In the void, fierce winds howled.
Gu Qingfeng stood upon a white cloud, while opposite him, a black-robed woman hovered in the air.
The woman was tightly wrapped in black robes, even her hair and face were concealed, leaving only a pair of mysterious, dark eyes visible. They stared intently at Gu Qingfeng across from her, their depths filled with a profound sense of helplessness, as if she was extremely reluctant to see him yet had no choice.
She felt this way, and Gu Qingfeng was no different.
If possible,
Gu Qingfeng absolutely did not want to see this woman who possessed the Decree of Original Sin.
Original Sin was an extremely, extremely ancient thing, so ancient it was called a taboo, something even the heavens feared. He was no exception.
In his memory, Original Sin was like a curse; whoever touched it would inevitably meet a terrible end.
Though Gu Qingfeng was bold and feared nothing in heaven or earth, he genuinely did not want to provoke this thing called Original Sin.
Of course,
not wanting to was one thing, but now that this woman had sought him out again, Gu Qingfeng could only hear her out.
“I say, big sister, what brings you to me this time?
If it’s to persuade me to give up investigating Karma again, then save your breath. Go do whatever you need to do.”
The Original Sin woman said solemnly, “I’ve already told you, your Karma has fallen into a Black Hole. Why must you still investigate it!”
“No reason. I’m bored, alright?”
Gu Qingfeng ate a Red Leaf Monster Fruit and chuckled. “Besides, I’m seeking my own Karma. Whether my Karma falls into a Black Hole or not, what the hell does it have to do with you Original Sin folks?”
“If your Karma weren’t entangled with us Original Sin people, do you think I’d bother with you?”
“Oh? So your Original Sin people really are hiding in the Nine-Hua Alliance, huh? Hmm… you followed me all the way from Yunxia Sect to here. Perhaps your Original Sin people are right at the Taixuan Platform…
And…” As he spoke, Gu Qingfeng’s heart suddenly stirred, as if realizing something. He narrowed his eyes, looking at the black-robed woman. “The Original Sin person you mentioned… it wouldn’t be that woman Su Hua, would it?”
The black-robed woman did not respond.
But Gu Qingfeng already knew his guess was correct.
The Original Sin person the black-robed woman spoke of was definitely Su Hua.
He remembered Huode mentioning that Su Hua had been searching for him all over the world and had even inquired about the Yanyang Heart. Clearly, she knew about his first Karma branch. Combined with the many strange and unknown breaths of fortune on Su Hua, connecting the dots almost certainly pointed to her.
It was just that this answer truly surprised Gu Qingfeng.
He knew Su Hua’s identity was complex, but he hadn’t expected it to be this complex—involving the Immortal Dao, the Demonic Dao, the Natural Dao, and even the Buddhist Dao. Now, it turned out she was also connected to Original Sin.
This made Gu Qingfeng wonder: what was so special about that woman Su Hua that she was connected to so many Great Daos? It was one thing for the opposing Immortal and Demonic Daos to both seek her out, but how were even the Buddhist Dao and Original Sin—paths that normally wanted nothing to do with each other—also related to her?
“Can you give up seeking Karma!”
The black-robed woman’s voice came again. Gu Qingfeng didn’t even think before shaking his head in refusal. “No.”
“You!”
The black-robed woman was furious. “You’ve already met Su Hua. You should be able to see that Su Hua’s existence is extremely special and important. Your Karma has already fallen into a Black Hole. You cannot drag her into it as well!”
Su Hua was indeed special and important.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have so many Daos upon her.
But hearing the black-robed woman say it in such a tone really rubbed Gu Qingfeng the wrong way.
“Big sister, why do I find your words so unpleasant? What do you mean, ‘I drag her into it’?
Which eye of yours saw me drag her in?
All along, she’s been the one looking for me. I’ve never actively sought her out.”
The black-robed woman said coldly, “You shouldn’t have come back!”
Gu Qingfeng laughed dryly. “You mean I shouldn’t be alive at all, is that it?”
The black-robed woman softened her tone slightly. “I don’t mean that. I only said you shouldn’t have come back.”
“Sorry.”
Gu Qingfeng shrugged and replied leisurely, “But I’m already back.”
“You’re back, so be it. Wouldn’t it be nice to live a peaceful, stable life and enjoy yourself?
Aren’t you tired of the life of fighting and killing?
Haven’t you always wanted a carefree, unrestrained life?
Why must you insist on seeking Karma!”
Hearing this, Gu Qingfeng’s eyebrows raised. He looked the black-robed woman up and down, pondered for a moment, and asked, “You seem to know me quite well. Do we know each other?”
“For us of Original Sin to understand someone, we don’t need to know them personally.”
Gu Qingfeng stared into the black-robed woman’s eyes, seeming somewhat skeptical.
“I ask you one more time: can you give up seeking Karma!”
“No!”
Failing to persuade him again, the black-robed woman did not continue asking. Instead, she stared fixedly at Gu Qingfeng. “There are already enough Karma chains trapped in the Karmic Black Hole, enough chaos. The Great Dao is already being affected. When the time comes, no one knows what will happen. And Su Hua is a person destined for the tribulation. Must you drag her into the Black Hole to be happy?”
Seeing Gu Qingfeng remain silent, the black-robed woman added, “I know you’ve had unpleasant dealings with many Great Daos in the past. But you should understand how serious the consequences of this matter are. Why can’t you just…” As she spoke, Gu Qingfeng cut her off. “You seem to have gotten something wrong?”
“What’s wrong?”
The black-robed woman didn’t understand.
“Right now, it’s not me seeking Karma, it’s Su Hua. Since she’s so important, why aren’t you persuading her instead of me? What’s the meaning of that?”
“Su Hua’s existence is too special and involves too much. I cannot directly interfere.”
Gu Qingfeng nodded, smiling. “Listening to you, I think I understand a bit. Su Hua is too special, connected to many Great Daos. To put it bluntly, her identity is complex—so complex that even an Original Sin person like you doesn’t dare directly interfere in her affairs.”
“You could understand it that way.”
“You don’t dare interfere in her affairs, but you come to interfere in mine.”
Gu Qingfeng rubbed his chin, a complex smile playing on his lips. “Me? I’m a sinner. I’ve offended many Great Daos. I’m well aware of that. I also know very well that the various Great Daos have always wanted my life. So, having luckily survived this time, I’ve been keeping my head down…
But even if I’m a sinner, can’t I even have the right to seek my own Karma?
What do you think?”
“That’s not what I meant…” Before the black-robed woman could finish, Gu Qingfeng, who had been talking and laughing just moments before, suddenly erupted in fury. He pointed at her and shouted, “Then what do you mean? Others are important, you don’t dare interfere with them, but you come to interfere with my affairs? What’s the deal?
Am I easy to bully, is that it?”
“When the Calamity happened back then, the various Great Daos passed judgment on me. This time I survived, and I didn’t take advantage of the Great Dao’s reformation to seek revenge on you all. That’s already the biggest concession. And now you still dare interfere in my affairs?”
The black-robed woman seemed caught off guard by Gu Qingfeng’s sudden rage, at a loss. “You…” She only managed one word before Gu Qingfeng interrupted again. “You what, you!
Don’t think I don’t know! When the Calamity happened back then, you Original Sin folks also took advantage of the situation and passed a judgment on me. I haven’t mentioned it, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know.”
“Let me tell you, you little brat, I don’t know how important Su Hua is, and I can’t be bothered to think about it. If you’re worried she’ll fall into the Karmic Black Hole, then go control her properly. Don’t you dare come whining and complaining in front of me for no reason! Piss me off, and I’ll drag Su Hua into the Karmic Black Hole right now!”