'An Iron-Eating Beast?'
'Aren't giant pandas only mistakenly called Iron-Eating Beasts because ancient people saw them licking the salt residue from the bottom of villagers' pots?'
'The System actually classifies it as an "Iron-Eating Beast" too?'
Yang Qi's curiosity was piqued for a moment, but the situation before him quickly pulled him back to reality.
The keeper, Hu Jing, was already replying, her voice choked with tears.
"Tuantuan was fine this morning, eating his bamboo like usual. But around ten o'clock, for some reason, his temperament suddenly changed. He became frantic, agitated, and even a little ferocious, and he's been crying out like this ever since."
"I checked his food and environment, but I didn't find any problems."
"I suspected it might be a psychological issue, so my first thought was to ask you to come take a look," Cheng Yao chimed in from the side, her face etched with worry.
"It probably isn't just a psychological issue."
Dr. Zhang pushed up his glasses and interjected with a grave expression, "Listen to his cries. They're weak and tremulous. It sounds more like a sound made in physical pain."
"Injured? But I don't see any wounds on Tuantuan."
Hu Jing's eyes widened as she anxiously stared through the railing at the giant panda, which was roaring agitatedly inside.
"It's a bit far from here, so I can't see clearly. We'll need a close-up examination to be sure," Dr. Zhang said in a low voice.
"So, should we anesthetize Tuantuan?" Hu Jing hesitated. Anesthesia was, after all, risky for animals.
"No need for anesthesia."
Yang Qi cut in. While the others couldn't discern the meaning behind the giant panda's cries, he understood perfectly.
Within the giant panda's pained howls were two simple thoughts.
[PAIN]
[REMOVE]
Dr. Zhang had guessed correctly. Tuantuan was indeed having a physical problem, and the issue was with its two front paws!
Ever since Yang Qi arrived, the giant panda, Tuantuan, had been holding up its front paws.
"Huh? You're going straight in?"
Hearing this, Hu Jing grew even more hesitant.
Giant pandas usually seem docile and cute, and getting close to them is normally fine. But right now, Tuantuan's mood was clearly off; he was agitated and in pain.
If he went berserk from the pain and swiped at someone, the force of an adult male panda could absolutely break bones!
"It's fine. I'm confident," Yang Qi said, giving her a reassuring smile.
Cheng Yao also chimed in to persuade her. "Hu Jing, let Yang Qi try. He has a way with animals. His nickname 'Druid' isn't just for show."
"Xiao Yang's skills are truly impressive," Dr. Zhang added, recalling Yang Qi's previous performance.
"Mhm, mhm!" Nurse Xiaohan nodded vigorously from the side in agreement.
"What? Druid?"
A young male tourist watching the spectacle from the side overheard their conversation and couldn't help but let out a scoff.
"Haha, so zookeepers these days are giving themselves fantasy labels like that?" his companion laughed along, his tone mocking.
Yang Qi gave the two a cool glance but paid no mind to their pointless skepticism.
He looked at Hu Jing and said with a confident tone, "I know what Tuantuan's problem is. Let me in, and I can solve it quickly."
"Really? You've already figured it out?" Hu Jing looked at Yang Qi in astonishment.
Cheng Yao's beautiful eyes also widened as she stared at Yang Qi in disbelief.
Looking at him closely, she was suddenly taken aback. She felt that Yang Qi seemed a bit different today. His skin looked better, and his eyes were especially bright.
Hearing this, Dr. Zhang also asked curiously, "Xiao Yang, you figured out the problem so quickly? Huh, Xiao Yang, you seem a bit fairer-skinned. Have you gotten taller too?"
He had also noticed the change in Yang Qi's complexion.
"Oh, I just used a face mask this morning."
Yang Qi replied casually without batting an eye, then returned to the main topic. "Tuantuan is injured. As for what injured him, I'll have to go in and check to be sure."
"This... Alright, then."
Hu Jing looked at Yang Qi's confident eyes, then back at the still-agitated and pained Tuantuan. Steeling herself, she made a decision.
She led Yang Qi to the side of the enclosure, went through the staff access, and used a key to open the door to the inner activity area.
Yang Qi ducked his head slightly and stepped inside.
Sensing someone approaching, Tuantuan—who had his back to the door and was rubbing his head against a wooden frame—whipped his head around, a trace of fierceness from the pain still on his face.
But when his gaze landed on Yang Qi, his ferocious expression froze for a second, as if he sensed some kind of reassuring aura.
In the next second, his expression switched to a pitiful one. He whimpered "YING YING" at Yang Qi while proactively extending his right front paw—the one causing him unbearable pain—towards him.
"Hello, Tuantuan. I'm Yang Qi."
Yang Qi said in a gentle tone, slowly crouching down in front of the giant panda. "Does this paw hurt?"
As he spoke, he reached out and cradled the furry bear paw.
"Mhm, mhm~"
The giant panda, Tuantuan, seemed to understand and nodded his head.
"Okay, this will be over in just a moment."
Yang Qi replied, concentrating as he carefully inspected the thick paw pads and the gaps between his digits.
Soon, in a crevice of the paw pad near the inner side, Yang Qi discovered a long, thin bamboo splinter, its color blending in almost perfectly with the surrounding fur.
The splinter was embedded deep, leaving only a minuscule point visible. It was almost impossible to spot without looking closely.
'So it was a splinter!'
Yang Qi realized.
When pandas eat bamboo, it's inevitable that they get pricked by bamboo slivers or splinters sometimes.
"Tuantuan, don't move. This will be over in a second."
While soothing the giant panda Tuantuan, Yang Qi appeared to take a small pair of medical tweezers from his pocket, but in reality, he retrieved them from his Hundred Pouches Belt.
The giant panda, Tuantuan, seemed to understand Yang Qi's words. It just gave a soft "mhm" and stared at Yang Qi with its dark, shiny eyes, full of trust.
Yang Qi held his breath, precisely gripped the end of the bamboo splinter with the tweezers, and then gave a steady tug with his wrist.
With a faint "POP," the bamboo splinter was pulled out completely.
"See? It was this little thing that was bothering you."
Yang Qi held up the nearly two-centimeter-long bamboo splinter, which had a speck of blood on it, to show Tuantuan.
"RAWR~!"
Tuantuan shrank his head back and cried out at the splinter.
[BAD]
"Haha, it's all better now."
Yang Qi put away the tweezers, ruffled the fur on Tuantuan's big, fluffy head, and said with a laugh, "Be more careful next time you eat bamboo."
"Ying?"
The giant panda, Tuantuan, seemed to be in disbelief. He cautiously placed the paw that had the splinter removed onto the ground and tentatively put some weight on it.
The piercing pain from before was really gone!
"BLEAT~ BLEAT BLEAT~!"
Tuantuan immediately began to cry out joyfully, his voice returning to its usual simple and honest tone. He affectionately rubbed his large head against Yang Qi's thigh, conveying a deep sense of gratitude.
[Mission Complete]
[Reward: "Spirit Crane Body Technique"]
Spirit Crane Body Technique
Increases the body's sense of balance, coordination, and flexibility. Allows for effortless and nimble dodging, turning, walking, and running.
'Not bad.'
Yang Qi nodded in satisfaction.
'With this Body Technique, going into the mountains will definitely be much more convenient.'
Outside the enclosure.
The crowd, however, was dumbfounded.
"Holy shit, he already solved it?"
"Fucking awesome!"
"This... Is he really a 'Druid'?"