"Da Xing."
Gu Qingfeng was searching for the well from his memory in Canyang Valley while chatting idly with Da Xing the Mad Monk. "Just now, I don't know why, but I suddenly realized something quite interesting."
Da Xing the Mad Monk grinned and asked, "What is it?"
"You, old bald donkey, seem to have been hinting all along that I am the fated True Lord of Original Sin. No! Not just hinting—more like constantly trying to persuade me to believe that I am the destined True Lord of Original Sin. And no matter what happens, you always manage to drag the conversation back to this."
"What nonsense!" Gu Qingfeng's words seemed to have stepped on Da Xing the Mad Monk's tail, making him furious. He roared, "Do you have any conscience, kid? I've been thinking for your own good, and you actually suspect I'm tricking you?"
"Then tell me, why do you keep hinting that I'm the destined True Lord of Original Sin?"
"What do you mean, I'm hinting? When have I ever hinted at that? I've just been analyzing things for you, warning you to be careful so you don't fall into someone else's trap without even knowing it!"
"Really? But why do I always feel you, old bald donkey, have ulterior motives? You've been feeding me sweet talk, making me dizzy and increasingly suspect that I really am the destined True Lord of Original Sin!"
"No conscience! Truly no conscience!" Da Xing the Mad Monk was so angry he beat his chest and stamped his feet, pointing at Gu Qingfeng and cursing him for having no conscience. He raged, "I've always been looking out for you, kid! You not only show no gratitude but even suspect me? That's really heartless! Think about it—why would I trick you for no reason? What good would hinting that you're the True Lord of Original Sin do for me?"
Gu Qingfeng nodded. "That's true. It doesn't seem to benefit you."
"Of course it doesn't! What, do you suspect I'm in cahoots with Genggu Wuming? If I were working with Genggu Wuming, would I need to remind you that you're the destined True Lord of Original Sin? I could just stand by and watch when you ascend to become the True Lord, enjoying the show. Why would I waste my breath talking to you here?"
"That's exactly the problem. I'm not your father, so why are you so good to me?"
"You damned brat named Gu! Is it wrong for me to be good to you?"
"It's not wrong. I just don't understand it."
"Fine! Since you put it that way, let me spell it out for you! I've said it before: I was the one who brought you into this Desolate Ancient Black Hole. Even though I didn't want to, it's already a fact. In other words, there's Karma between you and me. To put it bluntly, whatever you do in this Desolate Ancient Black Hole will affect me. If you die here, I won't survive either. Saving you is saving myself! Do you really think I have nothing better to do? As you said, you're not my father—why would I worry about your safety? It's for my own damn life! If I hadn't been careless and bound my Karma to yours, I wouldn't give a damn about whether you live or die!"
Gu Qingfeng narrowed his eyes and smiled. "It's not just that, is it?"
"What do you mean, 'not just that'? That's exactly it!"
"Da Xing, tell me honestly—are you still scheming something? Don't worry, even if you tell me, I won't blame you."
"What scheming? I've already made it crystal clear! Saving you is saving myself. There's nothing else!"
"Really no other schemes? Like using me for some shady business? Actually, given our friendship, if you ask, I'll definitely help. For example, with your Chan Sect's ruins—don't worry, if you need help then, I'll absolutely lend a hand unconditionally."
"Yes! I do want to ask for your help to protect our Chan Sect's ruins. But besides that, there's nothing else!"
"Really none?"
Da Xing the Mad Monk shook his head like a rattle drum, resolute. "None! Absolutely none! If there were, may I be struck by lightning! Besides, you've already laid it out so clearly. If I really needed your help, I'd just ask. Why would I need to use you? How could you even say that? What could I possibly use you for?"
Gu Qingfeng patted Da Xing the Mad Monk's shoulder with a faint smile. "Just joking. Don't take it seriously."
"That joke wasn't funny at all. I'm baffled—why would you suspect I'm using you? Tell me, what could I possibly use you for? To put it bluntly, you can't even guarantee your own safety right now. Whether you can even leave this Desolate Ancient Black Hole alive is unknown. What could I possibly use you for?"
"Calm down. I was just joking!"
Although Gu Qingfeng said this, his suspicion of Da Xing the Mad Monk did not lessen. He always felt that Da Xing must have another agenda, definitely scheming something. As for what exactly that scheme was, since Da Xing wouldn't admit it, Gu Qingfeng couldn't guess.
This old bald donkey never did anything without benefit, and he always liked to hide things, especially adept at playing dumb while knowing full well. He was absolutely an unfathomable character.
Don't be fooled by Da Xing the Mad Monk's harmless, earnest appearance, swearing that his life was inextricably linked to Gu Qingfeng's.
Such words were fine to listen to casually, but they absolutely couldn't be taken seriously.
And all that talk about how Gu Qingfeng's actions in the Desolate Ancient Black Hole would affect him, dragging in Karma—that might be true.
But Da Xing must have known beforehand. It definitely wasn't as he claimed, that he only realized the Karma issue after luring Gu Qingfeng into the Desolate Ancient Black Hole. This old bald donkey couldn't possibly not have known in advance. In fact, Gu Qingfeng suspected that he might have jumped into a pit Da Xing had dug ever since leaving Lingluo Heavenly Domain.
He still remembered when he met Da Xing the Mad Monk in the Yixiantian forbidden ground years ago. Da Xing had deliberately leaked news that a Buddhist prophet had appeared in Qianji Heavenly Domain. The old bald donkey must have known that Gu Qingfeng would guess the Buddhist prophet was Great Master, and he must have been certain Gu Qingfeng would go to Qianji Heavenly Domain to find him. So, this old bald donkey had already dug a pit there, having his disciple wait for Gu Qingfeng to lure him in, under the pretense of needing help to protect the Chan Sect ruins.
Then, when they arrived, the Chan Sect ruins had vanished, and they fell into the Desolate Ancient Black Hole.
At first glance, these events seemed like coincidences, everything perfectly reasonable. The problem was that they were too perfectly reasonable—reasonable to the point of seeming meticulously arranged. Most likely, nine times out of ten, it was an illusion concocted by Da Xing the Mad Monk, all to make these carefully arranged events appear like perfectly reasonable coincidences.