Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Liu Mansion.

With a sorrowful expression, Madam Liu was recounting to Bao Zheng and others the cause and effect of Liu Yi's "sudden death," the origin of which can be traced back to the Sui and Tang Dynasties.

"During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, there was a local tribe that called itself the Xiling tribe. The leader of that generation was named Zhang Ben. He had a face as white as powder, eyes as bright as stars, and was as handsome as Pan An."

At the end of the Sui Dynasty, the world was in chaos, and the Xiling tribe was drawn into the war. Zhang Ben's appearance was too handsome to deter the enemy, so he imitated the Prince of Lanling.

Wearing the mask, Zhang Ben became incredibly strong and fought with increasing ferocity, successfully protecting the Xiling tribe. However, perhaps because he had worn the mask for too long, it became completely adhered to his skin.

The murderous aura, bloodlust, and killing intent emanating from the mask constantly assaulted Zhang Ben's mind, gradually transforming him from a wise and powerful clan leader into a cruel and bloodthirsty tyrant.

Left with no other option, the elders of the Xiling clan conspired to assassinate Zhang Ben while he was sleeping.

They thought the matter was over, but unexpectedly, Zhang Ben survived thanks to the power of the mask. The elders tied Zhang Ben up with a fishing net and burned him to death.

Before his death, Zhang Ben uttered a curse, vowing to crawl out of hell and take revenge on the Xiling tribe.

Although Zhang Ben died, his mask was preserved.

Several years ago, my husband obtained the mask. He was originally a weak scholar, but after wearing the mask, he received the blessing of Zhang Ben's strength and became incredibly strong.

There is a large stone lock weighing over 300 pounds in the garden. As long as he wears a mask, my husband can play with this stone lock like a football, tossing it up and down at will.

After removing the mask, his strength waned, and even with all his might, he couldn't budge the stone lock in the slightest.

The Zhang Ben mask granted him immense power, but it also made him brutal, bloodthirsty, greedy, and insane. The night before last, Zhang Ben's curse erupted completely.

My husband went mad and danced wildly, running all the way to the edge of a cliff, where he set himself on fire and fell off the cliff.

His body was not found until yesterday morning on a riverbank seven miles away; his entire body was charred black.

Before his death, the official roared and shouted that Zhang Ben was inside the mask and had come to take revenge.

Lord Bao, my husband is no good official. Over the years, he has been corrupt, protected thieves, and extorted money from the government. He has done many bad things, and this retribution is his just deserts.

I am willing to hand over the account books, gold, silver, and paintings that my husband has embezzled over the years, only asking that Lord Bao grant me five days' grace so that he may at least pass the seventh day after his death.

Over the years, I have enjoyed all the benefits of being embezzled and corrupt, and I have been adorned with gold and silver and delicacies. The blame should not be borne by you alone. No matter how Judge Bao pronounces the sentence, I am willing to plead guilty and accept the punishment.

I humbly request that you, esteemed officials, grant my request.

Madam Liu knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly.

Tang Yin was soft-hearted. Seeing Madam Liu's pitiful and sorrowful appearance, he guessed that Madam Liu would surely follow Liu Yi in five days, so he helped her ask for a favor.

“Old Bao, Liu Yi certainly deserves to die, but he set himself on fire and almost burned to ashes. Heaven is punishing him for his life. You confiscated his property. Even if he committed a terrible crime, at least let him have a seven-day mourning period.”

Li Xunhuan quickly followed up by pleading, "Old Bao! Since Liu Yi's death is suspicious, let's find out the truth. Let's set a five-day deadline and make a decision after five days."

Gongsun Ce coughed lightly: "It is said that there are tens of thousands of hermits in Zhongnan Mountain. Let's take a look and see which ones are enlightened masters and which ones are heretics."

The three colleagues, one spoke of human relationships, one of the case, and one of the hidden circumstances. They had covered all aspects, so what else could Bao Zheng say?
Bao Zheng said calmly, "Buyi always says that I am the young Bao who solves cases in three days, no matter where I go. This time I am lucky that you gave me a five-day extension. You are much more efficient than Li Buyi."

Zhan Zhao joked, "Brother Bao, Brother Li didn't mean to say 'three days,' it's just that he's incompatible with the number five. He has five little mice in his house, which makes him very uneasy, and his hair is almost turning white from worry."

This is true.

No matter how powerful a super boss is, they will frown when talking about a hopeless student.

The people of the Ming Dynasty saw this most clearly, and with a simple sentence, they resolved this problem: "If you get into trouble in the future, don't tell anyone about your teacher!"
Seeing that Bao Zheng and the others had agreed to her request, Madam Liu was overjoyed and was about to ask the steward to arrange a banquet when the steward rushed over in a panic: "Madam, something has happened!"

"Liu Liao, the Imperial Envoy is here. Does anyone dare to cause trouble? Who would dare to cause trouble at the Liu residence?"

"Madam, a strange Taoist priest has come in. He claims to be proficient in the Eight Trigrams and the Eight Formations of Zhuge Liang. He is dressed in ordinary coarse linen clothes, accompanied by four female Taoist priests, and carrying a tattered signboard. He barges in with a stern look on his face!"
We tried to stop him, but this guy was slipperier than an eel. Dozens of people couldn't catch a hair on his head. With a light tug from a broken bamboo stick, the strong soldiers sent by Lord Gao to maintain order were scrambled to their feet and fell to the ground.

I thought he was there to pick a fight, but I didn't expect him to go up to those hermit masters and challenge them one by one, smashing their signs.

He drove away seventy or eighty highly skilled individuals who participated in the psychic competition. Madam, you should go and see for yourself!

Liu Liao gestured wildly and wildly.

Gongsun Ce frowned: "I've seen many Taoist priests who set up fortune-telling stalls, and they all bring their disciples. How can one bring female disciples? And four of them at once? They're definitely not decent people! Most likely, they're greedy and lustful!"

Tang Yin said, "This guy is interesting! What does his signboard look like? The world's number one lecher?"

Liu Liao said, "Nine out of ten divinations are inaccurate!"

"Pfft~~"

Upon hearing this, Li Xunhuan spat out his tea more than three feet away, thinking to himself, "Your family's mourning hall will soon be filled with coffins. You'd better prepare a few more coffins!"

Bao Zheng shook his head helplessly: "Madam Liu, I know 'Nine out of ten divinations are inaccurate.' His mind is a little abnormal. Don't worry about him. When he's had enough fun, or when he's hungry, he'll come over to freeload at the banquet."

Liu Liao asked in a low voice, "Lord Bao, what is this gentleman's background? Is he a descendant of Zhuge Liang?"

Li Xunhuan coughed twice, cleared his throat, and said in the gentlest tone, "Steward, to prevent any unforeseen events, I suggest you go to the coffin shop and buy a few coffins as backup, and also expand the mourning hall two or three times."

Madam Liu exclaimed in surprise, "He's an assassin?"

Zhan Zhao chuckled: "Even the largest assassin organization in the world can't compare to a fraction of his."

"Master Abstinence, you are mistaken. I am just a wandering fortune teller who lives a life of hardship and only seeks three meals a day, good health, and a harem of three palaces, six courtyards, and seventy-two concubines."

I have no interest in murder or killing!

My fellow gentlemen, it's been a long time!

Li Zhaoting appeared at the door carrying a signboard.

Madam Liu and Liu Liao subconsciously ignored Li Zhaoting's ramblings, only remembering the first four words.

—A master of abstinence!
He couldn't help but look at Zhan Zhao...

...the little bald head.

Zhan Zhao wished he could disappear into a crack in the ground.

Li Zhaoting followed up with another stab: "The Liu family is going to hold a spiritual communication competition, why not invite Master Jiese to be a judge? Don't underestimate Master Jiese just because he is young. He is a senior monk of the Jie generation from the Daxiangguo Temple, of the same generation as the abbot of the Daxiangguo Temple, and on equal footing with the abbot of Shaolin Temple."

Zhan Zhao charged at Li Zhaoting with a rocket-shaped headbutt, letting out a bratty roar. Li Zhaoting reached out and pressed down on Zhan Zhao's bald head. Zhan Zhao was still a minor, with small arms and legs and little strength. How could he possibly touch Li Zhaoting?

Mei Lan Zhu Ju changed into a Taoist robe, and it was obvious that he was not a proper Taoist priest. He was laughing and joking. He spotted a piece of charcoal at first glance, and then launched into a series of comments.

"Wow~ This must be Bao Heitan! He's even blacker than coal! When he goes out at night, the moonlight shining on his teeth is scarier than any ghost!"

"This handsome young man with a face like jade should be Gongsun Ce. The master said that Gongsun Ce is very knowledgeable and his overall ability is even better than Bao Zheng's, but he is unlucky and is always overshadowed by Bao Zheng."

"This guy looks sleazy at first glance, but he looks even more sleazy upon closer inspection. I think his name is Tang Yin. He has eight female cousins ​​and is even more lecherous than the master."

"The master said that the most handsome one here is the third-ranked scholar in the imperial examination. Because he is too handsome, he missed the chance to become the top scholar and could not go to the Hanlin Academy. He could only go to the Court of State Ceremonial. All year round, he was either sent as an envoy to Dali or to Yanyun. He had to travel tens of thousands of miles every year."

Bao Zheng: Where is my guillotine?
Gongsun Ce: Let me help you hold down his left arm!
Li Xunhuan: Let me help you hold down his right arm!
Zhan Zhao: Let me help you lift the blade!

Tang Yin: I will be responsible for drawing a picture to record this matter!

Li Zhaoting: Why do I feel so chilly! Is this how other people feel when they see me?

"Cough cough~~"

Li Zhaoting coughed twice heavily.

Mei, Lan, Zhu, and Ju hurriedly changed their tune.

"A dark face indicates impartiality; an official who reaches this level of integrity will surely be remembered in history!"

"The master also said that Luzhou has three treasures: black-hat suspense, brilliant erudition, and an indestructible bald man!"

"Being the top scholar in the imperial examination is nothing special. Being handsome is what matters for a lifetime. With just this face, one can become a diplomat who will be remembered in history. In a few hundred years, the third-ranked scholar might be ranked alongside Zhang Qian and Ban Chao!"

"Mr. Tang Yin, you have eight beautiful wives, your household is prosperous, there has never been a quarrel, and you are in excellent health. These are all praiseworthy. How many men can compare to you?"

"Master of Abstinence, please don't be angry! Buddhist scriptures say that form is emptiness, and emptiness is form!"

Li Xunhuan's face darkened: "Buyi, where did you find these four clowns? Aren't you afraid of getting tired?"

Li Zhaoting said, "It was a gift from my senior martial uncle!" "Where did you get a senior martial uncle from?"

"Uh...my wife's senior martial arts sister!"

"Why are you dressed like this?"

"There's a psychic competition here, and there are fortune tellers everywhere. I couldn't resist showing off my skills, so I put on my old cloak and tried to see if I'd gotten rusty."

Li Zhaoting casually put the sign down.

First line: A smile at worldly affairs;

Second line: None other than myself is a god;

Horizontal inscription: Nine out of ten divinations are inaccurate;

Madam Liu asked curiously, "Sir, other fortune tellers are always right, their predictions are infallible, but yours are wrong nine out of ten times. How do you make a living?"

Li Zhaoting raised his eyebrows: "Those fortune tellers who claim to be accurate in every divination only need one divination from a customer, while nine out of ten of my divinations are inaccurate. Customers must have ten divinations from a customer. If I make one sale, it's equivalent to others making ten sales."

Liu Liao asked, "Sir, how could a normal person buy ten fortunes from a fortune-telling stall when they see a sign that says 'Nine out of ten fortunes are inaccurate'? Who would want to consult you?"

Li Zhaoting gently rubbed his face.

Liu Liao was defeated and forced to retreat.

With that face alone, if he went out to set up a fortune-telling stall, countless young women and wives would line up, and they wouldn't care at all even if he bought a hundred fortunes at once.

Being handsome has its advantages!
Bao Zheng, being quite kind, explained, "The peculiar sign 'Nine out of Ten Divinations are Inaccurate' is meant to attract customers' attention. If you look around and see a bunch of accurate predictions, which ones can you remember? But if you see the sign 'Nine out of Ten Divinations are Inaccurate,' you'll remember it for the rest of your life!"

Gongsun Ce added: "There are tens of thousands of hermit Taoists hidden in Zhongnan Mountain, thousands of whom study divination, hundreds of Zhuge Liang's successors, and thousands of people who can make infallible predictions."

If you see identical signs, would you believe in their abilities? These monotonous signs may look impressive, but in reality, they attract little attention.

I see someone on the street making a sure-fire prediction, but I won't even glance at them. However, I've seen nine out of ten predictions be wrong, and even if it's just to argue, I'll still go over and have a chat.

As long as someone sits down, the commoner will profit.

To be honest, all these so-called fortune tellers combined are no match for the commoner. When the commoner was wandering the martial arts world, he had a very famous nickname - the Commoner Divine Physician!
He knows everything about astronomy and geography.

Yin and Yang and the Five Elements are all interconnected.

His divination by observing the stars was always accurate.

They can go to heaven and earth, and are capable of anything.

You guys really hit the jackpot this time!

Gongsun Ce looked at Li Zhaoting awkwardly.

Li Zhaoting entrusted his apprentice to Gongsun Ce. After solving a few cases and making some progress, Gongsun Ce suddenly received a mission to find the "Heavenly Light".

The Five Rats were left in the county office by Gongsun Ce. Whenever Gongsun Ce saw Li Zhaoting, he felt somewhat guilty.

Gongsun Ce was unaware that Li Zhaoting cared for the Five Rats even more than he imagined. In order to prevent the Five Rats from becoming arrogant and domineering, he specially invited a stunningly beautiful older sister to teach the Five Rats how to behave properly.

When you should be humble, never be stubborn.

Li Zhaoting did not leave his name, and Madam Liu, being a woman, did not know who "Li Buyi" was.

With Bao Zheng, Gongsun Ce, and others vouching for him, even if Li Zhaoting is a fraudster whose divinations are inaccurate nine times out of ten, Madam Liu will still keep him. After Liu Yi's seven-day mourning period, Bao Zheng will definitely confiscate his property, leaving him with not a single penny. It would be better to take advantage of these next few days to hold a grand funeral.

Bao Zheng wanted to discuss the case with Li Zhaoting and ask about recent events, but before the two could get up, the steward came again to report that another distinguished guest had arrived to offer condolences.

Not a distinguished guest.

They are the most distinguished guests.

Pang Tong, son of Grand Tutor Pang and Flying Star General.

Pang Tong was well-versed in Yin and Yang, the Five Elements, the Book of Changes, and the Eight Trigrams. He was also quite knowledgeable about astrology and divination. He had a somewhat ambiguous relationship with Liu Yi. Upon hearing of Liu Yi's sudden death, he immediately rushed to offer his condolences and, incidentally, investigate some private matters.

As soon as I entered, I saw a room full of death gods.

Bao Zheng, Gongsun Ce, and Li Zhaoting!

The fact that Liu Yi was merely burned to ashes instead of being reduced to dust by the three Kings of Hell is quite illogical. Is it possible that the Grim Reaper is not on duty today?

Pang Tong cupped his hands in greeting: "I was wondering about the cause of Liu Yi's death, but after seeing you all, everything makes sense. Liu Yi was able to keep his body intact, and the Liu family was not destroyed. Thank you all for your mercy."

Gongsun Ce angrily said, "Pang Tong! You must have evidence to back up your words and actions. You have falsely accused the imperial envoy. Even if you are the son of Grand Tutor Pang, you will not escape imprisonment!"

Pang Tong sneered: "First of all! I don't deny that my father helped me, but I got to where I am today by relying on my own efforts for 70% of the reason. Don't mention that old man!"
While I was fighting desperately and shedding blood on the battlefield, you were still studying the Analects in school!
Secondly, Gongsun Ce, put your hand on your heart and tell me, in the places you and your companions passed through, were there more murders or more peace? Am I wrong?

Finally, even if Gongsun Ce and Bao Zheng encountered relatively few murder cases, do I really need to introduce this commoner fortune teller who was known for his inaccurate predictions?
Zhan Zhao, don't look at me like that!

What are you looking at me doing?
Am I your father?!

(Zhan Zhao: If you hadn't said it, I wouldn't have felt anything. But since you insisted on saying it, I suddenly realized that I do have this weird feeling. The more I look at it, the more I want to hit you with a stick!)
Pang Tong, as expected of the Flying Star General who had been on the battlefield and was used to big scenes, fought against many opponents. Whether it was the eloquent Gongsun Ce, the righteous Bao Zheng, or even Li Xunhuan and Tang Yin, they were all rendered speechless by his words.

Lies don't hurt, truth is the knife.

Before the emperor bestowed three guillotines upon Bao Zheng, he was dealing with murder cases to be executed in the autumn. After the emperor bestowed three guillotines upon him, Bao Zheng was tasked with beheading people wherever he went!

Li Zhaoting watched with a smile.

Pang Tong possessed an extremely unique aura, concealing an indescribable power. His martial arts skills were so high that he was in no way inferior to Xie Xiaofeng.

Xie Xiaofeng had given up on himself for many years. Even if he suddenly attained a high level of enlightenment, he had not used a sword for many years. Pang Tong had been on the frontier for a long time, charging into battle and killing countless people. His killing intent was far greater than Xie Xiaofeng's. If the two were to fight to the death, Pang Tong would have a slightly higher chance of winning.

Realm ≠ Combat Power

Besides, Pang Tong has more resources than Xie Xiaofeng. Who knows how many treasures Pang Tong has found in various prefectures over the years!

Mei, Lan, Zhu, and Ju found it amusing and joined in the argument, chattering away. They were ignorant of social etiquette and did not know Bao Zheng or the others. Based on the character introductions Li Zhaoting had given them, they made up a bunch of nonsensical stories.

Amidst a cacophony comparable to the squabbles of three thousand ducks, the Spirit Communication Conference officially began. Li Zhaoting, Pang Tong, and Zhan Zhao were the judges for this conference. Zhan Zhao, with a bitter expression, changed into a monk's robe. Liu Liao enthusiastically introduced him as the Abstinence Master of the Great Xiangguo Temple, whose status was roughly equivalent to that of the abbot.

Li Zhaoting sat upright on the high platform, with four fake female Taoists serving him behind him, winking and making faces. Looking around, he saw that the courtyard was full of talented people, including hundreds of monks and Taoists.

Li Zhaoting said, "First come, first served! There is only one spot for the Shaman King, and you only have one chance. It could be paving the way for someone else, or it could be seizing the opportunity. Let's see what you're made of. Even if you don't become the Shaman King, you can still show off your abilities in front of all of you, and perhaps you can rise to prominence!"

Upon hearing this, an old Taoist priest with a pointed mouth and monkey-like face walked over: "Amitabha, I have been cultivating Taoism in Zhongnan Mountain for thirty years. I have suddenly attained enlightenment and comprehended immortal techniques. I can store objects remotely. Please help me demonstrate this, sir."

The old Taoist priest looked at Gongsun Ce, whose face was the most benevolent.

Gongsun Ce asked, "How should we demonstrate it?"

The old Taoist priest took out a packet of tea leaves: "I will smear the tea leaves on the back of your hand. Please turn your palm over and you will find that all the tea leaves have gone into your palm."

As he spoke, the old Taoist grabbed Gongsun Ce's wrist, made him turn his hand upside down, sprinkled some tea leaves on the back of his hand, and then asked Gongsun Ce to turn his palm over. Sure enough, all the tea leaves ended up in his palm, and there was not a trace on the back of his hand.

The old Taoist priest looked at Gongsun Ce with a smug expression.

Gongsun Ce sneered: "What's so difficult about that? You wet your palm, smear tea leaves on it, grab my wrist, rub it against my palm to spread the tea leaves, and when you turn my wrist over, run your little finger across the back of my hand to wipe the tea leaves off."

Your street magic tricks are not worthy of playing tricks in front of me. Get out of here!

"Someone, throw him out!"

Two strong soldiers grabbed the old Taoist priest by the shoulders, lifted him to the gate, and threw him onto the street like a sandbag.

Gongsun Ce coldly said, "I want to see a truly skilled immortal master, not someone who's just pretending to be a god! I'm warning you now, anyone who tries to demonstrate their abilities but is exposed by me will be put in shackles and displayed for seven days!"

In fact, most of these so-called magicians can only perform magic tricks, and even those are rudimentary ones.

With Gongsun Ce's knowledge, he could easily find out their secrets with just a few words, and he could guess the working principle of some complex magic tricks after a little thought.

The fortune tellers have run into a trap!

Gongsun Ce's hobby is magic. (End of Chapter)