Chapter 58. Giant Panda (2)

Xiong Miao, so the giant panda mainly lived in the Sichuan region. This peculiar bear, which only ate bamboo, was a precious creature in modern times, fetching a million dollars a year in rental fees. However, in this era, it didn't receive much attention from people.

'It's cute, but not very useful. It could also be dangerous.'

Although pandas were generally docile, they were still bears. A typical person could be sent to the other side of the Jordan River with just one hit from a panda.

Moreover, unlike bears, their fur wasn't useful, they didn't have bear bile, and their meat wasn't tasty, so they weren't worth the effort to catch.

Occasionally, some people tried to use them as medicinal ingredients, but they weren't numerous enough to affect the population. Therefore, the pandas of this era lived quite happily.

"But what exactly is a Golden Xiong Miao?"

"Ah, you're not from Sichuan, so you probably don't know."

Dang Jiao smiled and began to explain.

"Have you heard of Shiqing?"

"Yes. Isn't it the honey found in rock crevices?"

Shiqing referred to the honey collected by wild bees that built their nests in rock crevices. It was a valuable item even in modern times, but in this era, it was treated like a miraculous elixir, making it extremely expensive. So much so that a single jin of Shiqing could change one's fortune.

Dang Jiao continued his explanation.

"A Golden Xiong Miao is a spirit creature that has grown for about 100 years by sucking on this Shiqing. Surprisingly, its white fur glows golden."

"Wow... It must be quite a sight."

"Indeed. Moreover, its black fur turns red, and it's twice the size of other Xiong Miao. So, seeing it once is truly a spectacle."

I imagined a panda with golden fur and red stripes, eating honey. Naturally, a certain character that became a regulated subject for 1.3 billion people came to mind.

'It must be cute.'

While I was imagining the Golden Xiong Miao, Dang Jiao continued his explanation.

"Even though it's a spirit creature, it doesn't have an inner core. So far, it has only been considered a specialty of Sichuan... but now we need to catch it alive."

"Alive?"

If he meant to bring it back dead, it would be easier. Bringing it back alive wasn't simple. It wasn't because of the Washington Treaty; pandas are territorial animals, and forcibly removing them from their territory could cause unpredictable behavior.

Moreover, it was a 100-year-old spirit creature.

If it had been around for 100 years, it was likely not an ordinary creature.

Why? Even snakes become much more powerful when they reach the level of a dragon. A panda, which is already a bear, becoming a spirit creature would likely have formidable combat power.

Of course, as a guide, I assumed there would be a combat team, but even so, capturing a wild animal the size of a bear alive wasn't easy.

"Do we really have to bring it back alive? It would be easier to bring it back dead."

Dang Jiao emphasized.

"We must bring it back alive. That's the client's request."

"Can you tell me what it's for?"

"Well, it's a secret, but... it's a gift for Princess Xiaoying from a certain official."

"A panda as a gift?"

I had heard that the emperor had a youngest daughter named Jinzhi Yuye. But what would the princess use a panda for?

Dang Jiao explained my confusion.

"Yes. Princess Xiaoying recently created a large garden and wants to collect various rare animals to admire."

In other words, she wanted to create a zoo. It made sense; a princess might want her own Neverland. History has shown that many powerful figures had similar desires.

I nodded and replied.

"It will be quite a luxurious zoo."

"Indeed. But from the officials' perspective, it's a good opportunity to stand out. Every time the princess sees the dazzling Golden Xiong Miao in the zoo, she might think of that official."

"Oh, I see."

Powerful people who had enough money often preferred gifts that helped their hobbies over direct monetary gifts.

Understanding the situation, I scratched my head and replied.

"I understand the situation."

"Good. Don't overthink it. Just knock it out and feed it some bamboo mixed with a sedative, and bring it back."

"Moderately?"

But I had a question.

"I'm the guide, so who will knock it out?"

I didn't know how strong the Golden Xiong Miao was, but if it was as strong as a polar bear, it would be difficult for even two or three first-class warriors.

Fortunately, Dang Jiao reassured me.

"Two experts will be assigned, so there's no need to worry."

Dang Jiao mentioned that there was a record of a Golden Xiong Miao being hunted about 50 years ago. According to the record, several first-class warriors worked together and easily caught it.

'If that's the case, there shouldn't be a big problem.'

If several first-class warriors could catch it, two experts would be more than enough.

"So, you just need to guide the way well. After capturing it, load it into the cage prepared by the branch and bring it back alive."

"Alright... It shouldn't be too difficult then."

I nodded and asked.

"Understood. Who will I be going with?"

"People you know well."

I soon understood what he meant.

***

They were really familiar people.

"I didn't expect it to be Miss Pang and Miss Wei."

"Me neither. I didn't know you were the guide."

Pang Gui's eyes were squinted, and she seemed exasperated. Actually, I was the one who felt exasperated.

"First, I'm not an uncle. And why are you two at Nanxing Escort Agency? Weren't you at the Dang family?"

"Xiaoyi begged us to help. The agency said they couldn't find a reliable expert to ask for help."

Pang Gui proudly puffed out her chest. It seemed like she was proud of being asked by a friend, but I was skeptical.

I asked, puzzled.

"Did you get anything in return? Why are you doing this for free?"

"No, nothing. Friends should help each other without expecting anything in return. Don't you know the story of Guan and Bo?"

Guan and Bo's friendship wasn't about being relatives like the Ma family. It referred to the deep friendship between Guan Zhong and Bao Shuya during the Spring and Autumn period.

It was a story about how Guan Zhong took advantage of Bao Shuya, but it felt strange coming from Pang Gui.

'Is it because they can use you for free, not because they have no one to ask?'

The Dang family was powerful; they surely had experts to catch a panda.

However, from the perspective of the Nanxing Escort Agency, which had taken the job, the situation was different. Experts were valuable strategic assets for the agency.

Cases like Guo Toushan, a new recruit who was also an expert, were rare. Typically, experts in the agency were branch managers or leaders.

'It seems they asked for free because they could use two experts.'

I quickly signaled Wei Zhiyan with my eyes.

'Does Miss Pang know she's being used for free?'

If necessary, I would reveal the truth, but Wei Zhiyan shook her head.

'...Don't say anything.'

Wei Zhiyan answered with a bitter expression. Her caramel-colored eyes, slightly revealed by the wind blowing her bangs, looked particularly pitiful today.

'Not knowing is a blessing.'

I quietly nodded and said.

"Understood. I'll guide the way based on that."

Guiding the way meant selecting the optimal route from a map. I unfolded the map and began the briefing.

"First, we'll start from here, go through here, and here. The round trip will take at least three weeks."

"Three weeks? That long?"

Pang Gui was surprised. She probably thought it would take only a few days. She probably thought using lightness skills would make it quick, but that was a big mistake.

"Yes, it will take three weeks."

I firmly stated the schedule.

While I can't use lightness skills, that's not the main issue. The problem is the return trip.

When we return, we need to load the large Golden Panda onto a cart. Without an 8-cylinder engine, it will take a long time.

We also need to bring food for the panda, which requires a lot of preparation.

We need a cart to carry bamboo, horses to pull the cart, food for the horses, and people to lead the horses, who also need food.

Ultimately, this will create a large caravan, which will naturally slow down the journey. The larger the caravan, the slower it moves.

Based on these calculations, the trip will take three weeks.

When I explained the reasoning, Pang Gui's face twisted.

"It's too long!"

"There's no choice. Unless Miss Pang can carry the Xiong Miao and use lightness skills, it will take this long."

Obviously, Pang Gui couldn't carry the large panda and use lightness skills. After some thought, she asked.

"Then, can't we return separately? You can lead the way back, and we can come back on our own?"

"No, that's not possible."

If we did that, we could return in about ten days, but it would be problematic.

"What if someone attacks the Golden Xiong Miao? Or if it goes wild?"

Our mission is not just to capture the Golden Xiong Miao but to bring it back safely. We need experts capable of controlling it in the caravan.

Pang Gui fumbled for words and finally attacked the messenger instead of the message.

"It's because you can't use lightness skills. If you could, the trip would be faster."

Logically, this was a completely wrong attack, but I couldn't refute it.

This has happened several times.

I should have learned it earlier.

***

We were originally supposed to leave the next day, but we delayed the schedule a bit and went shopping instead.

I thought they didn't need much preparation since I heard they often went on missions to catch bandits, but when I saw their packed bags, I couldn't help but intervene.

"Is this all you've packed?"

"Yes. Is there a problem?"

Wei Zhiyan showed me a backpack containing a few clothes, a water flask, and a few Wallnut Pills. I was shocked.

"This won't do at all!"

For a short trip, using lightness skills and eating Wallnut Pills while enduring hunger until reaching a nearby village might work, but for a long journey like this, it would be disastrous.

People need food to walk. I shook my head and said.

"We need to pack enough food and equipment for camping."

"It should be fine..."

"It won't be fine."

I dragged them to the market against their will.

On the return trip, we planned to stop at villages for supplies, but for the outbound trip, we relied on their camping skills and chose the shortest route, which meant frequent camping.

If they packed like this for camping, they would starve unless they mastered the art of photosynthesis.

"Let's pick this... and this too."

"You're buying a lot."

"All of these are necessary."

I reassured Wei Zhiyan, who looked worried, and bought rice, oil, dried meat, and dried flatfish with the budget I received.

Dried flatfish, which refers to flounder or sole, is easy to store and can be used to make broth quickly.

Using this, we could make porridge that was both savory and salty, eliminating the need for additional salt.

"And we need these too."

We also bought mats and raincoats. Raincoats, in simple terms, were cloaks. When tied together and hung on trees, they could be used as A-frame tents.

As I tried to adjust the weight of the packed items, Pang Gui asked suspiciously.

"Isn't this too much luggage?"

"Absolutely not."

If anything, it was a rather minimal preparation.

'They underestimate camping.'

I attached the wok I brought from the branch to the backpack. This completed the preparation.

"Everything is ready. Let's go."

I unfolded the map.