Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 157 Total Annihilation, the Power of the Peacock Feather

Ahead lies a fierce tiger, behind lies a jackal.

The dozens of people around were all assassins from the Green Robe Tower.

Blue Phoenix had nowhere to escape.

A glint of light flashed across Chen Shiyuan and Tiejiaotong's faces. As long as they captured Lan Fenghuang, they could coerce Li Zhaoting. Just as the two were feeling smug, golden light burst forth before their eyes.

The Nine-Appearance Divine Dragon, feared by ghosts, was fully activated. Two thunderbolt fireballs shot from its eyes, thirteen Meridian Heart-Questioning Nails spat from its mouth, and all the reverse scales on its body shot out.

Chen Shiyuan hurriedly retreated, wielding his nine-ringed broadsword in front of him to form a barrier. Iron-footed Boy moved steadily, somersaulting several times to avoid the Meridian Heart-Questioning Nail.

With the mechanism fully activated, the Nine Manifestations Divine Dragon Ghost's Sorrow was temporarily unable to function. Blue Phoenix hung the half-bald Golden Dragon Whip on her waist, raised her hand, and with a move of Blood Transformation Blade, the poisonous energy condensed into a blade of light, slashing towards Iron-Legged Boy.

In terms of skill, Chen Shiyuan was far superior to Lan Fenghuang. Tiejiaotong and Lan Fenghuang were evenly matched, but Lan Fenghuang was poisonous all over her body. The two were wary of Miao Gu techniques and were instead suppressed by Lan Fenghuang.

Chen Shiyuan roared and ordered the assassins from the Green Robe Tower to swarm forward. Iron-Legged Boy took eight steps in mid-air and stood shoulder to shoulder with Chen Shiyuan, looking for a new opportunity to strike.

Blue Phoenix looked up at what was in front of her.

Chen Shiyuan and Tiejiaotong stood side by side.

The assassins from the Green Robe Tower surged forward like a tidal wave.

There were no outsiders within a radius of several dozen feet.

There's no need to worry about accidental killings, no matter what method you use.

Since that's the case, then... let's kill them!
Blue Phoenix sheathed the Golden Serpent Sword and summoned a small, golden cylinder. The moment the cylinder appeared, the forest burst forth with a dazzling, radiant light.

Chen Shiyuan and Tiejiaotong witnessed a scene they would never forget in their lives: a dazzling golden light, a cluster of mysterious splendor, a peacock spreading its tail, a phoenix spreading its wings—a magnificent and beautiful sight that defies description.

The scene before me is absolutely beautiful.

It's so beautiful it's dazzling.

The beauty made people overlook the deadly crisis.

It's so beautiful that it makes you feel like you've lived a worthwhile life.

There was no dodging, no fear, only a fleeting golden light and a smiling corpse lying on the ground. Peacock Feather, the master of hidden weapons, is the pinnacle of all hidden weapons in the world today.

Blue Phoenix initially found it hard to believe that an object from three hundred years ago could possess such power.

Only now do I understand that the Peacock Manor's ability to be passed down peacefully for three hundred years is largely due to the Peacock Feather.

Even though the peacock feathers have been lost, no one dares to provoke them until it is confirmed that they are truly lost.

When Li Zhaoting fulfilled his promise, Madam Tang gave him the peacock feather. Li Zhaoting didn't need it, and neither did Feng Suzhen, so they gave it to Lan Fenghuang.

One is a phoenix, the other a peacock; they complement each other, a unique and special bond.

This is the first time the Blue Phoenix has activated the Peacock Feathers.

All the enemies were killed.

No one can withstand the brilliance of the peacock feather.

The peacock feather's flying needles can be retrieved. There is a mechanism at the bottom of the cylinder. Pressing the mechanism will pop out a special magnet, which can be used to find the flying needles. Blue Phoenix used the Golden Snake Sword to pick up the magnet and collect all the flying needles that had just been shot, and then sprayed poison mist.

When an autopsy was performed afterward, it was discovered that they had been killed by poisoned or concealed weapons, not by peacock feathers.

Even if Peacock Manor came to examine the body, it wouldn't make a difference.

Because the current owner of Peacock Manor has never seen Peacock Feather, he doesn't know what the wounds caused by Peacock Feather look like. Can anyone recognize Peacock Feather?
Fang Yulong was killed by Li Zhaoting.

The Invincible Young Master was surrounded and killed by Tang Zhuquan and others.

Chen Shiyuan and Tiejiaotong were shot and killed by Kongqueling.

Others, such as Mr. Fearless, Shi Guoqing, and the Five Ghosts of Dragon Valley, will not amount to much.

After killing Fang Yulong, Li Zhaoting carried his headless corpse back to the battlefield and casually beheaded the Five Ghosts of Dragon Valley with two sword strikes, causing the surrounding bandits to scatter in panic.

Bandits can only fight when the wind is against them.

With the boss dead, why should the underlings risk their lives?
The battle is over.

The Seven Kill Valley and Evil Dragon Valley were completely wiped out.

Chen Shiyuan of Qingyi Tower was killed.

The few managers left in Broken Soul Valley did not possess the unparalleled martial arts skills of the Invincible Young Master, nor did they have enough prestige to control their subordinates. They quickly scattered.

Seven Kill Valley and Evil Dragon Valley are both steep and easily defended valleys, so there is no need to elaborate on them here.

Because the Invincible Young Master was a germaphobe, he transformed the Soul-Severing Valley into his own backyard. After the disbandment of his forces, countless people flocked to it, making it a popular tourist destination.

This can be considered the Invincible Prince's final contribution.

As long as the attractions remain, they will not be forgotten.

Yang Huyun, the chief镖头 (chief镖头, head镖师, of the Tiger Might Escort Agency), died. Li Zhaoting temporarily took over as the chief镖头, directing the caravan. The bandit strongholds and mountain strongholds along the way were all frightened into closing their gates and camps.

Golden-Armed Boy, Invincible Young Master, Fang Yulong—aren't they all heroes of their time? Chen Shiyuan of Qingyi Tower ranks among the top three in martial arts among the 108 tower masters.

He only lived for four days after meeting Li Zhaoting.

The reason Li Zhaoting survived for four days was because he was on his way.

In just three or four days, three large mountain strongholds of Green Forest Road were destroyed. Who else would dare to provoke them?

Who dares to provoke the Grand Duke Jupiter?
The convoy was safely delivered to Hangzhou.

The amount of silver in the shipment was slightly off, but Li Zhaoting and his men emptied all the warehouses in Evil Dragon Valley, Seven Kill Valley, and Soul Breaking Valley, resulting in a larger amount than originally estimated.

As for the elixirs, martial arts manuals, and other items stored in the warehouse, they were distributed at will.

That's just how the martial arts world is.

The bandit stronghold can rob the escort agency.

The security escort agency could then rob them.

That's fair!

Very fair!

With the loss of two leaders, the Tiger Might Escort Agency was bound to close down. At Li Zhaoting's recommendation, he became a constable in Hangzhou Prefecture, while the two chivalrous heroes, Yin Jiu and Fang Shi, became infantry captains, which was the same official position as Wu Song.

Li Zhaoting arranged for the silver to be stored in the treasury. When he went to the government office to find Feng Shaoqing, he happened to run into Eunuch Wang from the palace who came to deliver an imperial edict. This eunuch was not Wang An, who served Empress Liu, but the emperor's personal eunuch, who was extremely fond of gold.

A distinction needs to be made here.

Eunuch Wang simply loved gold; he wasn't greedy or avaricious. If you gave him a 100,000 tael silver note, he wouldn't even glance at it. But if you gave him a gold hairpin, he could stare at it for three days and three nights.

He didn't ask for gold for luxury; he simply liked it. He liked the crisp, pleasant sound of gold beads falling to the ground and the unique taste of gold in his mouth. He didn't care much about the cost.

Everyone, both inside and outside the palace, knew about Eunuch Wang's preferences.

If you want to ask him questions, you need to give him gold ingots or gold jewelry; the eunuch Wang's eyes light up at the sight of gold.

When the eunuch Wang went to a minister's house to deliver an imperial decree, he was instructed to prepare water infused with gold beans for the minister to wash his hands. This involved placing a few gold beans in a basin of water, with one bean representing one question.

As the saying goes, eunuchs, having undergone castration, suffered physical defects and inevitably developed psychological problems to varying degrees.

There are countless greedy eunuchs, and some extremely twisted eunuchs will do the opposite, even though they have no penis, they are more fond of women than anyone else. Of course, money and women are definitely not as important as life. Sensing the faint murderous aura on Li Zhaoting, Eunuch Wang washed his hands in the golden bean water and told Feng Shaoqing the inside information.

Feng Shaoqing smiled broadly: "Please put in a good word for me, Eunuch Wang. I would be extremely grateful!"

Eunuch Wang laughed and said, "Lord Feng, with a son-in-law like Master Li, why are you afraid of not getting promoted? Master Li's reputation can be heard even in the inner palace."

"You flatter me, Eunuch Wang."

Li Zhaoting exchanged a few polite words, recalling the information he had gathered back in Fanlou: if a courtesan in Fanlou fell ill and couldn't afford a doctor, she could go to a nunnery outside the city and find an old woman to treat her; the consultation fee was a single red bean.

The old woman was Wang Gonggong's mother.

For every bad deed Wang Gonggong committed, the old woman would record a soybean for him, and for every good deed she did, she would record a red bean, hoping to atone for her son's sins.

This isn't because doting mothers spoil their children. Eunuch Wang entered the palace as a eunuch at a young age and was exposed to the scheming and despicable aspects of the palace. The only kindness in his heart came from his mother's love; otherwise, he would have been completely corrupted long ago.

Eunuch Wang whispered, "Master Li, something has recently happened that is somewhat related to you. Li Xunhuan, the third-ranked scholar, is about to be sent as an envoy to Dali."

What was Li Xunhuan doing in Dali?

Li Zhaoting slipped a gold ingot into his hand.

Problems that can be solved with money shouldn't be bothered by nagging and breaking the rules. Someone like Eunuch Wang might not be able to accomplish anything, but he's sure to ruin things.

Eunuch Wang accepted the gold discreetly: "It's just a normal diplomatic mission, nothing major. Dali has been peaceful for decades, so the court sent someone over to check on things."

Why Li Xunhuan?

"Because the third-ranked scholar was handsome."

"Huh? That's it?"

“Young Master Li, the Prince of Zhennan of Dali… He is renowned throughout the land for certain aspects of his abilities. His Majesty believes that only by sending the current top scholar can his arrogance be suppressed.”

"I see, thank you for clearing up my confusion, sir."

"It's only right, it's all only right."

Eunuch Wang gently stroked the gold ingot, a look of enjoyment on his face. Gold was his favorite thing, and if he were to be sentenced to death, he would prefer to commit suicide by swallowing gold.

Li Xunhuan had two major advantages as an envoy.

First, he is handsome.

Even if Dali had the ability to summon gods to descend to earth, he could not possibly surpass Li Xunhuan in appearance.

Secondly, he was highly skilled in martial arts.

Assassinating the mission is a serious crime of treason, which will trigger Li Xunhuan's righteousness buff, resulting in death for anyone who attempts it!
In addition, when the results of the imperial examination were announced, Li Zhaoting and others made a fuss about "three fathers and sons who were ranked third in the imperial examinations." When the palace maids and eunuchs used this to gossip, Emperor Zhaozhen heard it and found it interesting, so he rewarded the Li family with a plaque.

A family with seven Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations), and three of its members, father and son, achieving the

Originally feeling that his family was rather unlucky, as no one in several generations had ever achieved the highest rank in the imperial examinations, Old Li, the third-ranked scholar, was moved to tears upon seeing the plaque bestowed by Emperor Zhao Zhen. Every imperial examination would produce a top scholar, and it was not an impossible task for a family to produce seven scholars who had passed the examinations. The one that followed was unprecedented and unparalleled.

Scholars value reputation, and with this plaque, the Li family is a family of scholars, with a rich cultural heritage.

……

After escorting the funds for river repair, Li Zhaoting and Lan Fenghuang headed south, going straight to the Miao village on Moon Mountain.

Upon receiving the news, Elder Lan led the high-ranking members of the Five Poisons Sect out to greet them. A large group of them, mostly dressed in brightly colored clothes, looked like they were there to perform a shamanic ritual.

"Your son-in-law, Li Zhaoting, pays his respects to your father-in-law."

"Great! That's wonderful! Get up now!"

The old master Lan excitedly helped Li Zhaoting up.

Li Zhaoting presented the Golden Snake Sword and the Golden Snake Cone.

“Father-in-law, these are the Golden Snake Sword and Golden Snake Awl that Xia Xueyi stole. I am returning them to you. I have an agreement with the Sichuan Salt Gang to open a trade route. Mount Hua is quite far away, so I will deal with it when I get back.”

"What a fine son-in-law! What a fine son-in-law! Let's put the Huashan matter aside for now and talk about the wedding first."

The old sect leader put away the betrothal gifts and looked at the elders with a smug expression. The elders all bowed their heads.

When Li Zhaoting caused a ruckus at the Five Poisons Sect, half of the elders felt it damaged the sect's prestige and should be eliminated. However, Elder Lan, as the main force of the sect, overruled the objections and suppressed the matter.

Because of this incident, Elder Lan's prestige within the Five Poisons Sect declined somewhat. After hitting a low point, it quickly rebounded and rose again. He was now the undisputed leader of the Five Poisons Sect. His son-in-law's martial arts skills were too high, and the elders worried that he would be cursed to death.

In addition, there was an unexpected bonus.

Since Lan Fenghuang married Li Zhaoting, she could not become the leader of the Five Poisons Sect and had to choose another leader.

If Lan Fenghuang wanted to compete for the position of sect leader, with Li Zhaoting's support, no one could beat her. However, Lan Fenghuang is preoccupied with romance and will definitely live in Jinling in the future. How can she manage affairs when she is thousands of miles away?

At most, he would only have the empty title of leader, while the actual power would belong to the deputy leader. No matter what choice he makes, he would definitely have to relinquish the power, so it's better to be more decisive.

What is the use of an "honorary guru"?

Why not marry Li Zhaoting as the little princess of the Miao village of Moon Mountain? The title of "Miao princess" sounds much better than "leader of the Five Poisons Cult".

……

The Five Poisons Sect's headquarters is a den of dragons and tigers, but it is not a place full of dangerous traps, nor is it a desolate and treacherous place teeming with poisonous insects and miasma. The scenery is quite beautiful.

The disciples of the Five Poisons Sect are normal human beings.

Who the hell wants to live in a den of thieves?

The Five Poisons Sect's headquarters is located in a valley surrounded by continuous high mountains. The valley is spring-like all year round, with beautiful scenery and blooming flowers.

The sacred site of the Five Poisons Sect is called "Moon Mountain".

Moon Hill, also known as Bright Moon Peak, is not a towering and precipitous mountain. From a distance, it looks unremarkable, but upon closer inspection, you will see a natural stone arch.

The stone arch runs through both sides, like a bright moon. When riding a horse around Moon Mountain, the shape of the stone arch changes from a crescent moon to a half-moon, then a full moon, and then back to a half-moon and a crescent moon, circling the mountain once again. The shape goes through a cycle, giving people a strange sense of sacredness.

Blue Phoenix's home is at the foot of Moon Mountain.

Back home, Lan Fenghuang changed back into her Miao ethnic clothing.

She wore an indigo batik pleated skirt, the butterflies embroidered on the hem seemingly about to take flight, and delicate silver ornaments adorned her head. Silver bells hung from her waist, and she walked barefoot on the cobblestone street, exuding the charm of a young girl. Every smile and frown was captivating.

A dozen or so Miao girls surrounded Lan Fenghuang, setting up bamboo poles and performing a bamboo pole dance for Li Zhaoting.

Her flawless white feet danced between the bamboo poles, her body rippling with waves of emotion. Several burly men carried wine, wanting to challenge Li Zhaoting to a drinking contest.

This is the welcoming wine served at the entrance of a Miao village.

If you want to get married, try your drinking capacity first.

Three large bowls of clear, fine wine were placed before me.

Li Zhaoting, suddenly filled with heroic spirit, picked up his wine bowl, gulped it down in one go, and laughed loudly, "Show me what you've got! I'll take it all!"

"Excellent! Young Master Li is so generous! Please enjoy the dishes."

The maid brought over a large, fat centipede.

The centipede was over two feet long, its entire body was bluish-purple, and it looked ferocious and ugly. A strong aroma of wine wafted from the plate.

(End of this chapter)