Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 73 He is my brother, my dearest friend and family…

Li Zhaoting rubbed his head as he set up his stall.

Young Master Zhu generously sponsored a table.

Bai Yujing generously sponsored a piece of blue cloth.

Li Zhaoting covered the table with a blue cloth and placed a divination tube, tortoise shells, a copper bell, and writing brush and ink on it. Behind him, he put up a sign that read "The Divine Physiognomist in Plain Clothes".

The bodyguard in black brought over a long bench, and Young Master Zhu lay sprawled on it. He wanted to sit on a chair, but the chairs in the inn were too small for him.

Only a long bench can accommodate this guy's fat.

Young Master Zhu tossed out a silver ingot: "I've heard that fortune tellers cast three divinations a day. I like to be the first to do things, so you cast your divination for me first!"

"Who do you think you are?"

"Asshole! You are looking for death!"

"You've misunderstood. What I mean is, what kind of divination do you want? Face reading, birth chart analysis, annual fortune telling? What do you want to have done? At least give me a plan!"

“I recently made a big deal, but I suspect I’ve been targeted by a villain. Can you tell me when this villain will leave and whether I can get what I want?”

How would you like it calculated?

"Let me write you a word!"

Young Master Zhu picked up his pen and wrote the character "酒" (jiǔ, meaning wine).

Li Zhaoting snapped his fingers and calculated: "The character '酒' (jiǔ, wine) can be broken down into two parts. The left side is water, which represents wealth, and the right side is '酉' (yǒu, the rooster), which sounds like 'have.' This means you will receive a sum of money, but there will be some delay, and it will take a long time for it to arrive home."

"How long is a long time?"

"The older the wine, the more fragrant and mellow it becomes. If you want to make a big business, are you reluctant to part with aged wine?"

"Well said! Well said!" Young Master Zhu rubbed his large, fat belly: "Where is that little bastard?"

"According to my calculations, this person is by no means a villain who will hinder your wealth; on the contrary, he is your benefactor. You should treat him to good wine and meat and grant him every request."

"What if he wants the stars in the sky?"

“Go to the Qinhuai River and buy a dozen or so courtesans whose names contain the word ‘star’, and deliver them to this person’s home.”

"I'm afraid his back won't be able to take it."

"Eat more goji berries, oysters, and chives!"

"You're an interesting fellow. How about you come work for me? I'll pay you a high salary."

"Thank you for your kind offer, but I cannot go."

"You look down on me?"

"I am riddled with illnesses."

"What illness do you have? Write it down!"

Please wait a moment!

Li Zhaoting wrote down more than a dozen diseases on a piece of paper.

Young Master Zhu picked up the paper and almost burst out laughing!

"Your feet are too big?"

"I can't accept being treated unfairly by others."

"Too small mouth?"

"I can't accept your empty promises."

"Weakness in the lower back?"

"I can't bear the blame that others have thrown at me."

"Too wide head?"

"I can't accept the labels that others have put on me."

"Can't swim?"

"Wanjintang is too complicated; I can't handle it."

"My lungs aren't healthy."

"I can't stand the humiliation you give me, and I can't earn the humiliation fee you give me. Please be lenient."

Tenosynovitis?

"I can't flatter you."

"Color blind?"

"I can't read your expression."

"deaf?"

"I don't understand your hint."

What other illnesses do you have?

"Physical discomfort."

"What's wrong?"

"I feel uncomfortable seeing fatty meat!"

Li Zhaoting quickly packed up the stall.

Young Master Zhu returned to the inn, cursing and swearing.

The bodyguard in black, who was usually stern and unsmiling, was so amused by Li Zhaoting that he convulsed all over. He tried his best to hold back his laughter, but the more he tried, the more he wanted to laugh.

The stall had just been half packed up when Zhang San, the White Horse, sat on a stool and tossed out a piece of silver: "What did Young Master Zhu just calculate? I'll calculate the same thing."

"Please write a word."

"That's it!"

Zhang San raised his hand and wrote the character "义" (righteousness).

Li Zhaoting's lips twitched.

What the "white horse" fears most is "righteousness"!
Once it's under our control, how can we escape?

First, extract the tooth and the banner, then establish the merit of victory!
A white horse? Hmph! I'll make sure he never returns!

Li Zhaoting explained, "Sir, you came riding a white horse, didn't you? This is not a good omen!"

Why is a white horse considered unlucky?

During the Later Han and Three Kingdoms period, Gongsun Zan had a white horse cavalry under his command, known as "Gongsun the White Horse". Later, Gongsun Zan fought a fierce battle with Yuan Shao, was defeated and killed.

The general who defeated Gongsun Zan was named Qu Yi.

A poem praises it:

The mighty army of You and Ji subdued Baima; the mighty troops of the world were the first to charge!
Three thousand vanguards fled north, and ten thousand white horses were all broken in the procession!
The gentleman comes from the north, riding a white horse, and is about to embark on a dangerous business deal, which will inevitably involve fierce competition.

Leaving now might offer a 50% chance of survival.

If one remains obstinate and greedy for wealth, one will surely die a gruesome death, most likely due to the dictates of 'righteousness'.

That's all I have to say, sir. Please make your move.

Li Zhaoting gestured for the guest to leave.

Zhang San's wrist trembled.

Li Zhaoting acted in a way that was unfathomable, and Zhang San dared not make a move to test him, much less say that he was just fooling people.

Matters concerning ghosts and spirits exist if you believe in them, and do not if you do not.

The more you believe, the easier it is to get stuck on trivial details.

Zhang San left dejectedly.

Zhao Yidao plopped down on his seat.

The exact same requirements.

He didn't interpret the characters; he had Li Zhaoting read his face.

Li Zhaoting stared intently at Zhao Yidao, scrutinizing him closely.

Zhao Yidao hailed from Taihang Knife Village, where he made his living by robbing people on the road. He was fierce and menacing, with a menacing aura swirling between his brows, almost solidifying into a tangible form.

What do I think of my facial features?

"A fierce and menacing figure, exuding a chilling aura of killing intent."

Will I be able to succeed in this business deal?

"According to the divination, you are very likely to fail!"

"Hmph! Even ghosts and gods fear evil people. With this precious sword in hand, I am a god. Do I need your divination?"

"If that's the case, why did you come to have your fortune told?"

"Just to cause trouble, I'll overturn your stall!"

Zhao Yidao waved his hand, about to overturn the stall.

A hand gently landed on the table.

Bai Yujing's hand. Zhao Yidao felt as if a mountain was pressing down on the table, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't budge it an inch.

Seeing Bai Yujing's smiling face, Zhao Yidao knew he was no match for him and could only leave in anger. To get the blueprints from Bai Yujing, he needed to work together.

"Old Bai, who do you think you are?"

"Face reading, it doesn't matter what you calculate."

Let me tell your fortune about marriage!

How's my luck with love?

"Peach blossoms bloom in all directions, but each time you encounter romantic opportunities, they turn into romantic tribulations."

How to ward off unwanted romantic advances?

"Just avoid getting involved with too many romantic interests."

Can you hold back?

"cannot!"

Li Zhaoting spoke with such confidence and determination, as if he were running for the Jade Emperor. Bai Yujing cursed Li Zhaoting inwardly for talking nonsense, saying that a fortune teller like him couldn't fool people!
Bai Yujing is too young.

He had never seen the routines of street fortune telling.

The fortune teller's business is all about deceiving people.

No kidding, what do fortune tellers eat?
……

If you are far inferior in strength, how do you kill a martial arts master?
The answer is just two words—sneak attack!
The Heavenly Spirits and Earthly Fiends List has never included any assassins.

The assassin's skill level fluctuates too much.

If they were to fight head-on in the arena, the strongest assassin in the world would at most be at the Heavenly Gang level.

If given enough time and resources, and allowed to freely utilize their abilities and devise assassination plans, even an ordinary assassin can poison a grandmaster.

A waiter who doesn't know martial arts was able to administer a deadly poison to Li Xunhuan. Does that mean the waiter is stronger than Li Xunhuan? The difference in their methods leads to vastly different lethality.

There is no fixed leaderboard for assassins.

Anyone can become a killer.

A shrewd and clever waiter, a cunning and mercenary manager, a close friend with whom you share drinks, or your bedmate can all become assassins.

You can guard against Zhongyuan Yidianhong, you can guard against Meng Xinghun, you can guard against Liu Fenyu, but can you guard against your closest, blood-related brothers?
Of course, it's impossible to defend against.

Humans are not machines; they cannot be on guard against the outside world at all times, nor can they suspect that someone wants to kill them at all times. That would drive a person crazy.

Zhao Yidao and his team found this flaw.

The inn happened to have Bai Yujing's closest friend.

Fanglongxiang!
Bai Yujing would never be on guard against Fang Longxiang.

Bribing Fang Longxiang was not difficult.

Fang Longxiang was desperately short of money.

As his wrist was severed, Fang Longxiang's spirit was also broken. He wanted to retire from the martial world, take a large sum of money, and find a propitious place to live a life of luxury.

For this kind of person, friends are of course worth betraying. Of course, Bai Yujing is Fang Longxiang's brother, his beloved friend, so he has to pay extra!

Zhao Yidao readily paid.

Fang Longxiang directly betrayed Bai Yujing.

Bai Yujing was struck on an acupoint and collapsed to the ground.

Experts who wanted to buy the Peacock Feather blueprints gathered in the courtyard of the inn, entered the guest rooms, and used acupressure to seal Bai Yujing's acupoints.

Zhao Yidao asked, "Where did that kid named Li Buyi go? He dared to play tricks on me and scare me. I'm going to skin him alive and roast him piece by piece!"

Zhang San laughed and said, "No need to trouble Brother Zhao. Gongsun Jing was the first to be fooled by this kid. Gongsun Jing went to cause trouble for him. Next, it's our turn!"

There is only one blueprint for the peacock feather.

There are four buyers who want to purchase the blueprints.

In this situation, the rule of the highest bidder wins is obviously meaningless. The Red Hair Gang, the White Horse Gang, and the Taihang Knife Village are all bandit gangs, and they only believe in one principle: I want them all.

Kill all the enemy, and the gold and silver treasures are yours, as are the peacock feather blueprints. You can also keep the secret, find a secluded mountain forest, and peacefully craft the peacock feathers.

Only one person can leave alive.

The others will inevitably be silenced.

Experienced people understand this principle.

They understood one thing even more clearly: when a group of people hunt together, the one who survives to the end is not the strongest, because everyone will focus their efforts on attacking the strongest expert.

The strongest person on the scene is... Miao Shaotian!

Leader of the Red-Haired Gang.

The Red Hair Gang focuses on body training and consists of burly men. Miao Shaotian brought nine experts with him, giving them an absolute advantage in terms of numbers alone.

If the seedlings don't die even after the fire, who can feel at ease?

and so……

"Pfft!"

Two knives slashed at Miao Shaotian's back.

One of them is Zhao Yidao, a newly formed ally.

One of them was Zhang San, his enemy for many years.

Miao Shaotian lay on the ground, his eyes wide open in death.

Zhao Yidao sneered, "Fool! Zhang San and I both practice swordsmanship, so we are natural allies. Others form alliances by swearing blood oaths, but we two are just drinking lotus root starch."

Young Master Zhu looked at the two of them coldly: "Now it should be my turn, right? Who will make the first move?"

Zhang San swung his knife at Zhu Dashao.

"Of course it is me!"

The blade flashed and slashed towards Young Master Zhu's neck.

What a quick knife!

So fast that you can only see afterimages.

Young Master Zhu couldn't escape the fatal blow.

The bodyguards in black certainly didn't have that ability.

A flash of light, and blood splattered everywhere.

Zhang San fell to the ground.

Zhao Yidao wiped the blood off the knife with the sole of his boot.

"You said that people are disloyal, so rather than waiting for you to be disloyal, I'd rather strike first."

Young Master Zhu added, "Wan Jintang's business relies on the Taihang Mountains. How can I do business if I don't pull some strings? We've been allied for years!"

Zhang San's energy and spirit were in a trance-like state.

In a daze, I recalled Li Zhaoting's words.

—The odds are against them, and their lives are in danger!

—He will surely die because of the word "righteousness"!

Being loyal to one's friends is "righteousness".

Betrayal is also a form of "righteousness".

Where righteousness lies, how can one justify saving one's life?

He truly deserves the title of "divine physiognomist in plain clothes".

Indeed, his predictions were accurate and insightful.

Zhang San coldly stared at the two of them, leaving behind a final message with his eyes: "I'll be waiting for you in hell. The commoner-robed divine physician has already written your fate."

Young Master Zhu and Zhao Yidao exchanged a glance.

They seemed to have victory in their grasp.

Just then, a sound came from upstairs.

Three bodies were thrown down.

Gongsun Jing!
Gongsun Jing's wife!

Gongsun Jing's closest friend!

Their mission was to kill Li Zhaoting.

Obviously, they failed.

Li Zhaoting poked his head out of the window.

"Are you guys done fighting?"

(End of this chapter)