Journey to the West: Signing in for 500 Years-Chapter 391 - 385: Realizing When One is Lost [Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets]_1
"The system has detected that the host has been called for help by the Grand Destiny Carrier, Jinghe Dragon King. You have the following choices."
"Option one: Save the Jinghe Dragon King and receive a reward of three Shilong Zhenyuan. Shilong Zhenyuan: It is rumored that after the fall of Zulong’s kinsman, Shilong, his corporeal primal energy transformed into seven Long Yuan, scattered throughout the desolate ancient realms, containing infinite Divine Power."
"Option two: Refuse to save the Dragon King, ignore the plea, and receive a reward of ten drops of Shilong Blood Essence. Shilong Blood Essence: After the fall of Zulong’s kinsman, Shilong, all his Essence Blood was refined by a heaven-reaching mighty figure, his blood spilling across the vast sky."
Sha Chen looked at the options, feeling somewhat astonished and shocked. Could the Jinghe Dragon King be of the same lineage as Shilong? Both options seem to be related to Shilong. Regardless, Sha Chen was taken aback for a moment.
Outside, the Jinghe Dragon King continued to clamor for help, but Sha Chen was not in a hurry to respond. He formed hand seals and performed a divination; after deploying the Zhou Tian Xingchen Technique, he understood the ins and outs of the matter.
He also frowned. I didn’t expect the Jade Emperor to get restless and directly target the Dragon Clan. This is different from the original Journey to the West. It seems that a huge change has occurred, and I must prepare to respond accordingly.
Sha Chen calculated that the Jade Emperor aimed to deal with the Jinghe Dragon King at the start of the tribulations of the Journey to the West. He didn’t expect the move to be made already.
Although it was Lord Wu Qu Xing who was chasing the Jinghe Dragon King, this would not have been possible without the Jade Emperor’s tacit approval. Even Lord Wu Qu Xing, without it, would never dare to harm the Jinghe Dragon King. After all, the Jinghe Dragon King was a true dragon of the Dragon Clan, with an exceptionally high status, and was also a deity of the Heavenly Court—a colleague of Lord Wu Qu Xing, so to speak. Furthermore, the Dragon Girl’s elopement had nothing to do with the Jinghe Dragon King. It was unreasonable for him to take the blame. If it weren’t for the Jade Emperor’s consent, such a thing would never have occurred.
In other words, the Jade Emperor can’t sit still any longer, and he is preparing to act. Sha Chen did not yet know the Jade Emperor’s true motives, but he was certain that everything was aimed at consolidating the Jade Emperor’s position and coordinating with Buddhism’s Journey to the West.
Sha Chen had already deduced this. He hesitated for a moment but decided to help the Jinghe Dragon King after all. After all, the Jinghe Dragon King was part of a ploy that he had arranged previously to counter the Jade Emperor and Buddhism. If the Jinghe Dragon King were to truly fall, from then on, the Dragon Clan could be said to have fallen into the hands of the Jade Emperor and Buddhism.
Sha Chen did not want to see that happen. Firstly, he had invested effort in the Dragon Clan’s Ao Lie and Ao Mengmeng, as he planned to support these siblings in ascending to power. If the Dragon Clan were to become a mere pawn in someone else’s game, not only would the Jade Emperor and Buddhism become even more powerful, but his own secrets would also fall into the hands of Buddhism and the Heavenly Court. And one mustn’t forget, Ao Lie and Ao Mengmeng both knew many of his secrets.
Regardless of the reasoning, Sha Chen had to help. If it were before, he would have hesitated multiple times, weighing whether to help the Jinghe Dragon King and offend Lord Wu Qu Xing and the Jade Emperor, or not to help at all. But now, times had changed. He had become strong enough. Although he wouldn’t rebel and was no match for the Heavenly Court, setting the Heavenly Court aside, Lord Wu Qu Xing alone was nothing to fear. In the worst case, he could just feign ignorance later. After all, even Saints couldn’t enter, let alone the Heavenly Court?
He had decided to keep a low profile merely to avoid cutting off resources and to avoid causing trouble for his followers. Even though he had decided to help the Jinghe Dragon King, an important link in the chain, he still needed to perform the necessary checks.
From behind the gates of his cave, Sha Chen surveyed in all directions, listening intently, ensuring that within a radius of ten thousand li, there were indeed no powerful beings. Only then did he speak, "Jinghe Dragon King?"
After calling out for a long time with no response from Sha Chen, the Jinghe Dragon King was nearly in despair. Upon hearing Sha Chen’s words, he was immediately filled with joy. Surrounded by darkness in the water, the voice seemed to come from all directions. He looked around swiftly and said, "It is indeed I. May I inquire if you are the Lord of the Flowing Sand River, Sha Chen?"
Sha Chen said, "What business brings you to me?"
The Jinghe Dragon King was overjoyed; it really was Sha Chen. He hurriedly clasped his fists in a very polite manner and said, "I have encountered a life-or-death situation and have come to seek help."
Sha Chen replied indifferently, "Your life or death is of no concern to me. Why should I save you?"
The Jinghe Dragon King hurriedly said, "Over a hundred years ago, I received guidance from a sage named Li Bai, who once mentioned you, Sir, with the utmost admiration. I believe he has a deep connection with the River Master and might be your disciple."
Sha Chen said, "I gave him some guidance, but we are not master and disciple."
Hearing this, the Jinghe Dragon King was even more delighted; he had guessed correctly. Although Sha Chen said there was no significant relationship, the Dragon King felt that since Sha Chen had answered him, there was hope. After all, many who had sought Sha Chen received no reply whatsoever.
The Jinghe Dragon King continued, "That is also correct. I have encountered danger. I once received advice from Mr. Li Bai and have always been cautious in my words and deeds. I have been kind to others along the way and have not ventured out. But, when Heaven wishes to doom me, there is nothing I can do." Then he knelt on the ground, sobbing and wailing, "I have been targeted by the Heavenly Court. The Jade Emperor has repeatedly found excuses to kill my children and clan members, and now I too have been targeted by Lord Wu Qu Xing, Dou Rong.
"That Dou Rong is extremely arrogant. He fabricated an unfounded excuse to injure me, destroy my Crystal Palace, kill my shrimp soldiers and crab generals, and even seize my Dragon Mother and Dragon Girl, leaving me with nowhere to turn."
Sha Chen was startled. It was one thing to slaughter and exterminate, but to seize wives and daughters? Dou Rong has gone too far! But on second thought, it wasn’t entirely impossible. Dou Rong was a warrior. When Sun Wukong first ascended to Heaven, he was tricked by Wu Qu Xing, who eventually convinced the Jade Emperor to give Sun Wukong the position of the Stable Minister. Such a warrior was inherently brutal and unpredictable. Having been rejected in marriage by the Dragon Girl Ao Mengmeng of the Dragon Clan, he felt he had lost face in the Heavenly Court and had been causing trouble for the Dragon Clan ever since.
However, as arrogant and domineering as Lord Wu Qu Xing was, he was still a deity and possessed intellect. Acts such as slaughtering families and seizing wives and daughters could be performed against mortals or even demons, but he certainly wouldn’t dare do so against a powerful and influential Dragon King. But Dou Rong had done so. There must be a reason, and he must be acting without fear of repercussions.
Sha Chen frowned and said, "Lord Wu Qu Xing, Dou Rong, dares to do this? You are all deities, and you are an Earth Immortal Dragon King. He should be half a rank lower than you when he meets you. How can he dare to be so presumptuous?"
The Jinghe Dragon King cried out, "Isn’t that the truth? Yet it is indeed so. The River Master’s divine calculations will surely reveal the truth."
Sha Chen had actually figured it out long ago; everything that had befallen the Jinghe Dragon King was exactly as the Dragon King had said, without the slightest deviation. He hesitated for a moment and said, "If he dares to do this, why don’t you report it to the Heavenly Court and seek the Jade Emperor’s support?"
The Jinghe Dragon King cried even louder, "River Master, please don’t mention that muddle-headed emperor! Even with all his audacity, Lord Wu Qu Xing would not dare to slaughter families and seize others’ wives and daughters without someone else’s tacit consent. And in all of the Three Realms, who would dare give him such backing?
"Mr. Li Bai once told me that the Jade Emperor assumed his position not long ago and his hold on power is not yet consolidated. To gather more power, it’s certain that he would target me. At first, I didn’t believe it, but more and more events have proven Mr. Li Bai’s prescient insights.
"Now I only regret that I didn’t heed Mr. Li Bai’s warning earlier and prepare in advance."
Sha Chen nodded his head. It seems the Jinghe Dragon King isn’t completely ignorant and knows what has happened. If even the Jinghe Dragon King can think this way, it’s clear that the Jade Emperor’s actions were indeed too obvious. It would not be a wrongful accusation against the Jade Emperor; after all, the Jade Emperor would be the biggest beneficiary of the troubles that befell the Jinghe Dragon King. Secondly, for Lord Wu Qu Xing to dare to do this, he truly needed a powerful backer. Otherwise, even if the heavens gave him the audacity, he would not dare to commit such cruel and inhumane acts against the family of the Jinghe Dragon King. After all, the Jinghe Dragon King was one of the few remaining true dragons of the Dragon Clan, with a very high status and position, a peer of the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas, and the brother-in-law of the West Sea Dragon King.
Sha Chen said, "Since you believe it is the doing of the Jade Emperor, then why don’t you unite with other Dragon Kings to expose him?"
The Jinghe Dragon King cried, "The Dragon Clan has been frail for many years. The clansmen have long been utterly weak, each fending for themselves. Merely protecting themselves is already fraught with difficulty. How could they dare to unite and expose the Jade Emperor?"
Sha Chen said, "So you mean to say, even your Dragon Clan is not united enough? With this being the case, who can help you?"
The Jinghe Dragon King kowtowed and said, "I plead with the River Master to provide guidance and to save me. The Jade Emperor is cruel, Lord Wu Qu Xing ruthless. If I die, great chaos will surely erupt, and the Dragon Clan will become even weaker."
Sha Chen said, "All that you have said has nothing to do with me." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶
He couldn’t just rescue the Jinghe Dragon King simply because he asked for help. Even if he wanted to save him, he had to maintain his composure.
Indeed, the Jinghe Dragon King knew that he had to offer something substantial, or it would be difficult to persuade Sha Chen. He hurriedly said, "I’ve heard the River Master has been performing Cultivation in the Flowing Sand River and does not travel outside. I imagine it’s quite an austere practice. I have specially brought the entire treasury of the Jinghe Crystal Palace as a gift to the River Master, only hoping the River Master might save me from this dire peril." He also kept glancing back in fear, as if someone was chasing him.
Sha Chen had actually foreseen that Lord Wu Qu Xing was indeed pursuing the Jinghe Dragon King and had widely dispatched his forces. It seemed likely they would soon catch up to this place.
The Jinghe Dragon King, being sensible, quickly brought out all the wealth of the Crystal Palace and displayed it outside. Sha Chen glanced over and saw there was indeed a lot. After all, it was the treasury of the Jinghe Crystal Palace, accumulated over countless years, already hoarding innumerable treasures. In terms of value, it was more than ten times what the spider demons had previously brought back. However, most of it consisted of mere worldly goods unsuitable for Cultivation. Fortunately, they could be exchanged for money to acquire resources needed for Sha Chen’s Cultivation.
After thinking for a moment, Sha Chen opened the main gates to his cave abode and let the Jinghe Dragon King enter.
Once the Jinghe Dragon King stepped into the Flowing Sand River Cave, he was awed by the dazzling splendor inside. Then, he saw an immensely large and imposing man sitting cross-legged, looking down at him.
Jolted with fear, the Jinghe Dragon King quickly transformed into a half-human, half-dragon figure and knelt on the ground. "I, Jinghe Dragon King Ao Kun, pay my respects to the River Master of the Flowing Sand River. I thank the River Master for saving my life."
