Journey to the West: Signing in for 500 Years-Chapter 252 - 246 Discussion on Chang E and Jade Rabbit [Seeking Subscription, Seeking Monthly Pass]_1
Sha Chen finally managed to cheer up the Jade Rabbit.
This girl finally relented and, in high spirits, came over to hand over what she had obtained.
With a wave of her hand, she summoned a towering Wutong tree that blocked out the sun, and on which there was a nest full of bird eggs.
The Wutong tree had spirit; upon appearing, it automatically rooted itself in the Innate Earth. The Formation that concealed the Innate Earth also dispersed, and upon seeing the Innate Spiritual Roots and various elixirs inside, the Jade Rabbit was dumbfounded.
Even Chang E was stunned. She had initially thought Sha Chen was very poor, but now it seemed that he possessed immense wealth.
The Jade Rabbit exclaimed, "General, how do you have so many good things? You even lied to me, saying you had no resources left!"
In the Innate Earth were planted osmanthus trees, flat peach trees, and willow trees, as well as a thousand first-class Elixirs. With such wealth, even an ordinary Quasi-Saint couldn’t compare to Sha Chen’s riches. If Sha Chen still claimed he was poor, then who could truly be considered wealthy?
The Jade Rabbit pouted, wanting to take all those elixirs back. But since she had already presented them, there was no taking them back now. Without a word, Sha Chen simply collected all the numerous chests of heavenly materials and earthly treasures. Then he consoled her, "Yu Er, look, are the Elixirs in the ground even ripe? None of them are. They’re all immature. Who knows how many years or months it will take for them to mature? Can I afford to wait that long?"
Still pouting, the Jade Rabbit felt there was some truth to this.
Chang E also came to her senses. She remembered that when she first arrived, she had seen flat peach trees and osmanthus trees, but this time they were gone; Sha Chen had hidden them. However, as Sha Chen said, the Elixirs in the ground were indeed not ripe, and Sha Chen did need more resources. Otherwise, it would be like a property owner waiting for demolition compensation; they might seem to have assets but are actually dirt poor.
Sha Chen had to use all his persuasive skills to finally placate the Jade Rabbit.
Afterwards, looking at the sky-obscuring Wutong tree, he smiled contentedly. Going over and glancing at the nest, his eyes flickered with a sharp light. "Yu Er, are these Phoenix eggs?"
The Jade Rabbit said, "Yes. It is said that this Wutong tree originally housed a Qing Luan fire phoenix. They left behind three Phoenix eggs. It has been over a hundred thousand years, and they have not yet hatched."
Sha Chen’s eyes shone. "Over a hundred thousand years? So, they contain infinite Divine Power and vitality? If fried and eaten, they could perhaps enhance immense Divine Power."
The Jade Rabbit turned pale with shock, hurriedly leaping in front of the Wutong tree, spreading her arms wide and puffing out her small chest protectively. She said anxiously, "General, Phoenix eggs are so adorable, how could you eat them?"
Sha Chen’s face twitched. Eating her wouldn’t provide any nutrition, but Phoenix eggs contain boundless Divine Power.
Chang E’s heart softened as well. "Yes, brother, Phoenix eggs are very rare. To have three is a great stroke of fortune. Eating them would be a loss for the heavens and the earth."
Sha Chen said, "There’d be no loss. They would just exist in another form, that’s all."
Chang E said, "But still, brother, that would be too cruel."
The Jade Rabbit nodded furiously, stepped forward, and grabbed Sha Chen’s hand, pleading, "General, please, don’t eat them! If you must eat something, eat me!"
There’s certainly a difference in value, but I am a respectable man.
Sha Chen snorted coldly. A painted skeleton, trying to sway my Dao heart?
In the end, he did not eat the Phoenix eggs. After all, the Jade Rabbit had brought them back, and he had to respect her decision. Even if I were to eat them, I’d wait until she left.
Sha Chen then became quite busy, so much so that he even forgot to ask Chang E what Maitreya Buddha had said to the Jade Emperor. He was busy picking Wutong leaves, which were excellent for making Dao Enlightenment Tea. Fortunately, he had the Panlong Alchemy Furnace and the Nine-dragon Divine Fire Cover, and he knew how to use the Samadhi True Fire, forged with the Imperial Gods’ Thunder. The Dao Enlightenment Tea he roasted was simply top-grade.
Sha Chen roasted hundreds of pounds of Dao Enlightenment Tea, storing away the majority and setting aside a small portion for tasting. He also took out a pound to be divided between the Jade Rabbit and Chang E for them to take back and slowly enjoy. Sha Chen considered himself quite generous. After all, Chang E had come empty-handed this time, and he had even prepared Dao Enlightenment Tea for her. Who could be more generous than him?
Sha Chen had picked a good portion of the Wutong leaves, leaving the tree looking somewhat sparse, like the thinning hair on a middle-aged man’s head. Eventually, he resisted the urge to pick more for making Dao Enlightenment Immortal Pills. He would wait until more grew back before considering it further.
Moreover, cultivating under the Wutong tree made Dao comprehension easier and was incredibly effective for studying the Three Pure Ones Taoism and Divine Power cultivation techniques. The Wutong tree, much like the Taiqing Colored Glaze Cup, had the effect of clearing confusion and showing the way. Combined, their effects doubled.
Sha Chen even considered using branches of the Wutong tree to make charcoal and then lighting it inside the Taiqing Colored Glaze Cup. If I basked in that light for Dao comprehension, wouldn’t the effects increase exponentially?
In the end, he did not attempt it. After all, it’s better to have regular meals than one big feast that leaves you hungry later.
Only after roasting the Dao Enlightenment Tea did Sha Chen cover the Phoenix eggs with some Innate Earth and a few leaves, illuminating them with the light from the Taiqing Colored Glaze Cup. Now, the Taiqing Colored Glaze Cup was not only used for Sha Chen’s cultivation but also acted like a sun, providing light and warmth to the Elixirs and Immortal Herbs in both the Innate Earth and the Post-Heaven Earth, making them grow even better.
Once all this was settled, and Sha Chen had confirmed that the Jade Rabbit wasn’t holding anything else back, he joined them for a good meal.
「When the wine had warmed their spirits」
Sha Chen again brought up the matter of the Jade Emperor and Maitreya Buddha.
As they discussed serious matters, both Sha Chen and Chang E’s expressions turned somber, while the Jade Rabbit listened quietly. She frequently lifted her wine cup to her lips without drinking, simply staring at Sha Chen. It was as if Sha Chen were a delicacy she was savoring with her wine.
But the wine doesn’t intoxicate; it’s the person who becomes intoxicated by their own feelings. The Jade Rabbit, entranced, held her cup unsteadily; she even forgot to swallow the wine that entered her mouth, letting it trickle down from the corners of her lips and dampen her clothes. Yet she didn’t care. At times she would giggle foolishly, then smile shyly, then laugh coquettishly, and sometimes she would even frown.
As Sha Chen conversed with Chang E, the Jade Rabbit’s gaze made him feel extremely uncomfortable. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢
Sha Chen muttered to himself, Is my physical body not strong enough, or am I not tough enough? Why do I get goosebumps when she looks at me like that? He contemplated throwing the Jade Rabbit out of Flowing Sand River.
But to cast her aside right after she’d been helpful? To expect her to bring more resources next time would be pure fantasy. He could only endure it.
Chang E just pressed her hand to her forehead, feeling utterly embarrassed. This rabbit completely disregarded her as her mistress and was even more infatuated than she was. How mortifying.
She quickly changed the subject. "Maitreya Buddha went to see the Jade Emperor, mainly to discuss your situation, brother. Apparently, Lingjiu Mountain has already entrusted Maitreya Buddha with the task of converting you to Buddhism."
Sha Chen’s expression turned grave. "What are Maitreya Buddha’s plans?"
Chang E replied, "He met with the Jade Emperor and clarified many matters concerning Buddhism. He also mentioned that Jin Chanzi abandoned Buddhism to follow Daoism, causing an uproar within Buddhism. Tathagata has given Guanyin full authority to handle it, including finding Daoist Hanshan, the one who led Jin Chanzi to cultivate Daoism, and eliminating him. He hopes for the Jade Emperor’s cooperation.
"Beyond that, it concerns you, brother. Maitreya Buddha intends to convert you, so he informed the Jade Emperor in advance to prevent any misunderstandings."
Chang E continued, "Brother, I never imagined the Jade Emperor would be willing to give you up. But it was only after my repeated pleas that he agreed to betroth Lady Bai Huaxiu to you. If you accepted, you wouldn’t need to convert to Buddhism. What a pity."
However, Sha Chen just chuckled. "Not a pity at all. For me to marry Bai Huaxiu? That’s impossible."
CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!
The Jade Rabbit applauded, tears of emotion welling in her eyes. "General, you’re truly great! Bai Huaxiu is not worthy of you at all! Her wanting to marry you is pure wishful thinking!"
Sha Chen nodded, for once agreeing with the Jade Rabbit. Chang E, however, gave a bitter smile and shook her head. "But brother, if you married her, you could return to the Heavenly Court and wouldn’t have to worry about converting to Buddhism anymore."
Sha Chen laughed. "Why would I return to Heaven? I’m free and at ease here. I eat when I want, sleep when I want, and cultivate peacefully all day. Sipping fine wine, enjoying tasty dishes, soaking in a nice bath—isn’t that comfortable? Isn’t that delightful? Return to Heaven? To be someone’s dog?"
He shook his head, his face full of contempt. "Become someone’s dog, and you’ll eventually be kicked aside. Today, the Jade Emperor wants me back in Heaven as his dog. Tomorrow, he could just as easily give me away to someone else, or serve me up like dog meat on a chopping block."
Hearing this, Chang E broke out in a cold sweat. "Brother, aren’t you being a bit too extreme? The Jade Emperor might not think that way. He genuinely values your talent, potential, and character."
Sha Chen laughed. "I followed him for tens of thousands of years, and he kicked me out just like that, all because of the Liuli Lamp. If he pulls me back this time, what do you think will be the pretext for kicking me out next time?"
Chang E fell silent for a long while before finally nodding deeply. Frowning, she said, "If that’s the case, it’s indeed not worth returning to the Jade Emperor’s side. But staying here isn’t safe either." After some thoughtful consideration, she added, "Brother, let me suggest a good place for you. Why not stay at Guanghan Palace? Few would dare to enter my Guanghan Palace."
Sha Chen chuckled. "Thank you for your kindness, sister, but Guanghan Palace is even less safe than my Flowing Sand River." He was serious. People don’t dare go to Guanghan Palace, not because its defenses are strong, but purely because there’s a widow there, and they’re afraid of ruining their reputations. If he went to Guanghan Palace, its reputation would be ruined, and then they’d come flocking.
Chang E felt somewhat dejected as Sha Chen rejected her suggestions one after another. But she also knew that Sha Chen was right. This place truly seemed the safest. A million celestial soldiers and generals had surrounded it, yet they couldn’t do anything to Sha Chen—how could it not be safe!?
Sha Chen noticed Chang E’s spirits dipping. I can’t let this informant from the Heavenly Court become disheartened.
So he said, "Let’s not talk about these things for now. As for how Maitreya Buddha plans to deal with me, we can only respond to his moves as they come. Instead, sister, it’s your cultivation. Many years have passed, yet you’ve made no progress?"
Chang E was still at the peak of the Greater Primordial Golden Immortal realm and hadn’t broken through, which indeed disappointed Sha Chen a little.
Chang E’s face flushed. "Thank you for your concern, brother. I have neglected my cultivation over the years. After leaving Flowing Sand River, I had no one to guide me, so my cultivation stagnated."
Sha Chen nodded. "Alright then. Since you’re here, I’ll teach you a few things. You can reach the Daluo Golden Immortal Realm before you leave."
Chang E immediately beamed with joy.
The Jade Rabbit also jumped up. "General, what about me? What about me? I want to learn from you too! I want to become stronger so I can gather more resources for you, General!"
Sha Chen patted her head. This girl really had some sense and lofty aspirations. Worth teaching, worth praising.
