The next morning, Anduin summoned his generals and said angrily:
"I have been enlightened. The Holy Light tells me that Garrosh is the Destroyer of Azeroth, conspiring with Deathwing to destroy Azeroth."
The generals exchanged glances, caught off guard by Anduin's swift change of attitude.
"But Garrosh Faction an army of 500,000. How are we supposed to deal with this?" a general asked fearfully.
Upon hearing about the 500,000-strong army, the staff members all changed color.
"Prince Highness, an army of 500,000 is overwhelming, exceeding the population of Stormwind City. This battle is unwinnable!"
"Yes, Prince Highness, Garrosh's power is immense. I suggest we join forces with Garrosh to deal with Thrall."
"That's half a million Orcs! Enough to raze the Eastern Kingdoms to the ground! We're doomed!"
Anduin glared at him and said fiercely, "My mind is made up. There is no room for negotiation. The Alliance has taken it upon itself to save Azeroth and must destroy the Evil Garrosh."
"No! This is the end for my Kingdom of Stormwind!" another general cried out.
"Prince Highness, for the sake of Kingdom of Stormwind and the future of the Alliance, you must consider this carefully."
Lains hadn't expected to be among those invited. Seeing everyone in disarray, he gave a cold laugh:
"I said, have none of you ever fought a war?"
The crowd cast disdainful glances. Although Malkorok had forcefully protected him, since he was now going to be an enemy of Garrosh, the guarantee was no longer valid.
Anduin's face darkened. "Speak quickly if you have something to say."
Lains was completely unconcerned about the others' attitude. "Garrosh has an army of 500,000, how will he manage to feed them?"
"This!"
The advisors remained silent, one guessing, "Garrosh has the support of the Goblins, Goblin control trade between the two continents and are incredibly wealthy."
"Cataclysm Lains, both Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms suffered crop failures. No matter how much Goblin gold they have, they can't conjure up food. So there's only one possibility."
Seeing the bewildered looks on the faces of his generals and advisors, Lains said seriously, "If I were Garrosh, I would select 100,000 elite troops from the 500,000-strong army, and use the rest as provisions."
After discussing it for a long time, although they were still dissatisfied with Lains, they realized that this was the only possibility.
One of the generals said timidly, "Even an army of 100,000 would be no match for us. Back then, 5,000 Orcs breached Stormwind City. Orcs are brave and skilled in battle, while we humans are weak and feeble. Ten of us couldn't defeat a single Orcs."
Lains sighed and said, "You have all been in high positions for too long and are unaware of the changes of the times. Do you know that among the adventurers in the Horde today, Orcs are the fewest in number?"
Anduin very unhappy and, out of habit, retorted, "Orcs are so excellent, brave in battle, and fearless of death; they should be the best teammates."
Lains smiled faintly, "Orcs aren't good teammates. They often eat their own kind. Over time, everyone has learned about the Orcs' weaknesses: they have huge appetites and need meat at every meal; they have explosive power but extremely poor endurance and are not good at long-distance running; they are muscular but have poor coordination. Only a bunch of pedantic guys like you still think the Orcs are invincible."
Anduin a mix of resistance and relief. "In your opinion, how should we deal with Garrosh?"
Lains confidently stated, "We can either build strong fortifications and hold our ground, or scatter and avoid battle. We just need to delay them for a while and avoid direct confrontation. The Orcs lack food and will have to eat their own kind. Within three months, our 100,000 Orcs will be wiped out."
Upon hearing this, the generals once again refuted it, loudly condemning and protesting:
"Absurd! The warriors of the Alliance fight bravely and fearlessly, how can they humiliatingly avoid battle?"
"By passively resisting the Orcs, where is the face of our Alliance? You are clearly undermining morale; your intentions are despicable."
"These mere Orcs are nothing but stray dogs, Prince Highness. Give me ten thousand soldiers, and I will surely take Garrosh's head."
Lains remained calm and collected, observing the situation with Anduin to decide.
Anduin for a long time, unable to make up his mind, and whispered, "I need to discuss this with the Savior Thrall."
Lains closed his eyes and shook his head in disappointment.
Anduin guessed the reason, though it wasn't the truth, it wasn't far from it, Malkorok didn't cause him any trouble.
It's unclear what agreement was reached with Thrall, Anduin regained his smile.
In a dark, damp hut in the Krasarang Wilds.
Chen Stormstout, drunk, had a dream.
"Chen Stormstout, is that you?" a voice called out to him.
In his dream, Chen Stormstout arrived at a dark dungeon. He went down a spiral staircase and found a tall figure at the deepest part of the room, whose arms were chained to two pillars.
"The Ancient Guardian Ra-den." Chen Stormstout was taken aback. Strangely, he knew he was in a dream.
Ra-den appeared very weak and managed to lift his head:
"That damned the Betrayer Lei Shen imprisoned me deep within the Throne of Thunder. He knows not that I once peered into the Emerald Dream, possessing the ability to delve into the depths of one's dreams. Chen Stormstout, Lei Shen plots to destroy Azeroth, and I need your help."
Chen Stormstout, after regaining his composure, said, "Ra-den, I'm no longer that naive Pandaren. I've been through the baptism of death, and now I'm an Undead. To be honest, I hate this body, but I hate even more those who lied to me about how they could save Azeroth."
Ra-den glared fiercely at the Pandaren before him, Chen Stormstout remained unfazed. Ra-den said helplessly, "Chen Stormstout, I promise you this: if you can free me from this prison, I will help you regain your Pandaren form and take you away from this dangerous world. This is the oath of a Titan Keepers."
Chen Stormstout shook his head. "I no longer believe in empty promises."
Ra-den was stunned for a long time. " For Undead to be restored to life, the loss of their soul needs to be made up, which is extremely difficult, but I happen to have a way, and that is the heart of Y'Shaarj."
Chen Stormstout said disdainfully, "Are you still trying to deceive me? Didn't Y'Shaarj's heart fall into Lei Shen's hands? The Mogu and Mantid have been fighting for years because of Heart of Y'Shaarj."
Ra-den shook his head. "No, listen to me, Y'Shaarj's heart isn't just one. The one I gave to Lei Shen was only Y'Shaarj's Heart of Lightning. Y'Shaarj's most powerful heart is hidden deep within the Vale of Vale of Eternal Blossoms, in an ancient dungeon."
Even though he had become Undead, Chen Stormstout felt as if his heart was pounding, drawn by a tremendous temptation.
Ra-den slowly said, "That is a Heart of Darkness, the darkest core of Y'Shaarj's power. With this heart, you can command the Seven Sha of Pandaria and become even more powerful than Lei Shen Ji Wudao. From then on, you will not only be the emperor of the Pandaren, but also the king of Pandaria."
Taking a deep breath, Chen Stormstout nodded and said, "Alright, if I obtain the heart of Y'Shaarj, I promise to defeat Lei Shen and free you from this cage."
Ra-den's lips curled slightly, and he said in a low voice, "I'll tell you the location of that underground palace right now."