The Taiwan Server System in the League

Hearing this, Sett's expression flickered with surprise, though he quickly masked it—he knew well that in business, the greatest taboo was letting the other party see one's satisfaction.

"Just this? No other conditions?" He attempted to squeeze out more benefits.

Chen Ce was well aware of his little schemes, but he found nothing wrong with that.

"Of course there is more." He took a heavy pouch from Ahri's hand. "Since this is a transaction, money is naturally indispensable. Three hundred gold coins, which I will reasonably deliver into Lady Dadana's hands."

This money was what he had won in tonight's gambling match—he had bet on Sett to KO his opponent in one round, turning fifty gold coins into over five hundred.

Come to think of it, he had earned this money thanks to Sett himself.

Parting with three hundred of those five hundred coins for this great contributor didn't pain him in the slightest.

"Three hundred..." Hearing this number, Sett instinctively gasped.

One had to know, he had won less than a hundred for taking the championship tonight.

Although that pair of Imero Stones was incredibly rare, they were actually quite difficult to sell—during wartime, many wealthy collectors spent their money elsewhere, and few would shell out such a fortune for a pair of "vases" that had no value beyond aesthetics.

"Beyond that, I will instruct the nearby Resistance Army to look after Lady Dadana, ensuring those rumors never reach her ears again." Chen Ce finally offered a condition Sett could not refuse.

Under the assault of this "three-pronged attack," even someone as stubborn as Sett had to relent.

"Not bad terms..." He stared intently at the other man while pulling the pair of Imero Stones that had Ahri so excited out of his bag. "I hope you keep your word."

"Of course." Chen Ce took the Imero Stones and gave a standard Resistance Army salute. "I hope we have a pleasant cooperation, comrade."

"Hmph..." Having finished the deal, Sett brushed the dust off his clothes and walked home without looking back.

Chen Ce didn't mind his rudeness, merely waving a hand in farewell. "I'll come to see Lady Dadana tomorrow. See you then."

Clack. The door closed gently.

Looking at Ahri, she was holding the pair of Imero Stones in both hands, already beyond excited—her fox ears were perked up, and her nine tails were wagging incessantly like electric fans.

"The gems are back in your hands. Do you have any leads?" Chen Ce asked casually. "About the mystery of your origins?"

"This Concubine can feel a wondrous power within these gems!" Ahri replied instantly. "It is that... yes, the same power as This Concubine! This Concubine will surely find some clues from this pair of gems!"

As she spoke, she took out the twin gems she always carried with her.

Radiant energy like blue fireflies enveloped the twin gems, and the wondrous power connecting to the Spirit Realm was refreshing to the soul.

Soon, the same radiant energy began to glow from the newly acquired Imero Stones.

Ahri's eyes were filled with longing, even appearing dazed—she seemed to have glimpsed some secret within the Imero Stones.

Chen Ce did not disturb her, standing quietly to the side to wait.

He had only one thought now...

Now Ahri could play "Double Q" too.

Just like a charged skill, throwing out two Q skills at once.

Hmm... as expected, a support fox is quite strong.

My Ahri's double Q is an instant kill!

Chapter 48: Mother of a Friend

Ahri hadn't spoken a word for an entire day.

Ever since she got her hands on those Imero Stones, she had been pouring magic into them, staring at their surfaces with a focus so intense it didn't look like fascination, but rather obsession.

Indeed, she hadn't even slept, spending the whole night studying the Imero Stones.

Even when Chen Ce rubbed her tails, she didn't react—ordinarily, she would have blushed and made some strange noises.

It was a bit absurd.

"Ahri, you're studying the Imero Stones again. Why don't you take a break?"

At sunset, Chen Ce gave those nine large, fluffy tails one last rub and pointed to the dinner on the table.

"I just want you to eat properly."

"Don't bother me, don't bother me, the key is here, don't disturb This Concubine..." Ahri instinctively let out an impatient sound.

But soon, she realized who she was talking to.

"This Concubine meant... This Concubine will eat in a moment, just leave it on the table, thank you~"

"You're practically becoming possessed..." Chen Ce shrugged helplessly. No longer trying to persuade her, he turned to prepare his own affairs.

The Imero Stones were in hand, but the agreement with Sett still had one final step—he had to visit Lady Dadana once more to use a white lie to conceal the fact that Sett was fighting in the underground arena.

Once that was settled, he could continue his journey toward Fae'lor Island.

"Badge, gold coins..." Chen Ce began preparing the items he needed to bring tonight.

But just then, the sound of a sharp object cutting through the air suddenly rang out.

Almost reflexively, he gripped the Doran's Spear resting by his side and looked toward the direction of the sound—it had come from outside the window.

A white object was rapidly approaching.

Chen Ce prepared to strike.

However... as that "thing" drew near, it suddenly slowed its pace.

Once it came fully into view, Chen Ce realized it was merely a pigeon.

A very unique pigeon—a Four-Winged White Dove.

This was a creature native to Ionia, capable of traversing thousands of miles to deliver messages by sensing the strange fluctuations of the Spirit Realm. It didn't even require a fixed destination, only a specific recipient—one simply had to let it sense an object containing the recipient's residual magic.

It landed slowly on the windowsill, tapping against the glass with its sharp beak.

Chen Ce immediately realized someone was sending him a message.

Is this a letter from Irelia? he wondered to himself while opening the window to retrieve it.

The delivery capabilities of the Four-Winged White Dove were formidable, but in turn, they were extremely rare. Even wealthy merchants and socialites rarely used them for daily correspondence; they were reserved only for the most urgent of secret missives.

Therefore, Chen Ce's first reaction upon receiving the letter was that the Resistance Army had encountered some dire trouble—Irelia also possessed a Four-Winged White Dove, and she only used it in the most critical of situations.

Yet, when he tore open the envelope, he discovered the letter had been sent from Noxus, across the ocean.

It was a letter from Samira.

The content was brief, but it concisely highlighted all the key points:

[Seven days from now, within half a month, a small battle group will land at the Reef Strait south of Wuju, transporting a massive quantity of alchemical weapons from Zaun.]

[Additionally, the person who commissioned me to kill you has yet to be identified. Please grant me a little more time.]

[S]

Short, concise, and clear. It was very much in line with Samira's style.

The chess piece is beginning to play its part...

After reading the letter, Chen Ce did not hesitate for a moment. He tore the paper into shreds, then took out pen and paper to write a new letter intended for Irelia—this intelligence was vital to the Resistance Army and could not be delayed.

By the time he finished, the sun had completely vanished behind the mountains.

Ahri was still focused on studying the pair of Imero Stones, seemingly unaware of everything that had just transpired.

Chen Ce didn't mind; he sat alone at the table, lost in thought for a while.

A moment later, he stood up, clutching a cloth bag.

Tonight's itinerary would remain unchanged, but perhaps he would need to add a few more items to the agenda...

The deal with Sett might just have a "second round."

"Ahri, I'm heading to Lady Dadana's place now. You take your time with the Imero Stones."

"Alright~" Ahri's nonchalant voice drifted over. "Come back early tonight, don't play too late with Mrs. Dadana. This Concubine will even lend you her tail to use as a blanket tonight~"

"...What nonsense are you spouting? See you later."

"Bye~"

As night fell, Sett once again dragged his weary body onto the road home.

Today's opponents weren't as strong as Avase had been yesterday, but there were more of them. After several consecutive matches, he wasn't exactly injured, but he was utterly exhausted.

Fortunately, the prize money today was substantial.

As a Vastayan, his recovery speed was far faster than that of an average human. The minor injuries from yesterday had already mostly healed by today, and he had been able to remove the bandages from his hands. The newly grown skin showed almost no signs of injury, save for a few small, earthworm-like scars.

His pace was also much faster than the day before.

The journey that had taken over an hour yesterday took only forty or fifty minutes today before he saw the cozy little house with its lights still burning.

The warm yellow candlelight exuded comfort, while the bright moonlight illuminated the path beneath his feet.

Sett felt a warmth in his heart and couldn't help but quicken his pace, the exhaustion and pain in his body seemingly vanishing into the night breeze.

However... just as he was about to reach the door, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Because he heard a man's voice.

"Not at all, Mrs. Dadana is still very young. Her skin is lovely, and her features are beautiful... she looks exactly like a girl of seventeen or eighteen."

"Oh my... but I'm already over forty. Calling me a young girl... that's just too awkward." This was his mother's voice.

Sett's heart trembled, and a nameless fire rose silently within him.

He didn't need to guess who that glib, oily-tongued man was.

The moment he pushed open the door, he saw exactly that detestable man—the member of the Resistance Army from the Placidium.

The man was sitting on the sofa with his mother, laughing and chatting.

"You're back?" Lady Dadana's smile widened when she saw her son. "Chen Ce came by today, too. This boy is such a nice person."

"Nice?" Sett's eyes sharpened at the words, his gaze locking onto Chen Ce.

The latter was looking at him with a smile on his face.

On the table beside them sat fresh fruit, a bag of gold coins, and a Resistance Army badge.

"He is quite nice, at least he didn't break his word... but it would be even nicer if he left immediately after fulfilling his promise, instead of shamelessly lingering here."

As his words fell, the room plunged into silence.

After a moment of shock and confusion, Lady Dadana furrowed her willow-leaf brows: "Sett! How could you be so rude as to drive a guest away! Especially when Chen Ce has been so good to us!"

"Little... Ce?" Hearing this form of address, the anger in Sett's heart flared even higher.

But before he could lash out, his mother sternly ordered him to sit down.

He dared not disobey.

Yet, he still dared to speak: "Mom! Don't be fooled by his harmless appearance; he is doing this on purpose—"

"Enough, Sett!" Lady Dadana interrupted her son angrily. "Little Ce is our guest and a benefactor to us. I will not allow you to speak to him like that, and I certainly won't allow you to slander him!"

After a brief pause, she pointed coldly toward the bathroom. "Go take a shower and calm down. Don't get in the way of the serious business I have to discuss with Little Ce."

"..." Sett's eyes were filled with fury, his sandbag-sized fists clenched tight.

Unfortunately, he only dared to vent his anger and curse in his heart.

Serious business? What kind of serious business could this brat Chen Ce possibly have with his mother? He was just coveting her beauty! That damn bastard! He really wanted to tear that oily, glib mouth of his in two!

The atmosphere in the living room dropped to freezing. Sett could only glare viciously at Chen Ce while cursing him internally, using his gaze as a warning, and then...

He obediently went to the bathroom to shower.

His mother's orders were more important to him than the Spirit of Ionia; he dared not defy them.

After Sett left, Lady Dadana gradually returned to her usual gentle and dignified demeanor, though a hint of guilt still lingered in her beautiful eyes.

"I'm sorry, Little Ce. Sett is just like that, but please believe he means no harm..."

"I know." Chen Ce nodded with a smile. "I can understand him—he's just too concerned about you."

"Sigh... the boy isn't young anymore; he really should be focusing more on himself..." Lady Dadana shook her head, her beautiful pale pink hair slowly sliding down from her right shoulder.

"Let's continue our previous topic... You said earlier that I'm still young, so I don't need to worry about not being able to learn what the Resistance Army girls are teaching? This... can I really do it?"