"Judging by your tone, what are you implying? Could it be that your Zen Sect has some connection to Original Sin as well?"
Perhaps having sat for too long, Gu Qingfeng stood up, twisted his neck, and stretched his limbs.
"Hehe."
Da Xing the Mad Monk drank another cup of wine, rubbed his smooth bald head, and grinned. "Let me ask you, what is the relationship between Original Sin and Karma? Do you know, kid?"
"I heard from that little lady Genggu Wuming that it was the existence of Original Sin that led to the fall of Fate and the chaos of Karma. All sin arises from the chaos of Karma. That's why Original Sin is Original Sin—it is the root of sin, the primordial evil."
"Not bad, not bad, the pupil can be taught. It seems meeting that little lady Genggu Wuming wasn't a waste for you. Now, this old monk asks you again, what is the relationship between Karma and our Buddha?"
"What relationship Karma has with your Buddhist Path, I don't know. I only know that the existence of Karma originates from your Buddhist Path."
"Isn't that settled then."
Da Xing shrugged, looking as if it were perfectly natural. "Original Sin causes the chaos of Karma, and Karma originates from our Buddha. The relationship between Original Sin and our Buddha—do I really need to spell it out for you? Of course, if you ask this old monk exactly what the relationship is, I can tell you plainly: I don't know either. The only thing I know is that there must be some kind of relationship between Original Sin and our Buddha."
Gu Qingfeng rubbed his chin, pondering for a moment. "Listening to you, it seems to make a lot of sense."
"Nonsense, of course it makes sense. And this old monk can tell you another secret."
"What secret?"
"Do you know when our Zen Sect began to decline? I'll tell you: it declined from the Desolate Ancient Era."
Hearing 'Desolate Ancient Era,' Gu Qingfeng immediately became interested. "So, you're saying the relic your Zen Sect is about to unveil is a Desolate Ancient relic?"
"Correct."
Da Xing leaned forward. "You should know that after the Daoless Age ended, another era opened—the Desolate Ancient Era. And this era was extremely brief; it ended not long after it began. I don't know if Genggu Wuming told you about a very terrible thing that happened during the Desolate Ancient Era."
"Genggu Wuming only said that during the Desolate Ancient Era, many Original Sin bearers appeared, including quite a few Original Sin variables. However, these Original Sin bearers either turned to dust, were cast into Gui Xu, fell into the Desolate Ruins, or fled to Hell, the Abyss, and so on..." Gu Qingfeng recalled Genggu Wuming's words. "As for what terrible thing happened in the Desolate Ancient Era, she didn't say."
"It's right that she didn't say. Not that she didn't want to, but perhaps she herself doesn't know, or maybe she's forgotten..." "Do you know what happened in the Desolate Ancient Era?"
Da Xing shook his head like a rattle-drum. "Even Genggu Wuming doesn't know, how could this old monk possibly know?"
"Do you really not know, or are you pretending not to know, just like that little lady Genggu Wuming?"
"Whether Genggu Wuming is pretending or not, this old monk isn't clear. But as for me, I truly don't know."
Changing the subject, Da Xing continued, "This old monk only knows that during the Desolate Ancient Era, an extremely terrible catastrophe occurred. Not only did many Original Sin bearers suffer utter destruction, but also those Great Dao Patriarchs—like the Three Purities and Four Sovereigns of the Immortal Path, the Five Wisdom Kings of our Buddhist Path, Tathagata Buddha, Guanyin, including our Zen Sect's Lamp Buddha Master, even Heaven Father and Earth Mother, the Human Path Patriarch Fuxi, Mother Nature Goddess Nüwa, and so on—all those legendary Great Dao Patriarchs whose names you can utter, without exception, all fell during the Desolate Ancient Era."
Da Xing pointed at Gu Qingfeng. "The progenitors of the Nine Heavens, the progenitors of the Nine Underworlds, the progenitors of Hell, the progenitors of Paradise, including that Avici Endless Evil Asura who rules over Purgatory within you, and that forbidden incarnation that traverses the highest heavens and the lowest netherworld—they all fell during the Desolate Ancient Era."
"Is that so?"
Gu Qingfeng was quite startled inwardly; this was the first time he had heard of such a thing. "What do you mean by 'fell' exactly? Died? That's not likely, is it? Those existences probably transcended life and death long ago."
"Of course. These Great Dao Patriarchs not only transcended life and death, but also... how should I put it? This old monk can't quite explain it. Their existence is simply beyond our imagination."
Gu Qingfeng asked, "In the Present Era, with the revival of all things, will these existences of yours revive as well?"
Da Xing countered with a question instead of answering. "What do you think?"
"If I knew, would I be asking you?"
"You seem pretty smart, kid, so why are you so foolish now? If they could revive, they would have done so long ago. The Present Era has already lasted ten thousand years, and quite a few Desolate Ancient relics have appeared. Have you ever heard news of the Three Purities and Four Sovereigns, Heaven Father and Earth Mother, Fuxi and Nüwa reviving?"
Gu Qingfeng thought carefully; he really hadn't.
"Others might not know, but you should understand deeply, kid. Just think about it: Avici Endless Evil Asura and that being who traverses the highest heavens and the lowest netherworld—both are terrifying existences, each more dreadful than the last. If they revived and returned, could one of them really merge with your soul? Could the other really merge with your incarnation?"
Gu Qingfeng opened his mouth, then shook his head, rendered speechless by Da Xing's words.
"Then what exactly do you mean by 'fell'?"
"You ask me, who should I ask?"
Da Xing clinked his wine cup and took a drink. "However, one thing is certain: the terrible event that happened back in the Desolate Ancient Era was almost certainly related to Original Sin."
"How so? What basis do you have for that conclusion?"
"No basis at all. It's just this old monk's own speculation."
"Da Xing!"
Gu Qingfeng smiled meaningfully. "I feel like the things you're saying are deliberately baiting me. This isn't another pit you're digging for me, is it?"
"You kid... really...!"
Da Xing pointed at Gu Qingfeng, his expression the epitome of exasperation. "Forget it. Just consider it this old monk digging a pit for you. Think whatever you want. Honestly! This old monk is trying to help you out of goodwill, and not only do you not appreciate it, you even suspect my well-intentioned efforts!"
"Just joking."
Although Gu Qingfeng said this, inwardly he thought differently.
He did not trust Da Xing the Mad Monk. He had never trusted him, just as he had never trusted Genggu Wuming. His intuition told him that Da Xing and Genggu Wuming were cut from the same cloth. The difference was that while Genggu Wuming probably knew many things, that little lady wouldn't speak plainly. Da Xing also knew many things, but this old bald donkey loved to play the fool, especially adept at being deliberately mysterious, mixing truth with falsehood, falsehood with truth, making it impossible to grasp.
Dealing with these people, playing mind games, was truly exhausting.