Chapter 7
Bai Tu didn’t try to teach everyone about all the plants in one go. Instead, he divided the gathering team into five smaller groups, assigning each group one or two plants to memorize. This method improved accuracy and reduced the pressure on everyone. In addition to edible plants, he also taught them about a few poisonous ones, including Heartbreak Grass—the plant that had almost cost him and Bai Chen their lives. He instructed them to avoid such plants if they encountered them while out in the wild.
Usually, by this time of day, the hunting and gathering teams would already be on their way out. However, today’s events had impacted the entire tribe. Even the children, who normally played and ran around on the open ground in front of the mountain early in the morning, were nowhere to be seen.
After finishing his lesson with the gathering team, Bai Tu went to find Bai Dong and a few others. As he passed by the main cave, he glanced inside. Tu Cai, who was in charge of watching over the cubs, was busy weaving the leftover reeds from the day before. The others were busy preparing food and had no time to watch the cubs, so they had placed them all into woven grass baskets to keep them contained.
Inside the baskets were over a dozen tiny rabbit cubs, each about the size of a palm. They clambered over one another, trying to climb up the sides of the baskets, their small paws gripping the rims as they stared longingly out of the cave. When they saw Bai Tu, a few of the larger cubs let out soft cries in their tender, childlike voices.
Bai Tu: !!!
The first time he had encountered such a scene, he had been completely shocked. Now, seeing a whole group of cubs in front of him, his heart itched with excitement, overriding any lingering surprise. The plump, fluffy cubs were far more appealing than any animals he had seen in his previous life.
A few days ago, he had only seen six or seven cubs outside at most. Now, with their numbers doubled, the sight was twice as overwhelming. He did wonder why Tu Cai hadn’t brought the others outside before, but that didn’t stop him from being overwhelmed by the desire to touch their fluffy fur.
However, recalling the time when a member of the hunting team had been scolded for trying to touch the cubs, Bai Tu regretfully suppressed his urge. Instead, he reminded Bai Dong and the others to come help him till the soil after breakfast, as they had planned the day before. Midday was too hot for tasks like tilling the soil, so it was best to get it done in the morning or evening. The gathering team was sure to bring back plenty of seedlings today, and if they didn’t prepare in advance, they’d be busy late into the night.
Before leaving, Bai Tu glanced again at the fluffy cubs in the basket. If he couldn’t touch them, at least he could enjoy looking at them.
“Tu, you like cubs, don’t you?” Bai Qi, who had just returned with a pile of reeds for Tu Cai, caught sight of Bai Tu staring longingly at the cubs.
Beastmen cubs under the age of five were extremely fragile and weren’t allowed to be touched by beastmen who weren’t related to them by blood—especially young male beastmen. Accustomed to handling prey, their movements were often rough and heavy-handed, and an unintentional action could result in a fatal injury to a cub. For this reason, anyone who tried to approach the cubs would usually be chased away. Bai Tu was only allowed to stay near the cubs because of his status as a witch doctor, and even then, only gentle and careful females were entrusted with their care. This rule had been established through bitter experience and loss.
No sooner had Bai Qi spoken than Tu Cai called out from inside the cave: “Qi, put the reeds over here! Don’t get too close to the cubs—they’ll get scared.”
“See? You can’t touch them.” Bai Qi stepped back a few paces, then patted Bai Tu on the shoulder. “If you like cubs so much, just find a mate and have your own.”
“Forget it.” Bai Tu shook his head. His sexual orientation leaned toward men, and he had no intention of involving anyone else in his life unnecessarily. As for having children—well, that was completely out of the question.
Still, if he was stuck here permanently, he supposed he could consider finding a long-term partner. From what he had observed, the gender imbalance on the Beast God Continent was quite severe. In the Snow Rabbit Tribe, the number of female beastmen was only about one-third that of the males, and it wasn’t uncommon for two men to form a partnership.
If he were lucky, perhaps he could even adopt a child. He had heard that many cubs were abandoned by their parents every year. Not every tribe was like the Snow Rabbit Tribe, where a chieftain like Bai An would step up to care for abandoned cubs. Perhaps he could visit other tribes someday and see for himself.
Pulling himself from his thoughts, Bai Tu returned to the cave to prepare breakfast, with Bai Qi following behind him.
Suddenly, a thought occurred to Bai Tu, and he asked, “Aren’t you going hunting today?” They were already running late, and given how much importance the hunting team placed on their tasks, they should have been rushing to finish their meals and get going by now. But Bai Qi seemed unusually relaxed.
“Father said the hunting team is resting today,” Bai Qi replied. The truth was, they hadn’t yet figured out a new strategy for hunting.
Each member of the hunting team had specific roles—driving herds, distracting prey, flanking, and so on. The entire team worked together to isolate a chosen target from its group, making it easier to bring down.
The hunting team had fewer than thirty members in total. With four members suddenly gone today and Bai Chen still recovering from his injuries, they needed to rethink their strategy. Hunting large prey was much harder than catching small animals, and any slight misstep could result in injuries. It was better to skip a day of hunting than to risk the lives of their tribesmen.
Hearing Bai Qi’s explanation, Bai Tu grew concerned as well. Planting beans and wild vegetables was indeed a good idea, but it was already early summer, and many seeds couldn’t be collected until autumn. For now, the tribe was relying on transplanted seedlings, which were limited in number. Even after they matured, some of the harvest would need to be saved as seeds for the next year. This meant the tribe couldn’t rely entirely on farming to get through the winter—hunting remained crucial.
Remembering Bai Qi’s explanation of the hunting process from the day before, Bai Tu became thoughtful. After two minutes of deliberation, he decided to go straight to Bai An and ask about the types of prey around the tribe and their specific characteristics. His knowledge of animals was limited to what he had seen on wildlife documentaries, and he couldn’t recall much useful information about the prey here. Asking Bai An, who had spent over a decade in the hunting team, was undoubtedly more efficient.
Bai An never hesitated to answer Bai Tu’s questions. This time was no different. He explained that prey often migrated and changed with the seasons. Currently, there were three types of large prey near the tribe: wild boars, wild cattle, and antelopes.
Wild boars and wild cattle were both incredibly strong and difficult to hunt. Isolating them from their herds was no easy feat, and even if they managed to do so, catching them was still a challenge. However, successfully taking down one of these animals could feed the entire tribe for several days, with enough left over for some to be preserved and stored—sometimes even lasting until winter.
Antelopes are less powerful than wild boars or wild cattle, but they can leap several meters in a single bound—a height far beyond the Rabbit Clan’s abilities. Capturing them was just as difficult. However, antelope pelts were the most valuable of the three, making them excellent for trading resources.
Bai Tu listened intently. Each type of prey had its own challenges, and he began thinking carefully about the possibilities.
After a moment, Bai Tu spoke. “Chief, what if we dig a large pit and drive the prey into it?”
When on the same level as their prey, the Rabbit Clan—whether in their beast forms or humanoid forms—were at a disadvantage. But if the prey fell into a pit, the situation would be entirely different. At that point, it would be at their mercy.
Digging pits was second nature to the Rabbit Clan—it was practically encoded in their genes. Outside of eating, hunting, and resting, most of their time was spent digging. Despite their reputation as a gentle species, their burrows were a rare luxury among beastmen, with homes that were warm in winter and cool in summer. Even the large communal cave for sick or weaker tribe members was incredibly comfortable to live in.
While digging the pit wouldn’t be a problem, figuring out how to drive the prey into it was another matter. The tribe’s current hunting method involved waiting for prey to become isolated and then everyone chasing it down together. They had never tried to manipulate the situation the other way around.
This wasn’t an insurmountable obstacle, though. Bai Tu offered a suggestion. “Use grass that they like to eat to lure them closer, and then scare them into the pit. But this method is better suited for wild boars and wild cattle—antelopes won’t fall for it.” A two-to-three-meter pit wouldn’t stop an antelope from leaping out.
Bai An imagined the scene Bai Tu was describing and was immediately intrigued. Normally, he wouldn’t try a method like this because choosing to dig pits meant the tribe would have no new prey for at least a day or two. However, today was different—they had already decided not to hunt, so they might as well spend the day digging.
The tribe’s location was advantageous. The river was nearby, and heading east led to a watering area that prey frequented. With the weather heating up, prey came to drink from the river almost daily. The tribe often hunted near this area, so they could choose a spot to dig the pit there.
Excited, Bai An hurried off to gather people for the task, while Bai Tu moved on to another project.
Digging a pit alone wasn’t enough. Bai Tu planned to create a supersized “trap,” covering the pit to ensure that prey would fall in smoothly once lured to the area.
When someone entered the cave, Tu Cai’s first instinct was to check on the cubs. Male beastmen around Bai Tu’s age were heavy-handed, and an unintentional movement could be deadly to cubs. Whenever young male beastmen were around, those caring for the cubs were always tense. This was also why Tu Cai had been reluctant to leave the cave today. With so many members of the hunting team present, it was a dangerous day for the cubs. Even a well-meaning hug from an uncle or older brother could easily end a cub’s life.
Seeing that it was Bai Tu returning, Tu Cai breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed a little. Compared to the hunters, Bai Tu was far more careful.
The cubs were still playing around in their basket. Although Bai Tu knew he couldn’t touch them, he couldn’t resist watching them for a little longer before asking Tu Cai, “Cai, can you help me weave a very large grass mat?”
“How large?” Tu Cai asked. He had just learned this skill and was still enthusiastic about it. He had already woven two or three mats and planned to let the cubs play on them tomorrow after the hunting team left. To him, Bai Tu’s request for a large mat seemed perfectly reasonable.
“From here to the innermost part of the cave,” Bai Tu gestured a rough estimate and added, “or even larger, if possible.” Bigger was better, since if the pit proved effective, they would likely expand it in the future.
Tu Cai was stunned. “Tu, what do you need such a large grass mat for?”
“To set up a trap for catching prey. Actually…” Bai Tu paused as a thought struck him. After prey fell into the pit, the covering on top would undoubtedly break. Repairing a large mat later would be difficult. He quickly revised his request. “I mean, make several smaller mats instead—each one the same size as the ones you’ve already made.”
He pointed to the mats Tu Cai had just finished. When the time came, they could use branches and other materials to support the covering, then lay the mats on top and scatter weeds over them to disguise the pit as part of the surrounding terrain.
“Alright, I’ll start weaving now and have the others join after they finish eating,” Tu Cai agreed readily, motivated by the connection between the mats and hunting. He also promised that they could have everything ready by tomorrow.
Curious about Bai Tu’s plan, Tu Cai asked, “Tu, what is this trap you’re talking about? Can it really catch prey?”
Bai Tu gave a brief explanation of the trap’s principle. As for whether it would actually work, he didn’t want to get everyone’s hopes up prematurely. “We’ll have to wait and see after the pit is dug.”
*
Since the hunting team had been told to take the day off, a few beastmen had gone out to catch small game like wild chickens, rabbits, or field mice. Others joined the gathering team to collect wild fruits. It took Bai Tu some effort to track everyone down, and by the time the group was assembled, he had already finished his breakfast and was trailing behind them.
As this was their first time attempting this hunting method, the location had to be chosen carefully. Bai An led the group toward a path frequently used by wild cattle.
When the group learned that today’s task was digging a pit, they exchanged bewildered glances. Many wondered if the chieftain had lost his mind after being infuriated by Tu Cheng.
“Chief, what’s the point of digging a pit?” one of them asked. The Rabbit Clan loved digging, but only in the privacy of their homes or in hidden spots. None of them had ever seen such a large-scale effort to dig a pit together.
“Tu said we could lure prey into the pit and kill it there—like how the Leopard Clan drives prey off cliffs,” Bai An explained. He had just thought of this comparison himself. During his travels to other tribes, he had seen how the Leopard Clan would drive their prey toward cliffs and force them over the edge, making their hunts extremely efficient.
At the time, he had envied the Leopard Clan for having cliffs nearby, but he had never considered that they could dig a pit to achieve the same effect. While a dirt pit wouldn’t kill the prey, once they fell in, there would be no escape!
The hunting team members reacted with a mix of belief and skepticism. Still, regardless of their personal opinions, they all followed Bai An’s instructions.
It wasn’t just Bai Tu’s ability to heal injuries that earned him respect—his recognition of the poisonous plant that Tu Cheng had tried to use to harm the tribe had solidified his credibility. Whether this method of hunting would work or not was uncertain, but anything Bai Tu suggested had to be worth trying.
Bai Tu, unaware that the tribe’s beastmen now held him in blind reverence, chose a suitable location and then began searching for vines. When he found ones of the right thickness, he cut them down and braided three strands together to strengthen them.
The Rabbit Clan was famously fast at digging. With more than twenty people working together, they managed to dig a pit five or six meters wide and two or three meters deep in just half a day. The edges were meticulously smoothed to ensure that once prey fell in, there would be nothing for them to use to climb back out.
Bai Tu handed the reinforced vines to the group and showed them how to tie the ropes to nearby trees. Some were tied about a meter and a half off the ground, while others were secured closer to the ground. The area had plenty of trees, making it easy to set up the ropes wherever needed.
Tying vines was one thing, but dividing them into two heights made everyone even more confused. Since Bai Qi was standing right next to Bai Tu and wasn’t shy about asking questions, he voiced everyone’s curiosity. “Tu, what’s this for?”
“Once the higher vines are tied, hang some branches from them to block the sides. This will create obstacles that will force the prey to move toward the center,” Bai Tu explained. “The vines tied near the ground will support the grass mats we’ll place over the pit. Cover the mats with more grass, and the pit will blend in with the surroundings. When the prey comes near, they won’t avoid it.”
Bai Tu knew not every prey animal would fall into the pit as planned, but as long as even one or two from a herd did, it would be enough.
Bai Qi’s eyes lit up. “Tu, you’re so smart! This way we’ll catch even more prey!”
The hunting team members, now understanding the plan, nodded in realization and worked more earnestly on tying the vines.
Though the team worked quickly, their late start meant they stayed busy until evening. That night, the tribe used some of the food saved from the past few days for dinner. Under Bai Tu’s guidance, they planted the seedlings the gathering team had brought back.
*
At the same time, in the Wild Lion Tribe, a beastman tasked with monitoring the Snow Rabbit Tribe came sprinting back to the central bonfire. Breathless, he reported, “Chief, today Bai An led the hunting team to dig a large pit in the forest. I have no idea what they’re planning.”
Beastmen had sharp senses, so they could only observe from a distance. The pit was located near the territory of the Blood Wolf Tribe, a group the Wild Lion Tribe had long-standing hostilities with. They didn’t dare get too close for fear of being attacked on sight.
Lion Chief Shi Hong sneered with disdain. “Digging a pit? What for? Can’t catch prey, so they’re planning to bury themselves alive?”
Nearby, Hu Bu, who was roasting a piece of meat, chuckled softly at the comment. He was about to say something when the meat he had just finished cooking was snatched away by Shi Hong. His smile froze instantly.
Tu Cheng, who had been watching Hu Bu closely, immediately offered his own roasted meat. The Wild Lion Tribe had hunted two wild cattle today, and as a newly joined member, Tu Cheng had been given a generous portion.
Thinking of the treatment he was receiving now compared to his hardships in the Snow Rabbit Tribe, Tu Cheng couldn’t help but voice his admiration. “Don’t worry, Chief. Without us Rabbits, there’s no way they’ll catch any prey. They’ll regret it in a few days.”
Shi Hong didn’t even spare Tu Cheng a glance. He couldn’t understand why Hu Bu continued to pay attention to the Snow Rabbit Tribe. A tribe of rabbits wasn’t worth his concern—he could defeat all of them by himself if necessary. As for the few Rabbit Clan members who had defected, like Tu Cheng, if not for Hu Bu’s insistence, Shi Hong wouldn’t have even bothered to give them food.
Tu Cheng’s face turned dark as he was completely ignored. When he looked up and saw Hu Bu smiling at him, he suppressed the anger boiling in his chest.
Lion Chief Shi Hong, who had noticed the subtle interaction between the two, suddenly spoke. “Tu Cheng, you’ll be on night watch tonight.”
“Hong?” Hu Bu was momentarily stunned. The Wild Lion Tribe had made plenty of enemies, so the strongest beastmen were always assigned to night watch. Tu Cheng might have been considered strong in the Snow Rabbit Tribe, but among the Wild Lion Tribe, he was nowhere near their level. He wouldn’t be of any use on night watch—whether he was there or not made no difference.
“The Rabbit Clan is useless at hunting, so what else can he do besides stand watch?” Shi Hong sneered with disdain. “If he can’t even manage that, he might as well crawl back to the Rabbit Tribe to starve. He can dig a pit and bury himself with the rest of his tribe.”
“Burying himself alive would be such a waste,” another Lion beastman remarked, blatantly sizing up Tu Cheng. “He doesn’t look bad… not bad at all.”
“Hahahaha…” The surrounding Lions burst into unrestrained laughter. To them, the Rabbit Clan was nothing more than a weak and pathetic species—easily crushed with one hand.
Hearing the mocking laughter, Tu Cheng clenched his fists tightly.
The darkness of the night concealed the hatred in his eyes, as well as the silent movements of others in the shadows. Meanwhile, the Lion beastmen cheered once more for the day’s successful hunt, completely oblivious to what was brewing beneath the surface.
Thanks for the chapter 🙂