Chapter 43
Lang Ze spoke as he lowered the bamboo basket on his back, allowing Bai Tu to take a look.
The group of wolf tribe members behind him did the same, revealing baskets filled with all sorts of juvenile prey. The majority of them were piglets and calves, with fewer fawns and lambs, and the rarest being chicks and ducklings.
Chickens and ducks were small and generally not worth the effort for the wolf tribe. Catching one would only be enough for a single meal. However, remembering that Bai Tu enjoyed creating unique dishes that others had never seen before, Lang Ze decided to try catching a few.
The problem was that smaller prey like chickens and ducks were harder to catch for beasts skilled at hunting large animals. After much effort, they managed to capture only four or five of them.
Last night, Lang Ze had led his hunting team to exclusively target juvenile animals. Despite this, Lang Qi didn’t reprimand him, since the task had been assigned by Lang Qi himself.
Juvenile prey were smaller, and once caught, a single person could stay behind to guard them, freeing the others to hunt for more. This made the process far more efficient compared to hunting adult prey.
In one night, they caught over a dozen juvenile animals, and Lang Ze brought most of them here today.
Apart from thanking Bai Tu, his other goal was to score himself a nice dinner.
Of course, he brought his own ingredients—wolves were well aware of their voracious appetites.
Knowing that the rabbit tribe’s territory was limited, Lang Ze decided to directly bring the prey they caught last night to avoid imposing.
“Tu, what’s for dinner tonight?” Lang Ze asked eagerly.
He had specifically chosen to come by in the evening so he could eat dinner and then head out for more hunting. As long as he returned to the tribe before dawn, he would be fine.
“What do you want to eat?” Bai Tu replied. Lang Ze had brought plenty of food, so he could choose freely.
Without hesitation, Lang Ze howled out his answer, “Hotpot!”
Although they occasionally had hotpot back in the tribe, Lang Ze always felt that it didn’t taste as good as Bai Tu’s cooking.
The last time he came over, he had been in such a hurry to take Shi Peng back to the tribe that he hadn’t had time to enjoy a meal. This time, however, he had more than enough time to eat to his heart’s content!
“Alright, hotpot it is,” Bai Tu agreed.
It just so happened that Hei Xiao and the others hadn’t tried it before, so today was the perfect opportunity. Speaking of hotpot, Bai Tu suddenly noticed that someone was missing from the group. “Where’s your brother?” he asked.
“There was a sneaky beastman. My brother went after him,” Lang Ze explained.
The term sneaky was something he had learned from Bai Tu.
Bai Tu had originally used it to describe the monkey tribe members who would hide in the trees and secretly cause trouble. Lang Ze had remembered the word, and since then, he used it to describe any beastman he found disagreeable.
“He went alone?” Bai Tu asked, a bit worried.
Although the rabbit tribe’s territory was relatively safe, wandering alone in the woods at dusk was still unsettling.
Lang Ze, looking as confident as ever, puffed out his chest. “Don’t worry, Tu. My brother can handle it on his own!” After speaking, he glanced at Hei Yan.
Hei Yan immediately bristled when their eyes met. “What’s that supposed to mean?!”
Lang Ze snorted dismissively. “I didn’t even say it was about you.”
Just as the tension between the two escalated and a fight seemed inevitable, Bai Tu quickly intervened. “Dong, take them and herd the juveniles into the cave.”
With the growing number of juvenile prey in the cave, the responsibility on the children, led by Bai Dong, had increased significantly.
The tribe’s system of distributing food based on contributions, combined with the current abundance of resources, ensured that every child was well-fed.
The children, most of whom were around ten years old, were growing rapidly now that they had proper nutrition.
In just two months, they no longer looked as thin and frail as they had when Bai Tu first woke up. They were even skilled at herding calves and piglets, looking every bit like seasoned handlers.
Hearing Bai Tu’s call, a group of children who had just returned from herding cattle and pigs came running over. They helped the wolf tribe members tie up the prey and move them into the cave.
The freshly caught juvenile prey were generally resistant at first, so they were tied up with vines.
After being fed for a couple of days, however, they would realize that they had food and water and no longer needed to roam around, and they would gradually settle down.
The first calf they had raised was now so well-trained that it didn’t even need to be led. When the time came, it would head to the cave on its own, even helping to herd other juveniles along the way. It was beginning to show signs of becoming the leader of the herd.
Bai Tu was extremely pleased with the current progress. At this rate, in a year or two, they could raise a whole group of prey and achieve self-sufficiency for the tribe.
The juveniles brought by Lang Ze and Hei Yan solved Bai Tu’s most pressing concern.
Combined with the prey the tribe had previously raised, they could ensure food for the tribe for at least a few months once these animals were fully grown.
To thank the two tribes, Bai Tu immediately started preparing the hotpot that Lang Ze had requested. The wolf tribe was no stranger to hotpot by now, and they skillfully pitched in to help.
Hei Xiao, standing by Bai Tu’s side, kept glancing warily at Lang Ze, his gaze full of suspicion.
Only when he noticed that Bai Tu’s eyes held no romantic interest in Lang Ze did Hei Xiao finally relax.
He knew all too well how clingy young and energetic beastmen like Lang Ze could be.
If Bai Tu were ever pursued by someone like that, Hei Xiao would make sure to step in. Fortunately, Bai Tu seemed completely uninterested in matters of the heart for now.
Bai Tu, unaware of Hei Xiao’s overactive imagination, was busy thinking about what else to prepare for dinner. Hotpot was delicious, but eating only meat could get overwhelming, so adding other foods to balance the meal seemed like a good idea.
Bai Tu took out the mushrooms they had picked earlier that day.
The environment in the mountains behind the tribe was perfect for growing fungi, and there were clusters of mushrooms everywhere.
If they weren’t picked within a couple of days, they would overripe and go to waste, so they had gathered as many as they could carry. Using all of them for soup would be excessive, so Bai Tu decided to try something different.
He instructed everyone to wash the mushrooms thoroughly, then mixed them with oil and salt in the large wooden basin usually used for marinating meat. Afterward, he spread the mushrooms out on a stone slab over the fire.
Mushrooms cook quickly, and before long, their aroma wafted through the air.
Bai Tu brushed on a layer of his homemade barbecue sauce, and the mouthwatering scent made everyone’s eyes lock onto the mushrooms, unable to look away.
The hotpot base was just finished and would take a bit longer to cook. Meanwhile, everyone was already hungry, and though they hadn’t yet tasted the mushrooms, the smell alone was enough to make their mouths water.
As it turned out, Lang Ze’s faith in Lang Qi was well-placed. Just as the roasted mushrooms were ready, Lang Qi returned, dragging an unfamiliar beastman behind him.
“A cat tribe member,” Lang Qi said as he handed the man over to Bai An.
He washed his hands and, without hesitation, sat down next to Bai Tu as though it were the most natural thing in the world. “They migrated from the west due to a lack of food. There are more of them, but they haven’t found a place to settle yet. They’re about half a day’s journey from the rabbit tribe’s territory.”
“Try this—mushrooms,” Bai Tu said, placing some of the roasted mushrooms into Lang Qi’s bowl. At the same time, he reminded the others that they could start eating.
Lang Ze watched in dismay as the first serving of mushrooms, which he had been eyeing with anticipation, was placed in his brother’s bowl.
Just as he was waiting for his turn, Bai Tu announced they could help themselves. Without hesitation, Lang Ze sprang into action, grabbing a full third of the mushrooms for himself.
Hei Xiao, who had gained a new appreciation for Bai Tu’s cooking over the past two days, didn’t bother asking questions.
Whether he recognized the food or not, he knew it was going to be delicious. Having already tasted mushroom soup before, he was confident these would be just as good, so he unceremoniously took half of what remained.
Lang Qi, after tasting one piece of the stone-roasted mushrooms, didn’t say a word. Instead, he scooped up the rest, splitting it between Bai Tu’s bowl and his own.
Hei Yan, who had been muttering to himself about whatever mysterious seasoning Bai Tu had sprinkled on the mushrooms, looked up only to find that the stone slab was already empty.
Hei Yan: “???” Where’s the reward for catching all those juvenile prey? Wasn’t he supposed to get something for his efforts?
“Here, eat,” Hei Xiao said, the only one still mindful of his somewhat clueless partner.
He gave Hei Yan more than half of his own portion. “Tu’s going to roast more in a bit.”
Hei Xiao had noticed that there was still plenty of mushrooms left in the basin, but the small size of the stone slab meant that the mushrooms could only be roasted in small batches. The rest would definitely have to be fought over.
Hei Xiao’s prediction turned out to be accurate.
After the mushrooms, it wasn’t just the mushrooms that became a contest—everything, from roasted meat to boiled meat for the hotpot, was up for grabs.
Lang Qi was quick and efficient, wasting no movement in claiming his share. Lang Ze, who had grown up in an environment where fighting for food was second nature, was just as competitive.
And while Hei Xiao appeared gentle and unassuming, he was surprisingly decisive when it came to meals, holding his own against the two wolf tribe members.
Bai Tu, long accustomed to this scene, didn’t pay it much mind. He wasn’t a big eater, so as long as he managed to snag one or two pieces from each batch, he was satisfied and never went hungry.
Hei Yan, however, found himself struggling.
One moment he was bickering with Lang Ze, and the next, he realized that Lang Ze’s chopsticks had already snatched up the food he had been eyeing. By the time Hei Yan reached for his own chopsticks, the food was gone. If not for Hei Xiao occasionally sharing with him, he might have gone hungry.
After two rounds of this chaos, Hei Yan finally wised up.
He stopped responding to Lang Ze’s taunts, his eyes fixed on the stone pot and stone slab.
Whichever side had food ready to eat, that’s where he focused, grabbing whatever he could regardless of what it was. And sure enough, he finally managed to eat his fill.
Oddly enough, the food seemed to taste better when it was won through competition.
Despite the chaotic nature of their meal, none of the five at the table moved to eat elsewhere.
Hei Yan could have gone to join the hawk tribe’s table, and Lang Ze could have joined the wolf tribe, where, as leaders, they were guaranteed to have their fill. Yet, they stubbornly remained at Bai Tu’s table. Occasionally, their chopsticks would clash mid-air, each instance becoming a subtle display of the power dynamics between their respective tribes.
Hei Xiao typically didn’t interfere with Hei Yan’s antics because he knew it was pointless.
Lang Qi couldn’t be bothered to deal with his foolish younger brother, and while Bai Tu initially tried to mediate, he eventually gave up.
He realized that with Hei Xiao and Lang Qi around, no real fights would break out. The two younger beastmen reminded Bai Tu of children who couldn’t resist competing whenever they met someone their own age.
Lang Qi had another reason for ignoring his brother—he was busy discussing the cat tribe situation with Bai Tu. On the way back, Lang Qi had already interrogated the captured beastman and learned why the cat tribe had sneaked into the rabbit tribe’s territory.
The issue of dwindling prey wasn’t unique to their area; other regions were facing the same problem.
Larger tribes, like the wolf tribe, were less affected since they could simply move to new hunting grounds. It was more exhausting, but at least they wouldn’t go hungry.
Smaller tribes, however, weren’t so fortunate. Some tribes with poor luck had no prey left in their territory at all and were forced to venture into the lands of others to hunt.
This was a risky endeavor. If caught, the best-case scenario would be being captured, but the worst-case scenario could spark inter-tribal conflict.
This was exactly what had happened to the cat tribe.
Their captured member belonged to one of the smaller varieties of beastmen, with physiques even smaller than the wolf tribe’s.
They were skilled at hiding and rarely interacted with nearby tribes.
The entire cat tribe consisted of just over forty members—smaller than even the Snow Rabbit tribe—and their territory was much smaller.
During the rainy season, some tribe members had even died of starvation. Toward the end of the season, a few younger beastmen, unable to bear their hunger, ventured out to hunt.
While chasing prey, they strayed into a neighboring tribe’s territory. The other tribe interpreted this as a provocation. Not only did they capture the young cat beastmen, but they also launched an attack on the cat tribe’s settlement.
Caught off guard, the remaining thirty or so cat tribe members suffered heavy casualties. Less than half survived, fleeing with injuries. The aggressors’ real goal was to seize their territory, so they didn’t bother pursuing once the survivors had left.
After leaving their land, the cat tribe wandered aimlessly.
They dared not venture into bear tribe territory and eventually reached the vicinity of the Snow Rabbit tribe.
Seeing no signs of large predators, they decided to settle temporarily, hoping either to rebuild their tribe or join another one.
The cat tribe was adept at hiding, often moving only at night. They would catch prey, eat it quickly, then shift into their beast forms and hide. They had been in the Snow Rabbit tribe’s territory for three or four days without being detected.
Interestingly, the reason the hunting party had struggled to find prey the day before wasn’t just because the prey population had decreased. They had unknowingly been hunting near the cat tribe’s temporary hideout. Focused on their search, they had failed to notice the concealed beastmen nearby.
After hearing all this, Bai Tu fell silent, unsure of what to say.
On one hand, the cat tribe’s actions could be seen as an intrusion, but on the other, they were clearly acting out of desperation.
After all, their previous stop had been at the bear tribe’s territory, and beastmen with such ferocious forms weren’t easy to get along with.
Compared to the Snow Rabbit tribe, which posed far less of a threat, it was understandable why the cat tribe had chosen to stay near them.
If Bai Tu were in their position, he might have made the same choice. From Lang Qi’s description, it sounded like the cat tribe had been starving for a long time.
Still, the presence of such a small tribe so close to their own was troublesome.
The Snow Rabbit tribe’s territory was already one of the smallest in the region. Based on the information Hei Xiao had gathered, prey in their territory had already decreased compared to before. It was clear that giving up part of their land wasn’t a feasible solution.
“Doesn’t your tribe need more people?” Lang Qi asked. Earlier, he had overheard some members of the Snow Rabbit tribe mentioning that they had caught a few lion tribe members who were now working.
Bai Tu nodded. They did indeed need more manpower, especially since they were planning to dig a moat soon, which would only make their labor shortage worse.
Lang Qi said matter-of-factly, “Then why not let the cat tribe stay?”
When a foreign tribe entered one’s territory, there were usually three ways to handle it. The first was to drive them out. The second was to fight and expel them. The third was to allow them to stay as a subordinate tribe. As for sharing territory, in Lang Qi’s eyes, that wasn’t even an option.
“Over twenty people—that’s a lot,” Bai Tu said, frowning.
The Snow Rabbit tribe had only about eighty beastmen in total.
They had just caught five lion tribe members, and while these newcomers were useful for labor, they still needed to be closely monitored for a while to ensure they wouldn’t try to contact the Wild Lion tribe.
Adding in more than twenty cat tribe members all at once—nearly a quarter of their population—could cause significant management issues and be a potential threat to the tribe’s stability.
The Snow Rabbit tribe had not even been aware of the cat tribe’s presence until today.
Despite Bai An’s patrols over the past few days, the cat tribe had remained completely hidden.
It was only by chance that the wolf tribe had passed near their hiding spot, scaring the cat tribe into making noise.
If not for that, they might never have discovered the unfamiliar tribe. Such stealthy beastmen could be a serious danger to the Snow Rabbit tribe if they harbored any ill intentions.
Unless they sought help from allies. Bai Tu’s thoughts began to wander. Some larger tribes often accepted members of smaller tribes, viewing the additional labor as a resource.
He couldn’t deny he was envious of the extra manpower. The difference between his tribe and those larger ones was primarily in terms of available guards and overseers.
If they had someone to keep watch, it would be a completely different situation. Bai Tu’s gaze flitted over to Lang Qi and Hei Xiao.
Both the wolf tribe and the hawk tribe were suitable allies to turn to, but asking for help wasn’t simple. There was no guarantee that they would agree, as they could just as easily take the cat tribe members for themselves, strengthening their own tribe instead of helping him.
Just as Bai Tu hesitated over whether to speak up, Lang Qi had already made up his mind. “Let Lang Ze stay here and watch over them.”
The cat tribe had one notable characteristic: they were highly cautious around larger animals. That was the only reason they had been startled into making noise when the wolf tribe passed by.
With wolf tribe members present to suppress them, the cat tribe wouldn’t dare try anything.
When Lang Qi mentioned Lang Ze, he wasn’t referring to Lang Ze alone but to the entire hunting team Lang Ze had brought along—over thirty beastmen in total. Even if half of them went out hunting at night, the remaining wolf tribe members would be enough to keep the cat tribe in check.
“They can also keep an eye on the lions,” Lang Qi added.
He wasn’t particularly fond of those timid lion tribe members they had just captured, and having someone watch over them as well would be convenient. “As for food, let them hunt in the wolf tribe’s territory. Once they bring the food back, you can handle the distribution. And when there’s work to be done, make sure they pitch in too.”
Lang Qi made it clear that the management and distribution of resources would be entirely in Bai Tu’s hands.
He knew his younger brother too well to trust him with such responsibilities. Lang Ze’s team was full of energetic young wolves, and keeping them busy would be beneficial.
The wolf tribe had long struggled with the boundless energy of its young wolves.
Ever since the rainy season ended, these juveniles had been restless, even attempting to run laps in the middle of the night and disturbing the peace of the tribe.
Despite their numbers, there simply wasn’t enough work in the wolf tribe to keep them occupied, leaving them with too much excess energy.
Lang Qi had been contemplating this issue for a while. During his last visit, he noticed how much work the Snow Rabbit tribe needed to do.
He also knew that Bai Tu had recently started raising silkworms, which would eventually require people to pick mulberry leaves and cut grass. Sending these energetic young wolves to the Snow Rabbit tribe was the perfect solution.
The proposal was a complete surprise to Bai Tu.
He hadn’t expected Lang Qi to offer such a suggestion. No matter how he looked at it, this arrangement was nothing but beneficial to the Snow Rabbit tribe, especially to Bai Tu, who desperately needed more labor.
With the wolf tribe’s help, combined with the addition of the cat tribe members, they could solve at least half of their workload issues.
After securing Lang Qi’s promise, Bai Tu immediately went to find Bai An to discuss the details.
At the moment, Bai An was busy interrogating the captured cat tribe member and arranging for meat to be portioned out. After all, it wouldn’t be fair for the entire tribe to rely solely on the food brought by the wolf tribe.
The Snow Rabbit tribe needed to contribute their own supplies as well. While it was true that the wolf tribe had large appetites, the Snow Rabbit tribe’s greater numbers meant they consumed a similar amount overall. Bai An was determined to ensure that everyone, including the wolf tribe, could eat their fill.
At this point, Bai An had already extracted the location of the cat tribe’s hiding spot.
He discovered that it was just half a mountain away from the place where he had last gone hunting. The realization left him deeply shaken—thankfully, the intruders weren’t beastmen with strong offensive capabilities; otherwise, injuries would have been inevitable.
Bai An was consumed with guilt, blaming himself entirely.
He completely overlooked the fact that, apart from the cat tribe, no other beastmen had such remarkable stealth abilities.
This group of cat tribe members had managed to cross several territories undetected before arriving in the rabbit tribe’s land, all thanks to their natural talent for hiding and their small, delicate builds.
When they stayed still, it was nearly impossible for any beastman to detect them. This wasn’t just true for the rabbit tribe—any other tribe would have been equally unable to notice them.
In truth, if the cat tribe didn’t need to hunt or weren’t so timid by nature, they could easily survive within the borders of any tribe’s territory. But due to their inherent cautiousness, they couldn’t remain in the land of other tribes for long. The rabbit tribe, by comparison, became their best option.
After questioning the cat tribe member, Bai An was just about to find Bai Tu to discuss how to handle the situation. After all, this was their tribe’s territory, and having another group of beastmen staying here indefinitely wasn’t a viable option.
But just as he walked out, he overheard Bai Tu relaying what Lang Qi had proposed. For a moment, he wondered if he was hallucinating from overwork.
“The wolf tribe is really willing to help us keep an eye on the cat tribe?” Bai An asked in disbelief.
Before hearing this, he hadn’t even considered the possibility of allowing the cat tribe to stay. For the relatively weak Snow Rabbit tribe, the constant threat was being annexed by other tribes.
The fact that their tribe had held its ground and avoided becoming a subordinate tribe to others was already a rare achievement.
Accepting another tribe into their midst was something they wouldn’t have dared to consider—it could easily lead to the opposite outcome, where they were the ones being swallowed up.
Like Bai Tu, Bai An was tempted by the idea of gaining so much labor from the cat tribe. But he was also keenly aware of the limitations of their tribe’s strength.
Agreeing to let another tribe join without careful consideration could pose a serious threat. However, if the wolf tribe was willing to assist, then the situation was completely different.
Bai An had deliberately refrained from interfering with Bai Tu’s interactions with Lang Qi and Lang Ze because he held onto a sliver of hope.
If their two tribes maintained a good relationship, the wolf tribe would be less likely to stand by idly if another tribe attacked the rabbits. Additionally, they might even help when the Snow Rabbit tribe needed assistance in the future.
Even with these thoughts, Bai An had never expected Lang Qi to take the initiative to propose such a solution.
It was the same as when they went to the market together—Lang Qi offering the suggestion carried far more weight than if they had requested his help.
If the Snow Rabbit tribe had asked the wolf tribe for help, they would have needed to resolve the issue of providing food for the wolves. Additionally, they would have had to periodically send supplies to the wolf tribe as a form of tribute—a sort of “thank-you fee” exchanged for protection.
But the terms Lang Qi had put forward were completely different.
Not only would the wolves hunt for their own food, but all the food distribution would be handled by Bai Tu. Moreover, the wolf tribe wouldn’t just help with hunting—they would also provide protection for the rabbits and even actively participate in labor.
Bai An was so excited that his voice trembled as he spoke. “I agree. I completely agree.”
With terms this favorable, what was there to hesitate about? Even beastmen of the same tribe wouldn’t offer such generous conditions. After blurting out his agreement, Bai An pinched himself hard on the arm, the sharp pain making his face scrunch up.
Bai Tu: “???”
Bai Tu asked, “Chief, what are you doing?” Why was Bai An pinching himself out of nowhere? Was he so busy that he forgot to eat and was starting to act strangely?
“It’s nothing, it’s nothing. I’m just too happy.” Bai An couldn’t suppress the grin spreading across his face as he rubbed his sore arm.
His smile was so wide that his eyes were nearly shut. Lang Qi’s offer was beyond anything he had ever encountered before—it was such an excellent arrangement that even beastmen wouldn’t treat their mates this well!
