Journey to the West: Signing in for 500 Years-Chapter 524 - 518: Fear of Loss [Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets]_1

Siti threw herself into his arms, but Sha Chen remained true to his heart and rejected her. He had long been immune to beauty. Siti, however, didn’t give up. She attempted to seduce Sha Chen several times, but always failed.

If her initial attempts to seduce Sha Chen were simply because she found him challenging, now she was genuinely interested in him. It wasn’t a case of the innocent maiden falling for the aloof tycoon; rather, for countless years, innumerable men had fallen at her feet. Even the old and the young were no exceptions.

What made Sha Chen so exceptional that he could remain unaffected!?

Because of this, she wanted to conquer Sha Chen. Of course, there were other reasons too. For instance, by subduing him, she could gain her freedom and even become the mistress of this place, thereby having a say in matters. In short, her motivations were numerous and no longer stemmed from a simple fit of pique.

Sha Chen’s rejection remained consistent, as did his reason: women would only slow down his Cultivation. Love and affection were irrelevant to him at this stage. If he were to become invincible, he wouldn’t mind spending some time on romance. But now, time was of the essence. Buddhism and the Heavenly Court were external threats, and the people from the Taoist and Chan Sects were not entirely disinterested observers either. They were constantly watching Flowing Sand River, hoping Sha Chen would one day show a weakness, allowing them to strike in one fell swoop. Sha Chen also wished to avoid emotional entanglements that could introduce vulnerabilities and weaknesses. Otherwise, these women would become liabilities, causing him to hesitate and be exploited by others.

Sha Chen single-mindedly prepared dinner, while Siti, by his side, was single-mindedly thinking about seducing him. However, he was already familiar with her techniques. He had experienced bolder and more explicit advances from Chang E, Lady Di Yong, and others, yet remained indifferent. Even though Siti possessed a better figure, appearance, and even temperament, she could not shake Sha Chen’s resolve. Unmoved by her efforts, Siti felt hurt and, as a result, was in a rather bad mood.

Outside the cave abode, Sha Chen had set out a fresh spread of exquisite wines and dishes. The aroma filled the air, and the fragrance of wine wafted everywhere.

Ji Gong was thrilled. "This humble monk can hardly wait any longer, River Lord, Grand Ancestor! May we begin eating now?" he asked.

Sha Chen smiled and nodded. "Of course, there’s no problem."

Ji Gong reached for a large chicken leg, but Siti slapped his hand away. "How filthy! Can you just grab it with your paws? Do the rest of us still want to eat?"

Ji Gong smiled awkwardly and quickly nodded in agreement. He then picked up chopsticks to take the chicken, but Siti knocked them away too. This time, her reason was that he wasn’t respecting his elders and loving the young, nor was he following the host’s lead.

Ji Gong was helplessly frustrated. Now of all times, Siti is lecturing me on respecting elders and loving the young?

Nevertheless, he obediently invited Siti and Sha Chen to begin eating first.

Siti then happily started eating, while also giving Sha Chen a smug glance. It was as if she was telling him, You don’t want me, but plenty of others do, and they respect me.

Tianpeng was also fawning over Siti. This time, she was exceptionally kind to him, speaking softly and seeming like a completely different person. The two behaved as if they were in love, with Siti actively serving Tianpeng food and pouring him wine. Touched, Tianpeng felt a surge of vigor, as mighty as a dragon.

Each time, Siti would glance at Sha Chen, seemingly in provocation.

Her behavior is clear, Sha Chen thought. It’s like a little girl’s act: ’If you don’t love me, plenty of others will.’ ’If you don’t want me, then I’ll just degrade myself.’ Essentially, she wanted to infuriate him.

However, Sha Chen remained unmoved. He continued to laugh and chat with Ji Gong and Tianpeng, turning a blind eye to Siti’s little games.

After several rounds of wine and numerous dishes, Siti was furious.

Tianpeng tried to engage her, pointing to his empty cup. Earlier in the feast, Siti had been actively pouring wine for him, so he was hinting for her to do so again.

But this time, Siti ignored him, drinking sullenly with a cold expression.

Tianpeng was taken aback for a moment. He poured himself a cup of wine and drank it in one gulp, then again signaled to Siti to pour for him. "Miss Siti," he said, "look, my wine cup is empty, and there’s no more meat in my bowl. You see..."

Siti exploded, "Look at you, you dead pig-head! If there’s no wine, pour it yourself! If there’s no meat, go eat yourself! What’s the use of having such a big pig-head anyway?"

Tianpeng was dumbfounded.

Siti continued to curse, completely denigrating Tianpeng, making him feel worthless and driving him to the verge of collapse. Tianpeng truly was on the brink of an emotional collapse. He loved Siti so much, and she had been so affectionate before; now, she seemed like a completely different person. This hot-and-cold treatment left him feeling insecure and panicked, his emotions in turmoil. He repeatedly tried to explain, thinking he must have done something wrong, and apologized profusely.

But Siti remained unmoved. Her sharp and harsh words left Tianpeng with nowhere to hide his shame. He almost felt like ending his own life.

Sha Chen glanced at Siti. "Enough," he said. "We’re all on the same side here. Why speak so harshly?"

Only then did Siti stop her tirade, refraining from further personal attacks.

However, Tianpeng was already questioning his existence, feeling utterly lovelorn, as if his first love had vanished. Just moments ago, I thought we were getting along so well, he lamented internally. I’d even thought about what to name our future children. But Siti had turned cold and heartless, leaving him completely stunned.

Only Sha Chen understood that Siti had never liked Tianpeng from the start; she was merely using him. Sha Chen could only sympathize with Tianpeng in his heart, helpless to do anything more.

The one who suffered the most, however, was actually Ji Gong. Seeing his Grand Ancestor flirting with Tianpeng had made him uncomfortable, and now seeing her turn on Tianpeng wasn’t easy for him either. He wasn’t foolish; he could see that Siti’s behavior was mostly directed at Sha Chen. After all, Siti had glanced provocatively at Sha Chen several times, and Ji Gong had clearly noticed every look.

Ji Gong naturally understood: The Grand Ancestor probably has feelings for Sha Chen. He just couldn’t accept that fact.

The entirety of Buddhism was searching for the Grand Ancestor. Saint Zhunti himself had declared that whoever found her would be accepted as his direct Disciple and taught divine skills. Consequently, countless individuals in Buddhism had made it their mission to find Siti. Ji Gong had been overjoyed to find her here, but he also realized that Siti didn’t want to return and harbored deep resentment towards Buddhism. The exact nature of the grudge between Siti and Saint Zhunti was unclear to him. However, he believed that bringing Siti back would yield him many benefits and would also be advantageous for Buddhism.

Seeing Siti apparently infatuated with Sha Chen makes me uneasy, Ji Gong thought, It’s as if Buddhism’s golden radiance is being tainted by a green glow.

Sha Chen persuaded Siti and Tianpeng to stop their bickering. Then, everyone continued to drink and make merry.

After more wine and food, once their spirits were warmed, Ji Gong surveyed the messy dishes and felt the time was ripe. If I don’t speak now, I might never get the chance, he thought.

So, he said, "River Lord, I have a request, and I hope you would be gracious enough to enlighten me."

Sha Chen replied, "Let’s hear it."

Ji Gong said, "The Journey to the West is a settled matter, a great blessing for the world. You, River Lord, agree with this and have approved it. So, if you are unwilling to go yourself, why are you preventing it from progressing?"

Sha Chen was taken aback. "Master, you’re talking nonsense! When did I ever prevent this from happening?" he said in astonishment.

Ji Gong replied calmly, "Haven’t you? Then why are the individuals appointed by Buddhism for the Journey to the West all gathered around you, River Lord, instead of heading westward?"