Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 318 The Swordplay of Zhuge Liang, a dreamlike scene in a thatched cottage, a display of timeless elegance.
Do you have a grudge against Li Zhaoting?

"No grudges, no grudges!"

Do you have a conflict of interest with Li Zhaoting?

"I don't do business."

"You don't like Li Zhaoting?"

"I never judge a book by its cover!"

"There's no enmity, no mutual benefit, and even the reason of disliking him is untenable. Why are you challenging Li Zhaoting? Can you even beat him?"

Tang Jing earnestly tried to persuade Tang Ao.

He hadn't used this tone to advise a younger person for many years; the last time was eighteen years ago.

Tang Ao looked at Tang Jing expressionlessly: "Whether I can win or not is one thing, whether I dare to fight or not is another, and whether I fight to the death is yet another. Father, I am a swordsman. If Li Zhaoting walks past our door, I won't even have the courage to draw my sword against him. My life will be completely ruined!"

"You absolutely must make a move?"

“Unless Li Zhaoting leaves immediately and never returns to Sichuan, given my progress in swordsmanship, even if he doesn’t come looking for me, I will take the initiative to find him.”

"Learning swordsmanship is not about seeking death!"

"I practice the Arrogant Sword. I can die in battle, but I cannot avoid fighting, otherwise I will suffer a fate worse than death!"

Tang Ao gently stroked the sword at his waist: "You have too little faith in me. I have won every battle over the years, defeating hundreds of famous swordsmen, but I am not known as a top swordsman. Do you know why?"

"Because you are a disciple of the Tang Clan!"

"Yes! I am a disciple of the Tang Clan, so no matter what achievements I make, people in the martial arts world will think that I obtained them by using poison and hidden weapons. Why?"
I have never used poisoned weapons!
I always act with integrity and fairness!
They openly and honestly send out invitations, challenge masters, and defeat them with fair and square swordsmanship. Every move and every stance is upright and honorable. However, when people in the martial arts world mention the Tang Clan, they always wear expressions of disgust.

I know what they hate!
I hate poison!

I hate hidden weapons!

I despise sneak attacks and ambushes!

I am not satisfied!
Why are Tang Clan disciples only allowed to use hidden weapons?

Why can't the Tang Clan produce a peerless swordsman?
To put it simply, take Tang Songting as an example. Tang Songting is also a disciple of the Tang Clan, so why is he famous throughout the martial arts world?
Is it because he is upright and righteous?
Li Zhaoting is a righteous swordsman who slays demons and monsters everywhere. He acts openly and honestly and has no flaws except for his lust. How do people in the martial arts world view Li Zhaoting?
The Year of the Rat (甲子) is a year of misfortune!
Tang Songting's great reputation is not because he slays demons and monsters, nor because of his character, but because he broke away from the main Tang Clan and established his own sect in Hangzhou.

If Tang Songting were a disciple of the Tang Clan, even if he had slain demons and monsters for a hundred years and never done a single wrong thing in his life, he would still be ostracized by people in the martial arts world.

I refuse to accept this! I'd rather die than accept it!
I don't want to be a good person, I don't want to be a hero, I don't want to be a sword god or a sword demon. I just want to prove one thing: Tang Clan disciples can practice swordsmanship and have superb swordsmanship!

I want to shed the label of poison and hidden weapons!
I hate poison and hidden weapons!
I will become the greatest swordsman in the world!

Tang Ao grabbed Tang Jing's arms and shook him back and forth. Due to the excessive force, the veins on his forehead bulged and the blood vessels on his arms bulged out, resembling blood-red demonic patterns.

Tang Jing gently advised, "Ao'er, your name is truly well-chosen. I am proud of you. However, your younger brother is dead, and I only have one son left!"

Tang Ao's face was full of pride: "Father! You shouldn't be crying and stopping me, you shouldn't be disturbing my mind. You should have faith in me, I can definitely win!"

What if you lose?

"I'd rather break than bend, and die a hundred times without regret!"

"Why should a mere squabble over pride escalate to this!"

"This is not a fight of pride. I am fighting for the path of martial arts. Father, please stop trying to persuade me. If I go back with you, I will become a useless piece of trash. Those I trampled underfoot will turn around and laugh at me. I would rather die than avoid the fight!"

Tang Ao issued a challenge to Li Zhaoting.

The decisive battle will take place atop Mount Qingcheng.

This is the place where Li Shengnan and Cheng Huaixiu fought their immortal-demon duel. The sword marks left by Li Zhaoting have long been taken back by the Qingcheng Sect to teach their disciples.

Li Zhaoting could only recarve a few pieces.

Swords and blades have no eyes; lest we accidentally harm innocent bystanders.

Cheng Huaixiu brought over a stack of documents.

"Brother Li, this is Tang Ao's information."

"Time is of the essence, and there's no time to look at the materials. How about we make a bet? If I win, Huaixiu will act out a scene from The Legend of the White Snake with me as encouragement."

"I have people prepare the Leifeng Pagoda."

Cheng Huaixiu's coquettish anger was exceptionally alluring.

"To see the beauty smile, I would be willing to be imprisoned under Leifeng Pagoda."

"Wait a minute! I remember it was the White Snake that was imprisoned under Leifeng Pagoda. Do you mean you want to disguise yourself as a man?"

"According to the plot, Xu Xian was suppressed first. When Bai Suzhen asked Fahai for her husband, the waters flooded Jinshan Temple, and she was then suppressed in Leifeng Pagoda. I was suppressed by the bald monk first!"

"Bald monks are no good!"

“Huaixiu, I remember that Cihang Jingzhai and Jingnian Chan Monastery have a very good relationship. Is it inappropriate to say this? You don’t want me to tell the senior monks of Jingnian Chan Monastery, do you?”

Li Zhaoting revealed a sinister smile.

His lecherous eyes flashed with a sly glint.

Cheng Huaixiu rolled her eyes: "I went to Jingnian Temple three years ago. They said I had a karmic connection with the Dharma and hoped I would become a nun. How could I, the dignified leader of the Salt Gang, possibly become a nun? I can't stand vegetables and tofu!"

"They were just offering advice."

"Does Young Master Li have a fondness for nuns?"

"This...is very tempting..."

Li Zhaoting couldn't help but shudder at the thought of Cheng Huaixiu's bald head. He decided to talk about the tonsure later and focus on the hush money first. The old monks at Jingnian Temple were all Cheng Huaixiu's senior monks. Miss Huaixiu, you don't want them to know that you called your senior monks bald, do you?
Cheng Huaixiu scoffed, "Hmph! It seems Jianxiong's assessment of you was correct. You look incredibly bold, but you're actually a coward. I'm not afraid, so what are you afraid of? Why don't you just come at me directly? Why do you have to pretend!"

As the most un-fairy-like fairy in the history of Cihang Jingzhai, as the leader of tens of thousands of members of the Salt Gang, and as a fiery female knight-errant, Cheng Huaixiu pulled Li Zhaoting over and paid him hush money.

Seal it with your mouth!

Its sweet taste is unforgettable.

Jiang Yuyan watched awkwardly from a distance.

In recent days, Jiang Yuyan has been neglecting her duties, wondering if she will be betrayed by her wife when she returns home.
Lan Fenghuang and Miss Wang started a betting game.

Let's bet on whether the next one to walk in will be Cheng Huaixiu, Li Shengnan, or some demonic sect princess!

Lan Fenghuang sat on the throne with a charming expression.

Miss Wang looked at him with disdain: "Tch! What's the use of you winning? Even if you win hundreds of times, your husband will be yours every night. You good-for-nothing, you still have to rely on me and Yu Yan for help, don't you? Be smart and give me the chance, or I won't help you next time!"

Blue Phoenix: (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻

Under Miss Wang's disdainful gaze, Lan Fenghuang overturned the gambling table, thus ending her gambling habit.

congratulations!

……

Qingcheng Mountain.

Encouraged by Cheng Huaixiu, Li Zhaoting felt that the whole mountain was responding to him, and he would dare to go up and fight even if a few gods suddenly fell from the sky.

What's so great about gods?

Have you ever heard of the Old Mother of Lishan?
Have you ever heard of the Four Sages Testing the Mind of Zen?
Lishan Laomu is my mother-in-law!
Lao Tzu was on the same level as Guanyin, Samantabhadra, and Manjushri!
Li Zhaoting was already waiting at the mountaintop. Those qualified to observe through the sword marks waited quietly in the pavilion. Tang Ao slowly walked up the mountain, from the foot to the top. Tang Ao had walked this path dozens of times. After careful calculation, he knew that if he reached the top after 3,653 steps, his own energy would reach its limit.

Tang Ao did not know the reason.

He tried many times, read many books, and consulted many seniors, but no one could guess the reason.

Because he didn't ask Li Zhaoting.

If Tang Ao consulted Li Zhaoting, he would know that 3,653 steps is equivalent to "ten years," or more precisely, the limit of ten years.

A leap year occurs every four years.

There are a maximum of three leap years in a decade.

In the world of martial arts, generations change, with each generation lasting ten years.

Ten years is a time of great upheaval and change in the martial arts world.

Tang Ao didn't understand any of this. He simply followed the steps he had calculated in the past, climbing step by step to the top of the mountain, constantly accumulating momentum, and unleashing the overwhelming momentum of his invincible record, along with the sense of oneness with nature during the climb and the courage to fight to the death.

Each step is the time it takes to take a breath.

It goes on and on, in cycles.

Tang Ao's achievements today, with his martial arts skills surpassing those of Tang Que and Tang Yu, are all due to his self-discipline.

Extreme self-discipline.

"Clap!"

The final step was a smooth landing.

Tang Ao didn't say anything, he just drew his sword!
All words are meaningless.

The so-called invincible spirit, or the experience of practicing swordsmanship since childhood, and the determination to win this battle are meaningless to the overall situation. Tang Ao hates empty talk and does not want to waste time on meaningless things. But when he saw Li Zhaoting's sword, the powerful sword energy that had been accumulating for so long turned into raging flames!

Reason was completely consumed by rage.

Tang Ao's eyes burned with flames.

"Li Zhaoting, how dare you look down on me!"

"Brother Tang, what makes you say that?"

"Where is your Purple Rose Soft Sword? Where is the Green Cord Sword you just forged? Why are you using a bamboo sword?"

"Because Brother Tang practices the Proud Sword, the most virtuous person in the world is none other than Zhuge Liang, and the most virtuous things in the world are none other than plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo and chrysanthemums. My bamboo sword is made from the green bamboo of the Wuhou Temple. It is meant to meet virtuousness with virtuousness, and remain strong and firm even after being battered and bruised a thousand times. It can withstand any wind from east, west, north, or south. What do you think of this sword, Brother Tang?"

"No matter how nicely you put it, it's just a bamboo sword, Li Zhaoting. You will pay the price for your arrogance. Even if everything you say is true, does that mean Zhuge Liang was a master of swordsmanship? What a joke!"

"Who says Zhuge Liang didn't know swordsmanship? You've forgotten that he had a good friend named... Xu Shu!"

"so what?"

"Brother Tang, please make a move!"

A mocking smile appeared on Li Zhaoting's lips.

Zhuge Liang's Swordplay - Fire Attack!

Taking advantage of the favorable winds, they ignited the flames of war; the timing and location were perfect.

Tang Ao had accumulated 3,653 steps of momentum from the foot of the mountain to the summit, but it was all burned away by the anger provoked by Li Zhaoting. He originally wanted to make a move in one go, but his anger overwhelmed him, and his own momentum was already at a disadvantage.

Tang Ao swung his sword and thrust it towards Li Zhaoting's chest.

As heavy as a mountain and as fast as lightning, the sword energy layered upon layered like ocean waves, surging and continuous. Even if towering mountains and giant rocks blocked the way, it could be cleaved through with a single sword strike.

This sword strike shatters monuments and breaks stones, clearing paths through mountains!
This sword strike cleaved through the waves and severed the rivers!
With this sword strike, white clouds flowed like ribbons, and rosy light cascaded like waterfalls!
The spectators were all terrified.

Miss Wang couldn't help but grip the gun case tightly. With just this one sword strike, there was a world of difference between Tang Que and Tang Ao. Even someone as strong as Miss Wang could only fight head-on against this move. She absolutely could not retreat even half a step, let alone use her half-baked Tianshan Six Yang Palm or Tianshan Plum Blossom Hand to counter the move. That would be a path to certain death!

Even Cheng Huaixiu, who possesses a clear understanding of swordsmanship, still couldn't figure out how to counter this move, given his own limited perspective and the fact that he was caught up in the situation while an observer could see clearly. It seemed that the only option was to fight it head-on!
Li Zhaoting did not fight head-on.

The bamboo slip was lifted lightly, the sword tip had no power whatsoever, not even a trace of true energy, it was just going with the flow, the sword was drawn in the flow, the mountain breeze automatically formed sword energy, completely dissipating Tang Ao's sword energy.

Zhuge Liang's Swordplay - Insight!

Knowing that you intend to carry out this plan, I have been waiting for it for a long time.

Combining Cheng Huaixiu's Sword Heart Clarity and Feng Qingyang's Dugu Nine Swords, this sword strikes through gaps with nothing, effortlessly breaking through powerful moves, using the principle of leverage.

Even if the enemy possesses immense strength, as long as a fulcrum is found and a gentle pry is made, a chain reaction will cause hundreds of magnificent sword moves to vanish in an instant.

Li Zhaoting swung his sword backhand and thrust it at Tang Ao.

Wuhou Swordplay - Bagua Sword!
The odd is also the orthodox, and the orthodox is also the odd.

They exhaust each other, in an endless cycle.

Li Zhaoting used the Bagua Step technique, continuously striking Tang Ao with his sword. His swordsmanship was neither fast nor fierce, but it had a binding force like a net, with endless and dense energy binding Tang Ao's hands and feet. Li Zhaoting could detect Tang Ao's every move in advance, and there were afterimages and sharp sword light all around him.

"Ah! This is impossible! Impossible!"

Tang Ao unleashed a series of brilliant moves, bombarding the enemy relentlessly, but his strength was exhausted by Li Zhaoting's elusive figure.

Tang Ao took a deep breath, exhaled, and released his full power into a long roar that carried for miles. The sound waves echoed in the valley and transformed into sword light on the blade.

His hair stood on end, his face turned pale and then purple, he gripped the sword with both hands and unleashed a powerful strike, aiming straight at Li Zhaoting's head. There were no fancy moves, only a head-on collision. The Bagua pattern crumbled upon contact, and the flashy Bagua sword quickly vanished into nothingness.

Li Zhaoting's swordplay was flawless.

Tang Ao could not find any flaws in Li Zhaoting's sword moves, and even if he found a flaw, he could not break through it. However, Li Zhaoting himself had flaws. He was an objective existence, a living person, not a carefree god. Even saints and immortals could not be perfect!
Perfection is just a fantasy!

When Tang Ao's strength was exhausted by the Bagua Sword and he could no longer muster any killing intent, he suddenly realized something, seized Li Zhaoting's weakness, and unleashed a fatal blow with his sword.

Li Zhaoting suddenly thrust out the bamboo sword in his hand.

This was the first time since the start of the war that Li Zhaoting had infused his true essence into the sword's edge. A fierce wind arose, the sword's light cascaded like a waterfall, and the clouds and mist transformed into an ocean of sword energy, which then instantly coalesced and dispersed into a gentle mountain breeze.

"Alas! The affairs of the world are never truly resolved, and in the end, they remain unresolved. Let this sword remain on Mount Qingcheng!"

Li Zhaoting disappeared into the clouds and mist.

Tang Ao held the sword in both hands, the sword upright on the ground, his body standing straight, his eyes lifeless.

A wisp of breeze transformed into sword energy, piercing straight into Tang Ao's throat as the two clashed with powerful attacks.

Tang Ao's sword energy dissipated.

His last bit of strength was completely dissipated.

Tang Ao has no regrets.

To see such a divine sword before death is better than to die in one's bed; this is the fate of a swordsman.

The Wuhou Sword Technique truly lives up to its reputation!
Tang Ao smiled and closed his eyes.

Tang Jing seemed to have aged decades. He personally carried a coffin up the mountain to bury Tang Ao's body, and then slowly descended the mountain, disappearing without a trace.

It was only then that Xin Yinong realized what was happening, threw away his sword, and put the bamboo sword back into its sheath.

This sword is a treasure!
It's worth much more than those sword marks!

(End of this chapter)