Chapter 208
Bai Tu grabbed Lang Chu and pulled him out from under the bed.
As he felt himself being dragged backward, Lang Chu scrabbled at the floor in an attempt to resist but was ultimately no match for the force pulling him out.
When he turned around and saw that it was his daddy, Lang Chu immediately forgot what he had been doing. “Daddy, you turned back into human form!” he exclaimed, delighted—though there was a tiny hint of disappointment. He had been scheming against his father for the past few days, trying to lure him out of the room, but had yet to succeed.
Bai Tu wasn’t fooled by Lang Chu’s innocent expression. He narrowed his eyes and asked, “What do you mean by ‘Daddy couldn’t have gone far’?”
Lang Chu looked confused. “Who said that?”
Bai Tu: “…”
If he hadn’t heard it himself at the door, he might’ve actually been tricked by Lang Chu’s act. Setting the child down, Bai Tu changed the subject. “Have you finished your homework?”
Among the five cubs, three nodded immediately. Lang Chu frowned, while Lang Ying guiltily rummaged through his school bag.
They had been so eager to come home and find Daddy that they hadn’t even touched their homework.
“Go finish your homework.” Bai Tu patted the two who hadn’t completed theirs. The other three, meanwhile, eagerly circled around the two tiny rabbit cubs.
Even though they had only been born a few days ago, the newborns looked quite different from when they first arrived. At birth, their fur had been sparse and patchy, making them look a little scruffy. But after just two days, they had grown into the appearance from the cubs’ dreams—only now, they were even more beautiful.
The white one was quickly catching up to Bai Tu in size. He knew that after this month-long rapid growth phase, they wouldn’t grow again until they were about three years old.
This time, with more experience, Bai Tu didn’t even need to ask anyone—he could tell that the black rabbit cub was a sub-beast.
Having already raised the older cubs, neither he nor Lang Qi struggled with caring for these newborns. Though they were smaller than the wolf cubs had been, the current season was gentle on them. Even without additional layers of warm clothing, the babies wouldn’t feel cold.
Still, Bai Tu had layered two soft blankets beneath them and covered them with a thin silk quilt. The silk was lightweight, ensuring it wouldn’t put any pressure on the tiny cubs.
The newborns were still very small, and they could only drink half a bowl of goat’s milk at a time. They had to be fed every few hours. Bai Tu had just stepped out to get their milk.
Lang Qi had been staying home lately, and after confirming that Bai Tu could shift without any discomfort, he had finally gone out briefly. Summer was already a busy season, and since he hadn’t been able to do much recently, all household matters had fallen on Bai Chen, who was practically working himself to the bone.
Lang Qi had initially wanted to stay home, but Bai Tu reassured him multiple times that he could handle the cubs on his own. Only then did Lang Qi agree to go out for a bit. However, Bai Tu was certain he wouldn’t be gone long—after all, it was almost dinnertime. Knowing Lang Qi, he would definitely be back before dinner.
Bai Tu thought for a moment, then decided to feed the rabbit cubs first. The goat’s milk was at just the right temperature. For the first month after a cub’s birth, the dining hall delivered fresh goat’s milk every few hours—not just to their family, but to all newborns in the tribe.
Initially, this delivery service didn’t exist. The tribe provided food for the cubs, but their parents had to pick it up themselves. However, Bai Tu and Tumu quickly noticed that many beastmen either forgot or had no real sense of time. They tended to assume that if they weren’t hungry, their cubs weren’t either. But while adult beastmen could eat several kilograms of meat in one sitting and go days without eating, a cub missing a single meal could pass out from hunger.
To ensure the health of all young cubs, Bai Tu and Tumu established a special team dedicated to delivering food to cubs under three years old. Those around one month old primarily received goat’s milk, while older cubs were gradually introduced to minced meat, steamed eggs, and rice porridge—soft foods that required little chewing. With these scheduled daily deliveries, cubs in the tribe no longer had to endure an erratic eating schedule.
Both of their new cubs were still on goat’s milk. Bai Tu hadn’t fed a newborn in a long time, but his experience remained intact, so he handled it smoothly.
Beast cubs were much smarter than real animals, and since Lang Qi had already been feeding them for a few days, they quickly recognized the scent of milk. As soon as Bai Tu scooped up a small spoonful, the little ones stirred eagerly. Just like when he had fed the wolf cubs before, he took turns feeding them. The black rabbit cub had a smaller appetite, drinking only about a third of the milk, while the remaining two-thirds went to the white rabbit cub.
Since they were fed one spoonful at a time, the black cub finished first. Instead of falling asleep right away, he crawled over to Bai Tu, nestled against his clothes on the bed, and closed his eyes to sleep.
The older wolf cubs watched intently. Even Lang Ying and Lang Chu, who had set up their desks in the room to do homework, were distracted. There were plenty of rabbit cubs in the tribe, but due to instinct, young rabbits rarely revealed their beast forms in front of others.
The wolf cubs rarely got to see Bai Tu’s beast form. And whenever they did, Lang Qi stood like a massive barrier between them and their father. They had never even seen other cubs that resembled their father. Now that they had two little rabbit siblings to observe, their curiosity was endless.
But the cubs were still too small, and Bai Tu didn’t let them touch them. This made the older ones feel a bit disappointed.
“Daddy, little brother is asleep,” Bai Ye said, pointing at the black rabbit cub as a reminder. Then he picked up a tiny blanket and carefully covered him.
“Alright,” Bai Tu replied. He finished feeding the last spoonful of milk, then picked up the white cub—who had been trying to crawl toward him—and placed both of them in the nest beside the pillows. He draped one of his own garments over them. The white cub, who had been seeking warmth, immediately burrowed under the fabric. The black cub shifted slightly, clinging onto the clothing before finally settling down.
With both cubs asleep, Bai Tu carried the bowls and spoons outside, then returned to check the older cubs’ homework. As for the two who had abandoned their desks the moment he left to go stare at the baby rabbits again, he sighed but decided to let it slide—as long as they finished their work before dinner.
Seeing that Bai Tu didn’t scold them, Lang Ying and Lang Chu felt no guilt at all and happily continued watching their youngest siblings with the other three. Despite watching for days, the wolf cubs never seemed to tire of observing the two tiny rabbits.
After reviewing Langsui, Langyao, and Bai Ye’s work, Bai Tu reminded Lang Ying and Lang Chu to finish theirs quickly. “Don’t let it delay dinner.”
At that, the two immediately ran back to their desks and started scribbling away furiously.
Just from the speed of their writing, Bai Tu could already tell the quality of their work. He warned them, “If it’s too sloppy, you’ll have to redo it. That’s just wasting even more time.”
In the past, he used to take the time to decipher their messy handwriting, but he soon realized that wasn’t a sustainable approach. They might get away with it now, but in the future, they couldn’t just scribble nonsense when communicating with others. So he became stricter—if their writing was illegible, they had to redo the entire assignment. If they ruined their workbook in the process, they had two choices: copy everything onto another sheet or buy a new one.
Once this policy was enforced, the results were immediate. Their handwriting hadn’t turned beautiful overnight, but at least it was now readable—because no one wanted to do extra work.
Knowing that Lang Ying and Lang Chu were easily distracted while doing homework, Bai Tu pulled the curtain beside the bed, blocking their view of the rabbit cubs.
Sure enough, once they couldn’t see the baby rabbits anymore, they stopped pausing every few seconds and finally focused on their work.
The timing was perfect. Just as the cubs finished their homework, Lang Qi returned with food. He was originally supposed to bring ingredients home to cook, but he had been too busy and didn’t have time. Since making a meal from scratch would take too long, he simply brought back ready-made food from the dining hall.
Lang Chu was the first to rush over, swinging from Lang Qi’s arm. “I’m hungry! I’m starving!”
The weight of a single cub was nothing to Lang Qi. Carrying both the food and Lang Chu, he walked into the dining room and began setting the dishes on the table.
Since the food was from the dining hall, there were more varieties than when they cooked at home. As Lang Qi placed each dish down, Lang Chu’s gaze followed every movement, shifting from one dish to the next with each serving.
By the time Bai Tu finished checking Lang Ying and Lang Chu’s homework and brought the rest of the cubs over, Lang Chu had spun around so many times that he was nearly dizzy. When he saw his father, he immediately called out: “Daddy, it’s time to eat!” He was starving!
No matter how hungry he was, Lang Chu knew that no one would start eating until Bai Tu arrived. Now that his father was here, they could finally begin!
Excited, Lang Chu jumped off his chair and ran to wash his hands—a necessary step before every meal.
When he returned to his seat, he pointed at a dish just out of reach. “Daddy, I want to eat that one.”
For the past few days, only their father had been eating with them, and Lang Chu hadn’t dared to make requests. But now it was different—Bai Tu was here! He could finally say what he wanted to eat.
As long as the cubs weren’t being too picky, Bai Tu usually indulged their requests. Lang Chu wanted smoked chicken, which was easy to tear apart and eat. Bai Tu divided two chickens into seven portions. His own serving was the smallest, the cubs got moderate portions, and the rest went to Lang Qi.
Just as they finished dividing the food but before they started eating, they heard the sound of wings landing outside. Bai Tu’s hands paused.
After interacting with the Avian Tribe for so long, they could easily distinguish the difference between a beastman running over and a winged tribe member landing. Not many members of the Avian Tribe had the privilege to land directly at their home. Moreover, the rainy season had only recently ended, and there weren’t any urgent matters at the transit station. Given the timing, Bai Tu could only think of one possibility.
His expression shifted as he looked at Lang Qi. “How long ago did the messenger hawk leave?”
“Seven days,” Lang Qi replied. It had been exactly seven days since Bai Tu gave birth to the rabbit cubs.
Bai Tu fell silent, his hands trembling slightly.
The message they had sent was to inform the Black Hawk Tribe of the birth of his rabbit cubs. The journey from here to the Black Hawk Tribe took at least three days without stopping. Now, Hei Xiao had already arrived.
Before Bai Tu could think of how to respond, he heard footsteps in the courtyard, followed by Heijian’s voice calling out to him.
“Tu.”
Bai Tu slowly put down his food and stood up, walking into the courtyard as if nothing had happened. “Brother.”
The moment Heijian saw Bai Tu, he quickened his pace, closing the distance between them. He gave his younger brother a once-over, inspecting him from head to toe before coming to a conclusion: “You’ve lost weight.”
Bai Tu: “…”
“Last year’s clothes barely fit me anymore!” Bai Tu protested.
Of course, he was exaggerating a bit, but he definitely hadn’t lost weight.
Hei Xiao remained firm. “You’ve lost weight.”
Bai Tu: “…”
Heijian didn’t dwell on the argument. “Where are the cubs? Let me see them.”
Bai Tu glanced at Hei Xiao and then at Heiyan, who was carrying the Avian cubs on his back. He replied, “Let the cubs eat first?”
For adults, eating later wasn’t a big deal—even going hungry for a few days only led to exhaustion. But for cubs, it was a different story.
Hearing Bai Tu’s words, Heijian sighed, then nodded in agreement. “Alright, let’s eat first.”
In truth, he had only come to make sure his younger brother was safe. Even though the messenger from the Avian Tribe had assured him that both Bai Tu and the cubs were healthy, Heijian had still been uneasy, so he had Heiyan bring him here personally.
The three eagle cubs had been flying with their father for several days. Even though they hadn’t been flying on their own, they were exhausted and had fallen asleep.
But since they hadn’t exerted themselves much, their exhaustion quickly faded as soon as they caught the scent of food. Their eyes snapped open as they instinctively searched for the source of the delicious aroma.
Then they froze.
There were so many people in the room!
There hadn’t been this many beastmen along the way!
But in the end, the temptation of food proved too strong. Once they recognized the people in the room, their initial nervousness faded, and they quickly let go of their hesitation.
The Black Hawk Tribe’s cubs had previously attended classes in the Hundred Beasts Tribe. It was only in the past two years that the Black Hawk Tribe established its own elementary school. However, for the higher grades, they still had to come here. These young eagles had spent a lot of their early years living in the Hundred Beasts Tribe, so even after months of separation, they still remembered Bai Tu and the other cubs.
Bai Tu redistributed some of the food originally meant for Lang Qi to the young cubs. Hei Xiao’s timing was perfect—he and Lang Qi had just finished preparing the meal but hadn’t started eating yet, only the cubs had begun.
After dropping off the cubs in the room, Heiyan left. He had been to the Hundred Beasts Tribe many times, visiting several times a year, so he was incredibly familiar with the place. Seeing that the food on the table was clearly meant for a family, he went out to buy his own meal.
Since they were all family, Bai Tu didn’t stand on ceremony. After making sure the cubs had their food, he chatted with Hei Xiao while eating, asking about the recent happenings in the Black Hawk Tribe.
However, Heijian kept steering the conversation back to the cubs. “What happened? When did you get pregnant? Why didn’t I hear anything about this?” Heijian had always prided himself on being well-informed, yet he only found out after the cubs were already born. When the Avian Tribe messenger told him that Bai Tu had given birth to two rabbit cubs, he was completely stunned, even wondering if he was dreaming. The last time he had seen his younger brother, everything had seemed normal—so how had Bai Tu suddenly given birth again?
“Before the rainy season,” Bai Tu coughed lightly. At first, he hadn’t been certain, and by the time he confirmed it, it was already a bit late. Heijian had already returned to the Black Hawk Tribe with Heiyan. Since it was just a pregnancy, Bai Tu had planned to tell him after the rainy season when he visited again. But unexpectedly, the cubs were born more than half a month earlier than he had estimated, completely disrupting his plans.
Heijian sighed. In the end, it was his fault for not paying enough attention to his brother. If he had been more observant before leaving, he might have noticed something. Or if he hadn’t returned to the Black Hawk Tribe so early, he might have learned about it sooner instead of only finding out after the cubs were already born.
What Heijian didn’t know was that even if he had stayed until after the rainy season, he might not have noticed anything. The rabbit cubs were so small that if Bai Tu hadn’t already experienced this once before, he might not have realized it himself. Even now, days after their birth, many in the tribe still assumed Bai Tu had adopted them. After all, Bai Tu was from the Rabbit Tribe, and since he already had plenty of wolf cubs at home, adopting two rabbit cubs didn’t seem out of the ordinary—everyone knew how much he loved children.
Bai Tu himself felt helpless. The cubs were small—what could he do about it? He had expected them to be born half a month later, but they arrived early.
Although Heijian had rushed the entire journey, barely stopping except to feed the young eagle cubs, he still didn’t eat much during the meal, spending most of the time asking about Bai Tu’s health.
Bai Tu assured him that he was perfectly healthy. Seeing that Heijian had little appetite, he decided to take him to see the rabbit cubs.
The two cubs had only just fallen asleep. When they heard approaching footsteps, the black-furred rabbit cub twitched its ears, which were then gently stroked twice.
“Go back to sleep,” Bai Tu said. They were just here to take a look and didn’t intend to wake the cubs.
Recognizing the familiar voice, the little cub relaxed even more in its sleep.
The white-furred rabbit cub was in a deeper sleep and didn’t react to the sound, but Bai Tu still stroked its fur twice, making it feel more comfortable.
To the cubs, their father’s scent meant safety, which was why they clung so tightly to Bai Tu’s clothing even in their sleep.
Looking at the two rabbit cubs, Hei Xiao’s heart instantly softened. Gazing at the white one, he murmured, “Almost as big as you were at that age.”
Bai Tu: “…” He finally understood—he really hadn’t grown much since childhood. The fact that the white rabbit cub had already reached his childhood size, combined with Heijian’s earlier comments, basically meant he had barely changed since he was young.
Heijian’s gaze lingered on the two rabbit cubs for a long time. The white one had the same fur color as Bai Tu and was about the size Bai Tu had been at three years old. The black one, despite its different color, was about the same size as Bai Tu had been at birth.
Heijian wished he could stay longer to watch over Bai Tu and the cubs, but that was obviously impossible. They had only been in the room for a short while before Heiyan arrived outside, bringing the other cubs along.
Lang Qi hadn’t followed—he was busy disciplining Lang Chu.
The reason? Lang Chu had been bragging to the young eagle cubs about his new baby brothers. This made the three eagle cubs envious, and they started pestering Heiyan, saying they wanted younger siblings too.
Heiyan was at a loss. In the end, he decided to send the cubs to Heijian and Bai Tu, knowing that the two of them would surely come up with a solution.
Heijian’s method of dealing with the cubs was simple—he immediately told Heiyan to take them to preschool for half a day.
By noon the next day, the returning cubs had completely given up on the idea of wanting new siblings.
The cubs in the kindergarten were terrifying.
Hei Xiao and Bai Tu hadn’t told them that it was because school had just started, and the young cubs were still adjusting to being away from home. But there was no need for the young eagles to know that. They only needed to remember that not every new cub was as well-behaved as the two rabbit cubs.
However, the adults had underestimated the cubs’ ability to think things through.
After lunch, while being coaxed to take their nap, the young eagles discussed something with Heijian.
“Dad, can we take Uncle’s cubs with us?”
“Let’s take Uncle too.”
“That way, we’ll have obedient cubs.”
Hei Xiao: “……”
It wasn’t like the early days when he had just found out that Bai Tu was his younger brother. Now, knowing that Bai Tu was living comfortably here, Hei Xiao would never suggest taking him back to the Black Hawk Tribe.
“Uncle is staying here. He won’t come back with us, and neither will the cubs—just like how you and your dad won’t leave the Black Hawk Tribe.”
Even though the Hundred Beasts Tribe was more developed, Hei Xiao would always return to his own tribe. He spent most of the year in the Black Hawk Tribe and only stayed in the Hundred Beasts Tribe during winter. After all, the two tribes had different levels of development, and during winter, the Hundred Beasts Tribe was much more comfortable for both cubs and adults.
In winter, the Black Hawk Tribe’s cubs would also move collectively to the Hundred Beasts Tribe, staying in the empty school buildings. They would continue their education in a warmer environment while catching up on any lessons they had missed.
Bai Tu had done his best to standardize the curriculum, but there were still some differences in education between the tribes. During winter, not only did the Black Hawk Tribe send its cubs over, but other tribes that could manage the journey would also send their younger cubs to make up for any gaps in their learning. Since they were already sending their older cubs to school, they figured they might as well bring the younger ones along too.
The cubs spent about a quarter of the year in the Hundred Beasts Tribe and the rest in their home tribe. Heijian used this as an example to explain that Bai Tu wouldn’t leave the Hundred Beasts Tribe to go to the Black Hawk Tribe with them.
But cubs always had their own ideas.
Remembering the “glorious exploits” Lang Chu had told them about yesterday, one of the eagle cubs suddenly said, “We can steal Uncle! And steal the cubs too!”
That way, they could bring them back to their own tribe!
Lang Qi, who happened to be passing by: “……”
Now he not only had to guard against his own cubs but also against other people’s cubs.
—
Bai Tu had no idea what the cubs had been plotting behind his back. He only noticed that ever since Hei Xiao arrived, Lang Qi had been staying by his side much more than before. Previously, Lang Qi would occasionally go out, but now he never left, sticking to Bai Tu’s side all day long—even more than before.
Bai Tu was confused and took the opportunity to ask Lang Qi what was going on.
Lang Qi repeated what the cubs had said that day.
The little troublemakers had even planned to take Bai Tu away while he wasn’t home! Lang Qi had immediately switched into defense mode, which meant staying by Bai Tu’s side constantly.
Bai Tu: “……”
That line of thinking sounded oddly familiar.
And for good reason.
Just two days later, Bai Tu caught Lang Chu and Lang Ying huddled together with the three eagle cubs, plotting something again.
That day was particularly hot, and the school had given the cubs a two-day break. Since it was too hot outside, they couldn’t play outdoors and had to stay inside. The scorching sun made it easy to get heatstroke, so even indoors, they had to stay in shaded areas, or they would start feeling unwell. Compared to adult beastmen, cubs were much more fragile.
It was normal for the cubs to play together. They had grown up together, after all, and the three eagle cubs had quickly bonded with the wolf cubs. Bai Tu had seen them playing together often.
But this time was different—only Lang Chu and Lang Ying were there among the wolf cubs.
Those two cubs had a special dynamic: one was bold enough to come up with ideas, and the other was daring enough to act on them.
Last time, Bai Tu had caught the two of them scheming about how to make the school’s hourglass run faster.
The school used hourglasses to measure class time—each class period lasted a little over an hourglass cycle, and the break between two classes was half the length of a lesson. There were three lessons in the morning and three in the afternoon, with the rest of the time left for free activities.
Even so, Lang Chu was still dissatisfied with the class schedule and wanted to swap class time with break time. He was discussing with Lang Ying how to make it happen.
If Bai Tu hadn’t caught them early, the two cubs would have already been looking for tools.
With two troublemakers around, Bai Tu was always extra cautious. Now, with three eagle cubs added to the mix, his instincts told him they were definitely planning something again.
Bai Tu quietly approached, but the cubs, deeply engrossed in their discussion, were completely unaware that their father/uncle was getting closer.
As for the topic of discussion—after listening for a while, Bai Tu understood. They were trying to figure out how to sneak him and the two rabbit cubs out of the room.
Bai Tu: “……”
He had thought Lang Qi was being overly cautious, but now he realized the cubs truly deserved the suspicion.
The little ones had even come up with a rough plan. Lang Chu blamed their previous failure on the method: since all of them were wolves, they made noise when moving in and out of rooms. This time, they would have the eagle cubs fly in silently to sneak their dad and the new cubs out, while Lang Chu and Lang Ying waited outside to assist.
After hearing the whole thing, Bai Tu didn’t even know what to say. Such clever minds—why couldn’t they use them for studying instead of scheming up impossible plans all day?
Raising his hand, Bai Tu lightly tapped one of the cubs on the head—not hard, just enough to remind them someone was behind them.
The cubs, thinking they had come up with the perfect plan, were just about to put it into action when they suddenly felt a tap. Turning around, they were startled to see Bai Tu standing there.
Bai Tu poked Lang Chu on the forehead. “Silly, you think eagles don’t make noise when they fly?”
Eagles did make noise, just relatively less. If an eagle tried sneaking into the room, Lang Qi would still hear it.
But that wasn’t the main issue. The real problem was what Lang Chu was planning.
“Next time, don’t even think about discussing this again.”
Always plotting how to sneak him out—and then what? Even if they got him out of the bedroom, they would just have to bring him back again!
“Oh…” Lang Chu muttered, clutching his clothes.
Seeing his expression, Bai Tu felt a little sorry for him. Even though he knew Lang Chu was the most mischievous of the bunch, he still felt bad scolding him.
That feeling, however, only lasted for a moment.
Lang Chu’s eyes suddenly lit up as if he had thought of something. “Then… what if we get a snake cub to do it?”
Snakes move by slithering—they don’t make any noise!
Bai Tu: “……”
Bai Tu: “DON’T YOU DARE! If you bring a snake cub here, we are cutting off our father-son relationship!”
There were indeed snake cubs in the tribe. Some were born to captured snake tribes, while others had been sent here to study.
For the snake cubs from punished tribes, Bai Tu had assigned beastmen to raise them. Since newborn cubs knew nothing, they were taught the right values from the start. With the tribe’s influence, most of them grew up well. A few, after learning that their biological parents had been sentenced to hard labor, protested about unfairness and demanded to see them. In such cases, Bai Tu simply let them go—if they couldn’t be taught, then so be it.
The rest, who understood right from wrong, attended school like the other cubs.
Many cubs disliked playing with snake cubs due to their beast form, but Lang Chu wasn’t like most. He was bold and would interact with any species. Since all cubs were small, the differences between wolves and snakes weren’t significant. In human form, there was even less distinction.
But that was only true for cubs like Lang Chu, Lang Ying, and Lang Yao. For Bai Ye, and especially Bai Tu, snakes were a real danger.
A snake’s natural attack method was constriction—squeezing its prey until it suffocated. Bai Ye already found snake cubs slightly threatening. As for Bai Tu, being a rabbit, he was literally a snake’s natural prey!
The thought of waking up in a different place, being dragged away by a snake cub, sent shivers down Bai Tu’s spine. That wouldn’t be “sneaking him away”—that would be delivering him straight to danger!
For the sake of his own survival, Bai Tu firmly refused.
“I’m staying right here! No one is taking me anywhere! Now go do your homework!”
At the mention of homework, a chorus of groans erupted.
Even the eagle cubs weren’t spared—they had assignments too.
Bai Tu figured since they were staying here for a while, letting them sit around doing nothing was a waste. So he had sent them to join the little wolf cubs’ class, integrating them into the lessons.
The cubs, who had played all day after returning, were horrified to find out they had to go to school. But by then, it was too late—on the third morning, they were packed off to class.
Not only did they get caught up on lessons, but they also received fully stocked school supplies—backpacks, textbooks, notebooks, pens, paper, and even extra workbooks. Bai Tu had prepared everything effortlessly.
Now, with a two-day break, the school had assigned plenty of homework to keep them occupied at home. That’s why the cubs had reacted so strongly at the mention of “homework.”
But no matter how much they protested, homework still had to be done.
The cubs knew Bai Tu well—they could plead for mercy on other matters, but when it came to studying, there was no room for negotiation.
Even the most rebellious Lang Chu had no choice but to obediently go and do his homework. If they wanted to play, they had to finish their assignments first.
Watching them leave, Bai Tu let out a helpless sigh. Where did Lang Chu come up with all these bizarre ideas?
Trying to get the eagle cubs to help was understandable. But a snake cub?
Bai Tu quickly shook his head, trying to erase the terrifying image from his mind.
He couldn’t help it—when he thought of snakes, all he could picture was their hunting techniques. The psychological trauma was too deep.
After getting caught, Lang Chu remained unusually quiet for the next few days.
Even Lang Qi was surprised—he hadn’t expected the cub to be so well-behaved lately.
Bai Tu, seeing how obedient Lang Chu had been, even started to forget about the previous incidents. He actually thought the cub had turned over a new leaf.
However, as the saying goes, old habits die hard.
Hei Xiao had stayed in the tribe for about a week before planning to return. The Black Hawk Tribe had many responsibilities—as the Hundred Beasts Tribe served as a hub connecting various transit points on the Eastern Continent, the Black Hawk Tribe played a similar role for the Southern Continent. With a high volume of beastmen traveling in and out, it was impossible for Hei Yan to stay in the Hundred Beasts Tribe for one or two months like before. One week was already the limit. Counting travel time, he would be away for over half a month, and after leaving the tribe’s affairs in others’ hands for that long, he needed to return to check on things.
This time, however, Hei Yan did not take the cubs with him.
With just two months left until the snowy season, rather than flying back and forth with the young ones, it was better to let them stay put. He planned to leave them in the Hundred Beasts Tribe and bring them back after winter.
The cubs were left at Bai Tu’s house.
The number of cubs in the household increased from five to eight. At first, there wasn’t much noticeable change—after all, their daily routine revolved around school. Once they returned home, the first thing they had to do was finish their homework before they could do anything else.
With Lang Chu’s recent change in behavior, Bai Tu felt completely at ease.
But he had let his guard down too soon.
From Monday to Friday, the cubs attended school. On Saturdays and Sundays, they had free time, as long as they completed their assignments for the day. Bai Tu generally didn’t restrict where they went, as long as it wasn’t dangerous.
That Saturday, the cubs were wandering outside when they saw a group of young ones playing with mud. They were mixing water with dirt and shaping it into miniature furniture—tables, chairs, stools, beds, wardrobes, and more.
For both the eagle cubs and the little wolf cubs, this was the first time seeing such a game. They immediately became eager to learn.
Seeing Lang Chu’s interest, the other cubs quickly taught them. However, their method of mud-mixing was quite rough.
Lang Yao and Bai Ye, after observing for a moment, decided not to follow their method. Instead, they went in search of water, eventually bringing back two cups from the dining hall.
The type of soil used also mattered—the best option was to dig past the surface layer and use the cleaner subsoil underneath.
Following the example of the other cubs, they kneaded and pounded the mud on the ground before shaping it into small furniture pieces.
With their tiny hands, the cubs could only make miniature versions of the items. Once shaped, they left them out in the sun to dry.
With the scorching heat, half a day was enough to harden the mud creations.
After drying, the cubs brought their tiny furniture home.
Lang Cui, Lang Yao, Bai Ye, and the three eagle cubs placed their finished toys in the designated playroom.
Since the eagle cubs would be staying for a few months, Bai Tu had specially added two extra toy shelves for them. Now, they fit in perfectly.
After everything was neatly arranged, Lang Cui glanced around, noticing something was off.
He didn’t see Lang Ying or Lang Chu.
With a puzzled expression, he turned to Lang Cui and asked, “Brother, where are those two?”
Lang Cui had been paying extra attention to the younger eagle cubs, as Bai Tu had specifically instructed him to take care of them. Since they were younger and unfamiliar with the Hundred Beasts Tribe, they needed guidance. Hearing Lang Cui’s question, he looked around and realized that two of his younger brothers were indeed missing.
He was even more confused than Lang Yao. “I didn’t see them leave. Weren’t we all together when we came back?”
He distinctly remembered everyone returning home as a group.
Lang Yao nodded. “But they’re not here now.”
Lang Ying and Lang Chu often got distracted by random things along the way—like fallen leaves, a new object in the yard, or even something as simple as a door handle, which they would grab and spin a few times before moving on.
Lang Yao clearly remembered seeing them in the courtyard just a moment ago.
Now, they were nowhere to be found. If they weren’t inside the house, they must still be in the courtyard.
Just as the group was about to go look for them, Lang Ying and Lang Chu came running back, smiling.
However, their hands were empty.
“Where did you guys go?” Lang Cui asked.
“We went to play!!” Lang Chu replied excitedly but refused to say what they had been up to.
Bai Ye then pointed to the two empty spots on the toy shelf. Those spaces had been reserved for Lang Ying and Lang Chu’s clay toys.
“Big brothers, where are your toys?” Bai Ye asked.
“Uh…” Lang Ying scratched his head.
“We lost them!” Lang Chu answered bluntly.
That night, Lang Qi climbed into bed as usual.
However, the moment he lay down, he suddenly paused.
Slowly, he lifted the blanket.
“What’s wrong?” Bai Tu, noticing his odd reaction, glanced over.
Looking down, he fell silent.
Under the blanket was a pile of crushed, dried mud.
Although the pieces were broken beyond recognition, it was still vaguely clear that they had once been clay toys. Some were even ground into fine dust.
Bai Tu: “…?”
When did this get here?
Before he could say anything, Lang Chu came rushing in, dragging Lang Ying behind him.
He shouted indignantly,
“Father broke our toys! Punish him by making him sleep outside!”
Lang Qi: “…”
