Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 496 What's there to argue about with a bunch of noobs?

Jinling, the residence of Marquis Xiaoyun.

Li Zhaoting's marquisate was not in the capital, but in his ancestral home in Jinling. His fief was also in Jinling. The title of Marquis of Xiaoyun was not just an empty honor; he had a fief.

Li Zhaoting didn't know the exact number of households.

Whenever Li Zhaoting caused a major incident, Zhao Zhen would increase his fiefdom. Given Li Zhaoting's achievements in the Western Regions against Pang Ban, it was not impossible for him to become a Marquis of Ten Thousand Households.

Logically, the Marquis's mansion should have been filled with joy since Li Zhaoting had just returned home. In fact, while the maids and servants were all smiles, a gloomy atmosphere hung over the ancestral hall in the backyard.

Li Zhaoting didn't dare to breathe.

Wang Shenglan and Mei Zhu were punished by being forced to kneel in the ancestral hall.

This was a recurring event at home after Li Zhaoting went out for training. No matter how arrogant Wang Shenglan was, she could not withstand the power of the first wife.

Feng Suzhen, heavily pregnant, was flanked by her lackeys Lan Fenghuang and Gongsun Lan, while Wang Yuyan and Lan Xiaodie stood behind her, cheering her on.

Li Shengnan and Bai Yunfei stood on the left and right sides respectively, holding water and fire sticks, resembling the style of Wang Chaoma Han.

Jiang Yuyan holds paper and pen, recording the family genealogy.

Li Zhaoting looked at Feng Suzhen with a sheepish smile. Feng Suzhen gave a soft snort, and Li Zhaoting's momentum plummeted like a waterfall, causing him to lower his head in embarrassment.

Cheng Huaixiu and Li Zhaoting stood side by side, looking at the beautiful women around them. Cheng Huaixiu straightened her chest and raised her head, thinking to herself, "If you're so capable, bring out the 'Leifeng Pagoda'!"

"My lord is truly a romantic!"

Feng Suzhen flipped through the booklet of Mei Zhu's notes, her expression growing increasingly unfriendly. Just as Li Zhaoting was about to speak, Cheng Huaixiu retorted, "It's all thanks to you, sister."

"What do you mean, sister?"

"Am I wrong? Jianxiong's sister and the Queen of Kucha were both granted permission to enter the house by my elder sister."

"Hmm? Who gave my sister permission to come in?"

"Of course it's my elder sister herself. I first met her at Master Zhang's 100th birthday banquet."

We sparred for hundreds of moves, and the elder sister used her powerful swordsmanship to teach her younger sister a lesson. The ruins still stand today.

If you, elder sister, forbid your younger sister from entering, isn't your "ruthless" approach to managing the household rather than disciplining outsiders?
The fact that the elder sister displayed the mighty sword technique of the eldest wife indicates that she had accepted her younger sister into the family from that moment on.

Words spoken are like water spilled, and deeds done are like arrows shot out; they cannot be taken back.

My sister won't deny it, will she?

You can't be a first wife if you don't keep your word!
"Little sister Cheng Huaixiu greets elder sister~~"

Cheng Huaixiu had already thought about what to say, using a few words to break the atmosphere of "holding court for trial," while also indicating that she had entered the room earlier than Li Shengnan.

Li Shengnan's eyebrows shot up in anger: "You dare to be so rude as soon as you walk in! I'll teach you some manners!"

Cheng Huaixiu retorted with a cold laugh: "When my sister set rules for me, you were still a wild girl!"

Li Shengnan angrily retorted, "Marriage is a major event, traditionally decided by parents and matchmakers. Do you know who wrote my marriage certificate? Tell me, and it will scare you to death!"

Cheng Huaixiu scoffed, "Were you betrothed at birth? Were our families betrothed as children? So what if we were betrothed as children? Were you born before your sister?"
Does getting engaged early mean entering the family early?

Do you want to take your sister's place?
That demonic witch has truly defied the heavens!
Looks like I'll have to teach you manners instead of your sister!

Our family primarily practices martial arts and follows the ways of the martial world, but our master is a marquis appointed by the imperial court. As the marquis's beloved wife and concubine, you should know some manners.

"Li Shengnan, are you trying to rebel?"

Before she could finish speaking, Cheng Huaixiu thought to herself, "This is bad."

There was a loophole in what I just said.

Once words are spoken, no one can take them back.

Li Shengnan knew she couldn't compete with Feng Suzhen. Due to her physical condition, she was slightly afraid of Wang Shenglan, but she could only accept defeat once or twice. Regardless of her personality or background, she could not admit defeat to Cheng Huaixiu.

Cheng Huaixiu had barely uttered half a sentence when Li Shengnan seized upon his weakness. The reason she didn't expose him was that she was thinking about how to take advantage of his misfortune and kill him while he was down.

Sure enough, before Cheng Huaixiu could finish speaking, Li Shengnan immediately interjected: "Since being engaged early doesn't count as entering the sect early, what should be used to determine the order? Fairy Jingzhai has quite a reputation, actually daring to compete with me, a demoness from the Demonic Sect, for your affections."

Cheng Huaixiu smiled calmly: "That's not right. I'm not jealous, but rather establishing rules."

Li Shengnan sneered: "Rules? The rules in this family were all set by my older sister. Who gave you the right to speak up?"

Cheng Huaixiu smiled and said, "Sister is pregnant and should prioritize the child. As her younger sister, I must help her to prevent anyone from causing trouble."

Li Shengnan scoffed, "Stirring up trouble? The Li family was peaceful before, but as soon as you entered, the house was thrown into chaos. Who's stirring up trouble?"

Cheng Huaixiu's expression froze, clearly stung by Li Shengnan's words. However, Cheng Huaixiu had learned many secrets through Meizhu, which was a regular occurrence for the Li family.

Each sister would make a ruckus as soon as she entered the house.

Firstly, to demonstrate one's abilities.

Secondly, they all have a special skill, so how could they be content to be second to anyone? They would definitely try to compete for a higher ranking.

Apart from Feng Suzhen, Wang Shenglan, and Meizhu, the others often had private squabbles, even among the four princesses of the Demonic Sect. However, they dared not make too much of a fuss, and would just exchange a few words to show their dissatisfaction.

When Li Shengnan first entered the family, she fought a best-of-three duel with Feng Suzhen, which was so fierce that the mountains collapsed and the earth cracked.

Cheng Huaixiu only exchanged a few words; he neither drew his sword nor resorted to fists. Li Shengnan's mention of this matter was like the pot calling the kettle black, deliberately revealing her weakness.

Cheng Huaixiu was furious inside, but on the surface she still maintained the dignified and composed demeanor of the Fairy of Jingzhai, with a faint, indifferent smile that contained a sharp chill.

“Sister Li, you are mistaken.”

The storm did not start because of me.

It's clear that the rules are unclear and undercurrents are brewing.

My sister is six months pregnant and needs someone to share her burdens. I cannot bear to see petty people causing trouble, disrupting the Li family's order, and damaging the Marquis's reputation. That's why I wanted to help establish the rules.

I acted with impartiality; what wrong have I done?

When the younger sister first entered the family, she made a best-of-three agreement with her older sister. She formed cliques, provoked her older sister, and had no manners at all. Have she forgotten all of that?

"Learning from the past is a guide for the future!"

Li Shengnan was furious and slammed her water-and-fire stick on the ground with a loud thud, making the windows vibrate.

She was a holy maiden of the Demonic Sect, and her actions were unrestrained. When Cheng Huaixiu made veiled insults, she could not bear it.

"That's so well said!"

What a despicable scoundrel!
What a fine example of 'upholding impartiality'!
Cheng Huaixiu, stop putting on airs!

Your rules are nothing but a fig leaf to suppress dissent and vie for favor! Your sister is kind and forgiving, considering you are new here and do not know the rules, so she has not made a fuss about it.

How dare you push your luck like that? You really think you're someone important? Others may fear you, but I don't!

If you're not convinced, let's go outside and try it out!

My husband likes to choose a wife through martial arts contests!
Let's have a 'fight to determine who's the biggest'!
Whoever wins is the older sister!
I'll give you three moves!"

Li Shengnan took three steps forward, and demonic energy began to appear.

Just as Cheng Huaixiu's lips parted slightly, and Li Shengnan's imposing manner was so intense that the tension was about to explode, Feng Suzhen, who was sitting in the main seat, gently waved her hand.

She didn't look at the two arguing figures, but simply closed the booklet gently, making a barely audible sound that was enough to silence the entire room instantly.

"enough."

Two words, like an ice age, instantly froze all the noise, and all the commotion came to an end.

Feng Suzhen slowly raised her head, her gaze falling on Cheng Huaixiu and Li Shengnan respectively. There was no blame, only a deep calm and a hint of weariness.

"Huai Xiu is willing to manage the household affairs, which is a good thing. Sheng Nan is also fulfilling her duty to uphold the rules and regulations of the household."

However, recent events are not the time for you to engage in verbal sparring or argue, nor is there any martial arts contest for marriage. Use your brains!
The official's fame spread far and wide, and with great success comes great scrutiny. Teahouses and taverns buzzed with gossip, and countless people were watching him closely.

If the two of you fight, wouldn't that let outsiders know that the Marquis's household is in turmoil and that I am a poor manager?

Do you want to make the Marquis's mansion a laughing stock?

Shengnan, go back and write a 3,000-word reflection!

Huaixiu, you've just entered. Go and offer incense to the Li family ancestors. Yuyan, take Huaixiu to Yuquan Pavilion.

Huaixiu lives to my left!
Finally, it's my lord... my lord..."

Feng Suzhen rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on.

Li Zhaoting went over to help with the massage, but Bai Yunfei and Lan Xiaodie joined forces to subdue him, tied him up, and carried him to the bathhouse.

A little farewell is better than a wedding.

Feng Suzhen, Lan Fenghuang, Gongsun Lan, and Wang Yuyan were all a little uncomfortable, but Li Shengnan, Bai Yunfei, and Lan Xiaodie were already eyeing them with greedy eyes.

Cheng Huaixiu disliked luxury and only had a few clothes with her. After quickly making her bed, Jiang Yuyan invited her to the bathroom for the Li family's traditional activity. The newly arrived sisters needed to start a group activity together!
While in the Western Regions, Cheng Huaixiu tried the hot springs behind Sword Forging City, the bathhouse in Kucha Kingdom, and the large bathhouse in Sifang City several times.

Upon arriving in Jinling, I initially felt somewhat out of place, but I quickly became engrossed in the battles.

Wang Shenglan was forced to kneel in the ancestral hall as punishment.

Li Shengnan, Bai Yunfei, Lan Xiaodie, and Cheng Huaixiu were all weaklings, while Jiang Yuyan was the only one with some fighting ability. The fairy and the witch quickly went from being enemies to being united against a common enemy.

—From shared hatred of the enemy to begging for mercy.

—From begging for mercy to giving up, feeling that life has become meaningless and there is no need to fight for a ranking.

We're both noobs, what's there to argue about?

Li Zhaoting closed his eyes, his face full of smugness, and in his mind he was extremely grateful to his old man. As expected of the leader of the Demonic Sect, his old man was farsighted and far-sighted, and easily solved the domestic problems caused by his womanizing ways.

Li Shengnan used to secretly curse Yu Luosha.

Not anymore.

We've gotten used to it, we've given up, let's just destroy it!
Cheng Huaixiu nodded secretly, thinking to herself that Mei Zhu was truly honest in her business dealings, and the information she sold was all true.

—Li Shengnan is indeed a complete noob!
—Although it's a case of the pot calling the kettle black, I'm still only fifty steps ahead, which is better than a complete novice!
Cheng Huaixiu, her eyes filled with shyness, fell into a deep sleep.

Having appeased his beautiful wife and concubines, Li Zhaoting could finally enjoy some peace and quiet. He planned to recuperate in Jinling for several months and did not intend to leave home before the birth of his child.

Because he left in such a hurry, he left his apprentice in Mangshan to learn how to survive in the wilderness, which caused the apprentice to have many complaints.

Li Zhaoting selected several unique skills from the secret manuals he obtained from the Western Regions and taught them to his six disciples.

First up is "The Doppelganger".

Helian Ba's great reputation in the Western Regions was based on this movement technique that could create dozens or even hundreds of illusory bodies in an instant, making him invincible in sneak attacks and assassinations.

The world is a dangerous place; safety comes first.

If you can't win, run!
Lightness skill is the most important ultimate technique.

Secondly, there is the "Four Symbols of Heavenly Will".

Li Zhaoting combined the Yin-Yang and Five Elements concepts of the Four Directions Mysterious Skill and the Seven Injury Fist, and broke them down into five sets of unique skills, which he then taught to the Five Rats, with each of them practicing one lineage of mental techniques and martial arts.

Finally, there's "The Thirteen Forms of Eagle Transformation".

Ouyang Feiying specializes in martial arts, and his philosophy aligns perfectly with Qu Feiyan's. Li Zhaoting makes slight modifications, transforming the insidious and ruthless moves into exquisite, elegant, and versatile techniques, making them even more lethal and aesthetically pleasing.

The Thirteen Forms of Eagle Transformation is a unique skill created by imitating the hunting of eagles and the hunting of wolf packs. The moves are fierce and domineering, and the finger force can tear a person into hundreds of pieces.

After Li Zhaoting's modifications, the flying eagle and wolf became a butterfly flitting among flowers, and the outer sect became the inner sect. When making a move, it was no longer an eagle claw or a wolf claw, but rather a delicate orchid finger gesture.

Compared to the legendary Ruyi Orchid Hand of the Fairy Ruyi who once dominated the world, it is in no way inferior.

The same applies to the difficulty.

Qu Feiyan was busy studying claw techniques and had no time to cause trouble for Li Zhaoting, nor did she have time for puppy love!
When Li Zhaoting taught his disciples, he repeatedly emphasized that early romantic relationships were strictly prohibited. However, considering the marriage age in this era, Qu Feiyan's relationship did not fall into the category of early romantic relationships.

Li Zhaoting inadvertently discovered that Qu Feiyan and Xu Qing, one of the Five Rats, were exchanging glances.

Among the Five Rats, the most handsome is naturally Bai Yutang, the Brocade-haired Rat. Xu Qing is tall and strong with a face like iron. His appearance is not ugly, but it is not handsome either.

However... from the perspective of a spouse...

Qu Feiyan has good taste!
Find the most promising stocks at a glance.

In the future, at a gathering of renowned female martial arts masters, Qu Feiyan will give a speech and will be seated at the same table as Hua Baifeng, the former princess of the Demonic Sect. Their speech topics will be...

—My protagonist son!
It's perfectly normal for apprentices to develop feelings for each other when they reach the age of first love. Li Zhaoting neither strongly opposed nor tried to match them up, but simply let them develop naturally. However, one thing was very important: they must not let this interfere with their studies and must not become illiterate.

Li Zhaoting did not want to end up like another Heavenly Sword one day: Disciple! You pose no threat to me in martial arts, but in education, you have made your teacher lose face, and your teacher can only live in the basement.

In the education sector:

Zhuge Zhengwo trained the Four Great Constables, all of whom were outstanding individuals with impeccable character and martial arts skills. Their stories have been passed down through the ages and they are qualified to give a speech on stage.

The Seven Freaks of Jiangnan, Hong Qigong, and others taught each other character and martial arts through group education, so there was no need for lectures; they could sit in the main seats at banquets.

Pang Ban, Huang Yaoshi, Su Xinghe, and others have disciples who are severely unbalanced in their studies, but the disciples are very loyal to them and each has a special skill, making them qualified to sit at the second table.

Huang Yaoshi sat at the end of the table.

Huang Rong is a plus for him, but Huang Rong was jointly taught by Huang Yaoshi and Hong Qigong, and also had the subtle influence of Guo Jing. As his father, Huang Yaoshi can only get the points before his debut, accounting for half of his contribution.

Mei Chaofeng is a stain he cannot escape.

Being illiterate is a shameful trait.

The learned and erudite Huang Yaoshi taught an illiterate student who couldn't understand martial arts manuals. If it weren't for Huang Rong, who was such a great asset, living in a basement would be too good for him!
"Heavenly Sword" Wuming trained Jian Chen, a peerless talent. If Bu Jingyun hadn't been fervently campaigning for Wuming in the later stages of the game, he wouldn't even have been qualified for the basement.

Li Zhaoting doesn't ask to give a speech on stage, nor does he ask to sit in the main seat at a banquet. At least let me get a seat in the second seat!

Li Zhaoting was very self-aware, knowing that he was utterly worthless in some ways and had a great influence on his apprentices. He believed they should find a moral teacher to help them be sincere, upright, and righteous, and guide them onto the right path.

Where can you find a teacher like this?
Li Zhaoting rubbed his chin, thinking about his goal.

—Gongsun Ce!

Bao Zheng had Zhan Zhao, Wang Ma, Zhang Zhao, and Zhao Yun by his side, while Gongsun Ce was alone and needed some skilled guards.

Most importantly, Gongsun Ce was quite learned and could subtly teach the Five Rats culture.

Bao Zheng had a "flaw" in this respect.

Of the four constables, Wang, Ma, Zhang, and Zhao, only Zhang Long possessed some cultural knowledge. In traditional opera, Wang, Ma, Zhang, and Zhao all played the role of a painted-face character, while Zhang Long would sometimes portray a scholar or a young scholar in certain plays. This suggests that Judge Bao was not very good at teaching those around him cultural knowledge.

Gongsun Ce might have some advantages because he likes to show off and flaunt his knowledge. You can learn something from him when he does this.

Looking at his disciples, who were like the rising sun, Li Zhaoting felt like an old father. Parents love their children and plan far ahead for them. The ancients were right.

Half a month passed by in a flash.

Li Zhaoting wrote two letters to Gongsun Ce, instructing Wu Shu to take the letters of recommendation to Gongsun Ce and help him capture the bandits. If there were no bandits around, it would indicate that Gongsun Ce had outstanding political achievements and should be promoted. The emperor, recognizing his talent, transferred him to a prefecture with bandits.

Given the chaotic state of the martial arts world, Taiping Prefecture is not easy to find, as bandits are everywhere.

Gongsun Ce was upright and righteous, determined to sweep away the filth and restore order to the world. However, he was a weak scholar and worried about being assassinated by villains. With the help of the Five Rats, Gongsun Ce was finally able to show his skills and fully display all his knowledge.

He had just seen his apprentice off when he received a letter from home.

Li Nanxing asked Li Zhaoting to go to the capital. The letter was vague, only saying that something had happened in Dali, Miao territory, and that Li Zhaoting needed to travel a long distance to help handle the matter.

Li Zhaoting: (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻

Is it that there are no people left in Miao territory, or that Tianlong Temple is gone?
Why do you come to me for everything?
Why not bestow upon me the title of "King of Zhennan"?
That being said, the fact that a letter requesting assistance came from the capital shows that the matter is very urgent. Miao and Dali respectively sent envoys to the capital to ask for help. For the sake of his two fathers-in-law and two sworn brothers, even if there is a cataclysmic event, Li Zhaoting has to lend a hand!

According to the rules set by Feng Suzhen, Wang Shenglan and Meizhu, who accompanied her on the trip last time, were confined to their homes. Li Shengnan was to go to Tianshan in advance. After considering all the options, she decided to have Bai Yunfei, Lan Xiaodie, and the newly arrived Cheng Huaixiu accompany her.

Jiang Yuyan was responsible for keeping an eye on Li Zhaoting.

To prevent Li Zhaoting from recklessly engaging in philandering.

Wang Yuyan and Lan Fenghuang also wanted to go out, but pregnant women are not suited to long journeys, so it would be better to stay at home and wait until Li Zhaoting had collected all the information from the capital and was heading south to provide assistance, at which point he could take Wang Yuyan and Lan Fenghuang with him.

Time is of the essence; action must be taken swiftly.

Li Zhaoting left Jinling that afternoon.

The journey was uneventful, and we arrived in the capital.

Li Zhaoting went straight to the residence of the Marquis of Jingyuan.

Li Nanxing was granted the title of Marquis of Jingyuan.

"Jing" means to assess the chaos and is a metaphor for the strategist's merit in stabilizing the country. "Yuan" implies the deep and dangerous terrain of Yanyun and echoes the majestic atmosphere of Youzhou, which was formerly known as "Jimen Yanshu". The title "Jingyuan" is a tribute to the merit of strategizing the country.

Li Nanxing hadn't finished get off work yet, so Li Zhaoting went straight to his father's study to see if there were any correspondence. After searching for half an hour, he only found some scattered memorials.

Bai Yunfei asked in a low voice, "Husband, this is Father-in-law's study. Aren't you a little..."

The four princesses were all part of Li Shengnan's dowry, and their personalities were completely different. Gongsun Lan and Lan Xiaodie were relatively more seductive and bluntly stated that they were all concubines and had to compete for favor. They spoke like foxes. Bai Yunfei and Wang Yuyan were relatively proud and their style was similar to Li Shengnan's.

Li Zhaoting comforted him, "It's alright! At most, I'll get a beating. My father is a weak scholar; even if I disperse all my inner energy, he still can't hurt me!"

Cheng Huaixiu frowned: "Husband! The capital is full of hidden talents. Shouldn't we find a few bodyguards for Father-in-law? Powerful and ruthless tycoons are afraid of you, but a lone madman is capable of anything."

Li Zhaoting laughed and said, "A weak scholar does not mean he is at the mercy of others. Zhuge Liang was also a scholar. Did Zhuge Liang need to be wary of being assassinated when he went out?"

Zhuge Liang was only worried about his son's incompetence.

My dad's pretty much the same!

(End of this chapter)