Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 172 A Decisive Victory in One Move: The Sword Slays Huo Xiu
"The feeling of using someone else to do the dirty work is two-way."

He felt a great sense of satisfaction in using someone else to do his dirty work.

It is extremely distressing to have innocent people indiscriminately killed by someone else.

The more upright a person is, the more likely they are to go to extremes.

I don't consider myself a hero or a righteous knight-errant, but isn't it a bit ruthless of you, Mr. Huo, to use me to kill your old friend?

How does Mr. Huo plan to settle this score?
And one more thing.

When I was escorting goods to Hangzhou, Qingyi Tower sent three of its branches to rob us. How should we settle this score?
"Mr. Huo, please give me an explanation!"

Li Zhaoting drew a sword mark on the ground.

"Li Zhaoting, everyone says you are ruthless and vicious, but I think you are very cute. You do things in a very upright manner."

They were clearly looking for trouble, trying to find an excuse to fight me to the death and kill me with a single sword strike, but all they could come up with was such a far-fetched and nonsensical excuse.

Of all the people in the world who want to seize the wealth of Qingyi Tower, and all the people who want to kill me, you are the most interesting one!
If someone tries to take my wealth, I'll twist their head off. If you try to kill me with your sword, I won't be angry; instead, I'll feel like I'm watching a play.

There are also Lu Xiaofeng and Hua Manlou.

You two are not good at arguing.

I am the head of the Qingyi Tower.

The Green Robe Tower has committed countless evil deeds over the years.

You have a thousand reasons to criticize me.

After I opened my mouth, what I said turned out to be about the Shangguan family, which was even more awkward than I had imagined.

What's worth talking about regarding the Shangguan family?

A bunch of despicable scoundrels!
They are either dissolute playboys, obsessed with past glories, driven by jealousy, precocious despite their young age, or insatiably greedy...

I know what you're trying to say!
I'm the kind of person who's never satisfied!
Everyone in the martial arts world knows that I was born in the year of Pixiu!
No one can take my money away!
All the wealth is mine!

Huo Xiu picked up the wine jug and drank it all in one gulp.

"This appears to be the property of the Golden Roc Kingdom!"

"I also have the surname Shangguan, and I am also a nobleman!"

Is the Little Prince entitled to inherit the treasure?
Is Shangguan Jin capable of managing wealth?
Dugu Yihe was a martial artist who practiced martial arts all day long!

Yan Tieshan was an old eunuch, barely clinging to life!

Only I have diligently managed this wealth, making the money increase day by day, and I am the one protecting the treasure. Anyone who dares to touch my money, I will twist their head off!

Lu Xiaofeng, Hua Manlou, and Li Zhaoting, you are all heroes of the martial arts world. If this matter is resolved here, we can be friends. You can come to me for drinks, and I can help you out with tens of thousands of taels of silver when you are short of money.

We have no life-or-death grudges.

The Green Robe Pavilion has done many immoral things, but were you doing it for justice? If it wasn't for justice, what does the Green Robe Pavilion's business have to do with you?
If it's for justice, then draw your sword!
Li Zhaoting, your swordsmanship seems to be...

Huo Xiu couldn't continue.

He sensed a chilling sword intent.

Li Zhaoting really... drew his sword!
Fifty years ago, Huo Xiu started his business with a quarter of the wealth of the Golden Roc Kingdom. His business grew bigger and bigger, and he was even qualified to compete with Wan Sanqian for the title of the richest man.

To amass such a fortune, Huo Xiu possessed exceptionally keen adaptability and composure in the face of chaos.

From the moment he saw Li Zhaoting and the other two, Huo Xiu began to think of a solution. A gentleman can be deceived by his methods, and the best way to deal with a virtuous person is to use psychological tactics.

Only by winning hearts and minds can one achieve unexpected victory.

Lu Xiaofeng and Hua Manlou were not harmed, at least not directly. Their plan to kill with a borrowed knife was seen through by Li Zhaoting before it could be carried out.

From the perspective of judging the case, Huo Xiu felt that he had committed an attempted crime and could argue his point.

The feud between Li Zhaoting and Qingyi Tower was nothing more than a robbery of a caravan. Qingyi Tower suffered a huge loss, with three of its buildings being uprooted. Is that even a feud?

Huo Xiu had gathered intelligence on Li Zhaoting, hired dozens of intelligence analysts to analyze him, and confirmed that Li Zhaoting, who was a ruthless killer, had a heart of... justice!
At the very least, the Purple Star Soft Sword is a righteous divine weapon.

Upholding righteousness and defending the Way, with a righteous spirit that commands the retreat of all evil.

I thought this psychological tactic would prevent Li Zhaoting from drawing his sword, but to my surprise, Li Zhaoting's sword aura was chilling, and the purplish-red blade flashed with a captivating cold light.

how can that be!

Is the information wrong?

Huo Xiu stared intently at Li Zhaoting. Suddenly, a huge iron cage fell from the sky, trapping Li Zhaoting and the other two. The iron bars were as thick as a thigh and were made of refined iron.

Even if you use divine weapons like the Heaven-Slaying Sword or the Dragon-Slaying Saber to slash, it will take seven or eight consecutive strikes.

The Purple Rose Soft Sword is a divine weapon, but it is not a divine weapon known for its sharpness. It would take at least twenty or thirty sword strikes to cut through the iron cage, which would take the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

That's enough time for Huo Xiu to run away!
Huo Xiu looked at Li Zhaoting triumphantly: "To break this iron cage, I would need to slash it thirty times in a row, which would be enough for me to escape. Once I escape this place, I will seal the mechanism of this mountain and use the mountain's belly as a coffin."

There is no food or drink here!
You can only eat each other's flesh and blood.

I will not give you a chance to turn the tide.

I will wait outside for half a year, and then I will come to collect your bodies. Li Zhaoting's Purple Rose Soft Sword is a priceless divine weapon, Hua Manlou's folding fan is a treasure made of dragon bone wood, Lu Xiaofeng carries a stack of silver notes with him, and the clothes you are wearing can also be sold for a few coins.

I've said it before, I was born in the year of Pixiu!

I want any kind of money!

"We can't miss out on the wealth from the dead!"

Huo Xiu stood on a large stone platform and pressed the control mechanism on the platform, preparing to leave from the mountainside.

Li Zhaoting looked at Huo Xiu with a mocking expression, watching Huo Xiu's face change from smugness to panic, and then to scratching his head, feeling helpless, and jumping up and down.

"Impossible! This is impossible!"

"Tsk tsk tsk~ Boss Huo, it seems you care too much about costs and haven't spent money on maintaining the mechanisms. A few little mice have infiltrated your main control panel."

"Li Zhaoting, you did all of this!"

"I swear, I didn't do it, otherwise Hua Manlou will see through my eyes and make Lu Xiaofeng a monk!"

The organization was sabotaged by Li Shengnan.

Unless Li Zhaoting and Li Shengnan get married and become husband and wife, the vow is just a joke.

The central control tower was destroyed, and the cave used to imprison Li Zhaoting became a deadly trap.

Li Zhaoting swung his sword and slashed, unleashing the iron fence.

"Huo Xiu, you still have a last chance to live. As long as you can beat me, you can get out of here alive."

"You want to fight me one-on-one?"

"I want to test your virginity skills." "Li Zhaoting, you are really naive. If one day you are beaten to death, it will be because of your naivety. You are not suited to the martial arts world. You should be a hermit."

"The life of a hermit is too austere. I cannot live without fine wine, delicious food and beautiful women. If I could eat the wind and drink the dew, I would rather be shrouded in turbidity and never be able to break through in the next life."

You'll understand what I mean sooner or later!

"I just want to understand your fists, please!"

Li Zhaoting's face was no longer cynical; his eyes were fixed on Huo Xiu, his left hand forming a sword incantation, while his right hand held a sword that hummed, its three-foot blade flashing uncertainly.

A dazzling golden light emanated from Huo Xiu's body, as if he were wearing a heavy suit of armor. Among the five great Shaolin skills, the Vajra Indestructible Body Skill is one of the strongest protective qi. The qi clings tightly to the body and has its own advantages and disadvantages compared to the Golden Bell Cover and the Vajra Indestructible Body Skill. All of them are top-tier supernatural abilities in the martial arts world.

With the foundation of virginity training, practicing Shaolin's masculine martial arts techniques is twice as effective. With Huo Xiu's wealth, purchasing Shaolin's ultimate techniques on the black market is not difficult at all.

How could Shaolin manuals be found on the black market?

That's a question for Mr. Murong Bo!

This guy is best at using Shaolin martial arts techniques to do favors.

The Vajra Indestructible Body Divine Skill and the Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill differ by only one character, but they are completely different in both their outward appearance and core concept. The Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill is like alchemy, condensing one's own essence, energy, and spirit into a flawless inner core, with true energy filling the skin and flesh, enhancing strength and speed. The Vajra Indestructible Body Divine Skill is like protective energy, equivalent to wearing armor.

Of the five great Shaolin skills, the one with the lowest training difficulty is the Vajra Indestructible Body Skill. As long as one of the following conditions is met—talent, comprehension, or resources—one can enter the third level.

As an extremely wealthy man, Huo Xiu had warehouses filled with ginseng, lingzhi, deer antler, he shou wu and other highly nourishing substances, totaling ten rooms, and possessed countless resources.

Even if you pile up resources and spend money like crazy, you can still achieve mastery. Not to mention that Huo Xiu has the Jiazi Boy Skill as his foundation, and he has mastered all of Shaolin's protective divine skills except for the Golden Bell Cover.

Protective Divine Skill, Childhood Skill, Protective Treasure Garment.

This guy is a super iron turtle.

In the original story, Lu Xiaofeng praised Dugu Yihe, Ximen Chuixue, Ye Gucheng, Zen Master Dabei, and Huo Xiu as the top masters of their time, and said that this was not flattery; Huo Xiu was indeed a man of great skill.

Of course, Huo Xiu's rigorous training in the "Boyhood Skill" had made him somewhat mentally abnormal. Martial artists with unstable minds rarely reach the pinnacle of martial arts. Huo Xiu didn't care about that; if his realm wasn't high enough, he'd make up for it with data, prioritizing defense.

Even if one's martial arts realm is higher than Huo Xiu's, and one's martial arts path has gone further than Huo Xiu's, so what?

How many people can break through Huo Xiu's defenses?

Realm level is not the same as combat strength.

Realm represents martial arts enlightenment and inner clarity. Huo Xiu doesn't need realm; Huo Xiu is a humanoid war fortress built up with resources!
"Li Zhaoting, come on! Let me see if your Purple Star Soft Sword can break through the Vajra Indestructible Body Divine Skill. Not to mention you alone, even if three of you come at me together, what do I have to fear? Under the whole world, who dares to kill me!"

"I dare to kill you!"

Li Zhaoting uttered four words.

With each word spoken, take a step forward.

With each step taken, the Qi (vital energy) increases by three points.

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Zhaoting was only five steps away from Huo Xiu. His Ziwei Soft Sword trembled violently, and its three-foot sword light was compressed to less than three inches.

The sword light was originally purple, but with continuous compression, as true essence condensed, as sword intent rose, and as killing intent, murderous aura, blood energy, and battle spirit gathered at the sword's edge, the color of the sword light became increasingly intense, as if the Purple Rose Soft Sword had been placed into an ink pool, shaken a few times, and when it was pulled out, jet-black ink flowed on the sword's edge, as if the ink was about to drip out.

This is certainly not ink.

This is Li Zhaoting's extremely compressed sword light, condensing the formless and intangible sword intent, sword energy, and sword light into a tangible and substantial sword edge, sword blade, and sword aura.

Li Zhaoting's own energy completely disappeared. He stood there clearly, but no energy could be felt. He could only feel the wooden stake, the stone statue, and the walking corpse.

In Lu Xiaofeng's perception, Li Zhaoting was a demon king brimming with murderous intent; in Hua Manlou's perception, Li Zhaoting was a nascent soul returning to its original state, with his true essence and blood extremely pure.

With the knowledge of the martial artists present, they naturally knew what Li Zhaoting's move was. Huo Xiu laughed wildly, thinking to himself, "If you use the Tathagata Divine Light to clash with me, you might be able to break through my defense before your true energy is exhausted. Then Lu Xiaofeng and Hua Manlou will rush up together. Even if I have three heads and six arms, I can't stop the three of you from joining forces."

But you insist on deciding the outcome with one move. As long as you withstand this sword strike, the recoil alone will break more than a dozen of Li Zhaoting's bones, rendering him unable to fight. Without Li Zhaoting, who can break through the protective aura?
Most importantly, the "five steps to kill" technique should be executed with the Fish Intestine Sword, which better suits the assassin's intent.

The Purple Rose Soft Sword is more suitable for ever-changing techniques; using it to execute a five-step kill is putting the cart before the horse.

Li Zhaoting was too careless!
Carelessness, arrogance, and aloofness consumed Li Zhaoting's rationality, preventing him from making any normal moves.

I am certain to win this battle!
Huo Xiu slumped off his horse, releasing his full body's true energy. Due to the intense flow of true energy, his white hair and youthful face were swollen like rotten tomatoes, and his skin turned purple.

Suddenly.

Li Zhaoting drew his sword.

The sword of unparalleled courage, charging forward without hesitation.

Within five steps, I am invincible.

—Yi Shui Gu Han, one kill every five steps!

At the moment when Huo Xiu's spirit and energy reached their peak and his protective aura was at its strongest, the sword tip precisely struck Huo Xiu's chest. The valiant sword was not a reckless charge like a bull charging into the ground. While Jing Ke's assassination attempt on Qin Shi Huang certainly required immense courage, his attempt to get close to Ying Zheng and seize the opportunity to assassinate him relied on wisdom and the art of "revealing the dagger when the map is unrolled."

The Sword of Courage is not just about "courage"!
The "five steps, one kill" technique isn't just about "absolute strike"!
A killer who doesn't use his brain will be killed as soon as he starts out!

When things reach their extremes, they reverse; this is called circulation.

The strongest is also the weakest.

When the vital energy is at its peak, it will inevitably decline.

Even a soaring dragon in the sky is bound to have regrets.

From the moment he drew his sword, Li Zhaoting was already employing a scheme.

—A self-inflicted injury ruse!

—A strategy of arrogance!
The arrogant one is not Li Zhaoting, but Huo Xiu!

The goal was to make Huo Xiu arrogant, to make him believe he could cripple Li Zhaoting in one move, and to push his spirit and energy to their limits, like a fully inflated balloon, a dam brimming with water, or a taut bowstring.

"clang!"

The sound of metal clashing filled the cave. The sword light and the energy of the sword collided with a loud crash, rebounding out tangible, circular ripples that spread outwards. In just an instant, the ripples spread throughout the entire cave, leveling the ground by more than a foot, and turning all the exquisite and luxurious furnishings into dust.

Hua Manlou's energy flowed like water, dissipating its power.

Lu Xiaofeng activated the "Five Skills of Bodhi Zen," sealing off his five senses and retaining only his precise spiritual perception.

Both of them lost their sight, but they could still "see" Huo Xiu's protective aura shatter like glass, the sword piercing through the protective aura and the protective armor, leaving only a trace of strength. However, the extreme courage and determination could still transform into sword light, piercing through Huo Xiu's internal organs.

"boom!"

Li Zhaoting was like a fallen leaf in the autumn wind, swept into the air by the airflow. Hua Manlou leaped up and caught Li Zhaoting, preventing him from being slammed against the mountain wall. With that force, it would be impossible to pry him off.

Huo Xiu looked at Li Zhaoting with a face full of horror.

He wanted to say something, but could only spit out blood.

"You...won..."

(End of this chapter)