Building a Civilization and Raising Cubs in the Beast World – CH90

Chapter 90

When Lang Qi was around, Lang Ze’s voice would naturally be lower than usual. Because of this, his shocked exclamation wasn’t heard by the other busy beastmen.

Even so, inside the tent, Lang Qi still woke up.

He slowly opened his eyes, gazing impatiently at the two people outside the tent. His paws moved slightly, covering the little rabbit’s ears.

Lang Ze shuddered inexplicably, but the news that Bai Tu had a new cub shocked him so much that it completely overshadowed his fear of Lang Qi.

“Brother, where’s Tu?” Lang Ze glanced around but didn’t see Bai Tu anywhere, growing worried. “He didn’t go out to find food, did he?”

Some beastmen, after giving birth to cubs, wouldn’t immediately bring them before the tribe. Instead, they would secretly give birth at a location some distance from the tribe—far enough for privacy but not dangerous—where they would raise the cubs alone for a while before bringing them back once they were a bit older.

This practice had become rare in recent times. Most beastmen now chose to give birth within the tribe, where the care of their kin made raising the cubs much safer.

Lang Ze hadn’t expected Bai Tu to hide the fact that he had a cub from them. And not only that—he even went out alone to find food! 

Thinking of this, Lang Ze looked at his own brother in strong disapproval. “Brother, how could you let Tu go out by himself!”

Bai Tu was so weak. Even if he found food, it would probably just be some unappetizing fruits. Yet his brother was actually here sleeping, letting Bai Tu go out alone! Even if the cub wasn’t his brother’s, it was still Bai Tu’s!

Lang Qi’s ears twitched slightly, his gaze growing more impatient, as if he might strike at any moment.

Seeing his reaction, Lang Ze felt a bit scared but still insisted, “It’s dangerous out there!”

Before he could say anything more, Hei Xiao, who had been listening to Lang Ze’s endless chatter, rubbed his forehead helplessly and explained, “That’s not Tu’s cub. Alright, Ze, go eat your breakfast first.”

Having spent a lot of time around Bai Tu, Hei Xiao knew exactly how to distract Lang Ze. Sure enough, as soon as Hei Xiao spoke, Lang Ze immediately remembered the reason he had come. “Breakfast is ready. But where’s Tu?”

After asking, Lang Ze’s gaze drifted toward the small rabbit in Lang Qi’s arms. He found this little cub even cuter than other rabbit tribe cubs and had the sudden urge to steal it.

Noticing Lang Ze’s gaze, Lang Qi shifted slightly, moving the little rabbit to the other side without waking him, completely blocking him from sight.

“He’ll come later,” Hei Xiao said, seeing the white rabbit sleeping soundly in Lang Qi’s embrace. He reached out and closed the tent flap, feeling exhausted. “Bai Tu has something to take care of.”

“Oh… okay.” No longer able to see the little cub, Lang Ze withdrew his gaze in disappointment.

Hei Xiao also wanted to take another look at Bai Tu’s beast form. However, even though the tent was set apart from where the other beastmen slept, someone might still come by. This wasn’t safe for Bai Tu. Hei Xiao would never risk Bai Tu’s safety, especially when he was still sleeping.

Cubs in their growth phase showed different behaviors—some, like the wolf tribe’s young, were bursting with energy, while others were incredibly sleepy. 

If a growing cub didn’t receive enough care, they would become weak. 

Bai Tu had already passed his growth phase, so for him to be able to sleep so soundly in his beast form now was a rare opportunity for recovery. Hei Xiao wouldn’t disturb him, even if he found Lang Qi annoying.

For Bai Tu’s sake, Hei Xiao could endure things he normally wouldn’t.

Inside the tent, seeing the light around them dim, Lang Qi carefully retracted his paws from the little rabbit’s ears. Halfway through, he couldn’t resist reaching out again to touch the tiny, adorable paws of the little rabbit.

The little rabbit, fast asleep, had a belly that rose and fell steadily, completely unaware of Lang Qi’s actions.

Lang Qi couldn’t help but nuzzle him again—just a little, then a little more—until the little rabbit’s eyes started to twitch, a sign of waking up. Lang Qi quickly withdrew his paw and looked away as if nothing had happened.

When Bai Tu woke up, he found himself lying on Lang Qi’s beast form. 

It wasn’t the first time he had woken up in this position. At first, he had panicked and even jumped off immediately. But now, he simply rubbed his eyes with his paws and then patted Lang Qi, signaling him to put him down.

Due to their size difference, Lang Qi was like a small mountain to him. If he jumped down, he’d likely roll head over heels. Even though it was just the two of them here, Bai Tu refused to do something so embarrassing.

Lang Qi acted as if he didn’t understand Bai Tu’s signal. Instead, his front paws gently scooped Bai Tu up and placed him on his belly, then, unable to contain his excitement, rolled over half a turn.

Bai Tu: “???”

Bai Tu could only pat Lang Qi’s belly and point to the empty space beside them. It was almost time for them to shift back into human form—he didn’t want to end up appearing on top of Lang Qi when that happened.

Lang Qi curled his body inward, wrapping Bai Tu against his stomach, and only released him at the very last moment—just a few breaths away from Bai Tu’s transformation.

Bai Tu let out a sigh of relief. In the next instant, he transformed into his human form within the tent. After dressing, he walked over to a smaller section of the tent and picked up the cub inside.

Since Lang Qi had decided to take care of the cub, they couldn’t trouble others with it. Besides, the weather wasn’t suitable for the cubs to be exposed to the wind outside. 

Bai Tu had modified the tent earlier, adding a small enclosed space to serve as a nursery. Given the tiny size of the cub, what was just the size of a pillow to an adult was enough space for two cubs to sleep soundly.

Because the tent was covered with animal hides, very little light could enter, making the inside dim. On top of that, after being carried such a long distance by Lang Qi yesterday, the cubs were sleeping deeply.

Bai Tu touched the cub’s small belly and, seeing that it had flattened, knew it was time to feed them.

Lang Qi watched Bai Tu’s back, his gaze lingering on Bai Tu’s stomach for a moment, recalling what Lang Ze had said earlier.

Cubs

Bai Tu had no idea what Lang Qi was thinking. After checking on the cubs, he got ready to make breakfast. Out here, he had to prepare the cubs’ food himself since Tu Mu and the others weren’t around.

Before setting out, Bai Tu had already considered the issue of food along the way. 

Last time, they were in a hurry, and food supplies in the tribe were limited, so he hadn’t had time to prepare much. But this time was different. 

The tribe now had ample supplies of both meat and grain. Bai Tu didn’t want the hardworking beastmen to suffer—no matter how busy things got, he never neglected food preparation. 

As long as he and Tu Mu were around, they wouldn’t let everyone go back to the days of gnawing on dried meat.

Things like braised meat, jerky, and cured meat had long been available, so there was no need to mention those. Bai Tu had also developed a few new options, including shredded meat floss.

Meat floss was a bit tedious to make, but it was perfect for energetic young beastmen who liked to run around. After exhausting their energy, they’d still have something delicious to eat—a win-win situation.

When preparing food for cubs outdoors, the simpler, the better. Today, Bai Tu was making steamed eggs with meat floss—tender and delicious. Both the eggs and the meat floss had been brought from the tribe. The eggs here were large with thick shells, making them less likely to break.

However, just as he cracked an egg into a bowl outside, Lang Ze came running over.

Seeing Bai Tu, Lang Ze was both excited and delighted. His first instinct was to look at Bai Tu’s arms.

Bai Tu instinctively pulled his clothes in a little, then glanced down to check—his clothes weren’t torn. What was Lang Ze looking at?

After searching for a while and not spotting any cubs, Lang Ze moved closer and whispered, “Tu, where’s your cub?”

“In the tent,” Bai Tu replied. Just then, he saw Lang Qi coming out carrying two small wolf cubs and pointed behind Lang Ze. “There, your brother’s holding them.”

Lang Ze turned around excitedly, only to see the same two little wolf cubs he had already seen countless times. 

He immediately turned back to Bai Tu and said, “Not these two—I mean the rabbit! About this big, your cub!” Not a wolf!

Bai Tu’s hand, which was beating the eggs, paused. He looked at Hei Xiao, who stood nearby, looking exasperated.

Hei Xiao nodded slightly, confirming that Lang Ze had indeed seen it.

Bai Tu then turned his gaze to Lang Ze, who was staring at him with eager anticipation, waiting for an answer. Finally, he spoke: “Have you considered the possibility… that what you saw wasn’t a cub?”

“No way!” Lang Ze declared with absolute certainty. “I saw it clearly—it was definitely a cub! White, about this big, with long ears, super cute! Tu, just let me see it again…”

As soon as he returned, he regretted not taking a better look earlier. Unfortunately, his brother had blocked his view too well, and then Hei Xiao had closed the tent. He had only managed to catch a single glimpse.

Bai Tu: “……”

Hei Xiao hadn’t said anything earlier, clearly leaving it up to Bai Tu to decide whether to reveal the truth.

Bai Tu waved his hand, signaling Lang Ze to come closer.

Lang Ze obediently leaned in, even as Lang Qi shot him a dangerous glare.

“I’m only telling you,” Bai Tu said. “Don’t tell anyone else.”

Lang Ze nodded eagerly.

Bai Tu leaned in slightly and whispered, “That’s my beast form.”

After saying that, he immediately turned away and poured the beaten eggs into the steamer. 

After several adjustments, the tribe now had a variety of pots. During the firing process, they had made special supports for the steaming racks, eliminating the need to add stands later. The improved sealing also made steaming food much faster.

Lang Ze nodded repeatedly—then suddenly realized what Bai Tu had just said.

“WHAT?!” he howled at the top of his lungs.

That was Tu’s beast form?!

For a moment, Lang Ze didn’t know whether to feel disappointed that he couldn’t cuddle a cub or to be shocked that Bai Tu’s beast form was so small.

Lang Qi shot Lang Ze a glance before following Bai Tu to help with breakfast preparations.

Everyone in the tribe was used to waking up early, but early morning wasn’t the best time to travel. The leaves and grass were still covered in dew, so they preferred to set out after the sun had risen. 

Plus, unlike before the rainy season, the daytime temperatures weren’t as intense, so they wouldn’t be stopping for a long midday break—just a short pause to eat something light. Because of this, breakfast and dinner became even more important.

Since they had plenty of time, meals weren’t made uniformly—everyone could cook whatever they liked. 

The beastmen, who had been spoiled by good food in the tribe, weren’t about to settle for anything less. If there was something tasty to eat, they’d make sure to have it.

The wolf tribe and the rabbit tribe had long been accustomed to such meals. 

With the tribe’s food supplies abundant, they could eat without worry. 

The cat tribe had joined the Snow Rabbit Tribe a few months ago. While they might not match the rabbits in every aspect, their treatment was still quite good. At first, they were shocked by the sheer amount of food available, but after getting over their surprise, they still ate heartily.

The leopard tribe and the lion tribe members who had been allowed to join the journey had been in a state of shock ever since their meal with the wolf tribe the day before. They couldn’t believe that the two tribes were willing to use so much food for cooking.

Shi Zhen, a member of the Wild Lion Tribe, had been receiving better treatment than he ever had in his own tribe. 

Due to his cooperation, his current standard of living was even better than before. 

After learning the truth about his eldest daughter’s death, he had fully submitted himself to the commands of the rabbit and wolf tribes. 

Since they were carrying a large amount of supplies this time, Shi Zhen had volunteered to join the salt trade team, and both Bai Tu and Bai An had approved his request. However, to keep him in check, Shi Jia and his youngest son had remained behind in the tribe. 

Many other lions were in the same situation—though the wolves kept a close watch on them, their daily lives were relatively free.

Shi Zhen had already mentally prepared himself for the possibility of going hungry for several days on the road. After all, he had experienced such hardships before. 

When the Wild Lion Tribe was still weak, many beastmen had endured hunger. Sometimes, when food was scarce, they would survive on just water, trade meat for cheap fruits at the market to fill their stomachs, and then return home hungry. 

Every salt-trading trip felt like risking half their lives. As the tribe grew stronger, that kind of suffering gradually disappeared. However, after being besieged before the rainy season, they had gone without salt for a long time.

Shi Zhen wasn’t afraid of hardship. Even knowing how tough the salt trade journey could be, he had still wanted to come—not to find a chance to escape, but to prove his worth. Only by showing his abilities would he be entrusted with more important responsibilities, which in turn would improve his treatment and allow him to bring his children along.

The possibility that his youngest daughter’s cub might still be alive filled Shi Zhen with both excitement and determination. 

His ultimate goal was to raise his standing in Bai Tu’s eyes, so he had no expectations for an easy life on the road.

That was… until he saw how the wolves ate.

In truth, the food prepared by the rabbit and wolf tribes wasn’t all that different. But the wolves cooked in huge portions, tossing large chunks of high-quality braised meat into the pot and freely helping themselves to all kinds of meat whenever they were hungry.

Shi Zhen watched from the side, growing more and more alarmed. He couldn’t hold back his curiosity and turned to the wolf warrior keeping an eye on him. “Eating like this… Tu doesn’t mind?”

Shi Zhen was certain that no other tribe would be this generous with food. Even in times of abundant prey, let alone on a salt trade journey, few tribes could afford such luxury. After all, adolescent beastmen often ate even more than adults. If they were allowed to eat as much as they wanted every time, wouldn’t the rest of the tribe go hungry?

Having been part of the hunting team, Shi Zhen knew that this year’s prey numbers were far lower than in previous years. In fact, the decline in games had already started last year, or even earlier. 

Most beastmen only cared about whether they had enough to eat at the moment, but Shi Zhen had noticed the worsening trend. 

This year, the situation was even worse. Even before the Wild Lion Tribe had been attacked by other lion tribes, their standard of living had already begun to decline.

Now, with winter approaching, prey would only become scarcer.

Thinking about this, Shi Zhen felt even more distressed about the food being consumed. 

It wasn’t that he disapproved of how the wolves were eating—after all, the food belonged to them in the first place. What he worried about was whether they would have enough to survive the winter if they kept eating like this.

Aside from a few beastmen who didn’t care whether the tribe lived or died, most had at least some sense of crisis. Shi Zhen believed it was necessary to think about how they would survive the winter.

Beastmen were generally kind to their own people. From the wolves’ perspective, although Shi Zhen and the others were former enemies, their recent behavior had been decent. Besides, the ones who had stirred up trouble and acted violently back then weren’t them. Because of this, and with Bai Tu’s approval, the wolves now regarded certain lions as half their own people. 

Since Shi Zhen had asked, they patiently answered, “These were all prepared by Tu.”

Everything they were eating came from the portion Bai Tu had allocated for meals. 

The food set aside for trading was strictly off-limits—no matter how big their appetites were or how tempting the food seemed, every beastman knew exactly which supplies could be eaten and which couldn’t.

Shi Zhen grew even more concerned after hearing this. “If we eat everything now, what will we do later?” 

He suspected that these young wolves simply lacked foresight. Just because there seemed to be plenty of food, they had taken it all out at once—when in reality, they still had more than ten days of travel ahead.

The wolves, thinking he hadn’t understood their explanation, repeated it more clearly. “This is just today’s breakfast.”

To make sure everyone ate properly, Bai Tu had already labeled the baskets and containers, marking which portions were meant for which days—even specifying which were for breakfast and which were for dinner.

The total amount of food for each meal was carefully calculated to be the same. On top of that, Bai Tu had divided the portions according to everyone’s tastes, ensuring that everyone got to eat what they liked while also getting enough to be full. 

Of course, to the young wolves, there was still a distinction between what they liked, what they really liked, and what they absolutely loved. 

When one of them saw his favorite cured meat being opened, he immediately threw down a quick, “I’ll be right back—gotta go fight for my meat!” before dashing off.

Shi Zhen murmured, repeating the wolf’s words to himself: “This is just today’s breakfast…”

So all these years, everything he had done for the Wild Lion Tribe—what had it really gotten him?

His eldest daughter, murdered by Shi Hong; His youngest daughter’s cub, taken away.

His two sons—one left with a rotting leg, the other struggling to speak properly, both victims of Shi Hong’s deliberate targeting.

Back then, because he was worried about his children, he had refused when the other lion tribes came to recruit him.

And now, after all those years of loyalty and struggle… he had nothing to show for it.

Shi Zhen was lost in thought when the wolf who had gone to snatch the cured meat returned, bringing along the lions’ food as well. “This is yours.”

Although the lion tribe had been given relative freedom, only a few wolves were assigned to keep an eye on them. However, there were still some restrictions—such as not being allowed to cook. 

Preparing food was the easiest way to tamper with it, and with a team of over three hundred people, the lion tribe was strictly prohibited from handling anything food-related.

The lions had no complaints about this rule. Life in the Snow Rabbit Tribe was far better than before—only a fool would think otherwise. 

Even if they tried to escape now, they wouldn’t survive without food or territory. Their chances of making it out alive were nearly zero. Abandoning a safe and stable life just to run toward certain death? Only someone whose brain was broken would do that.

Shi Zhen looked at the food before him—more abundant than anything the Wild Lion Tribe had ever seen, even at its peak. 

For a moment, he didn’t know how to express his emotions. The best decision he had ever made in his life was choosing not to hide anything when Bai Tu questioned him.

As Shi Zhen ate, Bai Tu approached. 

Since Bai Tu had a smaller appetite—not even a third of what the wolves ate—he had already finished his meal while most of the others were still eating. Lang Qi wouldn’t let him cuddle the cubs, so Bai Tu had nothing better to do and came over to walk around.

Seeing Bai Tu approaching, Shi Zhen hurriedly put down his bowl and chopsticks.

Bai Tu waved a hand, signaling him to continue eating, and casually explained, “I prepared the meals based on an adult wolf’s portion. If it’s not enough, just let me know, and we’ll cook more for the next meal.”

With the weather getting colder, especially in the mornings and evenings, no one wanted to gnaw on cold roasted meat or cured meat anymore. Warming up the food before eating had become much more common.

“It’s more than enough!” Shi Zhen quickly shook his head. 

For them, going without food was something they could endure, eating just a little was fine, and even being half-full was manageable. 

These meals might not be excessive, but they were definitely enough to feel full. More importantly, the next meal would come that same evening—not after days of travel on an empty stomach. This was already far beyond what they had expected.

Bai Tu instructed, “Don’t hold back—traveling is exhausting. You need to eat enough.”

“We can eat our fill.” Shi Zhen nodded seriously, and he wasn’t lying. This was the fullest he had been in a long time.

Only then did Bai Tu feel reassured. “As long as it’s enough. Make sure to replenish your strength. In the future, when we bring the cubs back, we’ll need everyone’s help.”

Shi Zhen froze. Cubs?

For a moment, he was so overwhelmed by shock and joy that he completely lost his bearings. “C-Cubs?!” So it wasn’t just empty words—his granddaughter was actually still alive?!

“Yes.” Bai Tu nodded. 

He had already confirmed that the lion cubs were in the Red Eagle Tribe. 

He planned to try rescuing them this time, though he wouldn’t reveal the details of his plan. However, he could at least drop a hint—after all, they truly needed the lion tribe’s help.

Shi Zhen’s emotions surged—shock, excitement, disbelief—everything hit him at once.

He had always known that, as a defeated tribe, they had no right to expect the rabbit and wolf tribes to help them find their lost cubs. 

He had worked tirelessly to prove his worth, hoping that one day, far in the future, they might be granted permission to rescue the cubs themselves.

That was the best outcome he had dared to hope for.

Yet now… Bai Tu had already made preparations to bring them along.

Bai Tu continued, “This salt trade journey will be tough on everyone.”

Shi Zhen immediately shook his head. “Not at all!”

He spoke from the heart. If this counted as “tough,” then what had their past life in the Berserk Lion Tribe been? Even the lowest-ranked beastmen back then had it better.

No—worse than that. Shi Zhen thought about it for a moment and realized that even the lowest-ranked beastmen in the Snow Rabbit Tribe could eat their fill now.

Would Shi Hong have ever allowed that? Never.

In Shi Hong’s eyes, he’d rather let food rot and throw it away than allow the low-status beastmen to eat it.

Shi Zhen looked at the food in front of him.

In the past, his status in the tribe had not been low. He was strong, and with four capable hunter children, his rank had once been second only to Shi Hong.

So how had he ended up in such a miserable state?

As he recalled everything, Shi Zhen realized that perhaps, from the very beginning, he should never have helped Shi Hong seize the position of chief.

Power should only be in one’s own hands—that is the only right path.

Shi Zhen thought back and regretted handing over his best hunters to Shi Hong. He had misjudged him. A true leader should not be like Shi Hong—suppressing his own people, fearing their abilities.

He had been too foolish.

He had treated Shi Hong as his own, and because of that, his daughter had lost her life.

After a few words with Shi Zhen, Bai Tu left.

The moment he walked away, the lion beastmen who had been eating nearby immediately gathered around Shi Zhen.

The wolves keeping watch on them merely lifted their eyelids slightly, showing no real concern for what they were up to.

When Bai Tu returned to the resting area, Hei Xiao was in the middle of discussing something with the hawk tribe.

Hei Yan, under Hei Xiao’s strict orders, had not come along. However, he still felt uneasy about letting Hei Xiao travel alone. Even though Hei Xiao was accompanying two familiar tribes, and even though in just a few days, they would all reunite at the market, Hei Yan still wasn’t at ease.

So, he had left a few hawks behind to protect Hei Xiao.

In human form, the hawks were similar in size to the rabbit and wolf tribes—perhaps even slightly weaker than the wolves. However, their ability to fly made them excellent scouts. Even if the monkey tribe hid at the tops of trees, the hawks could spot them with ease.

That said, Hei Xiao had not assigned them to scout the monkey tribe.

After their chief had been captured by the wolves, the Brown Monkey Tribe had been far more obedient than before. Moreover, since the wolves frequently went to the nearby mountain to mine limestone, the new monkey chief had completely abandoned the tribe’s previous bandit-like ways. Now, he simply led his people in honest hunting.

The chance of conflict was now much lower.

Hei Xiao had called on the hawk tribe for an entirely different reason—one he and Bai Tu had discussed the previous night.

Targeting Wu Lai was indeed a good plan, but first, they needed a thorough understanding of the Red Eagle Tribe’s situation. That meant sending scouts ahead.

Back when they had interrogated Hong Guo, Hei Xiao had already dispatched a few eagles. However, at the time, the goal had simply been to monitor the Red Eagle Tribe and see which tribe they planned to attack next. They had been waiting for an opportunity to strike again.

After all, Bai Tu might have survived, but his father, Bai Luo, had died at the hands of the Red Eagle Tribe. Not to mention, they had stolen so many cubs.

Now, all they were doing was moving up their timeline.

Hei Xiao planned to send out five more hawks. Since hawks were incredibly fast, sending scouts a few days ahead to gather intelligence on the Red Eagle Tribe would ensure a higher chance of success when they approached from the market side.

When Hei Xiao saw that Bai Tu had arrived, he didn’t hide anything and simply continued giving out orders.

Bai Tu listened to Hei Xiao’s arrangements and suddenly said, “Take a few from the cat tribe as well.”

The cat tribe’s ability to move undetected was well known. Their small beast forms made them nearly impossible to spot unless they wanted to be seen.

Hei Xiao thought for a moment and quickly agreed—bringing a few cat tribesmen along wouldn’t be a problem for the hawks.

Bai Tu then found Mao Lin, one of the accompanying cat tribesmen, to discuss the plan. 

This wasn’t the first time the cat tribe had done covert work. 

Back when the lions were watching them, the cat tribe had been observing them from the shadows—Shi Hong and Hu Bu had assumed their actions had gone unnoticed, but in reality, the cats had even kept track of exactly how much food those lion spies had eaten while watching the Snow Rabbit Tribe.

The moment Bai Tu asked for their help, Mao Lin agreed without hesitation. They were more than willing to take the risk, even knowing how dangerous it was to enter another tribe’s territory. 

If not for Bai Tu convincing Bai An to let them stay, the cat tribe would have never survived this long without losses. Especially those who had been severely injured—Mao Lin had nearly given up on them, but Bai Tu had saved them.

There were eleven members of the cat tribe on this journey, and Bai Tu selected five to go with the hawks. 

He repeatedly emphasized that their safety was the top priority—even if they failed to gather any information, as long as they returned unharmed, that was enough.

The Black Hawk Tribe had dealt with the Red Eagle Tribe before. As fellow feathered beastmen, they understood the habits of the Red Eagles and promised to protect the cats.

Still, Bai Tu couldn’t shake his unease. The Red Eagle Tribe had two thousand members—not two hundred. If they were discovered, it would be extremely dangerous.

“Don’t worry, they’re all experienced.” Hei Xiao understood Bai Tu’s concerns. 

Going into another tribe’s territory was already risky enough, let alone when the mission involved spying on the Red Eagles. However, the hawks Hei Yan had left behind were all elites—whether it was scouting or evading pursuit, they were highly skilled.

The Red Eagle Tribe may have numbers, but their beast forms weren’t built for combat.

They were vultures.

Just because their tribe had “Eagle” in its name didn’t mean they could compare to true eagles. Unlike the powerful, aggressive Black Hawks, the vulture clan was more suited for scavenging than fighting, and they were slower than eagles/hawks.

That meant this scouting team was relatively safe.

Hearing Hei Xiao’s explanation, Bai Tu felt a little more at ease. Still, he reminded them once more: “Safety first.” Only after this final warning did he let them go.

The ten members of the scouting team packed lightweight, easily hidden rations and set off. Bai Tu looked up and watched as the black hawks soared into the sky, their figures shrinking into tiny black specks.

Just as the main group was preparing to depart, a wolf quietly approached Bai Tu and whispered a few words to him.

Bai Tu nodded. “Don’t interfere. Just listen to what they’re saying.”

He knew that even though the lions had outwardly submitted to them, they still had their own agendas.

Leaving aside everything else—just by species alone, most beastmen naturally preferred to join tribes that shared their beast form.

Different beast forms often led to discrimination.

For example, the beastmen from the Wild Lion Tribe who had previously joined the Yellow Lion Tribe or the Brown Lion Tribe—even though their status was currently low and they were being oppressed by the original members of those lion tribes, this was only temporary. 

As long as they proved their strength in battle, their status would gradually rise. Only those lions with weak combat abilities would remain at the bottom, constantly suppressed.

In tribes where everyone had the same beast form, people wouldn’t dwell too much on where you originally came from after some time. To most beastmen, combat strength determined status.

However, joining a tribe of a different species came with certain limitations. Take the Rabbit Tribe or the Wolf Tribe, for example—because their beast forms were different, no matter how long one stayed, they would always stand out. Just like how everyone in the tribe knew that the cat tribe had joined later.

This was especially true now, as both the Snow Rabbit Tribe and the Blood Wolf Tribe were not mixed-species tribes. 

The original members of these tribes, no matter how fair things were, still received the best treatment—after all, this was their land first.

On the surface, the lion tribe seemed to have sincerely submitted to them, but in reality, this was just their current choice.

When Shi Hong and Hu Bu were in power, resources were only given to a small group of their close allies, while the rest suffered extreme inequality. The lower-ranked lions did 90% of the work but only got 10% of the food—and even that was just leftovers deemed unworthy by Shi Hong’s group.

The best food never reached them. Every month, beastmen starved or died from illness.

Shi Zhen’s status had actually been quite high, but he was considered an “old” member of the Wild Lion Tribe—not in age, but because he had grown up there from childhood. 

Many low-status lions were somewhat connected to him, and with his two sons injured due to Shi Hong’s targeting, surrendering to the wolves, rabbits, and leopards during the battle was his best option.

After all, joining a tribe at that time was far better than guarding an empty, prey-starved land through the winter.

But once winter passed, when spring arrived and prey became plentiful again, the lions would surely consider splitting off and forming their own independent tribe.

After all, no matter how well they lived under another tribe, nothing could compare to the freedom of their own.

Bai Tu, of course, didn’t want things to end that way.

If it were some unrelated tribe, he wouldn’t care, just as he didn’t interfere with the Leopard Tribe.

But the lions? The rabbit tribe would be feeding them all winter.

It wouldn’t be right for them to fatten up on the rabbits’ resources through the hardest season and then just leave without a second thought.

Yet, brute force suppression wasn’t the answer.

Shi Hong had already proven that such methods wouldn’t work. Bai Tu had no interest in resorting to violence when a peaceful solution was possible.

Shi Zhen was undoubtedly the recognized leader among the lions who had willingly submitted. Convincing him meant there was no need to worry about the others. Bai Tu knew exactly what he was doing.

In truth, the rabbits and wolves wouldn’t deliberately discriminate against the lions just because of their different species. But the lions wouldn’t lower their guard so easily.

Only when Bai Tu and the others demonstrated genuine goodwill would the lions truly let go of their doubts. And this was the exact outcome Bai Tu had planned for.

He wanted everyone to thrive together, not harbor selfish thoughts.Because once everyone only thought about their own interests, the tribe would never grow strong.

Shi Zhen was smart—after understanding Bai Tu’s intentions, he quickly passed the message along to the others.

After the wolf tribe left, Bai Tu glanced behind him.

Standing there was Lang Ze. Lang Ze was still completely shaken by the revelation that Bai Tu’s beast form was smaller than the size of his palm. Even as the group set out, he still hadn’t recovered from the shock.

Along the way, Lang Ze kept staring at Bai Tu, then at Lang Qi, his brows furrowed so tightly that he could probably crush a fly between them.

With someone watching him so openly, even the most oblivious person would notice. And Lang Ze wasn’t even trying to hide it.

Bai Tu sighed helplessly. “What are you thinking about?”

Could he still be stuck on my beast form?

To be honest, Bai Tu didn’t mind his own people seeing his beast form. 

What had concerned him before was whether he was an abnormality—whether his size was due to some kind of mutation or illness. 

He never believed in the superstition that “small beast forms are not blessed by the Beast Gods”, nor did he care about whether the Beast God actually existed. His only concern was his health.

After all, the cat tribe had all shrunk in size as a species, but back then, he had only known about his own condition.

Now that Hei Xiao was here, Bai Tu knew he wasn’t alone. With that last worry put to rest, he had completely accepted his beast form. It wasn’t an illness—it was simply a racial trait.

Besides, none of the tribes he was familiar with believed in killing off small beast forms.

And with his habit of shifting into his beast form every night, Bai Tu had already come to terms with it. He knew that people would find out eventually, so he hadn’t gone out of his way to hide it.

Meanwhile, Lang Ze, who had been “soulless” ever since learning the truth this morning, had finally snapped out of it—but now, he was alternating between staring at Bai Tu and Lang Qi, his face twisting between confusion and inner turmoil as if something was seriously bothering him.

Bai Tu suspected that Lang Qi had noticed Lang Ze’s stares even earlier than he had.

Because at this point, Lang Qi’s expression was barely holding back his irritation.

Bai Tu figured he should put a stop to this before Lang Ze got himself killed.

But what he was really curious about was: what on earth was so difficult for Lang Ze to say that he had been holding it in for this long?

The young wolves were famous for being blunt—if they had something to say, they wouldn’t wait until they sat down; they’d just blurt it out on the spot.

Even before Lang Qi had fallen ill, he had never been able to suppress their natural tendency to run their mouths.

Lang Ze frowned deeply, gave Bai Tu a few more glances, then shifted his gaze to Lang Qi.

Then he took a deep breath—and, with the utmost seriousness, declared, “Brother, you’re a damn beast!”

Bai Tu’s hand moved faster than his mouth—before he could even plead for mercy, he had already grabbed Lang Qi’s hand mid-lift, preventing him from striking.

At the same time, a hundred question marks exploded in his mind.

So this is what Lang Ze had been struggling with for so long?

He spent all this time hesitating… just to throw himself straight into the jaws of death in one breath?!

The moment Lang Ze finished speaking, he visibly relaxed, as if a massive weight had been lifted from his chest. He exhaled deeply, straightened his neck, and—with the fearless expression of a martyr—met Lang Qi’s furious gaze head-on.

“You are! Bai Tu hasn’t even come of age, and you’re already bullying him! You’re just like Wu Jiu!”

For the first time ever, Lang Ze dared to look his enraged older brother directly in the eyes.

“Go ahead, hit me! Even if you beat me to death, I still have to say it! You can’t keep bullying Tu!”

Hearing those words, Bai Tu was momentarily stunned.