I Have A Martial Dao World

In the evening, Liao Qe continued to channel a great amount of Inner Breath.

Lu Yao was full of energy and got up early the next morning to practice boxing.

This practice session was crucial—he found himself brimming with strength, his physical power greatly increased, and he even managed to go through the Liao Family Fist routine twice!

Liao Qe's mind was always on her beloved, and she immediately noticed this, smiling with her eyes squinted with happiness, saying,

"Lu Yao, you're improving so fast! After going through the Liao Family Fist twice, you're already ready to attempt Bone-Tempering!"

"With the supplements, medicinal baths, and your Inner Breath, ah, I haven't really put much effort into cultivation."

Lu Yao felt somewhat embarrassed, as he had only focused on Spirit Refinement, and his martial arts progress was all due to "cheating."

Liao Qe appeared even more delighted than Lu Yao, her pretty face flushed with excitement as she said, "Once my 'Art of the Dragon Slayer Manual' is mastered, I'll give you a massage every day. In no time, you'll go through the Blood-Exchange!"

Seeing the girl more proactive than himself, Lu Yao was deeply moved.

At that moment, Liao Ya joined them. She was dressed in a similar outfit to Li Pei—a tailored black women's suit!

Her slender waist, curvaceous hips, and long legs were both beautiful and sexy. The shirt was nearly bursting at the seams, but luckily a large bow tie concealed it, making it less conspicuous.

Realizing her sister and junior brother were staring at her, she explained, "I'm going to the National Martial Arts Association to report for duty, so I have to wear the uniform."

Lu Yao suddenly felt that busty girls are really pitiful; no matter what they wear, it looks provocative.

Liao Ya was completely oblivious and started planning her day, "I also need to buy some white liquor to make the Golden Elixir Brew. I've long heard great things about this secret recipe given by the Commandery Princess, and I can't wait to try it."

At these words, Liao Qe's face blushed, and she glared fiercely at Lu Yao. This rascal had made it impossible for her to look at those words without getting embarrassed.

~~~~~~~

Although yellow wine was commonly consumed in the Shun Dynasty, there was still a market for white liquor, and it should not have been hard to find.

But the three of them scoured the entire street without success.

The wine shopkeeper said with a worried frown, "Master Liao, there's a grain shortage now, and the use of grain for brewing has been banned. There's only fruit wine."

Liao Ya frowned and said, "They've even banned brewing..."

Lu Yao said, "No problem, I'll bring some high-proof liquor when I go back home soon."

The higher the alcohol content for steeping medicinal wine, the better. Hearing Lu Yao say this, Liao Ya readily agreed, "All right. Let's go to the National Martial Arts Association first."

~~~~~~~

The Jingwu National Martial Arts Association had its offices within the Yunzhou Prefectural Yamen.

Along the way, they saw many rice shops with long queues, countless numb, gaunt-faced poor people waiting indifferently with their rice bags, flanked by rice shop workers holding sticks with vigilant expressions on their faces.

The sisters' expressions were a mix of melancholy and relief. The skyrocketing rice prices had persisted for a long while, and they would have been affected too, but with Lu Yao around, they had long forgotten what money was for, no matter how much prices rose, there was always enough meat on their table every day.

Liao Qe suggested, "The more they limit purchases, the more panic there is, and the more people hoard grain. This is not good. Should we also buy some rice to store? Even if Lu Yao has a lot of money, we should still save some."

Liao Ya was somewhat tempted, but before she could speak, Lu Yao rejected the idea, "No need. Whatever we stockpile, it should not be food—we'll never lack that."

~~~~~~~

The three of them were quick on their feet and soon arrived at the martial arts hall.

The black-clad attendants were already busy going in and out, and they nodded respectfully to the trio upon seeing them.

There were also some familiar martial artists, some filling out forms, others exchanging resources, all in an orderly manner.

Lu Yao silently praised the Commandery Princess's methods. In less than two days, the National Martial Arts Association was already up and running, taking over the responsibilities originally held by the Armed Forces Authority.

Li Pei's office was on the third floor, featuring a minimalist Western style.

At the moment, she was casually reading at her desk.

The way this woman read was quite peculiar—using her bosom as a 'paperweight' to firmly hold down the pages of the book.

In doing so, not only were her hands freed up for other tasks, but the weight on them was also greatly reduced.

Seeing the visitors arrive, Li Pei didn't go overboard with the pleasantries, instead, she simply gestured to the seats with a wave of her hand, indicating for them to take a seat.

Lu Yao's mischievous eyes were fixed on her impressive bosom, an entirely subconscious movement, male instinct.

Only then did Li Pei realize that her posture was too casual.

She quickly straightened her clothes and sat up properly, giving Lu Yao a sharp look that silently cursed him as a "little pervert".

The book, no longer pressed down, closed on its own, and Lu Yao caught a glimpse—it was actually a foreign work.

~~~~~~~

Li Pei passed over a copper badge. Liao Ya took it and saw that it read "Director of Yunzhou National Martial Arts Association Liao".

"Director Liao, this is your waist badge. The identification document still needs the Prefectural Governor's seal; it should be ready in a couple of days.

Your office is next to mine. Oh, and I have registered Young Master Lu and your sister as your secretaries, with the rank of 9th grade. This gives them an identity, allowing them to come and go from the government office at will."

Li Pei spoke lightly, but official status was something many longed for, not only elevating one's social position but also minimizing many inconveniences when travelling outside.

To win over the three, the Commandery Princess obviously put in great effort.

Liao Ya hastened to express her gratitude, "Thank you, Commandery Princess."

"It's a small effort, no need for thanks. Later, let Zhang Jin show you around, and ask him for anything you're missing."

Just as she was speaking about him, Zhang Jin suddenly knocked and entered. His complexion wasn't too good, and he handed a decree to his superior.

At a glance, Li Pei's expression stiffened, and her previously pleasant demeanor was replaced with rage.

"The Prefectural Yamen has ordered that the National Martial Arts Association immediately go to clear out the troublemakers outside the city..."

Lu Yao and the others exchanged glances; this issue seemed all too familiar, rumored to be an enviable "easy job." They hadn't expected it to come full circle.

Li Pei scoffed, "This is retaliation against us for destroying the opium dens. Having the newly established National Martial Arts Association confront unarmed disaster victims will surely lead to conflict and casualties. Then simply have several newspapers publish the story, and there will be a pretext for impeachment. The same old tricks!"

Zhang Jin asked, "What should we do, Commandery Princess?"

Li Pei slammed her fist on the table, "I'm going to seek an audience with the Prefectural Governor to explain the pros and cons. Blind use of force to disperse them is not the solution. If a major disturbance breaks out outside the city, he won't be able to shirk responsibility either!"

~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, several sneaky figures dressed in official uniforms were gathered together, conspiring against Li Pei, seething with hatred.

"The moment this woman arrived, she's been destroying our wealth. Let's collectively file a complaint against her!"

"But we have no legitimate reason. The Liao Family won the martial arts competition, and the property is rightfully theirs; it's a private matter."

"What a waste Sun Haoran is! To think we took such pains to cultivate him, only for him to be killed in another jurisdiction!"

"This woman shows no sign of letting things go; we need to plan ahead!"

As the group was filled with impotent rage, the Military Affairs Commissioner, Lu Shijie, sipped his tea and said with unconcerned composure:

"I have already devised a plan for this matter. You all just need to wait for the report to be presented."