Hearing Faen's words, Lady Xan fell into a brief silence before speaking gently.
"Actually, the last time Irelia returned, I detected an unusual scent within her dance."
She paused, then continued, "The Silk Dance is, in essence, a way to weave the 'form' and 'spirit' of the nature spirits into ribbons through harmonious rhythm."
"By following the dancer's movements, the resonance of those spirits is manifested through the silk."
"This method of anchoring the spirit onto matter to allow it to manifest in the Material Realm aligns perfectly with the ancient techniques passed down through the Xan family for generations."
"That is one of the reasons why I had Irelia practice the Silk Dance since she was a child... but last time..."
She looked at Faen. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"
"In what regard?" Faen asked.
"The Blade Dance," Lady Xan said succinctly. "The melody of the Blade Dance appeared within Irelia's rhythm."
"Though there was no killing intent, it already possessed a hardness and sharpness that silk ribbons simply cannot express."
Hearing Lady Xan's words, not only the others but even her own daughter looked on in confusion, having never heard of such a name.
As the conversation continued, the crowd grew even more bewildered—what 'hardness' and 'sharpness'? Was the Silk Dance not known for its soft and beautiful melodies?
In contrast, Faen nodded. "I did have such thoughts at the beginning."
"But after interacting with Irelia, I found she didn't have any relevant training."
He paused and added, "As for the hardness and sharpness you mentioned, perhaps some of my ideas influenced her?"
Faen did not feel any unease; he simply stared at Lady Xan while standing still.
Lady Xan fell into a short silence, then sighed. "It must be so..."
"Wait, Grandmother, what on earth are you talking about?" Irelia's brother, Zelos, couldn't help but ask.
"What's all this about being hard and sharp? And what do Mr. Faen's ideas have to do with anything? Why can't we understand a word of this?"
Hearing this, Lady Xan nodded and explained, "Simply put, Faen believed long ago that Noxus would launch an attack on Ionia."
"He has been constantly preparing and practicing his cultivation specifically for that day."
Upon hearing Lady Xan's words, the surrounding crowd turned their astonished gazes toward Faen.
If this had been a month ago, people would have been baffled and tried to persuade Faen to return to the 'righteous path.'
They would have told him that war is never the only choice, and that with Ionia's long tradition, even the warlike Noxians would put down their blades and learn its subtleties.
However, perspectives always change with the times.
Just like now, after witnessing many fishermen fleeing from the western coast toward the inland of the Placidium, even the Xan family members—who had lived in this ancient village for years—grew tense as the scent of gunpowder thickened.
Before the war, Faen's problem was being too bellicose.
Now, with the war actually arriving and knowing that the Noxians have no intention of compromising, but rather seek to conquer this land and destroy its culture—turning it into a part of Noxus from matter to spirit—the youth of Ionia can no longer endure it.
Zelos spoke up. "Doesn't that mean Faen was the only one who was right? Those damned Noxians... we must make them pay!"
Lady Xan did not answer. After a moment of silence, she looked at Faen and said:
"If you are immersed in this anxiety for the future and vigilance toward war, then as Master Xynia's most outstanding disciple—and one whose War Dance has reached a level of perfection—you should know something."
"You should know that in today's Ionia, the paths related to conflict have all been severed."
"I know," Faen said bluntly. "Including my purpose this time: to bring back the positive aspects represented by negative emotions like war and strife back to Ionia."
Lady Xan narrowed her eyes. To let such things reappear in an Ionia that had been tranquil for a thousand years...
"That is no simple task," she said. "If that is your goal, then compared to the Noxian invasion, the inertia of Ionia's thousand-year tradition might be your greatest enemy and obstacle."
Faen did not speak; he simply raised his right hand.
As the energy of the Spirit Realm activated, the interlocking rings of the Mark of the Twin Dragons entered everyone's sight.
In truth, not many people could recognize the Mark of the Twin Dragons at a glance.
Shen recognized it because his father, Great Master Kusho, had cultivated his knowledge from a young age, and the Kinkou Order's connection with the Temple was deep.
But for the vast majority of ordinary Ionians, it was just a common-looking sigil.
Karma's name had been passed down for millennia; people worshiped, imitated, and left related engravings or tattoos quite normally.
However, as a Master, Lady Xan was no shallow youth. She felt the unique aura originating from Karma almost instantly.
She bowed slightly—not to Faen, but to the Enlightened One whom the mark represented.
When she raised her head, there was a strange light in her eyes.
"So, this is also the will of the Enlightened One?"
Sensing the hidden anticipation and joy in her words, Faen raised an eyebrow.
Clearly, this famous Lady Xan was not someone who was truly used to the Silk Dance...
Faen just shook his head. "Yes, and no."
"...I see." After a brief silence, Lady Xan nodded in understanding.
She glanced at Irelia, then asked with a light smile, "Speaking of which, Faen, what do you think of Irelia?"