Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 114 Xiao Feng: I read the Spring and Autumn Annals at night, I don't read filthy stuff.

"Wang An, how is Li Zhaoting?"

"Reporting to the Empress Dowager, Li Zhaoting killed four notorious bandits the night before last, and last night he discovered a secret passage leading to Gu Santong's prison and fought a fierce battle with Gu Santong."

Who wins and who loses?

The match ended in a draw.

What about tonight?

"Li Zhaoting went to discuss martial arts with Gu Santong. Gu Santong was dying and valued Li Zhaoting highly."

"The little guy is lucky! Gu Santong is not the strongest expert at the bottom of the Heavenly Prison, but he carries the legacy of the Eccentric Hero of Tianchi, and his martial arts foundation is firmly among the top three."

Liu E took two memorials from her desk and handed them to her personal eunuch Wang An: "Wang An, take this to Feng Suzhen and give this to Li Zhaoting."

"Slave, you obey!"

Eunuchs generally have a bad reputation.

Wang An has a relatively good reputation.

Compared to notorious figures like Cao Zhengchun, Cao Shaoqin, and Yu Huatian, Wang An enjoyed good relationships both in and out of the court and was never assassinated by chivalrous individuals.

If it were someone like Cao Zhengchun or Cao Shaoqin, they would be assassinated by martial arts heroes every now and then. If they haven't been assassinated for a month, they should be worried.

Am I past my prime?
Have I lost my power?
Are they plotting an assassination?

Wang An glanced down.

Two memorials to the throne.

One of them was written by Li Nanxing.

The other document was also written by Li Nanxing.

One copy is a transcript of the "Proclamation Against Wu Zetian".

One version is an embellished version of "A Proclamation Against Wu Zetian".

When the new emperor ascended the throne, the empress dowager ruled from behind the curtain. Many people worried that Liu E would become the next Wu Zetian and submitted memorials to advise her. Liu E raised her sword to establish her authority, arrested a few of the more active ones, and exiled them to Lingnan.

Li Nanxing wasn't the most enthusiastic, and his memorials were nothing new, just the same old stories that everyone was tired of hearing. Li Nanxing was unlucky; his memorial was at the end, and when Liu E saw it, her anger erupted all at once.

Feng Suzhen gave Wang An a large red envelope and inquired about the past. After learning the reason, she secretly sighed that Li Nanxing's luck had all been used to give birth to Li Zhaoting.

Li Zhaoting didn't know much about the imperial court. After reading his father's embellished version of the "Proclamation Against Wu Zetian," he cursed his father for being brainless and almost causing his son's premature death.

Liu E is so damn kind.

She truly deserves to be called the Empress Dowager who raised Emperor Renzong of Song.

If it were Empress Wu Zetian, upon seeing this memorial, she would surely have been subjected to a relentless barrage of attacks from Lai Junchen, Suo Yuanli, Zhou Xing, and Qiu Shenji, and even exile would not have brought her peace.

Wu Zetian was well aware of the principle of eliminating all traces of the enemy. On the surface, she called them exiles, but in reality, most of them died on the way. Even after they finally arrived at their place of exile, she continued to send people to hunt them down.

Yuan Tiangang sheltered a group of "exiles," taught them martial arts, and established the "Snake Spirit" based on this.

Was Yuan Tiangang the founder of Snake Spirit?

of course not!

The true founder was Wu Zetian.

Wu Zetian was also the one who gave the snake spirit a blood transfusion.

As long as Wu Zetian sits on the dragon throne, the Serpent Spirit will have a constant stream of talented people. Cut off one head and two more will grow back, continuously growing stronger and stronger.

As time and space shift, Li Zhaoting is very likely to become the leader of the Serpent Spirits, one of the six Serpent Heads.

So, is this settling scores after the fact?
Li Zhaoting was very curious as to why he had been imprisoned.

It looks like it was designed by someone else.

I initially thought it was Grand Tutor Pang who was behind it all, but after seeing my father's memorial, I realized it was probably Empress Liu settling scores after the fact, giving her a minor punishment as a warning, and venting her anger from years ago...

its not right!
Liu E was not a petty person.

Otherwise, Li Nanxing would have been killed long ago.

How many exiles actually made it to their place of exile?
What kind of business are Dong Chao and Xue Ba in?
If Empress Liu wasn't petty, and if this wasn't a case of settling scores after the fact, wouldn't it prove that the memorial she sent was actually an attempt to cover up the truth?

Let's analyze it from this direction.

Did Li Zhaoting suffer any harm?

No!

Not only was there no harm, but there were also many benefits.

Going to jail is like a stroke of luck!
Could it be that Empress Liu offered this opportunity on her own initiative?
Not right either!
How did Liu E know I would find Gu Santong?
Could Liu E be a fortune teller or a divine being?
One last question: Did Empress Liu know that I could tell from this memorial that she was trying to cover up her true intentions?
Li Zhaoting pulled out a bamboo strip and put it in his mouth, crossed his legs, and idly analyzed Liu E's psychology. Just then, a sound came from outside, and Xiao Feng came to visit the prison.

Snakes have snake ways, rats have rat ways.

Xiao Feng served as the leader of the Beggars' Sect for eight years. Even though he has now stepped down, the Beggars' Sect brothers still support him. Although he no longer holds the title of leader, he can still enjoy the benefits of being the leader.

Under the arrangement of the Beijing branch, Xiao Feng bribed Guo Jiucheng, the uncrowned king of the prison. Guo Jiucheng arranged for Xiao Feng to visit him in prison for as long as he wanted, and even if he slept in the prison at night, no one would come to disturb him.

Money can make the devil turn the millstone, but the one turning the millstone is Yama, the King of Hell.

Guo Jiucheng is the King of Hell in the Heavenly Prison.

Money can make the devil turn the millstone, but the one being turned is the little devil.

The most troublesome little devil is the one who works hard without complaint.

Even the King of Hell and his minions have been dealt with.

Anyone who dares to utter a single extra word will have to experience firsthand just how ruthless the King of Hell and his minions truly are.

Xiao Feng carried the load into the prison cell.

A basket is filled with fine wine.

One basket contained braised donkey meat and spiced mutton.

"Second brother, who is framing you?"

"Brother, if I told you this isn't a setup, but rather a very likely reward, would you believe me?"

"Do you think I believe it?"

"Uh...it's really unbelievable."

I had some fortuitous encounters in the Heavenly Prison. The Heavenly Prison held many powerful figures, and I secretly slipped out in the middle of the night, where I met a great master and gained many benefits.

"I remember you said that you should be grateful not for the difficulties in life, but for the people who helped you when you were in trouble and for yourself when you overcame them. What's going on now? Have you been brainwashed?"

"Brother, look around. It's a small private cell with no guards around. There's plenty of good wine and meat. I leave the cell every night and no one has ever asked me a single question."

"This... is indeed questionable!"

"I'll take you to see this old master I met tonight. He's a master of a peerless martial art, which is perfect for you. He's dying and wants to find a successor. Looking across the entire martial arts world, you are the most suitable."

"What if I hadn't come today?"

"He didn't come today, but he'll definitely come the day after tomorrow."

"why?"

"Because my eldest brother is the most loyal."

"Okay! I'll go with you tonight."

"Brother, let me ask you something. Have you met any soulmates lately? I see you with spring in your eyes, your eyes sparkling with romance, you're practically blinded by love luck."

"I...this...I..."

Tell me, and I'll give you some advice. I may not be good at other things, but I'm particularly good at this.

"Hehe! Hehe! Hehe!"

Xiao Feng glanced sideways at Li Zhaoting.

He chuckled three times in a row, his face full of disdain.

It turned out that after the Xingzilin Gathering, Wang Yuyan worked for Li Shengnan, and Azhu and Abi were given a holiday to go wherever they wanted to play, and then go home when they were done playing.

Abi prefers quiet to activity, so she went straight home.

A Zhu is quite mischievous and active, and rarely has the opportunity to go out and play. She disguises herself and travels to various scenic spots.

On the way, they accidentally encountered robbers.

Xiao Feng happened to be passing by and rescued A'Zhu.

The hero saves the damsel in distress; no further explanation is needed.

A'Zhu is an expert in disguise.

Xiao Feng originally thought that if Li Zhaoting was framed and imprisoned by treacherous officials, he would have A'Zhu disguise him, kill the treacherous officials first, and then break him out of prison to rescue Li Zhaoting.

Why launch an assassination attempt first?

This is called an "alibi".

This could clear Li Zhaoting of the murder charge. Xiao Feng, seemingly rough and impulsive, is actually very meticulous. His accidental killing of A'Zhu in the original story was purely a plot device; the entire story is shrouded in mystery. Is this part of Xiao Feng's character?

Drinking alone wasn't fun, so Li Zhaoting called over two clever jailers, and the four of them played mahjong together.

The surrounding prisoners rolled their eyes in anger!

They've both been to jail, so why is there such a big difference?
They dared not say another word.

Otherwise, the jailers would invite them to play mahjong.

The prison guards were in charge of playing mahjong.

Before we knew it, it was evening.

Li Zhaoting waved his hand dismissively, declaring that regardless of victory or defeat, the money on the table belonged to the jailers, and he would treat them to drinks.

The jailer thanked him profusely and left quickly.

Xiao Feng had a large frame, so even if he mastered the art of bone shrinking to its peak, he still couldn't get through. Li Zhaoting found a bamboo strip and pried open the iron lock on the fence.

"Second brother, you know how to pick locks?"

"I have a friend named Lu Xiaofeng, and Lu Xiaofeng has a friend named Sikong Zhaixing. Sikong Zhaixing's nickname is the King of Thieves. Picking locks and stealing is his specialty."

"I thought you were focused on your studies!"

"Having many skills is never a bad thing! I'm quite eager to learn."

"What else have you studied?"

"I have Duan Zhengchun's diary of picking up girls here, brother, I'll give it to you..."

"piss off!"

"You'll need it sooner or later."

"for example?"

"Is A'Zhu an orphan?"

"What does this have to do with Duan Zhengchun?"

"Girls aged fifteen to twenty-two who are orphans with unknown identities, or who only have a mother, are very likely to have Duan Zhengchun as their father... Ah!"

Xiao Feng couldn't listen to this any longer, so he kicked Li Zhaoting into the tunnel, silencing the rest of his words.

Are you speaking human language?
How could A'Zhu be the Princess of Zhennan?

The dignified Prince Zhennan of Dali couldn't afford to raise his children?
Is Dali even poorer than the Beggars' Sect?
Unfortunately, Duan Yu is not here.

If Duan Yu were here, based on what he had seen and heard over the past few months, he would definitely agree with Li Zhaoting.

"Senior, my elder brother is here! Look at him, isn't he a great hero!"

Li Zhaoting shielded Xiao Feng in front of him.

Xiao Feng cupped his hands in a salute and said, "Junior Xiao Feng greets senior. My second brother is prone to rambling, so please forgive him. I am unworthy of the title of hero."

Because Xiao Feng was quite tall, Gu Santong had to look up to see his face clearly. He secretly sighed, thinking that such a heroic figure was definitely a great man.

Xiao Feng and Li Zhaoting have two different styles.

Li Zhaoting was handsome, with a face as white as powder, and exquisite features, perfect in every way, from his eyebrows to the corners of his eyes.

Xiao Feng is a strong man from the north, a generous and tragic hero from the land of Yan and Zhao, a masculine man bursting with hormones, whose masculine charm is in no way inferior to Li Zhaoting's.

The Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill, a powerful and head-on attack, is clearly more suitable for a tall and strong man like Xiao Feng than a pale-faced young man.

Have you heard my story?

Gu Santong took a sip of wine, his face full of desolation.

Li Zhaoting and Xiao Feng sat to the side, saying, "Senior, you can start telling your story now. From now on, we two will be your straight men, so you can tell your story to your heart's content."

Thirty years ago, a rumor circulated in the martial arts world.

Two hundred years ago, the greatest martial arts master in the world, the Eccentric Swordsman of Tianchi, passed away in the Tianshan Mountains, leaving behind all his lifelong martial arts skills.

Countless martial arts masters went to Tianshan Mountain in search of secret manuals.

Among them were Gu Santong and Zhu Wushi.

At that time, Gu Santong was a minor figure. Although he was exceptionally talented, he did not have a profound lineage, and his martial arts skills were at most third-rate, much weaker than Zhu Wushi.

The two hit it off immediately, and Zhu Wushi taught Gu Santong a finger technique. Together, they searched for the secret manual.

Later, the two found the legacy of the Strange Hero of Tianchi deep in Tianchi. Zhu Wushi took the Absorption Technique, and Gu Santong took the Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill. After that, Gu Santong practiced hard day and night, making great progress and advancing by leaps and bounds.

Gu Santong was a comical character who loved to play pranks. He often challenged renowned masters, but instead of killing them, he would trick them in various ways, thus creating countless enemies.

As the feud grew, the nine major sects challenged Gu Santong to a martial arts contest. Gu Santong entrusted his cousin Suxin to Zhu Wushi and accepted the challenge.

On the day of the decisive battle, when Gu Santong arrived, more than a hundred martial arts masters had all died. Overnight, Gu Santong became a notorious villain in the martial arts world, and he fled to the countryside with his cousin, where they enjoyed a period of peace.

Two years later, Zhu Wushi found Gu Santong, and the two fought a decisive battle at the summit of Tianshan Mountain, resulting in both of them being severely injured.

At this point, Gu Santong sighed deeply.

"Zhu Wushi is a tactical genius. He dares to fight and risk a fatal blow when he is on the verge of defeat, leaving him with a wound that can never heal. He used a mutually destructive method to strike me with his finger, and I did lose half a move to him."

In a fit of rage, I made a bet with him.

One move determines the outcome.

He won, and I surrendered.

I won. From now on, whenever Zhu Wushi sees the words "Invincible Rascal," he must turn around and leave.

Just as we unleashed our powerful attacks, Su Xin stood in front of me and was severely injured by the attacks.

I was distracted and lost to Zhu Wushi.

Zhu ignored Su Xin and took her away.

I know that Zhu Wushi deeply loves Suxin, and he will definitely save her. Suxin is Zhu Wushi's dream, the white moonlight that illuminates him when he is down on his luck.

The same applies to me.

The thing I regret most in my life is that I neglected the deep affection of a beautiful woman when I was young, which led to me spending the best years of my life either practicing martial arts or enduring hardship in prison.

This is God's punishment for me.

Xiao Feng, I have seen countless people, and I can tell you are a hero who keeps his word. Promise me that after we get out, you will help me find Su Xin and tell her that I love her.

Don't even think about rescuing me.

Twenty years of hidden injuries have left my body severely weakened; even Hua Tuo, a legendary physician, couldn't cure me.

I'm not afraid of death!

I was just sighing a bit!
I'm lucky.

He was able to see two unparalleled heroes before he died.

One who inherited my lifelong martial arts.

One who inherited the indestructible divine skill.

Haha ...

Gu Santong laughed heartily.

The Dharma is not transmitted to the six ears.

Although Xiao Feng and Li Zhaoting have become sworn brothers, and although Gu Santong is nearing the end of his life, the rules still need to be followed. Even though the two exchanged martial arts manuals immediately after leaving the prison, they must now avoid suspicion.

Li Zhaoting returned to his cell.

Xiao Feng received secret techniques from Gu Santong.

It should be emphasized here that when Gu Santong fought Zhu Wushi, he had not mastered the Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill to its full potential, and he had not even been able to transform into Vajra.

Gu Santong himself said that it took him nineteen years to complete his transformation for the first time. When the two fought, Gu Santong had only obtained the secret manual for three or four years, which was far from enough for him to transform.

Even without transforming, he can still unleash divine power.

The Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill has a method for cultivating Qi, which can refine essence, Qi and spirit, making true essence, Qi and blood a unified whole, and turning one into an indestructible, infinitely powerful golden Arhat.

In addition, Xiao Feng's internal energy cultivation technique was very strong.

Most of the 72 Shaolin Arts come with unique internal energy cultivation methods. Beginner martial arts only have moves, but once you reach the level of the Demon-Subduing Palm, you will definitely have internal energy cultivation methods.

Even if the Demon-Subduing Palm did not come with an internal energy cultivation method, Xiao Feng could still gain profound internal strength by using the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms from the outside in, through the pinnacle of external skills.

Zhao Min's subordinate "A'er" can cultivate profound internal strength from the outside in through the martial arts of the Vajra Sect. With Xiao Feng's unparalleled talent, how could he not do it?
Xiao Feng simply didn't possess renowned martial arts techniques like the Nine Yang Divine Skill or the Nine Yin Manual. That doesn't mean his internal cultivation methods weren't powerful. He also had an automatic stat-adding talent, meaning his true energy would automatically increase without him having to do anything.

For ordinary people, mental distress can lead to a decline in martial arts skills. However, Xiao Feng, despite his mental distress, was constantly on the move and exhausted, yet his skills not only did not decline but actually improved significantly.

Xiao Feng possessed exceptional talent and comprehension, with a solid foundation. Under the guidance of Gu Santong, he quickly mastered the basic techniques.

A ray of golden light bloomed on his forehead!

(End of this chapter)