CHAPTER 27: CHAPTER 27: APRICOT YELLOW FLAG OF WUJI [SEEKING FAVORITES AND RECOMMENDATIONS]_1

Dragged by Sha Chen, Zhu Bajie was somewhat puzzled. "Old Sha, what are you doing? Let me out to beg for mercy."

"You don’t know, my relationship with Li Changgeng is quite good. If he speaks for me, the Jade Emperor will surely have a change of heart, reinstating my position and allowing me to return to the Heavenly Court to enjoy blessings."

He patted Sha Chen on the shoulder and said, "You don’t need to be afraid either, brother. I’ll definitely not forget you."

But Sha Chen’s expression was grim as he said, "If he could plead for you, would you still have been demoted to the mortal realm?"

With his understanding of the Journey to the West, every member of the scripture-seeking team was predestined, their fates already arranged. He was trying to change fate and didn’t want Zhu Bajie to ruin it. Zhu Bajie himself was definitely being schemed against; he was just unaware of it.

After hearing what Sha Chen said, Zhu Bajie was stunned for a moment, then his brow furrowed. He defended himself, "At that time, I did something wrong, and the Jade Emperor punished me. No one dared to appeal on my behalf. Several years have passed since then, and His Majesty should have calmed down by now. Wouldn’t it be useful to plead now?"

Sha Chen shook his head. "To tell you the truth, it’s no use. No matter who pleads, it won’t make a difference."

Zhu Bajie didn’t believe it. However, he wasn’t in a rush to go out anymore because his heart was in turmoil.

Sha Chen chose to remain silent, watching the Great White Plane, who had already sunk into the Flowing Sand River, from outside the Formation. He was waiting for this uninvited guest to leave.

The Great White Plane had clearly come prepared. He marveled inwardly from outside the Flowing Sand River. Lucky for me, I knew where the Thousand Swords Piercing The Heart Formation was located; otherwise, it would have been absolutely impossible to find this place in the vast expanse of the river. The Flowing Sand River has become too vast.

Where did this fellow get this Formation that it’s able to shield against my Heavenly Vision?

Although he had long been unable to see through Sha Chen’s Formation, he was now standing right before it, still unable to penetrate it. He felt profoundly amazed.

He called out a few times from outside, but Sha Chen pretended not to hear.

The Great White Plane cursed under his breath, This fellow is actually using the same method against me that he uses against those demons—turning a blind eye.

It seems he really does hold some resentment towards His Majesty and me; he’s venting, the Great White Plane thought, chuckling to himself. My only concern is that you *won’t* vent.

The Great White Plane secretly smiled; Sha Chen’s resolve was astonishing. His cautiousness and restraint in everything made things difficult for him. Now that he saw Sha Chen held resentment against him and the Jade Emperor, he felt rather pleased. It didn’t worry him that Sha Chen held a grudge; he would be worried if he didn’t. Resentment could be exploited.

Yet, after he called out a few more times from outside and Sha Chen still did not respond, he started to grow gradually irritated.

Raising his hand, he struck out with a palm, and Sha Chen’s Formation shook. But it wasn’t destroyed, though it was indeed in danger.

Sha Chen’s face changed slightly, and he once again stopped Zhu Bajie, who was trying to go out.

「At that moment.」

"The host’s Formation is under attack by an angry Great White Plane. You have the following choices."

"Choice one: Keep ignoring him. Let him keep attacking until he gets tired and leaves on his own. Reward: the Magical Tool ’Beat God Whip.’ Beat God Whip: A Magical Tool bestowed by Lord Yuan Shi upon Jiang Ziya, capable of striking immortals. With the element of surprise, a Heavenly Immortal wielding the Beat God Whip could even slay those beneath the rank of Daluo Golden Immortal."

"Choice two: Appease the anger of the Great White Plane. Reward: the Magical Tool ’Apricot Yellow Flag of Wuji.’ Apricot Yellow Flag of Wuji: Ten thousand golden lotuses, indestructible by anything, repels all evil, impervious to all methods. It’s a defensive type Magical Tool. If held by a Heavenly Immortal, even Daluo Golden Immortals cannot break through its defense."

Seeing these two choices, Sha Chen didn’t hesitate to choose the second one.

The first one is too insidious,

he thought. Giving me the Beat God Whip, does it want me to go on a god-killing spree to prove the Way as a demon?! It clearly implies this thing could unexpectedly take out the Great White Plane in an instant. After that, I’d probably have no choice but to emerge as a demon from these waters, facing endless trouble. I’m not a fool.

The second, the Apricot Yellow Flag of Wuji, is tailor-made for me. A defense that even Daluo Golden Immortals couldn’t break through when wielded by a Heavenly Immortal—it’s simply perfect! Although I’m only a Golden Immortal, and wielding it probably won’t make it much more effective, it should at least defend against a Daluo Golden Immortal. In the current world, Daluo Golden Immortals are already at the pinnacle of combat power.

Sha Chen felt that with this Magical Tool, he would feel more secure. It’s a sense of security that the Purple Illuminate Immortal Robe couldn’t provide.

Moreover, Sha Chen felt that the reward for this choice seemed overly generous, leaving him somewhat astonished. But then he mused that perhaps it was because the choice involved such a powerful figure as the Great White Plane, one who also posed a threat to his destiny.

Sha Chen unhesitatingly chose the second option, but how to appease the Great White Plane’s anger was giving him a headache.

If I rashly go out, I’ll feel insecure. If I don’t go out, the Great White Plane might not stop attacking. Inviting him in is a bit like inviting a wolf into the house.

Sha Chen tentatively asked, "Why is Sir Li so furious, assaulting my humble cave abode?"

Li Changgeng was still bombarding the Formation from outside and showed no sign of stopping. He scoffed, "I’ve called you so many times, and you finally respond. I thought you’d died under the Thousand Swords Piercing The Heart."

Sha Chen replied, "Why must Sir Li be so harsh? I was merely cultivating just now and was delayed in responding to Sir Li’s inquiries."

Li Changgeng said, "Open the Formation and let me in. I came not only to supervise your punishment but also have instructions to give you."

Let him in?

Sha Chen’s heart raced, and he quickly said, "Sir Li can rest assured, I undergo the Thousand Swords Piercing The Heart once a day without fail, and I reflect on my actions thrice daily, never ceasing."

Li Changgeng said, "I don’t believe you. Let me in, and we’ll talk. If you don’t agree, I’ll break your Formation and enter myself."

Sha Chen was a punished general, while Li Changgeng was a superior official. In doing such a thing, Li Changgeng felt no guilt. In fact, he considered it perfectly justified.

Sha Chen was troubled; dealing with an unreasonable Li Changgeng was what he disliked most. This was also why Sha Chen desired better defensive Formations and Magical Tools, as well as to increase his cultivation. Only with these would he feel secure and have the means to protect his life.

Sha Chen was a bit worried; the current Formation might not withstand Li Changgeng’s attacks, but letting the man in was also impossible. This old fellow regards me as a convict, so anything he does is naturally justified in his own eyes. If he were to ransack my medicinal herb garden and everything else, forcing me to become a demon, then I would truly be driven to a dead end.

Sha Chen tried again, "Sir Li, please calm down for a moment. Whether or not I have endured the heavenly punishment, I believe Sir Li certainly knows. The Haotian Mirror is not just for show."

Having once served the Jade Emperor, Sha Chen still knew about the treasures of the Heavenly Court.

This scoundrel is truly hard to deal with, Li Changgeng muttered to himself. I refuse to believe I can’t break his Formation! A mere convict undergoing punishment here in confinement—how can it be that the one supervising the sentence cannot even enter the cell?!

He continued his fierce attacks, still fuming.

Sha Chen glanced at Zhu Bajie beside him, and an idea surfaced.

He smiled and said, "Sir Li, how about we make a deal?"

Li Changgeng retorted, "Open the Formation first, or I’ll break in."

Sha Chen replied, "Old Sir, the heavenly punishment was set by your own hand. This place is now my cave abode. I would not feel safe letting Sir Li in, so let’s talk through the Formation."

Li Changgeng said, "You’re not in a position to negotiate with me."

Sha Chen said, "It’s about Marshal Tianpeng."

Li Changgeng paused for a moment, then said, "Let’s hear it."

Zhu Bajie, standing to the side, was bewildered. How did this become about me? he wondered. And why do I get the feeling that when I was mentioned, Li Changgeng’s tone became oddly ambiguous?