Building a Civilization and Raising Cubs in the Beast World – CH35

Chapter 35

Bai Tu almost thought he had misheard, but when he saw the hunting team, he realized he hadn’t—they really had picked up a lion. More specifically, it was a beastman in lion form.

However, the beastman clearly hadn’t been living well. He was so skinny that his bones were practically visible through his skin. The mane around his head was dull and lifeless, and the entire lion exuded a sense of defeat and misery.

Bai Tu asked, “Where did you find him?” The lion was still unconscious, but with the infamous Wild Lion Tribe nearby, Bai Tu was naturally wary of lion beastmen.

“In the first trap we dug,” Bai Qi explained. The hunting team had started the day by checking their very first trap. 

While it might not catch the most prey now, it held a special meaning for the hunting team. It had marked the beginning of their success. 

Since setting up that trap, almost no one in the rabbit tribe had been injured while hunting—a feat unheard of even in larger animal tribes, let alone among the rabbits.

However, as soon as they approached the trap, they sensed something was off. 

A large yellow figure was floating in the water. Lions were big, and Bai An immediately spotted it. 

After confirming it wasn’t Shi Hong—the lion who had long been at odds with the rabbit tribe—he ordered the team to pull the lion out of the trap. Regardless of the situation, a life was a life.

Bai Tu frowned in confusion. “Isn’t that area closer to the wolf tribe’s territory? How did he end up over there?”

Although the lion, rabbit, and wolf tribes’ territories were roughly aligned in a straight line, lions almost never crossed the rabbit tribe’s territory to provoke the wolf tribe, just as wolves rarely crossed into the lion tribe’s lands. 

The rabbit tribe often served as a buffer zone between the two, allowing them to survive despite being sandwiched between two powerful tribes.

If the rabbits weren’t there, the two tribes would clash directly, and disputes over borders and prey would undoubtedly escalate into endless conflict. 

Animals living along the borders would become prime sources of contention, igniting constant battles. 

If a lion had left his tribe, he should logically remain near the border between the lion and rabbit territories, not venture closer to the wolf tribe. 

Without the protection of his tribe, a lone beastman encountering the wolf tribe had little chance of escaping unscathed.

As Bai Tu mulled this over, the unconscious lion beastman shifted back into his human form. He coughed a few times, slowly opened his eyes, and instinctively clutched the animal hide draped over him.

Immediately, Bai An and the other rabbits grew alert and surrounded him, firing off questions.

“What’s your name?”
“Why are you on our tribe’s land?”
“How long have you been here?”

Bai Tu let out a small sigh of relief. The rabbit tribe might be gentle, but they weren’t fools.

The unfamiliar lion beastman glanced around, surprise flickering in his eyes. He hadn’t expected to be saved by the rabbit tribe. The flood of questions momentarily overwhelmed him, and it took him a moment to respond.

“I’m… cough… from the Wild Lion Tribe. My name is Shi Peng,” he began, his voice weak. “I was driven out by Shi Hong… and during the rainy season… I had nowhere to go, so I ended up here… cough… cough, cough.”

“How long have you been here?” Bai Qi pressed further.

“Half a month… cough… I didn’t have anywhere else to go…”

Hearing him coughing nonstop, Bai An instructed, “Qi, go get him a bowl of water.”

“Oh,” Bai Qi responded, though he clearly wanted to keep interrogating Shi Peng. Reluctantly, he went to the nearest cave to fetch a bowl of water, which he handed to Shi Peng. “Here, drink this.”

“Thank you,” Shi Peng said, accepting the bowl and sipping slowly.

Once Shi Peng finished drinking, the questioning resumed. The rabbit beastmen peppered him with questions about his conflict with Shi Hong, why he had been exiled, and the current state of the Wild Lion Tribe. The rabbit tribe never seemed to run out of questions, and Bai Qi, in particular, was the most inquisitive.

Despite his frail appearance, Shi Peng’s demeanor was surprisingly mild. 

Perhaps it was because he had endured so much mistreatment in the Wild Lion Tribe that his temperament had softened. 

He answered most of the rabbits’ questions without complaint, even when they accidentally strayed into more personal topics.

From his responses, the rabbits pieced together the truth. 

Shi Peng was the youngest son of the previous chief of the Wild Lion Tribe. He had witnessed Shi Hong kill his father during a struggle for dominance. 

After taking over as chief, Shi Hong sought to eliminate all of the former chief’s offspring. Shi Peng had survived only because he was so small that he managed to hide behind a pile of rocks in a cave.

Perhaps Shi Hong had deemed him too weak and insignificant to pose a threat, as he hadn’t taken further action against him. However, Shi Peng’s position in the tribe was precarious. He lived at the bottom of the hierarchy, receiving only the leftovers of food, clothing, and other necessities.

Before the rainy season, the wolf tribe had gone to the lion tribe’s territory and said something to the other lion tribe leaders. 

Whatever it was, it resulted in several nearby lion tribes banding together to attack the Wild Lion Tribe. 

Although the Wild Lion Tribe was the largest among them, being targeted by so many tribes at once, while also being watched closely by the wolf tribe beastmen on the sidelines, put them at a massive disadvantage.

Shi Hong, the leader of the Wild Lion Tribe, chose to flee with the strongest warriors and protected his son and Hu Bu, rather than staying to defend the tribe. 

His decision to run caused many of the tribe’s beastmen to either desert the battle or lose the will to fight. 

Those who stayed behind were unwilling to risk their own lives, instead forcing the lowest-ranking members of the tribe to the front lines to face the attackers.

These low-ranking beastmen, already underfed and overworked with hunting and night patrol duties, had little strength to begin with. 

Despite being lions in their beast forms, their combat power was significantly weaker than that of other lion tribes. 

Most were injured in the battle. Shi Peng was no exception—he suffered a deep, bone-revealing wound to his abdomen, inflicted by the leader of the Yellow Lion Tribe.

After an emergency retreat the next day, the attacking lion tribes did not pursue them. However, injured beastmen like Shi Peng were treated as burdens by Shi Hong. 

In the first few days of their retreat, Shi Hong barely allocated any food to the injured. Many beastmen succumbed to their injuries and starvation, leaving only Shi Peng and a few of the younger survivors clinging to life. But this was just the beginning of their suffering.

Having lost their territory, the Wild Lion Tribe was forced to retreat to a remote northern area of their former land. 

The reduced territory meant fewer prey animals, and with many beastmen killed in the battle, succumbing to infected wounds, or defecting to other tribes, their hunting force was significantly diminished.

Shi Hong and the high-ranking beastmen hadn’t participated in hunting for a long time. Expecting them to start now was out of the question, so they continued to exploit the low-ranking beastmen even further.

Because they hadn’t stockpiled enough food before the marketplace opened, Shi Hong’s temper worsened, and he began taking out his frustration on the weaker beastmen. 

Shi Peng and the others bore the brunt of his anger, enduring constant beatings and verbal abuse. 

Shi Hong frequently threatened to expel them from the tribe. The rainy season became a living nightmare for everyone, until one day, Shi Hong killed a beastman in a fit of rage.

Fearing that he might be the next to die, Shi Peng took the first opportunity to escape during a patrol.

However, the rainy season had left the land flooded, and Shi Peng quickly lost his way after leaving the tribe’s territory. 

He originally planned to find an unfamiliar tribe to take him in, but after wandering aimlessly for days, he realized he was still within the rabbit tribe’s territory.

“Cough, cough… I beg you… cough, cough… please let me stay for a few days. I can… cough, cough… help with hunting,” Shi Peng pleaded desperately. 

There was no way he could return to the Wild Lion Tribe.

 As for the other lion tribes, during the fighting, Shi Peng had injured several beastmen from their ranks. 

If he sought refuge with them now, his fate wouldn’t be much better than if he returned to the Wild Lion Tribe. Among all beastmen, no one was lenient toward those who had harmed their own.

The rabbit tribe, known for their kindness, struggled to harden their hearts. 

They treated their own with gentleness, and even when faced with unfamiliar beastmen, they found it difficult to be cruel. Hearing about Shi Peng’s tragic experiences, they couldn’t bring themselves to drive him out.

“Why not let him stay?” Bai An asked Bai Tu. 

Their tribe already had a few beastmen from different species. As long as they didn’t shift into their beast forms, everyone looked more or less the same, and those who stayed long enough were eventually accepted as members of the tribe. Two of them had even found mates within the rabbit tribe.

While their tribe wasn’t as inclusive as some of the larger multi-species tribes, they didn’t prohibit beastmen from other species from seeking refuge either.

Hearing Bai An’s suggestion, Bai Tu nodded. “Let him stay in the cave next to mine for now. He’s not in good condition, so he shouldn’t join the hunting team yet. He can follow me around for now.” 

There were some tasks that Bai Dong and the other children couldn’t handle, and Bai Tu had to wait for the hunting and gathering teams to return to get those done. 

Even though Shi Peng looked weak right now, he was still an adult beastman—and a lion at that, with a larger beast form—so he could be helpful in many ways.

Seeing that Bai Tu had agreed and already arranged accommodations, Bai An immediately nodded. “Alright. Qi, go help Shi Peng clean up his cave.”

“Why is it always me?” Bai Qi grumbled but obediently got to work after Bai An shot him a warning glare.

Bai Tu gave Shi Peng a day to rest. 

The next morning, he took him out to pick mulberry leaves. 

The mulberry trees were growing rapidly; within just a few days, they could sprout a fresh batch of leaves. 

Although the silkworm eggs hadn’t hatched yet, Bai Tu was preparing in advance. The picked leaves were stored in a cool cave, where they could be kept for a few days. 

Silkworms consumed an astonishing amount of leaves during the later stages of their growth, so having some stored ahead of time would save them from scrambling later.

The mulberry trees sent by Ma Xin had grown noticeably taller after the rainy season. 

The leaves on the lower parts of the trees could be picked easily, but for the upper sections, someone needed to climb. Previously, this task fell to Bai Qi and the others, but now it was handed over to Shi Peng.

“Adult beastmen are definitely better for this,” Bai Tu remarked with satisfaction. 

No matter how hardworking Bai Dong and the other children were, they were still just kids. Their height and physical strength couldn’t compare to adult beastmen, and climbing trees was a risky task. 

Bai Tu didn’t like making them do it often. Although they were diligent, their playful nature couldn’t be entirely suppressed. 

Once they became familiar with Bai Tu, their initial restraint disappeared, and they occasionally played tricks. Whenever they moved carelessly on the trees, Bai Tu would be on edge, watching nervously from below.

Having Shi Peng climb the trees eliminated these concerns. Adult beastmen were much more steady and reliable. Being new to the tribe, Shi Peng was careful not to startle Bai Tu.

But Bai Dong and the others were not happy about this new addition to the tribe, especially since Shi Peng seemed to constantly be with Bai Tu. 

While Lang Ze had also stayed in the tribe for a time, it had been different—back then, everyone was in a “student” role, focusing on learning what Bai Tu taught, and they were equally busy.

Now, however, they were doing tasks that everyone knew how to do, and Shi Peng, being more capable, often earned Bai Tu’s praise. The group of competitive children began to develop growing hostility toward him.

Although the resentment was limited to the younger beastmen, Shi Peng was still very anxious. He worried that Bai Tu might stop sheltering him if the others disliked him too much. Hoping to improve their relationship, Shi Peng tried to share his extra food with the children.

“I don’t want your food!” Tu You sternly refused. “If I take it, Tu will think we bullied you, and then he’ll like us even less!” Tu You huffed angrily. 

They might be young, but they weren’t stupid! This lion was so annoying. No wonder he came from the same tribe as Shi Hong—they were all equally awful! Only someone as kind-hearted as Bai Tu would agree to take him in.

“I didn’t mean any harm,” Shi Peng said, shaking his head. He genuinely didn’t want to upset anyone.

“Hmph! You won’t fool me!” Tu You ran off to find Bai Tu. “Tu, Tu, I want to eat crispy fried fish!”

“Did you cause trouble for Shi Peng again?” Bai Tu asked. 

Although the commotion next door wasn’t particularly loud, the rabbit tribe’s hearing was excellent. Even without being as gifted as Bai Zhou, Bai Tu could hear everything clearly.

“I don’t like him,” Tu You muttered softly. He wasn’t the youngest of the children, but he had been one of the first—along with Bai Dong and Tu Shi—to follow Bai Tu closely. 

While Bai Dong and Tu Shi were a bit more reserved, Tu You had no problem openly expressing his likes and dislikes. If he didn’t like someone, he made it obvious.

“Shi Peng has no tribe, which is why he came here,” Bai Tu explained gently. “If you bully him and he has to leave, he won’t have anywhere else to go. Out there, he’d starve to death. Isn’t that pitiful?”

Tu You fidgeted, muttering something under his breath, but he didn’t argue further. From that point on, while he didn’t openly show hostility toward Shi Peng, he still made it clear he didn’t like him.

Worried that keeping Shi Peng with him would further upset the children, Bai Tu decided to leave him behind in the tribe the next day.

“Don’t go near those specific caves, but for the rest, feel free to observe and learn from what others are doing,” Bai Tu instructed. 

The tasks Bai Tu could manage alone were limited, and there were many things he no longer did himself after teaching them to others—like butchering prey or weaving bamboo baskets. 

Since Shi Peng intended to stay in the tribe, he needed to learn these skills. However, as he was still new, Bai Tu prohibited him from entering caves where the cubs or captured prey were kept.

Understanding that getting familiar with the tribe’s beastmen was key to being accepted, Shi Peng took his instructions seriously.

Unlike Shi Hong and others of his kind, Shi Peng showed none of their arrogance. 

He was polite, humble, and respectful toward both the adults and the children of the tribe. 

Within two days, he had blended seamlessly into the Snow Rabbit Tribe, showing no signs of discomfort or awkwardness. 

Bai Tu overheard him more than once expressing how life in the rabbit tribe was far better than what he had endured in the Wild Lion Tribe.

Shi Peng’s friendly attitude, combined with Bai Tu’s earlier guidance, softened the children’s hostility toward him. 

While they still excluded him from activities like cutting grass, they didn’t intentionally ignore him when he asked questions about which plants to harvest. They even corrected him when he made mistakes, though their tone was far from friendly.

After the rainy season, the weeds around the tribe’s territory had grown wildly, and every day the tribe was able to harvest large piles of them. Bai Tu, seeing the growing stacks of dried grass, was delighted. These piles would be invaluable during the winter.

Noticing Bai Tu’s excitement, Shi Peng was a little surprised. “Are these weeds really that important?” he asked.

“Of course,” Bai Tu replied matter-of-factly. “With so many mouths to feed, how would we survive the winter without them?” 

The tribe had plenty of animal cubs to care for—piglets and calves especially. If they were raised well, they could breed next year. 

Bai Tu could already picture fields full of baby animals waving their tiny hooves at him. Setting a small goal for himself, he vowed, “By this time next year, the tribe’s cubs will be drinking milk!”

“But we’re still lacking in nutrition,” Bai Tu muttered, half to himself. 

Children needed proper nourishment—meat, eggs, and milk, not a single one should be missing. 

Once the crops were ready for harvest, he could even make some pastries and snacks for them. After all, childhood should be filled with joy and good food.

Though Shi Peng didn’t fully understand how the grass was supposed to be used, he listened carefully and memorized the details of each type.

About seven or eight days after Shi Peng arrived in the tribe, Lang Ze arrived—exactly ten days after the rainy season had ended. 

Ever since the rain stopped, he had been counting the days, eagerly waiting. Every day, he would visit the border between the two tribes, hoping to spot a rabbit tribe messenger or someone who could bring him over, but he was disappointed every time. 

The rabbit tribe had not been hunting near the border recently, leaving him to wait for several extra days.

This time, only Lang Ze and Lang Qi had come. Since there wasn’t any pressing matter, it was purely a personal visit—more specifically, Lang Ze missing Bai Tu (or rather, Bai Tu’s cooking).

However, what Lang Ze hadn’t expected was to see a new face in the rabbit tribe. Spotting the unfamiliar Shi Peng, who appeared very at home in the Snow Rabbit Tribe, Lang Ze immediately became alert. His internal alarms went off, and he warily demanded, “Who are you?”

“His name is Shi Peng,” Bai Tu explained. “He was exiled from the Wild Lion Tribe and is now staying with us.”

“Oh, a lion,” Lang Ze said, mimicking the way his brother often sized him up. 

He gave Shi Peng a once-over, assessing him critically. Not as tall as my brother. Not as strong as my brother. Not as good-looking as my brother. Hmm. Evaluation complete—not as good as him. After all, he and his brother were amazing, and Lang Ze was only a little bit worse than his older brother.

But then it struck Lang Ze that even such a weak lion could live in the same tribe as Bai Tu, while he himself couldn’t. This thought made him sigh deeply, his dissatisfaction with his older brother growing.

Still, since the conversation had turned to lions, Lang Ze couldn’t resist sharing some news. “By the way, the Wild Lion Tribe has been cutting a lot of grass lately. I wonder if they’re also planning to raise cattle and pigs!”

Shi Peng’s expression turned to shock upon hearing this. “R-Raise cattle?!”