Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

When one's internal energy cultivation reaches a certain level, one will naturally comprehend the method of "observing the subtle qi".

It has three main functions: first, to sense the flow of energy when fighting enemies; second, to learn techniques while observing battles; and finally, to examine corpses!
Experienced fighters can judge the attacker's tactics by observing the extent of damage at the scene, the depth of the wounds, and the lingering energy emanating from them.

Li Zhaoting analyzed: "There are four murderers, three of whom are arranged in a triangular formation, holding double maces, or possibly iron plaques, and attacking from three directions at the same time."

The murderer on the left used the "Dragon Leading the Phoenix" move, which should have been executed horizontally. However, he tilted his body, not to change the move itself, but to change his posture.

The assailant on the right used a cross lock, which should have been used to lock the upper limbs. However, he launched an attack from the lower body, first targeting the groin, and then followed up with a powerful elbow strike to the heart.

The murderer, who was directly in front of the victim, charged forward and then suddenly leaped up halfway through his charge, crashing down on the victim and blocking his view, causing the victim to be struck in the chest with an elbow.

The deceased had two ribs broken, and the broken bone fragments pierced his internal organs. Hiss! No! It wasn't the bone fragments that pierced his internal organs, but some kind of internal, subtle, and hidden force.

The victim suffered internal injuries and was unable to move easily. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the last murderer stabbed the victim in the abdomen and then fled. The crime was committed in a split second.

From the moment the attack is made to the moment the enemy kills, it only takes the blink of an eye.

Clean and decisive, one-hit kill.

These murderers are quite capable!

They are not professional killers.

If I'm not mistaken, they wanted to ask the deceased about some secret or to demand some object.

The deceased was insane and delirious, believing himself to be the greatest martial artist in the world. Naturally, he wouldn't take a few cowardly individuals seriously, and the two sides failed to reach an agreement.

That's the final result.

The air still carried the scent of spices.

The flavor is—tulip.

The murderer is very likely a Persian nobleman!

In the martial arts world, the scent of tulips is either something one has never heard of, or one who has, subconsciously imagines a dashing and romantic thief who leaves a lingering fragrance under the moonlight.

The signboard of "The Thief King" Chu Liuxiang.

Chu Liuxiang's nose is damaged, making him immune to all foul odors, putrid smells, and sleeping pills. At the same time, Chu Liuxiang can accurately distinguish the fragrance of flowers and the scent of women.

When tracking "Daughter's Fragrance," Chu Liuxiang's nose was even more impressive than Yuanbao's. Tracking people over long distances and recognizing them by their scent was one of Chu Liuxiang's specialties.

This leads to the question: what would happen if a beautiful woman used a sleeping potion on Chu Liuxiang?

The answer is: while smelling the fragrance of a daughter, he becomes immune to the effects of a sedative, but he will deliberately feign unconsciousness.

As Chu Liuxiang's closest friend, Li Zhaoting knew him very well. Chu Liuxiang was a highly skilled perfumer, and he personally blended all the perfumes.

Most of the raw materials came from Persia.

Chu Liuxiang and the King of Persia were good friends.

The Persian king would regularly provide Chu Liuxiang with raw materials for making perfume, and Chu Liuxiang would reciprocate by gifting him a batch of specially made perfumes, which were luxury items for the Persian nobility.

Those qualified to use tulip perfume were either royalty or priests. In Persia, the religion of fire was revered, and the highest-ranking person was known as the King of the Precious Tree.

its not right!
The Zoroastrians should go to the Bright Summit of Kunlun Mountain to find the Five Elements Flags of the Ming Cult. What are they doing at the Snow Mountain Sect? The Snow Mountain Sect and the Ming Cult are thousands of miles apart and have no connection whatsoever.

Bai Zizai is too arrogant; unless he becomes the leader of the Ming Cult, he won't bother with it.

What secrets does Bai Zizai possess that warrant a Treasure Tree King leading three envoys to infiltrate and interrogate him?

At this point in time, Yang Dingtian, the leader of the Ming Cult, died from internal energy deviation, his left and right envoys died in the Qing Dynasty, and the four great Dharma Kings disintegrated, leaving only five scattered individuals.

If the Zoroastrianism wanted to subdue the Ming Cult, it should go directly to Bright Peak, using its status as the Persian headmaster and the Sacred Flame Token Divine Skill to force the Five Wanderers to submit.

Could it be that they got lost halfway there?
Not so!

The experts of the Zoroastrian Church were able to pinpoint the location of Spirit Serpent Island in the vast ocean, thousands of miles away, yet they knew the Golden Lion King, the Purple-Robed Dragon King, and others intimately.

The Zoroastrians even knew that the Purple-Robed Dragon King was hiding his identity under the alias "Golden Flower Granny," and that the Holy Maiden of the Ming Cult had lost her virginity and should be sentenced to "burning at the stake."

With such amazing navigation capabilities and such a precise intelligence system, how could they possibly have taken the wrong turn?

If it wasn't the Zoroastrian sect that did it, and the murderer's purpose was to frame the Ming Cult, what's the point?
If Li Zhaoting hadn't come, with the limited talent of the Snow Mountain Sect, who could have deduced the assassination process from Bai Zizai's wounds? It would probably have led to a second firefight on the spot.

The logic has fallen into a vicious cycle.

Li Zhaoting initially concluded that Bai Zizai knew some kind of secret or obtained some kind of object, which was very valuable and coveted by the Zoroastrians.

Shi Xiaocui asked, "Young Master Li, what school of martial arts did the murderer use? I can't think of any force that could so easily discard a precious sword worth five thousand taels of silver."

When did the Snow Mountain Sect offend such a vicious criminal?
Could they be plotting to seize Lingxiao City?

Li Zhaoting rubbed his chin: "We have too few clues so far. Granny Shi, are there any caravans from the Western Regions in Lingxiao City? Can you help me find a few people?"
Just find them, don't arrest them. Absolutely do not fight them. Take a quick look from a distance, and if they match the physical characteristics I described, come back and tell me immediately.

First, they are a group of people, numbering five or more but no more than thirty, who like to wear white clothes and robes and wear gold jewelry daily.

Secondly, their skin is abnormally fair, even fairer than Huai Xiu's, and their frames are very broad, making them appear tall and slender, including the women.

Third, they have obvious ethnic features, including but not limited to: blond hair, heterochromatic eyes, a relatively high nose bridge, and a noticeably curly beard.

Fourth, the hierarchy is clear and no one dares to overstep it. You can tell at a glance who is the master, the guard, and the servant. The way they look at their master is like how plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums look at me.

Fifth, the person with the highest status appears eccentric and often carries a book in his hand, not a paper book, but a thick parchment scroll.

Sixth, every so often they would hold a unique prayer ceremony, during which they would remove their disguises and put on specially made robes, which were mainly white and embroidered with flame patterns.

Seventh, they are very rich, extremely rich, and can hire waiters to test them under the pretext of asking for a tip. If they attack...

It's best not to take action!
Go find the person as I told you.

They mostly hid in caravans from the Western Regions.

There was at least one woman among the guards.

Li Zhaoting quickly sketched several paintings, meticulously depicting the Zoroastrian crown, priest's robes, and distinctive jewelry in a purely realistic style.

Shi Xiaocui instructed Feng Wanli to find the person in this manner.

Although the Snow Mountain Sect's martial arts heritage isn't particularly strong, they are the local power in Lingxiao City. Every shop in Lingxiao City has Snow Mountain Sect disciples, and they have infiltrated every aspect of the city.

The internal strife within the Snow Mountain Sect has temporarily subsided. Of the nine sects, only four remain, and many of them harbor deep-seated hatred for each other. They cannot be ruthlessly suppressed; instead, they must be appeased through appeasement.

Dog Brother knew nothing about this, Bai Wanjian was too upright, Shi Xiaocui mustered her spirits to comfort the surviving disciples and hold a funeral for the disciples who died in the rebellion.

Ah Xiu escorted Li Zhaoting and the others to their guest rooms.

Li Shengnan asked, "Husband, the characteristics you just described seem to be those of Zoroastrianism in Persia."

Cheng Huaixiu said: "As early as the Sui and Tang Dynasties, Cihang Jingzhai had dealings with Zoroastrianism. Zoroastrianism was introduced to the Central Plains from the Uyghurs and claimed to be the Great Ming Zunjiao (Great Ming Respected Religion)."

From top to bottom:
The group consists of the leader, the benevolent mother, the atom, the five bright sons of the bright lineage, the five types of demons of the dark lineage, and the rest are ordinary managers.

The secret teachings of the sect are called "Sabulokan," which is a transliteration and is also known as the "Sutra of Light."

The most famous martial arts manual is called "The Scripture of Wisdom for Controlling All Laws and Their Origins," which was originally a manual for the Atom Sect, but all the sect leaders throughout history have been promoted from the Atom Sect.

According to ancestral records, the Great Ming Zunjiao's "Yujin Wanfa Genyuan Zhijing" can unlock the treasury of wisdom, amplify all methods, and produce various miraculous effects.

With this, 'Shadow Assassin' Yang Xuyan greatly enhanced his Phantom Sword Technique and Phantom Demon Body Technique, and evolved the kung fu of the Butian Pavilion lineage into the 'Black Hand Demon Art'.

The leader of that generation was named Xu Kaishan, whose skill was no less than that of the Yin Gui Sect leader, "Yin Hou" Zhu Yuyan, and who had mastered the method of manipulating natural elements and controlling the Five Elements.

After numerous fierce battles, the Great Ming Sect was almost completely wiped out and lost contact with its Persian headquarters. The surviving disciples were divided into three groups.

A group settled in Gansu and Liangzhou, led by a ruthless woman named Wang Xian. She recruited soldiers near Liangzhou and called herself the "Black Clothes Society".

In the early Tang Dynasty, the Black-Clad Society was wiped out by Li Jing.

During the Wu Zhou period, the resurgent Black-Clad Society attempted to seize Liangzhou, but was annihilated by Di Renjie's scheme.

Some of them settled down at Bright Summit in Huangshan and gradually developed into a family business. About thirty years ago, they had a conflict with the Huashan Sect and were killed by the Seven Swords of Huashan.

Only one woman survived. She fled to Japan, mastered superb martial arts, and returned to the Central Plains just in time for the internal strife at Mount Hua.

This woman lurked in the shadows, instigating a conflict between the Huashan Sword Sect and the Qi Sect, constantly adjusting the power dynamics between the two sides, ultimately leading to the two sects of Huashan becoming a husband-and-wife business.

After taking her revenge, this woman went to the Western Regions, where she established a business and called herself: Stone Guanyin!

Two years ago, Shi Guanyin was eliminated by the head of the family.

The Huangshan Ming Cult was completely destroyed from that point on.

The other group was naturally the Kunlun Ming Cult, whose headquarters were also named Bright Peak. Kunlun was a desolate place, free from the strife of the Central Plains, allowing them to focus on healing their wounds. After hundreds of years of development, their strength surpassed that of the past. The cult leader remained the same.

The benevolent mother transformed into her left and right attendants.

The atom transformed into the Dharma protector.

The five bright seeds transformed into the Five Elements Flag.

The five types of demons transformed into five scattered humans.

The Kunlun Ming Cult had two periods of great prosperity.

One is Long Xiaotian, who serves as the leader of the sect. He sweeps across the martial arts world with his unparalleled martial arts skills and can be called the number one demon.

One was Yang Dingtian, who was not only a top master of the demonic path, but also had excellent management skills. The Ming Cult was full of talented people at the top.

What followed was the rise and fall of a golden age.

Yang Dingtian suddenly disappeared, and his fate is unknown.

The Golden Lion King indiscriminately slaughtered innocent people, committing numerous bloody crimes.

The Green-Winged Bat King went mad with internal energy, and its body was corroded by a chilling poison.

The Purple-Robed Dragon King went into hiding, disappearing without a trace.

The White-browed Eagle King established his own sect and founded a new school.

The two messengers died at the Guandong Martial Arts Conference.

The five individuals each ruled their own territory, and none of them submitted to the others.

The Five Elements Banner guarding the Ming Cult headquarters will not cause problems in the short term, but without the supply of money and food, the Five Elements Banner will collapse without a fight in three to five years.

If the Zoroastrian Church were to seize this opportunity, as the head of the Persian branch, and with the Sacred Flame Token and other tokens, go to the Kunlun Ming Cult to persuade the Five Elements Flags to surrender, they might not be without a chance.

But what are they doing at the Snow Mountain Sect?
Could the Sacred Flame Token be hidden in the Snow Mountain Sect?

Nestled in Li Zhaoting's arms, Cheng Huaixiu, knowing his habit of pondering, deliberately placed her delicate feet into his palm, quietly enjoying his caresses.

Li Shengnan nestled on the other side, teasing Li Zhaoting's chin with her hair: "Husband, when Master was young, he went to Persia, and he had great contempt for Zoroastrianism."

"In the whole world, there are no more than twenty people who can be taken seriously by the old man. How could those charlatans of the Zoroastrian Church possibly catch his eye?"

"My lord, you misunderstand. It's not that Master is arrogant and disdainful of others, but rather that the Zoroastrian sect is worthless."

Both the Great Ming Zunjiao and the Mingjiao were destroyed by foreign enemies. The enemies they encountered were the leaders of their time, and they even offended the Master.

The most talked-about achievement of my lord was defeating a thousand men with a single sword at the Guandong Martial Arts Conference. Yang Xiao and Fan Yao died in this battle, which was an honor for the Kunlun Ming Cult.

The situation is completely different for Zoroastrianism.

Firstly, due to improper preservation, some martial arts manuals were stolen, while others were gnawed by rats, resulting in the loss of 90% of ancestral martial arts skills and a decline in the inheritance of martial arts.

The twelve jeweled tree kings who were responsible for annotating the scriptures were originally all experts, but as time went by, only three could be considered experts, and the rest were useless.

Four of them were simply annotating the scriptures and had no martial arts skills whatsoever. According to the rules of the sect, the Twelve Treasure Tree Kings must advance and retreat together and cannot act alone in private.

This means that when the Treasure Tree King goes out, it not only cannot provide help, but may even become a burden.

In recent years, the political situation in Persia has been similar to that in China, with constant warfare, the emergence of various religious sects, and the weakening of Zoroastrianism.

If Zoroastrian representatives travel all the way from Persia, it's most likely to be to find helpers.

First, he sought to regain martial arts techniques such as the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth and the Scripture of Wisdom that Controls All Laws to enhance his own strength.

Secondly, they recruited members of the Kunlun Ming Cult to compete with other sects for territory. If they were unable to defeat them, they would use the strength of these masters to attempt an attack on the Central Plains.

The issue is……

What are they doing at the Snow Mountain Sect?
Did we get lost halfway there?

impossible!

Zoroastrianism came with caravans!

Others may take the wrong path.

How could a caravan possibly get lost?
Husband, what do you think?

Judging from the traces of the killing, the murderer was most likely from the Persian Zoroastrian religion, possibly the three envoys of Fengyunyue and a certain Treasure Tree King. However, based on the logic of their actions, it is completely incomprehensible why they would assassinate Bai Zizai.

Bai Zizai had no grudges against the Ming Cult.

Regardless of Bai Zizai's martial arts skills, character, or whether he was a madman or a normal person, to the Ming Cult, Bai Zizai was a complete stranger, thousands of miles away, and even more so to the Zoroastrian Cult.

Who the hell would have the time to travel halfway around the world to assassinate a crazy, rambling stranger? Even the Joker wouldn't be that crazy!
Did they really take the wrong path?

Even if Li Guang, the "Lost Marquis," were to lead the team, it wouldn't be possible to walk from the Kunlun Mountains to the Tianshan Mountains! The two sides are thousands of miles apart; even a fool could see the problem!

"Mei Jian, what are your thoughts?"

Li Zhaoting asked casually.

Mei Jian began, "Master, I grew up on Misty Peak since I was a child. This is the first time I've ever gone out. I get lost after walking only a few miles, let alone thousands of miles?"

Lan Jian continued, "Master and Madam, you are often out and about and are good at finding directions. Those nobles who never leave their homes and have to ride in sedan chairs all their lives, how would they know about east, west, south, and north?"

Zhu Jian changed the subject: "This servant thinks that the Treasure Tree King of the Zoroastrianism has simply gone astray. They are thousands of miles away and only know that the Ming Cult's headquarters is located on a high mountain. How could they distinguish between Kunlun and Tianshan?"

Chrysanthemum Sword concluded: "The Snow Mountain Sect doesn't have many experts, but Lingxiao City, where the Snow Mountain Sect is located, is exceptionally prosperous. In addition, Bai Zizai boasted that he was the greatest master in history and the world. Little did the Treasure Tree King know that this was just Bai Zizai talking nonsense. His first thought was definitely to force him to reveal the fist and sword manuals, and then a fight broke out."

Mei Jian gestured: "They didn't know that Bai Zizai was boasting. They mistakenly thought that Bai Zizai was an unparalleled grandmaster who had shaken the world. So they went all out when they attacked. Unexpectedly, they succeeded in one move, and Bai Zizai's soul returned to the Western Paradise."

Lan Jian sat behind Li Zhaoting, massaging his temples and said softly, "Master, Madam, you are both intelligent people, and you are prone to overthinking."

Li Zhaoting: (⊙ω⊙`)
Cheng Huaixiu: ┓(`)┏

Li Shengnan: (；OдO)
All three at the same time: (.;;:益:;;.)
Li Zhaoting was definitely overthinking it.

Persia is located near the Mediterranean Sea and has a well-developed maritime trade route. When sailing at sea, it is almost impossible to get lost. As long as you have a nautical chart, you can easily find Ling Snake Island.

To travel overland from Persia to Kunlun, one must first pass through "Little Bright Realm," the border between Kunlun and Tianshan Mountains. This is the territory of the Demonic Cult, and one dares not linger here.

Then, they went astray...

I originally intended to search for Bright Summit along the Kunlun Mountains.

The end result was that they traveled eastward along the Tianshan Mountains, raiding several tribes along the way and reaping considerable profits. The trouble that Huo Qingtong's tribe encountered came from them.

After being driven back by Huo Qingtong and her men, Baoshu Wang, who was in charge of leading the way, continued to travel along the mountain range. By chance, he found Lingxiao City and learned that there was a great hero and grandmaster in the city who was unprecedented and unparalleled. He wanted to steal the fist and sword manuals, which led to the events that followed.

Realizing that Bai Zizai was a fraud and that the Snow Mountain Sect had few experts, King Baoshu discussed the matter briefly and decided to occupy Lingxiao City as a branch of the Fire Worshiping Sect before heading to Bright Peak.

There was something else that was beyond Li Zhaoting's comprehension.

Chinese religious sects advocate "a hundred schools of thought contending".

Bodhidharma passed down the 72 Shaolin Arts, which later generations could modify, supplement, or even remove some of the martial arts and add their own.

Zhang Sanfeng taught his disciple the "Tiger Claw Hand," but Yu Lianzhou felt it wasn't powerful enough and made several modifications. Zhang Sanfeng only asked his disciple to use it cautiously and didn't say much else. The Tiger Claw Hand, which involves ripping out kidneys, certainly needs to be used with caution!

Throughout history, which Confucian classic has not been interpreted in multiple versions? Talented people emerge in every generation, and new people replace the old, each with their own ideas.

The Zoroastrianism has an exceptionally strict internal hierarchy.

The three envoys, Feng, Yun, and Yue, who possessed the highest martial arts skills, were actually just guards and had no right to offer suggestions.

The Treasure Tree King, who was in charge of guiding the way, can be seen as the "strategist" of the Zoroastrian Church, the team's only strategist. He has no martial arts skills whatsoever and is specifically responsible for annotating and interpreting scriptures.

If someone goes astray, others cannot question them; otherwise, a debate will ensue. According to Zoroastrian doctrine, the loser of the debate must have their soul purified.

The translation is: Burn them!
To save face, King Baoshu couldn't admit that he was a good-for-nothing who couldn't tell which way was which, led everyone astray, and caused them to travel thousands of miles in vain. He could only grit his teeth and keep going. Before their patience ran out, he luckily arrived at Lingxiao City, awakening his bandit instincts.

Such a good city, why not take it?

If we can completely occupy Lingxiao City, all these detours will be worthwhile, and we can easily stabilize morale.

Li Zhaoting thought that even if the person leading the way was an incredibly stupid idiot, finding any local to be the guide wouldn't lead to such a serious deviation.

Are all Zoroastrians mute?
From beginning to end, Li Zhaoting never imagined that the word "admitting mistakes" did not exist in the other party's dictionary.

For the Treasure Tree King, admitting mistakes would dilute their divinity. The Treasure Tree King's authority does not come from martial prowess, but from the divinity derived from annotating scriptures and performing sacrificial rituals; divinity is more important than life itself. (End of Chapter)