Building a Civilization and Raising Cubs in the Beast World – Chapter 152

Lang Qian wasn’t someone who couldn’t accept failure—but he would never have imagined that the reason he lost was a meal.

The same tricks that worked flawlessly on others had backfired spectacularly on Lang Ze.

Being defeated unintentionally was far more discouraging than losing to a calculated scheme.

After Lang Ze disappeared out the doorway, Lang Qian followed Bai Tu to find Lang Ya, Mao Lin, and Mao Lan.

When they met, Bai Tu quietly gave the three a few instructions.

They were all sharp-minded. A few words were enough for them to understand.

After the brief exchange, the three strolled off casually around the area, while Bai Tu and Lang Qian headed to the entrance of the residential district to “welcome” Hu Nian.

Hu Nian and his group received unprecedented treatment. They barely waited at the entrance before someone respectfully came to lead them inside.

“I’m terribly sorry, Chief Hu Nian. Our chieftain isn’t here at the moment. Lord Bai Tu will be here shortly.”

The courteous reception delighted Hu Nian. Even without revealing his true identity, simply being a tiger seemed to intimidate the tribe. Just look at how careful they were with him.

Hu Nian enjoyed seeing others act fearful and respectful toward him. He basked in it.
In his excitement, he completely forgot his father and uncle’s warnings—and ignored the beastman behind him.

The slender young beastman at his back lowered his voice again.
“Something’s not right with this tribe.”

“What could possibly be wrong?” Hu Nian snapped impatiently. He was the chief’s son, yet this man kept ordering him around and tattling to his father and uncle, getting him scolded again and again. Hu Nian was convinced the man was simply jealous of him—after all, he was a tiger, while the other was merely a leopard.

Then he remembered—this beastman came from the Black Forest Tribe.

Ah. That explained everything.

“Pan, don’t assume this tribe is bad just because they destroyed the Black Forest Tribe. Your tribe did too many evil things!”

It must be that Leopard Pan held a grudge. He was probably trying to use this excuse to trick him into attacking the Snow Rabbit Tribe right now.

Hu Nian looked at him with disdain. The Snow Rabbit Tribe defeating the Black Forest Tribe only helped the Xihe Tribe grow stronger. His father had merely sent him to observe the Snow Rabbit Tribe’s development, yet Leopard Pan wanted them to avenge the Black Forest Tribe. And he thought Hu Nian wouldn’t see through it.

Leopard Pan’s face darkened. He simply felt that a tribe capable of leading others to destroy the Black Forest Tribe couldn’t possibly be simple.

But Hu Nian refused to believe him. His attention was entirely consumed by the new tribe. Everything he saw was unfamiliar—strange, novel.

Especially once they entered the tribe and each young female beastman they passed paused to look their way. The lingering, obviously curious gazes made Hu Nian’s eyes widen excitedly.

So when Bai Tu arrived with Lang Qian, Hu Nian was still staring at Mao Lan as she walked by.

“Is this Chief Hu Nian?” Bai Tu asked, though he already knew the answer.

Seeing Bai Tu and Lang Qian behind him, Hu Nian tried to soften his expression.
“I am Hu Nian.”

“How old are the tiger cubs that went missing? What colors? Male or female?”

Bai Tu fired off questions in rapid succession.

Hu Nian froze.

The tribe’s elders had only told him to pretend to be searching for missing cubs, so he could look around freely. They had never told him what kind of cubs were supposedly missing.

Even after hearing Lang Qian describe the situation, Bai Tu was surprised.
This was a pleasant surprise but a surprise nonetheless.

Hu Nian was dumbfounded—but Leopard Pan reacted immediately.

“There are four in total. Three black cubs and one spotted.”

Bai Tu nodded thoughtfully.
“Our tribe did bring back two tiger cubs. Rest for a while. I’ll bring them over when they wake up.”

Every tribe knew cubs slept for long hours. This explanation was perfectly reasonable. No one doubted Bai Tu’s words.

Even Leopard Pan only shot Lang Qian a suspicious look.

After all, they were from the same tribe, and he knew Lang Qian’s identity. Lang Qian should have had a beastman of similar status by his side.

So where was that fox tribe member?

But Leopard Pan wouldn’t receive an answer. Bai Tu was busy introducing the tribe to Hu Nian, and when he mentioned several young, unmated beastmen, he paused and glanced meaningfully at Hu Nian.

Hu Nian understood instantly.
This was a hint—he was welcome to stay.

Hu Nian looked around again. This tribe really was much better than his own. In his tribe, the ground was constantly messy with cub droppings. But here, the ground was clean and smoother than any place he’d lived.

But even so, he couldn’t agree to stay easily. Unless… they let him take a few mates. The ones he’d seen earlier looked quite good.

If he became this tribe’s chief, took a few mates, and enjoyed their food, he wouldn’t mind staying here at all.

Sure, the Xihe Tribe was bigger, but it reeked everywhere. This tribe was much nicer.

As for his home at Xihe? He could just move here. There were so many houses—houses unlike anything he’d seen—certainly enough space.

And he’d heard the tribe was small but food was abundant. If he became chief, he could eat to his heart’s content and choose as many young beastmen as he pleased as mates.

Out of the corner of his eye, Bai Tu saw Hu Nian’s smug expression and sighed inwardly.
No wonder Lang Qian said Hu Nian was “stupid and greedy.” The man hadn’t even been here an hour and was already fantasizing about sleeping with someone.

To make him even more smug, Bai Tu deliberately introduced the young beastmen they had passed by. He listed several names, sounding like he was introducing everyone—but clearly emphasizing the unmarried female beastmen.

“Lin and Lan are from the Cat Tribe, and Ya is from the Wolf Tribe. They all just came of age,” Bai Tu said casually. Lang Qian had been assigned his tasks because of his keen eye for details.

According to Lang Qian, Hu Nian only liked female beastmen—especially pretty ones. He couldn’t resist them. Even with multiple mates in the Xihe Tribe, he still used tribal duties as an excuse to approach young females.

Hearing Bai Tu’s introduction, Hu Nian grew even more excited. Cat Tribe? Perfect—tigers and cats were practically family.

Wolf Tribe? Even better.

He had to get them as his mates.

While Hu Nian indulged in fantasies, Bai Tu led them into a spacious room. In the center stood a massive table laden with over a dozen dishes of roasted meat, each with a different flavor, accompanied by fresh fruits.

The apples had just been washed, droplets still clinging to the skin. The summer melons had been chilled inside the cave, faint wisps of cool air drifting from their surface.

“Please rest here a while,” Bai Tu said, then glanced at Hu Nian and Leopard Pan. “I’ll have guards outside. Tell them if you need anything.”

Hu Nian stared at the table full of food, eyes shining. In the Xihe Tribe—even as the chief’s son—meat was simply roasted over fire and eaten. Nothing like this. He couldn’t even identify the seasonings, but the aroma alone made him ravenous.

Hu Nian congratulated himself for coming. If he had refused the assignment, Leopard Pan would have eaten all of this instead.

He was also glad he hadn’t listened to Leopard Pan earlier. If he had started hostility with the Snow Rabbit Tribe right away, he would never have been offered such a feast.

“Chief Hu Nian, please eat,” Bai Tu said warmly. “Time was tight, so the food isn’t as refined as usual. Please fill your stomachs first. Chief Hu Nian, you stay here. The rest of you, follow me to another room.”

“We’ll stay with the chief,” Leopard Pan said immediately.

Hu Nian rejected him on the spot.

“Didn’t you hear Lord Bai Tu? This is my share. You all go next door!”

There was too much delicious food. Obviously, he should enjoy it alone. He knew not all the food could be like this—the best dishes were clearly being offered to him.

Leopard Pan had complained about him constantly in their tribe, causing him to get scolded so often. And now he wanted to steal his food, too?

Hu Nian glared at him. Leopard Pan had been saying the Snow Rabbit Tribe was cunning and would trap them the moment they entered—but everything he said was false.

Since they arrived, had the Snow Rabbit Tribe shown any hostility?

No.

Hu Nian grew even more smug. Leopard Pan must be infuriated that he didn’t fall for his lies this time.

Leopard Pan was furious. No matter what he said, Hu Nian wouldn’t listen—and now they were being forcibly separated.

Even though the Snow Rabbit Tribe’s attitude was good, Leopard Pan still felt something was wrong. Why was Wolf Thousand—who should have been dead—still alive? And where were the beastmen who should have been with him?

This realization made him even more anxious, but Hu Nian was oblivious—his eyes glued to the table.

“This meal is prepared just for Chief Hu Nian,” Bai Tu continued. “Everyone else, please eat in the next room. The dishes are similar, except there’s no honey. That sweetness comes from a type of fruit.”

“It’s not that our tribe is stingy—there’s simply very little honey. Normally, only the chief gets it.”

Lang Qian listened to Bai Tu’s blatant nonsense. He’d only been here for a few days and had already eaten honey-roasted meat once. But he had to admit—the words were convincing.

He put himself in Hu Nian’s position. If he had been treated like this, he would have been tempted too.

Hu Nian knew what honey was—it tasted incredible, but required climbing tall trees and battling aggressive insects. Several tribespeople had died from infected stings. Even his shaman uncle couldn’t save them.

Since then, their tribe had stopped eating honey.

If not for all the people around, Hu Nian would have already stuffed a piece into his mouth.

The longer they lingered, the stronger the aroma became. Hu Nian swallowed hard. When he noticed Leopard Pan still standing there, he grew furious.

He couldn’t eat while Leopard Pan stayed.
He could only stare at the feast.

Hu Nian decided then and there:
When he returned, he would beg his father to exile Leopard Pan so that the man would stop following him forever.

Leopard Pan had no idea that Hu Nian was already plotting how to get rid of him. At this moment, he was still trying to find a way to stay in the same room as Hu Nian. The Snow Rabbit Tribe was cunning—if the idiot Hu Nian stayed alone, he would definitely be tricked.

Leopard Pan regretted bringing Hu Nian along. The man was unbelievably stupid yet always thought himself clever. Just because he was the chief’s son, Leopard Pan had to work twice as hard to clean up after him. Worst of all, Hu Nian was incompetent and constantly thought others were targeting him.

Who would bother targeting him? So stupid! If his father weren’t the chieftain and his uncle the shaman, he wouldn’t even know how he died.

As he schemed about how to persuade Hu Nian to stay put—and how to eliminate him without arousing suspicion—Leopard Pan also considered how he might frame the Snow Rabbit Tribe for Hu Nian’s death. That would surely force the West River Tribe to attack them.

Thinking of the message the leopard tribesman who had escaped the Black Forest Tribe had delivered, Leopard Pan felt a burning desire to annihilate the Snow Rabbit and Blood Wolf Tribes immediately.

His tribe! His people!
All wiped out by these monsters!

Hu Nian and Leopard Pan argued, each insisting on their version of events, when Bai Tu suddenly stepped in.

“How about this—Lord Leopard Pan takes half the group to the other room to eat, and the rest stay here.”

Then he turned to Hu Nian.
“You two seem to have a misunderstanding. After eating and calming down, you can discuss it again.”

“Fine. These few stay with me.” Hu Nian immediately chose several beastmen who had grown up beside him.

Leopard Pan didn’t want to agree. But Hu Nian was already angry, and with so many witnesses here, if he argued too fiercely and Hu Nian ended up dead, he would be the first suspect.

Better to compromise. Besides, with so many people around Hu Nian, the Snow Rabbit Tribe wouldn’t dare try anything. He could ask them what happened afterward.

With that thought, Leopard Pan reluctantly nodded.

Bai Tu glanced at Bai Qi. Bai Qi immediately stepped forward and led Leopard Pan and the others away.

The two dining rooms were only one room apart. If the voices were loud enough, they could hear each other. Seeing the proximity, Leopard Pan relaxed a little.

It was only the length of a meal. Hu Nian likely couldn’t cause too much trouble.

In the first room, Bai Tu continued introducing the dishes.

“This is summer melon—sweeter than honey, perfect for summer. Please try some, Chief Hu Nian. And this is honey-roasted meat—just a small piece takes a large ladle of honey…”

Hu Nian listened in bliss. The other tigers stood obediently behind him. Only Leopard Pan ever dared contradict him; these beastmen wouldn’t. They were said to be “staying” for the meal, but in reality, they were only here to watch.

That was exactly why Hu Nian agreed to keep them. They wouldn’t dare fight him for food—unlike the unruly Leopard Pan.

Hu Nian began sampling the dishes in the order Bai Tu introduced them. The summer melon was icy cold, the honey-roasted meat was still hot—clearly freshly made—and the table held all kinds of fruits and meats.

Just as Hu Nian was gleefully eating, Bai Qi suddenly rushed in, flustered.

“Tu! Something’s wrong!”

“What is it?” Bai Tu stopped mid-sentence, turning to Bai Qi.

Hu Nian looked over as well.

“Leopard Pan… he’s trying to forcibly take Lan away!”

Bai Tu’s expression changed. “What?!”

Hu Nian’s face contorted with outrage.
“How dare he!”

Mao Lan was one of the partners he had set his sights on. Of course, he had his eyes on many—but that didn’t mean Leopard Pan had any right to touch them!

He hadn’t even told Bai Tu yet—and Leopard Pan already dared to snatch her away? He was doing it on purpose! Trying to steal her from him!

Wolf Thousand, standing behind Bai Tu, lowered his voice, “Lan is the partner Lord Bai Tu prepared especially for Chief Hu Nian. No wonder everyone says Lord Leopard Pan has always been jealous of Chief Hu Nian…”

Hu Nian’s sharp ears picked up every word.

Of course!
Everyone in the tribe could see it!
Only his father and uncle still believed Leopard Pan!

Did Leopard Pan… want his position?

Hu Nian suddenly remembered: Leopard Pan’s status in the Leopard Tribe had been high. So why did he suddenly come to the Xihe Tribe?

Wasn’t it obvious?
He wanted to become chief.

Hu Nian knew he might not inherit the position. And now his father and uncle trusted Leopard Pan so much…

The more he thought about it, the more terrified he became.

He had to kill Leopard Pan—otherwise he would never be chief.

In the other room, Leopard Pan hadn’t touched a single dish. He had poisoned others too many times to not fear being poisoned himself.

As for Hu Nian’s life or death? He couldn’t care less. As long as Hu Nian didn’t drag him down, Hu Nian could die here for all he cared.

In fact, Leopard Pan hoped Hu Nian died in the Snow Rabbit Tribe. Then he wouldn’t have to do anything himself.

But before he could think further, a group of beastmen burst in and surrounded him and his companions.

Leopard Pan sneered inwardly. Even after capturing the Black Forest Tribe’s warriors, these people were still this stupid? They actually dared attack them?

Thinking of the warriors waiting outside the Snow Rabbit Tribe’s territory, Leopard Pan almost laughed aloud. If they didn’t contact them within three days, the warriors had orders to attack immediately.

He couldn’t wait to see the Snow Rabbit Tribe wiped out. And as members of the West River Tribe, these people would never dare kill them.

Feigning surprise, but inwardly thrilled, Leopard Pan prepared to “accidentally” lead them to the trapped warriors outside.

But the beastmen quickly bound their limbs and stuffed something into their mouths. They could only make muffled noises.

Leopard Pan wasn’t worried. If he was imprisoned for a few days, so what? He could endure. Once the warriors outside attacked, they would be freed.

His mood was excellent—

—until Bai Tu walked in with Hu Nian.

Seeing Hu Nian unbound and perfectly fine, a bad feeling swept over Leopard Pan.

That feeling intensified when Bai Tu slapped him across the face.

Shock, rage, confusion flickered through Leopard Pan’s mind—

But he couldn’t explain the situation at all.

Why was Hu Nian fine?
Why had they arrested him alone?

Then he realized—Hu Nian and all the beastmen with him were unharmed. Only he and his group had been taken.

Leopard Pan’s chest erupted with fury.

That idiot had fallen for their trap!

Seeing Leopard Pan’s expression, Hu Nian became even more certain—Leopard Pan was after his position.

Wolf Thousand had been right.

He was jealous!

“Lord Bai Tu, Leopard Pan has violated your tribe’s rules. You must punish him.” Hu Nian declared. He remembered Bai Tu mentioning that forcing beastmen was strictly forbidden. Offenders were either assigned the heaviest labor or expelled.

As a beastman of the Black Leopard Tribe, Leopard Pan attempting to forcibly take someone naturally deserved punishment.

Wanting to show respect, Bai Tu asked for Hu Nian’s opinion.

Thinking of everything Leopard Pan had done, Hu Nian knew he couldn’t let him off easily. If he did, Leopard Pan might seize power later.

“Make him do the hardest, most exhausting work!” Hu Nian said firmly. He actually wanted to order Bai Tu to kill him, but he’d heard that the Snow Rabbit and Blood Wolf Tribes never killed lightly. Saying so would make him look cruel.

Thinking of the warriors outside the tribe, he decided to tone it down.

Leopard Pan struggled violently, overflowing with hatred—for both Hu Nian and Bai Tu, who had framed him.

His limbs were bound, his mouth filled, leaving him unable to move or speak. His wild thrashing only convinced Hu Nian further.

Hu Nian kicked him with disgust.
“Our tribe never harbors people who force members of other tribes!”

The beastmen behind Hu Nian looked utterly confused. They hadn’t even been gone that long. What was Leopard Pan doing trying to abduct someone? Was he unhappy with the mate chosen for him?

Seeing that none of them could see the Snow Rabbit Tribe’s scheme, Leopard Pan regretted his earlier compliance. He should have known Hu Nian—a fool who believed everyone except him.

Ignoring Leopard Pan’s fury, Bai Tu said calmly, “Alright, we’ll take him away.”

He signaled Bai Qi to haul Leopard Pan out. Where Leopard Pan ended up was irrelevant—no one cared except Leopard Pan himself.

“Every tribe has people like this, Chief Hu Nian. Don’t let it dampen your spirits. The food is getting cold—everyone, go eat,” Bai Tu said gently.

At the word “food,” Hu Nian immediately remembered the feast next door. Seeing that no one had touched it, he pointed at the beastmen behind him.

“You eat here. I’ll eat over there.”

As expected, the food in this room wasn’t as abundant as his. Leopard Pan must have been dissatisfied. He hadn’t eaten a bite earlier—clearly he’d only been thinking of stealing someone!

Thinking of this, Hu Nian suddenly remembered someone was missing.

“Where’s Mao Lan? Where did she go?”

Bai Tu sighed.
“Lan is young. This is the first time she’s faced something like this. She was frightened and went back to her quarters. I never expected that simply asking her to bring some fruit would lead to such trouble.”

“It’s also my fault. I saw this room didn’t have much fruit, so I asked Lan to bring some.” Bai Tu pointed to a few apples scattered on the floor.

“It’s not your fault!” Hu Nian said immediately, imitating his father’s tone. “Leopard Pan is simply too ambitious.”

He remembered that years ago, a beastman in their tribe had defied his father. His father spoke one sentence, and the beastman secretly died the next day—claimed to be punishment from the Beast God.

After that, no one dared oppose his father again.

Those who disobey should be killed—Hu Nian had learned that lesson well.

Now that the one who always opposed him had been taken away, Hu Nian felt his appetite return. Thinking of all the delicacies he hadn’t finished, he couldn’t wait.

“Let’s not dwell on unpleasant things. Let’s eat,” Bai Tu said, leading him back.

When Hu Nian had eaten through nearly a third of the dishes on the table, Bai Tu asked casually,
“Chief Hu Nian, we also have a drink here with an exceptionally good flavor. Would you like to try it?”

Still chewing, Hu Nian replied without even looking up, “Yes. I want to try it.”

“This is divine water made by our shaman. We discovered by accident that it’s drinkable—and quite soothing.”

The Xihe Tribe naturally had divine water too, but theirs was heavily guarded by the shaman. Even though Hu Nian got along well with his shaman uncle, he was still not allowed to touch it freely. He never expected that a small tribe like the Snow Rabbits would use divine water as a casual beverage.

“Chief Hu Nian might not know this, but many large tribes have divine water. Because they have many injured warriors, the shamans have to save every drop for healing. Our Snow Rabbit Tribe has fewer people, and others rarely get injured, so we don’t need to use the divine water for treatment. We’ve saved it all. Would you like a taste?”

Hu Nian recognized Lang Qian’s voice and noticed that the latter was throwing frantic, meaningful glances. Hu Nian immediately understood—Lang Qian was referring to their own large tribe.

He thought about it. Indeed, many injured warriors in the Xihe Tribe used divine water.

No wonder he wasn’t allowed to touch it—the divine water must’ve been used up by those people.

He decided that when he returned, he would tell his shaman uncle to stop wasting divine water on those warriors.

“The divine water can let a beastman dream of the Beast God,” Bai Tu added calmly. “But it has to be drunk in large amounts. Chief Hu Nian, would you like to try?”

“Yes! Yes!” Hu Nian nodded vigorously. Of course he wanted to dream of the Beast God.

Ideally, the Beast God would also appear in his father’s dreams and appoint him as the next chief.

His father was already over fifty. Most beastmen of that age were either dead or retired, yet his father still refused to pass down the chieftainship.

A faint resentment rose in Hu Nian. His younger brothers were growing up. If his father didn’t pass the position to him now, would he give it to someone else later?

Bai Tu had Bai Qi fetch the so-called divine water and poured a brimming bowl for him.

“Not everyone is worthy of seeing the Beast God,” Bai Tu warned lightly. “If Chief Hu Nian can’t finish it, don’t force yourself.”

“Who said I can’t drink it?” Hu Nian snorted. It looked identical to the sacred water in his tribe. It was just a bowl of water. What was so hard about that?

He lifted it and gulped it all down, his throat burning afterward.

Bai Tu immediately handed him a slice of fresh summer melon. Hu Nian remembered the cool sensation it brought earlier and quickly took it.

Bai Tu poured a second full bowl.

Hu Nian swallowed his melon, picked up the bowl, and downed it again.

But this time, something was different—his head felt light, his vision hazy.

The room seemed to sway.

Hu Nian slammed a fist on the table. “Don’t move!”

Seeing that the drug had taken full effect, Bai Tu sat down beside him.
“Chief Hu Nian?”

“Who are you?” Hu Nian slurred.

Lang Qian immediately stepped in, “I was sent by Lord Hu Que to support you. When are we attacking the Snow Rabbit Tribe?”

“No… didn’t I say… without my order, don’t move…”

“But Lord Leopard Pan…” Lang Qian hesitated deliberately.

“He’s nobody!” Hu Nian roared, slamming his fist again.

“But Lord Leopard Pan has already ordered the other two teams to attack. Should we stop them?”

“Stop them… stop them…” Hu Nian muttered. “We can’t fight… my mate… my mate is here…”

“But we don’t know how to stop them…”

Hu Nian fumbled in his pocket, pulled out a red stone, and slammed it into his bowl. “Use this one!”

Bai Tu glanced at the stone—likely a color-coded command system rather than written messages.
“What do you use to signal attack?”

“Smack—” Hu Nian tossed out another stone, identical in size but white.

Bai Qi reached for the red one, but Bai Tu stopped him with a hand.

He shook the half-conscious Hu Nian awake and pressed, “Which color is attack? Which color is retreat?”

“Red means attack… fight… fight until there’s blood… white… white means retreat… don’t fight…”

Only then did Bai Tu nod for Bai Qi to take the white stone.

“Lord Leopard Pan is speaking with the minor tribal chiefs,” Lang Qian continued. “Should we invite the other chiefs over?”

Hu Nian’s mind was a muddled swamp, the only thought remaining being that making life difficult for Leopard Pan was good.
He nodded. “Invite…”

“They won’t come in without your permission,” Bai Tu reminded him gently.

Hu Nian mumbled, “Where… where’s the bamboo…”

Lang Qian drew a bamboo rod from Hu Nian’s waist. It was as long as a man’s forearm, with tiny notches carved along it at finger-width intervals—each marking a position.

“These are only for chiefs,” Lang Qian explained. “Each minor chief under the Xihe Tribe has a bamboo token that fits precisely into their corresponding notch. If it doesn’t fit, the token is fake—or the chief is suspicious.”

Bai Tu finally understood. He passed the bamboo and the two stones to Bai Qi.
“Find Lang Qi. Have him trick two tiger clansmen to escort the chiefs over.”

As for Hu Nian—drunk, drugged, and unconscious—no one spared him another glance.

Bai Tu looked at the remaining bowl of “divine water.”
“We’ll try to get more information out of the minor chiefs.”

Lang Qian, confirming Hu Nian was truly asleep, sighed in distress.
“So much divine water… such a waste.”

He had spent long enough among the Xihe Tribe to understand Hu Nian well: foolish, greedy, womanizing… Even knowing that Snow Rabbit Tribe never used divine water on the injured, Lang Qian still felt giving it to Hu Nian was a monumental waste.

“If we don’t give it to him, how could we extract all this information?” Bai Tu said mildly. Lang Qian’s rapid adjustment surprised him. He had expected at least a few days before Lang Qian truly integrated.

Lang Qian saw Bai Tu’s gaze and took a step back. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Nothing,” Bai Tu shook his head. “Just surprised. I thought you’d need longer.”

In truth, without Lang Qian, tonight would never have proceeded this smoothly.

Lang Qian muttered, “If I don’t cooperate, how am I supposed to regain my freedom sooner?”
He looked carefree on the surface, but his movements were strictly limited—he never left Bai Tu’s side for long. And when Bai Tu rested, Lang Qian shut himself in his room to avoid suspicion.

As a beastman with a criminal history, even if he shared the sub-beast status with Bai Tu, he didn’t dare act recklessly. He had deceived Lang Ze and the others so boldly precisely because he had never planned to stay.

But now… now things were different. He liked this tribe. He wanted to stay. Which was why he worked so diligently—to atone, to prove himself… and to earn official membership.

“Once this is over, we’ll talk.” Bai Tu didn’t believe in making anyone work for nothing. After everything concluded, he intended to settle all accounts—rewards for merit, punishment for wrongdoing.
As for Lang Qian’s wish to stay, he would grant it.

That was exactly what Lang Qian had been waiting for.

At dusk, a dozen beastmen of various ages and appearances were escorted into the residential area by two tiger warriors.

One of them asked, bewildered, “Didn’t you say Lord Hu Nian was waiting here? Why isn’t he out?”

“He’s eating,” the tiger warrior replied. Thinking back to the feast he had eaten at noon, the scent practically returned to his mouth. The idea of eating another meal like that made him unconsciously quicken his pace.

“Come on, quickly. If we’re too slow, Lord Hu Nian will get angry.”

The minor chiefs looked at one another. The tiger warriors spoke so casually that they didn’t seem to be lying, so the chiefs followed obediently.

Their tribes lived at the edge of the continent, few neighbors in between, but even so, the journey here had been grueling.

They grumbled inwardly. It was prime hunting season. A round trip would cost them more than half a month—if they had a poor harvest afterward, their tribes would suffer.

But they couldn’t disobey the Xihe Tribe. Those who had tried before had all been punished by the Beast God. Mild cases brought sickness among adult beastmen; severe cases brought sudden death to warriors and cubs alike.

They feared the Beast God more than hardship.

Still… Hu Nian’s command this time was strange. They had only been told two things:
• Hu Nian and Leopard Pan would enter the Snow Rabbit Tribe.
• If there was a message within three days, they would follow orders.
• If not, they would attack.

So why were they summoned so soon?

Puzzled, they followed until the tiger warriors stopped before a house.

Bai Tu was waiting in the courtyard. In the shadows, Lang Qi and a group of wolves watched the visitors closely.

Even though these tribes weren’t as large as the Xihe Tribe—and some were even smaller than the Snow Rabbit Tribe at its peak—every minor chief had to be physically strong. They were still dangerous.

“Qian is inside speaking with Chief Hu Nian. You two, go eat,” Bai Tu instructed, calling two wolves to escort the tiger warriors away.

The tigers suspected nothing. After all, Hu Nian had personally handed the command token to Bai Tu and Lang Qian. Even if they hadn’t seen it, Hu Nian was awake now—if it wasn’t from him, it must have been stolen.

So they believed Lang Qi when he said “Lord Hu Nian wants to befriend the Snow Rabbit Tribe.” They happily left to rest and eat.

Once they were gone, Bai Tu told the dozen unfamiliar beastmen,
“Everyone, please wait here.”

They didn’t understand, but Hu Nian was clearly in the room, and this wasn’t the first strange thing he’d done. So they obediently stood where Bai Tu indicated.

The location was close enough to hear even soft sounds from inside.

Inside, Lang Qian poured Hu Nian another bowl of wine and said loudly,
“I heard the shaman sent out another sub-beast squad?”

“Tch. Not one—three.” Hu Nian lifted a hand, forming a crooked four-finger gesture. “Tell them… tell them to kill all their cubs if they disobey!”

“What?” Lang Qian exclaimed theatrically. “I thought only adult orcs got sick?”

Hu Nian spat, “The first time they disobey, only adults get sick! The second time, the cubs die!”

Outside the door, the beastmen’s expressions shifted sharply.

Two of them went pale with fury.

That description—
First time, adults sicken.
Second time, cubs die.

—was exactly what had happened to their tribe.