Journey to the West: Signing in for 500 Years-Chapter 386 - 380: Subduing the Golden Winged Dapeng [Looking for Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets]_1
The Golden Winged Dapeng was taken aback and utterly shocked, greatly astonished. He glanced at Tongtian Hierarch and, noticing that the Sect Hierarch was still calmly preaching to Green Lion and Bai Xiang, heaved a sigh of relief. At the same time, he was annoyed with himself for having misspoken. Mentioning Tathagata in front of Tongtian Hierarch—isn’t that seeking death? Tathagata was once Tongtian Hierarch’s most prized disciple, yet he ran off to Buddhism to become a Buddha. Tongtian Hierarch must be furious. I could have mentioned anyone else, but bringing up Tathagata is like slapping Tongtian Hierarch in the face. Sha Chen probably wouldn’t even need to act; the Sect Hierarch himself might kill me, he thought.
The Golden Winged Dapeng hurriedly said, "Sha Chen... River Lord, River Lord, don’t kill me! Please, don’t kill me! I know I was wrong."
"You’ve forgiven my two brothers, so please let me go. As long as you spare me, I’ll do anything."
Sha Chen chuckled, "Your physical body is so indestructible. Do you think I can split it open with the Mountain Splitting Axe?"
"After splitting it open, what if I skewer you with the Giant Que Sword, and then refine you with Samadhi True Fire and Phoenix True Fire? Wouldn’t that be better?" 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞
THUD.
Sha Chen raised his hand, and Yuanfeng True Fire appeared in his palm. With another raise of his hand, Samadhi True Fire also appeared, both so pure that one could only imagine the extent to which he had cultivated these two Fire Control Divine Skills. What was most important was that Sha Chen hadn’t used mana; the fire came purely from his physical divine power.
Tongtian Hierarch glanced over at Sha Chen, his eyes as calm as an ancient well, but his heart was somewhat turbulent.
Green Lion and Bai Xiang were also stealing glances. They had originally intended to intercede for Golden Winged Dapeng but dared not speak out. Now, seeing Sha Chen casually summon Phoenix True Fire and Samadhi True Fire, they were greatly alarmed. The power of Sha Chen’s physical body is too terrifying; it must be the Primeval Chaos Law Body! they thought. A wave of fear washed over them as they realized how recklessly we provoked Sha Chen, who possesses the Primeval Chaos Law Body! It was as if we had a death wish!
Sha Chen looked at Golden Winged Dapeng and said indifferently, "Let’s hear it. Would you rather I roast you, or just stew you in one go?"
He then summoned the Panlong Cauldron, drew spirit water from the Eight-Treasure Water Tower, and covered it with the Nine-dragon Divine Fire Cover.
Golden Winged Dapeng was completely scared witless. Sha Chen is truly going to kill me, and he even wants to eat me!
Green Lion and Bai Xiang grew anxious, desperately wanting to plead for mercy. But Tongtian Hierarch was still preaching, so they couldn’t interrupt. Moreover, Sha Chen had helped them; he was their benefactor. Pleading for mercy now would be truly inappropriate. For a moment, they were as anxious as ants on a hot griddle.
Golden Winged Dapeng cried out in terror, "Let me go! I beg you, please let me go!"
Sha Chen placed the Giant Que Sword against his neck, saying, "Let you go? Give me a reason to spare you."
Golden Winged Dapeng said, "I know I was wrong."
Sha Chen replied, "Admitting you’re wrong isn’t enough for forgiveness when you’ve done something wrong. You need to have value."
Golden Winged Dapeng clenched his teeth, understanding Sha Chen’s meaning, and hurriedly said, "I was wrong. If you spare me, Sir, I am willing to serve you hand and foot."
Sha Chen smiled faintly. "You want to serve me? Heh, you’re so defiant. Lingjiu Mountain offered you the honor of Great Brightness Tathagata, yet you refused. Would you willingly serve me in my humble place?"
Of course, I wouldn’t want to, Golden Winged Dapeng thought, but who else holds my life in their hands? He gritted his teeth and said, "As long as you spare me, I am willing."
Sha Chen said, "How do I know if your submission is sincere? I certainly won’t keep you here for life; you’ll need to go out and work for me. But with your strength, if you ran away, what could I do?"
He then raised his hand and said, "Might as well just kill you and eat your flesh. At least I’d get a meal out of it."
Golden Winged Dapeng was terrified beyond measure and begged for mercy repeatedly. "No, no, no, don’t kill me! Don’t kill me! I’m sincerely begging for mercy! Please let me go!"
"I am willing to dedicate my soul! I’m willing to sign a contract with you!"
Sha Chen shook his head. "You’re a Quasi-Saint, and your body flows with the Essence Blood of divine beasts. Contracts can’t bind you; soul imprints can be erased."
"It seems you lack sincerity. In that case, there’s no use in keeping you."
Golden Winged Dapeng genuinely soiled himself with fear. Sha Chen really intends to kill me, he sensed. And I can’t win in a fight, my backers are unreliable... I can only wait for death.
Despite my overbearing and arrogant appearance in the Journey to the West, that was because I knew Tathagata wouldn’t actually move against me, he recalled. Lingjiu Mountain wouldn’t touch me either; my status protected me. But Sha Chen... he won’t care about my connections or status. If I don’t obey, he’ll just kill me.
Golden Winged Dapeng quickly begged, "Wait until the Saint finishes preaching! Ask him to help establish an agreement. If I break the agreement, let the Saint kill me!"
Sha Chen glanced at Tongtian Hierarch, then pinched his chin. "It’s not impossible, but isn’t bothering the Saint like this a bit much?"
Golden Winged Dapeng pleaded, "I beg you, it’s okay! The Saint is my two brothers’ master, so he’s my master too. He’ll agree."
"Please, for the Saint’s sake, give me a chance! I am truly sincere in wanting to serve you, Sir!"
Sha Chen said, "You’re a Quasi-Saint. If you serve me, won’t you harbor resentment and just go through the motions?"
Of course, I will, Golden Winged Dapeng thought. But he couldn’t say that. He could only plead, "No, I won’t! I swear by that lamp, by that door!"
Sha Chen curled his lip. "It seems you really have no sincerity. Sigh, I might as well pluck your feathers and roast you."
Frightened, Golden Winged Dapeng watched as Sha Chen actually reached out and plucked a few of his feathers, causing him to grimace in pain. His feathers were indestructible, like gold or iron, capable of cutting mortals on contact, yet Sha Chen plucked them out easily. He was terrified.
He quickly begged for mercy, "I truly won’t change my mind, Sir, rest assured! If I betray you, Sir, let the Saint kill me!"
Sha Chen was, in truth, just intimidating the Golden Winged Dapeng; subduing him was the main goal. A Quasi-Saint follower can accomplish so much, he considered. I must find a way to completely break his will. This current approach is an attack on his pride, necessary to establish my authority and image in his heart. However, dealing with someone like him, I can’t just impose authority; I need a mix of pressure and appeasement. After all, he’s sworn brothers with Green Lion and Bai Xiang and willing to be the younger one—he must be a person of great loyalty and honor. Though arrogant, he’s definitely loyal, reminiscent of Guan Yu from the Three Kingdoms... though not as fearless.
Since the Golden Winged Dapeng had decided to submit, Sha Chen felt he had established enough authority and scared him sufficiently. He planned to grant a small favor. He put away his Magical Tool and Divine Power and approached to tend to the Dapeng’s wounds.
The Golden Winged Dapeng was visibly terrified, displaying fear and flinching away at Sha Chen’s approach.
Sha Chen said, "You shouldn’t blame me. Who asked you to be so brainless and let others use you against me?"
"I’m simply defending myself. Ultimately, I had no desire to fight you; I was forced into it."
He’s right, the Golden Winged Dapeng knew. He nodded and said, "I’m sorry, Sir. I... I was wrong."
Sha Chen brought out an Elixir and the Sweet Dew Jade Liquid, handed them to him, and said, "Alright, eat and drink these."
The Golden Winged Dapeng’s eyes widened in disbelief, tears instantly streaming down his face. "Sir, I... I also get these?"
Sha Chen said, "You’ve pledged your loyalty to me; how could I treat you poorly? The injuries I inflicted before were because we were enemies. Now, I give you these because we are united."
The Golden Winged Dapeng was deeply moved, sobbing uncontrollably.
Sha Chen patted his shoulder. "If you are loyal to me, I will certainly not fail you."
"In the future, when there’s meat to eat, I’ll eat meat, and you’ll have soup to drink. In short, I will never treat you badly."
The Golden Winged Dapeng was immensely grateful.
Sha Chen, on the other hand, thought, He’s so gullible.
The Golden Winged Dapeng, being a divine beast with both status and strength, is worth winning over, Sha Chen mused. In the Journey to the West, he killed many Arhat Buddhas, causing Buddhism to lose face, and even the Tathagata had to venerate him. The Tathagata once said that from then on, the incense offerings and tributes of Buddhism should be enjoyed by the Golden Winged Dapeng first. That was a very generous favor. Here with me, he only gets soup when there’s meat, and porridge when there’s rice, yet he’s already deeply touched.
The main reason was that the Golden Winged Dapeng had not experienced the true harshness of the world. When Sha Chen fought, he showed no mercy; it was truly a matter of life and death. Tathagata wouldn’t actually kill me, no matter how much trouble I cause, the Golden Winged Dapeng knew. There’s no such thing as a nephew killing his maternal uncle. If that really happened, Tathagata wouldn’t be able to hold the title of Buddha anymore. But Sha Chen is different; he truly dares to fight and kill.
The unsuspecting Golden Winged Dapeng took the Elixir, and his injuries indeed improved significantly. He then drank the Sweet Dew Jade Liquid, and his injuries visibly healed at a rapid rate. He was extremely thankful to Sha Chen.
Sha Chen patted him. "Alright, the Saint is preaching. You should go listen as well; it will benefit you."
The Golden Winged Dapeng didn’t hesitate. He promptly went to pay his respects, then sat upright to listen to the teachings.
Tongtian Hierarch merely glanced over and paid him no mind.
Green Lion and Bai Xiang had been watching the whole time and were overjoyed at the sight, casting grateful looks at Sha Chen. We’re genuinely grateful to Sha Chen, they thought, their hearts filled with emotion. We came to confront him, but he responded with kindness to our hostility. This filled them with a profound sense of shame and gratitude. We must repay Sha Chen well, they decided.
Even though only the Golden Winged Dapeng had pledged loyalty to Sha Chen, from now on, we’ll obey any of Sha Chen’s commands, they both resolved.
Sha Chen saw the look in their eyes. Good, he thought, very satisfied.
Tongtian Hierarch’s sermon lasted for half a month. Afterward, the three Great Demon Kings immersed themselves in meditation and enlightenment.
The Sect Hierarch then rose, approached Sha Chen, and said indifferently, "Kid, this old man owes you a favor."
Sha Chen grinned. "The Saint jests! I merely helped you find your two long-lost disciples, allowing master and students to reunite, resolving your long-held sorrow, dissolving the grudges between you, and helping you take a significant step towards rebuilding the Sect of Interpretation. In all of this, I contributed a mere ninety-nine percent of the effort. It’s nothing, really nothing at all."
