"May I ask why Layman Gu does not wish to gamble?"
"Why?"
Gu Qingfeng chuckled. "Old Monk, let me ask you, have you ever gambled in your life?"
"This old monk has never gambled."
"I knew you hadn't. If you had, you wouldn't be asking me to gamble the fate of all living beings under the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth against Original Sin."
The Old Monk did not understand. "And why is that?"
"Ah, Old Monk," Gu Qingfeng stretched lazily. "You probably don't know why some people become so fond of gambling, even addicted to it beyond redemption."
"This old monk does not know."
"It's because the stakes are filled with temptation. That's why many become obsessed, even willing to risk losing everything for one final bet. If they win, becoming rich overnight isn't just a dream. If they lose, they could end up with nothing, even losing their lives—such a possibility is not unheard of."
"Of course, not everyone gambles solely because the stakes are irresistible. Some gamble for themselves, for family, for friends—they have no choice but to go all out. Whether it's for family or friends, they are people they care about. No one gambles for someone they don't care about."
"I am no exception."
Gu Qingfeng said lightly, "You want me to gamble the fate of all living beings under the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth against Original Sin. What does the life or death of these beings have to do with me? Nothing, right? Even if I win the gamble, so what? What benefit would I gain? None, right? Don't talk to me about compassion or responsibility. I am neither a merciful Buddha nor the Lord of Heaven and Earth. So, I'm not that selfless. Whether these beings live or die, I don't care. I've said I'm a worldly man, a very, very worldly man. I won't do a deal that's all effort with no reward and no benefit."
After a long silence.
"Amitabha!"
The Old Monk finally spoke. "Having known Layman Gu for so long, this old monk has some understanding of your character. Naturally, I also know that Layman Gu does not concern himself with the fate of all living beings under the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth."
"Since you know, why bother persuading me to gamble against Original Sin?"
"This old monk's purpose in persuading Layman Gu to gamble against Original Sin is not solely for the fate of all living beings under the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth. It is also for Layman Gu to be able to free yourself from Original Sin."
"Oh?" Gu Qingfeng laughed. "For me to free myself from Original Sin? If I win the gamble against Original Sin, then I become the True Lord of Original Sin. How then do I free myself from it? Are you saying that to free oneself from Original Sin, one must first become its True Lord? Only by becoming the True Lord of Original Sin can one then free oneself from it?"
"Perhaps."
"Perhaps?"
"Perhaps."
Hearing the Old Monk utter the word "perhaps," Gu Qingfeng did not press further. He began to ponder inwardly. The Old Monk's words initially sounded incredible and incomprehensible, but upon careful thought, they seemed to hold some logic.
The reason he could not free himself from Original Sin was neither due to karma nor fate. Ultimately, it stemmed from a lack of understanding of Original Sin. Gu Qingfeng didn't even know what true Original Sin really was.
And how could one understand Original Sin better? The answer was simple. Only by becoming the True Lord of Original Sin could one gain a deeper understanding of it.
This was similar to Gu Qingfeng's current predicament. He was lost, lost within himself. Because he could not recognize his true self, he could not transcend it. If he recognized his true self, perhaps he could transcend.
Currently, Gu Qingfeng was a person of Original Sin; Original Sin was him, and he was Original Sin—just like the self. If recognizing the self could lead to transcendence, then perhaps recognizing Original Sin could similarly lead to transcendence.
But... was it really so? Gu Qingfeng wasn't entirely sure. He even suspected that the Old Monk himself might not be certain whether becoming the True Lord of Original Sin would allow one to free oneself or even transcend it. If the Old Monk were certain, he wouldn't have only said "perhaps."
After some thought, Gu Qingfeng asked again, "Old Monk, on what basis do you speculate that becoming the True Lord of Original Sin might allow one to free oneself from it?"
"This old monk has no basis. This is not something this old monk speculated."
"Then what is it? Did you hear it from somewhere?"
"This is something Wu Dao Daozun once said."
"Wu Dao Daozun?" Gu Qingfeng quickly asked. "Right! How could I have forgotten about Wu Dao Daozun! You said earlier that Wu Dao Daozun and Original Sin are not the same thing—that Wu Dao Daozun is Original Sin, but Original Sin is not Wu Dao Daozun. Does that mean Wu Dao Daozun was also a person of Original Sin back then?"
"Perhaps."
"'Perhaps' again? You were a person of the Wu Dao Era after all. Don't you even know if Wu Dao Daozun was a person of Original Sin?"
"The people of the Wu Dao Era were lost... This old monk is no exception. Many things have been forgotten, cannot be recalled..."
"Alright, I can't refute that reason. However... the more I listen to your words, the more something feels off. Although I am not from the Wu Dao Era and know nothing about Wu Dao Daozun, the drop of Original Sin Blood I fused with belonged to Wu Dao Daozun. Since his drop of blood was Original Sin Blood, that means he also failed to free himself from Original Sin back then, correct?"
"What Layman Gu says is correct. Wu Dao Daozun indeed did not free himself from Original Sin back then."
Hearing the Old Monk's voice confirm this, Gu Qingfeng immediately felt a surge of irritation. "I say, Old Monk, are you so bored you have nothing better to do than mess with me? You just said that becoming the True Lord of Original Sin might allow one to free oneself from it, and that this was something Wu Dao Daozun said. I thought Wu Dao Daozun had freed himself from Original Sin back then, so you wanted me to emulate him. Turns out, after all this talk, Wu Dao Daozun didn't free himself from Original Sin either! So why are you still telling me to fight for that True Lord of Original Sin position?"
"Although Wu Dao Daozun did not free himself from Original Sin back then, it does not mean Layman Gu of the Present-Ancient Era cannot free yourself from it."
Hearing this, Gu Qingfeng felt both amused and exasperated. "Old Monk, you think too highly of me! Wu Dao Daozun was the one who destroyed the Great Dao, buried Heaven and Earth, and slew the gods! Compared to him, I, Gu Qingfeng, am like a toddler in open-crotch pants! I'm not even qualified to compare. If even the venerable Wu Dao Daozun couldn't free himself from Original Sin, what virtue or ability do I, Gu Qingfeng, possess to free myself from it?"
"Amitabha, Layman Gu. Do not forget that before Wu Dao Daozun disappeared, he transformed into the Three Thousand Illusory Selves, and Layman Gu is one of them."
"And then? What of it?"
"Wu Dao Daozun disappeared back then, but that does not mean he is gone forever, nor does it mean he will not appear again. Among the Three Thousand Illusory Selves of the Present-Ancient Era, one may become Wu Dao Daozun."
After a pause, the Old Monk continued, "Therefore, although Wu Dao Daozun did not free himself from Original Sin back then, it does not mean the Wu Dao Daozun of the Present-Ancient Era cannot free himself from it."