Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 211 Li Zhaoting, You Will Die Today

"Don't push me...don't push me...at worst, we'll all perish together. Do you think I'm afraid of you?"

"Total destruction? Fine! I agree! Let's go find Li Zhaoting and turn ourselves in right away. I want to see how you, Hua Tiegan, the great hero, will be utterly disgraced!"

The shadowy figure's eyes were filled with madness, and a bloodlust flashed in his clear black and white pupils. Looking at the man in black, Hua Tiegan lowered his head, his hands and feet trembling uncontrollably.

"I can't do it... I really can't. The three sworn brothers guarding the prison are my own brothers, and their martial arts skills are on par with mine. How could I possibly have the chance to silence them?"

"My lord has come up with a plan. This is the Five Poisons Powder of the Life-Sustaining Immortal. Mix it into the food and send it to your brothers. It will poison everyone to death!"

"All...everyone..."

“If you only poison three or four people, Li Zhaoting will immediately turn his attention to you. Only by poisoning everyone in the cell can you clear your name.”

"What am I supposed to do? Don't think I don't know you're planning to fake my death and escape. As soon as I swallow the poison, you'll kill me to silence me."

"Our lord will not give up on a talent like you."

"That sounds nice! I don't believe you."

“Hua Tiegan, remember this: I’m not asking you to believe me, I’m assigning you a task.”

"Either way, I'm going to die. It's better to be executed in the autumn than to be silenced by you. At least I can live a few more months! If I drag you all down to hell before I die, it'll be worth it!"

Several months ago, Shen Yumen was assassinated. Hua Tiegan was by Shen Yumen's side at the time.

Hua Tiegan was captured by the Qingyi Tower and surrendered under the threat of death, becoming a spy for the Qingyi Tower. After the Qingyi Tower was destroyed, he became a spy for the Qinglong Society.

Once the bottom line is breached, the fall will be precipitous. Hua Tiegan, though not a renowned knight-errant, was certainly a hero. After becoming a spy for the Green Dragon Society, his decline was far faster than imagined.

Even the Azure Dragon Society didn't expect Hua Tiegan to fall so quickly. In just a few months, he went from a famous chivalrous man in Jiangnan to a complete hypocrite, spouting benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness on the surface, but secretly indulging in all five vices.

However, Hua Tiegan has one bottom line.

This bottom line is something that the Green Dragon Society's 190+ forms of torture cannot scare him away from; it is his life.

They surrendered to the Green Dragon Society because they were afraid of dying!

If I'm going to die before I surrender, and I'm going to die after I surrender, then what was the point of my surrender? I'll just end up with the reputation of a hypocrite. This deal is a huge loss.

Hua Tiegan's attitude was very firm: "If you want to force me to die, I'll drag you down to hell with me."

As long as I shout loudly, Lu Tianshu and the other two will immediately rush over to attack. Li Zhaoting will arrive in no time at most, and then there will be no escape.

Seeing Hua Tiegan's resolute gaze, the man in black took out a bottle of pills: "This is the antidote. You can take it in advance to stay conscious at any time."

"Is this really the antidote?"

"I can try it for you."

The man in black took a small amount of Five Poisons Powder and an antidote, and his vital energy returned to normal without any change.

Hua Tiegan nodded in relief.

Just as he was about to poison the food, sacrificing everyone's lives for his own, he turned around and found Lu Tianshu and the other two staring at him angrily. Li Zhaoting stood not far away with a half-smile, the surrounding atmosphere seemingly sealed off.

Just now, Li Zhaoting used the secret technique taught by his master to seal his aura and eavesdrop on the conversation between the two. He also summoned Lu Tianshu and the other two over. Lu Tianshu was so angry that his eyes were about to burst, and he only had a little bit of hope left.

Hua Erdi was coerced!

Hua Erdi won't lay a hand on us!

We are sworn brothers, bound by blood!

As it turns out, anything is possible.

One's own life is more precious.

Hua Tiegan betrayed them without hesitation.

Li Zhaoting sighed inwardly. In the original story, Hua Tiegan transformed from a chivalrous knight into a renowned barbecue master in a very short time. His transformation was so rapid that it could even be used as a sample for observing human psychology.

When faced with life, anything can be sold.

Hua Tiegan knelt down in despair.

The man in black tried to run but was blocked by Feng Suzhen. Lan Fenghuang walked over from the other side, playing with a golden silkworm in her hand: "Does this gentleman want to experience what it feels like to be torn apart by a thousand insects? I advise you to surrender immediately."

Li Zhaoting added, "I hope to see you kneeling on the ground before I finish saying this, otherwise I will break your limbs and let the phoenix gather thousands of poisonous insects and beasts to gnaw you down to a skeleton."

"Pfft!"

The man in black knelt down on the ground.

They surrendered even faster than Hua Tiegan.

Hua Tiegan gritted his teeth in anger, "What the hell are you trying to prove? Turns out you're more afraid of dying than I am!"

The man in black also had his own unspeakable suffering. The Five Poisons Sect Leader was staring at him menacingly. Even if he had the guts of a leopard, he would become weak and limp in the face of the Five Poisons Sect Leader.

"Madam, interrogate them separately."

Li Zhaoting carried the man in black to the prison cell.

Feng Suzhen shouted, "Hua Tiegan, are you going to confess everything here, or in prison?"

"Is there...any difference?"

"Confess here, and you'll be allowed to commit suicide. We'll announce to the public that you were killed by an assassin to preserve your reputation. Confess in prison, and you'll be utterly disgraced and die a gruesome death."

"Autumn...execution after autumn?"

"Of course!"

"I choose to live a few more months!"

Better to die than live!

His reputation is already ruined, so why bother with a little bit of empty fame? He might as well try to live a few more months and maybe he can get a pardon and have his sentence changed to exile.

Lu Tianshu slapped himself hard across the face.

I was so blind back then to become sworn brothers with such a cowardly bastard. All my wisdom was wasted. What sect? Can a blind man establish a sect?

Lu Tianshu is a pure Jianghu person, both brave and chivalrous, yet reckless and impulsive, both upright and decisive, yet easily deceived. He values ​​chivalry over life and death. In Lu Tianshu's view, if Hua Tiegan commits suicide to atone for his sins, his brother has a repentant heart and can be forgiven for his transgressions.

Unfortunately, these are all just fantasies.

How could someone who is afraid of death commit suicide?

……

"Name!"

"Miao Sha".

Which faction do you belong to?

"Blackwater Channel".

"I've never heard of you."

“I am one of the 'Six Palms'.”

"You surrendered far too quickly."

"I hope you can give me a quick death."

Miao Sha looked at Lan Fenghuang in horror.

Miao Sha was from Miao territory, so he was well aware of the Five Poisons Sect's infamous reputation and knew that Lan Fenghuang could gather thousands of poisonous insects in a short time, making him wish for death.

"You should be very clear about the relationship between the Green Robe Pavilion, the Azure Dragon Society, and the Blackwater Path, right?"

"Both the Green-Clad Pavilion Master and Zhu the Great Heavenly King were among the Twelve Green Dragons of the Green Dragon Society. After the Green-Clad Pavilion Master was killed, the Heavenly King was ordered to gather the remaining forces of the Green-Clad Pavilion and build a hidden water fortress in Jiangling to secretly assist the other leader."

"Another leader?"

"I don't know his identity, but I do know that he is around sixty years old, has superb martial arts skills, seems to be of royal lineage, and is obsessed with rebellion."

"How many of the industry leaders do you know?"

"I've only ever heard of three leaders." "Zhu Shunshui seems to trust you a lot."

"I am from the Miao region and I am skilled in poisons and Gu."

Where is the water village?

"I can take you to investigate."

Is Zhu Shunshui in Jiangling?

"This...how could you..."

“You are a pawn, a pawn used to lure the enemy. Zhu Shunshui wanted to lure me into a trap, so that you would deliberately let me capture you, risk your life to gain my trust, and make me willingly walk into the trap.”

"I had absolutely no such intention!"

“I don’t believe words, I only believe evidence. Mark the location of the water village on the map. Remember, you only have one chance to mark it, and you cannot use your internal energy to commit suicide.”

Li Zhaoting flicked his finger and pierced Miao Sha's dantian, causing all of Miao Sha's painstakingly cultivated true energy to dissipate. The Golden Silkworm Gu crawled all over his body, devouring all the toxins.

Whether it's using internal energy to sever his heart meridian, biting open the poison sac hidden in his dentures, or biting his tongue to commit suicide, he can't do any of it. The Ice Silkworm is clinging to Miao Sha's neck, and if he has the slightest doubt, it will bite him immediately.

Miao Sha was well aware of the power of the Golden Silkworm Gu poison.

The poisoned person's eyes are glazed over, and their body feels as if it is being torn apart by thousands of silkworms. They are unable to live or die, and their whole body is in pain and itching. The pain and itching penetrate deep into their bones, and they wish they could scratch their skulls and crush their internal organs.

"I've made up my mind: loyalty, or survival!"

"Li Zhaoting, you will die a horrible death!"

Miao Sha glared angrily at Li Zhaoting.

"Phoenix, I'm entrusting it to you!"

Li Zhaoting turned and left the cell.

Lan Fenghuang took out a bamboo tube containing a small, slender, green snake, as thin as a chopstick. This venomous snake was called the Jade Scale Snake, and it was the specialty of the Deer-Eating God.

Under Miao Sha's horrified gaze, the Azure Serpent crawled toward his nostrils, filling his nasal cavity with a foul stench.

"I confess! I confess! I admit it!"

Miao Sha felt weak all over and had no courage left.

In another cell, facing the threat of death, Hua Tiegan confessed everything. He admitted that he was captured by Qingyi Tower, surrendered out of fear of death, and became a spy for the Qinglong Society. He was the one who secretly colluded with local gangs in Jiangling and disrupted Gongsun Ce's bandit suppression plan. Lu Tianshu and the other two were not very bright and were led by the nose by Hua Tiegan.

Hua Tiegan confessed everything he knew about the Qinglong Society's spies in Jiangling City.

A dead Taoist friend is not a poor Taoist.

Whether you live or die is not important.

The important thing is that I live to see autumn.

Soldiers are very fast!
Feng Suzhen led her constables to arrest people overnight. After arresting them, they were interrogated separately. If the person did not confess, Hua Tiegan would confront them. Anyone who resisted was killed without mercy.

In just two or three days, the leaders and elders of more than a dozen sects in Jiangling were arrested. The martial arts community in Jiangling was in a state of panic, but dared not show it. They could only inquire through the constables and yamen runners, hoping not to be implicated.

……

Five warships sailed on the Yangtze River.

Li Zhaoting and Feng Suzhen stood at the bow of the boat.

Ahead lies the destination of this mission: Blackwater Passage, the last water stronghold in Jiangling and the largest bandit lair in Jiangling, led by Zhu Datianwang.

That's right.

Zhu Shunshui has been in Jiangling recently, intending to get rid of Li Zhaoting, but he can't figure out Li Zhaoting's tactics. He plans to wait a few more days until the Azure Dragon Society sends experts, and together with three or five leaders, they can eliminate Li Zhaoting in one fell swoop.

Unexpectedly, before the dragon heads had even gathered, Li Zhaoting had already arrived. Five warships approached the water fortress, with Li Zhaoting leading the way and the Jiangling sect providing support from the side.

Looking at the magnificent and imposing water fortress in front of him, Li Zhaoting formed a hand seal and raised his hand to unleash a divine light from the Tathagata.

The Buddha's divine light is boundless, and the Buddha's teachings are limitless!

A vast expanse of boundless, ocean-like qi, like a net covering the heavens and earth, burst forth, followed by a furious thunderclap, and a golden sword beam crashed down from mid-air.

"Boom!"

The gate of the water fortress was shattered by the Buddha's divine light.

Even if Zhu Shunshui were blind and deaf, he would know that foreign enemies were coming and would lead his subordinates out to meet them in battle.

Zhu Shunshui's attire made him look less like a river bandit and more like the old master of a wealthy family, holding a pipe in his hand and looking quite festive.

Standing beside him was a middle-aged man carrying a sprayer. This man was named Yong Xiyu. He had repeatedly failed the imperial examinations, which caused him to fall into a trance. He called himself a Grand Academician of the Hanlin Academy and was skilled at using poison to injure people. He was Zhu Shunshui's right-hand man.

Five old men were standing behind Zhu Shunshui.

They are the "Five Swords" of the Blackwater Gang.

Thunder Sword Master, Lightning Sword Master, Mandarin Duck Sword Master, Butterfly Sword Master, Broken Gate Sword Master!
With the Three Evils, Four Sticks, Five Swords, and One Divine Lord, plus Zhu Shunshui himself, most of the Blackwater Gang's power has been transferred to Jiangling. What exactly is this guy planning to do?
Don't tell me it's for my fellow members of the Azure Dragon Society!

Zhu Shunshui has no such spirit of dedication!
Could it be for the benefits promised by the other party?

rebel?

Just kidding!
With just these few dilapidated water fortresses?
This mind reminds me of someone I know.

In the world of martial arts, mentioning rebellion and adding the word "brainless" will instantly reveal the other person's identity.

Even if Zhu Shunshui was unwilling to be a puppet and wanted to take a gamble with his trusted subordinates, Zhu Xiawu, this cunning old fox, would not let him run wild.

How is this going?

Li Zhaoting sensed danger and smelled the scent of conspiracy. Fortunately, he hadn't wasted any time these past few days and had brought in a powerful ally.

At worst, we can bring in "foreign aid".

"You are Zhu the Great Heavenly King?"

"Exactly!"

"Why don't you run away when you see me?"

"Today is the day you die!"

"Since that's the case, then... kill them!"

Li Zhaoting waved his hand, and the martial arts practitioners who had been holding back for several days rushed forward. For the past three or four days, they had lived in fear, worried about being implicated by Hua Tiegan. Now that they finally had an opportunity, they naturally rushed forward bravely. The more intense the fight, the more likely they were to clear their names.

Li Zhaoting rushed towards Zhu Shunshui.

Feng Suzhen blocked Yong Xiyu.

Lu Tianshu, Liu Chengfeng, and Shui Dai formed the Heaven and Earth Three Talents Formation to face off against the Five Sword Elders of the Blackwater Path.

Because of Hua Tiegan's betrayal, the three of them have been holding back their anger lately, especially Lu Tianshu, whose personality is the most explosive. He feels that his lifelong reputation has been ruined and he must wash away his shame with the enemy's blood.

"boom!"

Li Zhaoting and Zhu Shunshui exchanged a move.

The two of them each took a few steps back.

"The Wudang Nine Revolutions Mystic Skill is amazing!"

The Nine Revolutions Mystic Technique is not a method of cultivating immortality, but a very powerful internal skill. This method can make all parts of the body flexible and free. Just by circulating one's true energy nine times in the Xuan Guan (mysterious gate), one can create something from nothing, turn the illusory into the real, and generate an extremely yin and soft power. It can protect the body and also injure the enemy. It can borrow strength to generate power, and its mysteries are endless.

This method can be seen as an upgraded version of the Weak Water Softness Nine Revolutions Technique. Among the many mental techniques of Wudang, it ranks among the top seven, and its power is comparable to the Pure Yang Limitless Technique.

Wudang people really like the number "seven".

The disciples of Wudang Zixiao Palace have "Seven Heroes"!
The unique skills of Wudang have been compiled into "Seven Wonders"!
Hua Manlou only chose to practice one of the Seven Great Skills of Wudang!

　I'm feeling a bit weak lately, so I need to rest for another half day. I'll resume my normal four-chapter update tomorrow.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)