Journey to the West: Signing in for 500 Years-Chapter 497 - 491: Playing in the Palm of Your Hands【Requesting Subscription and Monthly Tickets】_1
The Turtle Immortal almost spat out a mouthful of blood. He had thought Jin Chanzi was asking for help to cross the river, but unexpectedly, Jin Chanzi wanted him to capture Jinzha and the Old Turtle! That was his own ancestor he was talking about! He was terrified. For a moment, he didn’t know how to respond.
Jinzha and the Old Turtle had been eavesdropping. When they heard this, they too were almost beside themselves with fury. Especially the Old Turtle, who said angrily, "That old Monk is truly detestable! Thinking about harming us like that! Bodhisattva, we must come up with a plan. As long as that old Monk lives, I cannot sleep in peace."
Jinzha glanced at him. "Enough. The old Monk is just extremely paranoid. Let’s calm him down first; everything can be discussed." He then instructed the Turtle Immortal on what to say.
Only then did the Turtle Immortal laugh lightly. "Holy Monk, you’ve truly misunderstood your two disciples. They are both good people, not bad ones. I am an Immortal; I can at least see that much."
However, Jin Chanzi looked at the Turtle Immortal skeptically, as if doubting his origins as well.
Frightened, the Turtle Immortal hurriedly said, "However, since the Holy Monk believes they harbor ill intentions, then I shall capture them for you."
"But after capturing them, Holy Monk, what will you do with them? And how will you yourself proceed on the Journey to the West?"
Upon hearing this, Jin Chanzi said, "Although they are villains who wish to harm this humble monk, they have, after all, followed me for some time. I cannot bear to harm them."
"But if I don’t deal with them, I fear they might catch up later and continue to harm me. I am but a mere mortal; how could I possibly withstand them?"
The Turtle Immortal remained silent.
Jin Chanzi continued, "In that case, Immortal, you need not capture them. Why don’t you join us on the Journey to the West instead? With your protection, Immortal, they surely wouldn’t dare to harm this poor monk."
The Turtle Immortal was shocked. Could such a good thing be true? He came to do harm, not to offer protection.
But then, he was tempted.
Everyone knew that Jin Chanzi was the scripture seeker; countless people yearned for a share of the merit. However, they also knew that Jin Chanzi had not yet achieved perfect merit, so it would be some time before they could reap any benefits. Secondly, it was incredibly difficult to harm Jin Chanzi—let alone consume him—because all the gods and Buddhas in Heaven were protecting him. The Turtle Immortal felt honored that the Old Turtle had invited him to participate.
But how could this honor compare with escorting Jin Chanzi on the Journey to the West? If he could escort Jin Chanzi on this pilgrimage, the Turtle Immortal believed he would undoubtedly achieve true fruition. By that time, his status might even be higher than his own ancestor’s!
With this thought, the Turtle Immortal ignored the telepathic warnings from Jinzha and the Old Turtle. "Rest assured, Holy Monk," he readily agreed. "I have nothing pressing to attend to. Since you’ve asked, I shall protect you for a portion of the journey."
He also knew that this reincarnation of Jin Chanzi was destined to face one fatal calamity, though he didn’t know when it would occur. If he could protect him for a part of the journey, it would count as a significant merit, and perhaps he could share in the eventual rewards.
Yet, after agreeing, a sliver of guilt pricked him.
As expected, when Jinzha and the Old Turtle arrived, the looks they gave him were unsettling, making the Turtle Immortal afraid to meet their eyes directly.
However, Jin Chanzi, seemingly having found a powerful backer, was very polite to the Turtle Immortal. He summoned his two disciples and haughtily ordered them to pay their respects to the Turtle Immortal.
"You are not to be rude to the Immortal! From now on, the Immortal will eat and sleep with us, journeying together to the West for the scriptures!"
Jinzha said, "Master, this is unacceptable!"
The Old Turtle was also displeased. "Master, he... he’s just... Ugh, this simply won’t do!"
But Jin Chanzi grew angry. "Who’s the Master here—you or I? Should I be listening to you, or should you be listening to me?!"
The two immediately fell silent. If not for the prohibition against harming the scripture seeker, they probably would have attacked him already. This was infuriating.
They glared at the Turtle Immortal, telepathically warning him to find an excuse to leave and not to follow. For the insignificant Turtle Immortal to dream of sharing the karmic rewards of the great Journey to the West calamity—it was truly preposterous! Moreover, the Turtle Immortal had clearly gained more of Jin Chanzi’s trust. If he were to genuinely escort them, their own contributions would undoubtedly be diminished.
The Turtle Immortal wasn’t about to let such a golden opportunity slip away. Even if it meant defying his ancestors or the Bodhisattvas of Buddhism, he would ignore their warnings. He pretended not to hear, maintaining a faint smile and continuing to play the role of a venerable expert.
He laughed and said, "I have decided to escort the Holy Monk on the Journey to the West. I look forward to your guidance in the future, gentlemen."
Jinzha and the Old Turtle were seething, on the verge of dropping all pretenses.
But Jin Chanzi spoke up. "If you two continue to cause trouble, I’ll have the Immortal drive you away! It’s utterly impolite!"
"The Immortal is willing to escort me, your Master, on the Journey to the West. Why do you obstruct him? Have you forgotten everything I’ve taught you? With such intense jealousy, how can you ever achieve great things? How can I trust your commitment to Buddhism?"
The Old Turtle and Jinzha were incredibly frustrated and wanted to argue, but Jin Chanzi was resolute. Helpless, the Old Turtle could only look to Jinzha, deferring to his decision.
Jinzha transmitted his thoughts, "The old Monk doesn’t trust us. If we insist on driving the Immortal away, it will only make him completely suspicious of us. I’m afraid he won’t agree to anything we ask him to do after that. He might even use this as an opportunity to blame us for any future mistakes. It would be one thing to miss out on the karmic rewards of this calamity, but to incur additional negative karma would be far worse."
So he had no choice but to say aloud, "Since Master believes the Immortal can be of help, then let him stay. However, Master, in the future, perhaps you could consult us before making decisions..."
Before he could finish, Jin Chanzi interjected, "Nonsense! You are merely my disciples! What right do you have to expect me to consult you before I make decisions?"
After that, he was exceptionally polite to the Turtle Immortal, acting as though he had found a priceless treasure.
Jinzha and the Old Turtle were seething with suppressed frustration, glaring daggers at the Turtle Immortal countless times, itching to strike him down. This terrified the Turtle Immortal, causing him to tremble. Yet, whenever he considered giving up, Jin Chanzi would be right there, painting visions of a glorious future for him. He spoke of introducing him to the Buddha himself. He promised that on the Journey to the West, the Turtle Immortal would be his chief disciple, with the others subordinate to him. He also assured him that once they reached Lingjiu Mountain in the West, he would personally request a position of spiritual attainment for him.
With such lavish promises, the Turtle Immortal had long forgotten his fear. He even began to fantasize about the wonderful life that awaited him.
Jinzha said, "Master, since the Immortal is willing to help, that’s excellent. Why don’t we ask the Immortal to help us cross the river?" As he spoke, he glanced at the Turtle Immortal.
The Turtle Immortal’s eyes flickered. The task he had been given was to submerge himself halfway across and drown Jin Chanzi in the Flowing Sand River. But now, he no longer wanted to kill Jin Chanzi. He genuinely wanted to escort him to Lingjiu Mountain, thereby achieving his own perfect merit. However, he didn’t dare let Jinzha and the Old Turtle discern his true intentions; otherwise, they would undoubtedly kill him. Simply getting Jin Chanzi across the Flowing Sand River would count as assistance, earning him some merit. And with Jin Chanzi’s protection thereafter, his own position would be secure.
The Turtle Immortal resolved to bind his fate to Jin Chanzi from this moment on and go nowhere else. He was terrified of being secretly plotted against.
Hearing Jinzha, he said, "That makes sense. I truly wish to escort the Holy Monk... no, Master, across the river."
He chuckled. "Master, your disciple will now escort you across the Flowing Sand River. I shall transform into a giant turtle in a moment. Please, Master, be sure to sit tight."
Jin Chanzi’s eyes lit up. "Excellent, excellent! Good disciple, good disciple! Ah, your mana is boundless! Your Master is counting on you!"
True to his word, the Turtle Immortal transformed into a gigantic turtle, floating on the surface of the Flowing Sand River. Jin Chanzi gathered his belongings, preparing to climb aboard.
Jinzha and the Old Turtle watched from the side, their faces bearing strange smiles, only for Jin Chanzi to suddenly berate them.
"Why are you two foolish disciples still dawdling? If you can’t help, at least pack your things so we can cross together! Or are you planning to pack up and abandon me?!"
The two were stunned. Did Jin Chanzi intend for them to cross the river with him as well? If so, and Jin Chanzi were to fall into the water halfway, whose fault would it be?
Jinzha quickly said, "Master, you don’t need to worry about us. We can simply fly across."
The Old Turtle also chuckled. "Yes, Master, we’ll fly across."
Jin Chanzi scolded, "Showing off your abilities, are you? I’ve said we must walk step by step to the West! How can we fly?" 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶
"Quickly! Help your Master onto the turtle! Don’t keep your Turtle Senior Brother waiting too long!"
Jinzha’s and the Old Turtle’s cheeks twitched. The frustration was unbearable!
