With the Demi-God Tier Auspicious Cloud Qilin taking action, the disturbance was swiftly brought under control.
Afterward, Jiang Xing questioned the antique puppet and made a phone call to Senior Li, finally piecing together the full sequence of events—
Some time ago, following Jiang Xing's request, Senior Li had gathered a batch of Ugly Waterfowl from rural areas in the Jiangnan region and released them into the artificial lake beside the research institute, entrusting the antique puppet to help take care of them.
Since the lake was fairly spacious—enough to accommodate four or five small-to-medium Pet Beast populations—and because Ugly Waterfowl were naturally reclusive and tended to avoid other Pet Beasts, everything remained peaceful for the first few days.
But paper can't wrap fire forever. Living in the same lake, it was impossible for the Golden-Patterned Koi population not to eventually notice the presence of the Ugly Waterfowl…
It had to be known that one of the Ugly Waterfowl's innate talents—[Ugliness]—had the effect of intimidating opponents through their grotesque appearance, with a certain probability of causing them to enter a cowering state.
This talent worked well against ordinary wild Pet Beasts, driving off predators and increasing the Ugly Waterfowl's chances of survival.
But inside Jiang Xing's research institute, the situation was different. The koi trained daily under the pressure of Dragon Might in pursuit of leaping the Dragon Gate and transforming into true dragons. As a result, they had developed resistance to intimidation-type abilities and talents.
When they encountered the Ugly Waterfowl, it instead triggered a rebellious response. They treated them as monstrous intruders invading the lake and launched attacks.
After a chaotic scuffle of mutual incompetence, the timid and solitary Ugly Waterfowl were defeated and driven out of the lake.
And once they left the lake, they stirred up an even bigger hornet's nest…
Previously, Jiang Xing had fed quite a number of wild Pet Beasts. These creatures lived near the research institute and had spontaneously taken on the role of its guardians, helping to drive away mischievous or destructive wild Pet Beasts.
When these guardians saw the Ugly Waterfowl, they were first startled—then, assuming them to be invaders, attacked in anger.
Even the Rainbow Dragon Hatchlings living on the newly constructed island at the center of the lake sensed the disturbance and joined the chase.
And so, the situation escalated into the complete chaos seen now.
'In summary, it's all because they're too ugly.'
Looking at the battered, oddly shaped, and deeply unsettling Ugly Waterfowl, Jiang Xing instinctively felt repulsed—but at the same time, he couldn't help feeling sympathy.
After all, species, talents, appearance—these were all innate factors beyond one's control.
These Ugly Waterfowl were destined, from the moment they were born, to be loathed by other lifeforms. It really was quite tragic.
In fact—
If it were only a matter of appearance, the world was vast, and among countless lifeforms, there would always be those with unusual tastes—beings who might even prefer such looks.
The Ugly Waterfowl might have adapted to their appearance and not necessarily perceived themselves as ugly.
But unfortunately, [Ugliness] was a talent.
Much like the Auspicious Cloud Qilin's [Affinity], the [Ugliness] talent ignored aesthetics and species alike, instinctively triggering disgust in all living beings and thereby producing an intimidation effect.
Because of this power, even the Ugly Waterfowl themselves could not accept their own appearance. They lived in dark drains, smearing mud over their bodies in a futile attempt to conceal themselves…
After deciding to raise Ugly Waterfowl, Jiang Xing had done some research beforehand.
And after learning these details, it was hard not to feel sympathy for them.
This kind of innate defect was truly tragic.
…
Having understood the full situation, Jiang Xing distributed some food to the Pet Beasts that had been guarding the research institute.
He told them that the Ugly Waterfowl were not invaders, but new members of the institute.
Although the Pet Beasts didn't understand why Jiang Xing would speak up for such ugly creatures, they lowered their guard upon hearing this and returned to the forest with their food.
Next, Jiang Xing gathered the Ugly Waterfowl together—
Ugly Waterfowl were solitary Pet Beasts, relatively rare, and preferred remote, uninhabited places. They appeared and disappeared unpredictably.
For Senior Li to gather more than three hundred of them in such a short time was truly impressive.
But seeing over three hundred bald, lump-like Ugly Waterfowl standing together, staring in unison—the stacking effect of their Ugliness talent created an overwhelming sense of pressure.
Wearing his calming pendant and with the help of the little Qilin, Jiang Xing finally managed to steady himself and face them normally.
'When I saw pictures before, I thought the researchers studying Ugly Waterfowl had weak mental fortitude—letting something as trivial as appearance affect their love for Pet Beasts…'
'Now it seems the opposite is true. Without relying on tools, raising hundreds of Ugly Waterfowl at once would require terrifying mental resilience.'
Jiang Xing sighed inwardly, then composed himself and spoke.
"I'm very sorry. The local Pet Beasts didn't know any better and frightened you."
"But you should already know why you've come to this research institute."
Although Senior Li was not a researcher, he was a professional breeder with extensive knowledge of Pet Beast studies—which was precisely why Jiang Xing had asked for his help.
When he went to the countryside of Jiangnan to gather Ugly Waterfowl, he certainly didn't act like a poacher, knocking them unconscious and taking them away.
Instead, he communicated with them, making sure they understood the situation.
This way, during the research process, the Pet Beasts would cooperate willingly, making the work far more efficient.
As for the old methods—forcefully capturing Pet Beasts, dissecting them for study—they had long been abandoned due to their cruelty, inefficiency, severe side effects, and the risk of retaliation from the Pet Beasts.
Now, the focus was on harmony between humans and Pet Beasts, building a shared home.
Therefore, these Ugly Waterfowl clearly understood why they had come here.
For evolution!
From the moment they hatched, they were rejected by their mothers, forced to hide in filthy drains, surviving on insects and garbage.
They moved only at night, never daring to look into the water, afraid of seeing their own ugly reflections.
Only during mating season, under the influence of instinct, would they seek temporary partners—but once clarity returned, they would feel disgust toward each other and immediately separate.
They had never known even a trace of warmth.
But…
The colder a heart, the more it yearns for warmth.
In the darkness, they would watch groups of Pet Beasts and humans together, envying their sincere bonds.
Through cracks and gaps, they would secretly observe birds soaring high in the sky, envying their freedom.
It was because of these beautiful longings that they followed humans here. Even when rejected, attacked, and hunted, they refused to leave—
They would rather die chasing their dreams than return to those dark, filthy drains.
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