Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 48 The Purple Star Flying Sword Cuts Through a Thousand Mountains (Long Chapter, Please Read On)
"Hey! How brave!"

A furious shout came from afar, followed by a large wine vat flying over, splashing wine in mid-air.

The assassin's phantom sword technique was dreamlike and illusory, making it impossible to distinguish between reality and illusion. It was originally a top-notch killing move, but after being splashed with wine, the assassin's true form was immediately revealed.

Tang Zhuquan has a close friend who is a top-notch assassin in the martial arts world. He knows more about the tricks of the assassin profession than Li Zhaoting does, and is best at countering killing moves.

The moment the wine vat shattered, Tang Zhuquan's massive body charged forward like a modified 100-ton truck; his sheer momentum alone was enough to send shivers down one's spine.

Fat people often have some flaws in their lightness skills due to their body management issues, and Tang Zhuquan is no exception. His strategy is to play to his strengths and avoid his weaknesses, focusing on short-range instant kills.

What if we have to travel a long distance?
Ask a friend for help!
Even a hero needs three helpers!

To deal with evil spirits, we don't need to follow the rules of the martial world; let's all attack together! Don't let the demons escape!

The assassin knew Tang Zhuquan was in Hengyang and that Tang Zhuquan would definitely meddle in other people's business, so he was prepared. He reached behind his back with his left hand and put on a pair of steel gloves.

The gloves are covered with barbs, which are poisoned and can kill instantly upon contact with blood. They are specifically designed to deal with skilled fighters.

Tang Zhuquan is famous throughout the world for his finger techniques and has never used any other school's unique skills, so he will definitely be constrained by this.

The assassin's strategy was excellent!
However, the assassin forgot one thing.

The Tang family patriarch's weapon was... a gun!

Tang Songting only had one son and one daughter. If the Tang family's spear technique wasn't passed down to his son, would it be passed down to his son-in-law? The Tang family's son-in-law was a top-notch swordsman and had no interest in spear techniques whatsoever!
Both finger techniques and spear techniques are based on "thrusting," with one having a long attack distance and the other a short one. The longer the spear technique, the stronger it is, while the shorter the finger technique, the more dangerous it is. They complement each other perfectly.

How could Tang Zhuquan not know how to use a spear?

Tang Zhuquan used to not use a gun, firstly because his finger techniques were sufficient to kill enemies, and secondly because it was difficult to handle.

The gun barrel is too long and takes up too much space!

When analyzing the case earlier, Tang Zhuquan knew that a fierce battle was coming. He picked a white waxwood spear from the weapon rack in the Liu mansion. With a flash of cold light, the spear's edge shone like a dragon.

Caught off guard, the assassin took a half step back, intending to turn sideways to close the distance, but Tang Zhuquan used his momentum to launch an attack, his gun moving with incredible speed.

How can you possibly avoid a hasty dodge?
The assassin had no choice but to defend himself with an iron gauntlet. With a crack, the gauntlet shattered, blood gushing from his palm, and half of his arm was crippled by the gun's edge.

This is a drawback of "gloves". In order to ensure the dexterity of the palm and fingers, glove-type weapons cannot be a single piece, but are made of iron sheets pieced together.

Once you pinpoint the location, you can break through the entire area from a single point. Even if you forge gloves from black iron, you'll be crippled in one move.

Tang Zhuquan pressed his advantage relentlessly, his spear flashing like the wind. A cold glint aimed at the assassin's throat, but the assassin dodged. Tang Zhuquan then somersaulted and thrust out his spear again.

"Whoosh whoosh!"

Three streaks of cold light appeared simultaneously in the night sky.

The assassin was terrified.

Tang Zhuquan was somewhat dissatisfied.

If my own grandfather had been the one to fire that shot, even the most ruthless assassin would be sent to the underworld.

You still need to practice harder!

Eh?
Where did Li Zhaoting go?
Didn't Li Zhaoting hear the shouts of killing?
Li Zhaoting certainly heard it.

Li Zhaoting blocked the strongest assassin.

The assassin, dressed in black robes and a black veil, with only his eyes visible through his clothing, carried a jet-black sword; he was a cold-blooded grim reaper.

At the killer's feet lay Qu Yang, his body drenched in blood.

Qu Feiyan lay beside Qu Yang and cried.

Qu Yang was stabbed in the chest, the sword penetrating deep into his lungs. Even if he took the Shaolin Great Rejuvenation Pill, it would be too late to save him.

What a fast sword!

What a ruthless man!

What a decisive move!

What a precise layout!

The assassination attempt on Madam Liu was not intended to frighten anyone, but rather to draw attention to the Liu residence, focusing all the experts' gaze on it, so that Qu Yang could be assassinated in secret.

Qu Yang is the ultimate target.

To be precise, Zhuo Laoqi, one of the Seven Eagles of Chongqing, a top-notch imperial guard, was the assassin's true target.

Kill and silence!
If the story of the "Prince Replaced by a Civet Cat" is just a popular rumor, what happened back then that warranted such a long pursuit?
Li Zhaoting didn't think too much about it!

The reason they went to great lengths to find clues was that Madam Tang and Qu Yang both felt that Li Zhaoting looked a lot like Li Si, and thus suspected that Li Nanxing was Li Si, and were worried that their father would be implicated.

Since it's not a major incident like the substitution of a prince for a cat, and Dad isn't Li Si, what's there to worry about?

"Li Zhaoting, get out of the way!"

"impossible!"

"This has nothing to do with you!"

"Indeed, it has nothing to do with us!"

“You’re a smart man, you should know that Qu Yang is involved in a big secret, don’t go looking for trouble.”

"I can probably guess some of it."

"In that case, please move aside!"

"I have no objection to you killing Qu Yang; you can kill him however you want. But if you want to kill Qu Feiyan in front of me, I will absolutely not allow it!"

"Li Zhaoting, you have beautiful wives and concubines, why bother with a little girl? As long as you leave, I'll give you 100,000 taels of silver, enough to buy a dozen courtesans!"

"My blocking you has nothing to do with women."

"Isn't it because of lust?"

"This is a matter of principle!"

Li Zhaoting flicked the Purple Rose Soft Sword at his waist, sending it into his palm: "I can't just stand by and watch a fourteen-year-old girl be killed by you to silence her!"

"People who value morality often don't live long!"

"You're wrong. Only by upholding morality can one live long and go far. There's no point in saying more. Make your move!"

Do you know who you're talking to?

"Long Qianshan!"

"You dare draw your sword against me?"

"What's there to be proud of in a shriveled eggplant from twenty years ago, a mad dog who kills and sells his life? Do you think you're Xue Yiren, Li Guanyu, or Ziyi Hou?"

Li Zhaoting's lips curled up slightly, revealing a mocking smile, signaling Long Qianshan to make the first move.

To catch a thief, first catch the king; to insult someone, first insult their mother.

When dealing with senior figures, the best way to insult them is to first expose their weaknesses.

If you use Ximen Chuixue, Xie Xiaofeng, Ye Gucheng, or other masters to provoke Long Qianshan, he certainly won't care. You must use masters from his own era to provoke him.

Twenty years ago, Long Qianshan stirred up quite a storm. He was a top swordsman in the martial arts world and boasted that he would test his sword against all under heaven. However, compared with Xue Yiren and others, he was far inferior.

Most importantly, Long Qianshan has failed before.

Long Qianshan's sword has lost its sharpness.

Otherwise, how could he become an assassin?
"Long Qianshan, why don't you guess, after all this rambling on, is there some other plan behind it?"

"Li Zhaoting, you're asking for death!"

Long Qianshan pulled down his mask, revealing a hideous and twisted face. His features were still quite handsome, but he had been consumed by hatred and killing for a long time and was showing signs of demonic possession.

"Whoosh!"

Long Qianshan swung his sword at Li Zhaoting.

Back then, Long Qianshan wanted to seize the Great Sun Tathagata Mantra, but was stopped by Master Yan Hui. During the fierce battle, his left shoulder bone was shattered by Yan Hui, forcing him to flee with serious injuries.

Quantitative changes lead to qualitative changes.

The fractured bone in his left shoulder may appear to have fully healed, but in reality, it has left permanent damage.

He was no longer the wildly arrogant Long Qianshan.

He was a hound kept by some important person.

He's a hitman who kills for money. He's a devilish instructor who trains hitmen.

He is a cold-blooded... soul-reaping judge!
Even before the sword energy arrived, deathly aura permeated the entire block.

In the past, Long Qianshan was arrogant and domineering, young and vigorous, forging ahead with determination and ambition.

Now, Long Qianshan's every move is filled with the intent to kill; with the stroke of the judge's pen, impermanence snatches away souls, and life withers away.

What he held in his hand was not a sword, but the chains of impermanence, the judge's pen of life and death, the mountain of knives and the cauldron of boiling oil in the underworld. Wherever the sword's energy passed, the flowers and plants withered.

Three feet.

Li Zhaoting didn't move!
Two feet.

Li Zhaoting didn't move!
One foot!
Li Zhaoting slightly raised his wrist.

Eight feet!

A wisp of purple mist pierced the night sky, and the Purple Rose Soft Sword emitted a resounding sword cry. The sword energy surged forth like a long river at sunset, or like an inverted Milky Way, rolling endlessly.

The Purple Rose Soft Sword is unpredictable, combining both strength and gentleness. Li Zhaoting used it to unleash the Six Meridians Divine Sword Technique. The Six Meridians Sword Technique circulated repeatedly, and the purple sword light surged wildly.

The situation reversed instantly.

From the moment Li Zhaoting made his move to the moment the sword energy turned into mist, only half a second had passed. Long Qianshan's swordsmanship, honed through countless trials, had been completely shattered by the sword light, and eighty percent of his ninety percent offensive power was seized.

Li Zhaoting's swordsmanship was like a volcanic eruption, a river bursting its banks, a rushing waterfall, and a thunderbolt. His attacks were as fierce as the wind, as powerful as waves, and as fast as thunder. One sword strike followed another without any room for maneuver.

Long Qianshan has been through countless battles and killed countless people. His combat experience is extremely rich. As long as he has a moment, he can guide his qi back to its original state and regain the offensive.

Li Zhaoting didn't give him that chance.

The offensive grew stronger and more intense.

With his left hand forming a sword incantation, he would occasionally flick his fingers to make a move. The Shaoze Sword appeared and disappeared unpredictably. Long Qianshan had repeatedly focused his mind and gathered his energy, but the Shaoze Sword had broken his momentum each time.

Intending to sacrifice himself to close the distance, Li Zhaoting used the Void Step to teleport to a distance, flicking his fingers in rapid succession, creating an invisible sword net.

"Ouch~~"

The sword energy was like a dragon, roaring and howling.

A heavy purple sword beam descended from the sky, and even Kumārajīva dared not confront it head-on.

Long Qianshan's brows furrowed, and his ferocity erupted. After being ridiculed, mocked, and beaten repeatedly, the viciousness hidden deep within Long Qianshan's heart completely exploded.

Even a dead tiger doesn't fall; a mad dog bites indiscriminately!

Long Qianshan pointed his left hand, forming a sword shape with his fingers, at the incoming purple light with resolute indifference, as if his arm were cast from bronze and iron, rather than flesh and blood.

"boom!"

The two sword beams collided violently. Long Qianshan's left arm made a cracking sound as the Six Meridians Sword Qi easily pierced through his protective true qi, raging and destroying his bones and muscles. His entire arm exploded into a bloody mist.

Survive with a broken arm!

He traded his half-crippled arm for a chance at life.

The sword blade flashed with a chilling light, its cold aura like a peacock spreading its tail, forming a curtain, or like a fiery red lotus blooming from the depths of a raging sea of ​​blood.

"Ding Ding Ding!"

The two swords made a series of clanging sounds.

We must fight fast and ruthlessly, and never give an inch.

The brave wins when we meet on a narrow road.

The two exchanged only three or four blows, but they were already at a critical juncture. Whoever dared to retreat even half a step would surely lose all momentum. They had to defeat the enemy in one fell swoop.

Do it all at once, second time tired, third time exhausted!

Li Zhaoting has a chance to "fall from grace again".

Long Qianshan had only one last strike left.

Win or lose!
Or die!
There is no option to escape!

The consequence of escaping back is still death!

Since that's the case, let's have a grand and spectacular battle.

It's better to die at the hands of a chivalrous and talented swordsman like Li Zhaoting than to die from poisoned wine meant to silence him. Since there's no turning back, it's better to unleash one's full potential.

At the critical moment of life and death, Long Qianshan finally regained the heroic spirit, courage and bravery he had when he tested the world with his sword twenty years ago. Even though he was seriously injured, with a severed arm and a crippled body, the speed of his sword strikes and the exquisiteness of his moves far surpassed his previous state.

This is the real Long Qianshan!

This is what a master who becomes famous with a single sword strike is all about!

Not an assassin, not a stray dog, but a swordsman!

This is like rotten wood burning itself to bloom with light, this is a desperate last gasp. Long Qianshan laughed wildly to the sky, attacking without defending, advancing without retreating, each sword chasing the soul.

Li Zhaoting never expected that Long Qianshan's sword technique was based on Buddhist swordsmanship. His sword energy was magnificent and vast, and he chanted mantras when he attacked, using it to subdue demons and monsters.

This is the approach of the Vajrayana Buddhist temple.

No wonder they wanted to steal the Great Sun Tathagata Mantra.

Li Zhaoting concentrated his energy, rubbed his hands together in front of him, and assumed the White Crane Spreads Wings stance. The Purple Star Soft Sword was held horizontally between his hands, and Yin-Yang True Qi flowed on both sides of the sword's edge. The sword trembled, and its sword light solidified.

This is the core essence of our sect's sword techniques.

Sword energy can solidify, turning rotten wood into divine weapons, and even creating something from nothing, conjuring divine weapons and swords out of thin air.

In my master's words, among all the sword styles of the world, ours has the lowest requirement for divine weapons.

Having powerful weapons is certainly a good thing. If you don't have powerful weapons, you can use bamboo, tree branches, flowers, and trees. If you don't even have flowers and trees, you can just spit on them and make do.

If all else fails, grab a handful of air!
It neither seeks to be better without a sword, nor to be better without moves; the limit of existence lies in a single thought.

He started out with a bamboo sword, then switched to the Purple Star Soft Sword, and later learned the Invisible Sword Qi and the Six Meridian Divine Sword. Under the stimulation of Long Qianshan, he fused the three styles into one.

"Qiang!"

The sound of a sword being drawn echoed in the air.

The Purple Rose Soft Sword shot out.

Like a shooting star streaking across the night sky, or lightning piercing through the dark clouds, the fleeting glint of a sword's edge is unforgettable, even thirty or fifty years from now. Qu Feiyan stared blankly at Li Zhaoting, her mouth agape, speechless with astonishment.

"Clang!"

The sword in Long Qianshan's hand fell to the ground.

There was a hole in his chest that went straight through.

The Purple Rose Soft Sword pierced through Li Zhaoting's chest and shot into the distance. It bounced lightly on a stone wall ten feet away, its blade trembling like a bowstring before returning to Li Zhaoting's hand.

"Excellent swordsmanship! I have no regrets in dying!"

Long Qianshan gave a self-deprecating smile.

Back then, when they went to Daxiangguo Temple to steal the secret manual, they fought fiercely with Master Yanhui. At the most intense moment of the battle, the two threw their swords at the same time. Long Qianshan's sword was deeply embedded in a huge rock weighing ten thousand catties, with only the hilt exposed. Master Yanhui's sword pierced through the rock, leaving a hole.

He suffered two defeats in his life, both of which left him with deep wounds.

One time it was a stone.

One time was by myself.

"Pfft!"

Long Qianshan's body slowly fell to the ground.

Li Zhaoting's face turned pale, and he swayed twice.

Long Qianshan was not easy to deal with, especially his last sword strike that injured Li Zhaoting's meridians.

At his peak, Long Qianshan definitely possessed the strength of a Grandmaster on the Heavenly Gang Ranking. Unfortunately, he first lost his spirit, then became mentally confused, and turned into an assassin. In the end, he lost an arm and was severely injured, only able to radiate a fleeting moment of brilliance.

Even at his peak, Li Zhaoting might not have been able to win.

Li Zhaoting looked around but didn't sense any murderous intent, which made him somewhat disappointed. He had expected a series of assassination attempts and had specifically asked Lan Fenghuang to lie in wait.

Eh?
wrong!

A series of assassinations occurred at the Liu residence!
(End of this chapter)