Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 138 Lu Xiaofeng, watch me break your Spirit Rhinoceros Finger!

Jin Jiuling was a lay disciple of Shaolin Temple.

He was found by a high monk when he was young and taken in as a disciple. According to seniority, he belongs to the "Ku" generation of Shaolin. If he had stayed in Shaolin, he would have been at least the head of a branch.

Jin Jiuling couldn't bear the austere life and the bland diet, so he left Shaolin at the age of thirteen to become a constable and rose through the ranks to the Six Doors.

Then, he couldn't get promoted.

No matter how many disciples or grand-disciples he took in, or how many major cases he handled, Jin Jiuling could never be promoted.

The primary responsibility lies with Kim Gu-ryung.

Jin Jiuling loved luxury and pleasure and had no sense of restraint. Everyone knew that he was first-rate in every way, and everyone knew that he had problems.

He has character flaws, but his abilities are not.

Jin Jiuling possessed exceptional professional skills and martial arts prowess. He primarily studied the Shaolin Arhat Divine Skill, which was highly refined and profound. He also practiced the Great Vajra Pestle, achieving remarkable mastery in acupoint striking and pressure point techniques. After becoming a constable, he mastered seven or eight advanced sword techniques, but he rarely used a sword.

Seven days ago, Jin Jiuling's disciples and grand-disciples presented him with an ancient sword. Jin Jiuling was overjoyed and invited swordsmen from the capital to appraise it, which eventually reached the ears of the Eighth Prince.

The Eighth Prince invited Ye Gucheng to appraise the ancient sword to see if it was all show and no substance or if it could cut through iron like mud. No sooner had Ye Gucheng left than the Prince's mansion was robbed.

It's normal for Jin Jiuling's apprentice to give him gifts!
It's normal for Jin Jiuling to show off the precious sword he obtained!
It's normal for Ye Gucheng to appraise the sword on behalf of the prince!

Everything is normal.

Logically, it is flawless.

The problem is, it's too much of a coincidence.

The thing you can least believe in when investigating a case is coincidence.

The moment Jin Jiuling spoke, Lu Xiaofeng immediately focused his suspicions on Jin Jiuling. Even if he didn't do it, he was still involved.

"Captain Jin, I am also a swordsman. What kind of treasure is that sword? May I take a look at it?"

"This might not be so easy." Jin Jiuling opened his folding fan and shook it twice. "Ye Gucheng identified this as Jingni, one of the Eight Swords of Yue. The Prince heard about it and asked me to buy this sword. How could I dare to refuse the Prince?"

At this point, Jin Jiuling said with some pride, "The chief guard of the Prince's Palace has gone blind. The Eighth Prince needs a new chief guard, and that person is me."

"Captain Jin used a sword to exchange for a job. Isn't that bribery of his superior? Shouldn't he be arrested?"

Lu Xiaofeng stroked his beard, jokingly telling Jin Jiuling that he had found a new job, but in reality he had many doubts. Once you enter the gates of a noble family, it's like entering a deep sea. How could the prince be so hasty?
There is only one explanation: the former chief guard, Jiang Chongwei, had long intended to retire while he was still at the peak of his career. Jin Jiuling coveted Jiang Chongwei's position, and the Eighth Prince, upon learning of this, had frequent dealings with Jin Jiuling to assess his abilities.

Even if the Prince's mansion hadn't been looted by bandits and Jiang Chongwei hadn't gone blind, Jin Jiuling would have replaced Jiang Chongwei as the chief guard; it wasn't a temporary appointment.

This leads to a problem.

If this reasoning is correct, it means that Jin Jiuling is very familiar with the Prince's residence and has the ability to infiltrate it, further increasing the suspicion that Jin Jiuling committed the crime.

Lu Xiaofeng reacted quickly, skillfully exchanging toasts with Jin Jiuling while his mind was full of plans.

Jin Jiuling secretly regretted it. Stealing the Prince's Pearl was definitely a bad move. In order to lure away the White Cloud Sword Saint Ye Gucheng, Jin Jiuling revealed many flaws.

Having handled cases for many years, Jin Jiuling knew that many criminals were caught by the police not because they were not smart, but because they were too arrogant and looked down on the police officers.

They think they're the smartest!
They thought they could fool everyone!

They think they are jackals and tigers, but Jin Jiuling will prove that they are all fat pigs.

You can think of it this way when you apply it to other people.

Why not use it on yourself?
Is there any wishful thinking involved?

Could he harbor such arrogant thoughts?
Who is the tiger?

Who is the hunter?

Hard to say!

Jin Jiuling didn't get to eat at Li Zhaoting's restaurant.

The maid didn't know that Li Zhaoting was coming home today, and that the madam and young master had all gone out. No meal was prepared, and Lu Xiaofeng ate the leftover flatbread and smoked meat from the kitchen.

Even the wine cellar was emptied by Lu Xiaofeng.

Jin Jiuling wanted to stay for dinner, so he could only ask the cook to go out and buy groceries or order takeout from the restaurant.

Jin Jiuling: Your family is really weird!

When the master is not home, the cook does not cook. Does your cook not know the meaning of "lining one's own pocket"? There is a saying in wealthy families: "If the cook does not steal, the harvest will not be good."

The cook in the Li family really doesn't understand.

Because the Li family was not a wealthy or influential family.

Who would make "eggplant casserole" when they have nothing better to do?

This stuff might not be to everyone's liking!

The most famous dish at the Dream of the Red Chamber banquet, "Eggplant Stew," has been subject to two different interpretations by later scholars. One is that the cook embezzled the money and only used chicken broth for seasoning, while the chicken was taken home by the cook.

Secondly, it was a way to remember the bitter past and appreciate the sweet present. Eggplant dish was a "roadside dish" that Old Master Jia carried with him when he went to war. It was similar to Lao Gan Ma (a popular chili sauce), and was eaten sandwiched in a flatbread.

Military campaigns take a heavy toll on the body, so dishes must be high in oil and salt. Why is the eggplant dish cut into small cubes? It's so that it can be easily sandwiched in a flatbread or rolled in a large pancake.

Grandpa Jia successfully built his family business and used this dish to educate the younger generation, reminding them of the hardships their ancestors endured to establish their family and business.

Stored in a jar and cut into small cubes, it's clearly a super-deluxe Lao Gan Ma (a popular chili sauce). Grandma Liu ate it and was so captivated by its aroma that she was completely mesmerized, while the rich young master found it hard to swallow.

This is common among wealthy families.

They either have fancy, pretentious, and showy dishes for the wealthy, or they have bizarre dishes meant to evoke bitter memories, educate younger generations, or are simply inexplicable.

More often, it combines both.

If Li Nanxing had risen through the ranks to become a vice minister of the Six Ministries and even a minister, the Li family would have had a similar dish, most likely "Xiao Cai" (皛菜).

A pinch of salt, a bowl of rice, and a plate of white radish.

All three are white, hence the name "white vegetable".

In remembrance of the arduous years of studying hard in my childhood.

Jin Jiuling had no idea about all these intricacies.
Based solely on what he saw and heard during the investigation, he blindly imitated the lifestyle of scholarly families, wasting a lot of money, but Jin Jiuling felt it was worth it.

Let's not even talk about Jin Jiuling; wasn't Song Jiang amazing?
Song Jiang led the Liangshan heroes to the capital. Seeing the bustling world of the capital, he was a little confused. How were they supposed to get along? Who understood the intricacies of this place?
Chai Jin understands!
Born into wealth and familiar with the ways of the rich, the playboy Chai Da Guanren, along with Yan Qing, who had frequented brothels since childhood, staged a scene of entering the forbidden palace with flowers in his hair.

This is Chai Jin's value in Liangshan.

Master Chai doesn't play low-level games.

We're all about high-end gaming!

Watching Jin Jiuling's slightly displeased back, Lu Xiaofeng asked curiously, "Li Zhaoting, why does he seem so angry? Is it because he didn't get a free meal? Constables don't earn much, but they shouldn't be so poor that they can't afford to eat!"

Li Zhaoting raised his eyebrows: "Because he thought I had good wine and food at home, but I looked down on him and felt he wasn't qualified, so I didn't serve him any."

Lu Xiaofeng said, "How could I not know? I searched your kitchen thoroughly and only found two large flatbreads, three catties of smoked meat, and a dish of fried peanuts."

Li Zhaoting shrugged: "Jin Jiuling thinks I come from a wealthy family and have the rules of a wealthy family. Even if the master is not at home, the kitchen cannot be empty."

"Do wealthy families have such a rule?"

"It's just that the maids and cooks steal food. As long as it's not too serious, we turn a blind eye. If the cooks don't steal, the grains won't be harvested. Let them be!"

Why doesn't your cook steal?

"Mei Zhu and Lan Fenghuang do the cooking at my house. Why would they need to steal? They might as well steal from me!"

"Where's the food your cook made?"

"You ate it all."

Li Zhaoting pointed to the empty plate.

Lu Xiaofeng: I freaking thank you!
"Wealthy families have so many rules."

"They are pretentious and affected, spouting slogans of loyalty, filial piety, and righteousness, but their hearts are full of thievery and debauchery."

"Aren't there any upright gentlemen?"

"Of course!"

"Who?" "My father!"

"I can go to you!"

Lu Xiaofeng was so startled that he fell off the chair.

The maids and servants who were guarding outside, after listening to the two's crosstalk, laughed and surrounded Lu Xiaofeng as he went to the bathhouse to take a bath and change him into a new set of clothes.

Not long after, Meizhu and the Five Rats returned.

Each of the five rats carried a small load on their shoulders.

The basket contained dried fruit, candied fruit, and pickled vegetables.

This was a gift from Master Jiekong of Daxiangguo Temple.

Mei Zhu was holding two paper packages in her hands.

The paper package contained glutinous rice cakes sprinkled with mung bean powder; they were fragrant, soft, and had an unforgettable aftertaste.

Inside the paper package were sugar-roasted chestnuts, freshly harvested from Qianxi this year. They were sweet and sticky, giving people an indescribable feeling of happiness, and it was impossible to stop eating them.

"Master, you're back!"

When Mei Zhu saw Li Zhaoting, she was initially pleasantly surprised, but then she threw the paper packet into Li Zhaoting's hand, sat down beside him, opened her mouth wide, and waited for Li Zhaoting to feed her.

"If I hadn't come back soon, I would have become the infamous Green Bamboo Bandit, hated by everyone in the capital! What a terrible name! Even if you wanted to frame me, you could have chosen a better name!"

"The master really has a way with his hands!"

"What if you can't sit still? Roll around on the ground or do somersaults on the wall? Don't worry, I've found the ultimate weapon, guaranteed to catch the mastermind."

"What ultimate weapon?"

"Close the door and release Lu Xiaofeng."

Li Zhaoting picked up a piece of glutinous rice cake, chewed it vigorously twice, and then closed his eyes comfortably.

Plum and bamboo: o((⊙﹏⊙))o
Lu Xiaofeng:!!!∑(Дノ)ノ

Lu Xiaofeng's eyes darted around, and he laughed, "Meizhu, your master is quite something. On this trip, he picked up a maid with round, innocent eyes, like a little rabbit. She's sure to be a great beauty in the future."

Meizhu: (＃д)
Li Zhaoting glared at Lu Xiaofeng through gritted teeth, chewing the glutinous rice cake with several times the force, making a crunching sound as if he were gnawing on Lu Xiaofeng.

The treacherous villain, I wish I could tear him to pieces.

Mei Zhu laughed and said, "Uncle Lu, don't try to make Mei Zhu jealous. This is none of my business, and my young lady doesn't care. You should go find Master Lan."

"Aren't you afraid she'll take your place?"

"That requires my young lady's opinion."

"Meizhu, don't listen to this guy's attempts to sow discord. The girl I brought back is a tea seller. Her family suffered a tragedy; they were all murdered. She's all alone now. When you're teaching the Five Rats recently, remember to add a student to your class."

"Who killed her whole family?"

"Hiss~~ The murderer is extremely vicious!"

"Oh, I'll go check on her."

No sooner had Mei Zhu left than Li Zhaoting leaped at Lu Xiaofeng, shouting, "You villain, you traitor! I'll fight you to the death! I'll show you how to break the Spirit Rhinoceros Finger!"

"How to solve it?"

"A mop covered in the residue of grains and other waste!"

"Li Zhaoting, you are so cruel~~"

"Next, I'll follow you at night, secretly knock you over with a stick, then imitate your handwriting, invite all your lovers, and dump you on them..."

"Brother Li, Uncle Li, I was wrong, please forgive me! I didn't mean it, I'll go find the Green Bamboo Thief right away and clear your name within seven days."

Lu Xiaofeng's face turned pale and then purple. He thought to himself, "A wise man doesn't fight a losing battle. I must not offend this guy."

Lu Xiaofeng knew that he and Chu Liuxiang were known as the two great troublemakers in the martial arts world, specializing in ruining people's good deeds, but no matter how much trouble they stirred things up, they were still just a stick!
Li Zhaoting's hobby is blowing up craters!
Wherever they go, they'll cause explosions!

Even Samantabhadra Bodhisattva couldn't suppress it!
They slaughtered the sacred land of Emei, turning it into a bloodbath!
Lu Xiaofeng wronged Li Zhaoting.

Li Zhaoting really didn't like blasting pits, but his passion burned like fire, and he ignited the biogas digester.

……

Snakes have snake ways, rats have rat ways.

The power structure of the Beijing underworld is as follows: Jin Feng Xi Yu Lou and Liu Fen Ban Tang each hold 40%, Li Yanbei holds 10%, Du Tongxuan holds 10%, and the rest are small fry.

The underworld needs both the Azure Dragon and the small fish and shrimp who cheer for the Azure Dragon, run errands, and do odd jobs. As long as they don't go too far and their ambitions aren't too great, there is plenty of room for small fish and shrimp to survive in the gap between the two Azure Dragons and the two sharks. In particular, Li Yanbei and Du Tongxuan are very tolerant of the small fish and shrimp.

Among these small fish and shrimp, the one who lives the most comfortable life is known as the Snake King. He has some connection with the Heavenly Prison, and anyone who wants to use connections in the Heavenly Prison can ask the Snake King for help.

Theoretically speaking, the snake king is a broker.

Brokers specifically targeting the Ministry of Justice's prison.

To enhance his forces, the Snake King would spend a fortune to buy martial arts masters from the prison, and the prison warden would claim that the masters had died suddenly from illness, thus covering up the truth.

Some serious criminals were sentenced to death with reprieve. If they didn't want to die, they could seek refuge with the Snake King to save their lives.

The Snake King's territory is called "Black Street".

One of the most notorious black markets for assassins in the capital.

The Black Street harbors at least ten wanted criminals, twenty hardened criminals, and thirty assassins. Within a budget of three thousand taels, the Black Street offers the best value for money when looking for assassins.

Lu Xiaofeng and the Snake King are good friends.

Every time Lu Xiaofeng came to the capital, he would go to the Black Street to eat snake soup and dog meat hot pot. This time was no exception. Lu Xiaofeng changed his clothes and went to the Black Street to find intelligence.

Li Zhaoting went directly to the Prince's Mansion to inspect the scene.

Let Tianxiang take him there.

The Eighth Prince dotes on Tianxiang. He has an adopted daughter named Qingqing, who is about the same age as Tianxiang. She has loved martial arts since childhood and studied under a master at Guantao Pavilion.

The martial arts of Guantao Pavilion are mainly based on swordsmanship, and the famous heroine Pan Youdi is a disciple of Guantao Pavilion.

Starting with Zhao Guangyi, several generations of the Zhao Song dynasty suffered from a lack of offspring, seemingly due to a curse. This led the Zhao Song imperial family to relax restrictions on martial arts, allowing princes and princesses to practice martial arts to strengthen their bodies. They especially favored lively and active princesses like Tianxiang, as they believed that at least she wouldn't die suddenly from illness.

The Eighth Prince enjoyed entertaining chivalrous figures from the martial arts world. Upon hearing that Li Zhaoting had come to his door, he personally went out to greet him, saying, "I have long admired the name of Young Hero Li. Meeting you today, I can confirm that your reputation is well-deserved!"

Zhao Yuanran, dressed in a brocade robe, was all smiles.

Li Zhaoting recalled a rumor circulating in the martial arts world.

Zhao Yuanran built a peerless building.

The Peerless Tower stores a vast amount of gold and silver treasures and cultivates countless beauties. It is divided into several levels according to a membership system and is specially used to entertain martial arts masters.

Membership is divided into four levels: gold, silver, bronze, and iron, with the same level of hospitality. If one is a Grandmaster of the Heavenly Gang, one is upgraded to a Jade Token, which is the Super Supreme VIP.

Li Zhaoting was very interested in this.

After all, in the original story, the one who built the Peerless Tower was also the Imperial Uncle, the very famous Imperial Uncle.

This imperial uncle's most famous act was his rebellion.

Could it be that Zhao Yuanyan has designs on the throne...?

Imperial uncle and nephew, you must not say too much!
Li Zhaoting smiled and said, "I apologize for disturbing Your Highness. I really don't want to be framed and imprisoned in the imperial prison again."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yuanyan burst into laughter, adopting a magnanimous and respectful demeanor: "How dare this petty thief frame a Grandmaster of the Heavenly Gang? With Young Hero Li here, that worthless Green Bamboo Bandit won't be around for long!"

"It's just an empty title, Your Highness is too kind."

"What I say is true. Twenty years ago, Gu Jianhun wreaked havoc in the martial world, killing countless heroes and valiant men. Young Master Li, with just three moves, captured Gu Jianhun alive. Your swordsmanship has reached its pinnacle."

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Tianxiang said, "Uncle, I've sent you a swordsmanship master of unparalleled skill. How will you reward me? If the reward is too small, I won't accept it!"

　Thank you to readers Shuihuang Tianhe and Daoist 20240602 for their donations.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)