Journey to the West: Signing in for 500 Years-Chapter 362 - 356: Taking the Ginseng Fruit to Deceive and Open the Flowing Sand River【Seeking Subscriptions, Seeking Monthly Tickets】_1
Sha Chen peered through the Cave Manor, observing an ’Tianpeng’ outside who looked, sounded, and carried himself exactly like Tianpeng—from his appearance and expression down to his aura and tone of voice.
His expression was incredibly complex. It wasn’t that he was worried for Tianpeng, but for himself. Now that someone like Zhenyuanzi was impersonating Tianpeng to deceive him, how many others might have set their sights on him? Likely many.
Sha Chen felt a headache coming on, along with a sense of helplessness.
Zhenyuanzi was still shouting outside, completely unaware that Sha Chen had already detected him.
In the face of the shouting, Sha Chen gave no response.
Zhenyuanzi, still outside, furrowed his brows. Though he had anticipated Sha Chen would be a tough nut to crack, he hadn’t expected him to be *this* difficult. So he was meeting all changes with an unyielding stance. He also began to suspect that Sha Chen might have discovered him.
After shouting for three days, he was certain Sha Chen must have discovered him. With his level of power, he could make out a vague figure inside the Cave Manor, seemingly watching him. That figure hadn’t moved for three days and three nights, merely staring at him. That had to be Sha Chen. He just wished he could see more clearly, but it was impossible.
The Flowing Sand River Cave’s defenses were not only formidable, but its shielding capabilities were also world-class. Even he, a Peak Quasi-Saint, couldn’t penetrate it completely. He couldn’t even use sound to pinpoint locations within.
Such a treasure of a cultivation site made Zhenyuanzi even more covetous; he even started entertaining the idea of claiming it for his own.
Initially, he had told Lord Lao Zi of the Great Monad that his only plan was to forcibly take Sha Chen on the journey to the West, with no other intentions. But after witnessing the king of ginseng fruit trees fly into the Flowing Sand River, his interest was piqued by Sha Chen’s resources. Now, seeing how extraordinary the Flowing Sand River Cave was, his greed intensified; he wanted to claim it for himself.
It wasn’t that he lacked treasures. Rather, despite countless years of existence, his cultivation had stagnated. On the path of cultivation, not advancing meant regressing, so he desperately needed to find ways to maintain his current level and strive for a breakthrough. He had consumed other resources countless times, developing an immunity to their effects. Sha Chen’s domain was teeming with treasures, including the king of ginseng fruit trees. His Cave Manor was superb—an ideal place for secluded cultivation.
It wasn’t just Zhenyuanzi who was tempted; even Lord Lao Zi of the Great Monad, who had planned to cooperate with him, felt a stir of desire.
Previously, they hadn’t bothered to snatch his possessions because Sha Chen was merely a junior, as insignificant as an ant. Furthermore, his resources weren’t plentiful enough to truly capture their attention, nor was it worth their status to stoop to robbery.
Now, however, Sha Chen had grown powerful, and his resources had piled up like a mountain, with one precious item appearing after another.
In other words, the pig had fattened, and it was time for the slaughter. Greed had taken root in both their hearts. Times had indeed changed.
After calling out several more times to no avail, with Sha Chen making no movement or response, Zhenyuanzi completely understood that his disguise must have been seen through. This was because he had previously hosted Tianpeng, conversed with him, and even managed to extract some information. Although Sha Chen was naturally cautious, whenever Tianpeng called out, he would, at most, delay for a short while before responding with inquiries. Once he confirmed the identity, he would grant entry. This time, however, Sha Chen made no attempt to confirm his identity and simply ignored him.
He wouldn’t believe it if someone claimed Sha Chen was in seclusion, because he could see that vague shadow standing inside, watching him. It was clearly Sha Chen, constantly monitoring his presence.
Hesitation flickered across Zhenyuanzi’s face. Should he continue the charade or reveal his true identity? If he kept up the act, there was still a chance. If he revealed himself, the probability of persuading Sha Chen to open the Cave Manor’s gates would be much lower. But, if persuasion failed, he could try to force them open. Whether he could actually succeed, however, was something even he didn’t know. After all, even Lord Lao Zi of the Great Monad had admitted he couldn’t breach it, and Zhenyuanzi’s own strength was somewhat inferior to his.
After a moment’s hesitation, Zhenyuanzi decided to continue calling out for a while longer. When this too yielded no results, he switched to imitating Tianpeng’s usual tone, cursing and swearing as he launched a few perfunctory attacks against the Flowing Sand River’s defenses. After a brief attempt, he found he couldn’t break through. Then, still muttering curses, he departed.
Once the ’visitor’ had left, Chang E and the others hurried out to Sha Chen’s side, their faces etched with confusion.
Chang E asked, "Brother, aren’t you and Tianpeng good friends? We even drank and celebrated together before. Although he can be annoying, you seemed to hold him in high regard."
Sha Chen said, "That wasn’t Tianpeng."
The Spider Spirit was also bewildered.
Chang E, astonished, exclaimed, "But that *was* Tianpeng! He didn’t seem any different from before. How could he be an impostor?"
Sha Chen explained, "While you were in seclusion earlier, Lord Lao Zi of the Great Monad paid a visit. However, I have the Chaos Chicken Cover protecting this place, so he couldn’t get in, and I didn’t let anyone enter."
"Later, my cultivation broke through, and my Primordial Spirit advanced, allowing me to hear sounds from much farther away and in greater detail. That’s when I noticed the discrepancy and discovered that Lord Lao Zi of the Great Monad was conspiring with Zhenyuanzi, scheming against my Flowing Sand River."
HISS.
Chang E and the Spider Spirit both gasped sharply, utterly shocked. Then, their expressions turned furious, filled with boundless anger. While the revelation that Lord Lao Zi of the Great Monad had come was shocking, the visitor’s malicious intentions filled them with rage. Saint Zhenyuanzi was so highly respected; they hadn’t imagined he would scheme for Sha Chen’s Cave Manor!
Chang E fumed, "They are truly shameless for seniors, coveting your Cave Manor, Brother! It’s outrageous!"
Sha Chen said, "After that, I overheard Zhenyuanzi saying he would impersonate Tianpeng to trick me into opening the Cave Manor’s gates."
"So much time has passed since then. Although I can’t tell if he’s real or fake even with my divine eye, I won’t be trusting anyone claiming to be Tianpeng anytime soon."
"At least, unless someone arrives who says something that truly resonates with me, I won’t believe they are Tianpeng."
Sha Chen possessed an ultimate ace up his sleeve to determine if it was Tianpeng or Zhenyuanzi. That was the System.
If it were Zhenyuanzi, he would undoubtedly make further demands, which would trigger a choice from the System. Then, based on the options presented, I could deduce whether it was Tianpeng or Zhenyuanzi.
This time, the ’Tianpeng’ impersonated by Zhenyuanzi made no further demands, and since Sha Chen didn’t respond at all, the System’s choices weren’t activated.
Truthfully, even I couldn’t be sure if that was the real Tianpeng or an impostor. The resemblance was too striking. Completely indistinguishable, even with my divine eyes and divine ears.
Although he couldn’t be sure, it didn’t stop Sha Chen from remaining cautious and vigilant, refusing any further interaction.
If it were the real Tianpeng, he wouldn’t have left so easily. And the real Tianpeng would definitely kick up a fuss until I agreed. If I didn’t, he’d start cursing. Ultimately, he’d just act like a shameless rogue.
But none of that happened.
Zhenyuanzi’s transformation Divine Power was incredibly profound, and with the Heavenly Earth Mirror obscuring things, even Sha Chen couldn’t discern the truth. However, when it came to mimicking Tianpeng’s personality, his imitation still lacked a certain crucial element. If he had persisted in shouting, Sha Chen might indeed have remained uncertain. But his eventual departure, accompanied only by curses, gave Sha Chen about seventy percent confidence that he was an impostor.
Sure enough, once he was a considerable distance away, believing himself to be beyond Sha Chen’s sensory range, Zhenyuanzi reverted to his original form.
He frowned, and beside him stood a young Daoist—his disciple, Qing Feng.
Qing Feng knelt on the ground.
Zhenyuanzi mused, "Why hasn’t he fallen for it yet? Could it be that my Dao Techniques aren’t perfected enough to deceive him?"
Qing Feng replied, "Master, your Divine Power is immense, and your Dao Techniques are flawless; you should absolutely be able to deceive him. However, perhaps he knows Tianpeng exceptionally well, and some subtle aspect of your portrayal, something not quite identical to Tianpeng, aroused his suspicion."
Zhenyuanzi said, "I’ve also observed Tianpeng for some time; I’d say I have a decent understanding of him. He hasn’t been at the Flowing Sand River for long, so Sha Chen shouldn’t be *this* suspicious."
Actually, what Zhenyuanzi believed was true. Anyone else interacting with Tianpeng for that short period wouldn’t have gained such a profound understanding of him. Much less would they ever suspect anything amiss with the revered Saint Zhenyuanzi.
However, Sha Chen’s understanding of Tianpeng wasn’t limited to their time together at the Flowing Sand River. It also stemmed from his knowledge of Tianpeng from his past life—he knew exactly what kind of person Tianpeng was. With that deep understanding, he generally knew what Tianpeng would say or do in any given situation.
Zhenyuanzi was puzzled, genuinely unable to comprehend how Sha Chen had seen through him.
Qing Feng was equally clueless; his understanding of Tianpeng was far inferior to Zhenyuanzi’s. Despite Qing Feng’s recent interactions with Tianpeng, Zhenyuanzi’s ability to judge character surpassed his disciple’s by countless realms. Zhenyuanzi could discern a person’s true nature from their every word and action. He had thoroughly analyzed Tianpeng, but unfortunately, he still couldn’t perfectly replicate certain behaviors.
Tianpeng exhibited a certain shamelessness and dependence when dealing with Sha Chen. Zhenyuanzi was somewhat aware of this but didn’t grasp its full extent. That was why, after being ignored by Sha Chen, he couldn’t bring himself to act completely like a rogue; it clashed, to some degree, with his own esteemed status.
Zhenyuanzi frowned and declared, "Enough. I must go to the Flowing Sand River personally, in my true form."
Qing Feng was aghast. "Master, you intend to go personally? Isn’t that giving Sha Chen far too much credit?"
"Besides, Sha Chen is arrogant and insolent. If he offends you, Master, and refuses to open the Cave Manor gates, wouldn’t we become a laughingstock?"
Zhenyuanzi stated, "I have compelling reasons to visit the Flowing Sand River; say no more. However, before I depart, I need you to do something for me."
Qing Feng hurriedly replied, "Please instruct me, Master. Your disciple wouldn’t dare disobey."
Zhenyuanzi instructed, "Return and fetch a ginseng fruit and one of my calling cards. Go to the Flowing Sand River ahead of me. Announce yourself at the gate in my name, present the ginseng fruit to Sha Chen, and deliver the calling card."
HISS.
Qing Feng trembled, utterly shocked and incredulous. He exclaimed, "Master, what virtue or ability does Sha Chen possess to deserve a ginseng fruit? And for you, the Ancestor of Earthly Immortals, to send him a calling card—that’s completely against propriety!"
Zhenyuanzi snapped, "Enough nonsense! Do as you’re told, and be quick about it."
Qing Feng dared not disobey. He quickly rose, gathered his belongings, and turned back to fetch the ginseng fruit and the calling card.
「Three days later.」
Qing Feng and Mingyue arrived together. One carried a tray draped with black silk, while the other held a scroll—it was indeed Zhenyuanzi’s calling card!
They arrived above the Flowing Sand River, their usually proud expressions marred by frowns. Gazing down at the Flowing Sand River, the two martial brothers exchanged a look.
Mingyue said, "Senior Brother, you announce our arrival. I really can’t bring myself to do it."
Qing Feng retorted, "I am your Senior Brother, so you listen to me. *You* announce our arrival."
