Chapter 147: Aha: "Do you desire immortality?"
"I don't know him."
Welt's voice was steady, each word a carefully placed stone. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, his gaze fixed on the blond traveler. "May I ask for your name?"
"I am Luocha." The man offered a slight, courteous nod.
Luocha... so his name really is Luocha?
The tension coiling in Welt's chest eased, just a fraction. Perhaps I truly am being too vigilant. Now that he thought about it, Void Archives wore the same face, and he wasn't entirely irredeemable. That said, Void Archives had also followed him to this world, only to be so disruptive on the journey that Pom-Pom had personally thrown him off the Astral Express.
"Is it just 'Luocha'?" Leon's voice suddenly sliced through the quiet. He tilted his head, a bright, knowing smile playing on his lips. "No... other names?"
"Don't you have one that's particularly tongue-twisting and long?" Leon pressed, his eyes glinting with pure mischief.
Luocha seemed momentarily startled by the question. How does he know... that I have another, far more cumbersome name?
"I... did indeed once have a rather long name," Luocha admitted with surprising frankness, nodding. "It is simply because it's so difficult to pronounce that I rarely use it now. You may all just call me 'Luocha'."
"Heh... hehehe..." A dry, humorless laugh escaped Welt. "Your other name... wouldn't happen to be 'Otto Apocalypse,' would it?"
Before the last syllable had even left his lips, the head of a black cane was pressed firmly against Luocha's throat.
"Hey, hey, hey... what are you doing?!" Sushang cried out, startled by the sudden escalation.
Herta's cold, mechanical eyes instantly locked onto the scene, the puppet's internal mechanisms emitting a low hum as its combat protocols engaged, ready to intervene.
"I do not know... how I might have offended you, Mr. Welt." Though the tip of the cane was pressed against a vital point, Luocha showed no sign of panic. He even tilted his head slightly, his tone remaining as gentle and composed as ever.
"No, you haven't offended me," Welt's voice deepened, his grip on the cane as steady as a rock. "But I now have reason to suspect that the recent disturbances across the Xianzhou Luofu are closely related to you."
He raised his other hand, displaying the screen of his jade abacus. "I have already reported the situation to the Luofu's General Jing Yuan. Before he arrives to make a final judgment..." Welt's gaze, magnified by his lenses, carried an unquestionable weight of scrutiny and warning. "I hope you... will not resist."
"That is only natural," Luocha replied without a flicker of hesitation. He even cooperatively raised his hands, his demeanor utterly placid. "I am willing to cooperate with the investigation."
Is there really such a convenient turn of events?
Thoughts raced through Luocha's mind. His original plan involved finding a way to "infiltrate" the Shackling Prison by claiming a connection to the Stellaron disaster. He would achieve his true objective under the guise of a willing captive.
And now... this has saved me a great deal of trouble, letting me jump directly to the final step.
His eyes shifted imperceptibly, a fleeting glance toward Jingliu, who stood silently to the side. Could this... also be part of your plan?
"Huh?! Is—is Luocha a bad guy?" Sushang's face was a mask of disbelief. She had thought this blond merchant was nothing but gentle and polite; he didn't seem like a villain at all.
"Whether he is good or evil will be determined when the General arrives," Herta stated flatly. A moment later, she received a new directive. "I have the General's instructions. We are to change course and head to the Shackling Prison."
Welt's posture relaxed slightly, and he slowly lowered the cane from Luocha's throat. The vigilance in his eyes, however, did not diminish in the slightest.
Could it be... that I am really being too sensitive? A sliver of self-doubt surfaced, only to be swiftly suppressed. Experience had taught him that when confronted with this particular face, one could never, ever be too cautious.
"The coffin you're carrying..." Welt's gaze shifted to the enormous white wooden case on Luocha's back. "What's inside?" he asked, his voice low. "May I... open it and take a look?"
"I am afraid... that would not be appropriate," Luocha replied, shaking his head gently. His expression was a perfect blend of difficulty and respect. "What is placed inside are the remains of a deceased person. I was entrusted by their friends and family to return this coffin to their homeland on the Xianzhou."
He paused, meeting Welt's scrutinizing gaze with a sincere one of his own. "If you all insist on an examination... I make a bold request. Could we wait until General Jing Yuan arrives and allow him to make the decision? It is a matter of showing final respect to the departed."
'Inside the coffin, naturally, is a remnant of Abundance,'Leon thought, barely suppressing a grin.'Calling it the remains of a deceased person is also completely correct.''Right, the remains of a deceased person. Perfectly accurate.' He continued his internal monologue.'The Aeon of Propagation, Tayzzyronth... isn't its true form a Swarm of True Stings? Even if it's just the remains of a dead Aeon, it causing people to have a few... "hallucinations"... is quite reasonable, right?''Plan successful. Check.'
"De-deceased?! Aren't you a merchant?" Sushang was so startled she hopped back half a step, pointing a trembling finger at the large white box. "So—so this thing is a coffin! And it's carrying... that?"
"This, too, is part of a merchant's duties," Luocha said with a nod, his tone as peaceful as if he were discussing the most ordinary cargo. "As I said, I was entrusted with a task, and I am seeing it through. For the long-life species who often live for thousands of years, death may be a somewhat distant concept, but it is ultimately a part of the cycle of life."
"It's—it's not like that..." Sushang steadied herself and tried to explain. "We Cloud Knights throw ourselves onto the battlefield. Being wrapped in horsehide for burial is a common occurrence. But we don't generally use boxes... um, coffins, to hold remains. That's handled at the Hall of Causality in the Ten-Lords Commission."
"The custom for Xianzhou natives to bid farewell to comrades is to enshrine their names and jade abaci in the Hall of Causality, to remember their deeds and karma," she elaborated. "The Foxians and Vidyadhara also have their own unique ceremonies."
She recalled something else. "I've seen Foxian warriors place their departed kin into specially made starships, letting them drift into the deep, distant space. They call it 'Returning to Qingqiu'."
"As for the Vidyadhara, they're quite mysterious. I've heard that when a Vidyadhara lives for a very long time, or is so injured they are near death, they will turn into a pearl-like egg. Then, they hatch anew in the form of a young child."
"My mother calls the Vidyadhara 'dragon descendants.' In the stories she told me when I was little, she said all Vidyadhara could turn into giant dragons. I don't know if that's true."
Dan Heng, who had been silent until now, finally spoke. "Your mother's words are true. The Vidyadhara are indeed the descendants of dragons, and also the descendants of Long, the Aeon of Permanence."
His voice was calm, but carried a deep weight. "Therefore, there have been some among the Vidyadhara who could manifest a dragon form, though not everyone possesses this aptitude."
"This power... is a heavy legacy," Dan Heng continued quietly. "It requires complex rituals and rigorous trials to inherit. For the one who inherits it, it is hard to say if it is a blessing."
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Luofu, Stelle and Caelus were on their undercover mission for the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus. As they rounded a corner, they came face-to-face with a person clad in a garish yellow suit, their face hidden behind a Mask of Elation.
The figure spread their arms wide. "Do you desire immortality?"
Stelle and Caelus exchanged a look. "..."
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