The first method was to join forces with the other three villages. To fully convince them, you would have to make some sacrifices, and you would also need to contribute the most in battle. Otherwise, there would be no way to unite all three villages. If you chose this method, your side might end up making the greatest sacrifice.
It was even possible that after you joined forces with them, they wouldn't believe you could defeat the Orcs and would betray you, turning around and attacking you instead.
The second method was to maximize your own side's gains while minimizing its sacrifices.
Zhao Fu thought it over and decided to choose the second method. It was clearly the more advantageous option. If the three villages were his allies, taking advantage of them and framing them might be hard to justify. But for now, they might be friends—or they might be enemies. He didn't know, so he wouldn't hold back.
Now he needed to figure out how to carry out the plan. The Orc Tribe had refused to attack the three villages because conquering them would cost too much. Even if they won, they would lose many Orcs. So he needed to come up with something that would drive them mad and make them attack the other three villages at any cost.
The most important thing, of course, was finding a way to make the Orcs lose their minds. Zhao Fu did have Kobolds and Goblins under his command. He could have them stage an attack on the Orcs, then pin the blame on the Kobolds and Goblins living here.
But that wouldn't be enough to drive the Orcs mad. It might even make them suspicious. They would easily realize, We're already stronger than those villages. We'd be doing them a favor just by leaving them alone. Why would they attack us?
Zhao Fu never underestimated anyone—not even the Orcs. So he wouldn't use that method.
For now, he would stay hidden and wait until nightfall for a chance to capture an Orc and question him. Then he could devise a detailed plan.
Night fell, and the area was plunged into darkness. The Orc Tribe below lit one torch after another to illuminate the village. A light rain began to fall.
Bai Qi took Zhang Dahu and several others with him and seized the opportunity to capture a somewhat skinny Orc.
Inside a large hollow tree, Zhao Fu looked at the Orc hanging from the ceiling. After his men had lashed the Orc a few times, he had given in.
The skinny Orc was clearly malnourished and probably had a hard life in the Orc village. He was likely looked down on and bullied often.
This was common in human villages, too. A few strong people would use their strength to bully those weaker than them. The law of the jungle existed everywhere; it didn't disappear just because humans had more advanced culture.
Since he had a hard time in the village, the Orc was naturally less loyal to it, so he had been easy to break. If Zhao Fu had captured an Orc who was treated well in the village, he probably wouldn't have surrendered until they had whipped his skin raw.
"What's your name?" Zhao Fu asked, looking at the Orc.
The skinny Orc looked frightened as he replied, "My lord! My name is An Lun."
Zhao Fu nodded in satisfaction, then asked again, "I want to know everything about your Orc Tribe. Tell me now."
An Lun then told Zhao Fu everything about the Orc Tribe, without leaving anything out.
First, the Orc village was called the Otis Tribe, and it was an advanced village. Its leader was named Otis, the strongest Orc in the tribe. Otis also had a younger brother named Ao Ka, who was a powerful Orc and the tribe's second-in-command.
Hearing this, Zhao Fu immediately asked, "How are the chief and the second-in-command getting along?"
An Lun replied, "Very well. The chief usually dotes on the second-in-command the most."
Zhao Fu smiled, feeling that he had found his target. He continued asking about the Orc unit types and learned that the Orcs had two:
[Orc Warrior]: E-Grade unit. Description: A powerful warrior among the Orcs. Unit effect: Class Transfer grants the skill [Savage War].
[Strong Orc]: D-Grade unit. Description: A powerful warrior among the Orcs. Unit effect: Class Transfer grants [Ancestral Power].
The second was a special unit. Since the village was advanced, it had a limit of 30, and both Orc leaders were Strong Orcs.
Zhao Fu asked about a few other things. Once he was satisfied with the answers, he had the Orc locked up and discussed the detailed tactics with Bai Qi and the others.
The next day, Zhao Fu continued observing the tribe from a distance.
A two-meter-tall Orc with totems painted on his body came out with more than a hundred Orcs. After An Lun identified him, Zhao Fu learned that the Orc leading them was the second-in-command, Ao Ka.
Zhao Fu was a little surprised that Ao Ka dared to come out with only a hundred Orcs. But then he thought about it: the Orcs were the rulers here, and most people would hide as soon as they saw them. They were used to throwing their weight around and had no idea that Zhao Fu, a hundred miles away, had already reached their doorstep.
He had his men lie in ambush. The plan began!
"Second-in-command, where are we hunting today?"
Ao Ka was leading the group forward when an Orc beside him suddenly asked. Ao Ka thought for a moment, preparing to answer.
A series of sharp whistles suddenly rang out. Ao Ka was startled and shouted, "We're under attack!"
But it was already too late. Zhao Fu's side had 300 Archers, 200 crossbowmen, and 200 Kobolds armed with throwing spears. Ao Ka had just over a hundred men. How could they possibly dodge them all?
One Orc after another was either killed by a rain of arrows or pierced through by iron-tipped spears and pinned to the ground. Blood sprayed everywhere, and the place turned into a slaughterhouse.
Ao Ka had taken several arrows. He knocked aside the spears hurled at him with two slashes of his blades. Seeing that all the Orcs but him were dead, he roared furiously, "Who's there? Show yourself!"
Hearing this, Zhao Fu slowly stepped out from the side with his men and looked at Ao Ka, the second-in-command of the Orc Tribe.
Seeing that they were humans, Ao Ka was baffled. When had so many humans appeared?
But Ao Ka understood his situation. He shouted, "I'm the second-in-command of the Otis Tribe! Human, do you know who you're picking a fight with?"
Zhao Fu couldn't understand him, of course. An Lun translated the words, and Zhao Fu gave a slight smile.
Suddenly!
Ao Ka turned into a dark blur and charged toward Zhao Fu. He had been hit by several arrows and was already badly wounded. He knew that his only chance of survival was to capture Zhao Fu, so he planned to rush him while he was off guard.
But he had underestimated Zhao Fu. The instant Ao Ka moved, countless arrows flew toward him, and Ao Ka swung his blades to fend them off.
Suddenly!
A spear shot out like lightning, piercing Ao Ka straight through the chest. Duo Ke, the former Kobold chief, had thrown it. His strike ended the life of Ao Ka, the Orc.