Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 4 The Secret of Immortality
No sooner had Li Zhaoting bought his new house than Feng Shaoqing immediately sent over maids, servants, cooks, and grooms.

Meizhu, Feng Suzhen's personal maid, excitedly helped Li Zhaoting arrange the affairs of the mansion, cleaning the mansion inside and out and setting up the wedding venue.

Li Zhaoting was happy to be at ease, so he let Mei Zhu temporarily act as the head housekeeper. He then booked a banquet at Lou Wai Lou to entertain a friend he had met during the martial arts contest for marriage.

—The Stink Hero!
"Wen Chou" is not a chivalrous knight-errant, but Princess Tianxiang, the daughter of the Eighth Prince Zhao Defang. She loved swordsmanship from a young age and lived a carefree and unrestrained life.

The Empress Dowager and the Emperor were very fond of this lively and lovely princess, bestowing upon her the title "Worry-Free," while the sons of powerful and wealthy families in the capital preferred to call her "Ghost-Sorrowful."

When Princess Tianxiang throws a tantrum, even the Eighth Prince has to give her a wide berth; if he can't afford to offend her, he can at least avoid her.

After the martial arts contest to find a husband ended, Dongfang Sheng intended to use some tricks to renege on his debt, but Tianxiang revealed her identity to him, and Dongfang Sheng was so frightened that he fled overnight.

"Li Zhaoting, instead of preparing for the wedding, you have time to invite me to dinner? Do you want something from me?"

Tianxiang held half a sugarcane in her hand, leaning back in her chair with an air of superiority, showing no princess-like demeanor whatsoever, but rather resembling a mountain king who roams the mountains and acts on behalf of Heaven.

"If it weren't for the help of the great hero Wen, how could Dongfang Sheng have left Hangzhou? I toast to the great hero Wen."

"Hiss~~" Tianxiang gasped, "Do you know who I am? Who are you? A spy from the Imperial City Guard? I've never seen you before?"

"It's calculated."

"Huh? You calculated that? How did you calculate it? You can tell fortunes? Come on, tell me in detail!"

Tianxiang loved watching excitement and fascinated by strange and unusual things. She watched Li Zhaoting with great interest, hoping that he would perform his rituals of burning tortoise shells and dancing the shaman.

Li Zhaoting made up a story: "When I woke up this morning, my forehead was dark, which was an omen of a tiger falling into the plains. I cast a divination for myself, and the result was 'a dragon appearing in the field'."

"What do you mean?"

"When a dragon appears in the field, it is auspicious to meet a great man. This means that one should be in distress, working hard in the fields, but instead encounters a true dragon in the field, and with the help of a noble person, one can turn misfortune into good fortune."

"I've heard that the Beggars' Sect has a set of Dragon Subduing Palm techniques, one of which is called 'Dragon Appearing in the Field.' Could it be that the ancestors of the Beggars' Sect were fortune tellers? Do you know the Dragon Subduing Palm technique?"

Tianxiang gestured excitedly.

Li Zhaoting poured her a cup of tea: "The origin of the Beggars' Sect is unverifiable. It was a group of beggars who huddled together for warmth. Very few of them were literate, and there was no gang structure."

It wasn't until three hundred years ago that a gang leader surnamed Cha was determined to reform the Beggars' Sect. He created the Dog-Beating Stick Technique based on the Dog-Beating Stick commonly used by beggars, and that's how the Beggars' Sect gradually formed.

The Dragon Subduing Palm technique originates from the I Ching, incorporating profound meanings into its palm techniques, using the simplest and most straightforward moves to unleash the strongest power.

The person who created this palm technique must have been a highly accomplished individual who had experienced the vicissitudes of life and seen through the causes and effects of worldly affairs.

It's a pity I never got to see it!

Li Zhaoting sighed regretfully.

Tianxiang's eyes widened as she asked, "Do you know a lot of Jianghu (martial arts world) stories? Tell me about them! The Six Doors' records are dry and boring, not as interesting as what you say."

"Whose story does the Stink Hero want to hear?"

“Let me think… I’ve got it! Tell me the story of the Thief Saint’s Pearl Jade White Jade Soup. I heard that the Thief Saint likes to eat people and eats human hearts raw every day.”

"Oh? Is that so?"

"The Thief Saint is arrogant and domineering. Before killing someone, he will send a letter to the victim to provoke them. There is a copy of this letter in the archives of the Six Doors."

Tianxiang looked at Li Zhaoting mysteriously.

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in Guanzhong, in an ordinary inn, the waiter suddenly felt a chill down his spine and sneezed seven or eight times in a row.

Tianxiang is a princess, and the people around her are either elders, maids, eunuchs, or people who want to get benefits or who are afraid of her like a tiger. She has no like-minded playmates.

Until he met Li Zhaoting.

Once Tianxiang opened her heart and started talking, all sorts of wonderful ideas came one after another, and many of her bizarre questions left even the Grand Tutor of the court at a loss for words.

"Ximen Chuixue is always dressed in white, how does he maintain that? Does he change his clothes frequently?"

"Does Lu Xiaofeng have four eyebrows?"

"The three most notorious assassins in the martial arts world: Zhongyuan Yidianhong, Pinggu Yidianhong, and Yijian Piaohong. Who among them has the fastest swordsmanship? Are assassins extremely ruthless?"

"What does Master Zhang of Wudang look like?"

"I've heard that there are eight champions in the martial arts world, the best in every aspect. There's no first in literature, but there's a second in martial arts. Your swordsmanship is so high, wouldn't you like to become the Sword Champion?"

Have you ever seen the demoness from the Demonic Cult?

"The Fairy of Jingzhai is the most beautiful woman in the world, and the Western Regions Demonic Sect has four princesses. Which one is more beautiful?"

Tianxiang chattered on and on.

Li Zhaoting rubbed his temples, his head spinning, and subconsciously replied, "I'll marry them all, and then I'll show you who's number one!"

"Good lad, you've got ambition!"

Tianxiang and Li Zhaoting, arm in arm, were like close friends who had studied together but were now bickering, discussing their absurd dreams.

Tianxiang didn't think Li Zhaoting was lecherous; she just took it as youthful folly and didn't take it seriously.

She continued the conversation and began to fantasize:

—The fairy and the demoness drew their swords and fought each other, destroying Li Zhaoting's house. Li Zhaoting was furious and helpless, and could only sleep on the streets and under bridges wrapped in a tattered bedding roll.

Just thinking about that scene is thrilling!

Li Zhaoting: (.;;:益:;;.)
Tianxiang's little head was full of wild and imaginative ideas. Li Zhaoting racked his brains to make up stories to coax the child while also inquiring about news from the capital.

To avoid being tricked and imprisoned in the nineteenth level of the imperial prison as soon as she entered the capital city, Feng Suzhen left her home to save Li Lang, only to unexpectedly become the top scholar in the imperial examination.

After a meal that lasted until evening, Tianxiang returned to the inn to rest, satisfied, and temporarily let Li Zhaoting go.

……

Early in the morning, Li Zhaoting was doing his morning exercise in the back garden.

From the moment he began learning martial arts, Li Zhaoting never slacked off for a single day. By the age of nineteen, he had become a Grandmaster on the Heavenly Gang List, relying not only on his talent but also on his diligence and hard work.

Li Zhaoting's master was a mysterious figure, seemingly eccentric and mad. The martial arts techniques he taught Li Zhaoting were mostly traceable in the martial arts world, but not the original versions. Take swordsmanship as an example.

Li Zhaoting's swordsmanship is very similar to the Bashan Sword School's Returning Wind and Dancing Willow Sword, the Huashan School's Thirteen Styles of Gentle Breeze, and also bears traces of the Iron Blood Banner School's Fragrant Shaving Sword Technique.

It seems that a peerless swordsman extracted the essence of these three sword techniques and combined them into a new sword art.

Even if he were to use it in front of disciples from Bashan, Huashan, or the Iron Blood Banner Sect, they wouldn't recognize him.

Li Zhaoting's main focus on mental cultivation methods also has traceable origins.

Not only are there traces to follow, but it is also very famous.

This mental cultivation method is... the "Longevity Formula".

It is said to have been created by the ancient sage Guang Chengzi and has been passed down from the time of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors to the present day. Only two martial artists have mastered it, while all other practitioners have failed.

Li Zhaoting occasionally made the connection that his master's erratic behavior was likely due to a qi deviation during his practice of the Longevity Technique, which damaged his brain meridians.

This speculation is not a malicious fabrication.

The cultivation method of "The Longevity Manual" is completely incompatible with Li Zhaoting's master's. The more diligently one cultivates, the more severe the damage will be, and one will inevitably suffer from qi deviation in the end.

The way of martial arts is to first cultivate acquired true qi, then reverse the innate state, and further to understand oneself, comprehend the mysteries of heaven and earth, shatter the void, and ascend to immortality.

The only exception is the "Longevity Manual".

The Longevity Manual bypasses acquired true qi and directly cultivates innate true qi, allowing one to step into the innate realm in one step.

Therefore, the more skilled a practitioner is in martial arts and the more profound their internal energy, the more devastating the harm caused by their practice.

Which martial artist who managed to obtain the "Longevity Manual" wasn't a peerless master? Which one wasn't a genius? Given the precedent of success, these people would never give up!

Li Zhaoting is a time traveler. He not only knows the correct cultivation method, but also, because his meridians have been blocked since childhood, he is unable to cultivate internal energy, which makes him a perfect candidate for cultivation.

The strange energy blocking his meridians subtly tempered Li Zhaoting's body over fifteen years, enhancing his aptitude and strengthening his physical foundation.

With unparalleled talent, he cultivated the "Longevity Manual," accumulating internal strength by leaps and bounds, his power becoming increasingly profound.

The Longevity Manual consists of seven illustrations, representing the two energies of Yin and Yang and the elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.

Li Zhaoting possesses extraordinary talent, with a balance of Yin and Yang. He cultivates true Qi with both Yin and Yang attributes simultaneously. When Yin reaches its extreme, Yang arises, and when Yang reaches its extreme, Yin arises, creating an endless cycle of life.

The Yang-attribute true energy originates from the Yongquan point on the sole of the foot, flows upward to the eight extraordinary meridians, and finally converges into the Dantian.

Yin-attribute true qi originates from the Baihui point on the top of the head, flows downwards to the eight extraordinary meridians, and finally converges into the dantian.

As his inner energy circulated, a distinct black and white Tai Chi Yin-Yang symbol naturally appeared on Li Zhaoting's body. He absorbed the purple energy of the rising sun, and a layer of purple hue appeared on his body.

As the sun rises, the purple aura grows richer, adding three parts golden yellow, three parts crimson, and four parts divine quality.

Suddenly, the morning mist dissipated and the purple aura vanished.

Li Zhaoting regained his calm and composed demeanor.

Mei Zhu brought breakfast, and Li Zhaoting had just picked up a small steamed bun when a hoarse voice came from outside.

"Li the fortune teller, help me!"

Tang Zhuquan rushed in, shouting and yelling.

Li Zhaoting's divination came true completely.

Fat people are often broad-minded and carefree, which allows them to live a carefree life and accumulate fat.

Tang Zhuquan is such a fat man.

Even Tang Songting couldn't control Tang Zhuquan.

Tang Zhuquan, who fears neither heaven nor earth, has only one nemesis in his life, and that is his eighth aunt.

When Tang Zhuquan saw his Eighth Aunt, he was like a mouse seeing a tabby cat; he didn't even have the courage to close his eyes and had to keep them open to listen to his Eighth Aunt's teachings.

I was forbidden from drinking alcohol by my aunt!
I burned myself with hot water while drinking tea!
While eating meat, I got a bone stuck in my throat!
Before he could even open his mouth, Aunt Ba blurted out a string of questions: "When are you going to lose weight? When are you going to get married?" Tang Zhuquan was speechless!

Even at night, when he was sleeping, he would dream about what he had thought about during the day. He would wake up from nightmares with cold sweats all over his body, thinking about his aunt's unparalleled power.

Everything is going wrong; nothing goes smoothly.

Having finally endured until dawn, Tang Zhuquan, with dark circles under his eyes, sought out Li Zhaoting for a solution.

Li Zhaoting smiled and said, "Old Tang, you can stay at my house for the next few days. Just say you're helping me prepare for the wedding. The old lady is very understanding and will definitely give her her full support."

"Really?"

"How could I possibly lie to you?"

"Good brother! I can only rely on you!"

Tang Zhuquan looked at Li Zhaoting with gratitude.

Mei Zhu turned her face away in shame.

Making others work for free and still getting them to say thank you—this son-in-law's skill is more impressive than swordsmanship!

The Tang family is the strongest martial arts family in Hangzhou, and Tang Zhuquan is the most powerful local figure. With the eldest son of the Tang family running around, the wedding venue was quickly set up.

The courtyard was shrouded in red, with red lanterns hanging from every eave. Even Li Zhaoting's ugly horse, which was yellowish-brown, was adorned with two large red flowers.

Four days passed in the blink of an eye.

It is an auspicious day, suitable for all activities.

The sound of firecrackers dispelled the morning mist, and a large red sedan chair stopped at the entrance of the Feng residence, ready to pick up the bride.

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(End of this chapter)