Building a Civilization and Raising Cubs in the Beast World – CH78

Chapter 78

Bai Tu could sense that something was amiss within the tribe. He couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was wrong, but the beastmen’s attitudes seemed strange—like they were holding back something they didn’t dare to say.

As they left the kitchen, Lang Qi stopped in his tracks. “I’ll carry you on my back.”

“No way,” Bai Tu refused immediately. 

Walking through the tribe on Lang Qi’s back in broad daylight? Absolutely not—it would be improper.

A flicker of worry flashed across Lang Qi’s eyes.

The food they had taken was still steaming hot and couldn’t be fed to the cubs yet. Using this as his excuse, Bai Tu slowed his pace, strolling leisurely up the mountain.

When they passed by a group of younger wolves again, Bai Tu thought he had found the perfect opportunity to ask what was going on. However, just as he opened his mouth to speak, Lang Qi’s glare sent the entire group scattering.

Bai Tu: “…” Forget it. If Bai An hadn’t come looking for him, it probably wasn’t anything urgent.

When they returned to the cave, the food had cooled to the right temperature. The two cubs were still sleeping, huddled together, their little mouths twitching as if they were dreaming about eating.

“They’ve had a rough time with you as their uncle,” Bai Tu muttered, not hiding his annoyance as he scooped up the cubs and poured some warm water to prepare for feeding.

Lang Qi, knowing he was in the wrong, remained silent.

Hearing the familiar sound of Bai Tu’s voice, the cubs began to stir. 

Once they realized it was Bai Tu holding them, they whimpered softly, as if trying to tell him all about their grievances.

Bai Tu rubbed each of their little heads in turn, soothing them with his touch. After giving them a bit of warm water, he began feeding them their proper meal.

Lang Qi refused to relinquish the bowl, holding it himself as he fed the cubs.

Seeing how skillfully Lang Qi managed the task, Bai Tu decided not to argue with him.

And so, with one cub in his arms and the other being fed, the little ones obediently stayed by Bai Tu’s side. Before long, both had finished their meal and let out contented hums of satisfaction. Bai Tu checked to make sure they were full, then grabbed a towel to wipe their faces.

Lang Qi, watching Bai Tu carefully tend to the cubs, averted his gaze, pretending not to care. Yet deep down, a pang of bitterness twisted in his heart.

Among beastmen, their affection for a former partner often extends to their offspring. The more they cherish the cubs, the deeper their feelings for the other parent.

Lang Qi lowered his gaze, silently collecting the bowls and utensils to clean them. 

When he returned, the two cubs were already asleep, but Bai Tu’s eyes were still fixed on them, not sparing Lang Qi even a glance. The bitterness in his heart could no longer be suppressed, and a wave of indescribable sadness washed over him.

As Lang Qi wrestled with his emotions, Bai Tu finished observing the cubs and softly called to him, “Qi, don’t you think the cubs look a little bigger than they did a few days ago?”

When the cubs had first been brought to him, they’d gone through noticeable changes, but that was primarily from being malnourished to well-fed. 

At first, they’d been so frail and thin that they seemed on the verge of death. 

After a period of careful nurturing, they’d become plump and healthy. However, for a while now, their growth had plateaued—likely because they were storing energy or simply because it was natural for their age.

Having had fewer opportunities to check on them these past two days, Bai Tu now noticed upon closer inspection that the cubs seemed to have grown noticeably. They weren’t just plumper; their overall build was showing signs of a growth spurt.

He had only ever known the cubs were a little over two years old and had never asked for their exact birthdate. 

Bai Tu opened his mouth to ask Lang Qi but quickly swallowed the question. 

In Lang Qi’s current state, it was unlikely he’d remember. 

He decided he’d ask Lang Ze later. Bai Tu assumed that with Lang Qi’s usual indifference toward the cubs, he wouldn’t even reply to this question. Unexpectedly, Lang Qi responded.

“Mm.” Lang Qi glanced at the cubs, giving a brief acknowledgment. 

His attention, however, remained on Bai Tu. The two cubs were nearing their first major growth phase. Once they turned three, they could be sent off elsewhere, and by then…

The thought brought a faint glimmer of satisfaction to Lang Qi’s eyes as he looked at the cubs again. They seemed a little more tolerable now.

Bai Tu thought his effort to engage Lang Qi in conversation had worked and began to relax a bit. 

Surely there was some familial bond between them—perhaps Lang Qi simply didn’t recognize the cubs right now. Even so, his attitude had already improved significantly compared to the night before last. 

It seemed keeping the cubs here was a good idea after all. They had been spoiled under his and Lang Qi’s care, and their defiance of others made him uneasy about sending them off prematurely.

Once the cubs were sound asleep, Bai Tu stepped into the outer room. Not wanting to delay further, he called over a young wolf to relay a message to the others: anyone with matters to discuss should come directly to him here.

Hearing Bai Tu’s instructions, the young wolf blushed, nodded quickly, and bolted down the mountain as if a predator were chasing him.

Sensing something was off, Bai Tu turned around. Sure enough, Lang Qi was glaring daggers at the boy’s retreating figure.

Bai Tu: “???” What’s his problem now?

Why was he throwing a tantrum for no reason? Bai Tu sighed, raising his hand to rub Lang Qi’s ears and the back of his neck—a trick he had discovered worked to calm him when in his beast form.

As expected, the gentle, cooling touch slowly stroking the nape of his neck pacified Lang Qi. 

His expression softened, but then his gaze shifted, taking on a different meaning as he glanced toward the rocks outside the cave. He seemed to be contemplating dragging them back to seal the entrance again.

Noticing the shift, Bai Tu quickly withdrew his hand, only to have it grabbed by Lang Qi, who pressed a kiss to his fingertips.

Just as Bai An arrived at the cave entrance to speak with Bai Tu, he was greeted by this intimate scene. 

Even as a middle-aged beastman, Bai An couldn’t help but feel awkward. 

He cleared his throat softly to announce his presence, thinking, So the rumors from the Ma Tribe were true after all. We were the oblivious ones.

Bai Tu instantly retracted his hand and, in his embarrassment, gave Lang Qi a hard pinch on the waist.

The mild pain didn’t faze Lang Qi at all. 

His eyes were locked on Bai Tu’s earlobe, clearly wanting to steal a kiss. But with Bai An present, Bai Tu obviously wouldn’t allow it. Annoyed, Lang Qi’s gaze turned sharp as he glared at Bai An with unmistakable hostility.

Bai An immediately felt the pressure and hurriedly brought up the matter he had come to discuss. “Tu, the area you requested has been prepared. When should we start planting the wheat?”

“Let’s begin tomorrow,” Bai Tu replied. 

The temperature had already started to drop, and it was said that it would take only about half a month for the weather to plummet below freezing. 

When the salt exchange team departed, the weather would still be warm and clear, but by the time they returned, everyone would be bundled up in layers of beast hides. 

Since the seeds and land were ready, it was best to plant now. As for the seeds from the recent market trade, those could be saved for planting spring wheat next year.

Bai An nodded in agreement and then brought up the selected members for the salt exchange team. 

In the past, he had always handled such arrangements on his own, but this year Bai Tu had added a lot of new responsibilities, making the team’s setup far more complex than the simpler hunting and gathering teams of previous years. 

After picking the team members, Bai An wanted Bai Tu to double-check them to ensure that the market trip wouldn’t disrupt the tribe’s operations.

Bai Tu went over the list, comparing the team members with their assigned numbers. He swapped out six or seven people, leaving behind the beastmen from the construction and kiln-firing teams. 

“These people are from the construction and kiln teams,” Bai Tu explained. “We’ll need them for building heated kang beds. Leave a few from the blacksmithing team too—the muzzles we’ve made aren’t enough yet.”

Though these explanations weren’t strictly necessary, Bai Tu preferred to be thorough. 

A lot of his and Bai An’s responsibilities overlapped, and while Bai An trusted him now, the fact that Bai Tu had closer ties with another tribe was inherently a source of tension. If Bai An were the suspicious type, Bai Tu’s reforms might not have gone so smoothly.

Since Bai An had placed his trust in him, Bai Tu was determined not to betray that trust. Sometimes an extra bit of explanation could ease doubt and prevent unnecessary conflict.

Hearing Bai Tu’s reasoning, Bai An remembered the heated kang beds they had built in the new housing area. Curious, he asked, “Tu, are those beds really as warm as you say?”

“They are,” Bai Tu confirmed with a nod. “They work like a stove, just larger. You burn branches underneath, and the surface stays warm. But you can’t use too much firewood.”

Thinking it was worth addressing, Bai Tu explained in more detail and asked Bai An to remind others about proper usage. 

While the heated kang beds were practical, improper use could lead to accidents. Especially now that they were mining coal, overloading the beds with fuel could cause the temperature to spike dangerously—it wouldn’t be warmth they’d feel but a literal fire hazard.

Bai Tu’s instructions weren’t wasted. 

Bai An, despite enduring Lang Qi’s deathly glare, carefully noted down everything Bai Tu said. Once their business was finished, he quickly excused himself and left.

As he descended the mountain, Bai An had a sudden realization: Lang Qi’s support for their tribe must have been motivated by his intentions toward Bai Tu all along! Regret hit him like a ton of bricks. If only he had noticed sooner! That wolf had set his sights on Bai Tu from the very beginning!

The thought of young Bai Tu—still seen as a boy by most of the tribe—being so easily taken in by the wolf king left Bai An heartbroken. 

Out of all the handsome and well-mannered youths in the tribe, how did Bai Tu end up choosing Lang Qi? Everyone knew wolves were fierce by nature—in every sense of the word. 

Bai Tu’s frail frame… Bai An couldn’t bear to think about it.

Too scared to directly confront Lang Qi, Bai An detoured to the kitchen on his way down the mountain. He instructed Tu Mu to prepare extra food for Bai Tu.

After resolving matters with Bai An, Bai Tu called over a wolf tribesman to ask about Lang Yang’s condition.

The task of watching over Lang Yang had been assigned by Lang Ze to Lang Zuo and a few of the wolves from Lang Qi’s hunting party. Among them, Lang Zuo was the liveliest. Upon hearing that Bai Tu wanted to ask about Lang Yang, he immediately ran over to respond.

“Yang shifted into beast form late last night but returned to human form this morning. He’s fine now and hasn’t experienced any discomfort.”

Unlike Lang Qi, Lang Yang hadn’t been injured by the poisoned blade. The drug he had absorbed was inhaled rather than ingested, and because the drug hadn’t been dissolved in water, its potency was lower. Although he had briefly transformed into beast form, his consciousness remained intact, and after soaking in water for half a day, he was back to normal.

Bai Tu pondered this carefully. 

The drug was proving to be a troublesome matter. It seemed to affect anyone who came into contact with it, making it difficult to study. What’s more, with Lang Qi now shadowing his every step, experimenting further wasn’t an option. 

Yesterday’s events made it clear that Lang Qi, having been wounded by the blade, was more susceptible to the drug’s effects than others.

Initially, Bai Tu had planned to interrogate Hu Bu, but before he could ask, someone updated him on Hu Bu’s current situation.

The wolves loathed Hu Bu to the core. 

For wolf beastmen, the two figures they were most loyal to were their mates and their wolf king. Hu Bu’s actions had caused Lang Qi to become a fallen beast, and even though he had recovered, he no longer recognized his tribe. 

Every wolf harbored a grudge against Hu Bu, so naturally, his living conditions were the worst possible.

Bai Tu had ordered Hu Bu to be held in solitary confinement to prevent him from communicating with others. However, once Lang Ze confirmed that Shi Hong’s throat injury was beyond recovery and that he would never speak again, he locked the two of them in the same cell, allowing them to torment each other. One couldn’t move or speak, while the other had to endure the stench of festering wounds.

Lang Ze’s squad now had two favorite pastimes besides hunting: standing guard outside Bai Tu’s cave to observe Lang Qi’s recovery and loitering near the cave where Hu Bu was imprisoned, listening to his desperate screams. 

If Hu Bu said anything particularly unpleasant, they would simply gag him and refuse to give him food.

Since returning yesterday afternoon, Hu Bu had been acting erratically, muttering the same lines over and over. Lang Ze, having heard these rants, stormed off angrily to complain to Bai Tu.

“Hu Bu said my brother should have become a fallen beast. He even said he wants to kill you. He claimed he’s the most noble being on the Beast God Continent—that he is the Beast God.”

Lang Ze pouted angrily. “How could the Beast God be someone like him? He’s vicious and malicious, only thinking about harming others. Even a three-year-old cub knows that the Beast God is fair, selfless, and kind-hearted.”

Hu Bu’s crimes—harming Lang Qi, cursing Bai Tu, and blaspheming the Beast God—were unforgivable in Lang Ze’s eyes. 

If Bai Tu hadn’t explicitly said that Hu Bu couldn’t be killed yet, Lang Ze would have acted long ago. And it wasn’t just him; the other wolves were equally eager to take matters into their own hands.

Bai Tu mulled over Hu Bu’s ramblings. 

It was clear Hu Bu had gone mad, but the content of his words eerily aligned with the plot of the book. 

In the original story, Bai Tu had indeed been killed by Hu Bu, and following that timeline, it was entirely possible that Hu Bu could have risen to become the most powerful beastman on the Beast God Continent. Whether he truly was the Beast God, however, was beyond Bai Tu’s understanding and not worth dwelling on.

As for Lang Qi, he should have become a fallen beast. Bai Tu glanced at the wolf standing silently by his side and recalled a key detail from the book—there had been mention of a major villain suddenly disappearing. Could it have referred to Lang Qi?

If so, did that mean they had already altered the story’s ending? Bai Tu’s thoughts brightened with this realization. He promptly instructed Lang Ze, “Don’t give Hu Bu any food. He’ll eat when he’s ready to tell us what poison was on that blade.”

Hu Bu was cunning and deceitful. 

Interrogating him now would likely yield little useful information, especially since he still clung to the hope of killing them all. 

Bai Tu doubted Hu Bu would cooperate until he had been pushed to the brink of desperation. 

It was better to starve him for now and focus on dismantling his sense of control. Only when Hu Bu realized he had no allies and no escape would he be willing to speak the truth.

More importantly, even if Hu Bu refused to talk, Bai Tu had other ways to uncover the answers he needed. Calculating the timeline in his head, Bai Tu estimated that Hei Xiao and his group would be returning soon.

Since both the blade and the concept of fallen beasts were involved, it made more sense to approach the Iron Elephant Tribe—whom they had already formed friendly ties with—than to waste time on Hu Bu’s lies. 

Even though their relationship with the Iron Elephant Tribe was more like “friends of friends,” the tribe was still far more trustworthy than Hu Bu.

Bai Tu proceeded to give Lang Ze several additional instructions.

Lang Ze agreed readily. 

Without his older brother to lean on, Lang Ze had grown significantly in maturity. While he still acted like a carefree youth around Bai Tu and Lang Qi, he was steadily earning the respect of the wolf tribe as a capable future leader. 

Should Lang Qi fail to recover fully, the tribe wouldn’t descend into chaos with Lang Ze as their new alpha.

Despite his growing leadership, Lang Ze still wished he could rely on his brother like before. However, every time he met Lang Qi’s cold and unfamiliar gaze, he swallowed his urge to whine or seek comfort. Now, whining wouldn’t earn him any sympathy—it might even get him kicked out.

*

There was work to arrange everywhere, and Bai Tu was busy until late in the evening. When Lang Ze brought dinner to the cave, Bai Tu finally realized it was already mealtime. However, today’s meal seemed overly extravagant.

He stopped Lang Ze, who was about to leave. “Why’s the meal so fancy today?”

“Huh?” Lang Ze looked puzzled. “It’s the same as usual.” He had just come from the communal kitchen, where they were serving roasted beef. If he hurried, he could grab the first batch!

Bai Tu lifted the lids off the clay pots and froze. 

The two pots looked identical from the outside, but the food inside couldn’t have been more different. One was filled to the brim with normal roasted meat, while the other was only half full—each piece of meat slathered in a thick layer of honey, as though it were in endless supply.

Lang Ze was dumbfounded. “Did the kitchen find a new source of honey?!”

“No, I don’t think so,” Bai Tu replied. 

He did enjoy sweet flavors, but he usually didn’t use much honey. Tu Mu clearly knew his preferences, but why had he suddenly decided to use up their limited honey stockpile?

Dividing the honey-coated meat into three portions, Bai Tu handed one to Lang Qi and another to Lang Ze. “Here, take this with you and eat.”

Each portion of roasted meat weighed around 2 to 4 kilos. Bai Tu could barely finish a third of it. Tu Mu had clearly overestimated his appetite.

Lang Ze didn’t care about the favoritism shown by Tu Mu; his ears only drooped slightly when he realized there wasn’t a newly discovered honey stockpile. However, once Bai Tu handed him the bowl of meat, his mood lifted instantly. 

He practically wagged his tail as he strutted down the mountain, happily nibbling on his share. After walking a few steps, though, he suddenly shivered—an inexplicable chill ran down his spine.

Lang Qi stared at Lang Ze’s retreating figure until he was out of sight before finally turning his gaze back. Bai Tu, having just pulled his hand back from pinching Lang Qi’s waist, said, “Go ahead and eat.”

Lang Qi replied, “I’ll feed you.”

“No,” Bai Tu refused flatly. He was a fully capable adult with all his limbs intact—how could he let someone feed him every meal?

Lang Qi didn’t respond. He simply stood there, silently watching Bai Tu.

Bai Tu couldn’t help but feel that Lang Qi’s expression looked like that of a large abandoned dog. 

Just as he was about to relent and agree, a glimpse of the now-awake cubs caught his eye, jolting him back to his senses. “No, go feed the cubs instead,” he ordered.

The cubs’ food had been delivered alongside theirs, carefully covered to retain its warmth. With the covers on, the food could sit for a while longer and still be fine. 

Bai Tu had planned to feed the cubs later since they had still been asleep earlier, but it seemed the aroma of the food had woken them up.

The task of feeding a mate somehow shifted into feeding cubs, and Lang Qi clearly wasn’t thrilled about the change. 

He cast Bai Tu a deep, unreadable look before carrying the food to the bedside table where the cubs were now sitting in a neat line.

Bai Tu felt a sudden chill on his back, but when he glanced over and saw Lang Qi skillfully arranging the cubs in place, nothing seemed amiss. Shrugging it off, Bai Tu turned his attention back to his meal.

The honey-roasted meat had already been divided into thirds. 

Bai Tu, unable to finish even his portion, was debating whether to set it aside and reheat it later. Before he could make a decision, Lang Qi swooped in, grabbed the remaining food, and devoured it in a matter of bites. Only after finishing Bai Tu’s leftovers did he finally start on his own meal.

Bai Tu blinked, stunned. 

While it was normal for beastmen to share food without much thought—some would even take bites directly from someone else’s meal—Lang Qi was always an exception. He never touched others’ food and even used his own dedicated set of dishes.

Unbothered by any of this, Lang Qi polished off all the food like a storm and then proceeded to boil water. 

After washing the dishes and leaving them on the table outside the cave entrance, he returned, dragged the stone slab back into place to seal the entrance, scooped Bai Tu into his arms, and carried him toward the bath.

The series of movements was so smooth and seamless that by the time Bai Tu processed what was happening, he was already sitting in the tub.

Lang Qi, clearly dissatisfied with how slow Bai Tu bathed, tried to take over—just like the previous night.

The memory of that scene instantly snapped Bai Tu out of his daze. He shoved Lang Qi away. “I’ll do it myself! Go boil some more water!” He gestured to the tub, noting that one pot of hot water was only enough for one person.

Ignoring him, Lang Qi poured cold water over himself, quickly rinsed off, and barely bothered drying before carrying Bai Tu back to the inner room and setting him down.

Anyone with half a brain could guess what he was planning. 

Bai Tu immediately started shaking his head. “No, no, no, absolutely not!” 

His body had only just begun to recover from the previous night’s exertions, and this morning he’d barely been able to move comfortably. Now that he was finally feeling better, all he wanted was a good night’s sleep.

“Just once,” Lang Qi murmured, his voice low and hoarse, ignoring Bai Tu’s protests. 

He grabbed Bai Tu’s hand and placed it against himself, burying his head against Bai Tu’s shoulder with a muffled groan. “Tu…”

That soft, pleading tone, tinged with a hint of vulnerability. Bai Tu sighed internally, trying to convince himself that whether it happened once or twice didn’t really matter. Who knew if he’d ever see this side of Lang Qi again? Slowly, his resistance faded.

Seizing the opportunity, Lang Qi bit gently into Bai Tu’s neck. Bai Tu, just about to scold him, froze when something furry appeared in his peripheral vision—a fluffy, bushy tail.

The tail was trying to curl itself around his waist.

Didn’t they say wolf tails can’t bend? Bai Tu thought incredulously.

Before he could process this betrayal of all he knew about wolf anatomy, his hand brushed something else—soft and furry. It was a wolf ear. Bai Tu’s eyes lit up in delight.

*

By the time they were done, Bai Tu had fallen into an exhausted sleep, and Lang Qi, thoroughly satisfied, was practically glowing with happiness. 

Holding Bai Tu close, he showered him with kisses, completely unbothered by the fact that he hadn’t slept for two days and nights.

Just as Lang Qi’s overflowing energy began searching for an outlet, the sleeping Bai Tu suddenly transformed back into the small, snowy-white bunny he’d been the night before.

Lang Qi instinctively moved to gather the tiny bunny into his arms, but a familiar wave of restlessness surged through him, catching him off guard.

In the blink of an eye, the massive black wolf reappeared in his place.