Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 12 Lu Xiaofeng is in trouble
"Lu Xiaofeng, I'll give you a good whack in the back, then I'll pack you up and sell you to the Great Joyful Goddess!"

Li Zhaoting glared at Lu Xiaofeng through gritted teeth, his throat making a sound like a cat guarding its food. Lu Xiaofeng felt like he had become Lu Xiaoji, about to die in the cat's claws.

The Great Joyful Female Bodhisattva is the fattest pig in the martial arts world, weighing about half a ton. She has two great hobbies in life: delicious fried chicken and handsome young men.

She often mobilizes her forces to capture famous handsome men in the martial arts world, or issues bounties to hire reckless martial arts practitioners who are willing to risk their lives to capture good-looking men.

If a wandering swordsman like Lu Xiaofeng, whose name is known throughout the martial arts world, were sent to the Great Joy Palace, he would receive at least 100,000 taels of silver as a reward.

Thinking of the plump figure of the Great Joyful Bodhisattva, Lu Xiaofeng gagged and vomited until he felt dizzy and disoriented.

"Li Zhaoting, are you even being reasonable? You were the one who wrote the letter asking me to come to Jinling, how can you blame me? At this hour, I should be at the Hua family's house listening to the zither!"

"He won't use the main gate, he'll use the wall. Even if Sikong Zhaixing came to visit, he'd still use the main gate!"

"Really? I don't believe it!"

"Would you like to make a bet?"

Li Zhaoting's voice was seductive.

Lu Xiaofeng shuddered, wondering if Li Zhaoting and Sikong Zhaixing had conspired to set a trap, so that once he agreed to the bet, he would immediately lose everything.

"Let's not talk about that! You said in your letter that you wanted to see me about something important. What important thing could you possibly want to talk about?"

"Please act as an intermediary and contact the Hua family's gardening craftsmen to renovate my house."

"This is the house you stole?"

"What do you mean 'stolen'? This was bought! This is my family's ancestral home! If I were to commit robbery, wouldn't I be disgracing my ancestors? My old man will not forgive me!"

"Renovating the house?"

"Of course!"

"What should the renovation look like?"

"The gardens of Jiangnan are tranquil and elegant."

"Sigh~~"

Lu Xiaofeng gasped.

"what happened?"

"It's a bit troublesome."

"When don't you have trouble?"

"What I mean is, the Hua family is in trouble. The Hua family is not only a real estate developer, but also a royal merchant, with many collaborations with the imperial court, especially... Datong Bank."

"and then?"

"Some time ago, counterfeit banknotes appeared at the largest branch of Datong Bank. These counterfeit banknotes were so well made that no one could find any flaws."

"How can you be sure it's fake if there are no flaws?"

"Because these banknotes all have the same serial number, they are obviously printed from the same printing plate. If they are printed on a large scale, it will probably take only a few days to empty the Datong Money Shop."

If this matter escalates, the surrounding people will rush to the money exchange to exchange for cash, and with a huge amount of counterfeit banknotes mixed in, the Hua family of Jiangnan could very well go bankrupt.

The Hua family asked me to investigate the case of counterfeit banknotes.

Perfect timing! You're free now, so why don't we investigate the case together? I'll have the Hua family send their best craftsmen; I guarantee they'll satisfy you.

In short, are you going or not?

Lu Xiaofeng extended a sincere invitation to Li Zhaoting.

The two met two years ago.

Lu Xiaofeng went to Dali for sightseeing, wanting to visit the four most famous scenic spots of Dali: "Wind, Flower, Snow, and Moon," and then find a grand restaurant to enjoy the delicious Yunnan cuisine.

Lu Xiaofeng is quick-witted, versatile, and possesses superb martial arts skills, making him one of the most formidable masters in the martial arts world. However, Lu Xiaofeng has two weaknesses, weaknesses he inherited from his mother's womb.

First, he gets seasick. When Lu Xiaofeng boards the ship, he feels like a phoenix chick arriving at Luofeng Slope, or the Yang family generals arriving at Lianglang Mountain. His whole body aches and he turns from a little phoenix into a drowned rat.

Secondly, he has low poison resistance. In the original storyline, Lu Xiaofeng gets poisoned in almost every episode.

Yunnan's most famous specialty is... mushrooms!
Lu Xiaofeng was rather unlucky; the mushrooms he ate were undercooked, causing him to become delirious and hallucinate.

Li Zhaoting happened to be eating at the same restaurant. Seeing the crazed Lu Xiaofeng, he guessed that the guy had eaten undercooked mushrooms and quickly gave Lu Xiaofeng an antidote.

The two became friends from then on.

Lu Xiaofeng teaches Li Zhaoting about the ways of the martial arts world.

Li Zhaoting teaches Lu Xiaofeng how to deduce and solve cases.

How to teach?
Of course, it's about telling stories.

Lu Xiaofeng recounts his personal experiences.

Li Zhaoting narrates "Detective Conan".

In Lu Xiaofeng's memory, Li Zhaoting's swordsmanship might not be that profound, and he was somewhat inferior to the top swordsmen in the martial arts world, but he was first-rate at solving cases.

With the Hua family in the midst of a major crisis, Li Zhaoting happened to have some free time, so Lu Xiaofeng naturally wanted to get him on board.

Where did the crime occur?

"Luzhou!"

"Luzhou? Are you sure it's Luzhou?"

Li Zhaoting was so shocked he couldn't close his mouth. A major case had occurred in Luzhou, so why would they ask Lu Xiaofeng to investigate?
This is Luzhou!

Luzhou during the reign of Emperor Renzong of Song!
The reincarnation of the God of Literature, a super black-faced man with a crescent moon on his head, the lifelong enemy of the Pang family, a jinx who brings death wherever he goes, the number one detective of the Song Dynasty who is entangled with the world, the spokesperson for the everlasting meme, and the young Bao Zheng who always solves cases with perfect timing, happens to be from Luzhou!
On second thought, I came up with a reason.

The matter of counterfeit banknotes must not be blown out of proportion, otherwise it will cause great panic, and people will rush to exchange them for real silver, resulting in a severe bank run and the complete bankruptcy of the money shops.

This case must be investigated privately, and all traces must be erased silently; it must never be leaked.

The Bao Zheng of today is not the Prefect of Kaifeng or the Grand Academician of the Dragon Pavilion, wielding three imperial guillotines; he is studying at an academy, slowly leveling up and defeating monsters.

Besides Li Zhaoting, who else knows about Bao Zheng's investigative abilities? From the Hua family's perspective, asking Lu Xiaofeng for help in investigating the case is the most convenient option.

From Lu Xiaofeng's perspective, asking Li Zhaoting for help in investigating the case is his best option right now.

Time is of the essence, so I cannot say more.

Feng Suzhen stayed in Jinling to handle the treasure and direct the craftsmen to repair the houses, so she couldn't get away for the time being.

Li Zhaoting and Lu Xiaofeng had a meal and then rode at full speed to Luzhou, arriving in Luzhou at dusk. One of them, one in the open and one in the shadows, entered the city separately.

Lu Xiaofeng found a luxurious inn.

Li Zhaoting went to a temple outside the city to offer incense.

According to Li Zhaoting's recollection, the counterfeit banknote case involved collusion between the shopkeeper and the famous constable, who built a den of iniquity for money laundering, and the printing workshop was actually a temple.

Li Zhaoting doesn't blindly believe in the "plot," but by following the clues in his memory to investigate the case, as long as he can catch a few small leads, he can find more clues.

……

Yunjian Temple.

Li Zhaoting, dressed in a brocade robe and holding a folding fan, wandered around the temple as a wealthy young master.

The monk in charge of the guest said that the temple is not a tourist attraction, and tourists are prohibited from entering certain areas. Please do so.

Li Zhaoting took out a gold ingot.

The monk in charge of receiving guests immediately shut his mouth.

Tourists are prohibited from entering.

The rich young master doesn't need to stop.

Watching Li Zhaoting's departing figure, a sinister glint flashed in the monk's eyes. Outsider, rich man, may Buddha bless him, for he has delivered a fat sheep to his doorstep.

If God doesn't take it, he will suffer it instead.

"Amitabha!"

The monk in charge of receiving guests chanted a Buddhist prayer.

Yunjian Temple is roughly divided into two levels.

Ahead is a normal temple, with the Manjushri Hall on the left, the Samantabhadra Hall on the right, the Mahavira Hall in the middle, and the Medicine Buddha Hall, Maitreya Hall, and a temporary inn behind.

Tourists can burn incense and pray to Buddha. When they get tired, they can rest at the inn, which provides tea and vegetarian food at very cheap prices. A bowl of vegetarian noodles costs only two coins.

Divided by the temporary inn, beyond which are the monks' meditation rooms, where visiting monks stay, as well as some poor families who borrow rooms at Yunjian Temple.

The meditation room was divided into several small rooms.

These rooms housed patients suffering from infectious diseases, most commonly leprosy. They mostly waited to die at Yunjian Temple, with almost no hope of recovery.

Leprosy is a terrifying disease, and countless legends have arisen around the world because of it. It was not until the early 21st century that humanity finally conquered leprosy.

In this era, even legendary healers like Hu Qingniu and Xue Muhua could only rely on luck.

Li Zhaoting had heard two legends.

One reason is that many women in a certain area suffer from leprosy, and the cure is to transfer the disease to men through yin-yang union, which led to the local custom of walking marriage.

Secondly, some venomous snakes are soaked in alcohol, which can alleviate leprosy and has a certain probability of curing it.

In Li Zhaoting's memory, Chu Liuxiang almost encountered the former situation, as the other party was the eldest daughter of the Jin family in Wanfu Wanshou Garden, whose father was the head of the Jin family.

Even if one is worth hundreds of millions, wields immense power, has a vast network of connections, and is known for their longevity and good fortune, they are helpless against this near-fatal disease.

Looking at the sign that read "Leprosy Cases Involved," Li Zhaoting was filled with thoughts and stopped in his tracks. Just then, a mountain breeze blew down a scroll of Buddhist scripture.

Just as Li Zhaoting was about to pick up the Buddhist scriptures, he suddenly noticed a handsome young man with a gentle and refined demeanor standing in front of him.

Gentle and refined, like the warm spring sun, with impeccable appearance and demeanor, what a fine gentleman in this turbid world.

He had a faint fragrance of flowers about him, but unfortunately the place was filled with the smell of medicine, which diluted the scent.

A man with a pleasant body odor is often perceived as effeminate, but this gentleman gives off a feeling of flowers blooming all over the mountain and a garden filled with fragrance.

There was only one thing that slightly spoiled the mood.

The young man's eyes were vacant and lifeless.

Without needing to say more, Li Zhaoting already knew who this handsome young man was. He was the seventh young master of the Hua family, who had suffered trauma in his childhood, resulting in his blindness.

"May Young Master Hua be well."

"Does the young master know me?"

"We have mutual good friends."

"A person with friends will never be lonely. Having such friends is the luckiest thing in my life."

"If that's the case, why come to the Buddha for help?"

“I’m not here to burn incense. I have a friend who lives here, and her mother is sick.”

"Isn't the Playboy afraid of getting infected?"

"May I ask your name, sir?"

"Li Zhaoting".

Why is Young Master Li here?

"Uh...I'm too full, time for a walk!"

The vegetarian noodles at Yunjian Temple are truly excellent. You can buy a large bowl of noodles for just two coins. It's garnished with green vegetables and mushrooms, the broth is delicious, the noodles are smooth, and the flavor is rich.

Li Zhaoting ate three large bowls in one go.

Li Zhaoting was neither a big-bellied man like Tang Zhuquan, nor a muscular brute who practiced external martial arts. He ate three large bowls of vegetarian noodles in a row, and was almost stuffed to the point of bursting.

To be honest, in some ways, this Yunjian Temple can be seen as a paradise on earth.

"Brother Li, which school of Buddhism do you prefer?"

"Zen!"

"why?"

"Because Bodhidharma is the best fighter."

"Brother Li, do you like Zen martial arts?"

"I have witnessed the 'Bodhidharma Sword Technique'."

(End of this chapter)