Journey to the West: Signing in for 500 Years-Chapter 593 - 587: People of the Heavenly Court [Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets]_1

The Jinghe Dragon King came. This was something Sha Chen had anticipated, and he had made preparations early on. However, despite the Jinghe Dragon King shouting from outside, Sha Chen did not open the door. This was because some "tails" were following the Jinghe Dragon King—individuals whose stealth skills were exceedingly high. The Jinghe Dragon King, having only his soul left after death, failed to detect their presence and simply knew to shout at the door from outside.

After shouting for a long time without any response, the Jinghe Dragon King knew that Sha Chen, within the Flowing Sand River, must have become aware of his presence. The reason he isn't opening the door must be due to some misgivings, or a reluctance to get involved with my troubles. After all, Sha Chen had long ago instructed him not to descend to the mortal realm rashly and to stay obediently in the Heavenly Court. It was his sorrow over his deceased son that caused him to lose his composure and sense of proportion, descending to the mortal world without regard for the consequences. As a result of descending to the mortal realm, he had no power to reverse the situation. His dead children could not be brought back, and he ended up sacrificing his own life as well. His death even implicated his two sons, who were also executed.

The Jinghe Dragon King regretted his actions more than words could say, but he was powerless to change what had happened. The only one he could think of was Sha Chen. He didn't dare hope Sha Chen could save his life, let alone bring back his deceased children. He only hoped Sha Chen could lend a hand to help his remaining children survive. But no matter how he called, Sha Chen simply would not open the door, which drove him to despair.

"River Master, I'm begging you, please let me in. I truly realize my mistakes now; I regret them deeply.

"You had instructed me not to act rashly, to stay put obediently in the Heavenly Court. It was my recklessness, my folly, that led to my own death and the death of my children.

"I plead with you to give me a chance. My death is of little consequence, but my living children—they must not suffer! I beg of you. You are my last hope."

「Inside the cave dwelling.」

The Jinghe Dragon King's plea for help activated an option for Sha Chen. It was nothing remarkable: by saving the Jinghe Dragon King, he could obtain a drop of Zulong Essence Blood. A drop of Zulong Essence Blood was of little significance to him, but it could be refined by the three Phoenix sisters to strengthen their bodies. Though the three Phoenix sisters were part of The Phoenix Clan, they did not reject the bloodline of the Dragon Clan. Even during Dragon Han's Initial Calamity Period, the dragon, phoenix, and qilin often fought and devoured each other. For The Phoenix Clan, Zulong Essence Blood was nothing short of a great nourishing treasure. Sha Chen had already decided to save the Jinghe Dragon King and then give the Zulong Essence Blood to the three sisters for refining, to lend them his support.

「Meanwhile.」

Within the vicinity of the Flowing Sand River, three figures appeared. These three figures were no strangers: one was the Barefoot Immortal, another was Matchmaker, and the last was Heavenly Master Chen, an Imperially Decreed Perfected Person from the Jade Emperor's entourage. All three had been sent by the Jade Emperor to follow the Jinghe Dragon King, with Matchmaker volunteering for the task. Matchmaker had long harbored intentions of harming Sha Chen, but due to his insufficient strength, he constantly resorted to underhanded tactics. As for the Barefoot Immortal, he was a disciple of Zhenyuanzi. He had previously been severely injured and near death at Sha Chen's hand but had been revived by Zhenyuanzi. Both bore grudges and were wary and resentful of Sha Chen, yet they were aware that their own power paled in comparison to his. Their pursuit of the Jinghe Dragon King was solely to find incriminating evidence of collusion and conspiracy between him and Sha Chen. They would then report this to the Heavenly Court, whereupon the Jade Emperor would dispatch a mighty army to suppress them. As for Heavenly Master Chen, he was a confidant of the Jade Emperor, skilled in tracking, concealment, and assassination. His strength had reached the Quasi-Saint Realm, making him the commander of this mission.

Now, the three of them watched as the Jinghe Dragon King stepped into the territory of the Flowing Sand River and even called at the door of the Flowing Sand River Cave, his tone suggesting a good relationship with Sha Chen.

The Barefoot Immortal sneered coldly. "That old Dragon King is already dead, his soul having to flee to the Flowing Sand River. That's enough proof that he and Sha Chen are in cahoots, birds of a feather."

Matchmaker also nodded. "Indeed, the three of us have seen it. It's time to return to the Heavenly Court to report this matter so that His Majesty the Jade Emperor can dispatch the immortals to attack the Flowing Sand River."

However, Heavenly Master Chen didn't want to leave. He shook his head and said, "Sha Chen hasn't taken in the Jinghe Dragon King. When the Jade Emperor questions him, he can always quibble, claiming the Jinghe Dragon King is slandering him."

The Barefoot Immortal countered, "Whether it's slander or not isn't for him to decide! Do our three testimonies not carry more weight than his attempts to quibble?"

But this time, Matchmaker didn't agree. He said leisurely, "As much as I hate to admit it, if Sha Chen keeps quibbling and we can't produce evidence, it truly won't be enough for His Majesty the Jade Emperor to convict him. It's not that our word lacks weight, but that we lack a justified cause. Besides, Sha Chen is holed up here and refuses to come out. Rashly sending troops would only provoke his defiance, which goes against the Jade Emperor's intentions."

Heavenly Master Chen also nodded. "His Majesty the Jade Emperor doesn't wish to be enemies with Sha Chen; he has always just wanted to recruit him. If we can present irrefutable evidence, convict Sha Chen, and then His Majesty the Jade Emperor shows leniency, it will surely make Sha Chen submit willingly and with heartfelt allegiance."

Matchmaker and the Barefoot Immortal were somewhat displeased upon hearing this. They didn't want to see the Heavenly Court recruit Sha Chen; they hoped the Heavenly Court would send experts to subjugate and kill him. However, if Sha Chen leaves the Flowing Sand River to take up an official post in the Heavens, then our chances to deal with him will increase. Thinking this, they agreed with Heavenly Master Chen's words, though they still felt annoyed. Once, they were high and mighty, and Sha Chen had to curry favor with them. But now, they didn't even dare set foot in the Flowing Sand River's territory and had to skulk around, doing shady deeds.

Heavenly Master Chen said, "Sha Chen is naturally cautious. It's understandable that he hasn't opened the gate for the Jinghe Dragon King immediately. But as soon as he does, we can leave directly and report back to the Heavens."

Matchmaker and the Barefoot Immortal both nodded, feeling a surge of excitement. If Sha Chen's problem can be resolved by us, our status and influence will greatly increase! At the same time, they both felt a bit envious, as they hadn't witnessed Sha Chen's strength firsthand and had only heard rumors. People said Sha Chen's power had become so profound it pierced the heavens and the earth, reaching an exceedingly high level of the Quasi-Saint Realm. How could Sha Chen have achieved such a level of cultivation in just a few hundred years?

The Barefoot Immortal had experienced Sha Chen's power before. At that time, Sha Chen had remained hidden within his cave dwelling and hadn't shown himself; his strength then was only at the Initial Quasi-sage Level. He doesn't seem so fearsome, the Barefoot Immortal thought. All three of us are Quasi-Saints. If Sha Chen really comes at us, we're confident we can hold him off.

Matchmaker then voiced his inner thoughts, "If Sha Chen actually opens the cave dwelling and lets the Jinghe Dragon King in, should we charge in directly? 'One general achieves glory over ten thousand bleached bones,' after all."

HISS.

The Barefoot Immortal's eyes flickered; he was clearly tempted.

Heavenly Master Chen frowned, but from his expression, it seemed he entertained the idea as well. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

However, at that very moment, the colors of the world changed, and they felt the space around them warp. The next moment, they found themselves in a void, which looked like the area before the Flowing Sand River Cave's gate. The Jinghe Dragon King was kneeling there, staring at the three of them in astonishment.

A figure slowly approached the Jinghe Dragon King but didn't look at him. Instead, this figure turned to face Matchmaker and the other two.