Building a Civilization and Raising Cubs in the Beast World – Chapter 132

Bai Tu, Lang Qi, Bai An, and the others were surprised when Bao Duo praised Wu Ming. Bai Qi, Xiong Tuan, Xiong Liao, and the others all turned their eyes toward him.

Even Bai Tu began to wonder whether Bao Duo was naturally malicious or simply naive.

This was something many had struggled to figure out. If Bao Duo was malicious, then how could he miss such an obvious flaw? But if he was truly innocent, then how had he managed to nearly talk Tu Cheng into an early grave with just a few words?

Tu Cheng, however, was already a matter of the past. When it came to today’s incident, Bao Duo needed to tread carefully.

Regardless of whether Wu Ming was implicated in other matters, he was at least half responsible for Wu Shi’s death.

What were the odds that Wu Ming just happened to forget to deliver the medicine to the low-ranking orcs on the same night Wu Shi slipped away? Wu Ming had always been the one distributing the medicine. If he could really make such a “mistake,” then the Black Forest Tribe’s witch doctor would never trust him so much.

That left only one possibility: Wu Ming had done it deliberately. He wandered off right after Wu Shi lost his temper, came back later on, and even staged the illusion of searching for him.

The others weren’t sure whether Wu Ming had truly gone out to look for Wu Shi. But one thing was certain: the orcs of the Black Hawk Tribe had seen it. Wu Ming had chosen a secluded, hidden spot to linger under a tree—unluckily for him, right beneath where a member of the Eagle Tribe was perched in hiding.

It had been an accident. The Eagle Tribe had carried out Bai Tu’s orders, choosing the most obscure positions possible to serve as lookouts. After all, the Black Forest Tribe had Feather Tribe members among them. Those Feathers were lazy and didn’t patrol as often, but one could never be too careful. If one of them suddenly decided to wander about out of boredom, having a hidden scout in place would keep everyone safe.

But instead of spotting Feather Tribe orcs, the scout saw Wu Ming.

In public, Wu Ming was gentle and mild, seemingly without a temper. He was polite to everyone, never raised his voice, and even after being slapped, he still blamed himself. Despite his exhaustion, he had even taken the time to bring medicine to the orcs.

Yet in private, when no one else was watching, Wu Ming’s glare toward the Black Forest Tribe’s quarters was so cold it nearly made the Eagle tumble out of the tree.

It was impossible to tell who exactly he resented, but the killing intent in his eyes was unmistakable. That icy look was completely different from the mild-mannered Wu Ming that everyone else saw.

“He’s a very good actor,” said an orc named Yingquan, the Eagle who had witnessed Wu Ming’s true face. Yingquan was also the captain of the mission, responsible for arranging every detail once they infiltrated the Black Forest Tribe. He was competent, and his missions always turned out well.

A younger Eagle beside him scratched his head. “I feel like I’ve seen him before…”

He didn’t actually know Wu Ming, but for some reason, the youth felt strangely familiar.

Yingquan shook his head. “Medicine boys trusted by a witch doctor are raised from childhood. There’s no way you’ve ever met him.”

The Eagle Tribe was probably the best informed among all tribes. They had no choice in the matter—between their nomadic chief and a leader who doted on his mate, the Eagle Tribe was always traveling, and Yingquan had seen countless tribal customs since he came of age.

For example: outsiders often assumed that after a few years of training under a witch doctor, a medicine boy could become a witch doctor himself. Even if he failed, he could still serve as a medicine boy in a smaller tribe.

But the truth was more complicated. Medicine boys lived alongside witch doctors, and the younger they started, the more trust they earned. Some witch doctors even had a quirk of keeping beautiful children at their side—not just as assistants, but sometimes as future companions. A few clever medicine boys, unwilling to endure such a fate, might run away to a small, faraway tribe. Usually the witch doctor wouldn’t bother chasing them—after all, there were plenty of pretty orcs in the tribe already.

Yingquan, having observed the Black Forest Tribe’s medicine boys, understood immediately: they weren’t just apprentices. They were being kept.

The fact that Wu Ming enjoyed such trust—entrusted to manage the medicine entirely—proved he had been with the witch doctor for many, many years. Perhaps for as long as he could remember.

The other Eagles accepted his explanation, but the young one still muttered, “I really feel like he looks familiar…”

Yingquan was about to dismiss it again, when his eyes suddenly caught sight of Bai Tu. He froze, then gave a small nod. “No, he’s right.”

“Hah?!” The younger Eagle’s eyes lit up in excitement. Seeing Yingquan’s gaze wasn’t on him but on Bai Tu, he followed it—and realization dawned instantly.

Both of them turned to look at Bai Tu. Soon, everyone else’s eyes shifted toward him as well.

Bai Tu, who had been listening to their discussion, was utterly bewildered. “???” Why were they all staring at him all of a sudden?

“Wu Ming and Tu act a bit alike in public,” Yingquan explained at last. His memory of Wu Ming was still haunted by that shadowy glare, but he could no longer deny it: on the surface, Wu Ming’s mannerisms carried an uncanny resemblance to Bai Tu’s.

Bai An immediately understood. “No wonder the Black Forest Tribe trusts him so much.” If Wu Ming resembled Bai Tu, it all made sense. Bai Tu’s natural warmth made him easy to approach, and the trust that other tribes placed in the Blood Wolf Tribe was largely thanks to Bai Tu’s presence.

Shi Su also nodded. “That Wu Ming is a master of disguise.”

They hadn’t met Wu Ming themselves, but from Yingquan’s description, it wasn’t hard to piece together what kind of man he was: one who appeared harmless, yet beneath the mask was ruthless enough to quietly eliminate his rivals.

Yes—rivals. From everything they’d heard, Wu Ming was the most trusted medicine boy of the witch doctor, but Wu Shi had been the favorite. Wu Shi had been Wu Ming’s greatest threat.

The other medicine boys followed Wu Ming’s lead, but Wu Shi had never obeyed him. He contradicted him at every turn. From what the orcs had described, this wasn’t the first time Wu Shi had lost his temper with Wu Ming. The others grew frustrated, but Wu Ming remained calm.

Was he truly calm, or merely pretending? That had been uncertain—until now.

After the matter of Wu Ming’s disguise was settled, the Eagles began reporting other pieces of information they had picked up.

They hadn’t been in place long, but they had already completed all of Bai Tu’s assigned tasks. Hidden from sight, they overheard plenty of conversations—most of it idle chatter, but such scraps often revealed truths invisible on the surface.

For example, Wu Ming’s words to the witch doctor: “If we send them back like this, it will be hard to explain to the leader.”

That simple line hinted at a power struggle between the witch doctor and the tribe’s leader.

This wasn’t rare. In tribes large enough to have both a witch doctor and a leader, the two often clashed. Leaders guided the hunt and held the people’s loyalty, while witch doctors treated the wounded and held spiritual authority. The bigger the tribe grew, the more dissatisfied a witch doctor would become with “just saving people.” Healing and taking offerings was one thing—but if their prestige surpassed the leader’s, then resources flowed endlessly into their hands.

The witch doctor of the Black Forest Tribe was ambitious. At the very least, he clearly wasn’t fully aligned with the leader.

This wasn’t the kind of thing one could learn by questioning random orcs. The higher-ranking ones would never spread such talk, and the lower-ranking ones might not even recognize the witch doctor and leader if they saw them face to face.

Scraps of gossip like this might sound meaningless to ordinary ears, but when pieced together, they painted a very different picture.

Just as they were discussing this, Yingquan suddenly noticed someone staying silent. “Fan? Why aren’t you saying anything?”

The named orc shifted uncomfortably, clearly struggling with whether to speak.

“Didn’t hear anything?” Bai Tu guessed he was embarrassed, thinking he had failed to pick up any news. Smiling gently, he reassured him: “It’s fine. Even if you didn’t hear anything, you’ve already done a great job this time.”

The Eagle Tribe had surpassed all his expectations. He had given them three objectives: destroy the medicine, destroy the food, and investigate the identities of the Black Forest Tribe’s newcomers.

The most important of these was destroying the medicine. Those potions were without a doubt tainted. Once orcs became dependent, they would never break free, trapped forever under the Black Forest Tribe’s control, just like the tribe’s own low-level orcs. Eliminating the medicine was essential. The other two were secondary.

And yet, the Eagle Tribe had accomplished all three. With the medicine and food ruined, the witch doctor was now preparing to retreat back to his tribe.

Bai Tu reasoned that if the Black Forest Tribe had continued to hand out food, many orcs would have lingered at the market. Countless had gone hungry for days, too weak to hunt, avoiding other tribes out of fear. If the free meals continued, once they regained strength, they might start seeking other advantages as well.

And when that happened, would they still value tainted food? Or would they crave the real provisions that other tribes had painstakingly traded for salt?

One starving orc might endure quietly. Ten might beg to borrow. But a hundred—or a thousand—gathered together without food? That was a powder keg waiting for a spark.

And this year was worse than any before. Every tribe had suffered losses to strays. Few had food to spare. These lingering orcs spent their days loitering around the market, accomplishing nothing, surviving only off what the Black Forest Tribe had handed out.

Sooner or later, they would have to return to their tribes. Better to send them back now, before the rains came, while they still had the strength to hunt. In the later stages of the rainy season, even one captured prey could be enough to sustain an entire tribe.

But many had been lured by the Black Forest Tribe’s false generosity. This was the first time they had ever seen “free food.” Even knowing it was harmful to their tribes, they couldn’t resist.

Now that the Black Forest Tribe was pulling out, the orcs left behind would have no reason to linger. Without food or medicine, they would disperse naturally.

As dawn broke, Bai Tu yawned. “The Eagle Tribe has worked hard all day. Let’s get some rest. There’s no rush to trade supplies. This time, we’ll stay a few days longer.”

He still worried about letting the Black Forest witch doctor go without certainty, but their own tribe had plenty of food. They had only planned to barter minor goods anyway, so waiting a few more days wouldn’t matter.

As for food, he and Bai An had already discussed with Lang Qi. Their two tribes would cover the shortfall for the smaller tribes.

The Blood Wolf and Snow Rabbit Tribes had the numbers to do it. The Blood Wolves were the largest tribe in the region, while the Snow Rabbits had both the Eagle Tribe’s support and the Lions at their side. The smaller tribes—like the White Bears, who were large but still smaller than the Wolves—quickly agreed to the proposal.

Most of them would have stayed even without extra food. With the promise of more, their agreement was all but guaranteed.

Just as the group was about to disperse, Hei Fan—who had been hesitating all this time—suddenly spoke in a low voice:

“I overheard something…”

The Black Eagle Tribe and the Snow Rabbit Tribe were somewhat alike, both having multiple family names within the tribe. Hei Fan was counted as kin to Hei Yan, but since the whole tribe was related one way or another, the connection wasn’t particularly obvious. Unlike Hei Yan, Hei Fan tended to be quiet and slow to react, though he usually carried out any task he was given.

Bai Tu and the others had assumed Hei Fan’s silence meant he was embarrassed at not overhearing anything useful from the Black Forest Tribe. Bai Tu had stepped in to smooth things over, and everyone had started preparing to rest.

But just as they were about to leave, Hei Fan suddenly spoke up. Knowing Hei Fan’s personality, Yingquan realized only now had he finished putting the pieces together.

The other leaders were already planning to turn in, and Yingquan hesitated. Everyone was tired—if Hei Fan started talking, he might go on forever.

“What did you hear?” Bai Tu’s ears twitched. He had been especially attentive lately while keeping watch over the cubs, so even Hei Fan’s soft muttering hadn’t escaped him.

“The witch doctor…” Hei Fan’s gaze flicked around, uneasy with so many eyes on him. His face darkened with embarrassment, but in halting words, he began to explain.

The witch doctor and his medicine boys normally lived some distance apart. That night, after sending the boy back, the witch doctor hadn’t returned straightaway to his own quarters. Instead, he had gone to fetch a very young female orc.

At first, Hei Fan thought nothing of it. He crouched in a tree, waiting for the witch doctor to settle in so he could withdraw. But then he overheard their conversation.

The young female was pregnant. The witch doctor told her not to breathe a word of it to anyone else, but to report directly to the leader.

Everyone listening froze. Passing off one’s own pregnant partner—what kind of scheme was that supposed to be?

“After the female left, the witch doctor said they were almost there,” Hei Fan recalled. He hadn’t wanted to keep listening—their constant clinging, the sneering about their leader being old, unable to conceive, desperate to know whether he realized a cub was coming—none of it was anything a barely-adult orc without a mate wanted to hear. He had wanted to cover his ears, but afraid of missing important details, he endured.

By the time the conversation ended, Hei Fan was so mortified he wanted to sink into the ground. Even now, recalling it made his face burn. Still, he forced himself to report it.

“The witch doctor’s cub?” Bai Tu was startled. That old man mocked the leader’s age, but he himself was hardly young. From what the Eagles had said before, the Black Forest Tribe’s witch doctor’s hair was already turning gray.

Orcs rarely lived that long. When hair turned silvery-white, it usually meant fifty or sixty winters at least.

For such an elder to ridicule his leader’s fertility was the very definition of the pot calling the kettle black. A witch doctor that age wasn’t likely to father many cubs either.

Bai Tu kept his thoughts to himself, but he committed the information to memory. It wasn’t of immediate use, but in the right hands later, it could drive a wedge between the witch doctor and the leader.

After some brief discussion, they all dispersed to rest.

Back in his tent, Bai Tu suddenly asked, “How many Black Forest orcs came this time?” The Eagles had handled the sabotage, and now that the Black Forest Tribe was preparing to leave, the Wolf Tribe had taken over watch.

“About three hundred,” Lang Qi answered.

“Three hundred…” Bai Tu repeated softly. That many would be dangerous to confront directly. But it was enough to keep track of. With their greatest problem already solved, and food no longer a worry, the group could finally rest at ease. Even Xiong He slept soundly.

Xiong He, in fact, was the happiest of all after hearing Xiong Tuan’s report. Bai Tu and Lang Qi had promised to provide food for their tribe. Their provisions had never been enough to exchange for salt. Now, with help from the Snow Rabbits and Blood Wolves, not only could they eat their fill for several days, but they could even set some aside to take home or trade later.

And unlike the tasteless fare of the Black Forest Tribe, the food the two great tribes supplied was measured by the appetite of a healthy adult—it was impossible not to be full.

At first, Xiong He hadn’t liked seeing Xiong Tuan constantly with Bai Qi. He had tried to separate them whenever possible. But no matter what he did, Bai Qi always managed to follow, or if he drove Bai Qi off, Xiong Tuan would only grow restless until he found him again.

After several failed attempts, Xiong He gave up. Cubs ran as soon as they learned to walk; grown children wouldn’t stay by their side forever either.

Aside from being from different tribes, there was nothing wrong between the two, Xiong He finally admitted. He had been neutral toward Bai Qi until he learned the young orc was trusted with patrol duties.

The patrol was no small thing. Though the whole tribe guarded its borders, patrol orcs bore heavy responsibility, ensuring no outsiders slipped through. Carelessness could cost them dearly—just like what had happened to the Black Forest Tribe yesterday, losing track of entire stores of supplies.

Bai Qi, then, was reliable. More reliable than most. Xiong He found himself wondering how other tribes chose their leaders, recalling the White Bear chief he had met that morning, and shook his head.

Xiong Liao, meanwhile, sat quietly with his food, sighing inwardly.

The Snow Rabbit Tribe’s rations were far better than their own. If only Ying Mian were here, he would have saved the best for him. Was Ying Mian eating well now, in the Snow Rabbit Tribe? Without protection, would their people treat him poorly?

Xiong Liao’s heart grew heavier. He regretted letting Ying Mian go. If he had stopped him, they would all be eating together now.

Brooding, he chewed without tasting. Just then, several young orcs approached the White Bear camp. At their head was a delicate young girl, who spoke softly:

“Can you help me?”

The guards nearly gaped.

On the Beast God Continent, males far outnumbered females. For reasons unknown, the number of girls had been dwindling for years. In some years, only two or three were born in an entire region. As for sub-beasts—once a full quarter of the population—they had disappeared entirely, leaving only a handful of girls. The imbalance was severe: males always outnumbered females.

The Bear Tribe was no exception. This time, Xiong Liao had brought a group of young males with him. A few had partners already, but many were still unattached.

Even so, what stirred them wasn’t just the rarity of a female. It was that this one was unlike anyone they had ever seen. Her exposed skin was pale as snow.

Orcs lived outdoors, hunting, foraging, laboring. Even cubs had tasks; adults all the more so. Constant sun and wind left everyone tanned and weathered. Within the tribe, it wasn’t noticeable, but when many tribes gathered, the Bears couldn’t help noticing others with finer skin than theirs.

Still, no one minded. Dark, rough skin meant strength—proof of long days under the sun, of hard work and prey caught. Lighter-skinned orcs sometimes even struggled to find mates.

But this girl… this girl was different. Even without traveling far, they knew she was rare.

The young Bears shuffled nervously, reluctant to startle her. At last, one ventured, “How can we help you?” Who could turn away such beauty in distress? Several were eager to agree.

“We got separated from our tribe. Could you spare us some food? We’ll repay you double once we rejoin them.”

Plenty of orcs begged for food, but few offered repayment—let alone double, and not someday next year or at the next market, but immediately after finding their people. Several Bears nearly agreed on the spot, until they remembered their leader had to be told.

One dashed off to fetch Xiong Liao. The others crowded around, asking her name, her tribe, how she had been lost.

“My name is Bai Meng. I’m from the White Rabbit Tribe,” the girl said. She explained that she had seen a beautiful flower, and though the path looked short, it led far. By the time she and her protector returned, their people were nowhere to be found.

“They were just there when we left,” Bai Meng said, lowering her head, eyes welling with tears.

The Bears were moved. But they had no idea how to comfort her. None of them had courted before, much less soothed a weeping mate. They could only stand there awkwardly.

The orcs behind Bai Meng stayed quiet, watching.

The runner hadn’t yet returned with Xiong Liao. The others glanced between the girl and her silent companions. Since they made no move to stop her from speaking, one Bear nervously asked: “Are you a witch doctor?”

Bai Meng startled, her eyes widening. “How did you know?”

The young Bear beamed, pleased with himself. “You have escorts, and you’re carrying so many flowers and herbs.”

Indeed, aside from high-ranking orcs in the largest tribes, only witch doctors and their medicine boys went about with escorts. Bai Meng’s bundles were full of flowers, though many had already wilted. The Bears winced at the sight. “Should we help you gather fresh ones? These are all ruined.”

Bai Meng shook her head with a smile. “I’m not a witch doctor. Just a medicine boy. I’ve studied under a witch doctor for seven or eight years, and only started making my own remedies two years ago.”

She glanced around warily, then lowered her voice in confidence. “Actually, these aren’t just for decoration. They’re medicine.”

“Medicine?” The Bears were stunned she would admit it so freely.

She nodded. “The seeds of these flowers are precious medicine. They can heal wounds and boost strength.”

“So powerful?” The Bears gawked at the ordinary-looking plant, never imagining it could hold such properties.

Encouraged by their admiration, Bai Meng listed more of the herbs she carried. Some healed injuries, some strengthened the body, one even promised to increase fertility.

The young Bears listened wide-eyed, and Bai Meng basked in their attention. Only when one of her companions quietly reminded her did she realize too much time had passed.

Why hadn’t the Bear who went to fetch their leader come back yet?

Bai Meng’s gaze sharpened. She stared at the youths before her with sudden suspicion. But the Bears only fidgeted, still waiting for her to continue.

“That’s all?”
One of the young bears, who had been listening with rapt attention, suddenly realized Bai Meng had stopped talking. When she caught him staring, he flushed and rubbed his face nervously. Had she somehow guessed he was the strongest orc in the tribe after the chief?

The White Bear orcs all wore honest, guileless expressions, but Bai Meng felt sure they were only pretending to be simpleminded. Grinding her teeth, she snapped, “You tricked me—”

“What do you mean, ‘tricked you’?”

“We never lied to you.”

“Why would we?” the bears asked, genuinely baffled.

Bai Meng faltered, doubt creeping into her chest. “Then… why hasn’t your leader come yet?”

The White Bears looked even more puzzled than she was. One stood up at once. “I’ll go check.”

But that one vanished as well, never to return. The four remaining exchanged bewildered looks. At last, the oldest muttered, “Forget it. The leader probably wandered off again. I’ll go find him.”

Bai Meng’s doubts deepened, but this was their territory. However annoyed she was at their negligence, she dared not vent her anger.

That left only three young bears. They didn’t dare speak much in front of her, only sneaking glances now and then.

Bai Meng was long used to such looks. No matter how often she received them, she never tired of the attention.

She adjusted her hide garment, draping it to cover her arms, and waited.

But the wait stretched on and on—half a day passed, and still no leader appeared. “Does your chief not care about his own tribe’s affairs?” she finally asked in exasperation.

Ordinarily, leaders oversaw everything personally, especially at markets crowded with strangers. How could the Bear chief be so careless?

Bai Meng’s eyes swept the area. At least four tribes had gathered nearby. She had chosen the Bears because they looked easiest to fool. And indeed, even without their leader present, she and her companions had slipped right into their camp without notice.

Concealing her disdain, Bai Meng thought them nothing more than stepping stones for other tribes’ success.

If only food weren’t running short… She was still brooding when the sound of approaching footsteps reached her. Her contempt vanished in an instant, replaced by bright expectation.

But when she saw who appeared, her heart jolted.

“Is this the one who came asking for food?” Bai Tu asked Xiong Liao.

“Is this the one who came asking for food?” Xiong Liao echoed to the young bear who had fetched him.

Bai Tu: “…” The three of them stood less than half a meter apart. If Xiong Liao didn’t know, why not just let the boy explain? Why repeat the same question?

But Xiong Liao had his own logic: “Every word needs to be confirmed.” Since Ying Mian’s departure, he had grown wary of hidden meanings in others’ words. If he didn’t understand something, he would repeat it to fix it in mind, to ponder later.

Helpless, Bai Tu looked to the bear youth for an answer.

The young one was indeed the first who had slipped off earlier. He hadn’t lied about going to find the chief. But Xiong Liao, as leader, had decided this matter was not for him to handle alone. Their tribe had food to spare, and the offer of repayment was tempting—but he chose caution, and had gone straight to Bai Tu.

Xiong Liao didn’t fully grasp Ying Mian’s parting words, but Bai Tu had. If Bai Tu understood Ying Mian, then he was trustworthy. That was enough.

So, although the reasoning was unusual, the choice had been sound.

Bai Tu, in fact, had noticed Bai Meng even before Xiong Liao brought him.

Though they traveled as allied tribes, their hundreds of people could not all stay in one cluster. The heat alone made it impossible. So each tribe had taken a bit of space for itself, close enough for convenience but separate enough for comfort.

With so many new tribes arriving these past two days, unfamiliar faces crossing paths was common. No one objected, since the market was too crowded to block passage completely.

But strangers who lingered too long always drew attention. Bai Meng and her escorts had slipped in without looking like weary travelers, and her snowy skin had made her stand out at once.

Reports had come to Bai Tu periodically. He had allowed them to remain, curious what their true aim was. Driving them away would solve nothing; better to wait and expose their purpose directly.

Thus, when Xiong Liao came to consult him, Bai Tu followed. He didn’t reveal himself immediately but lingered, listening until Bai Meng had spoken at length. Only when his patience wore thin did he finally step forward.

Bai Meng froze for a heartbeat, then quickly recovered. “Hello. I’d like to borrow some food. When we find our tribe, we’ll return double to you.”

Instead of agreeing or refusing, Bai Tu asked mildly, “How many people are in your tribe? When did you set out? How much food did you bring?”

Bai Meng blinked. She had prepared elaborate speeches to persuade him—appeals to pity, promises of repayment, boasts of their resources. Yet he asked only these plain questions.

For the first, she had to scramble. After a pause, she answered, “Three hundred people. We left five days ago. We brought two hundred packs of food.”

“That’s enough to repay,” Bai Tu said evenly, then ordered the young bear beside him to fetch supplies.

Relief washed over Bai Meng. She shot a quick glance to her companions. Their eyes met and broke apart in an instant, unnoticed by the others. “Thank you! Truly, thank you. We’ll definitely repay you when we rejoin our people.”

Bai Tu only watched her silently. A commotion erupted in the distance, drawing his gaze. “That looks like your tribe,” he said suddenly. “You won’t need to borrow after all. You may return to them.”

“That’s not our tribe—” Bai Meng began, then froze.

The ones who were supposed to be waiting outside, ready to take the borrowed food, were being driven into the center of the market like prisoners.

She hadn’t expected them to be caught. Even without food, she had believed she and the witch doctor could always acquire more. Just as the simple Bears had nearly given in, so too would others. But now… now they were finished.

While she stood stunned, the captives were shoved forward. The orcs herding them shouted, “Come look! These frauds pretended to be Black Forest witch doctors and medicine boys! They poisoned us with spoiled food!”

“Frauds.” “Poison.” The words crashed into Bai Meng’s ears. She turned sharply to Bai Tu.

“You knew! You’ve known all along!”

Bai Tu regarded her calmly. “Known what? That you were impostors posing as healers to trick people?”

“We are—” Bai Meng tried to protest, but he cut her off.

“Your performance was sloppy. A handful of food and fake medicine? The Black Forest Tribe has stores overflowing. Why would they hand out spoiled scraps?”

Passersby murmured agreement. Indeed, the Black Forest Tribe was large and well supplied. Everyone said they ate only half and discarded the rest. How could such abundance yield rotten food? Yesterday, no one had questioned it. Now that impostors had been exposed, the truth seemed obvious.

“You—” Bai Meng’s throat closed. They had themselves spread stories that the Black Forest Tribe distributed tainted rations, hoping to lure desperate orcs into dependence. But only their own members knew how false the outward prosperity really was.

Nearby, a medicine boy screamed as orcs who had eaten his “remedy” yesterday beat him in rage. Bai Meng shuddered. She couldn’t stay. Without the witch doctor here, she had no protection. If she could slip away, she might still return to the tribe.

Her eyes darted toward the edge of the Bear camp. With their leader absent, there were no guards nearby. And Bai Tu had come alone.

He had come alone! A spark of hope lit in her chest.

“Catch him!” Bai Meng suddenly shrieked, pointing at Bai Tu. “He’s Bai Luo’s child!”

Her companions lunged forward. But before they could reach him, a pack of orcs who had seemed to be idly watching from the roadside sprang into motion, surrounding them with practiced ease.

“Separate her. Keep her alone,” Bai Tu ordered coolly, nodding at Bai Meng.

Several wolves barked assent and dragged her away, along with a few of her men.

Bai Tu watched until they disappeared around a corner, then let his gaze fall.

His first plan had been simple: drive the Black Forest orcs back. But upon reflection, that would never suffice.

They could destroy food and medicine here, force them from the market—but eventually, the tribe would return.

Better, then, to finish it once and for all. To find a thorough solution.

As for Bai Meng… she was nothing more than a small interlude.