Genggu Wuming explained, "You are an Anomaly, and moreover, an Original Sin Anomaly. Original Sin originates from the Wu Dao Age and exists because of it. The existence of an Anomaly is the ultimate gestation of a series of disordered Karmic links. In other words, your existence stems from the numerous disordered Karmic links that began in the Wu Dao Age, passing through the Desolate, Primeval, Remote Ancient, and Ancient eras—countless disordered Karmic links—hence your being."
"Original Sin Anomalies exist in every era, and there is more than one. The relationship between you all is not one of past and present lives, but of disordered Karmic links. You are not the first Original Sin Anomaly, nor will you be the last. This series of disordered Karmic links of Original Sin will not cease because of your existence. As long as Original Sin persists, this series of disordered Karmic links will continue forever and ever."
Gu Qingfeng remained silent, simply drinking his wine by himself.
Genggu Wuming continued, "I know you have always suspected that the Karmic encounters you've experienced were arranged by me, with the aim of restraining an Original Sin Anomaly like you. To tell you the truth, if I could, I really would want to do so. However, I simply lack the capability to graft your Karma."
"Moreover... I can tell you with full responsibility that if I cannot graft your Karma, then throughout the Myriad Heavens, past and present, no one can."
"If it's truly as you say," Gu Qingfeng asked, "then what about all those messy Karmic encounters I've had? Are they all just coincidences?"
"Whether they are coincidences or not, I do not know, so I cannot tell you. The only thing I know and can tell you is that, if it were possible, I believe whether it's Yun Nishang, Feng Zhuyue, Tang Hengheng, or Ye Tianlan—especially Jun Xuanji—they would absolutely not want to have any connection with you."
Genggu Wuming's words were not unfamiliar to Gu Qingfeng.
Because he had heard this before, and not just once.
He had heard it from Yun Nishang, from Feng Zhuyue, from Tang Hengheng, from Ye Tianlan...
After their past-life memories awakened, without exception, they all said that if possible, they absolutely did not want to have any connection with him.
As for Jun Xuanji...
Having heard so much from Jun Xuanji earlier in the Plum Blossom Wonderland, Gu Qingfeng was almost certain that it was precisely because of meeting him that her memories awakened. In Gu Qingfeng's mind, if possible, Jun Xuanji probably wouldn't want any connection with him either.
"As I said earlier... with the end of the Wu Dao Age, many Great Daos suffered severe damage, causing their origins to dry up, forcing them into a long slumber. During this slumber, the order and laws of these Daos were extremely unstable. And these severely damaged Great Daos are all somehow connected to the Wu Dao Age—the Human Dao is, the Dao of Great Nature is, the Heavenly Dao is, Karma is, and Original Sin even more so..."
"In the Present-Ancient Era, with the revival of these Daos, many have placed their bets on the legendary reopening of the Wu Dao Age said to occur in this era, all wanting to seize the initiative—some to seize the initiative of the Human Dao, some of the Dao of Great Nature, some of the Heavenly Dao. Others wish to use this opportunity to seize the initiative of Heavenly Mandate, of True Fate, perhaps to seize the initiative to sever Karma, to change destiny..."
"Some have successfully seized the initiative, but many have failed... Some have even failed more miserably than failure, grafting their own Karma onto you..."
"If it were the Karma of others, I might still be able to deduce it. But your Original Sin Karma is inherently disordered, so I simply cannot deduce it, nor can I know whether the Karma between you and them is a case of 'cause preceding effect' or a new Karma triggered by disorder... I have no way of knowing. Perhaps it really is coincidence, perhaps not... I don't know, they don't know, and I'm afraid no one knows..."
"Actually!"
At this moment, Cang Yan spoke up again. "It's not impossible that you and they triggered new Karma. In my view, it's highly likely."
She paused, raised her cup to drink, then continued, "There's a saying you should have heard: character determines destiny. What kind of person you are, you know best. Perhaps saying this will displease you, but I must say it: you are too aloof and arrogant, and too... promiscuous. Your aloof arrogance destined you to be cold and ruthless; your promiscuity destined you to be incorrigibly flirtatious."
"If you hadn't actively provoked them, would their Karma have been grafted onto you? Search your conscience, ask yourself honestly, isn't this the reason? As far as I know, back when you were in the Great Northwest of this world, hiding your identity in the Demon Moon Palace, wasn't it you who actively hooked up with Queen Feng Zhuyue?"
"When you went to the Smoke Luo Kingdom, wasn't it also you who hooked up with Empress Tang Hengheng?"
"At the Shangqing Sect, not only were your cultivation crippled, but you were also placed under heavy restrictions, half-dead, yet you still didn't forget to chase women. Finally, after you broke through the restrictions and cultivated anew, didn't you publicly flirt with Sect Leader Ye Tianlan?"
"And then you became even more brazen, right in front of the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao, while being judged by them, you still had the audacity to flirt with Jun Xuanji."
Cang Yan's words were sharp as she recounted Gu Qingfeng's promiscuous past. "You tell me yourself, didn't all this Karma come because of your incorrigible flirtatiousness?"
As she spoke, Cang Yan drank another cup of wine and continued, "They really had the worst luck in eight lifetimes running into you. Originally, they reincarnated to seize the initiative, but now? Not only did they fail to seize it, they ended up entangled in Karma with you. Especially Jun Xuanji... I may not know why she buried her soul and reincarnated, but I do know that if she hadn't met you in the Eternal World, even if she didn't achieve her wish, I think... she wouldn't have lost herself like she has now..."
"You tell me yourself, didn't they have the worst luck in eight lifetimes running into you? However, the one who's probably the most unlucky and wronged is my little junior sister..."
The more Cang Yan spoke, the angrier she became, her tone growing more intense. Beside her, Genggu Wuming shook her head, signaling her not to continue, but Cang Yan said, "No! I've kept these words bottled up inside for a long time, and I've long wanted to say them clearly to this guy's face."
Cang Yan seemed to be interrogating Gu Qingfeng. "Tell me, back then, everything was fine, why did you have to take my little junior sister away? If you hadn't taken her away back then, would she have fallen so deeply? For you, she even reincarnated into this world. Do you know... my little junior sister gave up so much for you, lost so much for you..."
Noticing Gu Qingfeng looking up at her, Cang Yan challenged, "What are you looking at? Is what I said wrong?"
"Listen, big sister," Gu Qingfeng said. "When you said I hooked up with Feng Zhuyue, Tang Hengheng, Jun Xuanji, and the others, I admit it. But if you say I hooked up with Su Hua, I won't admit it. I didn't hook up with her. The reason I took her away back then was because she asked me to. If anyone did the hooking up, it was her hooking up with me. And also, don't talk about her reincarnating for me. I never asked her to reincarnate for me!"
"You!" Cang Yan started, but was cut off by Gu Qingfeng.
"'You' what? What, you don't agree? If you don't agree, let's go outside and settle it."
"Gu, you really think this old lady is afraid of you?"