Martial Arts Showdown: My Wife Asked Me to Be the Champion

Chapter 171 I have a wife who is a mountain bandit queen, and her best skill is robbery!

There are no impervious walls in the world.

The imperial court launched a large-scale crackdown on the Green Robe Tower, wiping out most of it in just three days. The whole martial arts world was in an uproar, and of course, it couldn't be kept from Huo Xiu.

When the Four Great Constables led their team to wipe out all the Green Robe Towers outside Guanzhong, Huo Xiu finally received a message from his subordinates via carrier pigeon and learned the truth.

The truth is—while Huo Xiu was eyeing Yan Tieshan's treasure, Xu Qingya was eyeing Qingyi Tower!

The situation between hunter and prey has reversed.

It's not a case of "the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind," because the oriole, mantis, and cicada are all prey. Xu Qingya, with his slingshot, intends to catch everyone in one fell swoop.

The three thousand elite soldiers who were transporting jewels from Yan Mansion, under the command of Yang Yan and Yin Susu, were stationed in batches near Qingyi Tower in Guanzhong. Upon receiving the order, they immediately launched an attack to completely wipe out Qingyi Tower.

Just as Huo Xiu received the letter, Xu Qingya and Lu Xiaofeng appeared at the entrance of Qingyi First Building. Lu Xiaofeng was carrying a wine gourd, Xu Qingya was empty-handed, and Hua Baifeng and Qin Nanqin were each carrying a knife.

Lu Xiaofeng's face was full of disdain: "Didn't you despise robbery the most? You always say robbery has no skill involved. You're a robber now too. All the bandit strongholds in the world combined aren't as good at robbery as you. You're the real kingpin of the bandits!"

After a pause, Lu Xiaofeng continued his mockery: "I've noticed you're getting lazier and lazier. You used to arrange everything yourself, from food and clothing to shelter and transportation, but now you don't even carry your own sword. Didn't you say you wanted to nurture your sword and comprehend the Zen of the sword? Having a maid carry your precious sword for you, aren't you afraid it will be stolen by thieves?"

Seemingly not satisfied, Lu Xiaofeng launched another taunt: "You entered the martial world with a single sword, and now you seem to be a two-sword style, but in reality, you have three swords. When you achieve fame and success, who knows how many swords you'll have? Will each of your confidantes be carrying one for you?"

"The advantage of using weapons is that you can make a grand display this way. If it were you, would you cut off your finger and have a beautiful woman hold it for you?"

Xu Qingya used to carry his sword himself, but this time, when they were besieging the Green Robe Tower, the women all had their own duties and tasks, except for the little maid who had no mission.

Adhering to the principle of treating everyone equally, Xu Qingya had them carry knives to give them a sense of participation.

This kind of thing is not uncommon in the martial arts world.

Chi Zunxin needed ten strong men to carry one hundred and eight weapons for him, and he carried them with him wherever he went.

Even a swordsman like Ye Gucheng, who is aloof, proud, and as majestic as a snow-capped mountain, would make a grand entrance when he went out, requiring maids to scatter flower petals and handing his precious sword to a maid to carry.

Ximen Chuixue didn't need maids to carry his sword, but whenever he fought, he would hire the most famous courtesan in the area to bathe him.

Change clothes, trim nails.

Important people have important people's pomp and circumstance.

It sounds like a pain, as it's easy to be ambushed, but Xu Qingya has a backup plan: he hides an Ice Jade Knife in his sleeve. Even if all three knives are stolen, he still has the Wind God Leg.

However, Lu Xiaofeng's suggestion—

It seems to have some merit!

"You are all my wings" sounds a bit cheesy, but if everyone had a knife and it was changed to "You are all my knives," it would sound much better.

Xu Qingya couldn't help but let his mind wander.

In this respect, Lu Xiaofeng and Xu Qingya were perfectly in sync. Lu Xiaofeng guessed Xu Qingya's thoughts in less than a fraction of a second and sneered, "There aren't more than five scoundrels in the world more shameless than you!"

Xu Qingya patted Lu Xiaofeng on the shoulder: "Is Lu Sandan on this list of five people?"

Lu Xiaofeng proudly declared, "Although I'm not a gentleman, how could I possibly associate with a shameless scoundrel like you! I'm at least sixth in rank!"

"The pot calling the kettle black!"

"Fifty steps is pretty good!"

"What I mean is, this is shameless!"

"Tit for tat, I concede defeat!"

"Are you sure you want to come in with me?"

"I'm afraid you'll get beaten to death by Huo Xiu's wild punches. Huo Xiu is very skilled in martial arts and not so easy to deal with!"

"Believe it or not, Huo Xiu has already set up a deadly trap for us. This trap wasn't prepared in the last few days; it happened seven months ago!"

How do you know it was seven months ago?

"Do you remember what Shangguan Danfeng said when she asked you to help? They planned for seven months to get your help. In other words, the matter originated seven months ago, and it wasn't something they decided on a whim."

"Perhaps she was just saying it casually!"

"What you say casually is often the truth!"

"There are 108 interconnected traps inside this building. Are you sure you want to go in?"

"certainly!"

After saying that, Xu Qingya took two steps forward, reached out his hand towards the gate, and pushed open the vermilion gate.

With a gentle push, the two large doors opened.

Because the word "push" was written on the door!

These two doors are made of steel and cannot be pulled by force or damaged from the outside. The only way to open them is to push them. However, when ordinary people see the word "push" on the door, how many of them dare to push it?

If you don't push the door open, you can only dig a tunnel and crawl in.

Unfortunately, this is a mine.

Besides tomb raiders, who else could hollow out this mountain?

Lu Xiaofeng praised, "An ordinary person with your official rank and status would definitely cherish their life very much. I didn't expect you to dare to walk right in. You really have guts!"

Xu Qingya laughed and said, "I remembered a joke I heard more than ten years ago. There was a guy who was very afraid of dying. He designed a very complicated trap at his front door. Unless you activated it in the correct order, no one could break into his house. Guess how he died?"

"Could they have starved to death inside the door?"

"If he died inside, how would outsiders know he was dead if they couldn't open his door? He was being chased, fled to his doorstep, and was killed by his enemy while activating the mechanism!"

"He must have died with his eyes wide open in disbelief!"

"So, you see! One hundred and eight interconnected mechanisms may sound complicated, sharp, and dangerous, but for the owner, they are also very dangerous. One wrong step could lead to dire consequences."

As they were talking, Xu Qingya and the others reached the end of the passageway. Ahead was a "卜" (bu) shaped intersection with a sign that read "转" (zhuan). Xu Qingya turned ahead without hesitation, without even glancing at the dark passageway.

Lu Xiaofeng sighed, "The Huo Xiu I know is a wealthy man who is both reclusive and eccentric. He hates socializing more than anything else in his life. Even his most trusted subordinates can't find him. He not only despises socializing, but he also hates women very much because he practices a kind of virginity-based martial art. People who practice this kind of martial art are usually not normal!"

Qin Nanqin said, "According to the old sayings, anyone who has the perseverance to practice the Boyhood Skill will definitely become a top master in the world. With the Boyhood Skill as the foundation, practicing any masculine martial arts will be twice as effective. With Huo Xiu's wealth, he can easily buy all the external skills of Shaolin. Of the three great palms of Shaolin, only the Prajna Palm cannot be mastered."

Hua Baifeng continued, "What's strange is that throughout history, none of those who have reached the pinnacle of martial arts have used the 'Boyhood Skill' as their core. To be precise, the limit of the Boyhood Skill is Grandmaster or Eighth Master; it's impossible to break through to the Supreme Grandmaster level. Bodhidharma and Zhang Zhenren practiced their skills while still virgins, not because they primarily cultivated the Boyhood Skill!"

Lu Xiaofeng explained: "Because those who practice the Boy's Kung Fu are incomplete, even more incomplete than eunuchs. Eunuchs are incomplete due to physiological issues. If they can overcome psychological pressure, they have the opportunity to comprehend martial arts such as Sunflower Facing the Sun, Heavenly Cripple Speed, and Yin-Yang Transformation, and break through to become a Supreme Grandmaster."

The defects caused by virginity training are more severe than those caused by eunuchs.

Eunuchs permanently lose a part of their limbs, which is irreversible; there's nothing they can do even if they don't accept their fate.

People who practice the "Boyhood Kung Fu" have extremely strong Yang energy, and even when they reach their seventies or eighties, they can still break through the system.

They are constantly battling the yang energy within their bodies and the desires in their hearts. Over time, they must choose other objects or preferences to quell their desires.

If they were eminent monks who chanted scriptures and practiced Zen, they could seek liberation from Buddhist teachings. Unfortunately, Huo Xiu was the richest man in the Central Plains, and there were too many temptations around him.

Such a person may have some inner distortion; he dislikes interacting with others and enjoys collecting fine wines, which may be his only pastime.

What fun is there in this kind of life?

What's the point of being a rich person like that?

Xu Qingya coldly said, "Huo Xiu's pastime isn't alcohol, but his money. Counting money is his greatest hobby. The feel of counting money, the clinking of gold and silver, the glittering of jewels—that's his greatest pleasure, far outweighing the negative effects of his virginity training. He has absolutely no interest in women!"

"How can there be such a person in the world?"

Hua Baifeng found it hard to believe.

Qin Nanqin explained, "Of course! The notorious bandit Feng Qiwu, who was caught by the master, had hundreds of thousands of taels of gold and silver jewelry at home, but he made a living by selling roast meat. He ate chicken heads and feet left over from customers, drank ice-cold well water, wore tattered hemp cloth, and lived in a greasy roast meat shop. He had no wife, no children, and no expenses. His only pastime was counting money!"

Lu Xiaofeng was full of complaints, thinking to himself, what use is it for this kind of person to steal money? He indulges in debauchery, eating, drinking, gambling and whoring, and his living conditions are no different from those of a beggar. He is ten times more stingy than Grandet. What use is money to him?

As they were talking, the group reached the end of the road.

Ahead was a brightly lit cave.

A very spacious cave.

Bright lights were lit all around.

Huo Xiu was wearing a tattered robe and worn-out straw sandals, holding an old tin pot, and warming wine on a small stove.

A very fragrant and mellow Shaoxing wine.

It can also be called "Daughter's Red".

"Daughter's Red" is not a brand of liquor, but a type of liquor that the father buried under the osmanthus tree when his daughter was born. When the daughter got married, this jar of liquor was included in her dowry. The "Hexiu" liquor that the bride and groom drank together was from this jar of liquor, hence the name "Daughter's Red".

In this era, "Thirty-Year-Old Daughter's Red Wine" is not a vintage wine, but a hellish joke.

However, after this local custom spread, wine merchants seized the business opportunity and it gradually spread. How could the wine drunk at a wedding be sold to outsiders so casually?

Since we can't just sell it anywhere, shouldn't we raise the price a little? In short, increase the price!

Horthy was very frugal, but he was very generous when it came to wine, and his collection consisted of rare and exquisite bottles.

Lu Xiaofeng laughed, "Every time I see you, you're warming wine. Do you intend to kill Hua Xiong?"

Huo Xiu said coldly, "I feel like I'm the Hua Xiong who was killed. I planned everything, but I didn't expect the imperial court to be targeting me. Marquis Jing'an, you really have some tricks up your sleeve!"

Xu Qingya said calmly, "I won't tell you anything about 'evil deeds will inevitably lead to one's downfall.' My actions against Qingyi Tower have nothing to do with whether they are from the underworld or the legitimate world; I'm simply after money!"

Huo Xiu laughed, "The fact that you can say that shows you won't go very far in officialdom, Xu Qingya. Your character is too upright. If it were any other high-ranking official, they would definitely rebuke me righteously, expose the thousands of shameful and evil deeds that Qingyi Tower has committed, and publicly punish me!"

Qin Nanqin asked in surprise, "Huo Xiu, have you done so many bad things? Are you really that bad?"

Huo Xiu chuckled and explained, "If I hadn't done enough bad things, how could I have gone from a stray dog ​​to the richest man in the Central Plains? The 108 Green Robe Towers—each tower committed ten immoral acts, adding up to over a thousand. Those branch strongholds dedicated to killing have committed hundreds, even thousands, of immoral acts; their sins are too numerous to count!"

Hua Baifeng said, "Therefore, whatever method my master uses to deal with you is justified! Whether it's righteous words or double-crossing, he will act with complete confidence and will never hesitate!"

Lu Xiaofeng asked, "Huo Xiu, why are you doing these things? What exactly do you want to do? You have countless gold and silver treasures; even if three hundred people indulged in extravagant lifestyles every day, they still couldn't spend them all!"

Huo Xiu said disdainfully, "Lu Xiaofeng, if you had a wife that you didn't need during the day, would you be willing to share her with someone else?"

Money is my wife!

"These are completely different things."

"No, no, no! In my view, these two things are exactly the same. This wealth is like my wife; whether I live or die, I will never let anyone else use it! My wealth belongs only to me!"

"It seems it no longer belongs to you!"

"The imperial court can wipe out the Green Robe Tower and confiscate the shops under my name, but you can't take my money. I just said that whether I live or die, as long as the treasure is in my hands, no one can take it away!"

Huo Xiu glared at Xu Qingya: "The money from Qingyi First Pavilion has long been secretly moved away. This is an empty cave, and also your grave! I will bury you here! To be buried with my Qingyi Pavilion!"

Xu Qingya sighed deeply: "If you're referring to the money Ouyang Ting transported to Sichuan, I regret to inform you that Ouyang Ting was robbed by the White-Haired Witch when he passed through Dingjun Mountain and Mingyue Gorge!"

Lu Xiaofeng asked curiously, "Ouyang Ting? He's from the Green Robe Pavilion? Which floor is he the owner of?"

Xu Qingya said, "Ouyang Ting is the deputy head of the building, second only to Huo Xiu in status. At the same time, he is also the Dragon among the Twelve Zodiac Signs. He inherited Huo Xiu's martial arts skills and can be considered his half-disciple. The only difference is that Ouyang Ting is fond of women. Since he is named after the Dragon, how can he possibly abstain from women?"

"How did you know?"

"From the moment you saw this small building! You've probably seen methods like hollowing out a mountain to build a branch, but you don't know that besides the Blissful Pavilion, there's someone else with this idea. That person is Ouyang Ting. He wants to build an underground palace at the foot of Mount Emei and invite five top martial arts masters of the time to study martial arts. One of them happens to be my father-in-law, the White-browed Eagle King, who represents the Claw Technique!"

Ouyang Ting enjoys hand-to-hand combat and wants to invite five masters skilled in fists, palms, legs, claws, and fingers to join forces and create a set of unparalleled martial arts techniques.

It's hard to say about other aspects, there are too many masters who are good at fists and palms, but among the masters who are good at eagle claws, Yin Tianzheng is obviously the most respected. Ouyang Ting tried to test Yin Tianzheng in many ways, but Yin Tianzheng saw through his flaws, accepted all the benefits, and sold him to his son-in-law!

For those in the underworld, double-crossing is a basic tactic!

Upon hearing this, Huo Xiu flew into a rage: "Why should the White-Haired Witch help you? I helped her build the Bright Moon Gorge stronghold; she owes me a favor! The White-Haired Witch is clear about gratitude and resentment; she would never kick someone when they're down!"

Xu Qingya laughed and said, "Because the White-Haired Witch has her eye on my ancestral treasure, and she can't defeat me, she can only try to trade it. This is part of the transaction!"

"What ancestral heirloom?"

Lu Xiaofeng asked with great interest.

"Tadpoles passed down through eighteen generations!"

Xu Qingya told a joke offhand.

Lu Xiaofeng realized this wasn't a serious conversation.

Huo Xiu thought it might be a treasure like the tadpole script passed down in the Xu family, since the fact that the Marquis of Jing'an's mansion revered Xu Shu as their ancestor was not exactly a big secret.

Xu Qingya chuckled, "Huo Xiu, what other tricks do you have up your sleeve? Use them all!"

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