vncnus Page 82
Page 82
It is important to know that for disciples of the Way of Balance, each student spends several years constantly smoothing out their inner hostility and distractions before truly learning martial arts, experiencing the spirit world, and identifying evil spirits, so that they can more quickly feel the balance pursued by the Way of Balance.
Only those who understand balance can maintain the balance between the two realms, rather than using violence to eradicate evil spirits while causing more panic and leaving behind unknown disasters.
That is precisely why, for those who follow the path of balance, upholding their beliefs and not being easily swayed by the words of others is almost a fundamental skill. But now… has Jie wavered?
No, it's not a wavering.
Shen quickly regained his senses; he knew very well what kind of spirit and willpower Jie possessed.
When the 'Golden Demon' ravaged the land, many people in a settlement were severely injured. Jie, having practiced medicine, volunteered to help the wounded. However, when they encountered a dying person, Master Kushuo stopped Jie, telling him to treat others instead; this person had already died.
Jie argued that he could save her, but it would take time. Master Kushuo, however, said that the time it would take to revive someone on the verge of death was enough for Jie to save three people with slightly less severe injuries. Jie then chose the latter. This earned Jie Master Kushuo's appreciation, who personally told Jie that he was more suitable to inherit the mantle of the Twilight Eye than the overly cautious and gentle Shen. After that, Jie began to constantly remind himself to remain calm, becoming increasingly rational and indifferent in his training and missions.
Sometimes, Shen himself felt that Jie might be his father's biological son.
Under such circumstances, the will to abstain from punishment will not be easily shaken by external factors.
Unless… Jie harbored a similar ideal to Fan's from the very beginning, but simply didn't know how to express it. And now, that ideal has been spoken through Fan's words.
Thinking it over, Jie looked at Fain in front of him and said seriously, "I want to know, in your eyes... what exactly is the Spirit of War like?"
252. The Wonderful Use of Imprints
Upon hearing Jie's question, Farn did not give a direct answer, but calmly said, "It doesn't depend on me, but on how you view war."
Upon hearing this, a look of confusion flashed in Jie's eyes, but just as Jie was about to ask further, Faen, who was standing to the side, turned his gaze to Shen and revealed the Twin Dragon Seal, saying, "In the name of the Twin Dragon Seal, I need the support of the Order of Balance."
Upon hearing Fan's words, although he didn't know whether it was Fan's idea or an order from the Venerable One, Shen quickly came to his senses and knelt on one knee, asking, "What is the target?"
“Target: Peiluer. The numbers don't need to be large, but they must be elite.” He paused, then added, “For the sake of balance between the two domains.”
Upon hearing this, Shen responded silently with the etiquette of the Way of Balance. He then exchanged a glance with Jie, and the two quickly disappeared from Faen's sight, seemingly heading to contact other elites within the Way of Balance.
After seeing Shen Jie and the other two off, Faen waved to Riven, who was already half asleep beside him. Although she didn't say anything, Riven immediately woke up after feeling a burning sensation in her lower abdomen. She then looked at Faen with some helplessness: "I thought you wouldn't be out for long after you went in. Why are you only coming out now that it's so late? If you hadn't made me eat all that filth last night, I think I would have starved to death."
As she spoke, Riven couldn't help but yawn. It wasn't that she was particularly tired, just simply bored. Whether due to her warrior nature or her somewhat impulsive personality, Riven wasn't one for quiet. For her, even anger and annoyance were far more satisfying than monotonous boredom and numbness. Based on this, aside from a few other factors, Riven generally had a pretty good impression of Fahn, because Fahn wasn't the kind of person who got bored easily.
Now, having waited from morning till night, Riven felt as if her soul had already left her body.
"What did you do with that guy named Karma again? Why are those two suddenly being so respectful to you?"
Glancing at Shen and Jie, who had already disappeared into the distance, Riven asked, "And from what you're saying, there might be a battle coming up?"
"I suppose so." Fain nodded, then chuckled and asked, "But this time the opponent is Noxus, with not only a veteran legion commander like Swain, but also your former employer, Amyst, who might even come to LeBlanc in person. How about it? Aren't you feeling extra excited?"
"That's enough, I'd love for the Noxians to stay away from me." Hearing this, Riven couldn't help but snort twice, then after a moment of silence, she said with a disgruntled expression, "I know you're worried I might not be able to bring myself to fight those Noxian guys, but you don't need to worry about that—Swain is one thing, but I'm dreaming of getting an answer from Amysthan. And that LeBlanc girl, I want to tear her to pieces with my own hands!!"
"Although I probably can't beat her." As she said this, a hint of sadness appeared in Riven's eyes.
Although she appeared exceptionally angry and full of fighting spirit, Riven knew clearly that she had absolutely no chance of winning against LeBlanc. After all, LeBlanc was an opponent even Fain had to take seriously, while she... had already been completely outmatched by Fain in every aspect, except for a few specific areas.
In response, Fain simply patted Riven on the head, which earned Riven a disgruntled eye roll, but she made no attempt to stop him.
"Alright, stop thinking about it. Go back and rest," Farn said.
"You started this whole thing!" Riven said, speechless. "Besides, I've already had a day off."
As she said this, Riven obediently followed Fain towards the exit of the Hall of Eternity. Although she knew very well that Fain had ulterior motives towards her, after spending this time together, Riven could clearly see that she didn't hate or reject Fain as much as she had imagined. Especially after this guy left behind her...
Thinking this, Riven couldn't help but rub her temples—she really should have been more assertive back then, instead of being so clueless and half-hearted. Now, her demands on Fain were getting lower and lower, and what was originally just psychological agitation had started to manifest physically.
Aside from that, now that they've arrived in Ionia, Fahn, while perhaps not the only person Riven can trust, is certainly the only person Riven is familiar with.
Thinking about this, and recalling what happened this morning, Riven couldn't help but glance at Fain a few more times.
Sensing his young guard's thoughts, Fain raised an eyebrow and asked, "What's wrong? You have feelings for me?"
"Keep dreaming," Riven said, scoffing, but then added, "But I have to say my opinion of you has changed a bit..."
After a pause, Riven added, "Although things have indeed improved a lot in Twin Cities because of your arrival, in my impression you've always been someone who's better at solving problems with your fists. And this morning, facing the hostility of those old guys, I didn't expect you to say something so reasonable... Well, I don't know how profound your words are, but at least I can understand what you're trying to say, and you're much clearer than those old guys."
As she spoke, recalling the scene from this morning, Riven said with a look of disgust, "I never imagined that such an idiot could exist in this world—even though I'm Noxian, I still have to say, they came knocking on our door, and instead of fighting back, they wouldn't even let others fight back! They're the biggest morons in the world! It made me want to throw up!!"
Clearly, repaying kindness with kindness and repaying evil with evil is more in line with the character of a warrior like Riven.
“There’s nothing we can do about it. It’s part of Ionia’s tradition and a remnant of this land from ancient times,” Farn said. “Although those old fogies are indeed annoying idiots.”
As he said this, Fain patted Riven's butt: "You haven't moved all day, you must have a lot of excess energy in your body, right? Come on, let's get some rest."
Fain's hand suddenly landed on her pert buttocks. Recalling Fain's rough treatment last night, Riven couldn't help but tremble. She then glanced at Fain with some displeasure, hummed twice, and didn't say anything more. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she lowered her head and followed Fain toward the hotel.
253·Heart of the Berserker
The next morning, as he walked out of the hotel, Faen looked at Shen and Jie, who had been waiting for him for a long time, and a hint of surprise appeared in his eyes.
"Back so soon? Very efficient." As he spoke, Faen also looked at the group behind Shen and Jie.
Within Faen's line of sight, there were approximately twenty people, dressed in various styles of clothing. Although they seemed unrelated, they clearly shared the same patterns on their chests or wristbands, such as the patterns of the Path of Balance.
Upon hearing Faen's words, Shen nodded and quickly said, "Master Kushuo made a swift decision after learning that you had gained the Venerable's approval. Unfortunately, those despicable Noxians seem to have obtained some information about the existence of the Way of Balance, and have therefore launched harassment operations in the Shangzan region. To ensure the stability of the region, Master Kushuo is temporarily unable to leave, but he has already dispatched the most elite disciples of the Northern Academy and practitioners of the Way of Balance. Please forgive him, Mr. Faen."
Upon hearing this, Faen nodded in understanding, then turned his gaze to a corner on the side: "How could I blame Master Kushuo? Shangzan is the home of the Balance Sect, and nothing in this world is more important than protecting one's home. Moreover, although Master Kushuo did not come, 'Chasing the Sun,' who replaced him here, still proves Master Kushuo's true attitude."
Upon hearing Fain's words, the air to the west, where Fain was looking, twisted and rippled. Then, to the astonishment of the disciples of the Order of Balance, including Shen, a short, petite Yordle, wearing a blue-purple robe, a mask, and sharp-eyed, appeared out of thin air.
Or rather, it is like stepping out from behind the veil of the spiritual realm and manifesting in the material realm.
Upon seeing the Yordle, Shen, Jie, and many other disciples and practitioners of the Way of Balance bowed respectfully. The Yordle, however, paid no heed, simply looking at Fain and saying in a swift and efficient voice, as if at double speed, "You know me."
“Of course, who wouldn’t know that in the Equilibrium Church, which is responsible for balancing the two domains, the heart is responsible for the fist and the eye?” Farn replied.
The composition of the Order of the Balance is quite interesting. Initially, the Order consisted only of the Twilight Eye and the Shadow Fist. While both schools aimed to uphold the principles of balance and safeguard the equilibrium between the two realms, the Twilight Eye and the Shadow Fist held differing views on certain issues concerning evil spirits. Simply put, sometimes, out of rational considerations, the disciples of the Twilight Eye could appear exceptionally cold and arrogant. Conversely, out of concern for the future, the disciples of the Shadow Fist could be quite meticulous and calculating.
In this situation, although both strive for a balance between the two domains, the fiercely competitive "Shadow Fist" sometimes suppresses the calm and introspective "Eye." And at other times, the overly rational "Eye" observes and hinders the "Fist's" actions.
It was at this moment that Kennen, the Heart of the Storm, stepped forward.
Despite its small appearance, Kennen is actually one of the oldest life forms in all of Runeterra. He was already active in Ionia thousands of years ago, before the Way of Balance even existed.
While most Yordles seem exceptionally lively, not everyone actually fits into the vibrant Bandle City – for example, there's Poppy, who always seems to be sleepy and just coasting along.
Kennen was one of them. He didn't like the vibrant and enthusiastic atmosphere of Bandle City, preferring instead a gentle balance and moderation. His Yordle-like innate abilities allowed him to traverse thousands of miles in the blink of an eye, but ultimately, Kennen chose to remain in Ionia.
This is the ever-changing city of Bandle, a place unsuitable for a Yordle like Kennen. Seeking harmony and balance, he left the spiritual realm thousands of years ago in search of adventure. He explores the material world with boundless curiosity, traversing vast distances in the blink of an eye. Yet, he holds a special place in his heart for Ionia.
The exact time when Kennen arrived in the Land of the Beginning is lost to history. All that is known is that Kennen's existence is incredibly ancient, even more so than the Temple of the Beginning. In that primordial era, Kennen witnessed countless ancient wars fought on this land of the Beginning, his history now forgotten.
He also witnessed the arduous reconstruction of this land. What fascinated Kennan most was the people's constant pursuit of a balanced self and a balanced home. Gradually, Kennan returned to Bandle City less and less, instead making it his true home.
As a being in the material realm, Kennen does not age like humans, but he readily accepts mortals and has observed and studied them for generations. Kennen himself deeply admires these mortals. Because although their lives are fragile and insignificant, they are diligent guardians, protecting the sacred balance of this land.
Unfortunately, despite Kennen's enjoyment of each challenge, the malevolent spirits that frequently breached the veil and entered the material realm were unable to truly eradicate the problem. Eventually, Kennen realized that his battles were merely treating the symptoms, not the root cause; the invasion stemmed from an imbalance. It was at this time that Kennen discovered a newly formed cult. The members of this cult actively sought balance between the two realms—they would carefully observe first, then decide what actions to take to restore equilibrium.
This sect is the path of balance.
Kennen observed the cult with great interest, and soon noticed the conflict, contradiction, and imbalance between fist and eye. This worried Kennen, so he volunteered to join them. Kennen's own speed and long experience made the cult members very happy to have this ancient, spiritual being who had lived through countless ages as their arbitrator.
Since then, Kennen, known as "The Heart of the Storm," has formed a new leadership trio with "Eye of Twilight" and "Fist of Shadow." Among them, Eye is responsible for observation and insight, Fist for combat and annihilation, and Kennen's duty is to make judgments and decide how to best maintain balance, preserving harmony and equilibrium within the Order of the Balance in his own way. It can be said that when facing Kennen, in terms of status and seniority, not only Shen, Jie, but even the contemporary Eye of Twilight, Master Kushuo, would show him utmost respect. Even Karma herself would have to give him a wide berth.
Thinking it over, Kennan looked at Farn and said quickly and clearly, "I sense an ancient malice emanating from you."
254 Akali and the Ionian Ripped Pants
Upon hearing Kennen's words, the others glanced at him slightly, but their reactions were not particularly strong. After all, they already knew from their journey here that Venerable Karma's meeting with Fane was because Fane possessed the power of some ancient evil spirits.
Although it's unclear just how powerful these evil spirits are that Venerable Karma had to personally intervene, the fact that Fane has been recognized by the Venerable and granted the Twin Dragon Seals means that Fane is worthy of trust.
Meeting Farn's gaze, Kennan tilted his head slightly, his voice still rapid and uninterrupted, yet remarkably clear as he continued, "However, your spirit still maintains a powerful ego and forcibly stripped away part of that hateful evil spirit's essence. Especially in the projection of your spiritual realm, I felt the cheers of countless people. How did you do that? Why were you able to tame the spirit of this ancient evil spirit?"
Kennan spoke extremely fast, without any pauses, breaks, or breaths between sentences. While it's understandable that this was a deliberately simplified language style Kennan adopted as a member of the 'Sun Chaser' to accurately convey messages to the Order of the Sun, the truth is that outside of delivering commands, especially with long and complex sentences, it was incredibly difficult to comprehend.
However, Fane understood Kenan's doubts and simply said calmly, "Find the balance within that extreme essence."
“…So this is how balance should be.” After a moment of silence, Kennen nodded quickly and continued, “I understand why Karma bestowed the Twin Dragon Marks upon you. You are the one who truly practices the way of balance and seeks true balance. I will assist you.”
"Thank you." Fane nodded, and after thinking for a moment, he asked curiously, "Speaking of which, do you know a Yordle named Heimerdinger?"
"Heimerdinger?" Upon hearing this, Kennen frowned, tried to recall, then shook his head. "I don't know who he is or where he is."
“In Piltover, he is revered as a great inventor and is probably around 800 years old,” Farn said.
“I don’t know him at all,” Kennen said quickly. “The Yordles I know aren’t this young brats. They’re over eight hundred years old, or at most they’ve just come of age.”
Bandle City, as part of the spiritual realm, is constantly changing in its position and composition, including time and space themselves. Among the Yordles, Heimerdinger, possessing the characteristic of immortality, is indeed a young man. Characters like Tristana, Teemo, and Lulu, on the other hand, are simply Yordle kids.
Upon hearing this, Fain didn't take it to heart, after all, it was just a casual question asked on a whim. He then looked at the group of people beside him and said, "Everyone, please introduce yourselves."
Upon hearing Faen's words, the other practitioners of the Path of Balance introduced themselves in turn. Among them, the most famous was a girl named Ye Wu, who was about the same age as Shen and Jie. She had been engaged to Shen since childhood and had also appeared in the comics.
Although he sounds like Shen's lover and should be a positive character, he is actually a pretty pure scumbag.
In the story, when Jie and Shen were chasing Jinmo, Jinmo set a trap. Upon discovering that Jie harbored a secret love for Yewu, Jinmo—also known as Jin—used a small note to lure Yewu out for a secret meeting in Jie's name. Yewu happily attended, dressed in her finest attire. Later, Jie killed Kushuo, leading Yewu to break off her engagement with Shen. She then married a renowned Ionian sage named Kunjo, and after their marriage, Yewu gave birth to two sons for Kunjo.
Later, when Jie transformed into Zed and went to find Ye Wu in search of information about Shen, he discovered that this little fairy was still unable to bear loneliness and was having an affair with the Vastaya servant beside her. Although ordinary people couldn't see it, Zed immediately noticed that Ye Wu's youngest son was more talented than her eldest son, but his soul was also impure, showing traces of a beast spirit. In other words, he was that Vastaya servant's son.
Fan didn't have much to say about this. Just like Kalmar said, the future can be a reference, but reacting excessively to what happens in the future can lead to more serious problems. Especially when it comes to personal morality, as long as it doesn't affect him, Fan couldn't be bothered to care—although his crotch is still fine now, under the filter of the future, Fan just hoped that this potential rotten crotch would stay far away from him.
Meanwhile, noticing that Fain lingered on her for a moment, Ye Wu blinked curiously. At the same time, she looked at the back of Fain's hand, secretly wondering what kind of power this person possessed that could be recognized by Venerable Karma and admired and praised by the ancient Lord Kennen, the Sun Chaser.
While everyone was still talking, a little girl jumped out from the side and said, "My name is Akali. I am skilled in using hooks and kunai. Although I am still an apprentice, don't underestimate me."
Upon hearing Akali's words, Kennen turned his gaze to her and quickly said, "Akali, your task is not to fight, but to gather intelligence and learn to calmly assess the situation instead of impulsively charging to the front. If you continue to act on your own as before, I will immediately send you to Shanzan Highlands so your mother can deal with these problems!"
Upon hearing this, Akali pouted slightly in annoyance, but didn't say anything more.
Akali is five or six years younger than Shen and Jie, but it is precisely because of this age difference that Shen became Akali's nominal master.
As the next Fist of Shadow, Akali is undoubtedly a top-tier prodigy within the entire Order of the Shadow in terms of personal ability and combat talent. Her only problem is her somewhat rebellious personality, which sometimes deviates significantly from the Order's principles. Therefore, whenever she goes on a mission, her mother, the current Fist of Shadow, assigns a dedicated caretaker. And whenever Kennen is present, this responsibility usually falls on him.
After all, Akali's talent is undeniable; she's practically the next generation's Fist of Shadow in everyone's eyes. In this context, having Kennen, the Heart of the Tempest, mentor her, and Shen or Jie, the future Eye of Twilight, forge a deep friendship and understanding that will contribute to the sect's future development.
In response, Farn stroked his chin and said, "The Way of Balance is a good thing, but whether it suits you or not, you have to experience it for yourself to find out."
255. Irelia's Excitement
Upon hearing Fane's words, everyone turned their attention to Akali. Akali, feeling their gazes and Fane's stares, scratched her head and looked at him suspiciously, saying, "Uh...why are you telling me this?"
“This is indeed a serious problem…” Before Faen could say anything, Shen couldn’t help but rub his temples.
Akali, as the daughter of the current Fist of Shadow, possesses no magical talent whatsoever. Despite this, Akali is still widely recognized as the next Fist of Shadow because of her exceptional martial arts talent. Although still a young girl, her single-handed chain scythe allows her to hold her own against established martial arts masters. Her shuriken technique, learned from Kennen, is equally astonishing, never missing its mark.
There is only one problem – Akali's personality is too independent, which is different from the mainstream ideology of the entire Kinkou Order and even Ionia.
The Fist of Shadows, the Eye of Twilight, and the Heart of the Berserker are the names the three core members of the Order of the Balance use to the outside world. Internally, the Heart of the Berserker is known as the Sun Chaser, the Eye of Twilight as the Stargazer, and the Fist of Shadows as the Pruner.
These titles reveal that Kennen's incredible speed orchestrated the entire Kinkou Order's activities in Ionia, including relaying orders and the conflict between the Fist of Balance and the Eye of Shadow. The Eye of Twilight, on the other hand, is characterized by restrained observation, rarely acting unless absolutely necessary, and certainly not killing. The Fist of Shadow, however, is different; they often take preventative measures and eliminate threats altogether.
Although it may sound too radical, they are still Ionians after all, influenced by tradition, and will still be limited by their eyes to prevent them from actively crossing the line of balance.
Based on this, Shen, Kennen, Master Kusanagi, Akali's parents... they all knew that Akali sometimes seemed able to handle things calmly. But in reality, many times it was only on the surface that she appeared calm, and in truth... in the reflection of her inner self, Akali was never truly at peace.
Seeing her nominal teacher react this way, Akali snorted twice in annoyance, then crossed her arms and said with a resistant expression, "The Shadow Fist style's responsibility is to prune, so all I need to do is fight. At worst, I'll just listen to commands more often."
Upon hearing Akali's words, the Kinkou ninja beside her wore wry smiles, Shen looked genuinely helpless, and even Kennen couldn't help but sigh. In contrast, Fain looked quite interested and didn't say much, then said, "It was just a casual remark, don't take it to heart. Well, without further ado, let's get going."
As he spoke, Farn mounted his horse.
While it might seem strange, using oxen, horses, donkeys, and mules for transportation is perfectly normal in Ionia. Even in the comics, Shen, Jhin, Zed, and Kayn are all skilled horsemen. After all, short-distance high-speed movement is one thing, but prolonged use of movement skills in reality would easily deplete stamina. Especially in skirmishes, it's far better to be slower than to be exhausted and hastily engaged in a battle.
But just as the group was about to set off, suddenly, a lively voice came from behind Fain.
"Senior brother! You're leaving again!"
Hearing this, Faen turned around as well. Before him, Irelia, about the same age as Akali, rushed over, her face full of eagerness. She wasn't yet as calm and sharp as she would be in the future. Right now, Irelia even seemed three or four years younger than Akali in terms of her demeanor. After all, Akali would still deliver a powerful blow to evil spirits, while Irelia had never even killed a chicken, focusing solely on learning the Silk Dance—the Blade Dance was a power that only awakened after the full-scale outbreak of the Ionian War.
Upon seeing Irelia, Fain smiled slightly, then reined in his horse and waited for the girl to come to him, saying, "What's wrong? Is there something you need?"
Reaching Fain, Irelia didn't speak immediately, but instead leaned on her horse, panting for a moment. Then she raised her head, straightened her back, put her hands on her hips, and glared angrily at Fain: "Senior brother, really! I just got back, and I was looking forward to playing with you! But you were nowhere to be seen all day yesterday, and this morning, as soon as I woke up, Teacher told me you were leaving. We haven't even had a proper chat yet!"
Upon hearing Irelia's words, a smile appeared on Fahn's face.
During his years of training in Ionia, although Faen remained reclusive and aloof throughout, constantly tense due to his understanding of the future, he wasn't entirely living in his own world. He was also trying to become stronger—and Irelia's Blade Dance was a goal he attempted to learn.
Therefore, when Irelia first became Master Sinia's disciple, Fain took the initiative to approach and welcome her, imparting his own insights while also learning some dance techniques from the renowned silk-dance family, the Zan family, from which Irelia hailed. This is one of the key reasons why, even though Fain was not yet proficient in wielding the power of Ossilash when he first arrived in Zaun, he was still able to unleash formidable combat power.
Although they all appear to be forms of dance, just different styles, the Zan family's dance techniques are more fluid in their flow of power and emphasize the coordination between power and the body. While Fain initially approached Irelia with ulterior motives, Irelia herself was unaware of this. She only knew that this seemingly silent and gloomy senior brother, whose reputation wasn't great, was actually very approachable and often gave her guidance in his spare time.
In fact, it wasn't just Irelia; most of Fane's disciples under Sonia were taught as much as they could, all in order to accumulate more power for the chaotic world to come. However, among them, Irelia was one of the few who was closest to Fane.
Looking at Faen in front of her, Irelia excitedly said, "But it doesn't matter! I'm also going home to visit my family! If you're heading west, we can travel together, and you can tell me about what you've been through!"