Taran Zhu brought back a large number of Sha Fragment. As the most powerful of the Seven Sha, the fragments of the Sha of Pride naturally had the best effect.
This time, Taran Zhu had no selfish motives. Pandaren in the Vale of Eternal Blossoms, regardless of their origin or social status, were entitled to consume the Sha Fragment.
In truth, Taran Zhu realized this too late. His army was stationed in the Emperor's Reach, and more than half of the land and population of Vale of Eternal Blossoms fell into the hands of Chen Stormstout.
After consuming the Sha Fragment, most Pandaren gained Chi, and the Chi of over 200,000 Pandaren condensed into a bright cloud.
Having Chi is equivalent to having cultivation. All Taran Zhu needs to learn are some techniques for generating power and some combined attack techniques, and he will have a terrifying army.
Chen Stormstout, seeing the Gate of the Deity from afar, was greatly surprised.
"Has Taran Zhu gone mad?"
Chen Stormstout, having suffered from Chi manipulation in his youth, knew the tricks involved.
The secret to the Pandaren's concealment of their Chi lies in two reasons: first, to follow the dying wish of Emperor Shaohao; and second, to be constrained by the August Celestials.
The August Celestials of Pandaria would never allow the Pandaren to produce a top-tier expert to compete with them for the power of the Unity of Heaven and Humanity.
Taran Zhu's actions were tantamount to a direct challenge to the August Celestials. The August Celestials, who had reached the state of oneness with the Unity of Heaven and Humanity, were invincible, and no amount of Pandaren could defeat them.
Unless the August Celestials change their attitude.
This forced Chen Stormstout to quickly ascertain the August Celestials' attitude.
I had long heard that the August Celestials lived on the Timeless Isle, and some said they were imprisoned by Thrall. After the duel with Taran Zhu, Chen Stormstout immediately sent people to the Timeless Isle.
However, before a reply could be received, the revelation from the August Celestials arrived.
On this day, Chen Stormstout was preparing a basin of Fresh Water to wash his face when the reflection of the Xuen the White Tiger appeared in the water.
"Chen Stormstout, what are you waiting for? Why have you stopped attacking the Vale of Eternal Blossoms?"
Chen Stormstout replied nervously, "Lord Xuen, that day I saw Lord Niuzao possessing Taran Zhu, therefore I dared not..."
"You're afraid of that stupid ox; he's just a piece of trash," Xuen the White Tiger mocked.
Chen Stormstout sensed the intent to resist, confirming his suspicions that the August Celestials had split.
"Listen carefully, you've driven Taran Zhu mad. He actually fed the Pandaren in his Vale of Eternal Blossoms with Sha Fragment. Do you know what that means?"
"More than two hundred thousand Pandaren possessing Chi," Chen Stormstout said, his voice trembling.
Xuen solemnly instructed, "There's still time. Training an army of 200,000 will take a long time. Go find the Sha of Anger and seek the Sha Fragment immediately. Having occupied more than half of the Vale of Eternal Blossoms and possessing more than half of its population, we won't lose to Taran Zhu."
Chen Stormstout immediately accepted the order and rushed back to the One Keg in Kun-Lai Summit to seek the help of the Sha of Anger.
Along the way, Chen Stormstout, suddenly thought of a question.
Taran Zhu suddenly has an army of 200,000, how will he solve the problem of food supplies?
Is it a case of producing during peacetime and going to war during wartime?
It seems reasonable, but it is difficult to implement and could easily undermine morale.
What about weapons and armor? How do we deal with those?
Chen Stormstout shook his head. Taran Zhu had great ambitions; things couldn't be that simple.
Valley of the Four Winds, Halfhill, is known Pandaria for its fertile land and was once a hub for Pandaren delicacies.
Today, the aromas of various delicacies in Halfhill have long since disappeared, replaced by a smoky, foul-smelling environment.
Earlier, Jaina had turned Halfhill into a breeding ground for the New Lightforged Orcs.
The Holy Light represents holiness, and the incubation grounds for the New Lightforged Orcs are constructed from pure crystals, resembling Draenei spaceship.
However, the Orcs' habit of urinating and defecating anywhere did not change because of their belief in the Holy Light, and the place quickly turned into a large cesspool.
When Taran Zhu arrived with his troops, he nearly fainted from the fumes.
After obtaining the Sha Fragment, Taran Zhu kept recalling the warning from the Sha of Pride, and gradually realized that the hatred between him and Chen Stormstout was just an internal conflict among the Pandaren.
Her real enemy was her superior, Sylvanas Windrunner, and the New Lightforged Orcs she led.
A fight to the death with Taran Zhu would only allow Sylvanas to reap the benefits.
Taking advantage of Sylvanas's lack of intelligence, Taran Zhu led an elite force to launch a surprise attack on Halfhill.
Chen Stormstout attack on the Gate of the Deity revealed Taran Zhu's weakness to the New Lightforged Orcs. Following the same pattern, Zhu Talan led a small group of experts to infiltrate Halfhill and kill the town's garrison commander.
Thus, the Orcs of Halfhill were turned into a group of puppets, foolishly waiting for orders.
Taran Zhu drove a large number of New Lightforged Orcs back to the Vale of Eternal Blossoms via a secret path, traversing mountains and valleys.
The thunderous sound of war drums rang out, and the Pandaren of the Vale of Eternal Blossoms gathered together, watching Taran Zhu lead a large group of Orcs toward them.
Faced with the noble Orcs, the Pandaren's expression changed drastically; they were quite frightened, and soon whispers began to circulate.
Taran Zhu ascended the high platform, his face grim, and proclaimed in a loud voice:
"My dear people, look at these fanged beasts. Some have repeatedly told us they are the Saviors of Azeroth, that we should feed the Orcs with our flesh and blood, and that this is a great honor. My dear people, ask yourselves, do you enjoy being eaten?"
The murmurs below grew louder, and everyone looked at them with suspicion.
Taran Zhu waved his hand, using his Chi to grab an Orcs from afar and forcefully snap his neck.
Many Pandaren turned pale at the audacity of killing a noble Orcs.
"No one wants to be food." Taran Zhu threw away the Orcs's corpse and shouted, "We were no match for the Orcs before, but things are different now. You all have Chi, and defeating these beasts will be a piece of cake. I'm telling you, don't believe the nonsense of Chen Stormstout and his ilk. Pandaren must have pride and live with dignity."
It is difficult to change long-held perceptions and habits overnight; only a few people are persuaded, while the majority remain hesitant and fearful.
Fortunately, Taran Zhu was prepared.
A group of Pandaren cooks emerged, skillfully killing a large horde of Orcs, skinning and Eviscerate, and boiling them into hundreds of pots of meat soup, the aroma filling the air.
Taran Zhu took the lead in drinking a bowl of meat soup, then held the empty bowl upside down and shouted:
"Brave Pandaren, pick up your bowls and drink this broth."
The Pandaren looked at each other, and finally the first brave Pandaren stepped forward, scooped up a bowl of meat soup, drank it, angrily smashed the bowl, and threw away the fear in his heart.
Next, more and more Pandaren joined the ranks, forming neat lines in front of each large cauldron.
As Taran Zhu watched all the Pandaren drink the meat soup, she sensed a powerful aura emanating from them. Their cowardice and timidity in the face of the Orcs vanished, replaced by courage and confidence.
Taran Zhu nodded in satisfaction, raised his fist, and shouted:
"Times have changed. From this day forward, Orcs are our food."
Orgrimmar.
Sylvanas frowned, carefully weighing the pros and cons.
These days, she has been engrossed in negotiations with Imperator Mar'gok, trying to extract more benefits from the Ogre.
The concentration of the Holy Light of Draenor was increasing, Mar'gok clearly growing more and more anxious.
Taking advantage of the situation, Sylvanas pressed on, showing interest in the Titans Ruins unearthed by the Ogre Empire, thus bringing the negotiations between the two sides to a stalemate.
The quill in her hand suddenly broke, and Sylvanas was startled; this was not a good omen.