Just now.
Miao Tathagata had said he was in seclusion. Cang Yan asked what he had realized during that seclusion, and Miao Tathagata ended their conversation with a single phrase: 'The Buddha says it cannot be spoken.'
Now.
Miao Tathagata asked about the past and the future, and Cang Yan likewise ended their conversation with a single phrase: 'The Buddha says it cannot be spoken.'
The difference was:
Miao Tathagata's 'Buddha says it cannot be spoken' was truly because he did not wish to speak.
Whereas Cang Yan's 'Buddha says it cannot be spoken' was more of a tease, a playful jab, and even a mockery.
That's right!
Mockery.
From the initial 'Little Tathagata,' to 'little novice monk,' and now 'Buddha says it cannot be spoken'—Cang Yan was blatantly mocking Miao Tathagata.
Who was Miao Tathagata?
He was the Buddha Emperor of the West who ruled the Eight Buddhist Sects. Not only had he manifested as the Great Sun to liberate the Nine Yin, he had also severed the Nine Yin Sacred Stele and left the arrogant words 'Throughout Heaven and Earth, I Alone Am the Honored One' upon it.
Everyone knew Miao Tathagata had always acted with absolute impunity, domineering and peerless, not even placing the Great Sun Radiant Emperor in his eyes. If anyone dared mock him to his face like this, given Miao Tathagata's temperament, he would surely ensure they died without a burial place.
However.
The one mocking him now was Cang Yan.
A woman who possessed the peerless destiny of both Immortal and Demon, and was also the master of Langya.
Miao Tathagata pondered for a long moment, but ultimately did not make a move.
It wasn't that he feared Cang Yan's strength.
To be honest.
Miao Tathagata did not fear Cang Yan's strength.
He didn't even feel wary of it.
Although he knew Cang Yan's strength was unfathomable and her existence was absolutely not to be trifled with.
But that was all.
Unfathomable did not mean Miao Tathagata dared not fathom it.
Not to be trifled with did not mean Miao Tathagata dared not trifle with it.
It was just that.
If he were to fight Cang Yan over such a trivial matter, it would be making a mountain out of a molehill, utterly not worth it, and would make him seem lacking in gravitas.
That wasn't important.
What was important was that he had come this time to seek guidance from Genggu Wuming. He was in no mood, nor had any interest, in fighting Cang Yan.
"I never expected that after all these years, Empress Langya would still be so witty."
Sitting upon the palm of the golden Buddha statue, a faint smile touched the corner of Miao Tathagata's mouth. The liberation fire in his eyes gradually calmed. The golden tyrannical sun hanging in the righteous and brilliant light ceased to radiate its brilliance. The myriad Buddhas filling the sky also stopped chanting scriptures.
Cang Yan shrugged, neither affirming nor denying, and said nothing more.
"Empress Tianji!"
Miao Tathagata looked again at Genggu Wuming and continued his inquiry: "This seat asks you, is the True Lord of Original Sin predestined by fate?"
Genggu Wuming responded without hesitation: "Yes!"
That single 'yes' caused Miao Tathagata's expression to shift slightly. He immediately pressed: "Who is it?"
Genggu Wuming shook her head slightly. "I do not know."
"You do not know?"
As if he hadn't expected Genggu Wuming to answer thus, he questioned: "You would not know?"
"I do not know."
Miao Tathagata seemed somewhat unconvinced and continued his questioning: "Is the predestined True Lord of Original Sin that surnamed Gu, the Nether Emperor?"
"I do not know."
"Do you truly not know, or do you not wish to say?"
"I do not know."
No matter how Miao Tathagata asked, Genggu Wuming only answered him with two words: I do not know.
Miao Tathagata stared intently at Genggu Wuming, just stared. His eyes of wisdom blazed like torches, as if trying to see through and penetrate the Genggu Wuming present here. Yet, after looking for a long time, he could discern nothing. He could neither see through her, nor penetrate her.
Genggu Wuming simply sat there quietly and peacefully. The physical eye could see her, spiritual sense could detect her, but beyond that, there was nothing else.
Genggu Wuming's existence was too ordinary, ordinary as a speck of dust found everywhere.
Her existence was also too blank, blank as a spotless sheet of white paper, containing nothing.
Her existence felt real, yet also illusory; truth and falsehood intertwined, making it impossible to distinguish.
Even for Miao Tathagata, it was the same.
"Fine!
This seat will believe you for now."
Then.
Miao Tathagata asked another question: "If the True Lord of Original Sin is already predestined by fate, then can destiny be defied and changed?"
Genggu Wuming still answered with those two words: I do not know.
Miao Tathagata was not angered, at least not outwardly.
He merely stared at Genggu Wuming, his gaze growing increasingly unfriendly, his voice said solemnly: "Empress Tianji, this seat asks you once more, am I, Miao Tathagata, one of your destined ones?"
"Yes!"
"Are the questions this seat asks among your 'Four Non-Guidances'?"
"They are not!"
"Since that is so, why do you not resolve the confusion in this seat's heart? Why do you not guide this lost one? Why do you answer 'I do not know' to every question!"
Genggu Wuming responded lightly: "The questions you ask, I myself do not know the answers to. How then could I answer you?"
"You are the incarnation of Karma, the emissary of Fate! You know the past and future, hold the reins of Fate and Karma, deduce the Primordial Era of the cosmos, and perceive the profound mysteries of Heaven and Earth!"
Miao Tathagata questioned: "You would not know?"
Genggu Wuming shook her head and chose silence.
At this moment, Cang Yan, who was beside them, spoke up: "Little novice monk, I used to only know you were adept at throwing your weight around. Today I see your acting skills don't look too shabby either!"
"Empress Langya!
What do you mean by that?"
"What I mean, you understand perfectly well in your heart."
"This seat does not understand!"
"Heh."
Cang Yan looked up at Miao Tathagata sitting on the golden Buddha's palm and laughed. "Must I spell it out for you?"
"Empress Langya, this seat does not know what you are talking about!"
"Truly do not know?
Or are you playing dumb with me?"
"This seat truly does not know."
"Fine then, I ask you, why have you come here this time?"
"This seat has already said, to seek Empress Tianji's guidance in resolving the confusion in my heart!"
"I ask you again, why have you come here this time?"
"This seat's answer remains the same: to seek Empress Tianji's guidance in resolving the confusion in my heart!"
"I ask you one last time, why have you come here this time?"
Miao Tathagata repeated his previous statement.
"Good!
Good!
Good!"
Cang Yan clapped her hands in applause, laughing. "Little novice monk, I find you are not only skilled at acting, but also quite adept at lying through your teeth. I thought Da Xing Dian Seng's face was thick enough, but yours is even thicker."
"You clearly already have the answers in your heart, yet you come here pretending to be ignorant while understanding perfectly well. What, trying to show off how capable you are?"
"Whether the Era of No-Dao belongs to the past or the future, would you not know? If you did not know, why come to this Primordial Black Hole?"
"Whether the True Lord of Original Sin is predestined by fate, would you not know? If you did not know, why cultivate the Original Sin Dharmakaya?"
"Whether destiny can be defied and changed, would you not know? If you did not know, why have you been jumping around and stirring up trouble all these years?"
Cang Yan poured herself a drink, speaking while she drank.
Meanwhile, Miao Tathagata still sat upon the golden Buddha's palm, offering no response, merely watching with a smile on his face.
"Little novice monk, oh little novice monk, isn't it just that you want to defy destiny and change fate to ascend as the True Lord of Original Sin? No one is stopping you, right? No one said it can't be done, right? So why come here putting on such a grand display of power?"
"Who exactly are you trying to impress with this grand display?"