Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 498 Li Chenzhou: I need to get my brain working! Fifth Brother, are you scared?
Li Zhaoting was so shocked he couldn't close his mouth.

Although it was already known that Liu Suifeng's ability to recruit spies was extraordinary, unprecedented, and unparalleled, a skill at the level of causality.

However, the Miao tribes are quite xenophobic, and the situation in Dali is rather unique. Bribing one or two people, or one or two families, will not have a significant impact.

Battles may break out in Miao territory, and bizarre things like a Miao-Zhejiang coalition might emerge, in Dali...

Dali is a bizarre country where rebellious officials who succeeded in their rebellion continued to hold power, and deposed emperors did nothing but restore themselves to the throne and continue to rule.

What's the point of instigating powerful officials to rebel?
What good is it if a powerful minister succeeds in his rebellion?
In the end, won't the throne still have to be returned to the Duan family?

In Dali, a powerful minister only needs to be a powerful minister.

The Emperor of Dali only needed to have three palaces and six courtyards to continue the Duan family line. When his health could no longer hold up, he could go to Tianlong Temple to become a monk. He didn't need to do anything else.

In this respect, Duan Zhengming was rather derelict in his duties; as emperor, he had no heirs, which was highly unqualified.

Duan Zhengchun was also quite negligent. Although he had many mistresses, they all bore him daughters. When it came to having a son, he needed Duan Yanqing's help.

Two emperors had only one son, who wasn't even their biological son. Fortunately, he shared the same surname, Duan, and was a direct descendant of the Dali Duan clan, thus ensuring the continuation of the Duan family line.

Li Zhaoting couldn't believe how Liu Suifeng would cause trouble in Dali. He even imagined that Liu Suifeng would go to Tianlong Temple to find Duan Yanqing and offer to help him seize the throne. Duan Yanqing would then shout and summon hundreds of martial monks to capture Liu Suifeng on the spot and force him to become a monk.

On the surface, Duan Yanqing is the most likely person to cause trouble in Dali. In reality, even if Duan Zhengchun were to stab him, he would gladly accept it.

Unexpectedly, Liu Suifeng's incredible espionage skills actually caused a lot of trouble.

To deal with Dali, you must first deal with the two opposing forces.

First, there was the Gao family, who controlled the Dali court and were the most powerful and influential family in Dali. They had overthrown Yang Yizhen's rebellion and had also rebelled. They served as the emperor of Dali for several years, but felt uncomfortable being emperor and voluntarily returned power to the Duan family.

Secondly, there is Tianlong Temple, the ancestral temple of the Duan family of Dali. The temple is full of princes and grandsons of emperors, some of whom have been emperors. They have no interest in wealth and honor. There are many old monks and experts everywhere. Their formations are fierce and extremely difficult to deal with.

Liu Suifeng spent several years scheming.

Liu Suifeng knew he couldn't turn the Gao family against their will, nor could he incite internal strife between the Gao and Duan families. The Gao family didn't even want to be emperors, so what conditions could Liu Suifeng offer?
However, Dali is not only home to the Gao family, nor is it only home to the Duan family; Dali harbors many conflicts.

On the surface, the relationship between the ruler and his ministers appears harmonious and peaceful, but beneath the surface, undercurrents are surging. What Liu Suifeng needs to do is to ignite these undercurrents and precisely target the best opportunity.

— Gao Shengtai!

The head of the Gao family, the most powerful minister in Dali, is so powerful that "his influence over the court" is not enough to describe his power. If powerful ministers were ranked, Dong Zhuo and Cao Cao would only be ranked behind Gao Shengtai, while Yan Temur would be his equal.

What experiences did Yan Temur have?
He was nothing special; he simply married the empress and, incidentally, more than forty princesses. As for the trivial matter of deposing and installing emperors, it was not even worth mentioning.

He can't even handle something as trivial as deposing and installing emperors; he's not worthy of sitting at the same table as Gao Shengtai and Yan Temur.

Gao Shengtai wielded too much power and had too much influence on Dali. Most importantly, Gao Shengtai had long seen through the situation in Dali and knew that the Dali emperor was not as comfortable as the powerful ministers in Dali. The so-called "Dali leader" was actually just a scapegoat. When something went wrong, the leader would be held responsible. How could he peacefully accumulate power?
If you want to cause trouble in Dali, you can't get around Gao Shengtai. But Gao Shengtai doesn't want to cause trouble, which is the most unsolvable bug in front of Liu Suifeng. Liu Suifeng made a decisive decision to assassinate Gao Shengtai and cut down this towering tree.

Liu Suifeng bribed Gao Shengtai's cook and groom, and when Gao Shengtai went out, he led his experts to launch a sneak attack, injuring him but not killing him, making sure he was seriously injured.

Following this, taking advantage of the undercurrents in Dali's royal city following Gao Shengtai's assassination attempt, they launched a series of assassination attempts to create an atmosphere of panic and lure Tianlong Temple into taking action.

Third, they allowed the Miao and Baiyi tribes, who had already been bribed, to cause trouble around Dali. The Duan family in Dali was busy appeasing the Gao family, so they had no time to deal with border affairs.

Fourth, deliberately distribute wealth to make the tribes that initially caused trouble rich, making other tribes envious, and vigorously publicize that Dali is in constant internal fighting and the emperor has no time to manage the borders, so everyone can plunder with peace of mind.

Fifth, they used a log as a signal to incite several small tribes to raid, giving them large amounts of supplies, and then used these supplies to lure larger tribes into launching a joint attack.

Sixth, plunder! Plunder! Plunder!
At the same time, Liu Suifeng led the Twin-Winged One-Kill-Three Phoenixes to assassinate the eminent monks of Tianlong Temple. The eminent monks of Tianlong Temple suffered heavy losses. Liu Suifeng knew that the One-Finger Divine Skill was good at healing and saving people, so he did not want to seriously injure them, but only kill them.

Relying on an undercover operation that was completely unexpected and absolutely impossible in the eyes of ordinary people, Liu Suifeng assassinated three senior monks of the Ben generation in succession. Even Master Kurong was killed by Liu Suifeng's wings, who risked his life to perish together with him.

Why did "Double Wings" risk his life against Master Kurong? Why did he sacrifice his life for Li Chenzhou and the Power Gang?

Don't ask, the answer is loyalty!

In the Wen-style martial arts world, where spies are everywhere and on average half of each faction's members are spies, the Power Gang has hundreds of well-known masters, but only two are spies. One of them was killed and replaced by the enemy. In terms of loyalty to the gang, they are the best in the world.

To be honest, the death of a few martial arts masters, even if one of them is a royal uncle, will not have a significant impact on Dali, as the rebellion can be easily quelled.

The problem lies in the "continuous" nature of the process.

In order to infiltrate Dali, Liu Suifeng planted countless spies there, cooperating with the leader of the Qinglong Society, and testing Dali's strength by causing trouble time and time again.

When the plan was not in effect, the situation in Dali was turbulent; when the plan was launched, it instantly transformed into a massive, devastating wave.

Duan Zhengchun was kept busy and exhausted.

Fishermen, woodcutters, farmers, and scholars are powerless to solve their problems.

Xiao Feng must protect Duan Zhengchun's safety.

The only option was to send Duan Yu to the capital of the Song Dynasty for help.

Liu Suifeng's undercover work was terrifying. It caused the Dali emperor and his ministers, ministers among themselves, and families among themselves to quickly lose trust in each other. Apart from Xiao Feng and Duan Yu, Duan Zhengchun did not trust anyone.

The bodyguard job must be handed over to Xiao Feng.

The task of seeking help must be entrusted to Duan Yu.

In six months at most, Duan Zhengchun will likely be driven mad by the relentless pressure and become a monk at Tianlong Temple.

Duan Yu asked with a mournful face, "Second brother, do you have any ideas? I really have no ideas at all. People like Liu Suifeng are a great scourge to the world!"

Li Zhaoting laughed and said, "In the past two years, the Power Gang and Xiao Qiushui have been fighting fiercely. In just two years, Xiao Qiushui has gone from a nobody to a grandmaster."

The Power Gang suffered heavy losses due to Xiao Qiushui's actions.

Li Chenzhou launched an attack on Dali, and Xiao Qiushui was at least 30% of the reason. Third brother, you have been the crown prince for so long, can you figure out the reason?
These are the test questions I'm giving you.

Duan Yu answered bluntly, "I don't know! Second Brother, stop beating around the bush, I'm getting annoyed!"

Li Zhaoting waved his hand gently: "The Xiaoyao Sect has a unique skill called 'Xiao Wuxiang Gong'. Once mastered, it can simulate all martial arts techniques in the world. Its core concept is 'small'."

Small and formless!
Colorless and formless, yet it manifests in myriad forms!
Dali, the Power Gang, Xiao Qiushui.

The three are in a classic case of the smaller party beating the larger one.

Compared to the Power Gang, whose members are numerous and skilled, Xiao Qiushui, who fights alone, is small, insignificant, and can hide at will. Xiao Qiushui can find a secluded mountain forest and hide for a few days to shake off the Power Gang's pursuers.

In such a vast world, finding a specific person is extremely difficult. In this situation, Xiao Qiushui is small and formless, without any image or trace, and impossible to find.

Similarly, compared to the power of the entire Dali Kingdom, Liu Suifeng seemed insignificant. However, precisely because Liu Suifeng was so 'small', he could easily hide.

Liu Suifeng disguised himself and hid in the royal city, commanding Shuang Chi to kill three phoenixes at once. It was very difficult to find him. Finding such a target required some special talents.

Such talent is relatively rare in Dali.

I'll go get ready.

I'll introduce you to some friends later.

Li Zhaoting thought to himself that the emperor whose figure resembled a crane and whose name he couldn't mention was right: let heroes investigate heroes, let agents investigate agents. There were only two ways to deal with Liu Suifeng: one was to let agents investigate, let their spy skills clash, and see who was the king of spies.

Another method, which is the most uncontrollable but also the most reliable, is to let Li Chenzhou use his brain. No matter how many schemes and tricks the Imperial City Guard has, they are no match for Li Chenzhou's quick thinking. As soon as Li Chenzhou uses his brain, Liu Suifeng will die immediately, and the Power Gang will fall apart.

When Li Chenzhou will act is unpredictable; if he wants to deal with Liu Suifeng, he will need the Imperial City Guard to intervene.

While the Imperial City Guard's spies might not be as skilled as Liu Suifeng, they could certainly distract him, giving Li Zhaoting ample time to find Liu Suifeng's spies. Once the spies were eliminated, Liu Suifeng would be powerless.

There's no time to lose, no need for further words.

Li Zhaoting made several trips to the Imperial City Guard, the Eastern Depot, and the Dragon Guard Manor, and under the watchful eyes of Mi Cangqiong, Cao Zhengchun, and Zhu Wushi, he took away several powerful figures.

The Imperial City Guard's secret agent, "White-Faced Calabash Brother".

Lu Xiaochuan, a secret agent of the Eastern Depot.

Duan Tianya, a secret agent of the Dragon Guard Villa.

I wanted to go to the Six Doors to beg for money, but Zhu Yueming wouldn't give me face. He said that he had diarrhea recently and had to sit on the toilet for eight hours a day, so it was inconvenient to receive distinguished guests on the toilet. He said he would hold a banquet to apologize when I returned.

The Ministry of Rites, the Court of State Ceremonies, the Imperial Guards, and the Imperial Bodyguards quickly prepared the carriage. Li Xunhuan touched his face, got into the carriage with practiced ease, and was filled with despair for the future.

Li Xunhuan, who had just participated in the scientific expedition, dreamed of becoming a high-ranking official, establishing virtue and words, and becoming a renowned scholar.

Unexpectedly, being handsome also brings trouble. Because of his exceptionally handsome appearance, Li Xunhuan missed out on becoming the top scholar in the imperial examination and instead became the third-ranked scholar. While others were either sent to the Hanlin Academy or dispatched to other regions, Li Xunhuan went to the Ministry of Rites, where he was responsible for sending envoys to other countries, showcasing the brilliance of the third-ranked scholar.

Last year we went to Dali, this year to the Western Regions, next year to the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun. Wherever we need to go on a mission, we can let Li Xunhuan lead the team and travel all over the country.

For Li Xunhuan, this kind of work was not considered heavy work, nor was it a threat to his safety. He made meritorious contributions on every mission and was promoted very quickly.

There is only one point.

As a young man, Li Xunhuan dreamed of becoming a high-ranking official, like Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, and Zhuge Liang. Now, he feels like he has become Qu Yuan, Su Qin, and Ban Chao...

Could a strange person have infiltrated the group?
Really not!

Qu Yuan was Li Xunhuan's favorite ancient figure. He was not only an outstanding romantic poet, but also a politician with excellent diplomatic skills and a long-term vision.

Li Xunhuan was not a poet, but Qu Yuan's romantic poetry had a great influence on him.

As for diplomatic capabilities...

Qu Yuan relied on his abilities; he was eloquent, had brilliant writing skills, and could easily win the favor of others.

Li Xunhuan didn't need to go to such lengths. He could simply stand there quietly, wave his folding fan, and smile slightly. Even a celestial being descending to earth would be captivated by the handsome scholar.

It's purely a numbers game; there's no gameplay involved, it's all about numbers.

Li Zhaoting touched his face.

Actually, I'm a numbers fanatic too!
After wandering the martial arts world for so long, Li Zhaoting has finally assembled a team of four—a yellow dog on the left, a falcon on the right, and a thousand horsemen sweeping across the plains.

With an old wine bottle between his legs, a gold ingot on his left, and a fiery red eagle perched on his right shoulder, Chu Liuxiang brought back the fledgling eagle, the eagle that belonged to Master Da Mu, a rare breed of golden eagle. After accompanying Master Da Mu through his final days, Chu Liuxiang brought the fledgling eagle back with him.

There were two fledgling eagles in total. Such spiritual birds were of great significance to people in the martial arts world. Each of them had one. Chu Liuxiang's eagle was named Hongyun, while Li Zhaoting named his rather casually, after looking at the feathers, "Tanghulu" (Candied Hawthorn).

Its formal name is Tanghulu (糖葫芦), and its nickname is Tangdun'er (糖墩儿).

"儿" is a retroflex ending, and it must be pronounced when addressing someone, otherwise it will sound wrong.

When you start your life in the martial arts world, it will be like this:
The Divine Steed of Qilin - Aged Wine!

The Xuanhuang Spirit Dog—Yuanbao!
Blood-Sculpted Sky - Candied Hawthorn!

Attack order: Tanghulu, kill him!

Retreat order: Hold on tight to the feathers of the candied hawthorn!
Under the bewildered gaze of the enemy, they would either have their bones crushed by sharp claws, or watch helplessly as Li Zhaoting rode away on a bird, and suffer fatal taunts.

—Are you kidding me?! I can fly!

The candied hawthorn is still a fledgling eagle. It will take one or two years for it to grow into a giant golden eagle capable of carrying people. When that time comes, who can make Li Zhaoting run away?

Thinking of this, Li Zhaoting gently tapped the bird's head on the candied hawthorn, using the technique taught by Bai Yunfei to slowly simmer the eagle, and also fed it a few poisonous snakes.

The venomous snake was caught by Blue Phoenix.

Wang Yuyan and Lan Fenghuang are very important in this mission to quell the rebellion in Dali and Miao territory, especially Lan Fenghuang. Wang Yuyan is a princess who was later recognized as a member of the royal family, but her actual identity is that of an illegitimate child, and she is not highly regarded in Dali. Lan Fenghuang, on the other hand, has been a princess since birth and has a very high reputation in Miao territory. After becoming pregnant, her status is even higher.

The child of Lan Fenghuang and Li Zhaoting represents the union of Miao territory and the greatest genius of the time. Miao people are quite devout in their belief in gods, so this would be considered an auspicious omen.

Of course, some people don't think so.

Li Zhaoting decided to talk to these people.

Once the discussion is complete, the other party will definitely agree.

There weren't many women with me on this trip.

Close surveillance: Jiang Yuyan;

The two princesses: Lan Fenghuang and Wang Yuyan;

Support players: Bai Yunfei and Lan Xiaodie;

When the convoy passed through Jinling to pick up Lan Fenghuang and Wang Yuyan, Cheng Huaixiu stayed at home. Having just enjoyed Li Zhaoting's company for three months, she was too embarrassed to accompany them.

In addition, without Bai Yunfei and Lan Xiaodie, the defenses at home are greatly reduced, and a master is needed to keep things in order. Cheng Huaixiu and Li Shengnan can work together to stimulate the Immortal Embryo and Demon Seed to unleash the "Mahayana Boundless".

Back in the Liao Kingdom battlefield, Li Zhaoting defeated Wanyan Jue with this skill, becoming the leader of the Heavenly Gang.

Traveling is the most boring thing, so Li Zhaoting made a bamboo flute on the spot and said with a smile, "Yunfei, Xiaodie, how about we play a duet together?"

Lan Xiaodie's eyes were alluring: "Master, what tune would you like to hear? I know all kinds of tunes!"

Bai Yunfei coughed lightly: "Xiao Die, the mission is a serious matter. You should act with composure. This seductive manner will only make people underestimate the Marquis."

Lan Xiaodie sneered: "You're so composed! You're so serious! What's the difference between you and me? We're both the master's concubines! Being dignified and composed is what the first wife should do. We only need to please the master."

Bai Yunfei scolded, "Pleasure the master later! The mood is just right now, and my husband wants to play the qin and xiao together with us. Your nonsense is spoiling his mood. Is this pleasing or provoking him?"

Lan Fenghuang said softly, "Stop fooling around! Every time I see the 'General's Command' song, I want to hear it. Li Lang composed a piece based on the ancient score of 'General's Command' called 'A Man Should Be Self-reliant.' You can play it for us."

Lan Fenghuang, Li Zhaoting's first and second wife, usually kept a low profile, focusing on playing the role of a lovestruck little wife. In reality, she was extremely dignified, and the fearsome reputation of the Five Poisons Sect Leader was enough to make anyone afraid.
Not to mention that Lan Fenghuang was pregnant. Nothing was more important than the child in her womb. Who would dare refuse Lan Fenghuang's song request? Yu Luosha even came over to persuade her personally.

Lan Xiaodie's words were slightly off, and she lost the argument. Although she was somewhat dissatisfied, she dared not show it. She thought to herself that the music composed by the master was very beautiful, but she still felt...

—Something just doesn't feel right!
Li Zhaoting chuckled inwardly, thinking to himself that when this song was played, Lan Xiaodie was "Aunt Thirteen," Huang Feihong's lover, and Bai Yunfei was "Madam Huang," Huang Qiying's lover and Aunt Thirteen's mother-in-law!

Another point is that, it is said, just said, that Huang Feihong had a rather strong fate and was destined to bring misfortune to his wives. His first three wives all died because of him. His last wife, Mo Guilan, was the prototype of the character Thirteen Aunt. In order to avoid misfortune, he could only marry her as a concubine. Mo Guilan also came from a martial arts family and practiced the Southern Mo Family Fist!

In addition, in that era, men could marry wives and take concubines, but Huang Feihong was a more upright man who insisted on monogamy. He remarried after his first wife passed away. When he married Mo Guilan, it was nominally to take a concubine, but in reality, it was just to avoid bad luck and not to actually take a concubine.

Thinking of this, Li Zhaoting felt somewhat...

Li Zhaoting picked up the bamboo flute and began to play a tune.

Bai Yunfei and Lan Xiaodie followed closely behind. The two girls had practiced musical instruments diligently since childhood. They were top-notch in the bamboo flute and pipa, if not the best in the world.

Lan Xiaodie's pipa playing not only possesses vocal beauty but also an innate charm. Bai Yunfei puts down his bamboo flute and opens his voice, his natural deep, mellow, and husky tone full of mature elegance, unforgettable after just one listen.

Music is never a single skill.

Playing the piano and singing is not simply about showcasing skills.

If we only compare skills, Bai Yunfei and Lan Xiaodie may not be the best. But if we add performance techniques and stage presence, then they are the absolute pinnacle.

Even experts like Feng Suzhen and Lian Xiuxiu are inferior to the two women in terms of their infectiousness.

Li Zhaoting's bamboo flute and Lan Xiaodie's pipa rose and fell in harmony. Bai Yunfei put down his bamboo flute and sang loudly. His voice naturally blended into the melody, creating a perfect whole. The sound resonated through the trees, stopped the clouds in their tracks, and startled the birds in flight.

Duan Yu and Li Xunhuan were both learned and talented, and were quite skilled in the music of the zither and lute. They quickly became immersed in it.

Even a roughneck who knew nothing about music felt his blood boil and wanted to fight a tiger when he heard the general's impassioned and passionate command.

The mission's convoy was not concealed.

How could such a large convoy possibly be hidden?

The Power Gang's spies quickly found out.

Liu Suifeng went to find Li Chenzhou with a gloomy expression.

"Brother, Li Zhaoting is here!"

"Bring it on! I'm not afraid of him! This guy became the leader of the Heavenly Gang by stepping on the head of the Fist King! I will defeat him with these fists and vindicate the Fist King!"

“Brother, Li Zhaoting fought Pang Ban to a draw in the Western Regions, but he did not call himself the Sword Master because the Sword Master’s martial arts were too high, raising the upper limit of the Sword Master.”

"So what? Lang Fanyun can raise the ceiling of sword masters, and I can raise the ceiling of fist masters. And that Xiao Feng, what internal martial arts, external martial arts, it's all about fists, why all the fancy stuff?"

Li Chenzhou clenched his fist and roared, "I will defeat Xiao Feng and become the sole champion! I've got Dali Royal City all to myself; I will establish my dominance here!"

“Brother, the situation is very unfavorable for us. If Li Zhaoting and Xiao Feng join forces to attack you, who can stop the Supreme Heavenly Sword and the Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill? The Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill can only be used five times. Xiao Feng has only one chance left to use it, and we must use it up.”

"Hmph! Fifth Brother! Only by defeating Xiao Feng with honorable means can I be the sole champion. The champion is unique; how can I share the title with someone else?"

Li Chenzhou roared to the sky, "If you don't even have the courage to face a direct confrontation, what right do you have to rule the world?"

(End of this chapter)