When Dan Heng boards into an IPC station, he quickly explains his circumstances to the receptionist. Normally, he would hide the fact that he is a criminal. However, it seems the Luofu have managed to inform the IPC ahead of time, and someone (the General, most likely) had made arrangements for Dan Heng's comfort. All he needed to do was to be honest.
"You are not a wanted criminal anywhere else but the Xianzhou Luofu, is that correct?" She asks, tapping a few things into the digital interface.
"That's correct."
"Would you like to board the other Xianzhou ships?"
And Dan Heng has to consider that. "...Maybe next time. I'm afraid I don't have any means to pay for anything long-term." And he would rather not be reminded of the source of his pain, this early into banishment. The more important thing is, "Is there any way I can earn credit?"
And then Dan Heng the prisoner becomes Dan Heng the bounty hunter.
The jobs Dan Heng gets are varied and unique, but a great majority of them comes down to how much he can beat his opponents into submission.
Once, a client asks him to escort him around a planet filled with back alleys and streets straight out of criminal novels. Dan Heng prefers those kinds of missions the least – it hurts his ears.
As Vidyadhara, their senses are above that of an average human's (short-lived species, more like). For Dan Heng, who used to be Kazuha and could hear farther than any normal human could, these senses are doubled. How this worked, Dan Heng could not tell, but it was painful.
Dan Heng quickly discovers that shifting into a human form mutes the enhanced senses somewhat, but not by much. Being constantly assaulted by loud sounds did not do well for Dan Heng's temper, either. It takes all of Dan Heng's will not to snap at anyone, and his face takes on a cold, disinterested look, out of his need to focus on not losing his mind.
Some days, he takes the most dangerous bounties just to escape the deafening hustle and bustle of populated cities and ships, preferring the barren wastelands where the Antimatter Legion make camp.
None of it is easy, and sometimes, all Dan Heng can do is lay low and scout the enemy, bring back intel for the IPC to disseminate. While they don't directly deal with the Legion, some of their clients do, and the IPC outsources those requests for the foolhardy to take, like Dan Heng.
But on the occasion that Dan Heng does manage to defeat his foes with Cloud Piercer, the sights that greet him, while grim, are magnificent. Sometimes, he is tempted to make more haikus, and so he does.
"Lands stricken with grief, corpses stain the battleground…" he closes his eyes and ponders. "Yinyue-jun, what do you think?"
[The phrasing is morbid] his father figure says indelicately, and Dan Heng smothers his laugh.
"Grim as destruction," he finishes, delighting in the way Yinyue retreats into his mind with a huff.
On his own, Dan Heng realizes that the path of the Hunt does not suit him. It's not that it doesn't respond well, or resonate badly, not at all. If anything, remaining on the path of the Hunt is what lets Dan Heng survive most days.
It's just that Dan Heng can tell that the Hunt will never be his true calling. He would not call himself a vengeful or justice-oriented person, nor would he call himself a particularly driven individual. Perhaps that difference in attitude is what makes him such an odd match-up with the path.
Changing paths isn't easy, however, and Dan Heng has had to weather several different lectures from Yinyue about all the paths available for him to take. After careful deliberation, Yinyue suggests a path Dan Heng is surprised to consider.
"You could take on the path of Harmony." Yinyue's eyes are closed as he basks in the light of the sun, out in the courtyard of the dreamscape. "I've noticed you are well suited to supporting others in combat, which is usually what Harmony pathstriders tend to be."
Dan Heng worries his lip. "I don't think the philosophy of Harmony suits me well."
Yinyue shoots him a look over his shoulder. "Is it not like you to support others, to understand and unite with them as you go on your journey?"
Dan Heng shrugs helplessly. "It is, but I value my independence. Harmony wants to unite everything…in the end, where will that lead me?" It's not that he doesn't understand, eventually, you will need to unite with others to achieve a great ambition, especially on par with an Aeon's. He's just spent far too long developing his individuality to ever feel comfortable with having that taken from him.
More than anything, he wants to continue traveling, wandering into places people have been before, hearing their stories, seeing majestic sights, watching the stars twinkle with every passing second.
"Then," Yinyue turns to face him, inscrutable. "You will remain on the path of the Hunt, for now, as you search for a true path most suited to you. However, I still believe that Harmony is well-suited to your art of combat." He beckons Dan Heng over, fussing with his hair and wiping the imaginary dust off his sleeves. "You would do well in learning the ways in which they confront their opponents."
Dan Heng considers this. "I like that idea. But is that really possible?"
"It will be difficult, especially since you are not fully striding either path," Yinyue informs him. "But your existence alone has always convinced me that the once impossible, can become possible, given enough reason to."
The small smile of utter faith that Yinyue discreetly aims his way brings forth a warmth that coils in Dan Heng's chest.
(It takes several joint missions with other mercenaries for Dan Heng to successfully incorporate Harmony into his combat. With his sword. Cloud Piercer, sitting oddly in his hands, stubbornly makes him move in a more Hunt oriented style.
Yinyue is frustratingly smug about being right.)
There are days when Yinyue is quiet. He is never talkative, not usually, but he is present and aware.
Except for the days when he isn't. Sometimes, after a long, harrowing day, Dan Heng returns to his dreams only to see the High Elder gliding across the wooden floors like an unmoored spirit seeking refuge and closure.
After some investigating, Dan Heng finds that it is correlated to all the times he himself is affected by the memories of bygone days. There are some that belong to Kazuha, of course, but Dan Feng's older memories mix in as well. Dan Heng remembers these more, probably because they are not his, and he instinctually recognizes when he is in another's memory.
He and Yinyue's lives are intertwined – it is because Yinyue exists that Dan Heng exists, and because Dan Heng exists, Yinyue is able to live on, if only in his mind. This may be among the 'impossibilities' Yinyue has said Dan Heng is able to realize. Still, this does mean that Dan Heng is getting a front-row seat into Yinyue's past, as messy and jumbled up as it is. The picture it paints doesn't inspire confidence, either.
What's worse are the memories he has in this life, as Dan Heng. He had no idea of the length of time he spent in the Shackling Prison, but from the looks of it, he could have been in there longer than a regular mortal's lifespan. It is a harrowing realization.
Dan Heng tries to put it behind him. Tries to bury the feeling of scabbing wrists and ankles, of suffocating darkness, of the cruelty and jeers of the Shackling Prison.
But the universe is vast, and all too many things serve as a reminder.
And those reminders affect Yinyue too.
When Dan Heng suffers through a black-out on one colony while working through a job, he discovers that Yinyue has holed himself up in the brightest spot of his dream, stiff as a board. He only settles when Dan Heng approaches and lounges on him like a cat.
Another time, a well-meaning child slaps a bracelet around his wrist. Dan Heng has to try very hard not to bristle and hiss at the poor kid, instead thanking him gently. When he walks away, he slowly takes the bracelet off, taking care to store it safely in his inventory.
Yinyue convinces him to wear the bracer. His eyes are shining with tears when he presents it to Dan Heng, but when he wakes up, Dan Heng sees the bracer on his arm and doesn't take it off, as uncomfortable as he finds it.
Such an item holds obvious sentimental value to his father and yet…
It leads to questions about Yinyue's past.
Questions his father refuses to indulge him with answers. Dan Heng apparently knows all there is to know, but Dan Heng is aware that it's a bold-faced lie. There's something else Yinyue isn't telling him. Something more than just the poisonous explanations of 'the seditious Imbibitor Lunae' Dan Heng has studied about inside the Shackling Prison.
Dan Heng isn't in a rush, though. He wants to enjoy much of his freedom in exile. He'll confront his past when he has to.
And as luck would have it, the day Dan Heng encounters said past is the day he decides to find a forge.
6 system hours into the day, Dan Heng leaves the keycard of his vacated room to his boss, who waves him away and wishes him luck. Dan Heng recently reached the level of financial stability he needed to resign from his work on the IPC, and had wanted to celebrate by making a new sword.
Yinyuye asks about his abilities, but Dan Heng humbly replies, each time, that he is no specialist and can only create the most basic of swords. Yinyue, who has since witnessed Dan Heng's many nights planning and refining the design draft of his sword, says nothing, but fond exasperation leaks through their link before the elder retreats from his consciousness.
The ship he visits is one known for its crafters – it makes the business hub of it extra busy. Dan Heng makes his way through the crowds like a leaf drifting in the wind. Idly, he wishes he had a kasa. He is not ashamed of his looks, but he'd rather avoid attention where he can, and the hat is a comfort to him, like so many other things.
Dan Heng arrives at a blacksmith's stall and greets the head blacksmith politely, a dwarf who jabs a thumb behind him, clearly recognizing Dan Heng and immediately directing him towards the station he'd rented in advance.
Eagerly, Dan Heng sets to work. Yinyue awakens to watch him, clearly interested in the craft, and fills Dan Heng's mind with stories about Yingxing.
In his life as Kazuha, Dan Heng is proud to admit he was able to restore most of the lost Isshin Arts. It was thanks to a few friends (although calling the Wanderer a "friend" was a bit of a stretch…) and the help of the Raiden Shogun (as a formal apology and reparations for the injustice dealt to the Kaedeharas) that Kazuha was able to succeed.
It brings Dan Heng great delight to see that though many years have passed, his skill has not dulled. He's more aware of his own body, because there was nothing else to do on the Luofu. Lessons carried out by Yinyue took place in his mind, and to translate that into the physical realm took a lot of work and mental awareness.
He slams the hammer back down and douses it in the cooler, before bringing it to a whetting stone and polishes it to his standards.
Once he finishes, the blade he crafts is to be called Seishin no Jinkichi Ashi (Depths of the Sacred Heart). He holds it firmly in his hands.
It fits the standards of an Isshin-grade blade. Lightweight but firm. It has the appearance of a katana, like so many others Kazuha has forged in his life. The one Dan Heng has made in this life bears similarities to Kagotsurube Isshin, namely its dual-colored blade. Thanks to some special ore he'd gathered, the sharp edge of the blade glows with the hues of a sunset backdrop, glinting in the reds of the flames from the forge. The handguard is crafted finely, the shape of it reminiscent of the Temari motif Heizou once wore. At the edge of the handle, a charm with a tassel is tied, giving jingling clinks whenever it moves.
Dan Heng holds it up in the air quietly, admiring his work.
[Well?] Yinyue asks. There's a spark of pride to his words that warm Dan Heng's heart.
"Good weight, perfect balance…" Dan Heng closes his eyes and subtly infuses it with the wind element. The blade glows in response, and Dan Heng curls the corner of his lip, satisfied. "Good, it works."
"That's a fine blade," says one of the smiths watching him work. "You've steady hands, boy."
"Thank you, sir."
Dan Heng presents the head blacksmith with his work, and is glad when the dwarf gives the sword a thorough inspection. "This is good work. You're keeping it?"
"If you don't mind."
"I would'a told you to do it, boy." Blinking, Dan Heng stares at the head blacksmith. "A sword like that? Can't be sold. Your craft is catered to personalization, isn't it?"
Dan Heng supposes it isn't inaccurate. "My…family ascribes to the notion of complete harmony between blade and master."
The head blacksmith hums. "Thought so. Were you thinking of someone while hammering away?"
At this, he feels Yinyue perk up in interest. Dan Heng smothers his embarrassment and nods hesitantly. "Yes…he – he is very important to me." Very Important did not even begin to describe how much Heizou meant to him, but Dan Heng isn't willing to admit that to a bunch of strangers.
Thankfully, the blacksmith doesn't ask any further questions and rigs the sword up with the chip designed to let Dan Heng keep it in his hammerspace.
When Seishin no Jinkichi ashi (Jin'ashi) is given back to Dan Heng, he completes a simple kata before sheathing it back into his inventory, using the method Kazuha once used to keep his blades away. He isn't aware he does this until the other blacksmiths gasp at him in amazement.
[That's rarely been done on the Xianzhou. It's an interesting practice] Yinyue comments, and Dan Heng wishes he could just shrivel and die. So much for lying low.
Dan Heng weathers the questions and invitations to drink admirably, but his social battery eventually runs out and he beats a hasty escape out into the streets. He uses his phone to wire the payment to the head blacksmith, though, who sends him a simple sticker in response.
Satisfied, Dan Heng then finds a secluded area to meditate. He and Yinyue agreed to have a conversation about his new blade, and Dan Heng would rather prefer being face-to-face with his father figure.
He closes his eyes, and prepares to dive into his dreamscape – but then he hears it, the whistle of a blade, the burst of killing intent.
[DODGE!] Yinyue roars but Dan Heng is already snapping his head to the side, narrowly avoiding a blade aimed straight for his head.
A malicious voice laughs in the shadows, about a hundred feet away from him. Dan Heng assumes a guarded stance and watches the shadows part ways to reveal a man, possibly in his thirties, killing intent clear in his gaze while he stalks like a predator towards Dan Heng.
"So you're alive," the man breathes, and Dan Heng narrows his eyes. The man has clothes of Xianzhou origin, which means…
"I remember you," the man continues. "Imbibitor Lunae…of five people, three must pay the price." He raises a sword and points it at Dan Heng. "You are one of them."
[Yingxing?] Yinyue whispers, and Dan Heng quickly realizes what is going on.
Revenge. This man, Yingxing – he has come for revenge. Against Dan Feng.
"You – who are you?" Dan Heng says, like an idiot.
Yingxing growls audibly. "Don't play games with me, you piece of shit." And of course, that's when he launches himself at Dan Heng.
The battle that ensues is fierce. Yingxing doesn't let up, his strikes forceful and hateful, bearing down on Dan Heng like an angry storm. Gritting his teeth, Dan Heng wields Cloud Piercer on the defensive against the torrential brute force that is this furious Yingxing.
"I'll make you pay, Dan Feng!" Yingxing screams, and Dan Heng parries the next strike with cold precision, bumping the blade off to throw his opponent's momentum. The tip of the spear points at Yingxing's neck.
"I am not Dan Feng," he declares, dismayed. "I am Dan Heng." The words "You have the wrong person," is on the tip of his tongue, but he knows not to utter them.
Dan Feng's sins are Dan Heng's to resolve. That is what he has decided on. But pray tell, how is he supposed to do that when every single aspect of Yinyue's life is hell-bent on making him suffer?
"Changing your name won't change your actions!" Yingxing recovers quickly, making wild swipes at Dan Heng. "You won't escape your punishment! I won't let you!"
In the corners of his mind, Dan Heng hears his father muttering to himself. [Yingxing, what has happened to you? The mara– it must be the mara. There is no other explanation. Yingxing, stop this, please, Dan Heng does not deserve this.]
"Now isn't the time," he mutters, both to Yinyue and Yingxing himself. "Stand down, please. I have no interest in stoking conflict."
"LIES!" Yinxing roars. "Lies, lies, lies! All you DO is lie!"
"Perhaps on occasion," Dan Heng snarks. "But at this moment, no. I am not lying. I think I recall who you are. You are Yingxing–"
The next strike is so strong it breaks through his guard and stabs him in place. "Don't. Say. That name." Dan Heng makes a sharp cry of pain as he feels the blade dig into his torso. Any closer and the blade would have hit something vital. Yinyue keens in distress, and Dan Heng can feel him reaching for the healing powers that no longer work as they used to.
Gritting his teeth to keep the wince from the wound off his face, Dan Heng retorts candidly. "Don't call me Dan Feng. I'm not him."
The man laughs, digging the sword deeper. "Oh?" he croons, and the red of his eyes gleam with Abundance – mara. Dan Heng grunts in pain, unable to do anything. Cloud Piercer has been knocked out of his hands, a few inches away from his reach, and the man who was once Yingxing peers down at him with unrestrained glee. "Too bad I don't believe you."
"Believe what you want," he says, watching Yingxing carefully. This exact scenario – he feels like it's familiar. But where?
Sometimes, Zu, I'll find myself in a pickle. You aren't around to guard me 24/7, you know!
Oh. Now there's an idea.
"After all this time," Yingxing says, crouching low, leaning into Dan Heng's space, laughing, dangerously unhinged. Dan Heng steadies his breath. Heizou has warned him before, that this move requires a stable foundation. Dan Heng has to ignore the stinging pain of his body if he wants this to work. "Be a good dragon, and–"
The second Yingxing overbalances his body, Dan Heng kicks his feet up and flips backward, throwing Yingxing off him, grabbing his spear, and swiftly using the ball near Cloud Piercer's tip to slam right towards Yingxing's head, knocking him unconscious.
He observes the slumped body, and wonders…did he kill the man?
"Elio did tell you it was a lost cause but you didn't listen, did you Bladie?"
Dan Heng breathes out. "You finally showed yourself." He turns, and there stands a woman, the one he suspects accompanied Yingxing out here, presumably to keep watch over the fight. "Are you his companion?"
"Kafka," the woman introduces herself, giving Dan Heng a smile he knows is two breadthwiths short of threatening. "Bladie here has been dying to see you, you know." Bladie is a rather cute name for a man who has nearly committed homicide.
"He wants me dead, Miss Kafka," Dan Heng says dryly, but he steps aside.
"So he does."
Kafka brushes Yingxing's locks away from his face. "Hm. How hard did you hit him?"
"Hard enough." He is unbothered by the glare Kafka sends his way. "Perhaps he should think twice before shoving a blade in my body. You're lucky I used the blunt side of my spear."
After she decides 'Bladie' is alright, Kafka gives Dan Heng a strange look. "You're different than how I imagined you," Kafka says, and Dan Heng aims a beatific smile her way.
"Twilight's blade dancing, said the spider to the fly, weaving fates decide," Dan Heng says, and absconds the scene. He leaves a blood trail behind him.
(Kafka blinks. Elio's instructions suddenly make sense. Go see what has changed. Act accordingly.
The Dan Heng she meets is way off base from their initial expectations. Elio was right, as always.
Some changes to the script are in order.)
