Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 420 King Meets King: Feng Suzhen VS Li Shengnan (Part 1)
The Guandong Martial Arts Tournament is being held in Jinzhou!
Li Xia also happens to be in "Jinzhou". Her hometown is a village called "Qingniwa".

The martial arts tournament was held by the sea in a body of water called "Dalian Bay". Apart from the masters who had long since surrendered to the Manchus, there were three major gangs.

The master of the Upper Heaven Palace is named Ge Ying. He is extremely ugly and is nicknamed "Ghost-Faced Gentleman". He has a senior brother, "The Strangest of the Western Heaven" Mo Laojia!

The Twelve Commanders of the Universe, led by the supreme commander Tie Haitang, possessed superb martial arts skills and great ambition. With numerous experts under his command, he was arguably the number one underworld force and a powerful figure in the martial arts world during the Qing Dynasty.

The leader of the Tianlong Gang is named Su Penghai. He is arrogant, domineering, and thinks he is the only one who matters. He is determined to win the position of leader of the alliance at this martial arts conference.

The other sects with grandmasters in charge either submitted to the imperial court early on and became imperial guards, or they were reclusive sects with almost no records in the martial arts world.

According to casino odds analysis, the three most likely to seize the position of leader are Ge Ying, Tie Haitang, and Su Penghai. Other minor figures can only follow along and cheer, with the leader eating meat and the underlings drinking soup.

This unique Jianghu structure led to numerous alliances among the small families and clans of the Manchu Qing dynasty, with a total of at least seven or eight hundred small sects.

Li Zhaoting saw a familiar name

Diancang School!
The Diancang Sect's headquarters is located in Yunnan. It is a sect that is neither too big nor too small, neither too strong nor too weak. Its overall strength is similar to that of the Songshan Sect. Twenty-five years ago, the disciples of the Diancang Sect's leader established a branch in the Manchu Qing Dynasty.

That's complete bullshit!
One is in Yunnan, and the other is in Northeast China. The two places are tens of thousands of miles apart, and even carrier pigeons cannot deliver messages between them. This is not called establishing a branch, but rather being exiled to Ningguta.

Today, only two people remain at the branch.

A few months ago, the two of them couldn't make ends meet anymore and were recruited by the Red Flower Society, becoming its leaders. Li Zhaoting thought to himself that he could borrow the name of the Diancang School!

They didn't even need to change their disguise mask.

The leader of the Diancang branch, Yi Yangzi, bears a striking resemblance to Yan Beifei. With the sect in decline and few familiar faces around, Li Zhaoting dons a patched Taoist robe and applies old-age makeup to his mask, thus transforming into "Yi Yangzi."

Gongsun Lan changed into a Taoist robe and disguised herself as a Taoist companion.

Yi Yangzi was over forty years old and in good health. It was perfectly reasonable for him to find a Daoist partner, and no one would question it.

The two made up their minds, changed their appearance, bought two skinny donkeys, and rode them to Jinzhou to participate in the martial arts tournament. They tore off a tattered cloth as a flag and paraded through the city, looking extremely disheveled.

The closer they got to Jinzhou, the more martial arts masters they encountered along the way, and Li Zhaoting retracted his previous assessment.

I thought the martial arts world of the Qing Dynasty was stagnant, with no famous sects and only small families sticking together for warmth. But as I walked along, apart from the three sects with the highest odds, I also encountered more than a dozen masters, and five or six grandmasters. However, most of these grandmasters were solitary, and the one with the strongest martial arts was a nun.

The old nun was in her eighties or nineties, exuding an aura of decay, seemingly suffering from a terminal illness. She sat in a luxurious sedan chair, with a beautiful woman serving her beside her.

Li Zhaoting recognized the two men at a glance.

The beautiful woman was Shen Aoshuang, Tie Haitang's wife.

The nun was Shen Aoshuang's master, the abbess of Kuzhu Nunnery. She had been famous throughout the world for sixty years. Thirty years ago, she contracted a strange illness and recuperated at Kuzhu Nunnery.

Unless faced with a life-or-death situation, Abbot Kuzhu never leaves easily. It must have been at his disciple's request that Abbot Kuzhu come here to be a support for his son-in-law.

Gongsun Lan asked in a low voice, "Master, who is that old nun? Just a casual glance from her made me feel shaken to my core, as if I had been pierced by a sword. I dared not look her in the eye. This person is far stronger than Sun Jiang!"

Li Zhaoting explained, "There is no fixed number of the strongest swordsmen throughout history. However, with certain conditions, the female swordsman with the highest talent, the most mysterious experiences, and the most agile swordsmanship throughout history has long been a topic of discussion in the martial arts world."

"Is the Master referring to the Yue Goddess Sword?"

"Jinling Academy has a couplet that encourages learning!"
Where there's a will, there's a way; with a do-or-die spirit, the mighty Qin Pass ultimately fell to Chu.
Hard work pays off; with perseverance and determination, three thousand Yue soldiers were able to conquer Wu.
The Yue woman A Qing was given a divine sword by heaven. Before she was even twenty years old, she used a bamboo stick to kill three thousand Yue soldiers, wounding them but not killing them. She regarded thousands of soldiers and horses as nothing.

Such divine swords are truly something to aspire to.

Legend has it that Fan Li encountered A Qing by chance and invited her to train the soldiers of Yue. These soldiers gleaned only a tiny fraction of the essence of A Qing's swordsmanship, and their swordsmanship improved dramatically.

After the war between Wu and Yue, some soldiers passed down their swordsmanship, which was passed down for thousands of years and formed the Yue Maiden Sword, which was quite popular in the Jiangnan region. Unfortunately, only a few fragments remain.

That old nun was the abbess of Kuzhu Nunnery. Her ancestor was a gifted soldier from the Yue Kingdom who had mastered four or five tenths of the Yue Maiden Sword Intent. After experiencing battles, he improved the sword techniques and passed down the Bamboo Shadow Swaying Sword Technique.

Having been passed down and evolved over a thousand years, this Bamboo Shadow Sword Technique is both exquisitely beautiful and fiercely lethal.

Although it has long deviated from the true meaning of Yue Nu Sword, from the perspective of martial arts combat and sect inheritance, Yue Nu Sword is too difficult and has too high entry requirements, so few martial artists can practice it. On the contrary, it is not as good as Bamboo Shadow Sword Technique.

The wonder of the Bamboo Shadow Swaying Sword Technique surpasses even the Kunlun Flying Dragon Nine Styles, the Bashan Returning Wind and Dancing Willow Sword Technique, and the Wudang Yin-Yang Divine Sword. It is also comparable to the Huashan Qingfeng Thirteen Styles and the Cihang Jingzhai Cihang Sword Manual.

If it were the original Yue Goddess Sword, as she gets older and experiences more, she would be unable to maintain a clear and pure heart, and her swordsmanship might deteriorate.

This modified version of the Bamboo Shadow Sword Technique is a martial arts sword technique used in the Jianghu (江湖, martial arts world) and a sword technique passed down through sects. The Abbot of the Dry Bamboo Hermitage has cultivated it diligently for sixty years, so one can imagine his level of skill.

Excluding the imperial guards, among all martial artists in the Manchu Jianghu, there are no more than five who are stronger than the Abbot of Kuzhu Nunnery. Due to her illness, she can only make a maximum of ten moves.

To fight her, you must fight to the death!

Li Zhaoting gestured casually.

Li Zhaoting debuted using a bamboo sword and has gained considerable understanding of it, resulting in some naturally awkward sword techniques.

To unleash the full power of swordsmanship, one needs the purity and clarity of a young person, but the drawback is insufficient internal strength.

To accumulate profound inner strength, one needs to experience the turbulent world of martial arts, and may very well lose one's childlike innocence.

One-track mind becomes a double-edged sword!
The Yue Maiden Sword is a sword technique belonging to unparalleled geniuses.

The Yue Maiden Swordplay and the Bamboo Shadow Swordplay of the Abbot of Kuzhu Temple, which are popular in Jiangnan, are the mainstream of the martial arts world.

Gongsun Lan asked curiously, "Master, the Abbess of Kuzhu Nunnery is seriously ill, old and frail, and cannot endure a long battle. She should use her lightness skill to dodge. Why are you risking your life against her?"

Do you know why you lost to Shengnan?

"The saintess is better at risking her life than I am."

"That's right, you like to take shortcuts too much and lack the ruthlessness of a top martial artist. The Bamboo Shadow Sword Technique is a unique skill that can rival the Cihang Sword Manual and the Nine Great Soul-Slaying Techniques."

Lan'er, I'm going to use the Nine Great Soul-Slaying Techniques against you. Do you dare to back down? One step back means one step back. How many moves can you withstand if you lose the initiative?

Even if Chu Liuxiang and Lu Xiaofeng were to face the sword of the Master of Kuzhu Nunnery, they would have to find a way to counterattack instead of simply dodging and letting the Master of Kuzhu Nunnery build up his strength.

If you use your lightness skill to dodge, the Abbot of Kuzhu Nunnery will use the first nine moves to build up his momentum before unleashing it completely!

It's no use telling you!
You can't shake your habit of taking shortcuts!

Li Zhaoting pinched Gongsun Lan's nose.

Gongsun Lan said coquettishly, "I have no intention of becoming the number one martial artist in the world, so why should I risk my life to fight others? They say that when choosing a wife, one should choose virtue, and when choosing a concubine, one should choose beauty. With my face, I was born to be a concubine, so why should I compete for it?"

"Gongsun Lan, are you implying that the first wife is less attractive than you? How dare you!"

A voice reached Gongsun Lan's ears.

Gongsun Lan shuddered in fright, mechanically turning her head to see the smiling Feng Suzhen.

During the case of the Great Thief of Cuizhu, Gongsun Lan fought with Feng Suzhen and was brutally beaten by the eldest daughter-in-law. She still has psychological trauma and how dare she face Feng Suzhen directly.
"Sister, I know I was wrong!"

Gongsun Lan looked timidly at Feng Suzhen, revealing a cowardly and submissive appearance. Feng Suzhen glanced at Li Zhaoting and pointed to the inn next door!
The three immediately separated, and half an hour later, they circled around to the inn, where Feng Suzhen had been waiting for a long time.

"Sister, please have some tea!"

Gongsun Lan poured Feng Suzhen a cup of tea.

Feng Suzhen took the teacup and looked at Gongsun Lan with a half-smile. Gongsun Lan put away her charming demeanor and put on a gentle, watery smile, adopting the posture of a timid wife.

"The tea is good!"

Feng Suzhen took a sip of tea, put down her teacup, and grabbed Li Zhaoting: "My lord, you are such a womanizer! You said you were going to Mangshan to pay respects to your predecessors, but then you turned around and left your six disciples to go to Guanzhong, giving me a little sister."

Gongsun Lan quickly tried to smooth things over: "Sister! This is not Master's fault. It was I who begged you to investigate the case. My aunt was murdered and my cousin was kidnapped. The Divine Gun Society is hiding demons and evil spirits. Without your help, even if I had thirty years, I would not have been able to find the murderer."

Feng Suzhen said, "Since we're like sisters, there's no need to be so polite. It's only right that I help you investigate the case. You didn't come to Jinzhou just to investigate a case, did you?"

Li Zhaoting took out a stack of files: "My father sent me to disrupt the Guandong Martial Arts Tournament and help Shengnan seize the Rakshasa Token. I said long ago that the Jade Rakshasa was destined to be assassinated, and I was right!"

Feng Suzhen reached into her bosom and pulled out a handwritten letter from Li Nanxing: "I've been ordered to come and cause trouble for you."

"How many leads has the Imperial City Guard uncovered?"

"There are too many messy clues and various intelligence reports, most of which are just speculations. The only thing that can be confirmed is that this martial arts tournament is a conspiracy by the Manchus to target the Wanyan clan."

"We can try a different approach."

"What idea?"

"What is the winner's prize? Besides the empty title of martial arts alliance leader, what else can they get?"
Miraculous elixirs, divine weapons, martial arts manuals, official positions and titles, fame and fortune, and betrothal to beautiful women—if not all of them, then at least two or three should be available, right?
To date, there is no relevant information.

All I know is that the host of this martial arts tournament is Cao Xiong, the chief of the Imperial Guards. He is a member of the imperial family, a direct descendant of the Aisin Gioro clan, and is highly regarded by Emperor Qianlong.

Other rumors, such as Fukang'an setting up an ambush to capture Wanyan's clan and Heshen and Zhongtang offering huge rewards, seem to exist only as rumors.

Emperor Qianlong was not a stingy person.

How could they possibly just give him an empty title?
With so many sect elders, underworld tycoons, and wandering martial artists, who would risk their life for a mere reputation?

I think this is a series of elaborate schemes. Those involved are often confused, while bystanders see things clearly.

We'll divide the plan into two steps.

I participated in the martial arts competition as a member of the Diancang Sect.

The lady sought out Chu Liuxiang and Lu Xiaofeng to investigate the case.

Chu Liuxiang may not be able to find out the mastermind behind the scenes, and Lu Xiaofeng may not be able to find out the truth of the case, but the two of them will definitely be able to make a mess of the martial arts tournament.

Any meticulously planned scheme that lasts for years and is fraught with cunning will be thrown into chaos and fail inexplicably when it encounters these two troublemakers.

We'll feign an attack while secretly advancing, helping Sheng Nan obtain the Rakshasa Token and see what the Demonic Sect's scheme is all about.

What do you think, my wife?

Li Zhaoting reached out and hugged the two women.

Feng Suzhen leaned against Li Zhaoting's chest naturally and comfortably. Gongsun Lan glanced at her, then her face was full of charm, and she refused to say a word of opinion.

Where is Li Shengnan?

"We haven't arrived yet!"

How many people are vying for the Rakshasa talisman?

"The three guardian elders of the Demonic Sect, Ge Shutian, the leader of the Martial Might Hall of the Demonic Sect, and Flying Jade Tiger of the Black Tiger Gang."

Where is Li Xia?

"Qingniwa, a giant wine vat!"

How will you maintain your fake identity?

"Ask the Red Flower Society for help."

"Very well, since Sister Shengnan came into the family, I haven't met her yet, and I feel it's somewhat impolite of me!"

Feng Suzhen looked down at Gongsun Lan.

Gongsun Lan buried her head in Li Zhaoting's arms like an ostrich burying its head in the sand, thinking to herself that the struggle for the first wife was too fierce, and that if she rashly got involved, she would be caught in the crossfire.

Instead of thinking about eating meat, you might as well drink the soup.

Gongsun Lan is unaware that following Li Shengnan will not only allow her to drink soup, but also to eat meat in large quantities!

When they entered the inn, there was one man and two women. When they left, there was one man and four women. The man was dressed in white, spotless, and sat in a sedan chair. The four beauties gently lifted the sedan chair. This distinctive mode of transportation proved that the person in the sedan chair was a learned scholar, a person with severe mysophobia, and a master of hidden weapons... the Unmarked Gentleman!
The Unmarked Gentleman, whose real name is unknown, is a germaphobe. He is knowledgeable and omniscient in everything from astronomy and geography to medicine, divination, astrology, agriculture, irrigation, and machinery.

Legend has it that when the Master Wuhen goes out, his feet never touch the ground; he is always carried in a sedan chair by four beautiful women.

This has piqued people's curiosity.

Where did the other two beauties come from?
One is Wang Shenglan, and the other is Lan Fenghuang.

Soldiers against soldiers, generals against generals, kings never meet.

Li Shengnan has four princesses under her command.

Feng Suzhen naturally had to gather all her sisters.

Even Jiang Yuyan and Mei Zhu were brought out and left at the Imperial City Division branch to be responsible for communication.

Feng Suzhen VS Li Shengnan!
Lan Fenghuang, Wang Shenglan, Mei Zhu, and Jiang Yuyan are responsible for dealing with the four princesses. Anyone with eyes can see that the so-called four princesses of the Demonic Sect are actually four dowry maids!

Li Zhaoting really wanted to crawl under the table!
What should we do about our home?

There's going to be chaos at home!
Thinking of the swordsman and the pipa princess from the Western Regions, and then of Cheng Huaixiu, the leader of the Salt Gang, Li Zhaoting suddenly felt an impulse of profound enlightenment, and a Buddha-like light shone from his body.

May Heaven bless me, I am willing to exchange five hundred years of cultivation for two indestructible iron kidneys!

In fact, due to Wuhen Gongzi's aloof personality and seldom seeing people, people in the martial arts world misunderstand him.

Wuhen Gongzi was clearly a man who loved and cherished flowers. He believed that beauties were made of water and flesh, so how could he let them be sweaty sedan chair carriers? The sedan chair had a hidden mechanism with gear transmission inside, similar to a bicycle. Wuhen Gongzi pedaled inside, carrying four beauties on his journey.

In crowded places, four beauties carry a sedan chair.

In a secluded spot, the beauty sat on the sedan chair while the carefree young master inside pedaled with great effort!

This matter cannot be discussed in detail.

Even if I told you, no one would believe me!
……

Li Xia's residence is very easy to find.

Because Li Xia only knows how to do one type of business.

—Open a casino!

The largest, most luxurious, and most interesting casino in Qingniwa was opened by Li Xia. Li Xia loves money, she loves money very, very much, and she needs a lot of money.

Li Xia has a younger brother who is both intelligent and mentally challenged, named Li Shentong. He is mentally challenged, dull and dazed, and his behavior is both crazy and silly. However, he is an expert in both calligraphy and painting, and can also appraise antiques and paintings. He is known in the art world as the "Mad Painting Saint".

Even Ji Xiaolan, a famous scholar of the Qing Dynasty, praised Li Shentong, lamenting that heaven was jealous of talent. He said that if Li Shentong had not been mentally ill, he might have been able to rival Tang Bohu. After receiving this evaluation, Li Shentong's paintings became even more valuable, and a single painting could sell for thousands of taels of silver.

Some say that it is precisely because Li Shentong is mentally challenged and has a completely different perspective on issues than ordinary people that he is able to create paintings full of passion and poetry. If Li Shentong were to recover from his mental illness, he might never be able to pick up a brush again.

Li Xia thought to herself, so what if I can't pick up a pen? I can earn money; I don't need my brother to sell paintings to make a living.

Gongsun Lan and Wang Shenglan entered the casino and saw Li Shentong laughing and joking inside. He was wearing a long, pointed, green hat with the words "Number One Prodigy in the World" written on it, and his eyes were looking around.

Upon seeing the two beauties, he immediately moved closer.

"Who are these two older sisters?"

"We are the concubines of Young Master Wuhen, and we want to do business with your sister. Where is Li Xia?"

As the leader of the Red Shoes gang, Gongsun Lan was most skilled at dealing with underworld forces such as casinos and brothels. She pulled out a stack of silver notes to prove that her family was rich and powerful.

Li Shentong took a few careful glances.

He was skilled in painting and appraising antiques, so he naturally knew how to identify disguise masks. However, Gongsun Lan and Wang Shenglan were not wearing disguise masks, but only white veils.

No matter how much Li Shentong observed, examined, and analyzed, he couldn't find the slightest flaw. After a while, a beautiful woman with a captivating charm and a wolf-like allure walked into the inner room and gently beckoned him. Instantly, Li Shentong became a sycophant, clinging to the woman and clamoring for candy.

Her name is Chen Jingjing, and she is Li Xia's right-hand woman.

Chen Jingjing said, "Why don't you show yourself when our distinguished guest arrives? This is not the way to do business!"

Gongsun Lan sneered: "You must be Chen Jingjing, right? My young master is so noble, how could he set foot in such a filthy place? We came in to talk business, and if we don't take three or four baths when we get back, he won't let us into the bedroom!"

Chen Jingjing wasn't angry. The Unmarked Young Master had a very, very serious case of mysophobia and never touched the ground. If he came in to discuss business, it would only prove that he was a fake.

Chen Jingjing smiled slightly: "Distinguished guests, my wife is waiting for you in the back mountain. It's a beautiful place with clear waters and lush mountains, far from the hustle and bustle of the world, a true paradise!"

Gongsun Lan nodded: "Lead the way!"

Chen Jingjing held up one finger: "My wife is only after money and doesn't want to offend anyone. There's something I need to make clear beforehand: if you want to fight, please settle your grudges outside. We are a small family and can't afford to offend experts like you, but we can destroy the Rakshasa Token!"

Wang Shenglan scoffed, "The Rakshasa Token is carved from ten-thousand-year-old cold jade, impervious to swords and spears, and immune to water and fire. It took Asura Child, the founder of the Western Regions Demonic Sect and the supreme grandmaster of the Myriad Demons Without Limits, three years to complete its carving. Do you have the ability to destroy the Rakshasa Token?"

Chen Jingjing said, "Destroying the Rakshasa amulet doesn't necessarily mean turning it into pieces. We can bury it deep in the mountains and forests, or throw it into rivers and seas, so that no one can find it. Isn't that also a form of destruction?"

Gongsun Lan asked, "You just said that there was more than one company that wanted to buy the Rakshasa brand, and that there had been a fight. You don't know who was involved in the fight. Please tell us the details."

Gongsun Lan handed over a silver note.

Chen Jingjing casually dismissed her subordinates, uttering seven words: "Li Shengnan, the Holy Maiden of the Demonic Sect!"

"Li Shengnan has arrived?"

Gongsun Lan was startled.

"Not only did she come, but a fight broke out. She killed three leaders of the Black Tiger Gang. She came without a single penny, but now she has 300,000 taels of gold."

"The saintess has done a great business!"

Wang Shenglan subconsciously made a sarcastic remark.

"There's no faster way to make money than by robbing. Thank you for coming all this way to deliver the money. I can't wait."

Li Shengnan appeared quietly behind her.

The battle between kings has officially begun!
(End of this chapter)