Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 364 In this battle, we will surely recover Yan and Yun!
There is always a banquet in the world.

Life in the small town was very comfortable, and Li Zhaoting rarely felt at peace. However, staying in the town for a long time might have some adverse effects, so he had to leave.

With the Black Stone assassins wiped out, news of Li Zhaoting's trip inevitably leaked out. Those who wanted to take advantage of his misfortune would certainly not miss the opportunity, and the Azure Dragon Society, which had been observing from the sidelines, would also make a move to test him.

The peaceful and tranquil town was not suitable to become a battlefield where Grandmasters of the Heavenly Gang fought to the death. Li Zhaoting could stay for two or three days and have a farewell banquet with everyone.

Guo Dalu went all out, using all his skills to prepare a huge feast.

The people of Fugui Manor have one good quality: they don't change their attitude towards Li Zhaoting because of his status, power, or martial arts skills. They don't flatter or fawn, nor do they cower in fear. They remain the same as before.

They considered Li Zhaoting a friend.

Friends who drink, chat, and enjoy life.

The following morning, Li Zhaoting took his leave, along with Yan Qi, who wanted to give Luo Mo's remains to Li Zhaoting to shift the blame.

Having gained lifelong benefits from the remains of Rama, Yan Qi wouldn't covet half of the mummified corpse. The other half was in Zeng Jing's hands, which Li Zhaoting took without hesitation.

Only two people remained at the once bustling Fugui Manor.

Guo Dalu and Wang Dong.

Wang Dong lay on the bed like a corpse, as always.

Guo Dalu scratched his head, looking troubled and worried as he looked at Wang Dong: "Boss Wang, I seem to have contracted an illness recently, a very strange one."

Why didn't you say this before?

"Because I...I can't say."

Guo Dalu's expression grew increasingly sorrowful.

Wang Dong didn't ask. He was very experienced. The more you press someone about something that's hard to talk about, the more they'll hide it. If they act indifferent and try to get their urge to confide, they're more likely to get an answer.

Guo Dalu is not bad at being cunning, but he is currently suffering from mental illness and was easily manipulated by Wang Dong.

Haven't you noticed a change in me lately?

"There is a little bit."

"Because I'm sick."

Do you know where your illness lies?

"it's here!"

Guo Dalu pointed to his heart.

Wang Dong laughed and said, "A heart ailment needs a heart remedy. I remember the most severe heart ailment is lovesickness. Could it be that you have lovesickness? Which girl have you taken a fancy to?"

Are you my good friend?

"of course."

Good friends should keep each other's secrets!

"I am very tight-lipped. Even if someone bribes me with ten thousand taels of gold, I will not say a word."

"I have a secret that I've been keeping to myself for a long time. If I don't tell you soon, I'm afraid I'll go crazy. But... but if I tell you, I'm afraid you'll laugh at me."

"Have you contracted a venereal disease?"

Wang Dong looked at Guo Dalu in surprise.

Before Li Zhaoting left, he left behind a few pieces of jewelry. It was to evoke the image of a phoenix perching on a parasol tree. He took them in front of him. If these pieces of jewelry were sent to a pawnshop, they would be worth at least 30,000 taels of silver.

Guo Dalu practices boxing every day, so he is full of energy. He is a strong, energetic, lively, and wealthy young man. Nine times out of ten, he will be curious about certain things and want to go to the brothel to broaden his horizons.

If Guo Dalu, this innocent little puppy, were to be seen by those wolves and tigers in the brothel, he would surely be drained of his life force and left emaciated.

"What nonsense are you talking about! I am a pure yang virgin who has kept myself pure and chaste, and I am the best at suppressing evil spirits and demons."

"That's good! What illness do you have?"

Guo Dalu hesitated for a long time, then said with a bitter face, "There's more than one kind of lovesickness, oh dear! I have the most shameful kind, heavens!"

Wang Dong's eyes widened: "Could it be...could it be that you've fallen in love with someone else's wife? Could it be...we're good friends, that's true, but I don't..."

"What are you saying! I'm not that despicable!"

Guo Dalu interrupted Wang Dong, his face still full of worry. He took seven or eight deep breaths before he finally composed himself: "I've fallen in love with a man!"

Wang Dong instinctively pulled the blanket tighter, wrapping himself tightly in the felted cotton quilt that had been smeared with chicken and duck fat for three years, leaving only his head sticking out: "Could it be me?"

"My illness isn't that serious!"

"Could it be Li Zhao..."

"I haven't lived enough yet!"

"I know, you're talking about Yan Qi!"

"Brother Wang, when I first met Brother Li, he told my fortune and said I would encounter romance soon. So this is what it means!"

"It really is a peach blossom!"

Wang Dong raised his eyebrows, his face full of teasing.

Guo Dalu clenched his fist and shook it twice.

Wang Dong quickly said, "The story of 'sharing a peach with a cut sleeve' is a historical anecdote. Don't be angry. Have you noticed that Yan Qi has a somewhat sinister aura about him?"

"What evil spirit? It's perfectly normal!"

“We are such good friends, but Yan Qi still treats us like thieves. When he goes to sleep, he always locks the doors and windows first. When he goes out, he doesn’t let us follow him. I’ve never seen Yan Qi take a bath, but he doesn’t have the sour smell of someone who hasn’t bathed for months. Instead, he has a strange freshness. Yan Qi’s room is the strangest thing!”

"Is there anything strange?"

“We’re all lazybones. If it weren’t for Sister Meizhu cleaning our house, it would probably be no better than a garbage dump. Yan Qi’s house is very clean, spotless, and still has some plum blossom fragrance.”

"What's so weird about this?"

"Li the fortune teller once told me a story about a method of judging people in physiognomy books. It involves observing a room; if the room is clean and odorless, the person is either a good man or..."

Wang Dong coughed lightly: "The Yihong Courtyard not only has beautiful courtesans, but also handsome men. You're too proper; you've never tasted meat in your life!"

Guo Dalu sneered: "Boss Wang is a man of wide experience and knowledge, he must have seen many handsome men from the brothel!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Dong was first taken aback, then, thinking of something, he crawled out of bed, clung to the window, and vomited violently, almost spitting out bile.

After a while, Wang Dong finished vomiting and said with a smile, "Yan Qi's hometown is in Jinan. Why don't you go to Jinan and take a look!"

I'm afraid you'll starve to death!

"That's a bit of a hassle. Here's what we'll do: you make me three hundred sesame seed cakes and two hundred catties of cured meat. Stack the cakes neatly, and slice the cured meat thinly so it's easy to put inside. That should last me fifteen days!" "Okay, I'll go make them right away!"

Guo Dalu gritted his teeth and went to the kitchen.

Wang Dong shook his head with a hint of helplessness.

Guo Dalu was indeed a virgin, with no experience whatsoever in matters of men and women. Wang Dong, Li Zhaoting, Mei Zhu, and others had long since realized that Yan Qi was a woman.

You can tell just by looking at their walking posture.

In terms of martial arts, there is also "virgin kung fu".

Master Daoqing of Pudu Temple was most skilled in this art.

……

Instead of living in seclusion at his ancestral home in Jinling, Li Zhaoting went out to gain experience. News of his annihilation of the Black Stone Clan and the seizure of Luo Mo's remains spread like wildfire throughout the north and south of the country.

This news proves three things.

First, Li Zhaoting was indeed injured and was unable to fight for a short period of time. He needed to be accompanied by bodyguards when he went out. Surprisingly, he did not personally take action against King Zhuanlun.

Second, Li Zhaoting was fierce and powerful. Even with only 10% of his strength remaining, he was still a great god of the Three Altars and Seas. While others were the Azure Dragons that stirred up the seas, Li Zhaoting specialized in killing Azure Dragons.

Third, to deal with Li Zhaoting, a killing scheme must be set up within one or two months. King Zhuanlun confirmed that it is feasible to obtain Rama's internal energy from Rama's remains. This method is full of vitality and can quickly repair physical damage.

According to the intelligence from the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, Li Zhaoting is proficient in healing techniques such as Divine Illumination Skill, One-Finger Divine Skill, and Longevity Technique, and has also obtained the Demonic Sect's Great Heaven-Mending Technique for Replacing the Defects in Heaven and Earth.

With so many healing techniques, two divine doctors in his family, and countless rare and precious materials, if he were to obtain the Luo Mo internal energy, Li Zhaoting would be able to recover to his full strength in two or three months at most. According to historical records in the martial arts world, a prodigy of Li Zhaoting's caliber, after recovering from serious injuries, would often be reborn from the ashes, achieving a unity of inner and outer strength, and reaching even greater heights.

The Heavenly Secrets Pavilion commented that Li Zhaoting's martial arts had reached the pinnacle of the Heavenly Gang, and the reason he failed to break through the Heavenly Gang Ranking was entirely due to a ranking bug.

Liu E was the leader of the Heavenly Stars, and the inner palace was her domain. Coupled with the power of the Empress Dowager, her ranking was unshakeable. The Heavenly Stars list started from the second position.

Secondly, the one who broke through the Heavenly Gang Ranking was the Eight Nobles, who were the sacred immortals and Buddhas at the pinnacle of the martial arts world. Unfortunately, the Sword Noble Lang Fanyun's martial arts reached the pinnacle, just like Dugu Qiubai in his prime. How could this be considered the Sword Noble?
Due to the two bugs involving Liu E and Lang Fanyun, the rankings of top swordsmen in the martial arts world have fallen somewhat. This is a good thing for martial arts, as swordsmen are all temperamental and unyielding, and they are trying to forcefully break through the two restrictions.

This is not to say that other Grandmasters of the Heavenly Gang are not strong.

When the Heavenly Ranking was first established, there were inevitably some boastful and fame-seeking individuals. Over the years, it has been passed down through countless battles and bloody struggles.

All the mediocre and useless individuals were eliminated by the trials and tribulations of the martial arts world, leaving behind only the elite among the elite, all of whom could be called "martial arts masters".

Even with the Heaven-Slaying Sword in hand, Abbess Miejue could only barely serve as a gatekeeper, sharing the ranking with Kumei. Countless elders from prestigious sects were eyeing the Heavenly Gang Ranking.

For those from middling sects who aspire to become leaders of powerful and influential families, the Heavenly Gang Ranking is the best advertisement, and the most anticipated figure is Zuo Lengchan.

If the Songshan Sect wants to become one of the seven major sword sects, it needs a grandmaster with a solid foundation. Otherwise, even if the Huashan Sect is pulled down in the rankings, they still won't be able to rise to the top.

The conflicts in the martial arts world will never end.

Whether Li Zhaoting is recuperating from his injuries or gaining experience in the martial arts world, the martial arts world is full of bloodshed.

Fugui Manor and Tongfu Inn are pure lands outside the martial arts world, a paradise for martial arts practitioners. Once you leave Fugui Manor, you will soon smell the stench of blood.

The stench of blood, piled high with corpses and seas of blood.

Just as Li Zhaoting was taking Rama's remains home, preparing to study Rama's inner power, Li Nanxing sent him a confidential letter. He was going to lead his elite troops on a northern expedition, a grand plan that he and Liu E had been planning for many years.

The goal of the Northern Expedition was to recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun.

The Liao Dynasty has been declining in recent years, and is several times worse than the Manchu Qing and Mongol Yuan dynasties. But even a lean camel is bigger than a horse, and a rotten ship still has three pounds of nails. How can we lightly start a war?

If you lose, you're doomed.

Li Nanxing had complete confidence.

Because he has the strongest "insider"!
—Emperor of the Liao Dynasty, Yelü Hongji!

It was not Li Nanxing who took the initiative to lead the army on the northern expedition, but rather the Liao emperor Yelü Hongji who wrote a letter of state, willing to offer the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun as a price to ask the Song Dynasty to send troops to quell the rebellion.

Has Yelü Hongji gone mad?
How could there be such a crazy official letter?
Could it be a trap, a way to lure someone into a snare and then trap them?
Will Yelü Hongji break the agreement afterward?
Really not!

The Song Dynasty was Yelü Hongji's last hope.

The incident dates back to 25 years ago.

When the Liao army marched south, the two sides engaged in a series of fierce battles and eventually signed the Treaty of Chanyuan. Li Nanxing served as the military advisor accompanying Chu Xiangyu. He had a smooth start, but was betrayed later, which led to the annihilation of Chu Xiangyu's entire army. Knowing that he was powerless to reverse the situation, Li Nanxing devised a plan to give this great achievement to a member of the Liao royal family.

This member of the royal family was Yelü Hongji's cousin.

It was mainly aimed at Yelü Hongji's uncle.

As is well known, there is always some open or covert struggle between the emperor's uncle and nephew. Before Yelü Hongji's grandfather passed away, he passed the throne to his eldest son.

However, the Empress Dowager favored her youngest son.

Seeing that the brothers were about to fight each other, which would benefit outsiders, the younger son took the initiative to step down and supported his elder brother to become emperor. The elder brother then appointed his younger brother as crown prince, thus achieving succession from brother to brother.

The succession of a brother to his brother is impossible.

After Yelü Hongji's father passed away, he passed the throne to his son. However, his uncle was deeply entrenched in power, so in order to appease his uncle, he was granted the title of Southern King.

During the fierce battle in the north, Yelü Hongji's cousin, Yelü Nierugu, led troops and achieved great merit. Combined with his father's achievements, he gained immense prestige in the Liao Kingdom.

Li Nanxing made a casual move, trying to sow discord within the Liao royal family. Unexpectedly, this played right into their hands. After more than twenty years of development, Yelü Nierugu had grown powerful and occupied half of the court, and had long harbored thoughts of rebellion.

Some time ago, Yelü Hongji went hunting, and Yelü Nierugu took the opportunity to lead his troops to seize the palace, imprisoning all the civil and military officials, the empress dowager, and the empress. He then led his army south, intending to take the opportunity to eliminate Yelü Hongji.

It's impossible to subdue the elite forces of the various tribes of Liao in a short time by rebelling and causing chaos. These people never act without a clear benefit; they will help whoever wins.

Yelü Nierugu led 30,000 personal guards in pursuit, while Yelü Hongji only had 5,000 imperial guards. Their weapons and provisions were far inferior, and with his family members being held captive, the morale of the imperial guards plummeted, and they were routed by the rebels.

Fortunately, there was a steep mountain pass near Yelü Hongji's hunting grounds, where defensive fortifications built twenty years ago during his southward march still existed and were barely usable.

Yelü Hongji, while holding firm and refusing to engage in battle, also sent envoys to the Song Dynasty seeking aid, expressing his willingness to pay tribute to the Song Dynasty annually and to become its vassal, and to return the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun. The Liao Dynasty was the Song Dynasty's shield in the north, blocking the Mongol and Manchu armies. If the Liao Dynasty were to fall, the Liao Dynasty would be vulnerable. Once Yelü Nierugu became emperor, he would inevitably lead his troops south to invade.

At that time, the Mongol Yuan, Manchu Qing, and Liao armies marched south simultaneously, threatening the Song Dynasty with its demise.

The Liao envoy was well-versed in Han Chinese culture and spoke eloquently and persuasively. In addition, he bribed several high-ranking officials in the court with a large sum of money, and the court finally agreed to send troops.

Li Nanxing went on the expedition with the army.

His position is deputy commander.

The imperial court has recently promoted him to the position of Vice Minister of War, an exceptional promotion.

Normally, doing this would have been met with fierce criticism, but given the perilous nature of war in the north, Zhao Zhen's words, "Whoever has objections, let them go to the battlefield," silenced all the censors.

Upon receiving the news, Li Zhaoting suddenly realized what was going on.

Dad, you're a tough guy!
　Thank you to readers Iron Fist and Homebody Fighter for the generous donations.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)