Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 445 My Grandfather is the Leader of a Demonic Cult

All causes and conditions are illusions, and the fame and fortune of the court are empty.

Sages grow old amidst weeds, morality is debated in the play.

White dew and frost cover the land, while the millet wine flows coldly.

If you want to understand the meaning of painting, just look at the fragrance of a young woman.

Li Zhaoting stood at the bow of the boat, reciting poems and composing verses.

People sometimes experience a surge of poetic inspiration, their thoughts becoming unrestrained, unconventional, and even rebellious, as if they were a mayfly in the dust one moment and the cosmos the next.

Li Zhaoting was no exception. Life cannot be without swordsmanship, and swordsmanship cannot be without poetry. Swordsmanship without poetry always feels like something is missing.

Reciting poetry helps a swordsman show off.

What's the point of practicing swordsmanship if you're not going to show off?
Even the immortal swordsman who cultivates immortality is not immune to this.

It wasn't that I was suffering from a pretentious, artsy type of illness, but rather that my heightened sensitivity came from a breakthrough in my cultivation. Everything I saw and heard was the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, and the essence of sword light and sword intent.

With both hands outstretched, two water dragons soared into the sky, swirling in mid-air, like two dragons playing with a pearl, emerging from the water, and then scattering into the misty rain of Jiangnan, nourishing things silently.

With a flick of the finger, sword energy surged like a rainbow, scattering in a dazzling display.

She raised an eyebrow, sprayed water droplets, and scattered rainbows.

Raise your hand, and the Azure Dragon emerges from the sea, churning up rivers and seas.

Stomping one's feet calms the sea and brings peace.

The sailors were used to it.

In the eyes of the Sky Eagle Cult sailors, Li Zhaoting was not human at all, but a monster, a demon. Even if Li Zhaoting ascended to heaven, they would at most clap their hands twice.

No matter how good the gods in heaven are, they can't compare to the aroma of a meat bun in your hand. If the one who pays is a big shot, and they're stingy, even gods can't help but be hated by people and ghosts.

Four beautiful women surrounded Li Zhaoting.

The four princesses of the Demonic Sect are truly remarkable, each possessing a top-notch skill. They are proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, playing musical instruments, and singing. There is nothing they cannot do. Li Zhaoting felt as if he had traveled through a thousand years and was drinking and discussing poetry with Cao Pi. The beauties in Li Zhaoting's household were quite similar to the beauties in Cao Pi's harem.

You have Zhen Ji, I have Su Zhen.

You have a queen, I have a victor.

You have four favored concubines, I have four princesses.

You have Ren Wan, and you are as shrewd and impetuous as Ren Shuang.

I possess the Jade Swallow, with the eagle's gaze and the wolf's look.

You have Liu Jin and Liu Pei, like flowers blooming side by side.

I have Phoenix Plum Bamboo, and I'm good at starting group buys.

I also have a female bodyguard who is skilled in wielding weapons!
No matter how you compare them, they are evenly matched. However, based on the sheer number of players, Li Zhaoting has the advantage.

"This life is more comfortable than that of an emperor!"

Li Zhaoting sighed softly for a moment.

Although I despise Gu Ningqing's judgment and think she's losing the big picture for small gains, to be honest, the cultivation method of the Dual Cultivation Sect is very powerful and has excellent healing effects. It restored Li Zhaoting's depleted dantian to fullness, enabling him to activate techniques such as the Great Heaven-Mending Technique and One-Finger Divine Skill to heal, forming a positive cycle and making the recovery speed faster and faster.

As a result, Gongsun Lan, Lan Xiaodie, Wang Yuyan, and Bai Yunfei all developed dark circles under their eyes. The side effects of the Demonic Sect's cultivation method were very obvious, and all four women were weaklings.

Every single one of them failed as soon as it was launched.

Wang Shenglan often needs to come and help.

Gongsun Lan now understood why Wang Shenglan, who was simple-minded and carefree, could keep the four princesses in check and why she could be called a sister by Li Shengnan, a proud and arrogant demonic woman from the demonic sect.

Wang Shenglan: Although I'm not very bright, I'm incredibly strong! Although my martial arts skills came from a divine intervention, I have great stamina! Although I'm not good at thinking, I'm love-struck! All the flaws you imagine are virtues in my husband's eyes. A bunch of weaklings, how dare you criticize your grandma? I'll beat you all with one hand!

Having witnessed Wang Shenglan's formidable power, Gongsun Lan dared not vie for the exclusive right to "Lan'er," and Wang Yuyan dared not vie for the elegant title of "Madam Wang."

Actually, there's nothing to argue about.

"Lan'er" was originally exclusive to Gongsun Lan.

The title "Madam" depends on the environment. With so many wives in the family, they would definitely be distinguished by their surnames.

Otherwise, if someone calls out "Madam Li," who would know who they are calling? Only Feng Suzhen could answer.

Gongsun Lan couldn't help but complain: "I'm really born to be a concubine. In terms of ability and physical strength, I'm suited to be a concubine. The only elegant skill I'm good at is dancing to relieve boredom, which is also a concubine's skill!"

Wang Yuyan frowned slightly: "It's all our fault for misjudging people back then. We were fooled by the leader's few words. The leader has ulterior motives. He truly deserves to be called the leader of the Demonic Sect!"

Lan Xiaodie shrugged: "Don't drag me into this! The three of you are bad at judging people, I had no choice!"

Bai Yunfei was furious upon hearing this: "You didn't have a choice, but did I? If it weren't for you, you crazy woman, insisting on chasing me, would I have been fooled by the leader of the Demonic Sect?"

Lan Xiaodie: "It's my dad's fault!"

Bai Yunfei: "Go beat up your dad!"

Lan Xiaodie: "I can't beat them!"

Bai Yunfei: "Your dad wouldn't bear to hit you!"

Lan Xiaodie: "You, Bai Yunfei, you seem so aloof and detached from worldly affairs, yet you have such a vicious heart, making me bear the infamy of being unfilial!"

Bai Yunfei: "So what? If you're so capable, hit me! If you're not satisfied, let's find a place to fight. With your skills, I'll give you a handicap for the time it takes to brew a cup of tea!"

Lan Xiaodie: "Fine, let's fight! Who's afraid of who! A cup of tea is nothing, I'll give you two cups of tea's time!"

Li Zhaoting suddenly realized that the fight Bai Yunfei and Lan Xiaodie were talking about seemed to be related to him. He couldn't help but twitch his lips, and with a swift movement, he grabbed Wang Shenglan, who was fishing at the bow of the boat, and pulled her into his arms.

Bai Yunfei and Lan Xiaodie were so angry their faces turned green!
The four princesses all serve the Holy Maiden as their master, but the Holy Maiden is also a weakling. The elder sister they fear the most, and who they also envy the most, has always been Wang Shenglan.

Even Li Shengnan felt inferior to Wang Shenglan, let alone the four princesses.

Wang Shenglan proudly raised her chin. As the most important fulcrum of the Li family triangle, Wang Shenglan had absolute authority in a certain aspect, even surpassing Feng Suzhen.

The Changying cruise ship sailed smoothly and calmly.

I encountered no assassins or pirates; the peace was almost unbearable, making me lament my failed fishing attempt.

It's not Li Zhaoting's fault for being bad at the game.

The story of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" has similar cases throughout history and across cultures. It might work once or twice, but if you use a straight hook to fish too often, it's unlikely to fool anyone.

People in the martial arts world have far less faith in the claim that "Li Zhaoting is seriously injured" than in the claim that "Li Zhaoting has become a monk." They would rather believe that Li Zhaoting has achieved enlightenment and become a monk than believe that he is seriously injured...

Li Zhaoting: ┓(`)┏

The story of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" still has some meaning!

At least it can drive away a lot of boring flies.

Here's a question: what exactly is becoming a monk/nun?

How could Li Zhaoting possibly become a monk?

Theoretically speaking, it is possible.

With numerous wives and concubines at home and countless beauties outside, his kidneys were overworked, and he gradually gained new insights.

Wen Liangong, the most dashing chief镖师 (bodyguard/escort) in all the heavens and myriad realms, once said that when he was around forty years old, a friend he used to meet every morning never appeared again.

Therefore, there are some unique skills that you absolutely must learn!

For example: Golden Snake Swimming Palm, Piercing Dragon Claw Hand, Five Luo Light Smoke Palm, Orchid Flicking Acupoint Hand, One-Finger Divine Skill, Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill (partially enhanced version)...

Li Zhaoting held Wang Shenglan in one arm and took the wine glass handed to him by Mei Zhu with the other. He closed his eyes comfortably, feeling that life was truly carefree and joyful.

……

"Have you heard? The leader of the Heavenly Gang, Hero Li, wreaked havoc at the Guandong Martial Arts Conference, wiping out three thousand soldiers with a single sword strike, and destroying more than a dozen martial arts sects of the Qing Dynasty!"

"Have you heard? Hero Li slew 30,000 Manchu cavalry and wiped out 30 sects with a single sword strike!"

"Have you heard? The Manchu martial arts world held a martial arts conference in Guandong, and Master Li wiped them all out! More than a hundred martial arts sects, not a single one was spared!"

"Have you heard? Master Li has annihilated..."

"My God, this is the Jiazi Tai Sui!"

"My God, this is the reincarnation of Yama, the King of Hell!"

"My goodness, this is the White Tiger Star Lord!"

"My God, that's Venus!"

"Your news is outdated. What kind of martial arts news is this? Have you heard? Master Li married the Holy Maiden of the Demonic Sect and the four princesses of the Demonic Sect. He's incredibly lucky with women. What Jiazi Tai Sui? He's clearly the reincarnation of the Red Phoenix Star."

"Did Master Li marry five beauties?"

"Did Master Li marry all the beauties of the Demonic Sect?"

"Did Master Li steal the Qing emperor's harem?"

"Master Li got beaten up by his wife!"

"Master Li was beaten by his wife for three days!"

"Master Li is to be forced to kneel in the ancestral hall for three days and three nights!"

Just as Master Li returned to the shore, he thought he would hear praise, but to his utter surprise, the rumors spread too fast. The story of how one sword could defeat a million soldiers was far less attractive than romantic escapades, and even less captivating than the roar of a shrew. With various storytellers adding fuel to the fire and fabricating stories out of thin air, Li Zhaoting was so angry that his face turned purple!
It's not the storyteller's fault.

The primary responsibility lies with Li Zhaoting himself.

Storytellers need to eat and support their families, so they have to tell sensational stories. The story of Li Zhaoting's viciousness and the destruction of his family has been told hundreds of times. Where are the listeners anymore? Who wants to hear about the Jiazi Tai Sui killing people?
People want to hear more about Jiazi Tai Sui picking up girls, and they want to hear more about Jiazi Tai Sui being fiercely suppressed by Hedong Shilu!

Storytelling and crosstalk are among the lowest of the low in the world. To make a living, they can make up any kind of joke, and Sun Tianji is no exception.

Li Zhaoting has been portrayed for a long time, and the standard rumors in the martial arts world are that he is a demon king, a tyrant, and a fierce god who is eight feet tall, has an eight-foot waist, a blue face and fangs, loves to eat children, and sleeps with several women at night.

Li Zhaoting was already used to it.

Feng Suzhen felt dizzy. She was clearly a virtuous wife who managed the household well, was generous and kind, but inexplicably she had become a volatile and easily angered shrew. Who could stand this?
The Demon-Subduing Harp can control one's inner emotions; when Feng Suzhen is enraged, no one dares to confront her directly.

Even Li Shengnan had to give way.

Li Zhaoting dared not be careless, watching Feng Suzhen with trepidation, worried that he would be beaten into a corner by the mighty swordsmanship of the eldest wife. After much effort, he managed to coax Feng Suzhen back to her side, and the six disciples who had been abandoned in Mangshan returned.

Faced with six resentful disciples, Li Zhaoting soared into the sky, running faster than a rabbit. Just as he reached the gate, he unexpectedly encountered Zhu Danchen.

"Brother Zhu, what brings you here? Could it be a delegation from Dali? Who is leading the delegation?"

Li Zhaoting thought to himself that Feng Suzhen would give him face in front of outsiders, and the child wouldn't be so naughty. As if he had seen a savior, he immediately invited Zhu Danchen home.

Zhu Danchen had been there for several days, but Li Zhaoting never showed up. He spent his days in the teahouse listening to Li Zhaoting's stories of burning, killing, looting, and beating up Yu Luosha.

How did the story of "beating up Jade Rakshasa" come about?

If Li Zhaoting couldn't defeat Yu Luosha, why would Yu Luosha betroth the Holy Maiden and the Princess to him?
Even my own father wouldn't be this affectionate!

Could it be that Yu Luosha is Li Zhaoting's biological grandfather?

The love between grandparents and grandchildren is the truest kind of love!

In a family, a grandson is never treated like a grandson. The only one who can influence a grandson's status is a great-grandson. The younger generation always receives love and attention.

At a certain age, you can walk into the yard, look at the chickens, ducks, and geese, point to whichever one you want to eat!
Zhu Danchen had heard dozens of rumors, and when he finally saw Li Zhaoting, he was so excited that he almost cried.

"Lord Prince Consort..."

"Fourth Brother Zhu, that's not the right way to address you!"

"Just tell me, isn't that right!"

"Uh... yes!"

“That’s right, Your Highness. Dali did indeed send a delegation to the Song Dynasty, and you are the leader of the delegation. There is a very troublesome matter that only Your Highness can resolve.”

"Tenryu-ji Temple has been targeted?"

Li Zhaoting casually made up a witty remark.

"how do you know?"

Zhu Danchen was stunned.

"You really got picked on? Are you kidding me?"

"The Demonic Sect Leader, Jade Rakshasa..."

"Has Jade Rakshasa lost her mind? Go beat her son if you have nothing better to do! Why are you bullying an old monk!"

"He did it for the Heavenly Wrath Sword."

"What would he want the Heavenly Wrath Sword for? Yan Beifei, the strongest swordsman of the Demonic Sect, has a wife, children, and a warm bed. He doesn't want to touch a sword again in this lifetime. Does the Demonic Sect have any other swordsmen?"

Li Zhaoting twitched his lips. Could it be that Yu Luosha wanted to compensate her children and grandchildren by stealing precious swords everywhere?

The Heavenly Wrath Sword is too unlucky; it can easily kill your whole family!
Zhu Danchen smiled wryly: "I don't know!"

Rumors circulated in the martial arts world that Yu Luosha had been assassinated, and that demons were vying for the Luosha token. At that moment, Yu Luosha silently appeared at Tianlong Temple in Dali, beat up the old monk guarding the Heavenly Wrath Sword, and said, "I've taken the Heavenly Wrath Sword. Tell them to reveal it to the outside world in a month. If there are any problems, go to Li Zhaoting for help. Li Zhaoting will help you clean up the mess."

Tianlong Temple dared not offend Yu Luosha, so it closed its mountain gates and blocked the news while sending an envoy to the capital to seek help under the pretext of celebrating the submission of Yan and Yun.

Zhu Danchen looked at Li Zhaoting with resentment.

Given Li Zhaoting's reputation in the martial arts world, the ferocious and menacing Jiazi Tai Sui, and his unparalleled swordsmanship that can sweep away thousands of troops, there seems to be a seven or eight-tenths degree of compatibility between him and the Heavenly Wrath Sword.

Li Zhaoting's face was full of black lines.

—I really don't want the Heavenly Wrath Sword!

Who would want to carry Conan around with them?!
—In Conan, at most two or three people die in an episode, but it won't hurt the people around him. When the Heavenly Wrath Sword goes berserk, it can kill anyone. The sword master is the nourishment for the sword.

Is Jade Rakshasa senile?
Don't you want to hold your great-grandchild?
Li Zhaoting rubbed his temples and asked Meizhu to serve Zhu Danchen a bowl of plum juice: "Fourth Brother Zhu, the emperor is understanding. It doesn't matter if the Heavenly Wrath Sword is lost. Anyway, it's not a good thing, so the emperor won't blame us."

Zhu Danchen thought to himself, "I'm not worried about that. With Zhao Zhen's personality, he would never make things difficult for Dali. But the precious sword that Zhao Kuangyin asked Dali to protect is gone. If the Dali Duan family suffers a calamity in the future, will the Song Dynasty send someone to help them?"

Zhu Danchen's concerns were completely unnecessary.

What calamities could the Duan family of Dali possibly face?
A powerful minister rebels?

This is indeed true. The problem is that after the powerful minister rebelled, he found that being the emperor was not as comfortable as being a powerful minister. When he was a powerful minister, he was domineering and tyrannical, but when he was the emperor, he became a subservient figure. In a fit of anger, the powerful minister returned the throne to the Duan family.

The throne of the Dali Duan family was like a besieged city.

Those who have never been emperors dream of being one.

Emperors dream of becoming monks.

A powerful minister who causes trouble for the emperor every day needs to be persuaded to clean up the mess.

As for the risk of national annihilation...

This worry is too far in the past. Even if we put up Zhao Kuangyin's yellow robe, it would be of no use, let alone guarding the Heavenly Wrath Sword that Zhao Kuangyin repeatedly instructed us to keep.
"Brother Zhu, how about this? I'll offer the Tathagata Divine Light as a betrothal gift. The Tathagata Divine Light can be practiced separately. It's easier to get started than the Six Meridians Divine Sword. They're both sword and finger techniques and have similarities. Once you reach my father-in-law's level, you can learn one or two moves. Master Kurong was able to learn all eight moves!"

"Your Highness, you misunderstand. I am not here to ask for betrothal gifts. I just find something strange. Dali has never had any connection with the Demonic Sect. Why is Jade Rakshasa here..."

"He has Alzheimer's disease; he's mentally ill!"

"Will Jade Rakshasa return the sword?"

"will not!"

"You really beat up Jade Rakshasa?"

"What a joke. Yu Luosha hit me like he was beating his grandson. He has a lot on his plate. The thing he's been busiest about in recent years is seeing his great-grandson."

"Does Jade Rakshasa have a great-grandson?"

"His grandson is working on this!"

Li Zhaoting took out some snacks from his purse.

Rock sugar and goji berries.

It tastes similar to candied hawthorn!
Zhu Danchen left, looking completely bewildered.

Li Zhaoting found Li Nanxing as quickly as possible.

"Dad, I have something to ask you."

"Close the door!"

Li Nanxing was writing a memorial to the throne. The situation in Yanyun was very complicated and could not be resolved in a short time.

The Four Constables worked tirelessly to catch thieves. Wuqing was so exhausted that his eyes rolled back, Tieshou had deep eye bags, Zhuiming had backaches, leg cramps, and Lengxue was always on the job despite his injuries. After months of working overtime, they barely managed to ease the situation in Yanyun.

At the same time, Qi Shaoshang took decisive action, subjugating eight mountain strongholds and establishing a new underworld order.

To be honest, if the Guandong Martial Arts Conference hadn't caused such a mess and made people in the martial arts world wary of it, Zhuge Zhengwo would have loved to hold a Yanyun Martial Arts Conference and elect Qi Shaoshang as the leader.

Li Nanxing racked his brains, trying to come up with a solution.

If there's really no other way, then exile Li Zhaoting to Yanyun and have him sweep through the martial arts world of Yanyun several times.

Li Nanxing looked up and saw Li Zhaoting sitting upright. He laughed and said, "You little rascal, you should be able to guess the relationship between our family and the leader of the Demonic Sect, right?"

Li Zhaoting said, "I guessed it! Only my grandfather could have acted this way towards me, given how the leader of the Demonic Sect treats me."

Why couldn't you guess that before?

"The age doesn't match! You're much older than Yu Tianbao, and I've never been able to figure it out."

"Now you've figured it out?"

"I ran into a fortune teller on the street!"

Yu Luosha created a cross-cutting montage, cutting the two timelines apart and then reassembling them.

The birth of a child and the serious illness of the sect leader's wife are two completely different events, but through Yu Luosha's skillful editing, they are turned into one.

—The cult leader's wife died in childbirth!

Difficult childbirth is the most unavoidable form of death.

Even a thousand years later, there are still several very dangerous diseases that claim the lives of pregnant women.

This cannot be solved by external conditions such as wealth, power, or status; it can only be solved by luck.

What is the correct order?

First, the leader's wife was pregnant. Yu Luosha claimed that the wife was seriously ill and had been sent to Medicine King Valley for treatment. She was accompanied by only two or three maids, and outsiders had no way of knowing this.

Second, give the child to a trusted subordinate.

III. Medicine King Valley announced that the leader's wife had recovered.

IV. Many years later, the leader's wife fell ill with a serious disease, and Medicine King Valley said it was helpless.
Fifth, publicly announce that his wife is pregnant, change the cause of death from illness to death from difficult childbirth, and adopt Yu Tianbao;

Sixth, out of guilt towards her child, Yu Luosha secretly helped Li Nanxing overcome certain difficulties, helped Li Nanxing complete his plan, and cultivated several granddaughters-in-law. Once her grandson came of age, she immediately arranged for the granddaughters-in-law to go on blind dates.
In this way, no one can deduce who Yu Luosha's child is based on Yu Tianbao's age. Everyone knows that Yu Tianbao is fake, but the real one can never be found.

With Li Zhaoting's rise to fame through his swordsmanship, it might be possible to analyze the backgrounds of Li Nanxing and Li Zhaoting, but Li Zhaoting's martial arts skills are too high, so even if we knew, we would pretend not to know.

No one mentions this matter. Li Zhaoting has always been a chivalrous knight-errant. If we have to expose this, Li Zhaoting is not Xiao Feng or Gu Zhihua. Yu Luosha is a tyrannical demon who wipes out entire families as if it were child's play.

Yu Luosha's plan was not very complicated. Everyone who coveted the Demonic Sect knew that Yu Tianbao was a fake, but the more they focused on Yu Tianbao and the more they calculated based on Yu Tianbao's age, the safer Li Nanxing would be.

"Dad, who is your protector?"

"you guess."

"No clues, can't guess!"

"A wandering monk!"

(End of this chapter)