Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 255 If Xiaoyaozi knew this in the afterlife, would he be so angry that he would come back to life?
The sun is shining brightly.

Miss Wang woke up leisurely and found herself lying in Li Zhaoting's arms. She was stunned at first, but then remembered that she had gotten married last night, so she swallowed her roar.

Bodyguards have very regular lifestyles. They are the most law-abiding people in the martial arts world. From the moment they become bodyguards, they adhere to these unwavering rules until they retire.

However, I was too exhausted last night, and even the jade pendant on my forehead felt like it was about to fall off.

Li Zhaoting had already woken up. He held the beauty in his arms, played with her hair, and used his longevity energy to soothe Miss Wang's muscles, allowing her to sleep comfortably until noon.

"Husband, what time is it?"

"3:45 AM (巳时三刻)"

"Ah~~~~"

A loud shout came from the room.

Miss Wang buried her head in the pillow, complaining to Li Zhaoting, "It's all your fault! You're still not up at this hour, my sister will laugh at you!"

Li Zhaoting chuckled: "Don't worry! If you got up before dawn, Doctor Xue would have prescribed me a formula to replenish my essence and energy, and I would have been laughed at for thirty years!"

"I'm too ashamed to face my sisters~~"

"At this time, Suzhen has already gotten up, Fenghuang has just gotten up, Meizhu will definitely sleep in, and Yuyan will also slack off. It's still not too late to get up now."

"Really?"

Miss Wang lifted her head from under the pillow.

"Of course, how could I deceive my wife!"

Li Zhaoting smoothed Miss Wang's hair.

Miss Wang said reproachfully, "Husband, you dress yourself today, I don't have time to serve you."

"It's alright, Meizhu is guarding outside."

"Didn't you say she sleeps in late?"

"According to Meizhu's biological clock, she can only sleep in until 1:45 AM at the latest. She has already finished washing up and is waiting outside the door. Meizhu, Yuyan, come in!"

Li Zhaoting called out towards the door.

Mei Zhu and Jiang Yuyan pushed open the door and entered.

Jiang Yuyan was somewhat embarrassed by this.

Mei Zhu was already used to it, and she quickly combed Miss Wang's hair, skillfully styling it into a woman's bun.

Miss Wang lowered her head and slowly left the room with small steps. She looked around and, finding no one laughing at her, breathed a sigh of relief: "Thank goodness! I don't have to see my in-laws! And I don't have to embroider a pillow."

This was a custom during that period. After the wedding night, the new bride would present her parents-in-law with a piece of embroidery or cook a meal to show that she was a virtuous and hardworking wife and mother. It was said that Miss Wang could wield a spear but not an embroidery needle.

I do know a bit about cooking.

Knife-cut noodles, oil-splashed noodles, fried noodles...

I can make all kinds of noodles.

They are best at making sour soup dumplings and roasted meat.

Miss Wang is from Shanxi. Making noodles is an innate skill for her, while grilling meat is a professional habit.

Barbecue was one of the bodyguards' specialties.

Many bodyguards open barbecue restaurants after they retire.

Especially experienced veteran bodyguards, who have tasted spices from different regions, almost every veteran bodyguard has a private recipe and can make delicious barbecue sauce.

The bodyguards in the Northwest region are most skilled at grilling meat.

When they escorted goods to the Western Regions, they could buy cumin along the way to reduce the fishy smell of the ingredients.

The Great King Escort Agency also has similar traditional recipes.

However, relatively speaking, Miss Wang prefers to make sour soup dumplings, which are the most refreshing and appetizing.

Drinking is not allowed on escort missions.

The only exception is the Great King Escort Agency.

Because their liquor is aged vinegar.

I had sour soup dumplings for lunch today.

Miss Wang cooked herself.

Li Shengnan and Cheng Huaixiu each had a large bowl.

You're not allowed to leave until you finish eating!

……

"My husband, Yu Linglong is so interesting!"

Miss Wang nestled in Li Zhaoting's arms, slowly refining the Jade Linglong under the stimulation of the Longevity Mantra.

Li Zhaoting removed the beauty's shoes and socks, and held her jade feet in his palm to play with them. Miss Wang was tall and slender, and her feet were relatively larger, giving her a unique and graceful charm.

Miss Wang knew Li Zhaoting's habits, so she wasn't embarrassed at all; on the contrary, she felt relieved.

Miss Wang mistakenly believed that Li Zhaoting preferred delicate feet. Her feet were a bit larger than average, and she worried that Li Zhaoting would dislike her. In this era, liking delicate feet was a very popular fashion and not considered a special hobby.

Li Zhaoting prefers "natural feet".

I like jade feet that haven't been artificially enhanced.

They deeply abhorred things like bound feet.

Whether as a martial artist or a 21st-century soul, self-harm is deeply abhorred.

"Don't let your mind wander, focus on comprehending the Jade Linglong!"

Li Zhaoting channeled the Longevity True Qi into Miss Wang's Yongquan acupoint on the sole of her foot, circulating it through the eight extraordinary meridians, thereby stimulating the Northern Darkness Divine Skill and indirectly stimulating Yu Linglong.

The Jade Linglong is a treasured heirloom of the Xiaoyao Sect.

This item is similar to the Evil Emperor's Relic of the Demonic Sect.

The difference is that the Evil Emperor's Relic stores essence, while the Jade Linglong can attach spiritual imprints. As long as one's cultivation reaches the ultimate Yin or ultimate Yang, one can leave an imprint on the Jade Linglong and engrave one's own inheritance within it.

According to the rules set by Xiaoyaozi, each generation of Xiaoyao Sect disciples learns martial arts through Yu Linglong, directly inheriting all the sect's unique martial arts skills, including the culmination of Xiaoyao Yufeng. From the very beginning, their martial arts skills far surpass those of their fellow disciples, preventing them from being ambushed or plotted against by their fellow disciples.

Unfortunately, his disciples were obsessed with multiple love triangles.

Wu Xingyun traveled to the Tianshan Mountains and founded the Lingjiu Palace.

Li Qiushui became the Empress Dowager of Western Xia.

Wu Yazi was crippled for forty years.

Li Canghai disappeared completely from the martial arts world. He may have been killed by Li Qiushui, gone overseas, lived in seclusion in a nunnery, or even married quietly.

Li Zhaoting reviewed the relevant files at the Six Doors (a government agency).

First of all, Li Canghai and his family had absolutely no kinship whatsoever; even going back a thousand years, they wouldn't be related. There was no chance of them claiming kinship.

Secondly, according to Guo Bujing's investigation, Li Canghai did not die during the internal strife of the Xiaoyao Sect. Instead, she quietly married into the Huang family and had a son.

Finally, fifteen years ago, the Huang family was wiped out overnight. Li Canghai was seriously injured in a sneak attack by the enemy while protecting his granddaughter. If Li Canghai had not been killed, he would have inevitably caused a great upheaval and carried out a terrible revenge.

Another rumor is that Xiaoyaozi hoped Li Canghai would inherit Yu Linglong, but unfortunately, Li Canghai was heartbroken by the internal strife within the Xiaoyao Sect and lost all hope. He could no longer find the mindset of riding the wind and voluntarily gave up Yu Linglong.

The Jade Linglong contains the entire legacy of Xiaoyaozi.

Internal skills: Northern Darkness Divine Skill, Lesser Formless Skill, Eternal Youth and Longevity Skill, Pure Yang Supreme Skill, Eight Desolations and Six Harmonies I Alone Supreme Skill, Heavenly Mirror Divine Skill;
Martial arts techniques: Tianshan Plum Blossom Hand, White Rainbow Palm Force, Tianshan Six Yang Palm, Netherworld Ghost Claw;
Lightness skill: Lingbo Weibu;
The ultimate master: Free and unfettered wind riding;

It mainly inherits "Free and Easy Wind Control", which is a synthesis of all martial arts of the Free and Easy School. It requires understanding the mindset of "Wind Control" to unleash the power of the mental technique.

Miss Wang pouted: "Husband, what is this carefree state of mind? How do you sense it?"

"Imagine yourself escorting goods on the vast grasslands. Looking out into the distance, the sky is vast, the wilderness is boundless, and the world is so big and diverse that it is endless."

"I can't imagine it."

Imagine the night of Qixi Festival, with countless stars shining brightly, a Milky Way stretching across the night sky, the universe vast and profound, the night sky as cool as water, and you lying down watching the Cowherd and Weaver Girl stars.

"Uh... I still can't imagine it."

"Do you remember how you felt last night? Completely immersed in it, carefree and unrestrained, enjoying the ultimate freedom, ease, and exhilaration!"

"I...I forgot..."

"Let me help you remember... Hmm!"

Li Zhaoting waved his hand and made a gesture that sounded like "removing his robe and armor"!
"My husband, it's daytime now!"

"You can only see it clearly during the day!"

"My sister will laugh at me."

"Do you remember what Suzhen told you? If you don't want to be laughed at, drag them down with you."

When they fought against Chu Xiangyu, Li Zhaoting and Feng Suzhen discussed the secrets of the martial arts world in front of Miss Wang. Feng Suzhen deliberately teased Miss Wang, saying that she would either be killed to silence her or be dragged onto a pirate ship/bed.

It's impossible to silence them.

Only sealing it.

Only when someone drags you into a thief's bed! If Xiaoyaozi were alive today and knew that his younger disciples used this method to refine the Jade Linglong, he wouldn't know whether to laugh or cry; most likely, he would give a silent, bitter smile.

At least... the word got around!
The sect, which he had painstakingly created, was almost wiped out by three traitors, and its lineage nearly died out.

It doesn't matter how it was passed down.

It's a good thing that it can be passed down.

As the founder of the Xiaoyao Sect, Xiaoyaozi certainly hoped that the sect would be passed down from generation to generation, rather than being written into the history of the martial arts world and left for future generations to loot the ruins.

Since we've finally managed to get out of the house, there's no need to rush back.

The mischievous kids are going to have summer vacation.

Adults also have summer vacation.

Leigu Mountain is located in Henan Province, not far from Beijing. It's a good time to visit Beijing. I've been away from Beijing for so long, I wonder how the martial arts world in Beijing is doing.

……

Beijing.

Ten Thousand Casinos

A young man in his early twenties, looking rather unruly, glanced around, clutched a few chips, and hunched over as he entered the casino, wandering around the stalls on the first floor.

Behind the Wanjia Casino is Wansanqian, the most luxurious casino in Beijing, which has six floors.

The first floor features the most common gambling tools such as dice, fan tan, and dominoes. It's mostly ordinary people betting, and the betting speed is extremely fast, with several rounds starting in a minute.

The second floor is relatively luxurious, where more elegant gambling games are held, and beautiful women are usually present.

The third floor is used to entertain wealthy gentlemen and big bosses.

The fourth floor is reserved for martial arts masters and lone swordsmen.

The fifth floor was used to entertain scholars from wealthy and influential families, as well as officials and their sons.

The sixth floor was reserved for the head of a major sect and a Grandmaster of the Heavenly Gang.

Starting from the third floor, the casino only provides gambling equipment; the specific betting method is up to the gambler to decide.

Anything can start a betting game.

Dipping two drops of water on your fingers and betting on which drop will fall first is also a form of gambling.

There were also wealthy merchants who operated shipping businesses, bringing novelties from the West, such as "playing cards".

The young man, who looked like a hoodlum, was clearly not rich; he could only do business on the first floor.

What deal?
You con artist!

Soon, the young man settled down at the fantan.

The so-called "fan tan" game is a game in which the dealer covers a portion of the chips with a large bowl, then divides the chips by a multiple of four, and bets on how many chips are left, which can be used to bet on 0, 1, 2, or 3.

It tests your eyesight, calculation ability, and hand speed.

The young man had excellent eyesight and immediately realized that the chips the dealer was holding should be bet on "three". However, based on the betting patterns of the surrounding gamblers, the highest odds were for "one". Since fortune favors the bold, he would definitely choose the one with the highest odds.

The dealer, thin and with a face like a trowel, and a patch of hair slanting down his head, gently combed the chips with a wooden stick, sweeping them down in groups of four. The young man seized the opportunity and flicked two chips out of his sleeve.

The held chips are thirty-nine, plus these two, making forty-one, leaving just one chip remaining.

Just as the two chips were placed, the dealer suddenly pulled out his wooden stick and struck the young man's sleeve. With a clatter, five chips fell to the ground.

The dealer sneered, "Where did this little punk come from, daring to cheat in front of me? How do you want to die?"

According to the rules of the underworld, cheating will result in execution.

The young man was terrified.

The dealer gestured, and four burly men strode over, grabbed the young man, and swung a dagger down at his right hand.

"what!"

The young man collapsed to the ground.

I woke up in the middle of the night.

He didn't die, nor was his hand cut off. Instead, he was placed in a jar and sold to the brothel by the casino.

This is a business run by casinos and palace eunuchs.

Every so often, gamblers who had lost all their money would be sold to the palace to become eunuchs. These people would do the hardest and most tiring work until they were exhausted and injured.

Upon hearing that he was to become a eunuch, the young man struggled desperately, climbed out of the jar, overturned the eunuch guarding him, and ran around like a headless fly until he bumped into a hidden door, where a suction force immediately followed.

"Oh my god~~"

The young man was like a ball, being dragged down with a clatter. When he finally stopped, he had landed at the very bottom of the prison, in Gu Santong's cell.

Gu Santong looked at the young man with curiosity.

Li Zhaoting came to visit him in prison last night and said he had found his son and would bring him tonight.

Gu Santong thought to himself, "This is my son? He doesn't look like me at all! I'm so handsome! Su Xin is so beautiful! How come our son looks so silly!"
"Boy, what's your name?"

“I…I am called Cheng Shifei.”

Where are your parents?

"My parents are both dead, senior. I feel a special connection with you. Please be my godfather!"

"What godfather? I'm your real father!"

"Father! I've finally found you..."

Cheng Shifei had been living a life of petty theft since childhood, often calling for his father or grandfather to beg for mercy when he was caught. He was used to such things.

"How old are you?"

"do not know."

"How could you not know?"

“My mother went to find my father right after I was born! I was raised by the neighbors, how would I know how old I am? I don’t know! I don’t know!”

What's the name of the person who adopted you?

"It's Aunt Cheng..."

"Sigh~~"

Gu Santong gasped.

There was indeed a neighbor surnamed Cheng back then.

Could this guy really be my son?
……

"Thank you for your hard work, gentlemen. Here's a small token for you to have some tea. Don't make a fuss about what happened tonight."

Li Zhaoting took out several red envelopes.

The eunuchs hurriedly thanked him, saying, "It is our honor to serve Master Li. We all know the rules. We'll keep this to ourselves and forget about it."

"It's best to forget about it!"

Li Zhaoting turned and left.

The eunuchs breathed a sigh of relief and helped each other to their feet. Serving a big shot was extremely dangerous, especially a fierce and ruthless man like Li Zhaoting. The best way to keep someone's secrets was to kill them to silence them.

Given Li Zhaoting's martial arts skills and status, killing a few eunuchs was as easy as crushing a few ants.

Now, not only have they not been murdered to silence them, but they've also received a big red envelope; it's truly a blessing from Buddha.

……

Ten Thousand Casinos

The steward handed the accounts to Wan Sanqian.

"My lord, please take a look."

"Li Zhaoting asked you to scheme against an ordinary nobody, catch him cheating, and sell him to the palace to become a eunuch? What secret does he have?"

"Reporting to your Excellency, I am unaware."

"You don't know this, you don't know that, what use are you to me? Li Zhaoting didn't hide his identity or make a fuss about it, which means he's not afraid of my investigation, and it also means he's not the illegitimate son of royalty..."

Wan Sanqian continuously analyzed the clues in his mind.

“Based on this little scoundrel’s age, and using his age as a benchmark, find all the missing children or romantic escapades of the princes and nobles in the capital.”

"My lord, you..."

"You have a problem with my orders?"

"I think that Master Li is so straightforward because he is not afraid of being investigated. If you want to know the answer, you can ask Master Li directly. He should not hide anything from you."

"You know him well?"

"This is the dossier that I just finished writing."

　Seventeen thousand words, the extra ones are compensation for the hiatus...

　　
　
(End of this chapter)