Shadow Trails in Azeroth

"Who is coming here to disturb people's peace and quiet in the early morning? Don't you all need to sleep?"

The door of Huangliang Pavilion hidden in the bamboo forest opened. The yawning and disheveled Zhou Zhuo complained and rubbed his eyes, looking at the several visitors outside the door.

The sight of the red and black hat decorated with the double-winged logo startled the Lorewalker.

this.

Isn't this the classic look of Shado-Pan?

What are these guys guarding the north doing here?

Zhou Zhuo's heart began to beat wildly. Although Huangliang Pavilion was as warm as spring, he felt his hands and feet were cold, and he immediately suspected that he was "harboring a felon."

He thought these Shado-Pan tough men were here to catch him.

But he didn't see anything like handcuffs or shackles on the black-clothed soldiers in front of him, which made Zhou Zhuo calm down quickly. His years of study tours gave him a stable mentality.

Of course, the more important thing is that Zhou Zhuo must calm down!

Because, he heard Blake's whisper in his ear:

"Prevaricate them and send them away. As long as you don't talk nonsense, they won't find me. You don't want Huangliang Pavilion to be destroyed by an unexpected demonic invasion, right? Lao Zhou.

I have promised that I will leave the Emerald Forest as long as I wait a few more days.

I won't hurt anyone and will never come back. "

"Ahem"

Zhou Zhuo blinked his eyes, turned his back and straightened his poor face and clothes, then turned around and braced himself, and made a "please" gesture to the Shadow Trace Guards outside the door.

explain:

"My place is a bit messy. Don't worry about it. The Lorewalker's house is always filled with all kinds of useless things. Come on, everyone, come in. I'll make you a pot of tea first, and we'll talk slowly."

Several people from the Shado-Pan did not refuse.

They were indifferent but not rude. They treated Zhou Zhuo with monk etiquette and walked silently into the Huangliang Pavilion under the leadership of the owner. However, above the red scarves covering their faces, a few pairs of vigilant eyes scanned this strange place. Around the large courtyard, every detail has been spared.

Normally speaking, as the official law enforcement organization of Pandaria, the Shado-Pan will not always be so "polite" when doing things, mainly because Zhou Zhuo is also an "official member" of the Pandaren civilization.

Ten thousand years ago, after Shaohao, the last emperor of the pandaren, sacrificed himself, the Gunguns broke away from the imperial system and no longer had a nominal unified leader.

However, the ruling team left by Emperor Shaohao is still there. After a period of running-in and adjustment, they gradually divided into the "separation of powers" of the Pandaren civilization.

The original civil service group was transformed into the "Golden Lotus Sect" that practiced civilization within Pandaria and was in charge of domestic and foreign affairs.

The military system that Emperor Shaohao personally selected and established during the process of eradicating the evil continues to operate on the land of the Pandaren under the name of "Shado-Pan" to maintain law and order and deal with threats.

The "traveler" Zhou Zhuo belongs to is a third party under the martial arts.

Their positioning is more like the "wind watchers" assisting the Golden Lotus Sect and the Shado-Trace Sect.

Because the Travelers are either traveling around or on the road of traveling, they can come into contact with minor events in various places and summarize them, and then share them with civil servants and warriors through the efficient information transmission within the Travelers.

Therefore, in addition to being a group of outstanding explorers, the Lorewalkers also serve as the intelligence agency of the pandaren.

When encountering major events, the leaders of the Golden Lotus, Shado-Pan and Lorewalkers would gather together to discuss and make decisions, and the Temple of the Supreme God located on the four sides of Pandaria was the stable outer ring of this ruling system.

Although the four gods did not belong to the Pandaren civilization system at the beginning.

However, they have a deep connection with the Pandaren and are worshiped as sacred animals by Gungun. After getting along with them for more than 10,000 years, the gods have also become an important part of the Pandaren society.

After ten thousand years of good operation, this system is still quite stable.

The Shado-Pan, the legendary warriors of the Pandaren, roam in the shadow of Pandaria, fulfilling their sacred mission. Ordinary petty thefts are unlikely to be noticed by them. That is the responsibility of the Golden Lotus Sect and the monk organizations in various places.

They would not go out unless there was an important matter. Just like Lorewalker Zhou Zhuo, he would feel frightened when he saw the sudden appearance of Shado-Pan people. It would not be a good thing for them to come to his door one day.

In the pavilion of Huangliang Pavilion, Zhou Zhuo brought tea-making tools with a smile. He sat gracefully next to a few silent and reserved shadow warriors, poured the good tea leaves he had collected into the purple clay pot, and lit it again. The small stove pours carefully collected mountain spring water.

Soon, the fragrance of tea spreads.

Lao Zhou rubbed his eyes, which were a little sore from staying up late yesterday and reading. He said to the leader of the shadow warriors in front of him, a thinner pandaren monk:

"The last time we met was a few years ago, right? Your Excellency Tengwu, I still remember that when several of my companions and I were attacked by buffalo men on the Mantis Plateau, it was you who suddenly appeared and saved us.

I also learned from letters from afar that you were personally awarded the title "Red Smoke" by Master Zhu Talan last year. It seems that you will soon become the new master of the Shado-Pan. "

"I just passed the second trial."

The thinner Pandaren monk shook his head. He and Zhou Zhuo seemed to be old acquaintances. He smiled modestly and said:

"As for the encounter on the Mantis Plateau, I didn't save you. At that time, I failed the trial, my mentality collapsed, and I had deviated from the path of the shadow trace and almost fell into the myth of killing.

It was you and the other Lorewalkers who helped me regain my ambition, and I haven't even formally thanked you yet.

However, today’s matter is indeed important, so we will talk about these personal relationships later. "

"Red Smoke" Tengwu took off his hat and face scarf. The pandaman with a scar under his eye looked at Zhou Zhuo, his expression became serious, and he said in a deep voice:

"We came to the Jade Forest on the order of Master 'Eagle Eye' Niirong to investigate the evil invasion of Qinglong Temple. We tortured the captured hozens and learned about the mysterious alien codenamed 'Bad Boss' from them. According to the news from the reporter, some unusual traces were found at the foot of the mountain.

We followed the trace all the way and found that it stopped in front of Huangliang Pavilion.

Mr. Zhou Zhuo, we suspect that the 'bad boss' is hiding around here, and we need your help. "

"Um?"

Zhou Zhuo was suddenly "shocked" and even accidentally overturned the tea bowl. He looked around, trembled, and showed the hurried attitude of a scholar in danger.

He said to Teng Wu, who had been observing him:

"Of course, I will assist you.

I was also present the night Qinglong Temple was attacked by demons. I was frightened, but I accidentally discovered that there might be something behind the matter, so I expressed my worries to my companion, Elder Shibu.

Perhaps it was precisely because of this that I was targeted by that bad guy. "

"Well, I also heard about this from Elder Shibu, and that's why we came here."

Tengwu waved his paws very steadily and said to Zhou Zhuo:

"Then, with all due respect, my subordinates will search Huangliang Pavilion."

"As you wish."

Zhou Zhuo was a little worried, but he still took out a bunch of keys from his waist, handed them to Teng Wu, and said:

"These are the keys to the courtyard cellar, wine cellar, study, and piano room. You can do as you please. I will never interfere, but please be careful when flipping through the books in my collection. There are many unique copies collected by my father and I."

"It's natural."

Tengwu handed the keys to several monks beside him, but he himself did not move.

Let his subordinates spread out throughout Huangliang Pavilion to search for traces. Zhou Zhuo watched them walking around, blinking his eyes while drinking tea. He didn't know where Black was hiding, and he was also very afraid that the stinky pirate would be discovered by the masters of the Shado-Pan in the next moment.

"Hey, what do you think I am?"

Blake seemed to sense Zhou Zhuo's worry. Not knowing where he was hiding, he whispered to Zhou Zhuo:

"The Shado-Pan's background is indeed amazing. They casually sent legendary monks to investigate. I suspect that the Emerald Forest is now surrounded by Shado-Pan walkers.

These guys from the Shado Enlightenment faction are indeed very resolute.

But if that's the case, they won't be able to find me yet, so don't worry, Lao Zhou, continue chatting and laughing with Mr. 'Red Yan', and don't worry about me. "

The elusive voice of the stinky pirate whispered in Zhou Zhuo's ears, making the traveler feel a little more relaxed, but he also thought that as a panda native of Pandaria, his current behavior seemed to be betraying his own people.

Perhaps, he should reveal Blake's whereabouts to Teng Wu in front of him now?

But the problem is, he doesn't know where Black is hiding.

And with the ruthlessness shown by the pirate before, once he jumped on the spot, Tengwu's force might not necessarily be able to protect him.

Pandaria has a famous saying: A gentleman should not stand behind a dangerous wall.

Well, I'd better ensure my own safety first and then look at the situation later. Besides, I stayed up late last night and read the autobiography of His Highness Little Star, and I also gained some insights.

Even if only one tenth of those stories were true, then Blackshaw wasn't a complete villain. He is indeed bad! Bad means.

But everything he did basically had a good outcome in the end.

If you think about it from this perspective, Black's actions in Pandaria were probably for a goal that cannot be said to be noble, but not bad.

As a member of the Lorewalkers, Zhou Zhuo knows many secrets that ordinary pandas don't know, such as the dark power hidden under this land.

He doesn't know much.

But just knowing that is enough to give a pandaren Lorewalker nightmares every night.

The guards of the Shado-Pan acted very efficiently. They completed the search quickly and came to report to Teng Wu with their eyes and gestures. The Red Smoke monk drank a few sips of tea, exchanged a few words with Zhou Zhuo, and then The key was given to him.

"There's no problem here."

Tengwu put on his hat and mask. He stood up and said goodbye to Zhou Zhuo with a fist and said:

"We will also go to Potong Village again. It is said that the villagers there have witnessed the 'Bad Boss' leading the hozens out of the mountain forest where they live.

Maybe there we can find more valuable information.

But Your Excellency Zhou Zhuo, as a witness to the demonic invasion, it is not safe for you, a powerless traveler, to stay here alone. Do you want me to summon my companions to protect you? "

"Well, that's not necessary."

Zhou Zhuo waved his paws, showed a sincere and expectant smile, and said:

"I'm just staying at home for a few days, and I have to go to Qinglong Temple to perform my duties in a few days. You know, there are many outsiders there, and I am a wanderer who is very interested in all strange things.

I also plan to compile a set of tomes describing what lies beyond the mists, they are a great source of information. "

"Well, going to Qinglong Temple?"

Chiyan Tengwu nodded, and the skinny panda said sincerely:

"It's really safe there, maybe you should leave tonight.

Okay, I, a vulgar martial artist, will not disturb you to continue your studies. I will leave this communication firework here for you. If anything happens, sound it. "

Tengwu put an exquisite bamboo tube firework into Zhou Zhuo's hand, said goodbye to him in a friendly way, thanked him for the good tea, and then left the secluded bamboo forest in a hurry like when he came.

The moment the door of Huangliang Pavilion closed, Zhou Zhuo let out a sigh of relief and almost collapsed in front of the door. The back of his gown was almost soaked with sweat.

He really didn't want to feel this bad again.

"Hey, you are a traveler after all, can you behave decently? Don't you Pandaren emphasize the state of mind of 'the mountain collapses in front of you, your face will not change'?"

Like a ghost, Blake appeared in front of Zhou Zhuo in broad daylight. He stretched out his hand to the pandaman who was lying on the ground, but Zhou Zhuo slapped it away with an angry paw.

"That speaks of the monk's desire to learn martial arts. A scholar like me cannot do that."

Lao Zhou got up and said to the smelly pirate in a bad tone:

"I hid it this time, but I can't hide it next time. You ate and drank here. When will you leave?"

"Um?"

Blake's eyes widened in surprise and he said:

"Why are you driving people away, you bad guy? I have never heard of any panda who would kick guests out of their house. Besides, if I leave, who will protect my 'criminal partner'?"

The pirate approached Zhou Zhuo and whispered:

"You don't really think that your poor performance can be hidden from the masters of the Shado-Pan, do you? Let me ask you, did you wash the dishes after we finished eating last night?

You live here alone and need eight plates for a meal? "

Zhou Zhuo suddenly turned his head and looked towards the kitchen, a horrified expression on his face.

Blake grinned, patted Zhou Zhuo on the shoulder and said:

"Go and pack your things. You can't stay here any longer. In my estimation, you will be surrounded by shadow trace masters soon. But don't worry, I will take you out safely.

but

From now on, you have to follow me all the way to the dark side. "

"You deliberately!"

Old Monday pushed Black away and cursed:

"You framed me! You bastard!"

"No, no, no, I won't frame my old friend."

Blake said in a long voice:

"I'm just giving you a reason to convince yourself. Are you tired of this picturesque but lack of change in Pandaria? Don't you want to go outside the fog and see the scenery described in the Little Stars book with your own eyes? The characters, the things? Don’t you want to be a part of those beautiful and magnificent stories?

Look, Lao Zhou, you have been absent from the first half of my story. You can't just let go of the second half, right?

If you don't have this idea, it only means that you are not a qualified traveler.

By the way, speaking of which, can you get me a traveler's membership certificate? In exchange, I can introduce you to the Dwarf Explorers Association.

But you have to promise me that you must control your hands when exploring ruins in the future, otherwise I will cut them off for you! "

——

At the other end of the large swamp in Huangliang Pavilion, "Red Smoke" Tengwu looked at the bamboo forest with a complicated look. He sighed, turned to his companions behind him and said:

"This outsider is very dangerous, and has tempted the Lorewalker Zhou Zhuo to help him do evil. My senses are completely unaware of his existence. If Tao Ya hadn't been careful, we might have missed his traces.

This is no longer an opponent we can deal with.

Send a message to Shaozong Zen Monastery, asking Master Taran, Master Xueliu, and Master Eagle Eye to come and capture him personally. "

The panda behind him nodded, took a few steps back and whistled to summon a divine gray-feathered eagle, tied a note to its talons and let it fly into the air.

While everyone was hiding nearby to observe the enemy's situation, Teng Wu warned a petite female panda:

"Tao Ya, you are the best shadow warrior among us. You must sneak into Huangliang Pavilion to observe them up close. You must be extremely careful!"

"Um."

The female panda nodded and then turned into black smoke and dissipated. This skill of stealth and stealth was already the best in the legend. This shows the strength of the Shado-Pan.

These Gunguns are really not to be underestimated.

But the problem is, a shadow warrior who has just entered the legend wants to guard the famous legendary pirate. These guys are a bit too underestimated of Lord Black, right?