Building a Civilization and Raising Cubs in the Beast World – CH84

Chapter 84

Hu Bu’s dramatic change in expression was so obvious that even Lang Ze, walking in from behind, noticed it. Originally hesitant to enter, Lang Ze immediately puffed up with confidence—nothing to fear when someone’s got your back.

The two wolf youths who had just fled to the cave entrance mirrored Lang Ze’s demeanor. Grabbing onto his arms, they began complaining about Hu Bu’s behavior.

“Boss, he tried to touch me again just now!” one of them exclaimed, still shaken. He had barely managed to escape.

The other wolf looked equally concerned. “Can this kind of madness spread? Should we take medicine or something?” He didn’t want to turn into someone like Hu Bu. Groping people seemed even worse than biting them—it was downright disrespectful.

Seeing the two young wolves, Lang Ze immediately straightened his back and proudly reassured them, “Don’t worry, Bai Tu will figure something out!” He now saw himself as a brave wolf. With Bai Tu around, what was there to fear?

The others: “…” The way he spoke so confidently, anyone would think he was the one solving the problem.

Bai Tu didn’t pay attention to Lang Ze or the two young wolves. His focus was entirely on Hu Bu, whose behavior had been odd ever since they entered the cave.

Pale-faced, stiff-limbed, and sweating profusely—these were signs of deep fear. The group consisted of five people, three of whom could fight. But even when the entire wolf tribe was present earlier, Hu Bu hadn’t shown such a reaction. So, who was Hu Bu so terrified of? Hei Xiao?

Hu Bu, noticing Bai Tu’s gaze, shuddered and averted his eyes, only to lock eyes with Hei Xiao instead. He trembled again, visibly more terrified.

Bai Tu stared directly at him. “Hu Bu, what are you so afraid of?” He was certain that no one here would harm Hu Bu without cause. Was his fear a sign of guilt, perhaps because he had done too many bad things and was afraid of retribution?

Standing beside Bai Tu, Hei Xiao narrowed his eyes. “Is your real name Hu Bu or Hu You?”

Hearing the name Hu You, Hu Bu’s expression froze further. Struggling to overcome his fear of Bai Tu and Hei Xiao, he forced himself to respond, “What do you mean I’m afraid? Who’s Hu You? I’m Hu Bu.”

Hu Bu tried to comfort himself internally: It’s fine. As long as I don’t admit anything, no one can uncover the truth. It’s been more than ten years. The beastmen who knew about these things are either dead, insane, or far away from here. They won’t find anything, and Bai Tu has lost his memory anyway. The heavens are still on my side.

The group simply stood there, silently watching him as he attempted to cover his tracks. 

Bai Tu studied Hu Bu carefully, realizing that even now, he was still scheming. 

Turning to Hei Xiao, Bai Tu considered the possibility that Hei Xiao knew more than he had revealed. Dusting off some debris from his clothing, Bai Tu finally said, “Alright, fine. If you’re not scared, then you’re not. If Hu You isn’t you, then it’s not. Let’s go.”

He didn’t like staying in the cave. Perhaps it was the lingering oppressive atmosphere from the recent death, but it made him feel uncomfortable.

Hei Xiao had already been gripping the handle of his blade, ready to strike, but when he heard Bai Tu’s words, he promptly withdrew his hand. Revenge could wait; Bai Tu’s wishes were more important.

Hu Bu, however, seemed suddenly provoked by Bai Tu’s actions. He let out a furious roar and lunged at Bai Tu, screaming like a madman, “Again! It’s always like this—every single time!”

Lang Qi’s face instantly turned cold. He pulled Bai Tu behind him and delivered a swift kick to Hu Bu, sending him flying.

Hu Bu, who hadn’t eaten much in days and had only been allowed half a bowl of water daily, had no strength left. His attack on Bai Tu had been fueled solely by a deep hatred. After Lang Qi’s kick, he crumpled like a broken tree branch and slammed into the wall behind him.

Hei Xiao was a bit slower to react but still moved to shield Bai Tu, stepping in front of him. 

Watching Lang Qi send Hu Bu flying with a single kick, Hei Xiao couldn’t help but reflect on a particular matter. 

Many beastmen with high combat abilities tended to enjoy fighting, and it wasn’t uncommon for mates to spar with one another. 

Normally, Hei Xiao wouldn’t bother intervening in such situations if they involved others. But if the same thing were to happen with Bai Tu… Hei Xiao frowned. He resolved to have a proper talk with Bai Tu about this someday.

Now wasn’t the right time or place. 

Discussions about mate selection or similar matters were best kept private, away from others. 

Snapping back to the present, Hei Xiao asked Bai Tu with concern whether he had been hurt. Although Hu Bu likely hadn’t touched him given his speed, even a fright could count as a form of harm. Hei Xiao made a mental note to prepare some walnuts for Bai Tu later as a way to soothe his nerves.

The walnuts were one of the few surplus supplies the Black Hawk Tribe had brought on this trip, aside from iron ore. 

Hei Xiao had only realized partway through the journey that Hei Yan had packed an entire basket of walnuts among their provisions specifically for him. However, no one could possibly eat dozens of pounds of walnuts in just a few days, so the leftovers had ended up stored here. 

It was a perfect opportunity for Bai Tu to enjoy them, Hei Xiao thought. He himself had eaten more than enough walnuts over the past few weeks.

“Did you get hurt?” Hei Xiao asked, gently grabbing Bai Tu’s arm to inspect him. 

His concern was genuine, but there was also a hint of happiness in his touch. Although he had interacted with Bai Tu before, something about this moment felt different.

Lang Qi, however, didn’t appreciate anyone getting too close to Bai Tu. 

Hei Xiao’s action ignited a spark of anger in him. 

Just as he was about to let it out, he felt a familiar, soothing pat on his back—Bai Tu’s silent gesture to calm him. Lang Qi immediately suppressed his temper, though his sharp, guarded gaze at Hei Xiao didn’t waver.

Meanwhile, Hu Bu lay slumped on the ground after crashing into the wall and collapsing to the floor. 

Every part of his body ached. 

Seeing everyone’s attention focused on Bai Tu only fueled the jealousy burning inside him. It had always been like this. Whether Bai Tu was injured or merely startled, he would inevitably become the center of attention.

Hu Bu refused to accept this. 

He had worked just as hard as Bai Tu, if not harder. 

Ever since he began studying herbal medicine, he had saved countless lives. Yet, despite his years of effort, he still couldn’t measure up to Bai Tu, who had only recently regained his memories.

They were both healers, so why was Bai Tu’s status so much higher than his? 

In the Mad Lion Tribe, everyone thought his position was equal to Shi Hong’s. But Hu Bu knew the truth. Shi Hong wouldn’t tolerate anyone threatening his authority. Not mates, not children—even cubs who showed the slightest hint of talent would eventually be eliminated by Shi Hong, who feared they might grow strong enough to take his place as leader. For someone like Hu Bu, skilled in medicine, Shi Hong was even more vigilant.

On the surface, Hu Bu appeared to have as much authority over the lion tribe as Shi Hong. But only Hu Bu knew the reality: if he ever used his position to give commands to the lion tribe, Shi Hong would kill him without hesitation. 

To maintain his influence, Hu Bu had secretly allied himself with the sub-leaders behind Shi Hong’s back. It was through this covert manipulation that he had managed to gain some real power.

The thought of all his struggles made Hu Bu’s resentment toward Bai Tu grow even stronger. 

Everything Hu Bu had achieved was a result of his own painstaking efforts, while Bai Tu had it all handed to him—a supportive brother, a reliable partner, and smooth progress in everything he did. It was so effortless that it was maddening.

As everyone continued to focus on Bai Tu, Hu Bu realized no one was paying attention to him. Slowly, he began inching toward the innermost part of the cave—the place where Shi Hong had died.

Bai Tu had already suspected Hu Bu had hidden something on Shi Hong, so he had Shi Hong’s entire body searched earlier. 

Hu Bu’s plan had been to escape first and then return for the key after Shi Hong’s death. Unexpectedly, the wolf tribe had brought the unconscious Shi Hong back, saving Hu Bu the trouble.

Now, as Hu Bu slowly inched toward the area where he had hidden the vial of liquid, Lang Ze suddenly spoke up, “What are you doing?” Lang Ze had been keeping an eye on Hu Bu to make sure he didn’t try to get back up. 

After all, this wasn’t the first time Hu Bu had tried to grope someone, and Lang Ze was terrified he might grab Bai Tu. But upon closer inspection, Hu Bu’s movements seemed strange—even for someone injured. Crawling like that didn’t seem normal.

Bai Tu, meanwhile, was trying to handle the “sweet troubles” of being fussed over by both Lang Qi and Hei Xiao. Hearing Lang Ze’s shout, he quickly reassured the two that he was fine and urged them to focus on Hu Bu, making sure he didn’t escape.

“Just kill him and be done with it,” Hei Xiao said bluntly. “Once he’s dead, we can go to the Red Eagle Tribe and rescue the cubs.” 

Hei Xiao knew exactly how much damage Hu Bu—under the name Hu You—had done to the eagle tribes. “Wu Lai’s idea to start capturing cubs came directly from Hu You’s instigation.” 

Hei Xiao had originally planned to save this conversation for later, once he and Bai Tu had properly reunited. But encountering Hu Bu here, the very person responsible, had stirred up all the unresolved frustration. Even if Hu Bu had gone by another name back then, Hei Xiao was certain it was him.

Bai Tu frowned. “But wasn’t he only six or seven years old at the time?”

Hu Bu was twenty-three now, which meant that sixteen years ago, he had only been seven. How could a child that young have come up with the idea of using cubs’ blood to gain the Beast God’s power?

Hei Xiao had no answer. 

All he had uncovered was that the idea had come from Hu You. 

No one in the Red Eagle Tribe knew Hu You’s origins or which tribe he had belonged to before. 

If Hei Xiao hadn’t seen his face back then and recognized him here, he might never have guessed that Hu You had ended up right next to the Snow Rabbit Tribe.

Bai Tu looked at Hu Bu, baffled by how a mere child could have devised such a cruel and sinister plan. 

Those cubs they had imprisoned and drained for their blood had been even younger than Hu Bu at the time. Was his thirst for power so great that he had been willing to be this ruthless?

Hu Bu continued inching toward the inner part of the cave, his movements seemingly born of fear. 

It looked like he was cowering from them, retreating to what he believed was a safer area. But Bai Tu couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off about his actions.

Finally, when Hu Bu reached out his hand, Bai Tu realized what was wrong. He raised his voice to warn the others: “There’s a hidden compartment in the stone wall! There’s something inside!”

Lang Ze didn’t wait for further explanation. The moment Bai Tu spoke, he shifted into his wolf form and lunged forward. In two bounds, he was on top of Hu Bu, nearly crushing him. The sound of bones cracking was audible to everyone.

Hu Bu, who had been trying to push through the pain to reach the compartment, let out an anguished cry. 

His bones had been broken from the force of Lang Ze’s weight, and his injuries were even worse than those from Lang Qi’s earlier kick.

Despite the pain, the thought of Lang Ze opening the compartment gave 

Hu Bu a sudden surge of energy. 

His chest and stomach wounds felt less severe as he endured the agony, desperate to confirm his plan’s success. To ensure they opened the right spot, Hu Bu forced himself to endure the pain and pressed his hand against the exact location of the hidden compartment.

Hu Bu’s eyes widened slightly. 

As long as the items inside were retrieved, his plan could still succeed. 

If Bai Tu could cure Lang Qi’s fallen beast condition, Hu Bu was eager to see how he would handle a fallen beast Lang Ze. In Hu Bu’s mind, Lang Ze would eventually lose control and kill everyone here.

Lang Ze, noticing where Hu Bu was blocking, instantly reverted to human form and kicked Hu Bu aside.

Hu Bu was beyond feeling any physical pain now. 

The thrill of imminent victory was enough to override it all. In fact, he wished Lang Ze had kicked him even further away, as it would buy him more time. 

Dragging his twice-injured body, Hu Bu began crawling away from Lang Ze. He knew exactly what was in that hidden compartment and what effects it would have. It was only a matter of time before everyone here vanished from his sight.

Casting one last look at Bai Tu, Hu Bu’s heart swelled with twisted joy. It was almost time. The person he had envied and hated for so long would soon die before his very eyes.

Hu Bu had never felt this kind of euphoria before—not even when he killed Shi Hong’s most important mate. 

Ever since he had found himself back in his seven-year-old body, he had dreamed of this moment. 

His original plan had been to stand at the height of power, admired by all, and watch Bai Tu die alone, just as Hu Bu had in his previous life. But things had gone wrong repeatedly along the way.

Still, none of that mattered now. 

As long as Bai Tu died, Hu Bu could still achieve his dream. Lang Qi and Lang Ze’s injuries could be healed later—Hu Bu could even position himself as the respected healer who saved them.

With a victorious smirk, Hu Bu withdrew his gaze from Bai Tu. To him, lingering on a defeated man was beneath him.

Filled with the joy of his impending triumph, Hu Bu slowly turned his head—only to witness something that left him utterly dumbfounded for the second time in this life.

Lang Ze had pulled out a bundle of small, multicolored pieces of animal hide from somewhere. He used them to cover his mouth and nose and wore strange-looking gloves made of stitched hide on his hands. 

Right in front of Hu Bu, Lang Ze opened the hidden compartment, swiftly retrieved its contents, and wrapped them securely in another piece of hide—all in the blink of an eye.