The Plan

The next day, the chieftains of the two clans finally sobered up from their drunkenness and began a more formal discussion than they had the day before.

"Brother Leiluo, since you don't discriminate against us Moknasa, should we find an opportunity to formally form an alliance?" Leolox asked at the dining table.

Leiluo swallowed the smoked meat in his mouth. "Of course. But as brothers, I'd like to form the alliance after this trade fair."

"Why? Are you afraid of being ostracized by the other clans?" Leolox asked in confusion.

"Of course not. I'm simply planning to give your Moknasa a gift after the trade fair, using it as a token of our alliance."

Wiping his mouth, Leiluo said, "Of course, obtaining this gift will also require Moknasa's help."

"Brother Leiluo, what exactly is this gift?" Seeing Leiluo reveal only half of what he meant, Leolox felt as restless as a cat on a hot tin roof—if he had known what a cat was, that was.

"Don't rush, Brother Leolox. I'll come find you when the time comes." Leiluo had no intention of explaining it now. "By the way, Moknasa makes its living by taming beasts. Do you know of any beast that's lazy, loves eating, and puts on weight easily?"

"Aren't you describing Pigger Beasts? Pigger Beasts were originally huge and had tusks. Our people raised them as war beasts, but for some reason, as time passed, Pigger Beasts became lazier and lazier, their tusks degenerated, and they grew more and more meat. So Moknasa stopped raising Pigger Beasts." Leolox asked suspiciously, "What, Leiluo? Are you planning to raise Pigger Beasts as war beasts? I advise you not to. Pigger Beasts aren't suited to being war beasts."

"Oh!" Upon hearing there was an animal that met his requirements, Leiluo's eyes lit up. "Brother, do you Moknasa still have such animals?"

"We do, but they're all the kind I told you about—the ones that have lost their tusks and grown fat." Leolox thought for a moment. "If Brother Leiluo really wants Pigger Beasts, I can have my people catch some for you. Newly caught Pigger Beasts still have decent fighting power."

What the hell? Who wants newly caught ones? There are already domesticated ones, and I'd still refuse them? Do I have rocks in my head?

Leiluo hurriedly said, "Brother Leolox, there's no need to trouble yourself. The tuskless ones your Moknasa have will do."

"But, brother..." Leolox looked as though he were thinking entirely for Leiluo's sake.

"Really, there's no need. The Pigger Beasts you've domesticated will be fine." Leiluo knew Leolox meant well, but he intended to raise these Pigger Beasts as livestock. What did he need their combat power for?

At last, under Leiluo's firm insistence, Leolox handed over Moknasa's few domesticated Pigger Beasts. Afterward, Leiluo discussed with Leolox how the two clans would support one another in the future, then led his warriors back to Bandar City. Although he had sent someone to notify Saxi, he still needed to return so his clansmen would not worry.

Besides, Leiluo wanted to hurry back and see whether the livestock-raising knowledge he remembered could be used on the domesticated Pigger Beasts. If it worked, then his Pebble Clan would gain another powerful means of attracting people.

[ ]

"Saiyba, you idiot! You chased them from Shadow Valley all the way to Blade's Edge Mountain, and you still let the Behemoth get away! You idiot!" The owner of the voice seemed to feel that words alone could no longer vent his rage, so he struck Saiyba, who was kneeling before him, with a bolt of lightning.

"Lord Chieftain, please stop! I—I'm about to die!" Saiyba wailed in agony beneath the lightning.

This shadowy figure was none other than the chieftain of the Twilight Hammer Clan—Kargath. Kargath clearly had no intention of killing Saiyba; he merely meant to discipline him, so he stopped the spell.

"Lord Chieftain, I know the name of the clan that took the Behemoth. It's called Pebble. As long as Lord Gul'dan uses a few methods at this trade fair, are we afraid they won't hand over the Behemoth?" Enduring the pain, Saiyba offered advice to his Master.

Who would have thought that Saiyba's scheme would earn him another bolt of lightning from Kargath? "You idiot! You actually intend to let Lord Gul'dan know about this? Do you know what Lord Gul'dan plans to use the Behemoth for? You idiot!"

Kargath was truly exasperated by Saiyba's stupidity. He stopped his spell, walked over, and began punching and kicking him. "Every Behemoth tamed by orcs is valued greatly by them. No matter what grudges exist between the clans, they will all support the clan that tamed the Behemoth in keeping it. Even if Lord Gul'dan steps in, it won't work. Do you understand?"

Seemingly tired from hitting him, Kargath sat directly on Saiyba and continued, "If Lord Gul'dan could control a Behemoth, would he need you to catch a wild one? Why don't you use your two heads to think properly?"

"The Behemoth already belongs to this Pebble Clan. That cannot be changed, and Lord Gul'dan cannot be allowed to learn of this. Here's what you'll do: lead two units of Ogres to Blade's Edge Mountain, recruit some more Ogres there, and once the trade fair is over, immediately lead them to slaughter that so-called Pebble Clan. Then wouldn't that Behemoth become wild again? Hahahaha! I truly am a genius Ogre, Lord Kargath." Hearing Kargath's words, Saiyba secretly cursed him. He had merely called himself the mighty Ogre Lord Saiyba on his way back, and Kargath had learned it from him. How shameless. But Saiyba failed to consider who he himself had learned that manner of self-introduction from.

Though he cursed inwardly, Saiyba still praised him aloud. "Worthy indeed of the genius Ogre, Lord Chieftain Kargath! Your plan is simply flawless! Then, my lord, I'll go select Ogre warriors now and depart for Blade's Edge Mountain."

"Good. Go!" Hearing Saiyba's words, Kargath rose from atop him. Saiyba hurriedly scrambled out of the Chieftain Hall, while Kargath slowly returned to his chieftain's throne.

On the other side, after returning to the clan, Leiluo urgently had the domesticated Pigger Beasts acquired from Moknasa castrated using the knowledge he remembered, then penned them up. A few days later, these domesticated Pigger Beasts truly became like the livestock in Leiluo's memories: they did nothing but eat and sleep, their bodies swelling as fast as balloons. Seeing this, Leiluo was overjoyed.

As the days passed, the day of the trade fair finally arrived. Leiluo had also recruited a new small squad of warriors. It was worth mentioning that, with the Chieftain Hall's upgrade, all the warriors recruited this time had reached Black Iron Tier strength. They were all elite troops.

Thus, Leiluo led this squad of Black Iron Tier warriors and the trade goods to the place he had arranged with Leolox, and the two groups set off for the trade fair together.