Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 46 The Greatest Case in the Northern Song Dynasty (Long Chapter, Please Read On)

Mu Renqing secretly regretted it.

If I had known Li Zhaoting would come to Hengyang, I should have sent Yue Buqun to the Golden Basin Washing Hands Ceremony. Yue Buqun's self-control was dozens of times better than Mu Renqing's.

The story of Li Zhaoting's annihilation of the Gui family lineage, with the strong support of the Golden Dragon Gang, had already spread throughout the martial arts world, and storytellers in teahouses and taverns had compiled dozens of tales about it.

Aside from the teahouses at the foot of Mount Hua, 99% of the storytellers there lavishly praise Li Zhaoting.

The teahouses at the foot of Mount Hua suffered the most from Gui Xinshu and Sun Zhongjun, but fearing retaliation from the Mount Hua Sect, they dared not openly praise or criticize, and could only vent their frustrations with sarcastic remarks.

To put it bluntly, most people in the Huashan Sect, except for Mu Renqing, have a favorable impression of Li Zhaoting.

Gui Xinshu has made enemies everywhere in recent years, causing countless troubles for Huashan. If it weren't for Mu Renqing's protection and the remaining prestige of Huashan, he would have been ambushed long ago.

The Huashan Sect has declined in recent years, partly due to its favoritism and protection of its own. It spoils its disciples internally and causes trouble everywhere externally, turning human relationships into enmity.

As the saying goes, the world of martial arts is not about fighting and killing, but about human relationships and social interactions. If you don't follow human relationships, accidents will happen.

The leader of the Taishan Sect, Daoist Tianmen, said loudly, "Young Hero Li is right. Senior Mu, Gui Xinshu and Sun Zhongjun have only themselves to blame. It's no wonder, Young Hero Li!"

Since Emperor Zhenzong of Song performed the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai, the Mount Tai sect became the imperial family temple. Because Emperor Zhao believed in Taoism, everyone in the Mount Tai sect became Taoist priests and lived a very comfortable life.

Tianmen Daoren had a fiery temper and knew nothing about running a sect, but with the support of the government, the Taishan Sect flourished and had more than a thousand disciples.

Tianmen Daoren is neither a villain nor a petty person; he's the kind of person who isn't particularly likable... but a good person!
On the one hand, Tianmen Daoren is a man who hates evil, is clear about gratitude and resentment, speaks his mind directly, acts with integrity, and takes the distinction between good and evil very seriously.

On the one hand, Tianmen Daoren has a fiery temper, is impulsive and easily angered, and is easily misled and misjudged, making him a pawn for treacherous officials.

Tianmen Daoren has no malicious intentions, but he is easily deceived by people's words and actions, loses his judgment, and will draw his sword to kill someone after just a few words.

In the original storyline, when the Songshan Sect was dealing with Liu Zhengfeng, Tianmen Daoren was the first to sever ties with Liu Zhengfeng.

Because Liu Zhengfeng refused to break off relations with Qu Yang.

Tianmen Daoist was almost fanatical about good and evil. Since Liu Zhengfeng was willing to befriend Qu Yang, he was my enemy. Since he was an enemy, what was the point of talking about friendship?
This same judgment applies to the Guixinshu incident.

Gui Xinshu's followers were unruly and allowed his disciples to commit violence. Sun Zhongjun indiscriminately killed innocent people and wiped out entire families. These practices belong to evil and heretical sects. Evil and heretical sects are enemies!
Similarly, it is the heroes who vanquish evil spirits and heretics!

Conclusion: Li Zhaoting is a chivalrous knight-errant!
Single-minded, straightforward, and open-minded.

Don't be fooled by Tianmen Daoist's address of "Senior Mu." In terms of seniority, he is no less senior than Mu Renqing. The Taishan Sect's 300-year history is not something to be boasted about.

The Taishan faction supports Li Zhaoting.

The Hengshan Sect had previously received favors from Lan Fenghuang, so they naturally supported Li Zhaoting and said a few kind words.

The Songshan Sect has always disliked the Huashan Sect, and they certainly wouldn't miss an opportunity to kick them while they're down.

Tang Zhuquan was unmatched in his ability to curse in the streets; even thirty shrewish women from the marketplace couldn't out-curse him.

The Hengshan Sect is the host, so it's inconvenient for them to speak.

Mu Renqing was horrified to discover that the Huashan Sect, the leader of the seven major sword sects, had become isolated and helpless, and even Yuan Chengzhi showed signs of being persuaded by Tang Zhuquan.

How did things come to this?
How did the Huashan Sect end up in this state?

Li Zhaoting did not press his advantage, ignoring Mu Renqing and stepping forward to examine Madam Liu's body. Tang Zhuquan rubbed his fingers together with a grin to prevent anyone from causing trouble.

Tang Zhuquan's Five Ultimate Soul-Chasing Finger Technique is by no means inferior to Dali's One-Finger Divine Skill or Shaolin's Formless Finger Technique. It is a first-class finger technique in the martial arts world, and it has killed dozens of old demons.

Tang Zhuquan made his way in the martial world not through family background or gang fights, but through sheer hard work and battles.

Li Zhaoting carefully examined the body.

Madam Liu had two wounds on her body.

Both wounds were fatal.

First, there was a sword wound; a sword pierced through his heart.

One method is decapitation, where a sharp blade severs the neck.

Li Zhaoting formed a sword shape with his fingers and deduced sword moves.

The sword technique that pierces the heart is the most commonly used move by assassins in the martial arts world. It is as fast as lightning and can kill with one strike. Among those present, only Li Zhaoting can use such a fast sword.

Yuan Chengzhi can achieve this after two years of training.

Mu Renqing, Ding Mian, Liu Zhengfeng, Ding Yi and others could not possibly have done it. This sword strike, though seemingly simple, possessed a killing intent honed through countless trials, far surpassing their foundation.

Based on the marks on the body, it was determined that Madam Liu was stabbed to death by the assassin. Just as the sword pierced her heart, the assassin lunged forward and slit Madam Liu's neck.

Assassins must never overdo it.

Elite assassins will never use an ounce of extra strength.

Why go to such extremes?

Li Zhaoting recalled the "Lectures on the Headless Corpse" and there are two possible interpretations that fit the current situation.

First, to intimidate Liu Zhengfeng;

Second, this is the assassin's attack pattern;

Many assassins have their own unique symbols; seeing this symbol means the assassin has come to claim your life.

To put it bluntly, it's just hype.

The aroma of wine is also afraid of the deep alley!

A hitman should be nameless, but who would hire a nameless hitman? And without hires, how would you make money?
Even if the assassin is nameless, the assassin's agent absolutely cannot be nameless; on the contrary, he must be extremely famous.

The seven most famous assassin organizations in the martial arts world each have their own unique characteristics: some are ruthless, some are ruthless in killing entire families, some are decisive and efficient, some are good at playing tricks, and some have strict internal management.

A killer who enjoys decapitations?
Does such a person exist in the martial arts world?
Furthermore, what severed Madam Liu's neck was neither a blade of light nor a precious sword, but a strange weapon—an extremely sharp strange weapon.

No sharp points, no thorns, no blades!

What kind of weapon is this?
Are there any weapons of this kind among the eighteen traditional weapons?
Unless, the weapon itself is a sharp blade!
Li Zhaoting came up with a weapon.

A weapon commonly found in Beika Town.

—Fishing line!
To be precise, it is a fine and resilient thread.

By simply straightening a thin thread and slicing it across the neck at extremely high speed, one can easily sever the neck. This is a common technique in mystery dramas, and there are related cases in Conan.

This was the last case Conan solved as "Shinichi Kudo." After solving the case, he was knocked unconscious by Gin with a stick. When he woke up, he had become Conan.

Li Zhaoting closed his eyes in deep thought. Were there any masters of swordsmanship in the martial world skilled in using thin lines? It seemed…

—Yes, it really exists!
—It has some connection with the Daxiangguo Temple!

More than a decade ago, there was a peerless swordsman in the martial arts world named Long Qianshan. In order to become the number one swordsman in the world, he went to Daxiangguo Temple to steal the "Mahavairocana Mantra". Abbot Yan Hui of Daxiangguo Temple fought with Long Qianshan for a day and a night and defeated him. Long Qianshan was seriously injured and fled, saying that after he recovered from his injury, he would definitely avenge the blow.

Long Qianshan possesses a divine weapon called Panlong Silk, which is as thin as silk yet capable of lifting a thousand-pound boulder. Once the Panlong Silk is tightened, it is no less powerful than a precious sword or saber.

Was the murderer Long Qianshan?

Is this guy still alive?

"Young Master Li, do you have any leads?"

Liu Zhengfeng asked in a low voice.

Li Zhaoting's expression was too serious, and his aura affected those around him, making people feel extremely oppressed.

Even powerful figures like Mu Renqing and Daoist Tianmen felt uneasy and instinctively held their breath, not daring to move an inch, for fear of being struck by the storm.

Elder Liu, do you regret it?

"Regret what? Does Young Master Li think I killed my wife? How could I do such a thing..."

"I was talking about something else. The person I shared a table with yesterday, wasn't he your good friend?" "Young Master Li already knows!"

"If I told you that he would bring disaster upon you and your entire family, would you regret it now?"

"High mountains and flowing water, the zither and flute playing together, to have a true friend in life is enough, I am overjoyed!"

"If you are willing, are your wife, children, disciples, and grandchildren all willing? One cannot only think of oneself. That's all I have to say. Goodbye!"

Li Zhaoting left the Liu residence.

Liu Zhengfeng was covered in sweat and sat on the ground.

Tang Zhuquan hurriedly chased after him.

……

"Li Zhaoting, what's going on? Are you trying to drive me crazy? I don't even want to drink anymore!"

"Old Tang, I used to think that if something happened, we should just talk it out. Hiding things would only cause trouble. Now I suddenly understand those who hide things. The more secrets they know, the greater the harm they cause."

Am I someone who hates trouble?

"The trouble is beyond your imagination."

"But you already know!"

“From the moment I went to Luzhou to investigate the case, I was destined to be unable to escape trouble and could only keep exploring.”

"I'm not good at preaching, I only know how to go to great lengths for my friends. If you don't want me to die at the hands of an assassin for no reason, you'd better tell me everything."

“You have nothing to do with this.”

"My friends' business is my business."

It seems I can't persuade you!

"You can't persuade me, and I'm not the only one you can't convince!"

Tang Zhuquan pointed behind Li Zhaoting.

Feng Suzhen and Lan Fenghuang arrived together.

Li Zhaoting sighed helplessly.

"You really want to hear this?"

"Of course!"

"This secret can be summed up in just five words."

Which five words?

"The Prince has been replaced by a raccoon dog!"

Li Zhaoting spoke with a serious expression, enunciating each word clearly.

There are many strange legends from the reign of Emperor Renzong of Song.

The Yang family generals, Chen Shimei, the Three Heroes and Five Gallants—Bao Zheng beheads the imperial son-in-law one day and the emperor's brother-in-law the next. He has beheaded all the imperial relatives and nobles. There is nothing he dares not do!

Among these cases, the most mysterious, enigmatic, and widely circulated is undoubtedly the story of the "Prince Replaced by a Civet Cat."

It is said that Emperor Zhenzong of Song had two favorite concubines, Liu and Li. When both concubines became pregnant at the same time, Zhenzong said that whichever child was born first would be made the crown prince.

Consort Li's son was born first, so Consort Liu had a skinned civet cat used to replace the prince. As a result, Consort Li was banished to the Cold Palace, while Consort Liu later became Empress.

Consort Liu was none other than Empress Dowager Liu E.

There were seven people who carried out this task, all of whom were top-notch imperial guards and were known as the "Seven Eagles of Chongqing".

Qu Yang was one of them, ranked seventh. He was known in the martial arts world as Zhuo Laoqi. He was skilled in geomancy and locating auspicious sites. He fell in love with Tang Lao Er's daughter, who later became Mrs. Tang.

The secret was too terrifying. Tang Lao Er couldn't bear the pressure and wanted to run away with his wife and children. However, the others blocked him in a brick kiln. Fearing that Tang Lao Er would be hit by a hidden weapon, the others dared not enter the brick kiln and could only burn them to death with fire. Qu Yang used his skill in digging tunnels to sneak into the brick kiln and secretly took Tang's wife away.

After that, everyone went their separate ways.

Lady Tang lived in seclusion at Yunjian Temple in Luzhou.

Zhuo Laoqi, using the alias Qu Yang, joined the Sun Moon Cult.

Zhu Laoliu joined the Beggars' Sect and became an elder in charge of transmitting martial arts skills because he was skilled in the "Dragon Subduing Palm".

Li Zhaoting's appearance may resemble Li Si, one of the Seven Eagles of Chongqing, leading to misunderstandings.

Why are there so many spies in Luzhou?

Because they are looking for the Chongqing Seven Eagles.

If we can find the Seven Eagles of Chongqing and the little prince they lost, we can use this as leverage.

Compared to the change of the throne, the Paradise Tower and Xiao Jun are insignificant and mostly just a smokescreen.

Li Zhaoting was originally unaware of the cause and effect.

It wasn't until Lan Fenghuang mentioned Qu Yang's tomb raiding that she thought of the Luzhou Hidden Village case and Zhuo Laoqi, who had excavated twenty-seven ancient tombs in search of the Langya Stone Carvings.

In comparison, Qu Yang is Zhuo Laoqi!

Madam Tang wanted to seek revenge on her "uncles and uncles".

The ones chasing Qu Yang are the Imperial City Guard!
They were the ones stirring up trouble at the Liu residence.

Thirty percent of these things are deductions, thirty percent are wild guesses, and forty percent are prophetic. Li Zhaoting dissected and pieced together the clues, and briefly described the story of the "Prince Replaced by a Civet Cat".

Upon hearing this fascinating story, Lan Fenghuang's mouth dropped open in surprise, Tang Zhuquan smiled knowingly, and Feng Suzhen covered her mouth and chuckled softly, seemingly... watching the spectacle unfold.

Li Zhaoting had always appeared calm and collected, invincible, and shrewd, which put immense pressure on people. This time, however, he finally made a fool of himself.

What's so funny about that?
Did I say something wrong?
Feng Suzhen finally couldn't help but laugh: "My lord has been living in seclusion in Lingnan for too long. He doesn't know that the Empress Dowager explained his background to him long ago. The Empress Dowager has no sons. My lord was born to Consort Li. Consort Li was keeping vigil for the late emperor. She was brought back last year. How could she have been banished to the Cold Palace?"

Tang Zhuquan added, "Indeed, there was a master assassin who tried to kill Consort Li. The Empress Dowager summoned the Imperial Guards to protect her, and one of the masters was my grandfather!"

Feng Suzhen said, "To replace the crown prince with a cat, there must at least be a crown prince. The Empress Dowager has no son, and the Emperor was adopted and raised by her. Why add unnecessary details?"

"So, this matter..."

"Your Excellency has mostly heard some nonsense from the streets. The Empress Dowager has been the subject of much gossip because of her background."

"Oh, I understand!"

Li Zhaoting froze, his body shattering into pieces on the ground!
This is absolutely outrageous!

I can even explain riddles to people with great eloquence!
It turns out the riddle was faked!

It's very likely that Empress Liu deliberately threw it out as bait!
The alien spy failed to be caught, but Li Zhaoting took the initiative to bite the hook. He wanted to show his face, but instead, he showed his backside!
A mountain breeze blew, and the fragments of Li Zhaoting vanished with the wind.

Lan Fenghuang tried to save face for Li Zhaoting: "Brother Li's conclusion may be wrong, but the analysis process is correct. Qu Yang was being hunted down and Madam Liu was being assassinated. There must be a source, right? Isn't this a secret?"

Hearing this, Li Zhaoting was invigorated.

This is not Miao green tea at all.
She's clearly a kind and understanding younger sister!

Li Zhaoting picked up Lan Fenghuang and gave her a big kiss on the pretty face: "So fragrant!"

Tang Zhuquan: Don't torture dogs!
Feng Suzhen: Don't be angry! I'm not angry!

Blue Phoenix: One more bite! One more bite!
"Let's analyze Madam Liu's case!"

"Um...uh...okay!"

(End of this chapter)