Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 429 Li Zhaoting: Fellow Daoist, may I borrow your head for a moment!
"This matter is confidential and cannot be disclosed to outsiders."

But I hit it off with you, and high office and great wealth are within my grasp. If I were to hide this from you and let you miss this great opportunity to make a name for yourself, wouldn't that be a betrayal of my promise?
These words, though spoken by me and heard by you, will not be acknowledged once you leave this door.

I just want to tell you, fellow Daoist, that this is the best opportunity to make a name for yourself. The phrase "a thousand pieces of gold can buy bones" may sound demeaning, but what use is empty fame? How much is reputation worth? What matters is what you actually get!
Lord Cao said in private that His Majesty promised to establish eight major sects. Brother Dao's martial arts are superb, but he has not had the opportunity to make a name for himself. This is a great opportunity.

If the imperial court grants him a promise, Brother Dao can rebuild the Diancang School in the capital and become the orthodox Diancang lineage.

My younger brother has some connections in the imperial court; he can invite a few princes and princesses to learn martial arts under your tutelage.

At that time, you will enjoy endless wealth and glory!
The opportunity is right in front of you, brother, do not hesitate.

We must seize this opportunity!

Nangong Ling spoke eloquently and patiently, guiding the audience step by step.

Li Zhaoting frowned: "Brother Nangong, it's not that I'm afraid of death, but Lord Cao mentioned Li Zhaoting last night. Who can stop Li Zhaoting's sword?"

Nangong Ling smiled and said, "Brother Dao, don't worry. Lord Cao will be in charge of dealing with Li Zhaoting. You only need to deal with the retainers under Wanyan Honglie, such as experts like Peng Lianhu and Sha Tongtian. Just capture one or two of them."

"I consider Brother Nangong a good friend, but Brother Nangong treats me as cannon fodder. Isn't that inappropriate?"

"Why do you say that, fellow Daoist?"

"Li Zhaoting, the leader of the Heavenly Gang and the Grand Duke of Jiazi, is the most skilled and fond of killing since the establishment of the Heavenly Gang Ranking. He is good at both one-on-one combat and large-scale group killing. If Li Zhaoting goes all out, he can kill hundreds of people with just the power of his true essence back shock!"

"This... fellow Daoist..."

"Please answer a question for me. If you can provide an answer, I will be at Lord Cao's beck and call. Li Zhaoting unleashed the 'Ten Thousand Buddhas Paying Homage' attack on us. I wonder what guarantees Lord Cao's safety?"

"I offered my kind advice, but why must you do this, fellow Daoist..."

"No matter how good wealth and honor are, they are not as important as life and property. Besides, the high-ranking positions and generous salaries you promised are all delivered afterward. The problem now is, with Li Zhaoting taking action, who can survive until 'afterward'?"
In other words, you talk a lot but actually only give away empty promises, spouting nonsense and grandiose ideas that can't be redeemed later.

I don't know how to make money, but have I wasted more than 20 years of experience in the martial world?

If you want to recruit others, you need to show sincerity.

Lord Cao doesn't have much free time.

I can leave, but Lord Cao cannot.

Li Zhaoting could spare Yiyangzi, but he would never spare Cao Xiong, and the same goes for the remnants of the Wanyan clan.

If I'm not mistaken, Brother Nangong, you took a kickback from the benefits Lord Cao gave me, didn't you?
Hand it over obediently, or I'll get angry.

Otherwise, you can't afford it.

Do you know what martial arts I'm best at?
"The Divine Arrow of Diancang, the arrow of a bow and arrow!"

Li Zhaoting's words were filled with deep malice.

Nangong Ling felt a chill run down her spine, and the hairs on her body stood on end. In a daze, the person in front of her was not the poor, unkempt, middle-aged Taoist priest, but a tiger that would devour anyone it wanted to kill, with sharp teeth, grinding its teeth and sucking blood, its tiger eyes wide open, majestic and murderous.

Some say the dragon's eyes are the most powerful, while others say the golden eagle's eyes are the sharpest. In reality, the dragon is a legendary creature, and the golden eagle prefers to swoop down from a high place. If it is too far away from humans, its deterrent effect will be reduced.

The eyes that truly send chills down your spine and make you tremble are mostly those of felines.

The golden eagle soars into the sky. Apart from archers like Guo Jing and Hua Rong, who else can see the eagle's eyes?
The tiger lurked in the jungle, its eyes flashing a dark, eerie green light, more terrifying than will-o'-the-wisps.

Based on this, some people created unique skills.

Using the thunderous roar of a tiger and leopard to mobilize the blood and qi throughout the body, and using tiger claws to mimic the posture of a tiger pouncing, one can fill the eyes with blood and make the pupils blood-filled, staring intently at the prey.

A single glance can send a pack of wolves fleeing.

Li Zhaoting used this secret technique.

With overwhelming prestige, they subdued the enemy without a fight.

How could Nangong Ling withstand it?
"Brother Dao, your eyes are truly discerning! I admire you greatly. I was momentarily greedy, and I apologize to you for that!"

Nangong Ling knelt on the ground and kowtowed three times to Li Zhaoting, then took out a stack of silver notes.

The 50,000 taels was a bribe from Cao Xiong.

Twenty-five thousand taels was Nangong Ling's savings.

Today, all of these belong to "Yiyangzi".

Nangong Ling paid 25,000 taels of silver, but not only did she not gain any benefit, she also incurred Cao Xiong's favor and offended Yi Yangzi, so she was bound to be retaliated against.

Thinking of this, Nangong Ling's eyes flashed with a cold light.

"Yiyangzi" must not be allowed to live!

He must die by Li Zhaoting's sword!
Li Zhaoting killed countless people without restraint, so it was perfectly reasonable for him to kill Yiyangzi with his sword.

Nangong Ling left the private room with a pale and purplish face.

As a page and secretary, Nangong Ling's work was very demanding, and he still had several targets to recruit. Just as he passed a wall, he suddenly felt dizzy.

When I woke up, I was hanging from a tree.

upside down!

My forehead is flushed and I feel extremely uncomfortable.

Before me stood a figure exuding a chilling aura of menace.

Just by looking at his back, you can feel the chilling murderous intent.

Li Zhaoting!
This person must be Li Zhaoting.

Nangong Ling felt waves of despair.

"I have a few questions for you."

"Master Li, what's the problem?"

"Good eye! Such good eye means you're a smart person. Smart people don't try to be clever."

"A petty person speaks without reservation, leaving nothing unsaid!"

What are Cao Xiong's trump cards against me?

"Both old monks were disabled and had strange, grotesque appearances, looking like ghosts!"

"anything else?"

“Cao Xiong…Cao Xiong…he…”

"My patience is very limited!"

"Cao Xiong has some connection with the Kunlun Ming Cult. Yang Xiao, the Left Guardian of the Ming Cult, is Cao Xiong's brother!"

"How do you know this?"

"I discovered it by accident."

"How many Ming Cult experts have arrived?"

"Yang Xiao and Fan Yao are both here!"

"Fan Yao?"

Remembering Wei Xiaobao's entrustment, Li Zhaoting was asked to find the murderer of Han Qianye. Han Qianye's death was a mystery. According to the analysis of the previous life forum and Hu Qingniu's hesitant words, the real murderer was very likely Fan Yao, the Right Envoy of the Brightness Sect, who killed for love.

In the original storyline, Fan Yao, the Right Envoy of Light, is the most eccentric and bizarre character, with a strange and unpredictable personality.

Among the Ming Cult's Four Dharma Kings, Five Wanderers, and Five Elements Flags, Yang Xiao is nominally the most powerful person under the cult leader, but in reality, he can't command anyone and they all disobey him. The only person he can maintain a relationship with through personal connections is Fan Yao. If Cao Xiong asks Yang Xiao for help, and Yang Xiao asks Fan Yao for assistance, Fan Yao will most likely agree and then invite Mongol experts.

This is fucking a mess!
Are Cao Xiong and Yang Xiao, the Left Guardian of Light, twins?
Li Zhaoting touched the disguise mask on his face and wondered if Su Penghai would call him "Dad" with this face.

What are the nine prizes?

"The Return to Origin Manual!"

What about the other prizes?

"Only...only the Return to Origin Manual!"

"Bullshit! Are you kidding me?"

"I only know about the Guiyuan Manual. All the other prizes are a secret. Cao Xiong has a big plan, supposedly to scheme against the Imperial City Guard and Master Li. He originally intended to deal with Master Li, and he has been prepared for this for a long time!"

"You're his page, don't you know?"

Cao Xiong doesn't trust anyone!

"As a personal servant, you can't even gain your master's trust. What's the point of living? You might as well be dead! Go and complain to Shi Guanyin!"

"Li... what... did you say..."

"Am I wrong? I killed Tianfeng Shisilang and Shi Guanyin's son, Wuhua's younger brother! Didn't you know that? The hatred of killing your mother and brother is so great, do you think we can make peace?"

"I have been separated from my family since childhood and have no feelings for Shi Guanyin and Wuhua. Master Li, I can help you find information and uncover Cao Xiong's secret!"

"I'll ask you a question, and if you can give me the correct answer, I'll spare your life!"

"Please...please ask the question, esteemed hero..."

"I have a piece of candy and a dagger. Now it's your turn to choose. You have four options!"

Li Zhaoting held up four fingers.

Nangong Lingqi's face turned green!
"I choose candy!"

"He's cunning and scheming; he must not be allowed to live!"

"I choose the dagger!" "Those who harbor hatred must not be spared!"

"I'll choose them all!"

"Those who harbor greed must not be allowed to live!"

"I won't choose any of them!"

Those who harbor rebellious intentions must not be allowed to live!

"You...are you kidding me?"

"You guessed right, I was just messing with you!"

Li Zhaoting flicked his finger and unleashed a sword beam that pierced Nangong Ling's throat. A quarter of an hour later, the patrolling soldiers found Nangong Ling's lifeless body with its eyes wide open. There were obvious signs of torture and interrogation on the body, and the perpetrator must have been Li Zhaoting. Nangong Ling was likely to have leaked secrets!

This is a double blow for Cao Xiong.

On the one hand, it's unclear how many secrets Nangong Ling has leaked, and many plans must be changed.

On the other hand, Li Zhaoting sneaked into Jinzhou and brazenly captured Cao Xiong's personal secretary, torturing and interrogating him for most of the hour, while Cao Xiong remained completely unaware of it.

If he can't even guarantee the safety of his personal secretary, how can he guarantee the safety of others? If Li Zhaoting had captured Su Penghai, Ge Ying, or Cao Xiong himself, would they have been able to resist? Would they have survived?
The answer to this question is utterly disheartening.

Many small businesses, upon hearing the news, quietly packed their bags and fled; they had come here to make a living.

If there's a benefit, go for it; if there's no benefit, run away.

You won, and they cheered and waved flags.

You've lost; don't expect these people to help you.

From the time Nangong Ling was killed until evening, only two hours had passed, and more than twenty sects had fled. Even Su Penghai and Ge Ying had some intention to retreat.

The reason they didn't leave was that they were waiting for Cao Xiong to offer a price, so that they could get the benefits, verbally agree, and actually run away.

Having come all this way, if you can't just leave with your tail between your legs after having a meal, what kind of shame would you have?

This is the role of a martial arts prodigy.

When a martial arts prodigy leaves the mountain for training, it signifies that their birthplace is teeming with talent, possesses a vast ocean that nurtures dragons, and has ample talent, resources, and environment. When this chosen one leaps over the dragon gate, rides the wind to transform into a dragon, and roars across the heavens, every gesture will possess the power to overturn rivers and seas.

Li Zhaoting casually displayed his skills, using a simple move to intimidate the enemy, which brought the morale of the Guandong Martial Arts Conference to its lowest point, rendering all their hard work futile.

If they cannot deal with Li Zhaoting, the morale of the Manchu martial arts world will continue to decline, and the sects, which are already developing abnormally and have a bleak future, will gradually disappear.

Martial arts is a very straightforward thing.

If we can win, we can win!
If you can't beat them, you just can't beat them!
The skilled fighters that the Manchus could defeat Li Zhaoting were not ones that Cao Xiong could mobilize. Even if Cao Xiong mobilized a whole force, they would all be wiped out by Li Zhaoting.

Not to mention that Li Zhaoting was accompanied by not only beautiful wives and concubines, but also close friends and several grandmasters. Even if the Qing Dynasty used its trump card and invited Yinshan Tianzun, Li Zhaoting was confident that he could escape. To put it another way, Yinshan Tianzun's opponent could not be the young and arrogant Li Zhaoting, but Yu Luosha.

The issue of the Rakshasa brand remains unresolved.

Yu Luosha is hopelessly addicted to fishing.

They most likely haven't left the Qing Dynasty yet.

……

"boom!"

Cao Xiong overturned the desk.

"Investigate! Investigate everything! Get out here and investigate! If you can't find the Imperial City Guard or the remnants of the Wanyan clan, you might as well die outside to save me the trouble!"

"Why are you so angry, sir? I have good news. I have found a branch of the Red Flower Society. You might as well use this branch to test those opportunists. Those who are willing to kill are friends, while those who are just pretending are not. The situation is urgent now, and we must not let them get away with it!"

This man was named Zhang Zhaozhong, a disciple of Wudang. He was obsessed with fame and fortune. There were many masters in the Song Dynasty, and there was no room for him to show his talents. So he went north to join the Manchus.

Zhang Zhaozhong was adept at speculation and scheming, and within a few years he became the captain of the Imperial Guard's elite cavalry. This position had always been held by members of the Eight Banners, and only two Han Chinese had ever held this position, the other being Wei Xiaobao.

Zhang Zhaozhong, being a Han Chinese, was able to serve as a lieutenant in the Manchu Imperial Guard, which speaks volumes about his abilities. However, in reality, Zhang Zhaozhong's talents were rather mediocre.

His ability to lead troops into battle is far inferior to Wei Xiaobao's.

Zhang Zhaozhong's promotion was due to "luck." He was exceptionally lucky. From the moment he defected to the Manchu Qing dynasty, he was able to capture several rebels every so often.

Wanyan was treated terribly by him.

The Sticky Rod Office suspected that Zhang Zhaozhong was an undercover agent, a ruse by the Wanyan clan or the Imperial City Guard. After monitoring him for several years, they discovered that he was not an undercover agent at all. He had no special talents in leading troops or training martial arts, but he had exceptional luck in capturing undercover agents, which could be described as a natural talent.

Many problems that even Wu Sidao couldn't solve or figure out the answers to, Zhang Zhaozhong could find clues and easily capture a group of spies just by going out for a stroll.

Zhang Zhaozhong was an enemy of the Red Flower Society for several years. The Red Flower Society tried to capture him many times, but Zhang Zhaozhong escaped each time. Relying on his enormous merits, Zhang Zhaozhong rose through the ranks and was not only highly valued by Emperor Qianlong, but also became quite famous in the martial arts world.

Because he was proficient in "Fire Cloud Palm," which unleashed a devastating attack, he was known as the "Fire Hand Judge."

After hearing Zhang Zhaozhong's suggestion, Cao Xiong's anger subsided somewhat: "Zhang Zuoling, I'm leaving this matter to you!"

"Thank you for your trust, Lord Cao!"

In terms of official rank, Cao Xiong held a higher position, so there was no need for Zhang Zhaozhong to fawn over him. However, Cao Xiong was a member of the imperial family of the Plain Yellow Banner, so how could Zhang Zhaozhong dare to offend him?

……

"Dang! Dang! Dang!"

Inside a blacksmith shop on the outskirts of the city, a dozen blacksmiths were working enthusiastically when a group of soldiers walked in, led by none other than Zhang Zhaozhong.

The blacksmith was a muscular, burly man in his thirties, clearly a northerner. He was only wearing trousers, revealing his bronze muscles, and had a towel draped over his shoulder. His lips were dry and cracked.

Upon seeing someone arrive, the boss immediately went to greet them.

"Sir, are you here to buy a sword?"

"My owner has nightmares every night and suffers from severe insomnia. We need to find a medicinal ingredient!"

"If you're sick, you should see a doctor. This is a blacksmith shop; we don't treat illnesses. You should leave!"

"Seeing a doctor is useless. My master said that as long as he kills the demon in his dreams, he can sleep soundly. Please, gentlemen, do me a favor!"

"What's your master's name?"

"My master's name is Qianlong!"

Zhang Zhaozhong revealed a sinister smile and swung his palm at the blacksmith shop owner. The palm force was extremely yang and strong, which ignited the flames in the blacksmith's furnace. In just an instant, the raging fire swept through the blacksmith shop and turned into an overwhelming palm force!

The boss roared, his voice like thunder, as he unleashed a powerful palm strike, his arms crackling with lightning-infused energy.

The boss was none other than Wen Tailai, the fourth leader of the Red Flower Society, known for his tough-on-tough approach.

The flames and thunder collided with a deafening roar, the dazzling light blinding everyone. Before the flames could subside, a beautiful and valiant woman, wielding a knife, charged at Zhang Zhaozhong.

Luo Bing, the "Mandarin Duck Knives"!
Mrs. Wen Tailai!

This blacksmith shop is a branch of the Red Flower Society. Zhang Zhaozhong knew this clearly. The most skilled leader of the Red Flower Society, Chen Jialuo, was not here. Only Wen Tailai and his wife were there. Zhang Zhaozhong was confident that he could capture the two of them within a hundred moves.

Cao Xiong has suffered a series of setbacks, and if he can make a contribution at this time, he will surely be richly rewarded.

Thinking of this, Zhang Zhaozhong wielded the Fiery Cloud Palm in his left hand and the Soft Cloud Sword in his right, mastering both palm and sword techniques. With the help of dozens of imperial guards, he put Wen Tailai in grave danger. Just as Wen Tailai was about to be captured alive, a fierce clash of true energy suddenly came from afar. Looking closely, they saw that the Great Wood Master was riding a golden eagle, chasing after Bai Yunfei with all his might.

After seeing Bai Yunfei's white crane last night, Master Damu was completely swayed. On one hand, he wanted to use the crane's blood to refine a longevity pill; on the other hand, he felt that Bai Yunfei was a blessed person who could subdue the immortal crane.

In other words, in the mind of Master Damu, if Bai Yunfei were taken to the tomb of Patriarch Hesha, she could decipher the tomb's mechanisms and find the Hesha Manual.

Bai Yunfei rode away on a crane and vanished without a trace. Even if Zhui Ming were here, he couldn't find her. But people have their ways, and birds have theirs. Bai Yunfei could hide from people, but she couldn't hide from this exotic golden eagle.

Master Damu didn't want to be disturbed by Cao Xiong, so he chased after Bai Yunfei alone. He always went his own way, and Cao Xiong had no choice but to let him do as he pleased.

Bai Yunfei is skilled in sonic attacks, but what he fears most is a grandmaster like Da Mu Shangren, who hones his skills bit by bit through hard work, and he gets chased to the ends of the earth.

In terms of skill, Bai Yunfei is far inferior.

The music moved him deeply. The Great Wood Master was obsessed with giving Bai Yunfei benefits and wanted to help her find the secret manual. After finding the manual, he only wanted to read it once and would never covet the divine power. His only evil thought was to bleed the white crane a little. The white crane was taller than a person, so bleeding a little wouldn't have much of an impact!

Master Damu is over a hundred years old and has cultivated both his inner and outer seclusion. His ambitions and grand ambitions from his youth have long since vanished with his sixty years of seclusion. He has no weaknesses and no ambitions. His attempts to search for his soul through sound transmission have no effect.

This was the first time Bai Yunfei had encountered such an opponent.

Master Daiki is an extraordinary, eccentric, and unusual person!
To say he was a good person is absolutely an understatement; he did bad things when he was young, including using a golden eagle to gouge out people's eyes.

To say he was a bad person is not accurate. He lived in seclusion for over sixty years guarding the tomb of Patriarch Hesha, raising birds and planting trees. What bad things could he possibly do?
As for distributing treasure maps to the outside world, these treasure maps are all genuine and absolutely not fake.

The reason why the martial arts manual could not be found was not because Master Da Mu deliberately harmed him, but because he lacked good fortune and was greedy. This is completely different from Jiang Biehe's use of fake maps to harm people.

Neither good nor bad.

Neither greedy nor detached.

Average talent, but amazing stamina.

It takes years of painstaking effort and dedication.

It just happens to catch the bug of sonic attack!

Charging headlong into the enemy is useless, the eerie winds of the Ghost Prison are useless. Even if Feng Suzhen were here, all she could do was unleash her sword and play her zither. After thousands of moves of fierce fighting, she would only rely on her physical strength to wear down the old man.

Bai Yunfei fought and retreated, his flute playing a melodious tune that shook the surrounding mountain walls and stirred up dust several meters high. Wen Tailai took the opportunity to run away. Zhang Zhaozhong wanted to give chase, but his warhorse was intimidated by the golden eagle, and its legs were too weak to run!

We could only watch helplessly as the other party ran away!

Male Gobi!

Zhang Zhaozhong angrily berated Bai Yunfei for ruining his plans!
(End of this chapter)