Journey to the West: Signing in for 500 Years-Chapter 274 - 268: Discovering the Host being Challenged by Yang Jian [Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets]_1
In the Buddhist camp, one after another had faces ashen with indignation.
「Luo Jia Mountain.」
Guanyin was also watching the unfolding scene. Her expressionless face caused the numerous disciples of Luo Jia Mountain to hang their heads low, not daring to utter a word. Since Guanyin had returned to Luo Jia Mountain a few years ago, her temper had been rather foul; they certainly didn’t want to incur her wrath. Now that Muzha had fled the battle, lacking bravery and disgracing himself, it could be said that he had thrown away the face of Luo Jia Mountain completely. Guanyin’s inner turmoil was undoubtedly even greater; naturally, they dared not make a sound.
By Guanyin’s side stood another person, one with a status no less than hers. They were brewing and sipping tea together. Seeing Guanyin’s unpleasant expression, this person smiled and said, "Bodhisattva, why let it bother you? Fear of death and clinging to life are common human instincts. Muzha has been frightened out of his wits by Sha Chen, and his flight is quite normal."
Guanyin replied, "Lishan Old Mother is unaware of something: Muzha was representing this humble monk, and now his escape has indeed caused this humble monk great embarrassment."
This person was none other than the widely renowned Lishan Old Mother, one of the four main disciples directly under the Tongtian Hierarch of the Daoist sect. She was also the only disciple of the Tongtian Hierarch to survive the Array of Ten Thousand Immortals intact, preserving the bloodline of the Sect of Interpretation. After the Tongtian Hierarch was taken away by the Daoist Ancestor, Lishan Old Mother took on the care of the Sect of Interpretation, preventing it from fading completely into history. But preserving the Sect of Interpretation was not an easy task. Lishan Old Mother maintained connections with various major sects, including those that harbored enmity against them like the Chan Sect and Daoism, as well as Buddhism. She even had dealings with certain individuals within those sects.
In Buddhism, she had a decent relationship with The Goddness of Mercy. This was primarily because Guanyin was not originally from the Sect of Interpretation before joining Buddhism. Secondly, Guanyin and she had known each other back when the Chan Sect and Sect of Interpretation were considered one family. With this relationship in place, Lishan Old Mother would often seek closer ties with Guanyin. It was only after the Tongtian Hierarch returned that she lessened her visits. However, when Guanyin became the spokesperson for the Journey to the West, Lishan Old Mother started to get close to her again. Her main aim was to partake in the karma, to see if she could recruit some talents for the Sect of Interpretation or gain some benefits. Their relationship could be described as one between gentlemen.
Guanyin’s closeness with Lishan Old Mother, aside from their past relationship, was also to rally external forces to increase her own standing. The Sect of Interpretation was no longer formidable and was not worth fearing, but it was like a centipede that does not fall dead even if beaten. If she could pull Lishan Old Mother over to Buddhism, or recruit the remnants of the Sect of Interpretation, it would be a huge gain for her. Therefore, she never gave up her interactions with Lishan Old Mother. The two could indeed be called ’kindred spirits,’ and often came together to brew tea and discuss the Buddhist Law and Dao Techniques.
Lishan Old Mother advised, "Muzha’s fear of death disgraces only the Li Family. Bodhisattva remains the greatly compassionate The Goddness of Mercy, and will not lose face because of him."
Guanyin’s expression improved somewhat, but she still felt deeply dissatisfied with Muzha. In front of them was a Guanyin Pool, which reflected the situation at the Flowing Sand River. At this moment, Sha Chen had frightened Muzha away, leaving only the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi and Yang Jian unmoved.
Guanyin said, "The reincarnation of Jin Chanzi has truly disappointed me greatly. I never expected that he would attempt to oppose Buddhism time and again. It seems that the Tathagata was right to banish him to the mortal realm; otherwise, if left unchecked, he would eventually bring disaster upon Buddhism."
Lishan Old Mother said, "The reincarnation of Jin Chanzi abandoning Buddhism for Daoism is indeed surprising. However, differing beliefs do not necessarily warrant death. Perhaps letting go might result in unexpected gains."
Guanyin looked deeply at Lishan Old Mother. She is behaving strangely today, actually speaking on behalf of the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi.
「Before.」
To avoid suspicion, Lishan Old Mother never involved herself in matters concerning those on the Journey to the West. Regarding the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi, she always kept silent. But today, she repeatedly made excuses for the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi, even suggesting that Guanyin could let him go.
Let go of the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi? Is that possible? Impossible! The reincarnation of Jin Chanzi is the Tathagata’s disciple—esteemed and noble. He is a key pawn in the Tathagata’s plan to initiate the Journey to the West and solidify his position as the Buddha. If Jin Chanzi can be reformed, who in the future would dare to question the Buddha?
Guanyin asked, "Lishan Old Mother, do you believe Sha Chen will kill the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi?" She chose to avoid any mention of abandoning or giving up, steering the conversation back to the main issue. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚
Lishan Old Mother seemed to speak offhandedly, appearing unconcerned as she smiled faintly. "He probably won’t."
Guanyin said, "Sha Chen has some misunderstandings with Buddhism, having previously killed several of our Arhats and even nearly killed Bodhisattva Manjushri. This time, in a fit of rage, he scared away Muzha; it’s uncertain whether he won’t vent his anger on the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi."
Lishan Old Mother laughed and said, "In that case, wouldn’t it be precisely what Buddhism desires?"
Guanyin also smiled. Indeed. She would love for the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi to die at the Flowing Sand River. If Sha Chen were to kill him, Buddhism would then be justified in launching a full-scale assault on the Flowing Sand River, plunging Sha Chen into the mire. After a round of torment, Sha Chen would have no choice but to kneel and beg for mercy. The current state of Buddhism was somewhat awkward, lacking a solid reason to move against Sha Chen. And as Buddhism planned the Journey to the West, it must prevail with virtue, and even its schemes must be flawless. Punishing without teaching and attacking the Flowing Sand River would not bode well for their reputation, only bringing shame upon Buddhism. But if Sha Chen were to kill those on the quest for the scriptures, the situation would be different. They could then go all out to fill in the Flowing Sand River. The reason would be that Sha Chen disrupted Buddhism’s Journey to the West by killing those on the quest, thereby becoming entangled in karma. Escaping it would not be easy.
Lishan Old Mother said, "However, I still feel that Sha Chen won’t vent his anger on the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi. He wouldn’t even dare show his face."
Guanyin asked, "Because of Yang Jian?"
Lishan Old Mother nodded, while Guanyin furrowed her brows and also nodded with a faint smile. It is very likely.
「Flowing Sand River.」
Sha Chen materialized a phantom image. Watching Muzha leave, he simply furrowed his brow, with no intention of pursuing to kill. After Muzha fled without fighting, he will lose all face from now on. Let alone challenge my authority again, he will probably tremble at the mere mention of my name. Moreover, Muzha probably wouldn’t have the face to appear before others again, making it even less likely he would ever stand before me. My purpose has been achieved. Scaring Muzha off was my original goal. Otherwise, with one more person here, I would feel that much more uneasy. As for venting my anger on Jin Chanzi, that is impossible. The reincarnation of Jin Chanzi has already acknowledged me as his master; he is my man now.
The reincarnation of Jin Chanzi said, "Immortal, could you send us across the river?" Although Muzha had been scared off, his expression remained unchanged.
Sha Chen looked down at the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi and said indifferently, "Seeing that your Primordial Spirit is clear and your vitality is like a dragon, you must be a cultivator. Why don’t you fly across on your own instead of asking me to send you?"
The reincarnation of Jin Chanzi replied, "I previously cultivated Dao Techniques, but they were destroyed by someone. Now I am practicing the Buddhist Law, which is still too shallow to allow me to cross the river."
If it were any ordinary river, with Jin Chanzi’s formidable body, crossing it on a reed would suffice. But the Flowing Sand River is broad and boundless, even birds cannot cross it; the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi truly cannot make it across.
The words he spoke, however, exploded like a bombshell in the ears of many immortals and Buddhas between heaven and earth. Many deities exchanged dismayed glances, a flicker of anger in their eyes. They did not expect that the cultivation of Jin Chanzi’s reincarnation had been destroyed by someone, forcing him to practice Buddhism; this was truly excessive. Nevertheless, they all knew who was behind this, and although they felt contempt, they would not stand up for justice.
On the side of Buddhism, many showed uncomfortable expressions. Although the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi was one of their own, destroying his cultivation and forcing him to convert to their Buddhist Cultivation Techniques was not a good look.
When Guanyin on Luo Jia Mountain heard these words, her face immediately darkened. It was her doing. However, she had not expected her high-pressure tactics to fail in intimidating the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi, who actually dared to make such a statement in public. In the future, my reputation will be tarnished.
Lishan Old Mother sighed and said, "Bodhisattva, why did you have to do this?"
Guanyin replied, "He had already achieved minor success in cultivating Daoism, and his Dao Techniques were remarkable. If they weren’t nullified for him to start over, he would only stray further and further."
Lishan Old Mother said, "However, this way, the Bodhisattva’s reputation will be ruined."
Guanyin remained silent. She hadn’t wanted it this way either. The reputation she had cultivated for many years was now stained because she had destroyed the Dao Techniques of Jin Chanzi’s reincarnation and forced him into Buddhism. In retrospect, it felt like the loss outweighed the gain. Because I feel I haven’t completely pulled the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi into the Buddhist camp; he is still resistant to Buddhism. Otherwise, how could he dare make such a statement in public, and to Sha Chen of all people?
「Flowing Sand River.」
Yang Jian’s eyes held a trace of shock as he looked deeply at the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi.
Sha Chen’s eyes flared with anger. Although he had already guessed it, when the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi calmly stated these words, he was still very angry. The reincarnation of Jin Chanzi is my disciple. Although I brought him here as a shield, he is still my man. To think he was so abused by Guanyin! It is truly hard for me to stomach.
Sha Chen noticed that the scalp of Jin Chanzi’s reincarnation was somewhat rough, looking as if the skin had been turned inside out. He knew that these were the scars left behind after Guanyin had plucked out each of the hairs of Jin Chanzi’s reincarnation. They could have healed, but the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi kept them as a reminder to himself not to forget who had brought him to such a state. Guanyin had not prevented this, as she wished to use this opportunity to warn the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi not to think of escaping Buddhism’s control. Thus, the scars on his scalp always remained. Now, falling into Sha Chen’s eyes, they were so glaring that they ignited an uncontainable rage within him, like a firestorm engulfing a city.
Sha Chen felt he had to see the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi. But with Yang Jian outside, watching intently, I must find a way to bring the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi into the Flowing Sand River. At the same time, I must not arouse suspicion.
As Sha Chen hesitated, unsure how to drive Yang Jian away and bring the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi into the Flowing Sand River, Yang Jian stepped forward. He said, "General for Folding the Curtain, long time no see. Do you still recognize this lord?"
Sha Chen said, "Erlang Zhenjun is so striking, it would be hard for me to forget you."
Yang Jian smiled and said, "I wonder if this lord might have the opportunity to enter the Flowing Sand River Cave and share a drink with the General for Folding the Curtain? And then, during this occasion, you and I can have a good exchange of our mana, what do you say?"
"Discovery: The host has been challenged to an exchange of mana by the Grand Destiny Carrier, Erlang God Yang Jian. You have the following choices."
