The Taiwan Server System in the League

Regardless, the Order of the Shadow has now become a formidable force in Ionia that cannot be ignored.

Zed's story ends here.

But... is that really the truth?

Is Zed truly a selfish, ungrateful man who would kill his benefactor for the sake of power?

Chen Ce, who knows some of the inside story, refuses to comment.

What did Master Kusho say to him on the day Zed returned to the Kinkou Temple? Was Master Kusho really killed by Zed in the secret chamber? People only saw them arguing outside the temple, but there were no eyewitnesses to what happened inside that room.

What secrets were hidden between the two of them?

Even... is Master Kusho truly dead?

Chen Ce cannot say.

In any case, these matters have little to do with him.

The current priority is to figure out what happened on the day the Third Legion Commander, Glick, met with Zed.

Regardless of whether Zed is a good man or a bad one, his extremism and cruelty are undeniable—which is the main reason he has never allowed the Order of the Shadow to cooperate with Irelia's Resistance Army.

With different philosophies, there is no forcing a union, so they remain separate camps.

At least everyone's goal is to deal with the Noxian invaders.

But... if someone in the Resistance Army is "colluding" with the Order of the Shadow, then the problem is significant.

It is common knowledge that Glick does not see eye to eye with Irelia; his private meeting with Zed might have been to discuss something detrimental to her... If one thinks even worse, perhaps he is the mole hidden within the Resistance Army.

His suspicion has always been high.

Even if the Brotherhood he leads hates the Noxians the most.

He must be investigated further.

Coincidentally, Samira, who cannot be sent back to Noxus for the time being, is "free."

Naturally, Chen Ce assigned Samira to focus solely on this investigation—providing her with every convenience so she can infiltrate the Resistance Army to monitor Glick's every move. It would be even better if she could uncover what was discussed between him and Zed.

By the time he finished this, it was already the next morning.

Chen Ce looked at the magic mark on his arm and ultimately decided to seek out Karma first to ask for her insight—he hadn't spoken up earlier for fear of causing panic, as not only Irelia and her group but many other Resistance soldiers were present at the time.

If he had stated outright that the Pale Lady had infiltrated the Resistance Army and possessed the ability to shapeshift and mimic others, combined with the earlier "traitor among us" incident, a chain of suspicion would likely have spread rapidly.

At that point, whenever anyone acted even slightly out of character, others would have been quick to report them.

There might even have been malicious reports made out of spite.

By then, the Resistance Army would have collapsed from within before the Noxians even attacked.

Therefore, while everyone needed to be warned about LeBlanc, they could not be told directly.

Sometimes, withholding information is absolutely necessary.

"Good morning, Karma." Chen Ce greeted her through the door.

A moment later, the door opened on its own, and Karma's gentle voice followed: "Good morning, Chen Ce."

Upon entering, he saw Karma sitting cross-legged as usual, with the faint energy of the Spirit Realm surrounding her, the air heavy with wisdom and contemplation.

"Is something the matter?" Karma asked softly.

"Yes..." Chen Ce nodded, then got straight to the point by rolling up his sleeve to expose the eerie magic mark to the air. "I would like you to help me take a look at this... Have you ever seen this magic mark before?"

"A magic mark?" Hearing this, Karma opened her eyes, and the Spirit Realm energy surrounding her vanished instantly.

She gestured for him to come closer and examined the mark carefully.

Unfortunately, the more closely she observed it, the more her brows furrowed.

"I am very sorry, I have not seen this kind of magic mark... The memories of the past Karmas do not seem to contain any patterns similar or related to this." She shook her head apologetically. "What happened? Who left this mark on you?"

"The Pale Lady."

"That Noxian sorceress from yesterday?"

"Yes... I didn't say it out loud at the time because I was afraid of causing a panic."

"I see... Does it hurt? Or cause any other discomfort?"

"I don't feel anything for now."

"And have you sensed any flow of magic within this mark?"

"None. It feels like a completely inanimate object."

"That is strange..." Karma frowned and studied it for a long while, but she could not make heads or tails of it.

She truly had never seen such a thing.

Even with the vast knowledge of the past Karmas, there was not a shred of memory regarding it—perhaps because the knowledge of the past Karmas was mostly limited to Ionia, and this magic mark came from somewhere else?

That "Pale Lady" is a powerful sorceress who has lived for hundreds or thousands of years; it would be normal for her to know some obscure magic...

"I am truly sorry, Chen Ce, perhaps I cannot help you..."

Karma shook her head in shame and offered another suggestion:

"But perhaps I know who can help you... the monks of the Hirana Monastery. The history of the Hirana Monastery is even older than that of Karma, and it houses a vast collection of ancient texts, some of which even touch upon knowledge of the ancient dragon spirits. Perhaps the monks there can identify this magical mark."

"Hirana Monastery?" Upon hearing this, Chen Ce immediately thought of several keywords.

Sona, the Maven of the Strings; Lee Sin, the Blind Monk; and Ryze, the Rune Mage, who had also spent some time there.

It is no exaggeration to say that if the sanctuary of the Placidium is the "treasure vault" of Ionia, then the Hirana Monastery is Ionia's "library."

At this point in time... I just don't know if Lee Sin and Udyr, the Spirit Walker, are currently at the monastery.

But at the very least, Lee Sin's master—that knowledgeable monk—must certainly be there.

"Several generations of Karma have also exchanged and studied with the monks at the Hirana Monastery," Karma added. "They are kind, humble, and helpful. I believe they will surely assist you."

"In that case... perhaps I should make a trip. Thank you for the reminder, Karma." Chen Ce sincerely performed the traditional Ionian greeting toward her.

The latter returned the gesture slightly, then gently removed her hairpin, and her countless strands of smooth, black hair immediately cascaded down her back like a waterfall.

"Take this. I believe they will do their utmost to help a companion of Karma."

Accepting the hairpin, Chen Ce bowed once more. "I am deeply grateful... once everything is over, I will return this to you."

"I wish you success." Karma smiled and closed her eyes, and the energy of the Spirit Realm appeared once again. "May the Spirit of Ionia guide you..."

Seeing this, Chen Ce did not disturb her further and quietly left the meditation room with the hairpin in hand.

He would have to change his original itinerary.

He had originally intended to go straight to find Syndra, but now it seemed... it would be better not to go rashly until he had completely shaken off LeBlanc.

LeBlanc would certainly try to stir up trouble.

If he failed to build rapport with Syndra and couldn't successfully recruit her, that would be a minor issue, but if LeBlanc were to discover and control Syndra... that would be a true catastrophe.

If that wicked woman were to truly seize control of Syndra's power... to say nothing of the whole of Runeterra, at the very least, taking Demacia and Ionia would be effortless for her.

Among mortals, perhaps only a powerhouse of Ryze's caliber, who has fully comprehended the Runes, could stand against her.

In terms of pure power, Syndra is approaching the level of a demigod; even some Darkin or Aspects do not possess as much destructive potential as she does.

She must never fall into LeBlanc's hands...

"Ahri, we are leaving."

Chen Ce called out to the empty clearing and casually tossed the Corrupting Potion at his waist—just like throwing a bone.

In an instant, a pair of furry fox ears popped out from the bushes.

Following that, a nimble figure caught the bottle before it hit the ground.

"Where are we going?" Ahri even subconsciously wanted to catch the bottle neck with her mouth.

"To the Hirana Monastery, and while we're at it, see if Sona and a few others are home."

Meanwhile, on the other side of Ionia.

Within a forest trampled by the fires of war.

A deer hoof stepped lightly over the fallen leaves, and the moment it made a sound, it quickly retracted.

Clearly, the owner of this hoof had been startled—startled by herself.

But soon, that hoof emerged from behind a large tree again. This time, another one joined it.

Then came the remaining four hooves.

Yet the owner of the hooves was not a deer—or rather, not entirely a deer.

Nor was she Vastaya.

She was a strange being with the lower body of a deer and the upper body of a young girl.

She clutched a magical branch imbued with power to her chest, her face flushed, and her delicate features filled with nervousness.

She was too afraid.

She was afraid of everything outside.

So much so that the slightest sound would make her nervously hide back behind the tree.

Yet she was also full of curiosity about this strange and novel world.

"Lillia... be brave...!"

She gritted her teeth, as if paying a great price, and leaped out from behind the tree.

And then...

Thump.

Her hind legs tripped over her front legs, and she clumsily tumbled to the ground.

Her adorable eyes instantly turned slightly red, and a few tears welled up within them.

"Lillia... is so clumsy..."

She rubbed her scraped knee, feeling both sad and aggrieved.

Just as she prepared to steady herself and move forward, the two large deer ears atop her head suddenly pricked up.

She seemed to have heard something... something like the sound of footsteps...

Terrified, she stumbled back to hide behind a tree.

Someone is coming...

Sniff, sniff... that scent...

Is it a sweet, soft little fox...?

And a human, too...

Chapter 65: A Small Killing Spree! Ionian Guillotine!

Hirana Monastery is located in Lalin, in the northern part of Ionia, separated from the Placidium Plains by a strait; it is quite a distance to travel from Navori Province.

It would certainly take at least a day or two to reach it.

Even if Chen Ce were to travel by carriage with Ahri, it would take at least several days and nights.

Moreover, a carriage cannot travel day and night without stopping; the horses need their rest when the time comes.

At night, they halted beside a quiet stream.

The further north they traveled, the lower the probability of encountering the Noxian Legion, and the fewer villages or towns they passed.

In the quiet night, there was only the chirping of insects and birds, and the crackling of the campfire.

It had been a long time since Chen Ce had enjoyed such a sense of peace; even studying the complex route ahead felt relaxed and leisurely.

It was fine while they were still in the Placidium Plains, but once they crossed the strait and officially stepped into the territory of Lalin, the real trouble would begin.

The climate there is extremely cold, filled with snow-capped mountains and winding, treacherous roads; never mind a carriage, even walking on foot is an arduous task.