Journey to the West: Signing in for 500 Years-Chapter 281 - 275 Guang Chengzi Wants to Accept Sha Chen as Disciple [Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets]_1
Outside the Flowing Sand River.
In front of the wooden hut Yang Jian himself had built, he was dressed entirely like a villager, with an axe on his back, a bow and arrows, and hunted game in hand, while a black Chinese rural dog lay beside him.
A man approached the door—he was spirited, clad in black battle armor, with a crown that pointed to the heavens, much like Lü Bu—the Chief Deity of Taisui Department, Yin Jiao.
Yin Jiao arrived at the wooden hut. Behind him was the vast expanse of the Flowing Sand River, with the breeze blowing as if near the sea.
Yet this place was peculiar; aside from Yang Jian’s wooden hut, the entire riverbank for a hundred miles was desolate mountains and wilderness, empty of human life.
Upon Yin Jiao’s arrival, the Roaring Sky Dog stood up and bared its teeth at him.
Yin Jiao chuckled. "Roaring Sky Dog, I am a real person, don’t bite me."
Yang Jian smiled. "Xiao Tian, prepare some tea. I’ll make a fire and cook to welcome my Senior Brother and wash away the dust from his journey."
The Roaring Sky Dog transformed into a tall, thin man with small mustaches, stooping as he went to prepare the tea.
Yin Jiao seated himself at the stone table outside the door, took a sip of tea, and then watched Yang Jian handling his game.
He laughed. "Erlang, you truly are in a good mood. Facing such a formidable enemy, yet you still have the heart to fiddle with your hunted game."
Yang Jian replied, "Senior Brother, you jest. I have no enemies."
Yin Jiao said, "Aren’t you here to deal with Sha Chen? Isn’t he your enemy now?"
Yang Jian was roasting a rabbit and preparing a chicken, and he also meticulously cleaned a wild boar leg.
He said earnestly, "Senior Brother, you jest again. I am kind to others and never harbor enmity. The General for Folding the Curtain is a demoted officer of the Heavenly Court and hasn’t committed any evil here. I merely wish to exchange pointers with him."
Yin Jiao shook his head with a smile. Yang Jian was like that, very earnest when he got serious. However, he didn’t quite believe Yang Jian’s words. If it was merely to exchange pointers with Sha Chen, did he need to borrow the Seal of Fanning the sky from his master?
Moreover, Yin Jiao had heard that, just over a month ago, Yang Jian had a brief encounter with Sha Chen. Although there wasn’t a direct confrontation, it could still be considered an exchange of moves.
Yang Jian also wanted to infiltrate the other’s cave dwelling. To say there was no enmity—probably only Yang Jian himself would claim such a thing.
Soon, Yang Jian served the game on the table, along with some wild vegetables and his treasured wine. He heated the wine and invited Yin Jiao to dine.
The Roaring Sky Dog transformed back into a rural dog and lay down at Yang Jian’s feet.
Yin Jiao said, "I didn’t expect Junior Brother to have such culinary skills. Living at Guanjiangkou seems very pleasant; no wonder you’re not eager to ascend to Heaven for your divine enthronement."
Yang Jian replied, "Heaven is filled with deception and strife; I disdain to partake in it."
Yin Jiao said, "Your mother is imprisoned in abysmal conditions. I’m afraid you’ll need to accumulate virtues; not ascending to Heaven might not be an option for you."
Yang Jian fell silent for a moment, then said, "This time, it’s the greatest merit."
Yin Jiao was startled for a moment.
A flash of shock crossed his eyes. Turning his head, he looked towards the Flowing Sand River, silent for a while.
No wonder, he thought, nodding inwardly. Indeed, he was ordered by the Jade Emperor to come here and force Sha Chen out of the water. The Jade Emperor must have promised him something.
Yin Jiao’s eyes gleamed as he turned and asked, "Junior Brother, has the Jade Emperor promised you anything?"
Yang Jian took a sip of wine, hesitated for a moment, and finally revealed, "Just so Senior Brother knows, the Jade Emperor wishes for me to force Sha Chen out of the Flowing Sand River, or trap him in it, pushing him into a dead end, and has promised to release my mother after three hundred years."
Yin Jiao sighed. "And you believe him?"
Yang Jian’s body trembled. He took another sip of wine, finding it exceedingly bitter.
He believed it.
He had to believe, for those were the Jade Emperor’s words, and he had no other option but to trust.
Yin Jiao said, "Over two hundred years ago, when the Jade Emperor had you deal with Sun Wukong, he also made a promise, didn’t he? Did he fulfill it?"
Yang Jian was reminded of more than two hundred years ago, when Sun Wukong wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace and then descended to become a demon, calling himself The Great Sage Equal to Heaven. The Jade Emperor had promised him that if he captured Sun Wukong, his mother would be released after a hundred years.
He did it; he captured Sun Wukong.
But more than two hundred years had passed, the promised century long gone, yet the Jade Emperor never mentioned it again.
Every time Yang Jian sought the Jade Emperor and brought up the issue, he was turned away at the gate.
Yet every time the Jade Emperor had a problem he couldn’t solve and asked Yang Jian for help, Yang Jian would also refuse several times. In the end, however, he was unable to resist the Jade Emperor’s promises and would agree.
This was his vulnerability, a point of leverage that left him helpless.
Yang Jian hoped that one day he could free his mother. Even though he knew the Jade Emperor might have deceived him, he still sought out every possible way to strive for it.
At the very least, he could see his mother more often.
A long time ago, he didn’t even have the right to see his mother—it was only after accumulating much merit that he gained the privilege of visits.
Even so, the Jade Emperor rarely gave them, mother and son, the opportunity to meet.
It was only after defeating Sun Wukong more than two hundred years ago that he had been allowed a few meetings with her, and nothing more.
Yang Jian didn’t truly believe that the Jade Emperor would fulfill this promise, but apart from believing, he had no alternative.
Even if the chance was slim, he had to try.
Yin Jiao asked, "Junior Brother, in just two hundred years, Sha Chen has advanced from being a True Immortal to the cultivation level of a Daluo Golden Immortal, his cultivation not inferior to mine. What do you think of his future?"
Before arriving, Yin Jiao had made it a point to understand Sha Chen.
Especially since Yang Jian had contacted him by a spiritual bird a month prior to borrow the Seal of Fanning the sky, he had particularly mentioned some details about Sha Chen.
When competing for Jin Chanzi before, Yang Jian had already noticed that Sha Chen’s cultivation had reached the High Order of Daluo Golden Immortal.
Though not as strong as Yang Jian, to have grown so much in just two hundred years, his strength was heaven-shaking and earth-shattering.
With unparalleled talent, his future was boundless.
He fully deserved the reputation as the foremost prodigy since the Divine Enthronement. Compared to Sha Chen, Sun Wukong was nothing much.
Yang Jian glanced at Yin Jiao and, instead of answering, counter-asked, "Senior Brother seems quite interested in the Great General for Folding the Curtain. Why concern yourself with his prospects?"
Yin Jiao said, "To be honest, Sha Chen knows the 72 Polymorphic Transformations and the Eight-Nine Profound Art, as well as the Imperial Gods’ Thunder—all of which are Divine Powers of our Chan Sect. He can also wield the Samadhi True Fire. With so many Divine Powers in his grasp and so many Magical Tools at his disposal, who wouldn’t be interested in him?"
Yang Jian looked deeply at Yin Jiao. "I’m afraid it’s not just Senior Brother who’s interested. Uncle-Master Guang Chengzi must also be quite interested in the General for Folding the Curtain."
Yin Jiao smiled. "You’re right. Ever since our Master achieved full merit after surviving the great calamity of the Divine Enthronement, he has rarely concerned himself with external affairs. But upon hearing your report, he took a great interest in Sha Chen."
Guang Chengzi is interested in Sha Chen? Yang Jian chuckled, offering neither confirmation nor denial.
He then said, "So, what does Uncle-Master think of the General for Folding the Curtain?"
Yin Jiao said, "Master thinks highly of Sha Chen and, if possible, hopes that Junior Brother can show him some mercy."
Yang Jian fell silent.
「Within the Flowing Sand River Cave.」
Sha Chen had been listening to the conversation between Yang Jian and Yin Jiao, who had not attempted to conceal their words.
White Bone Demon and Jin Chanzi could also hear, and they looked at Sha Chen with envious eyes.
The reincarnated Jin Chanzi said, "Disciple has also heard of the Great Immortal Guang Chengzi. I didn’t expect him to regard Master so highly, even personally instructing his disciple to speak on Master’s behalf."
White Bone Demon added excitedly, "Yes, Master! If we could cozy up to Great Immortal Guang Chengzi, maybe we could contend with Buddhism and the Heavenly Court, and not have to live so frugally and miserably."
Yet Sha Chen was troubled. "How does Guang Chengzi know my name too?"
White Bone Demon said, "Isn’t that a good thing? At least he’s speaking up for Master."
Sha Chen shook his head. "I wanted to keep a low profile, yet now everyone knows of me. What am I to do?"
White Bone Demon fell silent for a long while before saying, "Master, if people of the world heard you say that, they’d probably want to beat you to death." It was truly an outrageous sentiment.
So many desired fame and recognition, but Sha Chen wished not to be known at all.
Others knowing his name caused him not delight but distress. Yet it was precisely because Sha Chen’s sincerity was so evident—he genuinely did not want others to know of him; it wasn’t an affectation.
Sha Chen said, "Even Guang Chengzi knows my name now and has even taken the initiative to ask Yang Jian to be lenient with me. Do you think that’s a good thing?"
White Bone Demon asked, "Isn’t it?"
The reincarnated Jin Chanzi said, "Great Immortal Guang Chengzi is a good person."
Sha Chen chuckled. "Perhaps. But I don’t think it’s good news. Firstly, I don’t want to owe anyone favors. Secondly, I think he has ulterior motives."
White Bone Demon and the reincarnated Jin Chanzi were perplexed.
How could it be bad if someone was speaking well of you?
Sha Chen shook his head; he understood the people of the Chan Sect all too well, especially the likes of the twelve Golden Immortals of Chan, such as Guang Chengzi.
During the Apocalypse Epoch, they descended from their mountains in droves to gather disciples, not out of kindness or a desire to teach.
They did it purely to use their disciples as shields against the great calamity, to avoid being caught in the deadly tribulations themselves.
In the end, they were doing the same kind of thing as Sha Chen—looking for a shield.
Therefore, Sha Chen understood that when Guang Chengzi suddenly made his statement, it wasn’t for Sha Chen’s benefit or out of consideration for him.
It was purely because he didn’t want to see Buddhism grow powerful, nor did he want the Heavenly Court to successfully woo enough Buddhist adherents.
Guang Chengzi’s thoughts were the same as the Matchmaker’s; they both aimed to disrupt Buddhism’s great enterprise of fetching the scriptures.
However, Guang Chengzi’s approach differed somewhat from the Matchmaker’s. The Matchmaker was more radical, wishing to kill Sha Chen to stop the journey altogether.
Guang Chengzi, on the other hand, wanted to protect Sha Chen, perhaps even intending to recruit him.
If such a talent couldn’t be killed, he had to be won over.
Should Sha Chen join the Chan Sect, he wouldn’t partake in the scripture-fetching journey. This would thwart Buddhism’s calculations while strengthening the Chan Sect—why wouldn’t they do it?
Killing Sha Chen was the best option for them; recruiting him was the most difficult.
But both were methods to achieve their aim.
Guang Chengzi and the Matchmaker had simply chosen different methods.
However, Sha Chen had discerned their intentions and naturally had no intention of siding with them.
Yin Jiao, looking at Yang Jian, said, "If possible, I hope Junior Brother can be lenient. Sha Chen is an exceptionally rare talent."
He tapped on the table, saying no more, but everything was conveyed in his silence.
