The cheongsam had no intricate patterns, relying solely on its masterful cut to accentuate her delicate curves. Its simplicity exuded a languid charm.
Her gait was also a sight to behold. Her waist swayed, and her steps were so light she seemed to be walking on clouds.
The guards on duty nearby couldn’t take their eyes off her.
But the woman paid these gazes no mind, keeping her chin slightly raised as she walked.
Shadakang stopped and turned to face her. "Gao Xiaoqing, my dear cousin, I’ve taken you to see Commander Zhou. Are you satisfied now?"
He paused, then couldn’t resist adding, "You’re twenty-seven. If you don’t get married soon, you’ll be past your prime."
Hearing this, Gao Xiaoqing pursed her lips dismissively.
Shadakang’s cousin had had impossibly high standards since childhood, and she was pickier about men than she was about clothes.
She looked down on ordinary men. The rich reeked of money, the powerful were sleazy, the young were too immature, and the mature weren’t exciting enough.
After all that picking and choosing, she finally settled on one standard: she would only marry a Grandmaster of Huajin.
Even an old man would do.
According to her, a Grandmaster of Huajin might look old, but his body was more vigorous than a dozen young men in their prime.
Plus, think of the prestige! Even the City Manager of Yun Port City would have to be polite. The other officials’ wives would simply die of envy.
When Shadakang heard that, he almost did a spit-take with his tea.
He thought his cousin was just kidding, but it turned out she was completely serious.
And so, Gao Xiaoqing began pestering him relentlessly, posing as his secretary to visit each of the four advisors from the Martial Arts Demonstration.
First, she’d seen the old master of the Lu Family, and now, Advisor Zhou Yi.
But it only took a few glances at Advisor Zhou Yi for Gao Xiaoqing to lose all interest.
He was bald, and not even handsome.
His aura was certainly extraordinary, and the authority of a Grandmaster of Huajin was indeed awe-inspiring, but the moment Gao Xiaoqing pictured herself spending her life with a bald old man, her skin crawled.
The next moment, she retracted her gaze and languidly linked her arm with Shadakang’s. "Cousin Shadakang, never mind. Let’s just forget it. I don’t want to see the other two."
Shadakang blinked. "You’re not going to see them?"
Gao Xiaoqing nodded, her expression instantly turning lovestruck, her eyes practically sparkling. "I still think Advisor Lu is the best fit!"
"His hair might be white, but he’s just so handsome! Did you see his picture in the paper recently? The President himself proposed a toast to him, and he just sat there... such presence, such style..."
"And somehow, he seems so much younger than the last time I saw him! Oh, Cousin Shadakang, please, take me to the Lu Family one more time. I have to see him!"
The corner of Shadakang’s mouth twitched. Looking at his lovestruck cousin, he suddenly felt a headache coming on.
"Gao Xiaoqing, you know how old Advisor Lu is, right? Are you being serious?"
Gao Xiaoqing blinked. "How old? Isn’t he just sixty? So what? I’m fine with that!"
Shadakang gritted his teeth. "Sixty! That’s thirty-three years older than you! He’s old enough to be your father!"
Gao Xiaoqing waved her hand dismissively. "What’s the big deal? Age isn’t an issue! Look at his picture. Does he look sixty to you? Forty-nine at most! He’s aged so well!"
Shadakang closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He suddenly felt that his cousin was truly a lost cause.
In the distance, the guards remained at their posts, but their gazes couldn’t help but drift in their direction.
They watched the lovestruck beauty in the cheongsam acting coquettishly with her arm linked through Shadakang’s, and their hearts filled with envy, jealousy, and hate.
’Why can’t a beauty like that be mine? It’s a real case of a beautiful flower planted in a pile of cow dung.’
Just then, two figures suddenly appeared before them.
Shadakang instinctively looked up, and froze.
One was a soldier from the City Affairs Bureau gate, standing respectfully to the side to guide someone.
The other...
Shadakang’s mind went blank.
A black tunic suit, the Wisteria Spirit Staff, salt-and-pepper hair, and a face that had appeared in the newspapers countless times.
"Ad... Advisor Lu?"
Shadakang instinctively straightened his spine. It took him a moment to force out those three words, his hands suddenly feeling awkward and not knowing where to put them.
Lu Yun gave a slight nod, his gaze sweeping past him. "Ah, Little Sha," he said lightly. "I’m here to discuss a small matter with Advisor Zhou."
With that, he walked past Shadakang and Gao Xiaoqing.
According to Lu Yun’s plan, the next steps were simple.
Word from the President in Yanjing was that the next Military Governor of Yun Port City would be chosen from among the four advisors of the Martial Arts Demonstration.
’As long as the other three publicly renounce their eligibility for the position, then I will be the only candidate left.’
’As for the incumbent, Governor Zhang Cheng’an? Lu Yun didn’t even consider him a factor.’
「Early the next morning」 The entire Yun Port City was in an uproar.
Before dawn, newsboys were already weaving through the streets and alleys, clutching thick stacks of newspapers.
Their voices grew progressively louder and more excited. "Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Earth-shattering news!"
"Yun Port City’s Future Governor Is Beyond Huajin!"
"A Grandmaster of Divine Intent! The Legendary Realm Is Real!"
"Lu Yun! Advisor Lu! The Daxia New Country’s First Grandmaster of Divine Intent!"
The citizens still asleep in their beds were jolted awake by the chorus of shouts.
Some grumbled and threw open their windows, ready to curse out whoever was thoughtless enough to disturb their sleep so early.
Then they saw the newspapers.
The front-page headlines, in bold black print, were each more shocking than the last.
"SHOCKING! A LEGEND REBORN! YUN PORT CITY’S FUTURE GOVERNOR IS A BEING BEYOND A HUAJIN GRANDMASTER!"
"WHAT IS A GRANDMASTER OF DIVINE INTENT? AN EXCLUSIVE REVEAL!"
"THE DAXIA NEW COUNTRY’S FIRST GRANDMASTER OF DIVINE INTENT! HIS NAME IS LU YUN!"
In teahouses and taverns, by the docks and on street corners... everywhere, people were holding newspapers, deep in discussion.
"Did you see this? A Grandmaster of Divine Intent!"
"I saw, I saw! It says here they’re even more powerful than a Grandmaster of Huajin!"
"Duh, of course the realm above Grandmaster of Huajin is more powerful! The question is, does a realm like that actually exist?"
"Of course it does! Look, the paper says Sect Master Bai of the White Cloud Sect confirmed it himself! And who is Sect Master Bai? He’s the number one figure in the Yun Port City Martial Arts community! Would he tell a lie?"
"Hiss... so does that mean this Advisor Lu is even more powerful than Sect Master Bai?"
"Of course! Even Sect Master Bai would have to address him as ’Senior’!"
"My god... when did our Yun Port City ever produce someone like that?"
Some were shocked, some were skeptical, and some were half-convinced, but after reading the papers, most people were left with a single thought.
’The winds of change are coming to Yun Port City. No, they’re coming to the entire Daxia New Country!’

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