Building a Civilization and Raising Cubs in the Beast World – CH53

Chapter 53

Hearing Bai Tu’s words, Lang Qi averted his gaze, his ears tinged with a faint blush.

What Bai Tu didn’t realize was that in the Beast God Continent, praising someone so enthusiastically was almost equivalent to saying they were a suitable mate.

Still oblivious to Lang Qi’s reaction, Bai Tu was brimming with excitement over the limestone and lime they’d acquired. 

He had always known Lang Qi to be reliable, but just like how Lang Ze often surprised him in unexpected ways, Lang Qi’s dependability always came with new discoveries. 

If it had been Bai Tu going out on his own, he probably wouldn’t have brought back something unfamiliar—at least not in such quantities. 

Transporting materials required significant manpower, and for the wolves to haul back so much without taking long breaks, likely even skipping hunts to return directly, their physical exhaustion would take days to recover from.

“It’s good that they’re useful,” Lang Qi said, glancing at the limestone Bai Tu had identified. His expression grew colder. “Can this be turned into lime?”

“It can. Once we’ve used up the lime we already have, we can start firing this limestone in the kiln,” Bai Tu replied. 

Producing lime was relatively straightforward compared to other materials. 

As long as the temperature was controlled correctly, the process was almost foolproof. 

It wasn’t as complex as making glass, which required additional minerals. For items like glass, while Bai Tu had a rough idea of the raw materials needed, finding those materials and determining the right proportions would take time and experimentation.

“Good. I’ll lead another group to bring back more in seven days,” Lang Qi said, calculating the timing. 

While he was willing to leave immediately, the tribe needed time to replenish its food supplies. Taking thirty wolves on a journey required provisions, and they’d need a few days to prepare.

“No need to rush,” Bai Tu said. “Rest for now, and I’ll prepare dinner.” 

Even the hardest taskmaster wouldn’t assign another job right after their workers had returned, let alone someone like Bai Tu. 

Besides, the lime and limestone they had already gathered would last for a while. His immediate plan was to build a few more kilns and start firing bricks…

As Bai Tu was thinking, he caught something out of the corner of his eye and immediately spoke up. “Wait, what’s wrong with your shoulder?”

Lang Qi’s shoulder, near his back, bore several deep claw marks, so severe that the bone was faintly visible. The wounds were clearly inflicted with great force—something far more vicious than anything Bai Tu had ever seen from the playful injuries the young wolves gave each other.

Frowning, Bai Tu connected the injuries to the limestone. “Did you get into a fight with the Brown Monkey Tribe?”

Bao Duo’s earlier information indicated that the limestone was located at White Stone Mountain, further beyond the Brown Monkey Tribe, about half a day’s travel from their territory. 

By that logic, the wolves shouldn’t have crossed paths with the monkeys. 

Had the Brown Monkey Tribe also set their sights on the lime? The next market gathering was still over two months away, so even if they needed lime, it seemed far too early to be collecting it.

Lang Qi paused in his steps, about to reply, but Lang Ze, who had just returned, beat him to it. “My brother said he wanted to capture the Brown Monkey Tribe’s leader, Hou Sha, but Hou Sha injured him instead,” Lang Ze explained, speaking quickly.

Recently, with Lang Qi away, Lang Ze had stayed behind in the Blood Wolf Tribe as his brother’s stand-in. However, disliking being cooped up in one place, he frequently traveled back and forth between the two tribes. The only noticeable changes were his increased appetite and a slight growth spurt.

So they had encountered trouble. Bai Tu glanced around and asked, “Did anyone else get hurt? If so, have them come to my cave.”

“No one else. Just him,” Lang Ze muttered, almost under his breath. “My brother just had to capture him alive.”

The wolves had always adhered to a policy of “don’t attack unless provoked,” but when the Brown Monkey Tribe attacked them, the usual response would have been for everyone to fight back together. 

It wasn’t until Lang Ze saw Hou Sha that he realized Lang Qi had encountered the monkey tribe’s leader, fought him, and even captured him alive. The injury on Lang Qi’s shoulder came from trying to restrain Hou Sha during their return to the tribe.

If Lang Qi hadn’t forbidden it, the other wolves would have killed Hou Sha long ago. 

It was bad enough that the Brown Monkey Tribe frequently harassed the salt caravans passing through. Now, they were interfering with resources that didn’t even belong to them—and worse, they attacked the wolf tribe’s leader within wolf territory. 

That was a line no wolf could tolerate. Lang Ze had arrived later than the others because he had stayed behind to beat Hou Sha. Still, he remembered Lang Qi’s instructions and refrained from killing him.

One of the wolves standing near Lang Qi, Lang Yang, couldn’t help but speak up in defense of their leader. “Hou Sha claimed he was the only one who knew how to make lime. That’s why the chief decided to keep him alive.”

The wolf tribe’s conflict with the Brown Monkey Tribe wasn’t new. 

This time, although the wolves were fewer in number, they weren’t burdened with materials to protect, so they fought without hesitation. 

Lang Qi rarely wasted his time on underlings; if he acted, he would target the leader. When he did, Hou Sha didn’t even have a chance to escape.

Just as Lang Qi was about to deal the finishing blow and replace the Brown Monkey Tribe’s leader, Hou Sha spoke up.

The monkeys were known to be more cunning than most beast tribes, and Hou Sha, as their leader, was no exception. 

Sizing up the situation, he realized the wolves needed lime and told Lang Qi that he was the only one who knew how to produce it. If he died, the wolves would never be able to acquire extra lime in the future.

This claim made Lang Qi pause. After questioning the remaining members of the Brown Monkey Tribe and confirming that Hou Sha’s words were true, Lang Qi decided to capture him alive and bring him back to the wolf tribe.

However, on their return to the tribe, Hou Sha broke free of a vine binding and attempted to attack a wolf cub. Lang Qi intervened to protect the cub and was clawed deeply on the shoulder.

While Bai Tu was disinfecting and treating Lang Qi’s wounds, Lang Yang recounted the entire incident. 

Lang Qi tried to interrupt a few times, but Bai Tu cut him off and insisted on hearing the full story. Only after listening to everything did Bai Tu let Lang Yang go eat.

By the end of the explanation, Bai Tu’s anger at Lang Qi for taking such a risk had dissipated entirely.

The reason Hou Sha was kept alive was because of his knowledge about lime, and ultimately, that was because Bai Tu needed lime. If not for him, Lang Qi wouldn’t have been injured at all.

“For now, avoid getting the wound wet, and come back tomorrow for a dressing change,” Bai Tu instructed, remembering how the fresh wound had looked pale. “When you bathe, keep the wound dry. You might want to ask someone to help.”

Hou Sha had clearly been aiming to seriously harm the cub. 

No wonder Lang Qi had stepped in directly—blocking the attack was the safest choice. Wolf cubs were incredibly fragile, and even a slight mistake could lead to injury.

“Is the cub okay?” Bai Tu asked worriedly.

Lang Qi draped a pelt over his shoulders, and for a brief moment, an unfamiliar emotion flashed through his eyes. “It was frightened,” he said, his voice softening for just an instant. This was the first time he had ever lied, and it felt strange.

Bai Tu didn’t notice Lang Qi’s hesitation, too focused on his concern. “How serious? Do you need me to prepare some calming medicine?”

Lang Qi’s voice stiffened slightly. “Maybe you should take a look yourself.”

Bai Tu’s eyes lit up. “Can you bring it over?”

Each tribe treated their cubs with great caution. 

When Bai Tu first arrived, he wasn’t even allowed to touch the rabbit tribe’s cubs. 

Only after persistent efforts—bribing the cubs with food and preparing toys for them—did he gain their trust and be considered a safe adult by Tu Cai. 

Among the cat tribe, the cub he was most familiar with was the one he’d encountered while it was running away. 

He had only held other cubs briefly, and even though the cubs themselves didn’t mind, Mao Lan’s wary gaze was so intense it felt like it could materialize.

In all his time on the Beast God Continent, Bai Tu had only had limited contact with rabbit and cat cubs. 

The prospect of seeing wolf cubs was thrilling. Chubby little wolf pups, even cuter than the already-adorable wolf tribe members! The thought alone melted his heart.

Seeing Bai Tu’s eager expression, Lang Qi gave a small nod. “I can bring it. It’s Yu and Zhu’s child.”

Bai Tu froze. Lang Yu and Lang Zhu—they were the former wolf king and queen.

Lang Qi continued, “Those two cubs are a bit weak. Can you help raise them for a while?” Although the wolf tribe had been learning from Bai Tu’s methods for raising young, and Bai Tu had been teaching them as much as he could, the wolf cubs still didn’t grow as robustly as the rabbit tribe’s cubs. Seeing how much Bai Tu enjoyed caring for young ones, Lang Qi had been considering whether he could send the cubs to Bai Tu for better care.

Without hesitation, Bai Tu nodded. “Of course.” Not just two—he could handle more if needed. He remembered how much wolf pups resembled puppies, and he couldn’t help but wonder if the wolf tribe’s cubs would be the same.

“I’ll bring them over tomorrow,” Lang Qi said, relieved when he saw how happy Bai Tu was.

The two agreed on the plan, but Bai Tu knew he still needed to inform Bai An. While Bai An wouldn’t object, formalities were necessary.

When Bai Tu told Bai An about Lang Qi’s plan to send over Lang Yu and Lang Zhu’s cubs, Bai An was surprised. “They’re sending the cubs for us to raise?”

Bai Tu nodded. “Yes, just for a while. I heard they’re a bit weak, so I want to see if I can help strengthen them.”

Regardless of the tribe, beastmen were surprisingly rough when it came to raising their young. 

The evolutionary process hadn’t given beastmen’s cubs the same resilience as their parents, resulting in a sharp contrast between the powerful adults and the fragile cubs. 

Beastmen weren’t heartless, but their inability to meet the constant needs of their cubs—combined with harsh environments—led to a high mortality rate among the young.

In this regard, Bai Tu was far more meticulous than most beastmen, and his extra care made a noticeable difference. 

The rabbit tribe’s cubs were proof of this. Even the weakest one had grown much stronger under Bai Tu’s watch. 

Bai An was well aware of Bai Tu’s knack for raising young and nodded repeatedly when Bai Tu mentioned helping the wolf cubs. “Yes, yes, strengthen them. That’s a good idea.”

Although he agreed, Bai An couldn’t shake the feeling that something about the situation was odd.

Having said what he needed to, Bai Tu didn’t linger in the cave. 

Seeing no objection from Bai An, he left after saying goodbye. Outside, the second batch of melons was ready for harvest. 

Since the wolves had just returned, Bai Tu decided to gather the melons with them so they could take some back to their tribe.

After Bai Tu left, Bai An also stepped outside. He was reminded of the matter later when Tu Xi, who helped Tu Cai look after the cubs, came to collect their food.

In the rabbit tribe, cubs were usually cared for during the day by Tu Cai and a few younger beastmen. 

At night, their parents would take them back. If the parents were unwilling or unable to care for their cubs, they would leave them with Tu Cai full-time, as she had extensive experience with raising young. 

Most beastmen chose this option. Until the cubs turned three years old and could shift into their animal forms, they stayed in the communal cave during the day. Food for the cubs was handed over to Tu Cai at regular intervals.

If a cub’s parents had passed away, their siblings would take responsibility for raising the cub. 

If no relatives stepped up, the cub was considered abandoned. 

In such cases, the rabbit tribe couldn’t bear to leave them without care, so Bai An, Tu Cai, and the others would set aside portions of their own food to feed the abandoned cubs.

The wolf tribe followed a similar system. 

Given how much Lang Qi cared about the cubs, it didn’t seem like he was unwilling to raise them himself. But if that were the case, why send the cubs to the rabbit tribe? Bai An was puzzled. The whole situation felt strange.

And what if the cubs, after becoming familiar with the rabbit tribe, rejected Lang Qi’s future mate? Wouldn’t that create problems?

According to tradition, when relatives take over the responsibility of raising orphaned cubs, they are essentially regarded as the cubs’ new parents. 

They are expected to teach the cubs hunting skills, comfort them when they are upset, and so on. 

The cubs, in turn, develop a strong attachment to their caretakers. 

Many cubs struggle to adjust if their caregivers are frequently changed. 

Lang Qi’s decision was risky, and Bai An shook his head. 

He wanted to say something, but as Lang Qi was the leader of the much larger Blood Wolf Tribe, Bai An could only sigh. Lang Qi surely understood this principle, yet he still made this choice, leaving Bai An both baffled and frustrated.

Regardless of Bai An’s concerns, Lang Qi delivered the two wolf cubs—each no bigger than an adult beastman’s palm—to Bai Tu.

Although the cubs were already over two years old, they looked as if they were only a month old, or even less robust than month-old puppies. 

Bai Tu’s heart ached as he picked them up for a closer examination. One cub had black fur, and the other was a shade of gray. The black cub was slightly smaller than Bai Tu’s palm, and the gray one was even smaller than the black one.

“Are all wolf cubs this size?” Bai Tu asked. 

In reality, these two were slightly larger than rabbit cubs, but given the size difference between the two species, they should have been noticeably bigger.

Lang Qi shook his head. “No, these two are the smallest—much smaller and thinner than the others. When Zhu gave birth, she was injured. The elders in the tribe said it wasn’t yet time for her to give birth, which is why the cubs are so weak.”

The elders had bluntly stated that such weak cubs wouldn’t survive and had urged Lang Yu and Lang Zhu to kill them, arguing that having frail cubs would undermine the tribe’s respect for the wolf king and queen. However, Lang Yu and Lang Zhu refused, and even the not-yet-adult Lang Ze had shouted that the cubs should be protected.

“Premature birth?” Bai Tu mused. Premature cubs were indeed weaker, much like the runt in a litter—smaller and more fragile.

These were cubs that required extra care. Bai Tu walked to the small stove he had built in a corner of his cave and placed a prepared mixture of yam and minced meat into a ceramic pot to cook.

The ceramic pot was far more convenient than a stone pot. 

For ease of cooking and making medicinal broths, Bai Tu had built a small stove just inside the cave entrance. That afternoon, he had brought over a new ceramic pot and a pair of small ceramic bowls specifically for preparing food for the cubs.

The minced meat was lean pork, finely chopped with yam and a pinch of salt to make a nutritious supplement. 

Bai Tu had always thought that the beastmen’s original method of simply mashing up cooked meat and feeding it to cubs was too crude, so he had been working to refine their feeding practices. 

The results so far had been promising, as the rabbit tribe’s cubs were eating noticeably more than before.

Once the yam and minced meat mixture was cooked, Bai Tu scooped it out and let it cool to about body temperature. 

Using a small wooden spoon, he carefully brought it to the mouths of the cubs, who were asleep. Weak cubs needed more sleep than their healthy counterparts, but they also needed regular meals to keep up with their nutritional needs.

The scent of the food roused one of the cubs, who, still with its eyes closed, began eating instinctively. 

The other cub stirred at the noise, waking up and joining in. Both cubs pawed at the spoon in Bai Tu’s hand, licking it clean before reluctantly letting go.

“Not picky eaters,” Bai Tu noted with satisfaction as he watched them eat. 

While he would do his best to care for any cub, those that weren’t picky were undeniably easier to feed.

It had taken the wolf cubs half a day to travel from the wolf tribe to the rabbit tribe, and by the time they arrived, they were hungry. 

They eagerly devoured the food Bai Tu prepared for them, finishing an entire small bowl of yam and minced meat. 

Even after eating, they licked the traces of food around their mouths, clearly wanting more. 

The gray-furred cub, following the scent, trotted over to Bai Tu, pawed at his hand, sniffed for a while, and finally curled up next to him.

The black-furred cub, noticing that his sibling had wandered off, ran over to lie down beside him. 

Watching the two cubs fall asleep in a fluffy pile, Bai Tu turned to Lang Qi and said, “They can stay with me. You can head back now.” 

The fact that the cubs felt comfortable enough to sleep next to Bai Tu showed that they trusted him, and it wouldn’t be an issue for him to take care of them without Lang Qi’s presence. 

Lang Qi nodded. 

He had stayed for half a day to ensure the cubs adapted well, and now, seeing them asleep, he could leave with peace of mind.

With the addition of the two wolf cubs, Bai Tu’s daily routine didn’t change much, except for the added task of preparing supplementary food for them. 

Since he was already in the habit of cooking for the rabbit tribe’s cubs, it was simply a matter of turning an occasional task into a daily one.

Tu Cai was initially surprised that Bai Tu had taken in the cubs—especially wolf cubs. However, the rabbit tribe did have cases where couples who didn’t want their own offspring chose to adopt abandoned cubs. 

After a brief moment of curiosity, Tu Cai didn’t ask further questions.

Once the wolf cubs settled into the rabbit tribe, Lang Qi noticeably increased the frequency of his visits. 

Bai Tu, seeing how much Lang Qi cared for the cubs, would proactively update him about their progress whenever he came by. 

Lang Qi had helped him so much, so helping with the cubs was the least Bai Tu could do.

The black and gray wolf cubs adjusted well to their new caretaker. 

Their daily routine was simple—eat, sleep, and repeat. Occasionally, when they woke up, they would look for Bai Tu, their cuteness making it hard for anyone not to want to cuddle them all day.

At first, Bai Tu sent the cubs to Tu Cai during the day. 

He had to move around frequently, and with so many people around him, it wasn’t an ideal environment for the cubs to rest. However, after just two days, it was clear this arrangement wasn’t working. 

Whether it was their experience in the wolf tribe or something else, the moment the cubs entered the communal cave in the rabbit tribe, they would start competing to see who could howl the loudest.

On the first day, Bai Tu attributed it to them being unsettled in a new environment. 

But when it continued on the second day—even after Tu Cai reassured him that it was normal for cubs to take time to adjust—Bai Tu couldn’t bring himself to leave them there anymore. The moment he turned his back, the cubs howled as if the sky were falling. Anyone would feel heartbroken hearing it.

For the next two days, Bai Tu experimented by leaving the cubs in his cave instead. He found that they didn’t cry all the time when left alone, but if he was gone for too long—about half a day—they would start feeling insecure and call out for him.

As for leaving them with others? That didn’t go smoothly either.

The cubs could stay quiet for half a day with Lang Qi, but in Lang Ze’s care, they didn’t even get a chance to sleep. After observing Lang Ze interact with the cubs for a few minutes, Bai Tu decisively separated them.

When the cubs were with anyone else, they would showcase what true high-pitched cub cries sounded like, earning themselves quite the reputation.

That afternoon, as Lang Qi arrived at the cave, he overheard Bai Tu muttering to himself, “The chief said wolf cubs don’t adapt well to new caretakers. Turns out it’s true.”

Having spent a lot of time with the rabbit tribe’s cubs, Bai Tu had assumed wolf cubs would be similarly easy to handle. 

Rabbit cubs rarely rejected affection, and even when they did, their resistance was no more than a brief struggle. 

When Bai Tu first brought the two wolf cubs back, he thought they’d be just as manageable. He hadn’t anticipated the challenges that came with them.

Still, the issue wasn’t too serious. 

Bai Tu found that the cubs could stay in the cave on their own for about half a day. 

As long as he returned frequently and avoided overly dangerous tasks, he could keep them nearby, even while doing things like recording the tribe’s contribution points.

Hearing Bai Tu’s comment about “new caretakers,” Lang Qi paused for a moment before continuing into the cave. 

His gaze lingered briefly on his nephews, who were lying on their backs with full, rounded bellies, before he said to Bai Tu, “The horse tribe is here.”

Bai Tu’s eyes lit up. “Really?” 

The arrival of the horse tribe was excellent news. 

The silk from his first batch of cocoons wasn’t nearly enough, and due to the limited availability of mulberry leaves, the second batch had about the same yield. At this rate, he might not be able to stockpile enough silk to make quilts before the snowy season.

Lang Qi nodded. The horse tribe had to pass through the wolf tribe’s territory to get here, so Lang Qi had taken the opportunity to accompany them.

Now certain, Bai Tu stood up immediately. “Let’s go take a look.” 

Before leaving, he placed the cubs into a bamboo basket lined with animal pelts. Although the cubs typically didn’t wander when left in the cave, it was safer to keep them in the basket when no one was watching them.

The horse tribe had indeed come to deliver cocoons. 

Additionally, they brought some food that was a specialty of their region but wasn’t produced in large enough quantities to make it to the markets. 

Bai Tu perked up at the mention of new food—he was always intrigued, and more often than not, the discoveries turned out to be pleasant surprises. This time was no exception. When he saw what they had brought, he was overjoyed.

“Walnuts?” Bai Tu exclaimed. What a treasure!

“You recognize them?” Ma Xin asked proudly, glancing at his fellow tribesmen. 

He had told them Bai Tu would surely recognize it—after all, Bai Tu seemed to know everything! 

Initially, Ma Xin had thought Bai Tu was a healer, but after hearing the rabbit tribe’s explanation, he realized Bai Tu wasn’t. Still, Bai Tu was more skilled than most healers he had met.

“I’ve heard of them,” Bai Tu replied casually, though inwardly, he was thrilled. 

He wasn’t planning to take the walnuts for free, however. The rabbit tribe still had plenty of salt, so he offered, “How about four bowls of salt for these two baskets?”

Ma Xin was stunned. “That much?”

The other horse tribe members were equally surprised. 

Two bowls of salt per basket was the price they usually got for meat. 

When they had decided to bring the walnuts, many had worried they wouldn’t be able to trade them for much since walnuts were cumbersome to eat and weren’t popular in most tribes. 

They had never expected the price to match that of meat. Now, they couldn’t wait to go back and bring the rest of their walnuts here.

Once the trade was settled, Ma Xin introduced a tall, young beastman standing beside him. “Bai Tu, this is my younger brother, Le.” Ma Xin hoped his brother could spend more time with Bai Tu and learn from him. 

If Le could stay as an apprentice, that would be even better. Though he was older than most apprentices, Ma Le was the smartest beastman in their tribe.

Lang Qi glanced at the brothers, his gaze lingering briefly on the younger one, whose face turned red under the attention.

Bai Tu looked up, acknowledged the introduction with a nod, and turned his attention back to the walnuts. 

His mind was already racing with ideas for how to use them to create nutritious meals for the cubs of all three tribes. At the same time, he began inspecting the cocoons the horse tribe had brought.

These cocoons came from wild silkworms that the horse tribe had started raising. 

Although their survival rate was higher than in the wild, it was still a relatively new experience for the horse tribe, who had previously hunted silkworms for food. 

Thanks to Bai Tu’s guidance and the lime he had given them, their harvest was decent. While some cocoons were dirty from insufficient cleaning, most met Bai Tu’s standards.

“Remember to clean up the waste regularly during the next batch,” Bai Tu advised. 

Silkworms ate voraciously in their later stages, producing a significant amount of waste. If the silkworm droppings, mulberry leaf scraps, and other debris weren’t cleaned up in time, they would contaminate the cocoons.

Ma Xin listened attentively to Bai Tu’s instructions. After seeing the plump, healthy silkworms Bai Tu raised, he admired him even more and became increasingly determined to find a way for his brother to stay with Bai Tu.

“Bai Tu, Le—” Ma Xin began to speak, but before he could finish, Lang Qi interrupted from the doorway.

“Bai Tu, the cubs are hungry,” Lang Qi said, his expression cold and serious, cutting off Ma Xin’s words.

Lang Qi was usually reserved and serious, so no one else noticed anything amiss. However, Bai Tu was a little puzzled. He had just fed the cubs before leaving. Could they really be hungry again so soon?