Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 394 Lu Xiaofeng is poisoned again!

It's raining on a spring night.

The spring rain in Jiangnan is as dense as the sorrow of parting.

Spring is still early, but the night is already deep.

The traveler, far from home, silently cherishes the endless, ever-flowing rain in his lingering dreams.

At this time, most people are already dreaming of red roses and white moonlight, while in a muddy, narrow alley, a dim light still shines.

A lantern, its surface yellowed from smoke, hangs under a simple bamboo shed—this is a noodle stall.

A "noodle stall" is, of course, a place that sells noodles.

On a chilly, rainy spring night, a bowl of steaming hot shredded pork knife-cut noodles is something even a god wouldn't trade, especially for a "foodie".

Li Zhaoting is a glutton, and so is Lan Fenghuang.

Jiang Yuyan also has no resistance to delicious food.

Adhering to the principle of impartiality, Li Zhaoting hadn't taken Lan Fenghuang out for a long time. This time, when they were going out to sea to deal with pirates, he had to take Lan Fenghuang with him. Last time he took Mei Zhu, and this time he would take Jiang Yuyan.

On the one hand, it involves taking care of their daily needs.

Li Zhaoting and Lan Fenghuang are both lazy.

He was only slightly faster than Wang Dongqin.

On the one hand, they were keeping an eye on Li Zhaoting's actions.

Lan Fenghuang has sensitive skin, likes to play dumb, and is deeply in love with Li Zhaoting. Li Zhaoting can easily fool her with just a few words. If Li Zhaoting wants to have affairs, Lan Fenghuang is very likely to help him reconcile.

Comparatively speaking, Jiang Yuyan is more reliable.

At least, Jiang Yuyan would keep a record in the booklet.

Most people who go out to eat noodles at this time are not respectable people. The people waiting to eat noodles at the noodle stalls are either strangely shaped, or flashy, and some even look like gangsters, which makes people feel disgusted.

"Boss, give me six large bowls of noodles, make sure they're your biggest bowls, and give me the most noodles and the most toppings, plus three bowls of hot soup to warm me up."

Jiang Yuyan handed over a piece of silver.

The elegant proprietress was taken aback upon hearing this, carefully sized up Li Zhaoting and his companions, and smiled, "Sirs, would you like cabbage noodles? Shredded pork noodles? Or pig's trotter noodles?"

Jiang Yuyan said, "Knife-cut noodles, wide noodles! I want dried tofu, braised eggs, and beef too, I'm starving!"

Upon hearing this, the guests at the surrounding tables couldn't help but grip their swords tightly. Jiang Yuyan pretended not to notice and went to serve three bowls of noodle soup, sprinkling some soy sauce, sesame oil, chopped green onions, and other seasonings on them. She had come there specifically to eat noodles.

The noodle stall owner tried to chase the three away, but his wife hurriedly stopped her, picked up a piece of dough, and quickly started cooking knife-cut noodles. Soon, she brought over three bowls of hot soup noodles.

The remaining three bowls were placed on the cutting board.

Eat three bowls first, then start cooking when you're halfway through, to prevent the noodles from clumping together. The proprietress's cooking skills are far inferior to Lei Bin's, but they're considered pretty good in a small town.

Li Zhaoting didn't pick and choose. He picked up his chopsticks and slurped up the noodles. He quickly finished three large bowls of noodles. The proprietress brought him three more bowls and also gave him three servings of dried tofu as a gift.

A tall, thin man with one eye and one arm slammed his hand on the table, revealing a hideous face like a butcher's chopping board. He sneered, "Are you here to eat noodles or to cause trouble?"

Jiang Yuyan, her mouth full of noodles, muttered, "Are you out of your mind?! Why aren't you here eating noodles this late at night? Are you here to enjoy the rain?!"

"Do you know where this place is?"

"A noodle stall, selling noodles, the soup is very good!"

Just as the one-armed man was about to draw his sword, the proprietress appeared beside him without him noticing and said softly, "Don't make a move. You're a guest, so please give us some face and sit back down!"

The boss's wife's influence is very useful.

The one-armed man obediently sat back down.

After eating and drinking their fill, Li Zhaoting and his two companions rubbed their bellies contentedly and returned to the inn to rest. The one-armed man stood up again: "Innkeeper, this is of utmost importance, we can't let outsiders leave! I won't charge these three people!"

The proprietress sneered, "Go ahead! If you can withstand even one move from that handsome young man, you can brag about it for the rest of your life, and your net worth will at least triple!"

As I always say, anyone still running a noodle stall this late is either poor or dishonest.

The people here are all shady characters.

The boss and his wife are hitman brokers.

The one waiting to eat the noodles is the killer.

Negotiating prices relies on "ordering food".

"I want three big bowls of pig's trotter noodles, one with golden broth, one with silver broth, and one with pearl broth!"

This is the standard dialogue pattern.

The assassin didn't want the target to be identified.

Murder to silence witnesses is a common occurrence.

The one-armed man sneered: "Who is he?"

As she packed up her stall, the proprietress grumbled, "It's not enough that you're blind in one eye, you should be blind in both. What's the use of your eyes if you can't even recognize Li Zhaoting?"

"Li...Li Zhaoting! Impossible! How could Li Zhaoting come to a place like this? I don't believe it!"

"Of course we're here to eat noodles. According to Lu Xiaofeng and Tang Zhuquan, Li Zhaoting loves street food. My noodles are chewy and delicious, and Li Zhaoting likes them. Do you think everyone is an assassin?"

"Without assassins, what will you eat?"

"How can restaurant owners go hungry?"

"Boss lady, what do you mean?"

"Li Zhaoting is here. There's no need to continue this mission. No matter how many pirate kings there are, he'll wipe them all out. Do you want to compete with him for it?"

The owner and his wife pushed the cart away.

The assassins exchanged glances. They were top-tier assassins in the martial arts world, with a reputation comparable to Yidianhong. Their swords were fast and ruthless, especially the one-armed man.

Given his obvious physical limitations, he couldn't lie in wait, disguise himself, or launch a sneak attack. He had no choice but to kill by force. To have survived this long, his skills must be exceptional.

But what about it?

Even if Yidianhong, Sima Xue, and Liu Fenyu were eating noodles at a noodle stall, they would leave if they saw Li Zhaoting.

The hitman is paid to kill.

Infiltration and killing are the job of an assassin.

If you can't kill anyone, then lying in wait is a waste of effort.

Nobody likes working for free!

Li Zhaoting was essentially "working for free".

Most importantly, while assassins only kill one person at a time, Li Zhaoting can take on a large group of enemies at once.

Who can match Li Zhaoting's killing speed?

The assassins slunk away.

After enduring a cold wind and rain all night, I didn't even get a bowl of hot soup noodles. Fortunately, the owner didn't take back the pearls she gave me when I ordered, so it was a small reward.

The next morning.

The proprietress sets up a stall to sell noodles.

Li Zhaoting is eating breakfast on the street.

A little girl selling flowers walked over.

"Big brother, there's a weird uncle with four eyebrows who asked me to give you this letter. He said he'll buy me lots and lots of candy."

"How do you know it was me?"

"The weird uncle said that the person with the most handsome face and a pretty older sister by his side is the recipient of the letter."

"You have lots of candy, how do you want to eat it?"

"Hide it, eat it secretly, one a day, and I'll have candy every day! I love candy the most!"

"Alright, alright! Yu Yan, go buy her a bag of sesame brittle and a red ribbon."

Li Zhaoting patted the little girl's head: "Did you have breakfast today? I'll treat you to noodle soup."

"Thank you, brother. You're so handsome."

"Say more, I like to hear it!"

Li Zhaoting smiled as he opened the envelope.

The envelope contained a jumble of random scribbles, seemingly depicting a large tree with a large bird's nest on it. Inside the nest was a chicken with a kitchen knife hanging from its neck.

Li Zhaoting transmitted his voice secretly: "Aunt Hua, are there any brothels or taverns nearby with the words 'forest' or 'wood' in their names? These brothels should have many private rooms and be used as middlemen for assassins."

The proprietress's surname is Hua. She is the aunt of Hua Manlou and is nicknamed Aunt Hua. She is Mr. Du's trusted subordinate and one of the stewards of the Imperial City Guard, responsible for monitoring the assassin organization.

In the past few days, Aunt Hua and Mr. Du had a falling out over something. She had previously hired an assassin to kill someone Mr. Du wanted to marry.

Aunt Hua laughed and said, "It's right over there, the biggest den of iniquity in the area, 'Wulin Dream'. Master Li, you dare to go to such a den of iniquity with your wife?"

Li Zhaoting shrugged: "So, it's really a headache to trouble Aunt Hua to help hold off Phoenix."

"What's troubling you, Master Li?"

"I'm going to save another phoenix."

"What phoenix?"

"The Phoenix who has been taking the blame for me for so long!"

Li Zhaoting gestured for Lan Fenghuang to keep an eye on Aunt Hua.

Aunt Hua acted furtively.

Blue Phoenix kept a close watch on them cautiously.

……

"Wulin Dream" is the biggest money pit in the area and the most popular place for martial arts enthusiasts from all over the country. No matter which sect or school you belong to or what your background is, as long as you bring money to Wulin Dream, you can enjoy yourself to the fullest.

What if I don't have money?
Stay and work, fight, risk your lives!
It is said that a powerful figure is behind "Wulin Dream," but no one knows exactly who that figure is at the moment.

The courtesan of Wulin Dream is named "Chuchu".

The "楚楚" in "楚楚动人" means "charming and touching".

Now, at this time and in this place, Chu Chu lies in Lu Xiaofeng's arms, surrounded by six or seven beauties of varying shapes and sizes. The warm pavilion is filled with delicious food and wine; even the cheapest dish costs at least five taels of silver. Prices in such places are often quite high.

With so many courtesans and so much fine wine and food, even if Lu Xiaofeng were turned into a plucked chicken, he still couldn't afford to pay so much money, but he still looked very carefree.

Lu Xiaofeng enthusiastically performed his drinking skills for the courtesans. He placed a full cup of wine on his chest, and with a gentle sip, the cup would fly to his lips without spilling a drop.

After you finish drinking, give it a gentle blow and the glass will return to its original position, ready for the beauty to pour you another glass.

Normal people would have been corrupted by wine and women and become spineless worms and weak shrimps long ago if they entered such a den of iniquity. But Lu Xiaofeng is indeed Lu Xiaofeng. His eyes are still very bright, and his body can burst into maximum speed at any time. The speed of his leap is no less than that of an eighty-year-old grandmother.

That's right, this guy has been poisoned again.

Poison resistance is a negative buff that accompanies you for life!
When Li Zhaoting found Lu Xiaofeng's private room based on that masterpiece of abstraction comparable to Picasso, he really wanted to punch Lu Xiaofeng flat.

"What's with your expression? Do you expect me to be locked up in jail, whipped, tortured until I'm covered in blood, and then boiled in oil?"

Lu Xiaofeng looked at Li Zhaoting with dissatisfaction: "I am absolutely the best friend in the world. Look, here is a wine that has been aged for thirty years, delicious dishes carefully prepared by the chef of Shishenju Restaurant, and eight beautiful courtesans. And I actually want to share it with you!"

Li Zhaoting laughed and said, "I can't afford it! My family is so poor we can't even afford to eat, let alone support these beauties!"

Chu Chu chuckled and said, "Young master, Chu Chu is very easy to take care of. She only needs to eat one meal a day."

Li Zhaoting said, “No, no! What if we only eat one meal a day and get thin? We’ll feel like we’re touching ribs, we’ll only have the appetite, but we won’t be able to get hard!”

"Chuchu can support herself."

"No, that's not appropriate. I'm a bit petty and don't like my beautiful wives and concubines showing their faces in public. You can ask this little rooster; all my wives and concubines are at home!"

"Young master, you are so handsome, we would be willing to pay you to stay here. Young master, my name is Sisi. Please drink this cup of wine first, and then sit down and chat."

A girl with a sweet smile and two adorable dimples brought over a glass of fine wine.

Li Zhaoting took the wine glass and drank it all in one gulp.

"Can we take Lu Xiaofeng with us now?"

"Is the young master still able to move?"

"of course can!"

Li Zhaoting took a jar of thirty-year-old Dukang wine, which contained Huagongsan, Ruanjinsan, and Mihunxiang, blended together to make it colorless and odorless, but which actually enhanced the taste of the wine.

Amid the girls' astonished gazes, Li Zhaoting picked up the wine jar and drank it all in one gulp. He then casually put the jar down, picked up Lu Xiaofeng with one hand, and climbed out the window.

The eight beautiful female assassins looked at each other in bewilderment.

All seven people looked at Chu Chu at the same time.

Chu Chu sneered: "What are you looking at me for? The helper that Lu Xiaofeng found under these circumstances is a handsome and dashing young man. Who could he be?"

Li Zhaoting, born in the year of Jiazi, is the leader of the Heavenly Gang.

If you want to die, don't drag me down with you. Even if my martial arts skills improved a hundredfold, I still wouldn't dare to draw my sword!

I say this to everyone who comes!

"Is he really Li Zhaoting?"

Sisi secretly kept the wine glass.

Chu Chu sneered, "You little hussy, who do you think you are? You think you can win Li Zhaoting's favor? It's your good fortune that he didn't kill you with one blow."

Sisi blushed and said, "So what? He drank the wine I offered him, but he didn't drink any of yours!"

……

Li Zhaoting pressed on Lu Xiaofeng's back a few times, using his One-Finger Divine Skill to help him circulate his internal energy and expel the toxins: "What happened? Did you fall for a honey trap, or were you hit on the head with a club?"

Lu Xiaofeng smiled wryly: "Don't mention it! It's really unlucky to talk about this! A few days ago, I went out to sea and accidentally encountered a tsunami. The boat capsized and I got seasick."

"and then?"

"And then my martial arts dream was rekindled!"

"Finish what you've omitted."

"What if I don't tell you?"

"I risked my life, drinking a jar of poisoned wine laced with dissolving powder, muscle-softening powder, and mind-numbing incense, to rescue you from wolves and tigers. If I hadn't been careful, those little she-wolves could have easily turned you into a dead chicken with a single claw or knife. I'm simply amazing! How dare you refuse someone as remarkable as me!"

"Tsk tsk~ According to you, I myself am also very remarkable! Without me, who would you save?"

"Let's get down to business. Is your surname Jia or Shi?"

"His surname is Shi."

"Is King Shi's martial arts very strong?"

"Are you out of your mind? My ship capsized before it even reached King Shi's island. I've never seen King Shi before, whether he's male or female, old or young, beautiful or ugly. I'm much more suited to land!"

"Was the martial arts dream started by King Shi?"

“It could also be Jia Leshan, or they could be in cahoots. I need more clues.”

"Those girls didn't leak the information? Your health isn't good! Eat more goji berries to nourish yourself!"

"I'll beat you to a pulp!"

Lu Xiaofeng retorted irritably, "I have a sharp knife on my left, an Emei dagger on my right, and two pairs of claws pointing at my lower back, back, abdomen, and chest. How can I be thinking about these things? Do you think I'm some kind of unparalleled lecher?"

Remove "you think"!

"Li Zhaoting, I'll fight you to the death!"

Lu Xiaofeng did not fight Li Zhaoting to the death.

As the saying goes, you should get up wherever you fall. Lu Xiaofeng decided to pursue his martial arts dream again.

He died inside because he couldn't find any intelligence!

How to die?
Of course it's... living a life of debauchery!
Li Zhaoting: Lu Sandan, you should just die!

……

When Li Zhaoting returned to the noodle stall, Lan Fenghuang was still staring at Aunt Hua. Li Zhaoting handed Lan Fenghuang a bag of melon seeds: "Tired? Have some snacks! We'll go out for a walk this afternoon and I'll take you to get something good to eat."

"Li Lang, you're so kind!"

Lan Fenghuang softly collapsed onto Li Zhaoting's chest.

It's highly likely that we won't need to eat snacks anymore.

Let's go back to the inn first!
Li Zhaoting led Lan Fenghuang away from the noodle stall. Lan Fenghuang gave Aunt Hua a wink, and the wicked plan succeeded. As the leader of the Five Poisons Sect, how could Lan Fenghuang be a fool?
Acting silly and cute in front of Li Zhaoting is because you don't need to be smart when you're with Li Zhaoting. This is called maintaining your unique characteristics, which can bring you many advantages.

Especially when vying for benefits.

—What did you say? I don't understand!

—I am a barbarian!

Half an hour later, Li Zhaoting casually walked out with a lollipop in his mouth. Lan Fenghuang lay limp on the bed, feeling utterly powerless, while Jiang Yuyan complained beside her.

The second wife is always like this.

Weakest in combat power, but loves to initiate team fights!
Whoever follows the second wife gets to eat meat and drink soup.

……

"Master Li, this is the information on the Pirate King. There are three groups of local pirates: one is Jia Leshan, another is Shi Tianwang, and the last group is the Japanese pirates, who are the top experts of the Fujita and Yagyu families of Japan."

Aunt Hua handed over three documents.

Which pirate group is the most difficult to deal with?

"King Shi Tian."

What are your thoughts, Mr. Du?

"A marriage alliance to win over Shi Tianwang."

"Bullshit! What right does a mere pirate captain have to be so arrogant? Given Mr. Du's personality, he would never respect pirates. Let's just kill them! These people commit rape and plunder; killing them all will ensure no one is wronged."

"Of course we want to wipe out the pirates, but we didn't have a master to lead the way before. Now that Master Li has arrived, we can wipe out these three pirate groups in no time."

"Don't be careless. Naval warfare is not like land warfare. I don't have the energy to kill them one by one. I can only kill a few pirate kings to prevent the pirates from becoming a threat."

"When will Master Li make his move?"

"Wait for intelligence."

"Whose intelligence?"

"Lu Xiaofeng."

At this point, Li Zhaoting chuckled.

Lu Xiaofeng is good in every way, except for one thing: he has zero resistance to seasickness and is prone to disasters at sea.

On land, it is the phoenix.

Once you get into the water, you'll be soaked to the bone.

Aunt Hua asked, "Master Li, would you like to meet Mr. Du? She knows a lot of information."

"I only want to see one person."

"Who?"

"You just said that Mr. Du wants a marriage alliance. Who is the woman for this alliance? If I take her away, will King Shi commit suicide with me and lead his troops to invade the mainland?"

“I can arrange for you to see her.”

"Thank you!"

"Does Master Li dislike Mr. Du?"

"Ask me a question."

"what is the problem?"

"An eye for an eye, when will this end!"

　Aunt Hua and Mr. Du are characters from "The Legend of Chu Liuxiang: The New Moon," and they are both very interesting characters.

　　Chu Chu, from the novel *Lu Xiaofeng's Silver Hook Gambling House*.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)