Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 206 The Master Thief (A long chapter of 5,000 words, please read on!)
With the affairs in Guanzhong completely finished, Tie Shou and Zhui Ming are investigating cases in Guanzhong, so there shouldn't be any trouble caused by anyone.

Li Zhaoting packed his things and returned to Jinling. Along the way, he happened to encounter the Great King Escort Agency escorting goods. Miss Wang was carrying the Overlord Spear and walking ahead of him in high spirits.

This shipment belongs to the Yan family of Guanzhong, carrying gold and silver treasures, and their destination is Nanjing. Boss Yan's cunning is truly worthy of someone who was once the chief eunuch!

Gold and silver treasures are the most rewarding items for shipments, but they are also the easiest to rob. Li Zhaoting was worried that Miss Wang might have a sudden idea and lose himself. In addition, since their destination was Jinling, he decided to travel with Miss Wang.

Jiang Yuyan diligently took notes in her notebook.

Li Zhaoting: Are you familiar with the Spring and Autumn Annals style of writing?

Jiang Yuyan: Do you know what hush money is?
Li Zhaoting: How much hush money do you need?

Jiang Yuyan: Of course, we should fill our mouths!

Miss Wang rolled her eyes: "Li Zhaoting, you guys need to tone it down, it's broad daylight!"

"Yu Yan came from a poor family and did not know how to ride a horse."

"You can take a horse-drawn carriage."

"Old wine won't let me ride in a carriage!"

Who is Lao Jiu?

"My mount."

"Your mount is really intelligent!"

"As the saying goes, every trade has its rules, every mount has its rules, every fine steed has its dignity, and old wine is my close companion, so I must uphold its dignity."

"How many people have you fooled with that? Do you think I'm some sheltered young lady who never leaves the house? Next time you're trying to pick up girls, can you use your brain?"

"I am telling the truth!"

Who would believe such a 'truth'?

"Telling the truth isn't about making others believe you, but about having a clear conscience. Listen to my tone—how confident and justified I am. How could I possibly lie?"

"Gui Dongjing believed you, thinking you would launch an attack at dawn, and then you would launch a surprise attack at night, storming up Hungry Tiger Hill and hacking Gui Dongjing to pieces! Did he say anything before he died: 'I believed your lies!'"

He said he had wasted his life!

"why?"

"Gui Dongjing's greatest hobby is not food, but beauty. After seeing Miss Wang, Gui Dongjing felt that all his dozens of concubines were just ordinary women!"

"Eh~ How disgusting!"

"That's a lie!"

"lie?"

"Look at my expression. I'm not nearly as confident as I was just now. I'm stuttering and my language logic is very flawed. I'm obviously making up lies."

"can not tell."

A pure innocence, untouched by knowledge, flashed in Miss Wang's eyes; this was the true little white rabbit!

Uh……

A little white rabbit with superhuman strength!

A little white rabbit carrying a powerful spear!
Li Zhaoting looked down at Jiang Yuyan.

This is a little white rabbit with the heart of a lion and tiger.

Upon learning that Miss Wang was escorting a shipment, countless outlaws prepared to rob her, but two days later, they gave up.

They received some truly shocking news.

— Li Zhaoting admires Miss Wang and follows her on a cargo escort mission. Now, robbing the cargo is essentially giving Li Zhaoting a chance to be a hero and save the damsel in distress. Li Zhaoting will be grateful to the robbers' ancestors for eight generations, and they might even be allowed to leave him with a whole corpse!

The bandits had no connection with Li Zhaoting and would never risk their lives to help him woo women, so they could only obediently retreat and tightly seal the gates of their stronghold.

Those who descended the mountain automatically left the mountain stronghold.

For the next two weeks, entry into the mountain stronghold was permitted, but exit was not.

Not even a fly is allowed to fly out of the village!

"Li Zhaoting, teach me marksmanship!"

According to the unwritten rules of the martial arts world, secrets are not to be shared with more than six people.

Teaching and imparting knowledge requires bowing and formally becoming a disciple.

There's no reason to let someone teach you martial arts so casually!
However, these words, spoken casually by Miss Wang, were not at all mercenary; on the contrary, they were full of sincerity, uprightness, and openness.

"I don't know much about marksmanship."

“Your martial arts are superb; once you master one technique, you can master all techniques. I will demonstrate the spear technique once, and you will help me find its flaws.”

"This is easy, you can practice!"

"Alright!"

Miss Wang swung her gun at a large tree.

The Overlord Spear Technique is known for its power and ferocity, requiring immense strength to lift mountains and cauldrons, as well as a fearless and valiant spirit. Similar to the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms, its moves are ordinary, yet extremely powerful and forceful.

Of course, the so-called "ordinary" means that the moves are straightforward and without any complicated variations. The techniques for exerting force are all top-notch in the world. Being brave is not about fighting and rushing around randomly; there are also techniques to charging.

Just like when she dealt with Golden Spear Xu, Miss Wang spun at high speed, using inertia and the weight of the Overlord Spear itself to propel it, which saved a lot of energy.

The spearhead, the tip, the shaft, and the butt—every part is a weapon of slaughter. The Overlord Spear Technique was Xiang Yu's ultimate skill in conquering battlefields. Every move was full of killing intent, and he could break through even when surrounded by thousands of troops.

Rushing forward like a pig is not without its techniques.

Otherwise, how could it be called "pig tactics"?
"Tactics" are just techniques!
Miss Wang's shortcoming also lies in this.

Their control over strength is somewhat weak.

While they may be powerful, they lack the stamina to sustain themselves. If they fall into the enemy's rhythm, they will be exhausted to death.

Miss Wang's gunshot was like pushing a rock down a mountain. Although she didn't have to exert any force, the rock kept rolling down, but it couldn't be stopped. From the moment the rock started falling, it was out of Miss Wang's control.

Li Zhaoting narrowed his eyes, noticing the flaw.

"Your footwork is not solid, your horse stance is relatively weak, and your lower body strength is slightly insufficient."

Your stance is fundamentally flawed; your feet are too unstable. Whether fighting on foot or charging forward on horseback, the core of the battle lies in your feet.

Feet, waist and abdomen, back, chest!
Take a good look!
The foundation of your horse stance must reach this level!

Li Zhaoting fell from his horse, his back bent, and he took root on the ground.

He gestured to Miss Wang to come over and give him a push.

Miss Wang was confident in her strength and pushed hard against Li Zhaoting's chest. Li Zhaoting did not use Tai Chi to deflect the force, but instead swayed his waist and abdomen slightly, assuming a horse-riding posture.

With a shake of the upper body, the force was easily dissipated.

Miss Wang pushed him seven or eight times in a row. Li Zhaoting's upper body swayed, but his feet seemed to be rooted to the ground. No matter how much force Miss Wang exerted, his feet did not move or shake.

Suddenly.

Li Zhaoting snatched the Overlord Spear, leaped onto Lao Jiu's back, and with a powerful squeeze of his legs, sent Lao Jiu hurtling forward. Li Zhaoting held the Overlord Spear level, aimed it at the towering tree in front of him, and with a wave of his hand, he said, "A thousand armies will be routed."

Thrust, release, spur the horse.

"Pfft!"

The giant tree developed a hole that was both open at the front and back. Lao Jiu jumped forward, and Li Zhaoting reached out and grabbed the gun again. With a twist of his waist, the Overlord Spear suddenly thrust backward. A cold glint appeared first, and with a loud crack, another large hole was pierced through.

"Miss Wang, did you understand?"

"This is horse stance kung fu? You're kidding me!"

"That's definitely a horse stance!"

"How to do it?"

"Grip the ground with your toes and push off with the balls of your feet."

"Uh...I don't understand!"

Miss Wang blushed.

"Me... teach him step by step?"

Li Zhaoting looked at Miss Wang's embroidered shoes.

"Teach your maid first, then have your maid teach me. She's drooling with envy!"

Miss Wang pointed at Jiang Yuyan.

Jiang Yuyan showed a grateful expression.

"Let's talk about it after we check into the inn tonight."

The journey was uneventful, and they checked into an inn in the evening. Li Zhaoting instructed Jiang Yuyan in horse stance, taking off her shoes and socks and teaching her footwork by hand, correcting the posture of her toes...

After Jiang Yuyan learned it, she went to teach Miss Wang.

Jiang Yuyan was incredibly intelligent; how could she not see through Miss Wang's thoughts? She thought to herself, "Miss Wang is truly clever; she's adept at using her own advantages to employ roundabout tactics."

The two formed an alliance without realizing it.

Poor Li Zhaoting was completely unaware of this, and was played with by Miss Wang and Jiang Yuyan!
Li Zhaoting: I know nothing. I swear on Lu Xiaofeng's beard and Tang Zhuquan's fat that if this is false, I will shave Lu Xiaofeng's beard and make Tang Zhuquan lose weight, and I promise I will never renege on my promise!

"Young master, you can protect Miss Wang for a while, but not forever. You can't follow her every time you go out on a mission, can you? You're not a bodyguard!"

“Yu Yan, the security escort agency believes in making money through harmony. The martial world is not about fighting and killing, but about human relationships and social interactions. If every escort mission involves fighting with others, even if the security escort agency is worth 13,000, it will not be able to pay the compensation for the escorts.”

"The bandits don't need compensation!"

"Bandits are also human, and they are afraid of death. If they suffer too much damage, they will be swallowed up by other strongholds. Unless there is an absolute benefit, as long as the escort agency sends a toll, the stronghold will let the escort caravan pass."

"Does robbery require you to be mindful of others' feelings?"

"Those who follow the righteous path and lack discernment will at most get a beating and a few words of instruction from senior martial arts practitioners. But those who follow the underworld and lack discernment will be slapped to death by senior underworld practitioners!"

"Young master, are you involved in the underworld or the legitimate world?"

"Footpath!"

What kind of path is foot massage?

“Zhang Zhenren had a close friend who was a hermit living in the Kunlun Mountains. He was known as one of the Three Saints of Kunlun. He felt that this nickname was too arrogant and that he would be easily beaten to death, so he changed his name to He Zudao. When outsiders mentioned his name, they would say He Zudao, the Three Saints of Kunlun, which made him seem much more humble.”

"Really?"

Jiang Yuyan looked down at Li Zhaoting's hand.

Li Zhaoting played with Jiang Yuyan's jade-like feet in his palm.

Jiang Yuyan gently rubbed her ankles and soles with her fingertips. The barely noticeable calluses on her fingertips caused a slight tingling sensation as they brushed against her skin, and she let out a soft, reproachful sound.

It's time to pay hush money.

……

The convoy was delivered to the Jin family in Jinling.

There is a mysterious old lady in the martial arts world, known as Madam Jin, who has a "many children, many blessings" system. By constantly having children, she has built a powerful family in the martial arts world.

Madam Jin had a total of ten sons, nine daughters, eight sons-in-law, thirty-nine grandchildren, and twenty-eight grandsons.

Her sons and sons-in-law were all high-ranking officials, including head镖师 (bodyguards), constables, and gang leaders. One son became the Vice Minister of Works, and another made meritorious contributions on the frontier.

One of her daughters shaved her head and became a nun, joining the Emei Buddhist sect and inheriting the mantle of "Master Kuyin".

Jin Lingzhi was the youngest granddaughter of Madam Jin. Through her aunt's connections, she also became a disciple of Emei.

At the height of the Jin family's power, the Jin residence was respectfully referred to as "Wanfu Wanshou Garden" by people in the martial arts world.

The name was too domineering, and the younger generation of the Jin family became arrogant from then on. Madam Jin made a decisive decision to divide the family among her descendants. Except for the fourth master of the main branch, the rest were all moved to different prefectures. Each person inherited a part of the Jin family's property. Those who did not want to run the property could take a sum of money and live a life of debauchery.

Studying, practicing martial arts, doing business, the underworld, the legitimate world, being a playboy, indulging in debauchery, living a life of idleness and waiting to die...

I can do anything!

The only thing you absolutely cannot mention is "Wanfu Wanshou Garden"!
Anyone who dares to use that title will be expelled from the family tree!

The Jin family of Jinling is one such branch. The head of the family is named Jin Banhua, a dissolute playboy who received a huge sum of money when the family split up. He spends his days cockfighting, dog racing, drinking, and feasting, and he loves to associate with martial arts figures.

There is a saying that goes well.

For wealthy young men, the perfect entrepreneurial venture is one where they don't act impulsively or start businesses recklessly, but instead live a life of debauchery and extravagance.

Madam Jin's "Many Children, Many Blessings System" is truly amazing. The Jin family has developed so rapidly that even after splitting into more than a dozen branches, it is still thriving.

A slight misstep could bring disaster upon oneself.

Madam Jin was more than happy to have a few more纨绔 (playboys) whose daily task was to spend money and deplete the Jin family's fortune, so that their rise from meteoric to a steady, gradual decline.

A scene of splendor and extravagance may seem impressive on the surface, but for martial arts families, a steady and long-term approach is the true path to success. Of course, even spoiled brats are divided into different classes, with Jin Banhua belonging to the highest tier.

Jin Banhua indulged in cockfighting, dog racing, drinking, and frequenting brothels, but he never went to casinos. He liked to associate with martial arts figures and left behind a reputation for being generous and righteous. Many of his followers were freeloaders, but there were also quite a few with real skills.

Even someone as noble as Lord Mengchang needed petty thieves to help him escape danger. What would Jin Banhua need so many capable people for? Was she planning to start a rebellion?

Jin Banhua kept these people for fun, for amusement, and for self-promotion. Jin Banhua was more like Chai Jin, the Little Whirlwind, than Song Jiang, the Timely Rain.

That day, Jin Banhua encountered trouble.

He bought a batch of jewelry from the Yan family in Guanzhong. Pearls and jade were fine, but the most precious item was a two-foot-tall white jade beauty statue, which caught Chu Liuxiang's eye.

The calligraphy copybook of Chu Liuxiang is displayed on the living room table.

"I have heard that you possess a beautiful jade figure, exquisitely carved by a master craftsman, whose beauty is beyond compare, and I cannot help but yearn for it."

"Tonight at midnight, I shall come under the moonlight to fetch it. You are known for your refined taste; you will surely not make my journey in vain."

The handwriting is elegant and flowing, carrying a faint and poetic tulip scent. Anyone with a nose in the martial arts world knows that this is Chu Liuxiang's unique mark.

Jin Banhua enjoys making friends with people in the martial arts world. If Chu Liuxiang comes to her door asking for the White Jade Beauty, Jin Banhua will give it to him without hesitation, thus befriending the Thief King.

However, Chu Liuxiang wanted to take it himself!

Jin Banhua wanted to test Chu Liuxiang's skills.

Unleash your financial power and bring in some experts.

Cui Zihe, the "Two Palms Turning the Sky"!

"Plum Blossom Sword" Fang Huan!
"Iron Palm Golden Dart" is invincible!

Ying Wanli, the "White-Clad Divine Ear"!

Miss Wang, who came to escort the goods!
The strongest among them is Ying Wanli, who possesses hearing comparable to Hua Manlou and Yuan Suiyun. He can hear subtle sounds and is particularly adept at distinguishing voices, accurately identifying speech amidst drastically changing noise.

What's most amazing is that Ying Wanli's ears have an extraordinary memory. He can remember any sound he hears, whether it's an accent, footsteps, or even breathing. No matter what kind of disguise technique is used, as long as the voice cannot be disguised, it is impossible to fool him.

Wan Wudi laughed loudly, "Hehe! This time we're going to give Chu Liuxiang a real beating! If he doesn't come, fine! But if he dares to come, and Senior Ying remembers his voice, even if he escapes to the ends of the earth, we'll catch him!"

Ying Wanli humbly replied, "Rumors from the martial arts world shouldn't be taken at face value. I'm not that powerful. My ears were cut off long ago; I'm just a useless old man!"

Five years ago, Ying Wanli was tracking a gang of notorious bandits in Yuntai Mountain when he was ambushed. During the fierce battle, his ear was cut off. Afterwards, Zhu Ting, the owner of Miaoshou, helped him make a mechanical ear, and since then he has become increasingly low-key.

Fang Huan asked, "Master Jin, I heard that gentleman has just returned to Jinling. Why don't you ask him for help?"

Cui Zihe said sternly, "Watch your words! You dare to provoke this man? Are you tired of living?"

Wan Wudi chuckled: "Even if Chu Liuxiang has a great reputation, I'm not afraid. If he doesn't kill people, he can just retire from the martial world. Wherever that man goes, blood flows like a river. A few days ago, he went to Guanzhong and wiped out three sects. Even Shangguan Yundun was defeated!"

Jin Banhua smiled bitterly: "It's all just rumors! Master Li grew up in Jinling. When has a family massacre ever happened in Jinling? I'm not going to invite Master Li because he just returned home. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. If I invite him to capture Chu Liuxiang, I'm afraid the Five Poisons Sect Leader will come to reason with me. I don't want to find a scorpion in my food!"

Upon hearing this, everyone burst into laughter.

Li Zhaoting had a notorious reputation, but that was only in the public eye.

He takes great care of his fellow villagers.

When Li Zhaoting was in Jinling, apart from spoiled witches like Sun Zhongjun and brainless idiots like Gui Xinshu, no one dared to run wild in Jinling.

The anecdotes about Li Zhaoting circulating in Nanjing are either about him being a child prodigy or a dashing and romantic figure.

The courtesans on the pleasure boats of the Qinhuai River dreamed of seeing Li Zhaoting and asking him to pick up a brush and write a poem.

As the saying goes, absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Li Zhaoting has just returned to Jinling and will surely be indulging in pleasure with his beautiful wife and concubines. If Jin Banhua dares to invite Li Zhaoting at this time, Lan Fenghuang will make Jin Banhua eat scorpions, centipedes, spiders, and giant toads for a month!

These people are enough to capture Chu Liuxiang.

The evening breeze carried the sound of the night watchman's drum; midnight had arrived.

Jin Banhua quickly walked to the corner of the wall, lifted a fine-brush painting of a lady, and found a hidden door behind it. Behind the hidden door was a sandalwood box containing a white jade beauty.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this.

Just then, the sound of a gong came from outside.

Ying Wanli covered his ears, seeing stars, when a dark figure appeared by the window: "Gentlemen, wait!"

"Chase! Chase quickly!"

Miss Wang rushed out first.

Wan Wudi shook his head dismissively. The white jade beauty outside was a fake; the real one remained in the box…

The box was opened, and it was completely empty.

Only letter paper with the scent of tulips.

The young master, amidst the flowers, loses his beauty; the thief, treading the moon, leaves behind fragrance.

The white jade beauty has been stolen!
The golden-flowered man asked the woman to put away the letter.

It's a pity that the beautiful woman was lost, but obtaining the letter from the Thief King is still a gain.

Chu Liuxiang, carrying the beautiful Bai Yu, flew freely through the night sky. As the world's number one master of lightness skill, Chu Liuxiang loved speed, loved flying at high speed, loved using his lightness skill without restraint under the moonlight, and loved the whistling sound of the air rushing past his ears.

A figure chased after Chu Liuxiang.

The shadowy figure, clad in a massive black cloak, resembled a giant bat under the moonlight.

"Chu Xiangshuai, let's have a speed contest!"

Li Zhaoting used the Void Step technique to continuously increase his speed.

"I have my wish, but I don't dare to ask for my ears!"

Chu Liuxiang accepted the challenge without hesitation.

(End of this chapter)