Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 529 You don't eat beef? Then do you eat sword energy?
After reviewing the intelligence on the martial arts world of Chang'an, Li Zhaoting had only four words to describe it: decayed and rotten.

The Great Escort Agency is riddled with internal conflicts. The four major martial arts families were forcibly promoted, and three of them are obsessed with cultivating talents, resulting in a bunch of useless individuals.

The You and Chi families are not only losing their main lineage of talent, but also have enemies eyeing them covetously. The Lin family is willing to do anything to avenge their family and vows to kill the entire Chi and You families.

The family that seemed to best fit the standards of a martial arts family and was the most powerful was "Huijia," but they were ruthless and domineering, committing numerous bloody crimes, and their sins were too numerous to count.

Executing their entire family ten times would be too lenient for them.

Not to mention the petty scheming and intrigue among martial arts families,镖局 (armed escort agencies), and declining clans.

If we consider the martial arts forces of Chang'an as a living person, their image would surely be that of a frail, ailing old man, barely clinging to life.

Even though a historical city like Chang'an has suffered from war and calamity many times, it should not be so decayed. Where will the martial arts fortune of Chang'an eventually flow?
The answer is obvious—Zhongnan Mountain!

Cihang Jingzhai has stood for a thousand years, and its successors have all been the most beautiful women in the world, making it an unparalleled place of fame.

Since Wang Chongyang's death, the Quanzhen Sect has become less powerful year by year, but at least it still has the Seven Masters of Quanzhen in charge, and Qiu Chuji, who has the highest martial arts skills, can be considered a hero in the region.

The Ancient Tomb Sect was in a state of dormancy, and since they didn't like wandering the martial world anyway, it didn't matter whether they were dormant or soaring dragons; no one in the Ancient Tomb Sect cared.

As for those hermits who cultivate Taoism and refine elixirs in Zhongnan Mountain, to be honest, no more than 10% are truly dedicated to Taoism. Most are just seeking fame and fortune, and 20-30% are there to avoid disaster. However, their numbers are so large that even if only half of them are genuine, they still constitute a super-powerful force.

In Li Zhaoting's view, the hermits of Zhongnan Mountain are similar to the "free spirits" in cultivation novels, with nine out of ten being petty and scheming, half being pillars of society, and two or three being top-notch figures.

Unless faced with a life-or-death crisis, these people live independently, living in close proximity but never interacting with each other until death, and may suddenly pass away one day.

If martial artists from the vicinity of Chang'an were brought together, they could form a major sect comparable to Bashan, Emei, and Tianshan. In terms of martial arts fortune, it would definitely be a place where hidden talents reside.

The downside is that they can't get together.

Outside the city, each side acts independently; inside the city, there are conflicts among different groups.

There are also many highly skilled cultivators and reclusive masters who have died mysteriously. The Demonic Sect and Cihang Jingzhai will not pay attention to these matters, but the thugs who hang around the streets and alleys all day long can often find clues.

Li Zhaoting inquired carefully and found that more than eighty Taoist priests, hermits, and ascetics who lived in seclusion in Zhongnan Mountain for a long time, appeared amiable, preferred to live alone, had no servants, and occasionally came to the city to buy daily necessities had died unexpectedly. Some of them had shown extremely excited behavior before their deaths, turning from old Taoist priests into demons.

A rather daring hoodlum went up the mountain to dig for mushrooms to fill his stomach. He witnessed a kind-looking old Taoist priest suddenly turn into a demon, snapping several large trees and smashing several large rocks with a wave of his hand. Then everything went black and he fainted. When he woke up, everything in front of him had turned into flat ground, just like a dream.

The old Taoist priest and the thatched hut were nowhere to be seen.

The broken tree turned into a deep pit.

The thug was certain this wasn't a dream, because he found a broken tree trunk nearby, took the branches into the city to sell, and earned enough money to cover three days' gambling.

Other thugs corroborated that this man did indeed suddenly become diligent for a few days, chopping dozens of bundles of firewood, but then, true to his nature, he went to brothels and casinos and squandered it all.

"Monsters and demons abound, and monsters run rampant!"

Li Zhaoting stretched and said, "The divination that Ge Shutian saw back then was really right. In every corner of the martial arts world, there are petty scheming people, making one's fingers itch with desire!"

"My lord, do you have any suspicions about the target?"

"Before finding any clues, it's best not to suspect anyone casually, even if the other party is a heinous and ruthless demon. Perhaps those old Taoist priests have gone mad from alchemy; such things have happened before."

Compared to internal alchemy, which enhances one's cultivation, external alchemy has always had a problem. It is obviously excellent as a medical art, but if one wants to achieve immortality and become a celestial being in one step, the alchemy will often turn into poison, which will enter the five internal organs and cause one to go astray.

Of all the alchemy legends Li Zhaoting had read, none had a good ending. Dying a terrible death was the least of their worries. The most tragic one was Ying Zheng. All the blame related to the elixir of immortality in later generations could be placed on Ying Zheng. It was bad enough that he was the one who took the blame, but the key point was that he never got to eat one.

The sword was forged, and when it came out of the forge, Qin Shi Huang was on an eastern tour.

He was refining an elixir when Qin Shi Huang died.

He had a whole basket of good things, from immortality to divine weapons, but Ying Zheng never enjoyed any of them.

Are there any examples of people who have successfully refined elixirs and benefited from them? The answer is: Yes!

An Shiqing, known as the "King of Alchemy" during the Northern and Southern Dynasties, was Sun En's junior brother. He went mad while trying to refine elixirs.

He originally intended to refine a pill that would allow him to transcend the limits of humanity and nature, but he accidentally ended up refining a poisonous pill. Fortunately, he had an outstanding daughter who became Yan Fei's father-in-law.

After a series of fierce battles, An Shiqing successfully overcame the poison and refined the "Dongji Pill".

The "Dongji Pill" is not very well-known, and it is far inferior to the Wuji Immortal Pill and the Dahuan Pill, but its medicinal effects are unparalleled. It is a rare elixir that can cleanse the marrow and develop spiritual power, and its medicinal effects are roughly equivalent to the energy tempering of the He Shi Bi that Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling experienced.

Even if you use the Ten-Thousand-Year-Old Ginseng King to refine medicine, it will only enhance your muscles, bones, blood, and internal energy, greatly improving your physical condition, but it will absolutely not have any effect on refining your spirit.

Refining elixirs of divine power is truly a rare feat.

Unfortunately, since An Shiqing passed away, the Dongji Dan has been lost, and no one has been able to replicate it.

It would be perfectly reasonable for these reclusive Taoist priests in Zhongnan Mountain to obtain the recipe for the Dongji Pill, fail to refine it, produce poisonous pills, and go mad after consuming them.

Li Zhaoting had long known that neither the four great martial arts families nor the major escort agencies were of any good character.

However, everyone has their own area of ​​expertise.

It's difficult to find suspects in matters of alchemy.

That said, the idea that alchemy causes madness is just speculation, and there is no concrete evidence.

After a moment's thought, Li Zhaoting memorized the relevant information and decided to go to Cihang Jingzhai the next day to ask Yan Jing'an about the "Primordial Heavenly Demon".

You dare not tell me? Hmph!

Li Zhaoting looked down at Cheng Huaixiu.

Cheng Huaixiu and Li Zhaoting were of one mind. Cheng Huaixiu sensed Li Zhaoting's thoughts and couldn't help but shiver, only to find that the only person beside her was the even more incompetent Li Shengnan.

Not to mention Wang Shenglan, even Jiang Yuyan and Meizhu weren't around. Feeling weak and listless, she collapsed, saying, "Master, it's all thanks to you..."

Cheng Huaixiu begged for mercy with tears in her eyes.

Li Shengnan guessed the riddle the two were playing, and with ill intent, she grabbed Cheng Huaixiu's jade foot and gently tickled the sole, causing countless splashes of water to erupt in the bathroom.

Cheng Huaixiu hurriedly begged for forgiveness: "My lord, we mustn't be late to see Master tomorrow! If Master insists on not telling you, I will beg your forgiveness again."

Li Zhaoting nodded: "That makes sense! I'll let you off the hook tonight. Shengnan, what do you think?"

Li Shengnan's face darkened. She thought to herself, "What the hell am I supposed to do? There are only the three of us here. If they spare Cheng Huaixiu, they won't spare me. Is it too late to run away now?"
On second thought, before going to Cihang Jingzhai, he shouldn't cause trouble for Cheng Huaixiu. Before going to Tianshan Sect, he should be relatively safe. He could take revenge then.

Li Shengnan quickly came up with a three-step plan.

First, show weakness and retreat.
Second, hold a grudge. First, observe how Cheng Huaixiu took advantage of your misfortune and record everything in detail!
Third, once we reach the Tianshan Mountains, we will take revenge.

This is called: using their own methods against them!

If Murong Longcheng had a spirit in the afterlife, he would probably be so angry that he would come back to life if he knew that his family's unique skills were being used in this way!

wrong!

Compared to the rise of the Murong clan, these are all minor incidents; the Murong clan truly knew how to play the game.

Cheng Huaixiu was unaware of Li Shengnan's scheme and only wanted to escape Li Zhaoting's clutches, so she frantically tried to shift the blame. Li Shengnan closed her eyes and made notes in her mind.

Li Zhaoting guessed what the two women were thinking and thought to himself, "When two tigers fight, the hunter benefits; the ancients were right."

What can a hunter do?
The hunter can just focus on enjoying himself!

Li Zhaoting had a premonition that the next few days would be quite busy, with little time to enjoy himself with his wife.

……

Butler Liu jogged to the pharmacy.

Over the years, he has embezzled a considerable amount of money. He has sold all the medicinal herbs in the alchemy room. There are tens of thousands of hermits in Zhongnan Mountain, and the alchemy room of Qingniu Manor is full of good medicines. There is no shortage of buyers. If his accounts are investigated, he will probably be drowned on the spot.

Just as they left through the back door, they encountered a monster that even Butler Liu dared not provoke in his wildest dreams. This person had rather delicate features, which were quite beautiful on their own, but when they were gathered on one face, they looked more ferocious than a demon under the pale moonlight. They could kill at least three children.

His eyebrows were thick and bushy, but each hair was tangled and messy; his face was deathly pale, as if covered with a thick layer of putty; his lips were purplish-red and dry, the corners of his lips turned down completely and then pressed tightly together; his eyes were sharp, but they seemed to be about to lose all their last bit of brilliance in an instant; his face was covered with stubble and his hair was disheveled, yet he wore a gold headband and jade pendants.

The veins, like earthworms, spread intricately across this young face, resembling a river distribution map.

He refused.

The son of Hui Baiying.

The heir to Miaoshoutang, returning home.

The most ruthless, domineering, and arrogant second-generation rich kid in Chang'an City, he is tainted by wine, women, wealth, and power, and possesses all the villainous qualities of narrow-mindedness and jealousy.

Miaoshoutang's foundation lies in its medical skills.

This makes them extremely skilled at torture; they can beat someone half to death, bring them back to life, beat them half to death again, bring them back to life again, and repeat this cycle endlessly.

Rejecting his greatest hobby in life is breaking other people's bones, from bottom to top, bit by bit. He has a bad memory and often forgets what he has done, but will continue torturing people when he remembers. Sometimes it takes three or four months to crush a person to death. He is the most evil of all evil spirits.

Butler Liu was terrified of being refused, but when he thought of the master in Qingniu Manor and his reputation in the martial arts world, he subconsciously straightened his chest.

You bullied me before Li Zhaoting came!

You still bully me after Li Zhaoting came!
Did Li Zhaoting come for nothing?
Despite his wicked nature, he managed to secure his position as heir because of his superior martial arts skills and quick wit. Seeing Steward Liu's expression, a faint hint of disdain and mockery appeared on his lips.

"I originally wanted to ask you who the distinguished guest staying at Qingniu Manor was. I originally thought it was Yan Tieshan or Huo Tianqing, but I didn't expect it to be Li Zhaoting!"
am I right!

Li Zhaoting has arrived in Chang'an.

Given the friendship between Li Zhaoting and Yan Tieshan, Boss Yan would be more than happy to let Li Zhaoting stay at Qingniu Manor for a few days. Li Zhaoting is a hero, chivalrous, and a master swordsman. With Li Zhaoting as your backer, of course you won't be afraid of me!

I dare not kill you here!
Don't slap someone in the face!
I'm afraid Li Zhaoting will wipe out my entire Miaoshoutang family!
For Li Zhaoting, annihilating Miaoshoutang was just a casual matter, much like how he wiped out 800 elite Imperial Guards of the Qing Dynasty with a single sword at the Guandong Martial Arts Conference.

With such a powerful backer, why would you be afraid of me?

You can ride on my head!

Rejecting the question, he looked at Steward Liu with a sinister gaze: "I wonder if Li Zhaoting will settle down in Chang'an? I wonder if Li Zhaoting's wife will audit the accounts?"

"Young Master, I wouldn't dare..."

Butler Liu instinctively took three steps back.

"Butler Liu, you've been lining your own pockets for years, haven't you? Is it not unjust to sentence you to drowning?"

Finally, if Miaoshoutang hadn't been destroyed when Li Zhaoting left Chang'an, Steward Liu, do you think Yan Tieshan would have offended Miaoshoutang for your sake?

Upon hearing this, Steward Liu turned pale and fell hard on his backside. Instead of helping him up, Steward Liu was given a silver note and three gold bars.

"Butler Liu, you know me well. I'm the fairest person when I do things. You were disrespectful to me just now, so I threatened you with a few words. Now you're very respectful to me, so this is your reward. I'm going to do some business with you next."

"Please...please enlighten me, young master...I will answer all your questions without reservation!"

"How many people did Li Zhaoting bring?"

"Two women."

What are their names?

"How would I know!"

"what do you know?"

"I knew they were good-looking..."

"I don't care if they're black or white, when you're serving them food, do you..."

"Young Master, how dare I flaunt my face in front of the Master? How many people could eat after seeing my face? Let alone a celestial beauty!"

What do they call Li Zhaoting?

"I know that one. The one with the wicked air calls Master Li 'husband,' while the other one, with a slightly ethereal air and a Sichuan accent, calls him 'boss'..."

"I'm giving you three tasks."

1. Record all information about Li Zhaoting, including when he gets up, when he takes a bath and rests, what he eats for three meals a day, and how many bites he eats.

Second, I have a file here. You can put the file in a relatively conspicuous place in the study so that Li Zhaoting can see it. You can make up any reason you want.
Third, today during the day, you took several thugs to Qingniu Manor, was that on Li Zhaoting's orders? Make a record of their conversation with Li Zhaoting;
Record every single word, without the slightest omission, including burps, farts, and yawns.

Three things, three thousand taels for each.

I'm paying a deposit of three thousand taels. If Steward Liu completes everything, the agreed-upon fee will double. I don't like empty words; I prefer to be straightforward!

He refused and pulled out a large stack of silver notes.

Each one is worth one hundred taels.

Thirty sheets, exactly three thousand taels.

Silver notes from Huajia Datong Money Shop.

A thick stack of silver notes, full of temptation.

Steward Liu gritted his teeth and accepted the silver note.

"A wise man knows when to yield, Steward Liu. We will have many opportunities to cooperate in the future. The martial arts world of Chang'an will eventually belong to the Hui people! Don't stand on the wrong side."

He gave a smug smile and strode away.

He is an arrogant person.

Raised from a young age to be lawless and arrogant, Hui Baiying told Hui Jue when he was very young: "In Chang'an, apart from the Quanzhen Taoists and the prefects and magistrates, you can kill whoever you want!"

To put it slightly exaggeratedly, there are only two differences between refusing and saying "I don't eat beef": one is that one is not as handsome, and the other is that one is slightly wary.

They dared not kill officials or rebel.

They dared not offend the Quanzhen Taoists.

In other aspects, there is basically no difference.

Steward Liu carefully put away the silver notes and scurried to the kitchen like a rat. He glanced at the dossier by the firelight, then casually tossed it into the stove. Watching the dossier turn to ashes in the flames, a sinister smile appeared on his face.

"Young Master, you've always been arrogant and domineering, thinking yourself a wicked dragon, a notorious dragon king, but you don't realize you're just a stinking toad in the mud at the bottom of a well!"

"You think you're worthy of controlling everything?"

"The four great martial arts families? If only one of them can be left, I might as well bet on the Ge family."

What will happen after Li Zhaoting leaves?

"I can't guarantee anything else, but based on the filthy things you've done since you came home, you're definitely going to die!"

A ruthless glint flashed in Butler Liu's eyes.

Huijue is narrow-minded and vindictive. Previously, Steward Liu, relying on Li Zhaoting's presence at Qingniu Manor, did not take the initiative to greet Huijue, but instead held his head high, greatly offending Huijue. Given Huijue's character, once Li Zhaoting leaves Chang'an, he will surely exterminate Steward Liu's entire family.

Even if he doesn't retaliate at the time, he will still retaliate in the future. This has happened many times. He would brutally murder the entire family of someone who glanced at him, sneezed on him, or cursed him years ago, and then clean up all traces afterward.

Here's the question: why is no one doing anything about all the vicious and cruel things that he has done?

Because he doesn't enjoy killing ordinary people, he won't casually deal with the strong. If he wants to deal with martial arts masters, he will send out his own experts to help him, and a group of people will rush at him.

Bullying the weak and fearing the strong, opportunistic and fickle.

Arrogance requires capital.

He is the young master of Miaoshoutang, not the Prince of Chang'an!
Steward Liu burned the dossier and then went to a local pharmacy. He knocked three times on the door, and a young clerk came out yawning to open it. When he saw Steward Liu, his expression froze, and he quickly invited Steward Liu into the inner room.

"Butler Liu, what brings you here?"

"I have something for you to do! Don't even think about hiding your identity from me. I already know this is a branch of the Azure Dragon Society. Don't rush to make a move. Li Zhaoting happens to be at Azure Ox Manor. You can't afford the consequences of making a move!"

"You dare threaten the Azure Dragon Society?"

"I just want to cooperate with you!"

"what's up?"

"With the help of the You and Chi families, find some ordinary people who have been harmed by the return of the family, and have them go to Qingniu Manor to file a complaint and ask Li Zhaoting to uphold justice!"

"Did you offend Butler Liu when you went home?"

"In short, will you do it or not!"

"What benefits can I get?"

“I can guarantee that Li Zhaoting didn’t know this was a branch of the Azure Dragon Society before he left! Li Zhaoting’s target is Cihang Jingzhai, and he won’t stay in Chang’an for long.”

"In other words, if I refuse you, Li Zhaoting will accidentally stumble upon this branch of the Green Dragon Society while shopping and chop us into eight hundred pieces!"

"I did not say anything!"

"These conditions are not enough! Li Zhaoting may not always be hostile towards the Azure Dragon Society. The Azure Dragon Society and Li Zhaoting have long since reached a cooperative relationship."

"you……"

Why did you decide to go home?

"I……"

"You have half an incense stick's time!"

"This is what happened..."

Steward Liu, dejected and terrified, recounted his entire grievance with the woman he had refused.

"Just for something this trivial?"

“You know his personality better than I do. I offended him unintentionally tonight. If he doesn’t die, I’m definitely going to die. I’m going home to run a medicinal herb business, and you’re in the same business, so it’s a good opportunity to take them over.”

"Which faction does Butler Liu belong to?"

"I... only committed petty theft!"

“To wipe out an entire family at the drop of a hat is not something that can be done on a small scale. Steward Liu, your true colors are showing. You are acting far too calmly.”

"Give me a straight answer, whether you want to cooperate or not. At worst, I'll go and complain to Li Zhaoting. Knowing Li Zhaoting's personality, at most he'll beat me up and I'll only suffer some physical pain!"

"A deal is made, as both parties benefit from this."

(End of this chapter)