The Old Beggar had always thought that the Sacred Ground distrusted Xuanyuan Wuji, suspecting he might be someone else's Karma Incarnation, which was why they refused to hand over the Holy Dao's Primordial Source and even suppressed him.
Only now did he realize that whether the Sacred Ground trusted Xuanyuan Wuji or not was completely unimportant; what mattered was that Xuanyuan Wuji himself did not trust himself.
Just as Lady Blackwater had said, it wasn't that the Sacred Ground didn't want to take a gamble on Xuanyuan Wuji, but that Xuanyuan Wuji himself did not want to gamble.
"I wonder if Xuanyuan Wuji is someone else's Karma Incarnation. If he really is, that would actually be good news for us."
Lady Blackwater retorted, "Good news?"
"Isn't it? Without Xuanyuan Wuji on the side of the Great Dao, the hope for the Wu Dao Era to begin would be much greater."
"Heh heh..." Lady Blackwater laughed again, and this time her laughter was even more baffling.
This drove the Old Beggar to distraction. "I say, Lady Blackwater, could you please tell me, just what are you laughing at? What exactly is so funny about my words?"
"The Sacred Ground wanted to take a gamble on Xuanyuan Wuji, but Xuanyuan Wuji didn't want to gamble. Aren't you exactly the same? You want to take a gamble on the You Emperor, but does he want to gamble?"
Lady Blackwater's words left the Old Beggar speechless.
Deep down, the Old Beggar truly hoped that Gu Qingfeng would ascend as the True Lord of Original Sin, thereby ushering in the Wu Dao Era. It was just a pity that Gu Qingfeng seemed to have no interest in it whatsoever, not even the slightest bit.
This had always frustrated the Old Beggar, leaving him helpless, unable to lend a hand even if he wanted to.
He finally understood why Lady Blackwater kept laughing again and again.
On the side of the Great Dao, Xuanyuan Wuji suspected he was a Karma Incarnation, so he didn't want to gamble, didn't dare to gamble, couldn't afford to gamble.
On the side of Original Sin, Gu Qingfeng didn't suspect he was a Karma Incarnation; he was simply purely uninterested, so he didn't want to gamble.
Thinking about it carefully, this was indeed a laughable matter.
Not only laughable, but also deeply ironic.
It was as ironic as the emperor not being anxious while the eunuch was frantic.
Originally, the Old Beggar felt there might still be a chance. The fact that Gu Qingfeng currently had no interest in becoming the True Lord of Original Sin didn't mean he wouldn't later, especially with Da Xing the Mad Monk constantly brainwashing him by his side.
However.
After hearing Gu Qingfeng's heartfelt outpouring earlier, he had completely lost hope.
Every word Gu Qingfeng spoke, both explicit and implied, conveyed only one message: he truly had no interest in becoming the True Lord of Original Sin, nor could he ever have any in the future. His only hope was to end all of this as quickly as possible. He didn't care whether he lived or died.
That said, for the Old Beggar, this wasn't particularly bad news either.
Because it wasn't hard to discern from Gu Qingfeng's tone that he had already resigned himself to fate. In other words, if Original Sin truly chose him to be the True Lord, he wouldn't refuse.
What Gu Qingfeng wanted was simply to end all of this quickly. As for whether the Great Dao could be protected, whether the Wu Dao Era would begin, who would ascend as the True Lord of Original Sin—even if it were himself—he fundamentally didn't care.
Under these circumstances, the Old Beggar could only hope that the True Lord of Original Sin would descend upon Gu Qingfeng.
He could only hope.
There was no other way.
Just then.
Lady Blackwater suddenly spoke. "Have you ever considered one possibility?"
"What possibility?"
"That the You Emperor might also be someone else's Karma Incarnation."
When Lady Blackwater's words reached his ears, the Old Beggar felt as if struck by lightning. He was completely shaken. It took him a long while before he slowly spoke. "You mean...
That kid is a Karma Incarnation planted by someone else to protect the Great Dao?"
"Perhaps to protect the Great Dao, or perhaps to completely eradicate Original Sin."
"That...
That can't be possible, can it?"
Lady Blackwater said expressionlessly, "Nothing in this world is absolute. Since ancient times, there has never been anything truly impossible in this heaven and earth."
The Old Beggar was utterly speechless.
Although he didn't want to, he had to admit that Lady Blackwater spoke the truth.
Primordial Calamity births heaven and earth, endless cycles of reincarnation appear, past lives and present lives witness Karma, whose fate belongs to whom depends on heaven!
This was a line recorded in the Book of Fate. In the face of these words, no one could guarantee they weren't a Karma Incarnation planted by someone else.
No one could guarantee they were their original self, let alone guarantee they were their true self.
The Old Beggar tried to imagine: even if this Original Sin Calamity was a trap set by Fate, with the goal of completely eradicating Original Sin, as long as Gu Qingfeng himself didn't want to die, defying heaven and changing fate might not be impossible.
But if Gu Qingfeng really was a Karma Incarnation planted by someone else, with the goal of protecting the Great Dao or completely eradicating Original Sin, then the so-called Wu Dao Era might truly become nothing but a legend lost to time.
Because once Gu Qingfeng successfully ascended as the True Lord of Original Sin, the initiative would be completely in his hands. If he wanted to live, he could live; if he wanted to die, no one could stop him; if he wanted to protect the Great Dao, the Great Dao would be protected. Conversely, if he wanted to completely destroy Original Sin, then Original Sin would absolutely not survive.
The more he thought about it, the more the Old Beggar felt like collapsing. He took a deep breath and asked, "Lady Blackwater! No! Your Majesty Blackwater! You're deliberately trying to scare me, aren't you? It must be! You must be deliberately trying to scare me. Let me tell you, I didn't grow up being scared. Your impossible words can't frighten me at all."
Although the Old Beggar said this, his tone, expression, and gaze all betrayed a deep-seated worry and fear without exception. He stared intently at Lady Blackwater, hoping she would tell him it was all just a joke.
However.
Lady Blackwater turned to face him, meeting his gaze. Her expression remained impassive, devoid of any emotion, as she said, "I am not deliberately trying to scare you, nor am I joking, because this is indeed very possible."
"No!"
The Old Beggar shook his head fiercely, his face flushed as he exclaimed, "Absolutely impossible! So many old-timers have placed their hopes on that kid surnamed Gu. Are they all blind? Besides, even Genggu Wuming has placed her hopes on this kid. Even if everyone else is blind, Genggu Wuming couldn't possibly be blind too, could she?"
"There's one thing I think you've misunderstood. Genggu Wuming has indeed placed her hopes on the You Emperor. Although I don't know exactly what hopes Genggu Wuming has placed, I dare guarantee that what she hopes for is absolutely not for the You Emperor to ascend as the True Lord of Original Sin and usher in the Wu Dao Era. Absolutely not."
"You...
You...
You..." Perhaps Lady Blackwater's words had struck too deep a chord, leaving the Old Beggar stumbling over his words. He stammered, "What do you mean? Are you saying the hope Lady Blackwater has placed is likely... that the kid surnamed Gu is a Karma Incarnation, so that when he ascends as the True Lord of Original Sin and awakens his true self, he will...
he will...
completely eliminate Original Sin?"