Journey to the West: Signing in for 500 Years-Chapter 307 - 301: Spreading the Gospel on Behalf of the Saint【Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets】_1
Bi Xiao was deeply moved by Sha Chen’s kindness towards her and her sisters. Her own sister, Yunxiao, on the other hand, still doubted Sha Chen’s intentions, which annoyed Bi Xiao greatly. This was especially true when her stubborn streak kicked in, leading her to make even more comparisons and feel that Yunxiao was overly rigid.
Sha Chen seems even nicer now, Bi Xiao thought. I hadn’t really noticed until I compared him with Eldest Sister, and now I also feel a sense of competition.
Qiongxiao was alright; she too had developed a favorable impression of Sha Chen. After all, she needed the enlightenment tea, and Sha Chen’s lectures on the Dao were indeed useful to her. Moreover, Sha Chen had even said that they didn’t need to call him "brother" to receive his help. How generous and virtuous! What a great personality! she thought.
Truthfully, having roamed the primordial lands for so long, they had encountered countless people of all kinds. Even Zhao Gongming, whom they had previously acknowledged as their elder brother, didn’t help them entirely selflessly. Their relationships were always mutually beneficial, a matter of helping each other. Sha Chen’s complete selflessness and dedication to others, without any consideration for himself, made them feel he was a great person. In contrast, we’re still indulging in base pleasures, they thought. Compared to him, Sha Chen’s personality is truly great.
In the end, it was still a matter of their limited experience. Being powerful and having lived for so long didn’t necessarily equate to a broad range of worldly experiences. Innumerable people wasted their lives or dedicated themselves so narrowly to a particular field that they remained ignorant of worldly wisdom and other matters. Therefore, when they encountered something new, they found it fascinating. Sha Chen’s behavior, in their eyes, was precisely such a novelty because everyone they had met before had ulterior motives hidden beneath their friendliness.
Bi Xiao said, "Brother, no matter what, you are my brother, and I won’t let anyone hurt you." She glanced at her two older sisters.
The usually aloof Qiongxiao hesitated before saying, "The River Master is indeed a good person, but I will follow Eldest Sister’s lead in all things."
Yunxiao said, "Little Sister, since the River Master refuses to join our Sect of Interpretation or convert to Buddhism, we have no further connection with him. The misunderstanding has been resolved. Let’s return to Jinao Island."
My little sister has been temporarily beguiled, Yunxiao thought. With distance and time, she’ll forget all this. Eventually, when she remembers this incident, she’ll probably laugh at her own youthful ignorance. Thus, she planned to leave. Out of sight, out of mind.
But Bi Xiao said, "Brother just invited us to stay for a while, and he even offered to teach us Dao Techniques!"
"Moreover," Bi Xiao continued, "I promised Brother I’d help him properly repair the Eight Gates Heavenly Lock Formation. Otherwise, if someone comes to bully him again, he’ll have no defense."
Yunxiao said, "That Formation was probably intended to be used against us initially, wasn’t it?"
I need to remind Bi Xiao that Sha Chen might have ulterior motives, Yunxiao thought. He even wanted to harm us before. She shouldn’t give her heart to the wrong person.
But Bi Xiao retorted, "Exactly! It’s all our fault for being so unreasonable and impulsive when we arrived, shouting and wanting to fight without discussing things properly. Otherwise, Brother wouldn’t have had to resort to setting up a Formation to protect himself."
Yunxiao was extremely frustrated. My little sister is completely bewitched, she thought. Sha Chen has swayed her; her loyalties are already shifting outward. She knew that if a real argument broke out, her little sister would still take her side. But if it came to less confrontational situations, her little sister would feel that by not aligning with Sha Chen, they—her own sisters—were disrespecting her and not giving her face. This strange idea wouldn’t normally have been so apparent. However, in certain situations, this notion took hold. This was particularly true when outsiders were present, and after Bi Xiao had vehemently promised to introduce her sisters to Sha Chen only to be unable to deliver, while Sha Chen himself remained exceptionally kind.
Sha Chen said, "Sister, and you two elder sisters, there’s no need to argue because of me. As I’ve said, even if we aren’t from the same family, we can still enter the same household and be good friends."
He then added, "I apologize for the displeasure caused by matters concerning me today. It’s my fault. I’ll punish myself with three drinks, if you’ll allow me."
Sha Chen picked up his wine cup and downed three measures in one go. Afterward, the topic wasn’t brought up again, and he encouraged them to start their meal.
The food had been remade and was even more sumptuous than before. He had also brought out some Osmanthus wine and Pan Peach wine.
Since the Formation has already been discovered, Sha Chen thought, and they’re going to help fortify and perfect it, the Innate Earth and Post-Heaven Earth will inevitably be found. Eventually, the Pan Peach and Osmanthus trees will be discovered too. Rather than wait for them to find out, it’s better to offer these things upfront and gain some goodwill.
Bi Xiao wasn’t too surprised to see Sha Chen bring out the Osmanthus wine. But when he also offered the Pan Peach wine, mentioning it was a rare vintage, almost gone, and usually reserved for esteemed Saints, she was truly moved. Sha Chen is too good! she thought. He treats me and my sisters so well, yet my own sister doesn’t appreciate it. This made her feel even more ashamed. The more she thought about it, the better she felt Sha Chen was, and she found herself unconsciously drawing closer to him. Then she started calling him "Brother" at every turn.
Qiongxiao also felt somewhat embarrassed. After having a few drinks, she approached Sha Chen with a toast and expressed her apologies.
"River Master... Brother," Qiongxiao said, a blush on her usually cold face, finding it rather awkward to utter these words. "We may not swear an oath of brotherhood, but if I call you ’Brother,’ can you accept it?"
Sha Chen, however, smiled and replied, "No problem. Call me whatever you like; it’s just a label, after all. What’s important is that we connect sincerely."
He also returned the toast, saying, "I’ve heard that you three sisters have suffered a great deal out in the world. If, someday, you have nowhere else to go, the gates of Flowing Sand River will always be open to you."
Bi Xiao and Qiongxiao were extremely touched; it had been a long time since they had felt the warmth of being cared for by someone else.
Yunxiao, standing to the side, looked helpless. Sha Chen is seizing the opening, she thought. He included ’the three sisters’ in his speech, pressuring me to accept the situation, effectively making it an accomplished fact even if I disagree. Anyway, he’s already called me ’sister.’ If I see him as an outsider, I should call him ’River Master,’ but if I’m still on my sisters’ side, then I should call him ’Brother.’
Yunxiao took a deep look at Sha Chen but didn’t succumb. My two sisters are simple-minded, she knew. When they receive kindness, they repay it generously. Especially since Sha Chen is indeed a good person, it’s natural for them to fall for him.
As expected, after several rounds of wine and numerous courses of food, Qiongxiao was no longer aloof. After all, she only appeared as a cold goddess to outsiders; among her own people, she was quite quirky. As for Bi Xiao, there was even less to say; she and Qiongxiao were playing drinking games with Sha Chen, all of them drinking merrily.
Sha Chen also had Jade Rabbit and the three Phoenix sisters come out to keep them company, and everyone was introduced to each other again. Jade Rabbit and the Phoenix sisters were somewhat shy, and the San Xiao sisters possessed such strong auras that it was difficult for them to get close easily. Luckily, they got along very well with Yunyao and had someone they could talk to, chatting and laughing at the side.
"Brother," Qiongxiao said, "we were in the wrong this time. Please forgive us. From now on, if anyone bullies you, just mention my name!" She patted her chest, her demeanor exceptionally hearty, clearly intending to become Sha Chen’s protector.
Hmph. Even such a tempting beauty wants to disturb my Dao heart, Sha Chen thought. However, it seems rather nice to have someone protecting me. The San Xiao’s abilities are indeed formidable, and their strength is terrifying.
From their actions during the Divine Enthronement, it was evident that they were individuals of noble character, ready to sacrifice their lives for those to whom they were committed. Zhao Gongming was their sworn brother. After he ran into trouble, they emerged from seclusion, wreaking havoc upon the world, and ultimately met their demise. These were truly heroic women of immense integrity.
Sha Chen naturally wanted to cultivate a good relationship with them. He quickly worked on bonding with them, and in no time, he, Bi Xiao, and Qiongxiao were arm in arm.
Yunxiao felt her teeth itch with annoyance watching them but couldn’t say anything. Sha Chen truly has no ulterior motives, she observed. It’s purely a spirit of camaraderie. Her two sisters had genuinely accepted Sha Chen. Even Qiongxiao, who had initially said she would listen to her eldest sister, was now, after a few drinks, pulling Sha Chen aside. She insisted on them swearing a blood oath by beheading a chicken to become sworn siblings. If Sha Chen didn’t agree, she would become unhappy and threaten to throw a drunken tantrum.
Yunxiao simply watched as her two sisters progressively fell under the spell of Sha Chen’s supposedly great personality. She herself was quite troubled by it. She wanted to quickly help Sha Chen perfect the Formation and then flee.
Otherwise, I fear I’ll lose control of myself too, she worried. We came to hold him accountable, but instead of doing so, we’ve ended up getting all three of us sisters entangled with him. What kind of mess is this!
Seeing that he had won over Bi Xiao and Qiongxiao, Sha Chen planned to strike while the iron was hot. He knew it would be difficult to win over Yunxiao, so he focused on thoroughly securing the other two. After all, with time, I can assimilate them, he schemed. Or, I can let Bi Xiao and Qiongxiao use their pillow talk to persuade her. Someday, even the dignified Yunxiao will call me ’Brother’!
Sha Chen said, "I heard from Little Sister that you, Second Sister, also have deficiencies in your Dao Techniques and were just a step away from becoming a High-Level Quasi-Saint."
"It so happens that I have the Qingping Scripture, given by your master, the Tongtian Holy Man. I’ve managed to comprehend the Quasi-Saint section myself, and I’ll teach it to you in the hope it can be of some help." Without waiting for their response, he began to expound on the Dao.
Listening to Sha Chen explain the Dao Techniques of the Qingping Scripture, everyone sat upright and listened attentively. Bi Xiao and Qiongxiao both benefited greatly, as they hadn’t yet had the chance to learn the Quasi-Saint section of the Qingping Scripture from the Tongtian Hierarch himself. Yet, they learned it from Sha Chen. They were immediately filled with immense gratitude towards him. And Sha Chen didn’t need to worry that revealing the Qingping Scripture would offend the Tongtian Hierarch, since all three of them were his disciples.
Bi Xiao and Qiongxiao were even more grateful for Sha Chen’s selflessness.
The eldest sister, Yunxiao, wore a grave expression. She looked at her two younger sisters, then at Sha Chen, her feelings complex. Sha Chen actually knows the Qingping Scripture, Yunxiao thought. And he recited it perfectly, without mixing in anything personal. I had assumed that in teaching the Qingping Scripture, he would try to implant something indelible in my sisters by subtly altering it. But I can tell there was nothing of the sort. He truly recited the Quasi-Saint section of the Qingping Scripture.
After finishing his lecture, Sha Chen looked at Jade Rabbit and asked her to brew tea. He invited them to drink Dao Comprehension Tea to aid their understanding of the Dao Techniques. He was indeed fair, giving both sisters who now called him ’Brother’ eight liang of tea leaves each, and their cups were filled eight-tenths full. Yunyao was treated similarly, her cup also eight-tenths full, though her canister of tea leaves contained only six liang. He also served flat peaches, osmanthus cakes, and other tea refreshments.
Sha Chen then said, "My dear Second Sisters, I would also like to ask you to teach me about the Array Dao."
I’m not foolish, Sha Chen considered. One-sided giving might make them feel good now, but they might not remember it later. Mutual exchange is the way to ensure they don’t feel indebted or uncomfortable.
Suddenly, Bi Xiao and Qiongxiao felt that Sha Chen asking them to speak on the Array Dao was merely his way of preserving their dignity. Bi Xiao told us before that Brother Sha Chen comprehended the Eight Gates Heavenly Lock Formation in three months and achieved basic mastery in one! they thought. His talent in Formations is probably even better than ours! For him to ask us to teach him about Array Dao... he’s giving us a chance to shine and saving us from embarrassment!
The two women were instantly touched to tears.
Sha Chen, however, genuinely hadn’t expected them to interpret his request this way.
