Martial Arts Showdown: My Wife Asked Me to Be the Champion

Chapter 127: Xu Qingya forced me to do it! I'm truly innocent!

Chapter 127: Xu Qingya forced me to do it! I'm truly innocent!

"Uncle Hua, your pulse is very strange."

The lung pulse is floating and strong, while the heart pulse is deep and weak, with a slight delay every three breaths. The part of your body that was injured was the lung pulse, but the heart pulse was damaged.

Song Wencao is truly a masterful tactic. He has completely healed the damage to your lung meridians while taking the opportunity to damage your heart meridians. If any outsiders inquire about this matter, you can claim that it is due to your excessive worry.

Even you yourself wouldn't have any doubts.

Over the years, your hidden injury has shifted from your lung meridian to your heart meridian, forming a root cause of the disease. Even if my master were to examine you personally, he would be unable to find the source of the lesion.

Not to mention this was ten years ago!

Who can find medical records from ten years ago?

Song Wencao's only miscalculation was that you not only left behind the prescription, but also the treatment process, and even remembered the entire conversation clearly.

Cheng Lingsu pierced Hua Ruling's fingertip with a silver needle, pressed it twice on her wrist, and dripped blood into clear water. The blood droplet sank to the bottom without dispersing, and fine bluish-black threads appeared around its edge.

Hua Ruling sighed, "Miss Cheng, don't waste your energy. I am not completely ignorant of medicine. Once a hidden injury becomes a chronic disease, even Hua Tuo would be worried."

"I have lived an upright and honest life, with no regrets. If I can catch the Iron-Shoe Thief before I die and cure Lou'er's heart ailment, then my life will have been worthwhile."

Cheng Lingsu joked, "Uncle Hua, you think you've got it all, but what about me? I treated your illness but couldn't cure it. Aren't you afraid I'll develop a mental illness?"

Hua Ruling smiled and said, "Medicine can't cure all diseases. Even Bian Que and Hua Tuo couldn't cure all patients. Miss Cheng, don't feel pressured. I've already made preparations."

Cheng Lingsu took out her medical kit: "Uncle Hua, let me give you acupuncture. I will guide the hidden energy in your body, transform it into your meridians, and use my true qi to slowly expel it."

"Thank you for your help, Miss Cheng!"

"Uncle Hua, during the acupuncture treatment, you may feel cold, numb, itchy, or painful, as if ants are crawling inside your body. You must endure it."

"no problem!"

"One last thing, you won't look well these next two days. You'll look gloomy, which will only confuse Song Wencao and make him give himself away."

"Young lady, you are intelligent; I admire you!"

"Uncle, why be so polite? It is my duty to treat the sick and save lives. Treating physical injuries is treating illness, and treating emotional injuries is also treating illness. As long as it is an illness, we must find a way to treat it and never back down."

"As expected of the disciple of the Poison Hand Medicine King."

"This is what Brother Xu taught me: many things that seem troublesome, if you broaden your thinking and observe from another angle, you will find that trouble is always relative, and there is a solution to every problem."

"What is Nephew Xu doing?"

"Fishing in the lotus pond at the Hua family's house."

"fishing?"

"Fishing is good for physical and mental health; otherwise, with so many sisters at home, how could he possibly take care of them all?"

Cheng Lingsu pulled out a silver needle and stabbed it into the back of Hua Ruling's hand. Hua Ruling wanted to ask, "My heart meridian is damaged, why are you stabbing the back of my hand?"

That question was never asked.

Hua Ruling had been in the business world for decades, and reading people was second nature to him. He keenly sensed that if he dared to ask, he would be pricked like a hedgehog.

Cheng Lingsu guaranteed that she could cure the disease, but laymen should not ask about the treatment method.

Cheng Lingsu suddenly asked, "Uncle Hua, I heard Bai Feng mention that you have a jade Buddha statue in your home. When the Iron-Shoe Thief came to the Hua family, was he trying to steal the jade Buddha?"

Hua Ruling sighed, "If someone else had asked me about this, I would not have been able to tell you. But since Miss Cheng has asked, I will tell you the truth."

"I am all ears."

"This matter dates back to twenty years ago—there was a small country in the Western Regions called Hanhai Kingdom, which happened to be located at a node on the Silk Road. Twenty years ago, I led a caravan to the Western Regions to do business and had a very pleasant conversation with the old king."

It is said that there were thirty-six kingdoms in the Western Regions, but this is far from the truth. In the Western Regions, as long as you occupied a city, you could call yourself a king. The so-called thirty-six kingdoms were actually thirty-six relatively strong countries.

The Han Hai Kingdom is one of the thirty-six kingdoms, with a medium level of national strength. It has been passed down for a hundred years, but internal turmoil has occurred. The old king was worried about the succession, so he entrusted me with the imperial seal of the Han Hai Kingdom for safekeeping.

The jade seal is the "Hanhai Jade Buddha".

At the beginning of the founding of the Han Hai Kingdom, the holy monk Xuanzang preached the Dharma. Xuanzang left behind three volumes of Mahayana Buddhist scriptures. Everyone in the Han Hai Kingdom is a devout Buddhist. If a prince wants to inherit the throne, he needs to fast for three days in a secret room while holding a jade Buddha statue.

I originally did not want to get involved in such a major matter, but the old king was very sincere and promised an oasis as the Hua family's base in the Western Regions. After many requests, I finally agreed and asked the skilled craftsmen of the Lu Ban Divine Axe Sect to build a secret chamber to store the jade Buddha in a secure place.

There are no impervious walls in the world.

The matter eventually came to the attention of the Queen Consort of Hanhai, who dispatched the Iron-Shoe Thief to infiltrate the Hua residence and steal the jade Buddha.

Miss Cheng knew what happened next.

For years, all was peaceful, and the Hua family and the Han Hai Kingdom lived in harmony until three months ago when news came from the caravan that the old king had passed away and the eldest and youngest princes of the Han Hai Kingdom were fighting fiercely for the throne.

The iron shoes have reappeared, presumably to retrieve the jade Buddha for one of the princes and vie for the throne!

Talking can effectively relieve pain. Cheng Lingsu's needle insertion movements are very gentle. Hua Ruling talks and reveals a secret that has been buried for more than ten years. Before she knew it, the first treatment was completed, and the chest pain was slightly relieved.

The pain lessened, but my complexion worsened significantly.

His face was ashen, his forehead dark, and he looked like he was about to die, as if he wouldn't live more than three to five days.

Cheng Lingsu asked, "Uncle Hua, the old king of Han Hai Kingdom sensed something was wrong twenty years ago. So many years have passed, hasn't he done anything about it?"

Hua Ruling hesitated for a moment, but ultimately refrained from saying anything too harsh. She pointedly remarked, "Not every king has the ability to make changes. The king of Han Hai Kingdom is quite similar to the late emperor!"

"Was he also poisoned by erysipelas?"

"As far as I know, the old king—the old king died from excessive drinking and womanizing. He was lucky enough to find a magical herb in a temple in the Western Regions, which sustained him until he was completely exhausted."

"What kind of elixir is so potent?"

"To be honest, after learning about this, I asked the old king for a map and a portrait, and hired warriors from the Western Regions to search for the elixir, but in the end I found nothing."

At this point, Hua Ruling sighed deeply: "Having been disappointed so many times, I've long since come to terms with it. The thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions, the boundless desert, hold countless secrets, which can only be discovered by those with the right destiny!"

"How did those small countries perish? Even if the small countries perish, will the temples also perish?"

"Miss Cheng, you may not know this, but the thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions have been conquered countless times. However, the demise of the vast majority of small kingdoms was not due to conquest, but to the depletion of their water veins. The foundation of all cities in the Western Regions is underground water veins. As soon as there is a problem with the water veins, they must be relocated immediately."

"Are the underground water veins underground rivers?"

"That's right! Miss Cheng, I have several books here that record strange tales and events from the Western Regions. If you want to go on an adventure to the Western Regions with your nephew Xu, you should read them at least twice. This is the mark of the Hua family. Near the Han Hai Kingdom, there is a small oasis that belongs to the Hua family! If you encounter any difficulties, you can ask them for help."

"Thank you so much, Uncle Hua!"

"It's nothing! It's all nothing!"

Hua Manlou and Lu Xiaofeng slowly woke up.

The drug Hua Ruling used wasn't very strong; with Hua Manlou's internal strength, he would wake up quickly.

However, Hua Manlou never dreamed that Hua Ruling would use a sleeping potion on him. In addition, his sense of smell was so sensitive that he inhaled it a few more times, which is why he has been unconscious until now.

Lu Xiaofeng noticed that Hua Manlou had woken up, so he pretended to have just woken up and, based on his fabricated testimony, used the absolute information gap to tell a wonderful lie.

Hua Manlou was thinking about the Iron Shoes Thief. He was first fooled by Lu Xiaofeng, then by his own father, and finally by Xu Qingya. No matter how smart a person is, he would inevitably be a little confused when faced with three layers of deception.

How did they manage to fool you?

Four words: Tell the truth!

Tell him Hua Ruling's plan directly.

Hua Ruling always believed that the "Iron Shoes Thief" was Hua Manlou's delusion. She wanted to join forces with Lu Xiaofeng and Xu Qingya to set a trap for Hua Manlou, deliberately drugging him and then making various arrangements to take action tonight.

At this point, Lu Xiaofeng gritted his teeth and directly shifted the blame to Xu Qingya: "Hua Manlou, Xu Qingya came on horseback! He couldn't have been drugged! He deliberately didn't wake us up! He probably has other plans!"

"What is Brother Xu plotting?"

"He wants to see me make a fool of myself, see me blunder, see me awkwardly digging my toes into the ground, so that every time I see him I can think of that embarrassing scene and wish I could disappear into the ground! This guy is no good, don't fall for it."

"Lu Xiaofeng, what I mean is—Brother Xu only wants to see you embarrassed, why didn't he wake me up?"

"They probably think you've been too anxious lately and your sleep has been poor, so they're letting you rest for a few hours."

"Lu Xiaofeng, you let it slip!"

"what?"

"If my father's plan is for you and Brother Xu to concoct a scheme to deceive me, in order to ensure tacit understanding, he will definitely wake you up and check the script with you. You will wake up at least once, and then fall into a deep sleep again."

"Hua Manlou, don't overthink it."

"First, your heart rate has increased, and your tone has become abnormal, or rather, your tone has been strange ever since I woke up, deliberately acting excited to confuse me. But you seem to have forgotten, how can someone who has just woken up from a deep sleep be so excited?"

"Because I have lots of energy!"

"Secondly, if you hadn't woken up, how would you have known about my father's plan? Did you dream about it? You should practice your acting skills!"

You're not very good at lying!

Hua Manlou patted Lu Xiaofeng on the shoulder and calmly walked out of the bedroom. Lu Xiaofeng raised his eyebrows. Why bother to fool Hua Manlou?

Just tell the truth!

To avoid overdoing it and making things worse.

Xu Qingya is reviewing the list.

An important guest did not come to offer birthday wishes.

That guest was none other than Kim Gu-ryeong!

According to Hua Ruling's original plan, after Hua Manlou captured the Iron Shoe Thief, Jin Jiuling immediately appeared and said that the Iron Shoe Thief was involved in many major cases and needed to be brought back to the Six Doors for interrogation, and then a case file would be forged.

Jin Jiuling was a very important part of the story.

If Jin Jiuling weren't around, Hua Manlou and the fake Iron Shoes Thief would have had a few more words, and he would surely have seen through the deception.

If Jin Jiuling hadn't intervened in time, who knows what might have happened to the enraged Hua Manlou.

Later, a better "replacement" was found, namely Xu Qingya, who had a higher position, better reputation, and more influence. However, since an invitation had been extended, it was not appropriate to refuse someone halfway through, so the invitation was still sent out.

However, Jin Jiuling did not come.

Only two junior constables brought gifts.

Jin Jiuling refused for two reasons.

Firstly, he was a constable, and among the martial arts practitioners from all over the country present, there were bound to be a few underworld figures. Everyone felt uncomfortable having a constable at the same table.

Secondly, just yesterday, a horrific murder occurred in Suzhou. Wang Cefeng, an assistant director of the Ministry of War's Armory and Bureau of Personnel, was killed by villains on his way back to his hometown. All his entourage also died, leaving behind dozens of corpses.

Afterwards, based on the items Wang Cefeng carried with him and the account books of the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Works, and the Ministry of Revenue, it was determined that he died from a dispute over the division of spoils, and that this guy was guilty of heinous crimes.

In recent years, Wang Cefeng abused his position to resell military equipment and make huge profits. He sold knives, spears, halberds, bows, arrows, and armor, and even sold more than thirty hand crossbows. His death actually lessened his crimes.

If discovered by the imperial court, selling bows, crossbows, and armor would be tantamount to rebellion. At best, the ringleader would be beheaded and the entire family exiled three thousand miles away; at worst, the entire family would be executed and their three clans wiped out.

Jin Jiuling received a notice from the Ministry of Justice, requiring him to jointly investigate the case with the Court of Judicial Review and the Censorate.

Jin Jiuling was given full authority to represent the Six Doors.

This excuse is absolutely brilliant.

No one can stop Jin Jiuling from investigating the case.

For birthday celebrations, a simple birthday gift is sufficient.

While massaging Xu Qingya's shoulders, Hua Baifeng analyzed with a hint of disdain: "Trying to cover it up only makes things worse! If Jin Jiuling really had official business, he could have just said he was busy with official duties and couldn't come to offer birthday wishes. Why add unnecessary details? How could a case of this level be leaked so easily? I think he wasn't there to investigate the case, but rather he was injured and couldn't come. I remember he's a Shaolin disciple, it all makes sense!"

Jin Jiuling was indeed a Shaolin disciple, and a very, very senior one at that. According to the Shaolin generational naming system, Jin Jiuling belonged to the "Ku" generation.

Abbot Xuanci of Shaolin Temple, Fangzheng, the head of the Arhat Hall, Tianzheng, the head of the Bodhidharma Hall, and Dabei, the head of the Prajna Hall, are all of the same generation as him. Among the many branches of Shaolin Temple, only Juesheng, the head of the Medicine King Hall, is one generation higher than Jin Jiuling.

The issue of seniority often leaves people speechless.

For example, Ma Yu was kind to Guo Jing in teaching him, Qiu Chuji and the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan were of the same generation, but Guo Jing and Zhou Botong became sworn brothers, which completely messed up the generational order.

From the perspective of the Quanzhen School, Guo Jing is Qiu Chuji's senior uncle; from the perspective of the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan, Zhou Botong is Qiu Chuji's junior nephew. Everyone can only make their own judgments and determine the seniority based on age.

And the most classic one: Ren Yingying, who was twenty years old, was the nun of the seventy- or eighty-year-old Green Bamboo Elder. When Linghu Chong first met Ren Yingying, he mistakenly thought that Ren Yingying was ninety years old!

Yang Yan analyzed: "The training order for Shaolin disciples is to first go to the Arhat Hall to learn basic martial arts, and then go to different branch schools according to their talents."

Those skilled in martial arts went to the Bodhidharma Academy to study martial arts, those who studied Buddhism went to the Longshu Academy to annotate scriptures, and those skilled in medicine went to the Medicine King Academy to refine elixirs. Most of the Shaolin disciples who were admitted through special admission, such as Jin Jiuling, went directly to the Prajna Hall.

Of the 72 Shaolin Arts, some can be practiced in all branches, while others are exclusive to certain branches. The Prajna Hall is special, as it can learn all of these martial arts.

According to the records, Jin Jiuling's main internal energy cultivation method was the Arhat Divine Skill, and he also practiced martial arts such as the Bodhidharma Sword Technique and the Great Vajra Pestle. The martial arts used by the thief who was hiding in the dark that day was the Supreme Fixed Pearl Subduing Demon Divine Skill. Judging from the color of the true energy, it was the Arhat Divine Skill.

This person is most likely Jin Jiuling.

This guy deserves to be left without anyone to mentor him.

The daily life of this constable is ten times more luxurious than that of the Four Great Constables and the God of Constables combined! Anyone with a brain knows what this guy is!

If it weren't for his exceptional talent for solving cases, he would have been apprehended long ago! Want a promotion? Dream on!