"No reason, I just wanted to find some fun."
"What? What?
Find some fun?
I say, kid Gu, have you gone mad? Revealing your identity just to find some fun?"
"What of it? Your lord here was bored to death, can't I find some fun to play with?"
"It's not that you can't, kid Gu. Do you know, once your identity was exposed, heavens, the news spread like wildfire across the Myriad Heavens and Worlds. I don't know about other places, but the Lingluo Celestial Domain is already in utter chaos. This Immortal Realm grand lord, that Immortal Realm lady, this Great Dao Star Lord, that Great Dao Throne holder—they've all fucking popped up!"
Huode shouted, "Isn't the 'fun' you're looking for a bit too damn big? Even if you were bored to death, if you wanted fun, you could've just found some small amusement to play with. No need to find such a massive one, right?"
"If I'm going to find fun, I'll go for the big fun. What's the point of small fun?"
"You!
I really...
Really don't know what to say about you, kid."
Huode paced back and forth in the garden with his hands behind his back. Suddenly, as if remembering something, he stopped abruptly and stared at Gu Qingfeng. "Wait, something's off. You revealing your identity definitely isn't just about finding fun. There must be some purpose, right?"
"Your lord just wanted to find some fun, no other purpose."
"Impossible!
When you stick your ass up, I know exactly what kind of shit you're about to drop. For no good reason, you wouldn't just create trouble for yourself out of the blue."
Huode's thoughts raced like lightning, then he continued, "I remember Demon Emperor Weiyang saying that now, whether in heaven or on earth, or among the Three Thousand Great Daos, and regardless of whether they are ordained individuals bearing heaven's mandate to face the tribulation or Original Sin beings from the Era of No Dao, they're all watching your every move. Since they don't know your stance, no one dares act rashly. And your stance directly affects the fortune of the Present Era."
"You've always been someone who repays every grievance. Back then, the Three Thousand Great Daos ganged up to bully you, and you've held a grudge ever since. Although your current situation is more dangerous than anyone else's, your hand is also stronger than anyone else's. So, you want to use this opportunity to get back at the Three Thousand Great Daos."
"No, that's not right. If you wanted revenge, you would've long since fucking taken action against the Three Thousand Great Daos, not waited until now. But if it's not revenge, then what could it be?
Could it be you want to use this chance to test the attitude of the Three Thousand Great Daos?
And by the way also test the attitudes of the other Original Sin beings?"
Shaking his head again, Huode rejected this idea. "That's not right either. Given your personality, you shouldn't have any interest in the Three Thousand Great Daos' attitude. You're too lazy to test them."
Huode stroked the white beard on his chin, pondering, then continued, "Could it be you want to use this opportunity to tell the Three Thousand Great Daos your own stance?
That also seems unlikely. Your stance toward Original Sin is to have no stance at all. Since you have no stance, there's no need to seize this chance to let the Three Thousand Great Daos know your attitude, right?"
At this moment,
Gu Qingfeng, lying back in his chair, watched Huode muttering to himself and making guess after guess. He was inwardly quite surprised. "I say, Huode, not bad at all. Your lord never realized before how well you understand me. You've almost fucking become the tapeworm in my gut."
Huode asked excitedly, "So, I guessed right?"
Gu Qingfeng shook his head in response. "Guess what? Your lord has already said there's really no purpose, just purely wanted to find some fun."
"Impossible!"
Huode simply couldn't believe it and barked, "You revealing your identity can't possibly be just about finding fun. What's your real purpose?"
"Don't believe me then, forget it."
Gu Qingfeng ignored Huode and went back to drinking his wine on his own.
As for Huode, he kept pacing back and forth in the garden, racking his brains over the purpose behind Gu Qingfeng's identity revelation. But no matter how much he thought, he truly couldn't figure out what trick Gu Qingfeng was playing this time.
The more he couldn't understand, the more anxious Huode became. The more anxious he got, the more his mind turned to mush. By the end, he was almost driven mad.
"Damn it!
What the hell is the reason!
Kid Gu, can't you just tell me!"
"My heart feels like it's being clawed by a cat, I'm unbearably uncomfortable all over!"
"You know my temper. If I don't figure this out today, I'll go insane!"
"Besides, it's not like you don't know how worried I am about you. Ever since I learned your identity was exposed, I haven't been able to eat or sleep well. I've been terrified all day long, and you were resting, so I didn't even dare disturb you."
Unable to figure it out himself, Huode had no choice but to beg Gu Qingfeng. When he begged, it was with tears and sobs. He knew Gu Qingfeng couldn't withstand persistent soft begging and pestering. Sure enough, after Huode begged him over and over, time and again, Gu Qingfeng couldn't take it anymore and said, "Alright, alright, damn it, I'll tell you."
Huode secretly rejoiced inside and hurried over to pick up the wine pot and pour a drink for Gu Qingfeng, then personally handed it to him. "Here, Ancestor Gu, have a drink to moisten your throat first."
Gu Qingfeng stood up and fiddled with the flowers and plants in the garden. "Actually, there's one thing you old codger got right. Although your lord was bored to death, I'm not so bored that I'd reveal my identity just to create trouble for myself. On the Xuantian Vessel, the reason I admitted my identity was simply because one thing led to another and it just came to that."
"Ever since Upper Immortal Qingqing's Cloudwater Sword unsheathed and came looking for me, my identity was basically already exposed. Plus, with Upper Immortal Qingqing and that Li Xin Immortal kneeling and bowing to me, anyone with a bit of experience could connect the dots and pretty much guess my identity."
Back when Gu Qingfeng was on the Xuantian Vessel, Huode was in seclusion and didn't know what was happening outside. However, after returning to Yunxia Sect, from the mouths of the various elders of Yunxia Sect, he had already learned the detailed course of events and the outcome.
Huode thought about it and also felt it made perfect sense. When Gu Qingfeng was on the Xuantian Vessel, he directly attacked and beat several Upper Immortals like Mo Baiyu half to death, leaving them with only a breath of life. Moreover, among them were Bai Ze from Changsheng Pavilion and Leng Jue, a disciple from Dan Ding Valley.
Most importantly, at that time, Upper Immortal Qingqing and Li Xin Immortal were both giving Gu Qingfeng massages, pouring wine, and kneeling. Given the influence of Upper Immortal Qingqing and Li Xin, coupled with the prestige of places like Changsheng Pavilion and Dan Ding Valley among the Seventy-Two Blessed Lands, this matter simply couldn't be kept secret. Once it spread, it would inevitably cause quite a stir.
After all, there weren't many people who dared, in front of a large public audience, to attack and cripple Upper Immortals, and moreover, disciples of Blessed Lands.
Because crippling an Upper Immortal was equivalent to showing disrespect to the Immortal Dao.
And crippling a disciple of a Blessed Land was openly defying the dignity of the Seventy-Two Blessed Lands.
Throughout heaven and earth, perhaps some dared to eliminate Nine Heavens-appointed Upper Immortals, but how many times had anyone dared to eliminate disciples of Blessed Lands, defying the dignity of the Seventy-Two Blessed Lands?
Furthermore,
Those who could scare Upper Immortal Qingqing and Li Xin Immortal into kneeling and bowing were exceedingly few and far between across the Great Desolate. It must be remembered that Upper Immortal Qingqing was not only from Changsheng Pavilion but also the personal disciple of the famously renowned Present Era hero, Floating Life Emperor.
Moreover, throughout the ten thousand years of the Present Era, news of Gu Qingfeng's death and resurrection had never ceased. In other words, even if Gu Qingfeng hadn't admitted his identity at the time, people would inevitably suspect him later on.