Light's Dawn of Azeroth

Chapter 414, Section 23: With Diakum around, you expect peace? Dream on!

A giant tortoise carries towns and fertile fields across the endless sea. It is an expert in hiding and is said to be able to control storms and summon fog to obscure the view.

Legend has it that only the luckiest sailors and merchants have the chance to catch a glimpse of that magnificent, mountain-sized creature breaking through the mist and appearing on the sea.

There has always been a legend about the "Wandering Isle" in Azeroth, because the pandaren on the island would lend a helping hand to ships in distress. Over time, this legend became a kind of "superstition" among sailors.

As we all know, sailors are among the most superstitious people in any world, so what they say is often not accepted by most people.

A tortoise the size of a mountain? That sounds like something that came up with from a brainstorming session involving too much horse piss.

But for Prince Hot Sand, these past few days on Misty Island have been filled with a different atmosphere than before. He has even gotten used to getting up every morning to have a cup of morning tea with the old panda people.

Of course, the goblins couldn't really enjoy that leisure.

Hot Sand's purpose was simple: it wanted to learn some bits and pieces about the "Pandaren treasure" from the Pandaren, and the legend that captivated Hot Sand the most was one called the "Fountain of Youth".

Legend has it that there is a magical spring in the ancient jungles of Pandaria, which grants immortality to anyone who drinks from it.

Of course, such legends exist all over the world. Even Stranglethorn Vale has a similar "holy spring." Hot Sands even sent people to search for it, only to find that it was just bait used by the Naga to "fish."

The holy spring on the shore of Stranglethorn Vale does have some magical effects, but it's far from granting immortality.

Hot Sand is a very shrewd businessman. The reason he believed the panda people was because he accidentally discovered an ancient manuscript while visiting the library of the Temple of Five Dawns.

That was the travel notes of Mr. Liu Lang, the founder of the Lost Island, when he was young. In his notes, he clearly recorded the location of the Fountain of Youth, which is in the ruins of Duyang in the Kassanlang Jungle. It is said that some Mogu people in the ruins have lived for tens of thousands of years by relying on this spring.

"What a waste!"

Having just finished his morning tea, Resha returned to his temporary lodgings and took out the notebook again. His small eyes were filled with a persistent longing.

Hiding in this room, he muttered to himself:
"If this spring water were in my hands, even if its potency were only one-tenth of the legendary amount, as long as it was properly managed, a small cup of water could be sold for an astronomical price. There are plenty of old, death-fearing people in this world who would be willing to spend every penny in their pockets on it."

This isn't spring water at all!
This is clearly a moving treasure trove. Yes, the Hot Sands Foundation will also have its own 'Tou-ryu'.

I must find it!

Perhaps it was just an illusion, but Hot Sand felt that the closer Godson got to the continent of Pandaria, the more determined and active a certain part of its mind became. As the richest goblin in the world, it had originally lost interest in making money.

But in the past few days, that long-lost impulse has resurfaced in my heart.

For Hot Sand, this was not a bad thing. It felt like it had rediscovered its "drive" and was thinking about making money and getting rich. This persistence made it extremely proactive, just like the good old days when it was dealing in bootlegging in the bar in Undermae.

For a goblin to be old, the hot sands are already quite old, but now they've become "young" again.

Pandaria is a great place!

Hot Sand carefully hid the notebook, then waved its fist and shouted:
"To hell with retirement! I can make money until I'm a thousand years old! Yes, as long as I have the Fountain of Youth, I can make money until the end of time. Ah, it feels so good to be alive again."

"Hot Sand, come out quickly, Uncle Chen told me to call you, we're about to reach the shore."

A little panda's clear voice rang out from outside the house, prompting Resha to quickly step out and greet the little panda in front of her, who was wearing a red jacket, had a stylish ponytail, and was carrying a toddler version of a monk's staff.

"Hey, Lili, you seem very happy today. Is it because you're back in your hometown that you're in such a good mood?"

Resha even exchanged pleasantries with the little panda.

After all, this group of stranded goblins had been staying at Stormfire Inn's house for the past few days, and because Diakum had introduced them, Old Chen hadn't even charged them rent.

The fact that the goblins were offered "rent-free" was enough to make Hot Sands welcome its host with a smile.

It's not necessarily about the money, but the feeling of "getting something for nothing" always makes every goblin happy all day long.

"Yes, Uncle Chen and Zhuangbo are ready. When Shenzhenzi gets close to the shore, we will take a small boat ashore."

Lili has big, panda-like eyes.

She was thrilled to return to Pandaria, perhaps driven by a childlike adventurous spirit, and exclaimed with delight:
“But the Great Lord Shenzhenzi is too big, it can’t get close to the shallow sea, so we have to row ashore. The Kasanglang jungle is very dangerous, so Master Shangxi arranged for us to be the second group to land.”

"The second batch?!"

Hot Sand let out a shriek, startling Lily. Then the goblin shook his head vigorously and waved his hands, saying:

"It can't be the second batch! What if the first batch of Pandaren who landed discovers it first... cough cough, what I mean is, you Pandaren are all peace-loving good people. Although you are powerful, you are not good at dealing with those treacherous and dangerous situations."

But my goblin sailors and trolls are all seasoned veterans who have fought their way through the brutal competition of the South China Sea trade routes; they have plenty of adventure experience.

I think we should be among the first to reach shore, along with your Uncle Chen.

The goblin prince, his eyes darting about, adopted a righteous and awe-inspiring expression and earnestly spoke to Lily:

"You lived like gods on Misty Island. The biggest conflict here was just someone accidentally stepping on the neighbor's vegetable garden when they went out. You haven't had any contact with the outside world for a long time."

Believe me, Lily, the people outside are all bad, they're absolutely wicked!

Each of them has a mind of their own, and you innocent souls will be deceived by them.

This kind of thing should be left to the goblins.

We've been taken too good to be by you these past few days. My servants have been eating and drinking to their hearts' content and have gotten fat. This isn't good for their health; they need to get some exercise.

You see, in goblin culture, being fat is a symbol of wealth, but my goblins are all penniless. How can they get fat first? That's against the rules; in the goblins' eyes, it's practically going against the natural order, you know?

So, please take me to meet Master Shangxi.

I will try to persuade him.

Lili felt that the cunning goblin Hot Sand must have some kind of purpose, but then she thought about it again. Uncle Chen had also said that the outside world was very complicated, and life on Misty Island was simple and happy. She didn't trust Hot Sand, but she trusted Uncle Chen, so Lili agreed.

The two men, who were of similar height, left Chenfeng Village and headed towards Wuchen Temple. Along the way, they could see the Water and Earth School and the Fire and Metal School of martial monks gathering. These were the two martial monk schools of Wuchen Temple, and their competition with each other was fierce.

But that's all healthy competition; there won't be any situations like throwing sacks or wild punches. Well, most of the time it won't.

“Hot Sands, you said before that when you returned to the South China Sea, you would give me a permanent VIP voucher for the Hot Sands Consortium.”

Lili, carrying the small martial arts staff that Uncle Chen had made for her, said to Resha:

“But my father told me that ‘one should not accept rewards without merit,’ so I thought about it and decided that I couldn’t accept it. Helping those in distress is a tradition of Lost Island, and I want to become a great explorer and monk in the future, so I can’t break the rules.”

"Ah, my dear friend, look, your simplicity troubles my conscience."

Hot Sand was preoccupied with the legend of the Fountain of Youth and had no time to discuss a VIP voucher with Lily, so it waved its hand and said:
"But we goblins also have our own rules of conduct. If my partner finds out that I haven't repaid my benefactor, he will definitely have a problem with me."

So there's no need to discuss that further. I will definitely give you that VIP voucher, which will give you a 15% discount on everything you buy at the Hot Sands Consortium and on our ships traveling around the world. Besides, if you want to travel, you need a ship, right?

The naive and inexperienced Lili was no match for Resha, and was persuaded in just a few words.

They soon met Master Shangxi, the current abbot of Wuchen Temple. After listening to Resha's suggestion, he thought it made sense and arranged for Resha and his goblin servants and giants to be among the first to land.

There is nothing we can do about it.

Although the martial arts tradition of the Wandering Isle has remained stable, the Wandering Isle is only so big, and the number of Pandaren that can be supported is small, making each member of the tribe precious.

It was all the better that the goblins were willing to help, and Master Shangxi seemed to have guessed what Resha was planning. As the goblin prince left happily, this wise martial monk with long, white eyebrows gave him a special reminder:

“Benefactor Resha, the demons in your heart are preparing to break free of their cages and devour you. Why not stay at Wuchen Temple and have a discussion with this old man about calming your mind?”

"I'm busy, Master. My business, worth millions per minute, is delayed in the South China Sea."

Hot Sand said with a bitter face:

"Moreover, we goblins simply can't learn the pandaren's philosophy of life. It's too complicated and hard to understand. As for inner demons and such, that's not a problem! Only persistent people can achieve great things. I was able to earn this fortune entirely because of my indomitable spirit when I was young."

If I lose that breath, what difference is there between me and those loser goblins living in the Undermae sewers?

"Well, go ahead then."

Master Shangxi, leaning on his jade staff, sighed helplessly, watching Resha leave. After thinking for a moment, he called over his two disciples:
“Elsa, and Ji, you two need to look after the Hot Sands Benefactor and its goblins after you land.”

The veteran host reminded him:

"The Sha of Pandaria are an extremely dangerous force. These goblins are all very obsessed, and there will likely be trouble if they go there."

"Yes, Master."

Elsa Yunge and Ji Huozhang bowed and then exchanged a glance. The competition between the young people made them unwilling to admit defeat to each other, but both of them were genius monks from Misty Island, and their talents were not much different from Old Chen's.

After making these arrangements, Shinji's enormous figure finally broke through the fog and approached the coast of Pandaria.

It was too big to enter shallow waters and could only stop at the edge of deep waters.

The enormous head gazed at the place where it was born but hadn't returned for thousands of years, letting out mournful cries. It remembered when it was a little turtle, carrying the audacious Liu Lang on its back as they set off from this beach. Their first adventure, a man and a turtle, nearly drowned in the endless sea, but they eventually adapted, setting out again and again, returning time and time again.

The most adventurous among the Pandaren followed Liu Lang, eventually giving rise to the legend of the Lost Island.

Now, the children who have been away from home for thousands of years have returned.

No matter where the Pandaren of the Wandering Isle are, Pandaria will always be their home.

Ships moved toward the coast from beneath the massive body of Shinjin-ko, while carefully selected warrior monks rowed with excitement and trepidation toward the distant continent.

They knew this place was called Krasarang Wilds, the southernmost part of Pandaria. Heading northeast would lead to Jade Forest, the most prosperous capital of the Pandaren, and further afield to the Valley of the Four Winds, where, according to legend, fertile land yielded a harvest every day, sustaining everyone on the continent.

There are also four gods.

They worshipped the Four Heavenly Gods, yet none of them ever truly had an audience with those powerful Holy Spirits.

Most importantly, the Pandaren have a tradition of recognizing their ancestors and returning to their homeland. The God of Gods has not returned to Pandaria for thousands of years, and it is unknown whether their ancestors are still in their recorded homeland.

Old Chen was also very excited.

He kept chewing sweet root grass under his straw hat to suppress his excitement.

The Stormbrew family is a powerful clan in the Valley of the Four Winds; it's said they own the most prestigious brewery in Pandaria.

He, his brother Changbo, and his niece Lili's ancestor Liao Storm Spirits arrived at Misty Island when they were very young. His mother followed the sage Liu Lang on a voyage to find a better brewing recipe in the outside world.

That was thousands of years ago.

Over the years, Old Chen, as a wanderer, has traveled almost all over the world. He has tasted the wine of the dwarves, drunk the wine of the elves in Quel'Thalas, drunk moonlight wine in the forests of Kalimdor, and even tasted all kinds of divine brews among the trolls.

But the one thing he regretted most was never having tasted the wine from his hometown.

Oh, there's another bizarre and legendary story about Old Chen. The "Wine Festival" that the dwarves celebrate every year was accidentally created by Old Chen when he had a drinking contest with the dwarves.

This wanderer can only be described as a true legend. Few people have seen him, but many have heard his story.

"Uncle Chen, is the Kasanglang Jungle very dangerous?"

The niece's voice rang out beside Old Chen, causing the excited yet apprehensive traveler to nod and say:

"Yes, according to the records of the sage Liu Lang, there are lizardmen and mogu here. Hmm? What are you doing on the ship! This is not a place for you, go back!"

Halfway through his sentence, Old Chen realized that Lili shouldn't have been among the first group to land. But looking at his innocent-looking niece and then at the sea behind them, where most of the sea had already been traversed, Old Chen covered his eyes in despair.

He knew that Lili must have sneaked up here during the chaos.

His niece inherited none of his brother Changbo's composure or his sister-in-law Lixiu's elegance. She was even more mischievous and energetic than he was when he was a child. She was the leader of the kids on Misty Island and even dared to fight with monkeys!

If you can't beat them, fight them every day. Every day, just like going to work, you go to wrestle with the monkeys.

Before long, even the monkeys on the island admired her courage and were willing to play with her.

“I’m telling you, Uncle Chen, Hot Sand has a bad idea. I just saw him telling his goblin servants a story about the Fountain of Youth, and they’re going to go into the jungle to find those springs.”

Lili whispered to Old Chen with a hint of guilt:
"It's all that book's fault! I was the one who found it with the hot sand, and now it's bewitched. It's all my fault."

"But that book has been hidden in the library of Wuchen Temple for so many years. Many people have read it, but no one has been captivated by Hot Sand. So it's not your fault. Don't take the blame for other people's mistakes."

Old Chen shook his head, glanced at the goblins on the other ship. He didn't have much affection for the greedy goblins and said:
"Let them be. Our connection with them ends here."

We've come to pay homage to our ancestors and search for our homeland. Since you're here, I can't send you back, so please take this with you.

Old Chen handed his meticulously crafted monk's staff to Lili.

This staff is completely different from the Jade Bamboo that Pandaren often use. It looks heavy, but Lili feels it is too light in her hand. There are also some runes on it that Lili cannot understand.

"This is a protective weapon given to me by a very powerful friend of mine. It is said to come from the World Tree of another world."

Old Chen took out his spare White Tiger boxing gloves, put them on, and said to Lili, whose eyes were wide open:
“I call this stick ‘Dawn’ because it truly possesses magical power. When you hold it but do not have the heart of a warrior, it is just an ordinary stick. However, when you want to protect something, the power within this stick will respond to you.”

My friend clearly kept his strength in the stick.

That is the power of the sun, though it is not a weapon that a monk like you, who is not even an apprentice, should possess.

But I believe Changbo has taught you well, and I also believe you will use it to protect something.

Stay close to me in a bit.

"Wow, that's amazing."

Lily gently stroked the warm stick and whispered:

"You seem reluctant to talk about that friend?"

"It's not that I'm unwilling, but... how should I put it? Every time I run into him, I get into big trouble."

Old Chen thought about his two encounters with Diakum, sighed wearily, patted Lili's head, and said:

"Hopefully we won't run into him in Pandaria this time. He calls himself the Challenger of Fate, so Fate is very unkind to him. Wherever he appears, there is always big trouble."

Lily didn't understand such a complex concept as fate, but that didn't stop the boat from excitedly docking at the shore.

Led by Lao Chen, the elite warrior monks of Wuchen Temple spread out to search the area after landing. They wanted to build a simple dock here so that the island's civilians could also come over. Then, following the records of their ancestors, they would head northeast to a place called "Zhujiaji".

That was the largest town in the Pandaren jungle, Kassanlang.

After Hot Sand and its goblin servants came ashore, they ran into the jungle under the pretext of "exploration." Elsa Cloudsong wanted to chase after them but was stopped by Old Chen.

He had traveled extensively and knew that once a goblin got carried away, he couldn't be persuaded and could easily drag his honest people into the mess.

Old Chen is highly skilled in martial arts, and the Pandaren monks on Misty Island all admire him.

Rumor has it that Master Shangxi has appointed Lao Chen as the next abbot of Wuchen Temple, but Lao Chen only wants to be a simple wanderer and has declined.

The initial landing was not dangerous, so the second group of pandaren quickly came ashore, followed by the third group. When Master Shangxi led the last group of pandaren onto the sea, shouts of battle suddenly rang out from the jungle.

Old Chen jumped up and saw a large group of mantis demons rushing towards them.

They had been away from Pandaria for too long and were unaware that Krasarang Forest had become the territory of the Mantid, but now it was too late to retreat.

So Old Chen led the monks to charge forward and meet the enemy.

A group of monks escorted their clansmen to Zhujiaji for temporary refuge. The two groups separated, but during the battle, a huge Mushan beast carrying a bunch of ferocious lizardmen rampaged out of the forest.

The Mushan Beast had a huge Mogu cannon hanging beside its body, and the first shot exploded into flames on the shell of the Shenzhenzi Turtle outside the sea.

There was no way around it; Shenzhenzi was too much of a target, and the cannons behind Mushan Beast could hit him every time.

“We need help!”

In the chaos, Lili didn't know what to do. She tried her best to drag several wounded monks back to the battlefield and feed them healing wine, but seeing the mantis demons and lizardmen attacking from both sides, Lili was extremely anxious.

then
She then saw Hot Sand and the goblins running out of the woods carrying strange jars.

What are you still doing here?

Riding a giant in the scorching sand, wielding a goblin musket, it fired wildly in the chaos. Seeing Lily, it cried out:
"Run, silly child! Take the wounded with you. The monks are highly skilled and can retreat at any time, but if you stay here, they can't leave. I read in a book that there is a Zhuhe Temple in the jungle, where powerful monks guard the sacred place, and it's not far from here."

"Let's get there quickly!"

The goblin was quite loyal; he ordered his giants to carry the wounded man and dash into the jungle. But when they reached the legendary Zhuhe Temple, the panting Hot Sand was filled with despair.

"Damn! How come there's war here too? Aren't pandaren supposed to be the most peace-loving people? Why is your homeland filled with war?"

Compared to this place, even northern Xinjiang is a beautiful home.

Lili's eyes widened in surprise.

If the attack on the beach was just a disturbance by the mantis demons, then the current situation at Zhuhe Temple can truly be described as a "great battle," with thousands of mantis demons and terrifying giant insects besieging the place.

It turns out that the Pandaren wanderers of Misty Isle were implicated in the battle here.

"Don't just stand there, go inside!"

Hot Sand clutched the jar of water tightly to its chest and cried out:
“My ‘mutual aid’ terms have taken effect. The vigilant will come to our rescue soon. Get into the temple! We can hold out there at least.”

(End of this chapter)