Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 185 I will endure hardship and bide my time to regain my lost face.

Yu Daiyan immediately won people's favor as soon as he opened his mouth.

When people in the martial arts world heard the name Li Zhaoting, they were either terrified of his ferocity, wanted to challenge him to a duel, or fawned over him, which annoyed Li Zhaoting greatly.

Yu Daiyan didn't care about fame in the martial arts world, nor did he talk about heroic deeds. He only mentioned Hua Manlou. In Yu Daiyan's view, Li Zhaoting was neither the Jiazi Tai Sui nor a righteous young hero, but his junior brother's friend.

This feeling is very warm.

Having experienced a hellish cycle of life and death, Yu Daiyan grew weary of the martial world. What did matters like reputation, fame, and profit have to do with him?
A bowl of tofu pudding would be more satisfying.

The chefs from the Wudang School are really good.

Even simple vegetables and tofu can be made delicious.

In the afternoon, guests gradually arrived.

Li Zhaoting sent a message home, asking Lan Fenghuang to bring all the children to broaden their horizons. He said they would regret missing such a grand event as Zhang Sanfeng's 100th birthday banquet.

If anyone tries to curry favor, the Five Rats and Qu Feiyan are sent to ask for red envelopes, six at a time. In front of so many people, the red envelopes can't be too small, because sects with limited assets simply can't afford them.

Zhang Sanfeng's birthday is on the ninth day of the fourth lunar month. Sects that are on good terms with Wudang will arrive early to avoid making it difficult for the Wudang guest master to entertain them. Those who want to seize the Dragon-Slaying Saber will gather at the foot of the mountain to discuss their joint plan to force Zhang Sanfeng to abdicate.

Tang Zhuquan and Lu Xiaofeng naturally wouldn't miss such a lively event, and each brought a few friends.

Lu Xiaofeng brought Xue Bing, the eldest daughter of the Xue family, known for their divine needlework. The Xue family's history can be traced back to the Later Han and Three Kingdoms periods, and their ancestor was Xue Lingyun, a favorite concubine of Cao Pi.

The Xue family, known as the Divine Needle Martial Arts Family, was more like a tailor shop in the martial arts world than a wealthy family. To put it bluntly, without Lu Xiaofeng's guidance, Xue Bing would only be able to sit at a table with those wandering martial arts practitioners, and entering the inner hall would be impossible.

Tang Zhuquan brought Wei Kongkong, a famous swordsman in the martial arts world known for stealing heads. He wields a three-foot-long Qingfeng sword, specializing in beheading thieves. This ordinary iron sword, imbued with righteous energy, has survived hundreds of battles and slain countless old demons without suffering any damage.

Wei Kongkong was a wandering swordsman who disliked crowding around. He was forcibly dragged here by Tang Zhuquan, who felt that Wei Kongkong and Li Zhaoting had a lot in common.

The two do indeed have a lot in common.

The common language is... finishing off the opponent!

Li Zhaoting always killed people without leaving a complete corpse.

Wei Kongkong is a ruthless and wicked man who specializes in beheading people.

No one could fake their death and escape from the two men's swords.

If Shangguan Feiyan had been as cautious as the two of them, and only wanted to kill to silence them instead of torturing them, Shangguan Danfeng wouldn't have dared to fake her death even if she had a hundred times the courage.

Over the next two days, guests arrived one after another.

Li Zhaoting met many outstanding individuals.

Hong Xiguan, a lay disciple of the Southern Shaolin Temple.

Yang Yuqian, a disciple of Zhenwu Temple of Wudang.

Liu Chengfeng, a genius disciple of the Bashan Sword Sect, is Sun Xiuqing's younger brother and Ximen Chuixue's brother-in-law.

The Three Heroes and Four Beauties of the Emei School, and Tie Xinlan.

Li Zhaoting even saw Bai Yujing.

Bai Yujing is no longer "Bai Yujing"; he is Geng Yujing, the junior disciple of the Wudang Taihe Temple.

Disciples from the Huashan, Hengshan, Hengshan, Songshan, and Taishan sects arrived one after another, each presenting birthday gifts.

The sects such as Kongtong, Kunlun, and Shaolin of Songshan have not sent anyone up the mountain yet, clearly intending to scout the area and take advantage of the chaos to secretly bring weapons up the mountain.

The Taoist priest was extremely busy.

Fortunately, Wudang is large enough and has enough Taoist temples.

Otherwise, with so many people coming to offer birthday wishes, they would have no choice but to sleep on the ground, on the streets, or under bridges.

Besides gangs, sects, and aristocratic families, Li Zhaoting also saw several escort agencies, including the Fuwei Escort Agency.

Li Zhaoting's trip to Qingcheng Mountain was not without its setbacks. Cheng Huaixiu and Li Shengnan fought, and Li Zhaoting used sword marks to test the spectators. Yu Canghai, the abbot of Songfeng Temple, was forced to retreat by the sword marks and felt ashamed. He then led his disciples to Fuzhou to seize the Evil-Slaying Sword Manual, but they were utterly defeated.

Fuwei Escort Agency has always been known for its peaceful and amicable business practices. They have never heard of any experts in the industry. Lin Zhennan's martial arts skills are even inferior to those of Yu Canghai's disciples; at best, he is considered third-rate.

Logically speaking, Yu Canghai was capable of single-handedly wiping out the entire Fuwei Escort Agency. He had made ample plans to exterminate the entire agency overnight and seize the Evil-Slaying Sword Manual.

Then, Yu Canghai witnessed the divine power of the sword manual.

Just as Yu Canghai was displaying his prowess and easily defeating Lin Zhennan and his wife, the old steward of the Lin family drew a thin, long soft sword from his waist and used a set of sword techniques that were both ghostly and demonic. His sword strikes were as fast as shooting stars, and Yu Canghai's carefully trained disciples fell down like wheat being harvested. When Yu Canghai fought against him, he was torn to pieces by the opponent's chaotic sword strikes.

After this battle, Songfeng Temple was almost wiped out, and the shaky signboard of Fuwei Escort Agency was hung up again. This time, the escort agency alliance is qualified to take the lead.

That old steward was Lin Yuantu's trump card for protecting the Lin family. He was an abandoned baby that Lin Yuantu found when he was out escorting goods. He was born with a castration and was the perfect match for the Evil-Repelling Sword Manual.

Lin Yuantu took the abandoned baby home and raised him, teaching him the Evil-Repelling Sword Manual and entrusting him with protecting the Lin family's descendants.

If Yu Canghai hadn't come to visit, even Lin Zhennan and his wife wouldn't have known that the old steward possessed unparalleled martial arts skills. Only afterward, when they inquired about the matter, did they learn of Lin Yuantu's predicament.

The Evil-Repelling Sword Manual is not suitable for family inheritance!

How do eunuchs carry on their family line?

Adopting orphans as a life-saving trump card sounds simple, but don't forget that eunuchs often have twisted minds. The Lin family has no means to control these orphans, so why should they keep them loyal?
What if someone wants to rebel?
How many moves can Lin Zhennan withstand?

If Li Zhaoting were Lin Yuantu, he would definitely find an opportunity to wipe out several evil sects, seize their secret manuals, and leave behind a few martial arts techniques that could be passed down safely for his family.

Of course, as the saying goes, the vast majority of eunuchs are twisted at heart. Lin Yuantu was a eunuch, and the Lin family was not his lineage but an orphan he had taken in. Only Lin Yuantu himself knew what he was really thinking.

Now that things have come to this, all speculation is meaningless.

The only one who had a problem with it was Yu Canghai. In the various martial arts worlds, Yu Canghai had been killed tens of thousands of times, probably more times than Tian Boguang and Yun Zhonghe.

……

The ninth day of April.

Today is the most important event in the martial arts world, because it is the 100th birthday celebration of the world's number one martial arts master.

It is rare for a person to live to seventy. Although various schools and sects have elders who are seventy or eighty years old, no more than 10% of martial artists in the martial arts world can live to seventy or eighty. There are only a handful of seniors who live to be a hundred. Most of them die young.

Chinese people like numbers that are round and full.

A 100th birthday celebration must be a grand affair.

Not to mention Zhang Cuishan's return to the Central Plains, which stirred up a storm in the entire martial arts world. There were at least 2,800 martial arts people who came to celebrate his birthday. The Zixiao Palace was packed with people inside and out. There were not enough tables and chairs. People from small households could only sit in the square, either on round stone stools or on a clean open space.

Such a grand event in the martial arts world is bound to happen.
—Blind date!
The three heroes and four beauties of the Emei Taoist sect, and Tie Xinlan, Ding Minjun, Bei Jinyi, and Jin Lingzhi of the Buddhist sect were all sent over at once, both to celebrate the birthday and to find a match.

Sun Xiuqing and Ximen Chuixue hit it off.

Shi Xiuxue and Hua Manlou have feelings for each other.

Emei and Wudang have a marriage alliance, and Hua Manlou comes from a wealthy family, making him a top-tier son-in-law.

Ximen Chuixue possesses exceptional swordsmanship, immense wealth, and a cold personality, free from the troubles of philandering. Marrying Ximen Chuixue would definitely be a good thing for Emei.

Other sects followed suit.

Even Murong Fu was trying his best to show off his talent.

Murong Fu was handsome and wealthy at a young age. Under the tutelage of Murong Bo, he overcame the shadow of failure and made great progress in his martial arts, making him a promising young talent.

Unfortunately, there was a bag that was different.

In the battle against the Ancient Sword Soul, Gongye Qian and Feng Bo'e died, while Bao Butong and Deng Baichuan were seriously injured. After being treated by a divine physician, the two gradually recovered their health. Having suffered such a severe setback, Bao Butong's temper had become somewhat tempered, but his deeply ingrained habits could not be changed in a short time. Anyone who approached Murong Fu would be ridiculed by him, leaving Murong Fu feeling very helpless.

When he was at Mount Emei, Murong Fu tried to show off but ended up embarrassing himself in front of hundreds of people. This time, he participated in Zhang Sanfeng's 100th birthday banquet in order to salvage his reputation and make more friends with disciples from famous families.

oh~~
Murong Fu sighed.

Murong Bo wanted to punish Bao Butong, but of the four retainers he left behind, only two remained. If he drove Bao Butong away, wouldn't he be left with no one to command?
"Brother Bao, could you..."

“Young Master, it’s not that Bao San is jealous of talent, nor is it that he’s deliberately causing trouble. I just feel indignant. The Wudang disciples are looking down on people. The dignified Murong of Gusu doesn’t even have a seat. I can’t swallow this insult.”

"The world is full of troubles, that's just how it is. As long as we work together and make a name for ourselves, we'll be able to regain our lost face sooner or later. Goujian was able to endure hardship and humiliation, how can I, Murong Fu of Gusu, not endure this little grievance?"

"Young master, thank you for your hard work."

“I will personally take back what Murong of Gusu has lost. Let’s go over there and see that Linghu Chong is Yue Buqun’s personal disciple.”

"Are the Huashan disciples not in the inner hall?"

"Because the atmosphere inside the hall was too oppressive, Linghu Chong didn't like this atmosphere. In the entire Huashan Sect, perhaps only Yue Buqun could tolerate the oppressive atmosphere."

……

Representatives from Kunlun and Kongtong arrived one after another.

The Five Elders of Kongtong arrived together.

Kunlun Sect Leader He Taichong and Supreme Sect Leader Ban Shuxian, a married couple, arrived together, but no one from Shaolin came.

This shows the wisdom of Abbess Miejue.

In the original storyline, all the major sects sent important figures such as their leaders and elders, but the Emei Sect, which knew the secrets of the Dragon Slaying Saber best, sent ordinary disciples, mainly Ji Xiaofu, which meant they could attack or defend as needed.

No matter what happens, as long as Ji Xiaofu says that she is young and ignorant and needs her master to make a decision, she can easily shirk all responsibility. Wudang and Emei are thousands of miles apart. Even if they travel at full speed, it would take six or seven days to go back and forth. With seven days to prepare, what can't she do?

In addition, due to the influence of TV dramas, many people misunderstand Abbess Miejue. The Emei disciples genuinely wished Zhang Sanfeng a happy birthday, and only Emei prepared birthday gifts.

The idea that Extinction forced Zhang Cuishan to his death is utter nonsense. Extinction never went to Wudang!

Sending disciples with whom the marriage alliance is established to offer birthday wishes appears to be a neutral stance, but in reality, it's a covert way of helping Wudang. Given the relationship between Wudang and Emei, any issues can be discussed privately without damaging the relationship between the two families.

This is the wisdom a leader should possess.

With so many experts gathered together, even the fearless Bai Yutang felt a bit scared and shrank behind Li Zhaoting, not daring to run around Wudang Mountain.

"Kid, you're scared now, aren't you!"

"There are too many people, the atmosphere is so oppressive."

There were only two people.

"Two people?"

"One is called fame, the other is called profit."

"What kind of person is Master?"

"I am an observer."

"Oh~ so Master isn't human!"

Since there are only two kinds of people, and Li Zhaoting is neither interested in fame nor fortune, he doesn't belong to either category. Therefore, his master is not a person; his master is a clay sculpture or a wooden stake.

Li Zhaoting grabbed Bai Yutang by the back of the collar and lifted him up like a cat catching a mouse. The cat wasn't a proper cat, but the mouse was definitely a proper mouse.

"Go back and copy the Classic of Filial Piety ten times."

"Master, I know I was wrong..."

"Twenty times!"

"Let's just copy it ten times!"

"Thirty times!"

"I'll copy it! I'll copy it! I'll go copy it right now!"

Bai Yutang hung his head in dejection and resigned himself to his fate, like a white-haired mouse that had been played with by a tabby cat for hours.

Cats like to tease mice when they catch them, not because they are cruel, but because many animals have the instinct to attack when they are near death or play dead. Continuously teasing the mouse not only exhausts its strength but also tests its vitality until it is played to death, so that it can enjoy the mouse to its heart's content.

Why a tabby cat?
Because tabby cats never lose their wildness!
Bai Yutang looked at his four older brothers and thought to himself that the five rats share the same fate. They could copy the book together, each copying it six times. Since their master wouldn't check, he could ask Qu Feiyan for help and maybe outsource the homework.

Li Zhaoting said coldly, "Outsourcing is prohibited."

"Master, I..."

Can a mouse escape a cat's sight?

"There's no escaping it!"

"Then don't try anything funny. Once you've finished copying the poems and books, I'll teach you a few amazing sword techniques."

"What kind of swordsmanship?"

"Wudang Xuanxu Saber Technique".

"Master knows Wudang martial arts?"

I learned it half an hour ago.

"Does this count as secretly learning martial arts?"

"No! Stealing knowledge is watching secretly, but I watched openly and honestly, so how can that be considered stealing knowledge?"

"Master, that little girl is so cute."

"She is Yin Liting and Ji Xiaofu's daughter, named Yin Qiaoxiao. Do you want to go and play with her?"

"Master, is it okay?"

“I can’t control what the children are doing. Let Jin Lingzhi take care of you so you don’t get scammed.”

"I'm not a child!"

"Not a child, humph! Our sect rules strictly forbid early romantic relationships. Anyone caught engaging in early romantic relationships will have their legs broken."

“Master, I am a child.”

"Go and play!"

Li Zhaoting put Bai Yutang down.

The martial arts world can influence many things.

For example: Yin Liting and Ji Xiaofu.

Yang Xiao was busy expanding his power in the Western Regions, and was being devoured by forces such as the Western Regions Supreme Alliance, Sea Shark Palace, Sword Casting City, and Four Directions City. How could he have time to seduce Ji Xiaofu?
Yin Liting and Ji Xiaofu were already married. They went to chase San Genmao of Mount Emei together. San Genmao hid underwater and escaped their pursuit.

This also shows the differences in the views of the various branches of Wudang.

Song Yuanqiao, Zhang Cuishan, and Yin Liting, three of the Seven Heroes of Wudang, are all married. After some time, perhaps Mo Shenggu will marry one of the disciples of Emei.

Marriage is forbidden in the Jade Void Palace. Lay disciples may marry and have children, but high-ranking elders are absolutely prohibited from doing so.

(End of this chapter)