Light's Dawn of Azeroth

Chapter 417, Section 26: The Worrying of the Subordinate - What if the Red Spirit is actually blond? - Bonus Chapter [25]

(Bonus chapter for the "Taoshuke" brothers [2/5])
"Uncle Chen was very sad. He wouldn't listen to my advice and insisted on taking Grandpa Shangxi back to Mizong Island. He said that Grandpa Shangxi had told him that after he passed away, he must be buried in the Zen Staff Forest."

Lily Stormstout followed behind Diakum, leaning on a finely crafted monk's staff carved with crimson cranes, and whispered with concern:

"But the abbot of Zhuhe Temple said that Master Shangxi saved the Heavenly Venerable and the entire Zhuhe Temple and even the Kasanglang Forest, so they hope to bury Master Shangxi's remains in the Zhuhe Temple cemetery. They also said they would make a memorial tablet for Master Shangxi and enshrine it in Zhuhe Temple."

You are not a Pandaren, so you may not understand, but this is truly a great honor for us Pandaren.

There are such memorial tablets in the Temple of Five Dawns; only those Pandaren heroes who saved the Wandering Isle are worthy of being enshrined there. Moreover, the Temple of Vermilion Cranes is a temple of the Celestials. Although this is my first time in Pandaria, I believe this is absolutely the highest honor bestowed upon me on this continent.

Despite her young age, she was already somewhat sorrowful. When she saw Master Shangxi's body, her voice became hoarse from crying. She then said to Diakum:

"Sister Aria also asked me to persuade Uncle Chen. We both heard Master Shangxi's last words. He wanted to be buried in his hometown. And I believe that every island lord buried in the Zen Staff Forest hopes that their graves can be moved to Pandaria."

This is the homeland of all Pandaren, and the place where our souls rest.

But Uncle Chen lost his composure.
I've never seen him so heartbroken. He's on the beach now, waiting for Shinji to return, but Shinji only left a while ago, so it's hard to say where he's swum off to right now."

"You want me to persuade Old Chen?"

Diakum, maintaining his human form, looked at Lily and said:
Do you think I can persuade him?

“At the very least, you can stop him from doing something foolish. Even if he is the number one hero on Lost Island, he certainly can't beat you.”

Lili sighed and said:
"Moreover, although Uncle Chen said that there would be no shortage of trouble wherever you were, as his relative, I could feel that Uncle Chen actually trusted you. After returning to the Lost Island with Ansu, he kept telling you about your experiences on the Eastern Continent."

I have rarely seen him show such admiration for a foreigner.

In fact, Uncle Chen had quite a few friends from other ethnic groups, but he would always record his stories with them in his diary. He always joked that he would only publish the diary and the wine recipes he had found after he died.

But you are one of the few people he is willing to talk about often.

My father told me that although Uncle Chen appears tough and seemingly carefree, he is actually a very soft-hearted person.

"Indeed, if he were just an ordinary drunkard, he wouldn't have performed the rescue twice."

Dick nodded and said:
"You may not know, but your Uncle Chen's two interventions in the Eastern Continent saved many, many people, a town, a city. To this day, those exiles from the Northern Frontier still sing the praises of the 'Dragon Hero' in Stormwind City."

They don't know the Pandaren.

But your Uncle Chen always uses 'Flying Dragon in the Sky' to charge into battle, and the azure dragon-shaped true energy is mistaken by onlookers for his signature move.

"Ha, what a powerful and impressive name."

After thinking about it, Lili decided that she must inherit Uncle Chen's prestigious title and become the second generation of the Dragon Hero!
The two walked quickly through the jungle swamp and arrived at the coast near Zhuhe Temple. From there, they could see an island not far away. The environment there was very good, and it was also the habitat of Zhuhe Tianzun.

Locals call this place "Chijing Qimu" (Red Spirit Perching Tree), where it is said that the descendants of Zhuhe Tianzun (Crimson Crane Celestial Venerable) live. Only those with hope can see the sacred red and white cranes.

Old Chen sat alone on the beach, waiting for Shenzhenzi to return.

He carried his straw hat on his back, and beside him was a coffin, a fine coffin provided by the Zhuhe martial monks, in which Master Shangxi's remains were kept.

Old Chen stuck the Staff of Dawn in the sand next to him. He stared blankly at the sea. Needless to say, he must have been recalling his past with Master Shangxi.

For someone with such a chivalrous heart as him, Master Shangxi's death was more than just a tragedy. Chen would take responsibility for this tragedy upon himself, and Diakum didn't even need to guess to know what Old Chen was thinking.

If he could have caught up in time, if he could have gone a little faster, if the Wandering Isle hadn't decided to return to Pandaria, or even if he hadn't brought the news of Pandaria's impending emergence back to his homeland.

If I had done any of the above, perhaps Master Shangxi wouldn't have died here.

"Uncle Chen."

Lily choked up as she spoke, and Diakum gestured for her to follow. They then walked onto the beach, where some newly hatched emerald turtles were crawling on the sand, trying to avoid the vicious albatrosses in the sky as they tried to crawl into the sea.

And so, under Diakum's gaze.
A turtle successfully entered the water!
He twitched his lips, revealing a not-so-happy smile.

Then it occurred to me that perhaps few people in this world know that the Great Master Shenzhenzi, who carries a mountain range and a group of pandaren and roams the endless sea, was originally just a small sea turtle.

It was even born on this very beach.

The reason why Liu Lang, the adventurous panda, chose a sea turtle as his mount was because he knew that no matter how far these emerald turtles swam, they would return to their birthplace to lay eggs once every five years.

Liu Lang took advantage of the Jade Turtle's natural instincts, and he did indeed fulfill his ideal of leaving the mist to venture into the outside world.

However, ordinary jade turtles could never grow to the size of Shinji.

All we can say is that the adventures Liu Lang and Shen Zhenzi experienced were far more exaggerated and mysterious than anything currently recorded by the panda people of Lost Island.

However, Shinji is simply large in size. It has strong defense but its combat power is actually quite average. It is not a god of the wilderness, but just a lucky sea turtle.

It is said that the Naga of the Deep Sea Empire have always planned to capture the Divine Child as a weapon of war. The Pandaren of Misty Island are peaceful and have been living a life of wandering for thousands of years. Their greatest enemy is also those hateful Deep Sea Naga.

“I have heard people say that we should not only mourn the passing of great people, but also carry on their legacy. As long as the path they walked is continued to be paved, the thoughts and aspirations of these great people will never die.”

Diakum stepped forward and sat down next to Old Chen.

He took out two bottles of fine wine that Chief Rapi had given him from his bag, tossed one to Old Chen, who didn't say a word, but uncorked it and took a swig, getting extremely embarrassed by the spicy and scalding wine.

As he coughed, snot and tears streamed down his face, and the more he tried to wipe them away, the more they flowed.

"Uncle Chen!"

When Lili saw Old Chen crying so sadly, she also rushed into her loved one's arms and hugged him, sobbing.

Today they lost an elder, a teacher, a friend, and a compatriot.

Dick didn't disturb this healthy release of emotions. He sipped the spicy liquor, gazing at the distant sea, where he could see the red and white Crimson Spirits flying among the clouds, spying on this place.

But the vigilant ignored them, simply closing his eyes and feeling the sea breeze blowing in his face.

He hadn't had this much free time in a long time. Taking a break occasionally on a journey might not be a bad thing. At least the scenery of this coastline was really nice, even making the watcher's big tail sway back and forth on the beach.

Once Old Chen had calmed down, Dick continued:
"The island lords of all generations are buried in the Zen Staff Forest, but Lili told me that every one of them hopes to have their graves moved back to their homeland. Pandaren are attached to their homeland and believe in returning to their roots. Can you really bear to let Master Shangxi travel the world with Shenzhenzi again, without a place to rest in peace?"

"But this is not the hometown in Master Shangxi's heart!"

Old Chen gritted his teeth and finally revealed his true thoughts.

He said in a hoarse voice:

“When I was a child, I was learning martial arts at the Temple of Five Dawns. My young master Shangxi described to us his vision of Pandaria. He said it should be a peaceful and prosperous land where the pandaren should live in peace and prosperity under the protection of the four Celestials.”

Look at Pandaria now, is there even the slightest bit of peace and tranquility here?
I'm not completely ignorant about demons!

The fact that those demons who grow by devouring minds have grown to their current state over ten thousand years shows that this continent has never been at peace in the past ten thousand years.

Perhaps Liu Lang's departure from Pandaria wasn't solely to explore the world beyond the Mist; he may have also grown weary of the wars there, which explains why he never recorded Pandaria's conflicts and chaos in his journal.

He hoped that we, the wanderers, could retain a beautiful memory of our hometown.

This is not the home that Master Shangxi wanted to return to.
Perhaps the small Wandering Isle is more like the peaceful place the Pandaren seek than this place. I want to take him back, to the place where he and we were born and raised, so that he can rest in peace there.

"So, the Dragon Warrior is going to turn a blind eye to everything that's happening in Pandaria?"

Diakum said:
"So, you think Master Shangxi's sacrifice can't change this continent?"

You haven't yet found the Stormbrew family's homeland in the Valley of the Four Winds, you haven't yet traveled to Shili Village, the birthplace of the sage Liu Lang, and you haven't yet tasted the brewing of the Immortal at Tianchan Temple.

Lili had never even ridden a dragon, never heard the stories told by the traveling scholars, and never tasted the candied hawthorns from Chenfangyuan.

You're not the kind of person who judges a place based on first impressions, Old Chen. You're just blinded by hatred. Perhaps it's because those mantis demons pierced the Crimson Essence Celestial Venerable with their dangerous 'evil-stained weapons,' and the power of hatred attached to those weapons has affected you. You know better than anyone that Master Shangxi's choice of Zhuhe Temple as his final destination already indicates that he hopes to stay here.

Pandaria is indeed imperfect, but does this world truly contain the perfect place you've been searching for?

You are a wanderer, perhaps even the greatest wanderer ever born on Wandering Island. You have traveled the world but never told anyone what you were looking for.

Perhaps in your heart, the unseen Pandaria is the last possible 'perfect place'.

Now you're disappointed.

The conflict here has made you lose the will to continue your search.

The guard laughed and said:

An idealist is dead!
After his dreams were shattered, he decided, in a state of despair, to return to the place of his birth and live out his remaining days. Am I right?

Old Chen remained silent, only drinking continuously, but he didn't mention taking Master Shangxi away again.

Diakum stood up, patted him on the shoulder, and said:

"On the day Argus fell to the demons, I knew that a 'paradise' could not exist among these stars, but that's a good thing. Since there is no perfect place, it means we have the opportunity to create and protect a perfect place with our own hands."

It could be the Wandering Isle, or Pandaria, or even Azeroth.

It depends on how far you can go, and how long your fists can fight for good.

As I said, when you face the question that Master Shangxi raised in the future, when you confront death, what kind of answer will you give?

You are Lili's role model.

You can tell from her eyes that she will become the next you.

Now, just as Master Shangxi taught you, go and teach your niece.

"I have said all I could, and done all I needed to do. Soon we will be heading to Kun-Lai Summit to finally eliminate the source of evil that has plagued Pandaria for ten thousand years. Although I command many elite troops, who would refuse the accompaniment of a Grandmaster?"

After saying that, Dick winked at Lily, indicating that she would take over the rest of the work, and then left the beach, slightly drunk.

As he entered the jungle, he unexpectedly saw Old Ansu crouching furtively on a branch of a giant tree, gazing in the direction of Zhuhe Temple while muttering to himself.

Diakum leaned closer to listen and discovered that old Ansu was complaining:

"Wow, that's so cool! It even dances! How come its legs are so long? And how come its wings look so beautiful when it flaps? How can it ride those cool, fiery clouds? There must be some skill involved, right?"

What are you doing here?

Diakum's sudden words startled Ansu, who then rolled her eyes and said awkwardly:
"Cough cough, quack, it's nothing. I was just observing my powerful brethren, the Crimson Celestial Venerable, trying to learn a few moves from him. Back in Mount Hyjal, I thought Ounhara was already a hero among raptors."

But upon seeing the Crimson Celestial Venerable today, I realized that there are birds beyond birds. Compared to this flamboyant red and white man, even Oenhara and Avina pale in comparison.

Look!
It's still dancing for the panda people; how could the god of the wilderness be so self-deprecating?

"You know shit."

Dick laughed at the sour smell and cursed:

"The 'Hope Prayer' of the Crimson Celestial is a secret technique passed down only among the Pandaria monks. It is said that the monks' signature move, 'Crane Kick,' was inspired by the dance of the Hope Prayer."

This is a tradition of Zhuhe Temple. This dance is used not only to celebrate victory but also to appease the souls of the dead.

I think you're just jealous, Ansu. Compared to her, you're as black as charcoal. Hmm, speaking of which, once the fog completely dissipates, Chijing will probably be 'harassed' by Lady Elune.

White fur, beautiful, elegant, and very well-behaved.

"Tsk, I'm starting to worry about Lady Elune and Malorne's relationship."

"Who says otherwise? Quack!"

Old Ansu suddenly became interested and called out:
"With this guy being so handsome, how are the other male birds supposed to survive? Look, it's like fire and hope, and supposedly, in the eyes of Pandaren, it's a symbol of the sun. Isn't this almost exactly like my Rukma?"

What if Rukma were to be resurrected and meet Chi Jing? Would she…?

"you."

Diakum finally understood where old Ansu's malice towards the Celestial Lord of Hope came from, and he said with a mixture of amusement and exasperation:

"Neither you nor Rukhmar are registered in Azeroth, yet you're meddling in other people's business. I think you should have some faith in Rukhmar; he's not some promiscuous god of the wilderness."

“I have a lot of confidence in Rukma, but I don’t have confidence in myself.”

Ansu sighed and said:

"Look at how ethereal she looks, and then look at how pathetic I am, a black-faced bum from the street. If you were Rukma, which would you choose?"
Believing in true love is one thing, but sometimes you can feel despair when your potential competitors are far more outstanding than you.

Given Chi Jing's monstrous appearance, I feel that if I ever have a single argument with Rukma in the future, her heart will immediately fly to this guy. What female bird in the world could resist such a demon?
Moreover, their energy attributes are truly a perfect match.

There can't be two suns in the sky.

Diakum snorted, tapped Ansu's big head, and said:
"Just the fact that Chi Jing is so handsome that he makes you feel ashamed of yourself means you don't have to worry about Rukma falling for someone else. The reason is simple: a world cannot have two suns, understand?"

Because they both symbolize hope, the blazing sun, and a beautiful dawn, Chijing and Rukma can only be friends, or even rivals, but can never become lovers.

The appearance of two suns in the sky is quite a sight!
Wouldn't that be a sign of national ruin?
Conversely, you are now Lady Elune's lackey.

If you just work hard and cultivate a ray of moonlight along the path of the Moon Goddess, wouldn't that be the 'convergence of sun and moon'? Then, Rukma will be the blazing sun, and you will be the bright moon. Tsk, a match made in heaven, my friend."

Old Ansu tilted his head and thought about it for a moment, then realized that it made sense and calmed down.

After putting aside his worries, Ansu felt that he should seek out the "high-quality male bird" Chijing Tianzun to learn from him, and preferably learn the ethereal "Prayer of Hope" so that he could also achieve the glorious accomplishment of "Draenor's First Dancer".

Before it left, it shared a message with Diakum:
"Your goblin partners seem to be in trouble. My raven just flew over the ruins of Krasarang Jungle and saw them being blocked by a group of mogu by a strange spring."

You'd better go and take a look.

The goblins were acting strangely; they were all entangled in black and white evil spirits, and some of them had even transformed.

I said, aren't there only seven Sha in Pandaria?

"You've already eliminated the Fiends of Bewilderment, so how come there are still other fiends remaining in this jungle?"

"The Seven Sha are just the seven most intense negative emotions that Y'Shaarj unleashed before his death. It does not mean that there are only these seven Sha. Theoretically speaking, as long as a certain obsession is strong enough, new Sha will appear in this magical land of Pandaria."

Diakum explained:
"Given how wicked and depraved those goblins are, I'd be surprised if they didn't cause some trouble. Alright, I'll go deal with it. You stay here and keep watch."

Chi Jing's condition is very bad. The 'Spirit-stained weapon' that stabbed it contains a mixture of four kinds of evil energy. In addition, the intervention of the Bewildering Spirit will keep Chi Jing in a weak state for a long time.

"The Jade Dragon Celestial Venerable might be coming over soon, so remember to help if you can."

"Is this thing really that dangerous?"

Ansu complained:
"These mantises look like they have some really good stuff in their hands."

"Yes, they have quite a lot of treasures."

Diakum gave a subtle smile, then stepped into the shadows and said meaningfully:

"I wonder which lucky person will benefit in the future."

(End of this chapter)