The streets Dan Heng walked through were quiet, but not calm. The Luofu carried a constant sense of motion, like a living thing that never truly rested — the Mara-Struck certainly didn't. The air smelled clean, almost sterile, as if the ship itself was trying to scrub away the lingering presence of Mara.
Sushang walked a few steps ahead, sword resting awkwardly against her shoulder, posture energetic in a way that did not quite match the seriousness of recent events. Luocha walked beside her at an unhurried pace, hands steady on the handle of the coffin-like container he carried. His movements were careful, deliberate, as though even the ground beneath his feet deserved respect.
Dan Heng followed them in silence.
He had helped them fend off the Mara-Struck not long ago, his spear moving on instinct more than thought. The creatures had been desperate, their attacks erratic, their eyes clouded with madness rather than intent. When it was over, Sushang had been quick to thank him, while Luocha had simply inclined his head, gaze thoughtful.
Now, as they moved deeper into the Luofu's layered districts, Sushang's curiosity finally overflowed.
"So, about what you were saying earlier."
Luocha turned his head slightly.
"What part?"
"About the Propagation, and Aeons, and all that."
She tilted her head, brows knitting together.
"I mean, you said an Aeon could die. But… aren't THEY supposed to be invincible?"
Luocha did not answer immediately. He walked a few more steps before speaking, voice calm, almost gentle.
"To mortals like us, Aeons naturally appear invincible. They embody concepts so vast that individual lives mean little in comparison. From that perspective, immortality seems like an appropriate word."
He paused.
"But immortality is a myth."
Sushang blinked.
"Huh?"
Dan Heng's eyes flicked briefly toward Luocha. The man's tone was even, but there was a weight beneath his words, the kind that came from knowledge gained at a cost.
"In the face of other Aeons, THEY can still be killed. Conflict exists even at that level. Power does not erase opposition; it merely changes its scale."
Sushang frowned, clearly thinking hard.
"But… why would Aeons fight in the first place?"
The question hung in the air.
Dan Heng stopped walking for a moment, just long enough to register the absurdity of it. Luocha, too, slowed, his gaze shifting to Sushang with mild disbelief.
She noticed.
"What?"
Luocha sighed softly.
"Do you truly live on the Xianzhou?"
"Of course I do!"
"And you are a Cloud Knight."
She puffed out her chest.
"Obviously."
"Then are you truly unaware of the conflict you are part of?"
She hesitated.
"…Which one?"
Dan Heng looked away.
Luocha closed his eyes for a brief moment before reopening them.
"The struggle between Lan and Yaoshi. The Hunt and Abundance. The war that defines the Xianzhou's existence."
Sushang scratched her cheek.
"Oh. That one."
She shrugged.
"My mom didn't really explain that stuff. She had me swinging a sword all the time instead of going to school. Said thinking too much would get me killed faster."
Dan Heng glanced at her sword, then at the way she carried it.
Internally, he noted that it did not seem to have helped much.
Luocha shook his head faintly.
"That would take far too long to unpack."
Sushang huffed, dissatisfied, then abruptly pointed at the container Luocha was carrying.
"Fine, then tell me about that. You've been hauling it around this whole time."
Luocha blinked.
"This?"
"Yeah. What even is it?"
"It is not a box. It is a casket. More commonly known as a coffin."
She stopped walking.
"…A coffin?"
"Yes."
"For carrying…?"
"The deceased."
Sushang stared at him for several seconds.
"…Is death that casual to you?"
Luocha met her gaze.
"Is it distant to you?"
She shook her head immediately.
"No way. Cloud Knights die all the time."
Her tone was blunt, almost too casual.
"Still, you're really a merchant? Carrying around a dead body like that?"
Luocha replied:
"It is part of my work. I was asked to deliver it to the Xianzhou."
She crossed her arms.
"That's weird. We don't even use coffins."
He raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
"Yeah. For Xianzhou natives, at least. The long-life species without extra traits."
She gestured vaguely.
"The dead get sent to the Hall of Karma, under the Ten-Lords Commission. They're consecrated there."
She grew more animated as she spoke, clearly more comfortable with this topic.
"Foxians do it differently. They put their dead on starskiffs and let them drift off into the stars. Kind of romantic, if you think about it."
Luocha listened intently.
"And the Vidyadhara?"
Sushang's eyes lit up.
"Oh! Them too. When they get really old, or if they're fatally wounded, they turn into this pearl-like egg."
She held her hands apart, as if cradling something invisible.
"When it hatches, they come out young again. My mom used to tell me stories about it. Said they were Long's Scions."
She leaned closer, lowering her voice.
"And that they could turn into dragons."
Dan Heng stopped.
For the first time since joining them, he spoke.
"They are descendants of the Aeon of Permanence."
Both of them turned toward him. He continued:
"Some Vidyadhara can transform into dragons, but not all. The ability requires passing numerous rites. It is not granted lightly."
Sushang stared at him.
"…You know a lot about this stuff."
Dan Heng did not respond.
Luocha nodded slowly.
"Many myths praise the Aeon of Permanence. Long was said to have attained immortality even before becoming an Aeon."
He adjusted his grip on the coffin.
"At some point, however, THEY disappeared without a trace. Leaving only THEIR descendants behind."
The air felt heavier then, the hum of the Luofu more noticeable.
"All life has its limit. Even Aeons will eventually die, one way or another."
Sushang fell quiet, her gaze drifting back to the coffin.
"…Do you know the person inside?"
"Yes."
"Were they a friend?"
"No."
"A sweetheart?"
Luocha chuckled softly.
"I met them only once."
She blinked.
"Then why go through all this trouble?"
"Because I made a promise."
He looked ahead.
"That is all I will say."
They stood there for a moment longer, the silence stretching but not uncomfortable. Then Luocha shifted his weight.
"We have rested enough. It would be best to proceed before more Mara-Struck appear."
Sushang nodded quickly.
"Right. Yeah. Good point."
They resumed walking.
Dan Heng followed, eyes scanning the paths ahead. The Luofu stretched endlessly, layers upon layers of corridors, platforms, and districts stacked in ways that defied intuition. He could not help but wonder if they were even heading toward civilization, or if they were simply wandering deeper into the ship's veins.
The thought lingered as they moved forward, footsteps echoing softly against the stone, while the coffin remained steady in Luocha's grasp, its contents silent and unknowable.