"Why must Layman Gu be so determined to shake off Original Sin?"
"What kind of question is that? If I don't shake off Original Sin, am I supposed to eagerly become its True Body?"
"Why shouldn't Layman Gu become the True Body of Original Sin? What would be the harm even if you became the True Lord sought by Original Sin?"
The Old Monk's voice drifted over, causing Gu Qingfeng to freeze for a moment, even doubting his own hearing. He stared at the ethereal Jiemie Mountain and said, "I say, Old Monk, have you been sleeping for ten thousand years and still aren't awake? Or are you confused too? What do you mean, 'why shouldn't I become the True Body of Original Sin'? And what's this about 'what harm in becoming the True Lord sought by Original Sin'?"
Gu Qingfeng truly doubted his own ears. He simply couldn't believe these words had come from the Old Monk's mouth.
It felt as unbelievable and incomprehensible as a Bodhisattva dedicated to delivering all living beings suddenly urging them to become demons instead.
"If my memory serves me right, back then you were constantly advising me not to pursue Karma. The reason you advised me was surely because you were afraid I'd get entangled with Original Sin. Even though I still don't know why you were afraid of me getting entangled with Original Sin, it's a fact that you were afraid of it."
After a pause, Gu Qingfeng narrowed his eyes and continued, "So why the sudden change of heart today? Not only are you urging me to become the True Body of Original Sin? You're even shamelessly egging me on to become the True Lord of Original Sin? I say, Old Monk, what act are you performing now? Have you gone mad? Is your mind unwell?"
"This Old Monk is not mad, nor is my mind unwell."
The Old Monk fell silent for a moment before explaining, "Layman Gu is correct. Back then, this Old Monk advised you not to pursue Karma precisely because I feared Layman Gu would fuse with that drop of Blood of Original Sin. If that happened, Layman Gu would transform from a Person of Original Sin into the Body of Original Sin."
"Why were you afraid of me becoming the Body of Original Sin?"
Gu Qingfeng said, "Don't tell me it was for my own good. I don't buy that. We don't have that kind of friendship. Your residence on this Jiemie Mountain is neither coincidence nor accident. Whether it's Karmic Fate, I don't know, but you must have your own little calculations in mind. Perhaps from the very beginning, you might have been targeting me."
"Since Layman Gu knows, why ask further?"
"I know? Let me guess."
Gu Qingfeng said, "I've heard many people tell me that I'm some kind of Anomaly. Could that be the reason?"
The Old Monk remained silent.
"Looks like that really is the reason."
"Layman Gu is correct. This Old Monk feared Layman Gu becoming the Body of Original Sin precisely because you are an Anomaly. However, there is one point where Layman Gu is mistaken. This Old Monk did not deliberately target Layman Gu."
The Old Monk explained, "This Old Monk mistakenly entered the Extinct Bone Jade back then. The Extinct Bone Jade then fused with Layman Gu. There may be some Karma involved in this that this Old Monk does not know. But I can say with a clear conscience that I did not know Layman Gu was an Anomaly beforehand. At least before I mistakenly entered the Extinct Bone Jade, I did not know. It was only later, after Layman Gu fused with the Extinct Bone Jade, that I came to know Layman Gu was the Anomaly of the current era."
In truth,
Gu Qingfeng didn't care at all whether the Old Monk residing in the Extinct Bone Jade was due to Karmic Fate or if he had deliberately targeted him.
If he cared, he wouldn't have waited until now to mention it casually.
It was the two words 'Anomaly' that puzzled him. He asked, "What exactly is an Anomaly?"
"An Anomaly is formed from the coagulation and derivation of countless erroneous Karmas. Therefore, the Fate of a person who is an Anomaly cannot be determined."
"So you're saying my existence is caused by countless chaotic Karmas?"
"Yes. Layman Gu is an innate Person of Original Sin, born because of the Blood of Original Sin. That single drop of Blood of Original Sin itself contains countless chaotic Karmas."
"But back then, I wasn't the only one born because of that drop of Blood of Original Sin. There were many others. Although most died, more than just I survived."
The Old Monk said, "Whether those Persons of Original Sin lived or died is unimportant. What matters is that when countless chaotic Karmas converged, Layman Gu was born in accordance with the right time, favorable geography, and harmonious human relations."
"Is that so..." Gu Qingfeng lowered his head in contemplation and asked no more.
"Layman Gu is a Person Who Bears the Sin, yet you are exactly the Anomaly of the current era. That in itself is terrifying enough. If Layman Gu were to fuse with the Blood of Original Sin and become the Body of Original Sin, I'm afraid the situation would become irredeemable."
"When you say 'irredeemable,' are you referring to the great calamity of Original Sin becoming irredeemable?"
"The calamity of Original Sin is indeed terrifying. However, Fate will also, according to Karma, give birth to many Tribulation-Bearers to deal with the calamity of Original Sin. Whether the calamity can be prevented, no one knows, but at least there is hope. But if someone like Layman Gu, an Anomaly of the current era, were to become the Body of Original Sin, I'm afraid no one in all heaven and earth could stop you. After all, you are an Anomaly, formed from countless chaotic Karmas. Your Fate cannot be determined, and it is impossible for Fate to give birth to a Tribulation-Bearer to deal with you based on your Karma."
"So that's how it is."
Hearing the Old Monk's explanation, many things that had been unclear before suddenly became clear.
Gu Qingfeng had always been puzzled by one question: Why was he, among all the Persons of Original Sin and Bodies of Original Sin in heaven and earth, the one the Three Thousand Great Daos relentlessly pursued? Now he realized it was most likely because he was an Anomaly.
At the same time,
The reason why Tang Hengheng, Ye Tianlan, Feng Zhuyue, and others had sought him out might have had something to do with Karmic connections, but more likely it was also related to him being an Anomaly.
The true identities of these women were each more complex than the last, perhaps even more complex than he imagined. And each one could sufficiently represent their respective Great Daos—be it the Immortal Dao, Heavenly Dao, Demonic Dao, or Yao Dao.
He estimated that these Great Daos, having discovered he was an Anomaly with chaotic Karma and undeterminable Fate, arranged for these women to reincarnate deliberately to form a Karmic connection with him. Then, based on that Karma, they would produce a Tribulation-Bearer who could deal with him?
However,
Although they are Great Daos, when it comes to arranging Fate or creating a strand of Karma, the Great Daos probably don't have that ability.
Throughout heaven and earth, only one person has the ability to arrange Fate and create Karma.
That is the one who knows the past and future, holds the authority over Fate and Karma, deduces the cosmos, comprehends the mysteries of heaven and earth, hailed as the Envoy of Karma and the Embodiment of Fate—the Eternal Nameless, the Old Man of Heavenly Secrets.
If that were truly the case, then these methods were too despicable, weren't they?
Moreover,
If Tang Heng, Ye Tianlan, Feng Zhuyue, and the others were truly like that, then Yun Nichang, Su Hua, and even Jun Xuanji were probably also...
Thinking of this,
Gu Qingfeng couldn't help but sigh, "These schemes are played deeper and deeper!"
Ever since the end of the ancient era and the beginning of the current era, when Gu Qingfeng was reborn in the mortal realm and began pursuing Karma, he had already realized he had entered a chess game laid out by others from the very start.
Yes.
He had realized it long ago. He just hadn't expected the chessboard to be this vast, this deep.