Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 70: Only children make choices; adults say, "I want them all!"
"Li Zhaoting, what did you say to him?"

Lu Xiaofeng stroked his mustache.

He saw Li Zhaoting's lips move slightly, clearly communicating with the Iron Shoe Bandit using a secret telepathic method. With just one simple sentence, Iron Shoe Bandit was so angry that he vomited blood and died.

What terrifying eloquence!

Lu Xiaofeng decided to learn this trick.

When facing a powerful enemy in the future, we will use verbal attacks to fiercely criticize them.

Li Zhaoting shrugged: "I told Tiexie that I disguised myself as Tiexie the Great Thief yesterday and sneaked into the Hua family's secret room to steal the Hanhai Jade Buddha. I stole the jade Buddha."

"The Jade Buddha of the Vast Ocean? Is it very precious?"

"The Kingdom of Hanhai is one of the thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions. In the past, when Xuanzang went to India to obtain Buddhist scriptures, he held a Water and Land Dharma Assembly in the Kingdom of Hanhai, where he lectured and discussed the Dharma for seven days and seven nights."

To thank Xuanzang, the king had a jade Buddha carved in the posture of Xuanzang preaching. Xuanzang personally consecrated the jade Buddha and left behind a scroll of Mahayana Buddhist scriptures.

Later, when the Tang Dynasty waged war against the Western Regions, the Han Hai Kingdom, fearing the ravages of war, offered this jade Buddha as a gift from Emperor Taizong's younger brother to protect its territory and people.

Fortunately, the Tang army did not attack Han Hai.

From then on, the Jade Buddha became a national treasure, equivalent to the Imperial Seal of the State. Every king of the Han Hai Kingdom would hold the Jade Buddha and recite scriptures and worship for three days before ascending the throne.

More than a decade ago, the old king of the Hanhai Kingdom noticed the serious infighting within the kingdom and dared not arbitrarily appoint a crown prince. Therefore, he entrusted the jade Buddha to Uncle Hua for safekeeping.

The Iron-Shoe Thief was an underling of the old princess.

They stole jewels everywhere, partly to amass wealth for the old princess, and partly to deceive everyone by disguising themselves as jewel thieves, their real target being the jade Buddha.

The old king and queen have passed away.

Three princes are vying for the throne.

One of the princes' wives is very mysterious.

If I'm not mistaken, this princess is Song Wencao's daughter, and he wants to become the father-in-law of the Hanhai Kingdom.

That's all I know.

Just treat it as idle gossip.

Li Zhaoting took a scroll out of his pocket.

The Great Tang Records on the Western Regions

Xuanzang's works, a treasured edition from the Southern Tang Dynasty.

It contains detailed records of the customs, culture, history, astronomy, and geography of the thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions.

After receiving the invitation, Li Zhaoting thought of the Iron Shoe Thief and went to the Southern Tang Treasury to look for records. He originally just wanted to try his luck, but unexpectedly there were records.

"Song Wencao uses the martial arts of Poison Dragon Island."

"The Lord of Poison Dragon Island is his brother."

"I remember there's a special product on Poison Dragon Island..."

"The most delicious abalone, the Beauty Abalone!"

Li Zhaoting and Lu Xiaofeng exchanged a glance.

At the same time, he showed the smile of a scumbag looking at another scumbag.

How to describe it?
Of the three sword techniques—upper, middle, and lower—you absolutely must practice the last one.

They insisted on using the middle one, even though it was made of gold, silver, or bronze.

Most importantly, it can only be used if you drink alcohol.

Both of them practiced... Drunken Sword!
Hua Manlou couldn't see the two exchanging glances, but he could sense that they were talking about inappropriate things. Feng Suzhen stretched out her slender fingers and pinched them hard a few times.

What to say!

Can this be said publicly?

Li Zhaoting quickly changed the subject: "I've heard that the most delicious dish in the world is called Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. It requires the fattest abalone. Even Buddha couldn't resist the aroma. When the pot is opened, the meaty fragrance fills the garden. Buddha would abandon his meditation and jump over the wall to come!"

Does such a dish exist in the world?

Lu Xiaofeng drooled from the corner of his mouth.

This guy is greedy, lazy, and slick. He vows to eat all the delicacies in the world, travel to all the beautiful scenery in the world, and fall in love with beauties from all over the world, living a carefree life.

There is a kind of bird that has no feet; it flies from birth and never stops.

Until death!

Lu Xiaofeng is that kind of bird.

No one can make Lu Xiaofeng stop.

Except for himself.

Li Zhaoting held up two fingers: "There are two versions of the origin of this dish. One version is that a beggar was begging outside a restaurant. That day, the restaurant held a birthday banquet and left a lot of leftover food, which was all given to the beggar."

The beggar put the leftovers into a jar and cooked them over a high fire. When he opened the lid, the rich aroma spread for more than ten miles. An old monk happened to be passing by and, without going through the main gate, jumped over the wall and went in.

There is another way of saying it.

When a wealthy family is getting married, the bride is required to cook for her parents-in-law to demonstrate her virtuousness.

Unfortunately, the young lady couldn't cook. To help her cover it up, her mother prepared a lot of ingredients, all chopped and prepared, so that she only needed to cook them briefly.

The next morning, the young lady woke up late and threw the ingredients her mother had prepared into the pot, asking the maid to turn up the heat and cook a pot of golden, thick soup.

Lifting the pot lid releases a wonderful aroma that fills the garden.

My wife, I really didn't mean to you... Ah!

Li Zhaoting was chased and punched by Feng Suzhen.

Feng Suzhen had no talent for cooking.

Upon hearing the rest of the story, she mistakenly believed that Li Zhaoting had made up a story to tease her, and she could no longer contain her anger.

I can tolerate everything else, but I can't tolerate this!

You heartless thief, you'll pay the price!

Lu Xiaofeng raised his eyebrows: "Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, what a great name. Speaking of which, I'm reminded of vegetarian cuisine. There are three chefs in the world who are best at making vegetarian dishes."

One is Song Tian'er, Chu Liuxiang's confidante.

One of them is Master Kugua, a disciple of the Shaolin monks of the "Ku" generation.

Legend has it that even Bodhisattvas would be tempted to descend from their lotus thrones upon seeing the vegetarian dishes prepared by Master Bitter Gourd.

Another one is the sage monk Wuhua from the Southern Shaolin Temple.

I have a bit of a connection with bitter melon.

Brother Hua, let me take you to eat vegetarian food!

Lu Xiaofeng has good friends all over the world.

Master Bitter Gourd has an eccentric temperament. Ordinary people who want to eat vegetarian food made with bitter gourd need to take a bath and change their clothes, and wait outside the kitchen clean. Only Lu Xiaofeng can go directly into the kitchen to snatch the food while wearing tattered clothes.

How could Hua Manlou not know the feelings between the two?
Whether it's Li Zhaoting's antics or Lu Xiaofeng's jokes, they're all trying to distract him and help him get out of the shadow of the Iron-Shoe Thief as soon as possible.

Li Zhaoting only knows how to ramble on and on when talking to beautiful women.

Lu Xiaofeng is only good at flattering beautiful women.

In normal times, there's not so much nonsense.

Playing the piano and drinking a glass of wine, everything is understood without words.

What is left unsaid?

Of course, it refers to what Li Zhaoting just said.

The Great Tang Records on the Western Regions only records the customs and culture of the Han Hai Kingdom and the Water and Land Dharma Assembly, without any record of subsequent events, let alone the related events of the King of Han Hai, the Queen of Han Hai, and the Iron Shoe Bandit.

How did Li Zhaoting find out?
Hua Ruling didn't even tell her own son!
Lu Xiaofeng is a famous detective in the martial arts world.

Hua Manlou possesses the most acute spiritual perception.

I had already noticed the flaws in Li Zhaoting's words.

I don't say it because there's no need to.

I'm not arguing because Bao Butong isn't here.

The reason they didn't shout was because Tang Zhuquan was busy and couldn't come.

They weren't like the young Bao Zheng, they didn't have a penchant for "seeking the truth in everything," as long as they knew the Iron-Shoe Bandit was dead, nothing else mattered.

The Iron-Shoe Thief died, and his heartache was completely cured.

The Hua family's birthday banquet was held on schedule.

Everyone enjoyed a happy meal.

There were no master thieves. There were no conspiracies or tricks.

There was no bloodshed.

There was only laughter and chatter, and people clinking glasses.

Li Zhaoting is erudite and shrewd; he can tell where someone is from just by their accent and describe the local customs and traditions, especially the local delicacies.

When she occasionally found herself speechless, Feng Suzhen would promptly fill in the gaps.

In terms of knowledge, the couple far surpassed everyone else.

Unfortunately, the two of them didn't know much about the martial arts and organizational structure of the various schools and sects.

Wang Yuyan knows the most about martial arts.

Li Hongxiu is the one who knows the most about the historical allusions.

The one who combines the abilities of both women is... a bastard.

The most skilled storyteller is... Sun Tianji.

At the banquet, Jin Jiuling forced a smile.

As the renowned detective of the Six Doors, known as "Ninth Master" for solving cases within nine days, he failed to demonstrate any skill whatsoever in this Iron Shoe Thief case.

He received neither divine intervention nor the Hua family's friendship, only congratulatory red envelopes. Given Jin Jiuling's spending habits, the red envelopes would only last him a day or two.

Jin Jiuling enjoyed luxury and indulgence.

He won't wear anything that isn't top-notch, he won't ride in anything that isn't top-notch, he won't look down on anything that isn't top-notch; everything he does has to be top-notch, and he spends money on top-notch things as well.

Jin Jiuling's salary was far from enough, and he barely managed to make ends meet by engaging in some shady side businesses. It was easy to go from frugality to extravagance, and he spent more and more money. The shady side businesses could no longer sustain him.

Left with no other choice, Jin Jiuling found a wealthy woman and relied on her financial support to barely maintain a semblance of dignity.

By chance, Jin Jiuling discovers that the rich woman is a fake; she is actually the treasurer of a certain underworld organization, and the money given to Jin Jiuling is all secretly taken by her.

Stealing will always be discovered eventually.

Given Jin Jiuling's spending habits, he could easily spend three to five thousand taels of silver; he would spend as much money as he was given.

If the wealthy woman is caught, and Kim Gu-ryung loses his biggest source of income, how will he maintain his luxurious lifestyle?

Jin Jiuling wanted to seize the treasure of the Kuaiyi tribe, but then discovered that the treasure was tung oil. He wanted to take some benefits from the Hua family, but the case was solved by Li Zhaoting, and he got nothing.

Giving up luxury is absolutely impossible.

"First-class" was Jin Jiuling's last shred of dignity.

Losing the title of "first-class" is worse than death!
what can we do about it?

Are you suggesting we do business without any capital?
hiss~~
It seems like it can be done!

Song Wencao, a good-for-nothing, could create a super alias like the Iron Shoe Thief. Jin Jiuling, with his years of experience in solving cases and witnessing countless bizarre and unpredictable cases, and over thirty years of experience in the public service, could absolutely pull off an impossible but perfect crime, ensnaring everyone in a maze, and then quietly retiring with gold, silver, jewels, beautiful women, and fine wine.

Thinking of this, Jin Jiuling became even more smug.

Lu Xiaofeng, Li Zhaoting, you just wait!

The glory of the martial arts world is mine.

The gold and silver jewelry of wealthy families are mine.

Beautiful women and century-old vintage wines are also mine.

It's all mine!

I have to be all!

Jin Jiuling clenched his fist tightly.

Lu Xiaofeng: I always feel a chill on my back.

Li Zhaoting: I think I see the Black and White Impermanence. Does someone want to die? Whose death aura is so heavy? It turns out to be Jin Jiuling, his forehead is blacker than the bottom of a pot!
Feng Suzhen whispered, "My lord, I always feel that Constable Jin is strange. The way he looks at you is full of hostility, like a wolf that is about to pounce."

"Because I stole his thunder."

"He is far too petty."

"Because he was too arrogant and domineering, he didn't know how to restrain himself and thought everyone else was stupid, but he didn't realize that his actions had already been seen through by others."

Li Zhaoting explained, "Jin Jiuling entered the police force as a constable at the age of thirteen. In the thirty years since, he has participated in countless cases and made numerous contributions."

Why didn't I get any promotion?
Not to mention any real official position or title, he didn't even have the honorary title of one of the Four Great Constables!

Because Jin Jiuling was too greedy and too unrestrained.

There are corrupt officials everywhere, but they should restrain themselves when necessary. Jin Jiuling never restrained himself; his food, clothing, housing, and transportation were all top-notch, clearly indicating that he was a corrupt official.

How could those old foxes in the imperial court possibly protect such a fool? Who would promote such a fool?

Jin Jiuling felt that he was not promoted because he did not have a powerful backer, and he was right, because all those who had the ability to become a powerful backer looked down on Jin Jiuling.

In this life, nothing is more important than fame and fortune.

Real power? No!
The title of "Master Detective"? No!

The salary of a six-door official can't support such a luxurious lifestyle!
His reputation in the martial arts world was that he was a lackey of the imperial court; people feared his official robes, not his abilities.

When it comes to solving cases, the most talked-about figures in the martial arts world are either Lu Xiaofeng, Chu Liuxiang, or me, or the Four Great Constables. What is Jin Jiuling's reputation?
The Luzhou case was solved by me and Lu Xiaofeng.

I personally apprehended the Iron-Shoes Thief.

Jin Jiuling became my background figure.

It would be abnormal if he didn't hate me.

He had no chance to reform himself.

If a person has the best of everything from their teens to their twenties or thirties, expecting them to change at forty is like hoping Buddha will return to secular life.

From frugality to luxury is easy, from luxury to frugality.

Jin Jiuling can't change that!

Li Zhaoting had been talking too much and his mouth was dry, so he drank a glass of wine to moisten his throat and then picked up a piece of carp.

Hua Ruling's sixtieth birthday banquet, coupled with the elimination of the Iron Shoe Bandit, was naturally a grand affair. The banquet dishes included chicken and fish, and the preparation of the fish was particularly meticulous.

Chinese cooking emphasizes color, aroma, and flavor.

Especially banquet dishes.

The plating should be aesthetically pleasing and auspicious.

Li Zhaoting recited the recipe with a smile.

"If I'm not mistaken, the master chef who makes the fish is a Shandong cuisine chef, and they like this technique."

Sweet and sour carp has a streamlined shape, with the head and tail pointing upwards. The head is higher than the tail, making it look more dynamic and symbolizing a fish leaping over the dragon gate.

When making the cut, make eight cuts on each side to pick up eight pieces of fish. Under normal circumstances, a banquet table has about eight people, so that's one piece for each person.

The vegetables on top of the sauce are seasonal vegetables.

Lotus root slices are sweet and refreshing, and can remove greasiness.

Full color and flavor.

This is definitely a master chef's creation.

Li Zhaoting gave a thumbs up.

The Hua family are from the Jiangnan region, and their usual banquets mainly feature Huaiyang cuisine. This time, however, they have a large number of guests, most of whom are friends from the Jianghu (江湖, the martial arts world), so they have specially hired more than a dozen chefs.

Shandong cuisine, Sichuan cuisine, and Cantonese cuisine are all available.

Li Zhaoting's favorite dish is a Sichuan dish.

Snowflake Chicken Noodles.

It looks like a bowl of tofu pudding, but it's actually made with chicken. You can eat chicken but don't see chicken. There are probably no more than ten chefs who can make Snowflake Chicken Soup so perfectly.

Li Zhaoting, in high spirits, introduced them one by one.

Lu Xiaofeng was unconvinced, so he went to the kitchen to find the chef and asked him to verify Li Zhaoting's statement. He said that Li Zhaoting's statement might not be entirely correct, but it was probably 80-90% possible.

Lu Xiaofeng was completely convinced.

If Lu Xiaofeng were to eat it, he would be able to appreciate its flavor.

If you ask Lu Xiaofeng to speak, he can't give you a single answer.

In this round, Li Zhaoting won decisively.

The banquet lasted until evening. Tonight was the local river lantern festival, and young men and women went to release river lanterns. Li Zhaoting naturally wouldn't miss it and went to play with Feng Suzhen.

Lu Xiaofeng was even less likely to miss out on the excitement.

He dragged Hua Manlou to see the river lanterns.

(End of this chapter)