To Lu Yun’s surprise, Shadakang had actually brought a woman with him.
In the main hall of the Lu Family residence, Lu Yun sat as still as a mountain in the host’s seat. In a guest chair sat Shadakang, dressed in a well-pressed gray suit, his hair slicked back and gleaming, a warm smile plastered on his face.
Shadakang first cupped his fists toward Lu Yun in the host’s seat and began with some pleasantries. "Ah, Elder Lu! I’ve heard so much about you! I should have come to pay my respects to you long ago!"
"You see, it’s been over a year since I took up my post as Deputy City Manager of Yun Port City, but I’ve been so bogged down with trivial matters that I never had the chance to visit you, sir. It’s truly rude of me. Please be magnanimous and don’t hold it against me!"
Lu Yun nodded slightly, a faint smile on his face. "City Manager Sha, you’re too kind."
Hearing this, the smile on Shadakang’s face grew even wider. As if remembering something, he turned sideways and pointed to the female companion sitting in the guest chair next to him, laughing. "Oh, right, right! Look at my memory. I was so focused on talking to you, sir."
"Elder Lu, allow me to introduce you. This is... AHEM, this is my secretary! Her surname is Gao, Secretary Gao!"
Following his introduction, "Secretary Gao" also rose gracefully to her feet. She gave a slight bow in Lu Yun’s direction, a perfect smile on her face. "Elder Lu, it’s a pleasure to meet you."
The woman was about twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, with delicate features, alluring eyes, and a slender, willowy figure.
She wore a dark green silk qipao with a subtle floral pattern, which flawlessly accentuated her graceful curves.
The collar of the qipao was cut just low enough to reveal a hint of her fair, delicate collarbone.
The slits on both sides of the qipao were quite high, reaching almost to the top of her thighs and offering glimpses of her long, shapely legs. On her feet was a pair of black, low-heeled satin pumps.
Her long, black hair was gathered into an elegant, low bun at the nape of her neck, with a small pearl ornament pinned by her temple.
She possessed both the gentle, refined beauty of a Jiangnan woman and a subtle, captivating allure.
Lu Yun’s first assessment could only be described as "lush." Although he was over sixty, when it came to appreciating beauty...
Especially the beauty of a mature and alluring woman—it was a primal instinct for any man, and Lu Yun was no exception.
’That Shadakang, with his thick brows and big eyes... he sure knows how to live! How could this be any ordinary "secretary"?’
Lu Yun’s expression remained unchanged. He played along with Shadakang’s flattery and replied politely, "City Manager Sha, an old man like me is just running a small business in Yun Port City to support my family."
"In the future, I’ll still have to rely on your good graces in all matters, City Manager Sha. I hope you’ll look after us."
When Shadakang heard this, the smile on his face didn’t falter, but he subconsciously shifted so he was only sitting on half of his chair.
He waved his hands repeatedly, his tone becoming even more respectful. "Oh! Elder Lu! You truly overwhelm me with such praise!"
"Who am I to have ’good graces’ in front of you, sir? You, sir, are the Stabilizing Needle of our Yun Port City, highly respected, and a Grandmaster of Huajin of your generation!"
"It’s my honor to have the opportunity to visit you! In the future, I will still need to rely on your guidance, sir."
"After all, here in Yun Port City, many things still require your prestige and strength!"
The two then exchanged another round of compliments and pleasantries, trading plenty of empty formalities.
Seeing that the time was right, Lu Yun stopped beating around the bush with him.
"City Manager Sha, as an important official of the Yun Port City Affairs Bureau, you manage a thousand things a day and are swamped with official duties. You didn’t make a special trip to a humble place like my Lu Family residence today just to visit an old man like me or to have a simple cup of tea, did you?"
"I heard from my people that you’re here on behalf of the Yun Port City Divine Land Martial Arts Demonstration."
"So, what’s this about?"
Lu Yun was, of course, very familiar with the name "Yun Port City Divine Land Martial Arts Demonstration."
It was a unique, semi-official joint organization for the Martial Arts World that had gradually formed in major cities—especially large cities and provincial capitals—after the founding of the Daxia New Country.
Besides Yun Port City, other provincial capitals and even Yanjing had similar institutions. The one in Yanjing was even known as the "General Association" and was more influential.
To put it simply, the Martial Arts Demonstration’s members were primarily composed of the masters of the city’s major martial arts dojos, as well as some publicly recognized, prestigious, and powerful martial arts experts.
The Martial Arts Demonstration was usually responsible for coordinating internal relations within the Martial Arts World and occasionally organizing public or semi-public sparring matches and exchange events.
The highest position was "Adviser," typically held by the publicly acknowledged strongest Martial Artist in the area.
Below the Advisers was the position of "Member," mainly held by the masters of the various dojos.
Take Yun Port City, for example. The current Martial Arts Demonstration was advised by three veteran Grandmasters of Huajin, who jointly governed all the dojos in the city.
The Martial Arts Demonstration also held a key power: the authority to approve the opening of new martial arts dojos.
According to the rules, anyone who wanted to formally open a dojo and recruit apprentices in Yun Port City had to first pass the Martial Arts Demonstration’s assessment.
The assessment process was roughly as follows: First, the challenger needed to publicly defeat an existing, officially registered dojo.
This successful "dojo-crashing" would prove they had the strength to open their own school. Then, the challenger had to last one hundred moves against one of the Martial Arts Demonstration’s Advisers without being defeated, all without using Qi.
Only by passing these two tests could a challenger gain the recognition of the Martial Arts Demonstration, become a "Member," and have their new dojo officially registered and established.
As for the defeated dojo, it would be immediately expelled from the membership, forced to close its doors and disband.
When Shadakang heard Lu Yun bring it up himself, his smile became even more brilliant. His professional instincts immediately kicked in, and he delivered another practiced piece of flattery. "Amazing! As expected of you, Elder Lu! Nothing can escape your discerning eyes!"
He then paused, reined in some of his flamboyance, and stated the true purpose of his visit.
"Elder Lu, I have indeed come today at the behest of the current Advisers and main members of the ’Divine Land Martial Arts Demonstration.’ I’m also here in response to the popular demand of our colleagues in the Yun Port City Martial Arts World."
"We would like to invite you to come out of seclusion and serve as the fourth Adviser for our ’Yun Port City Divine Land Martial Arts Demonstration’!"
An Adviser of the Martial Arts Demonstration—this was not just an empty title.
It represented the highest status in the Yun Port City Martial Arts World, immense influence, actual authority, and a closer connection to the government.
After a moment of silence, Lu Yun slowly shook his head and politely declined. "City Manager Sha, I appreciate your kind intentions and the high regard of my colleagues at the Martial Arts Demonstration."
"However, there’s something you may not know, City Manager Sha. At my age, I’ve grown accustomed to a quiet and carefree life of leisure."
"The position of Adviser for the Martial Arts Demonstration comes with great responsibility and, I imagine, many duties. It really doesn’t suit my temperament."
"So, please, City Manager Sha, you should head back. Remember to thank the members of the Martial Arts Demonstration for thinking so highly of me."

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