Building a Civilization and Raising Cubs in the Beast World – CH18

Chapter 18

The last three words Lang Ze said were directed at his brother, clearly seeking his agreement.

Lang Qi, however, remained silent, staring at Lang Ze with a look of mild disbelief. Is this really my brother? He then glanced at Bai Tu but ultimately chose to say nothing.

When Lang Ze didn’t get a response from his older brother, he didn’t seem to mind. He continued confessing to Bai Tu, “Hu Bu also said you’d steal supplies from every tribe. He claimed that we wouldn’t even have food left by the time you were done.”

Lang Ze finished speaking and then looked Bai Tu up and down, taking in his pale skin and skinny limbs. Shaking his head, he added, “There’s no way you could steal from us. You’re too weak—my brother could knock you over with one paw.”

Bai Tu’s expression turned complicated. “…Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

Originally, Bai Tu had just been trying to get some information out of Lang Ze. 

He hadn’t expected the wolf to be so honest—he wasn’t holding back a single word! 

From the reactions of Lang Qi and Lang Ze, it was clear that neither of them believed Hu Bu’s nonsense. When Lang Qi had arrived at the Snow Rabbit Tribe the previous day, he had been stern and cold. While his expression remained unreadable now, at least he no longer seemed hostile.

Gaining the trust of the wolves was certainly a relief, but the way that trust was being demonstrated… well, it was better than becoming their enemy. Bai Tu decided to console himself with that thought.

Nearby, Bai An listened to the exchange with a growing sense of dread. Just as they had suspected! 

Thankfully, the Blood Wolf Tribe didn’t believe Hu Bu’s lies. If Lang Qi had trusted Hu Bu’s accusations, the Snow Rabbit Tribe’s future would have been bleak. The wolves rarely caused trouble for others, but no one dared to offend them either.

Bai Tu, meanwhile, was focused on something else. “So you actually met Hu Bu?” According to Tu Xun’s earlier report, the wolves hadn’t found Hu Bu before leaving the lions’ territory. But based on Lang Ze’s words, it sounded like they had spoken face-to-face.

Lang Ze rubbed his face, his tone a mix of frustration and disappointment. “We did, but we couldn’t catch him. He got away.” Failing to capture the one responsible for killing his family clearly weighed heavily on Lang Ze.

Lang Qi, who had been walking slightly ahead, slowed his pace, subtly putting some distance between himself and his younger brother.

Bai Tu glanced back at the rest of the group. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something about this situation didn’t quite add up. 

Lang Ze hadn’t been among the wolves who visited the Snow Rabbit Tribe the day before, which meant the wolves had split into at least two groups. 

With so many members involved, why hadn’t they managed to capture Hu Bu? Was it because they didn’t want to risk unnecessary casualties, or was there another reason entirely? Or perhaps it was a combination of both? Whatever the case, only Lang Qi would know for sure.

*

The mountain range was lush with greenery, and the dense forest made the area cooler than the Snow Rabbit Tribe’s territory. The lower temperature, combined with Lang Ze’s constant chatter, made the half-day of walking pass by quickly for Bai Tu.

The group eventually stopped at the base of a mountain, the first they needed to climb. The mountain wasn’t as large as the ones near the Snow Rabbit Tribe’s home, but it was much harder to traverse. 

Unlike the well-worn paths of their home territory, which even had steps carved into steeper sections, this mountain was covered in dense vegetation, with almost no clear footholds. And this was after weeks of drought—when the forest was at its peak, the vegetation would be even thicker.

The salt trade teams were clearly accustomed to this kind of terrain. They knew exactly how long it would take to cross the mountain and had planned accordingly. 

The team stopped at a spot near a water source at the foot of the mountain. About ten wolves and six or seven rabbits followed Bai An upstream to fetch water. Most of the beastfolk carried large bamboo tubes, big enough to fit a fist inside, which they used to store water. The heat of the day had already drained their supply, and everyone was thirsty.

The remaining beastfolk split into two groups. One gathered branches for firewood, while the other, under Lang Qi’s command, cleared an area of vegetation to make space for a camp.

This was the first time Bai Tu had eaten outside of the Snow Rabbit Tribe’s territory. His first impression was that everyone here had a good sense of fire safety.

As if reading his thoughts, Lang Ze bounded over to explain. “My brother says this is the best way to avoid big fires. The Mad Lion Tribe burned down an entire mountain the year before last—just over there—and killed off all the big trees.”

Bai Tu: “…” He hadn’t expected that.

Lang Ze sighed. “We’ll pass by it tomorrow. It’s the hottest mountain now.”

Bai Tu quickly understood what Lang Ze meant. 

The salt trade teams always chose heavily forested routes because the trees provided shade, keeping the temperature down. But a mountain stripped of trees was a different story. Even though two years had passed since the fire, the newly grown trees were nothing like the towering old ones. With no cover, travelers would have to endure direct sunlight the entire way.

If he had known this earlier, Bai Tu would have asked Tu Cai and the others to weave some straw hats. However, it wasn’t too late—this forest was full of plants that could be used for weaving.

*

The Snow Rabbit Tribe had been traveling since midnight, and the Blood Wolf Tribe, though they had started later, had now been walking for half a day as well. By this point, nearly everyone was hungry, so the work of clearing the campsite and gathering firewood went faster than usual.

Once the clearing was ready, two wolf beastfolk began preparing to start a fire using grass fibers.

Bai Tu approached Bai Qi and took out the fire starter he’d brought in his backpack. He removed the cover from the bamboo tube.

“Whoosh—” As air entered the tube, the embers inside flared into a small flame.

The wolves: “!!!”
The rabbits: “!!!”

Other than Bai An and Bai Qi, who had seen Bai Tu’s fire starter before, this was everyone else’s first time witnessing it. Watching a seemingly ordinary bamboo tube suddenly produce fire left them all stunned.

Lang Ze, who hadn’t paid much attention to the bamboo tube earlier, initially assumed it was just for storing salt or something similar. But when the flame appeared, he jumped back in surprise. 

Seeing that the flame was no larger than a fingernail and wasn’t spreading, his curiosity took over. His eyes were glued to the bamboo tube, and he looked like he wanted to take it apart to figure out how it worked.

The other beastfolk were less obvious in their reactions, but it was clear they were just as shocked.

Bai Tu used the fire starter to light a nearby pile of branches. Once the fire was going, he covered the bamboo tube again, reducing the oxygen inside and causing the flame to turn back into embers.

Within moments, the fire problem was solved, leaving most of the beastfolk in awe.

Lang Ze, standing nearby, hesitated. He wanted to ask to borrow the fire starter to examine it, but he guessed that something so important wouldn’t be easily handed over.

Bai Tu carefully put away the bamboo tube but couldn’t help noticing Lang Ze scratching his head and staring at the fire starter with a conflicted expression. 

Smiling, Bai Tu handed it over. “This is a fire starter. It keeps embers alive, making it easier to start fires during travel. One of these can last for up to two days.” 

This was something he had tested repeatedly back at the tribe. He had made a total of twenty bamboo fire starters of the same size, each holding two sticks of dry grass. Once the grass was burned out, they could simply replace it with fresh kindling, ensuring the fire starters would last the entire trip.

Bai Tu hadn’t intended to keep the fire starter a secret. The journey to and from the marketplace would take more than ten days, and it wasn’t practical to use it in secret every time. Plus, there was another reason—his tribe needed an ally.

The prices of newly-made jerky and the tools they were trading for the first time weren’t fixed, meaning the value of the goods they traded at the marketplace could vary greatly. 

Bai Tu had already asked Bai Qi about this earlier, and Bai Qi explained that only the price of fresh meat was relatively stable. Everything else was subject to negotiation, and prices could vary depending on the tribe doing the trading.

In simple terms, the harder your fists, the stronger your bargaining position. 

This didn’t mean literal fighting but rather that other tribes would evaluate the strength of your tribe before deciding whether to offer a better price. For the same item, the Snow Rabbit Tribe would get less in trade compared to the Blood Wolf Tribe.

Bai Tu planned to “borrow” some of the Blood Wolf Tribe’s influence—not arbitrarily or excessively, of course, since that kind of behavior was usually reserved for subordinate tribes. Bai Tu wanted the two tribes to form a partnership of equals. 

The more useful the rabbits were to the wolves, the greater the chance of fostering a cooperative relationship. This was also Bai An’s goal. After realizing that the wolves bore no ill will toward them, both leaders decided to make efforts to strengthen this potential alliance.

Lang Ze examined the fire starter in his hands, turning it over to inspect its ordinary-looking bamboo exterior. After a moment, he shook his head and handed it back to Bai Tu.

Bai Tu put it away and said, “I’ll teach you how to make it when we return.” 

Since time was tight on the way to the marketplace—food supplies didn’t last forever, and arriving early meant better trades—there wasn’t room for delays. 

The group had already departed a day later than planned, so every moment counted. However, the return trip wouldn’t be as rushed, and salt was much lighter to carry than food. They could take their time, and Bai Tu could teach the wolves while they traveled.

Of course, Bai Tu had another motive behind his words. By offering to teach the wolves on the return trip, he ensured that they would travel back together. Lang Ze, delighted by the offer, didn’t notice the deeper meaning behind the statement.

*

The beastfolk who had gone to fetch water soon returned. 

The Snow Rabbit Tribe had already set up a stone pot, ready to boil the water. Bai An, familiar with the area, knew exactly which sections of the stream had the cleanest water. The water poured into the stone pot was as clear and drinkable as what they usually consumed in the tribe.

The wolves, on the other hand, simply took the water and prepared to drink it directly. Seeing the rabbits boiling their water, they paused, momentarily stunned.

Lang Ze, who was sitting closest to Bai Tu, stared at the large pot of water in front of him and asked in surprise, “Bai Tu, do you rabbits drink hot water in the summer?” His tribe only drank hot water in the winter. No wonder his second brother had said the rabbits were a fragile species.

Bai Qi answered the question. “Drinking raw water can make you sick. If you boil it first, you won’t get a stomachache.” At first, even Bai Qi wasn’t used to it, but after eating meals prepared by Bai Tu for half a month, he had stopped drinking raw water altogether.

Bai Qi’s voice was loud enough for everyone to hear, and since all the cooking fires were lit in one shared space, every beastfolk around the camp caught his words. 

The wolves, now holding their bamboo tubes of unboiled water, suddenly hesitated. They exchanged uncertain glances, then turned their eyes to Lang Qi.

Stomachaches were something they were familiar with. Every year, someone on the salt trade route fell sick, and many of the wolves had experienced it themselves. This hesitation showed they were seriously considering the advice.

For the wolves, any moment of indecision was resolved by their leader. Lang Qi always had the final say, and his decisions were absolute. For example, when he had ordered the wolves to keep watch around the lion territory yesterday without directly attacking, no one had questioned him.

Lang Qi glanced at Bai Tu, then gave his verdict. “Boil it first.”

Hearing the order, the wolves immediately turned their attention to the rabbits.

It couldn’t be helped—wolves usually drank raw water and ate roasted meat, so they hadn’t brought any pots with them on this trip.

Of course, the rabbits didn’t mind lending a hand. Bai An quickly arranged for the Snow Rabbit Tribe to share a few stone pots. “You can drink from the pot water first, and when we’re eating, we’ll boil more for you to take along.”

The combined group now numbered over 120 beastfolk, but because Lang Qi and Bai An were both strong leaders, everything proceeded in an orderly fashion. 

The wolves began roasting pre-prepared cuts of meat. Since it was inconvenient to handle raw meat on the road, the wolves had already skinned and deboned their meat back at the tribe, bringing only the final cuts.

The rabbits, meanwhile, pulled out braised meat that they had prepared two days earlier. The meat was ready to eat and stored well, making it a perfect choice for travel. Bai Tu had planned ahead to ensure the tribe had convenient and durable food for the journey.

The wolves looked at their roasting meat and then at the rabbits, who were already eating their braised meat. Finally, their eyes turned once again to Lang Qi.

Lang Qi: “???”