Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 197 Seven Heroes Town, Overlord Spear, Terrifying the Thief Saint
"Old man, you have sharp eyes!"

Li Zhaoting gritting his teeth as he criticized Zhang Sanfeng.

Thanks to Zhang Sanfeng's guidance, Cheng Huaixiu decided to visit Yan Jing'an at Cihang Jingzhai, marking the beginning of her parting ways with Li Zhaoting on this adventurous journey.

Li Zhaoting saw Cheng Huaixiu off at the dock.

"Brother Li, what are you doing? Don't cry and act like a little girl. Remember one thing: never stop moving forward. I will always be chasing after you!"

Cheng Huaixiu's brows were full of dashing charm.

She has always had a free and unrestrained personality.

Whether we part ways or reunite, we should follow our hearts in our conduct and actions. Only in this way can we comprehend the sword's clarity at the age of twenty. If we have worries in our hearts and hesitate in our actions, we will have long been swallowed up by the mortal world.

"Doesn't Huaixiu understand my feelings?"

Do you understand my feelings?

"A unified whole, with hearts and minds in perfect harmony!"

"Since you understand my feelings, you should know that I am not a vase to be played with in your arms. I want to fight alongside you and join forces with you."

I can't leave you behind too much.

I cannot stay by your side, depend on you, or become a concubine who can only rely on you for protection. I have my own career, and I have the pride of being a swordsman.

If one day you become addicted to pleasure and your martial arts skills stagnate, I will not hesitate to capture you, find a treacherous mountain peak, and make you a mountain king. Young Master Li will only be able to spend the rest of his life as a bandit's wife on the mountain.

Brother Li, take care!

Cheng Huaixiu clasped his hands in a traditional martial arts greeting. Just as Li Zhaoting was about to return the greeting, a warm, sweet touch came to his lips. Before Li Zhaoting could savor it, the sensation vanished, and Cheng Huaixiu rode away.

"Tsk~ The world is going to the dogs, and people's hearts are no longer what they used to be!"

A seemingly ordinary wandering swordsman, dressed in coarse linen clothes and wearing a bamboo hat, sat on a large rock, holding a wine gourd and sighing with a shake of his head.

"Spying will get you a sty!"

"I didn't peep."

"Ok?"

"I am watching openly and honestly."

The wandering swordsman removed his bamboo hat, revealing a face that appeared unremarkable at first glance, but grew increasingly heroic the more one looked at it, with an aura of righteousness and nobility emanating from his brows.

Guo Bujing, the chief of the Six Doors, is a detective who uses his signature move, the "Surging Wave Palm," to annihilate countless demons and monsters.

Literally, "bombardment".

The Surging Wave Palm uses offense as defense, focusing solely on defense and never attacking. It has no defensive moves; every move is a fatal blow. Furthermore, it has three life-or-death techniques that drag powerful enemies down to hell together.

Fighting for your life requires courage.

Only when facing death do we realize how difficult it is to die.

Guo Bujing was fearless and willing to fight to the death. His opponents did not have this courage. When the battle reached its most intense moment, they realized that Guo Bujing wanted to fight to the death with them. They subconsciously became timid and their attacks were slower. Guo Bujing seized the opportunity to exploit their weakness.

The Surging Wave Palm technique also has a special advantage.

When an ordinary person is attacked, they will defend themselves. However, practitioners of the Surging Wave Palm will subconsciously launch an attack. Over time, this becomes a conditioned reflex. Even if a mosquito lands on them, they will subconsciously react and will not be afraid of being bitten by mosquitoes.

The drawbacks are also obvious: the conditioned reflex of the Surging Wave Palm is too intense. When being intimate with a lover, it is very likely that one will not be able to control the force and will subconsciously swing the palm to strike.

This has nothing to do with the control of true qi.

Even though Lü Qingcheng had mastered the Shocking Wave Palm to the seventh level and was known as the eighth in the world, she still couldn't control her conditioned reflexes. Even if her beloved wanted to be intimate with her or give her a massage, she would subconsciously attack.

On the contrary, those with weak skills can overcome it.

At least... I won't seriously injure my lover!

"Junior Li Zhaoting greets Master Guo."

"Hiss~ You have a good eye! I need to go and explain things to Master Zhang about the Wudang matter. It wasn't the Six Doors using someone else to do their dirty work, nor was it Mr. Zhuge luring someone into a trap. I have a few cases; could you help me solve them?"

"Is there any reward?"

"I've heard you have an ambiguous relationship with the Holy Maiden of the Demonic Sect. I'm very experienced in this area. Want to hear it? Exclusive inside information that even Li Shengnan doesn't know!"

"This junior will obey Master Guo's orders!"

"I won't let you work for nothing. There's a piece of top-grade rare iron in the Six Doors warehouse that can be used to forge a divine weapon no less powerful than the Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber. If you solve the case, I'll reward you with this rare iron. You can take the rare iron and the Six Doors' token to the Sword Forging City and have the swordsmiths there tailor-make the most suitable divine sword for you."

At this point, Guo Bujing added: "Divine weapons are not invincible, especially the Ziwei Soft Sword, which is relatively soft and requires maintenance."

"Thank you very much, Master Guo."

"Here you go! This is the file."

"You've been wanting to pass this on to me for a long time, haven't you?"

"If I say no, would you believe me?"

I don't believe it at all.

"I originally wanted to trouble Lu Xiaofeng!"

"What does Lu Xiaofeng know about solving cases! Can this guy even figure it out? I'm the most reliable one when it comes to solving cases."

Li Zhaoting patted his chest triumphantly.

Guo Bujing nodded: "I have high hopes for you."

……

Li Zhaoting idly flipped through the case files.

With Guo Bujing offering such a generous reward, Li Zhaoting naturally wanted to complete several cases as soon as possible to prevent Guo Bujing from being gossiped about and accused of abusing his power for personal gain.

Guo Bujing was good at recognizing and utilizing talent, and the case he arranged for Li Zhaoting was very much to Li Zhaoting's liking.

Every case is... a battle!
Either capture notorious bandits or powerful figures of evil.

Either destroy the underworld gangs and assassin organizations.

The names of Flying Knife Sect, Heavenly Crippled Sect, Sunflower Sect, Beauty Never Discounts, the Two Elders of Gold and Silver, Shangguan Yundun, Ji Wuming, Ji Wubing, Ji Wuli, etc., were prominently listed, and the last name was... Gongsun Wulong.

First, rule out the Heavenly Crippled Sect.

It is impossible to destroy the Heavenly Crippled Sect.

Just like no force can destroy the Beggars' Sect.

Where there is martial arts, there is conflict; where there is conflict, there is injury; where there are injured people, there are disciples of the Tiancan Sect. As long as the conflicts in the martial arts world do not disappear, and as long as there are disabled people, the Tiancan Sect will never perish.

Killing all the managers of the Heavenly Crippled Sect would be pointless.

Disabled martial artists, sharing the same plight, spontaneously gathered together for mutual support. To facilitate management, they inevitably formed a gang, which became known as the Heavenly Crippled Sect.

Most importantly, there is a type of disability that has always been at the bottom of the social hierarchy, yet these people are often in high positions with money and power, and they are in great need of care in their old age.

That is... a eunuch!
Even powerful figures like Cao Zhengchun, Mi Cangqiong, and Yan Tieshan hoped that someone would take care of them in their old age and see them off in death. They either adopted sons or banded together for mutual support. The eunuchs formed a more united group than any martial arts sect.

Tiancanmen is an assassin organization.

Their backers were the palace eunuchs.

It wasn't just a few eunuchs, but dozens or even hundreds of old eunuchs. These people had been in the palace for decades, with a dense network of relationships. They were old and frail and needed care. The assassins of the Tiancan Sect were all their adopted sons.

The Tiancanmen's funds and intelligence mostly came from these old eunuchs. It is said that these old eunuchs started an insurance business and amassed a large fortune.

The system was very simple: every time a eunuch received his salary, he would give 10% to the senior eunuchs. If any of the junior eunuchs caused trouble in the future, the senior eunuchs would be responsible for settling the matter. If they couldn't resolve it, they would at least make arrangements for the deceased's affairs.

This is also a form of mutual support and solidarity.

Nobody wants to die without knowing why, becoming a wandering ghost with no one to even burn paper money for.

After putting away the case files, Li Zhaoting set off for home.

Li Zhaoting reaped a great deal at Zhang Sanfeng's birthday banquet.

Not only did he acquire the Seven Injury Fist and Tai Chi Sword, further improving his martial arts skills, but he also learned many secrets, including why his master had gone mad, and glimpsed the path of martial arts by witnessing the actions of top figures in the martial arts world.

There will be plenty of trouble on the way back.

There was a stack of files beside him.

Zhang Sanfeng's mission is understandable—to help his old friend train his disciples and cultivate future masters. So why did Guo Bujing approach them? Did he want to outsource the work? Is the Six Doors also going to outsource?

This isn't Guo Jing's style at all!

Li Zhaoting accepted these files not for womanizing secrets or for the rare iron, but to find out what tricks Guo Bujing was up to. Did the imperial court also need seeds? Did he want to take me as his apprentice?

hiss~~
No!

The Surging Wave Palm technique mobilizes the body's yang energy to launch an attack, causing an imbalance of yin and yang within the body. Li Zhaoting pursues the balance of yin and yang and the five elements, with the true yin and yang energy circulating continuously.

The cycle of Yin and Yang should not be disrupted arbitrarily.

Unless a technique is created to quickly replenish Yang energy.

It is said that if such a method existed, and it were taught in schools, it could probably rival the teachings of thirteen thousand people.

……

"I'm home! I'm home! I'm exhausted! Go prepare some bath water, I'm going to sleep for three days and three nights."

Li Zhaoting asked Meizhu to prepare bathwater.

Feng Suzhen said sarcastically, "My lord, you must not slack off, otherwise Huai Xiu will surpass you and kidnap you to the mountain to be her wife!"

Li Zhaoting joked, "It seems that my wife needs to practice martial arts diligently to establish her authority as the head wife!"

"You're getting a good deal either way!"

Feng Suzhen kicked Li Zhaoting into the pool. Li Zhaoting reached out and grabbed Feng Suzhen's smooth and delicate ankle, pulling her into the pool. He then grabbed Lan Fenghuang with his left hand, saying, "No one can run away today!"

Feng Suzhen and Lan Fenghuang exchanged a glance.

The wicked woman's triumphant laughter echoed through the night sky.

The following day, Li Zhaoting wrote to Gongsun Ce, asking him to help investigate the dangerous shoals and water fortresses near Jiangling.

Gongsun Ce has rendered meritorious service in finding the Golden Dragon and is now the Prefect of Jiangling. Li Zhaoting has a feeling that the lair of those hidden water fortresses must be located in Jiangling.

These water fortresses used Ling Tuisi's Lianghu Longsha Gang as cover to conceal their existence.

Which water fortress is so powerful?

If you're so capable, go build a water fortress on Dongting Lake!
……

Guanzhong, Qixia Town, Tongfu Inn.

The inn was doing very well today; all the tables were already full, so they had to add a few more chairs. But the innkeeper, Tong Xiangyu, showed no sign of a smile.

There were no guests on the two largest tables in the inn; instead, a long spear was displayed there.

Tong Xiangyu, the young lady of the Longmen Escort Agency, had seen all kinds of weapons, but she had never seen such a thick and heavy spear, so she couldn't help but feel a little worried.

A wealthy guest arrived at the inn last night, spending money to buy two tables and display a spear that is thirteen feet seven inches and three-tenths inches long and weighs seventy-three pounds and seven ounces.

Tong Xiangyu had never seen such a long spear before, but she knew its name. Tongfu Inn was full of hidden talents: the learned accountant Lü Xiucai, the carefree servant Guo Furong, and the waiter Bai Zhantang with superb lightness skills, all recognized the spear in their own ways.

There are many types of guns.

There are red-tasseled spears, hook-and-sickle spears, long spears, short spears, double spears, and even chain spears.

This gun is the Overlord Spear.

The name comes from Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu.

With strength that could uproot mountains, his spirit could cover the world.

Only a mighty overlord could wield this incredibly heavy spear with such power. The Overlord Spear doesn't need fancy moves; a simple charge or sweep can break through any military formation.

Therefore, the Overlord Spear Techniques circulating in the martial arts world are all ordinary and unremarkable moves. They are widely spread, but no one actually uses the Overlord Spear.

The Overlord Spear requires too much strength.

Lacking strength, the techniques become utterly ineffective.

There are many martial arts masters who practice spear fighting, such as Tang Songting, Li Ruohai, Zhuge Zhengwo, and Wang Zhaoxing, all of whom are renowned masters. However, there is only one person who uses the Overlord Spear: Wang Wanwu, the chief镖头 (bodyguard) of the Da Wang Escort Agency, who wields the spear with one spear that can hold up the sky.

The Great King Escort Agency is located in Shanxi, and Guanzhong is its most important source of revenue. However, why did Wang Wanwu leave his gun at the inn? Did he intend to duel someone?

As the "Master Thief," Bai Zhantang was very knowledgeable about the affairs of the martial arts world. He secretly wondered if the inn would be destroyed if a fight broke out later.

The rooms in Tongfu Inn definitely couldn't withstand the full power of the Overlord Spear. Bai Zhantang thought to himself that if anyone wanted to fight in the inn, he should immediately subdue them and make them fight on the banks of the Xiliang River.

"Slurp slurp~~"

The neighing of a horse interrupted Bai Zhantang's thoughts.

Upon closer inspection, a handsome young man leaped down from an ugly horse, carrying a delicate and beautiful woman in his arms. The woman appeared to be a concubine, but she was dressed as a maid, and she landed with a resounding thud.

Bai Zhantang was extremely skilled in light-body techniques, second only to Chu Liuxiang, and was considered on par with Lu Xiaofeng, Sikong Zhaixing, and Zhuiming. He knew, of course, that the other party was not unable to land silently, but was deliberately making noise.

"Young master, may I ask you..."

"Prepare some fine feed and strong liquor for my horse, make sure it's the best hay, twenty catties of strong liquor, and cook me five or six of your signature dishes. Send them over as soon as possible."

Li Zhaoting threw out a silver ingot.

Bai Zhantang caught it and put on a smile: "Our shop is small and all the tables are occupied. You may need to wait a while. I will make arrangements for you as soon as possible."

"Didn't those guests finish eating?"

Li Zhaoting pointed to two tables against the wall.

Bai Zhantang looked back and saw the seven or eight burly men who had been shouting and yelling earlier wiping their mouths in a panic and running away faster than rabbits.

"Please come in, sir."

"Wow, that's a nice gun!"

"This was left by a customer. We are legitimate business people and never practice martial arts!"

"I think this young girl who does odd jobs seems to know a little bit of basic martial arts, probably a fifth-rate martial artist."

"Isn't it at least third-rate?"

"She's even lower than the lowest."

Li Zhaoting raised an eyebrow and gave a wink.

Guo Furong felt a chill run down her spine.

Li Zhaoting stayed in the capital for more than half a year, investigating cases and engaging in martial arts competitions, causing countless troubles. Guo Furong had loved the martial arts world since childhood. Hearing of Li Zhaoting's name, she secretly watched him and recognized him at a glance.

It would be excellent if the handsome young man subtly flirted with her.

Unfortunately, this handsome young man was Li Zhaoting.

"What...what brings you to Guanzhong?"

"Investigate the case!"

"Are you a constable from the Six Doors? Who sent you to Guanzhong to investigate a case? How did you find me?"

"Your father hired me to investigate the case."

"My father wants you to take me back?"

"Investigate cases, catch thieves, commit murder. This is the badge your father gave me. Anyone who resists will be killed without mercy."

Li Zhaoting revealed the Six Doors waist badge.

Bai Zhantang was so frightened that his legs went weak.

"What thief are you here to catch?"

"Of course, he's a notorious bandit."

Which sect's disciple?

"According to the records, it belongs to the Sunflower School."

Li Zhaoting glanced at Bai Zhantang.

Bai Zhantang's eyes rolled back, and he passed out.

Bai Zhantang doesn't know Li Zhaoting, but he does know that Guo Furong's father is the God of Arrest in the Six Doors. The God of Arrest personally issued a warrant for his arrest. How can he have a good life?

(End of this chapter)