Chapter 60. The Giant Panda (4)

"There's a village over there."

It was worth getting up early, as we arrived at the village around noon as expected. I was worried that the village might be too small to have an inn, but fortunately, it was a fairly large village.

I said to the two of them, as if making a promise.

"We'll rest here for the day. Let's make sure to fully recover from the journey."

Adequate rest was crucial for long-distance travel. Wei Jiyan nodded in agreement.

"Definitely, that's a good idea."

"I hope there's something delicious to eat."

Pang Gui rubbed his stomach as he said this. He seemed to be starving. We usually had breakfast before setting out, but today we didn't because we expected to arrive around noon.

"Let's go in."

The inn was easy to find. It was right in the middle of the village, making it hard to miss.

It was around noon, so the inn was empty and quiet. In the Central Plains, people don't usually have a proper lunch; they tend to have a light snack instead. It's similar to a late-night snack in modern times.

As we entered, a waiter who was resting on a chair jumped up, bowed, and greeted us.

"Welcome!"

You must be tired.

I thought to myself as I looked at the waiter.

Actually, customers who come at lunchtime are not very welcome from the waiter's perspective. Waiters have to run errands for the shop all day, so they don't have much time to rest except during this period.

Moreover, they often get hit in the mouth by the kitchen staff when they wake them up to take orders.

'You must have had a tough time.'

While I was lost in these old memories, the two of them were busy choosing from the menu.

"What should we eat?"

"I want something filling... I don't know what's good here. What do you think, Lian?"

"I'm not sure..."

This was often a concern for martial artists when they first visited an inn. Choosing from the menu, that is.

Locals who frequent the inn know what's good and what ingredients are available, but outsiders don't. They enter the inn without knowing what the place is famous for.

As a result, outsiders are often taken advantage of. They are recommended dishes made from leftover ingredients or those with high profit margins.

The only exceptions are martial artists with a lot of money or those with scars all over their faces. Most outsiders are easily taken advantage of.

I chuckled to myself.

'Finally, it's time to show my true colors.'

After hearing their dilemma, I decided it was time to show off my waiter talk and called the waiter over.

"Come here for a moment."

"Yes, sir. Would you like to order?"

As the waiter approached with a hot cup of tea, I dipped my finger in the tea and wrote a character on the table.

污

The character for "dirty" (污).

The waiter's expression changed when he saw it.

"Oh... You too?"

"Back in the day, for a short time. By the way, what's good here?"

I smiled, and the waiter chuckled before listing off the dishes.

"Our best dish is sweet stir-fried pork, but it might be a bit bland on its own. I'll bring you some flower rolls and salty soy sauce to go with it. The beef noodles are also very good. We recently slaughtered a cow, so the meat is still fresh."

The waiter's tongue rolled smoothly as he spoke. After listening to his recommendations, I nodded in agreement.

"Then bring us a generous serving of those dishes."

I handed him a few coins, a bit more than necessary. The waiter quickly checked the coins, his expression brightening. He subtly rolled a few coins between his fingers and hid them in his sleeve.

"I'll bring them right away!"

The waiter bowed and hurried away. Wei Jiyan, who had been watching the whole process, asked.

"What was that just now?"

"Oh, nothing much. I just used a trick to get good food recommendations."

I replied with a slightly smug look.

This was a secret code used only among the members of the Haomen.

In the martial arts world, there was a sect called the Haomen, which included waiters, courtesans, and pickpockets. They had a sense of camaraderie and would often help each other out.

While the help they could offer was limited, they would usually provide a bit of extra service.

For waiters, showing the character for "dirty" (污) would prove that you were one of them, and they would give you the best food and room.

Of course, I wasn't a formal member of the Haomen; I had just learned it from a senior waiter.

"Are you curious?"

I asked, maintaining my smug expression. Wei Jiyan nodded slightly.

"Yes, a little."

'Of course you are.'

It was natural to be curious, especially for a martial artist.

Just as I was about to explain, Pang Gui blew a raspberry and replied indifferently.

"It doesn't matter. We can just eat anything."

"..."

It's really useful.

I felt deflated and sipped my tea, which tasted a bit bitter.

Wei Jiyan, looking uncomfortable, asked in a low voice.

"Um... I'm curious."

Indeed, a proper person would be curious. I perked up and started to explain.

"Yes, it's a secret code used among the Haomen. When you go to an inn, you write this character for 'dirty' (污)..."

As I was explaining, Pang Gui, who was listening, pointed to her head and said.

"Isn't it easier to just eat anything? They say worrying too much can make you bald."

"??!"

How can someone say such things to another person? I felt a surge of anger and blurted out.

"That's why you're not growing, Miss Pang."

"!!!"

The mention of her height made her pupils dilate. Steam seemed to come out of her nose, and her face turned red.

I quickly added.

"So, what I mean is, since Miss Pang is still in her growth phase, eating a balanced diet from now on could help her grow taller."

"Is that true?"

Fortunately, she calmed down quickly. I decided to be more careful about height-related comments and continued.

"Yes, Miss Pang has been practicing martial arts since she was young, which has put pressure on her bones before they could fully grow."

In reality, intense physical training from a young age can hinder growth. While this is rare in modern times, it was common in the martial arts world.

'You start training too intensely from a young age.'

In prestigious martial arts schools, children usually start training at around five or six years old. Many sects have religious elements, so they often promote a vegetarian diet.

This is a poor environment for growth.

Knowing this, I said confidently.

"So, eating a balanced diet from now on could help you grow taller."

"Hmm... really?"

"Really."

This was based on modern medical knowledge. My confident answer made her narrow her eyes and scan me up and down.

"I don't think so..."

I didn't say anything more and closed my mouth.

'If I were over 180 cm, it would be more convincing.'

To add, 174 cm is above average in the martial arts world.

It's true.

***

After a week of traveling, stopping at villages and camping, we finally reached the bamboo forest where the Golden Bear Panda was said to live.

"Alright, we're almost there."

After resting in a nearby village the previous night, we got up at dawn and headed for the bamboo forest. On the way, Pang Gui yawned and said.

"Ah... I'm so sleepy. Do we really have to come so early?"

"There's a reason."

I reassured her. I was sleepy too, but there was something we could only get in the bamboo forest early in the morning.

When we arrived at the entrance to the bamboo forest, I stopped the group and said.

"We've arrived. This is the bamboo forest where the Golden Bear Panda lives."

I checked the map to confirm we were in the right place, then started briefing the group.

"Before we go to catch the Golden Bear Panda, let me give you a quick explanation. It's important, so pay attention."

I pointed to my ear to indicate they should listen carefully, then began.

"First, we'll have a quick breakfast here, then go find the Golden Bear Panda. When we find it, the two of you need to knock it out and feed it this dream-inducing drug."

I shook a small vial. It contained a special drug from the Sichuan Tangmen that would keep the panda unconscious for a week.

After distributing the pre-divided vials, I continued.

"I'll go to the branch office in the village to call for help as soon as we find the panda. Until then, you two need to make sure it doesn't wake up."

I had checked with the branch office of the Nanxing Escort Agency in the nearby village the day before to ensure the cart was ready. They had a special cart with iron bars prepared.

"Once we bring it back, our job is done."

"Got it. But do we really have to come out so early? We could start at around 10 AM."

Pang Gui pointed to the dark sky. It was still early morning. I pointed to a part of the bamboo forest.

"There's a reason we have to come at this time."

There was a small mound of dirt. Pang Gui looked at it and asked.

"What's that?"

"It's a bamboo shoot."

I approached the mound and cleared the dirt. A small bamboo shoot was just starting to emerge.

Bamboo shoots are the most tender and delicious when they are still small and just emerging from the ground.

"This is when they're the most delicious."

"Ah..."

Bamboo grows quickly, so by morning, the shoots are already too big and bitter. We had to come early to get the young, tender shoots.

'I need to dig up some bamboo shoots in advance.'

You might wonder why I need bamboo shoots, but there's a reason.

For the panda's food.

As everyone knows, pandas have a picky diet. They eat bamboo all day and occasionally honey or fruit, but nothing else.

I planned to load up on bamboo before we left, but the problem was that we didn't know how much the panda would eat in a day.

The people at the Nanxing Escort Agency branch here probably wouldn't know either.

So, I planned to load up as much as possible, but there was a chance we might run out of bamboo halfway.

'But pandas also eat bamboo shoots.'

In the worst-case scenario, the bamboo shoots could serve as emergency food for the panda. If there were any left, humans could eat them too, making them very useful.

That's why I decided to dig up some bamboo shoots while we were here.

"Because of this, I'll be digging up bamboo shoots in the morning, so you two should search for the Golden Bear Panda."

"Um... okay. Sure."

"Alright, got it."

After finishing the explanation, we split up. I carefully looked around and started digging up bamboo shoots with my short sword.

My goal was to fill a bag, which I estimated would take about two hours.

"Ah, here too..."

I found more mounds of dirt, cleared the dirt, and dug up the bamboo shoots. It was quite satisfying.

As the bag got heavier, I thought about making bamboo shoot rice for breakfast.

'Bamboo shoot rice with a bit of soy sauce would be delicious.'

You just put some rice, water, and chopped bamboo shoots in a pot and cook it. It's a real delicacy.

While I was thinking about breakfast and digging up bamboo shoots, I suddenly felt a chill down my spine. I sensed a gaze from somewhere.

'What is it?'

I immediately threw my short sword and drew my sword. I quickly scanned the area but couldn't see who was watching me.

This was the first time I had felt such a strong gaze since entering the martial arts world. I used my inner strength to shout loudly.

"Who's there!!!"

—Who's there... who's there... who's there...

My voice echoed under the dark sky, making the atmosphere even more eerie. I gripped my sword firmly and lowered my stance, ready to counter any attack.

At that moment, two golden orbs glowed in the distance. Then, a sound like a wild animal threatening its prey echoed.

"Rrrrr..."

I felt a chill run down my spine.