Chapter 177
Before hearing the cubs’ cries, Bai Tu had only a vague suspicion and wasn’t completely sure.
But now, he understood almost everything.
Since he couldn’t interfere with the two men’s actions, Bai Tu could only watch helplessly as the black-clad man approached Bai Luo.
As the black-clad man got closer, Bai Tu noticed the entire scene before him growing fainter.
At first, he thought it was just his imagination, but soon, he realized it wasn’t—everything in front of him was slowly disappearing.
It seemed like the dream was giving him time to adjust because the transformation started gradually.
But the moment the black-clad man reached Bai Luo, the entire scene shifted instantly.
Bai Luo and the black-clad man vanished, replaced by a completely different setting.
The cave remained the same, but it was no longer in the abandoned, dilapidated state it had been in before.
Instead, it now resembled the shrine cave of the Blood Wolf Tribe—everything inside was orderly and well-maintained, with stone tables and stools neatly arranged.
The cubs, who had been furiously snarling earlier, could no longer see the black-clad man and had calmed down.
The small white wolf cub curiously scanned the surroundings, looking as if it liked this place.
The gray cub, however, was still grumbling, though its voice was much quieter than before.
Meanwhile, the black cub kept its eyes fixed on the spot where the man had disappeared, as if trying to figure out what had just happened.
Since this was his own dream, and the cubs were with him, Bai Tu wasn’t afraid at all.
Without hesitation, he led the cubs further inside.
The wall carvings were different from what he had seen earlier.
Instead of dragons, they resembled snakes—perhaps they had been recently carved, or someone had re-etched the designs over time.
The marks were sharp and fresh.
As Bai Tu examined the carvings, a commotion erupted outside the cave.
Moments later, an elderly sub-beastmen, draped in colorful beast furs, entered the cave, surrounded by a group of people.
From the man’s posture and attire, Bai Tu quickly recognized him as a shaman.
“Master, the chief wants to know what time the Beast God’s ceremony will begin tomorrow.”
“Master, the herbs are ready. Should we distribute them tonight?”
“Master, the chief sent food. I’ve already picked out the best portions and cleaned them. Should we place them now? The rest has been given to the cubs…”
“Master…”
The people surrounding the shaman were mostly young—the oldest barely in their twenties, and the youngest only a few years old.
They chattered non-stop, bombarding the shaman with questions.
Despite the overwhelming number of inquiries, the shaman remained patient, answering them one by one.
“Tell the chief that, as always, the ceremony will begin at dawn.”
“Distribute the herbs tonight. Remind everyone that the rainy season is approaching—no one should leave the tribe unnecessarily.”
“Hmm, it’s fine to give the food to the cubs…”
The old shaman answered all the questions one by one, and only then did the people around slowly leave, each going off to do what the elderly sub-beast had instructed.
Inside the cave, only the old shaman remained. He slowly knelt on the ground, pressed his hands together, closed his eyes, and prayed: “Beast God, bless us…”
The patterns on the wall seemed to flicker for a moment. Just as Bai Tu looked again, a masked beastman emerged from the other side. Judging by his physique, he was definitely not a sub-beastman. His face was just as obscured as the black-clothed man from before, perhaps even more so. Yet, Bai Tu inexplicably felt that this person was even more dangerous.
The moment the masked beastman appeared, Bai Tu instinctively shielded the young cubs. It was only after ensuring their safety that he realized the scene before him was from the past—meaning he couldn’t touch anyone, and they couldn’t touch him.
Even so, Bai Tu still didn’t release the cubs. Not far away, the beastman suddenly approached the old shaman.
At that moment, several people rushed in from outside the cave, carrying ropes, bowls, and wooden sticks.
This isn’t good… Bai Tu turned his gaze toward the elderly sub-beastman, who was still deep in prayer to the Beast God. The old shaman hadn’t heard the first intruder, but as more people entered, he finally noticed.
The old shaman looked at the group and asked gently, “Why have you come here? This is a place of offering to the Beast God—do not bring weapons—”
Before he could finish his sentence, the group swarmed him. One of the beastmen, holding a bowl, immediately pressed it to his lips.
The old shaman struggled, trying to push the bowl away. “This is poison—” As a healer, he was skilled in identifying medicines. Just from the scent, he could tell that the liquid in the bowl was a deadly poison.
But his resistance was futile. The beastman who had been standing aside suddenly grabbed him by the throat and forced the poison into his mouth.
One man’s strength was no match for so many. The old shaman gradually lost the energy to struggle, his movements becoming sluggish.
Only when the masked beastman emptied the bowl did the group release him. Once they let go and realized they had truly killed the shaman, some of them hesitated, looking toward the first beastman who had appeared.
“What do we do now…?”
“The shaman is dead. The chief will kill us…”
“What are you afraid of?” The masked beastman sneered. “The shaman is gone. I am the new shaman now.”
“But what about the others outside…?” someone hesitated. The old shaman was dead, but he had many apprentices.
“I will handle it,” the masked beastman said.
Bai Tu could already guess what had happened. Bai Chi had mentioned before that some shamans and medicine apprentices had been killed. Their fate must have been the same as the old shaman’s. Bai Tu could already foresee what would happen when the old shaman’s apprentices returned.
The masked beastman led the group in smashing up the room before fleeing. Bai Tu vaguely heard them shouting something about the Beast God’s punishment.
Bai Tu looked at the old shaman left inside the cave. The poison was not acting immediately, but he was clutching his stomach in agony. Bai Tu wanted to pick up a nearby piece of beast hide to cover him, but just like before, his hand passed right through it.
At the same time, everything in front of him began to fade again. Already expecting it, Bai Tu did not move. When the scene finally disappeared, he found himself in a different cave.
The new cave was neither the long-abandoned one Bai Luo had visited nor the pristine one used by the old shaman for offerings. Instead, it was a hastily arranged and carelessly maintained cave.
Each tribe had different circumstances, but it was easy to tell whether care had been taken. This cave also had carvings of the Beast God on its walls, with a stone table and stone stools at the front, but it was clear that no one had cleaned it for a long time. However, footprints on the ground indicated recent activity.
A group of people entered from outside, led by the masked beastman Bai Tu had seen earlier. This time, Bai Tu got a clearer look—his appearance somewhat resemble someone Bai Tu knew: Wu Lai. However, since members of the same tribe often shared similar features, Bai Tu couldn’t immediately determine his identity. The people following the masked beastman weren’t the same ones who had captured the old shaman earlier. Judging by their hair colors, they likely belonged to different races.
They casually found places to sit down, and the masked beastman spoke first:
“Lord Wu Jiu from the East has already killed half of the old sub-beastmen. We need to move quickly.”
“If we wait until they find out, it will be too late.”
“That old thing in our tribe—we’ll get rid of him tomorrow.”
*
Bai Tu could only stand there and listen helplessly as they discussed how to kill the sub-beastmen shamans and fabricate a divine punishment from the Beast God. Once they finished their discussion and left, the cave returned to silence. Bai Tu stared at the carvings on the walls, finding the situation deeply ironic.
The old generation of shamans had devoted themselves to worshiping the Beast God, yet now, the very place of worship was being used to plot their murders. The faint patterns on the wall seemed to flicker twice. At the same time, the scene before Bai Tu shifted again. This time, he was no longer inside a cave but in a snowy landscape.
The snow on the Beast God Continent during winter was especially thick, often piling up higher than a person outside the tribes. Unless there was something more important than life itself, no one would venture out in winter.
Bai Tu gazed at the heavy snowfall. Even though he couldn’t physically feel the temperature, he could sense the biting cold just from the sight.
He was curious—what could possibly be happening in such a place?
Soon enough, two figures appeared in the distance, gradually approaching. The smaller figure spoke to the beastman beside him:
“I can make you a shaman, but you must take me with you.”
Upon hearing this, the beastman scoffed as if he had just heard the most ridiculous joke:
“You? Make me a shaman? You think you have that kind of power?”
Bai Tu found the voice familiar. After a moment of recollection, he realized—it was Wu Lai!
Then, who was the person beside him? Bai Tu looked closely and vaguely recognized traces of Hu Bu.
Looking around, the snow was too thick, and tree branches obstructed his view of any distant tribes. However, Bai Tu had a strong suspicion—this was likely near the Red Fox Tribe.
“I can kill Wu Zou. Once he’s dead, you’ll be the shaman.”
“You know about Wu Zou?” Wu Lai’s attitude shifted noticeably. He finally gave Hu Bu a serious look.
“I don’t just know about Wu Zou. I know about Wu Jiu too. I know many things. As long as you listen to me, you’re guaranteed to succeed.”
Wu Lai stared at the much younger beastman—more precisely, the sub-beast—in front of him. A glint of calculation flashed through his eyes. “Fine. I’ll listen to you.”
The moment Wu Lai finished speaking, Hu Bu let out a relieved sigh, as if a great burden had been lifted. “Take me away from the Red Fox Tribe.”
Bai Tu, holding the cubs in his arms, continued to observe the two. Hu Bu’s tone and knowledge seemed far beyond his actual age. Connecting this with previous events, Bai Tu began to suspect that Hu Bu, like himself, carried memories from another lifetime.
After the two left, the scene in front of Bai Tu changed once again. Having experienced this so many times, he was no longer surprised. He glanced down at the cubs to check their condition. Once he confirmed they were fine, he turned his attention to the new surroundings.
“Hmm?” Bai Tu was slightly surprised—it was the Blood Wolf Tribe’s territory. This time, however, the season was not winter, and a familiar mountain range could be seen in the distance.
He noticed that the Blood Wolf Tribe had fewer members compared to when he visited two years ago, and there were not as many caves in the mountains. As he was pondering this, someone descended from the mountain. When the person reached the bottom, Bai Tu got a clear look—it was Bai Luo.
Bai Luo seemed to hold a high status in the tribe, confirming Bai Tu and Bai Chi’s previous speculation—Bai Luo was the shaman of the Blood Wolf Tribe.
The wolves at the foot of the mountain handed over food to Bai Luo, who only kept a few fruits. Bai Tu moved closer. He and Bai Luo had similar tastes, both preferring to avoid eating pure meat. Hei Xiao was the same—or perhaps it was a common trait among sub-beastmen.
After collecting the food, Bai Luo turned to leave but suddenly seemed to sense something. He glanced in Bai Tu’s direction.
At first, Bai Tu thought Bai Luo was looking at him, but he quickly realized that wasn’t the case—Bai Luo was looking even farther away.
“The hunting party hasn’t returned yet?” Bai Luo asked.
“Not yet. shaman, do you need to speak with the chief? I’ll call for him right away!” one of the wolves responded. Wolves had powerful voices that could carry over long distances—if they called out from the base of the mountain, any wolf within the territory would hear.
“No need,” Bai Luo stopped him. Then, he looked again in that direction and frowned. “Has anyone entered our territory recently?”
“Someone might have passed by yesterday?” The wolf scratched his head. Usually, if someone was just passing by the outskirts of their territory, the wolves wouldn’t pay much attention. Their only concern was their land—what happened outside was not their problem.
“When did the patrol team set out?” Bai Luo asked a few more questions, his expression growing darker with each answer. Finally, he instructed, “Summon all the beastmen in the tribe and patrol the territory’s surroundings.”
A shaman’s orders had to be followed, even by the tribe’s chief. The wolves listened carefully and responded, “Understood, shaman.” Then, they shifted into their beast forms and howled toward the mountain.
Their call was met with an overwhelming response—countless wolves quickly descended from the mountain, rushing toward the outskirts of the territory.
Bai Tu noticed that, at this point in time, there were more white wolves in the tribe than he had previously seen. In the present day, the wolves were mostly black and gray, but here, there were almost no gray wolves—only black and white ones.
Suddenly, his vision blurred, and he was involuntarily transported to a different location.
Outside the tribe, countless wolves were engaged in battle with warriors from several other races.
Beyond the battlefield, the leaders of both sides stood facing each other. One stood with a group of over ten beastmen, while the other stood alone.
Bai Tu looked closely—this lone warrior bore a striking resemblance to Lang Qi, at least by five parts. From this, Bai Tu immediately knew who he was.
Lang Qi’s father.
The beastman, who had brought over a dozen men for support, spoke up: “Lang Huo, hand over the shaman, and we’ll spare your tribe.”
Lang Huo looked at him with disdain. “Keep dreaming.”
Seeing that Lang Huo wasn’t taking him seriously, the orc glanced around maliciously and deliberately raised his voice: “So, is it true what they say? That you and your tribe’s shaman are… involved?”
“Nonsense!” Lang Huo erupted in fury. The wolves, who had been locked in battle, immediately turned to attack the beastman who had spoken. In their tribe, the shaman was the highest-ranking individual, responsible for healing and praying to the Beast God. There was no way they would tolerate such slander against their leader and healer.
A snow-white wolf leaped past Lang Huo, lunging at the opposing leader. At the same time, the enemy leader’s men surrounded it.
Lang Huo shifted into his beast form and charged into the fray. He was skilled in combat, but the opposing warriors were larger and stronger in their beast forms. Outside the chaos, wolves clashed with orcs in a brutal melee.
This was the first time Bai Tu had witnessed a battle between beastmen up close. Even though he wasn’t physically involved, the experience was deeply unsettling.
He averted his gaze and suddenly caught sight of another figure—Bai Luo.
Bai Luo had been watching from the sidelines for an unknown amount of time. Seeing that the Blood Wolf Tribe’s leader and his mate were about to be overwhelmed, he suddenly spoke: “I will go with you.”
At his words, the enemy warriors fighting the wolves abruptly halted, and the wolves also ceased their attacks, turning their attention to Bai Luo.
“No!” The white wolf leading the tribe transformed into her human form. The thick fur of her beast shape now wrapped around her, covering her completely. She glanced at the enemy warriors and said coldly, “This time, you use the shaman as an excuse. Next time, what will it be?”
Demanding their shaman was nothing more than a pretense for war. Even without the shaman, these enemies would simply find another excuse to invade the Blood Wolf Tribe.
The enemy leader, panting from his wounds, bared his teeth. “Chief Lang Shui, we genuinely want to invite the shaman to our tribe—hiss—” Even with assistance, he was covered in injuries. He lowered his head slightly to conceal the malice in his eyes. Taking the shaman would be his achievement. Later, he would return with twice as many warriors to wipe out the wolf tribe.
“Enough. I will go with you,” Bai Luo interrupted. His expression was calm, as if he had already accepted his fate. Then he addressed Lang Huo and Lang Shui, “You must never speak of this to anyone. From now on, the Blood Wolf Tribe has no shaman. We never had one.”
Lang Shui wanted to protest, but Bai Luo shook his head and whispered two sentences in her ear.
Whatever he said made her fall silent.
Bai Luo then turned and walked toward the mixed group of warriors.
“shaman, this way—” The enemy leader sneered, his tone dripping with mockery.
Bai Luo showed no reaction and simply followed them away.
Once the enemy had left, the wolves began tending to their wounds. The two leaders, however, ignored their own injuries, their eyes fixed on the departing figures.
“Chief, when will the shaman return?” A limping wolf approached Lang Huo and Lang Shui.
The enemy had outnumbered them several times over. Now, every surviving wolf bore wounds of some kind. They had left their shaman behind at the tribe before setting out. How had Bai Luo even made it all the way here?
“He won’t be coming back,” Lang Shui murmured.
In today’s Beast God Continent, every tribe was facing the same crisis.
Some claimed that shamans had failed to properly worship the Beast God and were being punished. Others said that the Beast God had grown to despise all sub-beasts.
Before he left, Bai Luo had only one request for Lang Shui—to take good care of the tribe’s young ones.
For the past few years, the number of cubs in the tribe had multiplied. Everyone had looked forward to the tribe’s growth. But now… Thinking about the state of the Beast God Continent, Lang Shui suddenly felt uncertain about the wolves’ future.
Chasing after a group that outnumbered them several times over—there was no need to guess the outcome. Bai Luo had been taken away.
A sense of powerlessness rose in Lang Shui. The shaman had protected them, but they had failed to protect him.
She looked back at the young ones of the tribe, then at the direction their enemy had gone. Slowly, she stood up.
“We’re going back.”
Someday, she would make them pay.
Bai Tu stood not far from Lang Shui and caught a glimpse of the hatred in her eyes.
Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind.
Lang Qi had never spoken about his mother.
And most of the older wolves in the tribe… were gone.
Looking at the proportion of white wolves in the group, Bai Tu turned to where Bai Luo had just stood.
Bai Luo had foreseen what was going to happen, which was why he had stood there, deep in thought. If he didn’t leave with those people, the wolf tribe would be besieged. If he went with them, Lang Shui would eventually find an opportunity to take revenge. No matter what he chose, the final outcome was already set.
The only difference was the timing.
Bai Tu could guess that the last thing Bai Luo said to Lang Shui was meant to hold her back. But seeing Lang Shui’s expression, the wolves’ silence regarding past events, and the fact that Bai Tu had never heard those names mentioned again, it was clear—Lang Shui had gone after them in the end. Yet, she had managed to secure several years of peace for this land. Even though the Black Forest Tribe had persecuted countless others and Wu Jiu had his leg broken by Lang Qi, Wu Jiu never made a move against the wolves.
The wolf tribe rarely started trouble, but they never let go of grudges. Once they bore one, it would be a fight to the death.
Bai Tu didn’t know how many people Lang Shui had killed in the end, but judging by the fact that no one dared touch the wolf tribe afterward, it had to be a considerable number. Otherwise, given Wu Jiu’s personality, if someone provoked them like that, he would have definitely retaliated against the wolves.
After Lang Shui and the others left, Bai Tu remained in place for a long time. The scene didn’t change again, signaling that everything was over.
Just as he lifted his foot to take a step toward the wolves, the world suddenly spun around him. His surroundings shifted once more.
This time, though, the place felt familiar. Bai Tu looked at the houses in front of him—wasn’t this his tribe’s residential area?
No, something was different. Bai Tu quickly noticed that it wasn’t exactly the same—it was larger, as if it had expanded over time. If his tribe continued to develop for a few more years, it might grow into something similar.
Where was this? Bai Tu frowned. Based on the pattern of the visions so far, everything he had seen had followed a reverse chronological order. This place should be from years in the future. Did that mean a tribe had already developed to this extent even before the persecution of shamans and sub-beasts? Had the Beast God Continent suddenly regressed by decades?
Something didn’t feel right. Bai Tu shook his head, sensing that he was missing something.
The next second, someone stepped out of one of the buildings.
Bai Tu froze.
It was Hei Yan—or rather, Hei Yan from a few years in the future.
Bai Tu studied him closely. He seemed steadier and more composed than before. Confused, Bai Tu wondered, Why am I seeing Hei Yan in my dream?
As soon as the question arose, he saw the answer—because standing behind Hei Yan was Hei Xiao.
Hei Xiao hadn’t changed as noticeably as Hei Yan—he looked almost the same as he did now. After stepping out of the room, Hei Xiao spoke:
“One of the people we took in recently seems suspicious. He ended up with the weaving team—his name is Hu Bu. I’ve had someone keep an eye on him. Later, Tu and I will go check it out. If anyone reports something, make sure to handle it. Qi will definitely insist on going with Tu.”
As he gave his instructions, he took a moment to complain about Lang Qi’s clinginess.
How had he ever thought Bai Tu needed someone more stable? What was so great about that? If anything, it just made him more dependent.
Hei Yan asked, “Why not just kick him out?”
“No solid evidence,” Hei Xiao explained.
Every beastman who enters the tribe is required to follow certain rules. While they have the authority to make adjustments, it wasn’t something they could abuse—otherwise, they could just expel people they didn’t like and keep the ones they did. That would create chaos.
Hu Bu was supposedly an apprentice of a captured fake shaman. According to his own testimony and others’, the fake shaman had been abusing him since childhood. In similar past cases, their tribe’s approach had always been to provide comfort and guidance, helping victims move past their trauma. The same should have applied to Hu Bu. But Hei Xiao had a feeling that something was off about him.
Bai Tu followed the two as they walked and talked, observing his surroundings. The residential area truly resembled his tribe’s, but the matters they were discussing were things that would never happen in his own tribe. After all, all the fake shamans had already been caught, and Hu Bu had never been imprisoned by them—he had willingly helped those fake shamans harm others and had already been captured long ago.
Following the two men into an even larger building, Bai Tu saw someone rush over to report to Hei Xiao.
“Hu Bu went to Lord Lang Qi. He was probably being watched by the beastman Hei Xiao sent.”
Hei Xiao’s expression darkened. He already disliked Lang Qi, but no matter how much he disapproved, Lang Qi was still his younger brother’s partner. What was Hu Bu trying to do?
Face cold, Hei Xiao followed the beastman toward Lang Qi’s location.
Bai Tu glanced down and noticed the curious young cubs peeking outside upon hearing Hei Xiao’s voice. He followed along as well.
Inside, Hu Bu’s voice carried through the air:
“Lord Lang Qi, Bai Tu has multiple partners. Are you really okay with that?”
“Lord Lang Qi, Bai Tu doesn’t love you enough.”
“Bai Tu is with Lord Shi Su right now…”
“I even saw Shi Lin and Lu Ming go over. The two were arguing about who Bai Tu favors more. Lord Lang Qi, aren’t you angry?”
Bai Tu: “…???”
What nonsense was this? How did so many people suddenly get involved?
As for the so-called “argument” over favoritism, Bai Tu didn’t even need to think—it was definitely another tribal dispute over resources.
At this point, he was certain—this was not his tribe a few years in the future. It was a parallel world. The tribe had been built earlier, and now they were in the process of capturing those who used the title of “shaman” for their own gain.
Realizing this, Bai Tu’s doubts vanished. In fact, he even had a guess—could Hu Bu have traveled from here to his reality? If so, that would explain how he was so young yet knew about events happening outside the tribes.
Inside, Lang Qi acted as if he hadn’t heard Hu Bu, remaining silent.
Meanwhile, at the door, Hei Xiao had already kicked it open.
Inside the room, Lang Qi was sitting at his desk, drenched in sweat. He was gripping something tightly in his hand, and a corner of the stone table in front of him had been chipped off.
Seeing Lang Qi in this state, Hei Xiao didn’t hesitate—he immediately went into the inner room, grabbed a piece of clothing, and threw it onto Lang Qi.
The moment the fabric touched him, Lang Qi instantly transformed into his beast form.
Hei Yan, on the other hand, grabbed Hu Bu and dragged him outside.
“Stay here. I’m going to find Tu!” Hei Xiao said before rushing out the door. Soon, the sound of crashing and shuffling filled the room.
Bai Tu hadn’t left, so he saw everything.
Lang Qi was struggling to suppress something—his condition was strikingly similar to when he had been drugged before.
Bai Tu frowned. As expected, Hu Bu was a disaster in any timeline.
Without Bai Tu by his side, Lang Qi was like a caged beast breaking free. Only when the clothing touched him could he barely maintain control.
Bai Tu was anxious but powerless. He couldn’t touch Lang Qi, and Lang Qi couldn’t see him.
Soon, a commotion of hurried footsteps came from outside, accompanied by Hei Xiao’s voice:
“I’ve led everyone outside away from Qi’s room. He’s already in beast form. Go check on him. I’ll get the transport ready—we’ll take you two to the mountains immediately. Winter this year is probably going to be worse than last year, so I don’t think you should bring the cubs.”
Then, Bai Tu heard his own voice:
“Brother, sorry for the trouble.”
Another rush of footsteps followed, and then Hei Xiao’s grumbling:
“The wolves and their stubborn habits…”
Hearing their exchange, Bai Tu felt relieved. Hei Xiao’s words meant this wasn’t the first time Lang Qi had gone through this, and they already had a plan to handle it.
Even Hei Xiao still had time to complain, which meant things weren’t as bad as they seemed. At least, they weren’t as severe as before.
Bai Tu looked at Lang Qi, now in his beast form.
Back when Lang Qi had been drugged, he had always clung to Bai Tu, rarely changing into human form, preferring to stay in his beast form—and refusing to let Bai Tu be near anyone else.
Lang Qi’s condition now was about the same as before, which reassured Bai Tu. Since there was no danger to his life, and Hei Xiao and the others had already encountered this situation multiple times, there was nothing to worry about.
From Hei Xiao’s words, it seemed that this winter, Bai Tu and Lang Qi would be spending time alone somewhere. Hei Xiao was extremely displeased with Lang Qi’s recurring condition, which always delayed his schedule.
Whenever Bai Tu and Lang Qi left the tribe, Hei Xiao had to travel back and forth frequently between the tribe and their retreat, sometimes even bringing the young cubs along. Worse still, he had to avoid Lang Qi while doing so— even though they were biological brothers, they still had to sneak around each other.
Shortly after the noises outside stopped, the door to the room opened. Bai Tu looked toward the entrance, but before he could clearly see his future self, a powerful force suddenly yanked him out of the room.
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself outside the tribe.
The difference between inside and outside the residential area was stark. Although it was winter, there was barely any snow on the roads inside the tribe. In addition to regular cleaning, many areas had awnings that reduced the amount of snow that fell onto the ground.
Bai Tu glanced around—no one would be outside in this weather. Just as he was about to head back, he suddenly saw a large bird flying out from within the tribe.
When it flew directly overhead, Bai Tu recognized it— it was Hei Yan. And in Hei Yan’s grasp was none other than Hu Bu.
Hei Yan was clearly not pleased about having to work overtime in the freezing cold. He held onto Hu Bu’s arms carelessly, not bothering to check if he was hurting him, and flew straight out of the tribe.
Bai Tu followed. Thanks to the strange nature of this dream or parallel space, he felt no resistance walking through the snow— in fact, it was as if he were walking on top of it, weightless.
If he wasn’t mistaken, this felt like moving in a spirit form.
It was quite an interesting sensation. Even though he was walking on the ground, his speed was nearly as fast as flying.
After a long flight, Hei Yan finally stopped.
Ahead, Bai Tu saw a tall outer wall—this was clearly the boundary of the territory.
As expected, Hei Yan tossed Hu Bu over the wall, exiling him from the tribe. Before leaving, he coldly added:
“Don’t ever come back to the Hundred Beasts Tribe!”
Then, without a moment’s hesitation, he spread his wings and flew off.
Hu Bu struggled to his feet, and Bai Tu finally understood why he had remained silent this whole time— his mouth had been stuffed with something.
Spitting it out, Hu Bu glared venomously at Hei Yan’s fading silhouette. When Hei Yan completely disappeared from view, his gaze turned toward the tribe’s residential area.
From outside the walls, he could see nothing—only the banner of the Hundred Beasts Tribe waving in the wind.
Hu Bu’s expression grew even darker as he seethed:
“Bai Tu, Lang Qi, Hei Xiao, Hei Yan… I won’t let any of you off…”
His hatred deepened as he clenched his fists.
“Why?! Why do all of you get to live so well?!”
“And yet I was nothing more than a plaything for that fake shaman?!”
His voice dripped with resentment.
“Don’t think I don’t know— you’re all just mocking me! You pretend to help me while secretly laughing at me, looking down on me!”
Hu Bu’s muttering grew more deranged.
“You did it on purpose… You knew I was forced to serve that fake shaman… You knew I had to stitch together beast skins for him… and then you had the audacity to place me in the weaving team?”
His voice dropped to a venomous whisper, repeating the same words over and over like a curse:
“You all deserve to die… Everyone who laughed at me deserves to die… Die, die, die!”
Bai Tu, listening to his rant, was speechless.
Even though he hadn’t seen all the details of this tribe’s situation, he could still make a reasonable guess based on his own reality.
In his version of the Hundred Beasts Tribe, the weaving team’s work wasn’t any different from other essential tasks. It was a necessary job for the tribe’s survival.
And yet, Hu Bu twisted everything in his mind— refusing to see reality and blaming others for his own fate.
The cloth was something only their tribe could produce, and from Hu Bu’s words, Bai Tu also realized that the fake shaman Hu Bu had been in contact with was also wearing beast skins.
Such an important job, and yet was it really just because Hu Bu believed he was being targeted that this task was assigned to him?
No matter how Bai Tu thought about it, it seemed impossible. He rolled his eyes. He now understood that there was no reasoning with someone like this. No matter what you did, they would always interpret it as mocking or framing them.
Sure enough, after mentioning the weaving team, Hu Bu began to complain about other things. He accused Bai Tu of deliberately ignoring him, making him stand outside for a long time just to flirt with other male beasts, intentionally showing off in front of him.
Bai Tu: “??”
Even though he couldn’t see himself in this situation, he was absolutely certain that what Hu Bu was saying wasn’t true.
As for flirting, did he have Lang Qi’s permission to say such things?
Now Bai Tu understood why Lang Qi had preferred to crush the table’s corner rather than act out earlier. The onset of his condition was one thing, but he was likely also struggling to control himself from losing his composure. Bai Tu vaguely remembered Hei Xiao mentioning this before, though he hadn’t said much. Once a beast had tasted blood, they became more uncontrollable and took longer to recover.
Lang Qi’s current state was somewhat similar to that of a fallen beast, with the key difference being that Lang Qi still had control over himself. He probably understood the consequences of his actions, which was why he didn’t kill Hu Bu. It wasn’t that he couldn’t bring himself to kill him, but rather that after taking a life and seeing blood, it would be easy to lose control. Lang Qi’s real concern was that he might hurt others.
Bai Tu wasn’t interested in Hu Bu’s ongoing complaints on the ground. He already had a good idea of what had happened. Hu Bu’s so-called flirting was likely about Bai Tu organizing matters for the other tribes.
After all, according to Hei Xiao, they were planning to leave today, which meant Bai Tu definitely had to arrange everything within the tribe, as well as the cooperation with other tribes.
It was likely that while he was busy handling these matters, he made Hu Bu wait for a while, and Hu Bu mistook it for intentional neglect.
Bai Tu didn’t want to listen anymore because the more he heard, the angrier he got. He petted the little wolf cub in his arms, feeling like he had stayed in the dream for far too long.
He had learned everything now, so wasn’t it time to leave?
But how should he leave… Bai Tu looked around; everything was covered in snow, and there wasn’t a single beastman in sight. He looked up to the sky—no birds, not to mention the Feather Tribe. In the past, whenever he felt sleepy, a nap would be enough, but now Bai Tu didn’t feel sleepy at all. Even if he closed his eyes, he couldn’t fall asleep. He wasn’t sure how long it would take to feel tired, so he couldn’t just rely on the same method. What should he do then?
Bai Tu glanced down at the cub and decided to try another method.
After all, he couldn’t have just appeared here out of nowhere. Bai Tu knew himself well. If it were his own ability, he would have noticed by now, but he hadn’t. Thinking about what had happened recently, especially the events before and after the construction of the Beast God Temple, Bai Tu hesitated and spoke, “Could you please take me outside?”
A grunt echoed from above, and this time Bai Tu heard it clearly—it was the same cold grunt from before, sounding like the other party was quite displeased with him.
Bai Tu was still contemplating what to do when he vaguely heard a soft “Alright,” a voice he often heard. However, the second response was so faint compared to the previous grunt that he almost didn’t catch it. Bai Tu whispered, “Father?” If this voice belonged to Bai Luo, then it must be his father.
Bai Tu didn’t know what was happening, only that everything went dark in front of him, and the next moment, his eyes opened. The sky outside hadn’t changed at all since he had fallen asleep. Bai Tu got up, holding the sleeping cub, and walked outside.
“Aren’t you going to rest a bit?” Lang Qi was still cooking.
“I’ve rested enough.” Bai Tu walked over to Lang Qi and asked, “What’s special about the wolf tribe?” He felt like he had missed something important.
Another cold grunt sounded in his ears.
At the same time, Lang Qi glanced at the cub and softly asked Bai Tu, “Do you want a new cub?”
Bai Tu: “??”
Thank you for the chapter!