Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 516 The True Face of the Primal Heavenly Demon, the Unspeakable Secret!

Azi recognized Li Zhaoting and knew he was the son-in-law of the Miao village of Moon Mountain, so she hurriedly lowered her head.

Fortunately, Li Zhaoting did not pay attention to Azi, but only observed the architectural layout of Qin Family Village. Qin Hao was not very proficient in literature, and the architecture was full of roughness.

However, what one sees and hears are always some clever little touches that catch the eye, and some unique home furnishings have a touch of the style of the pre-Qin period.

Li Zhaoting saw a piece of seal script.

"Chief Qin, what kind of script is that?"

Li Zhaoting pointed to a beam pillar, on which was painted a three-legged golden crow and more than twenty grotesque symbols, clearly written in Chu script.

The State of Chu, one of the Seven Warring States.

Li Zhaoting recognized it as "Nine Songs".

The sun will rise in the east, shining on my balustrade and the Fusang tree.

I stroke my horse and let it roam freely; the night is bright and dawn has broken.

This is a poem praising "Dongjun" (the Lord of the East).

In the mythology of the Chu Kingdom, Dongjun was the sun god, who later evolved into the image of a three-legged golden crow. Li Zhaoting could recognize these characters, but Qin Hao might not.

Qin Hao indeed did not recognize him.

Mu Wanqing reveals that the Qin family's cultural and educational approach is limited to understanding martial arts manuals.

Qin Hao rubbed the back of his head and said with a wry smile, "These are the pillars left by our ancestors. I am blind, but I have heard that the third-ranked scholar is exceptionally talented and ranks third in the world. Please, the third-ranked scholar, translate a few words so that I can have a better understanding of the situation!"

Li Xunhuan smiled slightly, glanced at it a few times. He didn't recognize the ancient Chu script, but based on the picture and the separators, he deduced that it was "Nine Songs: Lord of the East". The number of characters matched perfectly, so he gave an explanation in a calm and unhurried manner.

"Chief Qin, this is a famous poem by Qu Yuan, the Grand Master of the Three Clans of Chu, used to praise the 'Sun God'."

"Sun God?"

These four lines of poetry translate to:
A warm and bright light will rise in the east;
By my railing and the sacred hibiscus tree;
Gently supporting my horse, I walked peacefully.
From the bright moonlit night until dawn;
Based on the poem, there should be six such beams, each carved with four lines of poetry.

These are pre-Qin dynasty artifacts, priceless!

Li Xunhuan had a considerable knowledge of calligraphy, murals, and sculpture, and was particularly fond of pre-Qin stone carvings. Qin Hao, understanding the implied meaning, laughed loudly and said, "Since the scholar likes it, this pillar is a gift for the scholar!"

Li Xunhuan politely declined: "This is a treasure left by the Qin family ancestors. I dare not take what belongs to others! I only ask that the chieftain allow me to make a copy of the calligraphy, and I will be satisfied!"

Qin Hao waved his hand generously: "I remember the Han people said that a fine sword is given to a hero and rouge to a beauty. I don't recognize any of these messy scribbles and three-legged birds. Keeping them would be a waste of treasures!"

Li Zhaoting chimed in, "Li Tanhua, since Chief Qin is so willing to accept the treasure, just accept it. If you insist on refusing, you will be breaking the rules of Miao territory."

After a pause, Li Zhaoting said, "Are there any other similar pillars? I'll go pick out a few! When the Sichuan salt guild delivers salt later, I'll give you five cartloads of salt!"

Hearing this, Qin Hao beamed with joy.

No matter how valuable the antiques left by our ancestors are, they are not as valuable as five cartloads of pure white salt. In Miao territory, salt is equivalent to currency and is more valuable than copper coins and silver ingots.

Most tribes in Miao territory do not need copper coins.

They valued bartering.

In barter trade, salt was the most stable hard currency, along with cotton cloth, ironware, silk, tea, porcelain, furs, sugar, and grains and oils. A few peddlers could make it more valuable than any treasure.

Large villages like Qin Family Village and Moon Mountain dared to rob even Tibetan lamas, but they dared not rob peddlers.

Peddlers have their own circles.

If you steal it once, no one will come next time.

Without peddlers carrying their wares, what would the elderly and children in the mountain villages eat, drink, and use? Such exploitative trade was explicitly prohibited by all the major villages.

Qin Hao generously led Li Zhaoting and Li Xunhuan around Qin Family Village, letting them look left and right as they pleased, even searching through the Qin Family Treasury inside and out.

Not worried at all that the two of them were drawing counterfeit maps!
Because it is not necessary.

Qin Hao had long heard of Li Zhaoting's martial arts skills.

One person could slaughter the Qin Family Village.

There's no need for all this complicated scheming.

According to Duan Zhengchun and Qin Hongmian, Qin Family Village was not established for a long time, but it has more antiques than Moon Mountain, especially pre-Qin antiques, including pillars carved with the Nine Songs, as well as tortoise shells and bamboo slips.

"Wow! This is an authentic copy of Nine Songs, priceless! Send it to the Hanlin Academy, and it'll make those great scholars fight!"

Li Zhaoting's words were by no means an exaggeration.

Collation and annotation of ancient books has been a traditional project of great Confucian scholars throughout history. If someone's annotations of classics, histories, philosophical works, and literary collections are recognized, they may be enshrined in the Temple of Literature.

The selection criteria for the Confucian Temple were neither literary figures with literary talent nor politicians who would be remembered in history, but rather those who interpreted the classics and historical texts. If literary talent could get one into the Confucian Temple, Li Bai would at least be one of the Ten Philosophers.

During the transmission of poetry, many texts contain errors due to various unforeseen accidents.

For example, Li Bai's "Bring in the Wine"

In fact, there are many versions of "Bring in the Wine". The textbook version is different from the ancient book version. Some people also say that the original name of the poem was "Xi Zun Kong". Proofreading poems was the task of the Hanlin Academy. According to the normal official appointment, Li Xunhuan should have gone to the Hanlin Academy to proofread ancient books and poems.

The beams and pillars in Qin Family Village are all antiques from the pre-Qin period, and the carved poems are the earliest version of "Nine Songs".

Besides "Dongjun", there are also "Xiangjun", "Da Siming", "Shao Siming" and "Xiangfuren".

Unfortunately, only five complete poems were found.

The Nine Songs consists of eleven poems.

The remaining six ancient texts are likely lost to history.

Li Xunhuan happily accepted the inscription and stone carving, intending to give it to his father so that the old man could become famous as the third-ranked scholar. Li Zhaoting suddenly felt someone spying on him. He looked up and saw that the second chieftain, Qin Zhong, had come over at some point. Qin Zhong had dark circles under his eyes, indicating that he had been staying up all night for at least half a month.

Li Zhaoting had inquired about it.

Qin Hao and Qin Zhong are brothers. Qin Hao is in charge of internal affairs, while Qin Zhong is in charge of external conquests.

Judging from their eyebrows and eyes, Qin Hao is more gentle, while Qin Zhong is more cold and stern, possessing an imposing presence. At first glance, they appear righteous and awe-inspiring, like upright knights-errant. Upon closer inspection, however, they are sinister and ruthless, like cunning and cunning demons. A careful analysis of their temperament reveals that they are both knights-errant and demons.

Her temperament is somewhat similar to Li Zhaoting's.

Knights-errant and villains are not necessarily opposites.

At least in terms of reputation in the martial arts world, Li Zhaoting is both a swordsman and a villain. Conspiracy theories about Li Zhaoting are endless. The most outrageous conspiracy theory attributes the popular rumor of "switching the crown prince" to Li Zhaoting, saying that Li Zhaoting is the big boss of the Green Dragon Society and the mastermind behind the scenes, who has been plotting to seize the throne and planning to assassinate the king.

Chu Liuxiang, Lu Xiaofeng, and others are henchmen trained by Li Zhaoting. Once an opportunity arises, he will send the two to assassinate the emperor before revealing their identities.

The rumors were quite detailed and convincing.

It's unknown how many people secretly fueled this.

For example, a few princes who harbored treacherous intentions.

"Could this be Second Master Qin? I have long heard that Second Master Qin is the pillar of the Qin family, and I have heard much about you!"

"You're too kind, Lord Marquis. How could I possibly bear the title of Second Master Qin? Everyone in the martial world knows that there is only one Second Master Qin, the Great Tang Gatekeeper."

"The one surnamed Qin is ranked second, so why can't he be called Second Master Qin? Qin Qiong isn't that petty. Guan Yumen of the Guan family in Shanxi even calls himself Guan Er!"

"I don't have the guts."

Qin Zhong smiled sheepishly.

Qin Hao quickly came over to smooth things over.

After strolling around for a while, Qin Hao held a grand banquet and had dozens of Miao girls perform a dance. He kept a close eye on the two men, and if they showed any interest, he would immediately send a beauty over to them.

Mu Wanqing poked at her chopsticks listlessly, looking at Li Zhaoting with slight dissatisfaction: "Hey! I heard you're Duan Yu's sworn brother, why doesn't Duan Yu come to see me?"

Li Zhaoting smiled and said, "Third brother is the crown prince and is very busy with official duties. There have been many incidents in Dali in recent months. Third brother has been busy pacifying the people and has lost seven or eight pounds from exhaustion."

Mu Wanqing angrily said, "It's all the fault of the Power Gang! What are they doing in Dali for no reason! Are they tired of living? Go challenge Zhang Sanfeng at Wudang! Why do they have to come to Dali to cause trouble!"

Qin Hao scolded, "Wanqing, stop making a fuss. Those things were all misunderstandings. Duan Yu is your brother. Don't dwell on it. Instead, focus on the person in front of you."

Mu Wanqing pouted: "Those two, one is a smiling tiger, and the other has a bunch of wives and concubines at home. If I marry into their families, I won't even be a concubine, let alone a maid. I'll have to share a bench with the maids!"

Li Zhaoting: You probably don't know this! I don't even have the right to sit at the same table as the maids. When we eat at home, I always sit at the children's table, and the maids completely ignore me!
Jiang Yuyan felt slightly embarrassed, thinking to herself that what this Miss Mu said was absolutely right. In the Li family, you could offend a few ladies, but you absolutely could not offend the maids.

Upon further reflection, Jiang Yuyan was somewhat surprised.

She was immune to Li Xunhuan's charm and disdainful of Li Zhaoting. Mu Wanqing's courage and boldness, as well as her noble bearing that was completely out of place with her background, would have made her a noble consort if she had married into the royal family.

Mu Wanqing sneered: "You two, are you feeling discouraged? You're both very handsome and skilled in martial arts, but I just don't like you!"

Li Xunhuan hurriedly said, "Miss Mu, I am already married. Matters of the heart cannot be forced. I have absolutely no feelings for Miss Mu..."

Mu Wanqing sneered, "What are you pretending for? People flock to you when they see your handsome face. You say it's troublesome, but aren't you secretly pleased?"

If the girls don't look at you and all look at other men, wouldn't you feel a little disappointed?

It's only human nature, why hide it!
"Scholars who are pedantic and pretentious are the most affected of all!"

Mu Wanqing's eye roll almost flew to the sky.

Li Xunhuan could only manage a wry smile, daring not to say another word.

Li Zhaoting: Has Mu Wanqing changed her phone number?

Qin Hao raised his wine cup: "My lord, my granddaughter grew up in the mountains and was spoiled. She speaks without thinking, so please don't take offense."

Li Zhaoting gave Wang Yuyan a wink.

Wang Yuyan smiled gently: "Chief Qin, Wanqing and I are half-sisters. According to seniority, Wanqing is my husband's sister-in-law. We are all family, so why should we fuss over such trivial matters? Wanqing took the initiative to help us liven up the atmosphere of the banquet, so that everyone would not be insincere."

Mu Wanqing said, "That's right! We're all family eating together, there's no need for verbal probing. Just say what you mean directly. Being secretive is annoying!"

Li Zhaoting said, "Chief Qin, I have a few questions for you. Let's go to the study later!" "Uh... Qin Family Village doesn't have a study!"

"Go to your bedroom!"

Li Zhaoting's face darkened.

After the banquet, everyone left.

Wang Yuyan went to draw up a sword manual.

Li Xunhuan and Qin Zhong strolled around Qin Family Village.

Mu Wanqing disappeared in a flash.

Li Zhaoting and Qin Hao went to discuss the matter discreetly.

"Chief Qin, let's get straight to the point. I only want to ask about one thing. Decades ago, there was a gambling match between two jade merchants in Tengchong. They competed in three rounds, and the young man who participated won all three rounds. Do you remember?"

"Tengchong, gambling on jade, I have some memory of it."

"I want to know what they look like."

Li Zhaoting took out a brush, ink, paper, and inkstone: "Describe their eyebrows and eyes, and I will draw pictures based on their eyebrow and eye features until they are completely similar."

Chief Qin closed his eyes and silently recalled that his literacy level was very limited, only to calculating ledgers and understanding martial arts manuals. His vocabulary for describing eyebrows and eyes was limited to size, curvature, and straightness. Li Zhaoting was most satisfied with this. If Qin Hao had a higher level of literacy, he would have added some literary modifications when describing facial features.

"Sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, full of heroic spirit" versus "eyes a little bigger, nose a little straighter"—the latter is definitely easier to paint. Li Zhaoting was very patient, painting one by one. After about an hour, he had painted twenty or thirty portraits, including the portrait of Yinshan Tianzun.

Yinshan Tianzun in his youth.

At that time, Yinshan Tianzun's martial arts were on the verge of going berserk. He went into hiding to avoid disaster, changing his name to Tang Yuren, in order to compete for the "Jade King".

Next up is "the devil among devils".

Decades later, Qin Hao had little memory of the Demon of Demons' appearance; the more he tried to recall, the more blurred it became.

I have a vague feeling... I feel...

Qin Hao's face showed terror, cold sweat poured down his back, and his hands and feet trembled. He dared not continue to recall. Looking at Qin Hao's face, which was as red as an eggplant, Li Zhaoting sighed deeply.

"Whizzing!"

Li Zhaoting touched Qin Hao with two fingers, using the One-Finger Divine Skill to promote blood circulation and soothe his emotions.

How could the old demon, whom Yi Jifeng called the demon among demons and the primordial heavenly demon, reveal his appearance at will? He left a special restraint on the person's yang spirit.

If the seal is forcibly broken, Qin Hao will surely die.

By then, Li Zhaoting would have no way to clear his name of the suspicions he was accused of. Looking at half of the painting, Li Zhaoting had a feeling that things would turn around after reaching their extremes, and that good things would come after bad times.

He is both the most monstrous of demons and the most chivalrous of heroes.

Thinking of this, Li Zhaoting circulated his inner energy, using the "Thirty-Six Extraordinary Techniques of Heaven and Earth" that he had just learned to suppress his restless thoughts, and his qi and blood slowly returned to normal.

The spirit wanders beyond the mundane world, its wonders boundless!
Similar to the technique of astral projection, it allows one to observe the world from another perspective. The body is completely unprepared, and even a young child holding a knife can easily pierce the heart.

This puts the body in a state of extreme relaxation, like hibernation, allowing for rapid adjustment of Qi and blood. The changes in Qi and blood happen in an instant. Li Zhaoting snapped his fingers, shattering all the drawings and ending the conversation.

Don't look, don't think, don't do.

When someone's martial arts skills reach a certain level, they will subconsciously feel threatened if someone tries to scheme against them.

At least, we can't do this kind of thing in Qin Family Village.

To avoid triggering a fierce battle that devastates the land.

For the next two days, Li Zhaoting enjoyed sightseeing near Qinjiazhai and discussed business cooperation with Qin Hao.

Three days later, Li Zhaoting and the others left.

Qin Hao breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Just as he was looking for a place to relax, Qin Zhong appeared out of nowhere and said with a smile, "Brother, what does Li Zhaoting want to discuss with you? Why can't even I know?"

Qin Hao sighed, "A myth!"

"What mythology?"

"The mystery of longevity in Changchun Valley, Dali: Li Zhaoting knows that Changchun Valley has a nine-ring structure, with each valley containing a jade embryo, and asked me if I had any clues."

Li Zhaoting, holding a high position and having many wives and concubines, must have wanted to enjoy a life of luxury for a long time and was therefore seeking the secret to immortality.

The Supreme Heavenly Sword is ultimately not a sacred immortal or Buddha.

Some things cannot be forced!

Qin Hao shook his head in regret.

Qin Zhong closed his eyes in thought and asked, "Brother, don't tell anyone about this. Li Zhaoting is ruthless. If we ruin his reputation, he will definitely retaliate."

Qin Hao laughed and said, "Don't worry, Second Brother. I just reached a cooperation agreement with Li Zhaoting. I won't say a word until the Sichuan Salt Gang delivers the salt."

"That's right! Big brother!"

Qin Zhong left quietly.

Qin Hao sighed deeply, his whole body covered in sweat.

Qin Zhong stood on the wall, watching the large delegation and its guards depart in the distance. His face was full of exhaustion, as if he hadn't slept for decades or even centuries.

……

"Buyi, tell me the truth, what are you doing here at Qin Family Village? I can sense your nervousness. Do the experts at Qin Family Village make you feel threatened?"

Holding a throwing knife, Li Xunhuan carved a jade statue, recalled the characters of Qin Family Village, and quickly thought of his target.

Qin Zhong, the second-in-command of Qin Family Village.

Li Zhaoting transmitted his voice secretly: "There are some things I can't say too much, or people will notice. I can only tell you that I'm looking for the source of the ancient demonic sect, the demon among demons, the primordial heavenly demon, the origin of all demons."

"Is this demon in Qin Family Village?"

Li Xunhuan also replied using telepathy.

Li Zhaoting nodded almost imperceptibly and recounted the story of Yinshan Tianzun in detail.

Li Xunhuan frowned: "Buyi, don't scare yourself. Things haven't come to that point yet. The sky won't fall. Even if the sky collapses and the earth cracks, one immortal and two Buddhas will be the first to hold it up. Why do you need to create trouble for yourself?"

"Because you are also creating trouble for yourself. After hearing these stories, can you completely let go?"

"cannot!"

"I can't either!"

"how do you want to do it?"

“Go to Cihang Jingzhai to find Yan Jing’an. Cihang Jingzhai is the most qualified to speak on matters concerning the inheritance of the Demonic Sect. Or go to Qingcheng Mountain. My mother may be involved in this matter.”

Why don't you suspect your father?

"No doubt, confirm it immediately!"

"You two truly are father and son."

"I am very sure of that!"

Li Zhaoting raised his eyebrows smugly.

……

No jade blanks were found at Dalongtou.

However, he found Tang Shiwu.

Tang Bingbing fled all the way to Dali and found the safe house she had built. Da Longtou followed the clues and found Tang Shiwu by tracing Tang Bingbing's trail.

Looking at the heavily injured Tang Shiwu and the disheveled Tang Bingbing, the Great Dragon Head handed out a mask: "You now have two choices: either become the leader, or be torn to pieces by my sword. Life is the most important thing!"

Tang Shiwu asked, "Which month is the dragon's head?"

The head of the dragon said, "There are vacancies in May, July, November, and December. I would like to ask the two of you to serve as the heads of November and December. What do you think?"

Tang Shiwu smiled bitterly: "Do I have a choice?"

Tang Bingbing said, "If I remember correctly, the July leader is in charge of planning. I want to be the July leader. My ability to devise strategies will not disappoint you!"

The big dragon head said, "Prove it to me!"

Tang Bingbing held up three fingers: "Provide me with three assistants and give me a target. Within a month, I will dismantle this power!"

"You have ambition, I like that!"

The dragon head's eyes revealed an expression of appreciation.

The twelve leaders of the Azure Dragon Society each have their own duties.

The head of the May criminal investigation team was originally assigned to Zhu Xiawu, a renowned constable of the imperial court. Zhu Xiawu never dreamed that he would be implicated by that idiot Murong Bo. He had just finished his seclusion when he opened the door and saw Zhang Sanfeng. All of Zhu Xiawu's lifelong ambitions and aspirations were shattered by Zhang Sanfeng.

The leader of the July campaign was Wu Tieyi, the magistrate of Fuzhou and the most troublesome boss in the Wen faction. He supported the plot for more than a dozen volumes. The four famous constables fought against him, but he always managed to escape. In the previous pirate invasion case, Li Zhaoting discovered the flaw.

Li Zhaoting asked Lu Xiaofeng to investigate the case. Lu Xiaofeng investigated for three months and sent Wu Tieyi to hell, destroying thirty branches of the Qinglong Society's July branch in the process.

In November, the organization was responsible for purging the rebels. Its leader was Xiao Ting, the leader of the Blood Moon Cult. In December, the organization was an assassin group. Due to a lack of information, its leader died by Little Li's Flying Dagger.

Tang Bingbing chose July.

Tang Shiwu chose December.

(End of this chapter)