"To hear the Truth in the morning, one can die at dusk without regret."
For anyone dedicated to delving into the truths of this world, learning the truth in the morning makes even death in the evening feel free of regret. Now, with the arrival of war, as a true Master, Lady Xan knew very well that this represented an unprecedented upheaval for Ionia. Thousands of years of tradition might undergo a complete transformation through this conflict.
At the same time, Lady Xan was well aware that she was old and frail; the strength in her body had no room left to grow, and the Blade Dance she had long since put down had been entirely replaced by the techniques of the Silk Dance. Even if she could wield it again, she could not possess the infinite possibilities of Irelia, nor could she display the mythic glory of the ancient era when one stood unstoppable even against giants...
Thinking this, Lady Xan turned her gaze toward the crowd and shouted coldly, "War is imminent! Children of the Xan family, prepare for battle!"
Hearing Lady Xan's command, the villagers did not hesitate. They immediately began war-related preparations. Though it happened suddenly, their responses—hurried yet orderly—showed they had long since prepared themselves for this day.
Afterward, Lady Xan looked toward Irelia and said, "Irelia, come with me. It is time you learned certain things."
Hearing her grandmother's words, Irelia didn't doubt her for a second. She nodded briskly and walked toward her. However, after just two steps, she couldn't help but steal a glance back at Faen. Seeing that her Senior Brother showed no dissatisfaction and even offered her a smile, Irelia's expression visibly relaxed. She then walked toward her grandmother with a much lighter step.
Taking all this in, Lady Xan said nothing. After all, if Faen had previously been the textbook example of a disciple gone astray, then now, with the outbreak of the Ionian War, his reputation had undergone a 180-degree reversal. How "misguided" he was before was exactly how "farsighted" and "prepared" he appeared now.
Moreover, they were both practitioners of the Way of the Dancer. The War Dance, being an extension of hand-to-hand combat, focused more on the presentation of power than the Silk Dance. It could, to some extent, compensate for the understanding of strife and the familiarity with raw power that Irelia had lacked since childhood.
Watching the situation unfold, Faen nodded, then turned his gaze to Akali and the others. "I know the philosophy of the Kinkou Order, so I won't force you. But if you are willing, you may join the coming battle."
Hearing this, Shen's eyes flashed with complexity and solemnity.
Standing in the center of the crowd, he was surrounded by Xan men rushing to and fro for combat—no, not just the men; even the robust women were donning ancient, dust-covered armor that looked ancient just by looking at it.
As for the elderly, the weak, and the children? They helped however they could. Even the displaced refugees were infected by the atmosphere, their eyes burning with the fire of anger, nearly incinerating their cowardice and burning away their reason.
Shen seemed to understand a little better why the Kinkou elders and the sages of the Temple of the Long-Standing guarded so strictly against any change in the Spirit Realm...
While Shen was still thinking, Akali snorted coldly and looked at Faen. "Are you going in?"
"Of course," Faen shrugged. "I chose to practice the War Dance instead of following Master Xynia in the Silk Dance precisely because the War Dance evolved from combat. Having practiced for so long, I didn't do it just to look pretty."
"I'm with you," Akali said succinctly. She took a step back to Faen's side, looking at Shen—who was trying to dissuade her—and added, "My mission is to support Faen, who holds the Enlightened One's mark. Master, I respect you, but you are the Eye of Twilight who 'watches the stars.' Our mission as the Fist of Shadow is to 'prune the trees'."
Shen frowned, instinctively looking toward Kennen. Standing on a high point, Kennen watched for a moment before leaping down lightly. "Thesenoxianspursuitofgloryandslaughterisbeyondimaginationjustby-marchingtheyarealreadycausingcontinuousimpacts-onthebalanceofioniaImustheadtotheordersheadquartersinshonxanandthe-templeoflongstandingtoconveythemessagetopreventfurtherdeterioration!"
With a burst of high-speed speech, Kennen transformed into a streak of white light and vanished from sight. This startling speed wasn't just simple acceleration; in Faen's observation, Kennen's figure constantly flickered between the Spirit Realm and the Material Realm. Such high-frequency realm-swapping, especially when the balance was so unstable, would make even Faen feel nauseous, but Kennen was completely unaffected—as expected of a Yordle who had lived through the entire history of Runeterra.
In terms of being favored by the world itself, perhaps only the Poros of the Freljord could compare.
"I'm going too." While Shen was having a headache, Usan (Zed) stepped forward. Under Shen's confused gaze, Usan took a deep breath and looked at his brother. "I cannot simply stand by and watch this. If the Kinkou Way requires us to witness the people of Ionia suffer and face the executioner's blade, then there must be something seriously wrong with the Kinkou Way."
With those words, Usan walked straightforwardly behind Faen.
A moment later, nearly two-fifths of the Kinkou squad stepped out, most of them being disciples of the Fist of Shadow. Their eyes were full of indignation; clearly, the descriptions from the refugees on the road had already sparked severe resentment toward the Noxian arrival.
Among those remaining, many still wore expressions of hesitation. However, Faen did not wait any longer. He nodded and turned. "If you are ready, then follow me."
On the other side, on a mountain peak looking down at the village—the man whose actions in the original timeline led to the Xan family's annihilation and the destruction of Irelia's home—General Duocal, wore a sneer of disdain.
"Another village? The advantage is mine! Kill them all! Let them know the fame of Noxus!!"