Chapter 31: Demon Beast Industry

As their conversation unfolded, the height of Xuan Eagle had already dropped to just over two hundred meters above the ground.

The sheer form of the eagle—its wingspan stretching nearly twenty to thirty zhang—immediately stirred murmurs and chaos among the people on the ground. The low passage of this colossal creature sent waves of panic rippling through the crowd, prompting many to rush indoors in fear.

"Damn it, what in the world is that? Hurry—hurry, call the City Defense Office! A monster… a beast has arrived!"

"Stay calm—the eagle’s back has a pavilion!"

"Is this a tamed beast?!"

"Isn't every flying beast supposed to go to the Monstrosity Office’s penning grounds? Disturbing Jing City is a capital offense!"

"Move out of the way! Move out of the way!! My terrapin is frightened—move out of the way!!"

"Ah! Ah!! No!!!"

"Whoa—"

Surprises always arrive with such suddenness.

Amidst a chorus of jeers and curses, punctuated by the sharp wailing of children, a massive tortoise, some thirty to forty feet in length, suddenly took fright on the broad thoroughfare and plowed headlong into the bustling market square.

A cloud of stone dust and shattered tiles billowed into the air, instantly followed by an eruption of agonized cries.

"......"

The commotion below instinctively drew Xu Yuan’s gaze down through the wooden window; after watching silently for a couple of seconds, he retracted his eyes and turned a questioning look toward Zhou Chen.

He could not fathom the reason for deliberately descending to such a low altitude to glide.

Reading the unspoken inquiry in Xu Yuan's eyes, Zhou Chen offered a nonchalant smile and explained:

"Third Young Master, the Bureau of Exotic Beasts stipulates that civilian aerial demons must not fly lower than sixty Zhang over the city's marketplace. Our Black Eagle is currently at least seventy Zhang above the ground, so this is entirely the fault of that Earth Dragon Tortoise."

With that, Zhou Chen chuckled softly to himself:

"The Black Eagle didn't even intentionally release its aura, yet that Earth Dragon Tortoise completely lost control from mere fright. Heh... I wager this batch of tortoises likely bypassed the proper channels at the Bureau and pulled strings to pass the Nine Trials of Demon Assessment. If this is reported upward, someone is bound to suffer for it."

Hearing this explanation, Xu Yuan grasped the general reason, withdrew his gaze, and said no more.

With the pyro-hawk's swift glide, the scene quickly vanished from sight.

And indeed, no further incidents occurred like the one when the beast had been startled and injured people.

Xu Yuan's eyes constantly scanned the layout of the city below.

The streets branched out in every direction; in the market districts, pedestrians crowded closely together. Most of the streets within the city resembled those he had known in ancient times, but broader—nearly allowing three or four carriages to pass side by side.

Yet he barely glanced at these streets. What caught his attention was the vast imperial road stretching almost in half the city below.

This road was so wide it surpassed any road he had ever seen in his past life.

And what moved through it were not ordinary carriages, but swift, leaping beasts of various kinds.

From the vantage point of the pyro-hawk, gazing down, Xu Yuan even spotted designs resembling elevated highways and tunnels at a distance.

Xu Yuan instinctively felt amazed by the construction of these roads and the immense weight the beasts would instantly exert upon them as they passed.

But as that thought flickered through his mind, he gently shook his head.

His mind nearly spun out of control.

The material strength from his previous life should not even compare to this world's.

The blade in Ran Qingmo's hand earlier—back in his past life, it would have been sufficient to build a Gundam.

Moreover, in this world, there were array techniques to enhance it.

With that thought, Xu Yuan focused his gaze entirely on the various colossal beasts rushing along the vast imperial road.

His mind constantly replayed the memories of the original body, yet only vague fragments remained.

Pausing briefly, Xu Yuan turned to ask:

"Mr. Zhou, you mentioned earlier about the Nine Ranks Assessment for demonic beasts—what exactly is that?"

"This one..."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Chen glanced down at the road below, carefully choosing his words, and replied:

"In short, it's the law established for sects and trading guilds that deal in demonic beasts."

"... "Xu Yuan said nothing, his gaze fixed steadily on Zhou Chen.

Seeing this, Zhou Chen understood that the third prince wanted him to elaborate further. He chewed thoughtfully on the inside of his cheek, sighed wearily.

As a skilled master, Zhou Chen wasn't cold or distant—on the contrary, he was quite talkative.

He enjoyed chatting with people, and he was glad to have the chance.

After sighing, Zhou Chen slowly and methodically explained to Xu Yuan the nine-tier assessment for taming beasts, going on so thoroughly that he didn't need Xu Yuan to ask any questions—he simply poured out all the relevant details on taming beasts himself.

When he finished, Xu Yuan silently processed these entirely new pieces of information in his mind.

Beasts...

Human resources are insufficient—beasts will fill the gap.

Throughout history, in this world, humanity's efforts to domesticate demonic beasts have never ceased.

From the simplest act of subduing with fists, to later evolving into a systematic method of taming.

The lifespan, strength, endurance, and even the ability to fly of certain beasts made them exceptionally suited to serve as tools for humans.

Thus, despite countless difficulties, the practice of taming beasts endured, and these creatures gradually became woven into the daily lives of ordinary people.

Transportation tools, labor tools, communication tools—indeed, even specialized war beasts trained for battle...

A completely twisted, alternative technological tree.

At this point, Xu Yuan gently shook his head.

That wasn't quite right either. Perhaps, in this world where Qi flows freely, such a technological path was entirely natural and inevitable.

But no matter how advanced taming techniques became—just as mechanical giants from previous lives could malfunction, beasts with autonomous consciousness posed even greater risks.

The instinctive alertness when facing predators, the violent outbursts when hungry or starved, and the defiance under the pressure of superior bloodlines from their own kind—all could trigger a complete breakdown in tamed beasts.

The Department of Strange Beasts in the Great Inflame Dynasty, drawing on all past experiences, established a nine-tier assessment system for civilian beasts, designed to minimize the risk of these creatures going rogue and harming humans.

Besides that, Zhou Chen also mentioned military demonic beasts.

And if there are civilian ones, there must be military ones too.

The examination and assessment for military demonic beasts are far stricter—there are no less than seventeen rigorous tests.

Having now roughly sorted through all the known information about these demonic beasts, Xu Yuan exhaled deeply and smiled sideways:

"Never knew before. But now, after hearing you speak of them, these demonic beasts truly seem fascinating."

Zhou Chen chuckled softly and whispered:

"Third Prince, if you're genuinely interested, you might want to visit the branch of Tian'an Trading Guild in Jingjiang City."

Xu Yuan arched an eyebrow.

The Tian'an Trading Guild is a vast trading syndicate with branches spread throughout the entire Da Yin Imperial Dynasty. In "Cangyuan," it essentially functions like a system-based marketplace—there's a branch on every map. As long as you have enough money, you can buy any material or elixir you need from them.

"Tian'an Trading Guild?"

Zhou Chen grinned widely:

"Yes, indeed, there are many rare demonic beasts there. Now that you've attained cultivation, you might as well go and select a couple to take home."

"Select?" Xu Yuan noticed the wording was off.

Zhou Chen looked at Xu Yuan with a look of surprise, then spoke softly:

"Didn't you know, Third Prince?"

"What don't I know?"

"The Tian'an Trade Guild is actually property of the Chancellor's household."

"........"

Xu Yuan's mind suddenly went blank.

At this very moment,

Only then did he suddenly grasp the true nature of his father—a minister of great advantage.