Journey to the West: Signing in for 500 Years-Chapter 571 - 565: Negotiating Terms [Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets]_1

Chapter 571: Chapter 565: Negotiating Terms [Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets]_1

Sha Chen’s words were soul-crushing.

Yao Yue’s complexion changed dramatically in an instant, her brow furrowing deeply.

She knew before arriving that Sha Chen would inevitably ask about this. So, despite her current vexation and turmoil, she directly voiced her initial thoughts.

"If that’s the case," she said, "I would rather die and return my life and cultivation to the Great God than do something that violates moral principles."

Sha Chen said, "Did I invest so much effort in nurturing you just so you could return your life and cultivation to me one day? If that were the case, why would I go to such lengths?"

Yao Yue furrowed her brows. She knew that to Sha Chen, this was as pointless as taking off one’s pants to fart.

Sha Chen continued, "Since you don’t know what to do, let me tell you."

"The Queen of the West will definitely not give up trying to seize my Chaos Bell. I understand what this artifact means to her and Kunlun Mountain. But, as you also know, it’s impossible for me to relinquish the Chaos Bell."

Yao Yue nodded inwardly. Of course, she understood.

The Chaos Bell was a divine artifact born from Heaven and Earth, possessing infinite power, perfect for both offense and defense, and one of the three greatest divine artifacts in existence.

Such a divine artifact, if obtained by anyone, would not be relinquished easily.

Sha Chen was no exception; he would naturally not relinquish it.

Sha Chen continued, "She wants it, and I refuse to give it. Therefore, conflict is inevitable."

"Eventually, we will end up fighting. When that happens, you’ll be caught in the middle, and it will undoubtedly be difficult for you. Honestly, if you were to help me, I would be pleased. However, I would also be disappointed. Helping me would prove your loyalty, but it would also reveal you as someone who forgets gratitude and repays kindness with treachery."

"I would never dare to place my trust in or heavily rely on someone like that. I can’t know if such an ungrateful person might betray me one day."

Kneeling on the ground, Yao Yue said, "Thank you for your keen discernment, Great God. I am definitely not an ungrateful person who repays kindness with treachery."

Sha Chen said, "But if you’re caught in the middle and help her, I won’t like it. If you help me, I won’t be pleased either. And if you decide to simply sit on the sidelines and watch the tigers fight, then I’d consider supporting you a waste."

Yao Yue lowered her head. This was precisely her dilemma.

Sha Chen said, "There’s a good way to ensure the Queen of the West never covets my Chaos Bell again."

Yao Yue looked up at Sha Chen, wanting to speak but hesitating.

Sha Chen said, "I know what you want to say. The Queen of the West won’t give up, but that’s only if she believes there’s hope. If she feels there’s no longer any chance of regaining the Chaos Bell, then, aside from giving up, she has no other choice."

Yao Yue said, "Her Majesty possesses boundless mana, and her connections are vast, reaching even the heavens. How could she possibly be made to give up?"

"Furthermore, before I was expelled from the sect, Lord Yuan Shi visited a unique realm. With his support, retrieving the Chaos Bell might not be overly difficult; at the very least, it would offer Her Majesty hope."

Sha Chen furrowed his brows, surprised that Saint Yuan Shi had also become involved. However, with a Saint now in the picture, he actually smiled.

He said, "If Saint Yuan Shi hadn’t gotten involved, I’d think the Queen of the West might persist. But with a Saint involved, I believe she will absolutely give up."

Yao Yue was even more confused. "Saint Yuan Shi had a good relationship with Her Majesty in the past. If he decides to help, surely Her Majesty would hold on to hope. Why would she give up?"

Sha Chen chuckled. "Your Queen of the West wants to reclaim the Chaos Bell not merely out of sentiment. More importantly, she intends to use it to perfect Kunlun Mountain, making it impenetrable and capable of weathering future calamities."

"She undertakes all of this herself, and her actions are all for Kunlun Mountain’s future. However, if a Saint gets involved, she’ll fear Kunlun Mountain becoming the Saint’s pawn and won’t dare to commit fully."

Although Yao Yue had lived for a long time, she had always been absorbed in ascetic cultivation and knew little of the outside world’s intrigues.

Many things had seemed straightforward to her, but she hadn’t anticipated so many complexities.

Sha Chen continued, "Cooperating with a Saint could yield the best outcome if successful. If not, it would likely lead to total annihilation. The Saint would remain unharmed, but Kunlun Mountain would not."

Now, even Yao Yue, as unworldly as she was, understood Sha Chen’s meaning.

She asked, "Saint Yuan Shi wants to use Kunlun Mountain as a disposable tool? If Her Majesty understands this, she won’t cooperate with him, will she?"

Sha Chen replied, "The Queen of the West is exceedingly clever; she naturally understands the implications of cooperating with a Saint. Putting aside whether the Saint would even return the Chaos Bell to her after reclaiming it, even if he did, the process would undoubtedly be fraught with complications."

"Moreover, during the struggle, Kunlun Mountain would bear the brunt of the conflict while the Saint merely provides support from the rear. Kunlun Mountain could suffer devastating losses, perhaps even annihilation, while the Saint remains unscathed."

A smile touched his lips. "The Queen of the West is intelligent; she definitely wouldn’t agree to such a losing proposition."

Yao Yue asked, "If Saint Yuan Shi hadn’t become involved, would she still have pursued this?"

Sha Chen answered, "If Saint Yuan Shi hadn’t gotten involved, she would have certainly attempted the impossible, like striking a stone with an egg. But with his involvement, she knows there’s no chance for her to ever touch the Chaos Bell."

Yao Yue showed a look of sorrow.

She now understood Sha Chen’s meaning. As long as they cooperated with the Saint, regardless of victory or defeat, the Chaos Bell would most likely never fall into Kunlun Mountain’s hands.

Hearing this, Yao Yue, instead of alarm, felt an unexpected surge of relief. "If that’s the case," she asked, "can Her Majesty truly abandon her pursuit of the Chaos Bell?"

As long as she could avoid confronting the Queen of the West and not be caught in the middle, Yao Yue felt she could accept it; she would even be happy.

Sha Chen, however, shook his head. "I’ve told you, she won’t give up easily. Besides, at this stage, it’s not for her to decide whether to give up."

Yao Yue was confused. This wouldn’t work, and that wouldn’t work. What on earth was he planning?

Sha Chen continued, "The Queen of the West will likely continue to cooperate with the Saint. However, knowing the probable outcome, she’ll likely just go through the motions or deliberately underperform."

Yao Yue finally understood. The Queen of the West might be unable to refuse cooperation with the Saint. However, if the Saint intended to use her as a pawn, the Queen of the West would never truly agree. Thus, she would likely adopt a passive approach. If so, they might still end up clashing.

Yao Yue’s brow didn’t furrow anew. Sha Chen then said, "You will likely confront them then. When that time comes, I will need you to take action."

Yao Yue, feeling anxious, wanted to speak but hesitated.

She didn’t want to fight.

Sha Chen continued, "Don’t worry, the Queen of the West will not personally engage. If she does, I’ll deal with her."

"Besides, are you certain you won’t act? If you do, simply bar their entry. There’s no need to injure or kill them. Just use your formidable strength to hold them back. That’s all."

He played his final trump card. "Otherwise, if I have to act personally, they won’t even have the chance to be injured. They will simply die."