ATPnovel Chapter 332 - 326: Chang E’s Affairs are Exposed, Jade Emperor’s Arrangement in Sha Chen [Subscription and Monthly Tickets Needed]_1
Chapter 332 - 326: Chang E’s Affairs are Exposed, Jade Emperor’s Arrangement in Sha Chen [Subscription and Monthly Tickets Needed]_1
Heavenly Official Pang’s words indeed left the Jade Emperor in silence for a long while.He had always understood the Sect of Interpretation’s stance: they did not desire his alliance with Buddhism. Sha Chen was the main candidate he and Buddhism had agreed upon for the Journey to the West. Originally, he was dispensable and replaceable.
But now, as Sha Chen became increasingly exceptional, the Jade Emperor did not wish to hand him over to Buddhism, yet Buddhism deemed Sha Chen indispensable. After all, Sha Chen held many secrets. His rapid advancement in cultivation was also a very significant secret, highly tempting. The Heavenly Court had always wanted to gain control over this, while Buddhism found it desirable but unattainable. If they could get Sha Chen in their grasp, they would not only control an incredibly powerful expert with immense potential but also the secret to his rapid advancement. Therefore, Buddhism never gave up; instead, they became even more eager to obtain Sha Chen. Buddhism had always been trying to find ways to acquire Sha Chen but had consistently failed, for they had never anticipated that Sha Chen could be so formidable. He always exceeded their expectations.
Currently, Buddhism was in disarray, with everyone trying to find ways to break into the Flowing Sand River Cave. But they couldn’t do it. The Heavenly Court also contemplated breaking into the Flowing Sand River Cave, but the weaker cultivators couldn’t manage it, and the stronger ones held back due to their status. This was why the Flowing Sand River Cave remained unbreached to this day. Moreover, since Buddhism was taking the lead in this matter, the Heavenly Court would not possibly send more experts to confront Sha Chen. After all, the Jade Emperor did not wish to be the villain. Confronting Sha Chen would create enmity, and the Jade Emperor had always hoped to develop Sha Chen into a trusted subordinate, to infiltrate Buddhism and become his spy. For this reason, the Jade Emperor had always been restrained in his dealings with Sha Chen, never taking things to the point of no return.
If Sha Chen had only been a True Immortal, or even a Golden Immortal or Greater Primordial Golden Immortal, the Jade Emperor could have dealt with him harshly, making Sha Chen fear him and not dare to defy his will. But now that his cultivation had reached the Daluo Golden Immortal realm, suppressing Sha Chen completely would require dispatching an expert of at least Pinnacle Daluo, perhaps even a Quasi-Saint. After all, not long ago, Sha Chen and Yang Jian had fought to a stalemate. This meant that Sha Chen was invincible below the Quasi-Saint level. Sending a Pinnacle Daluo expert was already insufficient to subdue Sha Chen; it would have to be a Quasi-Saint.
However, even for the Heavenly Court, dispatching a Quasi-Saint was not something that could be done at will. These powerful beings had always been independent, responding to requests based on their inclination rather than direct summons. Whether they obeyed the Jade Emperor’s orders often depended on their mood. If they did not wish to listen, there was nothing the Jade Emperor could do. In dealing with Sha Chen, if there was no benefit for them and they might even offend him, who would want to be that villain? Everyone knew that if Sha Chen joined Buddhism, his future would be boundless and brilliant. If they offended him because of this, who knew if he would retaliate by trampling them underfoot once he rose to power. Therefore, those Quasi-Saints also had their concerns. The Jade Emperor was also quite troubled, not knowing how to deal with Sha Chen.
Now, a rumor had surfaced that members of The Mysterious Altar Department were at Flowing Sand River and had already started fighting, but they were no match. The people from The Mysterious Altar Department had ascended to the Heavenly Court to request Zhao Gongming’s intervention. The Jade Emperor knew Zhao Gongming well; he was fiercely protective of his own and would certainly take action. So, someone to confront Sha Chen was now available. However, Zhao Gongming was incredibly powerful and exceptionally capable. If he were to act without restraint, he might kill Sha Chen, and that would be troublesome. The Jade Emperor was completely convinced of this.
Zhao Gongming represented some of the Sect of Interpretation people within the Heavenly Court. Although the Tongtian Hierarch had invited him when attempting to re-establish the Sect of Interpretation, Zhao Gongming had refused. But he still represented the old guard of the Sect of Interpretation within the Heavenly Court and had joined forces with others who had similarly refused the Sect Hierarch, forming their own faction. They were resolute in disrupting Buddhism’s plans, driven by both new enmities and old grudges. After all, if Buddhism grew stronger and sent its people into the Heavenly Court, it would certainly usurp much of their power. Everyone wanted to secure their existing power, so naturally, they wouldn’t allow outsiders in. Thɪs chapter is updated by novel·fiɾe·net
The Jade Emperor frowned and said, "This is a problem, one that truly baffles Us."
"Amitabha."
Just then, outside the Bright Palace, the four great Marshals of the Law Protector, Wang Mo and others, appeared, blocking a tall monk.
The monk said aloud, "Amitabha, Your Majesty. I am Maitreya."
The Jade Emperor gestured. "Please, Maitreya Buddha, come in."
The four great Marshals of the Law Protector immediately stepped aside, and Maitreya Buddha entered with hearty laughter.
The Jade Emperor said, "Venerable Buddha, what brings you here today?"
Maitreya Buddha got straight to the point. "This humble monk has heard that The Mysterious Altar Department, in pursuit of the Spider Demon, arrived at Flowing Sand River and wished to investigate, but they were ignored. The members of The Mysterious Altar Department are dutiful and plan to invite Zhao Gongming to take action personally."
The Jade Emperor said, "That is indeed the case."
Maitreya Buddha said, "Then, Zhao Gongming should indeed be allowed to take action personally."
The Jade Emperor frowned slightly. "Venerable Buddha, have you thought this through? Zhao Xuantan is a man of duty. If he acts, he will surely be ruthless and merciless. Sha Chen may not survive the confrontation."
While praising Zhao Gongming, he was also hinting that Zhao Gongming would not show mercy and would likely kill Sha Chen.
Maitreya Buddha chuckled. "Our Buddha is compassionate. If it comes to that, this humble monk will accept it."
The Jade Emperor was taken aback, then also laughed heartily. He understood. Maitreya Buddha intended to kill two birds with one stone, including him in the calculation. If Zhao Gongming truly killed Sha Chen, it would play right into Buddhism’s hands. First, Sha Chen would be eliminated. Then, Buddhism could step in to "save" him, playing the role of the benevolent savior and fulfilling their initial plan. Furthermore, Zhao Gongming would be targeted by all of Buddhism for disrupting the great Journey to the West. The credit would go to Maitreya Buddha, while the entire Buddhist faction would become Zhao Gongming’s enemy. Zhao Gongming would also face tremendous pressure, and his Sect of Interpretation followers in the Heavenly Court would be suppressed as a result. After all, the Journey to the West had always been a major, albeit unspoken, directive of the Heavenly Court. If Zhao Gongming sabotaged it, he would be directly opposing the Heavenly Court. This was why the Jade Emperor felt that Maitreya Buddha had included him in the scheme.
Because when the time came, he, too, would have to comply. When the forces of heaven and earth align, even the Jade Emperor cannot resist the tide. Once Zhao Gongming truly made a move, the Jade Emperor would not be able to change the course of events. Everything was calculated, yet in a way, nothing was definitively set. In short, the overall trend was unchangeable.
Maitreya Buddha, having been seen through, showed no change in expression, merely smiling faintly. This was because it was an overt scheme, impossible to alter. It was like his very presence here ensured Zhao Gongming would go to Flowing Sand River; even the Jade Emperor could not change this. After all, Zhao Gongming was renowned for being protective of his subordinates. With his people suffering a setback at Flowing Sand River, he would certainly intervene to uphold their honor. Secondly, they had been pursuing the Spider Demon for a long time, and its disappearance within the Flowing Sand River’s territory was surely connected to Sha Chen. If he didn’t take action personally, his subordinates would have been defeated in vain, and he would lose face. Failing to complete the mission would also cost him face.
That is to say, no matter what, Zhao Gongming would go to Flowing Sand River. Given his nature, when dealing with Sha Chen, he would certainly go all out. Sha Chen would stand no chance and would undoubtedly be killed. There was no other possibility.
Once the Jade Emperor understood this, he too smiled faintly. "Venerable Buddha, your visit surely isn’t just for this matter, is it?"
Maitreya Buddha naturally wouldn’t push his luck by making excessive demands, as that would offend the Jade Emperor, which would be unwise, especially since he had just included the Jade Emperor in his scheme.
Then, Maitreya Buddha said, "Naturally, it is not just for this matter. My Buddha has calculated that the Journey to the West is approaching, and we wish to finalize the candidates as soon as possible. However, to this day, not a single one has been definitively chosen."
The Jade Emperor asked, "What does that have to do with Us?"
Maitreya Buddha replied, "It naturally has nothing to do with Your Majesty. However, my Buddha has taken an interest in Marshal Tianpeng and intends to thoroughly guide him onto the righteous path of Buddhism. I wonder if Your Majesty is willing to part with him?"
The Jade Emperor said, "Tianpeng has already been banished to the mortal realm and is no longer a Celestial General of the Heavenly Court. His life or death is no longer the Heavenly Court’s concern. So, what is there to ’part with’ or not?"
Maitreya Buddha placed his palms together. "Amitabha. Since Your Majesty has said so, this humble monk is relieved."
Then he turned as if to take his leave.
The Jade Emperor asked, "How do you plan to deal with Tianpeng?"
Maitreya Buddha answered, "Tianpeng has recently been frequently spotted near Wuzhuang Temple. My Buddha has a profound relationship with Saint Zhenyuanzi, and we plan to use this opportunity to thoroughly guide Tianpeng onto the righteous path of Buddhism."
Then, he turned and departed.
After Maitreya Buddha left, the Jade Emperor was silent for a moment, then said, "It seems the Journey to the West is truly inevitable. But it’s not just Buddhism that is unprepared; even We are not ready yet."
Indeed, he had not yet completely won over the hearts of Tianpeng and Sha Chen, making it impossible to use them as his spies within Buddhism. And since Buddhism was unwilling to let go of these two, the Jade Emperor couldn’t even replace them.
Heavenly Official Pang said, "The matter concerning Sha Chen is critical, but it presents the greatest difficulty. Perhaps, Your Majesty, you could focus on Tianpeng first."
The Jade Emperor asked, "How so?"
Heavenly Official Pang fell silent.
The Jade Emperor then commanded, "Summon Li Changgeng for an audience."
Soon, Li Changgeng arrived and began a secret discussion with the Jade Emperor.
「Half a day later.」
Within Guanghan Palace, Fairy Chang E had her subordinates pack up the abundant resources they had gathered.
Su E asked, "Elder Sister, where are you going?"
Fairy Chang E replied, "Do not ask about my affairs. Just take good care of Guanghan Palace for me."
Su E immediately fell silent. As she watched Fairy Chang E leave, Su E furrowed her brows, a glint of anger flashing in her eyes. Then, she too disappeared.
「The next moment, she was by the Jade Emperor’s bedside.」
"You’re saying Chang E has left Guanghan Palace and has packed a large amount of resources?" the Jade Emperor asked. "Hehe, no wonder she’s been amassing wealth lately."
Su E said, "This servant deserves death. I did not know what she was gathering wealth for."
The Jade Emperor replied, "How else would she use it if not to give it away as gifts? We have known for some time that she visited Flowing Sand River. Hehe, it truly chills Our heart how the people around Us constantly stir up trouble."
Light sparked in Su E’s eyes. She lowered her head and said, "This servant is willing to share Your Majesty’s burdens."
The Jade Emperor said, "Then help Us extract information from her about the situation in Flowing Sand River. If you cannot manage it, then We will take action personally."
Joy mixed with conflict arose in Su E’s heart. She wished for the Jade Emperor to deal with Chang E himself, which would allow her to rise in Chang E’s place. But if she failed to carry out the Jade Emperor’s order, she would not gain his trust. Thus, she was conflicted.
Chang E, oh Chang E, Su E sneered inwardly, you willingly degrade yourself, failing to abide by the virtues expected of a woman. You pretend to be chaste while secretly fawning over other men. Don’t blame me for being ruthless!