Chapter 219
Little Lang Qi’s wounds weren’t serious, though they looked quite frightening at first glance. Whether it was due to the potent medicine of Beast God Continent or his own strong healing abilities, by the second day after applying the medicine, his wounds had already begun to scab over. After three days, the injuries had faded into light pink scars.
However, even though his wounds had healed, Lang Qi still remained in his cub form. He had even lost the brief period of transformation into human form that he previously had each night.
Bai Tu could only prepare the most nutritious food possible. “Poor little thing, it’s time to eat.” In Bai Tu’s heart, Little Lang Qi was truly pitiful now. After all the time spent raising him, just when he had finally regained some strength, he was suddenly back to his most vulnerable state.
Hearing Bai Tu’s voice, Little Lang Qi’s body stiffened. He slowly turned to look at the bowl of minced meat Bai Tu was holding and fell silent. It was only when Bai Tu urged him again that he finally opened his mouth.
Bai Tu found this strange and muttered, “Why isn’t he as lively as before?” Before getting injured, the little wolf cub had been much more energetic. Now, he was quiet most of the time.
At Bai Tu’s words, the little wolf cub froze for a moment.
Bai Tu gently rubbed the cub’s head. “Does your wound still hurt?” That was the only reason Bai Tu could think of—perhaps the pain was making him reluctant to move or interact with others.
Just as Bai Tu was feeling puzzled, Little Lang Qi suddenly clung to his arm and started climbing up, all the way onto his shoulder.
Seeing this, Bai Tu finally felt relieved. It seemed there was no serious problem after all.
The wound was on Lang Qi’s back, and since his cub fur was relatively short, even though the injury had healed, it was easy to see where the fur hadn’t grown back. Bai Tu gently rubbed his face against the cub’s wound and blew on it softly. “Does it still hurt?”
Little Lang Qi, unable to speak, simply nuzzled against Bai Tu’s face in response.
Feeling heartbroken, Bai Tu cradled the little wolf cub in his arms to comfort him.
By now, he had already learned about recent events from Lang Ze.
When Lang Qi became the tribe’s leader, he was still quite young. Some tribe members outwardly obeyed him but secretly resented his rule. While Lang Qi was in the tribe, they didn’t dare act, but once they realized he was missing, they began stirring up unrest among the wolf clan. During that time, Lang Ze and Lang Ya had been overwhelmed with dealing with these problems. The moment Lang Qi returned, the first thing he did was handle those troublemakers.
Lang Qi had told Lang Ze that he intended to exile those wolves to another continent, but Bai Tu knew the real Lang Qi was right here with him.
No one knew when Lang Qi would be able to return to normal, but other matters couldn’t be delayed.
By the second month after the rainy season ended, everyone had begun preparing food for the winter.
Thanks to the salt they had traded for last time, there was enough to last the tribe through the second half of the year, so there was no need to visit the market this time. However, they still had to prepare enough food to last the winter—otherwise, it would be a tough season.
The Snow Rabbit Tribe hadn’t caught much prey this year, but with the processing fees they had earned from the wolves, it was a different story. There was a natural ice storage area behind the mountain where they could keep their food frozen until winter. The Snow Rabbit Tribe had this great advantage, but the Blood Wolf Tribe did not. The wolves still relied on their traditional method of roasting the meat first and then stacking it together for storage.
Upon learning this, Bai Tu gave them a suggestion—he improved their smoking technique and also taught them how to make preserved meats, such as dried and salted meat, which could be stored for long periods.
The wolves took food preservation very seriously—at least, the group following Lang Ze did. However, watching how enthusiastic the wolves were about storing food, Bai Tu couldn’t help but wonder…
Would they even be able to resist eating everything before winter arrived?
About three months after the rainy season ended, the weather gradually turned colder. The beastmen’s fur had grown even thicker in response to the dropping temperatures.
Bai Tu laid out harvested herbs and seasonings to dry at the entrance of the cave. Some of the seeds he had brought back from the market had already been planted, and most had grown into small saplings.
Since he had anticipated the seasonal changes, Bai Tu hadn’t planted the seeds directly into the ground. Instead, he had asked the tribe’s beastmen to carve out holes in abandoned tree roots, using them as makeshift flower pots. This way, the saplings could be moved as needed.
Now that winter was approaching, Bai Tu worried that the cold might damage the young plants, so he moved them all into the cave. As for the seasonal fruits, he wasn’t as careful. The ripe ones were harvested, while the unripe ones were left on the trees—if they ripened before the heavy snow arrived, they would be eaten; if not, they would be used as animal feed. New crops would be planted in the spring.
The entire tribe was busy storing food for the winter. While Bai Tu focused on preserving food without losing its original flavor, he also had to take care of Little Lang Qi.
Over a month had passed, and the little wolf cub’s wounds had completely healed. Due to the colder weather, his fur had grown even thicker, making the scar barely visible now.
Perhaps because of the cold, the little cub had become even more clingy than before.
His appetite had also increased significantly, though he hadn’t grown much in size. Fortunately, real wolf cubs didn’t show noticeable growth between their first full moon and three years of age, so the beastmen in the tribe didn’t find it strange. They only marveled at how much a wolf cub could eat.
Whenever Bai Tu left the cave, he took Little Lang Qi with him. Since he didn’t need to go far, mostly staying around the foot of the mountain, bringing the cub along didn’t cause any issues.
Every time Hei Xiao saw the little wolf cub, he couldn’t help but worry.
Does Bai Tu love wolf cubs so much that he’ll end up choosing a wolf beastman as his mate?
After spending time with Bai Tu, Hei Xiao realized he had misunderstood before—Bai Tu had only asked Lang Ze for prey to feed the cub, not because he had any interest in Lang Ze himself. Although Hei Xiao was relieved, a new concern took root.
His younger brother was now an adult. Even if it wasn’t Lang Ze, one day Bai Tu would find a mate.
Hei Xiao couldn’t imagine his obedient little brother being taken away by someone.
The thought of Bai Tu possibly being “abducted” made Hei Xiao even more watchful. Whenever the wolf beastmen visited, he made sure Bai Tu was never left alone with them.
Some beastmen were attracted to their potential mates’ beast forms, and on the Beast God Continent, it wasn’t uncommon for one to use their beast form to lure a mate. Seeing how much Bai Tu adored the little wolf cub, Hei Xiao became extra wary of the wolf tribe’s beastmen.
What worried him even more was how much the wolves loved Bai Tu’s cooking. The way they eagerly waited for food, eyes practically glowing green with hunger, made Hei Xiao nervous. What if someone wanted to become Bai Tu’s mate just because he cooked well? And what if Bai Tu, enchanted by the adorable wolf cubs, actually agreed?
The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt.
Before long, Hei Xiao noticed something strange.
Although the wolves always crowded around Bai Tu when he was cooking, there was always a small space left open, as if by silent agreement.
When Hei Xiao got closer, he realized why—Little Lang Qi was sitting right there.
The little cub didn’t like other wolves getting too close. Whenever someone approached, he would lower his body, ready to pounce.
Normally, no one would be afraid of such a tiny cub. But whenever they met Little Lang Qi’s sharp gaze, the wolves felt as if they were being watched by their leader himself.
After all, this was said to be the leader’s child, and he looked just like him. The wolf beastmen, though tempted to play with the cub like they did with other young ones, didn’t dare.
They all had the same thought—What if the leader returns and the cub tattles on us?
Wolf beastmen feared nothing—except their leader.
And they had good reason. None of them could beat him in a fight. In fact, they were often on the receiving end of his punishment.
Just thinking about their boss getting beaten up made the young wolves shiver. When Lang Ze gets hit, we all feel the pain.
Because they feared the leader, they also feared his cub.
They didn’t need to befriend Little Lang Qi, but they absolutely couldn’t offend him. Otherwise, they risked not only being beaten by the leader but also losing access to Bai Tu’s delicious food.
That was a lesson they had learned from Lang Ze’s misfortune.
Hei Xiao didn’t understand all the underlying reasons behind it—he only cared that the little wolf cub could keep the wolf tribe at bay. He even deliberately swapped out snacks for Bai Tu, encouraging him to feed them to Little Lang Qi regularly.
Why hadn’t I thought of this before? Hei Xiao mused. Young cubs tend to reject beastmen who get too close to their caregivers. Since his younger brother loved Little Lang Qi so much, he would naturally listen to him.
“Raising a cub isn’t such a bad idea,” Hei Xiao said. Previously, he had thought raising a cub would be too much trouble for his brother, but now he had changed his mind. Taking care of a cub required food, but it was still better than letting Bai Tu be snatched away by some unknown beastman.
Bai Tu noticed that Hei Xiao’s attitude toward the cub had changed significantly. But thinking about how obedient and well-behaved the little wolf was, he found it understandable.
Who wouldn’t like such a smart, gentle, and obedient cub?
Since Little Lang Qi had no memory, he was practically indistinguishable from a real cub—just more well-behaved. Even Bai Tu, who knew the truth, still treated him like a young cub. It was no surprise that Hei Xiao, who didn’t know any better, did the same.
After Hei Xiao left, Bai Tu fed the snacks to Little Lang Qi and decided to pick up more the next day.
In the tribe, food was distributed in fixed portions. If someone couldn’t finish their share in one sitting, they could either take it back to their cave for later or store it in the communal food warehouse and retrieve it as needed. Bai Tu usually ate little, plus he had his brother’s help and the extra food Lang Ze had given him through their cooperation with the wolf tribe. Not only did he have enough food for himself and Little Lang Qi for the winter, but there would likely be leftovers.
So, getting some extra snacks for Little Lang Qi was no problem at all.
When Bai Tu brought the food to the cub’s mouth, Little Lang Qi pointed at him, clearly signaling that Bai Tu should eat first.
Faced with such an unbelievably obedient little cub, Bai Tu couldn’t resist any longer—he leaned in and gave the cub a quick kiss on the head.
The moment he did, he froze.
Wait, this is Little Lang Qi… not just an ordinary cub.
Clearing his throat, Bai Tu awkwardly said, “Let’s just forget that ever happened, okay?”
He comforted himself by thinking that once Lang Qi regained his human form, he would recall everything. But with so many things happening lately, there was no way he would remember something so small. Convinced of this, Bai Tu relaxed and continued feeding the cub.
Right now, Little Lang Qi was just too well-behaved! He had all the adorable qualities of a cub but was even more obedient than normal ones. Bai Tu found it almost impossible to resist him.
At first, he had planned to move Little Lang Qi outside to rest once his injuries healed. But now, he had completely abandoned that idea.
Whenever the little wolf cub gazed at him with those expectant eyes, Bai Tu simply couldn’t refuse.
He’s just a cub, Bai Tu reminded himself. And with that thought, he quickly convinced himself to keep indulging him.
Just as Bai Tu was about to forget that Little Lang Qi was actually an adult beastman, something unexpected happened—the cub suddenly transformed.
However, instead of shifting into his human form, he took on the appearance of an adult wolf.
It was Bai Tu’s first time seeing a full-grown wolf beastman up close. Since Lang Qi was noticeably larger than other wolves, Bai Tu was momentarily stunned.
In his adult wolf form, Little Lang Qi could understand Bai Tu perfectly and reacted much like a mature beastman. The only difference was that he couldn’t speak. Bai Tu had to guess what he was thinking, and Lang Qi would respond by nodding or shaking his head.
After some back-and-forth, Bai Tu finally understood:
Lang Qi’s transformation was a sign that he was gradually recovering. However, he hadn’t fully regained his abilities yet, so he couldn’t shift into his human form, nor could he revert to his previous cub form at will. Until he fully recovered, he would likely remain in this adult beast form.
Fortunately, based on how he felt, Lang Qi believed he wasn’t far from making a full recovery.
Even so, Bai Tu found himself in a difficult situation.
How was he supposed to hide Lang Qi?
Since the wolf tribe was also busy stockpiling food for winter, Lang Ze and the others no longer visited every couple of days. Their visits had stretched to every five or six days instead. Before Lang Ze’s next visit, Bai Tu had to make sure Lang Qi was well hidden—if anyone in the tribe discovered him, there would be no way to explain.
But Bai Tu’s biggest headache was something else—the wolf tribe had a much larger appetite than the rabbit tribe. When Lang Qi was in his cub form, even if he ate a little more, it wasn’t too noticeable. But now, in his adult beast form, the difference in food consumption was massive.
The last time he had briefly turned into a human, he had needed extra meals almost immediately. And now… Bai Tu was troubled.
How could he feed Lang Qi without raising suspicion?
If he lived alone in the tribe, it wouldn’t be an issue. But his brother was around. And given how closely Hei Xiao paid attention to him, he would definitely notice if Bai Tu’s food intake suddenly increased. On top of that, Bai Tu wouldn’t be able to take the little wolf cub outside for the time being, meaning he’d also have to endure endless questions from everyone.
Bai Tu sighed. He was once again reminded of a certain saying: “One lie requires countless more to cover it up.”
That evening, Bai Tu did something unusual—he didn’t eat dinner at the foot of the mountain as usual. Instead, he took his food back up to his cave. Normally, if he did this, Hei Xiao would question him. But tonight, Hei Xiao seemed preoccupied with something and also chose to eat in his cave.
Seeing both brothers heading back to their caves with their meals, Bai Qi, who had been sitting nearby, glanced down at his own bowl, then at the fire pit beside him. His face filled with confusion.
What’s going on? Why is everyone eating in their caves all of a sudden?
But now that he thought about it, the air was getting colder. After a brief hesitation, Bai Qi decided to eat in his cave too.
Watching his younger brother leave, Bai Chen, who was just about to bring food to his mate, felt a little conflicted. After a moment of thought, he turned to Mian Bing, who had just climbed down the mountain, and said, “Let’s eat in the cave instead.”
Mian Bing: “…?” She had just come all the way down!
But Bai Chen was determined. Seeing that Bai Tu, Hei Xiao, and Bai Qi had all left, he insisted, “Let’s eat in the cave. And tomorrow, don’t come down—I’ll bring food up to you.”
This particular gathering spot wasn’t that crowded to begin with. Now, people were leaving one by one, and in no time, it was nearly empty.
After distributing the remaining food and chatting with the elderly beastmen about future plans, Bai An returned to the usual dining area—only to find it completely deserted.
All that remained was a single, lonely bowl next to a nearly empty pot of food.
Where is everyone?
Bai An looked around in confusion.
“Chief, they all went back to their caves to eat,” a beastman who was still cooking explained. He wanted to eat in his cave too, but he was a slow cook and still needed time to finish.
Bai An hadn’t even said anything yet when another beastman, having just finished cooking, approached him and said, “Chief, we’re heading back too.”
It wasn’t unusual for beastmen to eat in their caves—some preferred it because they felt safer there. Bai An didn’t think much of it and waved them off in agreement.
The food in the pot was still warm, so Bai An scooped himself a bowl and started eating.
But just as he took his first sip, he heard yet another beastman announce they were heading back to their cave.
Normally, people didn’t have to report to him before leaving, but perhaps because he had asked about it earlier, or maybe because the first person who left had set an example, everyone felt the need to inform him before going up the mountain.
As he continued eating, Bai An absentmindedly nodded and waved them off.
After being interrupted several more times, the area finally fell quiet. No one else came to disturb his meal.
Bai An took a deep breath and quickly finished the rest of his food. Then, setting down his bowl and chopsticks, he began to speak:
“Tomorrow morning—”
Mid-sentence, Bai An froze.
Looking around, he realized that he was the only one left at the foot of the mountain.
Bai An fell into deep thought.
If I remember correctly… wasn’t this supposed to be a whole tribe?
Now, there wasn’t a single person in sight.
Even the fire pits—except for the one in front of him—had completely disappeared.
There wasn’t even a trace of ash left behind!
As the weather grew colder, the beastmen who had left earlier had taken their food with them. The ones who left later, seeing there was still plenty of firewood, decided to move the fire pits to their cave entrances instead. Bai Tu had previously told them not to light fires inside the caves, but there was no rule against setting them up at the entrance.
And since they had moved the fire pits, they had naturally cleaned up after themselves, leaving no trace of the fires that had once been there.
By the time Bai An snapped out of his thoughts, he found himself alone, with only one lonely fire pit flickering beside him.
*
Bai Tu was completely unaware of what was happening outside—he was busy sharing food with Lang Qi.
The food he had brought up was meant for both himself and the little wolf cub. Though the quantity was not small, it was insignificant compared to Lang Qi’s beast form. This was the first time Bai Tu had ever seen such a massive wolf. To be honest, if he hadn’t spent so much time living with the little wolf cub before, there was no way he would have let such a huge creature stay in his cave.
But alas, Bai Tu sighed. This was still the same little wolf cub from before. People always have to pay the price for their own choices—he had been fond of Lang Qi’s cub form, and now that Lang Qi had transformed into his adult beast form, Bai Tu couldn’t just ignore him.
He gave two-thirds of the food to Lang Qi and kept the remaining third for himself. Along with some snacks he had brought, he wasn’t sure if Lang Qi was full, but at least he was.
“Don’t go outside before dark,” Bai Tu reminded him. There were too many people around during the day—whatever Lang Qi needed to do, it was best to wait until nightfall.
At night, only two or three beastmen patrolled outside, while the rest stayed in their caves. If Lang Qi was careful, no one would notice him. But during the day? That was impossible. His beast form was completely black, and he was so large that even if someone wanted to pretend they didn’t see him, they couldn’t.
Lang Qi nodded, obediently following Bai Tu’s instructions.
Bai Tu was satisfied. Even though Lang Qi had turned into his adult beast form, he was still surprisingly easy to deal with.
“I’m going to sleep now. Do as you like,” Bai Tu said. Between figuring out food, organizing medicinal herbs, and dealing with Lang Qi’s sudden transformation, he was exhausted. He just wanted to rest. As for how he was going to bring more food up tomorrow? That was a problem for future Bai Tu.
Lang Qi watched him walk away. Even though Bai Tu wasn’t looking at him, Lang Qi still nodded solemnly.
Bai Tu had no idea. His sleep quality had always been good, and after an exhausting day, he fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.
Half-asleep, Bai Tu reached out instinctively, patting the space beside him. The spot where the little wolf cub usually slept was completely empty.
Lang Qi, who had been watching, understood immediately. He still remembered everything from before, so he knew exactly what Bai Tu was looking for. Quietly, he extended his tail.
The moment Bai Tu’s hand brushed against the thick, furry tail, he relaxed, falling into an even deeper sleep. Lang Qi remained completely still, letting Bai Tu hold his tail as he pleased.
When Bai Tu woke up, he found himself gripping Lang Qi’s tail. Embarrassed, he quickly let go.
“Sorry… I must’ve mistaken your tail for the little wolf cub,” he said, but then realized something was off about that statement. Lang Qi was the little wolf cub.
Bai Tu sighed. It was all because of his bad habits. The little wolf cub had been so soft—like a fluffy cotton ball. He had loved hugging the cub while sleeping.
And now, after getting used to it, the little wolf cub had grown into a big wolf.
He had no idea how Lang Qi felt about getting his tail pulled in the middle of the night.
Feeling a little guilty, Bai Tu avoided looking at Lang Qi’s expression and quickly changed the subject. “I’ll go prepare food.”
Last night’s food had probably only been enough to half-fill Lang Qi’s stomach, and by now, he had surely digested it all. Bai Tu needed to hurry and prepare breakfast.
Luckily, it was still early—most people hadn’t come down from the mountain yet. If he finished quickly, he could bring the food up without running into his brother.
The others would greet him but wouldn’t really pay attention to how much he ate. But Hei Xiao was different.
If Bai Tu ate even slightly more than usual, Hei Xiao would immediately notice. And if Bai Tu ever showed a preference for a particular food, it would definitely appear in his next meal—and in large quantities.
A small change in appetite wouldn’t worry Bai Tu, but the problem was that wolves naturally ate two to three times as much as rabbits. And Lang Qi, who urgently needed to regain his strength, required even more food. If he didn’t get enough, he might revert to his cub form.
Bai Tu didn’t mind if Lang Qi turned back into a cub, but he was concerned about whether these frequent, uncontrollable transformations would affect his health.
Other beastmen could switch between human and beast forms at will, but Lang Qi had an additional cub form, and he kept shifting involuntarily. If he suddenly transformed into a cub outside, that would be a huge problem.
Bai Tu also suspected that Lang Qi’s ability to maintain his adult beast form was tied to his food intake. Even if he ate his fill as a cub, his body could only absorb so much. But in his adult form, although his energy consumption was higher, a single meal could provide as much nourishment as several days’ worth of food in cub form.
Whether he was in cub form or his adult beast form, Bai Tu just wanted Lang Qi to be healthy.
Sure, he liked the little wolf cub, but he wasn’t so obsessed that he would prioritize his own preferences over Lang Qi’s well-being.
If Lang Qi could control his transformation freely, shifting into his cub form like other beastmen did, he would certainly enjoy it. But if he turned back into a cub due to weakness, Bai Tu would only feel distressed. A cub couldn’t even speak—if Lang Qi felt unwell, he wouldn’t be able to express it at all.
With that thought, Bai Tu quickened his pace down the mountain, considering what food to collect from the storage.
Most of the tribe’s food was kept in a natural ice storage behind the mountain, while fruits that couldn’t be frozen were stored separately. Both areas were guarded. Bai Tu went to the ice storage first and collected two slabs of meat.
The food storage was overseen by a rabbit beastman named Tu Mu, who had an exceptional memory—he could recall exactly which beastmen came to collect food and the precise amount they took.
Bai Tu greatly admired this ability and thought it could be useful for managing the tribe’s supplies. However, Tu Mu was only interested in distributing food and had no interest in any other tasks.
When Tu Mu heard what Bai Tu needed, he walked inside, picked up the meat, placed it in a bamboo basket, and handed it over. “You and your brother both ate more than usual today,” he commented.
Bai Tu felt guilty immediately. He suspected that Hei Xiao had also collected extra food, which meant his actions might seem suspicious. Trying not to over-explain, he casually made up an excuse: “Maybe it’s because it’s getting colder.”
If this were just a one-time thing, he could brush it off as trying out a new diet. But he would need to collect extra food for the next several days as well. The only excuse he could use was that his own appetite had increased. He figured he could claim he was dieting once Lang Qi left.
Fortunately, Tu Mu just made a passing remark and didn’t dwell on it.
Bai Tu carried the food to the cave where fruits were stored.
Many fruits couldn’t be frozen, but this year’s food supply was plentiful. Additionally, the wolf tribe occasionally brought over some extra fruit. Because of this, they hadn’t run out of fruit as quickly as Bai An had predicted, and there was still quite a bit left.
Most of what remained were long-lasting varieties. Bai Tu took some apples and peaches and made his way back down the mountain.
Just as he was about to start a fire, he saw Hei Xiao approaching with food in hand.
At the sight of his brother, Bai Tu instantly remembered what Tu Mu had said and felt even more guilty. His brother had gone out of his way to prepare food for him, while he was secretly cooking food on his own, trying to hide it.
At that moment, Bai Tu realized—he really wasn’t a very good little brother.
Hei Xiao hadn’t expected to run into Bai Tu here. He glanced at the sky and asked, “Tu, you collected food?”
Bai Tu cleared his throat and nodded. “Yeah, I woke up early today and wanted to cook something for myself. Brother, do you want to eat anything? I can make something for you.”
The moment he said it, Bai Tu mentally scolded himself—hypocrite. If he had really wanted to cook for Hei Xiao, he wouldn’t have specifically asked. Normally, he would just cook and share whatever he made. Saying it like this was only because he already knew what Hei Xiao’s answer would be.
Sure enough, Hei Xiao shook his head. “I got my own food. You just cook for yourself—I’ll go make mine over there.”
With that, Hei Xiao carried his basket—carefully keeping it covered—and walked off to another area. Once he set the food down, he let out a slow breath, using his body to shield it. After placing the food into the pot, he quickly covered it with a lid.
Bai Tu didn’t notice anything strange. When he saw Hei Xiao turn away, he sighed in relief. Good, he didn’t ask why I collected so much food. I really wouldn’t have been able to explain.
Just to be safe, Bai Tu moved to a different spot so that if Hei Xiao happened to turn around, he would only see Bai Tu’s back.
Back to back, the two brothers cooked their breakfast separately.
But Bai Tu couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.
After finishing his meal, the thought finally struck him—“Why hasn’t anyone else come down to cook?”
In the tribe, there were two types of meals. Some beastmen, like Bai Tu and Hei Xiao, cooked for themselves or their families. Others—those without mates or close relatives—gathered to eat in groups. Many of the ten-year-old cubs also joined the latter group, idolizing the young beastmen who cooked together.
Bai Tu often made food that others had never eaten before, and every time he finished cooking, there would always be cubs coming over to watch. But today, the surroundings were unusually quiet.
Hei Xiao noticed it too. Looking around, he saw that only he and Bai Tu were there. Raising his head, he said, “They’re probably all cooking at the cave entrance.”
Previously, Bai Tu had told everyone not to start fires inside the cave, but cooking at the entrance was fine. Now, he could faintly see smoke rising from several spots.
Bai Tu was surprised. He hadn’t expected the tribe to change their cooking location so quietly. “They didn’t even inform us,” he muttered. This was too careless. If he had known that everyone was cooking up on the mountain, he would have gone back too. Cooking down here was risky—he could get caught. But if he cooked at the cave entrance, there would be nothing to worry about.
Looking at the heavy stone pot in front of him, Bai Tu felt troubled. He had made large portions a few times before, and since he liked drinking soup, he had chosen a slightly bigger stone pot. It was convenient for cooking, but transporting it up the mountain was going to be difficult.
Hei Xiao was also thinking about this and said, “You shouldn’t cook for lunch or dinner. There’s been a lot going on lately—I’ll make your meals and bring them up for you. You should rest early tonight. I’ll find someone to bring your cooking tools up to the mountain.”
Bai Tu quickly shook his head, afraid that if he hesitated, Hei Xiao would actually start delivering his meals. If that happened, Lang Qi would be starving three times a day. The amount of food he had wasn’t even enough to fill Lang Qi’s teeth.
To discourage Hei Xiao from delivering food, Bai Tu said, “Brother, there’s no need for you to find someone. I’ll ask Bai Qi for help. You should go eat first, or your food will get cold.”
Hei Xiao hesitated for a moment but didn’t refuse. He only added, “You don’t need to carry the firewood—I’ll bring it up for you tonight.”
Bai Tu, worried that if he delayed too long, Hei Xiao might notice the unusually large amount of food he had prepared, and also afraid that someone else might come down and find out, nodded quickly. “Alright, I got it.”
Besides, Hei Xiao couldn’t carry too much firewood at once anyway. Bai Tu could just move the rest himself tomorrow.
Cooking at the cave entrance meant there was no risk of Hei Xiao discovering anything. He could even cook more food, and with the tools already at the entrance, he could wake up at midnight to cook if needed. If anyone asked, he could just say he was making a late-night snack.
That way, he could give Lang Qi extra nourishment, Bai Tu thought.
Back in the cave, Bai Tu gave most of the food to Lang Qi. “Eat quickly before it gets cold.”
The weather wasn’t as warm as before. By the time the food was scooped from the stone pot and carried up the mountain, some time had already passed. If Lang Qi didn’t eat quickly, it would definitely be cold by the end. The seasonal transition was already a time when people were more prone to illness, and getting sick from eating cold food would be too frustrating.
Lang Qi nodded and quickly finished the meal.
Bai Tu took the dishes out to wash and, after walking just a few steps, ran into Hei Xiao, who had also just left the cave. Seeing him, Hei Xiao stiffened slightly.
“Brother? You ate so fast,” Bai Tu said. He and Lang Qi had only just finished eating, and Bai Tu himself had eaten very little. Hei Xiao seemed to have eaten unusually quickly today. But Bai Tu soon realized a problem—he himself had come out a little too early.
Looking at the dishes in his hands, Bai Tu quickly thought of an excuse. “I was in a hurry to eat, so I cooled two bowls down and finished quickly.”
Hei Xiao immediately responded, “Same here, I was in a rush today.”
With their explanations aligned, the two brothers simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief and went off to wash the dishes together.
The drinking water in the tribe came from a spring on the mountain, while the water for washing dishes and cleaning was drawn from the river. After washing, the dishes were rinsed with spring water so they could be used again next time.
After finishing, the two went down the mountain to clean the stone pot. Bai Tu called Bai Qi over to help carry the stone pot up the mountain.
Hei Xiao was about to refuse but suddenly thought of something and remained silent.
Bai Qi carried both stone pots up in one trip. After finishing, he asked if they needed any firewood, since he wasn’t going out to hunt today and had the time.
The brothers shook their heads in unison.
Bai Tu was worried that noise at the cave entrance might disturb Lang Qi, which could affect his recovery. So he planned to carry the firewood up himself, little by little. The stone pots were too heavy and required Bai Qi’s help, but he could handle the firewood just fine. He and Hei Xiao weren’t as strong as the more physically powerful beastmen, but they weren’t completely incapable either.
Since Hei Xiao had already taken on the task of carrying Bai Tu’s firewood, there was no need for Bai Qi’s help.
*
Since all the cooking tools had been moved to the cave entrance, Bai Tu found it much more convenient to prepare meals at noon. The only challenge was retrieving the food without being noticed by Hei Xiao.
However, Hei Xiao seemed particularly busy today. Bai Tu hadn’t seen Hei Jian all morning, and when he was cooking at noon, he noticed Hei Jian was also busy at the cave entrance. Since Bai Tu had made a large amount of food, he didn’t dare ask too many questions. But by the afternoon, Hei Jian was nowhere to be seen again. Bai Tu found it strange—there shouldn’t be much to do recently.
Before cooking dinner, he deliberately glanced toward the cave entrance and saw Hei Jian also preparing food. Feeling reassured, he walked over and said to Hei Xiao, “Brother, don’t cook breakfast tomorrow.”
Bai Tu felt guilty about neglecting his brother while making food for Lang Qi today, so he decided to start preparing Hei Jian’s meals as well. However, since their meal times today had been about the same, he wanted to give a heads-up to avoid making too much food.
“Hm?” Upon hearing this, Hei Xiao froze. He quickly glanced down at his food, which was covered, then subtly sighed in relief and shook his head. “No need, I can cook for myself. It’s cold, so it’s more convenient to cook and eat fresh.”
Bai Tu considered this and realized it made sense—after all, he had used the same excuse for cooking his own meals.
It would be much easier if they shared a cave, but then Bai Tu wouldn’t be able to hide Lang Qi like he did now. With that in mind, he abandoned the idea.
When he returned, the food in the pot was nearly ready. Before serving it, Bai Tu glanced around. Fortunately, his cave was in a secluded spot where few people passed by. The closest one was Hei Xiao’s cave, but since Hei Xiao was busy cooking, he wouldn’t come over. At this time of day, most others were also cooking and eating.
Using the hand speed he had honed over more than a decade of single life, Bai Tu quickly dished out the food and carried it into the cave.
Due to a previous misunderstanding, the entrance of his cave was still half-blocked by stones. Even after the issue was resolved, he hadn’t bothered to remove them, making the cave very well-hidden. Even if someone stood at the entrance, they wouldn’t be able to see the entire interior. As long as Lang Qi stayed inside, he wouldn’t be discovered.
Bai Tu handed the food to Lang Qi, letting him eat first while he took a much smaller portion for himself.
By the time they finished eating, it was already dark. Bai Tu washed the pots and dishes, then returned to the cave to rest.
Before sleeping, he reminded Lang Qi, “Some people are still awake. Wait until everyone is sound asleep before going out.”
Some beastmen in the tribe stayed up late, making it unsafe to go out now. Bai Tu warned Lang Qi to be patient.
Lang Qi nodded.
Bai Tu trusted Lang Qi’s character, so after confirming his agreement, he turned over, hugging a fur pelt as he fell asleep.
With no little wolf cub to hold, he found a substitute—a soft animal pelt. Although it didn’t feel as good as a little cub, at least it prevented him from waking up in the middle of the night and accidentally grabbing Lang Qi’s tail.
Lang Qi stared at the pelt for a long time. Only after Bai Tu had fallen asleep did he shift slightly, moving closer to the bed.
Bai Tu rarely changed sleeping positions. Even when Lang Qi was just a small wolf cub, Bai Tu had been like this—sleeping soundly without much movement. However, his hand would always rest on Lang Qi, applying only the lightest pressure so he wouldn’t get crushed.
Recalling past memories, Lang Qi looked at Bai Tu, his gaze lingering on his lips for a long time.
Back when he was a little wolf cub…
After a while, Lang Qi withdrew his gaze and gently rubbed against Bai Tu’s hand before quietly slipping outside without waking him.
Having lived in the Snow Rabbit Tribe for so long, Lang Qi was extremely familiar with the place and knew exactly when it would be at its quietest. Right now, most of the tribe was asleep.
Moments later, a wolf and an eagle came face to face on a narrow path, staring at each other in surprise.
