"Grandfather!" A panicked cry rang out through the void, causing Meng Qianqiu's tiger-like frame to shudder violently. He blurted out, "Tianxing!"
That was his own grandson's voice—Meng Qianqiu would never mistake it. This was unmistakably Meng Tianxing's voice, and no one could possibly forge it.
Meng Qianqiu activated his dharma eye and swept his gaze through the void.
In the distant expanse, ripples appeared one after another, like waves upon water. Suddenly, those ripples burst apart like a massive soap bubble popping.
Two figures emerged from within. One of them was none other than Meng Tianxing.
"Tianxing, you—" Meng Qianqiu's voice cut off abruptly as he spotted the young man standing behind his grandson—a young man wearing an expression caught somewhere between amusement and indifference.
Meng Tianxing was clearly under this young man's control, unable to act of his own free will.
His face was a mask of bitter helplessness as he looked at Meng Qianqiu, his expression full of both resignation and a trace of grievance. The sight made Meng Qianqiu's heart clench painfully.
"Who are you, sir? You've seized my grandson—what is your purpose? If there is something to discuss, let us talk it over calmly. Might I ask you to release my Tianxing first?" With his grandson's fate hanging in the balance, Meng Qianqiu's voice was no longer entirely steady.
"Ancestor Qianqiu, we've been waiting here for quite some time, as it happens. I trust you've already heard about the Yuchi family?"
A flicker crossed Meng Qianqiu's expression, and his pupils contracted sharply. "Old Ancestor Yuchi—he really did fall at your hands?"
"Heh heh. So you do know." The young man smiled. "I wonder if Ancestor Qianqiu believes this: if I were truly determined to deal with you, even with the Menglan Sect's main force in your retinue, I would have better than seventy percent confidence of leaving you in the same state as Old Ancestor Yuchi."
Meng Qianqiu's face darkened slightly. He glared at the young man and said coldly in his heart: Call out your companions. With only you alone, you wouldn't dare boast before me.
Jiang Chen chuckled. "It would be better if they didn't come out. Once they do, it becomes a fight to the death. I believe Ancestor Qianqiu has no desire for a life-or-death struggle at this moment?"
Meng Qianqiu certainly did not. With his own grandson still in the enemy's grip, any death battle now would inevitably result in his grandson being used as a sacrifice to rally the flag. That was a losing proposition, and he was not about to walk into it.
Meng Qianqiu drew a deep breath and asked, "Who exactly are you, sir? Tianxing has fallen into your hands, yet you haven't killed him. You've been lying in wait here for me as well—I imagine your intentions are not as simple as merely ambushing me. Since we are to talk, then please state your purpose."
Jiang Chen observed that despite his grandson being held hostage, Meng Qianqiu's tone remained composed—neither servile nor arrogant. That earned a measure of quiet respect from Jiang Chen.
Setting everything else aside, this old man's ability to keep his composure under such circumstances was genuinely admirable.
"Ancestor Qianqiu speaks frankly—I appreciate that. As for my purpose, I'll let someone else discuss it with you." Jiang Chen smiled and waved a hand through the void.
A figure drifted out from behind him—it was none other than Sacred Mistress Ningyan.
Upon seeing Sacred Mistress Ningyan, the expression on Meng Qianqiu's face shifted subtly.
"Ancestor Qianqiu, who would have thought we'd meet again under these circumstances? Truly ironic, wouldn't you say?" Sacred Mistress Ningyan's tone was mild and detached.
Meng Qianqiu let out a bitter laugh. "So it is Sacred Mistress Ningyan after all. Then the Golden Bell Ancestor and the others truly did fall to you?"
"That would be one way of putting it," Sacred Mistress Ningyan said with a nod.
"Then today, does Sacred Mistress Ningyan intend to deal with me, Meng Qianqiu, in the same manner as the Golden Bell Ancestor and Old Ancestor Yuchi?"
"That depends on your own choice, Ancestor Qianqiu." Sacred Mistress Ningyan neither confirmed nor denied it.