"Alright, since what happened back then is in the past, let it stay in the past. There's no point in bringing it up again. Come, sit down and have a drink with me. Let's chat. I happen to have some things I want to ask you."
Gu Qingfeng's words came, but Nalan Qianqiu remained unmoved.
Gu Qingfeng smiled, poured himself a cup of wine, and said nonchalantly, "What's the matter? Not giving me face?"
"How could I dare? Even if I didn't give the Heavenly King face, I wouldn't dare not give you, Emperor You, face."
Nalan Qianqiu turned and sat down, saying indifferently, "Speak. What do you want to ask?"
"What's the situation with Xiao Jinr now?"
"You should already know. Jin'er has recovered her past memories."
"The problem now is that Jin'er doesn't seem to have just recovered her past memories; it's more than that."
"The emergence of the Blood Moon earlier had a significant impact on Jin'er."
"How significant?"
"How significant exactly, I can't say clearly. Regarding the Blood Moon, Xiao Jinr is probably still in a state of vague understanding, knowing some things hazily. Perhaps the memories from Jin'er's past life are gradually awakening."
Gu Qingfeng nodded. From his contact with Xiao Jinr during this time, he felt the same. He asked, "And you're just letting Xiao Jinr's past life memories awaken gradually like this?"
"What else can we do? Should we extract Jin'er's memories again?"
"Xiao Jinr's past life memories are already imprinted on her soul. Even if we extract her memories again, they will still awaken in the future. That method only treats the symptoms, not the root cause."
"So, we have no choice."
"I heard Xiao Jinr said goodbye to you all before she came?"
"Xiao Jinr only said goodbye to my junior sister."
"And Su Hua just let her come?"
"I asked my junior sister the same question. She said the current Jin'er is no longer the Jin'er of the past. What she should know, she knows; what she shouldn't know, she also knows. Moreover, the karma between Jin'er and you was destined long ago. It cannot be prevented, nor can it be stopped. If she doesn't see you this time, she will see you in the future."
"And then?"
"What do you mean 'and then'?"
"Su Hua is basically handing Xiao Jinr over to me, right?"
"My junior sister didn't say that, but... she probably wouldn't hand Jin'er over to you. And..." Nalan Qianqiu looked at Gu Qingfeng and said, "Given your current situation, having Jin'er follow you would likely only make things worse for her."
Although Gu Qingfeng didn't want to admit it, he had to acknowledge that what Nalan Qianqiu said was true.
It wasn't that he was afraid of implicating Xiao Jinr.
To be honest.
With Gu Qingfeng's current abilities, protecting someone wasn't a difficult task.
Even though his current situation was more dangerous than anyone else's, and he was sinking deeper into the vortex of the Illusion of Original Sin, he still had confidence in protecting Xiao Jinr well.
But the problem now wasn't whether he could protect Xiao Jinr's life; it was Xiao Jinr's own issue. In other words, it was the Blood Moon Curse from the Era of No Dao on Xiao Jinr's body. This thing, even if Gu Qingfeng had heaven-defying abilities, he was powerless and helpless against it.
The Blood Moon Curse that Xiao Jinr bore was like the Illusion of Original Sin he bore.
Gu Qingfeng had struggled for so many years and still couldn't shake off the Illusion of Original Sin; naturally, he had no way to help Xiao Jinr rid herself of the Blood Moon Curse.
If this were the only reason, it wouldn't have left Gu Qingfeng completely helpless.
The reality was that Gu Qingfeng discovered that the Illusion of Original Sin he bore had an inexplicable, indescribable connection with Xiao Jinr's Blood Moon Curse.
It was truly so.
Back when Xiao Jinr triggered the Blood Moon, he had felt this way. Later, when he stopped Xiao Jinr from merging with the Blood Moon and devoured the Blood Moon himself, this feeling grew even stronger. To this day, he still clearly remembered that after devouring the Blood Moon back then, the Blood of Original Sin within his body went mad, boiling violently, and the devoured Blood Moon also went berserk.
After sleeping for ten thousand years, the devoured Blood Moon had mysteriously disappeared.
Whether it was still inside his body or not, Gu Qingfeng didn't know; he simply hadn't felt anything since.
Regardless of whether the Blood Moon had disappeared or not, Gu Qingfeng didn't want Xiao Jinr to stay by his side. Staying would only bring harm to Xiao Jinr, with no benefit whatsoever.
"My junior sister said that the Blood of Original Sin within your body has deep origins with Jin'er's Blood Moon. If Jin'er stays by your side, it's very likely to awaken Jin'er's Blood Moon Curse."
"Since Su Hua knows everything, why did she still let her come?"
"I already answered that question earlier. The karma between you and Jin'er, my junior sister cannot prevent it, and we are even less capable of stopping it."
"Fine, let it be. Let Jin'er play here for a while, then take her back."
Gu Qingfeng stood up, looked at the sun in the sky, stretched lazily, then picked up the wine pot and personally poured a cup of wine for Nalan Qianqiu. He said, "Thank you for taking care of Xiao Jinr all these years. I'll entrust Xiao Jinr to you from now on. You and your junior sisters, please take good care of her. I won't forget this kindness. This cup of wine is my toast to the three junior sisters of Langya Blessed Land."
Having said that.
Gu Qingfeng drained the cup in one gulp.
Nalan Qianqiu glanced at Gu Qingfeng and said, "I was wondering why the mighty Emperor of the Nine Underworlds, who shakes heaven and earth, would lower his stance today—not only apologizing to a little woman like me but also inviting me to drink. So there was another purpose."
"Little sister, you've misunderstood. My apology and invitation to drink were both sincere. What other purpose could there be? Besides, I'm a genuine, honest man. I don't have so many tricks up my sleeve."
"Hah!"
Nalan Qianqiu's laugh was filled with disdain. "You don't need to pretend to be an honest man, nor do you need to say words of thanks. Taking care of Xiao Jinr is what we should do. It's not just you who loves Jin'er; we love her dearly too. Even if you didn't say anything, we would take good care of Jin'er. So, Emperor You, you don't need to humble yourself like this in the future."
"That's good. With your word, little sister, I'm relieved. Come, little sister, let me toast you three more cups."
"Emperor You is too polite."
"What 'Emperor You'? I haven't been Emperor You for a long time."
"Since when did Emperor You become so modest?"
"What's there to be modest about? My Nine Underworlds Emperor Seal was taken by Old Heaven back when the Ancient Era ended. You should know that."
"Old Heaven did take your Nine Underworlds Emperor Seal, but the seed of the Nine Underworlds Ancestral Flame is still in your hands, isn't it?"
"Little sister, I don't know where you heard that from, but today I'll tell you honestly: I don't have the seed of the Nine Underworlds Ancestral Flame in my hands. If you don't believe me, I can swear to the heavens."
"You really don't have it in your hands because the seed of the Nine Underworlds Ancestral Flame was refined by you and has long since merged into your fleshly body."
"Little sister, I did refine the seed of the Nine Underworlds Ancestral Flame back then, but it disappeared long ago. I don't know where it went."
"Emperor You, you don't need to worry. I'm not going to ask you for the seed of the Nine Underworlds Ancestral Flame."
"Little sister, what do you mean by that? Even if I had the seed of the Nine Underworlds Ancestral Flame, if you wanted it, I'd have to give it to you, wouldn't I?"
Nalan Qianqiu's expression stiffened, displeased. "I didn't say I wanted it!"
"Oh, you don't want it? I was thinking if you wanted it, I'd give it to you. After all, keeping it with me is useless, and throwing it away would be a pity."
"Are! You! Making! A! Fool! Of! Me?!"
"Hahahaha!"
Gu Qingfeng laughed heartily. "Just joking, don't mind it. The seed of the Nine Underworlds Ancestral Flame really isn't on me. If it were, I'd give it to you. We're close, aren't we? Right?"