The Truth Revealed

The Noxian invasion shattered Ionia's peace. Regarding the question of whether to participate in the war, Ku expressed a wait-and-see attitude, while Zed strongly advocated for engaging the enemy.

The two had argued several times over this matter, never reaching a consensus. Later, during a heated debate, a binding formation suddenly appeared, trapping them firmly.

The formation contained attack traps, and waves of black poisonous mist ignited with flames. Trapped in the ancestral hall, neither could escape. Ku pushed Zed out of the formation with all his might, only to be consumed by the sea of fire himself.

At this moment, Shen rushed in. Seeing Zed emanating dark energy and his father already charred, he attacked without a word.

Speaking of this, Zed's face contorted in pain: "Shen thought I was the killer and fought me to the death. I had no choice but to leave."

Kennen sighed, "Sigh... Why didn't you seek my help? Instead, you kept avoiding me?"

"At that time, it was just my father and me. I couldn't escape suspicion. I knew you believed me, and precisely because of that, I couldn't seek your help."

"Why?"

"With your fiery temper, supporting me would have undoubtedly torn the Order apart. So, I left on my own, intending to find you after the truth came out. Unfortunately, there were no clues, but..."

"But what?"

"But my founding of the Shadow Order was from the heart. During my travels over the years, I gained my own understanding of the Kinkou's principles. Father was too conservative and too compassionate. Since Noxus shattered the peace of this land, all compassion is meaningless. We must fight fire with fire!"

"That is your freedom; I will not interfere. But your stubbornness has blinded Shen with hatred, and his actions have strayed from the righteous path."

"How can he stray from the path because of me? What did I do wrong? From the very beginning, he blamed me without understanding the situation. Now, his obsession is too deep, which only shows he hasn't grasped the Kinkou's principles and has failed your teachings."

"Alas, perhaps there's a problem with my teaching methods. You've truly suffered all these years."

Kennen sighed again. At this moment, Zed added, "I killed Senior Sister Alanta with my own hands."

The atmosphere, which had just begun to thaw, instantly plummeted to freezing. Kennen questioned, "The reason?"

"I didn't think about the reason when I killed her. Now I think it was..."

"My pride." "Your pride." They said in unison.

After a period of silence, Zed continued, "Her heart and body were occupied by someone else. I still don't know who this person is, and she wouldn't even see me."

"So, you got nothing, and you killed her?"

"Yes! So, neither body nor mind truly matters. The only reason was my pride. I couldn't allow the person I liked to treat me this way. If it became a fact, then I would end her myself."

"You are not only proud but also foolish. I watched you grow up; I know better than anyone that Alanta liked you!"

"Impossible. I confessed to her many times, and each time I was rejected. Even if she rejected me for the sake of the Order's development, why would she give birth to someone else's child?"

"That's why she kept hiding and refused to see you! Because it would hurt you!"

"Heh, it would hurt me?" Zed's emotions flared, and his voice rose considerably. "Alanta once said she wouldn't accept me for the sake of the Order's development. At that time, I thought about leaving, but I didn't expect her to leave the Order first, and in such a low-key manner. That was the greatest hurt to me!"

"Alas, your short lives are filled with nothing but love and hate. Alanta told me she was sorry to you, but didn't tell me why. I think it was this sense of indebtedness that made her willing to die by your hand. Otherwise, you couldn't have killed her. I don't know your current strength, but you are definitely no match for the Fist of Shadow!"

"Even so, I don't regret killing her. No unspoken reason can change my mind!"

Zed's body trembled uncontrollably. It was evident that his heart was wavering, but he still refused to admit his mistake verbally.

"The reason you killed Alanta doesn't allow me to forgive you. After we settle things with Shen, I will settle the score with you."

"Settle things? It is indeed time for a settlement."

At some unknown time, Shen had appeared at the cave entrance. He was wearing a tight-fitting outfit, holding a soul blade in one hand and a steel knife in the other, like an emotionless assassin. Standing beside him were three guardians and Jhin.

At first, I doubted the reason for Jhin's appearance. Now it seems they are working together. He was carrying several heads in his hand – those of the men Zed had sent to guard the cave entrance not long ago.

Kennen's expression became grave upon seeing Jhin. After a moment of thought, he asked, "You are... Jhin?"

"Senior Brother's memory is quite good. You still remember me after all these years."

→

Jhin finally spoke like a normal person, yet his words felt even more abnormal. He actually called Kennen Senior Brother!

Not only I, but Shen and Zed also looked surprised. It seemed that at some point in history, something unknown had happened.

Kennen frowned deeply, "Why are you still alive? You're not..."

"Yes, I was expelled from the Kinkou Order by you, and then killed by my enemies."

"Then why are you still alive, and show no signs of aging?"

At this moment, Poppy added, "He is a dark mage from ancient Demacia. He has existed for over three hundred years. Not long ago, he was still harming children in Yanglin Village. It seems he has extended his life through some secret means."

Kennen was furious upon hearing this, "All the heinous incidents targeting children in recent years were your doing?"

"Yes, all me. Their untainted bodies, their fragrant blood, their terrified cries, their moments of despair... they are simply the most beautiful art. You and Master have also appreciated quite a bit, haven't you, hahaha..."

"You!" Kennen's body trembled with rage, and a bolt of lightning shot towards Jhin's face, but Shen blocked it with his soul blade.

"Senior Brother, don't rush."

"Shen! Hating Zed, hating me and Master is one thing, but joining forces with this person is unforgivable!"

"I am no longer a child, and I naturally have my plans!"

As things stood, there was nothing more to say. Kennen directly attacked, aiming straight for Jhin.

Shen ordered everyone to attack, and he himself charged towards Zed. The three guardians and Poppy engaged in a fierce battle.

My injuries were severe, and I was unable to help them at this moment. I could only hide in a corner, trying my best not to be a burden.

The cave was very spacious, not hindering combat at all. The slippery ground also caused no inconvenience, as everyone here was a master!

Although Tianshu, Haishi, and Li were young, their promotion to guardians of the Kinkou Order proved their strength was not lacking. They had already proven this during our previous encounters.

Currently, they fought Poppy together and were evenly matched. Shen, in particular, held the advantage; he wielded his steel blade with great skill, and his Soul Blade was even more incredibly powerful!

Kennen could handle Jhin with ease, but Jhin was very agile. Relying on various tricky spells, he wouldn't be defeated anytime soon.

The fierce battle continued for a while before Zed unleashed his ultimate move, the same one he used to kill Alanta—Chains of Shadow.

Suddenly, several black shadows appeared on the field, mimicking Zed's stance. They instantly surrounded Shen and attacked simultaneously. It was impossible for anyone to dodge all of them!

However, Shen didn't dodge. He abruptly threw his steel blade aside, then plunged his Soul Blade into his own chest. Clasping his hands together, he shouted, "Mercy Soul Fall!"

At that moment, Zed's attack landed. The sharp blade pierced Shen's body, but unlike Alanta, he didn't bleed and fall. Instead, his form became blurry, emitting a purple glow as his body phased out of existence!

All of Zed's attacks were rendered useless. Furthermore, this move consumed a great deal of his energy, leaving him unable to retaliate against Shen. Even if he did hit Shen, his attacks couldn't inflict damage due to Shen's ethereal state.

Most terrifyingly, the purple light emanating from Mercy Soul Fall empowered all three guardians. They had already begun to falter against Poppy, but with this power boost, the fight was once again a draw!

Kennen hadn't secured victory yet, but Shen had already gripped Zed's throat tightly. "It's over!"

With a flick of his wrist after speaking, Zed's head lolled. Distracted, Kennen fell victim to Jhin's binding spell. Poppy could only retreat to protect me.

"A perfect conclusion. We won."

"We?"

Shen cast a cold glance at Jhin and, with a twist of his wrist, plunged his steel blade into Jhin's chest. With a "crack," Jhin's body split open like a wooden board.

"Hahaha... Art. It is worth suffering for. One day, my genius will be understood. And you..."

Before Jhin could finish, Shen severed his head. But Jhin's body was still an illusion; losing his head didn't stop him from speaking:

"Forget it. I'll tell you the truth. Our master, your father, Master Kusuo, wasn't killed by Zed. This was all orchestrated by me, the great director. Hahaha... Now, art shall bloom once more!"

Jhin's body exploded, just like last time. Shen and Kennen quickly escaped. Poppy used her small body to shield me, but I was already severely wounded and couldn't withstand the impact. My consciousness began to fade