Chapter 200: Chapter 200
「Flowing Sand River.」
Sha Chen felt a piercing headache at the moment. The threat posed by Matchmaker was like a thorn that had to be removed. But to strike down Matchmaker was impossible; he was not yet his match.
However, if this matter reached Lord Yuan Shi’s ears, he might have to face an unknown Saint. Given what Sha Chen had heard about Yuan Shi, it was very likely that Yuan Shi would set him up or even plunder him completely. But such a scenario might not necessarily occur. The Chan Sect’s Lord Yuan Shi enjoyed bullying the younger generation within the Divine Enthronement, but it seemed that he had never killed and looted anyone before. However, Sha Chen didn’t want to take that risk.
Just as he was in a dilemma, Matchmaker had already left. The twenty-eight constellations had caused a commotion for quite a while, but they also left. However, they all left some provocative words behind, indicating the matter wasn’t settled and that they would report it to the Heavenly Court.
When everything outside had calmed down, Sha Chen’s heart was even more disturbed. Because the matter was far from over; it was, in fact, getting more serious. Orıginal content can be found at 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡⁂𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚⁂𝙣𝙚𝙩
Lady Di Yong then cautiously stepped forward and asked, "Master, are you alright? Your complexion doesn’t look good."
Sha Chen replied, "I’ve just used the Imperial Gods’ Thunder to repel Matchmaker, which is a Divine Power of Lord Yuan Shi. If word of this reaches the Saints, I fear disaster will strike."
Lady Di Yong asked, "Would the Saints care about it?"
Sha Chen replied, "That is a Divine Power unique to the Saints; they will definitely care."
Lady Di Yong became anxious, her concern immense as she said, "Then what should we do? I’m sorry, Master, I’ve caused you trouble. If it weren’t for you trying to save us, you wouldn’t have exposed that you secretly learned a Saint’s unique skill."
Sha Chen almost spat out blood in frustration.
When had he ever claimed to have secretly learned the Saints’ unique skills!?
He hurriedly interjected, "Don’t talk nonsense. Just because I know the Imperial Gods’ Thunder doesn’t mean I’ve learned it secretly. I realized it spontaneously during my tribulation to become a Daluo Golden Immortal."
Lady Di Yong was stunned for a moment and asked in bewilderment, "Then why do you call it Imperial Gods’ Thunder? Why not call it some other Divine Thunder?"
Sha Chen’s expression turned awkward, as a plan suddenly came to mind.
Perhaps, that made sense.
The name of a thunder-magic technique could be changed, after all.
Most of them were quite similar, bringing down thunder to strike at people; all he had to do was say it was not the Imperial Gods’ Thunder but some other kind of Divine Thunder.
But that was just a thought. The casting power of Imperial Gods’ Thunder and all its capabilities matched what he had exhibited.
Even with a different name, the essence would still be that of Imperial Gods’ Thunder.
Sha Chen shook his head with a wry smile and said, "It’s useless. You may deny it, but if others are convinced it is the case, there’s nothing you can do."
Lady Di Yong suggested, "Master, why don’t we flee for our lives then?"
Sha Chen replied, "If a Saint is seeking you, fleeing will prove futile no matter where you go."
Lady Di Yong proposed, "Then, let’s go to Lingjiu Mountain. Even Saints have places they hesitate to approach. The Chan Sect Hierarch surely wouldn’t want to venture to Lingjiu Mountain."
Sha Chen’s brows immediately furrowed. He cast a wary glance at Lady Di Yong.
He scoffed and said, "Don’t mention such things in the future; that’s like jumping out of a wolf’s den and into a tiger’s lair."
To go to Lingjiu Mountain would be contrary to his original intentions.
Sha Chen would definitely not go.
Lady Di Yong was at a loss for what to do and could only leave Sha Chen to worry on his own while she went to clean up. She still disliked closing doors.
Sha Chen closed the door, refusing to let her disrupt his cultivation. He momentarily forgot his troubles and watched for a while, but then he abruptly awoke to reality, muttering, "A skeletal beauty, you shall not confuse my path."
He hurriedly began meditating to tranquilize his mind.
After an hour, Lady Di Yong came out dressed in loose clothing, took the initiative to prepare food and wine, and then began to massage Sha Chen’s shoulders and serve him food and drink.
Lady Di Yong said softly, "Master, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you, and I miss you terribly."
Sha Chen replied, "If you miss me, then just say so, but don’t start fiddling around."
Lady Di Yong said, "What is there to fear under the bright light of day, Master? I simply wish for you to forget your worries and relax a bit."
Sha Chen allowed her to massage his shoulders, and indeed, he felt much less troubled.
To hell with the Saints, and to hell with the Imperial Gods’ Thunder.
Face each challenge as it comes, and be merry while the wine lasts.
After a few drinks, Sha Chen’s eyes grew blurry.
Seeing this, Lady Di Yong pounced on him, groping all around.
Sha Chen instantly woke up, pushed her away, and said, "Stop messing around, let’s just eat. Give me back my belt."
Lady Di Yong looked somewhat disappointed; she had remained chaste all these years outside and was nearly dying of thirst.
Why couldn’t she have something warm to eat!?
She retorted, "Master, we should seize the moment to enjoy."
Sha Chen responded, "My heart is set on the path."
No matter how Lady Di Yong tried, Sha Chen remained unmoved, only focusing on his food and drink, becoming ever more vigilant.
Suddenly, Sha Chen slapped the table.
Lady Di Yong, startled, asked with a hurt expression, "Master, what’s wrong? I haven’t done anything, why are you acting ?"
Sha Chen replied, "It’s not your fault. I’ve thought of a way to break the impasse."
Lady Di Yong eagerly asked, "Really? How will you break it?"
Sha Chen’s gaze flickered as he said, "The matter of the Imperial Gods’ Thunder must be resolved. Matchmaker might tell Lord Yuan Shi, and if Lord Yuan Shi finds out, what do you think he will do?"
Lady Di Yong replied, "I have no idea."
Sha Chen smiled and continued, "There are two reactions he might have. One is to remain unmoved; although the Imperial Gods’ Thunder is a unique skill, all Chan Sect disciples can learn it, and he might not care. The other reaction is anger. A non-Chan Sect disciple possessing the ability to use the Imperial Gods’ Thunder is unforgivable to him."
Lady Di Yong thought it over and felt both possibilities were likely, maybe fifty-fifty.
Sha Chen went on, saying, "If he remains indifferent, nothing could be better. But if he becomes angry and confronts us, we must be ready to deal with it."
Lady Di Yong nodded and agreed, "Indeed, we must be prepared to respond."
Sha Chen said, "If you ask me to deal with it, that’s definitely not going to work. So, only a Saint can handle it now."
Lady Di Yong asked, "Does master still know other Saints?"
Sha Chen originally wanted to mention the Tongtian Hierarch, but it was not good to say it out loud, so he shook his head in denial. He continued, "It doesn’t matter whether I know them or not, as long as the Saints care about this matter, that’s enough."
Lady Di Yong asked, "Which other Saint would care about this matter?"
Sha Chen smiled and replied, "There are several Saints who don’t get along with the Chan Sect. One of them is the Tongtian Hierarch, but his temper is terrible, so I dare not scheme against him. Then there are the Buddhist figures Jieyin and Zhunti, who joined forces with the Chan Sect for the Divine Enthronement. But afterwards, Buddhism flourished while the Chan Sect weakened, which led to their grievances."
Matchmaker dealing with him, not allowing Buddhism to grow strong, is the best proof of that. Sha Chen believed that the Chan Sect definitely wouldn’t want to see Buddhism growing stronger.
Lady Di Yong said, "But the two Saints of Buddhism won’t help master either; they’ve stayed secluded and haven’t been seen in a long time."
Sha Chen smiled, "It doesn’t matter whether they appear or not, as long as they know that a Chan Sect Saint is trying to move the meat on Buddhism’s chopping block."
Lady Di Yong said, "Monks keep a vegetarian diet, don’t they?"
Sha Chen’s cheeks twitched, and he didn’t want to explain further to this foolish girl.
At this moment, a sneer came through. Sha Chen frowned, pulling out the Panlong Alchemy Furnace and throwing it on the ground. From it came the voice of Kui Mulang, "Sha Chen, you’re planning to scheme against a Saint? That’s really laughable." It was he who had just mocked Sha Chen.
Hearing the voice of Kui Mulang, Lady Di Yong immediately became furious and was about to open the lid and hit him.
Sha Chen stopped her, saying, "Leave this to me to deal with."
He looked at the Alchemy Furnace and said, "Li Xiong, your laughter is not because I plan to scheme against a Saint, but because you think my method won’t work."
Kui Mulang was silent for a moment, then snorted, "Indeed it won’t work because you don’t know if the two Saints of the Western Sect will take action over this matter. They don’t want to clash with the Chan Sect again."
Sha Chen replied, "That’s because you don’t know how much Buddhism values this matter."
After a moment of silence, Kui Mulang said, "The meat on Buddhism’s chopping block that you mentioned, that’s you, isn’t it!?"
Sha Chen furrowed his brows; that was indeed what he meant.
It seemed like Li Xiong knew something.
Kui Mulang laughed loudly, "Sha Chen, you’ve been chosen by the Heavenly Court and Buddhism for the pilgrimage candidate, and I guess you know that yourself, otherwise, you wouldn’t live in seclusion. You aren’t hiding because of the dangers outside, but because you don’t want to fall into Buddhism’s trap, that’s why you stay hidden."
Lady Di Yong was shocked and covered her mouth, about to cry.
So, Sha Chen was chosen by Buddhism to become a Monk on the pilgrimage.
Then, would he still be able to be close to women!?
She certainly didn’t want to be left alone.
Sha Chen asked, "What else do you know?"
Kui Mulang replied, "I know more than you do. You want to escape your destiny, but let me tell you, it’s impossible."
Sha Chen chuckled, "Your destiny has already changed, why can’t mine?"
His destiny had indeed changed, as he was originally supposed to descend to the mortal realm centuries later, although he also didn’t know how things between him and Bai Huaxiu would turn out.At the beginning, he didn’t care because he thought he would return to the Heavens soon, and when the great calamity of the Journey to the West occurred, he could descend to the mortal world then.Because that’s what the people from Buddhism told him when they contacted him; they told him to descend when the time came to face the calamity.He agreed.But he descended earlier than intended.His destiny had changed, and now his very fate was in Sha Chen’s hands.
Kui Mulang snorted, "You wouldn’t dare kill me, I am one of the Heavenly Court’s twenty-eight constellations, once a disciple of the Sect of Interpretation."
Sha Chen sneered, "You still remember that you are a disciple of a Saint? Yet you’ve committed acts of betrayal against your sect, what punishment do you deserve?"
Kui Mulang’s face changed drastically. Sha Chen’s thunderous shout startled him.
He said in a panic, "You’re talking nonsense."
Sha Chen said, "You must have already defected to Buddhism, otherwise how would you know so much about Buddhism’s arrangements? Don’t tell me you figured it all out on your own."
With a snort, he scared Kui Mulang almost to the point of wetting himself.
Sha Chen was not speaking without evidence; he had speculations and basis for his claims.He had been initially uncertain whether Kui Mulang truly had contact with Buddhism, but Kui Mulang had spelled out Sha Chen’s situation with such clarity.If someone from Buddhism hadn’t informed him, he could never have known so much.As for the Jade Emperor, he would certainly not tell Kui Mulang about it.Then, it must be that Kui Mulang had come into contact with someone from Buddhism, and had even descended to the mortal realm on his own initiative. And he knew from the original story that Kui Mulang descended to become a demon, one of the eighty-one tribulations.This meant that the later Kui Mulang could be said to have been bought over by Buddhism.Whether or not Kui Mulang was bought over right now, at the very least he had been in contact with Buddhism and had confronted Sha Chen several times, which certainly indicated an inclination towards Buddhism.
It was to be expected.The Sect of Interpretation was weakened, Buddhism was thriving.It was obvious to everyone in the Heavenly Court; furthermore, listed in the Investiture of the Gods meant automatically leaving his sect of Saints.Strictly speaking, he was nominally no longer a disciple of a Saint, and to have a standing in the Heavenly Court, he naturally needed to switch allegiances.Buddhism was an excellent choice.Therefore, when Buddhism approached him, it was a godsend to Kui Mulang.He didn’t agree at first, but sooner or later, he would have.Now, descending to trouble Sha Chen, and repeatedly forcing him out, was mostly under instruction, to compel him to emerge and become a demon.
Sha Chen snorted coldly, "Li Xiong, do you still want to argue?"
Kui Mulang was lost for words, "I have not betrayed, besides, I am already a celestial being listed in the Investiture of the Gods, not a disciple of a Saint anymore."
Sha Chen suddenly sighed, "Ah, Li Xiong, how you have disappointed your teacher, the Tongtian Hierarch. He was here not long ago, and he expressed his regrets to me for the wrong deeds you committed."
His voice laced with disappointment, he said, "But to think you have betrayed him and won’t even acknowledge your own sect! You are truly worse than a beast."
Sha Chen’s words struck a fatal blow to Kui Mulang’s spirit.