Journey to the West: Signing in for 500 Years-Chapter 302 - 296: Your Master, Tongtian Hierarch, Wants to Take Me as His Disciple【Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets】_1
Fairy Bixiao was suddenly baffled. She had intended to threaten Sha Chen with a few choice words, but a single sentence from him nearly made her choke.
Sha Chen looked at her and emphasized again, "Fairy Bixiao, it seems you’ve misunderstood. Although I refused to join the Sect of Interpretation, I also rejected Buddhism."
Yunyao was baffled too. The two exchanged glances, seeing the utter confusion in each other’s eyes.
Yunyao said, "But, but, but the Buddhists want you for the Journey to the West. You must be aware of that."
Sha Chen nodded. "I am aware, yes."
Yunyao said, "If you know, then that’s wrong." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢
Sha Chen replied, "Fairy, that’s unreasonable. My awareness of this matter demonstrates my intelligence; my refusal, however, reflects my stance."
Yunyao was confused. She was truly baffled, momentarily unsure of what to do. Sha Chen’s point was clear and logical, leaving her unable to rebut or respond.
Their primary goal, after all, wasn’t truly to recruit Sha Chen. Instead, it was to prevent him from joining Buddhism and stop this exceptional talent from bolstering their power. In short, they were there to wreak havoc. However, along the way, Chen Sha had changed their minds. Instead of planning to destroy Sha Chen, they had come to believe it was better to win him over to strengthen the Sect of Interpretation. But as a result, Sha Chen rejected joining the Sect of Interpretation, cutting off their fallback plan.
Naturally, they had to revert to their original objective: to make trouble for Sha Chen, oppose him, subdue him, force him not to join Buddhism, and thereby foil Buddhism’s plans.
What they hadn’t considered, however, was that while Buddhism wanted to recruit Sha Chen and they aimed to stop him, they had never truly contemplated whether Sha Chen even *wanted* to join Buddhism. Now, Sha Chen’s declaration that he had no intention of joining, nor had he ever joined Buddhism, left them at a complete loss. They were utterly baffled.
Sha Chen spoke again, "Fairy, although Buddhism tried to recruit me, I never agreed. During your journey, you must have heard of my many deeds. You should know that my relationship with Buddhism is one of grievances and feuds, not association!"
Fairy Bixiao paused for a moment, then let out a long breath. Her mind was a whirl of complex emotions; for a moment, she didn’t know what to do. This was because they had spent decades trying to kill Sha Chen and disrupt Buddhism’s plans, only to discover that Sha Chen had never joined Buddhism. Instead, like them, he was an enemy of Buddhism, locked in mutual hostility.
It was an uncomfortable realization, much like a plot from a soap opera. Two parties believe they are sworn enemies because of a father’s murder. Yet, when they finally meet and talk things through, they discover neither killed the other’s father—the entire vendetta was a misunderstanding. What made Fairy Bixiao most embarrassed was that this misunderstanding was entirely one-sided! They had misunderstood Sha Chen, while he had always been innocent.
Sha Chen looked at them, then raised his cup. "Ladies, if there have been any misunderstandings, now that we’ve cleared the air, let’s put them behind us."
"Come, come, let’s drink this wine, and we’ll all be friends. Even if I don’t join the Sect of Interpretation, I still hold great respect for its senior immortals. You are all known for your nobility and righteousness."
Sha Chen’s magnanimity immediately made Yunyao and Fairy Bixiao feel ashamed yet also deeply appreciative. The more magnanimous Sha Chen was, the more guilty they felt. Sha Chen then went on to tell them not to dwell on it and not to worry about his resolve, assuring them he would definitely not join Buddhism.
"Ladies, if I wouldn’t even join a fine organization like the Sect of Interpretation, why would I join Buddhism?"
"What is Buddhism, anyway? Just a bunch of bald monks seeking undeserved fame. I disdain them."
"Rest assured. I, Sha Chen, hereby swear that I will not join Buddhism, nor will I join any other power. Unless, of course, my life is threatened."
Bi Xiao and the others were immediately impressed by Sha Chen’s magnanimity and readily admitted they had misjudged him. They then returned his toast, urging him not to take their previous actions to heart. The clone, Chen Sha, also chimed in, and with a few well-chosen words, he skillfully defused the lingering awkwardness between them.
Although Fairy Bixiao had a fiery temper, she was also straightforward and remarkably generous. Yunyao, with her playful nature, was inherently lively and forthright. Sha Chen easily established a good friendship with them, the atmosphere becoming so convivial they were just short of carousing with arms slung around each other’s shoulders.
The Jade Rabbit and the three phoenixes, hiding inside the palace, were stunned as they watched the situation unfold. They looked on with admiration, completely impressed by Sha Chen.
"The General is truly formidable," one remarked. "These people arrived with such threatening momentum, yet he pacified them so effortlessly."
Bai Luan said, "Daddy is really amazing! He even made that fierce woman laugh so easily."
Qing Luan said, "We should take this as a lesson: never become fierce women. Daddy doesn’t like that."
Hong Luan declared, "I’m the most gentle one."
Bai Luan and Qing Luan both rolled their eyes; Hong Luan’s temper was actually quite similar to Bi Xiao’s, as both were exceedingly fiery. It was only in front of Sha Chen that she acted coquettish and cute. Among the three sisters, she was the quickest to take offense.
「At the banquet.」
After the drinking had commenced, Sha Chen brought out osmanthus wine and then prepared even more delicious dishes.
Yunyao asked, "Lord of the River, how do you have osmanthus wine? And how can you make such delicious dishes? Why didn’t you make these from the start?"
Bi Xiao also looked at him, astonished. "Yes, why didn’t you bring it out earlier?"
Sha Chen said, "This is my treasured wine. I only bring it out when the Tongtian Hierarch comes to visit. However, I feel a kinship with you. Even if we cannot be fellow disciples, we can still be friends. So, I decided to bring it out, though I only have these two jars left."
Hearing this, they both nodded and laughed heartily. Just as they were about to make a lighthearted boast, they suddenly sensed something was amiss.
Yunyao, still rather unceremoniously, sniffed at the osmanthus wine, but Bi Xiao suddenly became alert, instantly sobering up.
Looking at Sha Chen, her eyes glinting with sharpness and shock, she asked, "Lord of the River, who... who did you just say this wine is for?"
Yunyao also tensed, seeing Bi Xiao so agitated and serious, she too sobered up considerably. She tried to recall what Sha Chen had said, feeling she had missed some crucial piece of information.
A glint of cunning flashed deep within Sha Chen’s eyes, but his face feigned surprise. He covered his mouth and waved his hands dismissively.
He shook his head repeatedly. "No, no, no, nobody, no one at all. You all misheard. I misspoke, I misspoke."
Bi Xiao stood up. "Lord of the River, you said we are kindred spirits. Even if we are not of the same sect, we are friends. I am your old friend. If you call me ’sister,’ can’t you tell me the truth?"
"Just now, did you, or did you not, mention my Master, the Tongtian Hierarch? You did, didn’t you? I’m sure I didn’t mishear!"
Yunyao also became fully alert, staring at Sha Chen in shock and confusion.
Sha Chen shook his head, then sighed. "Ah, it seems I can’t hide it from you. Originally, I didn’t intend to say anything."
Actually, he had always wanted to reveal this. However, if he had mentioned from the start that the Tongtian Hierarch had visited and that they were on good terms, Bi Xiao and the others would certainly not have believed him. It’s like someone coming to avenge their father’s death; if you claimed to be good friends with their father, they certainly wouldn’t believe you. Trust needed to be built. Sha Chen had been steadily building that trust, and only after gaining it did he ’accidentally’ let this slip.
Just as he expected, now that he ’let it slip,’ Bi Xiao and the others believed every word.
Bi Xiao pressed anxiously, "Lord of the River, please tell me, has my Master truly been here?!"
Sha Chen sighed again, poured a glass of wine, downed it in one gulp, and said, "I didn’t want to say. But since you’ve asked, it seems wrong not to tell."
"Yes, the Tongtian Hierarch of the Sect of Interpretation—your master, Fairy Bi Xiao, and your grandmaster, Fairy Yunyao—he has indeed been here."
GASP.
Yunyao instantly perked up, completely astounded. Bi Xiao was even more so, her face blank, utterly dumbfounded.
She gasped. "How is this possible? What would Master be doing here?"
Sha Chen replied, "Actually, when he first came here, he was just passing by. Then he saw my talent and wanted to recruit me, but I refused..."
BANG!
Bi Xiao slammed the table and shot to her feet. "How could you refuse? That’s my Master, the Tongtian Hierarch, a Saint! He wanted to take you as his disciple, and you refused?"
Sha Chen gave her an odd look, watching until Bi Xiao’s face flushed and she sat back down. "I apologize," she said. "I was rude."
Now, her feelings for Sha Chen included not just admiration and guilt, but also a trace of genuine respect. She herself had joined her master already possessing considerable skill, and even then, she was only an outer sect disciple, becoming a personal disciple only after the Divine Enthronement. The fact that the Tongtian Hierarch had personally tried to recruit Sha Chen, only for Sha Chen to refuse, stirred complex emotions within her. Actually, it was mostly respect. How much courage and confidence must one possess to dare reject her Master!
Sha Chen continued, "I did refuse him back then. There were reasons; I was too weak and didn’t want to get entangled with the karmic threads of the outside world."
Bi Xiao nodded; this explanation was reasonable. Then she asked, "In that case, do you regret it now?"
Sha Chen replied, "I don’t regret it. I am still very weak, and I still don’t want to be entangled with the affairs of the outside world."
Bi Xiao was left speechless. Fairy Yunyao was also stunned into silence.
A High-ranking Da Luo Golden Immortal, someone who fought Yang Jian—hailed as the foremost prodigy of the Divine Enthronement—to a standstill, still claims to be weak?! If he’s considered weak, then what does that make everyone else? They might as well give up cultivating!
Bi Xiao said, "You’re too cautious."
Sha Chen chuckled but offered no comment.
He went on, "Later, the Hierarch visited a few more times, and I always entertained him with fine wine and delicious food."
"He repeatedly invited me to become his disciple and later even offered to make me a personal disciple. However, I felt that would entail taking on responsibilities I wasn’t prepared for."
Bi Xiao’s expression was complicated. "And then, you refused him?"
Sha Chen stated, as if it were the most natural thing, "If I don’t want the responsibility, of course, I have to refuse. It’s just that he still insisted on teaching me the Azure Wave Scripture and imparting his understanding of Saintly Dao Techniques. Alas, he didn’t even give me a chance to explore them on my own."
