Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 86 In Kaifeng there was a Bao Qingtian, an impartial judge who distinguished loyalty from treachery.
There is a grove of trees outside the Daxiangguo Temple.

The dense thickets are shrouded in mist year-round, with scattered veins of magnetite. Even experienced explorers would lose their way if they entered this forest.

To prevent tourists from accidentally wandering into the woods, Daxiangguo Temple has placed a sign outside the woods that reads: "Return Home!"
Turn back from the wrong path and stay away from evil influences.

Tonight, however, two dark figures rushed into Zhifan Forest and ran swiftly through the grove, faster than rabbits.

The two of them were the first men in black to infiltrate the Daxiangguo Temple and steal the Great Sun Tathagata Mantra. They were first surrounded and beaten by the 108 Arhats Formation, and then ambushed by the Demon-Subduing Qin.

Both men were already severely injured, and seeing that they could not steal the scriptures, they desperately tried to break through the encirclement.

Once they reached the depths of the woods, the two removed their veils.

A figure radiant with light and a majestic countenance appeared—it was none other than the Great Wheel King Kumārajīva, whose eyes twitched incessantly.

A man with the eyes of an eagle and the gaze of a wolf, ambitious and cunning, was none other than Murong Bo, who had been dead for over twenty years. He was the catalyst for Kumārajīva's entry into the Central Plains and the starting point of the tragedy of Tianlong.

Last night, Kumārajīva, whose internal injuries had slightly improved, was about to steal the Great Sun Tathāgata Mantra when he unexpectedly encountered his old friend Murong Bo, and was so frightened that he almost jumped up.

Weren't you dead?

Resurrection of the dead?
So he faked his death to escape!

Brother Murong, you've really put me in a terrible situation! In order to fulfill your last wish, I went to Tianlong Temple in Dali to obtain the Six Meridians Divine Sword, only to be brutally beaten by the monks there.

How are you going to repay this debt to me?
Kumārajīva launched the first attack.

Murong Bo calmly took out the secret manual.

Murong Bo faked his death and escaped, living in seclusion in the Shaolin Temple's Sutra Pavilion for over twenty years. He often discussed martial arts with Xiao Yuanshan and studied all seventy-two Shaolin arts. Being greedy by nature, he copied all seventy-two arts into three copies.

Carry one with you and make friends with experts.

A document was hidden in the Murong family's Huanshi Water Pavilion.

A document hidden in the Langhuan Jade Cave of Mantuo Mountain Villa.

The Shaolin martial arts techniques that were given to Kumārajīva years ago were only a part of it, and had two main purposes.

First, they saw that Kumārajīva was ambitious and gave him a push from behind, so that he would come to the Central Plains to cause trouble. This goal was achieved, and Kumārajīva could not resist.

Secondly, while browsing through the manuals, they discovered that the 72 Shaolin Arts were casually placed in the library, with little security around them, raising concerns that the manuals might contain traps.

Murong Bo used Kumārajīva as a test subject. He first let Kumārajīva cultivate, and if Kumārajīva had no problems, he himself could cultivate, and then he would find an opportunity to pass it on to his son.

Unfortunately, having lost his father at a young age, Murong Fu focused solely on mastering the ingenious techniques when building his foundation, neglecting the fundamentals of internal strength, which resulted in many deficiencies in his foundation.

Even today, the foundation remains problematic.

Kumārajīva was exceptionally intelligent, so how could he not know Murong Bo's scheme? However, Murong Bo used an open strategy, targeting Kumārajīva's ambition to become a Buddha and an ancestor.

All the martial arts manuals are genuine.

There is absolutely nothing missing.

At first, Kumārajīva felt there was something wrong, but later he discovered that these secret manuals were profound and mysterious. With each scroll he practiced, his respect for Murong Bo would increase by a little.

Upon hearing of Murong Bo's death, Kumārajīva was saddened for a time. However, when he reunited with Murong Bo in the capital, all the past grievances were finally resolved into just two words.

—Add more money!
Murong Bo generously gifted Kumārajīva ten volumes of Shaolin martial arts techniques, including the Golden Bell Cover and the Vajra Indestructible Body Divine Skill, two of the "Five Great Shaolin Divine Skills".

The two conspired to steal the Great Sun Tathagata Mantra together.

First, he personally acted as bait to lure away the experts, then he had Qiu Batian lure away Li Zhaoting, and finally, he hired a master thief at a high price to steal the Great Sun Tathagata Mantra.

Qiu Batian and the master thief are both highly skilled individuals that Murong Bo has carefully recruited in recent years. In order to restore the Yan Kingdom, Murong Bo has made some preparations and has a private force.

Murong Bo's calculations were very precise.

Unfortunately, there are too many masters at the Great Xiangguo Temple.

Qiu Batian was captured alive by Li Zhaoting.

The master thief was captured alive by Lan Fenghuang and Feng Suzhen.

During the battle against the 108 Arhats Formation, Feng Suzhen launched a sneak attack with her Demon-Subduing Qin, triggering hidden injuries in both of them.

There is no need to elaborate on Kumārajīva's hidden injuries.

Murong Bo's hidden injuries were more severe than Kumārajīva's.

Kumārajīva studied Buddhism from a young age, possessed profound knowledge of Buddhist teachings, had a very solid foundation, and experienced relatively slow backlash from his mental practices.

Murong Bo was ambitious and greedy, his mind filled with desires, which was completely contrary to the idea of ​​compassion and salvation. His hidden injuries were getting worse and worse, and he was in pain that went deep into his bones.

The three acupoints, Yangbai, Lianquan, and Fengfu, are pierced by thousands of needles every morning, noon, and midnight, causing unbearable pain. No matter what kind of miraculous medicine I take, it has no effect whatsoever. I try to relieve the pain by using internal energy, but it's better not to use it. Once I start using it, the pain doubles. I suffer three times a day, feeling like I can neither live nor die.

Even the Heavenly Child Granny's Life and Death Talisman is nothing special!
Living a life-or-death situation three times a day, what joy is there in life? If it weren't for his obsession with restoring his kingdom, Murong Bo would have loved to smash his own head in.

Normal combat wouldn't have much of an impact, but being surrounded by 108 martial monks severely depleted his inner energy. Furthermore, the demon-subduing zither stirred up his inner demons, causing a multitude of distracting thoughts in his mind. Three acupoints were faintly throbbing, which he only managed to suppress now.

The two exchanged a glance and secretly rejoiced at their good fortune.

Fortunately, Kumārajīva had demonstrated the 72 Shaolin Arts during his martial arts competition with Śīlabhadra. During the fight, Śīlabhadra recognized Kumārajīva and deliberately created an opening.

Kumārajīva was the National Preceptor of Tibet. If the Xiangguo Temple arrested him, and Kumārajīva revealed his identity, requesting the Ministry of Rites and the Court of State Ceremonies to handle the matter, then this matter would be truly difficult to resolve.

Rather than ruthlessly arresting them, it's better to give them a break.

Don't they want to avenge Jiechen?
Of course I do.

However, Kumārajīva was not the murderer.

Inside the Daxiangguo Temple, Bao Zheng and Gongsun Ce were reasoning about the case: "The two murders that occurred in the Daxiangguo Temple actually involved two murderers."

"This is not a serial murder case!"

"It has little to do with the election of abbot."

"The two cases just happened to overlap. In order to disrupt the situation, the murderer deliberately left clues to mislead us. This is called hitchhiking."

"First, let's talk about the death of Master Jiechen."

"He died because of a dispute over the division of the spoils. The other party killed him for two reasons: first, to keep all the money for himself, and second, to destroy the ledgers to prevent the matter from being exposed."

"Jiechen is the chief financial officer. He often takes advantage of his position to withdraw money and lend it out to underground banks. He has a partner who is very ambitious and desperately needs money. The amount they cooperate on is very large."

"Gongsun Ce has calculated the accounts. Judging from the surface of the bills alone, he has a deficit of 400,000 taels. Adding the income from lending, he has probably made a fortune."

"Where will all this money go?"

“This matter must be very secretive. This secret cannot be exposed. In other words, the two of them will part ways sooner or later. Jiechen did not expect it to happen so quickly.”

"According to Jiechen's plan, he should conspire with this collaborator to become the abbot of Daxiangguo Temple, and then betray the other party, using the collaborator's life as a way to make a name for himself in the new position."

“Evidence is Jiechen’s assistant.”

"He may not look particularly remarkable, but he is actually Jiechen's confidant. He knows all of Jiechen's secrets and keeps a secret ledger to prevent Jiechen from discarding him after he has served his purpose."

"Then he spoke of the death of Bodhidharma."

“The murderer who killed Bodhidharma was Jiechen.”

“Damo Zhi knew Jie Chen’s secret and used it to threaten Jie Chen, so that after Jie Chen became the abbot, he would hand over the Great Sun Tathagata Mantra. Jie Chen then suddenly attacked and killed him.”

How did Bodhidharma know this?

Do you remember what I said earlier?

"Jiechen's collaborator can help him become the abbot of the Great Xiangguo Temple. Without actively showing himself, how can he help Jiechen? Of course, it's through... an outsider!"

“There were three notaries at the election rally.”

"Bao Zheng, Li Zhaoting, and Bodhidharma."

“Dharma is well-versed in Buddhism and eloquent. As long as he supports the precepts against anger when debating Buddhism, or subtly or overtly guides the discussion when explaining a topic, the precepts against anger can gain the upper hand, and it is difficult for others to notice.”

"Damozhi died in the early morning because Jiechen asked Damozhi a question and discussed a way to cooperate. During their conversation, Damozhi noticed the secret and used it to test Jiechen. Jiechen made a move and killed him instantly."

Why would Jie Chen react so strongly?

"Because this secret is extremely dangerous."

"What secret could be worth risking discovery to silence someone under these circumstances? This is purely speculation; please use your imagination." "Now, let's present the evidence."

"This is the knife used to kill people by abstaining from anger."

“These are Jiechen’s account books and diaries.”

"These are the accounts compiled by Gongsun Ce."

"This is the statement from Jiechen's assistant..."

Bao Zheng was upright and dignified, and spoke eloquently.

Zhan Zhao had no interest in arguing with Bai Yutang.

As a child, Zhan Zhao was frail and sickly, and was fostered at the Daxiangguo Temple as a monk who jumped over the wall. This meant that he was sickly and could not be properly raised by ordinary people, so he asked Buddha to help raise him.

When Zhan Zhao comes of age, he will hold a ceremony to jump over the wall, return to secular life and go home. The master and disciple will still be master and disciple. He will visit his master during festivals and can marry and have children normally.

The fellow disciples took good care of young Zhan Zhao.

Take Jie Kong as an example. In Bai Yutang's eyes, Jie Kong is a rude and domineering fat pig, while in Zhan Zhao's eyes, Jie Kong is a good older brother who gives him snacks and candy.

Jie Kong, who was usually the biggest glutton, stuffed all the delicious food and fun toys he had into Zhan Zhao's hands.

Jiechen is taciturn and not good with words, but he takes good care of Zhan Zhao. He originally wanted to avenge his senior brother, but he didn't expect the truth to be like this. What should he do?
Revenge?
How do I report it?
Who should I report this to?
On what grounds should we report it?

Zhan Zhao was somewhat confused.

Yan Hui and the others bowed their heads and chanted Buddhist mantras.

Bao Zheng's words were not very cryptic.

Yan Hui and the others all understood the implication.

Who is so short of money?

Who must be kept strictly confidential?

It is very likely related to "rebellion".

What the world has no shortage of today is traitors.

Today someone claims to be a descendant of the Li Tang dynasty, tomorrow someone will claim to be the legitimate successor of the Han dynasty, and even martial arts masters who rule from the mountains harbor ambitions of rebellion.

The most obvious example is the power faction.

It's obvious they have ambitions to conquer the world.

The imperial court had three strategies for dealing with such people.

One method was to recruit them into the Six Doors (a government agency), or to make them royal retainers, and even grant them titles.

One approach is destruction: a massive army charges forward, raining down crossbow bolts, followed by the deployment of recruited experts to fight, or the dispatch of spies to create chaos within the ranks.

One approach is to avoid seeing it and thus avoid getting annoyed. For example, let the Six Doors deal with a martial arts gang like the Power Gang, give them some titles, and make them the target of public criticism, such as the Number One Gang in the World or the Number One Fist in the World.

Regardless of the circumstances or the attitude shown by the imperial court, Daxiangguo Temple must not be tainted.

Daxiangguo Temple is located in the capital city.

Countless temples have tried to replace the Great Xiangguo Temple.

Countless people were secretly watching the Daxiangguo Temple.

Some things are best left untouched.

Some things are better left unseen.

There are some things you have to stay far away from.

Bao Zheng did not say anything more.

Firstly, because there is no evidence, these things are currently just speculation, and reasoning cannot be taken as a conclusion.

Secondly, because he did not hold an official position, the investigation could only continue once he passed the imperial examination and was granted an official post.

Thirdly, out of respect for Zhan Zhao, since Daxiangguo Temple is Zhan Zhao's home, one should exercise restraint when necessary.

Just as Bao Zheng finished his reasoning, Li Zhaoting returned to the Daxiangguo Temple and missed his explanation. Seeing the dull atmosphere, Lan Fenghuang immediately changed the subject.

"Brother Li, where is the man in black?"

"It's been delivered to the Six Doors."

"Huh? The Six Doors? Why?"

“This man is incorrigible and his crimes are unforgivable. Killing him with a single sword is too lenient. He must be utterly disgraced and torn to pieces to atone for his past sins.”

"Who is such a bad person?"

"Qiu Batian!"

One name caused a series of exclamations.

The forest is big and there are all kinds of birds.

There are countless underworld bosses.

The number of murderers and arsonists is countless.

In today's martial arts world, if you were to look for the most cruel, violent, and despicable bastard, Qiu Batian would definitely be in the top five, if not number one.

As human beings, we all have a bit of compassion.

It has a certain softness, more or less.

Qiu Batian is the only one who is "purely evil," evil from head to toe, simple evil, and resolute evil.

God cannot save you, and Buddha cannot save you.

An aggregate of human sins.

The ringleader of the villains deserves to be torn to pieces.

Compared to Qiu Batian, the Ten Villains of Evil Valley are child's play, and Yue Laosan appears kind and benevolent.

Anyone who hears of Qiu Batian's crimes, if they have even a shred of justice, will grit their teeth in rage.

Lan Fenghuang asked curiously, "What's wrong? Is this Qiu Batian really that bad? How many bad things has he done?"

Li Zhaoting whispered a few words.

Upon hearing this, Lan Fenghuang vomited on the spot.

As the leader of the Five Poisons Sect, what kind of torture hasn't he seen?

The Five Poisons Sect punishes disciples who commit serious offenses by throwing them directly into a poisonous pool where Gu worms are cultivated, where they are bitten to death by thousands of poisonous insects, a practice known as the "Scorpion Basin."

Even with such an experience, hearing about Qiu Batian's actions at Jinlong Temple still disgusted him: "Where is this guy? I'm going to bite him to death with my Gu worms."

Gongsun Ce angrily said, "I never imagined that such a crime could exist right under the emperor's nose. If this person is not eliminated, where is the righteous path? I will go to the Imperial Academy right now and join forces with the students to submit a petition."

Bao Zheng said, "Let's go together! Let's go together!"

The two of them hurried off to the Imperial College.

The atmosphere at Taixiangguo Temple was extremely awkward.

It was inconvenient for them to stay any longer.

Just as Li Zhaoting was about to flee, he was stopped by Jie Yi and Jie Xian. He participated in the election meeting with a worried look on his face. The final result was not hard to predict: Jie Yi stood out.

Jieyi is the eldest disciple, and his position at the Great Xiangguo Temple is equivalent to that of a general manager. He already enjoys extremely high prestige. Although Jiexian has high martial arts skills, he is slightly lacking in prestige.

Jie Xian is too fierce, too ruthless, and too stubborn.

Jie Xian is suited to be a chivalrous knight-errant, but is very unsuitable to be an abbot, especially the abbot of Daxiangguo Temple, a temple under the emperor's nose, where the abbot must be shrewd and adaptable.

(End of this chapter)