Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 317 The First Cry of the Jade Swallow
"After a long night, I feel refreshed!"

Li Zhaoting rubbed his lower back as he went to eat breakfast.

Lan Fenghuang has practiced poison and Gu techniques since childhood, and her skin is relatively sensitive, easily broken upon contact. Miss Wang has superhuman strength and has wielded the Overlord Spear since childhood. She is the most skilled in battle, especially adept at head-on confrontation.

Wang Shenglan is capable of doing the work of three!
Even the most indestructible kidneys can't hold up!
Another major news story has broken out in the martial arts world of Sichuan.

First came the Fuwei Escort Agency and the Qingcheng Sect, followed by internal strife within the Tang Clan. Two young masters of the Tang Clan fought each other in a brothel, resulting in mutual destruction. Even the brothel was blown up by hidden weapons, becoming the talk of the town.

Brothels are not just about beautiful women!
Tang Que's hobbies are well-known.

How did Tang Yu assassinate Tang Que?

Just thinking about it sends chills down your spine.

If the two men had offended Li Zhaoting and were killed by him with his sword, it wouldn't be considered big news.

The Tang Clan can get away with it by not mentioning anything about the dark or the light.

Dying in a brothel and blowing it up will still be a topic of conversation for people thirty or forty years from now.

Given the speed at which rumors spread in the streets, coupled with the ability of thugs to fabricate stories, Tang Jing will certainly be severely reprimanded and stripped of many of his powers.

Li Zhaoting had no time to think about these things.

I'll spend a few days in Sichuan, then go to Dali. After returning from Dali, I'll calculate that it will be July 15th, then go to Chang'an to destroy the Mingyue Sect and finish up the last bit of debris left from my mission to the Western Regions. I'll be a man who sees things through to the end.

There are so many fun places to visit in Sichuan.

Li Zhaoting and Cheng Huaixiu strolled arm in arm.

Today it's the Wuhou Temple, tomorrow it's Du Fu Thatched Cottage, the day after tomorrow it's sightseeing, and delicious food and snacks are everywhere.

When the salt merchants were building salt wells, they accidentally discovered a source of flowing water. They used it as cooling water and, with the help of skilled craftsmen, built a hot spring bath.

In the sweltering summer, taking a bath is the most comfortable thing.

Li Zhaoting really enjoys taking baths.

Unfortunately, he had no beautiful woman by his side.

A theatrical troupe recently arrived in Sichuan, and they are said to be rehearsing a Sichuan opera version of "The Legend of the White Snake." Cheng Huaixiu invited Lan Fenghuang and Miss Wang to watch the performance. The actor in charge of this opera is a famous performer, I think his name is Boss Zhao!

The famous Peking Opera performers respectfully address him as "Boss"!
Theoretically speaking, the entire opera troupe is supported by the famous actors. People listen to operas because of the famous actors. As for whether there are other meanings or other business opportunities, this matter cannot be discussed in detail. Li Zhaoting knew nothing about it.

Li Nanxing never taught in Dali.

Lu Xiaofeng knew nothing about opera; he could only listen to the excitement and cheer, so he couldn't take the blame.

Li Xunhuan was busy writing memorials to the emperor and had been working overtime for more than a month, losing seven or eight pounds from exhaustion.

Tang Zhuquan, a vulgar man!

Xiao Feng's family could indeed perform Sichuan opera; for one thing, A'Zhu's face-changing skills were unparalleled.

The eldest brother is so lucky!
Marrying A'Zhu is like marrying all the beauties in the world: today it's Yifei, tomorrow it's Dilraba, the day after tomorrow it's Gao Yuanyuan, and the day after that it'll reveal its true colors and directly play Teacher Bai...

Most importantly, there is only one A Zhu.

Don't worry about excessive sexual activity damaging your kidneys.

Li Zhaoting poured a ladle of hot water over himself, fully immersing himself in the unique hot springs of Sichuan's salt wells. He felt every cell in his body relax, and his whole body felt light and airy.

A pair of hands were placed on Li Zhaoting's back.

Jiang Yuyan expertly rubbed Li Zhaoting's back.

The difference was that, usually when Jiang Yuyan was scrubbing Li Zhaoting's back, she would stand behind him. But this time, she took the initiative to enter the bath and gently approached Li Zhaoting, her eyes sparkling with allure.

"Master, this servant will help you with your bath."

Li Zhaoting lay sprawled on the edge of the bathtub, letting Jiang Yuyan wipe his hands and feet with a towel. Jiang Yuyan's movements were very gentle, clearly indicating that she had prepared in advance.

Needless to say, it was Mei Zhu who taught him.

Meizhu is very considerate in this regard.

"Master, I apologize to you."

"What's wrong?"

"I found the Yi Jin Jing at Shaolin Temple, and also discovered the Shen Zu Jing written with developing ink in the text. I secretly practiced the Shen Zu Jing based on the Blood Saber Jing."

"anything else?"

"Master, you won't blame me?"

"Finding the Yi Jin Jing is your luck, discovering the Shen Zu Jing is your destiny, and thinking of using the Xue Dao Jing as a foundation for cultivating the Shen Zu Jing is your wisdom. Why should I be angry about these things? Do I seem like someone who gets angry easily?"

"This servant...is an undercover agent!"

"Oh!"

"Is the master not angry?"

"What secret information did you sell me? Tang Zhuquan and Lu Xiaofeng went to Tianji Pavilion to swindle and cheat people out of drinks, and they revealed more than you did."

"Uh...hiss..."

Jiang Yuyan gasped.

How did I manage to become an undercover agent?

They recognized me as soon as I arrived.

He secretly learned martial arts, but his tricks were immediately exposed.

She served as a maid from beginning to end, bringing tea and water, making the bed and folding blankets, even more diligently than Meizhu.

After lying low for over a year, the actual output was zero.

Ke Baisui almost never assigned any tasks.

"Infiltration" is itself a mission.

It lies dormant, not in use.

It can be effective at critical moments.

Jiang Yuyan picked up the dressing mirror with a bewildered expression. Looking at the reliable, capable, scheming, and ultimately useless undercover agent reflected in the mirror, she felt dizzy.

It's more than just a case of achieving nothing.
Even throwing a meat bun at a dog wouldn't be done like that!

While others might manage to hit a dog's head with a meat bun, at least causing it some pain, Jiang Yuyan simply threw it into Li Zhaoting's mouth, where Li Zhaoting devoured it completely.

"Master, this servant's Divine Foot Technique..."

"Keep practicing! Don't put pressure on yourself!"

"The undercover mission came from Ke Baisui."

Who is behind Ke Baisui?

"do not know!"

"You don't know this, you don't know that. You really should learn a thing or two about being an undercover agent!"

Li Zhaoting secretly complained, thinking to himself that the "White Jade Tiger" that Tang Que and Tang Yu encountered was the real undercover agent. He was ruthless from beginning to end, sacrificing his reputation and status for decades, all to complete the mission.

Li Zhaoting looked down.

Ah!
There are still some similarities!
Feeling Li Zhaoting's gaze, Jiang Yuyan's cheeks flushed. This was because Meizhu had reminded her that the master preferred steamed buns and didn't like meat floss.

"Master, I am telling you frankly, I will be loyal and steadfast in following you from now on."

"Could you go somewhere else?"

"This servant will go to the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion tomorrow and sell the little notebooks I've been keeping these past few days for 100,000 or 200,000!"

"Tang Zhuquan and Lu Xiaofeng have sold these things you recorded dozens of times. Tianji Pavilion was almost bankrupted by these two drunkards. They won't buy this stuff."

"Sir, your friend is truly loyal!"

“I’ll betray them when I’m bored. You go to the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion in a few days and betray their information. I’ll make up something as convincing as possible.”

"Will the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion believe it?"

"Nine parts truth and one part falsehood. Let them analyze it themselves. The truth is unremarkable, but the lie is the real blow!"

Li Zhaoting held Jiang Yuyan in his arms.

Jiang Yuyan was prepared and, based on Mei Zhu's private instruction, took the initiative to rely on Li Zhaoting.

What did Meizhu teach you?

"Teach this servant...to serve the master!"

The Han palace has Flying Swallow, I have Jade Swallow! "This servant...is derelict in her duty..."

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

Li Zhaoting laughed wildly, his face full of smugness!

……

"Master, this is a sword manual created by the peerless master of Wu Zhou, the nun You Tan. It is the Buddhist Wu Xiang Sword Technique. I have practiced it for some time, but I always feel that I am not getting the hang of it and it is difficult to understand the true meaning of compassion."

"It would be a miracle if you could understand it. You practice martial arts based on the Blood Saber Manual, so you should focus on saber techniques."

"Sword skills?"

"A curved sword, sharp and unpredictable, as fast as lightning. I'll have someone forge you a soft sword, a two-foot-long short sword to hang at your waist, and a dagger."

So many knives?

"Short swords are for dealing with ordinary opponents, soft swords are for dealing with experts, and daggers are for fighting to the death. Don't underestimate the Blood Blade Technique. With your current foundation in swordsmanship, you can at most reach the threshold of the Blood Blade Sect's inner disciple. You still have a long way to go before becoming a direct disciple of the Blood Blade Sect."

"Is the Blood Blade Sect that strong?"

"It's not that the Blood Saber Sect is powerful, but that your foundation in swordsmanship is too weak. In terms of internal strength, you are only slightly inferior to the Blood Saber Ancestor. However, if the two of you were to fight to the death, you would surely die a gruesome death."

"Is my background that much weaker?"

"Let me put it this way! Find someone to lie on a big rock, and put a hair on the tip of their nose."

Blood Saber Ancestor galloped on his horse, slashing with his saber. The blade grazed his nose, a flash of cold light. He placed his hair on the blade, and his nose was not harmed in the slightest.

The Blood Saber Sect's internal cultivation methods and martial arts are all unconventional, but its saber techniques have a solid foundation. New disciples need to learn to split paper and cut through rotten wood before they can become inner disciples. The stronger they are, the higher their status.

What kind of skill is it to split paper and cut rotten wood?
Place one hundred sheets of white paper on the table, and with a sweeping motion of a knife, you can just lift one sheet without leaving the rest of the paper underneath. You must make one hundred consecutive cuts!

Find a piece of tender tofu, arrange it neatly, and then slice it into equal-sized pieces in one smooth motion, ensuring that the surface of the tofu is not cracked.

Do you remember the Wensi Tofu we had yesterday?

Using a curved knife meant for combat to cut tofu into Wensi tofu, one can become a direct disciple.

The Divine Foot Sutra can be practiced very quickly.

Your skill is quite profound.

His swordsmanship fundamentals are far too weak.

Li Zhaoting condensed water into ice, making ice blades. He plucked a hair, placed it on Jiang Yuyan's nose, and swung the blade horizontally, the hair appearing on the blade. But this was only a beginner's skill, ten or a hundred times less difficult than galloping on horseback; at most, it could be considered a basic sword technique.

"Is this how the master practices martial arts?"

"I practice a little faster."

"How fast?"

"From the first time I picked up the sword to the point of mastery, it took about seven days, a progress that far exceeded that of internal energy cultivation."

Li Zhaoting picked up the "Formless Sword Manual," which was indeed an authentic Buddhist manual with exquisite moves, mixed with some demonic techniques. It was not suitable for Jiang Yuyan, but very suitable for Jianxiong and Princess Pipa. Li Zhaoting hired a caravan to send the manual to the Western Regions and pass it on to the two women. Based on Jiang Yuyan's height and arm length, he asked Jianxiong to send three swords.

Industry specializing in surgery.

Swordsman is more skilled with weapons.

……

Tang Clan Headquarters.

After hundreds of years of development, the Tang Clan headquarters is no longer a grand mansion of aristocratic families, but a majestic city built against the mountain, with shops for everything from clothing, food, housing, and transportation to leisure and entertainment, including weddings and funerals.

Disciples with martial arts talent practice martial arts.

Disciples with poor martial arts talent go into business.

At the very least, one could become a manager or shopkeeper.

Therefore, the rumor circulating in the martial arts world that "the Tang Clan's headquarters is entirely composed of Tang family members" is completely false. At least 70% of the people in the Tang Clan's headquarters are outsiders, including: farmers, waiters, maids, servants, grooms, etc.

Sending an undercover agent to the Tang Clan headquarters is not difficult.

The difficulty lies in becoming a senior manager.

The Tang Clan maintains its management structure based on blood ties.

All the high-ranking officials share the surname Tang.

There was one exception.

Shangguan blade.

This is the result of favorable timing, location, and human factors.

This is the only case like this in decades.

This is why Shangguan Ren was repeatedly ostracized by Tang Clan disciples who wanted to drive him to his death, or to provoke his guilt by accusing him of being opportunistic and treacherous, causing him to die of depression. They would not give him much power, would not send him on missions to his death, and would not even treat him with the best food and drink. The only way to kill him was through psychological warfare.

It still comes down to those four words... "A thousand pieces of gold can buy a man's bones!"
Today, Shangguan Ren received a mission.

He wants to bring back two coffins.

Tang Jing's son was lying in the bed.

Tang Jing's son was lying in the other mouth.

Tang Que and Tang Yu died in a fight in a brothel, as evidenced by the brothel madam and pimp. The scene was blown to pieces by Tang Clan's hidden weapons. It was indeed brothers killing each other, with no outsiders involved and no outsiders to avenge them.

A parent outliving their child is a tragic loss of life.

However, he had no enemies.

It was Tang Yu who killed Tang Que.

The one who killed Tang Yu was Tang Que's... male concubine.

The male concubine was killed on the spot by a hidden weapon.

Whose fault is it to harbor hatred?
Should we blame it on Li Zhaoting?

Why isn't Miss Wang obediently waiting to be killed?

If it were an ordinary martial arts practitioner, Tang Jing would definitely not hesitate to wipe out the entire family to vent his anger. However, the Tang Clan could afford to offend Li Zhaoting, but Tang Jing's lineage could not. If Tang Jing dared to cause trouble, Old Madam Tang would definitely cripple him.

Such is often how things are in this world.

The enmity between parents is irreconcilable!
The hatred of killing a son is irreconcilable!

But the enemy cannot be found!

Lin Pingzhi couldn't find his enemies, but all the enemies who participated in killing Lin Zhennan were dead. Tang Jing couldn't find his enemies either, but his two sons fought each other to death, and Tang Aobai got away with it.

What is the most crucial thing?
We must stop Tang Ao.

We cannot allow Tang Ao to continue challenging others in the martial arts world.

One day, if they challenge top swordsmen like Ximen Chuixue and Ye Gucheng, they will either die on the spot or be so devastated that their bloodline will be cut off.

This is something Tang Jing cannot accept.

At least, have a child before you die!

Tang Jing disregarded even his own son's corpse, asking Shangguan Ren to help collect it, and desperately searched for Tang Ao, who was training in the martial world, to bring him home. Tang Ao refused without hesitation because he practiced the Arrogant Sword.

Tang Ao's pride lies in his undefeated record, which represents the immense power he has built for himself. However, if fear arises in his heart and he retreats from powerful enemies, his sword intent will be worn down, and his swordsmanship will inevitably decline drastically.

Tang Ao cannot back down.

Either step over the corpses of contemporary swordsmen, climb step by step to the pinnacle, and become the number one master in the world.

They will either be killed.

There was no retreat, no compromise.

This is Tang Ao's way of the sword.

Born to be proud, and strong because of pride.

Pride becomes a sword, and pride leads to death.

"I will challenge Li Zhaoting!"

"Do you have a grudge against him?"

"I am a swordsman!"

(End of this chapter)