Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

My trip to Chang'an has come to an end.

Gao Jia, Liu Yi, Qian Bing, and Ding Han were accused of forming a clique for personal gain, embezzling public funds, and trafficking in military equipment. Their crimes were too numerous to count, and they were all executed and their property was confiscated.

Because Madam Liu voluntarily surrendered her family property and had helped eliminate evil, Bao Zheng granted her special permission to become a nun in Zhongnan Mountain, where she was forbidden from leaving for the rest of her life.

Lady Liu was heartbroken and had no more attachment to the world. She spent three years chanting sutras and reciting Buddhist prayers for Liu Yi at Cihang Jingzhai. On the third anniversary of his death, she passed away.

The four men had amassed a considerable fortune through years of extortion and corruption, and the weapons and armor that Gao Jia and Qian Bing had secretly hidden also needed to be thoroughly inventoried.

Bao Zheng and Li Xunhuan inventoried the stolen goods.

Gongsun Ce and Tang Yin served as local magistrates, handling backlogged cases and pacifying the people of Xianyang County.

Li Zhaoting, carrying the urgent memorial written by Bao Zheng, rushed back to the capital and announced to the world that the Heavenly Mandate had disappeared in the early Tang Dynasty, so everyone should stop thinking about it!

Li Zhaoting stayed in the capital for two days and found that there was no undercurrent of unrest and nothing major was happening, which was completely contrary to his sense of crisis in Xianyang.

After spending a few days at the Eighth Prince's Mansion with Tianxiang, Li Zhaoting returned to his ancestral home in Jinling. As soon as he arrived home, he was immediately tied up by Wang Shenglan and carried to the family ancestral hall.

Li Shengnan and Cheng Huaixiu knelt down silently.

Every time Li Zhaoting went out, he was accompanied by several female confidantes. When they were out exploring the world, they were carefree and happy. But after they returned home...

—Kneeling in the ancestral hall as a daily routine!

Mei, Lan, Zhu, and Ju knew that the elegant and noble lady sitting in the main seat was the First Madam, and they also knew that Feng Suzhen was the Queen Mother of the Li family, so no one dared to offend her.

"Your servants Mei Jian, Lan Jian, Zhu Jian, and Ju Jian pay their respects to all the ladies! May you all remain young forever."

Li Zhaoting quickly introduced the four people.

"Plum blossom, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum—remember these!"
This is the First Madam, this lady in Miao attire is Madam Lan, the holy maiden of Miao territory, and the female tyrant who has me bound hand and foot is Madam Wang, who is also the leader of the Xiaoyao Sect.

These four are Madam Li's dowry attendants, the four princesses of the Demonic Sect. These two are Mei Zhu and Jiang Yuyan. From now on, you will be under Mei Zhu's jurisdiction and must listen to her.

Ladies, I swear, I did not have any philandering during this trip. Li Qiushui tried to seduce me with the name of Princess Yinchuan, but I remained true to myself and did not resist the temptation.

Wu Xingyun wanted to marry her disciple to me, but I refused decisively.

Sheng Nan and Huai Xiu can testify!

The two of them completed the task perfectly.

Is kneeling in the ancestral hall a bit unjust?

Li Zhaoting gently shrank back and crawled out of the ropes. He hugged Wang Shenglan with his left hand, spun around twice, and gently sat down next to Feng Suzhen.

He reached out and pulled Feng Suzhen into his arms.

Feng Suzhen retorted, "My lord, I am not angry that you are philandering. As a duke, the fact that you have so many wives and concubines shows that the Li family is thriving."

What angers me is that you, my lord, actually accepted the bronze plaque to be the messenger of good and evil on Xia Ke Island. What a dangerous place Xia Ke Island is! How could you risk your life like that?

Is Laba porridge really that delicious?

Li Zhaoting comforted her, saying, "Don't worry, Madam. Xia Ke Island is not a den of dragons and tigers, but a blessed land that hides unparalleled martial arts. It is a rare treasure."

Those martial arts practitioners who went to drink Laba porridge became so engrossed in martial arts manuals that they haven't returned for decades.

I had already planned out the date.

It would take about eight or nine days to return to the Central Plains from Xia Ke Island. After I finished drinking porridge on Laba Festival, I spent three days comprehending the secret manual, and then another eight days going home.

I will definitely go home before the Lunar New Year.

Your due date is likely in the first month of the lunar calendar.

I definitely wouldn't leave home before that.

Sheng Lan, Xiao Die, and Yun Fei, the three of you come with me to Xia Ke Dao for some porridge. Yu Yan will come too.

To be honest, if it weren't for special circumstances, I really would like to take everyone to Xia Ke Dao for some porridge.

The Laba porridge from Xia Ke Dao is a delicacy.

These are all rare medicinal herbs.

Li Zhaoting shook his head, expressing his regret.

Feng Suzhen gently stroked her lower abdomen: "Since my husband has made all the preparations, I shouldn't say anything more."

Your Excellency might as well find a few friends and go to Xia Ke Island together to study the secret manual. Firstly, good things should be shared, and secondly, in case of an accident, you won't be left alone and helpless.

"Does Your Excellency have a suitable candidate in mind?"

Li Zhaoting laughed and said, "My elder brother Xiao Feng, my close friends Lu Xiaofeng, Chu Liuxiang, and Tang Zhuquan will definitely be going. Li Xunhuan will decide based on the situation."

The case in Xianyang is quite complicated.

Li Xunhuan has many things to do.

Since achieving the third-highest rank in the imperial examination, Li Xunhuan has served as an envoy for several years, going to Dali this year and the Western Regions next year. Now, he can finally do some practical work as a civil official.

Li Xunhuan will not leave until the case is completely closed; he will not leave even if struck by lightning.

"Does my lady have any further questions?"

Feng Suzhen nodded: "My lord has arranged everything perfectly, and I have no objections. However, my lord has been having a very smooth time lately, so please do not become arrogant or complacent."

Wang Shenglan laughed and said, "Big sister! My husband can only be proud of Shengnan and Huaixiu. He can't be proud of me. I can beat him until he foams at the mouth!"

Li Zhaoting chuckled: "Sheng Lan! You're like a dog that's been knocking the roof off for three days straight. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, so I'm going to teach you a lesson today and see how long you can keep up your stubbornness!"

Bai Yunfei and Lan Xiaodie surrounded them.

Mei Zhu and Jiang Yuyan went to prepare bath water.

Mei, Lan, Zhu, and Ju stared wide-eyed, looking left and right as quickly as possible to memorize the faces of the ladies, lest they cause trouble and be sold off to Lingnan by the First Madam.

A night of passion, no need to say more.

The following morning, Li Zhaoting sent letters to his friends, inviting them to Xia Ke Island for congee.

Xia Ke Island is infamous, regarded by the martial arts world as a den of dragons and tigers, a hellish underworld, and a ghostly realm, but Li Zhaoting's friends are all incredibly daring.

Xiao Feng, Chu Liuxiang, and Tang Zhuquan rushed over immediately after receiving the letter. Tang Zhuquan also invited Long Chengbi, Wei Kongkong, and Sima Xue over together.

Lu Xiaofeng refused.

Lu Xiaofeng is afraid of water.

Even if the Temple of War appeared on some island, Lu Xiaofeng wouldn't even glance at it. However, Lu Xiaofeng was a restless person with countless troublesome matters to deal with.

Recently, Master Shi Yan of Yuxu Palace of Wudang Sect asked Lu Xiaofeng for help. For some unknown reason, Lu Xiaofeng has been acting mysteriously and strangely lately.

……

Leisure time always passes quickly.

Time quickly passed to the dead of winter. Li Zhaoting and his group went to Fuzhou to wait for the ship from Xia Ke Island. The estuary was the beach where the pirates had been wiped out.

Dozens of sect leaders arrived one after another.

When these people saw Li Zhaoting, they were first startled, then their faces lit up with joy. Normally, when they encountered Li Zhaoting, they were so frightened that they would wet themselves and wish they could faint on the spot.

They were about to go to Xia Ke Island to "die," and if they had a master like Li Zhaoting by their side, they might have a chance of survival in the fight. So they all came to flatter him.

Brother Gou, in his capacity as the leader of the Snow Mountain Sect and the leader of the Chang Le Gang, went to Xia Ke Island for a meal. Ah Xiu and Shi Xiao Cui led dozens of disciples to see him off. Upon seeing Li Zhaoting, Ah Xiu and Shi Xiao Cui were overjoyed, thinking to themselves that with this man around, even if the island lord of Xia Ke Island had three heads and six arms, and even if Xia Ke Island was a den of dragons and tigers, they could still fight their way out.

After waiting for two days, Li Zhaoting was fishing by the sea when he was amazed by the fish's lack of behavior. A mast rose from the sea, followed by two jets of water.

The ship from Xia Ke Island has arrived.

Li Zhaoting leaped forward: "Why didn't Zhang San and Li Si come over? Are they afraid of me?"

Standing at the bow of the boat is the eighth senior brother of Xia Ke Island, who has an excellent relationship with Zhang San and Li Si. His surname is Zhao, he has no given name, and he is known as Steward Zhao. He is the chief steward of Xia Ke Island.

Manager Zhao thought to himself that this young and handsome fellow who couldn't speak human language must be Li Zhaoting. Damn it, how dare Zhang San and Li Si come to see you?

You've ruined their medicinal wine!
Wang Shenglan laughed loudly, "I've long heard that the disciples of Xia Ke Island are all experts. Let me test your skills!"

Before he could finish speaking, Wang Shenglan burst into the air.

With this leap using only physical strength, Wang Shenglan created a deep pit in the sand. She twisted her waist and hips, raising the Overlord Spear high, its tip condensing a ray of lightning.

Overlord Spear Technique - A Thousand Armies Repel!

Manager Zhao, who specialized in the art of overcoming strength with softness, slowly raised his hands, his palms forming a Yin-Yang Tai Chi symbol. He looked up at the invincible Overlord Spear and drew more than a dozen arcs with his hands, forming circles of varying sizes.

"boom!"

The Overlord Spear slammed into the arc.

With a deafening roar, the massive ship was violently shaken and tilted wildly. Waves three or four meters high surged up from both sides of the ship. Manager Zhao staggered back seven or eight steps until he crashed into the mast and stopped, his hands behind his back and his smile becoming stiff.

Wang Shenglan used the momentum to flip back and land lightly on the reef, casually slinging the Overlord Spear over her shoulder.

"Using softness to overcome hardness? Your martial arts are quite good! If all the disciples of Xia Ke Island were at your level, Xia Ke Island's infamous reputation would be well-deserved."

"Thank you for your praise, Sect Leader Wang."

Manager Zhao sighed. The Li family was indeed full of monsters. Fortunately, Li Shengnan and Cheng Huaixiu had been confined to their homes recently. Otherwise, if the demonic witch and the fairy of Jingzhai got angry, they might smash the ship to pieces.

Li Zhaoting said loudly, "Sir, my wife is impulsive and has a bad temper. She wants to fight any expert she sees. I apologize on her behalf." Manager Zhao smiled and said, "Hero Li, I know the reputation of Xia Ke Island very well. Master Wang only gave me a light shot. I am deeply grateful for Master Wang's kindness."

Tang Zhuquan said, "Damn it! Why so much nonsense! I'm not the sect leader! But I'm going to drink porridge! Which sect is willing to pass the position of sect leader to me? I'll go to Xia Ke Island for you."

Upon hearing this, more than a dozen people rushed out, knelt before Tang Zhuquan, and pleaded desperately, stuffing the sect leader's token into Tang Zhuquan's hand. In an instant, a ring of fish-scale armor was pasted around Tang Zhuquan's chest, making him no less imposing than Su Xunzong.

Manager Zhao waved his hand: "Hero Tang is a close friend of Hero Li. My island master said that Hero Li can lead ten relatives and friends to drink Laba porridge."

Fellow sect leaders, Master Tang is qualified to go to Xia Ke Island for a bowl of porridge. Even if you acknowledge Master Tang as your eighteenth generation ancestor, you still can't escape it.

Please board the ship according to the roster.

"No need for all that trouble, I'll go first!"

Wang Shenglan leaped onto the deck.

Lan Xiaodie and Bai Yunfei followed closely behind.

Xiao Feng, Chu Liuxiang, Tang Zhuquan, Long Chengbi, Wei Kongkong, Sima Xue and others boarded the ship one after another.

Li Zhaoting laughed and said, "Everyone, is there anyone who wants to come along? I have one more spot!"

Originally, there were exactly ten people, but recently, due to spending too much time recuperating at home and Jiang Yuyan's pregnancy, she was unable to go on the sea voyage, leaving one spot vacant.

Shi Xiaocui said, "I'll go!"

Li Zhaoting waved his hand: "No way!"

Why not?

Shi Xiaocui glared at Li Zhaoting.

Li Zhaoting explained, "Grandma Shi, if you and Brother Shi go to Xia Ke Island together, wouldn't you leave your wife here alone to wait? If your wife comes along, Brother Shi definitely won't want to. Let's give the last spot to another hero!"

"Please give me this spot!"

A voice came from afar.

The speaker was handsome and gentle, holding a folding fan, with a slightly vacant look in his eyes.

It was none other than Hua Manlou.

Li Zhaoting said, "Since Brother Hua wants to go to Xia Ke Island to drink Laba porridge, this spot is yours."

Hua Manlou laughed and said, "Lu Xiaofeng once said that you can always get benefits from the places you go. This time, Lu Xiaofeng couldn't take advantage of you, so he sent me here to take back all the benefits. I really want to go out to sea for a while."

Li Zhaoting's face darkened: "I guarantee that Lu Xiaofeng's words would never be so elegant."

Li Zhaoting grabbed Hua Manlou with one arm, jumped towards the bow of the boat, and landed lightly on it.

Manager Zhao shook his head helplessly.

Hua Manlou's character, martial arts skills, and aptitude are very suitable for comprehending the "Tai Xuan Jing". Unfortunately, Hua Manlou is blind, so how can he see the inscriptions on the stone tablet?

The group boarded the ship in batches. Xia Ke Dao had sent two large ships, large enough to accommodate all the guests. The main power source for the ships was not the sailors, but two whales.

The water column that Li Zhaoting saw earlier was emitted by whales. In fact, Xia Ke Island has twelve whales, and each boat is equipped with two whales that take turns pulling the boat to ensure a steady speed.

Since Lu Xiaofeng was not on the ship, the journey was peaceful and they arrived at Xia Ke Island without incident.

As the ship landed on the island, most people felt terrified. The feeling of slowly approaching a dead end and gradually losing their lifespan could drive a person crazy.

Li Zhaoting and others were very confident about this.

Some people are confident in themselves.

Some people had confidence in Li Zhaoting—if Li Zhaoting didn't find any money on the way out, even if he suffered a loss, how could he possibly go to a dangerous place after traveling thousands of miles to sea for a bowl of porridge?
Even if it really is a dragon's den or a tiger's lair, we must steal a few dragon eggs and capture a few tiger cubs. If an evil dragon intercepts us on the way, we will turn it into dragon essence.

Even so, there was still a bit of tension.

Even Dog Brother was somewhat worried.

Married men always have some concerns.

Even someone as simple as Dog Brother, as heroic as Xiao Feng, as bold as Long Chengbi, as indifferent as Hua Manlou, and as carefree and shrewd as Tang Zhuquan, couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

They were unaware of the truth about Xia Ke Dao (侠客岛).

Li Zhaoting didn't tell him.

So as not to deprive them of the "sense of surprise".

Knowing the truth, Lan Xiaodie and Bai Yunfei had some doubts. If Xia Ke Island had hidden the ultimate martial arts, why would the two island masters share it?

Aren't the two island owners worried about leaks?
They will most likely use some underhanded tactics.

The world is a dangerous place, so we must be careful.

Wang Shenglan, however, was always laughing and enjoying fresh seafood to her heart's content, without a care in the world.

A romantic mindset can overcome all forms of emotional attacks.

Wang Shenglan: My husband is invincible!
……

On the seventh day of the twelfth lunar month, the ship arrived at Xia Ke Island.

Although it was the dead of winter, Xia Ke Island was lush and green, warm as spring, with an underwater volcano below, turning the island into a "spring island".

The volcano provides heat to the island, attracting countless seabirds to roost and overwinter. The guano left by these seabirds serves as fertilizer, nourishing the island's plants.

The mountains are quiet and still, the water flows and the flowers bloom. Looking around, the scenery along the way is beautiful and the landscape is serene. You can vaguely see cranes, egrets, monkeys and other mythical creatures.

At the center of the island is a high peak, with strange and ancient rocks on both sides at its foot, and a cliff standing tall in the middle.

The mountain trails are partly natural and partly carved out by nature. At the entrance, there are two waterfalls cascading down from the sky, resembling a water curtain cave.

After decades of hard work, the disciples of Xia Ke Island have almost hollowed out the entire mountain to build thousands of guest rooms. After everyone landed, servants guided them to their rooms.

Li Zhaoting, accompanied by his three wives and concubines, stayed in a rather spacious guest room. After waiting for a short while, servants brought food: four plates of pastries and eight plates of stir-fried dishes.

Li Zhaoting picked up a spring roll and was about to put it in his mouth when Bai Yunfei quickly stopped him. She thought to herself that Li Zhaoting was becoming increasingly arrogant and had forgotten the dangers of the martial world. As a virtuous wife of the Li family, she should advise her husband in time.

Bai Yunfei said softly, "Over the past thirty years, countless heroes with extraordinary skills have come to Xia Ke Island. Whether they came to study martial arts or were killed, none of them have returned to the Central Plains. There must be something fishy about this."

Although the disciples of Xia Ke Island are formidable and the two island lords are undoubtedly skilled in martial arts, they cannot possibly capture all the top heroes in the martial arts world in one fell swoop.

My lord, in my opinion, the island must have used despicable means, either setting up traps or poisoning the food to control everyone.

Firstly, to prevent them from leaving and thus revealing the secret; secondly, with hundreds or even thousands of people studying the martial arts manual together, how could they all fail to comprehend it?
Most of the time, even a little inspiration would be snatched away by the disciples of Xia Ke Island, such as the Absorption Technique!

They openly invite people to drink Laba porridge. Laba porridge is mostly fine, but ordinary tea, snacks, vegetables and rice may be hiding a combination of poisons.

Unfortunately, Sister Lan is pregnant. If Sister Lan were here, no poison could harm her!

My lord, from now on, I will eat first. If I am poisoned, you will protect me and fight your way out.

If the poison cannot be neutralized…

Before Bai Yunfei could finish speaking, Li Zhaoting had already taken a big bite of each dish: "If I need a confidante to test the poison, am I even human?"

With my martial arts skills, even if Xia Ke Island has the Ten Thousand Poison Toad or the Manggu Toad, they might not be able to harm me. Don't worry. Suspicion breeds evil. Perhaps the poison Xia Ke Island gave us is the 'poison of suspicion'.

You should all learn from Sheng Lan.

My Shenglan is the most extravagant.

Now that we've eaten, let's go for a walk.

Enjoy the beautiful scenery of Xia Ke Island.

Hearing this, Bai Yunfei and Lan Xiaodie sat down with helpless expressions, picked up their chopsticks, and ate in small bites. The taste was not bad, and the porridge-cooking skills were especially good.

Soon, the dishes were all eaten up.

Wang Shenglan rubbed her stomach: "Husband, Xia Ke Island is so stingy. I'm not full. Let's go to Xia Ke Island's kitchen and see if I can eat another table."

"Come on, I'll take you to the kitchen!"

Li Zhaoting and Wang Shenglan went out for a walk.

Bai Yunfei and Lan Xiaodie gritted their teeth and followed Li Zhaoting out, thinking that if they encountered danger, they would immediately use their bodies as a shield to give Li Zhaoting time to build up his strength.

Just as they stepped out, they encountered Tang Zhuquan and Xiao Feng, who were out looking for drinks. Both were heavy drinkers, and they had finished all their drinks on their way to Xia Ke Island by boat.

For Tang Zhuquan and Xiao Feng, not eating was tolerable, but not drinking was absolutely unacceptable.

There were no defenses on Xia Ke Island.

Ask any servant and you'll quickly find the kitchen on Xia Ke Island. From a distance, you can see colorful lights emanating from the kitchen, which looks extremely eerie.

—It's like an old witch brewing a magic potion.

Tang Zhuquan was a tough nut to crack. He was somewhat worried on his way to Xia Ke Island, but once he arrived, he reverted to his tough nature and pushed open the kitchen door.

A group of chefs were seen cooking porridge.

Dozens of poisons were laid out on the cutting board.

Zhang San and Li Si were tending a fire when they saw Tang Zhuquan barge in. Curious, they asked, "Could this chubby brother be the great hero Tang? Are you here for a drink?"

Tang Zhuquan shouted, "Bring me some wine! My mouth is so bland! You guys are so stingy! Even if you're going to kill us tomorrow, at least give us some 'last shot' wine!" (End of Chapter)