Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 220 The most useless, brainless, and laborious opportunity

The banquets of scions of prominent families often feature programs that reflect their own characteristics, and Di Qinglin was no exception.

Di Qinglin's hobby was holding auctions. He would bring out five treasures himself, and the guests attending the banquet could also bring out their own treasures to trade.

As long as someone thinks an item has value, even something as simple as an embroidered shoe, a tattered palm-leaf fan, or a candied hawthorn can be auctioned off for tens of thousands of taels of silver.

Don't use normal thinking to analyze these seemingly wealthy but actually empty-hearted rich kids who are actually promiscuous and have mountains of gold and silver.

Li Zhaoting could tell at a glance that Di Qinglin and Ling Yufeng were both spoiled by their parents since childhood. Their excessive material life led to inner emptiness, which in turn made them ruthless and twisted dissolute officials.

They were mentally ill people who acted perfectly normally, using flowery language to cover up their stench and ugliness. Both young noblemen were madmen, insane madmen.

Extreme sensitivity and extreme pride make them extremely insecure and unable to withstand the slightest stimulation.

Di Qinglin couldn't stand anyone competing with him.

Ling Yufeng couldn't stand anyone showing off to him.

In just a few words, the two men wished they could pull out knives and stab each other to death on the spot. If this were not a banquet, not a public place, and if there were no outsiders present, the two men would not hesitate to engage in a life-or-death duel.

In fact, the two had fought once.

Di Qinglin was a cut above the rest.

Ling Yufeng had an ugly scar more than a foot long on his body, red and resembling a centipede, which spread from his ribs to his lower abdomen, almost cutting off his manhood.

The two men faced off with imposing presence.

Li Zhaoting took out a bag of sunflower seeds from his sleeve, handed a handful to Li Shengnan, and watched the show while cracking sunflower seeds. The surroundings were quiet, with only the crunching sound of cracking sunflower seeds.

Their lips moved slightly, transmitting their voices in a secret manner.

"Where did you buy these sunflower seeds?"

"Old Chen under the overpass, we can go to his stall for some kebabs later. His boiled peanuts and spiced edamame are really good."

"Does Di Qinglin not provide meals?"

"At most half an hour, by the time the banquet is halfway through, someone will definitely overturn the table."

"You like barbecue?"

"I'd much rather have roasted chestnuts, but unfortunately Gongsun Lan isn't here. Her roasted chestnuts are the best I've ever had. I'm really curious, does the Demonic Sect have chestnuts that can poison thirty people?"

"The Holy Church has many kinds of potent and deadly poisons, but it won't let the spendthrift use them! The princess can't waste the poison meant for twenty-nine people."

How much revenue do you make in a year?

"I don't know, I don't handle money!"

“How can you not care about money? Finance and personnel are the most important powers. If you don’t have either, you will be ostracized and killed if Jade Rakshasa passes away one day.”

"My master will definitely outlive you!"

"That's not necessarily true. How about we make a bet? I bet he won't live more than three years. He'll die suddenly from an illness."

“Master Li, I will tell this to my master verbatim. Believe me or not, before he dies suddenly from his illness, he will definitely kill you with a single blow.”

"Can I buy my life?"

"no!"

"What if you repay me with your body?"

"Believe it or not, I'll stomp you to death!"

“I’m not joking. Back then, my master went to the Demonic Sect to borrow the Void Step technique and made an agreement with Jade Rakshasa: if you can’t catch me, he will go to the Demonic Sect to propose marriage.”

"Your master is mentally ill!"

"His mind is indeed somewhat abnormal. He was injured in a fierce battle with a powerful enemy and spent several years in Medicine King Valley for treatment, which left him mentally unstable."

"Does Medicine King Valley have a grudge against your master?"

"The previous head of Medicine King Valley was my master's aunt. If it weren't for my grandmaster using his good looks to seduce him, and Medicine King Valley recklessly using rare and precious herbs, my master would have been reincarnated several times over. It's lucky that he's still alive."

"Do you think Di Qinglin and Ling Yufeng will suddenly draw their swords and start fighting each other, drawing blood? I think they have a blood feud that can't be forgotten for eighteen generations."

"How could two arrogant, self-important, and ambitious sons of officials allow anyone to be better than them? Especially since that person is their childhood friend!"

Can you tolerate someone being better than you?

"Of course, my wife has the talent of a top scholar, and her talent is ten times that of me. I admire her wholeheartedly."

"hehe!"

"Why insist on highlighting weaknesses and avoiding strengths? Comparing your talent to the top scholar in the imperial examination, your military leadership to the top scholar in the imperial examination, your crime-solving skills to Bao Zheng, your drinking capacity to Tang Zhuquan, and your culinary skills to Master Bitter Gourd—isn't that just crazy?"

The two exchanged intimate whispers, their expressions animated.

He was eating sunflower seeds while transmitting his voice.

Enjoying the show while snacking on sunflower seeds.

Di Qinglin and Ling Yufeng felt somewhat embarrassed.

The two tacitly agreed to end their standoff.

Di Qinglin arrogantly provoked: "Officer Ling, you're going to be very unlucky today. When the auction is held later, no matter how much you bid, I'll add three taels of silver."

Ling Yufeng sneered: "Di Qinglin, even if your family has mountains of gold and silver, it can't support your spending. You come from a wealthy and powerful family, do you think my family is short of money?"

Di Qinglin raised an eyebrow: "Officer Ling, you are a constable of the Six Doors, not the eldest son of the Ling family. It seems that the constable who indulged in debauchery met a terrible end."

Di Qinglin patted Ling Yufeng on the shoulder, his eyes full of mockery. Ling Yufeng clenched his fists and vowed to send Di Qinglin to prison within five days.

The last constable who indulged in debauchery was Jin Jiuling.

The consequence was that he was arrested by Li Zhaoting and brought to justice, taking the blame for half of the Six Doors' shady dealings over the years, bearing countless undeserved accusations, and suffering complete disgrace and ruin.

Unfortunately, Ling Yufeng came from a very wealthy family, and the higher-ups in the Six Doors dared not accept him. Only Jin Jiuling accepted him without hesitation. Although it was just a nominal position, Ling Yufeng was clearly Jin Jiuling's disciple and grand-disciple.

In some ways, Ling Yufeng and Jin Jiuling are very similar. They both want to design a flawless, perfect crime, in which they can imprison their lifelong enemy and retire with money and beauty.

Jin Jiuling's target is Li Zhaoting, while Ling Yufeng's targets are Di Qinglin and Li Zhaoting. Li Zhaoting's brilliance is too dazzling, and Ling Yufeng is very jealous of him.

If given the chance, Ling Yufeng would like to capture Lu Xiaofeng, Chu Liuxiang, and other legendary detectives of the martial arts world. He loves being a constable and despises these legendary detectives the most.

"Aren't they incredibly immoral? How can scions of prominent families not even know how to act?"

Before the banquet began, Li Shengnan raised one last question, one that she truly couldn't understand: Di Qinglin and Ling Yufeng were far too irritable.

"Di Qinglin is a powder keg, and Ling Yufeng is a glowing piece of charcoal. The powder is wrapped in a wooden barrel, while the charcoal has only a few scattered sparks. This is their most proficient method of disguise. But what will happen when the two of them get together?"

"explode?"

"Although I'm reluctant to admit it, it seems that I was the one who put the charcoal next to the gunpowder barrel."

"Like an old woman selling melons, she's just praising her own wares!"

"I'm not bragging, but I can feel the hostility between Di Qinglin and Ling Yufeng towards me. One is jealous of my reputation in the underworld, and the other is jealous of my title as a detective."

"Oh~ that's interesting! Don't expect me to help you out of the goodness of my heart. To prevent your master from proposing marriage, I'll definitely take advantage of your injury and kick you while you're down."

Li Shengnan snorted coldly and entered the venue.

Li Zhaoting calmed the restless Ziwei Soft Sword.

Once you enter the gates of a noble family, it's like entering a deep, uncharted sea!

The sins within the Marquis's mansion fueled the fire within the Purple Rose Soft Sword, causing it to erupt like a raging inferno. If this were a game, everyone before Li Zhaoting would be a super red name.

……

"The chicken slices with hibiscus are very smooth and tender."

"Wensi Tofu is made with exquisite knife skills."

"The sauce for the squirrel-shaped mandarin fish was a bit bland."

"Tiger skin elbow, good! Really good! Even if Dong Xiaowan were alive, she probably couldn't have made anything better."

"Shengnan, try this."

Li Zhaoting served Li Shengnan a bowl of tofu pudding. "Snowflake Chicken Soup, it seems the Tianji Pavilion has updated my files, adding some of my favorite dishes. If the Tianming Sect is training disciples specifically to deal with me, they will definitely need to refer to the recipes."

"What's the point of this?"

"To win a man's heart, you must first win his stomach; this is the only way to succeed in palace intrigue."

"What if you want to win a woman's heart?"

"Promise me you won't flip the table."

"I promise."

"Pan, Donkey, Deng, Xiao, Xian!"

"What do you mean?"

"You can consult Wang Yuyan. She is very knowledgeable and should have read relevant books."

"What book would record something like this?"

"Wang Yuyan's biological father's diary of picking up girls".

Who is her biological father?

"Duan Zhengchun, the Prince of Zhennan in Dali".

Don't joke about other people's parents!

"I'm telling the truth. Go and check if Wang Yuyan's mother has a particular fondness for camellias and a deep resentment towards the people of Dali, especially those surnamed Duan..."

What is this dish?

Li Shengnan awkwardly changed the subject.

This is something I can't go into detail about.

Otherwise, who knows when news might spread that she, the Holy Maiden of the Demonic Sect, would be transformed into the Princess of Zhennan.

"Stir-fried Double Crispy, this dish..."

"What's wrong with this dish?"

"Stir-fried Double Crispy is a dish that requires precise control of the heat. Most restaurants do not offer this dish directly and require advance reservations. The chef at the Hou Mansion is truly remarkable; he can even stir-fry Double Crispy."

"You're from Nanjing and have lived in Dali for five years. If I want to lower your guard with food, I should prepare duck dishes or Yunnan cuisine."

"I prefer Shandong cuisine and Huaiyang cuisine, as well as non-spicy Sichuan cuisine and some northern home-style dishes. This late autumn, I'll take you to the north to see a crystal palace-like market and the most bustling food city."

"Have you been to the North?"

“My father traveled all over the world when he was young and learned about the local customs and culture. He taught me all of that.”

“I remember your father didn’t know martial arts.”

"He's lucky."

"Would he be lucky enough to be exiled by the imperial court?"

"Because his luck was entirely used up in giving birth to me, and after I was born, his luck was all used up."

The two chatted idly, oblivious to everyone else, paying no heed to Di Qinglin's welcoming and farewells, or the courtesan's singing and dancing, until a gong and drum sounded, officially starting the auction.

The host is Hongliang Qianli, the head of the Hongliang Sect.

Hongliang School was founded by Hongliang Wanli, a lay disciple of Shaolin. When he was learning martial arts at Shaolin, Hongliang Wanli worked hard to master the Lion's Roar Kung Fu, but unfortunately he lacked talent. Apart from his voice getting louder and louder, his martial arts skills did not improve much.

Hong Liang Wanli lost all interest in martial arts after that. After leaving Shaolin, he became a well-known local host with his super loud voice, specializing in hosting weddings, funerals, business openings, auctions, and government announcements.

He monopolized the business by using his loud voice and achieved great success.

Later, Hong Liang Wanli founded Hong Liang Men, specializing in training hosts. Decades later, Hong Liang Wanli has long since retired from the business, and his son has inherited the family business.

Large families have two types of signs when holding banquets.

One approach was to invite members of the Nangong family to serve as supervisors.

Secondly, they invited Hong Liang's disciples to be the hosts.

Hong Liang, with his familiar and lively manner, warmed up the atmosphere and then had a tray brought over: "Heroes, please take a look. This is a fragment of a precious sword. According to the research of ten appraisal masters from the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion, this sword has a history of a thousand years. The identity of its first sword owner is unknown. The most famous sword owner was Han Feizi. The sword is named Ni Lin, and it follows the laws of heaven and earth without fail!"

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at Ling Yufeng.

Ling Yufeng is a constable, representing the law. Even if only a fragment of Han Feizi's sword remains, it would still have great collectible value for Ling Yufeng.

Ling Yufeng could not refuse this fragment.

Di Qinglin didn't hesitate to sabotage him.

No matter how much money Ling Yufeng offered, Di Qinglin would add three taels of silver, clearly a slap in the face. For a scion of a noble family, this was the most despicable humiliation.

"Five thousand taels!"

"Five thousand and three taels!"

"Ten thousand taels!"

"Ten thousand and three taels!"

"Thirty thousand taels, this is the final offer!"

"Thirty thousand and three taels, everyone. Does anyone else want to bid? If not, this fragment belongs to me. Sisi, bring the fragment here!"

Di Qinglin patted the shoulder of the beauty beside him.

Sisi gracefully carried the tray over.

Di Qinglin laughed and said, "I have long heard that Hero Li has punished evil and solved many major cases, restoring justice to the martial world. I think Hero Li is more suitable to use Han Feizi's sword."

"Thank you for the gift, Lord Marquis. It would be impolite to refuse. It is only proper to reciprocate. Let's use this jade pendant as the next item for the auction! This jade pendant was found in the secret chamber of the Sunflower Patriarch when I broke into the Sunflower Sect. It is engraved with patterns of mountains and rivers, containing great secrets. I have no interest in treasures. Gentlemen, please take a look!"

Li Zhaoting put away the fragments of "Reverse Scale" and placed the jade pendant on the tray. When he first broke through the Sunflower Sect, Li Zhaoting found this jade pendant in the warehouse. After returning home, he and Feng Suzhen studied it many times, but they always felt that they couldn't find the right way to use it.

Feng Suzhen could not find any clues.

Li Zhaoting also found it inexplicable.

Where did this jade pendant come from?
Could it be the butterfly wings of a time traveler?

Since they are butterfly wings, they should be allowed to wreak havoc in the martial world; keeping them in one's possession is meaningless.

The martial arts world has all sorts of opportunities. Some are opportunities to jump off a cliff, some are opportunities to pass on skills to a senior, and some require collecting a set of items. These are collection-type opportunities, which are the most useless and mindless of all opportunities, mainly relying on the enemy to make them stupid.

Similar items include: the Seven Constellations of the Azure Dragon, the Forty-Two Chapters Sutra, the Qilin Jade, the Five Heavenly Swords...

It's pointless to go through all that trouble to collect items.

The right approach is to secure one of them, patiently wait for others to collect them, and then collect them all at once.

For example, Piccolo Daimaō collects the seven Dragon Balls. No matter how many Dragon Balls are outside, as long as he has one, he swallows it in one gulp, and no one else can ever collect them all.

If you don't want an opportunity to appear in the world, such as an item that can grant you the world, then just destroy it. When Kangxi obtained the Forty-Two Chapters Sutra, he thought that this thing was related to the Manchu dragon vein, so he burned two of the volumes on the spot.

If Wei Xiaobao hadn't been more skillful and retrieved the parchment scroll from the scriptures beforehand, no one would have ever collected all forty-two chapters of the scriptures; the remaining scriptures would have been mere bait.

If some of the items are burned, and some people still stumble upon the opportunity, it shows that the "collection" process is not a necessary condition and there is no need to put in the effort.

Similarly, if no one gets the opportunity, that would be wonderful, perfectly matching my wishes.

Without lowering one's intelligence, the best way to deal with a collection opportunity that can greatly harm one's own side is to collect one and then destroy it completely.

If you can't destroy it by normal means, put it somewhere no one can find it, throw it into a volcano, throw it into an Arctic glacier, or take it on a long voyage and throw it into a trench.

The most obvious example is the "Seven Mansions of the Azure Dragon".

If Li Zhaoting were Qin Shi Huang, he would definitely have placed one of the bronze boxes inside the "Mirage Treasure Ship" and thrown it into a trench at random when Xu Fu sailed out to sea to search for the immortal mountains. He would have guaranteed that the two boxes would never be collected.

The same principle applies to jade pendants.

It's absolutely impossible to expect Li Zhaoting to go through all the trouble of collecting jade pendants only to benefit someone else!

　Thank you to readers 20210423232727897 and Golden-Winged Roc Cat for their generous donations.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)