A series of photographs showing Tirion Fordring's correspondence.
Robbie couldn't suppress his surprise and couldn't help but sigh repeatedly, feeling increasingly chilled, as if he had fallen into the depths of a cold lake.
Darkness, oppression, suffocation, feeling like the blood in my body was freezing.
As a time traveler, the greatest advantage is foresight.
For example, Robbie knew that the leader of the Scarlet Crusade, the paladin Dathrohan, had been possessed by the dreadlord Balnazzar, which should have been a big secret.
However, the reality is quite different. The fact that Dathrohan was possessed by the Dreadlord is almost common knowledge among the important figures in the Eastern and Western Plaguelands.
Dathrohan is a Paladin, and Paladins must know the Holy Light.
There seems to be only one Dreadlord can wield Holy Light, and it's not yet time for him to appear. Balnazzar's identity can't be hidden any longer.
The real reason is that the Scarlet Crusade led by Balnazzar is the only force in the Eastern and Western Plaguelands and Undead Scourge that can fight against the Scourge, and no one wants to expose him.
Tirion Fordring's identity is anything but simple; he is a seasoned and well-connected broker who navigates the various factions of the Plaguelands.
Of course, his main clients were the Argent Dawn. The Argent Dawn's herbs, ores, timber, meat, and other supplies were all sold at low prices to the Orcs of Orgrimmar through Tirion Fordring.
Tirion Fordring further exploited his reputation, using the pretext of the Argent Dawn's campaign against the Scourge to purchase various military equipment from Ironforge at low prices, which he then resold to the Horde for huge profits.
Orgrimmar, located in the Barrens, a desolate place with nothing to offer and no resources whatsoever, owes much of its success to Tirion Fordring's ability to quickly arm the Orcs.
Unfortunately, Tirion Fordring was dishonest, not only profiting immensely from the scheme but also embezzling a large sum of money, which aroused the dissatisfaction of the Argent Dawn, who constantly harassed Tirion Fordring.
In addition, Tirion Fordring's son, Taelan Fordring, the Highlord of the Scarlet Crusade, is not a simple character either.
He surrendered Hearthglen to the Scarlet Crusade with ill intentions, using the opportunity to steal Scarlet Crusade secrets and secretly sell them to the Horde and the Argent Dawn through Tirion Fordring.
Scarlet Crusade are prone to acting impulsively, and in the process of fighting the Scourge Undead, they inevitably inadvertently harm innocent bystanders.
These secrets, which should have been carefully concealed, were leaked by Taelan Fordring, becoming the basis for the Argent Dawn's accusations against the Scarlet Crusade.
Interestingly, the Argent Dawn is not simply an organization.
They operate under the guise of conquering the Undead Scourge, but their primary activity is trade.
Luxury goods from Stratholme, such as alcohol, tobacco, and jewelry, with their distinctive Undead art style, were highly sought after by the noble class of Azeroth and became favorites of the Argent Dawn.
It is precisely because Argent Dawn firmly controls this path to wealth that it has been able to make a fortune.
This world has no light and Justice, no pure black and white, no damned glory or belief, only different camps and positions.
Everyone is caught in the great dyeing vat of the world, drifting with the current, unable to control their own destiny, and ending up with a mess of colors.
Robbie was reminded of an old saying: Big men only consider advantages and disadvantages, while small men are naive enough to distinguish between right and wrong.
Robbie and Vanessa didn't sleep a wink until dawn before they finally managed to piece together all of Tirion Fordring's information.
The conclusion is that he was a shrewd, worldly-wise, cunning, and terrifying old man.
He is powerful, intelligent, and renowned.
He is highly skilled, insightful, and adept at self-promotion.
The success of one general is built on the bones of ten thousand. Success is never accidental; there are many unseen factors and intricate webs of interests that contribute to the making of a great figure.
Vanessa's bag beeped. She put down the photo and pulled out a jewel wreathed in ominous energy. Robbie was startled; it was clearly the power of Fel.
"What is this?" Robbie asked.
"Legion Communication Orb." Vanessa found a photograph and handed it to Robbie:
"There's a rudimentary Legion Communicator in Tirion Fordring's secret chamber, without even an encrypted channel. You can use the Legion Communication Orb to eavesdrop on their conversations."
"Commander, where did you get this Legion Communication Orb?"
Vanessa chuckled, "Illidan's Demon Hunters captured quite a few of these during their campaign against Argus."
All right!
Plaguelands, there are probably only a handful of Legion Communicators, so encryption is unnecessary.
From the Legion Communication Orb came Tirion Fordring's furious roar.
"Balnazzar, Balnazzar, you damned bat, get out here right now!"
"What's wrong, Tirion Fordring? Why are you in such a bad mood so early in the morning?"
The terrifying demon king Balnazzar spoke in a sarcastic, indistinct voice, as if he were eating breakfast. "Is there something wrong with that area? How many times have I told you, don't eat too much White Maggot Meat."
"Don't be so arrogant, big bat. Do you even have that kind of ability?" Tirion Fordring mocked.
"I..." Balnazzar choked, and after a long while, he said, "Tirion Fordring, if we don't talk about that, we can still have fun."
"Balnazzar, I'm asking you, how did that painting I entrusted to you go missing? Didn't you vouch for it with your bat head?" Tirion Fordring demanded angrily.
"Ha ha, Tirion Fordring, what are you talking about? That painting is hanging right in front of me, I can see it as soon as I look up. Unless you knock me down, no one can steal it."
Balnazzar suddenly laughed, "Tirion Fordring, have you been tricked? I remember the painter of that painting, he seems to have become Undead, it wouldn't be difficult for him to paint another one."
"Damn it, damn it!" Tirion Fordring roared, slamming his fist on the table. "I, Tirion Fordring, actually fell for it! I was actually fooled by a seemingly innocent Dwarf!"
Balnazzar took the opportunity to ridicule Tirion Fordring mercilessly, then suddenly said seriously:
"Tirion Fordring, has the matter we discussed the other day been decided? Baron Rivendare has already reached an agreement. The Argent Dawn been pushing the price down too hard, and he's been harboring resentment for a long time. Stratholme has good stuff in terms of wine, tobacco, and jewelry, Tirion Fordring. Don't you want to get involved?"
"You've been fighting with Baron Rivendare for so many years, how come you're talking business now?" Tirion Fordring asked skeptically.
"Hey! You're wrong about that."
Balnazzar chuckled, "War is war, and business is business. How can you mix them up? We Nathrezim people always keep them very separate. To be honest, my private business dealings with Baron Rivendare have been going on for quite some time. If it weren't for the Legion's limited sales, I wouldn't have given you this opportunity."
"Big Bat, let's put business aside for now. I have something important to discuss with you." Tirion Fordring hesitated for a moment before saying, "I met an Orcs who claims to be Gul'dan's messenger, from the Broken Isles, the Tomb of Sargeras. Is this reliable?"
After a long Anjing, Balnazzar said, "Tirion Fordring, the Tomb of Sargeras is a dangerous place. I advise you not to get involved, lest you lose your life in vain. The Burning Legion is about to descend upon this world, and a few troublemakers must be eliminated. The Lich King Arthas has gone too far, turning the corpses of the Legion soldiers into the Scourge. This is blasphemy and absolutely cannot be tolerated. You, Tirion Fordring, will be the one to defeat him. You should focus your main attention on this."
"Alright, big bat, but how am I supposed to deal with the messenger? Kill him?"
Tirion Fordring was very clever. Although he couldn't get any useful information out of Balnazzar, he could glean some clues from Balnazzar's reactions.
"No, Tirion Fordring, what you need to do is get him recognized, solidify his identity." Balnazzar let out a sly laugh:
"Many people in this world want to join the Legion but lack the means. Why not give them a chance? Perhaps this Orcs wasn't sent by Gul'dan, but what does it matter? What we need is attitude—an attitude of loyalty to the Legion."
Robbie rubbed his forehead. Humans really are incredibly adaptable creatures; Robbie wasn't surprised by the continuous stream of shocking news.
"Vanessa, I think we can go back now." Robbie went through the accounts one by one:
"We understand Tirion Fordring's character, we know his network of connections, and we even know the secret to his power. Eating too much of that 'White Maggot Meat' stuff will definitely have more consequences than this. Let's go back and get the Brotherhood's experts to investigate. I refuse to believe we can't find Tirion Fordring's weakness."
"No, Robbie, our mission isn't over yet."
Vanessa's beautiful eyes sparkled, conveying a certain conviction. "Hearing such shocking news, don't you want to do something?"
"What's the point? History can't be changed," Robbie retorted logically and with evidence.
"The future can be changed if we do something, Robbie, come with me."
Corin's Crossing, a major military town controlled by the Scourge Undead.
Tall Abominations wander aimlessly, Evil Banshees appear and disappear unpredictably, and hordes of fully armed Undead soldiers appear.
The sky here is dark and gloomy, forever shrouded in mist. The tree branches are listless, the grass and trees are withered and yellow, sewage is everywhere, and the smell of death permeates the entire town.
Vanessa pulled Robbie up a nearby hill, overlooking the entire Corin's Crossing.
"Darrowshire Corin's Crossing are both places where the Undead dwell, but the scenes are completely different. Robbie, do you know why?"
Robbie tried to compare. "Darrowshire is beautiful and clean. Apart from moving slowly, the Undead seem not much different from the living. As for the Undead at the Corin's Crossing, they are much stronger, more agile and robust. Is this the difference between civilian and military Undead?"
Vanessa turned her head, staring intently at Robbie, and suddenly asked, "Robbie, do you know what the nature of the Plague is?"
Discussing the Plague with a time traveler.
"Plagues are invisible microorganisms that can cause various diseases and are incredibly numerous," Robbie tried to explain in simple terms.
This was considered basic common sense on Earth in my previous life, but on the Azeroth Continent, the understanding of the Plague varied greatly, and no unified understanding was formed. Some believed it was magic, while others believed it was some kind of energy or a curse.
Vanessa looked at Robbie in surprise and clapped her hands in praise:
"Indeed, your understanding of the Plague is exactly the same as Kel'Thuzad's. At first, it took me a long time to accept this view. The Undead the Azeroth Continent are divided into three categories, and this is the source of all secrets."