Jiang Xing's words made Chang Feng want to complain, yet at the same time filled him with overwhelming excitement.
In truth, the relationship between the Chinese government and the Azure Dragon—as well as the many Mythical Pet Beasts—wasn't particularly close.
It could even be described as distant.
The reason could be summed up in four words:
The fall of dynasties.
The Azure Dragon had protected this land for several centuries.
During those centuries, the land had been ruled by multiple feudal dynasties. Those dynasties revered the Azure Dragon and the other Mythical Pet Beasts as gods, offering sacrifices and worship in exchange for their protection.
Then, nearly a century ago, a generation of Legendary Beast Tamers rose to prominence.
They ended the dark age of warlords and endless conflict, founded a unified China, established the Beast Tamer Association alongside Beast Tamers from every region, and ushered in a brand-new era.
They reached an agreement with the Mythical Pet Beasts.
From that point onward, the gods would no longer freely interfere in human affairs, and the planet was returned to humanity's hands.
Yet that same chapter of history also created a barrier between the government and the Mythical Pet Beasts—
After all, while the government overthrew the feudal dynasties and liberated the land, it also diminished the influence of the Mythical Pet Beasts, turning them into little more than "legends."
The government worried that the Mythical Pet Beasts might resent this.
However, these beings had protected the land for centuries and had willingly returned authority to humanity. They were true guardian divine beasts.
Worried as they were, the government still held immense respect for them. Whether conducting trade or any other interaction, they always offered treasures of the highest quality, never mixing in even the slightest bit of junk.
Moreover, they never tried to investigate the divine beasts' whereabouts, granting them the utmost trust.
Even so, the relationship between the government and the divine beasts was nowhere near as close as it had been a century ago. A subtle barrier remained between them, creating a sense of distance.
The government was deeply troubled by this.
These were their own guardian divine beasts!
What if the two sides drifted apart and another Mythical-level disaster occurred?
Human Beast Tamers still lacked the ability to resolve problems on that scale.
As a result, the Chinese government had long been searching for a way to eliminate the gap between themselves and the Mythical Pet Beasts...
And now, Chang Feng saw a possibility.
Jiang Xing had obtained the core of the Azure Dragon Secret Realm.
That meant he had already earned the Azure Dragon's approval and could even be described as an Azure Dragon Favored One.
In a region like the Holy Kingdom, where divine beasts ruled directly, such a status would be enough to make someone a High Pontiff.
It meant the Azure Dragon had set aside the events of a century ago and had voluntarily extended an olive branch to humanity.
As a senior government official who knew this history inside and out, how could Chang Feng not be ecstatic?
He almost wanted to place Jiang Xing under the highest level of protection immediately and treat him as the symbol and bridge of diplomatic relations between China and its guardian divine beasts, showering him with every privilege imaginable.
Wait.
Wasn't Jiang Xing already receiving the highest level of treatment available?
He was practically a doctoral researcher already.
Oh.
Never mind, then.
For most Beast Tamers, the status of a divine beast's favored one might become the greatest value of their lives.
They wouldn't need to do anything else. Just spend their days accompanying divine beasts on sightseeing trips, keeping them happy and entertained.
But Jiang Xing was different.
His research ability far surpassed the value of being a divine beast's favored one—
He was a top-tier talent capable of becoming a doctoral researcher, perhaps even one of the very best among them.
Using someone like that as little more than a diplomatic mascot instead of letting him conduct research would be an outrageous waste.
The government would rather continue maintaining its somewhat awkward relationship with the divine beasts than commit such a crime against talent.
Perhaps the Azure Dragon chose to regard Jiang Xing as a favored one precisely because it recognized his abilities...
Since that was the case, Chang Feng, as a representative of the government, certainly wasn't going to make any demands.
He merely gave Jiang Xing a few reminders, asking him to maintain a good relationship with the Azure Dragon whenever possible. Any expenses incurred during the process would be fully covered by the government.
To that end, he planned to apply for a friendship budget worth several billion yuan for Jiang Xing, specifically to purchase the Mythical-grade resources that the Azure Dragon loved most...
As for breeding Dragon-type Pet Beasts or recreating special environments...
Those were minor matters. They could be handled with a wave of the hand.
...
The Azure Dragon's change in attitude was a major diplomatic event.
After helping Jiang Xing contact a nearby panda breeding center, Chang Feng quickly ended the call and hurried off to report the matter to his superiors.
Jiang Xing, however, knew nothing about any of this.
If someone actually explained it to him, he would probably be confused.
Establish diplomatic relations with the Azure Dragon?
Wasn't it already protecting China?
If anything, Jiang Xing felt that Uncle Dragon was a little pitiful. The lonely old dragon lived by itself inside a Secret Realm, unable even to order takeout. The fact that a little barbecue and beer could make it that happy was honestly kind of sad.
Once he moved the Secret Realm entrance next to the research institute, he'd arrange for a few Flower Fairy Attendants to move in and let Uncle Dragon experience what it was like to have someone cook for him.
It worked out perfectly since Flower Fairy Attendants were Fairy-type Pet Beasts and could also help it research the Fairy Attribute.
At that moment, Jiang Xing arrived at a panda breeding center near Wolong City with several pandas in tow.
The panda race was native to Earth. They had simply gained new powers after the fusion of the two worlds and become Pet Beasts.
As a result, they didn't belong to any Secret Realm and weren't monopolized by any noble family.
Instead, they were managed by the government, which had established large-scale panda breeding centers.
The moment Jiang Xing brought the Wood-type pandas and Dragon-type pandas into the facility, he was immediately surrounded by breeders who had rushed over after hearing the news.
Everyone working at the panda breeding center was a panda enthusiast.
When they saw the adorable Wood-type Panda Cubs carrying bamboo and radiating verdant energy, the Dragon-type Panda Cubs with tiny dragon horns growing from their heads and an imposing presence, as well as their evolved forms...
The entire breeding center erupted into screams.
"So cute!"
"They really are brand-new panda varieties!"
"I knew it! Panda Cubs must be capable of wielding Attributes other than Fighting and Dark!"
"Can I take care of them? Just one would be enough! Please, I'm begging you!!"
Seeing the pure affection in the breeders' eyes, completely free of ulterior motives, Jiang Xing finally relaxed a little.
It was true that he had brought the panda race and the other Dragon-type Pet Beasts out of the Azure Dragon Secret Realm in the hope that they would flourish and expand their populations.
But he didn't want them to be treated as nothing more than breeding tools.
If that were the case, they might as well have stayed in the Azure Dragon Secret Realm.
Only after personally sensing the breeders' genuine love through his psychic perception did those concerns finally disappear.
Meanwhile, the pandas had already begun exploring.
The panda breeding center contained vast bamboo forests filled with countless varieties of bamboo, including many different Attributes.
There, among the bamboo groves, they spotted the bamboo shoots their ancestors had spoken of—the legendary delicacy.
Unable to suppress their longing any longer, they rushed into the forest and immediately started digging.
After pulling the shoots from the ground, they somehow instinctively learned how to peel them and began crunching away at the tender cores.
At once, excited roars filled the air.
Delicious!!
So these are the bamboo shoots our ancestors talked about?
They're way better than bamboo!
"Don't rush! There's plenty more where that came from!"
Seeing them behave like refugees fleeing a famine, the breeders immediately carried over basket after basket of fresh bamboo shoots and placed them in front of the pandas.
When the pandas saw this scene, they cried.
At last, they understood why their ancestors had missed their homeland so much.
This place was simply heaven!
---
I will post some extra Chapters in Patreon, you can check it out. >> patreon.com/TitoVillar
---