Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 518 The Prodigy, the Jade Doll, and the Lover's Bodyguard
Fanlou dared not refuse the stinky hero's request.

Not long after, Li Shishi pushed open the door and looked at Li Zhaoting and Tianxiang, who were arm in arm, with a hint of envy on her face. Then she smiled and gave a bow.

"Greetings, Master Li! Master of Smell!"

"Li Shishi, you're addressing him incorrectly! I'm treating today, why is he before me?"

The effects of the Tianxiang wine surged, and he slammed his fist on the table, picking fights randomly. For some reason, he just really wanted to act wildly in front of Li Zhaoting, and the wilder he acted, the more enjoyable it was!

Li Zhaoting chuckled: "Smelly Hero, how can you, a dignified chivalrous hero, stoop to the level of a mere woman? Such a lack of magnanimity is unbecoming of a true hero!"

Tianxiang, drunk, said, "Tianxiang smells stench, and stench makes Tianxiang smell good. Whether I can be a great hero or not, what does it have to do with you? Don't spout nonsense like a little thief like you!"

Tianxiang, her eyes glazed over with drunkenness, gesticulated wildly and pointed haphazardly at Li Zhaoting, a sour, alcoholic stench emanating from her.

"What kind of Supreme Swordsman Li is he? He's just a womanizing thief who attracts all sorts of women... cough cough... his house is about to burst the roof!"

The title of "hero" seems so light and insignificant to him! Why is he ranked ahead of me?

I should be in front... above...

Hiccup!

Li Zhaoting, am I right?

Li Zhaoting's smile grew even warmer. He picked up his wine glass and swirled it gently. His gaze swept over Tianxiang's cheeks, which were flushed from the wine and excitement, then turned to the several courtesans around him who were covering their mouths and chuckling. Finally, he looked at Li Shishi.

"Oh dear, Brother Wenchou, you are mistaken. Although I am not talented, I know the meaning of 'chivalry'. It is about having an open heart, cherishing women, and making women feel like they are bathed in spring breezes and showing their joy. That is also the essence of chivalry."

At this point, Li Zhaoting turned to Tianxiang, his eyes carrying a hint of meaning: "Brother Wen Chou, your petty calculations seem to make it seem as if you're afraid I'll steal someone's thunder!"

Li Zhaoting's tone grew increasingly deep and magnetic, possessing an indescribable charm: "Brother Wen Chou, why are you being so effeminate, like a jealous little woman!"

Tianxiang was both ashamed and angry when her secret was exposed. The alcohol made her stand up abruptly, and she swayed slightly.

Tianxiang forced herself to maintain the air of a "hero," raising her voice to mask her panic, her steps unsteady.

"Jealousy..."

I'll put... your... cough cough cough!

This chivalrous hero is upright and honorable!

Why would I be jealous of a scoundrel like you, who flirts with everyone and warms up every household like a stove!

This great hero... cannot tolerate such petty thieves who seek fame and fortune through deception and distort the meaning of 'chivalry'!

Seeing Tianxiang getting more and more excited as she spoke, almost revealing her girlish side, and noticing the increasingly mischievous smile in Li Zhaoting's eyes, while the sisters around her held melon seeds.

She moved with light, graceful steps, subtly supporting Tianxiang's arm, her voice as gentle as a spring breeze rustling willow branches.

"Gentlemen, please stop arguing."

Li Daxia is described as "gentle and refined, with a charm that benefits all women," and is a renowned romantic hero in the martial arts world.
Hero Wen is known for his hatred of evil and his innocent and straightforward nature; he is a renowned hero in Bianjing City.
The word '侠' (xia, meaning chivalry or hero) has a thousand forms; why be bound by momentary words? Otherwise, it will only make people laugh.

"On this auspicious day, with the 'Smelly Hero' hosting and Hero Li honored by your presence, how about we have Shishi play a tune on the zither to accompany the wine? Let us not waste this wonderful time."

The courtesans accompanying them knew about the situation at Wen Chou's house and were also aware of Li Zhaoting's power. When Li Shishi tried to smooth things over, they all loudly echoed her.

"Sister Shishi is absolutely right!"

"Master Li is certainly excellent!"

"The Stink Hero is truly a man of character!"

"Please, Sister Shishi, play the zither! We're all waiting to hear you play! It's been so long since we've heard you play!"

Li Zhaoting readily agreed and elegantly raised his glass to the women, saying, "Miss Shishi's insightful views and elegant music are truly delightful. I, Li, will listen attentively."

As for Brother Wen Chou...

Brother, your concern for my family affairs is deeply appreciated and I will never forget it.

If something happens in the family in the future and Suzhen is unable to mediate, she will have to ask Brother Wenchou for help in mediating.

"Brother, don't refuse my offer!"

Li Zhaoting's tone was gentle, his voice like a feather lightly scratching at Tianxiang's heart, making her both angry and ashamed, yet she couldn't lash out. She could only hum in the guise of alcohol, turn her face away, and not give an inch in her words.

"Let your wife handle the housekeeping. If she can't do these things, what's the point of coming to me?"

Tianxiang mumbled twice, preparing to listen to the zither.

Li Shishi plucked the strings of her zither, and the melodious tune quickly filled the private room, lingering for three days. To hear such celestial music was truly a blessing.

This is Tianxiang's idea.

Li Zhaoting was very fond of music, and there were several music masters in his family. Although Li Shishi's qin skills were profound, she was slightly less charming than Feng Suzhen, Lan Xiaodie, and Bai Yunfei, and also slightly inferior to Lian Xiuxiu.

These words obviously cannot be spoken.

Li Zhaoting leaned against the soft cushion and tapped out a rhythm.

Just as I was getting excited, a commotion broke out outside.

The reason for the noise was naturally Li Shishi.

There were too many people queuing up to see Li Shishi.

There is only one Li Shishi.

There are different opinions on who came first and who came after.

Even the emperor had to dig tunnels.

Li Zhaoting asked, "Miss Shishi, which stray dog ​​is barking down there? Judging from its tone, its internal strength is quite good. Is it a newly arrived martial arts sect from the capital?"

Tianxiang, drunk, mumbled incoherently, "I know, it seems... it's called the Amethyst Sect, and its master is Prince Yao..."

"Which prince is Prince Yao?"

"A distant relative, who liked to cultivate Taoism and refine elixirs, originally lived in Qingcheng... cultivating Taoism, drinking dew all day long, saying that a breath of pure yang purple qi... could grant immortality."

Recently, an old scoundrel from the Encountering Immortals Gang arrived. Prince Yao wanted to learn alchemy and had returned from Qingcheng Mountain.

Aren't you awesome?
Find a chance to beat that old bastard up!
I hate those pretentious old bastards the most!
Go beat him up... beat him up..."

Thinking of the old bastard from the Yuxian Gang, Tianxiang was in a bad mood. She lay down next to Li Zhaoting and kept drinking one cup of wine after another. Li Zhaoting looked at Tianxiang with pity and silently circulated his true energy to dispel the smell of alcohol on Tianxiang's body.

The elders treated Tianxiang as a carefree and lively child, but no matter what, Tianxiang was, after all, a royal princess, and she understood everything she was supposed to understand.

Once you enter the gates of a noble family, it's like entering a deep sea; how much more so for the royal family?

Sooner or later you'll get married, sooner or later you'll be involved in an arranged marriage. As for things you can't stand, you have to learn to get used to them, to be hard-hearted, to be indifferent, and to turn a blind eye!
This feeling is the most agonizing.

Even someone as magnanimous as a heavenly fragrance can only drown their sorrows in alcohol.

Only when she is by Li Zhaoting's side can she become the "Smell-Smelling Hero" and regain some of her girlish nature.

Li Zhaoting gently patted Tianxiang's shoulder, quietly gathering a surge of power, and slashed down from the warm pavilion on the third floor.

"Snapped!"

Hong Kun, the leader of the Purple Crystal Sect, was cleaved away by the sword energy that slashed down from mid-air. He fell to the ground in a sorry state, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, as he looked at the third floor in horror.

Li Zhaoting transmitted his voice secretly and shouted, "You bastard! This is not a place for you to run wild, get out!"

Hong Kun dared not say more. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and fled Fanlou in a sorry state. Half an hour later, news spread throughout the capital that Li Zhaoting and Hong Kun, the leader of the Zijing Sect, had fought over Li Shishi.

Li Zhaoting remained calm and composed, helping Tianxiang along as they headed to the Eighth Prince's residence.

The Eighth Prince stood guard at the door with his golden mace.

Looking at the Eighth Prince, who was glaring angrily and imposing, with the aura of a five-row dragon, Li Zhaoting had the urge to run away through a dog hole. But then he thought, he hadn't done anything wrong, so what was there to be afraid of about the Eighth Prince?

"Hehehehehe!"

The Eighth Prince let out a chilling laugh.

Li Zhaoting subconsciously shrank his neck and looked at the Eighth Prince ingratiatingly: "Your Highness, are you on leave today? Taking a leave is the right thing to do, so as not to offend the Emperor!"

The Eighth Prince scoffed, "What do royal affairs have to do with you? What do you have to do with whether the Emperor is wary of me? Which royal relative are you?"

Li Zhaoting looked down at Tianxiang.

Tianxiang lay in Li Zhaoting's arms, pretending to faint. She opened her eyes slightly, looked at the furious Eighth Prince, and then at Li Zhaoting's flawless and handsome profile, before turning her head away and pretending to be drunk.

Li Zhaoting chuckled awkwardly, "Your Highness, don't you know my character? My character is..."

"Jiazi Tai Sui, a lustful hungry ghost!"

"These are all misunderstandings."

“Every ‘misunderstanding’ has a case to prove it. Even if Bao Zheng were to judge the case, do you think he would believe these are misunderstandings, or would he think you are cunning and scheming?”

"Bao Zheng and I are good friends!"

"Bao Zheng upheld justice and was impartial and incorruptible!"

"Gongsun Ce will vouch for me!"

"Gongsun Ce is willing to provide five pieces of evidence, each from one of five young boys. Do you want to know whose apprentices these five young boys are?"

The Eighth Prince stared intently at Li Zhaoting.

Li Zhaoting had an urge to run away!

Don't play like this!

"All I did was leave you stranded in the North Mang Mountains, to fend for yourselves in the wilderness! How dare you betray your master!" "Your Highness, you are absolutely right!"

A burst of rousing music reached Li Zhaoting's ears, as if a schoolboy named Death in shorts was saying something like, "There is only one truth about things," while light shone on him, making his knees feel slightly weak.

Although the reasoning was rather far-fetched and there was no concrete evidence to prove it, the atmosphere was built up so much that the progress bar couldn't hold on any longer, and he had no choice but to kneel down and confess.

“Hehehehehe…”

The Eighth Prince raised his golden mace.

Holding Tianxiang in one arm, Li Zhaoting leaped over the Prince's mansion, jumped over the Eighth Prince's head, nimbly rolled, and landed lightly on the ground.

Xing'er was happily counting a large stack of silver notes when she saw Li Zhaoting. Startled, she put her hands behind her back as if she had seen a lion or tiger.

Li Zhaoting handed Tianxiang to Xing'er.

“Your princess is drunk. Take her to bathe and change her clothes. I don’t want to take care of her when she catches a cold.”

“There’s no need for you to serve me, Your Highness… The princess has her own maids, why would you need to do anything? I can’t handle those shrewish women in your household.”

Xing'er helped Tianxiang to the bathroom.

Li Zhaoting moved swiftly, rummaging through the fruit bowl in the back garden pavilion, finding a few green tangerines. He peeled off a few pieces of tangerine peel and gently rubbed them on his body.

Green tangerines can suppress the effeminate smell.

Even a gold ingot couldn't smell the source of the scent.

Li Zhaoting went to Fanlou to see Li Shishi, and the whole capital knew about it, so there was no need to hide it. But he couldn't make a scene when he went to talk to the Eighth Prince later.

The Eighth Prince was waiting for Li Zhaoting in his study.

It was already dusk, and the dim light shone through the window onto the face of the Eighth Prince, leaving half of his body in shadow. The contrast of light and shadow gave him a Godfather-like presence, making him seem even more like the Green Dragon Society than the Green Dragon Society itself.

"Your Highness, did you need something from me?"

"I can't find you if I have nothing to do?"

"Yes! I'm not a busy person! If you want to see me, I'll appear in front of you immediately; if you don't want to see me, I'll run away a thousand miles away immediately."

"With your silver tongue, sweet talk, handsome appearance, and skillful martial arts, countless beauties in the world would fall for you."

"Not much, not much. I am very devoted to my love."

"I don't want to lose my temper in the study."

"Please get straight to the point."

"You still want me to talk? All the important matters are written in these files. Take a look for yourself! Most of them are messes you left behind. You have to deal with them yourself."

"Is it permissible to go on a killing spree?"

"This is the capital city, be mindful of your behavior."

"Oh!"

"Don't kill until the blood flows like a river. It's best to leave people with a whole corpse. I've heard there's a particularly skilled assassin in the martial arts world called 'Central Plains Red Dot'. He only leaves a small crimson mark on the throat when he kills someone. Your swordsmanship is unparalleled. Why does this look like a slaughterhouse?"

"To prevent someone's heart from being located on the left side."

"Then stab me in the left and right chests with one sword each."

"It's no use, he's completely reassured."

"Stab him in the stomach again."

"It was no use; he was on tenterhooks."

"One more stab to the throat!"

"He's hiding his true feelings... Your Highness! You are the Eighth Prince, you cannot act like a reckless fool! This table is made of huanghuali wood, it's not worth breaking it..."

Li Zhaoting successfully angered the Eighth Prince to the point of fainting, causing him to collapse into a chair to calm down. Li Zhaoting then gave the Eighth Prince two quick-acting heart-saving pills and began reviewing the case files.

The capital city is a place where hidden talents abound.

Originally suppressed by the powerful Jin Feng Xi Yu Lou and Liu Fen Ban Tang, none of them could rise to prominence. However, with Su Mengzhen and Lei Sun moving to Yan Yun, many forces began to emerge in the capital, with four being the strongest.

One is Li Yanbei, and the other is Du Tongxuan. Both families have been running underworld businesses in the capital, but they have been suppressed by Su Mengzhen and Lei Sun. Now that the two have moved away, the two families, who have been holding back for a long time, are rapidly expanding their territory.

One of them is the Amethyst Sect, whose leader is Hong Kun. Behind him is Prince Yao, who is fond of cultivating Taoism and refining elixirs. The Amethyst Sect was originally a second-rate force in the martial arts world. Three or four years ago, Hong Kun accidentally obtained a crystal. This crystal contained strange energy that could improve the efficiency of cultivation, allowing his internal strength to advance by leaps and bounds.

With the help of the strange amethyst, the Amethyst Sect quickly cultivated a group of experts. They were newcomers but quickly rose to prominence, seizing large tracts of territory and suppressing Li and Du.

One of them was the Yuxian Gang. Although the leader of the Yuxian Gang was brutally beaten by Li Zhaoting and left in a sorry state, Li Zhaoting was a figure of great stature. As long as he wasn't killed, he could boast about it for years. Not to mention that the old rascal was quite capable, with all sorts of tricks up his sleeve, attracting countless eyes.

In just a few months, he went from an outsider to a guest of honor among many princes and nobles. The leader of the Yuxian Gang was not in a hurry to expand, fearing that too rapid expansion would attract the covetousness of court officials. Li Nanxing closed the gates and let his son go.

There are also some other unsavory groups that don't cause too much trouble. They mostly occupy two or three streets, doing business while maintaining order in the underworld.

The Angry Dragon Gang, the Money Gang, the Heavenly Nether Gang, and the Nangong Family all participated, but no one tried to steal the limelight, especially on the three streets outside the front and back gates of the Marquis of Jingyuan's residence.

Besides gangsters, there are also wealthy people.

The Deng family, imperial merchants from the north, made great contributions, and the emperor granted them permission to settle in the capital. Deng Ren, known as the "Little God of Wealth," was in charge of overseeing things in the capital. He was the son-in-law of Weng Taibei.

Weng Taibei is one of the three chief stewards of the Imperial City Bureau, and his status in the Imperial City Bureau is second only to Mi Cangqiong.

No matter how rich Deng Ren was, he could only bow down and submit to his father-in-law, who was a ruthless maniac. He had a bit of a peculiar habit of being a servant and dared not speak loudly to his wife.

However, according to the Eighth Prince's investigation, Deng Ren and Weng Xizhu had a fairly good relationship. Although Deng Ren was often scolded by Weng Xizhu, they never had any major conflicts. As long as Deng Ren didn't philander, Weng Xizhu wouldn't make a fuss.

Three days later is Deng Ren's birthday.

Deng Ren wanted to hold a "God of Wealth Banquet" and invite good friends from all over the country to eat. His reasons were threefold: to show off his wealth, to make friends, and because he liked to show off.

Wealth and honor do not return to their hometown, just like walking in brocade at night.

If you have money but don't show off, you'll always feel a bit empty.

The last force is the Six Doors.

With the Four Great Constables gone, the fact that they were able to suppress these restless sects and outside forces, as well as the son-in-law of the Imperial City Guard, clearly indicates that there are many experts among them.

The Six Doors has a new set of "Four Great Constables"!
The leader was named "Tong Lin," who bore a striking resemblance to Chu Liuxiang. He was skilled in swordsmanship and tracking, and had traveled thousands of miles to apprehend criminals, never giving up until death.

Second on the list is "Liu Changjie," one of Guo Bujing's direct disciples. He is skilled in knife skills and disguise, and solved the palace theft case, capturing "Old Fox."

The third is "Yang Zheng," who is practically a carbon copy of Leng Xue. He is skilled at risking his life, fierce and decisive. When he uses his Parting Hook, even the most notorious bandits tremble in fear.

Fourth on the list is Yuan Chengzhi. After leaving the Huashan Sect and joining the Six Doors, Yuan Chengzhi seemed to have unlocked his potential and was able to fully utilize his abilities.

Besides the "New Four Great Constables", several female constables have also emerged. First is Cheng Xiaodie, the daughter of Cheng Yantang, Feng Shaoqing's classmate and friend. She is a disciple of Abbess Miejue and is skilled in swordsmanship and has a brilliant deduction ability.

The second-ranked one is named "Agave," whose family has been constables for three generations. They are skilled in bows and arrows, and their family has a secret technique: a crossbow that fires five shots in a row and a three-pointed arrow.

The third one is named "Thirteen Sister". She usually dresses as a man and calls herself "Thirteen Brother". She also comes from a family of constables. She was originally a bounty hunter, but was later taken in as a disciple by Guo Bujing. She is skilled in whip techniques and lasso techniques.

Fourth place... vacant!
Constables face notorious thieves and make a living amidst bloodshed. Being a constable is tough. The danger is ten times greater for female constables, and a hundred times greater for beautiful female constables. Where are there so many female constables?

It's lucky if you can collect three.

To be precise, there are only two and a half.

Agave is only half-filled out.

Originally, they wanted Zhan Hongling to take the position, but Zhan Hongling was a pretty face who was neither good at literature nor martial arts. Apart from having some feelings for the Thief Saint, Zhan Hongling had no merits in the constable profession. Even if she was just filling in, she should at least have a skill to defeat the enemy and not be a complete waste.

Therefore, there are only three female constables.

Having vacant rankings has its advantages.

It can recruit female warriors from prestigious sects.

Female disciples from the Emei, Huashan, Bashan, Tianshan, and Mangshan sects were quite interested in this position, and they would immediately come to compete for it as soon as the sect leader relaxed the restrictions.

Comparatively speaking, Emei has the advantage.

The Emei sword technique is ruthless and merciless, greatly reducing the chance of being killed by bandits. It is better to kill a bandit with a single sword than to be killed by a bandit's vicious scheme.

"Your Highness, is this not considered chaos?"

"The source of chaos has not yet been unleashed."

“When will it open?”

"At Deng Ren's birthday banquet, it is said that Deng Ren purchased a set of twelve jade dolls, each engraved with unparalleled martial arts skills, with divine power pointing directly to the path of heaven and man."

"Deng Ren wants to auction off the jade doll?"

"Deng Ren is a businessman who believes in making money through harmony. How could he possibly keep the source of trouble at home? Of course, if the Supreme Heavenly Sword is willing to exchange a favor for twelve jade dolls, Deng Ren certainly won't refuse."

The Eighth Prince's suggestive suggestion.

Li Zhaoting asked, "Your Highness, have you ever heard of the nine-ringed terrain of Changchun Valley in Dali, which nurtured nine unique jade pendants, four of which remain unclaimed to this day?"

"You suspect the jade doll and the amethyst?"

"If it's too much of a coincidence, then it's not a coincidence."

"You're not going to ask for the jade doll?"

“Rare and precious materials are for those who are destined to obtain them. If I collect all the rare and precious materials around me, it is equivalent to cutting off other people’s opportunities, which will inevitably lead to disaster.”

(End of this chapter)