Journey to the West: Signing in for 500 Years-Chapter 410 - 404: The Heavenly Court Compromises with Sha Chen [Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets]_1

Chapter 410: Chapter 404: The Heavenly Court Compromises with Sha Chen [Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets]_1

The Jade Emperor was furious.

The immortals trembled with fear, each one hanging their head low like a quail.

Even Li Changgeng dared not make a sound. He wanted to tell the Jade Emperor that Sha Chen was too powerful and that the Heavenly Court had no one else to match him, so there was no need to be angry about the defeat. But he couldn’t say it outright, and the Jade Emperor was very angry.

Suddenly, the Jade Emperor pointed at Li Changgeng and said, "Li Taibai, you were the first to come in contact with Sha Chen. I ordered you to capture him. Can you do it?"

Li Changgeng’s face twitched as he said, "Your Majesty, you flatter me too much. This old body of mine, I fear, would get killed if I went."

The Jade Emperor exclaimed angrily, "So you’re saying we should just let Sha Chen do as he pleases? First, we had Yang Jian giving me a headache, and now there’s Sha Chen. What am I to do?"

His gaze was very unfriendly.

He was also cursing inwardly. Damn Sha Chen, daring to attack my confidants and speak of ’purging the king’s side’—he’s courting rebellion! I wanted to recruit him, but now that things have come to this, how can I possibly recruit him?

The Jade Emperor cursed in his heart but couldn’t say it aloud. Instead, he looked around at the assembled crowd and said, "Sha Chen has killed hundreds of thousands of our Heavenly soldiers and generals, and has even slain my brother Emperor Zhenwu. Do you all show no concern, and remain at a loss as to what to do?"

"You normally think so highly of yourselves and disregard everyone else. Now that a demoted general rides roughshod over you, you are at a loss? Are you all so useless?"

The immortals suddenly had nothing to say. Although they felt humiliated and aggrieved, there was nothing they could do and nothing they could say, because they truly didn’t know how to refute or what to do. Sha Chen’s strength was beyond their imagination.

Previously, they could shout about suppression and execution, full of bold promises, believing themselves clever. But if they were to do so now, it would just mean taking others for fools. Not to mention that Sha Chen had become so powerful, he was beyond their imagination. He was someone they couldn’t deal with. Even the Flowing Sand River was impregnable. Zhenyuanzi himself couldn’t enter it, and their efforts would be in vain if they tried. In other words, at present, the entire Heavenly Court truly had no way to harm Sha Chen in the slightest.

In his great rage, the Jade Emperor ordered all the immortals to discuss. If they couldn’t come up with a strategy, no one was to leave. They would have to eat, drink, and take care of all personal matters right there in the Lingxiao Palace.

Only then did the immortals start racking their brains, trying hard to think of a strategy, but they found themselves completely out of ideas. There was nothing they could do. Sha Chen was so powerful that it was unimaginable, and even now, they had no idea about his actual strength because they had yet to test his cultivation level. Even when guessing about his physical body, it was just that—a guess. Not to mention, Sha Chen also possessed many Great Divine Powers and Magical Tools, which were all a part of his strength. If they made a wrong guess, a grave mistake could occur, resulting in severe losses.

For instance, this time they thought Sha Chen’s strength might be at the Initial Quasi-sage Level, or that he might not even qualify as a Quasi-sage. They went confidently, vowing to capture Sha Chen, only to find that he already surpassed all of them. Arriving there meant they couldn’t leave. They were defeated. Utterly defeated, they subsequently lost soldiers and generals.

How were they supposed to deal with someone like that? The only option was to bring in someone stronger to deal with him, but there was no way to know who was stronger than Sha Chen because they didn’t know Sha Chen’s actual strength. They could only overestimate it as much as possible.

In the end, the immortals still came up with a less-than-ideal solution. Li Changgeng stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, we believe that although Sha Chen is formidable, he has yet to leave the Flowing Sand River, which suggests a reverence for the Heavenly Court in his heart."

"He does not truly wish to rebel but is forced into rebellion. His actions have all proven this point; he reveres the Heavenly Court and does not wish to rebel, only desiring peace."

The Jade Emperor fell silent. He was naturally aware of this. Indeed, Sha Chen had never left the Flowing Sand River, a sign of his reverence for the Heavenly Court and his strict adherence to the heavenly laws. In truth, this was the last shred of face he had left. Otherwise, Sha Chen’s actions would be tantamount to rebellion, and his own powerlessness would leave him in an untenable position. Take Yang Jian at this moment, for example. He was causing the Jade Emperor great embarrassment.

The Jade Emperor said, "Continue."

Li Changgeng continued, "Since Sha Chen does not wish to rebel and holds the Heavenly Court in respect, why not bestow upon him an official appointment, inviting him to ascend and take a position as an official? He would surely be grateful."

"However, doing this would be hard to explain to Lingjiu Mountain, especially given that the great calamity of the Journey to the West is about to begin."

The Jade Emperor responded, "We need not consider Lingjiu Mountain for now. If we can truly keep Sha Chen, I will personally explain to Lingjiu Mountain."

"But do you think Sha Chen would accept such an appointment? Before, I had already promised him the position of Marshal in front of the hall, subordinate only to Wang Lingguan."

Li Changgeng said with a fist salute, "Your Majesty, that is still a position below Wang Lingguan, and Sha Chen is proud and arrogant. Being demoted for breaking the Liuli Lamp has left a mark on his pride. If we were to offer him a high-ranking post with generous remuneration and also vindicate him with a title, it would definitely make him feel indebted."

The Jade Emperor fell silent again. What Li Changgeng said was indeed true, but the Jade Emperor felt it would cause him to lose face. It was his decree that led to Sha Chen’s demotion to the mortal realm for breaking the Liuli Lamp. To vindicate him now would be to go against his own decision, to slap his own face. He was the Jade Emperor. How could he tolerate such humiliation?

But Li Changgeng’s argument also made sense. No one is free from the lure of power, and no one does not crave recognition. He held the greatest power in the world. If he shared a part of that power and glory with Sha Chen, promising him a position equal to or even greater than Wang Lingguan, and then bestowed a title similar to The Great Sage Equal to Heaven upon Sha Chen to make his name even more illustrious, he did not believe Sha Chen would refuse. If Sha Chen truly returned to his fold because of this, he would be willing to let bygones be bygones, given Sha Chen’s formidable strength. Having him under his command and learning Sha Chen’s secrets—this deal was worth it!

After hesitating for a moment, the Jade Emperor still felt that Li Changgeng made sense. Despite it being somewhat demeaning to himself, it was a worthwhile bargain.

So, he decreed, "Since all my ministers believe so, let it be done. However, please draft a decree for this appointment, and deciding who will go is also of utmost importance."

Everyone discussed vigorously and finally agreed upon a suitable commendation. In the end, the crowd recommended Li Changgeng to personally carry out the appointment, though he naturally did not wish to face Sha Chen again. But with the Jade Emperor making a final decision, he had no choice but to undertake the task himself.

Within the Lingxiao Palace, it was decided to bestow the appointment upon Sha Chen.

Then, outside the Ninth Heaven Southern Heaven Gate, there was a chorus of ghostly wailing, countless cries of despair.

Lv Dongbin said, "Your Majesty, by bestowing the appointment upon Sha Chen, what about us, your brothers, and the hundreds of thousands of heavenly soldiers and generals, and Emperor Zhenwu—did they die in vain?"

"Your Majesty, think thrice. Not only have people from our Heavenly Court perished, but also the Fuhu Arhat from Lingjiu Mountain and many other Arhat Buddhas. They will not let this go easily. If Sha Chen is appointed, it will not only break the pact with Buddhism but also deeply offend them."

For a moment, the Jade Emperor hesitated. But thinking about Sha Chen’s strength, potential, and the secrets he harbored, the Jade Emperor’s expression turned stern.

He said, "A generous reward will be given for the fallen soldiers. As for Lingjiu Mountain, I will go and appease them myself right now."