Ch. 2981I'd Very Much Like to Meet Him, Too
Chapter Summary: “I Also Want to Meet Him”
Key Plot Points and Events
- Chen Changan encounters a strange child who appears five or six years old but is actually a late-stage Greater Ruler. Despite his innocent appearance, the child possesses the mentality and bearing of an ancient, highly experienced figure.
- The child reveals that Chen Changan’s companions, including Mu Yunyao, have been captured by his organization. He orders Chen Changan to follow him if he wants to see them.
- Chen willingly follows, having deliberately waited for the enemy to reveal themselves. He hopes to locate their headquarters and discover their purpose, though their previous actions remain mysterious: exposing him, provoking attacks against him, and abducting his people only afterward.
- The journey lasts more than three years—three years of travel followed by another six months—making Chen increasingly suspicious of the child’s intentions.
- During the journey, the child threatens to kill Chen’s companions if necessary, insisting that they are merely useful hostages. Chen counters that he will kill the same number of enemies if they harm his people, but the child remains confident that threats and sacrifices will not deter his organization.
- Eventually, the child opens a portal to a vast, independent Grotto-Heaven whose energy resembles that of Chaos Heaven but contains an unfamiliar additional quality.
- After traveling through the Grotto-Heaven for several more months, they reach a massive city that serves as the organization’s headquarters. Chen senses Mu Yunyao and the others and confirms that they are still alive.
- Chen is not taken directly to his companions. Instead, the child uses their survival to pressure him, implying that Chen will soon be forced to make an important choice.
- The child announces that someone within the organization has long wished to meet Chen. Chen calmly agrees, stating that he also wants to meet this person.
Character Developments
- Chen Changan: Remains calm, patient, and strategically focused despite prolonged uncertainty and threats against his companions. He refuses to be intimidated and demonstrates a willingness to retaliate equally, while primarily seeking the organization’s leader and the truth behind their actions.
- The mysterious child: His contrast between childish appearance and ancient, ruthless mentality becomes clearer. He is manipulative, confident, and psychologically aggressive, using Chen’s concern for his companions to control the situation.
- Mu Yunyao and the companions: Though frightened by the organization’s overwhelming strength, they remain confident in Chen. Mu Yunyao especially expresses unwavering faith that nothing can defeat him.
Significant Themes
- Appearance versus reality: The child’s adorable body conceals immense cultivation, age, and cruelty, emphasizing that appearances are unreliable.
- Control and fate: The child argues that Chen cannot control the fate of his companions—or even his own. Chen challenges this belief through his refusal to submit emotionally or strategically.
- Hostages and moral pressure: The organization treats Chen’s companions as expendable tools, forcing Chen into a potential dilemma between protecting them and confronting the enemy.
- Patience and resolve: Chen’s willingness to wait and endure years of travel reflects his confidence and determination to reach the enemy’s true headquarters.
- Hidden powers and unknown motives: The discovery of a concealed organization and a separate Grotto-Heaven suggests that Chaos Heaven contains forces far more powerful and mysterious than Chen previously realized.
Character Interactions
- Chen and the child engage in a tense battle of wills. The child attempts to provoke and intimidate Chen, while Chen responds with cold threats and refuses to show fear.
- The child emphasizes that Chen’s companions are alive only because they remain useful, making their survival dependent on Chen’s future decisions.
- Mu Yunyao and the others discuss Chen’s arrival with concern but maintain firm confidence in his ability to overcome the organization.
- The chapter ends with Chen accepting a meeting with the organization’s mysterious leader, setting up a confrontation that may reveal their purpose and the reason they targeted him.