Chapter 601 - 601: Grandpa and Grandson's Video Call

"Impossible, this is impossible!"

Ji Qingya simply couldn't accept this fact. She had always believed her older brother was the one who doted on her most!

Jiang Wendong was also stunned. Ji Xiao was his brother-in-law!

"Dad, Mom, it's the truth."

Jiang Xinghai slowly recounted how his investigation had revealed that the Commander of the Black Cloaks was Ji Xiao.

His Third Senior Sister, Zhao Linglong, had even clashed with Ji Xiao several times in the Imperial City.

"But... why would he do this?"

Ji Qingya still couldn't accept it. "Could it really be just because I happened to inherit the legacy of the Celestial Essence Star Sect? Did he attack us just because he wanted to study it...?"

"Qingya, if he wanted to learn it, could you have given it to him?" Jiang Wendong suddenly asked.

Ji Qingya froze for a moment, then shook her head. "When I inherited the legacy of the Celestial Essence Star Sect, my master strictly forbade me from passing it on. I can't even teach it to our son, Xinghai."

"So, your brother must have known you couldn't teach it to him, and that's why he resorted to this scheme," Jiang Wendong surmised.

Anger instantly flooded Ji Qingya's grief-stricken face, along with a sense of despair over their family ties. "But even so, how could he be so monstrous toward us!"

"That's right. He even colluded with the three major families of Ji City to set us up. If not for the Shen Family, we'd probably be sleeping with the fishes by now," Jiang Wendong said with a long sigh.

"Xinghai, let's put this aside for now. When we get back to the Imperial City, I will confront Ji Xiao myself." It seemed to take all of Ji Qingya's strength to make this difficult decision.

Jiang Xinghai nodded firmly. "Alright. I also want to hear the truth from this uncle I've never even met. I hope he has a good explanation."

"Xinghai, have you ever resented my side of the family?" Ji Qingya suddenly asked.

Jiang Xinghai paused, taken aback.

'It would be a lie to say I didn't resent them.'

After all, the Jiang Family was just a minor family in the Imperial City.

His mother's family, the Ji Family, was another story entirely—they were a First-class Clan in the Imperial City!

To put it bluntly, the two families were a complete mismatch in social standing.

Despite her father's objections, his mother, Ji Qingya, had defied him and secretly married Jiang Wendong.

The affair had brought shame upon the Ji Family, making them the laughingstock of the Imperial City.

As a result, his grandfather completely disowned his mother, Ji Qingya, and cast her out of the family.

Which meant that from the day he was born, Jiang Xinghai had never once set foot inside the Ji Family's home.

She sighed. "Never mind. You don't have to answer that."

Ji Qingya seemed to think of something. "We'll lay low in Shanghai for two days. We need to see if the Shadow Sect has learned what happened and if they'll send anyone for revenge. That way, we can be ready. After that, we'll go to Shanhe Province to repay a debt."

"Mom, are you talking about the Shen Family?" Jiang Xinghai asked with a cryptic smile.

"That's right. We have to repay our debt to them," Ji Qingya said seriously.

Jiang Wendong's expression was also solemn. "Exactly. We owe the Shen Family our lives. We promised them that if we ever had the chance, we would repay them with a great fortune of their own."

Jiang Xinghai just smiled and nodded.

He didn't tell them the truth, deciding to surprise his parents later.

Soon, the ship arrived in Shanghai.

Under Tang Zhen's arrangements, the thirty-odd people who had been rescued from Mirror Lake Manor began to depart one by one to visit their families.

Meanwhile, Jiang Xinghai and his group went straight to their hotel.

In one of the hotel suites, Jiang Xinghai's servant, Sun Zhen, was still in secluded cultivation, trying to break through to the Human Emperor Realm.

Sun Zhen had predicted he would emerge in seven days at most. It had already been three.

In the restaurant.

Jiang Xinghai, his parents, Tang Zhen, Zhong Yunman, and the others were all eating together.

"Dad, Mom, you guys keep eating. I have to go take care of something." Catching a look from Tang Zhen, Jiang Xinghai stood up to leave.

"Where are you going?" Ji Qingya asked, a hint of worry in her voice.

"I'm not leaving the hotel. I just have to make a call," Jiang Xinghai said with a small smile.

He and Tang Zhen then went to a suite that had been prepared for them.

"My apologies, Jiang. It's almost 10 p.m., and I don't want to keep the big man waiting. Let's get ready for the video call," Tang Zhen said with an apologetic smile.

He knew it was a bit insensitive to pull Jiang Xinghai away right after he had just been reunited with his parents.

But the man was incredibly busy, with countless matters to attend to. The sooner they had the call, the sooner he could rest.

"Elder Tang, it was my oversight."

Jiang Xinghai also replied with an apologetic smile. "Let's get started."

"This way."

Tang Zhen pushed open the door to an inner room.

Inside, a female officer was tuning the settings on a computer.

"Elder Tang, we're ready to begin whenever you are."

The female officer glanced at Tang Zhen respectfully before her gaze softened as it fell upon Jiang Xinghai.

She had delicate features and fair skin. 'Probably a desk job,' Jiang Xinghai thought.

Her dark green uniform accentuated her proud, curvy figure. It was quite eye-catching, and Jiang Xinghai couldn't help but take a second look.

'To be honest,' he mused, 'my battle with Tan Yuan of the Shadow Sect consumed a massive amount of energy. I'm desperate for female companionship right now so I can absorb some Primordial Yin Power to replenish myself.'

'If it weren't for this video call, I'd probably already have my arms around my Second Senior Sister, Zhong Yunman, and be 'resting' with her.'

"Jiang, are you ready?" Tang Zhen asked, his expression serious.

Jiang Xinghai nodded. "I'm ready."

"Good."

Tang Zhen gave a grave smile and turned to the female officer. "Yuan, come with me. It wouldn't be appropriate for us to listen in."

"Is that really necessary, Elder Tang?" Jiang Xinghai asked. 'What on earth does this dignitary from the Imperial City want to talk to me about?'

'Doesn't Elder Tang have enough clearance?'

"Jiang, just press the spacebar to connect to his video call."

Without further explanation, Tang Zhen led the female officer, Yuan, out of the suite.

"Yuan, tonight..."

"Don't worry, Elder Tang. I understand," Yuan replied, taking off her service cap and brushing a stray strand of hair from her forehead.

"Alright. This is a great opportunity for you. Make the most of it."

Tang Zhen smiled once more before closing the door and leaving.

Yuan took a deep breath and sat on the sofa, her eyes fixed on the door to the inner room.

'I made my decision the moment I came here from the Imperial City with Elder Tang.'

'Jiang Xinghai... his Medical Martial Arts are peerless!'

'He's only twenty-five, but he's already a four-star powerhouse!'

'Even setting aside my duty, I personally admire him greatly.'

「At the same time.」

「Inside the inner room.」

Jiang Xinghai finally pressed the spacebar.

A dialing screen appeared on the monitor.

A moment later, the kind, benevolent face of an old man appeared on the screen.

"Good evening, sir."

Jiang Xinghai's expression was grave, but he managed a polite smile.

He had seen this man on television countless times but never dreamed he would one day speak with him, even if only through a video call.

"Jiang. May I call you that?" the man asked, his sharp eyes scrutinizing Jiang Xinghai.

"Of course, sir," Jiang Xinghai nodded.

"In that case, seeing as I'm old enough to be your grandfather, why don't we dispense with the formalities when it's just the two of us? No need to call me 'sir'," the man said with a vibrant smile.

Jiang Xinghai gave a wry smile inwardly. 'Well, that's one way to get a grandfather.'

Still, with an age gap of more than fifty years between them, calling the man 'Grandpa' wasn't entirely out of place.

"Grandpa, please, tell me what this is about," Jiang Xinghai said, immediately adopting the new address term.

"HAHAHA..."

The man let out a hearty laugh. "Good grandson!"