Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 511 The Azure Dragon Society is coming to lend a hand (Bonus Chapter 2)

Li Chenzhou died, defeated by the Dragon Subduing Palm.

Liu Suifeng died, defeated by Zhao Shirong.

That's right, Liu Suifeng was defeated by Zhao Shirong.

Liu Suifeng is skilled with short swords, and his "Five-Petal Orchid" sword technique was once quite famous. After becoming the chief steward, he gradually concealed his true abilities and rarely showed his strength.

In normal combat, the "Five-Petal Orchid" sword technique is as fast as lightning, exquisite, and invincible.

Once faced with Zhao Shirong's "Five Plum Blossoms" sword technique, one will be hampered and helpless. When using the last move, one will reveal a fatal flaw and die like a moth drawn to a flame.

The "Nameless Sword Technique" passed down by Zhang Danfeng can be used to find weaknesses in a move and learn the opponent's swordsmanship.

Xiao Qiushui had fought with Zhao Shirong and learned the moves of the Five-Show Plum Blossom Sword Technique, but had never used them before.

When fighting Liu Suifeng, he noticed a flaw in the Five-Petal Orchid Blade Technique. In a flash of inspiration, he thrust out his sword, and with a cold glint, the blade pierced Liu Suifeng's heart.

Liu Suifeng originally had a battle armor given to him by his master, which could defend against sword cuts and thrusts, and counter throwing darts and hidden weapons. Liu Suifeng always wore it close to his body.

Two days ago, when Liu Suifeng saw Zhao Shirong off, he was worried that Zhao Shirong would be ambushed by villains, so he left her the precious clothes and nothing else on her except a bottle of pills.

Even the king of spies cannot resist the pull of loyalty and righteousness.

This can be considered a cycle of cause and effect!
When Liu Suifeng plots to eliminate his enemies, he often starts with sentimentality, creating a trap that the enemy has no choice but to go to, and that they will surely die if they go, leaving the enemy in a dilemma.

Those who toy with emotions will find it hard to escape the entanglements of love.

However, even in death, Liu Suifeng would leave behind a secret plan to trick his enemies. Before his death, Liu Suifeng left behind information about the Tang Clan.

Not only is there a detailed breakdown of the Tang Clan's direct lineage, but also information on the conflicts between various factions. Based on the actions of Tang Junshang and Tang Shiwu, it is speculated that there are deep-seated internal conflicts within the Tang Clan, and that a fierce infighting is inevitable sooner or later.

These analyses were written on the stone wall.

Hidden beneath the stone wall are thirty-six wondrous paths to heaven and earth.

One of the most comprehensive martial arts manuals in the martial arts world.

Its level of perfection is no less than that of "Nine Yin Manual".

It encompasses all techniques, including offense, defense, agility, healing, support, illusion, sonic attacks, mental attacks, and the transmission of power through objects, and is exquisite in every way.

There are three types of light-foot skills: short-distance dash, close-range evasion, and levitation in the void. Healing includes restoring qi and blood, turning the tide in desperate situations, and resurrection from near death. Body protection techniques include deflecting force, teleportation, and qi energy. Offenses are even more diverse.

Heavy punches, rapid punches, attacks that can strike from a distance, attacks that can break through protective qi, attacks that can break through external qi cultivation techniques—all common attack methods in the martial arts world are included within this variation.

Most importantly, the Thirty-Six Extraordinary Techniques of Heaven-Turning are not fist techniques, but can be used to activate swords, spears, halberds, clubs, fists, palms, legs, claws, and fingers, making it more versatile than the Lesser Formless Skill.

He was skilled in swordsmanship and developed his own sword techniques.

He was skilled in swordsmanship and developed his own sword techniques.

Whips, maces, hammers, axes, halberds, hooks, and forks—they wield them as they please.

Such a perfect mental cultivation method, if one did not know the names of the moves in advance, it would seem perfectly reasonable to call it the ultimate mental cultivation principle of the Ten Perfect Martial Arts.

The Power Clique has no legacy.

Li Chenzhou squandered all of his wealth.

There's no need to hoard martial arts manuals.

Xiao Feng generously shared the secret manual, and the three of them studied it individually, analyzing it according to their own martial arts. They sat and discussed the Dao on the ruins until the setting sun turned blood red.

Meanwhile, at the Dali Royal Palace.

Duan Yu and Li Xunhuan are exchanging poems.

The two had a lot in common.

They are all exceptionally talented, gentle, and handsome men with kind and gentle personalities. They may seem like playboys, but they are actually devoted and loyal. Their romantic encounters are always brought to them by others, not by them actively pursuing women.

The two found they had more and more in common as they talked.

I wish I could chop off the chicken's head and burn it on the spot.

Each of them had four guards.

Duan Yu's bodyguards were fishermen, woodcutters, farmers, and scholars, which was the rule in Dali, where every generation consisted of these two groups.

Li Xunhuan's bodyguards were Guan Da, Zhong Yuan, Ma Feng, and Zhuo Yong. The four bodyguards were bored and looked at the sky.

The topics Li Xunhuan and Duan Yu discussed were too profound. They talked about everything from poetry, books, rites, and the Book of Changes to music, chess, calligraphy, painting, Buddhist scriptures, and Taoist canons. Apart from Zhu Danchen, everyone else thought they were listening to celestial books.

People sometimes have crazy ideas when they're bored.

Those who serve as guards, in particular, have the most insane ideas.

They hope to see a few—assassins!
This trip was supposed to be a great achievement in quelling the border troubles, but it turned out to be all bark and no bite. Li Zhaoting and Xiao Feng made a quick trip and easily wiped out the rebellion.

It's certainly possible to get credit for someone else's work, and you might get a promotion and a raise when you get back, but such a small amount of credit seems a bit unfair to someone who's traveled so far. It just feels a bit of a waste.

If a few assassins appear, and they bravely protect the top scholar, capturing the assassins will earn them at least a two-rank promotion, bringing them prestige wherever they go.

Just as the group was lost in thought, the palace maid serving tea suddenly turned cold, a dagger popped out of her sleeve, and she stabbed at Li Xunhuan's chest and abdomen. This assassination attempt was too hasty. It should be known that palace maids are all strictly selected, and they are searched before serving tea to noblemen. They are counted by the matrons every day.

How do assassins infiltrate the palace?

How many palace maids were bribed by assassins?

With the downfall of the Power Gang, where did the assassin come from?

Many questions flashed through my mind.

These questions are not important; what matters is surviving the assassin's blade. Li Xunhuan nimbly dodged, his body lightly shifting, avoiding a fatal assassination attempt.

"Crack!"

The short sword pierced the pillar of the pavilion, and the assassin ran away without hesitation. Just as she lifted her foot, Zhuo Yong flashed close to her and struck an acupoint under her ribs.

The four men Li Zhaoting selected were all experts: Guan Da was skilled with a musket, Zhong Yuan possessed immense strength, Ma Feng was adept at swordsmanship and folding fan techniques, and Zhuo Yong was exceptionally fast.

Zhuo Yong practiced assassin martial arts.

Let heroes investigate heroes, and let assassins capture assassins.

No one was better at catching assassins than Zhuo Yong. If it weren't for the fact that Li Xunhuan and Duan Yu were talking about something too obscure, making Zhuo Yong drowsy, he would have noticed the assassin as soon as he got close, and then immediately launched a phantom sword attack.

Zhuo Yong's speed was incredibly fast. The palace maid, who was chosen as an assassin, had first-rate reflexes. She lay down and narrowly avoided the fingers. Just as she was about to roll away, her ankle was grabbed.

The assassin instinctively kicked at his opponent, only to find that the opponent's chest was as hard as iron. It wasn't that he was hiding iron blocks, but rather that his muscles were firm and resilient. It was none other than Zhong Yuan.

Zhong Yuan exerted force with his five fingers, and with a crack, he forcefully broke the assassin's shinbone. With a strong pull of his arm, he lifted the assassin and slammed him against the stone pillar of the pavilion.

"Clap!"

The sound of bones cracking was clearly audible.

The assassin coughed up blood and was no longer able to fight back.

Guan Da quickly stepped forward and applied pressure to stop the bleeding. Ma Feng roared, "Who is your master? Confess now! Otherwise, I'll tear you to pieces and throw you into the mountains to feed the wolves!"

Duan Yu was still in shock, his face pale.

Li Xunhuan remained calm, opened his folding fan, gently shook it twice, and asked in a gentle tone, "Miss, I have no grudge against you, why must you resort to such cruelty?"

The assassin sneered, "Li Xunhuan, are you really stupid or just pretending? Did you become an idiot from studying too much? I'm a江湖 (jianghu, the martial arts world) assassin, and I'm killing you for money!"

"Who is your employer?"

Li Xunhuan remained calm and spoke gently.

The assassin scoffed, "I'm sure of it! You've really gone mad from reading too much! The assassin's code states that an assassin cannot betray their employer; otherwise, who would hire me?"

Guan Da sneered: "Hired? Only living assassins can be hired. If you're dead, even if you're worth hundreds of thousands of taels, who would hire a dead person?"

Ma Feng roared, "You vile wench, if you confess honestly, fine. But if you don't, I'll personally tear you to pieces and throw you into the ravine to feed the wolves!"

The assassin looked at the group with disdain.

Some people play the good cop, and some people play the bad cop.

This method is outdated.

Furthermore, in this situation, the first to act would inevitably be the assassins. Their purpose is not to assassinate the target, but to create chaos and attract the attention of the guards. These guards are only interested in solving the case and making contributions, so they are busy interrogating the killers and have overlooked the real killers.

"laugh!"

A dark light pierced towards Li Xunhuan's back.

Li Xunhuan used the sound to pinpoint the location and dodged the dark light. Before he could even land, three phoenix hairpins shot towards him. The hairpins were gleaming and coated with a deadly poison that could kill on sight.

Li Xunhuan waved his folding fan and used it to perform a move called "Universe in the Sleeve," catching the three phoenix hairpins. With a forceful twist of his wrist, he sent the hairpins flying back the way they came. With two whooshing sounds, two old men, one in black and one in white, landed.

The two men were dressed in contrasting black and white clothes, and even their beards were black and white. This kind of attire clearly indicates that they are old partners and are most likely brothers.

Zhuo Yong's expression was serious: "Tanhualang, be careful. These two are notorious assassins. The one in white is known as 'God Knows Nothing,' and the other is known as 'Ghost Knows Nothing.'"

The two had been in seclusion for ten years when some unknown wind blew them out of the martial world. They were skilled in throwing darts and hidden weapons, and it was said that their hidden weapon skills were no less than those of the Tang Clan!

You dare to infiltrate the palace to assassinate someone without anyone noticing? Do you even know who's here? No matter how powerful your hidden weapons are, can they withstand the Supreme Heavenly Sword? If you know what's good for you, retreat immediately!
Otherwise, you will surely die!

Shen Buzhi sneered, "Supreme Heavenly Sword? I've been in seclusion for ten years, and these young lads in the martial world are becoming more and more arrogant and ignorant of the rules!"

Gui Bujue sneered, "Old man, don't underestimate the prodigies of the martial arts world. Those who can make it onto the list are all top-notch experts; there are no charlatans among them!"

Shen Buzhi roared angrily, "You bastard! You always like to cause me trouble. Where is the Supreme Heavenly Sword? If you have the guts, make him come out and try my hidden weapons!"

Gui Bujue continued to mock, "You only dare to say this because you know that the Supreme Heavenly Sword is at the headquarters of the Power Gang. If you're really not afraid, you can ambush Li Zhaoting!"

Cold sweat dripped down Zhuo Yong's forehead. He knew the famous assassins in the martial arts world like the back of his hand.

Shen Buzhi and Gui Bujue are not the strongest assassins, at least not as famous as Sima Xue and Liu Fenyu, but the two are the most troublesome. Once they make a move, they will kill without mercy. In their decades of service, they have never failed.

As their fame grew, the two had to resort to more elaborate tricks to attract more business.

They would deliberately alert the target and launch the assassination after the target had taken sufficient precautions, which would instill extreme fear in the target. The employers really liked this kind of program.

Even inside the imperial palace, the two still arrogantly made their own appearance, waiting for Li Xunhuan to be ready.

Li Xunhuan asked, "Seniors, could you tell me about your employer? Don't worry, I won't ask for the specific name of the employer. Just tell me a faction, and whether you nod or shake your head will be considered an answer to my question."

"Just ask!"

"Azure Dragon Society!"

"You...how do you know..."

"How could the number one troublemaker in the martial arts world be unaware of what happened in Dali? Since you know, how could you stand idly by? If I'm not mistaken, you are the newly recruited December leaders of the Azure Dragon Society."

The Azure Dragon Society's December branch is responsible for assassinations.

The original leader was Xue Xiaoren, one of Li Zhaoting's few successful fishing attempts. He sacrificed his life to enhance Wang Shenglan's reputation, dying a tragic death.

The Azure Dragon Society has a strong talent pool, and can always fill in for the lost leader in time. Their reputation for being able to remain unknown is not very well-known, but the two men's martial arts skills are even better than Xue Xiaoren's. Unfortunately, they made a fatal mistake: they should not have assassinated Li Xunhuan!
Because their specialty is—hidden weapons!
Assassins don't have many weapons.

A sophisticated way to use a sword.

Famous assassins such as Meng Xinghun, Yidianhong, Sima Xue, and Liu Fenyu are all skilled in using fast swords.

Normal assassins use daggers and concealed weapons.

The specific number accounts for at least 80%.

The two, Shen Buzhi and Gui Bujue, had been active in the assassin business for decades, and their skills in concealed weapons were superb. They considered themselves to be only slightly inferior to Old Lady Tang in terms of concealed weapons.

They never respected Li Xunhuan.

The time travelers have a god's-eye view and know that using hidden weapons in front of Li Xunhuan is a death sentence. How could they know this information without anyone noticing? They only know that Li Xunhuan is a handsome and refined scholar who ranks third in the imperial examinations. He is very good-looking, has excellent lightness skills, and is somewhat skilled in throwing knives.

Beyond that, nothing is known.

In recent years, Li Xunhuan has always been on diplomatic missions to other countries, surrounded by guards, and rarely has the opportunity to fight.

I want to improve my stats, but I don't have the chance!
Now, the opportunity has finally come.

Li Xunhuan laughed and said, "Since you two seniors have come to assassinate me, you may make your move!"

Shen Buzhi sneered, "Kid, we brothers never team up. Pick any opponent you like!"

Zhuo Yong and the others did not step forward.

Unbeknownst to them, the ghost blocked their path.

The two brothers never joined forces to fight enemies, but they never said they couldn't fight them separately. When they launched an assassination, one of them would always be the target, while the other would block the surrounding guards.

Li Xunhuan chuckled and said, "Seniors, you have made your own choices, so why should I say anything more?"

"Aren't you afraid of death?"

"I've heard that you are a master of hidden weapons, senior. I have some skill in this area, so please give me some pointers!"

What kind of concealed weapon are you good at?

"I have some knowledge of throwing knives!"

Li Xunhuan pulled a throwing knife from his sleeve.

A throwing knife that is three and a half inches long.

The ordinary cast iron throwing knife possessed an indescribable charm. Upon seeing it, Shen Buzhi's expression turned solemn, his breathing became faster and faster, and he even trembled, as if he had seen a demon or monster.

Shen Buzhi understood that he had to use his most powerful skills, and he only had one chance to strike. If he missed, he would surely be pierced through by the flying knife.

Every master has their own unique skills.

Just as a master swordsman may have seen all the famous swords in the world, but when he fights, he only has one sword that suits him, or a master calligrapher may be good at imitating the works of various masters, but he only uses one style of brush when writing, so as to ensure the smoothness of the strokes.

As a master of concealed weapons, he can use any kind of concealed weapon without anyone noticing. As long as it can be thrown, it can be considered a concealed weapon, and he can use it as easily as if it were his own arm.

Shen Buzhi once threw a tiger out and used its claws to crush the target's throat. Gui Bujue once raised his hand and released 510 "Crimson Divine Sands", blasting the target from head to toe into a hole, leaving only a pile of minced meat.

The greater a martial arts prodigy and the more skilled a master of concealed weapons, the simpler and more straightforward their most treasured techniques tend to be.

That's how it is, even if God doesn't know.

His best hidden weapon is—the dart!
Darts are the most common, ordinary, and easy-to-use type of all concealed weapons.

The most ordinary, common, and easy-to-learn things are often the most difficult to learn well, master, and excel at. This principle is not difficult to understand.

Making abalone, lobster, and king crab delicious is not too difficult, but making cabbage and tofu delicious truly tests a chef's skills, requiring mastery of the craft.

God doesn't know that this is the kind of "chef" he is.

Darts are the first lesson in concealed weapons.

For anyone learning hidden weapon skills, the first hidden weapon they learn is inevitably a dart or a stone.

They both mastered darts and stones to a level of unparalleled skill and perfection.

He was unknowingly skilled at throwing darts.

Gui Bujue is skilled at throwing stones.

Most common, most ordinary, most mundane!

The most brilliant, the most incisive, the most profound!

They can use precious hidden weapons like caltrops, sun-piercing shuttles, and flying cloud silk with ease, but only grandmaster-level experts can enjoy the privilege of pulling out darts or throwing stones.

Li Xunhuan enjoyed this treatment.

The two looked at each other quietly.

Unbeknownst to him, he was holding a dart.

Li Xunhuan held a cast iron throwing knife between his fingers.

Sweat dripped from Shen Buzhi's forehead, and a drop of sweat got into his eye. Shen Buzhi blinked subconsciously. Blinking is the fastest action, but Shen Buzhi's speed in throwing the dart was even faster than blinking. In the instant he realized he was about to blink, the dart flew out of his hand.

wrong!

It's not "flying out of your hand".

Instead, it "fell out of hand and fell."

The dart landed on the ground with a clatter.

God knows not that a throwing knife is stuck in his throat.

Looking closely, he realized that the throwing knife in Li Xunhuan's hand had disappeared without him noticing. He had no idea that this master of hidden weapons had been killed by a throwing knife. Even as his throat ached, he still found it hard to believe.

Not only did the gods find it unbelievable, but the ghosts also thought so, which is why he had to take action.

He wanted to test Li Xunhuan's throwing knives himself.

Li Xunhuan slowly took out the throwing knife.

Gui Bujue focused his mind and energy, then took out a pebble.

With his eyes fixed on the flying knife, on Li Xunhuan's every move, on the cold glint that seemed to transcend time and space, on the red tassel fluttering from his throat, Gui Bujuan twitched twice and collapsed weakly to the ground.

"Okay... throwing... knife..."

The two new leaders recruited by the Azure Dragon Society, two assassin brothers who had been famous in the martial arts world for decades and were recognized as masters of hidden weapons, fell to Little Li's flying dagger.

Zhuo Yong exclaimed, "Amazing! With Li Tanhua's throwing knife skills, he doesn't need any guards!"

Ma Feng laughed and said, "No wonder Lord Li is so distant in protecting Li Tanhua and never takes him seriously. He probably wants to use Li Tanhua to catch some big fish."

Guan Da scolded, "Ma Feng! Watch your words!"

Zhong Yuan solemnly advised, "Our duty is to protect the envoy. Even tigers have their moments of weakness. Such arrogance and carelessness will eventually be exploited by the enemy!"

The guards arrived late and carried away the two corpses.

Li Xunhuan: ┓(`)┏

(End of this chapter)