Journey to the West: Signing in for 500 Years-Chapter 249 - 243: Jade Emperor Arranges Marriage, Sha Chen Resists and Disobeys [Subscription and Monthly Ticket Requested]_1

Chapter 249: Chapter 243: Jade Emperor Arranges Marriage, Sha Chen Resists and Disobeys [Subscription and Monthly Ticket Requested]_1

Withdraw the troops? Grant marriage?

Sha Chen was stunned.

All the immortals were also bewildered, including Li Jing and the others, who were also somewhat taken aback and slow to react. This was a situation they were all unaware of; as soon as the Matchmaker arrived, he had simply read out the imperial decree.

Or rather, it wasn’t a decree. It was more like a command, and not even a direct command, but one conveyed through the Matchmaker’s words.

The expressions on the faces of the crowd were spectacular, but none could compare to the kaleidoscope of emotions playing across Li Jing’s. What happened today utterly exceeded his imagination, things he had not anticipated at all. Regarding the Jade Emperor’s decree, he had received no prior news, not even the slightest hint. He was, after all, the Demon Subduing and Magic Suppressing Grand Marshal of a million celestial soldiers and generals, the commander-in-chief for the campaign against Sha Chen.

Yet, he learned of Sha Chen’s pacification and the order to withdraw troops at the same time as everyone else.

Inconceivable. Utterly beyond understanding, and unacceptable.

Before anyone else could voice their thoughts, Li Jing quickly pulled the Matchmaker aside and whispered, "Martial Uncle, what is going on? Why does His Majesty the Jade Emperor issue such a decree, and I am not informed?" 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

The Matchmaker glanced at him and said indifferently, "King Li, you’d better address me by my official title. I am no longer your Martial Uncle."

Originally, they both came from the same lineage: disciples and grand-disciples of Lord Yuan Shi from the Chan Sect. The Matchmaker was even a direct disciple, while Li Jing was a third-generation disciple.

Li Jing, however, was a disciple of Vice Master Taoist Ran Deng, who had abandoned Daoism for Buddhism. As a result, Taoist Ran Deng’s disciples were nearly all expelled from the Chan Sect. Although Li Jing never admitted he had left the Chan Sect, and always presented himself as its disciple, many people, in reality, had already categorized him as part of the Buddhist faction. Besides his master being Ran Deng Buddha, his two sons also had deep connections with Buddhism.

The main reason Li Jing could still maintain some semblance of dignity was that his son Nezha was a disciple of Immortal Taiyi, and thus a third-generation disciple of the Chan Sect. This was how Li Jing managed to retain the dignity of a third-generation Chan Sect disciple. This dignity wasn’t substantial, however, as Chan Sect members wouldn’t acknowledge him. Nevertheless, he could present himself as a disciple of either the Chan Sect or Buddhism, depending on his needs.

Li Jing had not expected the Matchmaker to publicly reject his attempt to leverage their shared lineage at this moment, leaving him feeling quite awkward. At the same time, he also understood that with the impending Journey to the West catastrophe, Chan Sect members were becoming increasingly antagonistic towards Buddhism. He had recently grown very close to Buddhism. Even though he repeatedly emphasized that he remained a Chan Sect disciple despite his master’s conversion to Buddhism, it couldn’t change the perception of his disloyalty and estrangement held by everyone in the Chan Sect.

Li Jing hurriedly said, "Lord of the Moon, may I ask why His Majesty the Jade Emperor would issue such an order? This humble Marshal received no news of it whatsoever?"

The Matchmaker laughed, a strange expression on his face, and said, "King Li, is His Majesty the Jade Emperor supposed to report his orders to you? Or perhaps, does he need your approval to make decisions?"

Li Jing was startled. The Matchmaker’s words were devastatingly incisive.

He quickly replied, "Lord of the Moon, you jest. I just feel... I just feel that His Majesty the Jade Emperor’s command is somewhat improper. Why didn’t anyone try to prevent it?"

The Matchmaker chuckled. "King Li, His Majesty the Jade Emperor’s commands are his pronouncements. Naturally, no one would interfere with his words. Conversely, King Li, who do you think ought to prevent the commands of His Majesty the Jade Emperor?"

Li Jing was truly frightened. The Matchmaker’s words were barbed, and every sentence struck a nerve. He was struggling to respond, looking left and right, only to see the odd expressions on the faces of Lu Xiong, Wang Lingguan, and others, their expressions seeming tinged with mockery.

Luo Xuan, who had ceased his pursuit of Red Boy, was also present, an equally mocking expression on his face.

Li Jing understood. Perhaps Sha Chen’s earlier words had taken effect. Even if the Jade Emperor knew Sha Chen was trying to sow discord, he would rather believe it to be true than dismiss it as false.

An emperor’s heart is the most difficult to fathom.

Li Jing had come under the Jade Emperor’s suspicion; at the very least, the Jade Emperor harbored reservations about him. No emperor would be pleased to see a subject attain such high status and power that they overshadow the ruler, to the point where people only know the subject and not the emperor!

The Jade Emperor still needed Li Jing; otherwise, he would have already taken action against him.

Li Jing was alarmed. Realizing the crux of the matter, he decided he needed to keep a low profile for the time being and cling even tighter to the coattails of Buddhism.

The Chan Sect was unreliable. He could only have his youngest son, Nezha, maintain that connection, while he and his other two sons would firmly align with Buddhism. This way, they wouldn’t be left isolated and without support if one faction collapsed.

Yet, Li Jing also felt aggrieved. He couldn’t accept it. This decree from the Jade Emperor was utterly baffling and seemed specifically aimed at him. He had been besieging the Flowing Sand River for over three years. Withdrawing troops now would mean all their previous efforts had been in vain. Moreover, the impact of the theft at the White Horse Camp Store had been minimized; a sudden withdrawal now would cause the repercussions he had painstakingly suppressed to erupt instantly.

Everyone would speculate whether the promises Li Jing made could not be fulfilled, whether his claims of resolving the White Horse Camp Store incident were deceitful. Regardless of their reasoning, if his subordinates let their imaginations run wild, then his, Li Jing’s, authority would be swept into the dust.

Li Jing wanted to offer further explanations but suddenly felt somewhat despondent. He knew. Most likely, the Jade Emperor distrusted him and had calculated that ordering him to withdraw troops at this precise moment was intended to diminish his prestige within the army. It was a reprimand, and also a warning for him not to engage in petty scheming in the future.

Having understood this, Li Jing’s heart turned cold.

He hesitated for a moment, clasped his fists, and said, "This Marshal accepts the decree. Effective immediately, we shall withdraw our forces back to Heaven to report to His Majesty the Jade Emperor."

The Matchmaker nodded. "That’s right, King Li. Remember, the Three Realms belong to the Lord of the Three Realms, not to your Li Family."

Startled, Li Jing’s hand trembled. He hastily said, "Lord of the Moon, this is Sha Chen’s attempt to sow discord! That statement is pure slander! I... I... this junior would never harbor such thoughts. The Li Family is merely a very small clan."

The Matchmaker chuckled noncommittally.

He then ignored the dejected Li Jing, his gaze turning to the Flowing Sand River below, his brow furrowed.

"The decree has been issued. Why hasn’t Sha Chen surfaced to receive it and then follow me back to Heaven to express his gratitude? This is utterly disrespectful!"

All the immortals remained silent.

After a long pause, Wang Lingguan said, "We’ve been surrounding the Flowing Sand River for quite some time. Perhaps Sha Chen is highly wary of us, or distrusts us. His non-appearance wouldn’t be unusual."

The Matchmaker said, "Could it be that I, the Matchmaker, would deceive him?"

He was on the verge of saying something harsher. He held no goodwill towards Sha Chen and was, in fact, trying every means to sabotage any potential relationship between Sha Chen and Buddhism. The best way would be to cripple or kill Sha Chen, thereby extinguishing any hopes Buddhism might have.

However, Wang Lingguan had clearly received a secret decree from the Jade Emperor and was utterly loyal to him; he would absolutely not allow anyone to jeopardize the Jade Emperor’s plans. He hurriedly said, "Lord of the Moon, we indeed went too far previously—condemning without teaching and wronging him. To now say everything is fine and expect him to believe it... anyone else in his position wouldn’t readily trust us, let alone someone as inherently suspicious as Sha Chen!"

The Matchmaker snorted coldly. "Is he inherently suspicious, or is he doubting my, the Matchmaker’s, credibility?"

The others remained silent.

Wang Lingguan always felt the Matchmaker’s tone was sarcastic. Targeting Li Jing was one thing, but if he disrupted the Jade Emperor’s plans, Wang Lingguan would definitely not let this old fellow off the hook. He said, "Lord of the Moon, if your words cause Sha Chen to refuse pacification and decline to ascend to Heaven to express his gratitude, I fear your culpability will be no less than King Li’s."

The Matchmaker flew into a rage. "What do you mean by that?"

Wang Lingguan chuckled. "It means nothing. I just hope the Lord of the Moon will convey the order as is, without injecting any personal feelings."

The Matchmaker’s face turned somewhat grim, having been so bluntly called out by Wang Lingguan. He snorted coldly but dared not go too far. After all, Wang Lingguan often acted as the Jade Emperor’s representative, his sword, empowered to strike down anyone according to the Jade Emperor’s will.

Li Jing frowned. Wang Lingguan’s words had implicated him, and even asserted his fault. Was this Wang Lingguan’s own intention, or the Jade Emperor’s? He now felt somewhat panicked, as well as anxious and worried.

Only Luo Xuan and Lu Xiong remained composed, even exchanging smiles, seeing the amusement in each other’s eyes. They hailed from the same lineage. Although both had left the Sect of Interpretation, they would still stand together when dealing with outsiders. At least for now, they were quite pleased to witness the disputes and entanglements among Wang Lingguan, the Matchmaker, and Li Jing. The more these three became entangled, the happier Luo Xuan and Lu Xiong were.

At that moment, Chang E stepped forward and said, "Matchmaker, and all esteemed Lords, His Majesty the Jade Emperor’s decree is paramount. Let us prioritize conveying it."

The Matchmaker said, "Sha Chen is inherently vigilant and exceedingly cautious. He’s unwilling to come out to receive the decree. I, the Matchmaker, am truly at a loss. Fairy, since you’ve accompanied us and mentioned you could help, please do step forward and lend us your voice."

Chang E glared at the Matchmaker. Only after confirming that this old reprobate wasn’t teasing her did she retract her gaze. She curtsied gracefully, then stepped before the crowd and announced clearly, "General for Folding the Curtain, I am Chang E, the Tai Yin Star Monarch from Guanghan Palace. I wish to request your presence for a discussion."

Upon hearing Chang E’s words, everyone laughed.

Li Jing said, "Fairy Chang E, there’s no need to waste your words. Calling out like that won’t make him appear."

Wang Lingguan also nodded. "Indeed. Sha Chen is exceedingly cautious. He won’t emerge so easily."

The Matchmaker also chuckled. "Indeed, Sha Chen is like a cowhide lantern—it won’t light up unless you strike it, and he’s not easily lit. Fairy, you are likely wasting your breath."

However, at this moment, the waters of the Flowing Sand River suddenly began to churn, and the entire Flowing Sand River Cave trembled violently.

HUM.

A pillar of light shot skyward, piercing Yunxiao. Then, the light dissipated, revealing a phantom silhouette—it was Sha Chen.

All the immortals were dumbfounded. Sha Chen had actually responded! How could he? It seemed impossible! How could such a cautious individual emerge simply because of Fairy Chang E’s words?

Li Jing was dumbfounded. Wang Lingguan was dumbfounded. The Matchmaker was dumbfounded. All the immortals were dumbfounded.

Only Chang E smiled. A smile touched her lips, her eyes glistening with tears. Brother Sha Chen still cares for me. Besides me, no one else can move him.

Sha Chen’s figure appeared. He glanced at Chang E, then at Wang Lingguan, the Matchmaker, and the others, his brow furrowing.

"Why all the commotion today? What has happened?"

The Matchmaker relayed the order once more and then said, "Sha Chen, prepare yourself quickly and accompany me to Heaven to offer your thanks."

Then, he made to turn and leave.

Sha Chen replied without a moment’s hesitation, "I refuse."