Tathagata refused the Jade Emperor, unwilling to hand over Sha Chen. The two of them smiled faintly, looking at each other. People from both the Celestial and Buddhist sides bowed their heads, their hearts filled with worry. They feared that these two great figures might fall out over this matter.
The Jade Emperor said, "Sha Chen is a commander banished by our Heavenly Court for a term of one hundred years. After this period, he can return to the Heavenly Court."
Tathagata replied, "Sha Chen has a predestined relationship with our Buddhism and is the unparalleled choice for our mission to acquire scriptures. Now that he has been banished to the mortal world, he is no longer a person of the Heavenly Court and can rightly join our Buddhist order."
The Jade Emperor continued, "However, you were just trying to kill him."
