Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

The character “李” can be broken down into “木” and “子”.

Therefore, the Li family uses "Mu Zi" as their generational name.

The wood element is extended to mean: flowers, medicinal herbs, and vitality.

The character 子 can be extended to mean: home, official career, and learning.

Li Nanxing belongs to the "Mu" generation, born under the influence of the Southern Dipper. Li Zhaoting belongs to the "Zi" generation, indicating a prosperous family. According to the rule of generational cycles, the next generation of the Li family will be the "Mu" generation.

Yu Luosha had already decided on the generational names, and the next generation would all be named after medicinal herbs and flowers, which are derived from the "Li Sao". Using this as a standard, it was not difficult to name the children.

Feng Suzhen gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl.

The boy's name is "Jiang Li", which comes from the poem: "Hu Jiang Li and Bi Zhi Xi, Ren Qiu Lan Yi Wei Pei". Jiang Li is also known as Chuan Qiong, which is a good medicine for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis.

The girl's name is "Fangzhi," which, according to the same story, represents the medicinal herb Angelica dahurica, which can treat both cold and heat.

Blue Phoenix is ​​also a pair of twins, a boy and a girl.

The boy's name is "Su Mang", which comes from the poem: "In the morning I pluck magnolias from the hill, in the evening I gather Su Mang from the islet". Su Mang is also known as Selaginella tamariscina and has the effect of promoting blood circulation and regulating menstruation.

The girl's name is "Mulan," which has the same origin as above: the magnolia flower bud can clear the nasal passages and regulate breathing.

Gongsun Lan and Wang Yuyan each had a daughter.

Wang Yuyan's daughter was named "Jihe". She made clothes of water chestnuts and lotus leaves, and gathered hibiscus flowers to make a skirt. She took the lotus flower as her name. Her fragrance spread far and wide, and she stood tall and pure.

Gongsun Lan's daughter was named "Furong," which is also a name derived from the lotus flower. It symbolizes purity, rising from the mud unsullied, standing tall and straight without spreading or branching.

When the major powers of the martial arts world learned of this, they all sent generous gifts, thinking that he had six children and that he could not leave home until the children were a month old.

This is great news for the martial arts world.

Li Zhaoting's reputation is growing stronger.

In the past, the most they could do was kill until rivers of blood flowed and sever other people's lineages. Now, they can actually bring back the dead and bring back dozens of old relics who have been dead for twenty or thirty years.

You'd better just shut up!

I don't expect you to cultivate your character for three years, but at least please don't leave home before the baby is a month old.

As the saying goes, it's not scarcity that's the problem, but inequality. Li Zhaoting had so many wives and concubines, but only four of them had children. Doesn't that make others jealous? How can you sleep?

Li Zhaoting really couldn't sleep.

Besides taking care of six children, they also had to deal with the exploitation of their beautiful wives and concubines. Feng Suzhen and Lan Fenghuang flaunted their twins all day long. Who could stand that?

Even Li Shengnan, who was quite interested in martial arts and wanted to postpone having children for a few years, couldn't sit still any longer. She joined forces with Wang Shenglan and squeezed Li Zhaoting every day.

In other words, Li Zhaoting had neither the time nor the energy. Even if the Temple of War descended to earth, Li Zhaoting was too lazy to pay attention and would stay at home to take care of his wife and children.

Li Zhaoting couldn't leave home for a while, and Long Chengbi, Tang Zhuquan, and others, who had just learned unparalleled martial arts on Xia Ke Island, couldn't resist wanting to find someone to test their skills.

In the turbulent world of martial arts, where is there any peace and tranquility?
Before the first month of the lunar calendar was even over, a major event broke out.

Mu Daoren, an elder of the Yuxu Palace of the Wudang Sect, is the leader of the Qinglong Society in September and the master of the Ghost Manor. He has been painstakingly planning for twenty years to become the leader of the Yuxu Palace.

In terms of martial arts prowess, Mu Daoren is the number one expert in Yuxu Palace. He cultivates both internal and external skills, and his swordsmanship is divine. He usually only displays two or three tenths of his combat strength.

In terms of status and position, Mu Daoren is the senior uncle of Shi Yan, the current head of Yuxu Palace. He is a well-known Taoist master in the martial arts world, and his reputation is even greater than that of Shi Yan.

Most importantly, the Wudang Sect has a peerless terrestrial immortal. No matter how many schemes and tricks Mu Daoren plots, in the martial world, strength ultimately speaks.

Even if we take a step back and assume that Mu Daoren is blinded by power and lust, he could simply participate in the election for sect leader. Why bother planning for twenty years to build Ghost Manor?

This involves the issue of "tradition of the Way".

Unlike other famous Taoist sects such as Quanzhen, Tianshifu, and Maoshan, Wudang is more like a combination of various sects and lacks a complete and unified system.

Qiongtan Temple, Yuxu Palace, Nanyan Palace, Zhenwu Temple, and other branch temples are under the jurisdiction of Zixiao Palace, but due to their different beliefs, their rules and regulations inevitably differ.

The most obvious difference lies in five words:

—Have you become a monk or nun?

Even figures like the Seven Heroes of Wudang are nominally "lay disciples" who can marry freely. Unfortunately, Master Mu is a "monk".

Being the head of the Zixiao Palace does not require one to become a nun; one can marry and have children; and the management is relatively relaxed.

The rules of Jade Void Palace are quite strict. Lay disciples can marry and have children, but the sect leader is absolutely forbidden from doing so.

Master Mu had a childhood sweetheart cousin, and the two had a daughter. But secrets can't stay hidden forever, and the affair eventually came to light, disqualifying Master Mu from the election.

Lu Xiaofeng was nearly driven mad with anger after discovering the truth.

In this battle of wits with Mu Daoren, Lu Xiaofeng was almost always at a disadvantage, completely outmaneuvered by Mu Daoren. It wasn't that Lu Xiaofeng had lost his mind, but rather that he had blind spots in his thinking.

Who would have thought that the Wood Taoist had painstakingly planned for twenty years, recruiting a large group of demons and monsters to build the Ghost Manor, just to destroy his own dark history?
Lu Xiaofeng was too lazy to investigate further, so he directly informed Zixiao Palace about the matter. In the end, Youming Manor was destroyed, and Mu Daoren was punished by being forced to meditate in the back mountain of Wudang for twenty years.

It wasn't that Wudang was biased and protective of its own, but rather that although Mu Daoren seemed to have made many insidious and vicious schemes, in the end, he didn't do anything bad.

Not only did it not do anything bad, but it actually did quite a good job.

Just as the Heavenly Child Granny used the Life and Death Talisman to control the demons and monsters of the Thirty-Six Caves and Seventy-Two Islands, the Wooden Taoist imprisoned a large group of underworld demons in Ghost Manor.

Subjectively, they wanted to use them as cannon fodder to erase their own dark history; objectively, they confined themselves to a corner, forcing these underworld tycoons into seclusion for twenty years.

This greatly reduces conflicts within the martial arts world.

In other words, it means doing good with bad intentions!

Even after Bao Zheng was asked to judge the case, the result was still the same: the Taoist priest violated the sect rules and was sentenced to reflect on his mistakes in seclusion for XX years.

Mu Daoren: What bad things have I done?
Mu Daoren: The biggest victim is the Wudang Sect!
Mu Daoren: The victim has issued a letter of understanding!
Mu Daoren: I've wasted a lot of money from the Azure Dragon Society!
Mu Daoren: I'll help ease the conflicts in the martial arts world!
Lu Xiaofeng: Are you out of your mind?! After all this fuss, it all boils down to that little thing in your crotch? You should learn from me!
The matter at Youming Manor was quickly resolved.

"Ghosts" cannot be seen in the light!
Once exposed to light, they will surely die.

Zhang Sanfeng didn't interfere at all; he simply had the Seven Heroes of Wudang lead the elite disciples from each branch of Wudang to easily annihilate the demons and monsters of Youming Manor.

Disciples such as Yang Yuqian, Yun Feiyang, and Geng Yujing performed exceptionally well. Meanwhile, this was Zhang Wuji's first battle since he entered the martial arts world, and he demonstrated remarkable martial arts talent.

With such a huge bombshell dropped by the Wudang Sect, it should theoretically become a topic of conversation in teahouses and taverns for the next few months, with the buzz lasting for more than half a year.

However, at the very beginning of spring, Lu Xiaofeng, who had solved the Ghost Manor case, got into a huge mess.

In the late spring of March, when the grass was growing and the birds were singing in Jiangnan, Li Zhaoting was about to take his wives and concubines, who had almost recovered, out for a spring outing when the Six Doors issued a bounty.

Wanted criminal: Lu Xiaofeng
Bounty: 100,000 taels of gold
Crime: Assassinating the emperor is an unforgivable crime.

The bounty notice spread like wildfire throughout the land, and inevitably, many conspiracy theories began to circulate in teahouses and taverns.

Some say the assassin was a Wudang disciple whose purpose was to take revenge on Lu Xiaofeng and kill him without leaving a complete corpse.

Some say that the mastermind was Li Zhaoting, who cultivated relationships with powerful figures in the court and wielded considerable influence in the martial arts world. Li Zhaoting was a descendant of the Southern Tang dynasty and had been plotting a rebellion.

Some say that Lu Xiaofeng was bewitched.

Some say that Lu Xiaofeng fell in love with a certain imperial concubine.

Some say Lu Xiaofeng was a spy for the Mongol Yuan dynasty.

There are countless rumors, but one thing is certain: Lu Xiaofeng entered the palace to assassinate the emperor, committing the crime of deceiving the emperor, which is unforgivable!

As long as Lu Xiaofeng is captured, one can enjoy endless wealth and glory. Just as Li Zhaoting was about to go to the capital to investigate the case, another major event occurred.

—The Manchu army marched south and invaded the Liao Kingdom.

The commander-in-chief was Zhangjia Agui, and the deputy commander-in-chief was the famous Niohuru Heshen. The Liao Kingdom was infiltrated by the Sticky Rod Bureau, and the northern defense line only lasted three days.

During the internal strife in the Liao Dynasty, the Liao's strongest battle formation, the "Taiyi Hun Tian Xiang Formation," which was able to firmly defend the northern lands, had its formation diagram stolen by Manchu spies, who also turned the generals against them.

Based on the flaws in the battle formation, A-Gui devised a plan to attack from both inside and outside, pressing forward relentlessly.

With the Manchu Eight Banners' elite troops and artillery firing from the outside, and with generals who had been turned against them rebelling on the battlefield, the Liaodong soldiers were defeated and cried out for their parents, suffering defeat after defeat, and collapsing for miles.

The Eight Banners cavalry marched south, winning battle after battle. In just half a month, they penetrated into the heart of the Liao Kingdom. Yelü Hongji had no choice but to send an envoy to the Song Dynasty for help.

The Yan-Yun region was not entirely stable. If the Manchu army were to conquer the Liao Kingdom and then launch a large-scale invasion of Yan-Yun with the momentum of this great victory, countless variables would inevitably arise.

After three days of deliberation with his ministers, Emperor Zhao Zhen appointed Li Nanxing and Yang Yanzhao as commanders to support the Liao Kingdom, with Zhuge Zhengwo in charge of transporting supplies and the Eighth Prince serving as the military supervisor. Speed ​​was of the essence in war, and the Manchus had made thorough preparations for this attack, poised to storm the Liao capital. Any delay would mean Yelü Hongji's capture.

Li Nanxing only had time to leave a few letters for Li Zhaoting before leading 80,000 imperial guards to the north.

As Zhuge Zhengwo, Li Nanxing, the Eighth Prince and others left the capital, and Lu Xiaofeng attempted to assassinate the emperor, the oppressive atmosphere in the capital turned the clouds black with ink.

It looked as if a basin of ink had been poured down.

The entire capital was shrouded in dark clouds.

The phrase "a storm is brewing, and the wind fills the tower" is insufficient to describe the atmosphere in the capital. Everyone knows that drastic changes are about to occur in the capital, but no one knows the outcome.

Countless masters secretly rushed to the capital.

Emperor Zhao Zhen was worried about trouble in the capital, so on the one hand, he ordered princes of the Zhao Song imperial family, such as the Prince of Taiping and the Prince of Xiangyang, to lead the imperial guards to protect the capital, and on the other hand, he wanted to "bring good luck to the capital."

Doing something good can ease the oppressive atmosphere.

This wonderful thing is—the imperial examination!

It's not Jin Ke, it's En Ke.

The chief examiner was Cui Mingchong, the son-in-law of Grand Tutor Pang. General Pang Tong, the Flying Star, was in charge of the candidates' safety. Grand Tutor Hua and Scholar Li were ultimately responsible for grading the papers.

Li Zhaoting's wives and concubines were either pregnant or had just given birth two months prior and had not yet recovered their strength. Only Li Shengnan and Wang Shenglan had retained their full fighting power.

The two stayed behind to guard the house.

Li Zhaoting brought Feng Suzhen and Meizhu to the capital.

As soon as Li Zhaoting arrived in the capital, he heard two pieces of news that made him feel dizzy: Chu Liuxiang had been ambushed and was suffering from a deadly poison, and was recuperating at the Daxiangguo Temple.

Tang Zhuquan, who came to the capital to see the excitement, accidentally killed someone while drunk. The deceased was an ordinary citizen. Tang Zhuquan was arrested by the Six Doors and temporarily detained in the Ministry of Justice.

Li Zhaoting's relatives and friends, Bao Zheng and Gongsun Ce were handling backlog cases in Chang'an when Tang Yin lost his manners in front of the palace and was ordered to stay at home for three months to reflect on his mistakes, and was not allowed to go out.

Li Xunhuan served as the emperor's personal bodyguard in the palace.

A series of unexpected events struck at the same time.

Li Nanxing was sent to the Liao Kingdom to command troops in battle.

The Eighth Prince accompanied the army on its expedition under the guise of supervising the troops.

Zhuge Zheng needs to handle the army's provisions.

Lu Xiaofeng became a traitor who attempted to assassinate the emperor.

Chu Liuxiang was poisoned and fell into a prolonged coma.

Tang Zhuquan was framed and imprisoned.

Bao Zheng and Gongsun Ce will not be able to return for a while.

Tang Bohu inexplicably lost his composure in front of the palace.

Li Xunhuan was imprisoned in the palace, with a circle drawn on the ground.

For a fleeting moment, Li Zhaoting thought that Zhao Zhen might have believed the rumors circulating in the streets, and that Li Zhaoting was a descendant of the Southern Tang Dynasty who wanted to rebel and change the world.

This is clearly targeting Li Zhaoting.

Taking advantage of the fact that Li Zhaoting's wives and concubines had just given birth and that Li Zhaoting was at home taking care of them during their postpartum period, the authorities clipped Li Zhaoting's wings, leaving him as a lone commander.

Xiao Feng was far away in Dali and could not offer any help.

Jianxiong, Shangguan Yan, and the Queen of Kucha are all far away in the Western Regions; distant water cannot quench immediate thirst.

In a daze, someone used the capital city as a chessboard to devise a "killing scheme" against Li Zhaoting.

From the moment Li Zhaoting stepped into the capital, all forces reacted swiftly, and a single move could have far-reaching consequences, like an ambush from all sides, leaving no escape.

Li Zhaoting lived with Meizhu at the Jingyuan Marquis's residence.

Feng Suzhen changed into Feng Shaomin's disguise and went to the Imperial College to investigate intelligence. The special disguise of "Feng Shaomin" had not been used for many years and almost no one remembered it.

After becoming pregnant, Feng Suzhen stayed at home and focused on resting and preparing for childbirth. She spent her days playing the zither, playing chess, calligraphy, painting, and reciting poetry, which she considered her "prenatal education."

Over the years, Li Zhaoting has traveled all over the country and collected many rare books. Feng Suzhen has read them in their entirety several times, and her knowledge has not only not decreased, but has actually increased.

Furthermore, the diploma that Zhao Zhen casually promised and the identity certificate that Liu E made for Feng Shaomin were never taken back, and they probably even forgot about them.

……

The ancient castle was shrouded in darkness and chaos. As the world hid itself away, a strange beam of light suddenly appeared on the distant horizon, slowly spreading outwards.

Beneath the ancient castle lies a vast underground palace, with wide corridors and walls carved from white marble, adorned with murals depicting the Yangtze River, the Three Mountains and Five Sacred Peaks.

The ground was paved with large bluestone steps, winding and turning, leading to an unknown destination. A figure dressed in a black and gold robe walked along the passage towards the depths of the underground palace.

In the center of the underground palace hall stands an enormous circular stone platform, surrounded by four thick bronze pillars carved with five-clawed dragons.

Besides the wall at the entrance, three bronze tripods are placed on each of the other three sides, each engraved with patterns of Mount Tai, the Yellow River, the Yangtze River, the sun and moon, and stars.

There were nine chairs around the stone platform. Eight of them were occupied by strange people wearing black and gold robes and bronze masks. Only one person remained.

As this person arrived, the strange man sitting in the main seat coughed lightly: "Gentlemen, Li Zhaoting has arrived in the capital. This killing scheme has officially begun."

He identified himself as the "Purple Star" in the main position.

The remaining eight chairs are arranged according to the Bagua (Eight Trigrams).

Qian sighed, “As the old saying goes, ‘The tallest tree in the forest is the first to be felled by the wind.’ Li Zhaoting is qualified to be one of us, but he is too arrogant.”

"Kun" sneered, "Hmph! There's a second part to that saying: 'When a fish transforms into a dragon, the heavens will surely be jealous.' Li Zhaoting wants to become a dragon, so how can he not face wind and rain?"

"Gen" waved his hand and said, "Li Zhaoting has ruined so many of our plans; he should have been eliminated long ago."

"Li" said disdainfully, "If you were capable of getting rid of Li Zhaoting, he would have been torn to pieces three years ago. How could he possibly be alive now?"

The person in the "Dui" position was a woman with an indescribably alluring voice. She laughed and said, "I just want to know what will happen to Li Zhaoting's wives and concubines after he dies!"

The Xun position licked its lips and said, "Of course, we should send them all to the underworld. We shouldn't leave Li Zhaoting's descendants alive to avenge him, should we?"

"Gen" said disdainfully, "What else can you do besides kill people? If you continue to be so insane, I suggest we just get rid of you!"

The "Xun" position chuckled: "Don't worry! Before I'm killed, I'll drag you down to hell with me."

Kan shouted, "Stop talking! We finally managed to transfer Li Nanxing and Zhuge Zhengwo away from the capital. Li Zhaoting is not important; the lord's great cause is the most important!"

"Qian" coldly replied, "Bah! Ziwei Star is your lord, not mine. My relationship with him is merely one of cooperation! I will not listen to him!"

Kun quickly added, "What a coincidence! He and I are also business partners. You can say whatever you want, just don't drag me into it, or don't blame me for being impolite!"

"Ziwei Star" said calmly, "Now is not the time to talk about these things. We must take advantage of the time before Li Zhaoting can react and press him step by step to kill him without mercy."

Xun: Where is Li Zhaoting?
Dui: Having just arrived in the capital, based on Li Zhaoting's behavior pattern, he will ostensibly go to the Azure Dragon Society to buy intelligence, but in reality, he will go to the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion.

Kun: Before Su Mengzhen left the capital, he left behind a dozen secret agents to collect intelligence.

Gen: Let the martial arts world fight against the martial arts world. The best way to get rid of Su Mengzhen is to support Lei Sun. As long as Lei Sun is strong enough, Su Mengzhen will surely die.

Qian: We can also use our brotherhood to find a way to let Li Zhaoting and Lu Xiaofeng meet. Li Zhaoting will definitely protect Lu Xiaofeng. This is our opportunity.

Kan: I've already made arrangements!
Zhen: I'm in charge of delivering the message!
Xun: I will kill Li Zhaoting!

Kun: Who's in charge of the front lines?
Li: Of course he's mentally unstable. He's the head of the Azure Dragon Society who's obsessed with becoming emperor. Li Zhaoting doesn't know we exist, so he'll definitely suspect the Azure Dragon Society.

Kan: If there were no forces like the Azure Dragon Society and the Heavenly Mandate Sect in the world, it would be dozens of times more difficult for us to achieve great things. Does anyone have any questions?
Ziwei Star: Gentlemen, good opportunities are hard to come by. If we fail to seize this chance, we will surely be defeated once the Eighth Prince, Zhuge Zhengwo, Li Nanxing and others return to the court!
Dui: All I want is Li Zhaoting's head!

Xun: His head is mine!
Dui: You're in charge of cutting off his head. I only want the body. Little brother, your sister won't take it from you!

The group exchanged glances and then burst into wild laughter.

Ziwei Star was especially happy.

After years of long-cherished wishes, the perfect opportunity has finally arrived. (End of Chapter)