Chapter 66
Bai Tu was absolutely certain the Wolf Tribe wouldn’t go on a hunger strike—his confidence in them was unwavering.
If there were only one beastman left eating in the dining hall, it would undoubtedly be a wolf.
As for why the wolves hadn’t shown up for dinner yet, Bai Tu decided to head to the wolves’ cave to investigate with the kitchen manager, Tu Mu.
Their first stop was Lang Ze’s residence. As expected, it was empty.
They checked several nearby dwellings, but those were empty too. At this point, there was no need to look further—wolves almost always acted as a group. If a few were missing, it meant they were all out together.
When Tu Mu realized the wolves weren’t staging a hunger strike but simply weren’t in the tribe, his mood did a complete 180, and he happily returned to the kitchen.
Bai Tu: “…”
Recruiting Tu Mu to manage the dining hall had truly been a wise decision. His love for food and his delight in seeing others enjoy meals ensured he would never skimp on portions or intentionally cook poorly.
After Tu Mu left, Bai Tu began to wonder where the wolves might have gone. However, after a while, he still had no clue.
The wolves’ movements were unpredictable, and their destinations varied greatly each time they left.
Recently, they’d discovered resources in places that Bai Tu never would have imagined. Even Lang Qi often couldn’t guess their location.
Typically, he just called out to summon them back, though most of the time he didn’t even bother calling himself, as his voice would summon not just one team but multiple groups.
Bai Tu rubbed his temples.
With the market gathering approaching, the Wolf Tribe had a lot to handle.
Now, both Lang Qi and Lang Yang were away, leaving only a few wolves in the tribe who were learning crafts from the Rabbit Tribe. These wolves could help call out to the others, but their range was limited.
Just as Bai Tu was debating whether to find one of the wolves to help, he heard the sound of approaching footsteps. It wasn’t the usual sound of a hunting team returning—it was more similar to the noise they’d made yesterday on the way to the pond.
Bai Tu paused in his tracks, and sure enough, a short while later, Lang Ze appeared at the base of the mountain with the rest of the Wolf Tribe. Unlike usual, they didn’t even bother shifting back to human form and remained in their beast shapes.
Lang Qi and Lang Ze’s beast forms were larger than those of the other wolves. While Lang Ze couldn’t compare to Lang Qi, he still stood out easily within the group.
The wolves’ first action upon returning wasn’t to head to their caves to change or rush to the dining hall to eat. Instead, one by one, they collapsed onto the open ground at the base of the mountain, panting heavily.
Seeing them so exhausted, Bai Tu walked over to the kitchen and instructed the cooks to prepare extra hot water for them.
The wolves rested for about half an hour before they finally began to recover. Slowly, they shuffled back to their caves, emerging shortly afterward dressed in animal hides. Their first destination? The dining hall.
“Awwooo~” Even in human form, their excitement came out in howls that sounded almost identical to their beast forms. Watching the flood of wolves pour into the dining hall, Bai Tu decided to wait until they’d finished eating before questioning them.
Whatever they’d been doing during the day had clearly taken its toll.
This was the first time Bai Tu had ever seen the Wolf Tribe so thoroughly exhausted. Not even during their most urgent hunts had they needed to rest for this long after returning. Earlier, they hadn’t even had the strength to climb back to their caves, collapsing straight onto the ground as soon as they returned to the tribe.
Bai Tu’s guess was correct—after expending so much energy, the wolves ate until it was completely dark.
Tu Mu and the other cooks had to make two trips back and forth to the storage cave just to fill the young wolves’ stomachs.
Since the dining hall was built next to the mountain, Bai Tu stood at the entrance with the two wolf cubs, waiting. When Lang Ze finally emerged, Bai Tu immediately called out, “Ze, come here. I need to ask you something.”
The young wolves, who had been feeling proud and content after their meal, immediately drooped their heads, pretending they hadn’t heard Bai Tu.
Bai Tu: “…”
He couldn’t help but note that their age betrayed them—their attempts at pretending were far from convincing, as their body language already gave them away.
“Hurry up, I’m not going to punish you,” Bai Tu added.
Considering the honey and lotus roots they had discovered, he was willing to overlook some of their mischief as long as it hadn’t been dangerous. All he wanted was to confirm they hadn’t done anything risky.
Hearing there would be no punishment, Lang Ze perked up instantly and bounded over to Bai Tu in a flash. “Tu, ask away!”
“Where were you all afternoon?” Bai Tu asked.
From lunch until now, a significant amount of time had passed. Normally, the wolves’ dinner portions weren’t as large as they were tonight—this meal was equivalent to two or three regular ones. Since the wolves’ appetite was proportional to their energy expenditure, it was clear they hadn’t been idle this afternoon.
Lang Ze glanced around the cave, double-checking that Bai Tu wasn’t sent by Lang Qi to get information out of him. Once he was certain, his excitement bubbled over. “We chased off the Lion Tribe!”
Lang Ze had always hated the Lion Tribe, far more than he disliked Hei Yan.
Seeing Hei Yan only made him want to fight, and after the fight, they could still eat together. But when it came to the Lion Tribe, Lang Ze wouldn’t feel satisfied unless they were driven out of sight entirely—only then could he sleep peacefully.
Bai Tu’s heart sank. “Was anyone hurt? How many were there?”
The young wolves weren’t weak, but they lacked real combat experience.
Most of their skills were focused on hunting. The only serious fight they’d been in was the skirmish with the Brown Monkey Tribe during a previous trip, and even then, Lang Qi had been there to supervise. This time, however, they had gone out alone, and to a contested border area no less.
“There were about a dozen of them, but we chased them all off,” Lang Ze said, mistaking Bai Tu’s concern for worry about the Lion Tribe. He reassured him, “Don’t worry, Tu—they definitely won’t come back.”
Bai Tu poked Lang Ze on the forehead, gritting his teeth. “What did I tell you? Not to go to dangerous places! These things are for others to handle. Were you secretly picking fights again? Just wait until I tell your brother!”
“But I won!” Lang Ze blurted out, suddenly freezing mid-thought. Wait… even if I won, I’m still going to get in trouble? Completely stunned, he forgot he had just checked earlier to make sure Lang Qi wasn’t around before telling Bai Tu.
“Winning is not the point!” Bai Tu was furious. “The point is danger! Do you understand? You’re not supposed to go to dangerous places! How many times do I have to say this? If you do something like this again, I’ll deduct all your points!”
The young wolves had a penchant for adventure, which often worried others. Still, they had grown up in the wild and were skilled at avoiding danger.
Fighting other beastmen, however, was a completely different level of risk. Even adult wolves wouldn’t recklessly engage in combat without assessing their opponent’s strength first.
This time, they were lucky—the Lion Tribe had only sent a dozen people, with no reinforcements.
If there had been more enemies, or if reinforcements had arrived, the young wolves would have been in serious danger.
Beastmen from enemy tribes rarely showed mercy, especially to cubs. Like animals, many beastmen wouldn’t hesitate to eliminate their rivals’ young to weaken future competition.
Bai Tu stressed, “You’re not allowed to go into other tribes’ territories without permission, understand? If you run into something like this again, tell me, your brother, or Chief Bai An. We’ll figure out a way to handle it. Ze, remember this—whether it’s the Snow Rabbit Tribe’s land or the Blood Wolf Tribe’s land, it’s defended by everyone together. Your intentions were good, but next time, think things through before you act. If you go with so few people and someone gets hurt, what then? Your brother will worry. I’ll worry. The other beastmen will worry. Tu Mu even came asking why you didn’t show up for dinner today.”
Lang Ze wanted to explain that they had confirmed the Lion Tribe’s numbers were small before deciding to chase them. But seeing how worried Bai Tu was, he couldn’t bring himself to argue. Dropping his head, he mumbled, “Tu, we were wrong.”
The two wolf cubs didn’t understand Bai Tu’s scolding, but they could sense his unhappiness.
Clinging to his clothes, they climbed up onto his shoulders and gave him little kisses on the face. Bai Tu often kissed them like this when they were upset or sulking.
Their innocent gesture softened Bai Tu’s anger slightly. With a sigh, he hugged the cubs close and patted Lang Ze’s head. Next time, we’ll need to be more cautious.
Bai Tu held the two cubs in his arms and reached out to ruffle Lang Ze’s hair. “Just this once. There won’t be a next time. If you want to fight the Lion Tribe, tell your brother first, understood? The priority is to ensure your own safety before engaging with them.”
The northern territory had always been controlled by the Lion Tribe, though leadership had changed hands a few times.
Yesterday, the Cat Tribe reported spotting some lions near the border, though they hadn’t crossed into Rabbit Tribe territory.
The plan had been to observe them for another day, but no one had expected Lang Ze’s team—despite spending the previous day digging lotus roots and going hunting at night—to still have so much energy. They went straight out and drove the lions away.
Still, it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Being watched by others was always an unpleasant feeling, requiring constant vigilance. Now that Lang Ze’s team had driven them off, the Lion Tribe likely wouldn’t return anytime soon.
After making sure Lang Ze understood his words, Bai Tu asked, “Did you recognize which tribe they were from?”
Lang Ze wrinkled his nose and grumbled, “The Mad Lion Tribe.”
Internally, he began plotting to report this to his brother next time and then lead a bigger group to deal with the Mad Lions. If Bai Tu’s concern was their safety, then he’d just bring more people—he’d take the entire wolf hunting and gathering teams to overturn the Mad Lion Tribe’s territory.
The Mad Lion Tribe again, Bai Tu thought with a frown. Before he could dwell on it further, a soft little paw pressed against the crease between his brows, and a fluffy, furry head nuzzled against his cheek.
The comforting fluff of the cubs always had a way of soothing his mood.
Bai Tu took a deep breath, inhaled the soft scent of the little ones, and felt his frustration ease.
He suddenly realized it wasn’t such a big deal.
If the lions had to skulk around like this, it meant they didn’t dare make a move.
The Rabbit Tribe had held out on their own for years without the help of the wolves. Now, with a capable ally in the wolves, what was there to be afraid of?
That said, even with help, Bai Tu didn’t want anyone getting hurt.
Seeing Lang Ze still puffing with anger, Bai Tu gave his head another pat. “Alright, I get it. Go to the storage cave and collect some snacks for your team. Just tell them I sent you.”
“Got it!” Lang Ze’s excitement over the promise of snacks immediately replaced his anger at the Mad Lion Tribe.
He dashed off gleefully, heading straight for the storage caves in the back of the mountain.
*
To prolong food freshness, most of the tribe’s supplies were stored in the cool mountain caves.
Bai Tu had felt the storage areas were too disorganized, so when the carpenters were making cabinets for the beastmen, he had them craft shelves for the storage caves as well.
Now, every type of food was neatly categorized: raw meat was stored together, and cooked food, after being simply packaged, was placed separately.
Snacks, of course, were ready-to-eat items.
The “snacks” Bai Tu referred to were honey-glazed pork jerky.
Fresh pork hindquarters were minced, marinated, flattened into thin sheets, and roasted until dry.
A layer of honey was brushed on top before the sheets were roasted again and then cut into uniform squares. Packaged in bundles of ten to fifteen pieces, the jerky could be carried and eaten anytime.
Each beastman in the tribe had a set quota of snacks.
Bai Tu determined the amount based on their work, age, and appetite. Seasonal variations and available foods were also taken into account, with quotas adjusted monthly. Beastmen who earned more points through work were also rewarded with extra snacks.
The distribution of snacks for other teams was typically managed by their team leaders, who divided the monthly quota into ten portions.
They’d collect enough for three days at a time, ensuring a steady supply of snacks throughout the month.
Some team leaders were meticulous, ensuring the daily snack allocation remained consistent—one day it might be dried apples and braised meat, the next grapes and dried jerky, with no repetition for two days straight.
The young wolves, however, had enormous appetites, and their snacks disappeared quickly.
Lang Ze, despite being no older than the other wolves, had a personality that seemed cloned from theirs.
Bai Tu worried that Lang Ze might eat an entire month’s worth of snacks in three days and spend the remaining 27 days watching others eat with envy.
To avoid this, Bai Tu personally managed Lang Ze’s snack distribution. Every day, he tallied the amount and instructed the person in charge of the snacks to hand out a daily portion to Lang Ze.
Though it was a bit more work, it ensured Lang Ze had snacks every day—and spared him the misery of watching others enjoy their food while he had nothing.
The pork jerky had been freshly made over the past two days, and the young wolves had only tasted it once before.
Now that they had received another share, they were absolutely delighted. Lang Ze and the others sprinted back to their caves from the storage cave, eating as they ran, snatching each other’s jerky while trying to guard their own.
In the end, the amount of jerky each wolf managed to eat was roughly the same. Clearly, the fun wasn’t in how much they ate but in the thrill of grabbing it from someone else.
Bai Tu held the two wolf cubs, watching the raucous young wolves running down the mountain, and then glanced over at Bai Chen and the others as they worked on butchering the day’s hunt. A wave of indescribable satisfaction filled his chest. He hoped everyone could always live this carefree.
His gaze shifted to the other side of the mountain, where Bai Qi had returned from patrol—bringing someone with him. The sight of the beastman trailing behind Bai Qi caused Bai Tu’s expression to darken.
Lang Ze, who had been humming a tune no one understood as he walked up the mountain, paused in confusion when he noticed Bai Tu’s expression.
Normally, Lang Ze liked to show off to Hei Yan, but since Hei Yan wasn’t around, he’d been planning to impress his two nephews with the snacks instead.
It didn’t matter if the cubs couldn’t understand him as long as he was having fun. But now, seeing Bai Tu’s unhappy expression, he froze.
Lang Ze might be easygoing about most things, but he was highly sensitive to other people’s emotions—especially when it came to gauging how much a smack from his brother would hurt.
Seeing Bai Tu upset, Lang Ze immediately sensed it wasn’t his fault and began to wonder, Who managed to anger Bai Tu?
It couldn’t be his brother—he wasn’t here.
The cubs were also out of the question, as Lang Ze knew their place in Bai Tu’s heart was second only to his own. Still puzzled, Lang Ze followed Bai Tu’s line of sight and immediately spotted Bai Qi—and the unfamiliar, injured beastman behind him.
“Did Qi get into a fight?” Lang Ze asked, now alert. “And he brought back the loser?” Excitement lit up his face. If Bai Qi’s the one who caused trouble, then it’s not my fault this time! I’m not the biggest troublemaker for once!
Bai Tu had clearly stated that with all the new structures being built in the tribe, everyone needed to stay vigilant and not let any strangers into their territory.
Lang Ze’s thoughts raced. Does this mean I can chase him out? This is Snow Rabbit Tribe territory—kicking out an intruder should be fine, right? Especially since we’ve got numbers on our side!
“Tu, let me handle it! I’ll chase him off!” Lang Ze offered eagerly.
“No need. I’ll ask what’s going on first,” Bai Tu said, shaking his head and stopping Lang Ze, who looked ready to spring into action.
The beastman behind Bai Qi wasn’t a stranger—it was Tu Cheng, a former member of the tribe who had left to join the Mad Lion Tribe.
Bai Tu had no goodwill toward Tu Cheng.
Not only had Tu Cheng nearly caused his and Bai Chen’s deaths while defecting to the Mad Lion Tribe, but his betrayal of the Snow Rabbit Tribe and his ungrateful nature made Bai Tu look down on him.
Among beastmen, loyalty and bonds were paramount. For Tu Cheng to attack Bai An, who was practically like a father to him, spoke volumes about his ruthless nature.
Now, seeing Tu Cheng covered in bruises, Bai Tu didn’t feel even a shred of sympathy.
He wouldn’t kick someone while they were down, but Tu Cheng’s current plight was entirely his own doing.
The day Tu Cheng was caught, Bai An had even given him a chance to explain himself. Instead, Tu Cheng had only spewed hatred and disdain for the Snow Rabbit Tribe. With that attitude, there was nothing left to say.
If Bai Tu had his way, he would keep as much distance as possible between the Snow Rabbit Tribe and the Mad Lion Tribe.
Seeing Tu Cheng now, his only thought was to get him out of the tribe as quickly as possible.
For the first time, Bai Tu felt he understood why Lang Ze and the young wolves were so quick to chase the lions off without asking questions. Sometimes, it was hard to suppress deep-seated disdain.
He patted Lang Ze on the shoulder. “Go eat your snacks. We’ll handle this.”
Lang Ze hesitated for a moment, but Bai Tu’s words reassured him. This situation with Tu Cheng was more of an internal issue for the Rabbit Tribe—a lingering historical problem.
There was no need to involve the wolves. It was better for the young wolves to remain carefree, running around, playing, and snacking to their hearts’ content.
Satisfied with Bai Tu’s decision, Lang Ze happily ran off, already imagining how good his snacks were going to taste.
*
Upon hearing that Bai Qi had brought Tu Cheng back to the tribe, more than half the Rabbit Tribe came out to see what was going on. However, there was little joy in their eyes.
Rabbits might be soft-hearted, but Tu Cheng’s betrayal was still fresh in their memories. His disdainful words about the Rabbit Tribe still echoed in their minds. Now that life in the tribe had improved, his return sparked more wariness than welcome.
Tu Cheng stood behind Bai Qi, occasionally glancing around.
Each time he met the hostile gazes of the rabbits, he quickly lowered his head.
He seemed far more timid than before. Judging by his injuries, life in the Mad Lion Tribe had clearly been far less glamorous than he had imagined.
The moment Bai An stepped outside, a glimmer of hope flashed in Tu Cheng’s eyes.
He rushed out from behind Bai Qi and knelt before the Rabbit Tribe leader with a loud thud. “Chief, I was wrong! I regret everything! Please, let me return to the tribe. I truly regret it… I’ll never betray the tribe again…”
Bai Tu, holding the two wolf cubs in his arms, said nothing as he watched Tu Cheng sob and beg Bai An for forgiveness.
Bai An remained silent as well.
Neither of them spoke, and the rest of the beastmen simply stood by and watched. None of them showed any intention of pleading on Tu Cheng’s behalf—not even Bai Qi, who had brought him back.
Tu Cheng cried until he was nearly out of tears, yet Bai An still didn’t respond.
Clutching Bai An’s hand like it was his last lifeline, Tu Cheng repeated over and over, “Chief, please give me one more chance. Just one chance. I know I was wrong. I’ll never betray the tribe again. The Mad Lion Tribe’s beastmen are nothing but animals!”
Through his tears, Tu Cheng began recounting his time with the Mad Lion Tribe.
He had been oppressed as soon as he arrived, with Shi Hong falsely accusing him of having improper relations with Hu Bu and punishing him with grueling night guard duty.
The Mad Lion Tribe had enemies everywhere and was constantly under attack from other lion tribes. During one such ambush, Tu Cheng managed to escape unnoticed, taking advantage of the fact that many attackers didn’t recognize him.
But things only got worse after they relocated to new territory.
The living conditions were dreadful, with scarce food and a large number of injured lions. Tu Cheng often went one or two days without a proper meal. The harshest summer days in the Snow Rabbit Tribe had never been this bad.
In the Rabbit Tribe, even during hard times, everyone shared the burden. But in the Mad Lion Tribe, Tu Cheng was expected to starve while preparing food and hauling water for Shi Hong and the other leaders.
The new territory was far from a water source, and it took half a day just to fetch water. This grueling routine lasted through the rainy season, during which food became even scarcer—meals came every three to five days.
When the rainy season ended, Tu Cheng had hoped for better days. Instead, life only got worse.
The new territory was nearly barren, with less game than even the Rabbit Tribe’s land.
The Mad Lion Tribe’s leaders—the dominant lions—refused to hunt, claiming they needed to conserve their strength to protect the tribe. This left the task of hunting to the lower-ranked beastmen, who had barely survived the rainy season and were too weak to hunt effectively.
Worse still, the hunting teams were cobbled together from individuals who didn’t know how to work together, leading to an abysmal success rate.
Shi Hong, of course, never thought he was at fault.
He frequently beat and berated the beastmen around him.
When the hunting teams returned with little to show for their efforts, they were subjected to his violent outbursts.
As a Rabbit Tribe member—naturally weaker than the lions—Tu Cheng bore the brunt of these beatings. Shi Hong often punished him for not participating in hunts when he first joined the tribe. Only Hu Bu’s persuasion eventually reduced the frequency of the abuse.
However, just because Shi Hong stopped didn’t mean the other lions did. The Lion Tribe was accustomed to bullying the weak. The minor leaders, after being berated by Shi Hong, would vent their frustrations on the lower-ranked beastmen. And as the weakest of the weak, Tu Cheng suffered the most. After the minor leaders left, he’d often be beaten again by others.
After enduring days of this treatment, Tu Cheng finally found an opportunity to escape. He fled toward the Rabbit Tribe’s territory and eventually encountered Bai Qi.
Tearfully, Tu Cheng apologized and explained himself, crying so hard that he tugged at the beast hide covering his body, accidentally revealing his injuries.
His shoulders and back were covered in scars of varying depths, along with unhealed bite marks.
The sight was so pitiful that some of the softer-hearted rabbits turned their heads away. A Rabbit Tribe member related to Tu Cheng by blood glanced between Bai An and Bai Tu, wanting to say something but hesitating.
“Chief, I’ll do whatever you ask. Just let me stay in the Snow Rabbit Tribe. I don’t want to go back to the Mad Lion Tribe—I can’t go back there…”
After listening to Tu Cheng, Bai An withdrew his hand and said, “Qi, take Tu Cheng to rest. Tu, Chen, Cai—come with me.”
Hearing Bai An’s words, Tu Cheng let out a sigh of relief and collapsed to the ground.
If Bai An had chosen to discuss the matter rather than throwing him out immediately, it meant there was still room for negotiation.
Wiping the tears from his face, Tu Cheng got up and followed Bai Qi to a secluded cave at the foot of the mountain. The cave was dark and damp, a far cry from the place Tu Cheng had previously lived, but he made no complaints.
Inside the cave, Tu Cheng noticed a square object and asked, “Qi, what’s this?” He walked over to take a closer look.
Bai Qi frowned. “It’s something the tribe needs. Don’t touch it.”
“I won’t, I won’t,” Tu Cheng apologized quickly, his attitude noticeably better than before. “Qi, is Tu the tribe’s healer now? Has he saved a lot of people? Even the wolves listen to him.”
Seeing that Tu Cheng hadn’t touched the cabinet, Bai Qi said nothing further and stood at the entrance, silently watching.
Tu Cheng seemed like he wanted to ask more questions but, noticing Bai Qi’s expression of irritation, swallowed his words and stayed quiet.
Meanwhile, Bai Tu and the others followed Bai An to his cave.
Inside were several wooden chairs. Bai Tu sat on the one closest to the entrance, gently rubbing the cubs in his lap, who were restless in the unfamiliar surroundings.
The others were about to walk further into the cave but stopped when they saw Bai Tu sit down. Bai An cleared his throat. “What do you all think—should we let Tu Cheng stay or not?”
Seeing that Bai Tu didn’t intend to voice his opinion, Bai An turned to the others.
Tu Cai glanced at Bai Tu, then shook her head at Bai An. Bai Chen, who had heard about Tu Cheng’s actions from others, also disagreed.
He couldn’t confirm whether Tu Cheng was directly responsible for his injuries that day, but what he did know was that Tu Cheng had later tried to kill him—and his father. If they had died, Bai Bing, his mate, and Bai Qi, who wasn’t lacking in strength, likely wouldn’t have survived either.
“Let him stay,” Bai Tu suddenly said as he smoothed down a stray tuft of fur on the cub’s head. “But only if he does the lowest-ranking work. Anything else would be unfair to the beastmen who have been diligently contributing to the tribe.”
There was no reason for someone who had betrayed the tribe to receive the same treatment as those who had worked hard to build and maintain it.
Hearing this, not only Bai Chen but even Bai An and the other older beastmen were stunned.
Bai An, unable to believe his ears, asked, “Tu, are you saying you forgive Tu Cheng?”
Bai Tu shook his head. “No. I will never forgive someone who tried to harm me.”
He continued in a calm voice, “The only reason I survived wasn’t because he showed mercy or decided to stop—it was because I was careful. So, no, I don’t owe him anything, and I won’t forgive him.”
After a brief pause, he added, “But if we can’t stop him from being here, we might as well face the situation head-on and see what he intends to do.”
