Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 294 Wow! This has truly broadened my horizons!

Li Xunhuan and Tang Bohu had been waiting for a long time.

They had long since left the Han Hai Kingdom, and led a hundred-strong delegation and guards into the capital of Kucha. Ninety percent of the rebel army went to besiege and kill the King of Kucha, leaving the city's defenses extremely weak.

Tang Bohu charged twice with his gun, and Li Xunhuan shot and killed two guards. The minister of Kucha opened the gate and surrendered.

Looking at the capital city, which was guarded by the mission's guards and seemed no different from usual, the King of Kucha felt dizzy and as if his power had vanished with the wind.

fine! fine!
The mission is here to reap benefits!

The mission will not occupy the Kingdom of Kucha forever!
The King of Kucha exclaimed how lucky he was.

To celebrate the king's restoration, the King of Kucha held a grand banquet. During the banquet, he presented the Star of Bliss to Li Xunhuan as a token of his gratitude to the envoy.

The Kingdom of Kucha did indeed possess an ancestral treasure trove, but its access was not through the Star of Bliss. The Star of Bliss was a trick used to deceive Shi Guanyin, who was unaware of its true purpose and was thus manipulated by the King of Kucha for several years, ultimately losing both her wealth and her life.

That being said, it has great symbolic significance.

After so much publicity, even if the Star of Bliss isn't the key to the treasure vault, it's definitely a national treasure of Kucha.

The gift given to Di Qing as a token of gratitude was a set of armor.

During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the Kingdom of Kucha prospered thanks to the Silk Road. In that era, there was a king who loved military equipment and armor. He thought to himself that there was no best armor but the sharpest sword in the world. He spent a lot of money to recruit skilled craftsmen and spent ten years creating a perfect set of armor.

The armor was indeed perfect, possessing unparalleled defensive capabilities. It could not only withstand sword cuts and thrusts, but also reduce the impact of heavy weapons by 50% to 60%.

for example.

An ordinary person shot by Miss Wang would be blown to pieces along with their horse, with no chance of survival.

Wearing this armor, you can withstand three shots.

Over the next few centuries, Kucha was divided and unified. Some kings liked the armor, while others did not. Those who liked the armor had craftsmen modify and reinforce it, while those who disliked it simply ignored it and left it untouched. Passed down to the present day, it is undoubtedly the most advanced armor in the world, a hundred times better than the gold silk armor.

This suit of armor is perfect inside and out.

This is both an advantage and its biggest disadvantage.

As we all know, the perfection of a weapon includes not only performance advantages but also aesthetics. Powerful weapons are mostly beautiful, unless the photographer is an oddball!
Armor has requirements for the human body.

Such perfect armor was meant for a strong general with a normal physique, not for a fat, bloated king. The King of Kucha couldn't possibly wear it; he was too obese.

Di Qing was relatively thin, so he needed to wear an inner armor or increase his body fat.

It's not about building muscle, it's about gaining fat.

The fierce generals who charge into battle are mostly burly with potbellies, while those with slender builds are strategists or those skilled in planning and strategizing. Insufficient body fat percentage indicates that their physical endurance is not strong enough to withstand long-term combat.

The "General's" eight-pack abs? That's bullshit!

The real powerhouse is a "big lump" of abs!
Fat encases muscles, which enhances defense and increases endurance, somewhat similar to that of a camel.

In the world of gangsters, one can keep a pretty boy.

There's really no need for military campaigns.

Di Qing privately complained that he was very dissatisfied with his pretty boy, feeling that he wasn't impressive enough.

Li Zhaoting rolled his eyes, thinking of the long-standing myth that the Jade Emperor sent the God of Literature and the God of War to the mortal world to uphold justice and protect the Way.

Two immortals met before descending to the mortal realm and competed in skill, even removing their heads to perform the flying head trick outside the South Heavenly Gate. Just then, Venus warned them to hurry down to the mortal realm and not delay the appointed time. The two immortals hastily descended and accidentally swapped heads!
Bao Zheng, the reincarnation of the God of Literature, has a head as black as charcoal. He is most famous for his criminal judgments. His black face signifies his impartiality and incorruptibility.

Di Qing, the reincarnation of the God of War, had a fair complexion as white as jade. The most famous folk legend is that Di Qing led an expedition to Kunlun on a snowy night. Because of his handsome appearance, he was chosen by twelve kings and became the son-in-law of twelve kingdoms.

No wonder he is the reincarnation of the God of War.

Kidneys are not to be compared to ordinary people!

Tang Bohu had eight cousins, which frightened him so much that he dared not go home. Li Zhaoting could easily obtain two paintings by simply pulling out two prescriptions, which shows that the husband's authority was not strong.

Di Qing recruited princes from twelve kingdoms, and his household consisted of twelve passionate and fiery princesses from the Western Regions. If you include various historical novels and legends, his harem rivaled that of a protagonist who defies fate.

Being handsome is a very obvious advantage.

Li Xunhuan wholeheartedly agreed with this.

If he weren't so handsome and hadn't surpassed all the other candidates in terms of physical attributes, he would have had a chance to become the top scorer.

If he weren't so exceptionally handsome, he should have been writing books at the Hanlin Academy instead of running around everywhere.

Li Xunhuan's personality isn't really suited for strategic maneuvering, but he's handsome. Even if you know Li Xunhuan is deliberately scheming and there's a conspiracy involved, seeing his face makes everything understandable.

The mission's tasks are none of Li Zhaoting's concern.

After clearing the Kucha Kingdom instance, Li Zhaoting took Feng Suzhen and Meizhu to the Sword Forging City. Before leaving, they searched through the Kucha Treasury and found more than a dozen pieces of rare iron.

Make weapons for everyone.

To avoid any criticism that Li Zhaoting is biased.

……

Sword Forging City is the oldest power in the Western Regions, with a history dating back to the Tang Dynasty. Its founder was a member of the Li Tang imperial family, and the tradition has continued to this day, making it the leader in sword forging.

Sword Forging City mainly operates five types of businesses.

First, they sell standard-issue weapons, forged by third-class swordsmiths in the Sword Forging City. These weapons are of excellent quality and are priced higher than ordinary swords, generating huge profits every year.

Second, maintain your weapons. Even the most powerful weapons are not indestructible. If they are used in direct combat with the enemy for a long time, internal damage will occur, and they will need maintenance and repair.

Third, custom-made weapons are tailored to the martial artist's height, weight, and martial arts style. The weapons are forged by first-class swordsmiths, and the prices are exorbitantly high.

Fourth, selling ores. Sword forging requires rare iron. If a swordsman does not have rare iron, he can spend money to buy materials from the sword forging city, provided that he has enough money.

Fifth, the last type of business was obviously providing food and lodging for swordsmen who came seeking swords. Inside the Sword Forging City, there were brothels and casinos, and extremely luxurious dens of iniquity.

Sword Forging City is built against the mountain, with a volcano constantly emitting black mist behind it. Inside, there are lava pools and a lake, which are the best sources of underground fire and cooling water. Even before getting close to the city, one can feel the metallic aura.

Li Zhaoting arrived on horseback.

Handsome swordsmen are quite common.

There is only one handsome swordsman riding an ugly horse.

After two or three days of fermentation, the news of Li Zhaoting slaying the stone Guanyin had spread throughout the Western Regions. When the guards at the gate saw the old wine, they immediately knew that Li Zhaoting had arrived.

After walking a dozen steps from the city gate, Jianxiong, the young city lord of Sword Forging City, arrived with the Four Dragon Sword Envoys.

"I have long admired Master Li's unparalleled swordsmanship. It is an honor to meet you today. May I ask if you are here to buy a sword or to commission a custom-made one?"

"Tailor-made".

"Sword Forging City can provide you with the materials."

"No need, I'll bring my own materials. I need to forge several weapons and maintain them. I've long admired the unique services of Sword Forging City."

"I will definitely not let Master Li down."

The aroma of wine is also afraid of deep alleys.

Although Sword Forging City is renowned as the most famous holy land for sword forgers in the martial arts world, it has suffered heavy losses in sword forgers since it took on the task of forging the "Frost Sword" more than fifty years ago. For many years, Sword Forging City has not forged a divine weapon that is famous throughout the martial arts world, causing much discussion.

Li Zhaoting is the most famous and qualified swordsman of the younger generation to challenge the Sword Master. With Li Zhaoting as the brand, Sword Forging City can regain its reputation.

Jianxiong was very concerned about this. Seven blacksmiths from Sword Forging City arrived at the same time.

First, a sword was custom-made.

Li Zhaoting's height, arm length, hand length, finger length, leg length, strength, and sword-wielding habits were measured, and even the length of his finger joints needed to be precisely measured.

Every part must be absolutely perfect, ensuring that, objectively speaking, there are virtually no defects.

As long as Li Zhaoting can maintain his physique, the sword forged by Sword Casting City will definitely be the perfect match.

"What are your requirements, Master Li?"

"I've stumbled upon a fragment of an ancient sword and wish to incorporate it into my work. As for the rare and precious iron I brought, feel free to use it as you see fit. Leave the professional tasks to the professionals; you are swordsmiths, and I trust your abilities!"

"Thank you for your trust, Master Li."

"I also want to order a Overlord Spear, based on the physique data of the War Lord, a curved blade, specifically for battlefield charges, twelve throwing knives, which must be made according to this design, and a spearhead."

Li Zhaoting handed over several blueprints.

The swordsmith looked at the blueprints and said there were no problems.

"Finally, it's time to maintain the weapons. My Purple Rose Soft Sword and my wife's Contest Sword need some maintenance."

"Take good care of it so that the sword remains as bright as new."

"Sorry to trouble you all."

"It's an honor for us."

This statement is by no means a polite formality.

A fine sword is given to a hero.

For a swordsmith, the greatest honor is to hand over the sword he has forged with his life's blood to the most famous swordsman in the martial world, to test his skills and reach the pinnacle of power.

Most swordsmiths are tech geeks.

Tech geeks thoroughly enjoy this sense of satisfaction.

……

After finishing his business, Jianxiong invited Li Zhaoting to a banquet at the city lord's mansion. Due to its unique geographical structure, Zhujian City enjoys a spring-like climate all year round, with hundreds of flowers blooming throughout the city.

The entire lineage of the city lord is surnamed "Jian".

The city lord's name is Sword Master, and his reputation...

There's a very despicable rumor!

It is said, and this is just hearsay, that the Sword Master's male function was not very good. He had a lot of wives and concubines, but only one child, Jian Xiong. Jian Xiong was gentle and refined, with delicate features, and did not resemble the Sword Master in the slightest. Rumor has it that the Sword Master was infertile, and Jian Xiong was a child he adopted from elsewhere to prevent the Sword family line from dying out.

The rumors were quite detailed and convincing.

The Sword Master wanted to refute, but his abilities were insufficient.

Unless the Sword Master can impregnate his wives and concubines, the rumors will never stop. However, Jian Xiong is definitely not an adopted child, because Jian Xiong is a girl.

Jianxiong's situation is exactly the same as Black Pearl's.

The family is large and prosperous, but there is only one child in the family.

To prevent outsiders from spying, the girl was raised as a boy from a young age. The difference is that Black Pearl's confidants know she is a girl, but only Jianxiong herself knows that she is a girl. Sword Master is completely unaware of this.

This was arranged by Jianxiong's mother. Coupled with the high-pressure education and intense training he received from a young age, Jianzun was preoccupied with the Ling Shuang Sword and paid little attention to Jianxiong. His growth process was very vague, and even Jianxiong felt something was amiss.

Unless he meets a man who can move Kensuke's heart.

Otherwise, Jianxiong would forever remain a "man".

As a large family with a history spanning hundreds of years, the city lord's mansion is quite luxurious, resplendent in gold and jade, resembling an imperial palace.

The Sword Master was dressed in magnificent robes and wore a crown that pointed upwards, exuding an air of imperial grandeur. In fact, in the Western Regions, many small kingdoms consisted of only one city. With the power accumulated by Sword Forging City, it was fully qualified to establish a kingdom.

For example, in Sifang City, which is also a city, the city lord Ouyang Feiying usually refers to himself as "朕" (Zhen, meaning "I" or "the Emperor") and treats Sifang City as the imperial court, even having three provinces and six ministries.

Sword Master isn't that arrogant.

It's not that he lacks ambition; the Sword Master is ambitious and determined to dominate the Western Regions. However, Sword Forging City is essentially a commercial city where all transactions take place. If it were to become a small country in the Western Regions, it would definitely affect his business.

Most importantly, the Sword Master must keep a low profile. Before the Frost Sword is completed, the Sword Master will never leave the Sword Forging City and will keep an eye on the Sword Forging Pool every day.

About fifty-eight years ago, the Demon Sword Clan hired the Sword Forging City to forge the Frost Sword, claiming that this sword was the strongest sword in history and possessed mysterious and extraordinary abilities.

With the Frost Sword drawn, he is invincible!
It takes sixty years to forge the Frost-Slaying Sword.

The previous city lord did not live to see the divine sword appear.

Sword Master has been fixated on the Frost Sword since childhood. The Frost Sword has become his inner demon. He is confident that with the invincible divine sword and his ancestral secret technique "Riding the Dragon Slash", he can sweep away all the major martial arts forces in the Western Regions and even be qualified to compete with Jade Rakshasa and become the uncrowned king of the Western Regions.

At that time, he can ascend the throne and become emperor.

This is the Sword Master's ambition!
A deep-seated, undisguised ambition.

The moment Li Zhaoting saw the Sword Master, he keenly sensed his ambition and marveled inwardly. The Sword Family's ancestors were from the Li Tang royal family, which seemed to make some sense.

The Sword Master's appearance is somewhat "atavistic".

He bears an 80-90% resemblance to Emperor Gaozu of Tang, Li Yuan. Just based on that face, who would believe he has no ambition?

Sword Master didn't put on airs, his face beaming with smiles as he led his men to greet him outside the City Lord's Mansion: "We have long heard of Hero Li's unparalleled divine power, and it is an honor for Sword Forging City to forge a precious sword for Hero Li today!"

"Junior Li Zhaoting greets senior. The sword-making skills of Sword Casting City are unparalleled in the world, and have shaken the past and present. What I have just seen and heard is truly the first of its kind in my life."

"Master Li, you flatter me. The world is full of powerful people and talented individuals. The Central Plains is a vast and resource-rich land, and it is bound to be full of talented people who can forge peerless divine weapons."

"Forging is difficult, but nurturing a sword is even more difficult. Most people, even with a divine sword in hand, cannot become the god of swords. The easiest way to find a sword that suits you is always the Sword Forging City. No one can replace it."

"I believe that in a few years, Master Li will be able to cultivate an invincible and unstoppable divine sword!"

"Lend your auspicious words!"

"Please take a seat, Master Li. In the next few days, another person will be visiting Sword Forging City. I'll introduce you to him!"

"Who is this hero?"

"The Lord of Mountain City, the Poisonous Hand Qian Luo."

"Qian Luo? He's here to propose marriage?"

"How did Master Li know?"

"Just guessing!"

Li Zhaoting smiled mysteriously.

"Poison Hand" Qian Luo, a master on the Black List, had a romantic relationship with Shan Yuru, the leader of the Heavenly Fate Cult, when he was young. He learned some of the Heavenly Fate Cult's skills and is good at raising adopted daughters.

These adopted daughters were extremely loyal to Qianluo and were willing to give everything to help him "usurp the throne".

(End of this chapter)