Murong Shuang had already guessed the answer, but she was unwilling to believe it. She even kept telling herself not to overthink things, and no matter how many clues there were, she wouldn't believe that the person she had rejected was the God of War himself.
But now, the God of War stood before her, the very Lu Ming whose engagement she had broken.
In an instant, Murong Shuang's emotions collapsed. She could not accept this fact.
How many years?
For years, Murong Shuang had been desperately searching for the Dragon Warlord, vowing that she would marry no one else. Yet fate had played a cruel joke on her.
The young master of the Lu family, whom she was engaged to, the man her master had rescued from the fire, was the very same person who later became the Dragon Warlord.
It was truly destiny.
Originally, Murong Shuang could have married him, fulfilled her wish, and lived a happy life.
But her pride and arrogance, her disdain for Lu Ming, led her to directly tear up the engagement.
She hadn't just torn up an engagement; she had shattered her own dreams. Her hope was gone, and all her beautiful aspirations vanished.
Years of desperate searching now seemed like a cruel joke.
Failure.
Complete failure!
With a clatter, Murong Shuang sank to the ground in despair. The dignified Three-Star General, a figure revered by the people of Jinling, lost her composure in public.
Tears streamed down her face as Murong Shuang wept uncontrollably.
She cried because she knew it was impossible for her to be with the Dragon Warlord now. Having torn up the engagement herself, she knew the God of War would never give her another chance.
If only she had known sooner that Lu Ming was the God of War.
Alas, there were no miracle cures for regret in this world, and no paths to retreat. A loss was a loss, and Murong Shuang and the God of War were now completely estranged.
Her deputy, Qin Tong, watched silently from the side, her heart aching for Murong Shuang.
Qin Tong knew of Murong Shuang's arduous efforts over the years, the depth of her admiration for the God of War, and how losing him was akin to losing her faith, plunging her into an abyss.
But what could be done?
This was all her own doing.
Murong Shuang had been engaged to Lu Ming. Had she quietly married him, she could have lived a life envied by the whole world.
But she had destroyed it all with her own hands.
"Sigh..." Qin Tong let out a long sigh, no longer knowing how to describe her feelings.
However.
Lu Ming cared nothing for any of this.
He walked directly to Murong Shuang and said coldly, "Murong Shuang, I have come as promised. Tell me the truth about the destruction of the Lu family!"
Lu Ming’s sole concern was the truth behind the Lu family's demise.
Murong Shuang took several deep breaths, trying to calm herself as much as possible. She struggled to rise from the ground and said respectfully, "This matter is of great importance. Please come inside, God of War, and we can discuss it slowly."
"Very well."
Lu Ming strode forward, followed by Shura, Dragon King, and Immortal Doctor, three Five-Star Generals, a display of immense power.
In all of Jinling, there was no greater show of force.
Entering the room.
Murong Shuang personally poured Lu Ming a cup of tea. This was unimaginable before; in the past, it would have been considered polite if Murong Shuang hadn't asked Lu Ming to pour her tea, let alone pour it for him herself.
Murong Shuang's actions demonstrated her respect for Lu Ming, and she clung to a sliver of hope: that the God of War might, in consideration of their families' past ties, give her another chance.
Lu Ming casually took a sip of tea, acknowledging Murong Shuang's gesture, and then asked, "Tell me the truth of what happened back then."
Murong Shuang took a deep breath and revealed the truth of the Lu family's destruction.
It turned out that Lu Ming's father, Lu Yuntao, was a patriotic man of great integrity. During a business engagement, he discovered some restless elements within China.
Lu Yuntao began to cooperate with officials to apprehend these wicked individuals. Initially, things went smoothly, but the more he punished, the more he felt something was amiss.
It seemed that behind these people was a vast, mysterious organization secretly pulling the strings.
After extensive investigation, Lu Yuntao was shocked to discover that the organization orchestrating everything was none other than the White Lotus Society, a group known for its charitable acts!
The White Lotus Society?
Upon hearing these three words, Lu Ming's brow furrowed. He could vaguely guess what happened next.
Indeed.
Murong Shuang told him that Lu Yuntao, in alliance with various forces, began a crackdown on the White Lotus Society.
At the time, Lu Yuntao had also requested the Murong family's assistance. However, the Murong family was undergoing a transition in leadership and lacked the capacity to engage in such a complex affair, so they kindly refused.
Lu Yuntao's crackdown was effective; the White Lotus Society suffered greatly for a period and was on the verge of annihilation.
Consequently, the White Lotus Society launched a fierce counterattack.
They devised a conspiracy, a plot targeting the Lu family: the White Lotus Society intended to burn all dozens of members of the Lu family alive!
And in fact, they succeeded.
Hua Jin Xiong, Murong Shuang's master, who was near the Lu family residence at the time, knew of the close ties between the Lu and Murong families. Therefore, upon hearing of the Lu family's misfortune, he rushed over to try and save them.
But the fire was too intense; it was impossible to save everyone. Amidst the thick smoke, he found Lu Ming, who had been overcome by the fumes, and carried him out of the inferno.
To protect Lu Ming and prevent him from being hunted by the White Lotus Society, Hua Jin Xiong quietly took Lu Ming to a military camp, believing that no matter how powerful the White Lotus Society was, they wouldn't dare kill people in a military installation.
Subsequently, Lu Ming met his mentor, Jiang Dingbian, and after years of cultivation, he became the Dragon Warlord who saved China!
This, then, was the entire story.
After listening, Lu Ming's eyes blazed with fury. He had already intended to eliminate the White Lotus Society, but now he swore to uproot them completely and make them disappear from the face of the earth!
At the same time.
Lu Ming asked, "Where is Master Hua? I wish to meet him and express my gratitude in person."
Murong Shuang smiled bitterly and shook her head. "My master passed away last year."
"Is that so?" Lu Ming sighed, then added, "Then I shall go to Master Hua's grave to pay my respects and express my gratitude."
"Alright, I will take you."
The two stood up, preparing to leave.
At this moment.
Murong Shuang suddenly called out, "Lu Ming!"
Lu Ming paused and turned to look at Murong Shuang, asking, "What is it?"
With tears welling in her eyes, Murong Shuang asked the question that mattered most to her: "So... do I still have a chance?"
"What chance?"
"A chance... to become the God of War's wife?"