"So it was Dathrohan," Lu Li murmured, feeling a sense of powerlessness. As the saying went, invisible enemies were the most terrifying. He didn't expect that such a sinister character had been behind all this.
"What happened to Dathrohan?" Tirion Fordring asked, noticing that Lu Li's expression was different.
Lu Li didn't give a direct answer, but began describing a story.
"With the invasion of the Undead Scourge and the betrayal of Prince Arthas, Uther Lightbrighter died in Andorhal, and the Silver Hand Paladins quickly fell apart…"
Tirion Fordring knew about all of this and didn't understand why Lu Li was bringing it up.
"The surviving commander-in-chief, Dathrohan, proposed that Stratholme should be recaptured first. At that time, the Highlord Alexander Morgraine had returned from Ironforge with the Ashbringer and came to an agreement with Dathrohan. The remnant of the Silver Hand Paladins quickly assembled their troops to launch a full invasion on Stratholme. What happened then?" Lu Li asked.
Tirion Fordring shook his head; he was a wise man and knew what Lu Li was asking. This was something that he couldn't answer.
"The Strength of the Undead Scourge in Strathholme exceeded their expectations. Dathrohan, who was a melee combatant, escaped from the large force and encountered the Dreadlord Balnazzar who was thought to have been destroyed in the battle between the Scourge and the Forsaken…" Lu Li continued as he looked at old Fordring sympathetically.
"He… he…" old Fordring stammered as his face turned pale.
A terrible plot seemed to be unfolding before him.
"That's right - Balnazzar easily absorbed the Paladin's life force and occupied Dathrohan's body. Lord Tirion, the person you encountered was the Dreadlord, not your old friend," Lu Li sighed.
"How did this happen…" old Fordring trailed off in disbelief.
"Dathrohan died a long time ago, and Balnazzar, who occupied his body, began to secretly carry out his plan to corrupt the Scarlet Crusade. His first target was Alexandros Mograine," Lu Li carried on. He had decided to tell Fordring everything.
He hated that all these things were bound to happen. Despite his rebirth, the future was full of events that were locked into place.
"Alexandros was not killed by Dathrohan. He didn't have the strength to. The Ashbringer's strength was so great that even I couldn't overcome it," Fordring said as he shook his head.
"Yes, Highlord Alexandros Mograine was a strong and faithful Paladin that was hard to corrupt and kill," Lu Li sneered, "but Balnazzar secretly influenced his eldest son, Renault Mograine, to go from respecting his father to hating him. Eventually, Renault secretly collaborated with the Scourge to defeat his father. After being betrayed by his family, Mograine and the Ashbringer fell into the hands of Naxxramas' most powerful Death Knight. After that, Balnazzar cast a spell on Isillien…"
"Balnazzar then led the Scarlet Crusade's most elite force into Stratholme under the guise of Dathrohan and began 'fighting' the Scourge for several years. Throughout the war, he continually selected the most powerful soldiers as part of his evil plan."
"Everyone thinks that he has been fighting at the front lines all this time, but they don't know that he has long since been a member of the enemy."
To put things simply, Dathrohan was just a piece in Balnazzar's plan.
"I see," old Fordring sighed as he closed his eyes and vividly remembered his friend, the Highlord Alexandros Mograine.
"Now that he has killed Isillien, his next target is obviously you. Ever since your fall, I fear that you are no longer any match for him," Lu Li prodded deliberately.
A hero should die on the battlefield, not due to heartbreak.
The Old Paladin picked up his son and graciously said, "I have spent too much time in the chaos and pain to feel sadness for what could have happened or should have happened…"
"Where are you going now?" Lu Li asked. Surely, he wasn't going to seek revenge on Dathrohan.
"I hope to have a new dream tomorrow. A dream that will cause others to stir in their sleep, the kind that can never be blotted out. Young man, I promise this to you!" old Fordring declared as he kept up his pace and threw an object behind him.
"I hope I can see you on that day," Lu Li said as he caught the item, then shouted back, "I have a lot of friends who are Paladins. I hope I can get some of your advice."
"Tell them to find me; you know where I live."
Lu Li had left a good impression. Surely, his friends wouldn't much different from him.
In order to do what needed to be done, he would need a lot of help. He didn't mind a few extra adventurers joining him.
Lu Li had gained a mentor!
In the not too distant future, Darion Mograine, who was Alexandro Mograine's beloved youngest son, would carry the fallen Ashbringer under Arthas' command to lead a huge army of Death Knights, Ghouls and Plague Giants to attack Light's Hope Chapel.
Under this assault, almost all of the Silver Dawn troops at Light's Hope Chapel would be lost.
At that time, Tirion Fordring would make a magnificent appearance and come in to slay the Undead.
He would acquire the fallen Ashbringer and use the power of the Holy Light to purify the artifact in an instant, becoming the third owner of the Ashbringer.
Then, the Lich King Arthas would appear, but would underestimated the old Fordring who was already in control of Ashbringer.
Old Fordring would attack and successfully repel Arthas.
The old Paladin who controlled the artifact would then become the King of the Paladins. Countless Paladins would eagerly anticipate him to lead them onwards.
Tirion Fordring would then announce the merger between the Silver Hand and the Silver Dawn into the Argent Crusade. Together, they vowed to defeat the Lich King and make him pay for what he had done!
To the players, the Argent Crusade was a small, but very powerful faction that most Paladin players were attracted to.
The players of Ruling Sword also had the opportunity to take this King of Paladins as their mentor, which would give them a tremendous boost to their Strength.
Of course, not all Paladins were eligible, so Lu Li didn't take this opportunity for granted.
He stood on the blood covered battlefield as the icy wind blew and sung for the dead. It was like a prayer for the lost souls to be at peace.
He had gained a lot from this quest, but he couldn't really say that he was happy.