Laughter rippled through the crowd.
A one-on-one fight?
Although Cheng Hai was quite tall, he was no match for Lu Ming.
Jiang Mengxin, in particular, had personally witnessed Lu Ming's strength. He could take on twenty to thirty Heavenly Dragon people alone, let alone a mere Cheng Hai.
Jiang Mengxin said with concern, "Senior, please calm down. You can't beat him."
Cheng Hai let out a cold snort.
He loosened his tie, took off his jacket, and threw it on the ground, shouting, "Lu Ming, if you're a real man, fight me one-on-one! Let's resolve this like men!"
Cheng Hai appeared incredibly brave, and all eyes turned to Lu Ming, awaiting his response.
Two women sat on a sofa in the corner.
Mu Rongshuang, a Three-Star General, and her副将 Qin Tong.
Qin Tong remarked, "Lu Ming is truly unlucky. He humbly went to the Jiang family to become a live-in son-in-law, only to be publicly humiliated by another man. A man wouldn't tolerate seeing his fiancée being proposed to, would he?"
Mu Rongshuang sneered, "It's all about status. He's a gravedigger, what right does he have to marry the eldest daughter of the Jiang family? Of course, he'll be looked down upon. In two words: serves him right."
Qin Tong added, "But speaking of which, Lu Ming does have some skills. His fighting ability is passable; at least he could beat Cheng Hai."
"You're mistaken," Mu Rongshuang said coldly. "Lu Ming has already lost."
"Ah?" Qin Tong looked bewildered.
Mu Rongshuang explained, "The moment Cheng Hai proposed a one-on-one fight, Lu Ming had already lost. I wonder which master advised Cheng Hai to take this risky step."
Lu Ming frowned slightly, glancing first at Cheng Hai and then at Jiang Mengxin.
Being as sharp as he was, he had already seen through Cheng Hai's scheme.
Lu Ming sighed.
He was now standing on a precipice, with only one slim hope of victory: Jiang Mengxin. The outcome was not decided by Cheng Hai or Lu Ming, but by Jiang Mengxin.
"So be it."
Whether to continue protecting the Jiang family would be decided by Jiang Mengxin.
Lu Ming answered calmly, "I, Lu Ming, never fear any challenge. If you want to fight, then fight!"
Cheng Hai grinned.
Indeed, he had cornered Lu Ming.
He let out a roar and charged directly at Lu Ming, raising his fist and aiming it at Lu Ming's head.
But how could his skills match those of the Dragon Warlord?
Lu Ming didn't even look at him. He lifted his leg and kicked Cheng Hai in the chest, sending him flying seven or eight meters away.
With a loud thud, he landed heavily on the ground.
The victor was decided.
As everyone had predicted, Cheng Hai was no match for Lu Ming.
Jiang Mengxin rushed forward a couple of steps, wanting to help Cheng Hai up, "Senior, Senior, are you alright? Are you badly hurt?"
Cheng Hai coughed twice and spat out a mouthful of blood.
Jiang Mengxin felt a pang of pain and yelled at Lu Ming, "You stinking gravedigger, you don't hold back! You kicked Senior so hard he's spitting blood!"
Cheng Hai waved his hand, "It's fine, Mengxin. Don't blame him. I was the one who proposed the fight. Even if he kicked me to death, I wouldn't blame brother Lu Ming."
He took Jiang Mengxin's hand and said with a blood-stained mouth, "I'm sorry, Mengxin. I'm incompetent. I'm not worthy of marrying you. I will cherish this love in my heart forever and never mention it again. Goodbye, Mengxin."
Finally, he kissed Jiang Mengxin on the forehead, stood up, and left.
Dejected and disheveled.
Jiang Mengxin watched, heartbroken, tears welling up in her eyes.
Suddenly!
Jiang Mengxin shouted in front of everyone, "Senior, don't go! I'm willing, I'm willing to marry you!"
Boom!!!
The entire hall gasped.
Lu Ming sighed deeply. He had lost, completely lost.
From the moment Cheng Hai proposed the one-on-one fight, Lu Ming had foreseen this outcome.
Refusing the fight would be seen as cowardly and incompetent.
Accepting the fight would inevitably lead to him defeating Cheng Hai. Cheng Hai would only need to feign pity and weakness to stir Jiang Mengxin's soft spot.
If Jiang Mengxin were truly moved and chose Cheng Hai without hesitation, then everything would be over.
Therefore, from the moment Cheng Hai proposed the fight, Lu Ming had been pushed into a corner with no way out.
This move was brilliant.
Extremely brilliant!
However, such a move was beyond the capabilities of a fool like Cheng Hai. There had to be a more cunning mastermind behind it.
Corner sofa.
Deputy Qin Tong gave a thumbs-up and said, "Amazing, General. You foresaw all of this, didn't you?"
Mu Rongshuang let out a cold laugh. "Isn't it obvious? With Cheng Hai's capabilities, how could he dare to challenge Lu Ming to a one-on-one fight? It's clear he intended to lose deliberately, play the victim, and gain Jiang Mengxin's sympathy. The key issue is that Jiang Mengxin already had feelings for Cheng Hai, otherwise, this move wouldn't have worked."
That's why it was a risky move.
If Jiang Mengxin had no feelings for Cheng Hai, or if she was extremely image-conscious, this move would not have succeeded.
Yet, Jiang Mengxin did have feelings for Cheng Hai.
Moreover, Jiang Mengxin was foolish and willing to sacrifice everything for 'love.'
Such a woman was the easiest to manipulate.
Both foolish and pathetic.
Mu Rongshuang continued, "And don't you find it strange that Cheng Hai was even invited to this banquet?"
Qin Tong nodded. "Yes. What kind of caliber is Cheng Hai, that he could be invited to the Star Gathering? And even have the right to dine with the General? It's utterly ridiculous."
"So, that means..." Mu Rongshuang took a sip of red wine. "This proposal was premeditated. Someone deliberately sent Cheng Hai to this banquet to propose, with the aim of dividing the Jiang family and driving away Lu Ming!"
Hiss—
The more she thought about it, the more chilling it became.
Qin Tong asked, "The mastermind behind this is incredibly cunning. General, is there such a figure in Jinling?"
Mu Rongshuang held up two fingers. "There are two people in Jinling who hold a grudge against the Jiang family and are fond of scheming."
"Who are they?" Qin Tong asked.
"The first is the head of the Yuan family, who is also Jiang Mengxin's good friend—Yuan Keying's father."
Qin Tong shook her head. "It can't be Old Man Yuan. He's still abroad."
Mu Rongshuang nodded. "So, there's only one person left. That hideous, scarred, disgusting man. If I recall correctly, that man is also surnamed Jiang!"
Ballroom.
Jiang Lan walked forward and said excitedly, "Elder sister, don't be impulsive, don't say anything rash."
"I'm not speaking rashly," Jiang Mengxin held Cheng Hai's hand and said, "Actually, I've always liked Senior. The person I want to marry is an outstanding young talent like Senior."
Saying this, she glared fiercely at Lu Ming.
Jiang Mengxin accused, "But Grandpa married me off to this penniless, backgroundless, pig-headed, useless gravedigger! I'm not reconciled, I'm not reconciled!"