Gu Qingfeng paused and watched for a while, but said nothing and simply left.
Da Xing the Mad Monk looked rather hesitant. He wanted to go over to Witch Niangniang's side, yet felt conflicted. Watching Gu Qingfeng's receding figure, he finally gritted his teeth, stamped his foot, and followed Gu Qingfeng away.
Ancient Ruins.
Everything—be it mountains, rivers, flowers, or trees—had all turned to ashes.
Bai Chou, his body wrapped in white cloth, stood amidst these ruins reduced to flying ash. His deep, dark eyes gazed at the faintly visible chaotic current vortex as he murmured, "Is she going to seek her lost true self?"
"Perhaps."
Beside him, Witch Niangniang replied softly, "She must have realized something..."
"Realized what?"
Witch Niangniang did not answer this question, merely shaking her head slightly.
"Is she... the one setting the game, or a piece within the game? Or perhaps, she is both the one setting the game and a piece within it?"
Witch Niangniang countered with a question instead of answering: "Is there a difference?"
"Indeed... is there a difference?"
Witch Niangniang said, "Too many who once set the game have now become pieces within it. Some appear to be in the game but are actually setting it; others appear to be setting the game but are actually in it. Whether one is inside or outside the game, I'm afraid no one can say clearly anymore. There are far too many games within games."
"Are you also in the game?"
"We are all chess pieces, all within the game."
"Then who is the true player outside the game?"
"That question... no one can answer until the very end."
"Now that the Primordial Black Hole has already appeared, isn't this the end?"
Witch Niangniang did not answer this question.
Bai Chou, however, spoke as if he knew the answer: "If the Primordial Black Hole is not the end, then does that mean this too is a game within a game?"
Witch Niangniang remained silent, and Bai Chou continued to inquire: "If this is also a game within a game, then is it Fate capturing Original Sin, or is it Original Sin capturing Fate?"
Witch Niangniang gazed at the ruins turning to flying ash and murmured, "Believe me, I want to know the answer to that question even more than you do."
Bai Chou looked toward the other end that was turning to ash—the direction Gu Qingfeng had left—and asked, "What about him?"
"Him?"
Witch Niangniang also looked over in that direction. After a moment of silence, she finally spoke: "At first, I always believed there must be someone behind him setting the game. Either Fate using him as a chess piece to capture Original Sin, or Original Sin using him as a chess piece to capture Fate, or some other existence using him as a chess piece to capture both Original Sin and Fate simultaneously. But now, I find myself understanding less and less..."
Bai Chou asked, "Understanding less of what?"
"His appearance has thrown everything into chaos. All the games within games have become intertwined and tangled, a complete mess."
"You said that if he is a variable, then the one setting the game behind him must be Original Sin."
"Yes... I originally thought he was a chess piece of Original Sin, meant to stir up Karma and capture Fate. But now, what he has stirred up is not just Karma; even the games set by Original Sin have been thrown into disarray by him. You are a prime example."
"Me?"
Bai Chou laughed, a laugh tinged with self-mockery and helplessness. "I should consider myself fortunate, right?"
"You truly should consider yourself fortunate. It was his appearance that saved you. Otherwise... you would have been one among the many Original Sin Sons."
"If he hadn't appeared, this Original Sin Son probably wouldn't have lived to see today."
"That's precisely why I said you should consider yourself fortunate."
"There's one question I've always wanted to ask you."
Bai Chou inquired: "How many Original Sin Sons have there been in heaven and earth up to now?"
"Not many, but certainly not few either."
Bai Chou continued: "Among them, how many are chess pieces of Fate, and how many are chess pieces of Original Sin?"
"I don't know. No one knows. Even the parties involved probably don't know."
"Avici Asura, Roaming the Heavens and Descending to the Netherworld, Heaven-Devouring Earth-Swallowing Blood Glutton... Among these Original Sin Sons, who are the chess pieces of Fate? And who are the chess pieces of Original Sin?"
When Bai Chou asked again, Witch Niangniang still shook her head, whether because she didn't want to answer or because she didn't know.
"Does he... know?"
"Even if he didn't know before, he should have some inkling by now."
Witch Niangniang said, "I must say, his state of mind is truly remarkable. To have walked this path all the way to now without losing himself... It's truly admirable."
"Indeed. His journey has been either in this game within a game or that game within a game, either having his Karma grafted or being arranged by Fate, either having emotional bonds planted within him or being fused with Creation. If it were me, I would have long since collapsed and lost myself..."
"What he has endured is far more complex than you can imagine. Truth and falsehood, reality and illusion."
Witch Niangniang sighed with emotion: "What I admire most is that amidst all these truths, falsehoods, realities, and illusions, he has remained largely unaffected."
"Unaffected? Not entirely, right?"
Bai Chou said, "I feel Buddha has had quite a significant influence on him."
"Buddha's influence on him is indeed not small, but this influence doesn't seem to be a bad thing. At least, so far, it hasn't been bad for him. Not only is it not bad, but in a sense, he owes his ability to come this far to the influence of Buddha."
"That's true. Great Freedom, Great Illusion, Great Compassion, Great Illusion..." Bai Chou said, "Thinking about it now, the Buddhist Sect had foresight. However..." Changing the subject, Bai Chou seemed to realize something and added, "This also means the Buddhist Sect had already set a game upon him long ago, right? Hmm?"
Suddenly remembering another matter, Bai Chou hesitated for a moment before asking doubtfully, "Do you think... he might be a chess piece of the Buddhist Sect? After all, Karma originates from the Buddhist Sect. The battle between Fate and Original Sin causing Karmic chaos—the Buddhist Sect shouldn't just stand by and do nothing, right? For a long time, we haven't seen any movement from the Buddhist Sect. If the Buddhist Sect were using him to restrain Fate and Original Sin, that possibility can't be ruled out."
Having said this, Bai Chou shook his head again, negating his own statement: "It was precisely his appearance that caused Karma to become utterly chaotic. I don't think he could be a chess piece of the Buddhist Sect. No matter how confused the Buddhist Sect might be, they wouldn't let the situation become as chaotic and unmanageable as it is now."
"Do you know why Da Xing the Mad Monk is called the Living Buddha?"
Suddenly, Witch Niangniang asked a question, one that seemed rather inexplicable. Bai Chou couldn't immediately understand why Witch Niangniang would suddenly bring up Da Xing the Mad Monk out of the blue. She thought for a moment and responded, "Legend has it that Da Xing the Mad Monk roams heaven and earth, travels through the myriad realms, manifests in countless forms, healing the world and delivering all beings..."