Chapter 50
In the first few days after the introduction of the points system, the beastmen were still adjusting.
Now, instead of heading straight to eat after finishing their work, the first thing they had to do was record their daily points.
Most beastmen got used to it quickly, but the Wolves struggled the most.
They were used to eating in a competitive, chaotic manner, where even if there was plenty of food, they liked to snatch it from each other. With this new step added to their routine, many Wolves would dash out halfway to the dining area, only to realize they had forgotten to record their points and run back.
The one having the hardest time was Lang Ze. While the other Wolves just had to report their completed work and leave, Lang Ze, as a leader, had to record everything for his team, making him the last to finish every time.
After just two days, Lang Ze was visibly deflated. Bai Tu quickly noticed the young wolf’s change in demeanor and asked what was wrong.
“I just want to eat…” Lang Ze replied weakly.
Even though each Wolf only required two numbers to be recorded, there were 70 Wolves to account for. It took too long, and he was starving.
Bai Tu: “…”
To solve the issue, Bai Tu handed Lang Ze a bag of dried apple slices. “Here, take this. Use your left hand to eat.”
Lang Ze’s eyes lit up the moment he saw the apple slices. He obediently held them in his left hand, munching as he recorded points with his right. From that moment on, he stopped complaining.
A single bag of snacks resolved Lang Ze’s negativity. Satisfied with the outcome, Bai Tu made a mental note to prepare more snacks for next time.
After the rainy season, many fruits had ripened in abundance.
The fruit within the Snow Rabbit Tribe’s territory was just enough to feed the tribe, with little left over.
Lang Qi, who had noticed Bai Tu’s love for fruit during their visit to the market, suggested going to the Wolf Tribe’s territory to pick more.
The Blood Wolf Tribe’s territory was vast—so large that it couldn’t be fully explored in a day.
Their gathering teams usually only harvested fruit near the tribe, rarely venturing further unless food supplies were insufficient. Because of this, much of the fruit in the more distant areas would rot on the trees or fall to the ground and decompose, enriching the soil.
As a result, the vegetation in those areas was even more lush, attracting more prey animals. So, while the fruit wasn’t entirely wasted, it wasn’t fully utilized either.
If not for the Wolf Tribe’s longstanding reputation and strength, their outer territories would have been claimed by others long ago. However, the Wolves’ formidable combat ability deterred neighboring tribes, leaving them to simply covet the land from afar.
Having seen the Wolf Tribe’s territory before, Bai Tu agreed to Lang Qi’s suggestion. However, rather than eating all the harvested fruit immediately, Bai Tu began experimenting with making preserved products that could be stored.
The beastmen’s fruit-picking methods prioritized efficiency.
Since the trees were tall, they typically used long poles to knock the fruit down. Now, with the addition of the Cat Tribe, their methods improved.
Cats would climb the trees, move closer to the fruit, and use their sharp claws to cut the stems, allowing the fruit to fall. This was faster and more efficient.
However, both methods—whether using poles or climbing—shared a common drawback: many of the fruits would be damaged when they fell from such a height.
Fortunately, the fruit in this region had relatively tough skins, so the damage was usually minor. Even so, the damaged fruit couldn’t be stored for long and had to be consumed within a day or two.
Bai Tu felt it was a shame to let fruit go to waste, especially since these fruits were only available in summer. In winter, fresh fruit was typically unavailable. To avoid wasting the fruit, Bai Tu came up with an idea: turning it into dried fruit, much like the jerky they made with meat.
Making dried fruit was much simpler than making jerky, mainly because it didn’t require the marination step.
Although using sugar to preserve the fruit would make it even tastier, neither sugarcane nor sugar beets had been found yet, and Bai Tu had no idea when they would be able to produce sugar.
Luckily, everyone was already accustomed to the natural sweetness of the fruit, so the flavor was more than enough for them.
Bai Tu made dried fruit out of apples, mangoes, and cherries.
The process was fairly straightforward: the fruit was sliced or pitted, briefly boiled, and then set out to dry in the sun. Once dried, it could be stored for later use.
The first batch was relatively small, as Bai Tu was still experimenting.
The end product turned out to have good color, and the taste was great too.
Lang Ze happened to be lucky enough to enjoy some of the first batch.
It was a shame Lang Qi wasn’t there—Bai Tu wanted to discuss turning the remaining fruit into dried fruit as well. However, if they went that route, relying solely on the Rabbits and the Wolves staying with the Rabbit Tribe wouldn’t be enough. The rest of the Wolves back in their own tribe would need to pitch in.
As Bai Tu was mulling this over, a familiar voice sounded from behind him.
“What’s this?”
“Just the person I was looking for,” Bai Tu said with a smile as he turned, handing over the pouch he was holding. “Here, try some. It’s dried fruit made from apples and mangoes.”
Lang Qi glanced down at Bai Tu. “Looking for me?”
Bai Tu nodded. “Yes, taste it. The apple slices are sweeter. I’ll grab you some cherry ones in a bit—those are the sweetest.”
Since no additives had been used, the sweetness depended entirely on the fruit itself.
Cherries were the sweetest, followed by apples. Mangoes were the least sweet, which made Bai Tu hesitate about continuing to include them—they were also harder to slice than apples.
Lang Ze glanced at the dried fruit in his hand, flipping it over in search of cherries. Finding none, he froze, momentarily stunned. Am I no longer Bai Tu’s favorite pup?
“There’s only a small amount of cherry fruit, but I’ll give you two pieces later,” Bai Tu explained.
Cherries ripened quickly and would spoil if not picked in time. The amount they managed to gather wasn’t much, so Bai Tu only used half to experiment with making dried fruit.
The result was a single bowl of dried cherries, which he planned to share with Bai An and the others. He hadn’t brought it out yet because he was worried he’d be tempted to eat it all at once—sweet treats were undeniably hard to resist.
Reassured that he’d get some later, Lang Ze was satisfied.
He continued munching on the dried fruit as he finished recording points. By the time he recorded the last Wolf’s points, the fruit in his hand was gone. Without hesitation, he reached for his brother’s pouch—but came up empty.
“This is mine,” Lang Qi said flatly, ignoring his younger brother’s hopeful, pitiful look as he ate the last two pieces of dried fruit.
Lang Ze: “???”
Who was it that joined the hunting team because he claimed he didn’t like fruit? Who?! WHO?!
Lang Qi clearly wasn’t planning to answer that unspoken question. After finishing the dried fruit, he turned to Bai Tu. “Are there any points left to record? I can help.”
Lang Ze: “???!?!”
I’ve been working my tail off, and now you offer to help? Why didn’t you help earlier? Are you even my brother?!
Lang Ze silently stared at Lang Qi, but his brother met his gaze with indifference, completely devoid of sibling affection.
“Bai Tu!” Lang Ze howled, turning to Bai Tu with a dramatic flourish. “I need to tell you something!”
Lang Qi shot a sharp glare at his younger brother, who seemed determined to dig his own grave. Bai Tu, on the other hand, looked concerned. “What’s wrong?”
“He’s a fake!” Lang Ze howled dramatically. “He’s not my brother!”
Bai Tu: “…”
Lang Qi: “… Shut up and go eat.”
“Why should I listen to you?” Lang Ze huffed indignantly. “You wouldn’t share the dried fruit, and you didn’t help me with the work. You’re not my brother.”
“Alright, alright,” Bai Tu interjected, trying to calm things down. “Go eat. Tonight, there are big bones for dinner.”
Bai Tu wasn’t sure what Lang Qi had done to wound the young wolf’s fragile heart, but he found himself instinctively consoling him. “If you don’t hurry, the others will snatch all the bones.”
Recently, the young Wolves had developed an obsession with chewing on bones.
Seeing how much they enjoyed it, Bai Tu had asked Bai An to leave extra meat on the bones when dividing portions, then boil them to perfection so the Wolves could gnaw on them to their heart’s content.
Still, something felt off.
It wasn’t until Bai Tu saw the Wolves enthusiastically baring their teeth and gnawing on bones that he realized what was wrong.
Adult Wolves—especially the group Lang Qi led—were typically stern and serious. While they ate quickly, their demeanor still seemed orderly.
Lang Ze’s group, on the other hand, was a whirlwind of energy and excitement. They practically wagged their tails at the sight of food. It was… well, not very wolf-like.
Bai Tu couldn’t help but suspect that this group might have some mixed bloodlines. Feeling conflicted, he shifted his gaze away and led Lang Qi to eat at a quieter spot, worried that if he kept watching, he might be tempted to intervene.
Lang Qi took a deep breath and silently followed Bai Tu.
Tasks in the tribe were heavy these days, and with the summer heat, it wasn’t practical to keep dozens of fires burning in one spot for long periods.
Additionally, there were only a limited number of stone pots available. To make things easier, Bai Tu had recruited a few beastmen skilled in cooking to prepare meals for the entire tribe. Once the day’s work was done, everyone would gather to eat, saving time and effort.
This arrangement quickly proved popular. The tribe discovered that it was much more convenient than building individual fires to cook, and, more importantly, the communal meals tasted far better than the food they had cooked themselves.
After just two meals, they fully embraced the new system.
What’s more, after meals, fresh fruit was available, already washed and ready to eat—an added comfort that was deeply appreciated.
This convenience was one of the reasons the tribe so quickly adapted to the points system. Everything was better than before! Though the portions were the same, they had to do far less work and could even earn extra points for future trades.
Each species in the tribe had different tasks, and the points earned varied accordingly.
The Wolves, being exceptional hunters, earned the most points. The Rabbits followed closely behind, while the Cats, who still had injured members, and the Lions, who required supervision, earned slightly less.
The Lions, who had the fewest points, were surprised to find that even though they weren’t officially part of the tribe yet, they were still well-fed—better fed, in fact, than they had ever been in the Wild Lion Tribe.
This realization led the few Lions who had already planned to stay with the Rabbit Tribe to make a firm decision: they would no longer pass information back to their original tribe.
Meanwhile, the Cats, who had initially been anxious about their new life, gradually began to relax.
As members of a small tribe, they had never seen so many supplies in one place, let alone had access to such a variety—some of which they didn’t even recognize.
Some Wolves even secretly wanted to stay in the Snow Rabbit Tribe permanently but didn’t dare say it aloud for fear of being reprimanded—or worse, beaten.
The Rabbits, who had always been aware of Bai Tu’s capabilities, were still surprised by how much their lives had improved.
The dried meat Bai Tu had introduced earlier had already amazed them, but the current level of comfort and innovation was beyond anything they had ever dared to imagine.
The written language was especially remarkable. They had only ever heard of the Black Forest Tribe being granted the privilege of learning it, which was said to be a blessing from the Beast God. This had led many tribes to try to join the Black Forest Tribe over the years.
Now, the Snow Rabbit Tribe was enjoying the same privilege as the Black Forest Tribe.
The Rabbits were overjoyed, practically bursting with excitement. They wanted to tell everyone about it, but Bai Tu had instructed them to keep it a secret from strangers, which left them both thrilled and regretful. It was like catching an endless supply of prey but not being allowed to brag about it.
Unaware of the beastmen’s various thoughts, Bai Tu called Bai An and the others together after dinner to discuss the idea of making more dried fruit.
As soon as everyone had gathered, Bai Tu handed out samples of the three types of dried fruit for everyone to try. If they waited any longer, there might not be enough to go around.
Lang Ze finally got to taste the cherry fruit that had been so highly praised.
It was indeed incredibly sweet—but there were only two pieces, which left him far from satisfied. Seeing everyone else in serious discussion, Lang Ze quietly shifted behind Lang Qi and tried to sneak a paw toward the cherries.
Smack!
Before he could grab any, he got swatted. Hanging his head, Lang Ze shrank behind Lang Qi and gave Bai Tu a pitiful look.
Catching the brothers’ little drama out of the corner of his eye, Bai Tu pushed the remaining cherry fruit toward Lang Ze. Who could say no to a sulking little wolf with drooping ears?
Lang Qi observed the entire exchange, glanced at his younger brother playing cute, and said nothing. Instead, he continued listening to Bai Tu outline the number of people needed for fruit harvesting and dried fruit production.
“We currently have 73 members in the harvesting teams across the two tribes. If they’re working full days, they can gather about 30 baskets of fruit per day. After subtracting what we’ll eat, there will be about 10 baskets left, which is roughly 750 kilos. We’ll need at least five beastmen to handle turning that into dried fruit,” Bai Tu explained.
“The Wolves can do it,” Lang Qi agreed immediately.
There were still plenty of idle Wolves in the tribe, and assigning five of them wouldn’t be a problem. Even if there weren’t enough idle members, they could pull people from the hunting and gathering teams to help with fruit processing.
With the dried fruit production sorted, Bai Tu brought up the issue of mulberry leaves.
The first batch of silkworms was growing rapidly.
Wild silkworms were already hardy, and under Bai Tu’s careful care, almost none had died. After half a month, they were about to start spinning cocoons. However, their appetite had grown considerably. A large pile of mulberry leaves could be devoured within half a day.
The big leaves from the mulberry trees near the Snow Rabbit Tribe had already been picked clean.
The smaller leaves were being left untouched for now to feed the second batch of silkworms.
This made the mulberry saplings transplanted to the Wolves’ territory essential. Thanks to the fertile land and the irrigation tools Lang Qi had implemented, the saplings had grown rapidly, sprouting numerous branches and a significantly larger number of leaves that could now be harvested.
Lang Qi nodded. “Do you need anything else? I’ll bring it all at once.”
After a moment’s thought, Bai Tu shook his head. “That should be it.”
He was mindful that Lang Qi was busy. If the task was something the Snow Rabbit Tribe could handle themselves, Bai Tu wouldn’t trouble him further.
As a leader, Lang Qi’s responsibilities were indeed heavy.
He was a sharp observer and had quickly realized that the points system Bai Tu introduced in the Snow Rabbit Tribe could also be applied to the Wolves. With Bai Tu’s help, Lang Qi reorganized the Wolves into smaller groups and introduced a reward-and-punishment system.
Bai Tu helped create bamboo slips and tags for the Wolves, and the points system was implemented in the Wolf Tribe on the second day after it was launched in the Rabbit Tribe.
Even though Bai Tu wasn’t there, Lang Qi’s authority as the Wolf King ensured the changes were swiftly implemented.
Although the new system added some complexity to their work, no one dared oppose it.
Lang Qi had also included a suggestion from Bai Tu: punished members could reduce or eliminate their penalties by earning a certain amount of points, thereby regaining their previous status. This addition made the system even more appealing to the Wolves.
This particular point caused a stir among the group of beastmen in the mountain cave.
Many of them had been identified by Lang Qi as having ties to other tribes.
Some had inadvertently leaked significant information about the Wolf Tribe to outsiders. While they hadn’t intentionally sought to harm their own tribe, their simple-mindedness and naivety had allowed them to be deceived, resulting in genuine losses for the tribe. According to the Wolf Tribe’s rules, they had to face punishment.
These beastmen, having realized their mistakes, accepted their punishment willingly. However, the previous system offered no hope of redemption—it was as if they were condemned to spend their entire lives in the dark, damp cave, atoning for their errors.
Now, with the introduction of the points system and the possibility of earning their way back to freedom, they were working harder than ever. For the first time, they could see a glimmer of hope.
As for those who stubbornly refused to admit their mistakes, Lang Qi had no mercy.
He assigned them indefinite punishments. If they thought they could betray the tribe, join another tribe, and then come back to challenge the Wolf Tribe, they were dreaming.
Lang Qi’s visit to Bai Tu this time was to discuss a particular matter. Once everyone else had left, Lang Qi finally spoke. “Shi Peng has stopped eating.”
Though Lang Qi personally felt that Shi Peng starving himself to death would be well-deserved, the Lion was technically someone Bai Tu had handed over to him.
The final decision on how to deal with Shi Peng, therefore, rested with Bai Tu. Lang Qi figured it wouldn’t reflect well if the person Bai Tu gave him ended up dead.
“Who?” Bai Tu asked absentmindedly as he was preparing to give Lang Qi some medicinal supplies to take back. A second later, he realized who Lang Qi was talking about. His expression froze. “How many days has it been?”
“Seven,” Lang Qi replied.
Bai Tu was stunned. “Seven days?!”
Lang Qi confirmed the number. Seven days. He’d only found out about it earlier that day when Lang Yang came to report that Shi Peng was on the verge of death.
Like Lang Qi, Lang Yang thought it wouldn’t be appropriate to let someone entrusted to their care starve to death. He asked if they should throw him out or force-feed him something.
Bai Tu: “…”
Bai Tu: “Is he still alive?”
Lang Qi nodded. “Barely breathing.”
“Let him be,” Bai Tu said after a pause. “Just follow your tribe’s rules.”
It was like trying to wake someone pretending to be asleep—you couldn’t force them. Bai Tu had long given up trying to understand the logic of people like Shi Peng. It was the same as with Tu Cheng.
Some of the other beastmen who had joined the tribe had frequently shared stories about life in the Wild Lion Tribe.
It was a grim picture—constant beatings and scolding were commonplace.
Even though these beastmen were the ones doing most of the hunting, they were always last in line when food was distributed. Oftentimes, by the time their turn came, there wasn’t any actual food left. They’d be given things like cowhide or sheepskin, which were entirely inedible.
Meanwhile, the Wild Lion Tribe’s leaders, such as Shi Hong, would have more food than they could consume.
Even if the food spoiled, they wouldn’t share it with the lower-ranking members. The reasoning was simple: keeping the others hungry ensured they “knew their place.”
Beyond food, the lower-ranking beastmen in the Wild Lion Tribe also suffered the worst treatment in other areas.
They never got the good pelts or tools; those always went to the higher-ranking members. They were forced to use discarded or worn-out items from others. In times of danger, they were used as shields.
During the last siege, nearly all the wounded were lower-ranking beastmen.
During the rainy season alone, dozens of them died. Shi Hong and the other leaders didn’t even spare them a glance, going so far as to think there hadn’t been enough deaths—claiming the survivors were just wasting food.
Bai Tu sighed, shaking his head. “I just don’t understand his mindset.”
To Bai Tu, nothing was more important than life. Even after being transported to another time and space, he still wanted to live his best life. Yet some people seemed to treat their own lives as a joke.
Lang Qi nodded in agreement, resolving to have Shi Peng thrown out of the tribe as soon as he returned. Not wanting to dwell on the topic any further, he brought up another matter with Bai Tu. “Don’t spoil Lang Ze.”
Bai Tu looked at him, puzzled. “Huh? Am I spoiling him?”
“Stop giving him extra snacks,” Lang Qi clarified, pointing out specific examples when Bai Tu didn’t seem to understand. “Let him eat like everyone else. If this keeps up, he’s just going to get worse! And what kind of juvenile still acts so spoiled at his age?”
Lang Qi’s tone was so serious that Bai Tu could only nod. “Alright, I’ll try my best.”
He did find it hard to resist the younger wolf’s charm.
In human form, Lang Ze was manageable, but in wolf form, he had a habit of lying down by Bai Tu’s feet, staring up at him with big, pitiful eyes. It was hard not to give in. Still, with Lang Qi laying down the law, Bai Tu had no choice but to comply.
Unaware that his extra snacks had just been officially canceled, Lang Ze happily returned to the tribe, still thrilled about the cherry fruit he had scored. His excitement even carried over to hunting, where he was more energetic than ever.
In the following days, the Wolves continued to amaze.
They brought back at least two large prey animals every day. Other than their slightly larger appetites, they had no faults at all.
In fact, since Lang Qi had instructed them to rein it in, they even got into fewer fights than before.
Watching the Wolves’ consistent contributions, Bai Tu couldn’t help but think Lang Qi was being a bit too harsh on his younger brother. These “pups” were so well-behaved. Big pups were still pups, after all.
Just as the tribe was beginning to forget the Wolves’ tendency to engage in unexpected antics, the young Wolves—placated for a few days by food and the points system—decided to venture into a previously avoided area one evening.
“Boss, should we do it?” Lang Zuo asked as he shifted into human form, holding a long pole that had once been used for knocking down fruit.
Since the Cats had joined the Rabbit Tribe, these tools were no longer needed for fruit harvesting. But tonight, the Wolves had deliberately brought one along.
Lang Ze nodded decisively. “Do it.”
At his command, the group of Wolves quickly got into position. Once Lang Ze gave the signal, they simultaneously thrust their poles into the trees above them.
“Buzzzzzz—”
A low, ominous sound filled the air.
“AWOOOOOO~~~”
The mournful howls of Wolves echoed across the territory.
Lang Qi, who had been hunting on the other side of the territory, immediately abandoned the prey he was about to capture. Gathering the other members, he sprinted toward the source of the cries at his fastest speed.
Meanwhile, Bai Tu, who had just finished checking on the silkworm cocoons and was resting, was startled awake. That sound… it seemed to have come from the Wolves?
Jumping to his feet, Bai Tu rushed to get ready. Bai Qi and the others immediately shifted into their animal forms, prepared to dash toward the Wolves’ territory. For a moment, Bai Tu even considered transforming into his rabbit form and asking his tribe to carry him over.
But Bai An quickly stopped him. “You stay in the tribe, Bai Tu. I’ll go check it out.” If there really was danger, someone had to stay behind to make decisions for the tribe.
As the group fretted, the familiar figures of the young Wolves finally appeared before them. They were alive—but noticeably swollen.
Thank you for the chapter!