Journey to the West: Signing in for 500 Years-Chapter 372 - 366: Caught Between a Rock and a Hard Place, Unable to Step Down [Subscription and Monthly Pass Requested]_1
Saint Zhenyuanzi was already in an untenable position, and then the Jade Emperor sent someone to ask him to stop. This made it even harder for him to back down. At this moment, he was caught between a rock and a hard place.
Sha Chen looked at him but showed no intention of begging for mercy.
The two sides had already reached a point of no return, and Sha Chen’s choice was to ignore the situation completely. Thus, responding was out of the question. He could only wait for Saint Zhenyuanzi to leave.
As for whether Saint Zhenyuanzi would leave immediately, Sha Chen couldn’t control that. After all, he was too preoccupied with his own safety to care about the fate of those outside.
The common people of the Three Realms were the Jade Emperor’s responsibility. The one destroying them was Saint Zhenyuanzi, who proclaimed himself the Ancestor of Earth Immortals.
With limited strength and overwhelmed by his own troubles, even outsiders wouldn’t come to his aid, let alone expecting him to go out and save others—it was impossible.
After a moment of silence, Saint Zhenyuanzi said, "Sha Chen insulted me. I only asked him to come out and apologize, but he has steadfastly refused, causing me to lose all face."
"Li Jing, when you return to report to the Jade Emperor, tell him that if he wants me to stop, he must find a way to make Sha Chen apologize to me. Otherwise, there’s no point in discussing."
He regretted his words immediately, because it was a bit of a petulant demand.
If the Jade Emperor could order Sha Chen, he would have already made him open the gates of his cave dwelling. But he couldn’t, so it was impossible.
His defiance towards the Jade Emperor clearly led to an even tenser situation. He could only continue his forceful attack, which would ultimately cause him to lose even more face.
As expected, the expressions on Li Jing and the others’ faces turned ugly. None of them had anticipated Saint Zhenyuanzi uttering such an outrageous statement.
The immortals were also somewhat stunned.
Li Jing said, "Saint, your words are quite demanding. Sha Chen always stays within his cave and never accepts visitors. If you wish to visit him and he refuses, how can that be considered wrong?"
"Moreover, as an elder of your standing, visiting a junior like him is already quite inappropriate. Now, causing such a scene is even more laughable."
For once, Li Jing showed some backbone, proceeding to lecture Saint Zhenyuanzi with a tone of reprimand.
This left Saint Zhenyuanzi stunned, while the other immortals grew angry.
The Barefoot Immortal immediately exclaimed, "Li Jing, what nonsense are you spouting?"
But Li Jing had no regrets. He had already decided to reconcile with Sha Chen, and speaking up for him here could win his favor. As for Saint Zhenyuanzi, the Li Family had no relationship with him. Moreover, Saint Zhenyuanzi was considering joining Buddhism, which put them in competition. It was a good choice to take the opportunity to kick him when he was down and make Saint Zhenyuanzi lose face.
Li Jing then said, "Did you not hear clearly what I said? Saint Zhenyuanzi is making an unreasonable fuss by forcibly attacking the Flowing Sand River, an act that has caused untold suffering. We were ordered to ask him to stop. Yet, he continues to twist logic and demand an apology from Sha Chen?"
"I merely saw Saint Zhenyuanzi, frustrated in his attempt to visit Sha Chen, fly into a rage and attack the Flowing Sand River. His actions were futile yet caused untold suffering. And still, he insists on an apology from Sha Chen? What kind of reasoning is that?"
Nezha was also taken aback, not expecting Li Jing to speak in defense of Sha Chen.
However, he had always felt that his two brothers’ and Li Jing’s prior actions were inappropriate.
Now that Li Jing was speaking up for Sha Chen, he naturally stepped forward as well.
He immediately nodded and said, "That’s right! Where is there a rule that says the bullied must apologize to the bully?"
Saint Zhenyuanzi’s face darkened; he never expected the Li Family, known for being opportunists, to show him such disrespect.
But looking at the numerous Celestial Gods and heavenly soldiers, he knew this was the Jade Emperor’s will.
It was obvious that the Jade Emperor was displeased with his recent indiscriminate killing.
Although his mana was boundless, his divine powers vast, and his seniority immense, he could not override the Jade Emperor’s decisions. After all, the Jade Emperor is Haotian, an attendant of the Daoist Ancestor. He is the appointed ruler of the Three Realms, supported and protected by all the saints. No matter how powerful he was, he could not ignore the Jade Emperor’s decisions. In fact, he was obligated to uphold them.
Yet, as a senior elder, failing to conquer the Flowing Sand River had already cost him his face. Having vented his frustration, he now found himself being rebuked by the Li Family. This made it even harder for him to back down, leaving him with even less face and feeling even more annoyed.
With a somber face, he said, "Well done, Li Family. Li Jing, is this how you speak to your seniors?"
Li Jing snorted. "As the Demon Subduing and Magic Suppressing Grand Marshal, I speak only the truth. If the Saint doesn’t like to hear it, I won’t say it again. However, I still advise the Saint to stop. Sha Chen is, after all, a demoted general of our Heavenly Court. Even without a divine title, he’s still an immortal. Furthermore, he has done nothing wrong, yet you bully him, leveraging your greater power against his weakness."
"If everyone acted as you do, wouldn’t the world be in chaos?"
Saint Zhenyuanzi’s expression was grim. The Barefoot Immortal and the others were visibly displeased and, at the same time, somewhat awkward because they felt that Li Jing made sense. Indeed, Saint Zhenyuanzi had been too overbearing, wielding power to oppress others.
Still, Saint Zhenyuanzi, the Ancestor of Earth Immortals, had personally come to see Sha Chen only to be turned away at the door. Even his gifts were returned, causing him to completely lose face. So when he took action, could that be wrong? If they were in Sha Chen’s shoes, of course, they would think it was wrong. But now it was they who were losing face, so naturally, they believed their actions were justified—the fault lay with Sha Chen.
Zhenyuanzi hadn’t expected Li Jing and the others to be so assertive, refusing to give any ground. His eyes flickered as he pondered.
Unexpectedly, Li Jing, this fair-weather friend, remains unyielding and even plans to draw in Sha Chen. Moreover, it’s not just about winning him over; he probably intends to ingratiate himself with the Chan Sect and play both sides. The second-generation disciples of the Chan Sect had decided to support Sha Chen against Buddhism and disrupt the Journey to the West. Although this matter was covert, it was tacitly understood by everyone in the Chan Sect. But many prominent figures in Buddhism still knew a thing or two; it was just that nobody had openly acknowledged it or brought it into the open. Of course, I was aware the Chan Sect harbored such intentions. Unless the Chan Sect did nothing at all, others would have reason to suspect that whatever they did was intended to disrupt Buddhism’s Journey to the West. Whether to slay Sha Chen or to assist him was a decision made by the Chan Sect. Now, I have reason to believe Li Jing plans to curry favor with the Chan Sect. He wants to ensure Nezha stands on firmer ground within their ranks by winning over Sha Chen. This, in turn, would give Nezha more say within the Chan Sect. And no matter what he does, as long as Li Jing wins Sha Chen’s favor and goodwill, he benefits. If Sha Chen doesn’t join Buddhism, Nezha will gain more influence in the Chan Sect. If Sha Chen joins Buddhism, Li Jing’s two sons are already there, and their status will similarly increase. Either way, he won’t be at a loss. What Li Jing needs to do now is no longer to offend Sha Chen, nor to force him into a corner, pushing him to a dead end only to then extend an olive branch. Such a maneuver, although clever, had to succeed in one fell swoop while Sha Chen was weak. Now that Sha Chen has become so powerful, the Li Family can no longer afford to scheme against him. To think of framing Sha Chen or tricking him out of something is absolutely not an option, nor is it feasible. This is why Li Jing chose to stand on Sha Chen’s side and speak up for him.
Zhenyuanzi looked displeased, but he knew that at this moment, he was indeed the one in the wrong. The labels of bullying the weak, abusing power, committing senseless slaughter, and causing trouble without reason would be enough to make him lose all dignity.
However, I am Zhenyuanzi! Without a way to save face, how can I back down?
Zhenyuanzi felt rage in his heart but was helpless.
Then, with a grim expression, he said, "Very well, Li Jing. I will remember today’s incident. So be it. I shall also remember this matter of the Flowing Sand River."
With that, he swept his sleeves and stood up to leave.
He left. Continuing to stay would be of no use. On the contrary, a prolonged standoff would only make him look worse. Leaving behind a few face-saving remarks and then making a swift exit was the best course of action.
The celestials followed Zhenyuanzi, but each cast a complicated and angry glance at Li Jing and his son.
Li Jing, too, was weighing his options, hesitating and feeling torn. I don’t know if standing up for Sha Chen this time was a mistake. From now on, I’ve thoroughly offended the people of Wuzhuang Temple. If I don’t receive an appropriate return, the loss will be great. At that moment, what Li Jing considered was still a matter of weighing pros and cons. He hadn’t considered establishing a genuine connection with Sha Chen; he was only thinking about an exchange of interests.
Zhenyuanzi left, taking his followers with him.
Li Jing glanced at the Flowing Sand River and descended directly with Nezha, leaving the other celestials in the sky.
He stepped forward, offering a fist and palm salute. "General for Folding the Curtain," he said, "I, Pagoda-carrying Heavenly King Li Jing, have offended you in the past. I sent my daughter to apologize, and I hope you can put past grievances aside. You and I should share weal and woe in the future."
Sha Chen, who had been silent, finally spoke, "King Li, you previously sent Yunlou to apologize. I received her and made it clear that past grudges were indeed wiped clean."
Li Jing was immediately delighted. Sha Chen hadn’t responded to Zhenyuanzi but had replied to him; this indicated Sha Chen’s acknowledgment.
However, Sha Chen’s next words made him feel both embarrassed and somewhat angry.
Sha Chen said, "But just because past grudges are wiped clean, it doesn’t mean you and I can become friends, much less share weal and woe."
Li Jing said, "General for Folding the Curtain, you’ve offended Saint Zhenyuanzi today. He will surely seek revenge one day. If we band together, we’ll have a way to survive."
Sha Chen said, "King Li, you jest. You are the Pagoda-carrying Heavenly King, the Demon Subduing and Magic Suppressing Grand Marshal of the Heavenly Court. Even if Zhenyuanzi is the Ancestor of Earth Immortals, he wouldn’t dare to touch you."
"As for me, he can’t touch me today, and he’ll have even less chance in the future. Thank you for your concern, King Li. What you did today was your duty. I don’t owe you any favor for it, so please, you may leave."
He decisively blocked Li Jing’s attempt to forge an immediate connection or make him feel indebted.
Li Jing was indeed angry but dared not voice it. He even had to force a smile, then awkwardly turn around and leave.
Nezha did not leave. He looked at the entrance to the Flowing Sand River Cave, then offered a fist and palm salute. "General Sha Chen," he said, "my father’s and brothers’ actions have caused you trouble. I’m here to apologize on their behalf. I hope you won’t take it to heart."
Sha Chen said, "Crown Prince Nezha, you must have a short memory. Didn’t we just agree that the past was wiped clean?"
Nezha replied, "Thank you, General, for your magnanimity. In the past, I too have done many things to wrong you, even arrogantly thinking of challenging you. Looking back now, it was truly presumptuous."
He laughed self-deprecatingly. "If there’s a chance, General, I would truly like to have a hearty drink with you," he said. "Someone like you—indifferent to fame and fortune, and with such a generous heart—is a person I, Nezha, greatly admire!"
