Chapter 320: Pandaren

Of course, there are plenty of other differences between an arch lord and a regular lord. Orion never asked, and Arthas didn’t bring it up himself.

At Blackstone City’s Horde Hall, Orion leaned against a windowsill, watching the thunderhawk and the Four-Winged Blood Bat zip past high above in pursuit. His initial shock had already faded.

"Turns out there’s a ton of stuff I still don’t know!"

After saying this, Orion turned and headed toward the reception hall in the outer fortress. Within his own territory, he could sense that someone from outside had arrived. That brief aerial chase between the thunderhawk and the Four-Winged Blood Bat was obviously to welcome the newcomer.

About 2 miles (3 kilometers) outside Blackstone City, Arden—faced with two Alpha-level flying beasts—was practically groaning on the inside. The thunderhawk and the Four-Winged Blood Bat circled overhead, watching him like hawks, their vicious, piercing cries echoing nonstop.

Fully aware of the situation, Arden landed on the ground and continued toward Blackstone City on foot.

By the city gates, Slagor came out to greet him. They were old acquaintances.

"Master Arden, right this way!"

When Arden saw Slagor, he breathed a sigh of relief. They had always gotten along pretty well.

"Slagor, please don’t call me ’Master’ anymore. If Orion hears it, it might cause trouble."

Arden let out a rueful laugh, shook his head, and gave Slagor the hint.

Realization dawned on Slagor. Times weren’t what they used to be, and certain titles meant something different now.

"Lord Orion sent me to welcome you. Please follow me."

Slagor gestured in thanks and then led Arden toward the Horde Hall.

A quarter of an hour later, in the reception hall, Arden knelt low and explained why he had come.

"Honorable Lord Orion, my lord wants you to meet her at the old spot in half a month."

The old spot, huh? For some reason, Orion felt a hint of awkward intimacy when he heard that.

"I see. You’re dismissed." Continue reading at NovelBin.Côm

Following Orion’s words, Arden left the Horde Hall under Slagor’s guidance and took a quick tour around Blackstone City.

"Dace, let Lilith and Delilah know I’m off to inspect Half-Moon Lake territory."

Orion sent that mental message to the guard Dace, then flashed like lightning into the sky and landed on the thunderhawk’s back.

"Rayden, let’s go. We’re heading to Half-Moon Lake!"

Thunderhawk Rayden let out an excited screech then wheeled around and sped south toward Half-Moon Lake. Its full-speed flight was incredibly fast. The forests and rivers of the black woodlands shrank behind them, disappearing from sight in no time.

A few days later, Orion arrived at Half-Moon Lake. Since he still had a few days before his scheduled meeting with Gareth, he hopped off the thunderhawk’s back and continued on foot through the forest.

Even though Half-Moon Lake was part of Orion’s territory, he hadn’t taken a thorough look around before. The two times he’d come here, he had left in a hurry.

The area around Half-Moon Lake, near Poison Dragon Swamp, was thickly forested. If you continued straight south until you got to Thunderwood Forest, that’s when you’d hit a large swath of wetlands.

Orion strolled through the forest, examining the surroundings. It reminded him of the old days when he was at the elite level, heading out to hunt.

"Halt! You’re entering our Pandaren’s territory. Don’t go any farther."

Bao was a young elder of the Pandaren, a tribe closely related to the Thunderstorm Bearmen. Supposedly one of the Thunderstorm Bearmen’s ancestors was actually from the Pandaren.

When Orion captured Stormrage City back in the day, not all Thunderstorm Bearmen were taken prisoner. A secret forest outside Stormrage City remained home to a mixed group of Pandaren and thunderstorm bearmen.

Bao was among the few in that tribe who showed an ancestral throwback—one of the rare Pandaren there.

"Pandaren?" Orion blurted out the term the moment he caught sight of Bao, who stood upright on two legs, his fur marked in black and white patches.

"You’ve heard of us?" Bao looked a bit dopey, but he was wary too. He spoke without stepping closer. He knew this was the territory of a giant lord, and among giants, rank is everything. So, from start to finish, Bao stayed polite.

"What’s your name?"

"I’m Bao!"

With a slight smile, Orion kept walking forward. He didn’t come to a stop.

"So, Bao of the Pandaren, you do realize this is giant territory, right? Do you know what it means when you tell me to stop?"

Bao grew flustered, fumbling for words. Raising both hands, he blocked Orion’s way.

"Bec—because...there’s a trap up ahead!"

Once Orion finally paused, Bao confessed the truth. Every time Bao went out hunting, his chieftain Taran warned him not to provoke conflict with the giants.

Bao was a good kid—he listened carefully. He didn’t bear Orion any hostility. The only reason he tried to stop him was that there really were traps ahead. After all, the Pandaren paid a hefty tribute to lay claim to this land, and they treasured it.

"Is your tribe around here?" Orion asked.

"Yes, this spot is part of the great Lord Orion’s granted land!"

Bao nodded, speaking earnestly.

Orion gave a slight nod in return. After all, Thundar, Slagor, and Lysinthia had come by this place before, seizing resources and allocating living areas to different groups at the same time.

"Bao of the Pandaren, I’m not here to cause you trouble," Orion said. "I’ve heard you Pandaren are quite hospitable. Aren’t you going to invite me over to your settlement?"

Orion’s tone was calm, his words gentle, easing the tension between them.

Bao hesitated. Though Orion seemed courteous and unarmed, he was huge and looked seriously strong.

"Or is that just a rumor?" Orion teased, amused at Bao’s uncertainty.

"It’s no lie. We really are quite hospitable," Bao muttered.

"Then, Bao, lead the way."

Unable to ward off Orion’s friendly insistence, Bao finally sighed and turned to guide him.

"Bao!" "Bao!" A few Thunderstorm Bearmen shouted behind him, trying to get his attention, but Bao didn’t reply. He led Orion on a zigzag route through the nearby forest.

Those Thunderstorm Bearmen fanned out behind them, maintaining a guarded posture. Orion paid them no mind, simply following Bao.

Half a day later, they emerged near a small lake. Orion spotted a freshly built settlement. It was obvious it hadn’t been there long because it was all constructed with bamboo that was still green.

Clusters of wild bamboo grew around the lake, so it made sense the Pandaren would settle here.

"This Pandaren settlement looks pretty good," Orion remarked.