Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 239 Li Zhaoting: Shengnan, I'm here to collect the debts!

As the saying goes, a bad person's cunning is no match for a fool's quick thinking.

You will be on guard against enemies, bad guys, and renowned demonic masters.

Foolish people, especially those around you, will force you to lower your guard even if you're on guard when they do something stupid.

The most common example is the manipulation of filial piety.

I am your parents, you have to listen to me!
I am your parents, would I harm you?
We are your parents, and we're doing this for your own good!

You think you're all grown up now, daring to disobey your parents!

Before, during, and after doing something, one can never change one's mind. If something is a complete failure, one will either stubbornly shirk responsibility or sit on the ground and act shamelessly, wailing, cursing, and threatening suicide.

This kind of thing is all too common.

For example, college application choices, being a drag on civil service exams, not following medical advice, useless frugality, and buying health supplements!
No examples are needed.

Examples are everywhere!

Every family has its cupboard!

Especially in "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils", all the main characters have dysfunctional families, which is so frustrating that it's hard to read the scripture. It is indeed difficult to read the scripture, but it doesn't have to be this difficult.

The Xiao family and the Murong family are among the most prominent.

When it comes to ruining their sons' lives, Xiao Yuanshan and Murong Bo are the two kings, both of them are mentally unstable.

Xiao Yuanshan was reckless and impulsive, and consumed by hatred.

Murong Bo claimed to be restoring the Yan Kingdom and devoted himself to this cause for decades, neglecting the education of his descendants and ruining his own reputation. His schemes were short-sighted, focusing only on scheming against others without considering the margin for error in his plans.

For example, the plan to win over Li Zhaoting.

Li Zhaoting was a womanizer and a philanderer.

Wang Yuyan is stunningly beautiful and as aloof as a fairy.

In Murong Bo's view, if Wang Yuyan were betrothed to Li Zhaoting, Li Zhaoting would surely be grateful to the Murong family of Gusu and would devote himself wholeheartedly to the restoration of the Great Yan.

To persuade Murong Fu, Murong Bo first listed a whole host of advantages, and then gave Murong Fu examples of several better matches than Wang Yuyan.

"Fu'er, we are the Xianbei royal family, a respectable family. Wang Yuyan is an illegitimate child. How can you marry such a woman? At most, she can only be a concubine!"

—Fu'er, in order to restore the Great Yan, you should not marry Wang Yuyan. You should marry one of the Four Beauties of Emei and strive to gain the support of the Emei Sect, the Hua Family, and Wudang!

Murong Fu was completely bewildered by what he heard. He thought that with Murong Bo's decades of experience, he must be very good at judging people and very cautious in his actions, so he would definitely not harm his own son.

Murong Fu was terribly tricked.

The plan was flawed from the start.

Li Zhaoting, having won the heart of the beauty, would certainly be willing.

Li Qingluo looked down on the Murong family of Gusu and always wanted to sever ties with them, yet she also strongly supported them.

The question is, would Wang Yuyan be willing?

Even if we take a step back and say that Wang Yuyan was deeply in love with Li Zhaoting until death, and that her love was so profound that it shook the heavens and earth, dried up the seas and rocks, and spanned three realms and four continents, and three lifetimes, so what?
Liking someone is one thing.

Being traded as a commodity is another matter.

If Wang Yuyan agrees, she will not be a person of flesh and blood, but a puppet to be manipulated by others.

If Li Zhaoting agrees, it means that he doesn't see Wang Yuyan as a human being, but rather as a piece of meat, a cup, a human-shaped tool for venting his desires.

Wang Yuyan would never agree to that.

Li Zhaoting would also not agree to that.

Even if we take a million steps back, if Wang Yuyan obeys Li Qingluo's orders and marries into the Li family like a commodity, what will Wang Yuyan think? Will she harbor resentment? Will she whisper sweet nothings in his ear? No matter how much money Murong Fu spends to win her over, it can't compare to the whispers of a beautiful woman in bed. Don't forget, the prerequisite for this plan to succeed is: Li Zhaoting's fondness for women!
A person who is fond of women is most easily influenced by external factors, such as the whispers of beautiful women in his pillow!

If Li Zhaoting were a loyal and righteous man, he would not have treated Wang Yuyan as a commodity; if Li Zhaoting were a lecherous man who loved women, he would not have been able to resist the whispers in his pillow.

In other words, Murong Bo's plan, though seemingly ingenious and full of benefits, was actually short-sighted and ineffective, resulting in a double loss.

What is the "honey trap"?
The core of the "beauty trap" is "beauty"!
What is the most famous honey trap?
Diao Chan sowed discord between Dong Zhuo and Lü Bu.

Situ Wang Yun only played a supporting role; the core of the scheme was always Diao Chan. Only when Diao Chan was willing to sacrifice herself could the scheme of sowing discord and the chained scheme be completed. The world's understanding of Diao Chan is mostly that of a seductive woman and a femme fatale, and even fabricated the story of Guan Yu beheading Diao Chan under the moon.

This is an insult to both Guan Yu and Diao Chan.

Diao Chan was a heroine who fought against traitors for her country in a chaotic world, not a seductive enchantress. She had no interest in having a romantic relationship with Lü Bu. That's all nonsense!

Murong Bo had only heard snippets of information and did not understand the specific process. He had a serious misunderstanding of the beauty trap, believing that the core was Wang Yun and that Diao Chan's wishes were unimportant.

Murong Fu despised Han culture from a young age and studied classics and historical texts under his mother's strict upbringing. He had no interest in researching the "beauty trap" and was completely unaware of it.

If Diao Chan hadn't been willing, she would have betrayed Wang Yun without hesitation when she was sent to Dong Zhuo and Lü Bu's side.

Only when Wang Yuyan willingly infiltrated Li Zhaoting's side, whispering in his ear to persuade him to assist Murong Fu, could the honey trap be truly successful.

If you want to rebel, read more books first!
Otherwise, the more you rack your brains, the more you'll end up hurting your son. Even the most cunning villains can't outdo Murong Bo's quick thinking.
Li Qingluo forced a smile and escorted Li Zhaoting to his guest room. Murong Fu, having lost all face, wanted to leave Mantuo Manor, but Deng Baichuan stopped him. Since he had nothing left anyway, he might as well go and try his luck.

What if I could get to know Li Zhaoting?

At the very least, you should become a familiar face to others.

Normally at this time, Bao Butong would cheer Murong Fu on, but he didn't today because he felt that Murong Fu's actions were wrong.

The four retainers each had a distinct personality.

Gongye Qian and Deng Baichuan were better at compromising.

Bao Butong and Feng Bo'e are both stubborn and inflexible.

In the original storyline, during the marriage selection in Xixia, Gongye Qian and Deng Baichuan, knowing that Wang Yuyan was heartbroken, still earnestly persuaded her to help convince Duan Yu to withdraw, saying that in the future, when Murong Fu becomes emperor, the Xixia princess will become empress, and Miss Wang will become the Empress of the Western Palace, with Murong Fu's exclusive favor towards her!

Deng Baichuan could say such things, but Bao Butong would never say them. Bao Butong's personality was very unsuitable for rebellion; neither his strengths nor his weaknesses suited it.

……

"Is Mr. Li somewhat disappointed?"

Lan Fenghuang nestled in Li Zhaoting's arms, teasing him with her hair, her eyes full of laughter, and a bracelet on her delicate wrist jingling melodiously.

"Phoenix, if your father and I were to discuss exchanging you for five hundred carts of salt, five hundred carts of silk, and five thousand cattle, sheep, and horses, would you willingly marry me?"

“I’m willing to have Mr. Li come to propose marriage normally, or forcibly abduct me from the Five Immortals Sect. But if there’s a trade involved, it just feels a bit strange.”

"Wang Yuyan thought so too."

"That's not right! I heard my sister say that Han people believe in marriage by the arrangement of parents and matchmakers. Wang Yuyan's mother wrote the marriage contract without asking for any benefits, but instead gave a generous dowry, which is different from what Li Lang said!"

"That's the rule of scholarly families. The Wang family used to be a scholarly family, but not anymore. Wang Yuyan is a disciple of the Demonic Sect. Do you think she's a person who follows the rules? Even if we take a step back, Li Qingluo is qualified to write the marriage certificate, but Murong Fu is not. That guy has ill intentions!"

"What ill intentions?"

"The Murong family of Gusu is plotting a rebellion! The strongholds I captured in Jiangling and Jinan belong to the Murong family."

"These guys are awful!"

Blue Phoenix clenched her fists in resentment.

No matter where you are, rebellion is a crime punishable by death. How can you expect Li Zhaoting to participate in a rebellion with just a few water fortresses? Isn't that just sending him to his death?

"Li Lang, what are Li Qingluo's thoughts?"

“Li Qingluo looked down on Murong Fu and didn’t want Wang Yuyan to get involved. She had long wanted Wang Yuyan to break up with Murong Fu. Murong Fu took the initiative to bring it up, so she was overjoyed and could not possibly refuse. Wang Yuyan knew Li Qingluo’s thoughts and had no resentment about it.”

Did Wang Yuyan like Li Lang?

"do not know!"

"Li Lang failed to win the beauty!"

"I think there's still a chance." "Could it be Abi? That's way too much..."

"When pushed to the limit, they'll do anything!"

"Really? I came across a math problem while reading a book the other day. Could you please solve it, Mr. Li?"

Lan Fenghuang grinned mischievously and took out an envelope.

This is the homework that Feng Suzhen assigned to her.

We don't require Lan Fenghuang to solve the problems; we just want her to be exposed to more knowledge so she doesn't become illiterate!

Li Zhaoting: I actually know how to solve this problem!

……

"Young Master Murong is very disappointed!"

Kumārajīva secretly sneaked into Murong Fu's room.

Murong Fu sneered, "Kumārajīva, don't pretend in front of me. My father already told me what you're plotting. Just say what you have to say!"

Kumārajīva chuckled: "This humble monk is here to solve Young Master Murong's troubles. After his debut, Young Master Murong was first defeated by Li Zhaoting, then by Gu Jianhun, and today he was defeated by his own cousin. He has been defeated again and again, and his martial spirit has been almost completely worn away. I'm afraid he will have little success in this life."

"What does this have to do with you?"

“Li Zhaoting’s martial arts skills are unfathomable, beyond my comprehension. But I can clearly see the mental cultivation method that Miss Wang is practicing, and I can pass it on to Young Master Murong.”

"really?"

“This humble monk has made more than a dozen transactions with Benefactor Murong Bo, and has never lied.”

"what do you want?"

"The stars have changed!"

"Impossible. Shifting Stars is the Murong family's secret technique, the glory of the Murong family. I can give you any martial art, but not Shifting Stars."

"Since that's the case, the deal is void. It's a pity that Young Master Murong is surrounded by a treasure trove but doesn't realize it. If he had cultivated this unique skill earlier, how could he have ended up with a jack-of-all-trades and master of none!"

"You...what do you mean?"

"Young Master Murong, have you ever heard of the Xiaoyao Sect's ultimate skill, the Lesser Formless Skill? This technique can simulate all martial arts in the world. As long as you master the Lesser Formless Skill, you can use any martial art in the world at will, and it may even be more powerful than the original."

Kumārajīva picked up a Buddhist rosary and crushed it into powder with the Shaolin finger technique. Then, he displayed more than a dozen unique skills in front of Murong Fu, including Shaolin boxing, Wudang palm techniques, and Emei sword techniques. He used Buddhist, Taoist, monk, and lay techniques, as well as fist and palm techniques, and both hard and soft techniques. His moves were seamless and smooth, just like his own family's unique skills.

Murong Fu's eyes lit up.

Murong Fu's biggest flaw was that he was obsessed with fancy martial arts in his youth and neglected his internal energy cultivation, resulting in a jack-of-all-trades and master of none. He has only recently begun to make up for this.

If one obtains the Lesser Formless Skill, one can not only regain these wondrous martial arts techniques, but may even surpass them.

The problem is... the problem is...

“I’ll trade you the Canhe Finger technique! I also have a scroll of the Shaolin Supreme Internal Energy Manual here, which my father found deep within the Sutra Repository. I’ll give you this manual.”

"Young Master Murong underestimates this humble monk. This humble monk does not like to bargain. Although Shaolin's divine skills are excellent, this humble monk has limited energy and cannot master so many unique skills. Unless you exchange them for the 'Star Shift' technique, everything is off the table."

You must not tell anyone!

"This humble monk has no disciples, no successors!"

"You cannot display it publicly!"

"This humble monk considers the 'Shifting Stars' technique his trump card!"

"You must hand over the Lesser Formless Skill immediately."

"Let's both memorize the mnemonic together."

"Sold! Sold! Sold!"

Murong Fu glared at Kumārajīva with gritted teeth, as if he had lost all his strength. After a long while, Murong Fu struggled to get up and wrote down the incantation for the Shifting Stars.

Kumārajīva smiled.

Kumārajīva had read almost all of the 72 Shaolin Arts manuals, and he was quite familiar with the five great Shaolin skills, even mastering the Miscellaneous Āgama Skill.

Unless Murong Fu brings out the two ultimate skills, Yi Jin Jing and Xi Sui Jing, Kumārajīva will not be tempted.

What is the ultimate internal skill of Shaolin?
Kumārajīva had never heard of him!
Kumārajīva could not possibly have heard of this, because only two people had mastered this unique skill.

One is a highly accomplished monk who created the mental cultivation method.

One is a silly boy who is the reincarnation of Buddha.

Arhat Subduing Demon Divine Skill!

The most difficult martial art to master in Shaolin.

This isn't something for normal people to practice.

Even with Li Zhaoting's unparalleled talent, he felt completely bewildered when he saw the divine skill manual.

The eminent monk who created the mental cultivation method worried that future generations would go astray if they practiced it too diligently, so he deliberately covered the puppet with clay sculptures depicting the Shaolin introductory mental cultivation method, so that people would be guided onto the right path.

When Murong Bo was searching for secret manuals in the library, he read a few words and stole a few pages.

Murong Bo couldn't understand it.

Murong Fu also couldn't understand it.

No matter how profound the secret manual is, if you can't master it yourself, it has zero value to you.

Murong Fu did not hesitate to trade it.

Kumārajīva was not fooled.

He wanted nothing but the shifting of stars and the changing of the seasons.

Murong Fu is not Murong Bo.

Trying to outsmart Kumārajīva? You're too naive!
……

night!
Li Zhaoting and Li Shengnan sat on the treetop.

It's unclear when it started, but the treetops became Li Shengnan's respawn point. Every time Li Shengnan was seen, she would be sitting on a treetop, back to the moonlight, holding a gourd.

"Are you very proud?"

"What do I have to be proud of?"

"Someone will fight to the death for you."

"I prefer to beat others to death."

"Why did you come to me?"

"Of course, we should ask Sheng Nan to fulfill the bet."

The two made a bet: if Murong Fu used Wang Yuyan to woo Li Zhaoting, Li Zhaoting would win and Li Shengnan would have to dance in the shoes Li Zhaoting gave her; if Li Zhaoting lost, he would have to dance "Ambush from Ten Sides" in women's clothing.

As it turns out, Li Zhaoting won.

Li Zhaoting ordered shoes from the Xue family, who specialize in needlework.

It should be ready by tomorrow morning.

Red soles and black high heels.

Black stockings are included.

It's perfect for a domineering, mature woman.

(End of this chapter)