In the League, But With the Taiwan Server System

"I discovered..."

"Third Legion Commander Glick met with an outsider late at night two days ago."

"That person wasn't dressed like someone from Navori. They looked more like... someone from the Order of the Shadow? Perhaps one of their faction—dressed like a ninja or assassin."

"I questioned Glick afterward, but he kept dodging the subject and deliberately avoided answering. So I secretly tracked and investigated him—yes, I overstepped my authority in this matter. I am willing to accept punishment afterward, but please allow me to continue for now."

"The financial situation of Glick's Third Legion has improved dramatically. Over the past two days, they have been purchasing large quantities of outside equipment in secret—the details of the transactions are unknown, but payment was made in gold."

"Additionally, Glick's Third Legion has had an unusually high number of violations recently. They are gradually showing signs of... becoming difficult to control."

"Therefore, I reasonably suspect... the traitor is within the Third Legion."

Morse had made himself very clear—he was only short of saying the final name aloud.

After hearing the report, Irelia's calm expression did not change, but a cold glint flashed through her eyes.

There was still no direct evidence proving that Glick was the traitor who had nearly gotten Chen Ce killed, but these matters alone were enough to saddle him with the charge of "serious disciplinary violations."

Colluding with outsiders, possessing vast amounts of property from unknown sources, and repeated violations within the legion under his command in a short period of time... all of it was undeniable.

Brotherhood, Brotherhood...

"Keep a closer eye on him for now." Irelia took a deep breath and suppressed the anger in her heart. "I'll settle each of these accounts with him eventually, but not now."

"Yes, Leader." Morse, the Second Legion Commander, nodded.

"In any case, don't alert him yet. But don't let Glick come into contact with too many military secrets in the near future either... With a powerful enemy at our doorstep, I don't want anything else to happen."

"Yes."

"Especially regarding Noxus's new weapons. Let Glick know what he already knows, but don't let him learn anything he doesn't."

"Your orders will be obeyed."

After giving her instructions, Irelia turned to look at Chen Ce beside her.

But before she could remind him to continue resting properly, he spoke first.

"Regarding those poison gas weapons... I may have a few solutions."

"You mean the Way of the Wanderer?" Irelia had heard Chen Ce mention it two days ago. "Are you still planning to seek help from that person called Yasuo?"

"Yes." Chen Ce nodded.

Morse also chimed in from the side. "The Way of the Wanderer? That's quite similar to what we discussed before—we also believed that the Way of the Wanderer could effectively counter the damage caused by those poison gas attacks. I was just about to send someone over."

In the days after Irelia had returned, she had already held meetings with several legion commanders about Noxus's poison gas weapons.

All three legion commanders were highly experienced. They quickly thought of Ionia's legendary swordsmanship—the Way of the Wanderer.

If it could control the direction of the wind... perhaps it could perfectly block attacks from chemical weapons.

"Leave this matter to me, Commander Morse." Chen Ce gave another military salute. "I have some... special intelligence that will make the sole inheritor of the Way of the Wanderer unable to refuse my request."

"Hm? Such a thing exists?" Morse was somewhat surprised.

"Yes. Besides... I also intend to find some other people and bring them into the Resistance Army to help us resist Noxus's invasion."

Chen Ce planned to accelerate the course of the war.

Ionia was filled with hidden talents. Many powerful "heroes" could be put to great use on the battlefield.

For example... Syndra.

That terrifying existence who, when fully unleashing her magic, could lift an entire island from the ground.

If they could gain her help, let alone one person fighting an army—even having one person defend an entire nation would not be a problem.

Besides, even if Syndra, that powerful mage who hated Ionia, was difficult to recruit, people like Sett, Master Yi, and Akali still held great promise.

Though they were not as powerful as Syndra, they would still be overwhelmingly superior to ordinary people.

"If you have a plan... I trust you, Ce." Morse patted his shoulder again, like a kind elder and a forgiving mentor.

Irelia said nothing, only looking at Chen Ce with concern.

Perhaps selfishness was at work... Right now, she only wanted Chen Ce to remain by her side, where she could keep him safe.

He had nearly died twice already—both within a single week.

But...

The Resistance Army...

This concerned the safety of all Ionia and every Ionian...

As its leader, she had to let reason overcome emotion.

At last, she relented.

"Promise me... you'll come back safely."

"Okay." Chen Ce smiled and held out his little finger.

This time, Irelia did not say that it was "a promise only children made." She openly hooked fingers with him.

"And you're not allowed to... fool around out there." The girl turned her face to the side, a shy blush spreading across her fair cheeks.

"You can only be mine... got it..."

Today's update and bonus chapter will be posted tonight~

Fox Ears!

Elder Souma was dead.

As the last master proficient in the Way of the Wanderer, his death undoubtedly caused a huge sensation.

There was even... a hint of irony to it.

He had died beneath the Way of the Wanderer.

And in all of Ionia—even all of Runeterra—aside from Elder Souma himself, only one person had mastered the Way of the Wanderer: his most prized disciple, Yasuo.

People discovered Elder Souma's body on a cold, rainy night.

It had rained heavily that night—in early winter Ionia, that was unusual, as though the gathering storm clouds had foretold everything to come.

First came a startled cry, followed by screams, then terrified and frantic shouts... The entire village arrived. Everyone saw Elder Souma's corpse.

There was a trace of surprise on his face, while his body was covered in horrifying wounds... as though it had been sliced open by sharp gusts of wind. Blood mixed with cold rainwater and spread across the room, while the scent of incense was tainted with a thick, bloody stench.

People did not see Yasuo beside Elder Souma—the dead man's only disciple and personal guard.

Soon, terrifying speculation spread: Elder Souma had been killed by the Way of the Wanderer, while Yasuo, the only person who knew the Way of the Wanderer and who should have been guarding Elder Souma at all times, had vanished. The murderer behind this killing was obvious.

People did not understand why Yasuo had done it—they could not think of any suitable motive, but the facts were there.

Yasuo was the only person in the world who knew the Way of the Wanderer... and he was gone.

It was an irrefutable fact. No amount of eloquence could change it.

Perhaps some people still refused to believe it, but regardless, the village swordsmen had already set out to find Yasuo—they would arrest and judge him, and when he faced execution, they would ask how he could have been so cruel as to murder his own master.

On that sorrowful rainy night, many swordsmen set out with their swords at their sides.

It was a pursuit concerning truth and death.

Even the wind could lose its way...

Splat—!

The sound of a blade piercing flesh rang out, especially piercing in the silent night.

Yasuo's hand holding his sword trembled slightly. Sweat covered his face and forehead, as though he were enduring inhuman agony.

Yet his body had not suffered the slightest injury.

The pain he felt was in his heart.

"Why... why are you forcing me... to do this..."

The torrential rain washed away the stench of blood, but no matter how hard it fell, it could not wash away the scent of sin.

The sorrowful questioning in the rain gradually turned into a hysterical roar.

"It wasn't me... it wasn't me! I didn't lay a hand on Elder Souma!!"

The blade slid free, and blood sprayed out.

The swordsman fell helplessly to his knees, the fury in his eyes gradually fading away.

Blood was already flowing from the corners of his mouth and nostrils, but his bloodstained fingers stubbornly refused to fall.

He grabbed Yasuo's ankle. Gushing blood left an even deeper stain of sin upon clothes that had long since been dyed red.

"You... faithless... traitor..."

Thud. The swordsman finally collapsed.

Yet his eyes never closed—still filled with anger, resentment, and confusion.

"I'm sorry..." Yasuo fell to his knees as well, his face full of terror and guilt.

The blood and death of his companion assaulted nerves already on the verge of collapse, nearly leaving him unable to breathe.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I have to find the truth... the real murderer..."

A light yet hurried set of footsteps sounded behind him again, amid the pouring rain.

The swordsman burdened with sin knew it was time to leave.

He gently closed the dead man's eyes, then painfully forced himself back to his feet, as though those two simple actions had taken more effort than the battle before.

As he left that bloodstained village along the road, he once more recalled what he had seen that night—

A wet, rain-soaked night. The war drums of a Noxian march echoed from the neighboring valley, but what awaited him was not battle—it was hundreds of Noxian and Ionian corpses... Something horrifying and strange had happened there, something no sword could stop. Even the earth itself seemed to have been defiled...

He could not forget that terrifying sight, nor could he forget...

The blood staining his hands.

The wind still could not return...

Chen Ce set out with the best spear in the village and a map.

After several days of recuperation, his physical condition had basically returned to normal. He had even become stronger than before—he now possessed an additional skill.

[Counter Strike]

This skill might not be particularly useful against mages, but on the Ionian battlefield, it was practically godlike—Grandmaster Jax's signature skill, capable of ignoring the vast majority of ordinary physical attacks while in use.

As long as he did not encounter Noxus's Sorcery Legion, he would basically be invincible.

Blades, spears, clubs, staffs—the full arsenal of weapons could all be blocked.

Even martial arts master Ma Baoguo would have to call it impressive.

The only trouble now was...

Yasuo was not easy to find.

Elder Souma was dead, and Yasuo had left the village. Going directly to the village now held little meaning; finding Yasuo first was the urgent priority—if Yasuo was absent, even dragging Riven out to confess would be difficult to explain.

For one thing, given Riven's severely damaged mental state, setting aside whether she was willing to confess, it was another matter entirely whether the villagers would believe her.

For another... personally judging Riven was Yasuo's rightful privilege.

Riven had caused the death of the master he revered most, and he had thus been burdened with accusations of betraying his master and fleeing out of guilt. He had every right to judge her.

No one was more qualified than him.

Well... in short, he had to find Yasuo now.

But that would not be easy—Yasuo was constantly fleeing and had no fixed place to stay. Finding him in vast Ionia was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

So...