Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 410 Lu Xiaofeng: Winning Big, Winning Extraordinary Win

Phoenix Tail Gang Headquarters.

The damage caused by the Japanese pirates has subsided, and the conflict between the Phoenix Tail Gang and the Divine Dragon Gang is about to come to an end.

According to Yun Conglong's will, the Shenlong Gang was merged into the Fengwei Gang. Most of the Shenlong Gang's top leaders agreed, and those who disagreed were not originally able to cause any trouble.

Unfortunately, Japanese pirates invaded. Wu Weiyang, in order to use them as a tool to kill the pirates, had these people fight alongside Li Zhaoting and gain a huge amount of prestige. With the support of prestige, the two sides achieved a balance of power.

Whether it's the Phoenix Tail Gang or the Divine Dragon Gang, they all make a living on the water. To put it bluntly, they collect protection money on the water; they're basically waterborne security agencies.

The security escort agency prioritizes integrity and trustworthiness.

The disciples of the Divine Dragon Gang resisted the invasion of Japanese pirates and made great contributions. Local merchants who operated waterway businesses were very willing to trust them. They were living advertisements!

How can I do business if my signboard is smashed?
With the situation at a stalemate, both sides invited a notary to hold a martial arts tournament.

A dozen or so experts were invited to act as notaries.

There are four most important people.

Guanzhong Yuanjia, Yuan Suiyun.

Xiao Ting, a scholar skilled in both literature and martial arts.

Gong Jiu, the heir apparent of the Taiping King.

Lu Xiaofeng, the number one troublemaker in the world.

Wu Weiyang stood up, cupped his hands in greeting, gathered his strength, and shouted loudly, "Fellow heroes, I am not greedy for fame and fortune, but rather following the last wishes of my old friend."

Back then, Brother Yun and I were fierce rivals. We admired each other, and although we were openly enemies, we had long since become sworn brothers and made a pact to entrust our families to each other.

Now that my old friend has unfortunately passed away, even if I am misunderstood by my fellow martial arts practitioners, I will carry out his will.

We ask all heroes to bear witness!

Does anyone have any objections?

Lu Xiaofeng said, "I have an objection!"

Wu Weiyang said, "Master Lu, I have no grudges against you in the past or present. I only wish to carry out the will of an old friend. Why must you press me so hard?"

Lu Xiaofeng sneered: "If you are carrying out Yun Conglong's will, I have no objection. However, Yun Conglong's will doesn't seem to say that!"

Wu Weiyang took out a letter: "This is a letter written by Brother Yun himself. You have all verified the handwriting. If there is even the slightest forgery, I am willing to suffer a thousand cuts."

Lu Xiaofeng asked, "Is the will real?"

Absolutely no exaggeration!

What are the contents of the will?

“I’ve shown you this dozens of times! Is Master Lu here to observe the ceremony or to cause trouble? The Phoenix Tail Gang may not be a major sect, but we won’t let you bully us.”

Wu Weiyang glared at Lu Xiaofeng, gritting his teeth, as if Lu Xiaofeng had committed an unforgivable crime.

Lu Xiaofeng laughed and said, "What I mean is, since this will is genuine, do you dare to read it aloud in front of all these heroes? To ensure fairness, I would like to ask the Prince of Taiping to read the will aloud in public!"

Wu Weiyang, unaware of Lu Xiaofeng's schemes, handed the will to Gong Jiu: "Please, Your Highness, uphold justice! I am upright and honest, and have never coveted fame or fortune."

With a smile on his face, Gong Jiu accepted the will with gentle grace and read its contents aloud.

Wu Weiyang looked smug.

Lu Xiaofeng's lips curled up, revealing a sneer similar to that of the Crooked-Mouthed Dragon King, and he said sarcastically, "Chief Yun's will stipulated that the Divine Dragon Gang should become a disciple of Wu Weiyang and entrust his family to Wu Weiyang, not to the Phoenix Tail Gang!"

Wu Weiyang angrily said, "Hero Lu! I have no past grudges or recent enmity with you, why are you so unreasonable? The dead should be respected, you are insulting Brother Yun!"

Lu Xiaofeng looked coldly at Wu Weiyang: "Yun Conglong entrusted the Divine Dragon Gang to 'Wu Weiyang,' not to you. You are not Wu Weiyang at all!"

"You...what did you say?"

"Do you remember the banquet where we drank the first wine? Yun Conglong discovered that you were not Wu Weiyang, so he deliberately gave fish eyes to me and Zhang San to show that you were a fraud."

When Yun Conglong died, he was holding a roasted fish eye in his hand. As far as I know, Yun Conglong liked to eat stewed fish eyes, but roasted fish eyes were very unpalatable.

When Yun Conglong was killed by the assassin, he didn't have time to revise his will. He could only leave me a clue with his last breath, so that I could follow the clues to investigate.

I admit, you were very good at pretending.

However, there's one thing you can't fake!
Wu Weiyang became famous throughout the world for his phoenix-tail arrows.

Archery is not like fist or palm techniques; it requires a very high level of talent. Even the most unparalleled genius, with unfathomable internal strength and lightning-fast reflexes, will still be fundamentally different from a master archer who can hit a target from a hundred paces away.

The calluses on your fingers are new, which means you've been practicing archery diligently recently and are definitely not a 30-year veteran.

A few days ago I invited you to go hunting, and you demonstrated the Phoenix Tail Twelve Arrows. Your archery skills were precise, but what you showed was just rudimentary skill, only good enough to fool beginners.

Most importantly, while each school of disguise has its own unique techniques, there are a few medicinal herbs that are commonly used in the materials for making disguise masks. Unfortunately, the tea you are drinking contains herbs that counteract these herbs.

To make matters worse, these medications tend to be excreted through sweat. If you get too excited, you will inevitably sweat, and the sweat will soak the disguise mask.

"Damn it, show your true form!"

Lu Xiaofeng suddenly made a move, flicking out a finger.

The fake Wu Weiyang instinctively dodged, wiping the sweat from his face. In that instant, Lu Xiaofeng gently flicked his hand and scattered a handful of medicinal powder.

The powder stuck to the fake Wu Weiyang's face, and the disguise mask on the fake Wu Weiyang's face shattered into pieces like Ge kiln porcelain.

This turn of events happened in a flash. Everyone was drawn to the "potion" that Lu Xiaofeng mentioned, but they were caught off guard by Lu Xiaofeng's sudden attack.

Lu Xiaofeng scoffed, "I was lying to you. There's no such drug in the world. Even if there were, it couldn't be colorless, odorless, and dissolve in tea. Tell me, who are you? Why did you scheme against the Phoenix Tail Gang and the Divine Dragon Gang? Did you kill Wu Weiyang and Yun Conglong? What's your purpose?"

With his disguise mask destroyed by Lu Xiaofeng, the fake Wu Weiyang could no longer hide his identity. From this moment on, he was completely abandoned, the only difference being how he died.

Lu Xiaofeng will leave him with a complete corpse.

According to the rules of the water, the Phoenix Tail Gang broke his arms and legs and threw him into the Minjiang River, turning him into a water ghost who would never be reincarnated until he rotted into mud.

The mastermind behind the scenes, the Azure Dragon Society, would make any subordinate who failed in their duties regret ever being born, especially the November leader who was responsible for purging the rebels.

The head of the November gang was roughly equivalent to the head of the punishment hall. The fake Wu Weiyang glanced at him once, and in just one glance, he felt as if he had fallen into the deepest hell, his blood was being drained, his bones were being crushed, and his eyes were completely plunged into darkness.

The fake Wu Weiyang's direct superior is the April Dragon Head, who is in charge of financial resources. For a force like the Azure Dragon Society that has spread all over the world, financial resources are of paramount importance.

Other leading companies can be temporarily left vacant.

The April Dragon Head not only had several members, but also included those on land and sea, as well as members from the Manchu and Mongol dynasties, and seven or eight substitutes to fill any gaps in the number of casualties.

The known members are:

Central Plains: Huo Xiu (deceased);

At sea: Shi Tianwang (dead);
Manchu: A woman, identity unknown;

Meng Yuan: A wealthy merchant, identity unknown;

The fake Wu Weiyang's superior was the substitute who became the leader of April. The first thing he did was to integrate the two major forces of the Shenlong Gang and the Fengwei Gang, control the Minjiang River waterway, control the port and wharf, and consequently control the shipping business.

This is a highly profitable business.

If you succeed, wealth will flow in continuously.

In order to accomplish their mission, the April and November pirate leaders joined forces to instigate an attack that killed three major pirates. Just when the two thought their plan had succeeded and were waiting to divide the spoils, Lu Xiaofeng revealed the truth.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, no one can hide it.

Lu Xiaofeng chose the timing too cleverly.

Although he appears to be alone, everyone present is actually standing behind Lu Xiaofeng, relying not on martial arts skills, but on the code of honor in the martial arts world.

In private, as long as things are done cleanly, that's fine.

The martial arts tournament must maintain a respectable appearance.

Especially those martial arts masters of noble birth.

They represent not themselves, but their families and sects, the reputation accumulated by their families over generations, which must not be tainted in the slightest.

The fake Wu Weiyang thought that by holding a heroes' assembly and reading his will aloud in public, he could use his power to intimidate others. He never expected to be used by Lu Xiaofeng. Neither his confidants nor his superiors would defend him.

Lu Xiaofeng said, "Tell me your superior. This is a martial arts tournament. No one dares to kill someone to silence them. Who would dare to kill you to silence you? Who is the leader of the Azure Dragon Society?"

The imposter Wu Weiyang pleaded, "Master Lu, I only ask to save my life. If you spare my life, I will immediately become a monk, live a life of seclusion and reflect on my mistakes."

Lu Xiaofeng said, "You're an old hand! If you want to save your life, it depends on whether your confession is worthwhile! If you can identify the Twelve Azure Dragons, I'll vouch for your life with my reputation and give you a chance to become a disciple of the Honest Monk."

The fake Wu Weiyang recounted the events with a wry smile.

What mercy or compassion does the Green Dragon Society possess?

Even if Lu Xiaofeng spares his life, and the Phoenix Tail Gang and the Divine Dragon Gang let him go out of respect for Lu Xiaofeng, the Azure Dragon Society will definitely kill him to silence him and make an example of him.

Since I'm going to die sooner or later anyway, I might as well take advantage of the fact that the Azure Dragon Society can't silence me and sell off all the information I know about them.

Begging for mercy is just an excuse.

The purpose was to betray the Green Dragon Society.

This really isn't Wu Weiyang's fault. If the Qinglong Society hadn't been so ruthless and given those who failed in their duties a way out, Wu Weiyang would definitely have put up a stubborn resistance.

Failure to perform one's duties will inevitably lead to death. Since death is inevitable no matter what one does, one must take a few people down with him before dying. Lu Xiaofeng exposes the fake Wu Weiyang's identity. The fake Wu Weiyang certainly harbors resentment towards Lu Xiaofeng, but what he hates most is the Green Dragon Society.

Betraying the Green Dragon Society is something I feel no guilt about!

It can even give you a sense of moral superiority!

The events unfolded much like the brainstorming session Li Zhaoting and Lu Xiaofeng had previously discussed: a scheme to deceive the enemy, first replacing Wu Weiyang, then killing Yun Conglong, thus merging the two factions into one and gaining complete control of the Minjiang River basin.

The Azure Dragon Society dispatched two leaders to carry out this task.

First, the leading sector in April is responsible for generating revenue.

Second, the leader in November was responsible for silencing them.

He stirred up internal conflicts within the Twelve Linked Docks, causing Eagle Eye Seven a great deal of trouble. He bribed the higher-ups of the Divine Dragon Gang to make Yun Conglong feel threatened, forcing Yun Conglong to entrust his son to someone else, find someone to replace Wu Weiyang, and then seize the opportunity to kill Yun Conglong.

The fake Wu Weiyang smiled bitterly: "Master Lu, I don't know the identities of the two leaders. I only know that they are both young gentlemen, and the leader of April is quite special."

He claimed to control the Minjiang River shipping, but in reality, he cared more about the docks and valued the maritime business more.

I overheard a name by chance.

Bat Island!

This island is the private property of the tycoon!

Master Lu, I have betrayed the Azure Dragon Society, and I will surely be silenced by them. You can only protect me for a time, not forever. I have a letter here that records my wife, children, and elderly parents. Please take care of them, Master Lu!
When a person is about to die, his words are also good.

Take care, Master Lu!

The fake Wu Weiyang took out an arrow from his sleeve.

This is the Phoenix Tail Arrow, a family heirloom of the Phoenix Tail Gang.

When the Azure Dragon Society ambushed Wu Weiyang, he used this method to resist the assassination attempt, but unfortunately, all his trusted confidants had been bribed, and he ultimately could not escape being stabbed in the back.

"Azure Dragon Society, I'll fuck your grandma!"

The fake Wu Weiyang plunged an arrow into his heart.

Lu Xiaofeng closed his eyes, unable to bear to look.

The Phoenix Tail Gang and the Divine Dragon Gang were furious. Both gang leaders were dead, killed by the Azure Dragon Society. They knew who the murderer was, but they didn't know how to take revenge.

What will the future hold, and what will they do?
How many Green Dragon Society spies are hidden in the Phoenix Tail Gang?
How many members of the Shenlong Gang have been bribed?

Will the two gangs disband or form an alliance?
If the group disbands, where will they find a way to make a living?

Now that an alliance has been formed, who is qualified to become the leader?

If Lu Xiaofeng were willing to become the leader of the alliance, the disciples of the two major sects would not hesitate to support him. However, Lu Xiaofeng was used to being undisciplined and was not suitable to be the leader of the sect.

At this time of day, the martial arts masters invited to witness would look at each other and smile wryly without saying a word.

Such a scene does not exist today.

Lu Xiaofeng calmed down the agitated gang members.

Gong Jiu watched the show with a smile, thinking about how to kill Lu Xiaofeng, preferably with a single, decisive blow.

Yuan Suiyun and Xiao Ting felt a little bitter; they were both missing out on such a wonderful scene.

When Yuan Suiyun was three years old, she fell seriously ill and became blind, with only endless darkness before her eyes.

Xiao Ting was born blind, but with a memory comparable to Wang Yuyan's, he memorized poems, books, rites, and the Book of Changes, and learned palm techniques and light body skills, becoming a scholar-warrior. Xiao Ting's extensive knowledge made him more than capable of passing the imperial examination.

Unfortunately, there is no Braille in this era.

Xiao Ting possessed vast knowledge of literature, yet he couldn't write a single word; taking the imperial examinations was pure fantasy for him.

The nickname "Scholar-Scholar-Martial Arts Master" praises his mastery of both literature and martial arts, while also containing a hint of mockery.

Lu Xiaofeng dared to cause trouble openly, but he also had the ability to suppress it and directly shift the blame to Mr. Du.

The Phoenix Tail Gang and the Divine Dragon Gang are to be handed over to Mr. Du.

Those who are willing to roam the underworld, join the Canal Gang!

Those willing to join the military will be incorporated into the local navy!
Those who want to go home will receive a severance payment!

It's important to emphasize here that "Grand Canal Gang" and "Salt Gang" are broad concepts, but their core theory can be summarized in four words:

— Stick together for warmth!
The salt gangs were groups of salt workers who banded together for mutual support.

The canal gangs were groups of workers and sailors who banded together for mutual support.

At the very bottom of the social hierarchy, they did the dirtiest and most tiring jobs, barely enough to support their families. Their jobs could be stolen at any time, and their wages could be embezzled at any time. In order to protect their own interests, they gradually formed the Salt Gang and the Canal Gang.

The Salt Gang was divided into three regions: Sichuan, Guanzhong, and Guanwai. Cheng Huaixiu was the leader of the Sichuan Salt Gang and managed the Sichuan Salt Gang, but he had no control over the Guanzhong Salt Gang.

The canal gangs were spread throughout all the major rivers of the Yangtze River. They divided their power according to the river they were on, such as the Yangtze River Canal Gang, the Huaihe River Canal Gang, and the Yellow River Canal Gang. The power that controlled the waterways could call itself the local canal gang and make profits through gang-like structures.

On this side are the livelihoods of millions of canal workers, and on that side are the livelihoods of millions of salt workers. They do dirty and hard work to earn a living. Anyone who dares to make things difficult for them is taking their lives and forcing them to fight for their lives.

Even Shaolin and Wudang dared not provoke the Salt Gang and the Canal Gang.

The imperial court's strategy towards the two major factions was to divide and conquer them.

First, the salt gangs were divided according to region, and then into well gangs, stove gangs, sweat gangs, bamboo shoot gangs, and money gangs. In terms of selling salt, they all became official salt of the imperial court.

The Grand Canal Gang went a step further, becoming too closely connected with the Ministry of Water Resources and the Ministry of Works, essentially acting as the court's mouthpiece.

Mr. Du's job is to deal with pirates.

Now that all three pirate groups have been wiped out, Mr. Du should return to the capital to report on his duties. However, the capital is full of powerful figures, and even with the Empress Dowager's support, he may still fade into obscurity.

Rather than returning to the capital to hold a high-ranking but powerless position, spending his time drinking tea and reading newspapers, he would rather stay in Fuzhou, become the leader of the Minjiang River shipping gang, and be the local tyrant of water transport.

Mr. Du is ambitious, but not very ambitious.

The leader of the Cao Gang was more than enough to satisfy her appetite.

In this way, the Azure Dragon Society's scheme was thwarted, the disciples of the Phoenix Tail Gang and the Divine Dragon Gang had a way out, and Lu Xiaofeng was relieved of his burden. This was a "win-win-win" situation.

With so many winners, where are the losers?
The loser is, of course, the Green Dragon Society.

The newly appointed leader of April made his first big splash, but instead ended up making a fool of himself.

After Lu Xiaofeng completed his mission, he handed over the follow-up matters to Mr. Du. Mr. Du got a great deal for nothing and became the leader of the Minjiang Canal Gang. He was overjoyed. The two cooperated very well and did not give the Green Dragon Society any time. Mr. Du used the fastest speed to identify and send all the undercover agents that the Green Dragon Society had worked so hard to recruit to the guillotine.

This is thanks to Jia Leshan's generous sponsorship.

In an attempt to win over Lu Xiaofeng, Jia Leshan used moral blackmail to force eight beauties upon him.

These beauties were assassins trained by Jia Leshan. After being abandoned by Jia Leshan, they betrayed him without hesitation. Jia Leshan and Shi Tianwang were allies. Shi Tianwang was the April leader of the Qinglong Society. The two sides were engaged in open and covert struggles. The eight beauties knew the Qinglong Society's methods very well.

In just three days, the situation was completely reversed.

The Green Dragon Society spies who had infiltrated the Phoenix Tail Gang and the Divine Dragon Gang were all exposed and treated as Japanese pirate spies. They were escorted to the seaside and beheaded as a warning to the public.

The Shenlong Gang members who participated in resisting the Japanese pirates all had military merits and were incorporated into the local navy.

The remaining members formed the Minjiang Canal Gang, with Mr. Du serving as the gang leader and Aunt Hua as the deputy gang leader. The Phoenix Tail Gang originally belonged to the Twelve Linked Docks and was subordinate to Eagle Eye Seven. However, the Green Dragon Society had previously poached Eagle Eye Seven's members, causing him a lot of trouble. Mr. Du helped deal with the Phoenix Tail Gang disciples, which actually reduced his burden.

Despite the brilliant teamwork of Lu Xiaofeng and Mr. Du, the Green Dragon Society, after all their efforts, failed to gain anything.

Mr. Du invited local merchants to a public meeting of the Canal Gang, where he announced that he was the leader of the Canal Gang.

Lu Xiaofeng retired after achieving his goal and sailed out to sea.

Before his death, the fake Wu Weiyang gave Lu Xiaofeng not the address of his wife and children, but a nautical chart that recorded the Bat Island that the April Dragon Head had worked so hard to build.

No matter how much one trusts Lu Xiaofeng's character, it's impossible to entrust one's wife and children to him. This is not for any other reason than that Lu Xiaofeng's character is very upright, but his personal charm is too strong.

The fake Wu Weiyang was worried that his wife would not be able to control herself.

Anyway, his wife, children, and elderly parents lived in the countryside. If he left them land and property to live a comfortable life, they could be wealthy men without illness or disaster, which was far better than wandering the Jianghu (江湖, the martial arts world).

Lu Xiaofeng is incompatible with water and his greatest fear is seasickness. He shouldn't go to sea, but his identity as the leader of the April Dragon is about to be revealed. How can Lu Xiaofeng resist?

Lu Xiaofeng thought to himself, "I'm traveling on a cargo ship. The ship is loaded with goods, which will reduce the amount of turbulence."

I don't get seasick... I don't get seasick...

Lu Xiaofeng silently hypnotized himself.

The ship was loaded with cargo.

The waterline was pushed to its limit.

The voyage was smooth sailing the entire way.

It didn't feel like sailing at sea at all.

Lu Xiaofeng did not get seasick.

However, Lu Xiaofeng encountered a shipwreck.

A devastating maritime disaster!
(End of this chapter)