Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 90 Filial Piety and Fatherly Love: The Tang Poetry School, A Gathering of Talented Individuals - Liancheng Jue
In the courtesy of Baidi Caiyun, Qianling Jiangling returned one day.

The apes on both sides of the strait couldn't help, and Qingzhou had passed the Ten Thousand Mountains.

Li Bai could never have imagined that a thousand years later, his masterpiece would become a "secret language," especially "Returning to Jiangling in a single day," which is used specifically for bargaining.

Jingxiang is a crossroads of nine provinces, rich in natural resources and talented people, prosperous and wealthy. Logically speaking, such a treasure land should be the object of countless powerful forces.

In reality, Jingxiang had neither famous sects nor powerful underworld figures; it was mostly comprised of small, scattered households, totaling about three hundred small sects.

The reason for this situation is simple: martial arts are flourishing in this world, and there are countless masters. If your fists aren't strong, even the most elaborate schemes will come to nothing.

Traveling north from Jiangling for two or three days, you will reach the Wudang Sect, the pillar of the Central Plains martial arts world.

Traveling south from Jiangling for a day or two, you will reach Dongting Lake. The Nujiao Gang, which is based in Dongting Lake, is the leader of the waterborne underworld gangs in the Central Plains martial arts world.

The Wudang sect, being a prestigious and orthodox school, is more interested in preserving its incense offerings than in seizing territory. They only send out a few nominal disciples to establish their own sects, such as the Tai Chi School.

The Angry Dragon Gang coveted Jiangling, but dared not provoke the Wudang Sect too much. Instead, they sent some of their elites to open brothels, casinos, teahouses, and taverns to gather intelligence on Jingzhou and Xiangyang.

Other underworld sects followed suit, either establishing martial arts schools and escort agencies or opening brothels, with huge amounts of money flowing into Jingxiang, making the city increasingly prosperous.

Due to the checks and balances among various forces, there are many martial arts practitioners in Jiangling, but very few true masters.

Wan Zhenshan, known as "Five Cloud Hands," might be considered second-rate in other wealthy prefectures, but in Jiangling he was a renowned wealthy tycoon, the old hero, and a veteran boxing master.

When Li Zhaoting arrived in Jiangling, he happened to arrive just in time for Wan Zhenshan's birthday celebration, so he immediately went to Wan's house to freeload a meal.

Originally, he wanted to bring Feng Suzhen with him, but he was worried that Lan Fenghuang would cause chaos in the capital and join forces with the young Bao Santian and the young Gongsun Ce to kill the students of the Imperial Academy.

After much deliberation, they had no choice but to leave them all in the capital.

If you need anything, go find the Stink Hero!

Someone who smells bad would definitely be willing to help.

In Li Zhaoting's memory, there was a treasure of Emperor Liang Yuan in Jiangling that had been passed down for hundreds of years. All the jewels in the treasure were coated with a deadly poison. Everyone who wanted to obtain the treasure was poisoned to death, and the treasure eventually fell into the river.

A vast expanse of white has fallen, the earth is so clean.

If Li Zhaoting wanted to make a name for himself in Jiangling, he would definitely try to seize the Liancheng Treasure, and he would need to bring Lan Fenghuang with him to cure the poison. But now, there is no need for that.

The treasures of the Southern Tang Dynasty could not be spent even in ten lifetimes.

What do you need so much money for?
Even if we find the treasure, so what?
Who could move so much gold and silver?
Instead of racking your brains to move the treasure, you might as well stay and watch the excitement; you might gain more from that.

……

Wan Zhenshan has quite a few strange stories.

With neither a prestigious sect nor the support of underworld forces, and with mediocre martial arts skills, he was able to establish his own sect in Jiangling, a place surrounded by powerful figures, and become a very wealthy man.

Wan Zhenshan's lineage is quite mysterious. It is said in the martial arts world that he is skilled in swordsmanship and palm techniques, and his martial arts are mainly gentle. Some people also say that he has superhuman strength and is good at using meteor hammers.

There are even rumors that Wan Zhenshan defected to the Manchu Qing dynasty and was a spy planted by the Manchus in Jiangling. It is difficult to distinguish between truth and falsehood, and Wan Zhenshan was too lazy to refute them.

The more you argue, the easier it is to fall into a trap.

The only confirmed information is that Wan Zhenshan is extremely wealthy and is exactly fifty years old this year.

Fifty and know the destiny.

A fiftieth birthday celebration should be a grand affair.

The eldest disciple, Lu Kun, the third disciple, Wan Gui, and the fourth disciple, Sun Jun, greeted the guests at the main gate of the Wan residence.

Upon seeing Li Zhaoting, Lu Kun's eyes widened.

Why is the Grand Duke Jupiter here?

What right do we have to invite the Year of the Rat and the Ten Kings of Hell to celebrate our birthday? Can you please stay away from us?
During the martial arts contest to choose a husband, Wan Gui was knocked off the stage by Li Zhaoting. Lu Kun said that they would find an opportunity that night to beat Li Zhaoting up with a club, with the eight of them taking on one of him.

As Li Zhaoting's reputation grew, Lu Kun was glad he hadn't made a move, otherwise he would have been dead.

"Hero Li...Hero Li has arrived!"

Lu Kun shouted loudly.

Li Zhaoting handed over the gift.

Wan Zhenshan greeted the guest with a beaming smile: "I have long admired the handsome and dashing Master Li, and his extraordinary demeanor. It is an honor to meet you today, Master Li!

"I have long admired the name of the hero Wan."

Li Zhaoting's words were definitely not just polite talk.

Li Zhaoting had indeed long admired Wan Zhenshan.

Wan Zhenshan was not without a master; he was a disciple of the Tang Poetry Sword Sect and the senior disciple. More than ten years ago, he betrayed his master and started his own business in Jiangling. His martial arts skills were not very good, but his amateur skills were extremely excellent.

The three disciples of the Tang Poetry Sword Sect each possess two amateur skills, all of which they have mastered to a high degree.

Wan Zhenshan, a master of ventriloquism and a master bricklayer, even sleepwalks at night and will be building walls with a smile.

The second junior brother, Yan Daping, is an archaeologist and a Bug-type Pokémon trainer. He is skilled at archaeology at his junior brother's house and scheming against his junior brother's nephew with poisonous scorpions. His hobby is begging.

The third junior brother, Qi Changfa, is a master of feigning death and backstabbing, and is also skilled at annotating poems and prose.

Even if Li Bai were to be reborn, or Du Fu were to be resurrected, upon seeing Qi Changfa's annotated poems... Du Fu would weep, and Li Bai would be enraged, drawing his sword and beheading Qi Changfa.

In terms of annotating poetry and prose, no one throughout history has been able to match Qi Changfa in even the slightest way. Li Zhaoting tried his best to get close, but could only get slightly closer.

Any more, and Dad won't recognize his son!
After all, Li Nanxing was a proper scholar.

Qi Changfa's annotation:

Original text: Tang Poetry Swordplay;
Note: Lying Corpse Sword Technique;
Original text: A lone wild goose comes from the sea, and the pond dares not look back.

Note: When the elder brother called out, no one dared to cross the road.

Original text: All nations look up to the Zhou dynasty, and officials in their robes and hats bow before its crown.

Note: The rice corner makes the zongzi smell bad, and an official bows to a monkey.

Original text: A lone plume of smoke rises straight from the desert, the setting sun hangs round over the long river.

Note: The eldest brother lost his salt, and the long goose's wings were round with brine.

Original text: The setting sun shines on the great banner, horses neigh and the wind whistles.

Note: Falling into the mud attracts the eldest sister, and the horse's fate is like a small wind.

Who could annotate Tang poetry like this?

What's most chilling is that Qi Changfa fabricated all this nonsense not to fool his enemies, but to teach his disciples and daughters.

Even his own disciples and biological daughters were plotted against in this way, which shows how ruthless, treacherous, and vicious Qi Changfa was.

Why betray your master?

Why arbitrarily alter Tang poems?

Of course, it's for the Liancheng Treasure.

The Liancheng Treasure, originally named the Liang Yuan Emperor's Treasure, was a treasury built by Emperor Liang Yuan before his defeat. Decades ago, the leader of the Tang Poetry Sword Sect accidentally discovered the Liancheng Treasure and compiled the "Liancheng Manual" using his own sword manual as a code. By matching the incantation with the sword manual, one could find the treasure. After many twists and turns, the treasure passed into the hands of Mei Niansheng, the previous leader of the Tang Poetry Sword Sect. Mei Niansheng fought fiercely with the Blood Blade Sect leader, the Blood Blade Ancestor, and was seriously injured. Three of his disciples seized the opportunity to interrogate him about the treasure and then betrayed him.

Not knowing the incantation, the three brothers locked the sword manual in a large iron box with three locks on top, and used chains to bind their wrists.

Qi Changfa was cunning and secretly copied the keys of his two senior brothers, stealing the sect's sword manual and pretending not to know anything, causing the brothers to go their separate ways.

Qi Changfa secluded himself in the countryside to study the sword manual.

Wan Zhenshan settled down in Jiangling and became wealthy.

Yan Daping disguised himself as a beggar and wandered the streets and alleys.

More than a decade passed quietly. The three brothers all grew old, and the treasure remained missing. Wan Zhenshan went to great lengths and finally found Qi Changfa.

Qi Changfa received an invitation to a birthday banquet.

To dispel Wan Zhenshan's doubts, Qi Changfa had to appear at the birthday banquet. To make his appearance more convincing, he sold his family's ox and bought a new outfit.

He looked like an old farmer visiting the city for the first time; let alone Tang poetry and swordsmanship, he probably had forgotten all his martial arts skills.

Qi Changfa was with two disciples.

One is Di Yun, the most unlucky protagonist in history. He is a simple young man with rough hands and big feet. He is curious about everything when he first enters the city, staring wide-eyed at everything.

One was Qi Changfa's daughter, Qi Fang, a pure and kind young girl with a round face and a shiny black braid that hung from her neck to her waist.

Li Zhaoting looked at the two of them curiously.

The two women exchanged glances with Li Zhaoting. Qi Fang lowered her head shyly, while Di Yun smiled amicably.

As for Qi Changfa, Li Zhaoting couldn't be bothered to pay him any attention.

Let Wan Zhenshan and Qi Changfa play along!
If a dung beetle eats stinky tofu, who smells worse?
The relationship between the two brothers could not be described as that of brothers; at the very least, they were sworn enemies.

He secretly wished he could slice the other person into roast duck, but on the surface he was all smiles. The old man, Wan Zhenshan, came out of the house to greet him and warmly hugged his junior brother's arm.

"Third brother, how did you get so old? I almost didn't recognize you, my little junior brother~~"

"I'm just farming in the countryside, exposed to wind, sun and rain every day. How can I compare to my senior brother? With such a large family business, he must have made a fortune!"

"Junior brother, what are you saying? My meager possessions are nothing more than that of a nouveau riche."

"Ha ha ha ha ha……"

The two exchanged awkward, knowing laughs.

At the street corner, an old beggar scratched the lice off his body, looked coldly at the two, and thought to himself, "You two are old foxes, what kind of ghost story are you playing?"
The old beggar was none other than the second junior brother, Yan Daping. Looking at Wan Zhenshan and Qi Changfa chatting enthusiastically, he wished he could pull out a kitchen knife and slice them into roast ducks.

Perhaps Yan Daping's prayers had an effect, for a burly man carrying a wooden bucket shouted at the gate.

Just as Wan Zhenshan was about to speak, the burly man swung his hand and threw the wooden bucket at him. Wan Zhenshan instinctively retaliated with a palm strike, and with a whoosh, sand flew everywhere.

As the saying goes, "If a mop is covered in poop, then Lu Bu is alive."

The burly man threw a bucket of excrement instead.

Despite Wan Zhenshan's quick reflexes, he was drenched in blood and his body reeked of foul odor.

Upon seeing this, the burly man burst into laughter.

"Wan Zhenshan, how about my birthday gift? Hand over the Liancheng Manual, or I'll send you a bucket of gold every morning, ensuring your descendants live for ten thousand years."

"You... what Liancheng Jue..."

"Stop pretending! You settled in Jiangling just for the Liancheng treasure, didn't you? Stop pretending. So many people have died recently, and weren't they all after the treasure?"

"Brother, please stop talking nonsense..."

"Shut up! You are a disciple of the Tang Poetry Sword Sect. The Tang Poetry Sword Technique is also called the Liancheng Sword Technique. The Liancheng Treasure and the Liancheng Manual are secrets of your sect. Wan Zhenshan, you can't protect this treasure. Don't die trying to eat it!"

The burly man, fearing that others wouldn't hear him, used a technique similar to the Lion's Roar to amplify his voice several times over, so that all the martial arts practitioners on the street could hear it clearly.

The city is filled with treasures, enough to rival the wealth of a nation.

Whoever finds the treasure becomes the target of everyone's envy and resentment.

The burly man clearly knew this principle and deliberately revealed the secret in public in order to take advantage of the confusion.

With such a huge treasure, if you just sneak in during the chaos and grab a few items, you can live a life of luxury for the rest of your days.

Before the burly man could continue speaking, Qi Changfa and Wan Zhenshan attacked simultaneously, thrusting their swords at him. The burly man moved with exceptional agility, easily dodging their combined attack.

It's obvious that this guy is a pawn.

A chess piece that stirs up trouble.

As the saying goes, a small soldier crossing the river becomes a chariot.

From the moment he revealed the secret of the Liancheng treasure, the burly man, a mere pawn, became a pawn that had crossed the river, single-handedly stirring up trouble on the chessboard and creating chaos.

Wan Zhenshan was stunned by the splash, and Qi Changfa, having lived in seclusion for many years, had long lost his will to fight and did not act in time.

If the two men subdue the strong man in time and do not give him a chance to speak, no matter how much the strong man knows, it will be useless if he cannot speak. Now that the pawn has crossed the river, unless someone exchanges pieces, who can capture the pawn?

The question is, who will exchange the cards?

Mei Niansheng was a chivalrous knight-errant, but his methods of educating his disciples were full of flaws, and his disciples were all treacherous, vicious, greedy and avaricious.

One or two problems could be attributed to the disciples. For example, Wan Zhenshan came to the master with prior skills, and his first teacher was not Mei Niansheng. If all the disciples have problems, how could Mei Niansheng, as the master, not bear any responsibility?
Knowing they had to eliminate the burly man who was spreading the secret, and knowing they had to kill him as soon as possible to silence him, Wan Zhenshan and Qi Changfa held back their moves. Not to mention their powerful moves of exchanging injury for injury or life for life, they only revealed half of their true abilities. They surrounded the burly man and beat him up with flashy moves. The burly man jumped left and right and shouted out the secret of the Liancheng treasure.

Wan Zhenshan and Qi Changfa grew increasingly angry.

He was burning with rage, his eyes bulging with fury.

Even so, they still held back somewhat when making their move.

Wan Zhenshan used up to 70% of his power, while Qi Changfa used 50%. Although they were fellow disciples, they did not cooperate at all and were instead quite wary of each other.

The burly man laughed wildly: "Hahahaha... You don't dare to go all out, and I can't beat you, but I can seriously injure one person. Who could that person be?"

Just then, a silly boy rushed over.

Di Yun had been poor since childhood. The clothes worn by the three of them, master and apprentice, were made with money raised from selling their oxen. Di Yun cherished his new clothes very much. When the strong man splashed excrement all over him, Di Yun lost his temper and roared as he charged at the strong man.

The strong man could sow discord between Wan Zhenshan and Qi Changfa, but he couldn't deal with a simple-minded fool like Di Yun.

Disoriented by Di Yun's collision, he stumbled back three or four steps and bumped into Yan Daping, who was dressed as a beggar. Yan Daping took the opportunity to throw a dog-beating bamboo stick and a broken porcelain bowl.

The broken bowl was thrown onto the "Zhitang" acupoint on the back.

The bamboo stick landed on the "Ququan" acupoint in the back of the knee.

The burly man's legs went weak and he could not stand steadily. Li Zhaoting shot out a peanut, which hit the burly man's acupoint under his ribs. The burly man fell backward in a daze.

"Crash!"

At Wan Zhenshan's birthday banquet, the prefect sent someone to deliver gifts. There were many constables around Wan's residence. Seeing the strong man fall to the ground, the constables rushed forward and tied him up with ropes.

Before Wan Zhenshan could react, the constables had already escorted the burly man to the county government office, faster than a rabbit.

　Thank you to readers 20210423232727897, Water Emperor Heavenly River, and Ula Wala for their generous donations.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)