Hearing Xiao Jinr say she could sense his awakening, Gu Qingfeng fell silent, for he knew this was not a good thing—in fact, it was an extremely terrible one.
Gu Qingfeng was now deeply entangled in the vortex of the Delusion of Original Sin. Those who could sense his existence were, without exception, all connected to this Delusion of Original Sin.
In other words,
Xiao Jinr was also caught in this same vortex of the Delusion of Original Sin.
Although back when Xiao Jinr had summoned the Dao-Less Blood Moon, Gu Qingfeng had already known she was within the vortex of the Delusion of Original Sin, and he knew that even if she later reconstructed her physical body, she would still be unable to free herself from it.
Still,
knowing was one thing.
Deep down, he still hoped a miracle would happen for Xiao Jinr.
Alas,
dreams are beautiful, but reality is always so cruel.
Xiao Jinr had ultimately failed to break free from the Delusion of Original Sin.
Noticing Gu Qingfeng had suddenly grown quiet, Xiao Jinr, sitting opposite him, furrowed her brow and asked with concern, "Big Brother, what are you thinking about? Why aren't you saying anything?"
"It's nothing."
Gu Qingfeng gave a faint smile, tilted his head back to take a drink of wine, and asked, "Jin'er, have you been well these past years?"
"Of course Jin'er has been very well! It's just that I often missed Big Brother terribly."
Gu Qingfeng tapped Xiao Jinr's nose. "At such a young age, you've already learned how to flatter."
"I'm not flattering Big Brother! What Jin'er said is the truth!"
"I heard from Huode that you've been cultivating all these years at Langya Blessed Land under Su Hua's senior sister, Cang Yan?"
"Mhm, mhm! The brothers and sisters at Langya Blessed Land have all been very good to Jin'er. If Jin'er wants to cultivate, I cultivate. If I don't want to, the brothers and sisters take me out to play. Often, Jin'er also travels through the myriad realms with Elder Sister Hua to lecture on the Dao."
"Oh, that's good then."
Gu Qingfeng nodded, then asked again, "By the way, when did you start remembering things from the past?"
"A long time ago. I used to have strange dreams on and off. At first, Jin'er didn't pay them much mind, but later, as the dreams became more frequent and clearer, I gradually started remembering the past."
"Do you know why you lost your memories of the past?"
"I know. Elder Sister Hua was worried that my past memories would affect my growth and that I might become unhappy later, so she sealed away my past memories."
"You know that too?" Gu Qingfeng was surprised. "How did you find out?"
"Elder Sister Hua told me."
"So, Su Hua knows you've remembered the past?"
"Mhm, mhm. She knows."
"Hey!
Now that's something rare. Su Hua clearly knew those past memories could affect your growth, yet she just let you remember them?"
"Big Brother."
Xiao Jinr clearly looked a bit unhappy. "Don't you want Jin'er to remember the past?"
"No!
Jin'er, don't misunderstand. That's not what Big Brother meant. I just can't understand Su Hua's thinking."
"What's so hard to understand? Elder Sister Hua dotes on me very much. No matter what I do, she supports me. I also listen to Elder Sister Hua very well. This time I sneaked out to find Big Brother, I only came after getting Elder Sister Hua's permission."
"Su Hua knows you came here alone to find me?"
"Of course she knows."
Xiao Jinr shook the sword in her hand and pointed at the white horse that had been following behind. "Elder Sister Hua knew I was coming to find Big Brother. Not only did she give Jin'er this horse, but she also gave me this sword to protect myself on the road."
This left Gu Qingfeng even more puzzled.
That Su Hua didn't stop Xiao Jinr from gradually remembering her past memories was one thing, but she even nodded in agreement to let Xiao Jinr sneak out to find him.
Didn't she know that Xiao Jinr's very existence was also something Heaven and Earth could not tolerate?
Didn't she know Xiao Jinr was also caught in the vortex of the Delusion of Original Sin?
Didn't she know that now, everyone across the myriad realms had their eyes on him?
Why would she still let Xiao Jinr come find him?
No!
Su Hua knew.
And she knew more clearly than anyone.
But since she knew, why would she still do this?
What kind of scheme was she brewing in that gourd of hers?
Unclear.
Gu Qingfeng truly couldn't figure out what act Su Hua was putting on this time.
"Big Brother, can Jin'er ask you something?"
"What is it?"
"Why haven't you gone to see Elder Sister Hua for such a long time?"
"Why would I go see her?"
"Doesn't Big Brother miss Elder Sister Hua?"
"This..." Gu Qingfeng stretched lazily. Facing Xiao Jinr, he didn't know how to answer this question.
"Big Brother, do you know?
Elder Sister Hua has been waiting for you all this time. Although Elder Sister Hua never said it to me directly, Jin'er knows Elder Sister Hua must miss you very much. When I used to travel and lecture on the Dao with Elder Sister Hua, every time dusk fell, she would stare blankly at the setting sun all by herself. Elder Sister Hua said she liked dusk, but actually...
Jin'er knows Elder Sister Hua doesn't like dusk itself. It's because when the sun sets and dusk arrives, Elder Sister Hua always thinks of Big Brother."
"Actually, Jin'er came to find Big Brother this time not only because Jin'er misses you, but also to beg Big Brother to go see Elder Sister Hua."
Xiao Jinr looked at Gu Qingfeng with pitiful, pleading eyes. "Elder Sister Hua is really...
really pitiful. Big Brother, can't you just go see her?"
"Jin'er, did Su Hua agree to let you come find me just so you could drag me off to see her?"
"No!
That's not it. This is Jin'er's own idea. When I was leaving, I told Elder Sister Hua my thoughts, but she didn't agree."
"Well, there you have it. Your Elder Sister Hua doesn't want to see me, so why do you keep insisting I go see her?"
"Elder Sister Hua isn't unwilling to see you. It's because she knows you don't want to see her, so she doesn't want to force you."
Xiao Jinr said quietly, "Elder Sister Hua is truly so pitiful."
"Jin'er, your Big Brother is also very pitiful. And there are some things you don't understand, so please don't force Big Brother anymore, alright?"
"Perhaps Jin'er didn't understand before, but that doesn't mean Jin'er doesn't understand now."
Gu Qingfeng chuckled and asked teasingly, "Then tell me, what do you understand? Let me hear it."
"Big Brother is deeply entangled in the Delusion of Original Sin, and the entanglement is very, very deep, to the point it might even trigger the Great Cataclysm of the Current Era. And Elder Sister Hua is the one destined to bear the True Mandate and face the tribulation. The relationship between Big Brother and Elder Sister Hua is like water and fire; in the future, you are destined to stand on opposite sides."
Hearing this, Gu Qingfeng couldn't help but be greatly shocked. He stared deeply at Xiao Jinr for a long moment before finally asking, "Did Su Hua tell you these things?"
"Elder Sister Hua wouldn't tell me such things, and no one else told Jin'er either."
Xiao Jinr shook her head very seriously. "Big Brother, I told you earlier, Jin'er is no longer that ignorant little girl who understood nothing. I know about many, many things now."