Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 464 Street Chess Saint, Zhao Min Makes Her Move at Sea Shark Palace
Supreme Alliance!
Ren Qianxing rushed into the secluded training room, excitedly looking at Guan Yutian: "Father! News has come from Sword Forging City that Li Zhaoting is not planning to seize the Frost Sword!"

Guan Yutian frowned upon hearing this: "Li Zhaoting never wanted to compete for the Frost Sword. This matter could have been confirmed a year ago. What's the big deal?"

Ren Qianxing laughed and said, "Not only will Li Zhaoting not try to seize the Ling Shuang Sword, but he will also persuade the Sword Master to keep his promise, saying that the reputation of the Sword Casting City is far superior to the Ling Shuang Sword."

"Qianxing, you're too naive!"
Li Zhaoting possesses the Purple and Green Twin Swords, and he is one with the swords. He looks down on the Frost Sword. Li Zhaoting is a hero and a chivalrous man who puts righteousness first and will not steal the treasure of the Life and Death Chess Game.

However, Li Zhaoting is without desires or wants. Could it be that the Sword Master is also without desires or wants? The Sword Master is ambitious. If it weren't for the Frost Sword restraining him, he would have expanded outwards long ago.

Sword Master is Li Zhaoting's father-in-law. If Sword Master insists on taking it by force, will Li Zhaoting just stand by and watch him get beaten to death? He will definitely help.

Even if Li Zhaoting doesn't take action personally, is it difficult for him to pass on a few sword techniques to the Sword Master under the guise of betrothal gifts, helping the Sword Master break through the limits of the Dragon Riding Slash?
Even if Li Zhaoting remains on the sidelines, the Sword Master prioritizes the reputation of Sword Forging City. Helian Ba ​​and Qian Luo are both powerful figures of their time; how could they possibly miss such a golden opportunity?

Not to mention the involvement of the Mongol Yuan dynasty.

Fang Yeyu has been in the industry for a year, but has not made a single move yet. He is a man of few words, but when he does, he will be a force to be reckoned with. The treasure trove of life and death chess is Fang Yeyu's debut battle!
The matter of the Frost Sword must not be taken lightly.

We must be fully prepared.

Not only do we need to obtain the Frost Sword, but we also need to find the treasure left behind by General Ying Shuntian. Qianxing, how are you learning the chess manual? Are you confident in winning the game?
Come play a few games of chess with me!

Guan Yutian pulled out a chessboard from under his desk.

The members of the Demon Sword Clan have two main hobbies: they enjoy advanced swordsmanship and they love playing chess.

Unfortunately, they had no talent for chess, lived in seclusion, and rarely interacted with the outside world, resulting in the family remaining terrible at chess for over five hundred years.

Any skill, if studied for five hundred years, even a group of pigs could achieve some results. The Demon Sword Clan has many intelligent people. Guan Yutian is a cunning and shrewd hero, so why has he degenerated into a terrible chess player?
Because the game is designed to trap players without limit, the chess manuals left for future generations contain huge pitfalls in the opening moves, with the saying "better to lose a piece than lose the momentum," and the opening move being a flying cannon attacking a horse.

The descendants of the Demon Sword clan will refine the chess manual and constantly improve their strategies, but they will never question the beginning.

Ying Shuntian's chess skills were unparalleled in his time. Apart from the Chess Saint and Sword Ancestor, he was the only one in the world who could give others the first move.

How could there be such a big mistake at the start?

Furthermore, starting with a cannon attacking the horse, displaying a menacing and imposing posture, is indeed very impressive.

The problem is, this is indeed a major leak.

If you use chess software to calculate scores, a move like the cannon attacking the horse at the start results in a huge negative score, the highest level of negative score, which can create a significant gap in skill level.

A grandmaster who uses the Flying Cannon to attack the horse in the opening will inevitably lose to someone of the same level, with a more than 90% chance of losing to a master. In other words, the Demon Sword Clan's research on chess records over the past 500 years has mainly focused on how to make up for the major flaws left in the opening. Even if they were given another 500 years, they could barely get close to the professional level.

Guan Yutian was very confident in his own chess records.

After five hundred years of painstaking research, who in the world can defeat the remnants of the Demon Sword? Our swords are not invincible, but our chess skills are undoubtedly unmatched!

Ren Qianxing's expression suddenly changed: "Father! Last night I went out for a walk and passed by a chess stall. I suddenly felt itchy to play chess and asked the stall owner to let me play, but I ended up..."

"What's wrong? Did you lose to him?"

"In less than half an hour, he lost five games in a row. The stall owner was completely at ease, eating kebabs, playing with his grandson, and playing chess with his child. He effortlessly defeated the child, leaving him with no players. It was terrifying!"

"There is such a 'Chess Saint' in the world! We must not let the chess record be leaked. Qianxing, invite this Chess Saint here immediately, and I will play against him personally."

"I've brought him here, he..."

"what did he say?"

He said his chess skills were not even ranked in the Central Plains, so he went to the Western Regions to make a living!

"You bastard! Bring him here!"

Guan Yutian was furious. The young master, whom the Demon Sword Clan had carefully nurtured, was being looked down upon like this. As the head of the family and as a father, Guan Yutian had lost face. He was going to test this old geezer.

An hour later, Guan Yutian looked up at the sky with lifeless eyes and a face full of despair. There was only one way to win against the old man, and that was the "Life and Death Chess".

The Demon Sword Clan is skilled in the "Chess of Life and Death".

A game of chess can be a matter of life and death.

Either defeat the enemy on the chessboard.

Either kill the person outside the chessboard.

Unable to resort to violence, Guan Yutian was defeated by an old man who ran a chess stall more than ten times in a row. This was only because the old man saw the magnificent buildings of the Supreme Alliance and the terrifying aura of Guan Yutian's eyes blazing with fire, and he was extremely conservative when making his moves, not daring to use any "deceptive" chess techniques.

Without external factors, Guan Yutian would either be checkmated within a dozen steps or easily killed by his opponent, leaving him with no chance of winning.

Guan Yutian could no longer maintain his composure. He grabbed the old man by the collar and roared, "Bastard! Who are you? What is your purpose in coming to the Western Regions?"

"M-M-Sir! I'm just a chess stall swindling money, I have no other purpose."

"Bah! You old geezer who runs a chess stall, you think you can beat me more than ten times in a row? Are you kidding me? I'm giving you one last chance. If you dare to utter another lie, I'll cut your whole family into a thousand pieces and feed them to the dogs!"

"My...my lord, please spare me! I was just a swindler, I really am!"

The old man was so frightened that he soiled himself. Guan Yutian disgustedly threw him away and asked, "Your chess skills are so good that you could be called a chess master. Why are you pretending to be crazy?"

"Chess Saint? What chess saint? I'm considered a master in my village, but just average in the county. I was lucky enough to go to the capital once, but the gatekeeper of the chess club there was many times better than me. I couldn't even get through the gate!"

"You...you are looking for death!"

Guan Yutian was furious. He thought to himself, "You were completely outmatched by the gatekeeper, and I was completely outmatched by you? What am I? A frog in a well with a limited view of the sky? I'm not even a frog!"
"Qiang!"

Ren Qianxing drew his sword and shouted, "Write down your chess score, and my master will have his own judgment!"

"Wh...what chess manual?"

"That's exactly the style of your chess game!"

"This old man only knows unorthodox methods..."

"Do you want to die?"

"I don't want to... I'll write it now..."

"Go and wash yourself clean first!"

Ren Qianxing had his servants take the old man away, wash his body, and change his clothes. The old man calmed himself down and wrote down his routine.

Looking at the "chess manual," Guan Yutian felt that this chess manual was a hundred times better than the "Thousand Spirits Chess Manual." Compared with this old man, the five hundred years of research by the Demon Sword Clan was child's play, and they were insignificant ants.

Guan Yutian laughed loudly: "Qianxing! Well done! You just went out for a casual trip and actually found a chess master!"

Ren Qianxing asked in surprise, "Father! I don't understand! The Chess Saint has his own arrogance, but this old geezer..."

Guan Yutian analyzed, "I guess he wasn't kicked out by the gatekeeper of the chess club in the capital of the Song Dynasty, but because his skills were too high, he was ostracized by famous chess masters and had to leave his hometown and flee to the Western Regions. From then on, he dared not call himself a chess saint and only wanted to find a way to survive."

Ren Qianxing made a gesture to silence him.

Guan Yutian waved his hand: "Qianxing, one should have a broad mind and magnanimity. The old man's skills are profound. You should treat him with the respect due to a disciple and ask him for advice on chess strategies to improve your skills."

He's a decrepit old man, knows no martial arts, has many hidden injuries, and is plagued by illnesses. How many more years can he live? How many more bites of food can he eat? Does the Supreme Alliance need a single bite of his rice?
When the Chess King Cave is opened in the future, if your skills are inferior to your opponent's, the Chess Saint will be your second move.

Make arrangements for his family.

Give them gold, silver, jewels, fine silks, and a small courtyard, so that they may have no worries about food and clothing.

Tell the chess master that if he is willing to teach you, your family will enjoy endless wealth and honor. If he doesn't teach you properly, I will kill his whole family. Qianxing, this is your opportunity!
Never let a small gain lead to a big loss!

"I will heed Father's teachings!"

"The Frost Sword, the Chess of Life and Death, is the wish that the Demon Sword Clan has guarded for five hundred years. It is our last chance. If we fail, the Demon Sword Clan will surely be wiped out."

"Father, I will go to learn chess immediately."

Ren Qianxing was decisive and efficient. He first provided the chess master's family with money, food, clothing, and housing, giving them enough to last for decades, and then became the chess master's disciple.

The "Chess Saint" had been setting up a stall on the street for many years, and was at the very bottom of the social hierarchy, so he was well prepared for this.

Seeing that his family would enjoy endless wealth and that his descendants would have no worries about food and clothing, he immediately devoted himself to teaching Ren Qianxing how to play chess, starting with the opening moves.

There aren't many opening strategies in Chinese chess. The most common ones are: Cannon Opening, Flying Elephant, and Immortal's Guide. Ren Qianxing seemed to have been studying chess for over ten years, but in reality, he was only at a beginner level. After learning the opening strategies, his progress was rapid. In just three days, he was able to defeat Guan Yutian in a sorry state. The father and son became even more convinced that this old man was a "Chess Saint" who had reached the pinnacle of skill. The fact that he was ostracized because of his high level of skill was a gift from heaven.

……

Sea Shark Palace Headquarters

Helian Ba ​​is welcoming a distinguished guest.

The honored guest was only thirteen or fourteen years old, a clever and lovely little girl. Every smile and frown of hers possessed a wild beauty, and she was destined to be a peerless beauty in the future.

It was none other than Zhao Min.

Zhao Min was followed by four guards.

Two tall, muscular men, disciples of the Vajra Sect from the Western Regions, one calling himself Ah Er and the other Ah San, were proficient in external martial arts techniques.

The other two, dressed in black and white robes respectively, followed respectfully behind him. They were clearly servants; they were Pang Ban's personal servants, known as the "Black and White Servants."

Pang Ban doted on his little apprentice Zhao Min and assigned the Black and White Servants to protect her. The Black and White Servants were quite skilled in martial arts and could withstand a sword strike from Lang Fanyun without dying.

In terms of pure martial arts, even if the two servants, Black and White, and Ah Er and Ah San all rushed up, they would be no match for Helian Ba, whose lightness skill was superb. However, Zhao Min was backed by the Demon Master Pang Ban, so Helian Ba ​​did not dare to be negligent in the slightest.

"I have long heard of Princess Shaomin's exceptional intelligence. Today, having the honor of seeing her in person, I can confirm that she is indeed a woman of outstanding talent and beauty, in no way inferior to the successors of Cihang Jingzhai."

"I've long heard that Palace Master Helian is domineering and tyrannical, but I never expected him to be so kind. Seeing is believing."

Zhao Min's sarcastic remarks about Helian Ba ​​were ambiguous.

Helian Ba ​​pretended not to hear anything.

The surname Helian is extremely rare. Whether in Western Xia or Song Dynasty, it is a prestigious and powerful family. However, Helian Ba ​​was neither a nobleman nor had any master or mentor. When he joined the Sea Shark Palace, he was just a nobody. He climbed up step by step from the bottom until he became the palace master. The hardships he endured during that time could not be recorded even in ten volumes of diaries.

Given Helian Ba's life experience, how could he possibly stoop to the level of a mere maid? That would be far too beneath him!
Helian Ba ​​welcomed Zhao Min into the Sea Shark Palace. The two sat down as host and guest, and Helian Ba ​​asked, "What advice does the Demon Master have? Does he perhaps wish to subdue the Sea Shark Palace?"

Zhao Min laughed and said, "That's not right. My master is focused on comprehending the Dao of Heaven, hoping to break through the void as soon as possible. How could I trouble him with the complicated affairs of the mortal world, the struggle for fame and fortune, and the hustle and bustle of power struggles?"

Helian Ba ​​waited quietly for what would happen next.

Zhao Min, too lazy to probe, went straight to the point: "I have two business matters to discuss with Palace Master Helian. I am not representing my master, but my elder brother and father."

Sixty years ago, the Demon Sword Clan commissioned Sword Forging City to forge the Frost Sword. Half a month later, the divine sword was completed.

I'm not entirely sure about the power of the Frost Sword, but with just a divine weapon, it's no match for Li Zhaoting, let alone Lang Fanyun. The sword itself isn't important.

Most importantly, the Frost Sword is the key to unlocking the Chess King Cave, a secret realm containing the treasures accumulated by Ying Shuntian throughout his life, with mountains of gold and silver jewels.

If Palace Master Helian helps me obtain the treasure, we will split the profits 30/70. Palace Master Helian, please don't think it's too little. Although gold is precious, it has no intrinsic value.

The valuable items are elixirs, armor, and warhorses.

Holding a pile of gold will make you a target of public criticism.

Only by possessing armor and warhorses worth the same as gold can one expand their influence and reap real benefits.

"I've heard that Palace Master Helian is skilled in hand-to-hand combat and never uses weapons. In that case, the Frost Sword is mine, and I'll compensate Palace Master Helian with three volumes of hand-to-hand combat manuals."

Zhao Min snapped her fingers, and her two servants, one in black and one in white, took out two martial arts manuals: one was the Great Compassion Thousand-Leaf Hand, and the other was the Thousand-Hand Tathagata Palm. When used in conjunction with the Shadow Clone, it could instantly condense a thousand-handed, thousand-eyed Dharma image.

The martial arts technique wasn't particularly powerful, but it perfectly suited Helian Ba's martial arts style. Greed flashed in Helian Ba's eyes; if he could take 20% of the benefits, he would never take only 18%.

Helian Ba ​​laughed and said, "I am deeply grateful for the Princess's kindness in bestowing seventy percent of her gold upon me. I am truly grateful..."

"Ahem! Palace Master Helian, please don't joke around. If you continue to use this unreasonable tone to negotiate, the cooperation is null and void, and I'll go talk business with Bantianyue."

“Princess, if we try to seize the treasure, we will not only offend the Sword Forging City, but also the Demon Sword Clan, and we may even offend Li Zhaoting. Li Zhaoting’s swordsmanship is divine; he can kill a thousand people with a single sword strike. How dare I contend with the Sword God?”

At this point, Helian Ba ​​changed the subject: "If the Demon Master is willing to help, even at the cost of my life, I will accompany you without hesitation."

“Palace Master Helian, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I don’t want to waste my breath and have no time to waste with you.”

What I just mentioned is the final condition.

If you want gold, 30% of it is yours.

If you want supplies, exchange them for an equivalent amount of armor and warhorses.

Ahem~ Let me add one more thing: if Palace Master Helian wants a high-ranking official position and a generous salary, my father can help.

Li Chimei, the first protector of the Great Yuan Dynasty, can guide you in martial arts. The Shadow Clone Technique is not the strongest movement technique. You still have a long way to go before becoming the king of lightness skills.

I've finished speaking. Who agrees and who disagrees?

A grown man, at his age, haggling with a young girl—you don't feel ashamed, but I do! You have the time it takes for an incense stick to burn!

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, whether you are friend or foe, whether you will cooperate or refuse, please give me a clear answer, Palace Master.

A treasure trove richer than any country!
"Doesn't Palace Master Helian want it?"

Zhao Min's tone was seductive, a result of her own cleverness and quick wit, as well as the effects of the "Secret Book of Wisdom" and the influence of spiritual cultivation.

Helian Ba, a powerful and ruthless figure, rose from the lowest rung of the martial arts world to the top by risking his life time and time again.

When Helian Ba ​​was just a nobody, he dared to risk his life to seduce the sect's holy maiden. After being discovered by the sect elders, he abandoned the holy maiden without hesitation. As long as he could gain benefits and climb the ranks, Helian Ba ​​would do anything. When Zhao Min revealed the news of the Demon Sword Clan's treasure, Helian Ba ​​would never refuse.

You either go it alone or find allies.

Going it alone is the most foolish thing to do.

The simplest logic is that the treasure of the Demon Sword Clan, piled high with gold and silver, is too much for one person to carry.

Even if the treasure belongs to the Sea Shark Palace and is transported intact to its treasury, what then? Gold and silver cannot be eaten or drunk, and will attract covetousness from all sides. Only by exchanging them for spiritual medicines, secret manuals, armor, warhorses, and rations can the treasure realize its value. The Sea Shark Palace does not have the capacity to digest a large amount of treasure, and Helian Ba ​​needs the assistance of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty.

As the saying goes...

When the birds are gone, the good bow is hidden.

The cunning rabbit dies, the running dog cooks.

Before obtaining the Ling Shuang Sword, the princess might have needed my help. But after obtaining the Ling Shuang Sword, the princess kicked me aside, and I have nowhere to cry.

Even if you spare my life for the sake of your reputation, give me a nominal position, sideline me, and control the Sea Shark Palace, when we encounter a powerful enemy, you can throw me out like trash, use someone else to kill me, and wipe the Sea Shark Palace clean.

It's not that I'm being paranoid, but the world is a dangerous place, and for the sake of this old body, I have to be careful.

"What insightful opinion does the Princess have?"

Helian Ba ​​was putting on a show.

Zhao Min smiled and said, "Palace Master Helian, my master ordered my senior brother and me to go out of the mountains to train. There are too many experts in the Central Plains, so we dare not go. We can only train in the Western Regions first."

I assure you that I will support a master to become the leader of the Western Regions martial arts alliance. Palace Master Helian, I think you are very suitable. Of course, this is all empty talk. In Li Zhaoting's words, this is called making empty promises.

Verbal guarantees are meaningless.

Agreements can be broken at any time.

A ruthless tyrant like Palace Master Helian only believes in benefits that are readily available, and I like to do the same.

This is my sincerity!

This is of some help to Palace Master Helian.

Zhao Min snapped her fingers, and Ah Er and Ah San took off their bundles. Ah Er's bundle contained three thousand-year-old ginseng roots, while Ah San's bundle contained a neat stack of silver notes and a scroll of secret manual.

Highest Yoga Tantra

Helian Ba ​​laughed and said, "Princess, you are generous and magnanimous, and you are no less capable than any man. If I continue to haggle, it would seem too stingy of me. I am willing to seize the divine sword for you."

(End of this chapter)