Journey to the West: Signing in for 500 Years-Chapter 411 - 405: The Buddhas Want to Kill Sha Chen [Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets]_1

Chapter 411: Chapter 405: The Buddhas Want to Kill Sha Chen [Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets]_1

The Jade Emperor’s command fell, and silence filled the Lingxiao Palace. But outside the Ninth Heaven Southern Heaven Gate, a great wail of sorrow arose. A group of defeated soldiers wept bitterly, banging their heads against the ground. After all, they had lost the battle. Many comrades, friends, and fellow disciples had fallen, while only they had survived to return. And in reality, they knew that their survival was not because they were strong, but because they were fortunate enough. In the end, Sha Chen, intent on killing Fuhu Arhat, had not wasted a bit of effort on them, and that was why they were still alive. If Sha Chen had held them in any regard, even slightly, and paid more attention, none of them would have returned alive.

After they came back, they thought the Jade Emperor would regroup and seek revenge for them. But they did not expect that the Jade Emperor was thinking of pacifying Sha Chen and had no intention of seeking revenge. This made them feel utterly despondent. Even if the Jade Emperor did not seek revenge, fearful of Sha Chen’s power, he could hold back his forces. But he should not directly seek to pacify. If so, had their people died in vain?

All the immortals were deeply disappointed, yet they were powerless to do anything.

「Lingjiu Mountain.」

At this time, because of Sha Chen’s affairs, there was also much discussion, with varying opinions and endless debates. Tathagata sat upright on his golden lotus pedestal, with the various Buddhas arrayed below him, their heads all tilted towards Tathagata. Buddhist light shone everywhere, and it seemed as though every home housed a Buddha.

Maitreya Buddha stood in the center, having finished reporting the events that had transpired at Flowing Sand River to all the Buddhas. He added, "Sha Chen killed many disciples of our Buddhism, and even the head of Arhat Hall, Honorable Fuhu. His sins are immense. He must be suppressed by our Buddha."

The assembly of Buddhas was uncontrollably furious, nodding in agreement, their anger palpable. Most of them agreed that they should take action against Sha Chen and were asking for Tathagata’s personal intervention. But some remained as still as mountains, silent as stone. They looked at Tathagata, waiting for his opinion, ready to follow his will.

Tathagata’s face was expressionless, his demeanor unchanged. When he surveyed the room, the clamor of the Buddhas ceased. Then, Tathagata said, "The matter of Flowing Sand River is known to me. Sha Chen’s killing of our Buddhist disciples is indeed an unforgivable sin."

The assembly of Buddhas nodded their heads in unison; with Tathagata saying so, it meant he recognized Sha Chen’s position as an enemy. Maitreya Buddha also breathed a sigh of relief.

But then, Tathagata continued, "However, I would like to ask why Arhat Hall became involved in this matter."

"The Heavenly Court pursued the Jinghe Dragon King, pressuring Flowing Sand River to hand him over, which has nothing to do with our Buddhism. Why did you partake in it?"

At that, Maitreya Buddha’s body trembled, and the many Buddhist disciples also showed expressions of confusion, furrowing their brows. Guanyin had already emerged from seclusion, appearing even more composed, watching everything unfold with a calm demeanor.

Tathagata said, "Elder Maitreya Buddha, answer me."

After a moment of silence, Maitreya Buddha replied, "There are rumors that Golden Winged Dapeng killed the Heavenly Court’s Wu Qu Xing Dou Rong and that the Jinghe Dragon King had invited him specifically to commit the murder."

"Thus, the Heavenly Court sent troops to arrest the Jinghe Dragon King, and since Golden Winged Dapeng is a protector of our Buddhism, we had to find out the truth, and that’s why we followed them."

Tathagata replied indifferently, "Indeed, Golden Winged Dapeng is a protector of our Buddhism, but his actions are his own. Furthermore, the truth of whether he is involved with the Jinghe Dragon King should be confirmed by finding Golden Winged Dapeng, not by following the Heavenly Court to seek the Jinghe Dragon King."

"What are your true intentions? Do you think I am not aware?"

At that, Maitreya Buddha brought his hands together and said, "Buddha, I realize my mistake."

He clenched his teeth but decided to admit his fault, because they all understood that targeting the Jinghe Dragon King was merely a pretense; the main goal was to pressure Sha Chen and create complications for him. The best scenario was to force Sha Chen into a corner with no way out, allowing Buddhism itself to come to the rescue. This is an excellent method for compelling one to join Buddhism. It has always been done this way.

As for why Arhat Hall followed suit, it was naturally because they didn’t want others to beat them to the punch. If they took the lead and Sha Chen were driven to revolt when cornered, they could extend an olive branch in a timely fashion, staying one step ahead.

But this approach was too deliberate. Had it succeeded, all would have been fine, but with its failure, they had become a laughingstock. Not only were they scorned, but the head of Arhat Hall, Fuhu Arhat, had fallen, and several other Arhats had perished, resulting in a substantial loss. Buddhism had never faced such a loss of face.

Tathagata was naturally furious, but he had always been one to never show his emotions, and thus at this moment, he still maintained his silence. After a moment of silence, Tathagata finally said, "From now on, you will not be involved in selecting the candidates for the westward journey."

Maitreya Buddha suddenly looked up, his face a mixture of stunned and angry, with a deep sense of unwillingness. Then he saw the calm demeanor of Tathagata and those unfathomable eyes and eventually yielded. He lowered his head and said, "Yes, I shall adhere to the decree of our Buddhist Law."

He was reluctant to let go of this power, but he had to because he had angered Tathagata and had erred. If he didn’t let go, it would be undignified, and if Tathagata forcefully stripped him of it, he would lose face completely.

Still, he was very discontented. Merely due to one mistake, his power to recruit talents was taken away, causing him to lose much of the westward journey’s fortune. Not being the main guide for the westward journey was a devastating loss for him.

Maitreya Buddha retreated to one side, his gaze flickering as he pondered how to regain his power.

Tathagata surveyed the assembly and asked, "Esteemed ones, how do you view this matter?"

The Buddhas looked at each other, and for a moment, not one person could answer Tathagata’s question. Even when they saw Tathagata’s gaze sweep over, they still lowered their heads. It couldn’t be helped. Fuhu Arhat had a revered status and immense strength within Buddhism and yet had perished—Sha Chen’s strength had already surpassed that of ninety-nine percent of those in Buddhism. What could they do? If they carelessly provided a solution and Tathagata sent them to deal with Sha Chen directly, wouldn’t that be the end of them?

Although they all wanted to obtain the fortune of the westward journey and yearned even more to become guides for the scripture pilgrim. However, that had to be under safe circumstances; they were not willing to risk their lives recklessly. If it were before, they could have relied on their status in Buddhism to subdue Sha Chen, but now that Sha Chen had killed even the head of Arhat Hall, did he care about the status of anyone from Buddhism?

When Tathagata posed the question to the assembly, no one answered. So, he called upon someone directly. He asked Ran Deng Buddha, "Ran Deng Buddha, how do you see this matter?"

Ran Deng Buddha hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and said, "Sha Chen’s strength has grown rapidly, far beyond our expectations. He, who has always been cautious and prudent, dared to kill our people in Buddhism; this demonstrates absolute confidence in his own strength."

"His power might truly be at the level of a Quasi-Saint, and not just an ordinary one. We must regard him highly, and no estimation of his strength can be too high."

The Buddhas nodded in agreement.

Tathagata asked, "Then, how shall we resolve this matter?"

Ran Deng Buddha replied, "This incident has caused Buddhism to lose all face and suffer heavy losses. The journey to obtain the scriptures has not yet begun, yet Buddhism’s momentum has already been hindered. The glory of the westward journey has not yet shone, yet Buddhism’s honor has been damaged. This absolutely cannot be taken lightly or forgiven."

The Buddhas nodded again.

Ran Deng Buddha continued, "Although Buddhism has always been about conquering through virtue, repaying grievances with virtue, and urging goodness, once Buddhism is angered, it can roar like a lion."

"Sha Chen’s arrogance and wanton behavior—although the actions of Arhat Hall were somewhat improper and their conduct somewhat unconventional—the heart of zeal for Buddhism has never changed. If we do not step up and take action, we will not only appear weak to the world but also dishearten our own followers."

In the end, it meant, fight!