Chapter 190
Actually, this little wolf cub had shown a talent for being talkative early on. Bai Tu still remembered that during his first dream, the gray cub was the one who cried out the most, while the black one was relatively silent. Nothing had changed since then. Bai Tu kissed the young cub again and was about to get up with them when Lang Qi arrived, carrying Lang Sui and Lang Ying in his arms.
The moment he entered the room and saw the three extra cubs in Bai Tu’s arms, Lang Qi’s pupils contracted. But then, noticing that the bed beside them was empty, the coldness on his face disappeared.
Bai Tu didn’t notice his change in demeanor and waved, “Qi, the cubs have turned human!” The timing of a cub’s transformation into human form was not fixed—usually around three years old. However, one thing was certain: transforming into a human meant they had successfully passed the most dangerous stage of their infancy.
No matter the race, the early years were always the most perilous. Seeing the cubs successfully transform into human form made Bai Tu genuinely happy. He gestured for Lang Qi to place Lang Sui and Lang Ying on the bed.
Looking at the cubs sitting in a row, Bai Tu felt a slight regret. “If only I had a camera.” He had managed to adapt to many things in this world, but advanced technology like cameras was beyond his reach. He could only rely on memory. Perhaps, when he had time, he could practice drawing and, one day, capture this scene on paper. As for now, he didn’t dare to try—these cubs were so adorable that he doubted he could do them justice.
The nearly three-year age gap was quite noticeable. It was clear that Lang Sui and Lang Ying were older than their younger brothers. Bai Tu kissed them one by one. “From now on, you all have to be good and listen.”
The cubs nodded obediently.
Unable to resist, Bai Tu kissed them again. Who could refuse such beautiful and well-behaved little ones? With them all gathered together, he could directly compare their features.
Although Lang Sui and Lang Ying were his nephews, they shared a resemblance with Lang Qi. As for the younger ones, their similarity to Bai Tu and Lang Qi was unevenly distributed, just like their fur colors.
The black wolf was almost an exact miniature of Lang Qi, as if they were carved from the same mold. The white wolf, on the other hand, looked just like Bai Tu when he was a child. As for the gray wolf, he was one-third like Bai Tu, one-third like Lang Qi, and the remaining… well, better left unsaid.
Lang Qi’s gaze lingered on the gray wolf for a moment before shifting to the other two. Finally, he reached out toward the smallest cub.
The white wolf was busy studying the buttons on his clothes. Noticing a shadow looming over him, he looked up to see Lang Qi. Startled, he quietly scooted backward, seeking refuge with Bai Tu.
The gray wolf stared at Lang Qi for a moment, then nudged his second younger brother toward him.
The gray wolf had been practicing the four tones of “Dad.” Suddenly confronted with his serious father, his voice wavered as he called out, “Baba!”
Lang Qi remained silent. He was long used to the cubs treating him differently, and he felt nothing about it.
Bai Tu reassured him, “They’ll come to you in a few days.” The cubs compared the people around them based on who was available. Right now, it was just Bai Tu and Lang Qi, so they naturally clung to Bai Tu. But once Bai Tu was away and others came to care for them, they would start seeking out Lang Qi as well.
Lang Qi didn’t respond, merely tapping the cub’s forehead as a subtle reprimand for his disobedient sons.
Bai Tu saw that Lang Qi hadn’t used any force, so he didn’t say anything.
Just as he was about to breathe a sigh of relief, The gray wolf suddenly seemed to remember something amusing and grabbed onto Lang Qi’s hand. “Bad Daddy! Stinky Brother!”
Bai Tu: “?”
Wait—where did he learn that?
With quick reflexes, Bai Tu scooped The gray wolf into his arms, suddenly questioning life itself. At the same time, he tried to plead on the cub’s behalf. “He’s still young, still young! Wait until he grows up before punishing him!”
He had always believed that the smarter a cub was, the faster they should learn. But now, looking at the current situation, he realized that learning too quickly might not be such a good thing—because the cub had no idea how dangerous those words could be.
Lang Qi glanced at the little cub. He wasn’t actually going to do anything. But just because he couldn’t punish the cub didn’t mean he couldn’t punish someone else.
Lang Ze, who had been sent out on a task the moment he returned to the tribe, had just finished a difficult mission at the next relay point. The first thing he did upon his return was head straight to Bai Tu, hoping to claim some credit. However, before he could even see Bai Tu, he was ambushed by his own brother.
“Why are you hitting me?!” Lang Ze protested, completely unconvinced.
Some brother he was! Just look at Bai Tu’s older brother—then look at his! Was this what a big brother was supposed to do?!
Lang Ze made up his mind. He was going to have a little chat with the cubs later. He’d get all of them on his side and isolate Lang Qi together. His scheming thoughts were practically written all over his face. Others might not notice, but Lang Qi, who knew him all too well, could read him like a book.
Seeing the little troublemaker already plotting mischief, Lang Qi couldn’t hold back—he gave his younger brother another beating.
No matter how energetic Lang Ze was or how much he loved to fight, he still couldn’t win against his older brother. So, he obediently followed Lang Qi back home.
But when they reached the entrance, Lang Qi immediately shut the door behind him. “Go to your own house.”
“Why?!” Lang Ze protested again.
Getting beaten up the moment he got back was bad enough, but now he wasn’t even allowed to see the cubs? If he couldn’t see them, how was he supposed to spread his bad influence and win them over to his side?
Hearing the commotion outside, Bai Tu came out with Er Bao in his arms. The little cub, with his sharp hearing, recognized Lang Ze’s voice and suddenly remembered the other two phrases he had just learned.
“Bad Daddy! Stinky Brother!”
Bai Tu reacted quickly, covering the cub’s mouth. But it was too late—those first two words had already been clearly heard outside.
Lang Ze, who was about to knock on the door, froze. His hand slowly lowered, he took two steps back, then turned and ran straight home.
If he didn’t run now, he’d get beaten again!
No wonder he got hit the moment he got back—there was a traitor in the ranks!
Lang Qi listened to the footsteps fading outside, then withdrew his gaze and turned back to look at the little cub in Bai Tu’s arms. Seeing how small he was, Lang Qi decided to let it go.
Bai Tu sighed in relief and gently patted the cub’s bottom. “If you keep misbehaving, you’ll get punished sooner or later.”
This little one’s personality was almost identical to Lang Ze’s. If Bai Tu hadn’t watched the cub grow up from birth, he might have mistaken him for Lang Ze’s child.
It was strange—these cubs had all grown up together, and they hadn’t even spent that much time with Lang Ze. So how did this one end up being so much like him?
Meanwhile, Lang Ze had gone home, taken a quick bath, and was already itching to go see the cubs again. After all, the voices he heard earlier weren’t from the cubs he was familiar with. That could only mean there were new cubs who had transformed into their human forms.
As their uncle, he hadn’t seen the three little ones in human form yet. He had to go take a look.
Besides, he had been away for so long. Knowing Bai Tu, there was no way he wouldn’t have prepared a feast for him.
The more Lang Ze thought about it, the more eager he became. His excitement over seeing his nephews and his anticipation of delicious food completely overshadowed his fear of his older brother.
Bravely, he decided to try again.
But when he reached the door, he stopped in his tracks.
There was a sign hanging outside.
It had six words written on it: Lang Ze Forbidden from Entering.
Lang Ze couldn’t believe it. His brother was actually banning him from the house?!
How could this be?! Were they even real brothers anymore?!
Staring at the six big characters on the sign, Lang Ze felt more and more wronged. His own brother didn’t like him anymore…
He took two steps back.
Stinky Brother. He didn’t like his brother either!
Huffing in frustration, Lang Ze turned around and started walking away—only to slow down after a few steps and gradually make his way back.
Then, he reached out and flipped the sign over.
If he couldn’t see it, it didn’t exist!
Even without the sign, though, the door was still shut. Lang Ze stepped to the side, grabbed onto the wall, and with a swift leap, jumped straight onto the rooftop.
As soon as he lowered his head, he came face to face with Lang Qi, who was holding a cub in his arms.
Lang Ze: “?!!!”
“Tu! Tu! Tu! Save me!!!” Lang Ze screamed.
Bai Tu had just handed the cub over to Lang Qi and was about to carry a few bowls of steamed eggs into the room when he heard Lang Ze’s miserable cries. He was so startled that he didn’t even have time to put the bowls down and hurried outside.
There, he saw Lang Ze clinging to the wall, eyes tightly shut, yelling in panic.
Bai Tu: “……”
Bai Tu: “What’s so fun up there? Hurry up and come down!”
“My brother wants to hit me!” Lang Ze tattled.
Just as Lang Qi understood Lang Ze, Lang Ze also understood his brother well. The moment his brother’s expression changed, he could tell whether he was about to get hit on the legs or the waist.
And judging by the look Lang Qi just gave him, this time, he was definitely going to get a much worse beating than before.
“If he’s hitting you, he’s not wrong. What have you been teaching the cubs?” Bai Tu urged him to come down as he set the cub’s food on the table.
Lang Ze hadn’t had a proper meal in the tribe for almost a month now. Knowing he was coming back, Bai Tu had asked Lang Qi to prepare extra dishes and even bought some of the new meals from the communal kitchen. After all, Lang Ze had made significant contributions to the tribe’s safety—he deserved to eat well.
Lang Ze jumped down from the wall, stuck close to the edge of the courtyard, and carefully made his way to the dining area. Sure enough, the table was piled high with food, and most of it was his favorites.
Just as he expected! Bai Tu had prepared food for him!
Good thing he didn’t believe that wooden sign at the door, or he would’ve missed out on this feast!
His brother was definitely the worst brother in the world!
As if hearing his thoughts, the little cub in Lang Qi’s arms suddenly shouted, “Bad Brother!”
Lang Ze: “?!!!”
“Eat first, eat first.” Bai Tu quickly stuffed food into the cub’s mouth to shut him up—this wasn’t the time for chattering, or Lang Ze would end up getting beaten again.
The cub glanced at his uncle, then at his father, and finally at Bai Tu. Slowly, he opened his mouth and began eating.
Bai Tu let out a sigh of relief.
Seeing that the cub had quieted down, Lang Ze quickly started eating too. Bai Tu had said that winter meals needed to be eaten right away, or they wouldn’t taste as good later. He wasn’t greedy—he just didn’t want to waste food!
“How was the journey?” Bai Tu asked as he handed out bowls and spoons to the cubs, making sure they were all eating properly.
Lang Ze nodded. “Smooth, very smooth—couldn’t have gone any smoother!”
“With me around, Tu, you have nothing to worry about. Absolutely no problems at all!”
Bai Tu nodded but didn’t say much. That afternoon, Lang Qian came by.
“There’s a tribe near the third transit point. They patrol around there every day. Also, the road between the third and fourth transit points can be widened a bit…” Lang Qian reported his findings to Bai Tu.
Bai Tu noted everything down—these were all areas that needed adjustments. From the beginning, he had assigned Lang Ze and Lang Qian different tasks.
Lang Ze’s main job was to protect Lang Qian and keep an eye out for any real threats to the transit points. Though the young wolves were rowdy, they were strong. If anyone tried to cause trouble, they would teach them a lesson in no time.
Lang Qian’s job, on the other hand, was to observe if any tribes were behaving suspiciously or planning an attack. He would then report back, allowing Bai Tu to assign additional guards as needed.
Based on the current findings, the third transit point needed more guards. Bai Tu also planned to contact neighboring tribes—if anything happened, they could provide backup.
The transit points were rich in supplies. Although most of the traded goods were sent to the Hundred Beasts Tribe, there were still plenty of salt and food rations left. With winter approaching and hunting becoming difficult, well-stocked locations were more likely to attract trouble.
However, the tribe Lang Qian mentioned wasn’t very large. Sending one more squad should be enough. After discussing the details, Bai Tu reminded Lang Qian of the precautions for their next trip in a few days.
Even though Lang Qian was very capable, Bai Tu couldn’t help but repeat himself. After all, it wasn’t just Lang Qian heading out—he was taking a whole team of young wolves with him.
“Don’t worry, I’ll keep a close eye on them,” Lang Qian reassured him. His words had a double meaning—one, he would watch over the young wolves, and two, he would monitor the transit points.
Since Bai Tu entrusted him with looking after the young wolves, he wouldn’t let him down. And when it came to securing the transit points, Lang Qian always made sure to check every corner thoroughly, aiming to eliminate potential threats before they could take shape.
After discussing these matters, Bai Tu checked the time and asked, “Do you want to see the cubs?” Since finishing their lunch at noon, the cubs had been napping, and now it was about time for them to wake up.
Lang Qian had been waiting for this exact question and immediately nodded. The first thing he did after returning was to organize everything that had happened along the way and report to Bai Tu. One reason was that it was more convenient to speak with Bai Tu directly; the other was that he wanted to use the report as an excuse to see the cubs again.
“Come in and take a look,” Bai Tu said.
The cubs liked things to be uniform. Back when the three youngest ones couldn’t transform into human form, Lang Sui and Lang Ying would shift into their wolf cub forms to accompany their little brothers. But now that the youngest ones could transform, their preferences had changed—they liked sleeping in human form, lined up in a row.
Of course, whether in human or beast form, they never woke up in the same position they had fallen asleep in.
When Bai Tu led Lang Qian into the room, Lang Sui and Lang Ying were lying sideways on either side of their younger brothers. As for the three youngest ones, the oldest and the youngest were curled up together, while the middle one was sprawled on top of them—his head resting on the oldest’s belly and his feet on the youngest’s stomach.
Bai Tu: “……”
He had just adjusted their sleeping positions not even an hour ago, and yet they had already ended up like this again.
Bai Tu quickly picked up the middle from the bed. Fortunately, most of the middle’s weight had been supported by the mattress, so he hadn’t put too much pressure on the other two.
Although Bai Tu was very gentle while lifting him, the cubs had already slept long enough. The moment the middle was picked up, he opened his eyes.
“Papa!”
Seeing that it was his father holding him, the middle immediately called out.
Bai Tu had already covered his mouth before he could finish speaking, so his voice came out muffled and quiet. Seeing that the other cubs were still asleep, Bai Tu motioned for Lang Qian to help tuck them in properly before carrying the middle out of the room.
“When did he learn to shift into human form?” Lang Qian lightly touched the middle’s small hand, surprised. The last time they had left in a hurry, and on their previous departure, the cubs had still been in their beast forms. Now, they could all transform.
“Almost half a month ago. They all learned at the same time, just like their two older brothers. This one talks a lot,” Bai Tu said, giving Lang Qian a heads-up about the middle’s personality.
Lang Qian nodded but didn’t take it too seriously. After all, he had encountered the noisiest teams during his journey, so no matter how talkative the cub was, it wouldn’t be a problem for him.
After speaking, Bai Tu slowly removed his hand from the middle’s mouth. In this room, their voices wouldn’t be loud enough to wake the other cubs next door.
“Papa, Papa!” As soon as he was free, the middle eagerly called out several times. Then he turned to look at Lang Qian. He found him somewhat familiar but didn’t know what to call him.
“This is your uncle,” Bai Tu said, disregarding their actual ages. On the Beast God Continent, there were few variations in titles—aside from “father,” most male relatives of the parental generation were simply called “uncle,” while female relatives were called “aunt.” Even the term “auntie” was rarely used.
“Uncle! Uncle!—”
The middle had just seen one uncle earlier that morning, and now another one had appeared. His mouth didn’t stop chattering, calling out “Uncle!” over and over again, proving with sheer persistence that he was even better at it than his actual uncle.
Lang Qian: “……”
Okay, maybe he did talk quite a bit.
“He’s still manageable for now—he only knows a few words,” Bai Tu sighed. “In two months, it’ll be a real headache.”
Right now, the cubs had only recently learned to transform and had a limited vocabulary. No matter how talkative the middle was, he could only repeat the words he had already learned. But once he picked up more words and started forming his own sentences—that would be the real challenge. Bai Tu was already dreading the future.
Listening to Bai Tu, Lang Qian could already picture the chaotic scenes to come. But when he looked at the adorable middle, he hesitated.
Just as he was lost in thought, a clear voice rang out from the room.
“Papa.”
Bai Tu immediately knew that all the cubs were awake because the voice belonged to the oldest.
If the oldest was the only one awake, or if it was just him and the youngest, he wouldn’t have called out. He would have quietly waited or helped soothe his younger brothers. But when all the cubs in the room were awake, that’s when the oldest would call for him.
Lang Qian helped hold the middle while Bai Tu went back to pick up the others. Since their meeting room was right next to the bedroom, and since Lang Qi wasn’t around that afternoon, Bai Tu didn’t want to be too far from the cubs. Given that Lang Qian wasn’t an outsider, he had brought him directly into the room where the cubs usually played.
This room had a desk where Bai Tu organized his documents, as well as a play area for the cubs. When he was busy, he would let the cubs play nearby while he worked.
The number of child-sized stools in the room had now increased to five. Bai Tu carried the cubs out one by one, seating the three youngest ones on stools to play, while the two older ones didn’t need stools and could sit directly on the floor.
When the cubs played, their personalities became more distinct. Lang Qian observed the other cubs, then looked at the middle, who was still playing enthusiastically with his brothers, and suddenly found them all quite endearing.
Being talkative wasn’t so bad, Lang Qian thought. It was lively.
Besides, not all of the cubs were chatterboxes. Among several children, having one who talked a lot was normal—it even made communication easier. Lang Qian listened to the middle’s excited babbling and thought it wasn’t such a bad thing.
The more he watched, the more he liked them. By the time he was ready to leave, he was practically itching to take a cub home to raise for a few days.
But he knew better than to say it out loud—even just fantasizing about it was enough. Everyone knew how much Lang Qi treasured Bai Tu and how much he adored the cubs in their home.
