In the northeastern corner of the Jade Forest lies a small fishing village called Shala'nir, inhabited by a group of pandaren anglers.
They live a peaceful life, working and fishing at sunrise and resting at sunset each day.
But on this day, they spotted a warship emerging from the mist on the sea!
It was none other than the battleship Galen was piloting.
The massive warship aroused the vigilance of the pandaren fishermen, mainly because they had never seen any of their kin create such a massive contraption; it was definitely a foreign vessel.
"Hi! Hello there!"
After the warship stopped in the waters a few hundred meters away from the fishing village, Lili couldn't wait to climb onto the ram of the warship, waving her tiny bear paw at the fishermen.
The pandaren on the Wandering Isle also poked their heads out, looking around, trying to find out what the difference was between Pandaria and the Wandering Isle.
The sight of numerous panda heads popping out from the railings eased the villagers of Shala'nir, who simply assumed they were compatriots from some coast of Pandaria.
After obtaining the consent of the pandaren of Shala'nir, Galen docked the warship at a simple pier, and an excited Old Chen took the lead in leaping off the warship.
"Hello there, compatriots, I am Chen Stormstout. May I ask where this is?"
A plump old man walked out from the curious pandaren, "Young man, this is Shala'nir Village in the Jade Forest. I am Elder Yin-bo Ch'eng of the Anglers. Your surname is Stormstout; could it be that you come from the Valley of the Four Winds? But there isn't a port there."
Although Old Chen gleaned a clue about the Stormstout family from the old pandaren, he still shook his head, indicating that he did not come from the Valley of the Four Winds.
"Oh, where do you come from? Could it be the Krasarang Wilds or Kun-Lai Summit? This old man has many old friends at the Anglers Wharf and Zouchin Village!"
"Elder, we come from the Wandering Isle; this is our first time back to Pandaria!" Old Chen was exceptionally honest at this moment.
"The Wandering Isle?"
The villagers whispered among themselves.
"Has anyone heard of this place? I certainly don't remember there being such an island nearby!"
However, a glint of light flashed in the cloudy eyes of the pandaren elder.
"The Wandering Isle! You are descendants of the group that sailed with Liu Lang!"
"Does the old gentleman know about Liu Lang and Shen-zin Su?" Old Chen was somewhat excited.
"Of course, I know about Liu Lang and Shen-zin Su; in fact, I was born in the same place as Liu Lang! Liu Lang's stories are still circulating there!"
"Really? Elder! Then we can be considered half-fellow countrymen!"
Old Chen was also quick to make friends, hurriedly trying to get close to the old pandaren.
And indeed, the pandaren lived up to their reputation as a warm and peaceful race. The old pandaren invited Old Chen and Galen back to his home, while the other villagers took care of the other pandaren on the warship.
This allowed the pandaren from the Wandering Isle to feel the warmth from their compatriots.
The old pandaren's home was high up in the fishing village, a bamboo house at the foot of a cliff.
Not far from the bamboo house, a waterfall cascaded down from the cliff, striking a statue carved into the cliff face.
It was actually a giant mogu stone carving.
Following the steps paved with bamboo, they entered the old pandaren's home. As soon as Galen entered, he realized that this should be a shop, and the second floor seemed like an inn…
Could it be?
Was this old pandaren the owner of the inn in this Shala'nir Village?
Galen didn't remember that this small fishing village could also be bound to a hearthstone; he hadn't even noticed this small village in his previous life.
"Wan-yu, come and take care of the guests, bring out the Ancient Tree Orange Tea from Tian Monastery that I've treasured for many years!"
"Um… Elder, I prefer to drink alcohol!"
"Hahahaha, no wonder you're from the Stormstout family; then let's have a few drinks. I also have some of your family's beer in stock!"
"That's really great!"
The adults sat around the table, while Lili, accompanied by Legolas and Arathor, were restless. They were already studying the stove in the house, trying to figure out the secrets of its cooking.
"Elder, can you tell us about the stories of Liu Lang circulating in Pandaria?"
Old Chen wanted to know how the compatriots here in his hometown viewed Liu Lang and the group that sailed with him, as this would affect whether the people of the Wandering Isle could better integrate.
"Liu Lang, ah, he was a remarkable wanderer."
"Like me, he was born in Stoneplow Village in the Valley of the Four Winds and grew up there."
Stoneplow Village was located in the northwest direction of the Valley of the Four Winds, close to the Serpent's Spine, the Great Wall of Pandaria.
This pandaren, who had been restless since childhood, loved to travel and wander. He even tried to find a way to cross the mists shrouding Pandaria and return successfully, which was considered a heretical act in pandaren society at the time.
Because according to the ancient books of the pandaren, a great explosion occurred in this world thousands of years ago. At that time, the common view of the pandaren was that only Pandaria had survived the division of the earth, and there were no creatures outside. Everyone should live well under the protection of Emperor Shaohao, so why bother going out to explore.
Therefore, Liu Lang's rebellious idea was considered to be "broken" in the head.
But Liu Lang didn't give up. Eventually, he discovered a pattern: that turtles would return to their natal shores at specific times. So, he went to Turtle Beach in the Krasarang Wilds on the southern coast of Pandaria, where he became good friends with a turtle.
Until one day, at the Halfhill market in the Valley of the Four Winds, Liu Lang walked in with an unusual shopping list, the words of which have been passed down to this day:
A lantern
Three liters of lamp oil
Four packets of dried fruit
Two bags of dried peas
Twelve liters of drinking water
A can of compressed biscuits
A compass
A telescope
Liu Lang announced to Shen-zin, the owner of the grocery store, his plan to explore the world by riding a turtle.
In order to satisfy his customers, Shen-zin suggested that Liu Lang should add an umbrella to the shopping list to shield him from the wind and waves, and Shen-zin generously gave an umbrella for free to express his support!"
Liu Lang thanked Shen-zin happily: "I will name my turtle after you!" He happily packed the groceries, whistling as he walked towards the shore, followed by countless curious onlookers.
Later, the turtle named Shen-zin Su carried Liu Lang across the mists to the outside world that he believed was waiting for him.
Five years later, Liu Lang returned to his hometown on Shen-zin Su and brought back countless legends of distant and mysterious lands, proving that everyone's views were wrong.
Liu Lang spent the rest of his life wandering around with his turtle partner, returning home every five years, each time bringing back stories of the wonderful things and races he had heard and seen.
Such as trolls and tauren.
Liu Lang always urged people to follow him on adventures, but at first, no one responded.
Once, upon returning, as he set off from Pandaria again, a lone boat followed behind the sea turtle. It was another solitary yet courageous heart—a female pandaren named Shi Nizi, who later became Liu's wife.
When they returned to Pandaria once more, he sought experienced priests to join.
Seven priests and their families joined Shen-zin Su.
Later, more brave pandaren also climbed onto the turtle's back, venturing out to explore the world with Liu Lang, including young people from the Stormstout family.
After each return, Shen-zin Su grew larger and larger, eventually becoming so large that it could accommodate an entire village.
Those pandaren who yearned for adventure always eagerly awaited his return.
Even today, when people gaze at the horizon, some still ask if they are "waiting for the turtle."
"On the coast of Krasarang Wilds, where Liu Lang and Shen-zin Su set sail each time, stand their stone statues. Just as before, Liu Lang sits on Shen-zin Su's back, holding a lantern in one hand to light the darkness, and an oil-paper umbrella in the other to shield from the wind and rain."
Galen sighed upon hearing this, "A life lived vibrantly leaves no regrets in death."
Liu Lang, though his era has passed for centuries, his name remains in the stories of the pandaren.
"Oh, this friend speaks very well, a life lived vibrantly leaves no regrets in death!"
Yinbo Cheng greatly appreciated Galen's eight-character evaluation: "You must be night elves."
The elder had noticed long ago that, unlike Galen's ears hidden in his long hair, Sylvanas, Alleria, Legolas, and Arathor behind him all had their long ears undisguised.
"Ten thousand years ago, the Night elf empire and our Pandaren Empire forged an alliance. We once thought that this alliance would lose its sacred meaning with the cataclysm."
The old pandaren seemed to be reminiscing about something.
"According to the ancient books of the Temple of the Jade Serpent, it was not long after Pandaria was shrouded in mist, when the Serpent's Spine was suffering the centennial mantid cycle. The defensive line suffered fierce blows from the mantid. Just when that city wall was about to fall, our allies stepped in!"
"It was a thousand-strong team of night elves. The men among them transformed into giant bears, rushing into the mantid and driving them off the wall. The remaining women were crack shots, their arrows never missing. With their help, the Serpent's Spine's defenders narrowly survived that centennial cycle."
Yinbo Cheng's tone was full of sighs and admiration.
"After that, every hundred years, the night elf warriors would always appear on the battlefield on time. However, the number of mantid was simply too great. It is said that with each cycle, fewer and fewer night elves came. Until the mantid disturbance twenty years ago, less than a hundred night elves appeared on the Serpent's Spine."
Sylvanas and Alleria glanced at Galen in surprise, telepathically asking, "Could it be that you sent them out ten thousand years ago?"
Galen nodded.
To be precise, there were still sixty-nine night elves left, sixty female archers, nine druids…
Galen clearly remembered the number.
The contingency plan he left behind ten thousand years ago was originally intended to be used after returning to his own timeline to locate Pandaria's position with this thousand-strong team, and then teleport directly over.
It was just that he didn't expect that when he came back, due to Nozdormu's mistake, he missed the peaceful years after the Orcish War.
Fortunately, he was prepared and left some authority to Ancagalon to help him manage the Origin Heart's base.
And the thousand-strong team on Pandaria's side was also his pastime, remotely operating them to resist the mantid.
From Elder Yinbo Cheng's tone, Galen could hear his goodwill and admiration for this night elf team. If I had known that the night elves had such a great reputation here, I would have come with an alt account!
Directly to Revered reputation!
But it doesn't matter, I can make it up!
"Old sir, my name is Galen Trollbane, these two are my wives Alleria and Sylvanas, and those are our children Legolas and Arathor."
"Our purpose in coming to Pandaria this time is to find this group of clansmen who have been missing for ten thousand years. My good brother Galen Remar is the Grand Lord of the night elves. Ten thousand years ago, an army under his command went missing in the cataclysm. He has been searching for their traces, until we encountered the pandaren of the Wandering Isle."
Old Chen, hearing this, had already begun to cover his face. The Grand Lord was deceiving people again.
Compared to Old Chen, Alleria and Sylvanas were much calmer, these were all small scenes.
After that, Galen and Elder Yinbo Cheng exchanged some information about Pandaria and the Eastern Kingdoms.
The pandaren sighed at the wonders of the outside world over the past ten thousand years, and Galen also learned that this Pandaria was similar to what he knew.
After the last emperor of the pandaren, Shaohao, transformed into mist to protect Azeroth, they no longer had an emperor, and power was devolved to the local level.
Various organizations were born among the pandaren. The Golden Lotus can be seen as an administrative agency, and the Shado-Pan is a military agency, one responsible for managing the pandaren, and the other responsible for military affairs, jointly protecting Pandaria from the threat of the mantid and the Sha.
In addition to these two large organizations, Galen also knew several others, such as the Anglers, who not only wanted to fill the stomachs of their clansmen, but also hoped to improve their fishing skills. The pandaren ships are basically in their hands.
The Lorewalkers, they focus on exploring the world, knowing old things, and finding relics to enrich their knowledge. They trek through the long river of history, seeking knowledge from the streets; explore artifacts, excavate relics, just to be knowledgeable and knowledgeable. As guardians of Pandaria's secrets, they are all over the continent, hoping to learn from history and forge ahead. Their leader is Cho, who is as famous as Brann and Jones.
The Tillers are an agricultural organization formed by pandaren who love peace and labor. They work diligently all day long, just to satisfy the pandaren's ultimate pursuit of delicious food. Galen still misses his field in Halfhill.
The Order of the Cloud Serpent, they are the pandaren's air force, once shining in the war with the Zandalari, driving the trolls out of the Pandaria region.
There are also the Wayfarers, who are keen on going out to experience and explore the unknown world. The Wandering Festival is still held every year on the Turtle Beach in Krasarang Wilds to commemorate the pandaren Liu Lang.
After Galen understood these things, he decided to start their wandering in Pandaria from the Shrine of Two Moons!