Regardless, the Order of the Shadow had now become a powerful force in Ionia that could not be ignored.
Zed's story ended there.
But... was that really the truth?
Was Zed truly a selfish, ungrateful man who would kill his benefactor for the sake of power?
Chen Ce, who knew some of what had really happened, had no comment.
What had Master Kusho said to Zed on the day he returned to the Kinkou Temple? Had Master Kusho really been killed by Zed in a locked room? People had seen them arguing outside the temple, but not a single witness had seen what happened inside.
What secrets did the two of them share?
And... was Master Kusho really dead?
Chen Ce couldn't say.
In any case, it had little to do with him.
His most urgent task now was to find out what had happened on the day Third Legion Commander Glick met with Zed.
Whether Zed was a good person or a bad one, there was no denying his extremism and cruelty. That was also the main reason he had never allowed the Order of the Kinkou and Irelia's Resistance Army to work together.
Their ideologies differed. They couldn't force an alliance, so each side had to fight on its own.
After all, everyone's goal was to deal with the Noxian invaders.
But... if someone in the Resistance Army was secretly working with the Order of the Shadow, that would be a serious problem.
It was common knowledge that Glick disliked Irelia. He might have met with Zed in private to discuss something that would harm her... And if they took an even darker view, perhaps he was the traitor hiding within the Resistance Army.
He had always been a prime suspect.
Even though the Brotherhood he led hated Noxians more than anyone.
Chen Ce needed to investigate him further.
Fortunately, Samira, who couldn't be sent back to Noxus for the time being, was "free."
Naturally, Chen Ce assigned Samira to investigate this matter and nothing else for the time being. He would provide her with every convenience she needed to infiltrate the Resistance Army and investigate Glick's every move. It would be even better if she could find out what he and Zed had discussed.
By the time he had finished, it was already the next morning.
Looking at the magical mark on his arm, Chen Ce finally decided to ask Karma about it first. He hadn't told everyone earlier because he didn't want to worry them or cause panic. After all, Irelia and the others hadn't been the only ones there; many Resistance Army fighters had been present, too.
If he told them outright that the Pale Lady had infiltrated the Resistance Army and could change her appearance and imitate other people, then, on top of the earlier matter of "a spy among the people," suspicion would spread like wildfire.
Then, the moment anyone acted even a little strangely, everyone else would start reporting them left and right.
Some might even make malicious accusations just to get revenge.
By then, the Resistance Army would fall apart on its own before the Noxians even had to attack.
So when it came to LeBlanc, he needed to put everyone on alert without telling them directly.
Sometimes, it was very necessary to keep certain things hidden.
"Good morning, Karma," Chen Ce called through the door.
A moment later, the door opened by itself, and Karma's gentle voice came from within. "Good morning, Chen Ce."
After entering, he saw Karma sitting cross-legged in meditation as usual. The faintest traces of Spirit Realm energy swirled around her, and the air seemed to carry the weight of wisdom and contemplation.
"Is something the matter?" Karma asked softly.
"Yes..." Chen Ce nodded, then got straight to the point and rolled up his sleeve, revealing the strange magical mark. "I'd like you to take a look at this... Have you ever seen this kind of magical mark?"
"A magical mark?" At that, Karma opened her eyes, and the Spirit Realm energy surrounding her vanished at once.
She gestured for him to come closer and examined the mark carefully.
Unfortunately, the more closely she looked, the more her brow furrowed.
"I'm sorry, but I've never seen a magical mark like this... The memories of the Karmas who came before me don't seem to contain anything similar or related." She shook her head apologetically. "What happened? Who left this mark on you?"
"The Pale Lady."
"The Noxian sorceress from yesterday?"
"Yes... I was afraid of causing a panic, so I didn't say so openly."
"I see... Does it hurt? Or are you experiencing any other discomfort?"
"Not at the moment."
"Have you sensed any flow of magic within the mark?"
"No. It seems like nothing more than a lifeless object."
"That's strange..." Karma furrowed her brow again and studied it for quite some time, but she still couldn't make heads or tails of it.
She truly had never seen anything like it.
Even the Karmas of past generations, for all their extensive knowledge, had no memories that could help. Perhaps it was because most of their knowledge was limited to Ionia, while this magical mark came from somewhere else?
The "Pale Lady" was a powerful sorceress who had lived for hundreds, perhaps thousands of years. It was only natural that she knew some obscure forms of magic...
"I'm truly sorry, Chen Ce. I may not be able to help you..."
Karma shook her head in shame, then offered another suggestion.
"But I may know someone who can. The monks at Hirana Monastery. Hirana Monastery's history is even older than the history of the Karmas, and it contains a vast collection of ancient books. Some even deal with the ancient Spirit of the Dragon. Perhaps the monks there will recognize this magical mark."
"Hirana Monastery?" At that, Chen Ce immediately thought of a few names.
Sona the Maven of the Strings, Lee Sin the Blind Monk, and the Rune Mage Ryze, who had also spent some time there.
It was no exaggeration to say that if Placidium's Sanctuary was Ionia's "treasure trove," then Hirana Monastery was Ionia's "library."
At this point in time... he just didn't know whether Lee Sin or Spirit Walker Udyr were at the monastery.
But at the very least, Lee Sin's master, that knowledgeable monk, would certainly be there.
"Several generations of Karmas once visited Hirana Monastery to study and exchange ideas with the monks there," Karma added. "They're kind and humble, and always willing to help. I'm sure they'll help you."
"I see... Perhaps I should go there. Thank you for telling me, Karma." Chen Ce sincerely gave her a traditional Ionian bow.
She returned the gesture, then gently removed her hairpin. Her long, smooth black hair spilled down her back like a waterfall.
"Take this. I believe they'll do everything they can to help a companion of Karma's."
Chen Ce took the hairpin and bowed again. "I'm deeply grateful... Once everything is over, I'll return it to you."
"I wish you luck." Karma smiled and closed her eyes, and the Spirit Realm energy appeared once more. "May the Spirit of Ionia guide you..."
Seeing this, Chen Ce stopped disturbing her and quietly left the meditation chamber with the hairpin.
He had to change his original plans.
He had intended to go straight to Syndra, but now... it was better not to approach her recklessly before he had gotten rid of LeBlanc.
LeBlanc would definitely try to interfere.
Failing to win Syndra's favor and bring her over would be the least of his worries. If LeBlanc discovered her and took control of her... that would be a true disaster.
If that wicked woman really gained control of Syndra's power... Forget the whole of Runeterra; taking Ionia and Demacia would be a piece of cake for her.
Among mortals, perhaps only someone as powerful as Ryze, who had mastered the runes, could stand against her.
In terms of sheer power, Syndra was on the verge of demigodhood. Even some Darkin or Aspects couldn't match her destructive power.
He absolutely couldn't let her fall into LeBlanc's hands...
"Ahri, we're leaving."
Chen Ce called out to the empty space, then casually tossed the Corrupting Potion at his waist, just as if he were throwing a bone.
In an instant, a pair of fluffy fox ears appeared among the bushes.
Then, just before the Corrupting Potion hit the ground, a nimble figure caught the bottle.
"Where are we going?" Ahri even instinctively tried to catch the bottle by its neck with her mouth.
"To Hirana Monastery. We'll see whether the Stringed... er, Sona and the others are home."
Meanwhile, elsewhere in Ionia.
In a forest trampled by war.
A small hoof stepped lightly over the fallen leaves, then quickly pulled back the moment it made a sound.
Clearly, its owner had been startled—by her own hoof.
But soon, the hoof appeared from behind the tree again. This time, there was another one.
Then came the remaining four hooves.
But the owner of the hooves wasn't a deer—or at least, not entirely.
She wasn't Vastaya, either.
She was a strange creature with the lower body of a deer and the upper body of a young woman.
She cradled a magical branch in her arms. Her face was flushed, and her delicate features were filled with nervousness.
She was so scared.
She was afraid of everything outside.
So much so that the slightest sound was enough to make her nervously hide behind the tree again.
But she was also full of curiosity about this strange, unfamiliar world.
"Lillia... be brave...!"
She gritted her teeth and leapt out from behind the tree, as if making a tremendous sacrifice.
And then...
Thump.
Her hind legs caught on her front legs, and she clumsily tumbled to the ground.
Her lovely eyes instantly reddened, and tears welled up in them.
"Lillia... so clumsy..."
Upset and aggrieved, she rubbed her scraped knee.
But just as she was about to comfort herself and continue forward, the two large deer ears on her head suddenly perked up.
She thought she'd heard something... something like footsteps...
Terrified, she stumbled back behind the tree.
Someone's coming...
Sniff, sniff... That smell...
Was it a soft, sweet little fox...?
And there was a human, too...
Chapter 65: Slaughtering the Field! The Ionian Guillotine!
Hirana Monastery was located in Lalin in northern Ionia. The Placidium Plains lay across a strait from it, and the journey from Navori Province was quite a long one.
They definitely couldn't make it in a day or two.
Even if Chen Ce traveled by carriage with Ahri, it would take several days and nights.
Besides, the carriage couldn't travel day and night. The horses still needed to rest.
At night, they stopped beside a quiet little stream.
The farther north they went, the less likely they were to encounter the Noxian Legion, and the fewer villages and towns they found.
In the quiet night, only the cries of insects and birds and the crackling of the campfire could be heard.
Chen Ce hadn't enjoyed such peace in a long time. Even studying the complicated route ahead felt relaxing and pleasant.
They were still on the Placidium Plains, so things were fine for now. The trouble would begin once they crossed the strait and officially entered Lalin.
The climate there was bitterly cold, and snow-covered mountains were everywhere. The roads wound and twisted, making travel difficult even on foot, let alone by carriage.
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