Chapter 213
When Bai Tu woke up, he felt an intense headache. Looking around, he realized he was in an unfamiliar place—like a cave. He reached up to touch the back of his head and winced in pain, sucking in a sharp breath as he tried to recall what had happened.
He had just attended his graduation ceremony and gone out for a celebratory dinner with his classmates. Since everyone would be heading their separate ways the next morning, emotions were running high—some were excited, while others were unsure of their future. The uncertainty and the looming goodbyes had made the atmosphere a little depressing. Some classmates, unsure of their next steps, were feeling particularly down. Given the occasion, they decided to have a few drinks.
Bai Tu had never drunk alcohol before, but caught up in the moment, he raised his glass as well. However, he soon realized that some things were best left untouched.
As he took in his surroundings, everything seemed increasingly unfamiliar. Living in a cave was strange enough, but the objects around him looked even cruder than the antiques he had seen as a child. Despite their rough, primitive appearance, they were clearly well-used, without a speck of dust. That meant someone had been using them recently—probably just before he woke up.
Could he have gotten so drunk that he passed out on the street, only to be dumped in the wilderness by his roommates as a prank?
While his friends enjoyed the occasional joke, this would have been taking things too far. Where even was this remote and primitive place? How had they found it?
Just as Bai Tu was lost in thought, a young man rushed in from outside, his face filled with worry.
“Tu, does your head still hurt? Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere else?”
Bai Tu stared at the man in confusion. The concern on his face didn’t seem fake, yet Bai Tu was certain he had never met him before. He looked completely bewildered.
“Who… are you?”
The young man seemed stunned, as if he couldn’t believe what he had just heard.
“Tu, what did you say?”
“I…” Bai Tu hesitated. Judging from the man’s reaction, he was probably a close relative of this body’s owner. His mind raced, and he quickly came up with an excuse.
“My head hurts a lot. I think I forgot some things.”
As soon as Bai Tu tried to recall the original owner’s memories, a sudden, sharp pain stabbed through his head. The intensity of it was unbearable, forcing him to stop. He shut his eyes, taking a moment to recover. Even after resting, there was still a faint throbbing in his head.
Looking at the young man, who was watching him with deep concern, Bai Tu couldn’t help but sound a little aggrieved.
“I can’t remember… It hurts whenever I try to think about it.”
Seeing his younger brother in so much pain, the young man’s heart ached.
“Alright, alright! Don’t think about it anymore. If you need to know anything, just ask me. You don’t have to use your brain at all!”
He blamed himself—his little brother had already suffered a head injury, and here he was, asking strange questions. Bai Tu waking up safely was already more than he could have hoped for. Everything else could wait. Besides, his brother actually looked better than before. Even if there had been no change, simply having him awake was cause for celebration.
Bai Tu: “…?”
That statement sounded reasonable… yet something about it felt a little off.
“I’m your brother, Hei Jian,” the young man said, carefully observing Bai Tu’s reaction before continuing.
From what Hei Jian explained, Bai Tu learned that he was now in a place called the Beast God Continent, specifically in the Snow Rabbit Tribe on the eastern continent. Their tribe was mostly made up of rabbit beastmen, and there were many other tribes of different species living nearby.
Hei Jian sighed and said, “Tu, next time you want fruit, just tell me. I’ll ask someone to pick it for you. You absolutely can’t climb trees on your own again.”
Apparently, his injury was caused by trying to pick winter dates from a tree. He had climbed up but failed to grip a branch properly, falling down instead.
Hearing this, Bai Tu obediently nodded.
“Got it, big brother.”
He was very cautious with his life—no matter whose life it was. Climbing trees with his bare hands? Absolutely not.
“That’s my good boy.” Hei Jian reached out to ruffle his younger brother’s hair but stopped midway, remembering his injuries. He withdrew his hand and said instead, “In a few days, we’ll be going to the market. Is there anything you’d like to eat or anything you need? I’ll bring it back for you.”
Originally, both brothers could have gone to the market together, but with Bai Tu’s current condition, that was clearly impossible.
Although Bai Tu couldn’t go, Hei Jian could still bring things back for him. He had everything planned out perfectly.
“The market?” Bai Tu found the word both familiar and foreign. Familiar, because he used to visit markets frequently as a child, but foreign, because it had been many years since he last experienced it. He wanted to ask if he could tag along, just to take a look, but considering that he had just woken up from an injury, he swallowed the thought.
Hei Jian reassured him, “Don’t worry, I’ll bring you back something fun.”
Bai Tu: “…”
Something about Hei Jian’s tone and choice of words made him feel like he was being treated as a three-year-old.
Of course, he wasn’t a child. Over the next two days, Bai Tu quickly familiarized himself with his surroundings and gained a deeper understanding of this world.
Each beastman in the tribe had both a human form and a beast form. In human form, they resembled the people he had known in his past life, except they were taller and more muscular. Their beast forms, however, varied greatly—some were enormous, while others were incredibly small.
To Bai Tu’s shock, his own beast form was a tiny rabbit, even smaller than the tribe’s young cubs. He was completely stunned.
One thing was certain: this was not the world he had lived in before. The geography was entirely different. The four continents—East, South, West, and North—were close to one another, and some tribal territories even spanned across multiple continents.
Hei Jian seized every opportunity to talk to Bai Tu over the past two days. At first, Bai Tu found it odd, but after overhearing conversations in the tribe, he finally understood—the previous owner of this body never spoke a single word and would just sit blankly on the side. Although the tribe members described it in a tactful way, Bai Tu could tell what they really meant. This body had belonged to a fool.
Bai Tu had now been awake for two days, taking countless naps in between. But no matter how many times he woke up, he was always greeted by the same familiar scene. A strong feeling settled in his heart—he wasn’t going back anytime soon.
In fact, a rather absurd thought crossed his mind: perhaps this Bai Tu was him all along.
Of course, for now, he kept such thoughts to himself. Not even his closest brother could know.
Bai Tu’s injuries healed faster than expected. Initially, everyone thought his wounds wouldn’t recover in time for the market trip, but to their surprise, the swelling on his head had already disappeared before they even set off.
Of course, Bai Tu hadn’t just relied on time to heal—he had been treating himself.
Once he confirmed that the area had plenty of medicinal herbs, he began testing treatments on himself.
He had grown up in a rather unconventional way—raised by many different households in his childhood. He had spent one day in one home, the next in another, meeting many people and learning various skills along the way.
Identifying basic medicinal herbs, learning how to prepare them… In his childhood, Bai Tu often helped an old man dry herbs, picking up knowledge along the way. Without even realizing it, he had learned quite a bit.
He had always thought the skills he learned as a child would be useless in adulthood. After all, once he left his hometown for university, he had rarely experimented with herbal medicine again.
Who would have thought that this little hobby would actually come in handy here?
After treating the swelling on his head, he carefully sorted and stored the remaining herbs. According to Hei Jian, the tribe’s beastmen often had to venture out to hunt, which was extremely dangerous. Even though medicinal herbs were abundant nearby, finding and preparing the right ones still took time. By keeping a supply ready, they could treat future injuries immediately.
Everyone in the tribe was busy preparing for the upcoming market trip, leaving Bai Tu undisturbed. But as he sat there, another thought came to mind—
He wanted to go to the market.
Bai Tu hesitated for a moment, then brought it up that evening when Hei Jian came to deliver his meal.
“Brother, I want to go to the market with you.”
Considering his current situation, he wasn’t going to disappear anytime soon. If that was the case, he might as well go out and see if he could find anything useful.
Although he hadn’t ventured out much in the past two days, he had already observed the tribe’s situation. Since everyone was busy stockpiling food and supplies for the market, they were only eating enough to stay half-full.
He also noticed that their diet was heavily reliant on meat, with very little grain or vegetables. That was definitely something that needed to change.
Hearing Bai Tu’s request, Hei Jian hesitated.
His brother had just recovered from an injury, and the journey to the market—a round trip of half a month—was no small feat. Could Bai Tu handle it?
The route itself wasn’t an issue; the older beastmen in the tribe knew the way well. As long as they followed them, there wouldn’t be a problem.
But traveling such a long distance in the scorching summer heat? That worried Hei Jian.
After thinking it over, he ultimately decided against bringing Bai Tu along.
However, Bai Tu had his own reasoning.
“I’ve been awake for so long, but I still haven’t gone outside. I don’t even know what the world looks like.”
“I don’t remember anything from before… Did you ever take me outside before, Brother?”
Bai Tu asked several questions in a row, his words filled with longing for the outside world.
Hei Xiao hesitated for a moment before giving in. “Alright, I’ll take you!” If Bai Tu couldn’t keep up with the journey, he could simply shift into his beast form, and Hei Xiao could carry him with ease. After all, his little rabbit form was so tiny that holding him in one hand was effortless, and tucking him into his chest wouldn’t take any extra energy at all.
Bai Tu had no idea what his brother was thinking. The moment he heard Hei Xiao agree to take him outside, all the frustration from his days of recovery vanished instantly.
The Snow Rabbit Tribe had fewer than a hundred members in total. This time, over thirty people were heading to the market. Their tribe had been late in catching prey this year, so they hadn’t been able to depart with the larger group. Now, they were in a hurry—they couldn’t afford to delay because no one knew exactly when the rainy season would start. If they left too late and returned too late, the rain could soak their salt supplies, which would be a serious problem.
As soon as Bai Tu got Hei Jian’s approval, he began preparing for the trip.
The first thing he modified was footwear. Most beastmen didn’t wear shoes, and only a few did. However, Bai Tu was surprised by the materials used for those shoes.
The beastmen’s shoes were made from leftover animal hides or pieced together from worn-out leather. These shoes completely wrapped around the foot and were secured with two loops of rope. While they were sturdy, they had an obvious drawback—in hot weather, wrapping up one’s feet like that slowed walking speed significantly.
Some beastmen preferred straw sandals, but those were only useful for walking around the tribe. If someone wore them while hunting, they’d likely lose their shoes before they even caught their prey.
Bai Tu improved both types of shoes by separating them into two components: a shoe and an insole. At the same time, he replaced the outer layer of grass with a more durable plant that had better flexibility.
The improved sandals had a comfortable layer of animal-hide insoles, cut to fit perfectly inside.
These modified shoes quickly became popular. Bai Tu freely taught everyone how to make them, but by the time they had learned, it was already too late to make enough for the trip.
Since they didn’t have time to prepare the shoes before leaving, the beastmen packed the raw materials into their baskets and used their meal breaks to hurriedly craft one or two pairs for immediate use. However, because they had already started late, their rest periods were short, and they barely made enough to get by.
Some people regretted not having time to make more before reaching the market, as these new, breathable shoes would definitely be popular for trade. Bai Tu also felt that his design could still be further improved, but their departure had been too rushed, and they had limited supplies. Perhaps, by the time they reached the market, even these simple straw shoes would become valuable trade goods.
One major difference between the Beast God Continent and his past life was that this world was covered in plants. Along the way, he encountered an overwhelming variety of vegetation.
Since this body had likely never traveled long distances before, Bai Tu initially found the journey exhausting. At first, he focused all his energy on keeping up with the group. But after several days of walking, his body gradually adapted to the intensity of travel, allowing him to start paying attention to the plants around him.
Bai Tu wanted to find a plant that could replace the material previously used for weaving straw sandals, so he searched carefully. While others took advantage of their meal breaks to rest, he wandered around looking for useful materials.
“Tu, what are you looking for? Hurry and rest, we’ll be setting off again soon.”
Hei Xiao noticed that while his brother had been quiet and reserved back in the tribe, ever since they left, he had become surprisingly energetic.
Good thing I brought him along, Hei Xiao thought. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have gotten to see this lively side of him.
“I’ll be there in a moment,” Bai Tu replied casually, then walked toward a patch of reed-like plants he had spotted not far away.
However, as soon as he reached the plants, he suddenly froze. It wasn’t because there was anything unusual about the plants themselves, but because lying next to them was a small wolf cub, completely black from head to tail.
The cub was about the same size as a one-month-old puppy. Bai Tu was able to identify it as a wolf cub rather than a puppy solely thanks to the knowledge Hei Xiao had been drilling into him recently. It seemed that dogs didn’t exist on the Beast God Continent, only various types of wolves.
Some wolves were said to grow even larger than lions when fully grown.
Bai Tu stared at the little cub, then glanced around. There were no signs of anyone having passed through—could this be an abandoned wolf cub? Had it wandered here on its own after being left behind?
He had overheard quite a bit of information while staying in the tribe. Some beastmen, when they had too many offspring and couldn’t afford to raise them all, would abandon some of their cubs.
The little wolf cub before him had an adorably fierce expression, its eyes full of a mix of innocence and aggression. Bai Tu hesitated. Would someone really be willing to abandon such a cute little thing?
While he was lost in thought, Hei Xiao, who had noticed Bai Tu standing still for some time, called out, “Tu, what’s wrong?” He began walking over, still uneasy about his brother’s injuries despite Bai Tu’s repeated insistence that he had fully healed. If possible, Hei Xiao would stay by his brother’s side at all times.
Seeing Hei Xiao approach, Bai Tu felt like he had found a lifeline. “Brother, come quickly! I found a cub!” He had no idea what to do on his own.
“What kind of cub?” Hei Xiao quickened his pace. When he reached Bai Tu’s side, he too was momentarily stunned. “Why is there a wolf here?”
The path they were traveling was a common route for many tribes heading to the market, so it wouldn’t be unusual for a cub to be abandoned along the way. But what Hei Xiao hadn’t expected was that the abandoned cub would be from the wolf tribe.
Typically, cubs were abandoned only when a tribe lacked the resources to raise them. If the cub was lucky and got picked up, it had a chance at survival. If not, it would have to fend for itself.
Even adult beastmen who left their tribes had a low survival rate, let alone helpless cubs. In most cases, abandoned cubs never made it, as the chance of another tribe finding and taking them in was slim. Everyone understood the fate that awaited cubs left behind.
Hei Xiao knew that weaker tribes sometimes abandoned frail cubs to increase the survival chances of the rest. Leaving them along a well-traveled road increased their odds of being noticed, but it also came with risks—some beastmen didn’t even look where they stepped.
However, he had never heard of a wolf tribe abandoning a cub. The wolf tribes were known to be more united than other species, and since they were fierce hunters, they never lacked food. In most cases, wolf tribes were among the strongest tribes in any region.
There was a wolf tribe near their own tribe as well—its population was several times larger than theirs. Hei Xiao glanced down at the cub. Could it have sneaked out of its tribe?
“Brother, what should we do? Can we take it back?” Bai Tu asked, looking at the tiny cub, who was still baring its teeth at them as if trying to act fierce. Right now, it was small enough to hide away, but what would happen when night fell? Bai Tu had heard that there were wild beasts in the area—they had only avoided them so far because they were traveling in a large group.
A cub this tiny—barely the size of two palms—wouldn’t even be enough for a wild beast’s first bite.
Hei Xiao didn’t immediately agree. Instead, he crouched down to examine the cub carefully. After confirming that it wasn’t a sub-beast, he finally nodded. “We’ll take it back for now.”
Sub-beasts had a special kind of bond with their kin. If this cub were a sub-beast, it would have been drawn to him the moment he crouched down. Instead, the cub only became more aggressive, proving that it was a true beastman cub.
However, something still felt off to Hei Xiao. Maybe it was just because he hadn’t encountered many wolf tribes before, but… wasn’t this cub a little too fierce? Could its parents be unusually aggressive wolves?
He wanted to say something, but seeing Bai Tu’s excitement, he simply shook his head. Forget it. I’ll ask the chief later.
Hei Xiao informed Bai An about Bai Tu finding the wolf cub.
Upon hearing the news, Bai An considered the bigger picture—he was thinking not just about the cub, but about what it could mean for their tribe.
“Could it have been abandoned by the Blood Wolf Tribe?” Bai An speculated. That was the only wolf tribe traveling along the same route, and they had departed earlier than Bai Tu’s group.
Hei Xiao had the same suspicion, but he wasn’t entirely sure.
After discussing it, the two decided to increase their pace and try to catch up with the Blood Wolf Tribe. If the cub belonged to them, they could return it—and maybe even travel together. Their small numbers made the journey dangerous, but if they had a wolf tribe as allies, things would be different.
However, just as they were picking up speed, someone from ahead turned back, searching anxiously.
It turned out that someone from the Blood Wolf Tribe had gone missing.
Seeing how worried the wolf beastmen were, Bai An immediately brought Bai Tu over to ask, “Are you looking for this cub?”
A young wolf beastman named Lang Ze, who had been frantically searching for his brother, glanced at the cub in Bai Tu’s arms and shook his head firmly.
“No! My brother isn’t this small!”
