Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 23 Following Jiu Ling, going hungry nine times in three days

Xie Xiaofeng and Xiao Ai were deeply in love.

Li Zhaoting felt he was about to witness a war sparked by love turning into hate: You bastard, you don't even want me, but you want a latrine cleaner?
It is not very harmful and extremely insulting.

On second thought, this is quite normal.

In terms of looks, family background, and martial arts skills, Murong Qiudi is a hundred times better than Xiao Ai, but Murong Qiudi is too domineering, and Xie Xiaofeng prefers a virtuous wife and loving mother.

In addition, from the perspective of the original plot, Xie Xiaofeng's job when he lived in seclusion in the city was as a latrine cleaner.

I wanted to test the Third Young Master's sword, but he was busy with his love affair and was interfering in other people's marriages, which is a grave sin. Let's wait until he picks up his sword again before we have another match!

Li Zhaoting turned around, intending to leave the bamboo forest.

Xie Xiaofeng transmitted his voice secretly: "Young Master Li, please do not reveal my identity. There is a backpack wrapped in blue linen in my residence that you might be interested in."

"I'd much rather fight you!"

"I have no will to fight, and neither do you. A sword fight now is meaningless. Let's talk about it later!"

"The journey through the martial world is long, may we meet again someday!"

"Actually, I'd rather never see them again!"

"You'll find it hard to avoid!"

Li Zhaoting left behind his last words and quickly went to Xie Xiaofeng's residence, where he found a package.

The large, round package was lifted gently, making a rustling sound. Li Zhaoting was very familiar with this sound; it was the sound of jade rubbing against paper.

Li Nanxing runs a jade business in Dali.

The most precious planks are used to make bracelets, while scraps and odds and ends are used to make pendants, such as bamboo joints, lotus roots, beans, leaves, and safety buckles...

These pendants are mostly sold as add-ons. When the carving masters deliver the finished products, they are simply wrapped in straw paper and burlap, without even a tray.

Upon opening the package, one finds several smaller packages, each containing a jade pendant and a letter.

Jade plaques served as identity tokens, proving one's identity. Some came from the Western Xia Dynasty, some from the Liao Dynasty, and others from the Mongol Yuan and Manchu Qing Dynasties—truly a dazzling array.

The letters were carried by these people with them.

The sequence of events is very clear: numerous spies approached Xie Xiaofeng, or rather Shen Liang, with various motives, and were all killed by him to silence them.

A question popped into Li Zhaoting's mind: What secrets does Luzhou hold that have attracted so many spies?
The Liao, Western Xia, Mongol Yuan, and Manchu Qing dynasties, and even the dying Jin dynasty, all bear traces of this influence.

Luzhou is neither a strategically important border town nor a renowned general. The most famous person there is currently leveling up at the academy, and it will be several years before he becomes famous.

If that's the case, why did the secret agent come to Luzhou?

Don't even mention the treasure of the Kuaiyi tribe; that's pure nonsense. It would be better if they came to find Tianmang, or the elixir of immortality, or the Seven Constellations of the Azure Dragon.

At this thought, a disfigured figure appeared in Li Zhaoting's mind... Madam Tang!

If we were to pinpoint the true core of all the events that occurred in Luzhou City, it would most likely be Madam Tang, her grudges, and her hidden secrets.

These secret agents are here to investigate a case!
They dared not approach Madam Tang lightly.

Madam Tang's hidden weapons could easily kill them.

Madam Tang is suspected of having a grudge against someone surnamed Li. This Li is about the same age as her father, has several sworn brothers, is Qu Yang's wife, and has given birth to a son for Qu Yang. She has a past relationship with the Beggar Clan's Transmission Elder, and can frighten the Transmission Elder with just her name. She is a disciple of the Tang Clan and possesses powerful hidden weapons.

Taking all these factors into account, Li Zhaoting recalled watching movies and reading novels, but found no corresponding pairings.

Did my father become a heartless and cruel man?
Did I go from being born of the legitimate wife to being born of a concubine?
Thinking of the legendary "Cult of the Root and the Commoner Gods," Li Zhaoting smiled, packed up his package, and quickly left.

The matter in Luzhou has been resolved.

Tomorrow is the day I go home.

There's one more drinking session tonight.

……

Baizhenshan, the site of the Kuaiyi ethnic group.

Li Zhaoting carried a load of wine on his shoulder and offered it as a sacrifice to the innocent souls who had died unjustly: "Every wrong has its perpetrator, every debt its debtor. Your enemies are all dead, you can rest in peace now."

Li Zhaoting poured the wine on the ground and silently recited the Rebirth Sutra. He recited it three or four times in a row, and the eerie ruins were freed from the perpetual fog.

The bright moon hangs high in the sky, accompanied by a gentle breeze and a clear moon.

The night view of Baizhen Mountain is so beautiful!
Li Zhaoting leaned against a large rock, picked up a wine jar, took a big gulp, and laughed loudly, "Dark skin has its advantages; it can conceal your figure at night."

Before he finished speaking, Bao Zheng emerged from the ruins, rubbing his lower back and covered in sweat. He didn't know martial arts, and the continuous high-intensity mountain climbing had taken a heavy toll on him.

Fortunately, he was "Young Justice Bao" and was in his prime. By the time he became the Judge Bao of "The Three Heroes and Five Gallants," he would have developed a potbelly.

"How did you know I was here?"

Li Zhaoting handed the wine jar to Bao Zheng.

"Because you are a smart person, you have already unlocked the secret of the Kuaiyi tribe's treasure, and you have a compassionate heart that will come to pay tribute to these poor people."

Bao Zheng took the wine jar and drank two mouthfuls.

"Are you not afraid that I will poison you?"

"If you want to kill me, why go through all this trouble?"

"As expected of Bao Zheng! He truly has courage!"

"Can I ask you a few questions?"

“If someone else asked me this question at this time, even if it were my master, I would just give them a random answer. But since the question is from Bao Zheng, I will tell the truth.”

"Thank you."

"One question, one glass of wine."

Li Zhaoting took out two ancient rattan cups from his pocket.

Bao Zheng poured a cup of wine: "From the moment you learned about the history of the Kuaiyi tribe, you understood everything. You deliberately crippled Mu Tieying so that Meng Fang could take revenge."

"Repay kindness with kindness, and avenge wrongs with revenge. I never advise people to let go of hatred, because that's easy to get struck by lightning."

"The one who should interrogate Mu Tieying is Fali."

"Do you know why the imperial court allows the existence of martial arts heroes and bounty hunters? Even the Grand Tutor of the court, Zhuge Zhengwo, tacitly approves of this model, using the Six Doors as a buffer between the court and the martial arts world. The Four Great Constables are nominally government constables, but in reality, they are half-martial arts people, maintaining a positive balance between the martial arts world and the imperial court!" "Please enlighten me, Young Master Li."

"First of all, there are many masters in the martial arts world. These masters are unrestrained and do things without any regard for consequences. We cannot simply suppress them; we should give them some benefits."

The common man became angry and blood spattered five steps forward.

The martial arts world is never short of passionate heroes!

Secondly, many things cannot be solved by simply applying legal principles. Whether it is a county magistrate or a prime minister, when faced with difficult problems, they need a different approach.

Bao Zheng, you possess an aura of integrity that will surely lead you to success in the imperial examinations. I firmly believe that your benevolence, chivalry, and uprightness will make you a virtuous official.

By then, you might realize that having a chivalrous person by your side makes many things much easier, and with your personality, you're likely to attract heroes.

If one day I fall into Judge Bao's hands and you imprison me, remember to send me a jar of wine.

Is there anything else you'd like to ask?

Li Zhaoting picked up his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp.

Bao Zheng stared blankly at Li Zhaoting.

To be honest, even Bao Zheng wasn't as confident in himself as Li Zhaoting. What's so easy about passing the imperial examination and becoming an upright and incorruptible official?

"Does Meng Fang have any other helpers?"

"I have no idea!"

"Were all of them killed by Meng Fang?"

"I killed Wu Yong. It was during a fight in the martial arts world. I was sparring with him and accidentally killed him."

"Could you play a piece for me?"

"What song?"

"Teacher Meng Fang composed a piece of music based on the customs and culture of Luzhou, called 'Luzhou Style.' I have no talent in music and cannot play it."

"I can try!"

Li Zhaoting took the score and studied it carefully.

Not long after, music rose from the mountains and forests.

As one song ended, another began.

The song, imbued with the scent of alcohol, lacked technical skill but was entirely driven by emotion, making it all the more captivating.

"A clear blue sky overhead"
A belief in my heart;
It wasn't out of youthful ignorance;

They are simply not afraid of challenges;

Seek clarity in everything;

It's a matter of nature being hard to change;
I can give you justice;

Why wouldn't I be happy to do that...?

Meanwhile, at the Luzhou County government office, Jin Jiuling looked at the case files that Gongsun Ce had compiled and almost fainted. He thought it was a great job, but it turned out to be full of traps!

Jin Jiuling was fond of pleasure and lived a luxurious life. He was extremely short of money and even had to rely on wealthy women for financial assistance.

This greatly damaged Jin Jiuling's self-esteem.

Having heard that a great treasure was hidden in Luzhou, Jin Jiuling used many connections to finally get this job.

Then, I was completely dumbfounded!
The treasure mystery wasn't too difficult.

Gongsun Ce solved the problem in an hour.

The phrase "Mountain upon mountain, white mountain embraces a thousand green hills" means that a great treasure is hidden in Baizhen Mountain, where the Kuaiyi ethnic group lives.

The phrase "water in water, black water embraces myriad reds" means that the treasure is hidden in the water. It is black in the water, but can be ignited on the surface of the water, and after being ignited, it looks like a riot of colors.

What is this?
Tung oil!

There are two types of "tung oil" circulating in the martial arts world.

One type is a secret medicine for making weapons, often used to make gun barrels and wooden sticks. The white waxwood sticks of the monks of Yunjian Temple are made by soaking in tung oil and then drying it nine times.

One is "oil". The preciousness of oil goes without saying. Unfortunately, in this era, the level of technology is relatively low, making it difficult to realize the value of oil.

Shen Kuo: This thing will surely become very popular in the world in the future.

It means that this is a very precious resource, but it is difficult to make use of it in the current era.

The treasure of the Kuaiyi ethnic group is oil.

Putting aside issues of the times and technology, even if it could be sold at a high price, so what? Oil is hidden in lakes and needs to be extracted manually; how could Jin Jiuling understand these things?
Jin Jiuling angrily overturned the table!
Male Gobi!

I went on a long trip and didn't earn a single penny!

The fame belongs to Lu Xiaofeng and Li Zhaoting, and even to the fledgling Bao Zheng and Gongsun Ce!
The treasure of the Kuaiyi tribe must be handed over to the imperial court. They cannot enrich themselves, and they are forced to guard this place and wait for the imperial court's orders. They cannot leave Luzhou for a short period of time.

No fame, no money, no merit, only insignificant "hard work"—what does that count for?
They really think they can treat me like an animal!

I'll make you pay sooner or later!

Jin Jiuling angrily carried the table back.

No matter how much dissatisfaction I have in my heart, I must maintain my composure in public. Thinking of this, I feel even more sorrowful!
……

The following morning, Li Zhaoting left Luzhou.

They were already somewhat famous when they arrived.

He became famous when he left.

He came quietly and left quietly. Li Zhaoting waved his sleeve and released a carrier pigeon.

A letter to my father.

Ask your dad if he has any ex-lovers!

(End of this chapter)