Building a Civilization and Raising Cubs in the Beast World – CH79

Chapter 79

The second time wasn’t as surprising—when Bai Tu woke up to find himself in his beast form again, he was already getting used to it. He even had the energy to pat Lang Qi’s nose.

A gigantic black wolf lay sprawled in front of him, its two massive paws protectively covering Bai Tu. 

While the sense of security was undeniable, so was the oppressive feeling. Bai Tu sighed inwardly; it would be much better to turn back into his human form.

The black wolf opened its eyes, and upon seeing Bai Tu awake, it enthusiastically nuzzled against him.

Bai Tu raised a paw to push him away, but as usual, it didn’t budge him in the slightest. The next second, the black wolf shifted back into human form. Before Lang Qi could reach for him, Bai Tu quickly transformed back into his human form as well.

“Let’s eat,” Bai Tu said, hurrying to change the subject. He was feeling a bit hungry.

Lang Qi, who clearly wanted to linger for some more cuddling, wasn’t willing to let Bai Tu leave. But when Bai Tu’s patience started wearing thin after the third prompt, he finally relented and got up to put on his clothes.

Outside, Lang Ze had come by early to deliver breakfast, only to find the stone blocking the cave entrance again. Sensibly, he placed the food on top of the rock, knowing Lang Qi would fetch it himself.

Bai Tu spotted the rock and sighed, exasperated. “Move it out of the way already.” He regretted leaving that boulder in place—it was practically enabling Lang Qi to act so brazenly inside the cave.

Lang Qi, instead of responding, leaned in to nuzzle Bai Tu’s cheek before grabbing the food and bringing it inside. 

Only after all four of them—two adults and two cubs—had finished eating did Lang Qi finally push the stone aside. He had no choice; Bai Tu insisted on heading down the mountain.

*

Today’s task was planting wheat. 

The temperature would continue to drop, and once the snowy season set in, wheat crops that were too tall would freeze to death. Similarly, seedlings that were too small and weak would suffer frost damage. Now was the perfect time for planting—the wheat wouldn’t grow during the winter but would instead lie dormant, ready to resume growth in spring, sprouting and tillering to produce healthy crops.

Unlike the staggered planting of corn between the rabbit and wolf tribes, wheat planting had to happen simultaneously across all the prepared fields. There was less than a month before the temperature would plunge, so every available plot of land needed to be planted.

With most of the tribe pitching in and no hunting trips scheduled for the time being, progress was fast. 

Earlier, they had captured several adult animals and placed them in the breeding area. With the young ones growing quickly, there was no immediate concern about winter food supplies. They no longer had to scour the wilderness day and night in search of prey.

With so many hands helping and the iron tools Bai Tu had instructed the smithing team to make—hoes and other farming implements—the planting went even faster than when they had sown corn. Corn planting required digging individual holes, while wheat could be planted in neat rows.

In just two days, all the fields were planted. 

Bai Tu even allocated some seeds to the leopard tribe, which had only recently arrived. 

Bai Tu firmly believed in the principle that it was better to teach someone to fish than to simply give them fish. Giving them seeds and teaching them to farm for themselves was far better than handing out food later.

Ma Xin had delivered silkworm cocoons twice more, all of which Bai Tu had handed over to the weaving team. 

Every single wool sweater and blanket had been completed and immediately claimed by the tribe—none were left unspoken for.

Silk products were pricey, so fewer beastmen were willing to trade for them. However, Bai Tu wasn’t planning to take these items to market just yet. 

Silk wasn’t something just anyone could appreciate or afford, and it would be hard to get a good price for them. Besides, there was another reason—he hadn’t started making silk quilts yet. 

Clothing made from silk fabric was more suited to wearing indoors in a warm room during winter or as lightweight garments in summer. 

Most tribes, however, didn’t have dwellings warm enough to wear thin silk sleepwear in winter. Silk products would be better introduced after heated kang beds became commonplace.

*

Bai Tu began organizing the items they would bring to the market. First on the list were various types of pottery. Not all of it was for trade—a significant portion would be for their own use. 

Stone pots were heavy and cumbersome, far less practical than ceramic ones. Since their iron-smelting skills were still lacking and iron cookware was unavailable, pottery remained their primary option for cooking.

Next were preserved meats—jerky, dried, and cured meats. 

Half would be for the journey, while the other half would be used to trade for salt. With the increase in preserved foods, their salt consumption had skyrocketed. 

Without their own salt mine, the only solution was to trade for more. Considering the beastmen’s hearty appetites, the salt needed to get through the winter would be no small amount. It was crucial to stock up.

Bai Tu temporarily decided against trading iron tools—not because he didn’t want other tribes to use them, but because they would attract too much attention on the Eastern Continent. 

Iron tools were already rare in the Southern Continent, let alone here. Although they had recently defeated the Mad Lion Tribe, the situation still wasn’t stable. 

Bai Tu figured it would be wiser to wait a year or two until their defenses were fully established before selling such high-value items. To ensure they wouldn’t draw unwanted attention, Bai Tu also reminded everyone to properly store their weapons and not flaunt them.

Corn and fresh fruit, while abundant, were too bulky and low-priced to be worth transporting over long distances just to trade for salt. Bai Tu instead selected a few types of dried fruit and packed about ten large baskets.

In the few days leading up to the trading expedition, the injured wolf tribe members had mostly recovered, allowing the team members for the salt trading group to be finalized. Since Lang Qi only recognized Bai Tu, these decisions were made jointly between Bai Tu and Lang Ze.

The team lineup remained largely the same as the previous trip to the market, with some minor adjustments similar to those in the Snow Rabbit Tribe. Members from the blacksmithing and construction teams were swapped out for others, but most personnel stayed the same.

*

As the market day approached, the tribes became increasingly busy. Even though most of the supplies had been prepared in advance, there was always something overlooked that needed to be taken care of.

However, this wasn’t anyone’s first time going to the market. 

In the past, when food was scarce, they had managed to scrape by with just roasted meat for provisions. 

Now that resources were plentiful and their quality of life had improved significantly, they were confident they’d return with plenty of salt. In fact, aside from salt, there was almost nothing else they needed to trade for. 

With the tribes becoming more self-sufficient, it was clear this winter would be one of the most comfortable they’d ever experienced.

The Snow Rabbit Tribe, the Blood Wolf Tribe, and the Leopard Tribe were all preparing their goods for the market. Meanwhile, Hu Bu, who was imprisoned, was desperately trying to communicate with the outside world.

Four days. He had been locked in this cave for four days. 

All he had been given were a few bowls of water. The beastmen guarding them acted as though they were deaf, ignoring him whether he shouted or banged on the cave walls.

Lying nearby was the gravely injured Shi Hong, whom Hu Bu avoided as much as possible. 

He hated Shi Hong. The lion had always barked orders at him, treating him like a pawn. 

On the surface, Shi Hong seemed powerful and commanding, but only Hu Bu knew how much he’d suffered behind closed doors.

Now, Shi Hong didn’t even have his strength left to rely on. His throat had been torn open by Lang Qi, his hind legs mangled by bites from Lang Qi and Lang Ze, and his forelegs savaged by other wolf tribe members. His once-proud mane was a filthy mess, doing little to protect him. The once-mighty lion was now a pitiful, struggling heap.

When Hu Bu approached, Shi Hong’s eyes reflected only fear—not relief. 

Days without medicine had left his wounds festering, his entire body wracked with pain. Since being thrown into this cave, he hadn’t even had a sip of water. 

Parched, starving, and furious, he wanted to curse Hu Bu for not sharing even a drop with him. But all he got in return were beatings.

This version of Hu Bu was nothing like the gentle and alluring partner Shi Hong had once known.

As Hu Bu crouched beside him, Shi Hong’s body trembled. His throat still hurt too much to speak, but he could only emit weak sounds of protest as Hu Bu’s hand moved toward his neck.

Shi Hong’s eyes widened in disbelief and terror as Hu Bu’s sharp nails dug into his wounds. Pain and suffocation overtook him as he realized what Hu Bu was doing.

Shi Hong struggled, but in his emaciated and injured state, his efforts were futile. As his strength faded, his mind wandered to a long-buried memory—the mate who had once helped him secure his position as tribal leader. She had been the daughter of another sub-leader, with brothers who were among the Mad Lion Tribe’s strongest warriors.

When he defeated the previous leader, it was her support that had solidified his position. She had even borne him two cubs. But one night, under a moon as bright as tonight’s, both she and the newborn cubs were killed.

Hu Bu had whispered to him then, saying her presence would only destabilize the tribe, making other sub-leaders less willing to obey him. It would be better if she were gone, so no one could question his rule.

That night, Hu Bu had strangled the tiny cubs before they could even open their eyes. Their mother, bleeding and weak from childbirth, had died trying to protect them.

Now, as Hu Bu’s claws tightened around his neck, Shi Hong’s regrets swirled in his fading consciousness. 

He remembered the other children he had sired, most of whom Hu Bu had killed in fits of jealousy. Back then, he had allowed it, thinking that the tribe didn’t need heirs too early and that Hu Bu’s love for him justified it all.

But now, as he lay dying at the hands of the partner he had once adored, Shi Hong felt nothing but despair.

*

Fox Bu wiped the blood off his hands onto Shi Hong’s fur, his expression unreadable. His strength returning, he staggered to the cave entrance and began pounding on the rocks. He pointed frantically inside, gesturing toward the corpse.

One of the wolf tribe guards outside snapped impatiently, “What now? You’ve already had your water for the day!” 

The leader had ordered that each prisoner was to get only one bowl of water per day—if that. Today, the guard had deliberately spilled half of it. As far as he was concerned, Hu Bu and Shi Hong weren’t even worth feeding.

Hu Bu didn’t stop. He banged on the rocks and even rammed the muzzle secured over his mouth against the stone.

Seeing this, the wolf guard’s face darkened. “Hey! What do you think you’re doing? That muzzle isn’t something you can just mess with!”

In the wolf tribe’s eyes, Hu Bu’s life was worth less than the muzzle he was wearing. Giving such a thing to him was already a waste. If he hadn’t kept spewing nonsense, they wouldn’t even have bothered with it.

Hu Bu pointed frantically at Shi Hong inside the cave, his face full of panic.

The wolf tribe guard approached the cave entrance and glanced inside. “Dead?”

Hu Bu nodded desperately, trying to get the guard to inform the others.

However, the wolf merely responded casually, “Dead is dead. We’ll deal with it tomorrow.” 

It was late, and hauling the body out would mean tossing it down the mountain—something that felt like too much effort after their evening meal. Wolves, known for boundless energy when it came to play, were significantly less enthusiastic when it came to work.

Shi Hong’s death didn’t come as a surprise to anyone. After all, his wounds had been inflicted by the tribe leader himself. 

If the leader hadn’t been in such a hurry to leave at the time, Shi Hong would’ve died on the spot. Letting him live a few more days was already an act of mercy.

Hu Bu’s eyes widened in disbelief. 

They weren’t going to inform the leader? How could that be? The whole reason he killed Shi Hong was to draw attention and get someone to come. He frantically began pounding on the stone barrier again.

The wolf guard, losing patience, warned, “Careful now, keep this up, and I’ll bite you to death!” Of course, outright killing him was out of the question, but giving him a good beating? No one would bat an eye.

Terrified by the threat, Hu Bu retreated into the cave, trembling.