Chapter Forty-Six: The Association

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"Caring for Dragons Protection Association? There's actually such an association?"
Some netizens expressed their curiosity.
"I mean... dragons are so powerful, do they really need humans to protect them? Are you out of your mind?"
Others, more hot-tempered, began ranting.
"Dragons are indeed powerful, but that doesn't mean they don't need protection!"
A supporter of the Caring for Dragons Association replied, "Do you realize how endangered this ancient species has become?"
"Experts have analyzed the data and found that the total number of dragons worldwide likely doesn’t even reach ten thousand, and that's counting all the pseudo-dragons!"
"As for rarer breeds like black dragons, their numbers may not even exceed five hundred. They're more scarce than our national treasure, the giant panda. What's more worrying is that their population is still declining!"
"So, with such an endangered and precious species, shouldn't we care for and protect them?"
"Hold on... how did you gather these statistics?"
A netizen asked in confusion, "Our country hasn't even figured out how vast the world beyond our borders is, so how could anyone possibly count the total number of dragons... Don’t tell me the dragon race conducted a census of their own?"
"There's nothing difficult about it. It's easy to estimate."
The Association supporter replied, "Didn't our nation conduct a specialized reconnaissance and survey of the two hundred kilometers beyond our borders?"
"According to the statistics, in this area of over three million square kilometers, fewer than forty dragons live there."
"In other words, there's roughly one dragon per one hundred thousand square kilometers. And this ratio is actually high for the outside world, because several dragons migrated here after the emergence of our Xia nation, hoping to benefit from us."
"One dragon per one hundred thousand square kilometers. If we assume the land area of the outside world is similar to Earth, about 150 million square kilometers, that comes out to around 1,500 dragons."
"But the outside world's area is certainly much larger than Earth. Still, a material plane can't be boundless and infinite. Scientists generally believe its land area is about five to six times that of Earth."
"So, the total number of the dragon race is, at most, around nine thousand!"

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"That makes some sense."
A netizen replied, "In fantasy worlds, dragons really are endangered creatures. Smaug was the last dragon in Middle-earth, after all. It's easy for them to go extinct."
"Exactly. Dragons, these ancient beings, possess great strength but their continuity as a species is very fragile. If we don't show them more care and protection, they'll inevitably perish!"
The supporter from the Caring for Dragons Protection Association replied, "That's why our association was founded—to call for more people to care for and protect dragons!"
"That's truly laughable... Just because their numbers are few, we should protect them? The devils in hell are even rarer—should we protect them too?"
A netizen voiced clear opposition, "You're just bleeding hearts with too much time on your hands!"
"Those who are not of our kind cannot be trusted!"
"I believe a species can only be designated for protection if its existence doesn't threaten human life or interests!"
"Dragons clearly don’t fit that criterion. They're intelligent beings—everyone knows how they've behaved in the past, right?"
"Overbearing, pillaging, burning, murdering, committing countless atrocities... They're naturally opposed to humanity. Before you protect them, maybe protect ourselves first!"
"Exactly!"
"Dragons, these foolish and arrogant creatures, let them go extinct. After reigning for so many years, they've contributed nothing to this world. It's high time they disappeared from history!"
"Well said... Dragons are definitely not worth protecting. Their flesh and blood contain powerful life energy, which can effectively improve and enhance the genes of our Xia nation. I think we should find a way to capture them all for domestication and breeding—that would be the best care and protection!"
"......"
Clearly, most netizens held opposing views, posting their support.
"Dragon flesh and blood are not edible!!! How many times has the government said this already!!!!"
The Association supporter typed a string of exclamation marks to express their anger and agitation.
"And you actually believe that?"

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A netizen scoffed, "That's obviously fake news from the authorities, just to brainwash idiots like you!"
"After all, dragon blood and flesh are prized for strengthening the body and prolonging life, but they’re so rare only officials can enjoy them. If commoners like us started coveting them, there’d be uproar—how would they handle that?"
"Exactly... I bet this black dragon will end up vanishing without a trace, its corpse devoured by vested interests, not even a drop of soup left for ordinary folk!"
"Impossible. Dragon blood is highly toxic—that's a well-known fact. Anyone who's come into close contact would never dare eat it!"
The Association supporter said, "Besides, think about it: if the country really wanted to conduct shady dealings as you claim, why bother broadcasting this news at all? They could just handle it secretly behind closed doors."
"It's because too many people know about it, they can't suppress the information, so they had to release it!"
A netizen quickly replied, "And if you say dragon blood is toxic, how do you explain the dragon-blood warriors from the outside world? Many of them have transformed by drinking dragon blood—if it really were poisonous, would they dare?"
"That's because the humans out there have genes completely different from ours. Their bloodlines are connected to dragons, so you can't compare them to us!"
The Association supporter replied.
"Nonsense! The microcosm has long been locked down, the field of genetics is no exception. How do you know their genes are completely different?"
A netizen immediately retorted, "Biologically speaking, many indigenous humans outside are almost identical to us Xia people!"
"I've even heard that some of our compatriots who sneaked out impregnated indigenous women out there, so there’s no reproductive isolation—they can't have totally different genes!"
"Don't bother arguing. This guy is obviously brainwashed by the authorities, saying anything more is useless!"
Another netizen chimed in, "If you want us to believe dragon blood is toxic, the best way would be for the country to parade this black dragon through all the major cities, hold exhibitions, and let ordinary people get close and experiment for themselves. Seeing is believing—only then will suspicions be dispelled!"