Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 161 Zhuge Zhengwo: This man's martial arts are no less than mine
As an envoy of the Song Dynasty, Li Xunhuan could not possibly be intimidated by a name; he simply felt disgusted.

The following morning, Li Xunhuan, in his capacity as an envoy, went to observe local customs and traditions, which, to put it bluntly, meant strolling around the streets.

Xiao Feng and A Zhu, Li Zhaoting and Lan Fenghuang all went out to travel. Dali has beautiful mountains and clear waters, with countless tourist attractions, so you'll never get tired of it.

High-ranking monks from Tianlong Temple accompanied and protected him.

The assassination attempt by the Five Poison Boys was by no means an isolated case.

Perhaps he wasn't hired, or perhaps he doesn't belong to any faction, but he must have been instigated by someone, and the method of instigation is quite similar to that of the Azure Dragon Society.

These troublemakers are even more despicable than the power clique!
The way power plays is predictable; it all boils down to wanting to gain benefits. Analyzing it from the perspective of benefits, ignoring the fancy tricks, one can grasp a few clues.

The Azure Dragon Society operates without a trace, and no one knows what the leader is planning. The twelve Azure Dragons are at odds with each other, and there are many grudges between the branch leaders. They have many insidious schemes, which may just be for the sake of making money.

In the previous incident involving the Peacock Feather blueprints, Wei Tianying caused so much trouble, ruining two Azure Dragon branch sects, all in an attempt to make a fortune to pay off gambling debts.

That being said, this does align with what Xiao Feng said earlier: "People die for wealth, birds die for food; the martial world is never short of desperate people blinded by greed."

Li Xunhuan encountered this kind of desperate criminal.

An assassin wielding a steel knife suddenly rushed at him to kill him, but was subdued by a high-ranking monk from Tianlong Temple. After interrogation, it was learned that someone had paid him a thousand taels of silver to kill someone.

When Duan Zhengchun learned of this, his face darkened.

Regardless of whether Li Xunhuan was injured or not, the series of assassination attempts proves that Dali is not very stable, and the surrounding tribes seem to be stirring up trouble.

Duan Zhengming summoned troops as a deterrent, while Duan Zhengchun, under the pretext of inspecting the tribes, took Dao Baifeng to the Baiyi tribe to quickly appease his father-in-law and mother-in-law.

Li Xunhuan and Duan Yu went to inspect the Miao village.

Black Miao, Red Miao, Qinjiazhai...

Give them some face, more or less.

There were no assassination attempts, nor were there any fierce young women with eight feet tall and eight feet in waists ambushing people in the middle of the night. It was a perfectly normal diplomatic mission, and everything went smoothly for both the host and guests.

That day, Xiao Feng and A'Zhu were having a picnic by the river when they suddenly heard a sharp, piercing flute sound, like a midnight ghost, hoarse and mocking, even more unpleasant than the sound of a pig being slaughtered.

Xiao Feng, with his extensive experience in the martial arts world, knew that this was a communication signal from martial arts sects. Those who used this signal were mostly evil sects, so he secretly sneaked over to investigate.

They discovered a dozen or so strangely dressed men, each wielding a steel staff, surrounding a ball of fire, talking about something. Judging from their attire, they were likely disciples of the Xingxiu Sect.

This is truly a case of "searching high and low without finding it, only to have it come to you effortlessly!"

Xiao Feng listened intently and discovered that the group were indeed disciples of the Xingxiu Sect. They had come to Dali to scout ahead. The traitor who stole the sect's treasures had already fled to Dali. As long as they found the traitor, they would be able to perform a great service.

Xiao Feng pondered in his heart that Ding Chunqiu, the Old Monster of Xingxiu, was rampant in the martial arts world with his Huagong Dafa (Dissolving Power Technique), and his whole body was poisonous. It was impossible for Xiao Feng not to be wary of him.

A traitor stole Ding Chunqiu's treasure, and Ding Chunqiu chased him all the way to Dali. When his disciples discussed it, they dared not mention the real name. Could it be some kind of deadly poisonous weapon?

Thinking of this, Xiao Feng took the initiative to show himself, looked at the Xingxiu Sect disciples warming themselves by the fire, and shouted, "What treasure are you talking about? Where is the traitor? Why did the Xingxiu Old Monster travel thousands of miles to Dali?"

"Who do you think you are..."

The second senior brother, Lion's Roar, slapped Xiao Feng with his palm. They had chased him from Xingxiu Sea to Dali, and along the way they had to guard against the sieges of famous sects and flatter Ding Chunqiu. They had suffered countless hardships and accumulated a huge amount of anger in their hearts.

Xiao Feng reached out and grabbed the Lion's Roar by the collar. He looked around, then charged up the cliff face with the Lion's Roar, continuing for thirty or forty feet.

Falling from that distance, even if a lion roared like a cat, it would be smashed into a meat patty.

Lion Roar originally intended to use his poison skills to scheme against Xiao Feng, but the two were hanging on a cliff. If Xiao Feng was poisoned, he would inevitably let go and throw him off the hundred-meter cliff.

"Now you can answer!"

"I...I...brother..."

"Looks like I need to teach you a lesson!"

Xiao Feng grabbed the Lion's Roar and rushed down the cliff. The Lion's Roar was so frightened that it cried and sneezed. As soon as they landed, Xiao Feng turned around, grabbed the Lion's Roar, and rushed back.

After this exchange three times, Lion's Roar was so frightened by Xiao Feng that he lost his mind and was nearly killed.

"What is the treasure?"

"The divine... the divine wood king cauldron!"

What is the Divine Wood King Cauldron?

"It's a small wooden cauldron that can attract poisonous insects. My master used it to cultivate the Dissolving Power Technique. Brother, judging from your dignified and heroic appearance, I suppose you have no interest in poisonous arts or evil techniques. The Divine Wood King Cauldron is useless to you."

"Such a rare treasure exists in the world!"

Xiao Feng had no need for the Divine Wood King Cauldron, but Lan Fenghuang clearly did. It would be perfect as a wedding gift for Li Zhaoting and Lan Fenghuang. Thinking of this, he shouted, "What does the traitor who stole the Divine Wood King Cauldron look like? If you dare to tell even half a lie, I'll smash you into a pulp."

"It's...it's a little girl..."

"to be frank!"

"She's just a little girl, sixteen or seventeen years old, with round eyes, a glib tongue, and a knack for flattery. My master likes her very much and has taught her some martial arts."

"what is her name?"

“Ah Zi, she likes to wear purple clothes.”

"You know what's going on!"

"Thank you so much, hero, for sparing my life!"

Lion's Roar felt as if he were floating on clouds, and then his body felt light as he returned to the ground.

Looking closely, Xiao Feng had already walked far away.

Just as Lion Roar was about to unleash a few angry curses, he noticed that his junior brothers were all watching him with sinister smiles on their faces. At this moment, the situation between the senior and junior brothers had completely reversed.

According to the rules of the Xingxiu Sect, the second senior brother's power was second only to Ding Chunqiu and the eldest senior brother Zhaixingzi. He could beat and scold his junior brothers at will. Along the way, his junior brothers flattered him, fawned over him, and bribed him with money.

Now, the tables are turned.

Chuchenzi sneered, "Second Senior Brother, you have leaked our sect's top secrets to outsiders. What is your punishment?"

Zhui Fengzi said slyly, "Second Senior Brother, you don't want Senior Brother to find out about this, do you?"

Tianlangzi pointed at his fellow disciples: "Second Senior Brother's martial arts are superb, we can't beat you, but there are so many fellow disciples here, do you think you can kill them all?"

"What...what do you want to do?"

"Second Senior Brother, you now have two choices: either spend money to save your life, or try to kill Senior Brother. You know the rules of the Starry Constellation Sect better than we do."

The Starry Sky Sect upholds the law of the jungle; the concepts of camaraderie and brotherhood among fellow disciples are utterly nonexistent.

The senior brother diligently practiced martial arts, worried that his junior brother would surpass him.

The junior brother secretly practiced martial arts and used trickery to deceive his senior brother, making him afraid to act rashly. If anyone dared to show off their martial arts skills, the senior brother would feel apprehensive and would find an excuse to eliminate them.

As the second senior brother, Lion Roar was the third most skilled in poison in the Starry Sky Sect. Even Chu Chenzi and others couldn't defeat him, but now that they had a handle on him, they naturally began to extort him.

Knowing he couldn't kill him to silence him, Lion Roar had no choice but to reluctantly hand over his valuables, medicine, and poison, enduring the extortion with a purplish-blue face, his stomach burning with rage.

……

Li Zhaoting was stopped in his tracks.

The other party was a rather handsome swordsman, carrying a sword on his back and holding a letter in his hand.

"Are you Mr. Li?"

"What is it?" "I've heard that Master Li's swordsmanship is divine. My master wishes to experience your swordsmanship firsthand. Please, let's discuss swordsmanship."

Who is your master?

"Does that mean Old Master Li is afraid to accept the challenge?"

"I can't be bothered with those who hide their true intentions."

“My master’s swordsmanship is superb. Even the Grand Tutor of the current dynasty, Zhuge Zhengwo, has to treat my master with utmost respect. Young Master Li is far too arrogant.”

"Is your master the Emperor of Dali?"

"You...Young Master Li, dare not accept the challenge?"

"I'm fine with fighting, but what you said makes me extremely uncomfortable. Let me teach you a lesson: a servant should act like a servant, and not think of yourself as a master!"

Li Zhaoting reached out and grabbed the man's collar, then flicked the sword on his back. With a crack, the sword shattered into fourteen pieces. The young swordsman's face turned ashen. Li Zhaoting casually pointed a finger and severed two of his meridians.

"Give the fragments to your master!"

Li Zhaoting took the envelope, opened it, and sure enough, it was a challenge letter, but the signature was not from one person.

There are seven people challenging Li Zhaoting.

They are collectively known as the "Seven Divine Swords"!
They do indeed have a connection with Zhuge Zhengwo.

Decades ago, Zhuge Zhengwo and Yuan Shisanxian had just debuted. Although they competed with each other, their conflicts were not significant. During a mission, they faced the Seven Absolute Divine Swords.

Zhuge Zhengwo defeated six of them, leaving the last one for Yuan Shisanxian, and giving the credit to his junior brother. Unexpectedly, the one left behind had the most profound swordsmanship. Yuan Shisanxian defeated this person, but failed to capture the bandit leader.

Yuan Shisanxian not only lost face, but also learned that the bandit leader's daughter was Zhi Xiaojing, whom he deeply loved.

Zhi Xiaojing deeply loves Zhuge Zhengwo, but after learning about her father's situation, she willingly submits herself to Yuan Shisanxian. In order to help Yuan Shisanxian cultivate the "Heartbreak Arrow," she sacrifices herself to the Three-Whip Taoist, disregarding everything for revenge.

The relationships between Zhuge Zhengwo, Zhi Xiaojing, and Yuan Shisanxian are entangled in a web of grudges, love, hatred, and revenge for their fathers. The cause and effect are so complicated that even if Wei Qingqing were to handle the relationships between her fellow disciples, she would find it extremely troublesome.

After being defeated, the Seven Absolute Divine Swordsmen, deeply saddened, decided to train seven disciples who would surpass them, teaching them their ultimate sword formation techniques, so that they could one day seek revenge against Zhuge Zhengwo.

In their view, the old Seven Absolute Divine Sword was slightly weaker than Zhuge Zhengwo and Yuan Shisanxian, and the new Seven Absolute Divine Sword, which surpassed its predecessor, would surely defeat Zhuge Zhengwo. In terms of feigning defeat against Zhuge Zhengwo, they have always been among the best in the world.

Decades ago, Zhuge Zhengwo was just starting out. How could he compare to the current Zhuge Taifu, who has experienced the ups and downs of life and officialdom for decades? Has Zhuge Zhengwo not made any progress in his decades of hard work and cultivation?

That's not how you stage an accident!

Even more adept at bluffing than the Seven Deadly Swords is Tang Shiwu, who claims to have defeated Zhuge Zhengwo at the age of fifteen.

His debut performance was unparalleled, and his break was even more tragic than that of Emperor Shitian. No matter how down-and-out a BOSS is, none of them can recruit subordinates like Tang Shiwu by relying on their buttocks!
This sentence means exactly what it says!
The family fortune left by his elders has been squandered, his elite subordinates have all died, and only one man who deeply loves Tang Shiwu remains devoted to him, on the condition that...

Tsk tsk~~
Zhuge Zhengwo's "not inferior to me" seems to be even better than Nie Feng's. The villains cursed by Nie Feng are at most just broken, not so destitute.

Looking at the names on the envelope, Li Zhaoting couldn't help but let his mind wander. Lan Fenghuang asked, "Brother Li, are these people very strong? How confident are you?"

Li Zhaoting raised one finger.

"Only a 10% chance?"

"What I mean is, we will definitely win! How dare you underestimate me, you little brat! What is your punishment?"

Li Zhaoting put his arm around Lan Fenghuang's slender waist.

Lan Fenghuang looked at Li Zhaoting with a tender expression: "This servant is unforgivable and will accept any punishment from Brother Li."

……

The Seven Absolute Divine Sword carefully examined the fragments, then returned a challenge letter, agreeing on a location for the final battle.

Three days later, the decisive battle will take place at Cangshan and Erhai.

Li Zhaoting threw the challenge letter into the trash can.

Lan Fenghuang nestled in Li Zhaoting's arms, her whole being like a beautiful snake, naturally alluring, her eyes almost dripping with charm, her bare jade feet placed in Li Zhaoting's palm, her toes gently teasing him.

"Brother Li, why don't you go and fight?"

"This is a tactic to lure the tiger away from the mountain."

"They want to assassinate Li Xunhuan?"

"If I'm not mistaken, the forces that want to cause trouble have been united and will launch an assassination at some point to sow discord between the Song and Dali."

"Could it be three days from now?"

"It could happen within three days!"

Where did the assassination take place?

"Miao Village!"

Which Miao village?

"If we want to achieve the greatest effect, it must be the Miao village of Moon Mountain and Phoenix. I don't want to get involved in the internal affairs of the Five Poisons Sect, but the Five Poisons Sect has spies hidden inside."

"Who?"

"Qi Yun'ao, He Hongyao!"

“Uncle Qi has always been dissatisfied with my father, so why would Uncle He rebel? She has no reason to rebel! The punishment she received back then was already an act of leniency.”

"Because I brought back the Golden Snake Sword, she suspects I killed Xia Xueyi and wants revenge for her!"

"Hiss... that's really possible!"

The one who understands love-obsessed people best is the one who understands love-obsessed people best.

Lan Fenghuang is also love-struck. After a little thought, she can understand He Hongyao's thoughts. Matters of the heart are always subjective, and it is difficult to distinguish right from wrong.

How can idealistic things be right or wrong?
As long as she feels it's right in her heart, as long as she feels sweet in her heart, then it's right for her.

Lan Fenghuang rushed back to the Five Poisons Sect to inform her father, and Li Zhaoting told Duan Zhengming about the Seven Absolute Divine Sword.

Having been emperor for so many years, Duan Zhengming was by no means only capable of passive defense. As early as when the Five Poison Boys attempted to assassinate him, Duan Zhengming had already set up an ambush to annihilate the enemy.

Seize this opportunity and capture them all in one fell swoop.

By the way, let the elusive Tianlong Temple resume its original duties... Duan Family Temple, to protect the family!

Perhaps because there are too many enlightened old monks, there is a subtle distance between the eminent monks of Tianlong Temple and the Duan family of Dali, as if they have truly "become monks".

This is unacceptable to the royal family.

Sometimes, you definitely need to give it a push.

Duan Zhengming found the most suitable promoter.

—Duan Yanqing!

—Master Benwu would definitely agree to cooperate!

Those assassins who want to cause trouble can kill Li Zhaoting and Li Xunhuan, but they absolutely cannot kill Duan Yu.

Duan Yu is Duan Yanqing's bottom line.

With the help of Duan Yanqing, more than a dozen eminent monks from Tianlong Temple were invited down the mountain, including Abbot Benyin.

(End of this chapter)