Lu Ming's brilliant strategy led to the complete downfall of the Central Emperor Jiang Shen, who was ultimately killed by Lu Ming on the spot.
With Jiang Shen dead, the biggest beneficiary was naturally the Su family.
The Su family members had initially been reluctant to hold a celebratory banquet, but upon hearing the news of Jiang Shen's demise, they became ecstatic, wishing they could have devoured even more food!
"Two million worth of food, it tastes so good, Hahahaha."
"It's not the food that's good, it's that a person is in high spirits during happy occasions. Jiang Shen is finished, all five Great Emperors are eliminated. Now, let's see what other tricks Fan Wentao has, hehe."
"He threatened to destroy our Su family, but now the Fan family will be wiped out first. Hoo hoo hoo hoo, comfortable~~"
Everyone was singing and laughing, overjoyed.
Just then, a very unexpected call came to Su Wanran's phone.
Fan Wentao!
Su Wanran's expression immediately turned grim.
"Shh—"
Su Wanran motioned for everyone to quiet down, then answered the phone. A faint elderly voice came through: "Chairman Su, it's me, Fan Wentao."
Everyone's attention was immediately drawn. This old man was no good.
He probably knew about Jiang Shen's demise and was now coming to settle scores with the Su family.
Heh, at this point, who was afraid of him?
Su Wanran showed no fear and said calmly, "Old Master Fan, hello. What can I do for you?"
Fan Wentao said, "I want to see someone, Lu Ming."
Oh?
Su Wanran narrowed her eyes, sensing something was amiss.
The plan to deal with Jiang Shen was devised by Lu Ming, and Jiang Shen was Fan Wentao's godson. Now that Fan Wentao wanted to see Lu Ming, he was likely planning to harm him.
No, she had to protect Lu Ming.
Su Wanran flatly refused, "I'm sorry, Lu Ming doesn't want to see you."
Fan Wentao chuckled bitterly, "Don't worry, I don't intend to harm him. What ability do I have to threaten or intimidate you now that I've lost the five Great Emperors and am a lone commander? I just want to see Lu Ming to say a few words."
Su Wanran frowned, "Say it on the phone if you have something to say. Now—"
"It's inconvenient," Fan Wentao said. "Tomorrow at three in the morning, at the foot of Heyuan Mountain. I'll wait for him. I hope Lu Ming can be on time."
After speaking, Fan Wentao hung up.
Su Wanran was speechless.
She said, "Who schedules a meeting for three in the morning? It's utterly absurd. Besides, the foot of Heyuan Mountain is a remote place, perfect for an ambush. Lu Ming, you absolutely must not go, don't bother with that old man."
Everyone shared the same sentiment, believing Lu Ming didn't need to get involved in this mess and meeting an old man might lead to danger.
Lu Ming smiled slightly and said, "Actually, I think there won't be any danger this time. Don't worry, I can protect myself. If it comes to a fight, I won't lose."
Seeing that she couldn't dissuade him, Su Wanran insisted, "I knew you'd go. Trying to persuade you is useless, but I must arrange for people to accompany you to ensure your safety."
Thus, at Su Wanran's strong insistence, a team of twenty people was organized to protect Lu Ming. It was truly unprecedented.
...
The next day, three in the morning.
The convoy arrived at the foot of Heyuan Mountain, with the first three and last three cars protecting Lu Ming's vehicle in the middle, lest he encounter any danger.
As the car doors opened, Lu Ming looked ahead. He saw a gaunt old man standing by the streetlight at the foot of the mountain.
Solitary, humble.
Who would have thought this was once an unparalleled expert who ruled Wudu?
"Stay put, everyone. I'll go take a look."
Lu Ming walked towards Fan Wentao. As he approached, he noticed Fan Wentao's attire was a bit unusual today; he was wearing hiking gear.
Foot of the mountain, hiking gear, three in the morning.
These keywords combined, and Lu Ming looked at the tall mountain, smiling. He had already guessed what Fan Wentao intended to do.
Lu Ming began, "Old Fan, you've invited me to climb the mountain together to watch the sunrise."
"Clever!"
Fan Wentao gave him a thumbs up, his admiration for Lu Ming growing by another three points.
He said, "I've always been puzzled how a mere Su family could defeat the five Great Emperors? The Su family, by normal deduction, should have been easily wiped out. After much thought, I could only come up with one possibility—the Su family has a hidden expert guiding them. And that expert is you, Lu Ming."
As he spoke, he began to ascend the mountain along the stairs.
It was three in the morning, and the sky was very dark, with poor visibility. Fan Wentao had to take out his flashlight to illuminate the path up the mountain.
As he got older, his legs and feet were not as agile as those of younger people.
Fan Wentao's climbing speed was significantly slower than Lu Ming's, to the point where Lu Ming would stop after a short while, waiting for Fan Wentao.
The two walked one after another.
As they walked, Fan Wentao said, "When I was young, whenever I encountered a problem I couldn't solve, I would come to climb this mountain. After I exhausted myself reaching the summit, I would regain my confidence! I've always used this method to motivate myself and overcome one difficulty after another."
Lu Ming smiled, "So, Old Master Fan, are you calling me to climb the mountain with you today to challenge me? To watch you reach the summit and regain your confidence?"
Fan Wentao smiled, "Let's climb first."
One had to admit, Fan Wentao was truly old, and his legs and feet were not convenient. He could have scaled this mountain in just over an hour before.
According to his plan, he could reach the summit before sunrise and witness the dawn.
But he was wrong.
Fan Wentao's age caught up with him, and his stamina couldn't keep up. He didn't reach the summit before the sun rose.
He failed.
Fan Wentao shook his head with a bitter smile, "I can't do it anymore. One cannot defy old age."
What should have been an hour's journey took him nearly three hours to complete. By the time he reached the summit, it was already past six in the morning.
Upon reaching the mountain top, Fan Wentao gazed into the distance, savoring the moment.
He said to Lu Ming, "In my life, Fan Wentao has never encountered an opponent. I've always believed in the saying—'He who climbs the highest peak sees all mountains below!' Lu Ming, I give this saying to you now. You are the first person to defeat me. From now on, Wudu is your domain."
Lu Ming quietly watched Fan Wentao, unable to fathom what this old man was up to.
Until...
Fan Wentao walked to the edge of the peak, waved to Lu Ming, and said with a smile, "I called you up the mountain to constantly remind you with my example. Once a person reaches the summit, they cannot descend! Once you descend, there is only one outcome—death!"
Saying this, Fan Wentao unhesitatingly jumped off the peak.
The strong man's end.
Only death!