"How about going out to bask in the sun and have a drink? Maybe even indulge in some meat? What do you say? I'll find a few girls to keep us company, and we can all have a couple of drinks and enjoy ourselves."
Faced with Gu Qingfeng's teasing, the Old Monk continued to choose silence.
"Alright then, since you like staying here, suit yourself."
Gu Qingfeng hesitated for a moment before asking, "Joking aside, let me ask you something, Great Master. Have you ever heard of the Posuo Clan?"
A long while later, the Old Monk's voice came from the other side. Just as Gu Qingfeng had expected, the Old Monk replied that he did not know.
He wasn't surprised and continued, "What about the Kassapa Observer?"
"I do not know!"
"So-called Previous Life Karma—how many Previous Lives can there be?"
"What does it mean: 'As many Karmic ties, so many Previous Lives'?"
"What does it mean: 'As many Previous Lives, so many selves'?"
Gu Qingfeng poured out all the doubts in his heart in one breath. Unfortunately, the Old Monk remained as he always had been, knowing nothing of what was asked.
He hadn't really expected the Old Monk to resolve his doubts in the first place. He just wanted to ask, or more precisely, just wanted to have someone to talk to. Whether the Old Monk answered or not wasn't too important to him. Of course, it would be best if he could answer; if not, Gu Qingfeng didn't mind.
"Since Layman Gu has already decided to cease seeking Karma, why ask about it so suddenly today?"
The Old Monk's voice came through. Gu Qingfeng laughed in response, "Whether I seek it or not, the Karma is there. What is destined to come will come; what is not, seeking it is useless."
"Amitabha. Excellent, excellent. It is truly rare and precious for Layman Gu to comprehend this point."
"It's a very simple principle."
"The principle may be simple, but those who truly understand it are few and far between, and even fewer can act upon it. Moreover..." Before the Old Monk could finish, Gu Qingfeng directly cut him off.
"Please, spare me these grand lectures. I have no interest and can't be bothered to listen. You, old sir, continue resting. I'll go about my business as usual."
Gu Qingfeng did not continue the conversation. He bid farewell and was about to leave when the Old Monk's voice came again.
"Layman Gu, wait a moment."
"What is it?"
He glanced at the ethereal temple on the misty mountain and asked, "Is there something?"
Whether it was because he found it difficult to speak up or for some other reason, after calling out to Gu Qingfeng, the Old Monk waited for a very long time before slowly saying, "If possible, I hope Layman Gu will return the Wrathful Incarnation of Mahavairocana to our Buddha."
"Oh ho! After all this time, you still remember that matter, old sir."
"The Wrathful Incarnation of Mahavairocana is of utmost importance to our Buddha. I hope Layman Gu..." This time, the Old Monk's words were again cut short by Gu Qingfeng. "Fine, returning it to the Buddha Lord isn't out of the question. However, old monk, let's make a deal. You answer the doubts in my heart first, then we'll talk."
"This Old Monk truly does not know."
"We're old acquaintances. Whether you know or not, I'm quite clear."
"This Old Monk does not know."
"You just don't want to say, right?"
"Based on This Old Monk's understanding of Layman Gu, even if This Old Monk were to enlighten you, Layman Gu would not hand over the Wrathful Incarnation of Mahavairocana."
Gu Qingfeng laughed, "Since you know, why ask a question you already know the answer to!"
"Layman Gu also knows This Old Monk will not speak. Why ask a question you already know the answer to?"
"Whether I ask or not is my business. It's best if you speak; if not, I won't force you. I've asked, and thus done my part. My heart will be at ease, and this matter will be closed for me. As for whether you speak or not, that's your business and has nothing to do with me."
"Amitabha. Could this be the so-called Great Freedom?"
"This isn't called Great Freedom. This is called having no other choice, also called self-comfort."
The Old Monk sighed, "When will Great Freedom cease..." "Hahahaha!"
Gu Qingfeng laughed heartily three times and left directly.
In this ethereal world belonging to the Bone Jade of Annihilation, there was no concept of time. It was unknown how long had passed after Gu Qingfeng left before a sigh came from the ethereal temple on the misty mountain. This sigh seemed to express endless helplessness.
"They...
Indeed, they have already discovered..." "They...
Have been searching all along..." "The Posuo Clan has appeared..." "The Kassapa Observer...
Has also appeared..." "Sigh..." "A pity, a pity it is useless...
That person's physical body back then, who knows into how many Incarnations it transformed? Who knows?"
"His soul, who knows into how many true spirits, how many true souls it transformed? Who is clear?"
"That person's great spirit, great will, great divine sense, great consciousness...
How many strands are there? Who knows?"
"His hair, his internal organs...
Everything about him, what did they all transform into? No one knows..." "He disrupted the Karma, he overturned the Karma. Exactly how much Karma derived from him? Similarly, no one knows."
"Sigh..." Another sigh, this one as if having traversed countless ages, said, "How much Karma, how many Previous Lives, and how many present lives...
How many original selves, how many ego selves, and how many true selves...
...How to find them? How to search?"
"True and false, false and true, within the illusory lies the delusional, within the delusional also lies the illusory..." "He is, and his Karma is even more so."
"Disordered...
All disordered...
The true-false Karma, the disordered Karma has already begun...
Sigh..." "One him is already unfathomable. Who knows how many 'hims' there are in this lifetime, entangled with how much disordered Karma?"
"His 'other self' is already so terrifying; his 'original self' would only be more horrifying. His 'ego self'...
I'm afraid even more...
And his 'true self'...
Who knows what level of terror that would be..." "If...
A 'super self' were to appear as well...
Simply...
Sigh!"
"You should not search...
Nor should you search..." Sigh, another sigh, sighing with countless helplessness and countless Wandering.
...
Star Moon Great Domain, Little Fold Mountain Villa, Fold Green Garden.
After emerging from the Bone Jade of Annihilation, Gu Qingfeng continued to recline in the hammock, drinking his wine, basking in the sun, and closing his eyes in contemplation. In his mind, he also pondered the words of that faint voice from before, but it was merely contemplation without any entanglement.
In this life of his, the doubts, the bizarre, the mysteries, the unknowns he had encountered were countless. Some he still hadn't found answers for to this day.
Regarding such inexplicable, sudden unknowns,
Gu Qingfeng had always chosen to let nature take its course.
Just as he had said to the Old Monk inside the Bone Jade of Annihilation: if there are doubts in the heart, then think; if thinking doesn't resolve it, then ask; if asking doesn't bring clarity, think again; if still unresolved, then forget it.
He had never been one to get bogged down, nor would he ever trouble himself over these unknown matters.
This was true in the past, and it was no exception now.
Might as well spend that time teasing a girl for some pleasure.
What Posuo Clan!
What Kassapa Observer!
What 'how much Karma, how many Previous Lives, how many selves'!
Screw it all!
Gu Qingfeng couldn't be bothered to bother. He drained the wine in his cup and then entered his own Purple Mansion once more.