Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 441 Li Zhaoting: Hold firm, and there is a way to survive.

"Hahaha! Come on! Come on!"

Feng Suzhen, where is your demon-subduing zither?

Let me see your demon-slaying zither!

The demon of the heart, I am the demon, my whole being, inside and out, is the demon, I am the real demon!

Li Zhaoting and Feng Suzhen, may you both die!

"I will make sure you all die a gruesome death!"

Cao Xiong held a bronze bell weighing several hundred kilograms and struck it forcefully, making a loud thud. Relying on the Ten Thousand Year Ginseng Emperor and the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth, Cao Xiong's skill was several times greater than that of Da Jue, and his true energy was almost inexhaustible.

Without needing any sonic attack techniques, simply punching the bronze bell and shouting at it can kill hundreds of experts and shake the entire sea area.

Cao Xiong was completely enraged, recklessly channeling his inner energy to strike the bronze bell. The rolling sound waves condensed into tangible ripples, and within a radius of several dozen feet, even rats and earthworms would be turned into mincemeat by the sound waves.

The vast majority of martial artists went mad.

Cao Xiong, Wanyan Honglie, and others all deployed drugs to stimulate mental states, causing a blood-red mist to spread for dozens of miles, even affecting fish and shrimp.

All words become meaningless.

Even if Lu Xiaofeng and Chu Liuxiang were here and told the truth, how much impact would it have? How many people would believe them? And even if they did, what difference would it make?
With thousands of people crammed together, it was difficult to distinguish friend from foe. In order to fight their way out, they had no choice but to fight with all their might. It was better for you to die than for me to die.

The Qing dynasty experts did not add fuel to the fire.

Li Zhaoting and others tacitly agreed to just stand by and do nothing.

In this situation, everyone knows something's fishy, ​​but those involved are too blind to see what kind of ambush is brewing.

The first to succumb to the pressure of the battlefield and decide to flee was Ouyang Feng. Ouyang Feng was skilled in using poison, so the blood-red mist had little effect on him, and he was able to maintain his rationality. In addition, with Ao Fei being ambushed and killed, Ouyang Feng lost his opponent. He easily cut through the crowd, grabbed Ouyang Ke, and prepared to run away with his son.

Although nominally uncle and nephew, they were actually father and son. Ouyang Feng doted on Ouyang Ke, but Ouyang Ke's fondness for women severely depleted his internal energy, making it difficult for him to practice the Toad Stance and hindering his martial arts progress.

Perhaps it's because of the TV series that people think Ouyang Ke is a young and handsome nobleman, but this is clearly a misunderstanding. Ouyang Ke is thirty-five years old this year.

According to the marriage age in ancient times, if Ouyang Ke had married and had children according to the normal procedure, his children would have reached the age of engagement. Of course, in order to be a libertine, Ouyang Ke had no offspring and strictly forbade his wives and concubines from getting pregnant.

No one wanted to offend a master of poisons like Ouyang Feng. With venomous snakes clearing the way, he was unstoppable. The surrounding crowd parted like a tide. Ouyang Feng sped along and encountered Su Penghai, who also wanted to run away.

The two of them ran towards the podium without prior arrangement.

There were nine brocade boxes displayed there.

A brocade box contains the secret manual of returning to the origin.

What treasures are hidden in the other eight brocade boxes?
Ouyang Feng cleared the way with a steel staff in one hand and Ouyang Ke in the other. He was too weak to grab the brocade boxes, but Ouyang Ke managed to grab two. Su Penghai also grabbed two. With their cautiousness, they were not worried about being tricked.

Even if the brocade box contains nothing but poisoned needles, poisonous smoke, or hidden weapons, they will not be harmed.

Someone else will inevitably open the brocade box.

They would stand guard ten feet away.

With the brocade box in hand, the three men grinned smugly.

You may have your brilliant strategies, but I have my countermeasures. No matter how many schemes and tricks you devise, they can't harm the three of us...

Ouyang Feng and Su Penghai had only run a few feet when a series of explosions came from behind them. The brocade box contained neither treasures nor hidden weapons, only a large weight.

The weight is pressing down on the mechanism below.

Taking the brocade box triggered the mechanism, which in turn activated the gunpowder hidden beneath the arena. A series of booming sounds were heard, and fiery dragons soared up all around.

This is a signal to launch an attack.

Fukang'an, clad in armor and wielding a weapon, laughed wildly as he issued the attack order. Hundreds of powerful cannons fired simultaneously, and the musketeers lined up in neat formation, firing in three volleys.

The difference between the Eight Banners cavalry and the Mongol Yuan cavalry is that the Mongol Yuan cavalry were more skilled in archery and horsemanship, while the Eight Banners cavalry were more skilled in using firearms. Few people know that Emperor Kangxi's hobby was not chasing women incognito, but mathematics. Kangxi was very fond of mathematics and enjoyed studying firearms.

When Wei Xiaobao annihilated the Divine Dragon Cult, he relied on the Divine Martial Cannon to blast Divine Dragon Island into ruins.

No matter how skilled Hong Antong was, no matter how the disciples of the Divine Dragon Cult chanted incantations, burned talismans, or used mind-controlling techniques, they were all reduced to severed limbs under the Divine Martial Cannon.

The wealth left by Emperor Yongzheng was truly substantial, enough to support Emperor Qianlong's expenses. Most importantly, the most disgusting troublemaker in the underworld, the Green Dragon Society, not only did not cause trouble, but also provided support. In April, the leader of the Green Dragon Society, Boss Xue, took the initiative to send gold and silver to Fukang'an for him to use as he pleased.

Boss Xue's main business is rice, flour, and cooking oil. You can imagine how much wealth he has accumulated. With his money, he hired a large number of top assassins for Fukang'an. He also issued a bounty within the Qinglong Society to recruit experts. Anyone who kills the remnants of the Wanyan clan can exchange gold and silver.

If anyone can kill Li Zhaoting, they will not only receive a reward from the Big Boss, but also a private bounty from Boss Xue, with a reward of up to one million taels of silver.

Originally, Fukang'an was worried about being assassinated and dared not get too close. However, with the generous support of Boss Xue, he was surrounded by two grandmasters as bodyguards, more than a dozen high-ranking Tantric monks in formation, and more than thirty assassins.

Fukang'an commanded his troops to advance.

Cannons, muskets, crossbows, and bows!
Various attacks rained down on the arena.

Fukang'an had practiced the Divine Foot Scripture and possessed profound internal strength, but his greatest skill was not martial arts combat, but commanding thousands of troops, which was Fukang'an's lifelong passion.

Wanyan Honglie laughed wildly, "Fukang'an! I know you're here. What can you do if you kill me? After this battle, the Manchu martial arts world will be completely destroyed."

"as you wish!"

Fukang'an looked at Wanyan Honglie with disdain.

If Wanyan Honglie keeps quiet and doesn't make a move, Fukang'an will keep the Tianren Sect around. After all, the Tianren Sect sends him money and beautiful women every year so he can spend them and enjoy himself.

Wanyan Honglie took the initiative to jump out, wanting to play a game of putting himself in a desperate situation to survive. How could Fukang'an show any mercy? Under the roar of cannons, the area within several miles was filled with fire.

Cannonballs don't have eyes.

Everyone was a target of the bombing.

With cannonballs above and gunpowder below, even the slightest carelessness could result in injury; even martial arts masters would succumb to the force.

The first to be killed was—the Four Secret Venerables!
They were ambushed by the Eagle Shooter, revealing a weakness. Tuo Musan seized the opportunity and unleashed three ruthless moves, breaking through their defenses. Jin Yan Shenying, Zhen Baiya, and others rushed forward and tore the Four Secret Venerables into pieces.

This is the task of the archer.

The Four Secret Masters must die in the Qing Dynasty.

The next expert to die was Takumi San.

No matter how strong the defense of the Scripture of Regret is, it will be worn down little by little when faced with a barrage of arrows and the roar of cannons, and will eventually be riddled with arrows and turned into a hedgehog.

Without Tuomu San as a wall, Wanyan Honglie was powerless to fight back. Fukang'an fired a javelin, and Wanyan Honglie smiled bitterly in despair. A hole appeared in his chest, and the cannonball roared down, tearing Wanyan Honglie to pieces.

Cao Yu and Cao Xiong realized what was happening.

Something's fishy about this!

Fukang'an did not surround and kill the remnants of the Wanyan clan, but rather carried out an indiscriminate massacre. Cao Xiong slapped the bronze bell, knocking off the top of the bell and turning it into a large trumpet.

"Fukang'an, what are you going to do?"

"Cao Xiong, leader of the Ginseng Gang, how impressive! You obtained the Ten-Thousand-Year Ginseng King, which can cure all diseases and prolong life, but instead of giving it to His Majesty, you secretly used it to refine medicine. Do you want to rebel? His Majesty is merciful and gave you a chance, but instead of being grateful, you have gone even further and secretly formed the Ginseng Gang. Such a crime deserves the extermination of your entire family!"

"Go to hell! I belong to the Plain Yellow Banner. If you want to exterminate my entire family, then kill the emperor too!"

"Cao Xiong, don't you understand?"

Fukang'an's tone was filled with cold, murderous intent.

Cao Xiong's entire family was taken into custody. They were either to fight Li Zhaoting to the death and be posthumously granted an official title, with his wife becoming a Lady of the Imperial Decree, or to resist stubbornly and have all the male members of the family exiled to Ningguta, while the female members were sent to the Jiaofangsi (a government-run entertainment district in Beijing).
Faced with such a threat, most normal people would choose to compromise, but Cao Xiong would not. Cao Xiong was heartless and had no feelings for his wives and concubines. His beautiful wives and concubines were just his playthings. Cao Xiong only cared about himself.

Being happy is more important than anything else.

Cao Xiong roared and charged toward Fukang'an.

"Fukang'an, how dare you scheme against me!"

"Stubborn and unyielding, he deserves to die!"

Fukang'an sneered disdainfully and waved his hand, summoning a swarm of elite assassins. These assassins were elites hired by Boss Xue at a high price. Some came from the Hell Escort Agency, some from the Qinghua Society, some from the Happy Forest, some were Japanese ninjas, and even included Liu Fenyu.

With Fukang'an's arrival, the situation changed dramatically. Those who had previously fought together became allies, joining forces for survival.

Of course, some people dare not resist.

For example: Cao Yu!
Since the eunuch had no offspring, Cao Yu had an adopted son.

Cao Yu would rather be torn to pieces than let this son die. He stared intently at Fukang'an, exchanged glances, and then charged desperately toward Li Zhaoting.

If Cao Yu can hold off Li Zhaoting for even a moment, he will have rendered meritorious service and died in battle, and his adopted son will receive preferential treatment.

Tie Haitang gave a desperate, bitter smile.

When Li Zhaoting told him to leave, he thought he could play the role of the predator and profit from the situation. He never expected to lose all his capital, even himself. Tie Haitang looked at Li Zhaoting: "Master Li, if I wholeheartedly obey your orders, do I have any chance of survival? Even just a ten percent chance!"
If I am destined to be killed, can my desperate rush towards Fukang'an help you open a breach?

I want to drag Fukang'an down with me!

"Master Li, can you do it?"

Li Zhaoting's eyes flashed with a sharp light: "As long as you obey my orders, you have a 30% chance of surviving. What you do after you live is none of my business!"

"Fine! I'll sell my life to you!"

Tie Haitang tossed a scroll of secret manual to Gongsun Lan.

"Madam Gongsun, this is what I have learned in my life, called the True Scripture of Fire Sea. If I die here, please help me find a successor so that he can become a chivalrous knight-errant!"

Li Zhaoting handed the command flag to Feng Suzhen.

Li Zhaoting possessed unparalleled martial arts skills but lacked strategic wisdom, which was Feng Suzhen's specialty. Li Nanxing passed on his life experience to Feng Suzhen. Feng Suzhen had personally tested it on the Liao battlefield. She dared not say she was comparable to famous generals, but at least she could remain calm and composed, seeking no merit but avoiding mistakes. Her ironclad formations were absolutely flawless.

Martial arts masters may not be able to obey orders, but they have one advantage: their martial arts skills are superb. When a large group of masters charge into battle, Fukang'an finds it extremely troublesome.

With Tie Haitang as their role model, many martial arts practitioners gathered around Feng Suzhen. To survive, they had to fight desperately and risk their lives to carve out a way out.

……

gazebo.

The game continues.

Wu Sidao's face was ashen, his life force exhausted, and he was barely clinging to life. He wanted to know how Li Zhaoting escaped from the encirclement of tens of thousands of troops—not escape, but how he led the martial arts sects to retreat.

Fukang'an was a seasoned veteran with extensive experience. He set up a massive ambush formation on all sides. With the support of the Azure Dragon Society, he had neither a shortage of money nor skilled warriors. Tens of thousands of troops were deployed in ten interconnected battle formations, stretching endlessly.

Li Zhaoting has a powerful spear by his side, but even if Xiang Yu were alive, he would probably be no match for an ambush from all sides.

Throughout the entire process, Li Zhaoting did nothing substantial except for killing people. He didn't seem like a top-notch master; he was more like a brute than Xiang Yu himself.

This is not Li Zhaoting's character.

Wu Sidao had studied Li Zhaoting carefully, just as he had studied Kangxi, Yongzheng, Aqina, and Sesseh during the Nine Princes' Succession Struggle. He analyzed Li Zhaoting's personality from various aspects. Li Zhaoting seemed fierce and domineering, but in fact he was very meticulous and especially good at seeing the big picture from small details.

Li Zhaoting was not a reckless man, nor a madman; he was more like a scholar who traveled the world, possessing both exceptional talent and profound swordsmanship, much like Xu Shu!
Li Nanxing's approach to educating Li Zhaoting seemed incredibly lenient, neglecting him completely. In reality, Li Zhaoting didn't need any discipline and would proactively learn knowledge.

What surprised Wu Sidao the most was not Li Zhaoting's rapidly improving martial arts talent, nor his unparalleled swordsmanship, good fortune, or romantic luck, but rather Li Zhaoting's exaggerated self-control, vitality, and adaptability, which far exceeded his actual age, from childhood to adulthood. He seemed more like a sacred deity or Buddha reincarnated than a normal human being.

According to the files that Wu Sidao had seen, Li Zhaoting's meridians were blocked when he was young, making it impossible for him to cultivate internal energy. He went to school to study and learn to read, leaving his peers in awe. If he hadn't been exiled to Lingnan, he would have already passed the imperial examinations with top honors.

After being exiled to Lingnan, he first fled to Dali, where he became a disciple of a famous master and practiced swordsmanship diligently. In just five years, he mastered swordsmanship and became famous for his swordsmanship, spreading his name throughout the martial arts world.

If you can't practice martial arts, then study diligently. If studying doesn't work, then pick up your sword again. If you can't study or practice martial arts, then perhaps you can study mechanical arts.

Li Zhaoting's experience may seem smooth, but in reality he has endured countless hardships, including Fukang'an's trap and being surrounded by thousands of troops. He doesn't even qualify for the top ten.

How could someone like that be a brute?
However, the encirclement was already in place, with thousands of troops linked together. Did Li Zhaoting really think he could break through tens of thousands of troops all by himself? Even if Li Zhaoting could do it, his lover and friends would not be able to hold out.

Li Zhaoting is a man of deep affection and loyalty; he would never abandon these friends. He must be hiding some kind of scheme.

The question is, what is Plan B?
Wu Sidao couldn't understand it.

Princess Yongning was even more confused.

Even Chu Liuxiang and Lu Xiaofeng didn't understand.

If you can't figure it out, then don't think about it. Chu Liuxiang and Lu Xiaofeng have absolute confidence in Li Zhaoting. This is the kind of trust that friends share, and it doesn't need any reason.

Princess Yongning laughed and said, "Could it be that Li Zhaoting wants to surrender to the Qing Dynasty? Perhaps Emperor Qianlong will accept him!"

Chu Liuxiang retorted seriously, "Impossible! Li Zhaoting would never surrender. I don't know his plans, but I know that Fukang'an's ambush couldn't kill him!"

Princess Yongning sneered: "Hmph! Even if Li Zhaoting runs away on a crane, do you think you can escape?"

Chu Liuxiang said, "Not so! If I were surrounded by thousands of troops and about to be captured and killed, even if Li Zhaoting were made an immortal, he would still stay!"

"Greed blinds reason. Throughout history, countless people have killed their parents for profit. Is Li Zhaoting some great saint or sage with impeccable character?"

"Li Zhaoting is not only not a saint, but also has a bunch of messy bad habits. He is both bloodthirsty and lecherous. He is not at all like a saint, including the 'Sword Saint'."

However, in life, there are some things you can do and some things you can't do, and Li Zhaoting was a man of deep loyalty.

Although I don't really want to resort to violence against you, if you continue to speak rudely, don't blame me for teaching you a lesson.

You've lived in the deep palace for so long, constantly busy with your own affairs. Even if I explained the principles of being a man for three days and three nights, you still wouldn't understand!
Why should I waste my energy?

Chu Liuxiang closed his eyes and said no more.

Yongning understands the principles of being a person and doing things very well. She stayed here to gamble with her own life, begging Fukang'an to forgive Wu Sidao. Wu Sidao is old and frail and will not live for more than a few days. Why should he be forced to die?

If someone is willing to give their life for filial piety, then putting yourself in their shoes, you can certainly understand loyalty and affection.

However, Yongning found Chu Liuxiang's nose-rubbing gesture extremely annoying and always wanted to argue with him.

Wu Sidao, barely able to speak, asked, "Could you give me a hint? What is Li Zhaoting planning to do?"

Chu Liuxiang sighed, "Before the plan began, Li Zhaoting asked me to keep an eye on you and prevent you from going to the battlefield, so that you would see through his plan. To be honest, Li Zhaoting's plan can probably be summarized in eight words."

"Which eight characters?"

"Hold on firmly, there is a way!"

"I beep beep beep beep beep beep..."

Wu Sidao wanted to swing his cane and beat Chu Liuxiang to death.

Yongning angrily retorted, "Respect for the dead! I, a mere woman, have offended Chu Liuxiang. How do you intend to retaliate? I'll stand here and let you do as you please. If you blink, I'll be your pet. My master has always treated you with respect and has never uttered a single offending word. Why do you have to deliberately provoke him? Chu Liuxiang doesn't kill with his hands, he kills with his mouth!"

Chu Liuxiang looked apologetic: "Mr. Wu, I really didn't mean you any harm, I meant it sincerely!"

"How long does Li Zhaoting intend to hold out?"

Even the immortals are asking this question.

Although he had long lived a long and auspicious life, he was not only not content, but also ambitious and wanted to become the leader of the martial arts world, wanting to try again.

To his utter surprise, just as he placed his bet, the dealer flipped the table and stole his entire stake.

The immortal being was in a panic.

Fan Dengfeng is more anxious than an immortal.

Fan Dengfeng harbored a 20-year-old hatred, and he was absolutely unwilling to die before killing Ling Juebi.

Even if it means being a pig or a dog, I will survive.

Lu Xiaofeng said, "If I'm not mistaken, Li Zhaoting wants to hold out until the defenses are breached."

"Lu Xiaofeng! You're asking for it! Believe me or not, I'll drag you down to hell with me! Don't push me! Don't push me!"

Fan Dengfeng drew his sword and pointed it at Lu Xiaofeng.

Lu Xiaofeng said calmly, "You two are over a hundred years old combined. At your age, haven't you ever heard of the strategy of luring the enemy? How can you turn defeat into victory in a desperate situation without experiencing defeat? Fukang'an is not a fool who is greedy for merit and reckless. We can't let him discover the flaws."

"Master Lu, I have only one question: if the disciples of Changbai join us, can the situation be changed?"

"They've already joined the battle!"

Of course, Changbai sent more than just two people.

Lu Xiaofeng stopped the Immortal of Immortality and Fan Dengfeng, but did not stop the elite disciples of the Changbai Sect. These people thought they were reinforcements from the imperial court, but they did not expect to be targets.

Influenced by Tie Haitang and others, these people gathered around Li Zhaoting and obeyed Feng Suzhen's command. Some charged into battle, while others had already died on the battlefield.

The ageless immortal clutched his chest in distress.

He had wanted to go over before, but Lu Xiaofeng stopped him. Now that Lu Xiaofeng was letting him pass, he hesitated and worried about becoming cannon fodder, so he stayed here and kept rambling on.

Lu Xiaofeng didn't expose the Immortal of Immortality. This old man was good at changing his tune depending on the situation, and who knew if he would be turned by Fukang'an? Staying here was the safest option.

The fierce battle lasted for more than two hours.

"boom!"

The defense line has been breached!
"Come on!"

The Eight Banners cavalry launched their charge!

(End of this chapter)