Zandalari Trolls' willingness to share their knowledge was something Tian Sang would never have considered before. But after hearing Malacrass describe the relationships between the tribes, he had grown concerned. The Zandalari were not as great as the legends claimed; they looked down on the other Trolls.
Would the Zandalari Trolls even allow Zul'Aman to acquire knowledge? After all, if Zul'Aman gained knowledge and began making reforms, it would inevitably shift the balance of power—and that might threaten Zandalar's standing.
"Kal'ma's apprentice, your concern is well-founded. I once discussed this very issue with Zul'jin, but I've already come up with a solution." Malacrass nodded slightly.
"As expected of our Hex Lord. Would you mind telling me what your solution is?" Tian Sang looked at Malacrass's haughty manner and couldn't help flattering him a little.
"I didn't know Kal'ma's apprentice was such a flatterer." Malacrass's mouth curled into a smile.
"No, no, that's not flattery, honored Malacrass. By the time I thought of the problem, you'd already prepared a solution. Isn't such intelligence worthy of praise?" Tian Sang shook his head as he looked at Malacrass's tusks, which curved straight upward from the corners of his mouth.
"All right, I'll tell you. The Zandalari Trolls really do look down on others, but if we lower our attitude, we can learn their techniques. And besides, I haven't come empty-handed this time." Malacrass shifted his tusks slightly, cutting off Tian Sang before explaining his plan.
"I don't remember seeing anyone bring treasure aboard." Tian Sang listened to Malacrass and, with a quick turn of thought, smiled as he made a guess.
"Stop thinking with that tiny brain of yours. The Zandalari may be insufferably arrogant, but you need to understand that they've stayed on top because they possess knowledge." Malacrass put on a stern face and scolded him without the slightest restraint.
"..." Tian Sang watched Malacrass rebuke him without holding back. The smile froze on his face, and then the blood in his body surged uncontrollably to his cheeks.
"Sang La, you're still young. You need to broaden your perspective." Seeing the boy's skin change color, Malacrass softened his tone.
"That's why I'm asking you. I know almost nothing about the Zandalari." Tian Sang glared as he answered Malacrass, whose tone had taken on the easy air of an elder.
"Then just listen." Malacrass composed himself.
"I'm listening." Tian Sang struggled to keep his anger in check as he looked at the old Troll's casual attitude.
"But I've already finished." Malacrass spread his hands.
"Then I've finished listening. Goodbye." Tian Sang got to his feet and turned to leave.
"Hmm, youth." Malacrass watched the hotheaded young man stride out of the cabin, his lips curving into a scornful smile.
"Old bastard." Tian Sang walked out of the cabin and shot Malacrass a sidelong glance, forcing down his anger. He kept his face expressionless, but felt a little tired inside. Am I overthinking this?
Because he had an unspoken agenda, Tian Sang carefully managed his attitude toward everyone, acting out his emotions and thoughts like someone in a palace intrigue drama. At first, it had been fine. But as time went on, he felt he was thinking too much—and yet he couldn't stop himself.
"Ugh!" Tian Sang rubbed his forehead and sighed. He didn't want to live an ordinary life or be helpless in the face of everything. Only by swallowing his anger for now could he see the wide-open horizon ahead.
Back in his cabin, Tian Sang calmed himself, cleared his mind, and began to meditate as he waited for the ship to reach Zandalar.
The ship sailed for several days, and each day the sun stayed up a little longer. After passing several deserted islands, they finally spotted land in the distance one morning. The experienced sailors steered along the coast and soon found Zandalar Port.
At Zandalar Port, the first thing Tian Sang noticed was Zandalar's military might: the huge warships, most of them single-masted. Their prows were clad in what looked like gold, and two enormous tusks were fastened beneath them as rams. There were also dark openings at the front of each ship. He had no idea what kind of weapons they held.
Whatever weapons they carried, the sheer number of warships proved that the Zandalari held dominion over the sea. Tian Sang felt a pang of regret. What was he regretting? That he didn't know enough about the story!
Tian Sang really didn't know much about Zandalar. Kal'ma hadn't told him much about their knowledge, and in the Warcraft story from his previous life, the Zandalari had mostly been background characters or bosses. Damn writers. (Not many fanfics had covered patch 8.0 yet, so the protagonist didn't know what happened.)
The world was vast, and knowing the story clearly wasn't enough. Without it, Tian Sang could only explore for himself. As soon as the ship docked, he jumped ashore and looked around. Trolls of every color met his eyes.
At Zandalar Port, Tian Sang recognized the Jungle Trolls, whose skin ranged from blue to purple; the Desert Trolls, with skin from gold to yellow; the Ice Trolls, whose skin ranged from white to blue; and some Forest Trolls, who had washed the moss off themselves to reveal skin of various colors. Most striking of all were the Zandalari Trolls.
The Zandalari Trolls were very distinctive among all the Trolls, and easy to recognize at a glance. They stood straight and were powerfully built, making them stand out like cranes among the stooped Trolls. Tian Sang was surprised. So I wasn't the first Troll to correct his posture.
Besides their straight, powerful builds, Zandalari Trolls had skin in shades ranging from blue to gray. Their eyes glowed, and their chests and shoulders were covered in thick plates of keratin that looked extremely hard.
After taking in the living sights, Tian Sang also looked around Zandalar Port. Setting aside the distant mountains and pyramids, a gentle sea breeze swept past the distinctive buildings. Tents stood all around the harbor. Beside some of them, Trolls bought fish and sold goods, while dinosaurs laden with packs waited near some merchants.
"They have merchants already." Tian Sang watched a Troll buying fish, his interest piqued. Trade meant Zandalar produced enough to meet its needs, and society had become at least somewhat privatized. Zul'Aman, by contrast, was still a primitive society, only halfway out of a hunter-gatherer stage. There wasn't enough food to fill everyone's stomachs, let alone surplus production for trade.
Thinking of Zul'Aman, Tian Sang felt out of place. He felt like a bumpkin from the mountains who had just arrived in a bustling city. The Zul'Aman in his memories was hard to look at: a low, winding old city, its steps overgrown with moss.
I'm a modern man. I'm a transmigrator, not a bumpkin. Not a bumpkin. Tian Sang closed his eyes and tried to hypnotize himself. He was a transmigrator, after all—how could he be a bumpkin? He thought of the skyscrapers, and of his homeland, the infrastructure powerhouse.
"Damn..." Tian Sang opened his eyes, ready to recover his confidence, but then he saw a Zandalari Troll walking by in the distance. His eyes widened. Gold—he was looking at a person made of gold.
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