Chapter 52: Legendary Animal Performance

Chapter 52: Chapter 52: Legendary Animal Performance

The Iron-eating Beast had found a yoga ball-like object—measuring a full meter in diameter—from who knew where. Lying flat on his back with all four paws in the air, he casually balanced it above him.

"Whoa, is this the legendary animal performance?"

Xu Yi stood curiously to the side, beginning to enjoy the Iron-eating Beast’s show.

At first, the Iron-eating Beast hadn’t quite mastered his control over the yoga ball. Several times, he pushed too hard and sent the ball flying outright. His antics naturally attracted the attention of the control room.

So, was today’s on-the-clock entertainment and blatant goof-off time finally here?

"Haha, was Xuan Jiao always this cute? Or are all pandas this much fun?"

"I have no idea. But I feel like every Beast Beast that comes into contact with Liang He always unconsciously heads down a comedic path."

"Pfft, the way you phrase that, if Liang He heard it, she wouldn’t know whether you were praising her or insulting her."

The disobedient ball made the Iron-eating Beast furious. When the yoga ball fell to the ground once again, he abruptly stood up and glared at it in a huff. With one paw on his hip, he raised the other as if to smack it, attempting to threaten the yoga ball into being a bit more obedient. He even slammed his head violently against the ball on the ground, then leaped through the air and pounced right on top of it. Unsurprisingly, the result was him sliding right off.

Both those present at the scene and the staff in the control room couldn’t stop the corners of their mouths from turning up in laughter at his actions.

"Wait, are all the giant pandas of the Blue Star this adorably silly? This is too cute!"

"No wonder the Blue Star people call the Iron-eating Beast a panda! It can’t manage to be majestic or domineering at all; it’s overwhelmingly adorable!"

"Friendly reminder: the Iron-eating Beast has a bite force of a thousand pounds. In the Blue Star’s history of civilization, they were fierce beasts on par with tigers and leopards."

"Eh? So this cute, adorkable panda is actually a kung fu panda with astonishing combat power?"

The people who had just been educated were all stunned, growing even more curious about the Iron-eating Beast’s next move.

Eventually, the Iron-eating Beast managed to figure out the yoga ball’s weight and the proper amount of force to use, immediately beginning to show off his skills.

"ROAR?"

"MEOW?"

"SCREECH?"

When the three Beast Beasts—who had completed their daily hunting tasks, which were actually meant to drain their excessive spiritual power—returned to the service area, they were met with the sight of a smiling Liang He incessantly cheering and clapping for the Iron-eating Beast.

Then they looked at the Iron-eating Beast’s performance. Well, it was a bit embarrassing for a beast. They didn’t understand it, but they wanted to learn it.

They watched as the Iron-eating Beast supported the yoga ball with his two hind paws, then gently rotated the sphere with his two front claws, mimicking a planet’s rotation. The speed grew faster and faster until—BANG!

"WOOF!"

Great. This time, it wasn’t a baby panda barking; it was the Iron-eating Beast scaring himself. His claws had likely punctured the yoga ball by accident, causing it to pop. Fortunately, it was more noise than danger, though it did give the Iron-eating Beast quite a fright.

"Jiao Jiao, it’s okay, don’t be afraid." Seeing the Iron-eating Beast sitting blankly on the ground, his round eyes full of shock as he froze like a panda statue, Liang He hurried to his side, nestled into his embrace, and patted him. "There, there. Let’s stroke your fur and pat the scare away."

Liang He coaxed this super-sized baby of an Iron-eating Beast, mimicking the way she had once seen mothers coaxing young children.

"Nnn~" The Iron-eating Beast pitifully nuzzled his nose into the crook of Liang He’s neck, letting out whiny, coquettish sounds. He had been afraid that Liang He would scold him. Now, after hearing Liang He coaxing him, he completely lost his composure, feeling terribly wronged.

"Yes, yes, it’s all the ball’s fault. It wasn’t sturdy enough. We don’t blame Jiao Jiao."

The yoga ball, having lost its life to the claws of the Iron-eating Beast, thought, "Sure, sure, you guys are so great and noble. If you’re so capable, try not using sharp claws on me next time!"

"Nnn!"

It was said that pandas possessed the highest intelligence among the bear family. They could observe, analyze, and imitate human behavior. As a Returning Ancestor panda, the Iron-eating Beast was only more adept at this. At the same time, his ability to perceive human emotions was exceptionally strong.

After realizing that Liang He wouldn’t criticize him and would even coax him, the Iron-eating Beast’s courage swelled once more.

"Nnn~" He pointed at the deflated yoga ball on the ground, his eyes revealing his longing.

"He doesn’t want to keep playing with it, does he?" As a Veterinarian, this was the first time Xu Yi had seen an animal play with a ball until it popped, only to still want it afterward.

"What’s wrong with a child liking to play with a ball? Is that not allowed?" The Iron-eating Beast had left his home on the Blue Star to come to the reserve. What was wrong with him playing with a ball?! As his family, Liang He was determined to back him up.

Xu Yi conceded, "Alright, alright, I never said it wasn’t allowed." Besides, considering Liang He’s current stance, did he even dare to say no? He continued, "However, this ball was likely specially custom-made. We’ll probably have to wait two days for a new one."

The one-meter-diameter yoga ball was originally a toy customized by the reserve for Cedriel and the others. But because it was winter and it took up too much space in the animal dormitories, combined with the fact that they already had the embroidered balls hand-made by Liang He, it had been left outside. That was how the Iron-eating Beast had managed to dig it out of the snowdrift.

"It’s custom-made and the quality control is still this poor?" Liang He curled her lips speechlessly. She felt that she might as well buy one from the toy market on the Blue Star; the quality would be top-notch, and it would be cheaper too. "Forget it, I’ll buy it myself!"

Ever since the Fur Raising Officer account had started making money, Liang He had never hesitated when it came to buying things for the fluffballs. This could be considered another version of the wool coming from the sheep’s back, as the money had been earned by the fluffballs in the first place.

"ROAR~"

Seeing that Liang He was only paying attention to the Iron-eating Beast, the Mojin King Tiger and the others could no longer sit still. They all ran over to Liang He and tugged at her trouser legs with their teeth, wanting to "rescue" her from the Iron-eating Beast’s embrace.

"Hmm? Cedriel, do you all want new toys too?"

The Mojin King Tiger tilted his head in slight confusion, his ears twitching slightly. The sight was so adorable that Liang He couldn’t resist reaching out to pet him.

"Alright, alright, I’ll buy them! I’ll buy toys for everyone!" At this moment, Liang He was like a parent dedicated to spoiling her cubs rotten, giving them whatever they wanted without hesitation. "Lanton, what kind of toy do you want? Should I buy you a toy snake?"

"SCREECH~" The Canglan Hunting Eagle circled happily above Liang He’s head, flapping his wings and soaring high.

However, compared to the straightforward, sweet-yet-silly tiger and the non-confrontational Green Tea Eagle, the Mengji Snow Leopard—who directly activated his White Lotus Leopard Skills—seemed to have the upper hand. He squatted obediently in the corner, gazing longingly at Liang He. He wanted to get closer, yet acted as though he was afraid of being disliked. His cautious demeanor was heart-wrenchingly pitiful.

It wasn’t until Liang He proactively called out to him that he happily bit the tip of his tail, sprinting into her arms and eagerly rubbing his head against her palm.

Everyone besides Liang He—whether human or beast—was completely speechless at the Mengji Snow Leopard’s maneuvering.

"A dignified Imperial Admiral is actually acting like a white lotus. Is he this shameless on the battlefield too?"

"I feel like the enemies he has blown away in the past would be angered back to life by this. To think they were beaten to death by a White Lotus Leopard... they would definitely feel inexplicably humiliated."

"But, at the end of the day, it’s because Liang He is too affectionate. With so many Beast Beasts under her care, they’re bound to fight for her favor."

The last person pointed out the key issue they hadn’t noticed. However, watching one Evolutionary Beastman after another—all of them massive, fierce beasts—submit to the petite and lovely Blue Star person... this kind of contrast was truly impossible for them to resist!

"By the way, did you guys know? On the dark web, regarding this romantic pursuit, Liang He’s fans have already started predicting which Beastman will be the next to fall and join the fray!"