Chapter 57. The Giant Panda (1)

The next day, I visited the Tang Family Manor with Zuo Junping and Bai Linghua.

To cut to the chase, everything went well. When Zuo Junping directly asked for the escort job from the Mu Family, the Chief Manager, Tang Zaihe, looked annoyed but had no choice since he had said it himself.

‘This is what I like about prestigious sects.’

While they might beat around the bush, once they said something, they would stick to it. That was a characteristic of prestigious sects.

Of course, it didn’t mean they would keep their word nicely.

“Are you sure that’s all you want?”

“Yes, I don’t want anything else.”

“Why don’t you use it for yourself? I can try to accommodate you within reason. How about some land? We happen to have some good farmland. It’s very fertile.”

The Chief Manager kept trying to tempt him, but Zuo Junping refused in a low voice.

“I don’t know how to farm.”

Despite his refusal, the Chief Manager continued to try to persuade Zuo Junping.

“Who said you had to farm it yourself? The subordinates can do the farming. If you want, I can even provide tenant farmers.”

“It’s not mine anyway. I have no desire for more.”

“...”

Despite the Chief Manager’s persistent persuasion, Zuo Junping firmly shook his head. Realizing he couldn’t persuade him any further, the Chief Manager finally gave up.

“Sigh. Fine. I understand. We’ll do it your way.”

“Thank you.”

Looking at Tang Xiaoya’s expression beside the Chief Manager, I could tell she was seething with anger, even though she was cold on the outside. I could tell because her eyes had changed color.

‘From real blue to mulberry purple.’

How did I know? Well, I used to play a certain lookalike game where I was obsessed with RGB values, but that’s not important, so let’s just move on.

“Why don’t you two go out for a bit? We have some matters to discuss among the seniors.”

Although the Chief Manager’s gesture of shooing us away like beggars made me feel a bit bad, I was secretly relieved.

“It’s a good thing it ended well.”

“Hmm. Yes.”

In any case, the long negotiation with the Sichuan Tang Family was over. Now it was time to go on the escort mission to the Mu Family and then return to the beloved Mayang County.

Thinking about this, I stepped out into the garden and saw Tang Xian, Tang Xiaoya’s sister, standing there. She looked at me silently for a moment before slowly walking over.

‘Here we go.’

I quietly signaled to Senior Zuo Junping.

‘Just do as I told you.’

‘O... Okay.’

Seeing Senior Zuo nod, I subtly moved away. Even if I couldn’t be seen, I could still hear their conversation from a distance.

Soon, their conversation reached my ears.

“It’s been a long... time, Sir.”

“Hmm... It has been a while.”

A heavy silence fell, and then Tang Xian broke it.

“...Why didn’t you come to see me? I was waiting to repay you...”

Tang Xian’s voice grew softer as she spoke. I silently prayed.

‘Please, just do as I told you.’

Fortunately, Zuo Junping followed my instructions.

“I’m sorry.”

“How long did you wait for me?”

“...I’m sorry.”

“I thought you would become someone who forgets kindness...”

“...I’m sorry.”

‘Good. You’re doing well.’

I had already warned Senior Zuo beforehand. No matter what the other person said, he should just say he was sorry.

‘You’re doing great.’

It was much easier with a single input. Then, Tang Xian spoke.

“Why do you keep saying you’re sorry? I didn’t come here to make you say you’re sorry.”

Zuo Junping fell silent. This was an unexpected line. I closed my eyes.

‘This is bad.’

Zuo Junping stopped speaking like a broken radio. If I could use telepathy, I would have given him a line.

‘There’s nothing I can do.’

As the saying goes, “If the horse is already dead, there’s no point in beating it.” I closed my eyes, feeling like Zhuge Liang watching Chushi return alive from a sudden downpour.

‘It’s Senior Zuo who’s in trouble, not me.’

Just then, after a long silence, Zuo Junping spoke.

“...Actually, I did think about coming to see you again.”

What?

A line came out of Zuo Junping’s mouth that I hadn’t programmed. Tang Xian’s voice trembled when she heard it.

“Really... you would come?”

Zuo Junping seemed to be struggling to speak, but he continued, albeit with pauses.

“Yes. But I was a new escort then, and... I didn’t know who you were, and... no matter who the other person was, I thought it would be presumptuous to come and see you again.”

“Why did you think that?”

“At that time, I thought I was just a mediocre martial artist. A new escort is just that kind of person.”

“...”

“That’s why I didn’t come.”

Hearing this, I quietly left. It was too painful to listen to any more.

I looked up at the sky. Two geese were flying together in the vast expanse.

‘Lonely.’

I wished I could just get back to work.

***

About an hour later, the conversation between Tang Xian and Zuo Junping ended. When I glanced at Senior Zuo with a subtle look, he pretended not to notice and looked away.

“Tell me about it later.”

“Hmm...”

Was he going to tell me or not?

After waiting a bit longer, Bai Linghua came out of the garden with the Chief Manager and Tang Xiaoya. Bai Linghua’s expression was... a bit complicated. It seemed both good and bad.

‘What happened?’

I thought everything had gone well.

While I was wondering, Bai Linghua made a fist salute and bid them farewell.

“Well, we’ll be on our way.”

“Take care.”

“Be careful, sister.”

After the farewell, Bai Linghua came over to us and whispered in a low voice so they couldn’t hear.

“Let’s go.”

Bai Linghua was unusually quiet on the way back to the Sichuan branch. The prolonged silence was awkward, so I tried to start a conversation, but she only said she would talk later when we got back.

What’s going on?

When Zuo Junping and I arrived at the branch, Bai Linghua went into the office and called for Chief Hua. Soon, Chief Hua came in, and the four of us gathered as Bai Linghua began to speak.

“First of all... thanks to Cheng Biao, the matter was handled well.”

Bai Linghua handed over a document. It contained detailed information about the goods to be transported to the Mu Family. It was essentially a receipt, and after delivering the goods, we needed to get the Mu Family’s seal on it to ensure smooth payment later.

In other words, receiving this document meant we had been given permission for the escort mission.

“Thank goodness.”

“I’m relieved.”

Everyone let out a sigh of relief. We had all been worried that something might go wrong. However, Bai Linghua’s expression remained tense. Seeing this, I asked,

“Is there something you’re worried about?”

“Actually... it’s because of the Odu Sect.”

“The Odu Sect?”

I had never heard of this sect before. Zuo Junping also seemed unfamiliar with it. However, Chief Hua, who knew the name, exclaimed in surprise.

“You mean the Odu Sect? No, why would they...”

“Yes, Chief Hua seems to know about it.”

Chief Hua started trembling. Bai Linghua tried to calm him down and began to explain.

“A while ago, we found the Menghun Drug in that village, remember?”

“Yes. Is there a problem with that...”

“The Sichuan Tang Family traced the source of the Menghun Drug. It definitely came from the Odu Sect.”

According to Bai Linghua, the Odu Sect was one of the famous poison sects in the Southern Man region, or the New Outer Martial World.

To put it simply, it was like the Sichuan Tang Family of the New Outer Martial World. Due to its geographical proximity and pride in its poison techniques, it often had conflicts with the Sichuan Tang Family over the title of the true “First Poison Sect” in the martial world.

At least, that was the case until ten years ago.

“Ten years ago, after losing a poison competition to the Sichuan Tang Family, they went into seclusion. But this year, they have emerged from seclusion.”

“So, the Southern Man merchant...”

“The Tang Family believes it’s likely a spy from the Odu Sect who infiltrated the Sichuan region to carry out some operation.”

“Then... are we in danger?”

Chief Hua asked in a trembling voice. His expression was filled with fear. Bai Linghua replied calmly,

“There’s a high possibility. The Tang Family believes the Odu Sect might target this escort mission.”

Only then did I understand why they had tried so hard to avoid giving us the job.

Of course, there was also the fact that the Baiyun Escort Agency had a bad history with them, but that seemed a bit... well, dirty.

It was dirty enough that they could have just given us the job and then made a separate deal with the Mu Family to change the escort agency later, instead of making things so difficult for us. Now I understood the whole situation.

Bai Linghua continued,

“As you all know... poison is dangerous to deal with. Especially when the opponent is a poison expert.”

This made sense. From my previous experience, I knew that poison wasn’t just a matter of strength. There was a high possibility of encountering unexpected traps.

“So, what’s the solution?”

I raised my hand and asked. Despite this, the fact that Bai Linghua had brought the transport document suggested that they had likely had extensive discussions behind the scenes. Bai Linghua nodded and said,

“The Sichuan Tang Family has offered to send a poison expert for our escort mission.”

“Oh...!”

Chief Hua exclaimed. Having a poison expert from the Tang Family would certainly ease our worries.

“Who is it?”

“It’s Miss Tang Xian.”

Zuo Junping’s expression changed subtly. It was a mix of relief and awkwardness.

I definitely needed to find out what conversation they had later.

“Then there’s nothing to worry about. Miss Tang Xian is a skilled expert among the Ten Young Masters, right?”

Chief Hua said with a relieved expression. The Ten Young Masters referred to outstanding experts under the age of thirty, a higher rank than the Nine Dragons and Seven Peaks.

To put it simply, it was like a Golden Glove level.

Bai Linghua raised her hand to stop him and said,

“But the Tang Family has set a condition.”

“What condition?”

“Since they are sending a person, they want us to send someone as well.”

It sounded more like a guarantee rather than a hostage. Bai Linghua continued, but her voice gradually faded.

“And they specifically mentioned...”

...Hmm, I have a bad feeling about this.

I hoped it wasn’t me as I asked,

“...Who do they want us to send?”

Bai Linghua looked at me. Her eyes clearly showed her regret.

“...”

“...”

This is why I don’t like the Tang Family.

***

On the first day of the assignment, I bid my colleagues farewell with tears and headed to the Nanxing Escort Agency, where I was to be dispatched.

“Here it is.”

I sighed as I looked at the signboard that read “Nanxing Escort Agency.” This place was essentially a subsidiary of the Sichuan Tang Family, and as such, the Tang Family’s influence was very strong here.

‘I’ll just have to endure for a month.’

It would take about a month for my colleagues to return from the escort mission. Bai Linghua had a very apologetic expression when she asked me to wait for a month, promising to complete the mission as quickly as possible.

Since things had come to this, I decided to treat it as a unique experience.

‘Right. I’ll just tell them I’m a top-notch talent who adapts well anywhere.’

After deciding on my first greeting, I entered the building. The interior was quite spacious, and it was clear that a lot of money had been spent on it.

‘Of course, being under the Tang Family...’

While it was the headquarters, a direct comparison with the Baiyun Escort Agency’s Mayang branch was difficult, but from the main hall to the smallest stone, everything felt much more luxurious.

‘It would have been better to have some time to investigate beforehand.’

If I had more time, I could have learned about key clients and other details, but I was a bit disappointed that I hadn’t. Still, I would be here for a month, and it was good to be praised for my work wherever I went.

“There it is.”

Not seeing any servants, I headed to the largest hall at the front.

“Excuse me.”

As I entered the hall, I saw a person spinning around while muttering and unfolding a document. Instinctively, I thought it was the Chief and immediately made a fist salute to greet him. He said,

“Hmm? Who are you?”

“I’m Cheng Laizhun, who’s been dispatched here.”

“Oh, you’re from the Baiyun Escort Agency?”

Seeing me, he put down the document, went to the table, and gestured for me to sit. As I sat down, he poured a strange-smelling tea into my cup and asked,

“Welcome. You’re here to work for a month, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Seeing the Chief pour tea for me, I felt a bit relieved.

Usually, Chief Hua and Bai Linghua often poured tea for me because our agency was a bit informal and lacked tradition, but it wasn’t common for a Chief to pour tea for a regular escort.

‘Is this place also a bit informal?’

Thinking this, I took a sip and immediately spat it out.

“Ugh!!”

As soon as I put it in my mouth, a bizarre sour and bitter taste, along with a foul smell, hit me. It felt like drinking gall mixed with boric acid.

Is this poison?

In the midst of my confusion, I heard the Chief’s calm voice.

“Oh dear. What a waste to spit out such a precious thing.”

“Ugh, ugh. What is this?”

“It’s vinegar made from three hundred herbs. It’s very good for your health.”

As he said this, he naturally took out another teapot and started drinking a normal green tea.

‘...’

What is this guy up to?

Feeling bewildered, I stared at him, and he suddenly chuckled and raised his cup.

“Ha ha. Just a joke. It’s funny, right?”

“...Yes. Ha ha ha. It was funny.”

“Hmm. Good, good. You have good facial control.”

As he calmly drank his tea, he said,

“Welcome. I’m Tang Jue. I’m the Chief of this branch.”

“...Nice to meet you, ugh.”

The combination of the three hundred herbs and black vinegar was still making my stomach churn, but I forced myself to greet him. Tang Jue slowly looked at me, paused, and then said,

“Hmm. I’ve heard various things about you. Since you’re being dispatched, your martial arts must be quite good, right?”

“I’m at the second-class level.”

To be honest, I was somewhere between third and second class, but it’s important to sell yourself, right? After hearing this, he nodded and asked,

“Second-class... Hmm. Do you have any other special skills?”

“I can read maps.”

“Ho. Maps? Can I see you read one?”

“Sure, of course.”

I was confident in my map-reading skills.

Tang Jue handed me a map and asked about directions, scale, and distances. He also asked how I would plan a route for a specific point.

Answering smoothly, he nodded and said,

“Good. By the way, have you ever done a covert escort?”

“Covert escort? No, I haven’t.”

A covert escort involves handling a job on behalf of a client, essentially acting as a troubleshooter. For example, recovering stolen money.

Chief Tang hummed and thought for a moment before suggesting something to me.

“Actually, we’ve received a job from the government.”

“From the government?”

“Yes. Our Nanxing Escort Agency often takes on jobs from the government.”

Thanks to the Tang Family’s influence, receiving jobs from the government was a significant achievement. Government contracts have always been a tough nut to crack.

“So, we need a guide, but we don’t have a suitable person. I think you would be a good fit. What do you think?”

Being a guide was something I had done at the Mayang branch, so I thought it would be fine. I smiled confidently and replied,

“Sure. What kind of job is it?”

“To catch a Golden Bearcat.”

“A Bearcat?”

“Hmm? Don’t you know what a Bearcat is?”

A Bearcat is a panda. I shook my head lightly and replied,

“No, I know what it is.”

Yabba dabba doo, yabba dabba doo.

I remembered just in time.