bu realized something was wrong and fled with his people.
The Snake Tribe chased him all the way to the Mad Lion Tribe’s territory, but since it was lion territory, they couldn’t win.
So, they were forced to give up and spent the next two years stockpiling food.
The Snake Tribe had venom, making it easier for them to hunt than most other races.
After two years, they had hidden a massive food supply within the tribe.
She Sa hadn’t actually lied to the other tribes—if they succeeded, there really was food waiting for them.
But that was only if they succeeded.
Because She Sa had no control over the food—he wanted to defeat the other Snake Tribe members first.
The Snake Tribe chief had made another preparation before She Sa’s attack on the Hundred Beast Tribe.
Knowing that the Black Hawk Tribe had a good relationship with the Hundred Beast Tribe and would intervene, the Snake Tribe poisoned two other tribes—the Iron Elephant Tribe and the One-Horned Bull Tribe.
The poison caused many of them to fall into a near-berserk state, and the Snake Tribe also spread false rumors about the Black Hawk Tribe.
Both the Iron Elephant Tribe and the One-Horned Bull Tribe were highly protective of their own.
So, when they heard claims that the Black Hawk Tribe had harmed their young in the past, they immediately flew into a rage.
In a near-berserk state, their tempers were uncontrollable.
Without hesitation, they charged straight toward the Black Hawk Tribe.
The Iron Elephant Tribe was incredibly strong, whether in one-on-one battles or group fights—they wouldn’t lose to any other tribe.
And now, with the One-Horned Bull Tribe on their side, the Snake Tribe was certain the Black Hawk Tribe would be wiped out.
But no one expected that the Black Hawk Tribe had actually been underground the entire time—they hadn’t been hurt at all.
Then, in front of everyone’s eyes, they abandoned their land and joined the Hundred Beast Tribe instead.
Since the poisoning was done in secret, and the Black Hawk Tribe’s fate had been hidden, the Snake Tribe had no idea what had happened.
They had been entirely focused on She Sa’s progress.
And She Sa’s plan had gone so smoothly that everyone was celebrating their inevitable victory—only to be captured and realize they were the ones who had fallen into a trap.
Bai Tu listened and nodded internally.
This Snake Tribe member wasn’t lying—their story matched what the other captured Snake Tribe members had said last night.
Bai Tu did some calculations in his head.
Two years ago… That was before he regained his consciousness.
This finally made sense. Hu Bu had first gone to the Red Eagle Tribe and taken him away.
After offending Wu Lai, he needed another powerful ally, so he set his sights on the Snake Tribe.
Hu Bu had wanted to use the Snake Tribe—but the Snake Tribe had also been planning for many years.
And a mere fox with “prophetic” abilities was no match for them.
Instead, he was almost killed, escaping in a panic and without even gathering all of his people.
Bai Tu guessed that his own injury had occurred during that time. Later, he was rescued by Bai An and brought back to the tribe, where he clashed with Hu Bu. The next time he woke up, he was in his current fully conscious state.
Bai Meng had been relying on the idea that the Snake Tribe would soon take action. However, she was likely to be disappointed now—the Snake Tribe had failed, and she would have to continue working as before.
After sorting out these thoughts, Bai Tu considered the next steps. He instructed Lang Qi to take people to search for the food hidden by the Snake Tribe. At the same time, he discussed with Hei Yan and had Hei Xiao contact the Iron Elephant Tribe.
The state of the beastmen poisoned by the Snake Tribe was unknown, and the Iron Elephant Tribe’s destructive power was immense. Bai Tu was deeply concerned about the condition of the Black Hawk Tribe’s territory.
Both operations were carried out almost simultaneously. Since the Snake Tribe was located relatively close—just to the northwest of their tribe—Lang Qi’s group arrived first. The Lion Tribe’s territory was farther north, so they took longer to reach.
The amount of food hidden by the Snake Tribe exceeded that of the Chiwen Tribe, and unlike Chiwen’s food, it was not difficult to consume. Bai Tu estimated the total amount of food and decided to reprocess it into dried meat for long-term storage.
“The Gray Ape Tribe and the Black Badger Tribe can take some of it, and the rest will be given to the Snake Tribe as rations.” Bai Tu assigned the distribution. The Snake Tribe’s food contained venom, and checking every piece would be too troublesome. So, they could only give it to species that weren’t affected by snake venom—the gray-apes and honey badgers.
As for the other tribes, Bai Tu calculated how much food each would receive and directly deducted this amount from the food debts they owed.
Everyone was satisfied with this arrangement. To be honest, even if Bai Tu had distributed the Snake Tribe’s food to them, many wouldn’t dare to eat it. After all, last year’s market incident was widely known. The only reason they had accepted food from the Beast Tribe last winter was because they had no other choice.
Fortunately, they had all gambled correctly.
Now, thanks to their role in capturing the Snake Tribe, part of their debts had been forgiven. Everyone was thrilled—this meant they had to repay even less food than before.
After celebrating, they reluctantly left.
During their five or six days in the Beast Tribe’s territory, they had seen beast cubs every day. Once they returned to their own lands, who knew when they’d see them again?
Although they might miss the cubs, no one asked to take them back.
Bai Tu had said that they could bring them home before the rainy season and return them later, but everyone wasn’t foolish—the cubs were living far better in the Hundred Beast Tribe.
Would they bring them back just to eat grass?
Well… some types of grass actually tasted pretty good.
But since the cubs had better food options, why take them away?
They decided to wait until their own tribes had developed, until they could raise more food—only then would they bring the cubs back and let them live just as well as they did in the Hundred Beast Tribe.
*
A few days after the other beastmen left, Bai Tu received news about the Black Hawk Tribe’s territory.
It had been almost completely destroyed by the rampaging Iron Elephant Tribe.
Since the Iron Elephant Tribe’s people had been poisoned, no one else in their tribe could approach them. They could only watch helplessly as they wrecked the Black Hawk Tribe’s land.
Fortunately, since winter had only just ended, there was very little food available in the wild.
After a few days of rampaging, many of the crazed elephants fainted from hunger.
Seizing the opportunity, the other Iron Elephant Tribe members brought them back to their tribe.
Feeling deeply guilty about the damage they had caused to the Black Hawk Tribe, they promised to help transport supplies for free—although it would take time to repair everything they had destroyed.
“The Iron Elephant Tribe?” Bai Tu thought about their massive size and took a sharp breath.
Their transporting efficiency was far beyond that of other beastmen.
“Yes,” Hei Xiao nodded and explained the damage to the Black Hawk Tribe’s territory.
“Two mountains were destroyed, the trees around their homes were snapped, and a third of their forest was wiped out.”
The Iron Elephant Tribe’s destructive power was terrifying—it was as easy for them to topple trees as it was for others to break twigs.
“The trees were destroyed…?” Bai Tu rubbed his temples and suddenly had an idea.
“Why not plant crops directly and replant some fruit trees around the area?”
Each tribe’s territory had a variety of trees, but most of them didn’t bear fruit. Fruit trees made up only a tiny fraction of the total, which was why so many beastmen often went hungry. Since fruit trees were scarce, most of the trees destroyed by the Iron Elephant Tribe were likely rubber trees or other useless trees. The latter didn’t need to be replanted at all, which meant that the newly cleared land could be used for crops and vegetables.
“What about building houses on the flat land in front of the mountain?” Bai Tu suggested.
Since the caves and nests had been destroyed, they could simply build new houses nearby. The Black Hawk Tribe had already planned to construct houses, so this would just be a small adjustment to their original plan.
Hearing this, Hei Xiao’s mood immediately improved. The damage, which had looked terrifying at first, actually wasn’t that bad after all. Realizing this, he glanced at Hei Yan and asked, “Did you catch all that?”
Bai Tu continued, “If the Iron Elephant Tribe can help, have them dig up all the tree roots.”
If the elephants had only trampled the trees, then the roots were likely still in the ground. If left there, they might sprout again and interfere with crop growth. To avoid this problem, the land had to be thoroughly cleared.
Since this was directly related to the development of his tribe, Hei Yan listened with full attention.
After receiving Bai Tu’s instructions, he immediately set off back to the Black Hawk Tribe to organize their reconstruction efforts and coordinate with the Iron Elephant Tribe. Meanwhile, Hei Xiao stayed behind to manage the remaining members of the Eagle Tribe, who were still in the Hundred Beast Tribe’s territory.
The Eagle Tribe members returning home were mostly skilled hunters. They also brought along some beastmen from the Hundred Beast Tribe who were experienced in construction, so work could begin as soon as they arrived.
As for the Eagle Tribe members staying behind, Bai Tu and Hei Xiao arranged for them to remain in the Hundred Beast Tribe.
Since the Iron Elephant Tribe’s attack had forced them to flee, all of them had ended up here. Now, with no homes to return to, and since it was no longer winter, they couldn’t just hide underground as they had before. Rather than sending everyone back, they would use this opportunity to train and work with the Hundred Beast Tribe’s people.
The Eagle Tribe’s cubs were also staying at the school.
During winter, cubs spent more than two-thirds of the day asleep. But now that the weather had warmed up, they didn’t sleep as much. To better manage them, Bai Tu reorganized the class system.
Most of the cubs were well-behaved, but some personality traits were hard to change, such as their tendency to fight.
In most tribes, cubs fought frequently, even siblings couldn’t always get along peacefully. However, the closer their blood ties, the faster they made up after fighting.
During the winter, class placement was based simply on where there was space—new arrivals were placed in whichever class had the fewest students. But now, Bai Tu sorted the cubs by species, keeping members of the same species together, while young beastmen (sub-beastmen) were placed in a separate class.
Apart from sub-beastmen, cubs of the same species were usually similar in size, so even if they fought, they wouldn’t cause serious injuries.
Since cub fighting was a form of combat training, adults generally didn’t interfere. They would only step in once the cubs got tired, offering them food and warm water to recover.
Someone suggested giving rewards to the cubs who won fights, but Bai Tu rejected the idea.
Right now, the cubs fought just the right amount—not too much, not too little. If they started rewarding victories, the fights would increase dramatically, leading to a generation of aggressive warriors.
Bai Tu didn’t want the cubs to turn into the battle-hungry Lions of the Wild Lion Tribe or the aggressive warriors of the Brown Deer Tribe.
Unnecessary fights should be kept to a minimum—if they constantly focused on attacking others, one day, they would pay the price.
Even though the Hundred Beast Tribe had grown significantly, Bai Tu had no intention of conquering other tribes.
If others chose to join willingly, that was fine. But as for occupying other tribes’ lands?
Bai Tu shook his head. Not an option.
Things were just right the way they were now.
Bai Tu disliked war and hoped that the cubs he raised would never start fights on their own. However, proper training was still necessary. While they wouldn’t attack others, no one should think they could bully them either—otherwise, they would end up like the Black Lion Tribe and the Flower Snake Tribe.
After sorting the cubs by species, Bai Tu closed the attendance book and started thinking about expanding the school.
Originally, the school was built for their own tribe’s cubs, but Bai Tu had planned ahead, knowing that the number of cubs would eventually increase. Additionally, adult beastmen sometimes attended classes as well, so the school had been given plenty of space.
Even so, it was now completely full.
During winter, people were mostly focused on food, and the cubs spent most of their time sleeping and playing, with only a short period dedicated to learning each day.
Now that the weather had warmed up, the curriculum needed to be updated.
With longer study hours, it made sense to divide the older cubs into smaller groups—the fewer students in a class, the easier it would be to teach.
Since the neighboring tribes were busy building their own residential areas, the Hundred Beast Tribe’s construction teams were stretched thin. Bai Tu handed the school expansion project to the squad leader in charge.
By now, the other tribes had learned most of the construction skills, though their techniques still weren’t as refined as the Hundred Beast Tribe’s builders, who had already completed an entire residential area.
Hearing that the Hundred Beast Tribe wanted to expand the school, the other tribes immediately offered to help.
Of course they wanted to help—their own cubs were still living in the Hundred Beast Tribe’s school!
As long as they provided food, their cubs could continue learning in the Hundred Beast Tribe. They hoped their cubs would stay here until they reached adulthood before returning home.
Several tribal leaders even insisted that the school must be built first, saying,
“The cubs are the most important!”
“We must give them the best learning environment!”
Building the school wouldn’t require too many people, so Bai Tu let them organize it themselves while he focused on designing the second ring of the residential area.
Like the school, the original housing plan hadn’t accounted for such a large number of people.
For the Beast Tribe’s original members, he had designed private courtyard-style homes.
But for the newcomers from other tribes, the houses were mostly four-person or eight-person shared living spaces.
Bai Tu wanted to build another ring of housing outside the current residential area, allowing the sub-beastmen living in four-person and eight-person rooms, as well as newly joined beastmen, to move there.
Just as he began drafting the blueprints, Bai Qi arrived with a report:
“Those Snake Tribe members are still causing trouble. Even Hu Que has joined in.”
The Snake Tribe members Bai Qi referred to were the ones who had revealed the truth to Lang Qi on the night the Flower Snake Tribe was captured. They were sons of the tribe’s leader.
The eldest of these snakes was twenty-six, while the youngest was just twelve.
The Snake Tribe leader had never publicly acknowledged their identity.
To the rest of the tribe, these young snakes were simply children raised by their mother—no one knew their father was actually the tribe’s leader.
The reason was simple: the Snake Tribe leader had schemed too much.
He had sent people to infiltrate other tribes, and he feared that if his plans were ever exposed, his enemies might use his children against him.
So from the beginning, he had hidden their true origins, planning to reveal them only after destroying the Black Forest Tribe.
Ironically, after being captured, he was even relieved that he had never mentioned which children were his.
But in another room, his sons had already confessed everything—without hesitation.
However, after their confession, they quickly realized no one was letting them go.
Furious, they began demanding their release, causing a commotion in the Hundred Beast Tribe for almost half a month.
Bai Tu thought it over.
Even if those Snake Tribe members were released, they wouldn’t be a threat.
After discussing it with Bai Chen, they decided to blindfold the snakes and have Bai Chen and Bai Qi personally escort them out of the tribe’s territory.
The moment they regained their freedom, the Snake Tribe members were ecstatic.
Unlike their father, they had no ambition—they simply wanted to lounge around and be fed.
However, once they stepped outside the Hundred Beast Tribe, they realized they had severely underestimated life beyond its borders.
Forget food—finding shelter alone was a challenge.
The best locations with ample food and safe housing had already been claimed long ago.
The oldest among them had only recently begun hunting, and thanks to their father’s care, they never had to put in much effort to find food.
Now, they squatted by the river for half a day—not a single prey came by.
Back in the Flower Snake Tribe, waiting by the river always worked! Where were the animals?!
(If Bai Tu had been there, he would have explained: Spring had just begun, and fresh grass was sprouting everywhere. Since plants had a high water content, prey didn’t need to drink as often, which meant waiting by the river was useless.)
After an entire day and night by the river, the Snake Tribe members finally accepted reality:
Even though they were free, they had no way to survive.
They began asking for directions—they wanted to return to the Hundred Beast Tribe.
Bai Tu only heard about their return three days later and was left speechless.
“The Flower Snake Tribe leader was so cunning… and these are his sons?”
The difference was almost laughable.
It even made Bai Tu worry about his own cubs.
He and Lang Qi were both normal, but intelligence wasn’t just inherited. What if his cubs didn’t take after them?
Lang Qi saw Bai Tu’s complicated expression and suddenly remembered how Bai Tu had looked at him the day after capturing the Snake Tribe.
Thinking back to their own cubs, Lang Qi fell silent for a moment.
Bai Tu’s worries were completely unnecessary.
Regardless, the Snake Tribe members needed to be assigned work.
Since they had cooperated, Bai Tu gave them lighter tasks—they were not strong enough to till fields, so he put them on digging holes for transplanting seedlings.
The first transplant had happened a few days ago, but due to weather conditions and improper techniques, some seedlings hadn’t survived.
A second round of planting was necessary, but actual transplanting required skilled hands.
Digging holes, however, was simple enough for the Snake Tribe members.
Bai Tu quickly calculated—this year’s crops had doubled compared to last year.
In just a few months, another bountiful harvest was on the way.
Bai Tu assigned people to plant crops, fruits, and vegetables, reminding the team leader to immediately deal with pests and weeds if spotted.
Then, without stopping, he moved on to tree planting—not just ordinary trees that purified the air, but fruit trees.
In the past, the Snow Rabbit Tribe had fewer than a hundred people, and the Blood Wolf Tribe only around five hundred. The surrounding fruit trees were enough back then, but now that the population had multiplied, fruit production needed to keep up.
Previously, they had planted vining plants like strawberries and summer melons.
This time, they were planting woody fruit trees, which would take years to bear fruit but had the advantage of not needing annual replanting—just pruning the branches each year would suffice.
Aside from fruit trees, Bai Tu also planted spices like Sichuan pepper.
By the end of winter, the tribe’s seasoning stock had been completely used up.
With only salt, soy sauce, and vinegar, their food had lost a lot of flavor—so now, they had to start growing their own.
Bai Tu had many tasks to manage, but luckily, the tribe had plenty of helpers now.
With their leader gone, the Snake Tribe members were kept in check by beastmen with gray-ape forms. They obediently worked—and when they saw that the leader’s sons had fled, only to return, they became even more compliant.
Since the leader’s sons couldn’t even survive on their own, it proved that Bai Tu had truly cut off all their escape routes.
As the Snake Tribe suspected, Hu Bu was long gone, and the only shaman who could have helped them had been killed two years ago.
Meanwhile, Bai Meng, upon hearing that the entire Flower Snake Tribe had been captured, had spat blood from sheer rage.
Now, anyone who had connections with the Flower Snake Tribe was either dead or barely surviving themselves.
Most of the Snake Tribe members were smart enough to accept reality.
Their leader couldn’t even protect his own sons—so what was the point of relying on him?
Though they had resigned themselves to their fate, they didn’t hold back from slandering other types of snake beastmen.
Bai Tu watched them for a while, then simply divided them into groups based on their snake species and publicly displayed each group’s work output and average workload every day.
The once sluggish Snake Tribe members suddenly became highly efficient, finishing in one day what previously took two.
Wolf and Lion Tribes cut down trees; Snake Tribe tilled the soil; Rabbit Tribe and Sub-beastmen sowed the seeds.
In just one month, the entire tribe’s territory had undergone a drastic transformation.
And not just the Hundred Beast Tribe—neighboring tribes had changed too.
Before, their surroundings were densely forested.
Now, they had cleared many trees, replacing them with crops, fruit trees, and forage plants that prey animals liked.
With new residential areas under construction, every tribe looked completely different from before.
Hei Yan, who had come to report, circled the area twice with his team.
It wasn’t until Hei Xiao, who was playing with the cubs, spotted what seemed to be members of the Eagle Tribe that Ying Quan was sent to greet them and bring them over.
As soon as Hei Yan arrived, he complained, “Why does everything look the same now?”
Previously, the Hundred Beast Tribe’s land was easy to find because it was the only open space among dense forests.
But now? Every tribe looked the same.
With so many trees cut down and grass planted on empty lands, even areas that used to be barren now had vegetation.
Hei Yan had circled twice and still couldn’t recognize the Beast Tribe’s territory.
Bai Tu, who had just come over to find Hei Xiao, overheard this and started considering whether to create a landmark.
Hei Yan at least had wings and could figure out the general location—but other beastmen trying to visit the tribe would probably struggle.
Hang up a flag or some kind of sign so that visitors can head straight toward it.
It had been more than a month since Hei Yan and Hei Xiao last met. Bai Tu greeted Hei Xiao briefly and went back to discuss the flag-hanging matter with Lang Qi and Bai Chen.
Both of them were hearing about this idea for the first time. After some thought, they agreed it could work.
Bai Chen nodded and said, “I think it’s a good idea.”
In the past, they had tried to keep their residence hidden—back when they were in the Snow Rabbit Tribe, they had even wanted to turn their territory into a maze to prevent attacks. But things were different now.
The tribe had grown in numbers, and they had already dealt with the Flower Snake Tribe that had been watching them. Even if someone were to approach their tribe, the beastmen guarding the underground tunnel exits would return with news before any invaders could get close.
“What do we need?” Lang Qi asked directly about materials.
“Let me think.” Bai Tu pondered for a moment.
They definitely needed a large flag, and thick cotton fabric embroidered with the tribe’s name would be a good choice. But there was a problem—he was currently using plant-based dye, which, although it wouldn’t turn white after multiple washes, would inevitably fade. What plant wouldn’t lose its color easily…? Bai Tu thought about it and eventually came up with an idea—walnuts.
The stains on hands after peeling walnuts were hard to wash off. For this, they would need to approach the Horse Tribe.
Ma Xin had previously gifted them some walnuts, so in a couple of months, they could request fresh ones for dyeing. For now, they would make a temporary flag and take it down before the rainy season. The main concern was that tribes wanting to visit them might struggle to find the way, as the area around their territory had changed significantly.
In the end, Bai Tu decided to make a wooden sign. They would join several wooden boards together into a large piece, taller than a person and about half as wide as its height. Using cinnabar, they would write “Hundred Beasts Tribe” on it and place it on a mountain peak near the residential area.
Once it was completed, the neighboring tribes were the first to notice it. That very day, Shi Su rushed over, wanting to make a similar sign.
The reason was simple—everyone now carried identity cards issued by the Hundred Beasts Tribe, which had the same four characters on them. Any tribe affiliated with the Hundred Beasts Tribe would recognize them. If other tribes followed suit, those nearby and even those farther away would come to recognize the writing, preventing many potential misunderstandings.
Simply put, it was a way to tell others that they were under protection.
Bai Tu thought for a moment and made two signs for them, slightly smaller than the one for their own tribe. One had “Hundred Beasts Tribe” written on it, and the other had “Yellow Lion Tribe.”
Shi Su hung his sign lower than the Hundred Beasts Tribe’s as a gesture of respect. Their tribe had always received help from the Hundred Beasts Tribe, and they were truly grateful. By positioning their sign lower, they symbolically placed their status below the Hundred Beasts Tribe.
The day after Shi Su put up his sign, several other tribes immediately arrived.
Bai Tu: “…” As expected.
He had anticipated this outcome when preparing the signs for the Yellow Lion Tribe. Bai Tu had already instructed the carpenters to make identical wooden boards for the other tribes. Each tribe would receive two signs—one reading “Hundred Beasts Tribe” and the other with their own tribe’s name. This way, no matter which tribe people saw, they would know they were all united.
Although these tribes had grown stronger, there were always opportunists looking for a chance to take advantage. But with this setup, it would deter many of them. After all, even if someone could escape one tribe’s pursuit, could they escape the pursuit of so many?
Every time Bai Tu finished writing a tribe’s name, he reminded them to take the sign down when it rained. He didn’t have the right dye yet, and he was worried the cinnabar ink would wash off. The wooden boards also couldn’t be left in water for too long. Until the new flags were ready, they needed to handle these carefully.
At the same time, Bai Tu made a simpler version of the flag—a light-colored cotton cloth with the tribe’s name sewn on using cut-out pieces of animal hide. These were placed at the four entrances—east, south, west, and north. The neighboring tribes also adopted the same design.
Even those unfamiliar with the situation could now see that these tribes were a single alliance. Attack them? Better think twice about whether they could withstand the retaliation of so many tribes.
The first three tribes that had tried attacking them were now doing hard labor. Here, if someone played the victim, they would receive seeds and one-on-one guidance in farming and animal domestication. If they chose to fight, they’d get a severe beating and endless work. It didn’t take a genius to figure out which was the better option.
Some hesitant tribes nearby finally made up their minds—they would play the victim!
Bai Tu noticed that recently, more and more tribes had been coming to seek help. Every few days, a new tribe would arrive. But these newcomers were respectful and even willing to leave their young ones behind. Seeing this, Bai Tu dismissed his last bit of doubt. A tribe planning something malicious wouldn’t leave their young in another’s care—they would keep them close, just like the Flower Snake Tribe had done before.
When it was time to leave, a group of beastmen was reluctant to go. Their eyes were filled with tears as they silently swore to work hard and return for their young as soon as possible.
Bai Qi, who was escorting them out, was utterly confused.
What was up with these tribes lately? Not only were they acting overly cautious, but every time they parted from their young, they looked like they were experiencing life-and-death separation. It almost made it seem like the Hundred Beasts Tribe was forcibly taking their young away. But weren’t they the ones who had voluntarily left them behind?
Unaware of Bai Qi’s thoughts, the group returned to their territory with seeds in hand. They immediately began farming as they had learned at the Hundred Beasts Tribe. They also placed the little chicks they had brought back into newly woven large baskets, chopped up some grass, and tossed it in as feed. Then they took out the flatbread they had received from the Hundred Beasts Tribe, took a bite, and—hmm, not bad.
The beastmen of the Hundred Beasts Tribe had told them that if they worked hard at farming and raising animals, they would be able to feed themselves by next year.
Thinking about this, the beastmen sighed. They had to do their best—raise a huge flock of chickens, earn their way, and exchange for their young. They also planned to find out if the children who had been left behind were being treated well in the Hundred Beasts Tribe.
Thinking about their young ones, the beastmen felt even more distressed. But if they didn’t exchange for food, they would starve to death. This spring, no prey had come near their tribe. If this continued, not only would they be unable to store food for the rainy season, but they might not even survive until then.
Even after years of hard work, they hadn’t expected that the food they had stockpiled would last them over a month longer than usual through winter—only to face starvation in spring.
At first, they had planned to take a risk and search for food in other tribes’ territories. They didn’t dare to rob anyone but hoped to sneak some food when other tribes weren’t paying attention. However, upon reaching the legendary Hundred Beasts Tribe, known for its abundant food supply, they realized that the entire surrounding land belonged to them. With such a vast territory, the tribe’s numbers had to be huge—if they stole food, there was no way they could escape.
After much internal struggle, they made their decision: they would leave their young ones behind, take seeds back to their tribe, grow their own food, and return later to retrieve their children. This was the only way to ensure that both the young and the adult beastmen could survive. Without food, the first to starve would be the weakest—those very young ones they wanted to protect.
“Beast God above, please bless us,” the elderly chieftain murmured as he entered the sacred cave at the back of their tribe, placing the last of his food on the offering table.
*
Since the end of winter, Bai Tu had been busy nonstop. Two months had passed, and he could finally take a break. But just as he managed to rest for half a day—waking from a nap and playing with the young ones—Bai Chi suddenly came looking for him.
“Tu, do you have a moment?” Bai Chi asked.
“Of course, Chi. Have a seat.” Bai Tu nodded, placing the young ones inside what was now just a decorative playpen, and went to pour Bai Chi some water. Bai Chi rarely came to him unless there was something important.
After glancing at the young ones, Bai Chi turned to Bai Tu and asked, “Tu, are you planning to build a shrine for the Beast God?”
“A shrine?” Bai Tu thought he had misheard.
“A place to worship the Beast God,” Bai Chi clarified.
He had been feeling vaguely uneasy lately. “All tribes usually set aside a cave for this purpose. Didn’t your previous tribe have one?”
“Well…” Bai Tu was caught off guard. He really didn’t know if the previous tribe had one or not. But as for setting up a shrine now… they had managed just fine without one for the past two years, hadn’t they?
“I’ll ask Qi about it later,” Bai Tu replied, deciding to check with Lang Qi about the wolf tribe’s customs. He would also ask Bai An and Bai Chen.
Bai Tu had never been a believer in such things, but when he thought about everything that had happened since waking up—the way he instinctively understood plants and knowledge he had never studied yet used with ease—he couldn’t help but wonder… Maybe, just maybe, something beyond his understanding had been guiding him all along.
But whether the one helping him was truly the Beast God was still up for debate.
If the Beast God was really so powerful, how had the sub-beastmen nearly been wiped out? Bai Tu muttered to himself, still remembering his father who had passed away early.
Speaking of which—where was his father, Bai Luo? Did he end up with a scumbag? Bai Tu frowned.
“What?” Bai Tu’s voice was too quiet for Bai Chi to hear.
“Nothing,” Bai Tu shook his head. “Just thinking about how to ask Qi.”
Seeing that Bai Tu was taking this matter seriously, Bai Chi felt relieved. Every tribe had a sacred space for worship—Blood Wolf Tribe and Snow Rabbit Tribe surely had one too. Bai Tu had likely been too young to remember, and since he had regained consciousness much later, he had never encountered it.
After Bai Chi left, Bai Tu played with the little ones for a while longer. Maybe it was because he had been too exhausted in the past few days, but despite just waking from a nap, he was already feeling drowsy again.
He looked down at the two small wolf cubs, one gray and one black, roughhousing beside him. Then, he rubbed the white wolf cub nestled in his arms, watching the scuffle with interest. “Do you want to nap with Daddy?” he asked.
The two cubs immediately stopped their play-fighting at the words “nap” and “Daddy.” The white cub was the first to burrow into his embrace, and the other two followed suit, using their actions to show they wanted to sleep together.
Bai Tu wrapped his clothes around them and held them close. He really must have been exhausted—he fell asleep not long after closing his eyes, though it wasn’t a deep sleep.
In the haze of half-sleep, he suddenly heard someone scolding loudly, calling someone unfilial. The voice was sharp and commanding, but it was quickly interrupted by another voice.
The second voice was gentle—oddly familiar. The first voice was stern, seemingly reprimanding someone, but now it was being scolded instead.
Bai Tu tried to listen carefully, but before he could make out the words, he heard another familiar sound—the cries of his own wolf cubs. Their calls sounded just like when they argued with Lang Qi.
Was someone bullying his cubs? Bai Tu was immediately furious. He wanted to open his eyes to see what was happening, but his eyelids felt unbearably heavy. He knew he was dreaming, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t wake up.
The cubs’ cries grew louder and fiercer. It wasn’t just one of them—there were three voices, all growling in unison.
Something serious was happening! Bai Tu grew even more anxious, but his body felt as if it were weighed down by stone. He couldn’t move, no matter how hard he tried.
Just as he was on the verge of panic, a familiar set of footsteps approached. Suddenly, he felt himself being shaken awake.
“Tu, were you having a nightmare?”
Bai Tu’s eyes shot open. There was no argument, no unfamiliar voices—only Lang Qi, standing beside him.
Remembering the cubs’ cries from his dream, Bai Tu hurriedly looked down at the little ones in his arms.
All three wolf cubs were curled up comfortably against him, sprawled out in deep sleep.
Thank you for the chapter!