"Back when you vanished after the Immortal Dao Judgment, which one of them wasn't battered and bruised, depressed and sorrowful? Each was heartbroken, utterly despondent. Some had their temperaments drastically altered, others radiated murderous auras—they all, damn it, turned into cold-blooded, ruthless, bloodthirsty resentful women. If they found out you're not only alive but also sipping wine leisurely, they'd hack you to pieces without a second thought. And you still have the nerve to say 'what's there to be afraid of seeing'?
Do you dare to see them?
Would you have the face to see them?
Do you even have any shame left to see them?"
Huode blew at his beard and glared, enumerating Gu Qingfeng's romantic history from back in the day. Across from him, Gu Qingfeng, perhaps out of guilt or something else, opened his mouth, hesitated, shook his head, and couldn't say anything for a long while. Only after a good while did he finally speak up: "A lot of those things from back then were deliberately exaggerated. They're completely rumors. In fact, it wasn't that ridiculous. I was indeed a bit of a scoundrel when I was young, but I wasn't to the point of toying with people's feelings."
"Cut the crap! In front of this old man, what are you still pretending to be some pure-hearted youth for? It's not like I just met you yesterday. What kind of character you are, would I not know? Back when you were at the Yunxia Sect, you started seducing girls. After leaving Yunxia Sect, even while being hunted everywhere, you, damn it, still didn't idle around. The cave master of Taixing Cave, the valley master of Xiaoxian Valley... weren't they all, damn it, bewitched by you, turned upside down?"
Clearly, Huode didn't believe Gu Qingfeng's claim about not toying with feelings. He mocked, "Back then, you fought your way from the Great Northwest all the way to the Divine Land, and you never idled along the way. The number of girls you hooked up with is countless. Do you know why so many people impersonate your disciples or descendants? Isn't it precisely because you left traces of affection everywhere?"
As if remembering something, Huode grew agitated again. Pointing at Gu Qingfeng, he barked, "As the old saying goes, it's easier to move mountains than to change one's nature. You used to like casually teasing girls for no reason, and you're still the same now, not a bit changed. How long have you been back? The five Phoenix Hairpins, big and small, of the Four Great Regions almost entered dual cultivation with you, and even Fairy Su Hua was almost..." Seeing Huode getting more and more worked up, Gu Qingfeng quickly cut him off: "You old codger, why is it that every time you talk about me, you have a whole set routine? A little hint is enough; no need to go on and on."
"Who told you to be this kind of character?"
Huode had always regarded Gu Qingfeng as family and naturally didn't want him fooling around everywhere. Not because he disapproved or felt displeased, but because he knew that back in the day, Gu Qingfeng had nearly lost his life because of teasing a woman—that woman was precisely Jun Xuanji, revered as the World-Venerable Lady.
Remembering World-Venerable Lady Jun Xuanji, Huode's heart suddenly skipped a beat, as if making a connection. Choking up, he cautiously asked, "Young Gu, could it be... the World-Venerable Lady took the Yanyang Heart?"
Hearing this, Gu Qingfeng's brow furrowed slightly. Without changing his expression, he asked, "Why do you say that?"
"Why else? Isn't it obvious? Who in this world doesn't know the World-Venerable Lady understands you best? Who doesn't know she hates you to the bone? Back then, you withstood the Immortal Dao Judgment and publicly declared your love for the World-Venerable Lady in front of the Nine Heavens and the entire world. After winning her heart, you vanished."
"The World-Venerable Lady, to find you, directly fell out with the Nine Heavens. To be with you, she was willing to abandon her identity as the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden. To prove herself, she even defied the heavens. And in the end, you said she was just putting on an act, leaving her utterly heartbroken, her hair turning white overnight. She fell into the demonic path, dyed the Lone Moon with blood, and swore a heavenly oath to be locked in a life-and-death struggle with you for the rest of her life. Have you forgotten?"
Forgotten?
Gu Qingfeng had not forgotten, nor would he.
He might forget others, but he would never forget this woman, Jun Xuanji.
And the very reason he had delayed seeking the Yanyang Heart for so long was precisely his suspicion that the one who took it was Jun Xuanji.
Jun Xuanji was the most unfathomable and mysterious person he had ever encountered in his life, bar none.
She was also the person he least wanted and was most unwilling to face, also bar none.
Even to this day, he still didn't know whether the Jun Xuanji of back then was truly acting with him or expressing genuine feelings.
He didn't know.
And he didn't want to know anymore.
Nor did he want to see this woman again.
It was precisely because of this that he hadn't actively sought the Yanyang Heart for so long, afraid of running into Jun Xuanji.
As for why he was afraid, Gu Qingfeng couldn't quite explain it either. He was just afraid of seeing her again.
Even, without exaggeration, Gu Qingfeng would rather face the most frenzied endless Judgment of the Three Thousand Great Daos than face the trial of Jun Xuanji's indiscernible truth and falsehood (true-and-false, hard-to-distinguish) emotional wounds.
"Young Gu, could it really be the World-Venerable Lady?" Huode's voice came again.
Gu Qingfeng shook his head.
To be honest.
He couldn't be a hundred percent sure it was Jun Xuanji either.
It was just suspicion, just a feeling.
Originally, he had suspected it was Jun Xuanji from the very beginning. Later, at Liuren Mountain, that inexplicably appearing blood-red Lone Moon made him even more certain. Under the entire heavens, only Jun Xuanji possessed such an overbearing might of a blood-dyed Lone Moon. Only Jun Xuanji knew his first Karma branch was the Yanyang Heart. Only Jun Xuanji knew that if he were still alive after the Calamity, he would inevitably seek Karma. Most importantly, in his mind, under the entire heavens, only Jun Xuanji could create something like the Dragon-Elephant Seed.
Of course.
Suspicion was just suspicion; it couldn't confirm whether it was or wasn't.
But even if it was just suspicion, it was enough to make Gu Qingfeng hesitate and hold back.
He had been wondering: if it really was Jun Xuanji, what did she want by taking his first Karma branch?
Unfortunately.
He couldn't see through Jun Xuanji back then, and now he couldn't figure it out even more.
"There are only a few days left before the Taixuan Stele opens. You'd better think it over carefully. If it really is the World-Venerable Lady, I think even if you don't go looking for her, she'll come find you then."
"You know what, if it's that woman Jun Xuanji, that really is a possibility."
Gu Qingfeng rubbed his chin, lost in thought. Closing his eyes, he murmured, "What is fortune is not disaster; what is disaster cannot be avoided. Karma, Karma, where there is cause, there must be effect. The Karma sown must be repaid sooner or later."
With that, Gu Qingfeng stood up and stretched vigorously. "Take care of yourself these days. It's best not to go out if there's nothing important."
"You... are you planning to go to the Jiuhua Alliance?"
"What must come will always come. I'll go to the Taixuan Stele first to see what's going on."
"What if the Taixuan Sage residing inside the Taixuan Stele really is the World-Venerable Lady?"
"That's why I told you it's best not to go out if there's nothing important."
"What do you mean? If it really is the World-Venerable Lady, are you still planning to fight her?"
"You said it yourself just now: that woman Jun Xuanji hates me to death. If she sees me and wants to kill me, I can't just sit back and wait for death, can I?"