All the immortals were dumbfounded.
Chang E was stunned as well. Is this what you ant by ’rest assured’!? She was nearly thrown into disarray and hurriedly transmitted a ssage, telling Sha Chen to quickly accept the decree and not to do anything foolish, or he would miss his chance forever.
But Sha Chen paid it no heed. He kept staring straight at Wen Quxing, serious and stern, saying, "Please report back to the Jade Emperor. I, a humble immortal, have neither accomplishnts nor rits, so I do not deserve a reward. I dare not ascend to the Heavens to accept enfeoffnt."
Wen Quxing said, "His Majesty has already stated that he would absolve you of your cris and reward you. Why must you be so obstinate?"
Sha Chen said, "I acknowledged my cris when I was first judged. Since I acknowledged them, I must endure the punishnt. To accept a reduced sentence and a high position with great wealth without any achievents or labor—wouldn’t that make a laughingstock?"
Pounding his chest, he continued, "I am but a lowly immortal. It matters little if others laugh at . But if they were to laugh at the Jade Emperor for issuing fickle decrees and cause the Heavenly Court to lose face, wouldn’t that be a loss for the entire Three Realms?"
Alternating between self-deprecation and exalting others.
Wen Quxing was flabbergasted. It was his first ti seeing soone belittle themselves and praise others to such an extent, demonstrating such noble integrity and selflessness—it was exceedingly rare. After all, he felt unworthy in comparison. Wen Quxing was bewildered, never having imagined that Sha Chen would be so free-spirited and possess such noble integrity. For a mont, he did not know how to reply, just furrowing his eyebrows in confusion.
Wang Lingguan said, "Juanlian, do you truly not desire a high position and great wealth?"
Without a second thought, Sha Chen said, "I do not."
Wang Lingguan asked, "Then what do you wish to do?"
Sha Chen replied, "I introspect thrice daily, confined here in self-reflection. When I realize my mistakes, that is when I will seek forgiveness."
Wang Lingguan’s face twitched. This man was truly impervious to reason. He had never seen such a person choose such a depraved path willingly. Initially, he thought that Sha Chen was feigning a refusal to advance his own position, first declining to gain leverage, then accepting the offer. Otherwise, if soone offered you a reward and you eagerly accepted, it might seem sowhat unseemly when word got out. He even believed that Sha Chen had acquired the bad habits of those Heavenly Masters, but now it seed Sha Chen truly did not want to accept. However, this simply could not be.
Wang Lingguan said, "Sha Chen, do you know the consequences of not accepting the decree? Your defiance and insubordination are punishable by death." He was intentionally trying to frighten Sha Chen, hoping it would be enough to intimidate him.
All the immortals were scared as well. Chang E was even more worried for Sha Chen, as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, ceaselessly transmitting ssages to persuade him.
But Sha Chen remained steadfast in his conviction. He said seriously, "I have never heard of anyone being punished by Heaven for refusing a high position, great wealth, or an unearned enfeoffnt. If such a precedent exists, then I, this humble immortal, will accept it."
In reality, he had seriously considered it. From ancient tis until now, there had been no precedent for punishing soone for refusing an award. Usually, such a person would instead receive accolades. Such individuals are praised for not currying favor with the powerful, for staying true to their hearts, and for possessing noble integrity; the world deems them righteous. If the Heavenly Court were to lay a hand on such people, it would truly damage its dignity. After all, if you wanted to reward soone and they declined, would you get angry? What asure of magnanimity! Therefore, with no precedent, Sha Chen was also betting that the Jade Emperor and the immortals of the Heavenly Court would not be so shaless. They could be unscrupulous, but they couldn’t afford to lose face.
As expected, Wang Lingguan and Wen Quxing exchanged glances. For a while, they did not know how to respond. They had never encountered such a situation where soone did not desire a reward and preferred to continue being punished. Was he masochistic?
Sha Chen was not being masochistic; he simply did not wish to face rebirth all over again. To be a dog in Heaven, only to be cast aside with one kick the day his master was displeased? Rather than that, it was better to stay here. Once he was strong enough, he could make others his dogs. Sha Chen had thought it through clearly. Never mind the position of Marshal of the Law Protector of the Bright Palace; even if offered the position of the Jade Emperor, he would not take it. Without power, any position was that of a puppet.
Wang Lingguan and Wen Quxing invited him repeatedly, giving Sha Chen enough face and also giving themselves a way out. But Sha Chen still refused, leaving them helpless. For a mont, the standoff persisted, and they did not know how to proceed.
Chang E also tried to persuade him in secret, but Sha Chen did not reply with a single word. His gaze only firr, he looked at her, shook his head slightly, and paid her no further attention.
Chang E smiled wryly in her heart and said, "Brother, why won’t you agree? Don’t you want to ascend to Heaven with , to be together always, and see each other often?"
All the immortals were left speechless. They were all waiting for Sha Chen to accept so that they could benefit from the situation. The immortals of the Thunder Departnt were also nervously waiting, worried that if Sha Chen was promoted, his status would surpass theirs, and he might enact retribution against them. With apprehension in their hearts, they wondered how to gain Sha Chen’s forgiveness.
In the end, Sha Chen refused the reward. He wanted none of the titles or official positions. To make his refusal even more resolute, he also declined all resources that accompanied the Jade Emperor’s reward. They had never seen such an adamant person before, and for a mont, they didn’t know what to do.
Sha Chen said, "Please, everyone, report back to the Jade Emperor. Tell him that I, the humble immortal Sha Chen, am devoid of virtue and ability. Having no rits, I cannot accept unearned rewards and dare not accept enfeoffnt."
Then, the phantasmal image disappeared.
How dare he disappear first! Damn it, this is infuriating! Wen Quxing tugged at his beard, fuming with anger but powerless.
Wang Lingguan said, "Let’s go. He’s made up his mind not to accept the decree."
Wen Quxing said, "But what should we do? The grand plan of the Heavenly Court cannot afford any setbacks."
Wang Lingguan glanced at him. "Elder, if Sha Chen doesn’t accept, do you plan to bind him and force him to? If so, where would that leave the Heavenly Court’s dignity, and His Majesty’s face?"
Wen Quxing sighed. He also knew that the Heavenly Court really couldn’t bla Sha Chen for refusing. Moreover, the Jade Emperor would have to publicly admire Sha Chen’s noble integrity, issue a decree praising him, and even offer so self-reproach. If not, he, the Jade Emperor, would be seen as lacking in benevolence and not a good ruler. Wen Quxing dared not imagine how furious the Jade Emperor would be when they returned. To refuse a reward, and then for the Jade Emperor to have to issue a decree reproaching himself—what kind of ss was this? The one who had made the initial suggestion would definitely be reprimanded.
The two looked at each other and decided to head back. Waving their hands, they turned and led their people away.
Chang E looked back several tis, gazing at the calm Flowing Sand River with complex eyes, sighing deeply as she followed them back to the Heavens.
「Within the Flowing Sand River.」
Ao Lie and his sister were both about to explode.
"Big Brother, why did you refuse it?" Ao Lie exclaid.
Dragon Girl said, "General, if you had accepted, you would have held a high position with a rich salary, with no worries for food and clothing, safe for a lifeti."
Both siblings felt it was a waste for Sha Chen, angry at his lack of ambition.
Sha Chen said, "You don’t understand . I said I wanted to pursue my cultivation in peace here. Being an official is too tiring. If you like it, you can go for it yourselves."
Ao Lie said, "But they didn’t offer any reward."
Sha Chen gave him a deep look and said, "If you like, the Tathagata from Lingjiu Mountain might bestow upon you the title of Eight-Part Heavenly Dragon Bodhisattva. Go for it."
Then he turned to Dragon Girl. "I heard that Guanyin has sent soone to contact you. If you agree, a position as a Jade Maiden would surely be yours."
Both were shocked, especially Dragon Girl, who found it unbelievable. She said repeatedly, "General, how did you know? Both Guanyin and Pilanpo sent people to contact , but I refused them all."
Ao Lie said, "Big Brother, stop joking with . I don’t want to join Buddhism at all. It’s too dull, with too many rules. No feasting, drinking, womanizing, or gambling—I’d rather be dead!"
Sha Chen suddenly shouted, "Exactly! The Heavenly Court wants you to make mistakes leading to your death, so when you’re desperate, Buddhism will be ready to take you in."
He looked at Ao Lie and his sister. "Think carefully. Hasn’t every major event you’ve encountered so far trended towards a terrible outco? Could they not lead to the death penalty?"
Dragon Girl was stunned. Breaking off her wedding might have seed minor, but it had indeed offended the Jade Emperor and disrupted his arrangents—truly a capital offense. Ao Lie’s situation was even clearer; the Heavenly Court had already sched against him several tis. Shattering the Dragon Ball was absolutely a capital offense. Fortunately, he had hidden in the abyss for a long ti, avoiding so trouble.
If things really developed as Sha Chen said, it was very possible that both of them would end up condemned to death. To survive, they needed the guarantee of a major power. The Heavenly Court was close with Buddhism; if Buddhism interceded, the Heavenly Court would definitely give them a chance to ’atone for their cris with rit’ and show leniency.
HISS!
Realizing this, both siblings turned pale with worry, breaking out in a cold sweat.
Sha Chen snorted. "You two, go back to your cultivation. Ponder well what I’ve told you. You may leave once you’ve gained so insight."
The siblings dared not harbor any further complaints and withdrew to continue their secluded cultivation.
Sha Chen also put this matter aside and began pondering his own affairs. He went next to the Post-Heaven Earth and cleared a new patch of land, then extracted the Innate Earth rewarded by the system.
Suddenly, the land changed. A thousand qing of Post-Heaven Earth evolved into Innate Earth, conveniently encompassing the Flat Peach tree and the osmanthus tree within its range.
HISS!
The Tongtian Hierarch, who had already returned to Zi Zhi Cliff, was very pleased when he saw Sha Chen refuse the Jade Emperor’s decree. Finding it amusing, he was about to end his surveillance when he noticed a patch of Innate Earth appear within Sha Chen’s cave dwelling. He inhaled sharply.
This fellow’s luck is too good! To think he could evolve a piece of Innate Earth from Post-Heaven Earth! No, it must have been Innate Earth originally, with the surrounding land being Post-Heaven Earth. Its brilliance was rely concealed and has only now been revealed. His luck is so good, even I, a Saint, am a bit envious. If I weren’t already a Saint, I might even be tempted to seize his wealth.
Sha Chen was unaware that he had nearly been targeted by a Saint. But he knew that in all the world, there wasn’t much intact Innate Earth left. At most, so great figures possessed one or two mu, only enough to cultivate the most precious Elixirs. It’s said that the soil in Zhenyuanzi of Wuzhuang Temple’s back garden, where he cultivated ginseng fruits, is Innate Earth. And it’s less than one mu in size. One could imagine how tempting his thousand qing of Innate Earth were. Were it not for a perfect thod of concealnt, he wouldn’t really want to expose the existence of the Innate Earth. He worried that the Tongtian Hierarch might be enticed by greed.
Luckily, so far, there were no anomalies; he had underestimated the magnanimity of a Saint.
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