Jiang Mengxin's heart sank. To treat her mother's illness, she had chosen the most unbearable path, a sacrifice of immense proportion.
Shi Hengxiao smiled and said, "Patriarch Jiang, there's no need to be so sad. Joining our White Lotus Sect is actually a glorious honor. From now on, you'll be one of our disciples, working together for a brighter tomorrow. Rest assured, I can surely provide you with a bright and beautiful future!"
Uh...
You're not her husband, so what are you talking about giving her a beautiful future? Isn't that absurd?
"I understand," Jiang Mengxin sighed. "I have some matters to attend to. You two chat slowly."
With that, she walked out of the room.
Xu Qin was a little displeased but didn't scold her daughter in front of others. Instead, she said to Shi Hengxiao, "Moon Emissary, my daughter has just returned from Fog City and doesn't know much about the situation in Jinling. She doesn't understand the benefits of joining the White Lotus Sect. In the future, I'll teach her slowly, and I guarantee she'll become a qualified disciple!"
Hahahaha, Shi Hengxiao was overjoyed.
Having such a fervent disciple like Xu Qin to help was the best. It would greatly benefit him in winning over Jiang Mengxin. It was even possible that Xu Qin would wholeheartedly support Shi Hengxiao in taking Jiang Mengxin.
On the other side.
Jiang Mengxin left the room and went to Lu Ming's side.
Lu Ming was standing at the doorway, one hand in his pocket, the other holding a half-smoked cigarette, taking a puff here and there.
Seeing Jiang Mengxin's dejected look, he smiled and said, "I overheard your conversation. You're joining the White Lotus Sect, becoming one of them, right?"
Jiang Mengxin sighed. "Yes, but I don't know what it means yet, nor do I know what dangers I'll face."
Jiang Mengxin felt uncertain about the unknown future, filled with apprehension and fear.
Lu Ming threw the cigarette butt on the ground.
He stomped on it.
Composed, he said, "With me here, no danger will come near you."
Heh.
So manly!
At this moment, Jiang Mengxin felt an immense warmth in her heart. She looked at Lu Ming and chuckled, "With you like this, you still want to protect me? Sigh, even my mom won't let you into the house. How about this, you go to Rongshang first and stay with my sister, Jiang Lan. Then, the day after tomorrow, you can go to the White Lotus Sect with me for the initiation ceremony."
"Alright."
Lu Ming agreed immediately. It was indeed time to see Jiang Lan.
However...
Between Jiang Lan and Jiang Mengxin, Lu Ming's heart was uncertain about which way to lean.
Sister, or sister?
Shaking his head, Lu Ming walked towards the exit. Just halfway out, Jiang Mengxin suddenly called out to him, "Lu Ming!"
"Hm? What is it?" Lu Ming turned back to look at Jiang Mengxin.
Jiang Mengxin hesitated for a moment and said, "I need you to promise me something."
"Go ahead."
"You... you can't abandon me!"
"Ah?"
At this moment, Lu Ming's heart trembled violently. Their eyes met, and both were emotionally stirred and their hearts were surging.
Before Lu Ming could figure out what was happening, Jiang Mengxin's face turned red, and she turned and went back into the house.
At this moment, Lu Ming became even more flustered.
Abandon?
Never.
But the problem was... what about Jiang Lan?
Although it hadn't been explicitly stated or made public, Jiang Lan had already occupied a place in Lu Ming's heart. And this didn't even include Su Wanran from Fog City.
More women meant more trouble, which was not a good thing.
"Sigh, I'll take it one step at a time."
There were some things in this world that even the Dragon Warlord couldn't resolve. Love and relationships weren't something you could control just by being powerful.
Throughout history, how many heroes had fallen for the charms of a beautiful woman?
Lu Ming was perhaps facing the greatest tribulation of his life: a love tribulation!
"I won't think about it anymore."
He hailed a taxi by the roadside and headed straight for Rongshang Group.
As he got out of the car and walked through the company gates, Lu Ming felt a sense of returning home. Rongshang Group was a powerful company he had built together with Jiang Lan, capable of rivaling the Jiang family's main branch.
Returning now felt wonderful.
"Mr. Lu, you're back," the receptionist approached.
Lu Ming asked, "Is Jiang Lan here?"
The receptionist nodded. "Our General Manager Jiang is in her office handling some matters. She already knows you're here and specifically asked me to wait for you here. Please follow me."
"Alright."
He followed the receptionist into the elevator.
Reaching the General Manager's office door, the receptionist knocked. "General Manager Jiang, Mr. Lu is back."
A familiar voice, long unheard, came from inside.
"Please come in."
Although she tried to suppress her emotions, both the receptionist and Lu Ming could hear the excitement in Jiang Lan's voice. Her voice even trembled slightly when she uttered the word "come in."
The receptionist covered her mouth and smiled, looking at Lu Ming and whispering, "Mr. Lu, our General Manager Jiang has missed you dearly. Please go in quickly."
Uh...
Lu Ming's forehead was covered in black lines.
He pushed open the door and walked in. The moment he entered, he saw Jiang Lan standing by her desk, meticulously studying something.
Walking closer, he saw that the desk was covered with a dense collection of photographs and a large amount of information, making it look like a criminal investigation.
No pleasantries.
Lu Ming, as if he had never left, softly asked, "What are you researching? Choosing partners for a new project?"
Jiang Lan gave a bitter smile and shook her head. She pointed to the photos on the desk and said, "My mother is sick, isn't she? I've consulted many doctors, but they can't find the problem. So, I hired someone to investigate and got some leads. There are 19 photos here, and each photo shows a different person. These 19 people all suffer from the same illness as my mother, and they all have one common characteristic – they are all members of the White Lotus Sect!"
Good heavens, so Jiang Lan had been investigating the White Lotus Sect behind the scenes.
Lu Ming had heard the doctor, Chen Yuan, mention the matter of the 19 people before, but he hadn't gone into detail.
Lu Ming looked at the people in the photos and asked, "So, have you found anything?"
"Yes!"
Jiang Lan's expression turned extremely grim.
After a long period of silence, she slowly said, "It's just that my findings are very unfavorable to the White Lotus Sect. I can't guarantee their accuracy, and I don't dare to openly offend the White Lotus Sect."
Since she said that, it meant her findings must be very serious.
Lu Ming leaned closer to Jiang Lan and whispered, "Tell me what the problem is, and then you don't have to worry about it anymore. I'll solve all the problems."
Heh.
Jiang Lan looked up at Lu Ming and said, "You've been away for so long, and you haven't changed one bit. You're still as audacious as ever. That's the White Lotus Sect, a monster that even the Jinling authorities dare not provoke. Are you sure you want to confront them head-on?"
Lu Ming smiled. "Who's afraid of whom? Only by clashing will we know who's tougher!"
"Well said," Jiang Lan let out a long sigh. "Lu Ming, you're still as trustworthy as ever. I thought you would become more diplomatic after leaving, but hearing you say this, I realize you're still the same daring and fighting person. Only someone like you is worthy of my complete trust! Now, I'll tell you the secret of the White Lotus Sect that I've investigated. Listen carefully!"