Gu Qingfeng still clearly remembered that there used to be a well in Canyang Valley. That thing was none other than the Source Eye of Canyang Valley. Not only had the Blood of Original Sin been found within it, but it also seemed Lady Wuyou had been slumbering inside at the time.
The Blood of Original Sin had long since fused with Gu Qingfeng, so it definitely wouldn't still be there. As for whether Lady Wuyou was still present, that was unknown.
If she was, he could also ask about what exactly had happened back in the Liúshā Small Secret Realm.
The problem was, after searching every corner inside, Gu Qingfeng couldn't find that Source Eye from back then.
He even deployed his divine sense to probe, but still detected nothing. He wondered if perhaps the Source Eye had vanished?
This wasn't anything unusual.
After all, the current Canyang Valley was a ruin from the Primordial Age. It possessed neither spatial laws nor spatial structure. It was normal for its source to disappear; other Primordial ruins also lacked sources.
Just as he was thinking this, something felt off.
If the current Canyang Valley had no source, then where did the mysterious spiritual energy within it come from?
Or was the source of Canyang Valley hidden within that chaotic vortex in the sky that resembled a setting sun?
Hard to say.
Gu Qingfeng deployed his divine sense again to probe, but the result was the same—he detected nothing. Once his divine sense entered, it felt like falling into an endless abyss.
The more he probed, the stranger it felt.
At first, it gave him the sensation of a setting sun. As he continued probing, for some reason, it became like a night moon—not a full moon, but a crescent moon instead.
What was going on?
Was it a setting sun?
Or a crescent moon?
The more Gu Qingfeng probed, the more confused he became. Even more bizarrely, the stronger that sense of déjà vu grew.
"Huh!
Why would she be here?"
Da Xing the Mad Monk's voice rang out. Puzzled, Gu Qingfeng looked over and was startled to find a figure standing not far away in mid-air, arms crossed, brows furrowed, staring solemnly at the chaotic vortex that resembled both a setting sun and a crescent moon.
It was a demoness dressed in black robes, with her hair tied in a ponytail, who looked rather sinister and strange.
Gu Qingfeng remembered this woman. She seemed to be with Man Tu Fan, called something like Empress Longque.
Empress Longque also noticed Gu Qingfeng. She turned, first glancing at Da Xing the Mad Monk, then at Gu Qingfeng, and said, "You... you really came after all."
This sentence sounded familiar.
When he had met Bai Chou here earlier, the first thing she said was also something like this.
What puzzled Gu Qingfeng was that this was Canyang Valley. According to Bai Chou's words, both he and she belonged here, their meeting preordained by karma. So, Bai Chou knew he would come.
But what was the deal with this so-called Empress Longque?
How did she also know he would come to Canyang Valley? What connection did Canyang Valley have with her?
"You knew I would come?"
"Those who are meant to come will come. It was all preordained."
Gu Qingfeng was speechless. Bai Chou had said the exact same thing.
Baffling.
Empress Longque stared at Gu Qingfeng and uttered another very familiar lament: "I originally thought you were the deepest Original Sin, the greatest variable, existing outside of Karma... It seems...
She was right. The deepest Original Sin is still Original Sin, the greatest variable is still a variable, and mistaken Karma is still Karma...
It doesn't change because of Original Sin or variables. At least, not this time!"
Good heavens!
Upon hearing this, Gu Qingfeng's inner astonishment was beyond description, because every word Empress Longque spoke now, Bai Chou had said before, with even the lament being nearly identical.
"Empress Longque...
The 'she' you mentioned refers to..." Beside them, Da Xing the Mad Monk cautiously inquired.
"Da Xing, ah, Da Xing. To think after all these years apart, you're still the same, always pretending to be ignorant while understanding perfectly."
Hearing Empress Longque say this, Da Xing the Mad Monk obediently shut his mouth and said no more.
"Who are you talking about?"
Gu Qingfeng looked at Empress Longque, then at Da Xing the Mad Monk.
Da Xing the Mad Monk opened his mouth, hesitated, and fell silent. Empress Longque, however, stared at Gu Qingfeng and said, "Could it truly be that 'one takes on the color of one's company'? Have you, influenced by Da Xing, also started pretending to be ignorant while understanding perfectly?"
Gu Qingfeng shook his head. He genuinely didn't know. He pressed on, "Who exactly are you talking about?"
"Don't tell me you really don't know."
"Nonsense. If I knew, would I be asking you?"
"Hah!"
Empress Longque let out a cold laugh, seeming somewhat disdainful. "If you're just pretending to be ignorant, that's somewhat understandable. But if you truly don't know who I'm talking about, then that's truly pathetic!"
Gu Qingfeng grew more and more confused. Before he could ask further, Empress Longque continued, "I've long heard you're a philanderer, often fooling around, toying with affections, and making sport of women. I thought it was just rumor, but now it seems it's true!"
Philanderer?
Fooling around?
Toying with affections?
This time, Gu Qingfeng was utterly bewildered. He had no idea who Empress Longque was referring to. How had this suddenly gotten connected to being a philanderer?
Alas.
When he inquired, Empress Longque responded with nothing but disdain, alternating between cold mockery and sarcasm, ridiculing Gu Qingfeng for being a philanderer who played with emotions and so on.
"Da Xing, who exactly are you talking about?"
Left with no choice, Gu Qingfeng could only ask Da Xing the Mad Monk.
Da Xing the Mad Monk hemmed and hawed for a long time before finally speaking: "Kid Gu, do you really not know, or are you pretending not to know?"
"Does my face look like I'm goddamn pretending?"
"She's talking about that woman who was with her before, that Heavenly Demon."
Woman?
Heavenly Demon?
Gu Qingfeng suddenly realized, exclaiming in surprise, "Man Tu Fan?"
Da Xing the Mad Monk nodded.
Gu Qingfeng had never imagined it would be Man Tu Fan. In his memory, he and Man Tu Fan had met only a handful of times at most. How the hell had this gotten linked to being a philanderer and toying with affections?
What kind of nonsense was this!
"Empress Longque, right?"
Gu Qingfeng explained, "I think you might be mistaken. Man Tu Fan and I have only met a few times."
Empress Longque said, "You owe her far, far too much."
"What do I owe her?"
"You really are..." Empress Longque was furious, pointing at Gu Qingfeng and enunciating each word with a grave tone: "Too heartless!"
Perhaps even Da Xing the Mad Monk beside them found it a bit hard to watch. He coughed twice and said, "Well...
Kid Gu, if I remember correctly, didn't you...
Refine her Karma Flower?"
Although Gu Qingfeng didn't want to, he had to admit this was a fact.
However, whether it was truly a fact, even he couldn't say for sure. To this day, he couldn't remember whether he had lost Man Tu Fan's Karma Flower or had truly refined it. He simply couldn't recall.
At that moment, Empress Longque sneered again, "Hah!
What he owes is far more than just a single Karma Flower!"