Jarvan IV's attitude toward magic took Li Lin by surprise. In the original timeline, he harbored a deep-seated hatred for it, actively empowering the Mageseekers and ordering Eldred to relentlessly hunt down mages.
This was particularly true for the capture of Sylas, who had been imprisoned for fifteen years, only escaping execution due to Lux's magical intervention, and subsequently leading a rebellion.
Of course, all of this hinged on the assassination of Jarvan III during the mage uprising, which left Jarvan IV, having lost his father, in a state of extremity.
As for who was responsible for assassinating King Jarvan III? Sylas hadn't commissioned anyone for that deed; he himself was quite taken aback by the king's death.
Jarvan III had died in his study, and the scene suggested that he had put up a struggle.
So where did the assassin come from? A quick thought led Li Lin to a possible answer.
Jarvan III was ambushed because he had sent Zhao Xin, who was always by his side, to deliver a letter to Eldred, halting the Mageseekers' operations.
However, Eldred was cunning—perhaps even treacherously so.
Would he really allow his power to be stripped away? Li Lin had ample reasons to suspect he was the future assassin of the king.
But it was still early, and his conspiracy had yet to surface.
Nonetheless, if the killer of Qian from three years ago truly had ties to the Mageseekers, it would mean they held a significant lever over Eldred.
In due time, reforming the magical codex and abolishing the Mageseekers' authority would become a simple task.
Li Lin pondered, deciding to use a drone to locate Ander's home and the grave of Qian for further investigation.
As for the chaos caused by Fiddlesticks, since Ander had been lying all along, Li Lin was uncertain whether this was truly the work of the fearsome demon.
Moreover, from what Li Lin knew of Fiddlesticks and other demons, he believed that as long as one didn't harbor the corresponding emotions, they wouldn't be easily manipulated by such entities.
The same applied to facing Fiddlesticks; maintaining a heart devoid of fear should suffice.
Besides, he wasn't entering the village to confront Fiddlesticks directly. If necessary, he could simply sever the drone's connection and retreat.
Even if he couldn't escape or defeat it, he could always call for help, right?
Zoe and Morgana, both extraordinary celestial beings, were his greatest allies.
After careful consideration, Li Lin bid farewell to Jarvan IV and left the camp to find the Isidore merchant group, which was also temporarily camped by the river.
"May the Winged Protector bless you. Might I inquire who you are..."
Having changed out of his armor, Isidore did not recognize him.
"Li Lin from the Kiramman family, hailing from Piltover," Li Lin explained with a slight smile, shifting back into his battle armor to demonstrate to Isidore.
"You... You're the one who serves His Highness!" Isidore exclaimed, startled, quickly crossing his hands over his chest in a bow. "May the Winged Protector bless you, my lord."
"I'm just an ordinary mechanic from the Kiramman family of Piltover; there's no need to call me 'my lord.'"
"You're too modest! Almost every merchant from the Kiramman family has heard of you; they are a prominent council family in Piltover, with investments in nearly every nation outside of Demacia.
"Especially that... Hex Gate? Azir's ancient relic, I've heard it can manipulate magic and transport one across the world in mere seconds; it was invented by the Kiramman family, wasn't it?
"Moreover, this technology you possess, allowing you to switch between armor and regular clothes at will, though I don't know its mechanics, it truly broadens my horizons!"
As Isidore excitedly spoke, he seemed to remember something, and a bitter smile appeared on his face. "Furthermore, to be a craftsman for the Kiramman family and work alongside His Highness, I really wouldn't dare to overstep."
After a brief pause, he continued, "May I ask what you seek me for? Is it related to Hengfeng Village?"
"Yes, I wish to inquire about Qian."
Li Lin projected a hologram, startling Isidore and the others.
"Don't worry, this isn't magic; it's a new technology from Piltover, an advancement of the Hex camera principle that I invented."
As the astonished gasps from the surrounding people settled, Li Lin refocused on Isidore, signaling for the others to step away before revealing the footage captured by the drone of a little girl that evening.
"Do you recognize her..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Isidore stepped back in terror, as if he had seen a ghost.
"Oh my god! Winged Protector above, this... this is Qian?!"
He rubbed his eyes repeatedly, horror etched on his face, mumbling to himself, "No, it can't be... This is absolutely impossible! She's been dead for three years!"
"Calm down, Isidore."
Just as Li Lin reached out to place a hand on his shoulder to soothe him, Isidore sprang up from the stool, frantically packing his things.
"This is a curse... Hengfeng Village is cursed! No wonder everyone has vanished..." he muttered, eyes vacant. "It's all Ander and Natalie's fault; it's all their doing!"
"Isidore..."
Li Lin furrowed his brows even deeper at Isidore's murmurs.
He stepped forward, gripping Isidore's shoulders firmly, forcing the less muscular man to face him.
"What exactly happened? What have Ander and Natalie done?"
Li Lin raised his voice slightly and shook Isido.
Only by doing this could he help a terrified person regain their composure quickly.
"They… they…" Isido's lips trembled uncontrollably, "They came into contact with the forbidden! They stole the souls of the dead from the Eternal Hunters… and brought them back…"
"You mean they dabbled in magic?" Li Lin paused momentarily and rephrased, "A form of forbidden dark magic? To resurrect their daughter?"
Ordinary people without magical talent could still perform magic, but the price was something they could hardly bear.
Seeing Isido nod nervously, Li Lin finally let him go. "Where do you plan to go next?"
"Hengfeng Village has become a cursed place; I will not return!" Isido continued packing his belongings and shouted to the group conversing by the river, "Damn it! You lot, hurry back and pack; we're returning to Terbisia tonight!"
The first to return was a woman around Isido's age, his wife, who had left the village with him for trade years ago.
She looked perplexed, her tone laced with irritation, "Have you lost your mind? You must know how far Terbisia is from here!"
"Then let's go to any place that can provide shelter, except that cursed Hengfeng Village!" He was a bit exasperated, instructing the young boy next to the woman, "Quick, pack up; we can't stay here any longer!"
"What on earth happened, Father?"
"The retribution for desecrating death has arrived!"
As soon as those words left his mouth, the woman and the boy's expressions shifted, and without further ado, they hurried to pack the tents that had only just been set up.
While packing, Isido glanced at Li Lin, who stood motionless, and sighed, "Forgive us for the poor hospitality, Lord Li Lin… You should inform His Highness the Prince and leave this cursed land as well."
Li Lin stared at Isido for a moment, silently nodding in acknowledgment before departing from their camp.
Instead of returning to Jarvan IV, he walked to the riverside, projecting real-time footage from the drone before him.
Just moments ago, the AI had vibrated with a reminder; the drone had likely found a new lead.
As Li Lin switched perspectives, he noticed a drone hovering near the edge of the village, approaching a slightly dilapidated house.
"What did you find?"
[The drone just captured that 'ghost' again; she glanced at the drone and signaled before slipping into that house.]
Li Lin's expression grew serious, "Are you sure… she signaled?"
[I am one hundred percent certain, Master.]
The AI replayed the footage captured moments earlier, showing "Qin" hopping down the dirt road without stirring a speck of dust.
When she reached the yard where the drone hovered, her translucent face turned once more toward it, her hollow eyes fixated on the screen.
It felt as though she could directly lock eyes with Li Lin through the image.
Then, she beckoned to the drone with her hand and effortlessly entered the yard, slipping into the main house.
Li Lin watched the replay, lost in thought.
[This ghost is not as we presumed; she lacks independent consciousness.]
"Hmm, I see that now."
[It seems she is guiding us inside? Should we enter?]
"Be ready to sever the connection with this drone at any moment."
[Understood.]
In the next moment, the drone hovering above the yard quickly transformed into a mini mechanical soldier, settling by a dilapidated wooden window on the side of the main house.
With minimal effort, it pushed aside the decayed wood, covered in dark green moss, and slipped inside.
Thanks to the drone's night vision capabilities, everything within the house came into clear view for Li Lin.
It was a bedroom, filled with dust and cobwebs, appearing abandoned for some time, devoid of signs of life.
The furnishings were sparse: a double wooden window, a round table with drawers, and a makeshift wardrobe.
Given the room's layout, it was likely the owner's chamber.
Li Lin directed the nano-robot to the desk, discovering nothing valuable except some tattered, ancient parchment in the drawers.
He intended to have the robot leave, but the AI interrupted his thoughts.
[Master, the depth of the lowest drawer is different from the top two layers; there should be a hidden compartment inside.]
Li Lin switched to the scanning visual system, noticing indeed that the third drawer beneath the table had a partition, creating a small dark space.
Inside, it appeared there was a more intact piece of parchment.
"Hmm? What is this?"
A sudden feeling of foreboding washed over Li Lin.
The nano-robot quietly opened the partition and retrieved the parchment, laying it flat on the desk.
The text was peculiar, resembling Demacian script but far more intricate.
At the bottom of the parchment, a strange yet familiar key design was engraved within what appeared to be a star-shaped magical circle.
[This is ancient Demacian text.]
The AI pointed out.
[Though Demacia has only a few hundred years of history, its writing has undergone numerous changes to form the current system.]
"Translate the text for me."
As the AI replaced the parchment's text with modern Demacian script, Li Lin took a quick glance, unable to suppress a sharp intake of breath.
The words were inscribed in what resembled faded blood:
Ten kings, ten thrones;
Nine crowns, upon the head crowned.
Only one remains, digging the grave;
Only one raven, neither dead nor alive.
(End of Chapter)
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