Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 460 My dear minister, you are my "Ma Guocheng"!

The Qingtian Sword Sect was filled with guests.

Upon learning that the Queen of Kucha was coming to attend the ceremony in person, Song Lingxiao, the leader of the Qingtian Sword Sect, led all the senior elders and fifty inner disciples to greet her at the entrance of the oasis.

The same applies to the martial arts practitioners who are attending the ceremony.

The difference is that Song Lingxiao was greeted by the Queen, while the martial arts figures were greeted by Li Zhaoting. These people came from prestigious families and powerful gangs, and were well-informed.

Who doesn't know Li Zhaoting's great achievements?

Wherever he went, blood was shed in his wake. The relationship between the Song Dynasty and Dali was close, so the scale of the attack would not be too large. At most, it would involve destroying a few sects and a few mountain strongholds.

The Manchu Guandong Martial Arts Conference nearly wiped out all the martial arts sects in the Guandong region. The most elite Imperial Guard, the Flying Dragon Battalion, was completely annihilated, and the youngest and most promising general, Fukang'an, died. Li Zhaoting became famous throughout the world from then on.

One sword pierces eight hundred and eighty-two armors!

These were not eight hundred or so scattered soldiers, but the Imperial Guards in full armor and armed with spears. This achievement proves that ninety-nine percent of the martial arts sects in the world could not withstand a single sword strike from Li Zhaoting.

The sects in the Western Regions that were able to withstand this sword strike were not because their sect leaders were highly skilled in martial arts, but because they had a large number of members.

Sects such as the Sea Shark Palace, the Supreme Alliance, and the Divine Moon Sect were all terrified. Although masters like Helian Ba, Guan Yutian, and Bantianyue each had their own trump cards and were extremely confident in their martial arts, they were not sure they could fight against Li Zhaoting.

Even if everyone joins forces, they may not have a 30% chance of winning.

Moreover, it's impossible for them to join forces.

Li Zhaoting only needs to observe the situation; these experts who want to join forces to fight the enemy will start fighting each other on their own.

The crowd waited for a long time, each with their own thoughts, but no one dared to leave even for a moment. It wasn't until the sun was high in the sky that a procession of about two or three hundred people appeared, mostly an honor guard, with bells, drums, musical instruments, and celestial music playing.

Li Zhaoting and Wang Shenglan walked ahead.

Li Zhaoting was after the aged wine.

Wang Shenglan disliked riding in carriages. The Queen of Kucha's luxurious carriage only gave her a sense of novelty. Once the novelty wore off, riding a horse was much more fun.

Song Lingxiao immediately stepped forward to greet him.

"Song Lingxiao, the leader of the Qingtian Sword Sect, respectfully welcomes Her Majesty the Queen and Marquis Xiaoyun! I am willing to don armor and wield sword for Her Majesty to protect the peace and well-being of the people of Kucha!"

Song Lingxiao knew exactly what the Queen of Kucha had come for, so he cut to the chase, proactively announcing his submission and taking all the blame. He was deeply distressed, but for the sake of the Qingtian Sword Sect's legacy, he forced a smile.

Just as analyzed previously.

Song Lingxiao's strengths and weaknesses are very obvious.

His strengths are integrity, sincerity, and chivalry.

The downside is that he is mild-mannered and has a soft personality. He can only use kindness to manage the sect and cannot be a strict teacher or father.

In some ways, Song Lingxiao's personality is quite similar to Zhao Zhen's; he is kind to everyone, tolerant of good people, and equally tolerant of bad people.

When his disciples make mistakes, Song Lingxiao bravely takes responsibility and shoulders the blame for them, which is indeed a good thing, but it shouldn't just be about "taking the blame."

A country has its laws, and a family has its rules.

Song Lingxiao only did the first half and ignored the second half, resulting in a lack of authority as the sect leader. The sect had already sown the seeds of disaster, only lacking an opportunity to erupt.

Li Zhaoting glanced at them and, judging from the expressions of the elders of the Qingtian Sword Sect, it was clear that not everyone agreed with Song Lingxiao; at least half of them were troublemakers.

Yi Shuihan looked up at the Queen of Kucha and met Li Zhaoting's gaze. Feeling Li Zhaoting's gaze that saw through all the hypocrisy, he immediately lowered his head.

Queen Kucha sat upright in her carriage, nodded slightly to Song Lingxiao and said, "Sect Leader Song, I have long heard that the Qingtian Sword Sect prioritizes chivalry in its actions, which is highly praised by the people."

I am very pleased that you have led your people to welcome me today.

Since you are willing to wear armor and wield swords for me and protect the people of Kucha, I will reward you accordingly.

The Qingtian Sword Sect was appointed as the Protectorate Sword Sect of Kucha, granted a jade talisman and seal, and given royal stipends and garrison duties. Inner disciples of the Qingtian Sword Sect with impeccable character were eligible to join the Imperial Guard and were bestowed with three volumes of sword manuals.

At this point, the tone shifted.

"A country has its laws, and a family has its rules. If any disciple of the Qingtian Sword Sect commits crimes out of greed for wealth, we urge Headmaster Song to enforce the law impartially. If the rules are broken, disaster will follow."

Headmaster Song is kind-hearted and chivalrous, worthy of respect and admiration, but he also needs to be a strict teacher and father to maintain order in the sect and prevent petty people from shaking the foundation and ruining the deep friendship between the two families.

If there are any rebellious or disloyal individuals...

Under the wrath of Heaven, no one will be spared!
"Sect Leader Song, receive the seal."

The guard handed the seal to Song Lingxiao.

Song Lingxiao accepted it respectfully and bowed deeply.

Those in the martial arts world thought to themselves, "What a boastful Queen! With Song Lingxiao's martial arts skills, what can she do if he wants to protect his disciple? At worst, she can just flee to the Black Desert."

The Queen of Kucha saw through everyone's thoughts, turned around and glanced at Li Zhaoting. Li Zhaoting clasped his hands in a fist salute, looked around, and subtly released a murderous aura.

Then everyone remembered that the Queen of Kucha and Li Zhaoting had an ambiguous relationship, and that the Queen of Kucha's children were most likely Li Zhaoting's. In another twenty years, when Li Zhaoting's son grew up, he would be able to succeed as the King of Kucha.

In order to preserve the family business for his son, Li Zhaoting would definitely leave behind boxing manuals, sword manuals, and expert guards. With Li Zhaoting's unparalleled martial arts skills, learning even a fraction of them would be of endless benefit. Thinking of this, his mind became even more chaotic.

The reward granted by the King of Kucha included three volumes of sword manuals. But what kind of secret martial arts techniques did Kucha possess? The three volumes of sword manuals were most likely copied by Li Zhaoting.

The Qingtian Sword Sect is primarily focused on swordsmanship; if one were to master the swordsmanship left behind by Li Zhaoting, well…
The martial arts practitioners gasped in shock.

As long as the Qingtian Sword Sect doesn't cause any trouble, and with the backing of the powerful Kucha Kingdom, its future is limitless.

—Song Lingxiao lived a muddle-headed life, constantly being fooled by his disciple. But as he was about to retire, he actually made a brilliant move that revitalized the Qingtian Sword Sect.

—His luck is so good it's enviable!
Li Zhaoting chuckled and said, "Sect Leader Song, I have long heard that the Qingtian Sword Sect's Qingtian Sword is the number one sword in the Western Regions, even surpassing the Demon Sword Clan, which has been passed down for five hundred years."

I have some knowledge of swordsmanship, and on this auspicious day of the sword competition, I would like to discuss the art with Master Song.

Please, Sect Leader Song, bestow your guidance.

Song Lingxiao hurriedly said, "How can my insignificant swordsmanship compete with the Marquis?"

"Your Excellency's sword strike shattered a thousand, a feat unparalleled throughout history. To receive even three moves of instruction from you is truly an immense honor!"

Given Song Lingxiao's personality, he wouldn't say such flattering things, but since he was under someone else's roof, he had no choice but to resort to last-minute cramming in order to secure benefits for the sect.

Song Lingxiao had someone write down hundreds of flattering phrases, which he memorized by rote. He used different words to flatter different people, which exhausted him.

Some of the words used are not quite accurate; they are even more obsequious than flattery, so greasy that they are somewhat disgusting, but ultimately they are still flattery, like a sedan chair being carried by many.

Song Lingxiao's ability to memorize these words clearly demonstrates his sincerity, so there's no need to nitpick.

Song Lingxiao accepted the official seal and robes, thus becoming the commander of the Imperial Guard of the Kingdom of Kucha. The official position was impressive, but in reality, he could only control the disciples of the Qingtian Sword Sect.

The population of Kucha was small, and it could not afford to support arrogant and fierce soldiers!
Originally, there were some elite soldiers, but these elite troops suffered heavy losses in the internal strife. If it weren't for the names left behind by Li Xunhuan and Li Zhaoting, Kucha would have been destroyed long ago.

The thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions believed in the survival of the fittest; no one would offer help in times of need, only kick someone when they were down.

The same was true of the Kingdom of Kucha!
Big fish eat small fish, small fish eat shrimp, and the shrimp become Baltan aliens, who then eat the big fish.

Now that Song Lingxiao has accepted the official position in Kucha, and the Qingtian Sword Sect has become the Kucha Protector Sword Sect, the only person qualified to give orders at the scene is the Queen of Kucha.

The Queen of Kucha waved her hand.

The carriage headed towards the Sky-Supporting Sword Sect. From the outside, this place looked like an oasis, but as they walked over, they could clearly feel the arid and decaying atmosphere. Li Zhaoting used his feet to connect with the earth's veins and found that the water veins were almost cut off.

Such things are common in the Western Regions.

Controlling desert sandstorms is something that this era could not accomplish. It's not that the ancients were not smart, but that they lacked sufficient manpower, resources, and coordination capabilities.

The green dragon locks the yellow sand; even a thousand years later, in an era of extremely advanced technology and material resources, only one country could accomplish this feat.

This is the world's greatest greening project.

In this era, being able to relocate in time was considered lucky. Most small countries and sects, even after being buried under the rolling yellow sands when disaster struck, continued to live in a drunken stupor, believing that the disaster would never come.

The Sky-Piercing Sword Sect was very lucky.

But is it really just luck?
Would martial arts sects like the Sea Shark Palace, the Supreme Alliance, or the Divine Moon Sect have such good fortune?
Why did the Queen of Kucha accept the Sky-Piercing Sword Sect?

Because of Song Lingxiao's good reputation.

When a great hero falls on hard times, he will be taken in wherever he goes.

When a villain falls on hard times, he'll find people stabbing him in the back wherever he goes.

A family that accumulates good deeds will surely have abundant blessings; this is the principle.

……

Song Lingxiao is not good at managing sects, but the Qingtian Sword Sect occupies a large oasis. He doesn't have to do anything; he can make a fortune just by collecting site fees.

The headquarters of the Qingtian Sword Sect was quite luxurious, with a series of enormous palaces stretching across the oasis. This oasis is now dead, and this place will soon become a ruin. Archaeologists who come here a thousand years from now will surely be overjoyed. Song Lingxiao was very pragmatic and took the initiative to offer up the keys, ledgers, and secret manuals of the Qingtian Sword Sect. Except for the direct lineage cultivation method of the sect leader, he gave everything else to the Queen of Kucha.

The Queen of Kucha looked to Cheng Huaixiu for help.

In terms of managing the sect, Cheng Huaixiu was clearly more skilled, especially in handling complex accounts.

Among all the sects in the world, apart from the Canal Gang, no other sect can compare with the Salt Gang in terms of the complexity and mixed nature of its members. The Salt Gang is involved in far too many interests, and there are countless accounts every day. Even a trivial mistake can lead to serious consequences.

Cheng Huaixiu was extremely cautious about this matter. She had considerable experience in accounting and was particularly adept at finding errors in accounts.

Li Zhaoting and Wang Shenglan are Wu Li's backers.

You can look down on the Kingdom of Kucha. The Kingdom of Kucha was indeed not very strong. To put it bluntly, when Guan Yutian led his people to invade, the Kingdom of Kucha could not stop them at all.

However, as long as Li Zhaoting is in the Western Regions, even if Yu Luosha comes, she will have to obediently leave her gifts.

If you want to hold your great-grandson, you'll need three volumes of secret manuals and an incense stick's worth of incense. You'd better bring your entire library here.

Wang Shenglan, a restless soul, dragged Meizhu to visit the Qingtian Sword Sect. Such magnificent architecture, such beautiful scenery, such a lovely oasis, yet it was silently heading towards its demise amidst a profusion of flowers.

All the beautiful scenery was just a fleeting moment of glory. Wang Shenglan never dreamed that one day she would be so melancholic and saddened by the vicissitudes of fate.

This is normal.

Besides bodyguard and martial artist, Wang Shenglan's third most common profession is "artist".

Artists are often sensitive and easily moved by changes in people and things. They pick up their brushes and use delicate strokes to record the "last gasp" of the oasis.

"How was my painting of plum blossoms and bamboo?"

"Madam's paintings are absolutely breathtaking!"

"I'm going to ask my husband to write a poem for me."

"Maybe...maybe we shouldn't..."

Mei Zhu thought to herself that the master's knowledge was half used for sword practice and half for picking up girls. Apart from his chuunibyou-esque poems, what artistic conception did he have?
There really isn't!

This is definitely a work from my chuunibyou (middle school syndrome) period!
A person who isn't a bit immature in their youth is wasting their youth.

Coincidentally, a man remains a boy until his death!
Therefore, men are often in a state of adolescent angst. Even when they are in their thirties or forties, if they find a straight, slippery stick, they want to be a knight-errant!
Just like Don Quixote rushing towards the windmill, in the moment of rushing past it, he finally became a knight.

(P.S.: I went for a walk yesterday and actually found a stick. This stick is absolutely perfect!)

……

The Grand Tournament of the Qingtian Sword Sect will be held tomorrow.

The so-called sword fight to seize the commander is just a formality.

Only Yuan Xiaotian and Yi Shuihan are capable of vying for the position of sect leader. Yuan Xiaotian is indifferent to worldly affairs, while Yi Shuihan is blinded by greed. Yuan Xiaotian has greater talent, while Yi Shuihan is ruthless. The outcome of this battle is still unknown.

From the moment Song Lingxiao knelt before the Queen of Kucha and renamed the Qingtian Sword Sect the Kucha Protectorate Sword Sect, the duel that would determine the future sect leader was never decided on the arena, but rather outside the arena, in the Queen of Kucha's mind.

Yi Shuihan was certainly aware of this, and he also knew that he had acted too hastily and was too greedy for power and profit.

Even if he could defeat Yuan Xiaotian, he wouldn't be able to become the sect leader if he didn't get the support of the Queen of Kucha.

As the saying goes, the most counterintuitive thing in this world is that those evil and heretical people often desire a fair duel more than righteous heroes.

The reason is simple: if they cannot compete fairly and justly on the stage, neither King Abiro nor Yi Shuihan are qualified to step onto the stage.

Only by holding a martial arts tournament can Abiro fight Wang Shenglan fairly. Otherwise, Li Zhaoting will take Yuanbao and pursue him, killing Blood Moon single-handedly with his sword.

Yi Shuihan is willing to compete in a sword contest to win the leadership position, otherwise the Queen of Kucha will directly appoint Yuan Xiaotian as the leader of the Qingtian Sword Sect.

No matter how many brain-dead actions the main characters made in the original story that made people want to smash the TV, no matter how much criticism Yuan Xiaotian received, no matter how thoroughly he was criticized.

At least one thing is certain: Yuan Xiaotian is a chivalrous and righteous man, and a kind and honest person.

Yuan Xiaotian wasn't very smart and was often deceived and framed. Without the protagonist's halo, he would have been tricked to death long ago. This was a huge flaw in the martial arts world. However, as the guardian sword sect of the Kingdom of Kucha, these flaws became advantages.

If Yuan Xiaotian is clever and quick-witted, recruits many disciples in the Kingdom of Kucha, is adept at handling affairs, and has an excellent relationship with the important civil and military officials of Kucha, then that would be a real problem!
What the Queen needs is: loyalty and fighting ability!
Yuan Xiaotian not only met these two conditions, but also had a mental illness, so he would never form cliques or engage in private activities.

To give a somewhat inappropriate example, Yuan Xiaotian is equivalent to a more refined version of "Ma Guocheng".

Although he was reckless, impulsive, and thoughtless, he was truly loyal and a formidable fighter. Even when surrounded by a massive army, he dared to charge in and single-handedly rescue his lord.

As for the dark history of being framed multiple times, that's not a big deal. Whether the Royal Guards were framed or made mistakes depends on the Queen's word.

Just like the crime of "deceiving the emperor".

If the emperor says you have committed the crime of deceiving the emperor, then that is the real crime of deceiving the emperor. If the emperor says you have not committed the crime of deceiving the emperor, then it is just a joke between the emperor and his subject, which will become a famous story in the future.

Liu Luoguo and Ji Xiaolan wholeheartedly agreed!

The above content was written on a letter.

The letter was from Fang Yeyu.

This was Fang Yeyu's advice to Yi Shuihan.

Consort Yun shared the same thought.

Yi Shuihan's mask could fool Song Lingxiao, but not the Queen of Kucha or Li Zhaoting. His only chance to become the sect leader was to defeat Yuan Xiaotian on the arena in front of all the disciples of the Qingtian Sword Sect.

With a decisive victory, he transformed into an overwhelming force, and with an unchangeable outcome, he forced the Queen to reluctantly accept him as the leader.

The difficulty lies in—winning!
Yuan Xiaotian was very honest and well-behaved. He neither stole the Sky-Piercing Sword nor learned the vicious Sky-Piercing Thunder Palm. In terms of martial arts skills, Yuan Xiaotian was far inferior to Yi Shuihan, but his talent was too high.

In a one-on-one fight, Yi Shuihan might not be able to win.

Thinking of this, Yi Shuihan clenched his fists, took out a secret manual, and thought, "Even last-minute preparation can be effective, let alone a manual that Consort Yun obtained from the Demon Master's Palace."

This is a life-or-death technique, a few martial arts moves that Meng Chixing learned from discussing Taoism with Yu Luosha.

When martial arts reach Meng Chixing's level, one can learn 99.9% of the world's martial arts techniques after seeing them only once, and even perform them better. This is not a superpower, but rather a result of having reached a certain level of martial arts skill, having a deep understanding of martial arts techniques, and being able to see through their mysteries at a glance.

If the enemy uses swordsmanship, sword finger techniques, or pressure point techniques, Li Zhaoting can also do them. The difficulty of learning martial arts on the spot is not as high as imagined.

This martial art is called "Wolf Annihilation Five Oaths," and it consists of five moves, but the manual only records three of them.

When Li Shengnan killed Ximen Muye, she used one of these moves to seize an absolute advantage.

These five martial arts techniques are too fierce, too ruthless, and too intense. The world-renowned Heavenly Demon Disintegration Technique ranks second. What would happen if the strongest move were used?
Wolf Annihilation Five Oaths:

With a vow, I will shatter like jade on Kunlun Mountain;

The second oath: humans and ghosts shall walk the same path;
I swear three oaths, that I may live as long as Heaven and Earth;
The fourth oath, the Heavenly Demon disintegrates;
The fifth oath: to perish together, for both jade and stone.
The first three moves were used to seize the advantage, employing life-or-death fighting techniques to gain a fighting edge, and at the cost of serious injury, to kill a powerful enemy.

The Heavenly Demon Disintegration Technique can increase one's power several times over in a very short time, but it is a death sentence. In the original story, Li Shengnan died because of this technique.

To perish together with one's own body is tantamount to self-destruction. Gathering one's essence, energy, and spirit and unleashing it all at once is like turning one's body into a bomb. After the detonation, nothing remains.

Meng Chixing only copied the first three moves and modified and improved them using the Demonic Image Sect's mental techniques. As for the last two moves, Yu Luosha never used them outside the sect, nor did she have any mental techniques or manuals for them. They were only passed down orally and were Yu Luosha's trump cards in a desperate fight.

To kill Jade Rakshasa, you must use a siege.

The problem is that once she senses she is surrounded and knows she can't escape, Jade Rakshasa will not hesitate to activate the Heavenly Demon Disintegration and Jade Stone Burning Together, dragging all enemies down to hell with her, annihilating heaven and earth, and reducing all things to nothingness.

Back when the martial arts world of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty was at its peak, Meng Chixing wanted to annex the Western Regions Demonic Sect. Yu Luosha said, "I can't beat the Mongol Yuan masters in a siege, but I can drag the strongest one down to hell with me. Those who survive will have their martial arts path completely severed. Do you want to try?"

With these words spoken, the matter was dropped!

Pang Ban was somewhat interested in this, but Ba Shiba, Meng Chixing, and Si Hanfei refused without hesitation.

Looking at the manual in his hand and the annotations Meng Chixing had written on it, Yi Shuihan sighed. The last two moves were meaningless and worthless to him.

Yi Shuihan's goal is to become the sect leader, not to fight Yuan Xiaotian to the death. How can a dead man become the sect leader?
Practicing only the first three moves is enough.

You should be able to master one move in one night.

Yi Shuihan took out a medicine bottle containing poison sent by Yun Fei, which was remarkably effective against the Sky-Piercing Thunder Palm.

"I am the sect leader! I am the true sect leader!"

Yi Shuihan drew his sword and began to cultivate diligently throughout the night.

Meanwhile, Yuan Xiaotian went to sleep early. He knew that the sword contest was just a formality. He trusted his senior brother Yi Shuihan quite a bit and just wanted to put on a show and lose to Yi Shuihan so as not to make things difficult for his master and senior brother.

"Ah!"

Yuan Xiaotian, who was fast asleep, sneezed.

It's getting cold, and I've caught a bit of a chill.

(End of this chapter)