Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 379 Internal Strife, Yama, A Smile That Could Topple a City
early morning.

A cool mountain breeze blew through the curtains, and bright sunlight shone through the inn's windows. The seven corrupt officials, who had been tormented by Li Zhaoting all night, struggled to get up.

One downside to pretending to be a ghost is that you have to follow the basic rules of ghosts and monsters. You can't be in the sunlight. If you want to pretend to be a ghost during the day, you have to be in the shade.

"A rip-off! A rip-off! A rip-off!"

Zhou Li struggled to run towards Liu Xiangyun, shouting with all his might, "You shrew, do you know who I am? I'm going to... ugh!"

Liu Xiangyun sneered: "I know! You are all officials! I am just a commoner, I can't afford to offend you! Officials have two mouths, say whatever you want!"

Chen Chaolu roared, "Speak! Did you pull this trick to get money for the rent? If you want money, serve me well! I'll give you a thousand taels of gold!"

Shui Yilan scrambled out, his face filled with horror: "Lord Wang was killed by a vengeful ghost!"

Everyone rushed to check. Although they were competitors with Wang Cefeng, they were all in the same boat in the face of vengeful spirits. Wang Cefeng happened to be the most capable of fighting, so they had to unite against the common enemy.

Wang Cefeng's face was bluish-black, his body was ice-cold, there were obvious bluish-black claw marks on his clothes, he had a breath, but not much, he was exhaling more than inhaling, his body was trembling and shaking, and a layer of black aura was shrouded between his eyebrows.

Even someone with no knowledge of physiognomy could tell that his forehead was dark, indicating that he was likely to die soon.

Li Zhaoting did not use excessive force. In order to scare the seven people, he temporarily learned the Netherworld Ghost Claw technique from the Xiaoyao Sect and used it to impersonate a ghost.

Transforming the Yin-attribute Longevity Technique into cold energy, combined with the battlefield's malevolent energy, blood energy, and baleful energy, a single claw strike sends the ghostly energy deep into the internal organs. While it won't kill, it can cause a severe illness for seven days, requiring two months of recuperation.

The Netherworld Claw was a martial art that Li Qiushui excelled at, and her experience far surpassed that of Li Zhaoting. However, in terms of malevolent energy, the pampered Li Qiushui was far inferior to the battle-hardened Li Zhaoting. As a result, Li Zhaoting had no reference point and struck a little too hard, causing Wang Cefeng to fall unconscious.

The treatment method is not difficult.

Just take it outside to sunbathe.

The effect of the Netherworld Claw lies in "weakening," and its killing effect is slightly insufficient. Li Zhaoting transmitted his voice secretly, and Liu Xiangyun frowned and said, "Lord Wang was scratched a few times by the vengeful ghost, and his body is full of ghostly energy. Demons and monsters are most afraid of sunlight. Carry Lord Wang out."

Why carry it out?

"Sunbathe! Just a little sun is fine!"

Liu Xiangyun asked the waiters to carry Wang Cefeng out. The waiters hurriedly carried Wang Cefeng out. By noon, the dark aura on Wang Cefeng's face had dissipated, and he had regained some of his strength.

"Run...run...this is a rip-off! This is a rip-off! The proprietress is trying to kill us!"

Wang Cefeng struggled to persuade everyone, but seeing Wang Cefeng in such a miserable state, the others dared not linger and began to leave the inn amidst a commotion. Liu Xiangyun did not stop them and let them leave, which reassured Zhou Li and the others.

With so many people walking separately, unless Li Zhaoting has the ability to create clones, it would be difficult for him to pretend to be a ghost at the same time.

Fortunately, Li Zhaoting had many helpers.

Zhan Zhao dealt with one, Tian Xiang dealt with one, Lan Fenghuang dealt with one, Wang Shenglan dealt with one, Feng Suzhen dealt with one, and Jiang Yuyan dealt with one.

Li Zhaoting stayed at the inn and personally dealt with the most stubborn Wang Cefeng. He cleared his throat, used the Soul Searching Technique to send out a wailing sound.

Fifteen minutes later, everyone returned.

Some were knocked down by vines and woke up to find themselves in a mass grave surrounded by skulls. Some fainted for no reason and woke up covered in ants. Some felt dizzy and seemed to see a hundred flowers blooming. Just as they were about to get closer to observe, the flowers turned into a vast sea of ​​blood. Some ran away with all their might and were hit on the head with a stick!
Liu Xiangyun's face was full of helplessness: "You high-ranking officials must have done something immoral. What kind of deity have you offended? You should leave quickly and don't drag me down with you! I haven't offended any vengeful spirits!"

Wang Cefeng looked weakly at everyone: "Did you hear crying? Did you hear...?"

"Lord Wang, don't scare us! There's no crying here at all, just the incessant chatter of a shrew!"

Shui Yilan trembled and was so frightened that he wet his pants.

Zhou Li swayed, his face pale, with deep dark circles under his eyes: "Stop talking! This is not something martial arts can do. I know martial arts masters. My brother, Eagle Eye Seven, is a top-notch master in the martial arts world. I have seen how Lu Xiaofeng fights. This is not a martial arts master!"

"Yes! Lu Xiaofeng! Ask Lu Xiaofeng for help! I heard that Lu Xiaofeng is a Grandmaster of the Heavenly Gang, a legendary detective in the martial arts world, and is best at solving cases. We can ask him for help."

The person who fell into the water grabbed onto the straw, thinking it could save their life, but little did they know that the straw was just bait.

Zhou Li sneered: "Lu Xiaofeng? If seeking Lu Xiaofeng's help were useful, I would have already done so! If Lu Xiaofeng knew what we've done, who among us would survive? Lu Xiaofeng is a chivalrous knight-errant!"

Liu Xiangyun complained: "I understand! You officials are really unlucky. You have to embezzle and accept bribes, bribe your superiors, get rid of the investigating police officers, and burn incense and pray to Buddha. In the end, you end up with broken families."

Zhou Li's face was full of bitterness as he laughed wildly: "Who says being an official isn't tiring? I spent 30,000 taels to buy my position, 20,000 taels to give to my teacher every year, 10,000 taels to bribe my superiors, and 8,000 taels to reward my lackeys who act as accomplices. Deceiving superiors and concealing the truth requires additional expenses. I can't afford to make a single mistake."

At this point, Zhou Li erupted in anger and overturned the table: "To become the Water Resources Minister, I spent a full 100,000 taels of silver! Not a single tael less! Should I have become the Water Resources Minister? Who is more qualified than me? Who among you can replace me!"

Wang Cefeng angrily said, "Zhou Li! Stop talking! Walls have ears, are you trying to get us all killed?"

Zhou Li sneered: "I want to harm you! Do I need such petty tricks? I'll just wait here, and you'll be killed by the vengeful ghost! Wang Cefeng, you're about to die!"

Tang Sheng, quick-witted as ever, pulled out a stack of silver notes and handed them to Liu Xiangyun: "Madam, we encountered a ghost and said some strange things. Please forgive us if we offended you. You have no grudge against the ghost. Please help me deliver a letter."

Kang Jinchuan chimed in, "Yes, yes, yes! If you help us report to the Kaifeng Prefecture, I'll give you money! I'll give you two thousand taels as a favor, please go and do it for me quickly!"

Liu Xiangyun said, "Report to the authorities? Aren't you afraid that the Kaifeng Prefecture will find out you've embezzled and have you dismissed from your posts!"

Zhou Li laughed wildly, "Hahahaha! This is our end: losing our official positions, being dismissed from our posts, being exiled, and being targeted by wandering swordsmen on the way, dying without a complete corpse!"

Time passed by minute by minute.

Before we knew it, night had fallen.

Li Zhaoting and his gang once again put on a show of supernatural phenomena, with ghostly cries, blood, and claws appearing one after another. Even Wang Cefeng, who was the most resolute in his heart, was made to look dazed. Li Zhaoting added fuel to the fire by kidnapping Chen Chaolu.

At daybreak, Chen Chaolu returned.

The crowd surrounded Chen Chaolu, bombarding him with questions. Chen Chaolu, his face filled with despair, exclaimed, "I saw Wu Liang! Wu Liang wants us to write down all the details of our crimes, and then burn them at his grave. That will settle this matter!"

Wang Cefeng keenly noticed the flaw: "What does Wu Liang need this for? To complain to the King of Hell?"

Chen Chaolu said, "The vengeful spirits originate from obsessions. Wu Liang's biggest obsession is that he didn't send us to prison. Fulfilling his wish will resolve his resentment."

You will kill everyone!

Wang Cefeng struggled to draw his sword, but was struck by the Netherworld Ghost Claw, leaving him powerless and his martial arts skills reduced to less than half, making him even weaker than a scholar.

Chen Chaolu certainly didn't want to write it.

However, he had no choice.

Night fell again, and Li Zhaoting and his accomplices once more engaged in their ghostly antics, wailing and howling. This time, they abducted Wang Cefeng and wrote a blood-written message on the wall:
—Right and wrong, gratitude and resentment, blood debts must be repaid in blood!
We've tried everything.

Burning incense, burning paper money, pleading, splitting up and running away – all methods were useless, leaving only one option. Shui Yilan was the first to succumb to the pressure, followed by the half-mad Zhou Li. The two of them wrote their confessions; it was pointless for the others to continue. They kept hearing ghostly wails in their ears, urging them to write their confessions.

A mere confession is meaningless; it requires a detailed account of the events, ledgers, and the location where they hid the money, along with both witness testimony and physical evidence.

……

Wang Cefeng opened his eyes.

What comes into view is the "underworld".

Yama, the King of Hell, has a face as black as charcoal, a crescent moon on his head, and behind him are Ox-Head and Horse-Face, Black and White Impermanence, and the White-Faced Judge holds the Pen of Life and Death and a scroll of the Book of Life and Death in his hand.

The atmosphere was eerie and extremely oppressive.

King Yama roared, "Wang Cefeng, you have been corrupt, lawless, and indiscriminately killed innocent people. Today you have arrived in the underworld, and you shall be made to climb mountains of knives and plunge into boiling oil, and be cast into the eighteen levels of hell!"

Just as Wang Cefeng was about to retort, a piercing pain shot through his body, his mind went blank, he became delirious, his reason completely collapsed, and he obediently knelt down.

"This humble one... no... this little devil confesses his sins! Please forgive me, King Yama. I am willing to atone for my sins by telling you everything I know. Please forgive me, King Yama."

"Do you think what you've done can be hidden from mortal eyes, or from the Book of Life and Death?! And you still dare to resist!"

"Little brat... little brat..."

"Very well! Since you have a repentant heart, I will give you a chance. Speak now, and do not lie. If you utter even a single lie, I will immediately send you to the deepest hell!"

"Thank you... thank you, Lord Yama..."

Wang Cefeng confessed honestly.

While alive, one can put up a last-ditch resistance; once dead, what is there to hide? Yuan Lianqin, a civil official who entered officialdom through the imperial examinations, despised military men the most. So why did he pay so much attention to a military student?

In the original storyline, Wang Cefeng discovered the truth and watched helplessly as the other six confessed. He preferred to commit suicide rather than say another word. What was the reason for this?
Because Wang Cefeng was secretly reselling military equipment.

Armor, bows and arrows, and crossbows are all available for sale.

Suicide by slashing is considered an act of defiance of guilt; the crime discovered is embezzlement, and one's descendants will not be implicated.

If he were to confess everything, revealing his collusion with Yuan Lianqin in reselling military equipment, including secretly hoarding armor and crossbows, it would be a crime punishable by the execution of his entire family. It's better for one person to die than for the whole family to be mutilated.

In business, where there are sellers, there are buyers.

Who is Wang Cefeng's buyer?

Li Zhaoting's old friend... Murong of Gusu!
Wang Cefeng is one of Murong Bo's suppliers.

Yuan Lianqin's line is not very clear; it seems to involve selling to the grasslands, and his private business is extremely large.

Wang Cefeng confessed without reservation.

Not long after, loud laughter came from all around.

The Yama's Palace is obviously fake.

However, Yama, the King of Hell, is real.

Bao Zheng disguised himself as Yama, while Wang Chao, Ma Han, Zhang Long, and Zhao Hu played the roles of Black and White Impermanence, Ox-Head and Horse-Face respectively. Li Zhaoting played the judge, and the little devils around them were all Liu Xiangyun's assistants in disguise. Wang Cefeng knew he had fallen into a trap, but at this moment he was powerless to turn the tide and could only close his eyes in despair.

Upon receiving the confession, Bao Zheng immediately ordered people to find physical evidence based on it, and then wrote a memorial impeaching Yuan Lianqin.

If it were merely embezzlement and bribery, given Yuan Lianqin's power in the court, he might be able to overcome the difficulties, at most being demoted three ranks, and would eventually be promoted back.

However, Yuan Lianqin was involved in the illegal sale of military equipment, a serious crime of rebellion. Even the Emperor himself could not protect him. Zhao Zhen was furious and immediately arrested Yuan Lianqin.

Yuan Lianqin had everything done by his undercover agents, never getting a single thing on his hands. Even someone like Bao Zheng couldn't find any evidence against him. He never dreamed that these disciples would be his death warrant to hell.

No one would have imagined that Yuan Lianqin, a powerful official with a deep-rooted network of connections, who was always cautious and never showed any weakness, would fall before the New Year.

Yuan Lianqin served as Vice Minister of Works and Transport Commissioner of Jianghuai for several years. He had countless protégés and former subordinates. He built hundreds of manors, treasuries, and shops outside the capital. The embezzled funds he collected were enough to replenish the losses of the Northern Expedition, and he still had some left over. Emperor Zhao Zhen was furious and appointed Bao Zheng as Imperial Commissioner to take charge of Yuan Lianqin's case.

As everyone knows, Lao Bao is intolerant of any wrongdoing.

Crimes such as embezzlement, bribery, forming cliques, and reselling arms all needed to be investigated, and the investigation was still not completed even after the army returned and the year-end celebrations were held.

Bao Zheng was a man of action, and Yuan Lianqin, this great and flourishing tree, was uprooted.

The people in the capital were talking about it.

Many people believe that Yuan Lianqin's sudden downfall was due to offending Li Zhaoting, specifically because his mentally challenged son was jealous of Li Zhaoting.

There are countless anecdotes about Li Zhaoting, which he is already used to. Lian Xiuxiu took advantage of this opportunity to rise rapidly, and her fame was comparable to that of Li Shishi.

The leader of the Heavenly Gang, out of pity for Xiuxiu, got into a fight with the son of the Vice Minister of Works. The Vice Minister's network of connections collapsed overnight, involving hundreds of officials and resulting in a bloodbath.

What is the most beautiful woman in the world?

People have different aesthetic standards; some people think a slender waist is beautiful, while others prefer a fuller figure.

Even someone as powerful as Fairy Jingzhai might not be able to surpass the demoness of the Demonic Sect in terms of her eyebrows and eyes; her advantage lies in her temperament.

Besides eyebrows, eyes, temperament, and talent, there is another way to compare beauties: fighting.

If Yu Luosha and Pang Ban were to fight over a certain woman, that woman would be the most beautiful woman, the undisputed number one, the number one universally acknowledged in the martial arts world.

A smile that could topple a city, a second smile that could topple a nation!

A reputation built on hype is useless!

You're so capable you can make people fight to the death for you!
The beauty sheds tears, the hero bows his head.

Dragons fight in the wild, their blood turning black and yellow.

Lian Xiuxiu warmly invited Li Zhaoting to listen to the zither.

Tianxiang said sarcastically, "Great Hero Li, you have a chivalrous heart and a tender spirit. I can only admire you for your stench!"

(End of this chapter)