Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 20 Using a borrowed knife to kill, the "General's" true identity
If you were to ask what the most outrageous thing in the martial arts world is, the most closely guarded secret treasures would definitely be on the list.

A fallen dynasty, a tribe living deep in the mountains, a secret clan with a thousand-year history, and a seemingly allegorical nursery rhyme may all hold a treasure that is "rich enough to rival a country".

These treasures, when added together, could have caused the economic systems of the Song, Yuan, and Qing dynasties to collapse ten times over. There were even treasures that, if obtained, could grant the emperor the world, constantly stimulating the emperor's nerves.

What's most absurd is that most of these treasures are real, and each treasure has insidious traps or powerful guardians.

The more greedy you are for treasure, the faster you will die.

The treasure of the Kuaiyi ethnic group is an exception.

The treasure is real, and it's fake.

It's true, because the treasure really exists.

They say it's fake because there's no real gold or silver involved.

The Kuaiyi tribe in Luzhou has only a little over a hundred people living deep in the mountains and forests. They usually collect herbs and spices to exchange for living supplies. How could they possibly have a great treasure?

More than 20 years ago, Xiang Ming learned by chance that the Kuaiyi tribe was hiding a great treasure. He went to great lengths to find it. In order to avoid being promoted or transferred, he voluntarily resigned from his official post and became the head of the mountain.

Years have passed, and nothing has been gained.

Following Li Zhaoting's instructions, Bao Zheng found books recording the history of the Kuaiyi ethnic group in Xiang Ming's study. The books were badly damaged, indicating that they had been frequently read.

Gongsun Ce went to check the household registration records and accidentally discovered that Xiang Ming was the official in charge of household registration back then, and the household registration information of the Kuaiyi tribe was registered and recorded by Xiang Ming.

At the same time, someone spread the news of the Kuaiyi tribe's treasure, and even a treasure-hunting mantra.

Mountains are mountains, white mountains embrace thousands of greens;
Water within water, black water embraces myriad reds;
Deciphering this couplet will unlock the treasure passed down through generations of the Kuaiyi people. Since the murder of Scholar Yang, the entire city of Luzhou has been gripped by fear in just two days.

Whether they are the masterminds behind the scenes or outsiders who were accidentally caught up in the wave, they are all swept along by the tide.

Under the pretext of guarding the prisoners in the Paradise Tower, Mu Tieying, the commander of the Luzhou Commandery, entered Luzhou with his deputy and used his connections to get involved in the case.

A blind man with disheveled hair, disguised as a fortune teller, sneaks into Luzhou City.

……

Yuelai Inn.

Li Zhaoting ordered a plump chicken and a pot of wine.

When you come to Luzhou, you must try the old hen.

It wasn't because the local old hen soup was delicious, but because of a local rhyme: "From Feidong to Feixi, I bought an old hen, took it to the lake to die (wash it), and it almost ran away."

With Lu Xiaofeng and Hua Manlou not by his side, Li Zhaoting poured himself a drink and enjoyed himself. Just as he was getting into a good time, a disheveled fortune teller walked over.

"Are you, young master, Li Zhaoting?"

"What advice does this old man have for me?"

"I dare not presume to offer guidance. I am blind, but I have opened my third eye. When I entered the inn, I discovered that you, sir, had the aura of witchcraft. I fear that great calamity is about to befall you."

"Oh? I wonder where witchcraft comes from?"

"It should be a small tribe. These kinds of outsider tribes are most skilled in witchcraft. In the past few days, have you visited the altar of a small tribe?"

"Does the old man have a solution?"

"I have been practicing Yin-Yang arts since childhood and am most skilled at slaying demons and monsters. Young master, take me to that altar, and I will break the curse on the altar and restore peace to the local people."

"May I ask your esteemed name, sir?"

"I am Wu Yong, an old man."

"May I ask you, sir, what is the meaning of the saying that a great man is in harmony with the virtues of Heaven and Earth, with the brightness of the sun and moon, with the order of the four seasons, and with the fortune and misfortune of the spirits?"

"This……"

"The five colors blind the eye; the five sounds deafen the ear; the five flavors dull the palate; galloping and hunting drive the mind mad; rare goods lead to wrongdoing. What is the explanation for this?"

"Is the young master testing this old man?"

"A wise man does not stand under a dangerous wall. The old man claims to be proficient in Yin and Yang arts, how could he not understand the Book of Changes and the Daoist canon?"

“Well said. A wise man does not stand under a dangerous wall. For the sake of your life, please do not refuse, sir!”

Wu Yong gently raised his cane, pointing it at Li Zhaoting's vital areas in the chest and abdomen. A cold light flashed at the bottom of the cane, clearly indicating that it was a sharp weapon capable of killing someone with a single blow.

"It seems I have no choice but to go!"

"Must go!"

"Wu Yong, I want to make a bet with you!"

"What are you gambling?"

"I bet you won't get what you want this time."

"who are you?"

Wu Yong's voice turned cold and stern.

"The secret of the Kuaiyi tribe's treasure has already spread throughout the entire city of Luzhou. You've come for the treasure, haven't you?"

Do you know where the treasure is?

"Of course... I don't know!"

"How dare you play tricks on me!"

"Stop! There's no point in arguing here. Let's go to the Kuaiyi tribe's altar, and you'll understand everything."

"Are you a descendant of the Kuaiyi ethnic group?"

"My ancestral home is Nanjing."

"You speak with a Yunnan accent."

"My father was convicted of a crime and exiled to Lingnan!"

"Lingnan and Yunnan are not the same thing!"

"Bribe the yamen runners and escape to Dali!"

Why go to Dali?

"Because I like to eat mushrooms."

The two exchanged questions and answers, mostly nonsensical chatter, before leaving the inn and heading towards the altar. The journey was uneventful, and the two soon arrived at the altar on the back mountain.

Wu Yong hurriedly asked, "Tell me! What are the poses of these stone statues? How many stones are around them?"

"Beheading! Heart ripped out! Throat pierced! Dismemberment! Do you know why these four forms of torture were carved?"

"What do you mean?"

"Because a demon has struggled out of the fiery hell to take revenge on four heinous sinners. Wu Yong, are you ready?"

"You...who are you?"

"A person who acts on behalf of Heaven!"

"You have no evidence..."

"The prefect needs evidence to solve cases, and those in the martial world need to be open-minded. Let me take a look. This dismembered stone statue looks a lot like you. Go to hell and atone for your sins!" Before the words were finished, a cold glint appeared.

Wu Yong brandished his white cane and stabbed Li Zhaoting.

Li Zhaoting reached out and casually grabbed Wu Yong's cane. With a forceful twist of his right hand, the cane shattered into dozens of bamboo strips, from which sword light emanated.

"Chi chi chi!"

Four soft sounds came from the altar.

Wu Yong's head fell to the ground, his body falling straight down with a loud thud. His limbs then separated, leaving only a blood-spurting cavity.

Li Zhaoting wiped his hands and laughed, "I knew you were here, and I also know your hatred. From the moment I learned about the history of the Kuaiyi tribe, I guessed the cause and effect."

"Why help me?"

A deep voice came from outside the cave.

"Because this guy deserves to die!"

"Aren't you afraid of being wanted by the authorities?"

"Does anyone know that I did it?"

"I!"

"I believe you would never betray me. Once this is over, I want to hear a story."

"The story of the Kuaiyi ethnic group's treasure?"

"The story of your helper."

"how do you know……"

"It was uncertain before, but it's confirmed now."

Li Zhaoting waved his hand dismissively.

Meng Fang, standing outside the cave, had an unpredictable expression.

Meng Fang is a member of the Kuaiyi ethnic group.

Thirty years ago, the Kuaiyi ethnic group moved to Luzhou. Xiang Ming, as the household registration official, learned that the Kuaiyi people had a treasure while processing their household registration files.

In order to obtain the treasure, Xiang Ming led three helpers to the settlement of the Kuaiyi tribe, where they drugged their drinking water, rendering all the Kuaiyi people unconscious.

Subsequently, they tortured the Kuaiyi tribe to extract information about the treasure. The chief of the Kuaiyi tribe was strangled to death. Because the Kuaiyi tribe could not hand over the great treasure, Xiang Ming, in a fit of rage, set fire to the Kuaiyi tribe's settlement. In the raging fire, more than a hundred Kuaiyi tribe members were burned to ashes. Meng Fang was lucky enough to survive. In order to seek revenge, he became a teacher at Tianhong Academy.

The four people who committed evil deeds back then are now scattered in different places. To bring them together, we must resort to trickery, secretly build an altar in the back mountain, and spread the news of the treasure.

Upon hearing rumors, Scholar Yang volunteered to become an external professor at the academy, only to be killed by Meng Fang when he had the chance.

Xiang Ming was filled with fear and fled overnight. Meng Fang ambushed him on the way and killed him with a bamboo pole.

Upon hearing the news of the treasure, Wu Yong, despite being blind, rushed to Luzhou. Upon learning that Li Zhaoting was an investigator, he went up to inquire.

Unexpectedly, Li Zhaoting was well-versed in the "Lunyu" and believed that "if one hears the Way in the morning, one can die content in the evening." Upon seeing him in the morning, he killed him that very afternoon without any delay.

Meng Fang now only has one enemy left.

Who is this person?

Of course it's... Mu Tieying.

Mu Tieying, the murderer who slaughtered the Kuaiyi tribe, had the highest martial arts skills and the most cautious personality. He was always protected by elite guards. How did Meng Fang kill Mu Tieying?

Of course, we rely on...helpers!
……

night.

Mu Tieying is flipping through a book.

Bao Zheng and Gongsun Ce were extremely efficient. In just one afternoon, they compiled the history of the Kuaiyi tribe based on Xiang Ming's collection of books and deduced three or four locations based on the couplet circulating in the market. Mu Tieying decided to use training soldiers as an excuse to conduct a large-scale search in these locations to find the treasure as soon as possible.

Then...

Just as Mu Tieying was making his plans, a white figure knocked on the door. It was none other than Meng Fang: "Is Commander Mu asleep? I have something to tell you."

"Come in! What is it?"

Mu Tieying was decisive and to the point.

Meng Fang smiled and said, "I have deciphered the secret of the Kuaiyi tribe's treasure. I would like to make a deal with the commander: I will give you the treasure in exchange for you becoming the head of the mountain.

"It's that simple?"

"I have no other requests!"

"How could you say you have no other desires? You clearly want my head! Meng Fang! Do you think I don't know what you're thinking? You're a remnant of the Kuaiyi tribe!"

Mu Tieying raised his head, glared fiercely at the helpless Meng Fang, and said smugly, "If you don't want to suffer any more pain, obediently hand over the treasure!"

Meng Fang was so shocked that he couldn't speak.

Mu Tieying said smugly, "Actually, I should thank you. I went too far back then. If it had been leaked, my life would have been over."

Over the years, I've worried day and night that they'll use this to threaten me, and I've had a hard time getting a good night's sleep.

it's good now!

They are all dead.

Nobody knows this secret!
The treasure is mine!
The power is mine!
Everything here is mine…

Mu Tieying laughed triumphantly.

Meng Fang lost his footing and fell to the ground.

"You...you are a general!"

"It's too late to realize this now!"

Mu Tieying drew his sword: "Either reveal the secret of the treasure immediately, or I'll cut you into a thousand pieces!"

"Mu Tieying, you set fire to your clan, killed people to cover your tracks, and destroyed the bodies to eliminate evidence. What a cruel and vicious heart you have!"

"Meng Fang, remember this in your next life: good people don't die, bad people don't die, only a fool like you who thinks he's so clever doesn't even know how he died!"

"Don't you want the treasure anymore?"

"Bao Zheng and Gongsun Ce have compiled the clues. Tomorrow, I will use the pretext of searching for the murderer Meng Fang to lead the army to search the mountains. Sooner or later, we will find the treasure!"

Before Mu Tieying could finish speaking, a dashing voice came from outside: "A good idea, a really good idea. With a loyal and capable general like Commander Mu, how can the Great Song Dynasty not recover Yan and Yun? This is truly the Great Song Dynasty's good fortune."

Li Zhaoting pushed open the door.

Dozens of students from the academy stood behind him.

Leading the group were none other than Bao Zheng and Gongsun Ce!

General, you've been checkmated!

(End of this chapter)