Chapter 193
The little wolves’ appetites remained a mystery. Every time Bai Tu thought they had reached their limit, they would prove him wrong again and again. Their energy levels were high, so Bai Tu simply checked off the total food supply, ensuring the canteen prepared a variety of long-lasting yet tasty foods specifically for them.
The canteen now offered a much wider selection than before. For example, Bai Tu introduced noodles, inspired by methods from his past life—frying them first, then drying cooked vegetables and meat together before sealing them. This way, the little wolves could simply boil water and soak the meal, making it quick, convenient, and delicious—perfect for those who loved eating but disliked cooking.
For meat, Bai Tu improved upon canned goods and braised meat, creating a simple version of luncheon meat. It could be eaten straight from the can or sliced and cooked briefly in a pot. Either way, it tasted great.
With so many food options, the warehouse was checked every two to three days to restock supplies. The beastmen in charge of keeping inventory at the canteen and warehouse followed Bai Tu’s list, and since everyone knew the little wolves’ preferences, they hardly needed instructions on what to prepare.
After finalizing the numbers, Bai Tu turned around and noticed Lang Qian looking hesitant. “Something wrong?” Bai Tu asked, puzzled. Lang Qian rarely looked troubled—did he miscalculate something?
“The wolf tribe has been running around everywhere lately,” Lang Qian said slowly. “Should we prepare more clothes?” They had been losing clothes wherever they went, and it was clear they didn’t have enough.
Bai Tu: “…”
Bai Tu sighed. “I’ll let Cai know—each person gets two extra sets.” At least the weather was warm; if it were winter, he wouldn’t be so generous.
As early summer arrived, the little wolves continued their patrols, and the tribe began another round of expansion. Since the residential area was already complete, this time, the focus was on expanding the breeding and planting zones.
After helping nearby and distant tribes establish breeding zones, the Hundred Beasts Tribe had provided them with a batch of young prey animals.
Over time, these animals matured, and while the tribes were supposed to handle breeding themselves, it was clear that most of them lacked the necessary knowledge. Some tribes even struggled to get their prey to reproduce at all, forcing them to seek help from the Hundred Beasts Tribe again.
Bai Tu had originally intended to hand over the first batch of prey and step away, but that didn’t work out. Eventually, he allocated part of the breeding zone specifically for reproduction. Every year, other tribes would send back grown prey, and in return, the Hundred Beasts Tribe would provide them with freshly weaned young animals.
Because the Hundred Beasts Tribe took better care of their animals and provided them with nutritious feed, the prey they raised turned out plumper and healthier than those raised elsewhere. Given their reputation for raising strong young, many tribes now preferred to trade with them rather than attempt breeding on their own.
With the new communication system—including a courier service and transit hubs—information spread much faster than before. There was no longer a need to wait for market gatherings to share news. Word quickly spread that the Hundred Beasts Tribe provided superior prey, and even some tribes that could breed their own animals started opting to trade for young prey instead.
Meanwhile, Bai Tu was compiling a guide on prey breeding to distribute to these tribes. However, the Hundred Beasts Tribe would still continue supplying young prey, and Bai Tu also planned to research selective breeding to raise even stronger animals. The old breeding zone was getting crowded, making it the perfect time to expand.
As for the planting zone, it had now evolved into a breeding and experimental area, focusing on selecting the best crop varieties and cultivating high-yield plants.
Over the years, the construction team had traveled across the continent—from the East to the West, from the South to the North—building breeding zones and fenced planting areas in no time. Bai Tu personally planted carefully selected seeds, while newly selected breeding stock was transferred to the expanded zones.
By now, the beastmen had become highly skilled in both breeding and farming, so Bai Tu only needed to give instructions, and they would execute them efficiently—unlike in the early days when he had to guide them step by step.
Not only had their technique improved, but their speed had also increased significantly. With plenty of manpower, the tribe prioritized critical tasks—like planting—which had to be done on time. Everything was well-organized, a stark contrast to how things had been when Bai Tu first woke up.
It hadn’t even been that long, yet looking back, the past now felt like a distant dream.
When Bai Tu had free time, he would occasionally take a stroll through the Beast God Temple.
He didn’t often visit the large temple at the front, as it was always crowded. The tribespeople frequently went there—not necessarily to pray for important matters but more as a place to make wishes.
Some wished for their loved one to become their mate sooner, some for their father to give them an extra piece of candy, and some just hoped for a particular dish to be cooked more often in the canteen. Ever since they discovered that directly praying to the Beast God wouldn’t bring punishment, they had become increasingly bold, making all sorts of bizarre requests.
In contrast, the smaller temple in the residential area was much quieter. Everyone knew that Bai Tu liked coming here, so they generally stayed away. Even though the temple doors weren’t locked, only Bai Tu entered regularly. Out of respect for him—and perhaps out of fear of “disturbing” the resting Beast God—no one else dared to intrude.
Bai Tu had a habit of wiping down the tables and chairs whenever he visited. Although they weren’t used often, dust would still accumulate. Unlike the other beastmen, Bai Tu didn’t like praying to the Beast God. Perhaps it was because he had faintly heard a mysterious voice a few times. Whenever something related to the Beast God came up, his emotions became complicated.
That said, Bai Tu couldn’t deny that coming here always felt incredibly soothing, as if all his worries vanished.
On the stone table lay several seasonal fruits, ones he had specially asked Hei Xiao about—fruits that Bai Luo liked to eat.
Bai Luo’s tastes were similar to his and his brother’s. Or rather, sub-beastmen seemed to share certain food preferences. After wiping the furniture, Bai Tu used a clean cotton cloth to carefully clean the rabbit carving at the back of the temple. As for the other carving, he left it untouched out of respect for the Beast God.
Once the temple was spotless, Bai Tu washed his hands, picked up an apple, and took a bite.
It was no surprise that people loved the food from the Hundred Beasts Tribe. From the very first year he woke up, Bai Tu had intentionally pruned fruit trees, fertilized them, and ensured proper irrigation. Over the years, these fruit trees had become vastly superior to those in other tribes. Their flavors were different, too—better soil and nutrients naturally led to better-tasting fruit.
The tribe’s apples came in two varieties—one softer and more floury, the other crisp and crunchy. Bai Tu preferred the crisp variety, which was exactly what he had brought here.
The young cubs were at school, and Lang Qi was busy today, leaving Bai Tu with nothing in particular to do. As he ate, he absentmindedly muttered about the tribe’s development.
“Some sub-beastmen have gone to school, some to the medical center, and others to the plantations…” Aside from a few places that were too dangerous for sub-beastmen, like the breeding zone, they were now working in almost every sector.
After finishing his apple, Bai Tu picked up a peach—a late-season variety, ripened naturally on the tree. He had stored them in a cool warehouse, only taking a few whenever he came to the temple.
“There are more transit stations now, so sub-beastmen and cubs will never be kidnapped again.”
More transit stations meant faster communication—if a cub went missing in the morning, the stations would spread the news by the afternoon. The Feather Tribe and Beast Tribe worked together to screen every traveler, leaving no stone—or burrow—unchecked. With figures like Wu Jiu and his kind long since executed, the number of fools who believed in sacrificing sub-beastmen and cubs to connect with the Beast God’s blood had dwindled. As a result, the cubs were much safer now.
After biting into the peach, Bai Tu’s eyes drifted to a cluster of grapes beside him.
The tribe’s grapevines had only been planted after Bai Tu arrived. For the first two years, they didn’t bear fruit, but recently, their yield had been increasing year after year. Bai Tu had even set aside a portion to make wine.
These grapes had tiny seeds, almost negligible. Once peeled, they could be eaten directly without spitting anything out. Bai Tu popped them into his mouth one by one.
“More food means more pests. I remember there are plants that can kill insects, and the sub-beasts in the plantation are experimenting with them.”
With higher crop yields came more pests. Right now, the tribe’s method was simple: eliminate eggs on sight and kill adult insects whenever they appeared. They were using garlic juice and other natural repellents, but those weren’t effective against all pests. They needed to find more targeted plants to combat specific insect infestations.
“Chi said the little wolf cubs are very well-behaved. The little eagles, too.”
Bai Tu spoke his thoughts aloud as they came to him.
Hei Xiao’s cub had stayed behind in the Hundred Beasts Tribe. Even though the Black Eagle Tribe had built its own residential area and school, the Eagle Tribe still preferred to migrate east after spring. Most of their eggs hatched in the Hundred Beasts Tribe.
At first, only eagle hatchlings born there remained. But over time, the Eagle Tribe started bringing older hatchlings to stay as well. Now, more students in the Black Hawk Tribe’s school were from neighboring eagle tribes rather than the Black Hawk Tribe itself.
The wolf cubs and eagle hatchlings were in different classes, and even among the wolf cubs, different ages meant different groups. But since Bai Chi—the headmaster of the Hundred Beasts Tribe’s school—regularly observed the young ones and often praised them, Bai Tu simply took his words as truth.
Bai Tu ate the last grape and glanced at the remaining pomegranates. He hesitated for a moment but decided not to touch them.
Fruits didn’t fill the stomach too much, so he could still eat more if he wanted. However, pomegranates carried an ominous meaning, so he preferred not to eat them often.
There weren’t many fruits left—he had finished almost all of them. Bai Tu clapped the dust off his hands and stood up.
“I’ll come back in a couple of days.”
Just as he finished speaking, he heard a familiar set of footsteps outside. Lang Qi strode quickly into the room, visibly relaxing when he saw Bai Tu inside.
Noticing that the only fruit left on the table was pomegranate, Lang Qi wiped his hands clean, picked the ripest, reddest one, split it open, and carefully fed Bai Tu a seed.
Bai Tu had originally decided not to eat any, but when he saw the plump, juicy pomegranate seeds, he betrayed himself and opened his mouth.
Lang Qi fed, Bai Tu ate. After finishing half a pomegranate, Bai Tu shook his head.
“I’m full.”
Without hesitation, Lang Qi finished the remaining half and then helped Bai Tu wipe his hands clean.
“Let’s go home. The cubs are hungry.”
Bai Tu stepped out of the temple and gave Lang Qi a sideways glance.
The cubs are hungry… yet you’re eating pomegranates here?
Lang Qi didn’t seem concerned about the cubs’ supposed hunger at all. Instead, he lowered his head and rubbed his face against Bai Tu’s cheek.
For some reason, Bai Tu felt a bit guilty and pushed him away.
Lang Qi didn’t budge. Instead, he pressed a kiss to Bai Tu’s forehead.
Just then, an unseasonal gust of cold wind blew past, and behind them, a loud bang echoed.
Bai Tu turned around—the temple doors had shut by themselves.
He glanced at Lang Qi, about to speak, but at that moment, the sound of cubs calling out caught his attention.
He turned back and saw the cubs had found them.
“Daddy!”
The middle dashed forward like the wind, overtaking all his older and younger siblings to be the first to reach Bai Tu.
The other cubs, who had originally been walking at a relaxed pace, immediately broke into a run when they saw Bai Tu. One after another, they rushed to his side.
Bai Tu wrapped his arms around the group of cubs. Finally, he cast one last look at the Beast God Temple and nodded slowly.
“Let’s go home.”
The cubs cheered in excitement.
The setting sun stretched seven long shadows across the ground—two large ones and five small ones.
Before long, the small shadows clustered together into a chaotic heap.
Sensing something, Bai Tu turned back to glance at the cubs.
“No fighting.”
“Awoo!”
The middle, who had just been about to pounce on his older brother, quickly retracted his claws.
The oldest didn’t even spare his foolish younger brother a glance. Instead, he picked up the pace, grabbed his father’s hand, and used his other hand to hold onto their youngest sibling.
Seeing this, the middle changed his target, eyeing his two older brothers instead.
Lang Sui and Lang Ying, who had already started wrestling the moment Bai Tu turned away, immediately froze when they sensed something was wrong. They stopped fighting at lightning speed, but it was too late.
A small gray wolf cub, caught in mid-pounce, crashed straight into them, dragging them all into a heap of tangled limbs and clothing.
—End of Main Story—
