A continuation of Xiaoyin Xu’s origin story set on the adventures of two Shado Pan monks.

The annual Wanderer’s festival is near and many Pandaren gather at the shores to celebrate, tell stories, and eat. However, a string of ghastly murders has left the local authorities confounded and helpless. The Shado Pan send two of their members to investigate and calm the wild speculations and rumors of the community before it gets out of hand.

Characters

• Rang-si Kem (respect for the spectrum/seven colors) is an eager and somewhat annoyingly energetic member of the Shado Pan. He is eager to crack the case in the hopes he will be sent across Pandaria to see the world and satisfy his own thirst for adventure and justice.
• Sar-Ling Som (white forest moon) is a seasoned Shado Pan and mentor to Rang-Si. He is not far from retirement despite being extremely  fit for his age. He is hoping this case will put some sense into his partner.
• Sun-Ren Xian is a young girl who’s aunt was the last in a string of murders. Her aunt was a scholar of local folklore about the jungle. Some believe she was either careless in her curiousity, or worse, seeking forbidden knowledge.
• Kiri-Bun Xian (four winds mountain) was a promising student of local folklore and archaeology of the Mogu dynasty. She uncovered a new ruin in the Krasarang and found several etchings hinting at an uprising many centuries ago by magic practitioners known as ‘Jing-Xi’. She had attracted the attention of a questionable male companion (“Ah Beng”) who helped in her excursions, whether out of genuine interest or other more romantic goals, and barely survived. He is suspected of murdering her and is in the custody of the local authorities who believe him to be quite mad.
• Rukh “Ah Beng” Sook is believed to have murdered Kiri-Bun in the Krasarang jungle, most likely out of a lover’s quarrel. Kiri-Bun and he spent many excurisions into the dark jungle and telling a few tall tales – written off by the locals as an excuse for their amorous adventures. Rukh tells a different tale – one seemingly borne of madness or one driven to madness.
• Hap-su Ahm – a young Pandaren who wanted to be respected. Stubborn, he wandered out and encountered a ‘Wangulang’ – a forest spirit. This Wangulang offered a bargain to help the boy get the respect he deserved for a small favor. He has the boy find an old artist rumored to be able to bring his paintings to life
• Zha-Sing Wei – an old artist and hermit who lives near the edge of the blossoming forest. His paintings were rumored to be so lifelike that some became real. His desire was to bring his son back from the grave by painting him. The Wangulang has the boy tell him of a magical plant fed by a trickle of water from the Valley of the Four Winds. An extract of its pigment would be enough to grant his wish. The Wangulang tricks Zha-Sing to paint his son as a warrior like the Shado Pan to take care of him now that he is old rather than a child.
  • He then disposes of the boy and deceives Zha-Sing that it was an accident. He pleads to take the child and paint over his body the image of his son. In that way he can restore his soul and regain a son as well as avoid being cursed for the boy dying in his service. Zha-Sing blinded by the desire to have family again, agrees.
  • The Wangulang devoured the boy’s spirit leaving a host for him to become flesh again. The magic paint would bring it back to life and coupled with the shadow lantern blossoms infuse him with the power he needed for magic.
  • Upon finishing his painting (like Kabuki) of the boy he transforms and grows into an adult warrior but his eyes glow with a golden green fire. Zha-Sing dies from the toxicity of the shadow lantern extract, ignorant of what he’s unleashed.
  • Xiaoyin returns to the ruin to find the Mogu guarding the ruin. It was a prison to keep the knowledge of the Jing Xi secret.