Chapter 38: Chapter 38: Knowing Everything about the World without Leaving Home [Soliciting Collection and Recommendation Tickets]_1
"Host has discovered that the Jade Rabbit invited them to eliminate the master of Huanghua Temple. You have the following choices.
Option one: Agree to her, eliminate the master of Huanghua Temple for the Jade Rabbit, gain favor with the female immortals, and receive the Magical Tool reward [Medicine Pestle]. Medicine Pestle: A Magical Tool used by the Jade Rabbit to pound medicine in the Moon Palace. The medicine it pounds can lock in medicinal power, preventing its loss.
Option two: Refuse the Jade Rabbit. Remain unmoved and receive the divine reward of one hundred jars of [Guanghan Palace Osmanthus Wine]. Guanghan Palace Osmanthus Wine: A divine wine brewed from the osmanthus trees of Guanghan Palace, containing Divine Power. Regular consumption invigorates the mind, increases cultivation level, and enhances mental power."
Sha Chen’s eyes lit up. He refused the osmanthus wine offered by the Jade Rabbit, not because he didn’t like wine, but simply because he did not wish to owe anyone favors. He did not know the Jade Rabbit’s background or purpose and didn’t want to get entangled in karma because of this.
He actually enjoyed drinking wine very much and had long looked forward to osmanthus brew. He never expected that he could choose and obtain it here—and a hundred jars at that! The annual output of Guanghan Palace was no more than a hundred jars, and he had just gotten a hundred jars all at once, enough for him to drink to his heart’s content. Moreover, it could increase his cultivation level and enhance his essence, energy, and spirit.
Without hesitation, Sha Chen chose the second option and refused the Jade Rabbit’s request. Although he hated the centipede demon to the bone—that demon had killed one of his avatars, and he had not yet avenged this—the centipede demon was the spider demon’s senior martial brother. It was unclear whether they were from the same faction or merely casual acquaintances. He had to wait until the spider demon came next time to clarify things before making a judgment. Otherwise, he might lose such an excellent little helper for finding medicinal herbs. Furthermore, the centipede demon was quite cunning and hid far away. To kill it, he would have to lure it out; otherwise, he himself would have to leave the Flowing Sand River. Once he left the Flowing Sand River, it would give Buddhism, the Heavenly Court, and even the Sect of Interpretation plenty of room to maneuver. He didn’t feel safe and wouldn’t go out.
Sha Chen said, "Sorry, I refuse."
The Jade Rabbit originally thought that Sha Chen could hardly refuse this time. After all, she was the Jade Rabbit, the immortal pet of Fairy Chang E, one of the Heavenly Realm’s four great beauties. After taking human form, she considered herself unparalleled in the Heavenly Realm. Having rarely deigned to ask for anything, she was bullied on her way to find Sha Chen. Now she sought justice from him, and he refused?
At that moment, the Jade Rabbit suddenly felt like singing a song. "You refuse? What kind of man are you?"
Then, the Jade Rabbit blurted out angrily, "I came to bring you osmanthus brew, and I was nearly abducted right at your doorstep, yet you refuse to stand up for me?"
Sha Chen said, "My strength is low, and I cannot defeat the master of Huanghua Temple. Besides, I dislike fighting and killing."
Seeing that the Jade Rabbit was about to get angry again, Sha Chen, speaking through the Formation’s barrier, said, "I have a suggestion for you. The Huanghua Temple is to the west. If you head east, I can use my Divine Power to send you across the sea. Then you can ascend to the Heavenly Court and immediately report that a demon in the Huanghua Temple is committing atrocities on the mortal plane. Ask them to send troops to exterminate it."
The Jade Rabbit trembled with rage, her eyes bulging with anger. She wanted to berate Sha Chen but couldn’t find the words. You could say he was talking nonsense, yet he was quite rational. If you called him rational, then wasn’t he too cowardly? But if you said he was cowardly, he still dared to refuse Guanghan Palace.
In short, the Jade Rabbit was so angry she was at a loss for words.
"You’ve disappointed me so much. Are you even a man?" The Jade Rabbit kept repeating this one sentence.
Sha Chen said, "I was on duty in the Heavenly Court, made a mistake, and am now suffering here. I cannot leave casually. So, I am unable to help."
Jade Rabbit said, "Then leave with me! Champion my cause, and in recognition of your valor, I will stay with you. We can become an inseparable pair, an invincible duo!"
Sha Chen’s cheek twitched. He looked at the beautiful and earnest face outside the Formation.
He tentatively asked, "Are you inviting me to leave this river and become a demon?"
Jade Rabbit replied, "What’s wrong with that? Look how free demons are, unlike in the Heavens where there’s no freedom."
Discussing the situation in the Heavens, Sha Chen noticed a flare of anger in Jade Rabbit’s eyes.
「Instantly.」
"Host has detected that the Jade Rabbit is inviting you to become a demon. You have the following options.
Option one: Agree to her and obtain the Magical Tool [Medicine Pestle]. Medicine Pestle: A Magical Tool used by the Jade Rabbit to pound medicine in the Moon Palace. The medicine it pounds can lock in its potency without loss.
Option two: Refuse her, persuade her to leave, and obtain the divine tree [Guanghan Palace Osmanthus Tree]. Guanghan Palace Osmanthus Tree: A celestial tree prolific with osmanthus flowers. These flowers can be used in medicine or brewed into wine, contain Divine Power, and can enhance cultivation and bolster the power of the Primordial Spirit."
Sha Chen was pleasantly surprised. He hadn’t expected to be given a choice for this too. Still, he did not hesitate to choose to refuse.
With a calm smile, he said, "Sorry, I don’t want to become a demon; I just wish to cultivate arduously here."
Jade Rabbit, both angry and indignant, said, "What’s the point of you staying here? This place is a dump! What’s so good about it?"
Suddenly, Sha Chen asked, "Were you bullied by Fairy Su E? Are you now holding a grudge, dissatisfied with Guanghan Palace, and no longer wish to be an immortal?"
Jade Rabbit paled in shock. "You... you... how do you know that?" she blurted out.
She was genuinely astounded. Her being bullied was a very secret matter; after all, Su E wouldn’t dare to openly harm Fairy Chang E’s cherished immortal pet. One must consider the master before striking the dog; Su E wouldn’t dare act rashly. Jade Rabbit, having been bullied, didn’t dare tell Chang E either, because Su E and Chang E had a decent relationship. Chang E would never believe that her own sister would bully Jade Rabbit. Telling her would be pointless and might even cause Chang E to misunderstand, thinking Jade Rabbit was jealous and deliberately trying to sow discord between them.
Therefore, Jade Rabbit harbored deep resentment towards Su E. Coincidentally, Great White Planet visited Guanghan Palace. She overheard Great White Planet chatting with Chang E, Su E, and a few other fairies of Guanghan Palace. From this, she learned that he planned to use the beauty of female immortals against Sha Chen. After Great White Planet left, she secretly followed him and bravely volunteered, earning his approval and a promise. If she could lure Sha Chen out of the Flowing Sand River and incite him to become a demon, Great White Planet promised to report to the Jade Emperor. He would then grant her a divine rank, elevating her status above Su E’s.
Overjoyed, Jade Rabbit immediately snuck down to the mortal realm and orchestrated the scene of delivering wine to Sha Chen. Her encounter with the master of Huanghua Temple, however, was completely unexpected. She truly suffered abuse and was nearly scared witless. The master of Huanghua Temple, a centipede demon, was a peak Golden Immortal, his cultivation far surpassing hers. Moreover, he launched a sneak attack and used dirty tricks. She only managed to escape because she deliberately invoked Fairy Chang E’s name, causing the centipede demon to hesitate, which gave her the chance to flee.
Sha Chen, feigning mystery, said, "Though I do not leave the Flowing Sand River, I know many things. You should honestly tell me the whole story of why you came here and your purpose. Don’t try to deceive me."
Jade Rabbit usually stayed in Guanghan Palace and was naive about the wickedness of people’s hearts. Sha Chen had instantly revealed her secret suffering at the hands of Su E. Utterly confused by this, Jade Rabbit was naturally inclined to believe and listen to him.
She spilled everything about Great White Planet and her own experiences in one go. After speaking, she felt very wronged.
"I’m sorry, General for Folding the Curtain," she cried. "I lied to you. I was instructed by someone else to deceive you into abandoning your post and becoming a demon."
"But... but now I have no way out! If I go back, Su E will continue to bully me. Rather than face that, I might as well truly become a demon!"
"Recently, I heard there’s a Holy Monk in the mortal realm. Eating his flesh is said to grant immortality and greatly increase one’s Mana. Perhaps I should go try that."