Before dawn the next day, Leiluo and his group set out for the Fireblade Clan's territory.
They soon arrived outside the Fireblade encampment.
Looking at the guards by the entrance, Leiluo nodded to Lantresuo. Lantresuo understood at once and crept over using Zephyr Step.
Once Lantresuo had succeeded, Leiluo turned to the others and said, "We can begin. Chieftain Kargath and Chieftain Kilrogg, go left. Blackhand and I will head down the middle. Old Du and Big Brother, go right. Our goal is to kill Gul'dan. If anyone finds him, send a message immediately so we can provide support."
"Rexxar, stay outside and back us up. Make sure we have a way to retreat."
"Right. Let's move."
At Leiluo's words, the figures behind him immediately dashed off in different directions.
Leiluo and Blackhand quickly moved toward the center, with Lantresuo, who had dealt with the patrol, catching up to them.
"My lord, I don't recognize any of these people. They must all be Gul'dan's men. But he failed to seize power—where did he get so many people?"
"That's perfectly normal. It would be strange if Gul'dan didn't have capable people under him."
Though Gul'dan was said to have been expelled from the Shadowmoon Clan, Leiluo knew he had the Shadow Council at his disposal. So Lantresuo's question seemed perfectly reasonable to him.
"Kid, something's off. Aside from the patrols and the guards at the entrance, why are all these houses completely silent?"
As Leiluo and Lantresuo quietly discussed the situation, the experienced Blackhand quickly noticed something was wrong.
Orcs snored like thunder when they slept. They had chosen to come at daybreak, when everyone would be sleeping most deeply, but now everything was eerily quiet.
Blackhand's reminder made Leiluo realize something was wrong, too.
"Let's keep moving toward the center. We'll check the Chieftain Hall first. Lantresuo, lead the way."
"Yes, Chieftain!"
The three of them advanced cautiously. With Lantresuo leading, they soon reached the Fireblade Clan's Chieftain Hall.
"That's strange. Why isn't anyone guarding the hall?"
The three of them were astonished to find no one outside the Chieftain Hall.
"Lantresuo, go in and take a look. Be careful—Gul'dan might be inside."
The situation was too strange. Leiluo thought it best to play it safe, so he sent Lantresuo to investigate.
"Yes, Chieftain."
At the order, Lantresuo pushed off the ground, darted forward, and vanished from Leiluo and Blackhand's sight.
"Kid, you've got some luck. You actually managed to recruit a Sword Saint."
"Hey, what do you mean, recruit? He was the one who begged and pleaded to join the Stone Clan."
While Leiluo and Blackhand traded barbs, Lantresuo had already returned.
"Chieftain, there's no one inside. What should we do?"
At Lantresuo's report, Leiluo's expression grew grave. Blackhand spoke up beside him. "Kid, did word of our plans get out?"
"How could it have? It's only been three days since we sent for everyone and set out. How could word have gotten out?"
"Maybe Gul'dan moved the entire Fireblade Clan."
Leiluo dismissed Blackhand's suggestion. Only a few people knew they were coming to the Fireblade Clan, and they had moved so quickly. It couldn't have been because their plans had been leaked.
"Chieftain, if Gul'dan moved the entire Fireblade Clan, why would he still have people patrolling and guarding the entrance?"
Lantresuo's words flashed through Leiluo's mind like lightning.
"Lantresuo, does the Fireblade Clan have anywhere hidden away?"
"Yes. There's a cave not far from here where the Fireblade Clan worships the Ancestral Spirit."
"How many people can it hold?"
"All ten thousand members of the Fireblade Clan could fit inside."
"Fire a signal flare. If I'm not mistaken, Gul'dan has probably gathered the entire Fireblade Clan there."
"But why, Chieftain?"
"Didn't you see it?"
The suspicion forming in Leiluo's mind made him uneasy. If it proved true, their plan to kill Gul'dan wouldn't be nearly as easy as they had imagined.
Kargath, Kilrogg, Leolox, and Durotan gathered after seeing the signal flare.
The impulsive Kargath spoke first. "Chieftain of the Stone Clan, what's going on? We went all the way there and saw only a few green-skinned Orcs on patrol. There was no one else."
After Kargath finished, Kilrogg chimed in. "Exactly, Chieftain of the Stone Clan. How are we supposed to carry out our plan together like this?"
"Both of you, don't worry. Gul'dan may be at the sacrificial site not far from the Fireblade encampment. Let's go there and find him."
Seeing the puzzled looks Leolox and Durotan were giving him, Leiluo quickly explained his suspicions.
"Kid, what if he isn't there? That was only your guess!"
Just then, Blackhand, who had been standing beside Leiluo, caught him completely off guard.
When the other four looked toward him, Leiluo felt his head grow twice as big. But Blackhand's knowing glint made him understand, and he hurriedly spoke up.
"Don't worry. If Gul'dan isn't at the Fireblade Clan's sacrificial site, we'll call this off. I won't give you any less than I promised."
Kargath and Kilrogg grew anxious at this and stared hard at Leiluo.
"Don't worry. If I can't give you what I promised, I'll make it up to you—and make sure you're both satisfied. How about that?"
"All right, Chieftain of the Stone Clan. Since you've put it that way, and the other two chieftains are here as well, we'll go along with it."
Only after finally getting everyone on board did Leiluo have Lantresuo lead them to the Fireblade Clan's sacrificial site.
The Fireblade Clan's sacrificial site had once been a vast open space. Now it was packed with people.
The totem of the Ancestral Spirit that had once stood in the center was gone. In its place was a platform, with a green-skinned Orc standing atop it.
Firelight illuminated the green-skinned Orc's face. It was Gul'dan, the one Leiluo and the others had been looking for.
Gul'dan stood on the platform with both hands raised above his head, muttering incantations. Above him, a dark-green ring spun continuously, with streams of dark-green energy pouring out of it.
One of the cages nearby stood out from the rest. It held Orcs who were powerfully built and full of vigor. Among them was none other than the Fireblade Clan's former chieftain—Dahl Triple Bloodblade.
At that moment, he was cursing a green-skinned Orc outside the cage.
"Nilru, are you even worthy of being a son of the Fireblade Clan? You're a traitor, conspiring with Gul'dan to harm your own people."
"Dahl, you're as naive as ever. Power is everything! Understand?"
Nilru stood outside the cage, gloating over his former chieftain.
"Once you have enough power, you can have anything you want. Just wait for Lord Gul'dan's spell to take effect! Hahahaha!"
"Chieftain, this is bad! Someone's broken in!"
Nilru was like a duck seized by the neck. His voice stopped abruptly.
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