Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 497 Duan Yu: My two older brothers are both my brothers-in-law!

Working overtime is a daily routine for Li Nanxing.

Li Zhaoting, accompanied by his beautiful wives and concubines, strolled around the capital for more than two hours. After having dinner, they spent an hour and a half at the night market before finally waiting for his father to get off work.

"Dad, this is your packed dinner! Eat first, then we can talk business! Otherwise you won't be able to eat!"

To ensure Li Nanxing had a hot meal, Li Zhaoting packed stews, which were simmered over a low flame on a small red clay stove, ready to eat as soon as the lid was opened.

Li Zhaoting gave a wink, and Cheng Huaixiu and Bai Yunfei brought over a small casserole dish, while Lan Xiaodie brought over the main course.

Li Nanxing laughed and said, "Not bad! You found a really good wife! After all these years, the thing I'm most proud of is that you've helped the Li family to have more children."

After a pause, Li Nanxing continued, "Find a place to sit! I'm not some pedantic, rigid scholar; I know more about the affairs of the martial world than you do!"

"Father! The Emperor is so stingy! We've been working overtime for so long, and he doesn't even get dinner!"

"His Majesty has recently heard someone explain health preservation techniques, such as not eating after noon. Go to the palace tomorrow and send those few shabby old Taoist priests to the underworld!"

Li Nanxing took a big bite of a steamed bun.

"Is a sorcerer bewitching His Majesty?"

Li Zhaoting flicked out a wisp of sword light.

"It can't be called swindling; this old Taoist priest with his scruffy hair does have some real skills, otherwise the Eighth Prince and the Empress Dowager wouldn't have kept him around. But the more real skills one has..."

A ruthless glint flashed in Li Nanxing's eyes: "We should eliminate them as soon as possible, and not let them gain any influence. You should have some experience with the dangers involved."

Li Zhaoting exclaimed in surprise, "Father means that the old bastard who bewitched His Majesty is Jia Shifang's apprentice."

Li Nanxing sighed, "Two months ago, the Liao Kingdom sent an envoy to the capital to pay tribute. This was the first time since the founding of the Great Song Dynasty that a northern tribe had paid tribute, and it was the Liao Kingdom, with whom we had been fighting for decades. His Majesty attached great importance to this..."

Two months ago, a delegation from the Liao Dynasty arrived in the capital.

They not only sent gold, silver, jewels, cattle, sheep, and horses, but also thirty-six Liao Kingdom treasures. Accompanying them was an old Taoist priest who claimed to be the "National Preceptor of Liao Kingdom".

The Imperial Preceptor is proficient in the Five Elements arts, skilled in alchemy, and possesses superb martial arts skills. He is ranked among the "Five Evils" and is the destined enemy of Li Zhaoting and Feng Suzhen. He is also the leader of the Yuxian Gang.

Compared to those charlatan Taoist priests who swindle and pretend to be gods, the leader of the Yuxian Gang is far superior. He is not a fake; he is a Taoist priest with real skills.

Who are the "Five Evils"?
Yu He, an old demon over a hundred years old, nicknamed "Invincible in the Eight Hundred Hundreds," is the martial saint who has reappeared from the Xuanyuan!

Lin Lingsu attempted to unify Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, making herself the ancestor of all paths!
Yan Kuangtu, a madman who fights alone in the world, is arrogant and domineering. He is a peerless madman who kills people, Buddhas, Taoists and demons!

Jia Shifang, a wicked Taoist priest who wreaks havoc on the world, is killed on sight by anyone who sees him once he leaves the Liao Kingdom's prison. When vying for the treasure of the Chess King Cave, Li Zhaoting, together with Jian Yin, Cheng Huaixiu, Wang Shenglan, and Guan Yutian, besieged Jia Shifang, going through countless hardships just to burn him to ashes, leaving not a single cell behind.

The leader of the Yuxian Gang is on par with these people, so you can imagine his abilities. In the original story, the only time that Feng Suzhen, who was a champion in both literature and martial arts, used her ultimate move was against him!

Feng Suzhen used her sword to play the Demon-Subduing Zither, breaking the demonic power of the leader of the Yuxian Gang, and the two of them fell down.

The leader of the Yuxian Gang was bound and gagged by the emperor.

Feng Suzhen suffered a severe loss of vitality and martial arts skills, and was no match for the Five Elements Formation of the five direct disciples of the Yuxian Gang. She was nearly attacked while she was down and faced several life-or-death crises.

In terms of martial arts, Li Zhaoting was not afraid of this old bastard at all. At worst, he could gather his friends to gang up on him, and with Lu Xiaofeng, the Four Great Constables, Xiao Feng, Cheng Huaixiu, and Li Shengnan, they could easily wipe out the Yuxian Gang.

The question is, how dare this guy come to Beijing?

Aren't you afraid of being killed by Li Zhaoting?

Bewitching the emperor was indeed impressive, but as soon as he left the palace, Li Zhaoting would immediately lead his relatives and friends to surround and kill him, and even ten sorcerers would not escape death.

Why did the Liao Kingdom send such a person?

Aren't you afraid of being exposed by the civil and military officials?

Li Zhaoting knew nothing about the imperial court and subconsciously looked at Li Nanxing. Li Nanxing explained, "The leader of the Yuxian Gang has reached the limit of his martial arts and it is difficult for him to advance further. In order to become an immortal, he has no choice but to risk his life to infiltrate the Song Dynasty."

"Why the Song Dynasty? I think he could try his luck with the Manchu and Mongol Yuan Dynasties! Most of the people in the Manchu and Mongol Yuan Dynasties were Buddhists, but when it comes to things like immortality, people may say they don't care, but their actions often tell a different story..."

A mocking smile appeared on Li Zhaoting's lips.

For emperors, generals, and nobles, the allure of immortality is unparalleled. Even the most brilliant archers, when they reach old age, will fear death.

At the end of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes", Genghis Khan met Guo Jing again. He asked no questions about past grievances or history, but only one question: Do the Quanzhen Taoists know how to make elixirs?

As the saying goes, what the superiors do, the inferiors will follow.

The martial arts world of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty, seemingly firmly controlled by the Demon Master's Palace and the Tantric sect, actually had at least 30% of its high-ranking members believing in Taoism and attempting to achieve "immortality."

With the abilities of the leader of the Yuxian Gang, he would have at least a 50% success rate in deceiving the Mongol Khan.

He only needs to gamble on one thing.

—Will Li Chimei kill him?

As long as Li Chimei doesn't kill anyone, she wins the bet and can gain wealth and honor, become the Grand Preceptor of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty, and study sorcery and evil arts.

However, there are too many gambles to be made in the capital of the Song Dynasty. If someone were to smear him and say that he wanted to become the next Lin Lingsu, he would be hunted down by experts from both Buddhism and Taoism. It would be lucky if he could save his life.

Even assuming there is no hostility whatsoever.

so what?

Zhao Zhen is in his early twenties, the prime of his youth, so the allure of immortality isn't that strong. The magic of the Encounter Immortals is perfect for fooling the old emperor.

Li Nanxing sighed, "These are turbulent times! The chaos caused by demons cannot be stopped by one or two people. This is a great calamity, a time of chaos caused by demons. The Heavenly Sword was born in response to this. In the end, everything boils down to just six words!"

"What six words?"

"Knowing the will of Heaven is easy; going against it is difficult."

"This seems to be a reflection of Zhuge Liang."

“Knowing it’s impossible yet still doing it, sigh…” Li Nanxing sighed and waved his hand: “Forget it! Let’s not talk about these things, let’s talk about Miao territory and Dali.”

"What's going on with Miao territory and Dali? Has Li Chenzhou lost his mind? Why is he invading Dali?"

"Because Li Chenzhou had no choice. Ever since he provoked Xiao Qiushui, the Power Gang has been declining. All nineteen demons were killed, and half of the eight Heavenly Kings were lost."

Even among the three giants, disagreements inevitably arise.

Normally, when the number of the nineteen demons and eight heavenly kings is reduced, we can recruit talents to make up the numbers as soon as possible. What kind of people can we recruit now?

Most of these people who joined Li Chenzhou were there for fame and fortune. The biggest attraction of the power faction was their arrogant slogan of "ruling the world".

You think it's ridiculous, don't you?
You find it laughable, but some people see it as an opportunity to become a founding hero and wield great power.

People in the martial arts world have a high literacy rate, but more than 90% of them learn to read in order to practice martial arts. Even most of the inner disciples of Shaolin and Wudang have this idea.

How many people understand the imperial court, officialdom, and rebellion?

How many people know how to train soldiers, grow grain, and make crossbows?

The strategists of the strongest underworld sects in the martial arts world are Liu Suifeng of the Power Gang, Di Feijing of the Six and a Half Hall, Yang Wuxie of the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Hall, and Ling Zhantian of the Angry Dragon Gang. Except for Ling Zhantian, who knows naval warfare, the rest are all martial arts people.

Even Liu Suifeng was no exception.

Liu Suifeng was always successful in bribing spies. First, his intelligence was accurate, and he knew what the other party wanted. Second, he used power as bait, promising them a life of luxury.

This unique advantage continued until last year.

Last year, the imperial court recovered the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun. Anyone with a modicum of intelligence, who doesn't need to understand the court or military strategy, knows that Li Chenzhou, the power broker, has no chance of ruling the world.

In other words, the promises Liu Suifeng made to his subordinates about becoming founding heroes were almost certainly unfulfilled.

From the moment the imperial court recovered the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, Li Chenzhou was no longer a ruthless and ambitious hero eager to make a name for himself, but a narrow-minded rebel.

Doesn't that sound ridiculous?
A closer analysis reveals that simply changing a name carries the risk of family ruin and even death. Li Chenzhou couldn't even imitate pirates and head south to Siam.

Li Chenzhou only had three choices.

The Song Dynasty, Tibet, and Dali.

The Song Dynasty was powerful and its military was at its peak.

Tibet, with its high mountains and bitter cold, serves as a natural barrier.

Only Dali has a two- or three-way chance.

If I'm not mistaken, Liu Suifeng had already secretly bribed high-ranking officials in Dali and Miaojiang. The Five Poisons Sect is a mixed bag, with far too many traitors.

When I sent you this message, Prince Duan Yu of Dali personally rushed to the capital to request the Song Dynasty to send troops.

Gao Shengtai was assassinated by villains.

The eminent monks of Tianlong Temple suffered heavy losses.

Many Yi tribes around Dali rebelled.

The Miao region is no exception.

Fortunately, Old Man Lan was quick-witted and promptly revealed your name, indicating that the Supreme Heavenly Sword was the son-in-law of Miao Jiang. Had there been even the slightest delay, Miao Jiang would have been turned upside down.

Liu Suifeng is a real talent.

They're incredibly good at bribing undercover agents!
When you go to Dali, try to bring Wang Yuyan and Lan Fenghuang with you to appease the people and find an opportunity to kill Li Chenzhou. Leave this part to Dali…”

Li Nanxing held a meeting for a whole day to discuss the Power Clique. Dali is the southern bulwark of the Song Dynasty, and the Duan family has never fought against the world. Now that the Duan family has been attacked, the Song Dynasty should help them and suppress the Power Clique.

Sending troops is definitely necessary.

The specific process needs to be discussed in detail.

Some people wanted Li Nanxing to lead the troops into battle.

Li Nanxing stated that this was an internal matter for Dali and that it was not advisable to send too many troops. He recommended that Li Xunhuan be sent as an envoy to Dali, with a larger delegation and guards.

Two or three hundred men are sufficient for a normal guard, but Li Nanxing suggested increasing it to eight hundred. He also suggested that the accompanying military officers be appointed based on the principle of recommending relatives and friends. He said that his son was on leave in Nanjing recently, and since he had been on leave for so long, it was time to find him a job. He suggested that his son be sent to Dali to quell the rebellion.

Li Zhaoting looked at Li Nanxing with an unfriendly expression.

Li Nanxing retorted, "Am I wrong? The Miao region of Dali is being invaded by the Power Clique, and Duan Yu personally came to the capital to seek help. Could you just sit idly by? Since you're definitely going to take action, why be so coy and pretend?" Li Zhaoting: ┓(`)┏

Li Nanxing continued, "My dear son, I know you're angry, but you can't yell at your wife, and you can't hit or scold me. Go vent your anger on that old bastard!"

Li Zhaoting's face was full of bitterness: "As the saying goes, it's better to provoke than to persuade, but your method... is this how you provoke people? I'm your own son..."

Li Nanxing shrugged indifferently: "Only a biological son would be used like this. I'm working overtime in the palace, while you're all free! It's infuriating!"

"So, you're trying to trick me?"

"I'm just giving you something to do! The Supreme Heavenly Sword needs honing, and Old Rascal is the perfect candidate."

"Do you believe I'll tell on you?!"

"Whom are you looking for? The Emperor or the Empress Dowager?"

"I'm going to tell your father!"

"Hiss~~The treacherous son looks at the whip~~"

Li Nanxing untied the belt made of seven wolf tendons.

Li Zhaoting wanted to run away, but then he noticed that the broken stone at the door had shifted and turned upside down. He said, "I'm going to complain to the old man that you've been withholding my allowance..."

Li Zhaoting was just making random comments, but what he said was actually true. In addition to being a marquis, Li Zhaoting also held a proper official position, received a monthly salary, and received bonuses during holidays, all of which were collected by Li Nanxing.

Li Zhaoting was unaware that he held an official position in the imperial court and that Emperor Zhao Zhen was paying him a monthly salary.

What official position?
Captain of the Mission's Guard.

It was just a casual remark. The mission to the Western Regions was originally intended to divert attention and deceive everyone. No one took it seriously, and the Ministry of Personnel had no record of it. Unexpectedly, the old fogies in the Ministry of Rites meticulously recorded it.

During the year-end inspection, officials from the Ministry of Personnel discovered this temporary, nominal position and wanted to apply to the Ministry of Rites for its reimbursement.

However, at that time, Li Nanxing was a great contributor to the recovery of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, and Li Zhaoting was ranked first among the Heavenly Stars. The court was eager to give him more official positions to firmly bind the father and son to the court and make them inseparable.

So when it came time to settle accounts at the end of the year, they first paid a year's salary in arrears, and then every month thereafter, they paid the highest salary. Since Li Zhaoting was not in the capital, Li Nanxing collected the salary on his behalf, and Li Zhaoting was completely unaware of this.

Hearing Li Zhaoting's complaints, Li Nanxing instinctively shrank back. Li Zhaoting noticed the slip-up and casually asked, only then realizing that he actually received a salary...

"Dad! You really are my dad!"

"You're young, I'll save it for you!"

"Thank you so much!"

Li Zhaoting strode out of the room.

"what are you going to do?"

"Let's fight that old bastard from the Yuxian Gang!"

"Don't kill him, just beat him half to death. Find a place to ambush him later, and finish him off when he leaves the capital!"

"You just told me to kill him."

“Old Zamao lives in Duting Post Station. You can’t kill him in front of the Liao envoy.”

"He'd better stay in Dutingyi for the rest of his life!"

Li Zhaoting stepped out of the Marquis's residence.

The following morning, news spread throughout the capital.

Upon learning that one of the "Five Evils" on the Jianghu Rankings was in the capital, Wushang Tianjian, Jiazi Taisui, and Xiaoyun Hou took the initiative to visit him for a duel, and the two sides engaged in a fierce battle.

The leader of the Yuxian Gang made flashy moves, effortlessly manipulating the five elements, wielding a floating and sinking weapon, and appearing as ethereal as a celestial being.

Li Zhaoting shattered all laws with a single sword strike, breaking all the mental techniques, martial arts, and spells of the leader of the Yuxian Gang. He then shattered five of the leader's ribs with a single palm strike and left Duting Post Station with a light, airy feeling.

An imperial censor impeached Li Zhaoting for disregarding etiquette and law and for wanton provocation, requesting His Majesty to punish him severely. Zhao Zhen replied, "My dear minister, you speak well. I entrust you with the important task of severely punishing Li Zhaoting. If you dare to neglect your duties, you will be demoted three ranks."

The censor nodded obsequiously and retreated sheepishly.

He was afraid that Li Zhaoting would bring him bad luck and kill him.

How powerful was Yuan Lianqin back then? How vast was the influence of his subordinates? Yet Li Zhaoting brought him down overnight.

Using words to gain fame is acceptable.

If we really take action, anyone who goes is a fool.

Emperor Zhao Zhen issued an order appointing Li Xunhuan as an envoy to Dali, with Li Zhaoting as the captain of the accompanying guard. To show his importance, he dispatched a guard of eight hundred men.

Li Zhaoting could choose assistants from the Imperial Guard.

The generals of the Imperial Guard knew that this was an opportunity to make meritorious contributions and rise to prominence, so most of them were eager to take the lead.

Li Zhaoting selected four deputies.

A man named Zhong Yuan, tall and strong, with a dignified appearance, vigorous blood and energy, and superhuman strength, killed a tiger with his bare hands last year when he passed through Qinghe County.

A man named Ma Feng, handsome in appearance, skilled in using steel knives and folding fans, and proficient in acupoint striking techniques, was always defiant towards Zhong Yuan. He was young, impetuous, and reckless.

A man named Guan Da was highly skilled in martial arts, adept at using firearms, experienced, and well-liked. He was a reliable elder brother and held considerable prestige within the Imperial Guard.

A man named Zhuo Yong is skilled in the Phantom Sword Technique and practices assassin martial arts. Since he can be an assassin, he can find assassins. He is the most reliable bodyguard.

He had four deputies, each commanding two hundred men.

If you can't manage it, hand it over to someone else.

Li Zhaoting couldn't be bothered with these things.

Li Zhaoting's job was simply to draw his sword and kill people.

He also took the opportunity to reconnect with Duan Yu.

After all, the two families are now even closer than before.

They are sworn brothers and also related by marriage.

Duan Yu looked at Li Zhaoting with an awkward expression.

My two sworn brothers have inexplicably become my brothers-in-law? What the hell is going on?

Is my dad that amazing?
Are the three of us really that destined to be together?
"Third brother, why do you look at me like that? We're now even closer relatives, it's a good thing no matter how you look at it!"

"Second brother, I'm just curious, how many more sisters do I have? My father is quite the womanizer..."

Before he could finish speaking, Duan Yu hurriedly covered his mouth.

Li Zhaoting was also a womanizer, perhaps not as many as Duan Zhengchun, but far superior in quality. He married both the enchanting demoness Jingzhai Fairy and other demonic women.

Most other people's three wives and four concubines are just for show.

Li Zhaoting's beautiful wives and concubines: Holy Maiden of the Demonic Sect, Princess of the Demonic Sect, Fairy of Jingzhai, Head of the Carefree Sect, Queen of Kucha, Lord of the Sword-Forging City, Lord of the Four Directions City...

So many talented people, all of them have mistresses.

His first wife was Feng Suzhen.

She firmly held the position of First Wife, her authority unmatched.

Duan Yu thought to himself that in a few years, Li Zhaoting would bring his whole family to pay New Year's greetings, giving each child a red envelope. The Dali treasury would probably be emptied by half. What a miserable situation!

"Second brother, you are so lucky!"

"Third brother, you will be the future emperor of Dali, with three palaces, six courtyards, and seventy-two concubines. You will enjoy endless bliss. The Baiyi tribe wants to rebel. Go and marry a few concubines, and then ask your father-in-law to help quell the rebellion. The problem will be solved quickly."

"Second brother, I really... really..."

“We’re all men, I understand. You probably don’t know this, but your father-in-law has a magical skill that will make you irresistible when it comes to picking up girls.”

"Second brother, can you talk about something serious?"

"What serious business is it? The Power Gang is invading? The Power Gang seems to be full of experts, but in reality, there isn't a single one who is good at training troops. How much damage can they cause?"

Training troops, growing grain, forging military equipment and armor, commanding soldiers to deploy troops, building water conservancy projects, constructing bridges and paving roads—one task after another, which one can Li Chenzhou accomplish?
Let alone Li Chenzhou, who is all muscle and only knows how to punch people, Liu Suifeng is powerful enough, right? Can someone as powerful as him govern a prefecture?
Do they think they're qualified to invade Dali just because they have power?

You have the high monks of Tianlong Temple besiege Li Chenzhou. As long as he is killed, the Power Gang will immediately fall apart.

Li Chenzhou has no son!

The power faction doesn't even have a successor.

Should we make Liu Suifeng the leader of the Power Gang?

It's not that I look down on Liu Suifeng, but he's simply not cut out to be the gang leader. Li Chenzhou can be the gang leader, but Liu Suifeng can't; he can only serve as a strategist.

In this respect, none of them are as good as you.

Third brother, you couldn't possibly tell the Song Dynasty the whole situation in Dali; there must have been some subtle writing involved.

Tell me in detail.

I'll help you make a decision!

Li Zhaoting poured Duan Yu a cup of tea.

Duan Yu smiled wryly: "Second Brother, if... the situation weren't critical enough, why would I personally go as an envoy to the Song Dynasty? The Power Faction isn't good at training troops, but they are good at..."

Duan Yu rarely showed an expression of anger.

The Power Gang is far more adept at stirring up trouble than Lu Xiaofeng. No matter how good Lu Xiaofeng is at causing trouble, he is still just one person. If the Power Gang wants to cause trouble, they can mobilize hundreds of undercover agents in different prefectures at the same time.

Almost all the tribes surrounding Dali were incited.

If it weren't for the Miao village on Moon Mountain holding back the Miao people, the Miao region would have long since formed an alliance and divided Dali with the Baiyi people.

(End of this chapter)