From Qian Shan's message talisman, Su Hua learned that not only had Gu Qingfeng returned from death, but he had also performed the ancient forbidden technique of enlightening Fenglie Laozu and had even reforged Kumu Laoyezi's primordial spirit—methods she had only heard of in legends.
"Where is he?"
Su Hua looked around but did not see Gu Qingfeng's figure.
Qian Shan replied, "I don't know."
"Sister Hua, Big Brother was too tired, so he went to find a quiet place to rest. But don't worry, if Big Brother wakes up, he'll come find Jin'er."
"Is that so?"
Su Hua gestured for Ouyang Ye to sit down. Ouyang Ye did sit, but she continued to weep uncontrollably, pouring out all the grievances in her heart.
"Wahhh... Sister Su Hua... you... you must get revenge for me."
"Revenge? What revenge?"
"Wahh... That liar tricked me! Wahh... He was clearly still alive, and he knew I was looking for him, yet he... yet he refused to admit it, and... called himself something like Old Nine, changed his appearance, pretended to be someone else, making me... making me fall for it... Wahh... He's a liar! A liar who deceived my feelings!"
"This..." Su Hua had heard Qian Shan mention Ouyang Ye finding someone to impersonate Gu Qingfeng, but she only knew the gist of it and wasn't clear on the specifics.
"Sister Ouyang, please don't say that about Big Brother, okay? Big Brother never deceived you."
Seeing Ouyang Ye call Gu Qingfeng a liar, Little Jin'er felt indignant and defended him: "I told you from the very beginning that Big Brother was the real one, but you didn't believe me, okay? And Big Brother even admitted to you himself that he was Young Lord Chiyan. Not only did you not believe him, you said Big Brother was obsessed with acting. Later, when Big Brother personally proved it to you, you still didn't believe him, and you even hit him, calling him a liar... Really... Big Brother never lied to you; it was you who never believed him."
"Jin'er, you... how... how can you... I..." Ouyang Ye was at a loss for words, unable to refute, because what Jin'er said was the truth. Gu Qingfeng had indeed admitted it multiple times and had personally proven it. Every time she recalled these events, Ouyang Ye felt a mix of anger, frustration, and utter collapse.
"What do you mean 'you'? Sister Ouyang, don't forget, you were the one who found Big Brother and asked him to impersonate Young Lord Chiyan. It wasn't Big Brother who came looking for you. Big Brother was kind enough to help you; how can you turn around and call him a liar?"
"I..." Ouyang Ye collapsed again, burying her face in the table and sobbing, "How was I supposed to know he was really still alive!"
"Ye Ye, don't be too upset. Not just you—even I can hardly believe Gu Qingfeng is still alive."
Su Hua could only comfort her this way. Seeing Ouyang Ye still crying uncontrollably, Su Hua tried to persuade her: "Don't dwell on the past anymore, alright? Haven't you always hoped Gu Qingfeng was still alive? Now that he really is, you should be happy."
Indeed!
Ouyang Ye had always wished Gu Qingfeng hadn't died. Now that Gu Qingfeng was truly alive, she couldn't feel any joy at all.
Whenever she remembered teaching Gu Qingfeng—using that little booklet detailing Young Lord Chiyan's preferences and habits—how to impersonate Chiyan's speech and mannerisms, Ouyang Ye wished she could crawl into a hole. She truly didn't know how to face Gu Qingfeng, especially when he had claimed to be Chiyan himself. Not only had she disbelieved him, but she had also mocked him sarcastically. This filled Ouyang Ye with regret and extreme vexation.
Su Hua understood Ouyang Ye's feelings and could empathize with her pain.
Seeing Ouyang Ye exhausted, remorseful, and in agony, Su Hua's attempts at persuasion failed. In the end, she had to use her divine abilities to soothe Ouyang Ye's spirit. It took several hours before Ouyang Ye finally fell asleep.
That night.
Su Hua stood in the courtyard of Xiao Zhe Manor, her willow-leaf brows furrowed as she gazed at the dark moon in the night sky. Her expression was grave, and her clear eyes seemed filled with many perplexing doubts.
"Miss, what are you thinking about?"
Qian Shan asked.
"I'm wondering why he turned to dust inexplicably beneath the Taixuan Stele three years ago, and also how he returned from death three years later..." Qian Shan opened her mouth but said nothing.
Even Su Hua didn't know the answer to this question, so how could Qian Shan possibly figure it out? Suddenly, she remembered Little Jin'er and said, "Miss, when Jin'er and I first arrived at Xiao Zhe Manor, Jin'er also asked him this question."
"Oh? How did he answer?"
"I remember Gu Qingfeng said that three years ago, when he turned to dust, it was also beyond his control. He said there was a group of Buddhas inside the Taixuan Stele who wanted to kill him."
"Buddhas?"
Hearing this, Su Hua was greatly surprised. "What Buddhas? Buddhas from the Western Heaven?"
"That's right. That's exactly what Gu Qingfeng said at the time. He said those Buddhas were hiding inside the Taixuan Stele, waiting for him."
Buddhas from the Western Heaven hiding inside the Taixuan Stele?
Su Hua clearly remembered that she had thoroughly investigated the Taixuan Stele back then but had found nothing, let alone any Western Heaven Buddhas. How was this possible? Western Heaven Buddhas held transcendent status, comparable to immortals. Why would they be hiding inside the Taixuan Stele for no reason? And why would they want to kill him?
"Gu Qingfeng said the Western Heaven considered him a bad person and feared he might do evil things someday in the future. So, the Western Heaven wanted to seize this opportunity to kill him and eliminate a potential future threat."
"He really said that?"
Qian Shan nodded. Seeing Su Hua's grave expression, Qian Shan asked, "Miss, do you believe these words?"
"I don't know whether I should believe them, but I do know that after the Great Calamity, heaven and earth were reborn, and the Three Thousand Great Daos became unstable. To prevent... certain events from occurring, the Three Thousand Great Daos would sanction those who posed a threat. The Western Heaven is no exception."
After a pause, Su Hua continued, "However, such matters have always been handled by Edict Envoys. The Great Dao Sovereigns would not intervene personally, and the Western Heaven Buddhas would certainly not go to such lengths..." As if remembering something else, Su Hua asked, "And then... was his turning to dust caused by the Western Heaven Buddhas?"
"He didn't say that. Instead, he said..."
"Said what?"
"He said he killed all the Western Heaven Buddhas hiding inside the Taixuan Stele. And to be safe, he also... kidnapped... the Buddha-Lord of the Western Heaven."
Boom!
Su Hua felt as if struck by lightning, her face paling with shock. She asked in astonishment, "What did you say? The Buddha-Lord of the Western Heaven? The Great Sun Tathagata?"
Qian Shan also braced herself and nodded. "Yes, he did claim to have kidnapped the wrathful manifestation of the Great Sun Tathagata."
"Impossible!"
Su Hua shook her head without hesitation. She possessed a Buddhist Edict herself and had some understanding of the Buddhist Dao. She knew all too well what the wrathful manifestation of the Great Sun Tathagata represented. No one could kidnap the wrathful manifestation of the Great Sun Tathagata. Absolutely no one!
"Whether he kidnapped it or not, I don't know. However..." Qian Shan continued, "He did once summon a Buddha statue and told us it was the wrathful manifestation of the Great Sun Tathagata."
"You saw that Buddha statue?"
"I did."
"Was it truly the wrathful manifestation of the Great Sun Tathagata?"
"It probably wasn't, right? The wrathful manifestation of the Great Sun Tathagata is billions of feet tall. How could it be a shabby, old Buddha statue? I don't know if that guy thought I was inexperienced and was trying to fool me... And he also said..."
"Said what else?"
The boasts Gu Qingfeng had made were so outrageous that even Qian Shan felt embarrassed to repeat them. She glanced at Su Hua and said somewhat awkwardly, "He also claimed his abilities reached the heavens, that he had already transcended life and death. He said he could live or die as he pleased, and if he wanted to, he could die eight hundred times a day and still go about his business as usual the next day."
"Nonsense!"