Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 526 The Charming Marquis and the Beautiful Princess

"Ling Duxu's innate Qi cultivation technique is indeed the best in the world, but the cultivation speed is too slow."

This is a slow and meticulous process, requiring painstaking effort step by step. There are no shortcuts or tricks. Each time you circulate your Qi and blood throughout your body, it's like an ox plowing a field.

After plowing one row, there's another; after plowing one acre, there's another. Even after finally finishing plowing the fields, there's still the need to grind grain and transport goods—it's endless and never-ending.

Do you know what the scariest thing is?

Every step forward is fraught with difficulty.

Take a step back, and the torrent will rush forth.

During practice, one must be diligent and persistent, without slacking off for even a half-day, and certainly without letting one's mind become depressed.

Innate Qigong demands immense talent, temperament, and perseverance. While it is undoubtedly a supreme method and the orthodox mental cultivation technique of the Xuanmen (Taoist school), its cultivation difficulty is extremely high.

Tianxiang, you are lively and active, and are suited to flexible and varied boxing, swordsmanship, and staff techniques. However, your innate qigong is completely incompatible with your nature, and you will hardly achieve any results even if you practice it for a lifetime.

Do not believe?
I possess a profound and innate Qi Gong technique. Once mastered, it grants boundless and refined power, possessing an almost life-saving ability. I can pass it on to you.

Listen carefully, the key to getting started is...

Li Zhaoting slowly recited the "Shenzhao Gong".

Tianxiang sat down cross-legged with a face full of dissatisfaction and practiced the exercises according to the mental cultivation method. She felt that every inch her true energy moved through her meridians was like an old ox pulling a cart.

"What kind of weird cultivation method is this?"

Are you deliberately making things difficult for me?
Is this kind of mental cultivation method meant for humans to practice?

Tianxiang gritted her teeth and gave up.

The entry requirements for "Shenzhao Gong" are to enter a state of spiritual meditation, to gather one's breath, to concentrate one's mind and energy, and to calm one's mind. Each of these requirements is beyond Tianxiang's capacity to bear.

Li Zhaoting shrugged: "Confucius said that teaching should be tailored to individual aptitude. You are not suitable for the orthodox Xuanmen mental cultivation method. None of those outside who are scrambling for it can master it!"

Tianxiang angrily said, "If that's the case, why are so many people fighting over it? Isn't this just cheating people?"

Li Zhaoting chuckled: "Because everyone thinks they are the chosen ones, capable of mastering Ling Duxu's unparalleled martial arts and becoming the new 'Qi King'."

What martial art suits me?

"I conducted a bone analysis on you and found that your constitution belongs to the water element, and it is the most special kind of water."

"Water should be calm and still, like a refined lady from a Jiangnan water town. I'm more restless than a monkey. Is that bone-reading method of yours something you learned from a swindler?"

"Not so! Water has no fixed shape, and water flows in thousands of forms, from gentle breezes and fine rain to babbling brooks, and even to rushing waterfalls, flash floods, and the boundless ocean."

Water is the most flexible and adaptable force.

Extremely soft, extremely yin, extremely cold, extremely strong, extremely hard!
Water droplets, dense fog, torrential rain, streams, the Yellow River, the ocean, frost, blizzards, glaciers...

These are all forms of water.

It can deflect force in the most yin and gentle way, and destroy everything like a flash flood. It has the vitality of water, as well as the desolation and bleakness of ice and snow. Your constitution does not belong to any one type; it is simply agile and changeable.

I created my own style called "Wrath of the Water God".

It's more suitable for your constitution.

If you feel your name isn't impressive enough.

It could be renamed "The Water Emperor's Sun-Devouring Technique"!

"Water God's Wrath" was originally a method created by Li Zhaoting when he was practicing the Heavenly Will Four Symbols Technique. It has no fixed mental method. If Tianxiang wants to learn it, she can use the Northern Darkness Divine Art to make up for it. It can not only devour natural treasures with water and wood attributes to rapidly increase her power, but also use the water flow to wash away impurities in her body, making her whole body feel refreshed and comfortable.

"You heartless scoundrel! At least you have some conscience!"

Tianxiang nestled in Li Zhaoting's arms, waiting to hear the incantation of the mental cultivation method, but saw that Li Zhaoting's expression was conflicted.

"Tianxiang, there's something I need to tell you."

"what's up?"

"The method of cleansing tendons and marrow that I just mentioned is the wrath of the Water God. You should be prepared for diarrhea."

"Wash your marrow and cleanse your bones... Ugh... Li Zhaoting! I will definitely kill you! I will take you down with me!"

Tianxiang, like an angry tabby cat, bared her teeth and claws in Li Zhaoting's arms, scratching wildly with her hands and feet.

The roars drowned out the auction sounds outside.

The price of "Innate Qigong" had already reached a high of 350,000 taels of silver. Three super-rich tycoons were bidding against each other with gritted teeth. Just then, Tianxiang's angry roar came from a private room, and the bidding stopped abruptly.

Who spoke?

Princess Tianxiang, the only daughter of the Eighth Prince, was promised a carefree life by the Empress Dowager, and was therefore also known as the Carefree Princess, nicknamed the "Ghost's Sorrow in the Capital."

Who was it that was angrily cursing?
The womanizing Marquis of Xiaoyun, Li Zhaoting, had more than ten beautiful wives and concubines at home, and countless lovers.

Even those who aren't seasoned in matters of the heart can hear the shyness, embarrassment, and anger in Tianxiang's words. The two are clearly flirting, not actually threatening to kill each other.

This news is valuable!
What is that old bastard from the Yuxian Gang anyway?
What could be more interesting than the love story of a marquis and a princess?
The Charming Marquis and the Beautiful Princess

The Romantic Marquis and the Headstrong Princess

My Sassy Girl: Princess Wuyou

The secret agents of Tianji Pavilion quickly came up with three titles.

At least three monthly reports on the martial arts world are published.

It's always the front page headline.

If Li Zhaoting hadn't married, this would have been a perfect match made in heaven. However, Tianxiang wouldn't even be considered a suitable match for Xiaoshi; she might end up as "Shiliu" (a character from a Chinese folktale).

What does the emperor think?
What does the Empress Dowager think?
What does the Eighth Prince think?
What do Li Nanxing and Feng Shaoqing think?
What Li Zhaoting thinks... is unimportant!

Tianxiang felt the silence outside, as if she had been instantly frozen, her hands and feet stiffened, unable to move.

"Is my voice...?"

"It's out!"

"The people outside..."

"I heard everything!"

“My father…”

"We'll know within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn."

"The Empress Dowager..."

"You knew before your father did."

"I'm so embarrassed! It's all your fault! It's all your fault!"

Tianxiang picked up a pillow from the soft couch, buried her head under it, and pretended to be an ostrich.

Li Zhaoting asked, "Tianxiang, if Pang Ban wanted to marry a Mongol princess, what would the Mongol Khan do?"

Tianxiang sneered: "Marry one of them over, and send four or five more as dowries, to keep him firmly tied down!"

"How does my martial arts compare to Pang Ban's?"

"You fought Pang Ban in the Western Regions, and the final result was that both of you were seriously injured. In your words, your injuries were more serious than Pang Ban's, but you recovered from your injuries in a short time, while Pang Ban was still in seclusion. The two of you were evenly matched."

"Is that all?"

Li Zhaoting rubbed Tianxiang's little head.

Tianxiang, being the daughter of the Eighth Prince, had been exposed to court affairs since childhood and was quite knowledgeable about them. She was adept at weighing pros and cons, and with a quick glance, she came up with the answer.

"Pang Ban, a ninety-year-old man, has exhausted his potential. He is a ruthless and selfless demon lord who cares about nothing but the supreme Heavenly Dao. He will not sacrifice his life for the Mongol Yuan dynasty."

Out of consideration for past relationships, they might train a few young masters for the Mongol Yuan dynasty and make a move once or twice, but they would then completely let go of past grievances and pursue the goal of breaking through the void.

You are not yet thirty years old this year. Even if your martial arts skills stagnate afterward, you will have at least thirty years of peak period and twenty years of decline, during which you will train dozens or even hundreds of disciples.

With your rapid and vigorous progress, you will never stop before you encounter the bottleneck of breaking through the void.

Your father is the Vice Minister of War, and he aspires to become both a general and a prime minister.

Your father-in-law is the Vice Minister of Revenue, cough cough cough~~
You are a man of great loyalty and righteousness, a true hero. As long as it benefits the Han dynasty, you will fight to the death against any evil forces or heretics.

Analyze value from the perspectives of potential, personality, etc.

Your significance to the Song Dynasty far surpasses that of Pang Ban to the Mongol Yuan Dynasty; you are several times more important than Pang Ban.

Pang Ban could ask for a princess's hand in marriage, so can you!
The world only sees your youth, ignoring the fact that you are a peerless master standing at the pinnacle of martial arts! You can do some things that seem against the rules without restraint!
You don't have to follow the rules!
In some situations, you are the rule!
You thought of that already, didn't you?

You deliberately kept it from me, making me worry and feel anxious for you. You heartless scoundrel…

Tianxiang grabbed Li Zhaoting's arm, wanting to bite his wrist hard, but she couldn't bear to, so she chose a fleshy spot and bit it twice.

Li Zhaoting clutched his shoulder, gritting his teeth.

Are you born in the Year of the Cat?

Sharp teeth...powerful...

Li Zhaoting recalled something: at the Guandong Martial Arts Conference, "Ghost-Faced Gentleman" Ge Ying displayed a set of superb light-body skills, moving like a nimble cat.

This movement technique is very suitable for Tianxiang.

Li Zhaoting closed his eyes and pondered, recalling Ge Ying's fighting style at the martial arts tournament. His fingers moved accordingly, using his index and middle fingers as legs, hopping and jumping, analyzing the way he applied force, and quickly deducing the complete body technique.

With martial arts skills at Li Zhaoting's level, 99% of martial arts techniques can be learned with just one glance, and some techniques can be understood by simply hearing their names once.

It sounds impressive, but it's actually not very useful. Pang Ban could have done better, but when Pang Ban fought Li Zhaoting, he almost always used flying punches and kicks. A casual punch was his strongest move.

Bit off more than you can chew!
Playing to your strengths and avoiding your weaknesses is the key.

By honing one's most proficient martial arts skills to their peak, there's no need for fancy moves; simply using a rock-solid foundation for direct combat is enough to defeat the enemy.

Li Zhaoting comforted Tianxiang with sweet words, and the auction continued. The "Innate Qi Gong" was eventually sold for 450,000 and bought by Lu Fengxian, the Silver Halberd Marquis.

Lü Fengxian, who shares the same name as Lü Fengxian, also uses the halberd, but he uses a pair of short halberds and is not skilled with long weapons.

Three years ago, Lü Fengxian challenged Shangguan Jin Hong and was defeated by him. According to the agreement, he became the head of the Flying Dragon Hall, one of the five major branches of the Money Gang. The funds were provided by Shangguan Jin Hong and were used to buy the money for his children.

Shangguan Jin Hong is a powerful figure in the underworld, but also a loving father. He is not heartless and knows that his son cannot join a prestigious sect. Therefore, he buys orthodox secret manuals of the Xuanmen sect through black market transactions or auctions.

The Money Gang has no shortage of money.

With the support of enormous financial resources, Lü Fengxian triumphantly defeated his opponent, acquired the secret manual, and then hurriedly returned to the headquarters to deliver it back.

How could Lü Fengxian not recognize the scheme of "making the most of one fish"? He knew that there must be something fishy about the secret manual.

However, the manual that was purchased was genuine, and the manual that was delivered to the headquarters was genuine. After it was delivered to the headquarters, the manual was lost or burned, which had nothing to do with Lü Fengxian.

The monkey-like figure followed closely behind Lü Fengxian.

Fan Liangji, the "Lone Thief".

The most authentic king of thieves in the martial arts world.

There are four of the most outstanding thieves in the martial arts world.

Chu Liuxiang, the "Thief King";

"The Thief Saint" Bai Yutang;

Sikong Zhaixing, the "King of Thieves";
Fan Liangji, the "Lone Thief";

The first three became thieves either to hone their martial arts skills in the martial arts world, because they were misled, or out of interest, and had no real interest in stealing money.

Fan Liangji was a true thief. Thieves never leave empty-handed; they scale walls and rooftops to steal treasures.

Fan Liangji possessed thirty-six treasure vaults, each filled with riches. He appeared disheveled, like an old monkey, but in reality, his wealth rivaled that of Deng Ren.

The Money Gang is named after money. Shangguan Jin Hong seems to have mountains of gold and silver that he can never spend. Fan Liangji has long wanted to visit the Money Gang and steal some treasures.

The time and space are brought back to the auction.

The auction of "Innate Qi Gong" has ended. Next up is the most important item: a jade doll engraved with unparalleled martial arts techniques, said to contain the Dao of Heaven and Man.

The twelve jade dolls, each engraved with a secret mantra, form an exquisite and unparalleled martial arts technique. With a little practice, one's power can be doubled.

There are even rumors that the jade doll was carved by a supreme master who was unparalleled in history, and that the doll contains the martial arts of heaven and man, and contains the opportunity to shatter the void.

Starting bid: Zero!

As the auctioneer's voice faded, a wealthy man who wanted to acquire the jade doll instantly raised the price to 300,000 taels, demonstrating his immense wealth.

This is a special technique used in auctions.

If you slowly wear them down, it will make the other party feel like they can grit their teeth and keep up, leading to a continuous bidding war.

If the first thing they ask for is an exorbitant price, it's like running into Usain Bolt or playing basketball and encountering Michael Jordan – you instantly lose all fighting spirit and have no desire to raise the price.

The reason why "Innate Qigong" is so expensive is because the price increases slowly, little by little, which makes some people angry with each other. If Lü Fengxian had asked for 400,000 taels of silver right away, most people would have given up.

Sure enough, after someone added 10,000 taels, the other party shouted "400,000 taels" without hesitation, and the auction house became completely silent, with no one raising their paddle anymore.

Jade dolls are different from innate qigong.

The innate Qi Gong is a complete secret manual, with the ultimate goal of transcending the void. It has a complete cultivation system. The jade doll is completely unknown. Who can confirm its authenticity?

Who would be so extravagant as to spend hundreds of thousands of taels of silver on something as uncertain as the "Way of Heaven and Man"?
Li Zhaoting thought to himself that even Shangguan Jin Hong and Wan Sanqian wouldn't be willing to spend money like this, but this guy doesn't have many years left to live. He loves jewelry and jade the most in his life, and money can't buy what I want. I'll just treat it as buying a set of hand-held pieces.

Which guy would do that?
Of course it's Yan Tieshan.

The world's greatest jeweler, with no son and only a few years left to live, has no hobbies other than collecting unique jewelry. In Yan Tieshan's eyes, the martial arts skills carved on the jade doll are worthless; what's valuable is the gimmick of the jade doll, which has high collectible value.

To put it simply, it's a hand-held item!

It's normal for super-rich people in their later years to do whatever unconventional things.

Auction ends.

Feng Shaoqing used the excuse of discussing the shipment of furs and cotton cloth to Yanyun with Deng Ren to stay at the Deng family's house. Li Zhaoting, holding Tianxiang's hand, walked into the palace with his chest out and head held high.

……

Royal study room.

Empress Dowager, Emperor, Eighth Prince.

The three men stared intently at Li Zhaoting, their eyes sharp as knives.

Tianxiang was too embarrassed to speak.

Li Zhaoting stood tall and proud, declaring with righteous indignation, "I want to marry Tianxiang!"

Flames blazed in the eyes of the Eighth Prince.

The Empress Dowager quietly gathered a Heavenly Demon Force Field.

Zhao Zhen's face was full of amusement.

The Eighth Prince: "Why should I marry Tianxiang?"

Li Zhaoting: "With my unwavering devotion!"

Empress Dowager: "Is your devotion only for Tianxiang, or for all the beauties in the world?"

Li Zhaoting: "I am a person who loves and cherishes flowers. I am romantic but not vulgar. I love everyone!"

The Eighth Prince: "You scoundrel! You want my daughter to be your concubine? Have you lost your mind?"

Li Zhaoting: "In the family, the ladies discuss matters among themselves. Apart from Suzhen, it's hard to say who else is more important. It all depends on how capable you are."

Empress Dowager: "Li Zhaoting, it's not impossible for you to marry Tianxiang, but what about your title...?"

Li Zhaoting: "I have made so many contributions, and I am a top martial artist in this world, comparable to Pang Ban. Shouldn't you promote me to a higher rank? You are all so stingy!"

Zhao Zhen: "Titles are negotiable. I have already thought of them for you. Zhenguo, Huguo, Wu'an, whichever title you prefer, I will immediately draft an imperial edict to confer the title."

The Eighth Prince turned to look at Zhao Zhen, subconsciously taking out his concave gold mace, and longed to recite a poem to mark the occasion.

Li Zhaoting: "Your Majesty, the name Wu'an is really not auspicious, and the title Huguo seems to clash with my father-in-law's. Let's just confer the title of Zhenguo Duke!"

The Eighth Prince had eight titles: Protector of the King, Guardian of the King, King Before the Palace, King Behind the Palace, King Left of the Palace, King Right of the Palace, King Who Does Not Pay Respects to the King When Entering the Palace, and King Who Does Not Bid Farewell to the King When Leaving the Palace!

It is said that when Zhao Guangyi ascended the throne, his sister-in-law went to reason with him while holding her child, and Zhao Guangyi rewarded her.

The emperor is ten thousand years old, and a prince is a thousand years old. This child should be ten thousand years old, but I will enfeoff him as a prince of eight thousand years, each prince of a thousand years, which adds up to eight thousand years. A white jade longevity lock is equivalent to a thousand years, and a concave gold mace is equivalent to a thousand years, which adds up to ten thousand years. He will receive eight stipends every year.

These account bans cannot be changed!

Zhao Guangyi bestowed upon him the title "Unfailing the King After Leaving the Palace," meaning he would always be a prince, and his title could never be changed.

The Eighth Prince: "Who is your father-in-law?"

Li Zhaoting: "What's done is done, father-in-law. Stop pretending and tell the truth, are you very satisfied with me, your perfect son-in-law?"

The Eighth Prince: "What benefits do you have?"

Li Zhaoting: "How do I look?"

Eighth Prince: "He has begun to take on human form!"

Li Zhaoting: "What is my character like?"

The Eighth Prince: "A lustful ghost."

Li Zhaoting: "What about my official rank?"

The Eighth Prince: "He's far inferior to me."

Li Zhaoting: "How good are my martial arts skills?"

The Eighth Prince: "Using his strength to bully the weak."

Li Zhaoting: "Father-in-law, I..."

The Eighth Prince: "The late king bestowed upon us a golden mace, to uphold the Song dynasty and ensure its eternal prosperity; to punish a tyrannical ruler for an improperly erected beam..."

Zhao Zhen: "This has nothing to do with me!"

Empress Dowager: "Stop making a scene! Li Zhaoting, you want to marry Tianxiang. As long as Tianxiang herself is willing, I, as an elder, certainly won't interfere. But isn't it a bit inappropriate for you to make such a blatant statement?"

Li Zhaoting: "How much dowry do you want?"

Empress Dowager: "I want a little green dragon!"

Li Zhaoting: "What time?"

Empress Dowager: "Feng Suzhen is about to give birth, so I will give you a year."

Li Zhaoting: "I'll state all the requirements at once! We'll ensure that all tests are completed within a year."

Tianxiang: The prince consort is so handsome!

Eighth Prince: Hmm! Barely capable of taking on some responsibility!

(End of this chapter)