Chapter 87
What started with a single flatbread turned into an unspoken competition between Lang Qi and Hei Xiao.
Bai Tu’s plate was never empty—if it wasn’t another piece of roasted meat, it was a few extra meatballs.
Before Bai Tu could even lift his chopsticks, the two had already filled his plate with more food.
The meal was abundant and flavorful today.
Lang Ze had already devoured several plates of meat and a flatbread from Lang Qi. Sighing in satisfaction, he was about to slow down and savor his meal when he noticed Lang Qi and Hei Xiao seemingly racing to pile food onto Bai Tu’s plate.
Lang Ze glanced at his own plate of food, hesitated for a moment, and reluctantly offered a piece of braised meat to Bai Tu.
The movements of Lang Qi and Hei Xiao halted simultaneously. Lang Qi turned his gaze toward Lang Ze, his expression hard to read.
Lang Ze nearly jumped out of his seat. Why is he glaring at me? I didn’t do anything wrong!
Hei Yan, sitting across from them, was utterly confused.
He glanced at Lang Ze, then at Lang Qi and Hei Xiao, trying to piece together what was going on.
After thinking it over, he decided to share a bowl of porridge with Bai Tu. He had nearly finished the rest of his food, but he wasn’t fond of porridge, so it was the only thing left.
Bai Tu: “…”
Even an iron stomach wouldn’t survive this relentless feeding.
He returned the porridge to Hei Yan and handed back every single dish that had been added to his plate.
He especially focused on the mountain-like heaps of food from Lang Qi and Hei Xiao, returning everything to its original owners.
It wasn’t hard to remember which dish belonged to whom—their rivalry had created two perfectly distinct piles of food, with not a single piece crossing into the other’s space.
Finally, Bai Tu grabbed a piece of apple and moved to a quieter spot to eat. “Hurry up and eat your own food,” he urged them.
The weather had cooled significantly compared to a few weeks ago.
While daytime temperatures were still tolerable, the nights could easily cause colds if one wasn’t careful. Food also cooled faster, and while beastmen could eat it cold, oily dishes lost much of their appeal once they cooled.
Lang Qi shot a wary glance at Hei Xiao, quickly finished his meal, and grabbed Bai Tu’s arm. “Let’s go rest,” he said, as though afraid Hei Xiao might snatch Bai Tu away if he delayed.
Hei Xiao: “???” He was still sitting right there! I knew it—my instinct to dislike wolves was spot-on.
Bai Tu frowned. “It’s not even that late, and we have guests,” he reminded him.
Even if Hei Xiao weren’t his brother, it would still be improper to retreat to rest while guests were present.
Pushing Lang Qi aside, Bai Tu sent him to check on the cubs while he mulled over how to explain things to Hei Xiao.
There was no way he could tell Hei Xiao about being a transmigrator, but without mentioning it, how could he convey that he wasn’t the original Bai Tu?
As Bai Tu pondered, Lang Qi’s expression grew darker, Hei Xiao kept an eye on Lang Qi to make sure he didn’t whisk Bai Tu away, Lang Ze leaned back with a satisfied burp, and Hei Yan tried to process what had just happened—when Lang Zuo suddenly burst into the room.
“Tu, something’s wrong! Hu Bu escaped!” Lang Zuo blurted out, only to freeze when he noticed how many people were in the room. Nervously, he hiccupped.
The wolves had an unwritten rule: embarrassing news should only be shared among their own kind.
Unfortunately, younger wolves like Lang Zuo didn’t fully grasp the concept of “embarrassment,” so Lang Qi usually silenced them with a glare before they could spill anything. But today, Lang Zuo had been too panicked to hold back and had blurted out the news without thinking.
Avoiding Lang Qi’s gaze, Lang Zuo cautiously moved closer to Bai Tu.
Experience had taught him that Lang Qi usually refrained from hitting people when Bai Tu was around. Even if he did, he wouldn’t hit as hard. As long as Lang Zuo cried loudly enough, Bai Tu would quickly step in to plead for mercy.
Lang Zuo braced himself for a scolding, but to his surprise, Lang Qi didn’t even look at him. Instead, Lang Qi walked over to Bai Tu’s side.
Bai Tu, unperturbed, calmly asked, “When did he go missing?”
Lang Zuo hesitated, still a little afraid. “Just now. I went to get him some water, but when I came back, the cave was empty. Lang Shun is gone too.” Lang Shun had been stationed outside the cave with him, but now both were missing.
Bai Tu quickly calculated the timeline.
It had been less than three hours since they’d returned. In that time, an injured Hu Bu couldn’t have gone far. But with a wolf tribe member also missing, the situation was much more concerning.
“Let’s check the cave,” Bai Tu said.
Hu Bu’s injuries had made him less mobile, and Bai Tu hoped they could still glean some information from his erratic behavior.
He had even instructed the guards not to gag Hu Bu, hoping the man might let something slip. Additionally, Hu Bu’s erratic nature had prompted them to assign two guards instead of one. Theoretically, everything should have been fine—but they had clearly underestimated Hu Bu.
When they entered the cave where Hu Bu had been held, they noticed the old marks left by his movements and a new set of drag marks leading to the cave entrance. The trail, however, ended abruptly there.
Although the area outside the cave was a mountain trail, it was covered with numerous footprints from people coming and going, making it impossible to distinguish which belonged to Lang Shun.
Neither Lang Qi nor Lang Ze could pick up the direction Lang Shun’s scent disappeared to, let alone Lang Zuo and the others. Without a clear direction, tracking the escape became even more challenging.
The cave where the lions were being held was always guarded by the wolf tribe, and none of the guards had seen Hu Bu leave. However, a rabbit tribe member stationed at the base of the mountain had seen a wolf running out.
“He was moving fast. I couldn’t see who it was,” the rabbit tribe member explained.
It was easy for beastmen to recognize members of their own kind, but identifying the beast forms of other tribes wasn’t as simple. The wolf that had run out was in beast form, moving at high speed. Since black wolves were the most common, the guard couldn’t tell who it was.
“Which direction did they go?” Bai Tu asked.
“Straight into the forest,” the guard replied. “They didn’t follow the path.”
The wolves, particularly Lang Ze’s group, were known for their speed. They would disappear in the blink of an eye, diving into the forest and vanishing. This kind of behavior wasn’t new for the young wolves; the tribe was used to it. Until Bai Tu asked, the rabbit hadn’t even realized there was an issue.
Bai Tu, well aware of the wolves’ spontaneous and energetic nature, didn’t place blame.
Their tendency to act on a whim—sleeping in a cave one moment, swimming in a river the next—was simply part of their youthful vitality. Restricting them too much would only stifle that. Instead, he asked for the time and details about the wolf’s appearance.
As Bai Tu was gathering information, Lang Ze shifted into his beast form and began howling to summon other wolves.
The wolves’ internal communication system was far faster than shouting for people one by one. Almost immediately, howls echoed in response, and young wolves began gathering.
After taking a headcount, they confirmed it was Lang Shun who had run off. However, the guard had only seen Lang Shun, which meant Hu Bu had either not followed or had hidden in Lang Shun’s fur in beast form. Either way, it meant they had to proceed cautiously.
After a brief moment of thought, Bai Tu issued instructions: “Call everyone off shift and divide into five teams. Four teams will search in different directions, and one will search the tribe’s interior.”
The trail from the cave led nowhere, so their only option was to spread out and search systematically.
Once the other beastmen arrived, Bai Tu emphasized the importance of staying in pairs at all times, ensuring no one wandered off alone.
The wolves, already assembled, were quickly assigned tasks. The rabbit and cat tribes were a bit slower to organize but didn’t delay the overall plan. Hei Xiao also called out the members of the Black Hawk Tribe to assist.
Bai Tu split everyone into five teams, ensuring each included members of the wolf, rabbit, hawk, and cat tribes.
The wolves’ speed, the rabbits’ familiarity with the terrain, the cats’ stealth in locating hidden threats, and the hawks’ aerial advantage made for well-rounded teams.
After the teams were dispatched, Bai Tu said, “We’ll head southeast.”
The direct path to the Red Hawk Tribe was southeast, and while it was possible Hu Bu might take a detour, the likelihood was slim.
Patrols from various tribes covered the surrounding areas, and the longer Hu Bu stayed in the Snow Rabbit Tribe’s territory, the greater the chance of being discovered.
Before anyone could respond, Lang Qi hoisted Bai Tu onto his back and shifted into his beast form. The moment he transformed, he bolted forward at full speed, disappearing in a blur.
Hei Xiao watched Bai Tu grow smaller and smaller in the distance, his teeth nearly grinding together in frustration. He clapped Hei Yan on the shoulder and growled, “Follow them!” No way am I letting Hu Bu get away.
Hei Yan spread his wings and quickly took to the air, chasing after Lang Qi. However, from above, it was nearly impossible to tell which path Lang Qi had taken.
Hei Xiao gritted his teeth and barked, “Keep flying! Bai Tu wants to find Hu Bu, so Lang Qi will definitely head toward the edge of the territory.”
Meanwhile, Bai Tu clung to Lang Qi’s neck fur tightly. Although this wasn’t his first time being carried by Lang Qi, the current speed was far beyond anything he had experienced before.
“Slow down,” Bai Tu urged.
At this pace, they couldn’t properly search the surroundings. If Hu Bu was hiding nearby, they might miss him entirely.
Lang Qi ran for a little longer before slowing down, eventually walking at a steady pace with Bai Tu on his back.
Bai Tu wasn’t particularly worried about Hu Bu making it to the Red Eagle Tribe.
The distance between the two tribes was too great, and a wounded fox traveling with a single wolf had little chance of arriving safely. His greater concern was that Hu Bu might be hiding somewhere nearby, plotting to cause trouble.
Hu Bu wasn’t particularly skilled in many areas, but his ability to stir up chaos was undeniable.
Bai Tu was also worried about Lang Shun.
Hu Bu hadn’t had any tools or resources on him, and the cave had been thoroughly searched, but Hu Bu was skilled in medicine. He likely recognized many of the local herbs, particularly poisonous ones.
This large-scale search was less about finding Hu Bu and more about keeping everyone on high alert while simultaneously intimidating the fox if he was lurking in the shadows.
Noticing that Lang Qi’s pace had slowed to the point where he could easily walk alongside him, Bai Tu said, “I can walk on my own.”
Lang Qi, however, acted as though he hadn’t heard and continued his leisurely pace, carrying Bai Tu on his back as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“Lang Qi?” Bai Tu called out curiously.
Lang Qi stopped and rubbed his head against Bai Tu’s hand, signaling that he had heard him but had no intention of letting him down.
“Fine, have it your way,” Bai Tu said helplessly.
Arguing with Lang Qi in his current state was pointless. At this height, Bai Tu’s chances of safely jumping to the ground weren’t great, so he mentally jotted another note in his “Lang Qi’s stubborn moments” list.
Lang Qi started moving again, and though it seemed like a casual stroll, he was carefully analyzing the scents around them.
For wolves, their noses were crucial tools, and Lang Qi was meticulously picking apart the various smells in the air, occasionally changing direction as he walked.
Bai Tu was thinking about the possible paths Hu Bu might take.
Hu Bu wasn’t familiar with the Snow Rabbit Tribe’s territory—otherwise, the lions sent by him wouldn’t have gotten lost so often.
The one who knew the area was Lang Shun.
Young wolves often took unconventional routes, so the chances of catching them on the main road were slim. Was there a place nearby that wolves frequented? Bai Tu regretted not bringing one of the younger wolves along to help.
Not far away, two familiar howls echoed—it was Lang Ze, trying to call for Lang Shun. Despite several calls, there was no response.
Even though Bai Tu knew the odds of finding Lang Shun this way were slim, he couldn’t help feeling a pang of disappointment.
He began regretting not sending more people after them.
Lang Shun was still very young, even younger than Lang Ze by a few months—a boy with a baby face who always eagerly complimented Bai Tu’s cooking.
Lang Shun was the first to show up whenever food was ready, and no matter how much he was given, he would finish every last bite, even licking the bowl clean.
Bai Tu couldn’t believe such a pure-hearted young wolf could be Hu Bu’s accomplice.
Whether or not they caught Hu Bu tonight didn’t matter much.
At his speed, it would take days to cross the territories of the Snow Rabbit, Blood Wolf, and Leopard tribes. They could afford to wait another day.
What mattered more to Bai Tu was confirming Lang Shun’s safety.
Hu Bu was notoriously ruthless.
Many of Shi Hong’s cubs had been killed by him, with Shi Hong only adding his bite marks afterward. To torment the cubs’ mothers, Hu Bu had deliberately revealed the truth of their children’s deaths, his cruelty chilling to the core.
Hu Bu didn’t just show no mercy to the cubs; he was equally heartless toward his former partners.
Shi Hong’s numerous wounds were a testament to secondary injuries, not self-inflicted ones.
Even if Shi Hong had the strength to act before his death, the lack of fresh blood on his hands was enough to clear up any doubt. While Hu Bu believed his deception was flawless, the wolves didn’t care enough about Shi Hong’s death to expose the truth.
Hu Bu’s lack of compassion for anyone—whether cubs or partners—made Bai Tu fear for Lang Shun. Bai Tu’s only hope was that Lang Shun was unharmed. If Lang Shun was safe, nothing else mattered.
As Bai Tu’s thoughts swirled, Lang Qi suddenly halted. His ears twitched slightly, as if catching a distant sound.
Bai Tu remained silent.
Beastmen in their animal forms often had sharper hearing than in their humanoid ones. Just because Bai Tu couldn’t hear anything didn’t mean Lang Qi hadn’t.
After a brief pause, Lang Qi rubbed against Bai Tu’s hand, signaling for him to hold on tight, and then dashed off in a specific direction. His steps were quieter than before.
This meant they had found a new lead. Bai Tu perked up, ready for action.
Lang Qi ran for a while before Bai Tu began to hear faint, familiar voices.
“You’re going the wrong way. Turn back. Go behind us.”
“Whine~”
It was Hu Bu and a young wolf!
Bai Tu instinctively tightened his grip on Lang Qi’s fur.
Even if he hadn’t heard the distinct differences between the young wolves’ voices, Bai Tu was sure it was Lang Shun. He was the only young wolf currently with Hu Bu.
Lang Qi rubbed against Bai Tu again, his gaze calm and soothing, as if to reassure him.
Realizing he had been gripping Lang Qi’s fur too tightly, Bai Tu quickly let go and gently smoothed the ruffled patches, focusing intently on the direction of the sound.
Lang Qi slowed his pace even further, each step now completely silent.
Bai Tu knew this was to avoid startling Lang Shun. If Lang Shun could make sounds but hadn’t responded to Lang Ze’s calls—or called for help himself—it was highly likely that he wasn’t fully conscious.
“Why are you turning again? I told you to go straight!”
“Run quickly! They’ll catch up any moment!”
“Awwooo~”
“Keep your voice down! Do you want to get killed? You can’t let them kill you. Run!”
As the distance closed, the voices became clearer.
Hu Bu’s tone sounded different than before, and Bai Tu couldn’t shake the feeling of familiarity—it was as if he had heard it somewhere before.
While Bai Tu was momentarily lost in thought, Lang Qi had already crept closer to the two figures, nudging Bai Tu to hold on tighter.
Meanwhile, Hei Yan, who had been circling the sky for a while, finally locked onto their location and began to dive downward.
Lang Shun turned back yet again at Hu Bu’s urging.
Hu Bu cursed in frustration, then looked up—and immediately froze in terror when he saw Bai Tu sitting on the black wolf’s back.
Panic filled his eyes as he slapped Lang Shun’s back. “Turn right! Go around! Quickly, they’re going to kill us—!”
Lang Shun’s eyes were vacant, his expression blank as if he didn’t understand why he was even there. At Hu Bu’s insistence, however, he obediently turned as directed.
Seeing the black wolf hadn’t immediately charged after them, Hu Bu exhaled in relief. But before he could fully recover, he noticed the black hawk descending from the sky ahead of him.
With a wolf behind and an eagle in front, Hu Bu panicked. He suddenly grabbed Lang Shun by the neck and screamed, “Bite him! Kill Bai Tu!”
For a brief moment, clarity flickered in Lang Shun’s eyes, followed by hesitation. But it was quickly replaced by the same blank, dazed expression as before. Without warning, Lang Shun lunged toward Lang Qi.
Lang Qi let out a deep growl, halting Lang Shun’s movements for a split second. But the pressure on Lang Shun’s neck from Hu Bu’s grip grew stronger, and Hu Bu’s words echoed in his mind.
Bite him. Kill him.
Lang Qi didn’t give Lang Shun a chance to act.
As soon as Lang Shun lunged, Lang Qi dodged and let out another sharp growl. In the distance, the howls of other wolves could be heard approaching.
Each time Lang Qi growled, Lang Shun hesitated for a moment—but the intervals between his pauses grew shorter and shorter.
Bai Tu quickly realized that Hu Bu was the key to breaking the hold over Lang Shun. He shouted to Hei Yan, who was circling above and looking for an opening: “Get Hu Bu!”
Hearing the command, Hei Yan adjusted his flight path and swooped down, grabbing Hu Bu off Lang Shun’s back in one swift motion. This gave Lang Qi the opportunity to tackle Lang Shun to the ground.
Lang Shun struggled violently, but he was no match for Lang Qi’s strength. The young wolf was soon pinned down, unable to move.
Hei Xiao jumped off Hei Yan’s back as Bai Tu climbed down with Hei Xiao’s help, finally experiencing the downside of the wolf tribe’s height in beast form.
Hei Yan, tall and powerful in his humanoid form, handled Hu Bu like a small, squirming chick. Disgusted by Hu Bu’s attempts to touch him, Hei Yan tied Hu Bu to a sturdy tree branch and suspended him.
Hu Bu flailed desperately but couldn’t free himself. Frustrated, he screamed, “Bite him! Attack him!”
Lang Shun, who had briefly calmed down, began struggling again. However, his strength was no match for Lang Qi’s, and he remained subdued.
Hei Yan, irritated by Hu Bu’s shouting, stuffed a cloth into his mouth and went to assist with Lang Shun.
Watching the scene unfold, Bai Tu carefully observed Hu Bu. Lang Shun’s abnormal behavior was clearly linked to him.
“Is this some kind of mind control?” Hei Xiao asked with a frown.
“What do you mean?” Bai Tu turned to him curiously.
“Some witch doctors have a secret drug that, when fed to a beastman, allows them to manipulate the victim’s mind. The affected beastman will reject their family and only listen to the witch doctor’s commands,” Hei Xiao explained. “There’s an old story about a witch doctor who controlled a tribe leader for decades. But I haven’t heard of anyone using it in years. I have no idea where Hu Bu could’ve learned it.”
Bai Tu mulled over this explanation. It sounded like an advanced form of hypnosis. Yet there was another detail gnawing at him—the way Hu Bu spoke to Lang Shun felt eerily familiar.
With Hei Yan helping, Lang Qi quickly subdued Lang Shun, even though the young wolf was more ferocious than usual. Soon, the wolves who had been nearby arrived and carried the tightly bound Lang Shun and Hu Bu back to the tribe.
Once back, Bai Tu asked Bai Hui for two iron chains.
Lang Shun was tied up, though his chains wouldn’t hinder eating—he just wouldn’t be able to leave.
Hu Bu, on the other hand, was completely restrained, tied up like a rice dumpling, and not even given water. Four beastmen stood guard at his door.
As they deliberated on how to break Hu Bu’s influence over Lang Shun, one question baffled everyone: if Lang Shun was truly under Hu Bu’s control, why had he turned back and headed toward the tribe earlier?
Lang Qi frowned at Lang Shun’s behavior.
Meanwhile, Lang Ze circled the struggling young wolf anxiously, hopping up and down in frustration. As he was in beast form, he couldn’t speak, and it was clear Lang Shun couldn’t understand anyone’s words now—he only seemed to respond to Hu Bu’s commands.
Bai Tu was just as perplexed. Lang Shun wasn’t an accomplice to Hu Bu. Even in his current dazed state, they couldn’t let him starve. Bai Tu was about to instruct Lang Zuo to fetch some food when he suddenly paused, a realization dawning on him.
“I understand now,” Bai Tu said aloud.
Everyone turned to him. Lang Ze bolted to Bai Tu’s side, grabbing his hand with the intensity of someone determined to get an answer. He wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight—or have the energy for hunting—until he knew the truth.
Bai Tu let out a small sigh. “Lang Shun came back for dinner.”
For wolves, dinnertime was marked by the onset of nightfall. Not a single young wolf would ever miss it. Even in his confused state, even if he had forgotten everything else, the instinct to return for food remained.
At the mention of food, Lang Shun—who had been struggling moments ago—suddenly went completely still.
Food is the most important