Chapter 118: Long Sihai, in a fit of rage, vows to tear Chu Tian into pieces.

Jinling, Dragon Family.

The forged letter from Situ Deng had been delivered to the Dragon household. Every member of the family was now aware that Long Tianjiao had gone missing; otherwise, Long Sihai would not have summoned them in the middle of the night.

"The damned little thief! As expected, his demonic nature is impossible to change. How dare he kidnap my granddaughter? He is courting death!"

Long Sihai’s face was twisted in rage. He glared at the letter on the table, his fury mounting. In the next instant, he projected his internal energy, and the letter was instantly reduced to a pile of ash. He had never held a high opinion of Chu Tian to begin with, and now that all evidence pointed to Chu Tian as the one who had abducted his granddaughter, how could he not be livid? How could he not wish to tear Chu Tian into ten thousand pieces?

"Patriarch, since Tianjiao has been snatched by Chu Tian, what should we do?"

"Wu Xingyan and his disciple are both scoundrels. Must we really bow down to them?"

"Absolutely not! Even if we are concerned for Tianjiao’s safety, we cannot treat the outcome of the North-South Tournament as a joke!"

The members of the Dragon family began to argue, and the entire hall erupted into chaos. Although Long Tianjiao was the young lady of the Dragon family, she had only just returned, and deep bonds had not yet been forged with the rest of the clan. Furthermore, the North-South Tournament concerned the interests of the Dragon family and the honor of the entire Jiangnan region. Many felt they had no choice but to sacrifice Long Tianjiao’s safety to prioritize the success of the tournament. While this view was logical, it was undeniably heartless.

Hearing their words, Long Sihai’s expression grew increasingly grim. It was clearly impossible to abandon the North-South Tournament and jeopardize everyone else's interests for the sake of one person. However, Long Tianjiao was his most beloved granddaughter; how could he watch her die? Everyone present believed Chu Tian had abducted her, surely in collusion with his master, Wu Xingyan.

"Have you all said enough?"

Long Sihai roared in fury, his sheer presence instantly silencing the room. The members of the Dragon family snapped to their senses; Long Sihai was not only Tianjiao's grandfather but also the Patriarch of the Dragon family. The decision on how to handle this matter lay with him, and they had no right—nor the courage—to overstep their bounds.

As the room fell silent, Long Sihai looked back at the pile of ash, recalling the contents of the letter. The demand was simple: if Long Sihai wanted to save Long Tianjiao, he must go alone to a designated location in the suburbs.

"Since Wu Xingyan and his disciple wish to challenge me, I have no reason to refuse!" Long Sihai’s voice dropped, his decision made.

The room gasped. Did this mean Long Sihai truly intended to go? If he did, he would likely walk straight into Wu Xingyan’s trap, putting the victory of the North-South Tournament in grave danger.

"Patriarch, are you... are you sure you don't want to reconsider?" one of the elders asked, choosing his words with great care.

"Are you asking me to abandon my own granddaughter?" Long Sihai’s expression shifted, and he glared fiercely at the elder.

"No, that is not what I meant." The elder was terrified and hurriedly shut his mouth.

The others were struck dumb with fear. Even though Long Tianjiao had only just returned to the family, she had been showered with immense affection by Long Sihai. Perhaps it was because she had been lost to the world for so long that he felt a sense of guilt and an overwhelming desire to make up for those lost years. Today’s crisis was entirely instigated by Long Sihai; if Wu Xingyan had not been seeking revenge against him, he likely would not have used Long Tianjiao as a pawn. Long Sihai could not possibly abandon his beloved granddaughter for the sake of the family’s political agenda.

Seeing that no one dared to object further, Long Sihai gradually calmed down.

"I will go to the meeting personally, but the North-South Tournament must not be delayed. Jianfei, you will lead our people in this year's tournament. I am entrusting you to preside over the Dragon family’s efforts."

Long Sihai paused for a moment before issuing his command.

"Father, are we truly going to follow the instructions in Chu Tian’s letter and voluntarily concede the position of Alliance Leader?" a middle-aged man asked anxiously. He had sharp, sword-like brows and piercing eyes—this was Long Sihai’s youngest son, Long Jianfei.

"Give it your all. Do not disgrace the reputation of the Dragon family!" Long Sihai’s voice was stern. He was a man who separated public duty from private matters. To save his granddaughter, he was willing to risk his own life, but he would never accept Chu Tian’s threats at the expense of the Dragon family’s century-old prestige. He only wished he could tear Chu Tian to pieces immediately; the man had not only deceived Long Tianjiao with honeyed words but had now kidnapped her. It was unforgivable.

"Yes!" Long Jianfei quickly agreed, though a flicker of hesitation crossed his eyes.

"Very well. You will set out with the team tomorrow. I am going to have a meeting with Wu Xingyan and his disciple!" Long Sihai stood up and strode toward the main entrance. The others quickly followed, watching his retreating figure.

Meanwhile, on the hillside, Wang Jiulong was deathly pale, his hands clutching a tree trunk for dear life. Having been hunted down by Tang Rixin and his men, he had been forced to jump off the cliff as a last resort.

Fortunately, he had caught a branch halfway down, preventing him from falling to his death. Because it was so dark, Tang Rixin and his group did not bother to search further; they assumed Wang Jiulong had perished and returned to report back. It was this oversight that saved his life.

Summoning the last of his strength, Wang Jiulong climbed onto the branch, but his shoulder struck the trunk, causing his wounds—which had just begun to clot—to bleed profusely again. He was now utterly exhausted, unable to climb back up the cliff, and could only hang precariously against the mountainside.

Yet, Wang Jiulong fought to stay conscious, terrified of passing out. He knew Chu Tian was buried in the underground palace; without someone to call for help, there would be no way for him to survive. Focusing through the haze of his fading consciousness, he pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed the numbers one by one.

Finally, he reached Wei Yuansheng.

"Old Wei!" Wang Jiulong’s voice was faint; uttering those two words seemed to drain the last of his strength.

"Jiulong? What happened?" Wei Yuansheng’s voice was urgent, immediately sensing that something was wrong. Under normal circumstances, the vigorous Wang Jiulong would never speak in such a weak tone. Something must have happened to him! He had been with Chu Tian, so he should have been safe. What could have gone wrong?

"Old Wei, I am wounded! Master is buried under the rubble... please, you must send people to save him!" Wang Jiulong gritted his teeth and gasped out the dire situation.

"Where are you?" Wei Yuansheng’s expression changed, his voice filled with tension. He didn't know the specifics, but he knew Wang Jiulong would never lie to him. Chu Tian buried under a mountain? What on earth had happened?

"We are at..." Wang Jiulong began to explain their location, but before he could finish, the branch shook violently. It was too thin to support his weight and had begun to crack at the base. It was about to snap and send him plummeting into the abyss.

Panic surged through Wang Jiulong, and the phone slipped from his grasp.