Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 19 The Murder at Tianhong Academy!
Mayi Lane is located in the south of Luzhou City.

It was neither a commercial district nor a slum; everything was stable and peaceful, and the residents were mostly honest and simple people, with no wicked or tyrannical individuals.

The address that Boss Qian confessed to had a kind, honest, and taciturn woodcutter living there.

The woodcutter's name was Qiao Tai. He was a helpful man who often helped elderly people living alone by fetching water and sweeping the floor. In his spare time, he would do hard labor at Yunjian Temple. His neighbors spoke highly of him.

Perhaps because he was too honest and simple, Qiao Tai was bullied by everyone, which made him look miserable and like a doormat. He has not married yet.

No one would have guessed that Qiao Tai, an honest man who was more diligent than an ox, was Qian Laoda's confidant and had imprisoned a very important Liao Kingdom spy in his home.

Qiao Tai?

Li Zhaoting subconsciously rubbed his fingers.

This name seems somewhat familiar!
Qiao Tai was all brute strength but no martial arts skills. Li Zhaoting easily infiltrated Qiao Tai's house, quickly found the prison where Liao spies were being held, and took him out.

Two hours later, Qiao Tai returned from chopping wood and found a note on the table: Your task is complete. Do what you want to do!
Qiao Tai gave a bitter smile.

What can he do?

What does he want to do?
Besides chopping wood, what else could he do?

Are you going to kill someone?

Or should we stay home and wait for the constables to arrest us?

Shouldn't one have a good meal before dying?

Qiao Tai rarely showed any "desire," but when he saw the note left by Li Zhaoting, the thought of "I'll be caught soon and die a gluttonous ghost" popped into his mind.

Qiao Tai rummaged through the cabinet and found a string of copper coins. He went to a street vendor to cook two dishes and get a pot of wine. He drank by himself until dawn.

……

"Pfft!"

The Liao spy was thrown to the ground by Li Zhaoting.

Li Zhaoting wasn't one to meddle in other people's business, but since it involved Liao spies, he had to intervene.

"Name!"

"Let me go... Ah!"

Li Zhaoting slapped him across the face.

This guy had been imprisoned for a year. He was covered in mud and his hair was a mess, but his features weren't ugly. He looked like a dissolute, pleasure-seeking official.

He was hit by a bamboo pole on the street, looked up and saw the beautiful girl next door, and went to find Wang Gan Niang's husband!

"Name!"

“Xiao…Xiao Jun…”

"The Xiao family's maternal relatives?"

“Young master, you are not a member of the imperial court. Capturing me will not bring you promotion or wealth. If you release me, I will reward you with two thousand taels of gold when I return to Liao.”

"Two thousand taels of gold?"

"Add another three hundred fine horses."

"My house can't hold three hundred horses!"

"Add another grassland ranch."

"As expected of a relative of the Xiao family, truly..."

Li Zhaoting suddenly thought of something.

Tianhong Academy, Qiao Tai, Xiao Jun...

What's happening here?
Shao Bao Yi, Shao Bao Er, and Shao Bao San all gathered in Luzhou at the same time. Is this a sign that Lord Bao wants the Three Flowers to gather at the top of his head?
"Young master, you can take me..."

"Such a wealthy Xiao family relative is clearly not one of those good-for-nothings who just loaf around and wait to die. Who is in charge of Luzhou who would let you act as a secret agent and liaison?"

"What do you want to do?"

"It's obvious without even guessing that someone surnamed Yelü could make someone with the surname Xiao willingly obey orders."

Xiao Jun, let's make a deal. If you tell me his identity, I can let you leave.

When you return to Liao, just find some excuse to shift the blame. Thousands of miles away, who will know you betrayed your superior? Who will know what happened in Luzhou?

If you don't agree, I'll have no choice but to hand you over to the Imperial City Guard or the Eastern Depot. That won't be a pleasant experience; the Eastern Depot's prison can turn even the strongest body into scrap metal.

Xiao Jun, you've been missing for so long, and the other side hasn't taken any rescue action, which means your superior has already given up on you. Why should you be loyal to him?
A dead Taoist friend is not a poor Taoist!
I don't think you're a traditionalist!

Li Zhaoting patiently guided him.

Xiao Jun remained unmoved, like a mountain.

Being chosen by Empress Dowager Xiao as a spy speaks volumes about Xiao Jun's loyalty to the Liao Dynasty. Li Zhaoting tried various methods to entice Xiao Jun, but Xiao Jun managed to evade them all.

Li Zhaoting had a feeling that Xiao Jun desperately wanted to be imprisoned in the Imperial City Guard. Xiao Jun's trump card for survival was not his superior in Luzhou, but the Imperial City Guard.

That's kind of interesting!
……

"Killing! Killing!"

A shout erupted from Tianhong Academy.

The highly paid scholar Yang was found dead in his study, his abdomen disemboweled and his heart ripped out – a truly gruesome sight.

Judging from the traces at the scene, Scholar Yang was grading exam papers with a look of horror in his eyes. He must have been ambushed by an acquaintance who struck his pressure point with a finger and ripped out his heart with a sword.

Hot blood splattered onto the exam papers, staining the top few papers crimson. The topmost paper belonged to Zhan Jun, and Academician Yang gave it an excellent rating.

The headmaster, Xiang Ming, was terrified.

Yang, a scholar, was his friend of many years. More than 20 years ago, the two of them committed a heinous and unforgivable crime together, which they still find hard to forget.

I think about it every day and dream about it at night.

Although there was no evidence, Xiang Ming keenly sensed that a group of vengeful spirits were surrounding him, and the evil spirits opened their mouths to tear at his flesh.

Thinking of this, Xiang Ming broke out in a cold sweat, his face turned pale and then purple, his whole body trembled, and he could barely breathe.

"Hiccup!"

Xiang Ming couldn't catch his breath and collapsed to the ground.

After regaining consciousness, Xiang Ming left Tianhong Academy overnight. Two days later, he was found dead in a field, a sharp wooden pole piercing his throat. The headmaster was dead, an external professor was dead, one of whom had been a Grand Secretary—such a momentous event immediately attracted countless eyes, and a large crowd flocked to the scene.

Prefect Gongsun Zhen ordered his yamen runners to seal off the scene.

Gongsun Ce is Gongsun Zhen's son. He asked his father to give him special treatment so he could investigate the crime scene and team up with Bao Heitan to see who could solve the case faster.

The abbot asked Li Zhaoting for help.

Li Zhaoting did not ask Lu Xiaofeng for help.

The investigation was a private request from the abbot, and since it concerned the reputation of Tianhong Academy, it was inconvenient to involve people from the martial arts world.

Lu Xiaofeng preferred the bustling city life and was quite resistant to private schools and academies. He suppressed his meddlesome thoughts and used the money given to him by the Hua family to seek out his lover for romantic pleasures.

As a renowned romantic figure in the martial arts world, Lu Xiaofeng had lovers in all 63 provinces across the country. There are probably no more than five people in the martial arts world who have more lovers than him.

Li Zhaoting knows two people.

Both of them happened to be bodyguards.

One is Wen Liangong, the chief镖头 (bodyguard/escort) of Longmen镖局 (escort agency), who is known for having an ex-girlfriend within a ten-mile radius. His ex-girlfriends are all over the world, from Japan to Miao territory, and so on.

One of them was Deng Dinghou, the head of the Zhenyuan Escort Agency. He had an old rascal who joked with him by writing a letter inviting all his lovers to his home. Sixty or seventy people came, and a fierce battle broke out in Deng Dinghou's house, which was ten times more complicated than the drama "Empresses in the Palace". Even now, this story is still a popular tale in the martial arts world and a favorite of storytellers.

Duan Zhengchun? Not familiar with him!

……

Tianhong Academy, Music Room.

Music teacher Meng Fang was playing the zither. Meng Fang was in his thirties. He was not handsome, but he had a carefree and cheerful air about him and had the demeanor of an artist.

Artists often have abnormal thought processes.

Therefore, for the vast majority of the time, Meng Fang was a loner, living alone and unmarried. The only person he could call a friend was Bao Zheng.

A dark figure quietly slipped into the music room.

Meng Fang did not stop playing the piano, but the melody changed and became more chilly.

The man in black looked coldly at Meng Fang: "I've done everything you asked me to do. Now it's time for me to collect my reward. Where is the treasure?"

Meng Fang slightly raised his head, tossed his hair, and said nonchalantly, "I've only finished half of it. Once I finish the other half, I'll present the treasure of Kuaiyi with both hands."

"Meng Fang! You're playing me!"

"Heh! If I hand over the treasure to you, you'll definitely kill me to silence me immediately. Why are you in such a hurry? You have leverage over me; I have nowhere to escape!"

"Aren't you afraid I'll kill you?"

“Kill me, and no one will find the treasure. It’s a treasure that our tribe has guarded for generations. Even if you want to start a rebellion, this money will last you two years.”

"Meng Fang, don't try to be clever, or I will rescue your most wanted enemy just as your plan is about to be completed, shattering your lifelong wish."

“I can give you some clues.”

Mountains are mountains, white mountains embrace thousands of greens;
Water within water, black water embraces myriad reds;
You can tell this incantation to Lu Xiaofeng and ask him to help you find the treasure. I've heard that Lu Xiaofeng likes to meddle in other people's business, and he happens to be in Luzhou City.

Or you could find another smart person.

If there are no other issues, please do not disturb my playing of the zither. The music of high mountains and flowing water can only be played by a kindred spirit. You are not a kindred spirit, and my melody is becoming increasingly chaotic.

Goodbye, General!

Meng Fang looked at the "general" expressionlessly.

The "general" leaped away from the music room.

The "general's" goal is the treasure of the Kuaiyi tribe.

As long as he can get the treasure, no matter how many people Meng Fang wants to kill, no matter how many grudges Meng Fang has, none of these matter. What matters is the treasure and the money!
With the Paradise Tower sealed off, the "General" must find new sources of income to ensure the operation of the intelligence system.

……

The back hill of the academy.

Li Zhaoting led the yamen runners to a cave.

There are four terrifying stone statues inside the cave.

Each stone statue represents a form of torture, namely:
Heart ripped out, throat pierced, head cut off, torn apart by five horses.

The cave was already dark and damp, and the stone statues were so lifelike and vivid that, combined with the eerie sounds made by the mountain wind, it became a ghostly place.

The students from the academy who were traveling with them screamed and ran away in terror. Even Bao Zheng and Gongsun Ce felt a chill run down their spines at the sight of this horrific scene.

The Mountain God's Curse!

Curse kills!
Evil spirits are at work!

A vengeful spirit is claiming your life!

A series of thoughts arose in everyone's minds, mostly related to ghosts and spirits. How many people could remain calm when faced with such a scene that was a childhood nightmare?

"The Master did not speak of strange phenomena, physical prowess, disorder, or spirits. These stone statues are nothing to be afraid of! I'm not afraid! I'm not afraid at all!"

A student shouted out loudly.

Li Zhaoting chuckled: "Confucius didn't speak, but he used superhuman strength to knock the opponent unconscious. With the power of the Sage Confucius, one is indeed not afraid of demons and ghosts."

The original text certainly didn't have this bizarre explanation, but Li Zhaoting's statement does make some sense.

Confucius was skilled in both literature and martial arts, possessing exceptional martial prowess. He could subdue evil spirits with his pure Yang energy alone.

Bao Zheng asked in a low voice, "Brother Buyi, you have traveled all over the world and are very knowledgeable. Can you tell when these statues were carved and what style they belong to?"

"The carving was done within half a year, and the style seems to come from a remote ethnic group. Oh my, I remember there seem to be relevant records in the headmaster's study."

Go to the abbot's study and look for a book he often reads, which records information about many ethnic groups.

If I remember correctly, this ethnic group seems to be called the Kuaiyi people. They have their own cultural system, are skilled in music and spice blending, and worship song and dance deities.

I only glanced at it once!
That's all I remember!

Are there any Kuaiyi ethnic tribes in Luzhou?

"Yes, I recently stumbled upon a case where the other party seems to be searching for a treasure left behind by the Kuaiyi tribe."

　Qian Laoda's henchman Wu Lao Er and Qiao Tai from "Young Justice Bao 2" are played by the same actor. Here's a joke about the actor.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)