Martial Arts Master: The Lin Family Sword God, who swept through the Five Mountains and Four Sects

He slammed one knee heavily on the ground, his voice echoing through the roof beams: "Your Highness! This humble general has not failed you! The Mongol army has perished outside the city!"

"good!!"

Lin Tianlang slammed his fist on the table with a laugh, his eyebrows raised high: "General Meng, this battle can be described as turning the tide and saving the nation! Tomorrow I will submit a memorial directly to His Majesty—the greatest credit for annihilating 500,000 enemy troops in this battle belongs solely to you! You are hereby promoted to General of the Cavalry!"

In the Song Dynasty, the rank of General of the Cavalry was the pinnacle of military rank. Civil officials were respected and military officials were looked down upon, and even the title of "General" was abolished by the court long ago.

Meng Gong shook his head: "Your Highness flatters me! If you hadn't first killed 300,000 enemies in the field and then taken Kublai Khan's head to disrupt their morale, I'm afraid my 800,000 troops wouldn't have been able to even break through the city gates."

Lin Tian smiled and said, "If I say it's your credit, then it's your credit. What are you trying to deny?"

His tone was soft, yet it was like an iron gate falling, impossible to pry open.

"...Yes, Your Highness."

Meng Gong paused for a moment, then bowed his head and agreed.

He's not stupid. Some things are easy to understand, but some paths, once taken, have no turning back. Thunder is a blessing, and so is timely rain—these words work for the emperor, and they work even more for him, Lin Tian.

Accepting this monumental achievement is tantamount to binding his life and fortune to Lin Tian's chariot. Even if Lin Tian were to overthrow Emperor Lizong in the future, he would be the first to kick down the door!

Lin Tian nodded in satisfaction. He wasn't giving him such a big credit for nothing—Lin Tian never did favors for nothing.

He tapped his fingertips lightly on the table and asked casually, "General Meng, today's great victory can be considered as eradicating the Mongol threat?"

Meng Gong was taken aback, pondered for a moment, and slowly shook his head: "No. Although the 500,000 are wiped out, and Kublai Khan is dead... forty years is enough for them to catch their breath and rebuild their iron cavalry."

"I see through it." Lin Tian nodded. "Since you know it will become a major threat forty years from now—why not eliminate it completely before its broken bones have healed?"

"Gouge it out? How do you gouge it out?!" Meng Gong blurted out.

Lin Tian raised his eyes, his gaze as cold as a blade: "Kill. Slaughter them all. Every male over the age of twelve, leave no one alive. Slaughter them until the Mongols only remember how to draw their bows to shoot sheep, and have forgotten how to draw their bows to shoot men!"

Meng Gong was jolted, his pupils contracted sharply, and he froze on the spot as if struck by lightning.

After a long silence, he managed to squeeze out a hoarse sentence: "Your...Your Highness? You just said—?"

He suspected that he had heard wrongly.

He was a man from the Song Dynasty, who read the Analects and revered Confucius and Mencius. The five virtues of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness were etched into his very bones.

During the Western Jin Dynasty, the Five Barbarian Tribes invaded China, and the Han population plummeted from tens of millions to a million, marking what can be considered the most devastating calamity in Chinese history.

Ran Min's "Order to Kill the Hu" came out of nowhere, terrifying the Hu people and pulling the Han people back from the brink of extinction. This achievement should have been recorded in history and praised for all time—but a thorough search of historical records reveals only cold indifference and condemnation.

Why?

It was only because what he did touched the sore spot of the hypocritical rules of Confucianism.

Therefore, even if they manage to turn the tide, they can only be nailed to the pillar of shame for their "tyranny" and subjected to public scorn.

……

"I say, why not just kill the Mongols until they only know how to herd sheep and dare not wield a knife, thus eliminating any future troubles?" Lin Tian's tone was calm, but every word was like a knife as he threw out this statement once again.

His decision stemmed from two reasons: first, to eliminate the threat to the northern border for the Song Dynasty; and second, because his systematic mission was to completely destroy the Mongol Empire, kill Kublai Khan, and annihilate 500,000 troops. But these were not enough to "end" an empire.

"But... Your Highness, isn't this going too far...?" Meng Gong frowned, his expression complex.

Lin Tian strode forward and patted his shoulder heavily: "Huo Qubing burned down houses and swept away caves, sealing the wolf's lair and achieving the fame of the Marquis of Champion; Ran Min's single order to kill terrified the barbarians, making them tremble with fear. During the Qin and Han dynasties, how spirited our Chinese people were! But what happened later? We were worn down by the outdated dogmas of Confucianism until our bones softened!"

His gaze was piercing as he stared directly at Meng Gong: "General Meng, I want you to rediscover this fighting spirit for my Great Song Dynasty!"

"Ran Min was defeated, so he can only be called the 'Martial Mourning Heavenly King'; but you—you crushed 500,000 Mongol troops in Xiangyang, and even uprooted the Mongol foundation. History will record: Meng Gong, the mighty war god of our Great Song!"

"I..." Meng Gong's Adam's apple bobbed, his expression shifting uncertainly, but finally he gritted his teeth and said, "This subordinate obeys!"

Lin Tian smiled.

The human heart has never been able to withstand the temptation of glory. Faced with an opportunity to achieve eternal fame, who could truly remain unmoved?

"Rest for three days, then assemble an army of 600,000 and crush the Mongols. As I command—all men over the age of twelve are to be executed, and all ironware and horses are to be confiscated. In three months, I will await your triumphant return in Xiangyang." Lin Tian's voice was not loud, but it was as cold as iron striking the ground.

"Your subordinate obeys!" Meng Gong clasped his hands in a fist salute, without further hesitation.

Three months have passed in the blink of an eye.

"Brother Guo, I never expected that Sister-in-law Huang Rong would give birth to twins in one go! It's truly a blessing from heaven!" Lin Tian walked into the Guo residence with a beaming smile.

Huang Rong was in labor and should not move, so she stayed in Xiangyang after the battle. Today was the day of her delivery, and Lin Tian, ​​having nothing else to do, came to wish her some good luck.

Guo Jing, his face flushed, hesitated for a moment upon seeing Lin Tian enter before bowing and saying, "Your Highness, I have a presumptuous request."

"Speak freely," Lin Tian said with a smile, waving his hand.

"I would like to ask you... to name these two children." Guo Jing's tone was sincere, his eyes full of expectation.

Lin Tian was of noble birth, being the only legitimate son of Emperor Lizong of Song and the future emperor. To receive a name bestowed by him was an unparalleled honor for a family of loyal officials.

Lin Tian laughed: "How is this presumptuous? I'd beg for this!"

Twins? Hmm... Guo Tiedan and Guo Shaniu? These names are quite down-to-earth.

But when Lin Tian looked up and saw Guo Jing's sincere expression, he silently stopped himself—tricking an honest person would bring retribution.

After a moment's thought, he said solemnly, "With the nation in peril, you will defend Xiangyang to the death, charge into battle with me, and fight to the death to defeat the enemy. Our daughter was born in Xiangyang, so we will name her 'Guo Xiang'; and since we have defeated the barbarians under the city walls, our son will be named 'Guo Po Lu'."

"Guo Xiang... Guo Polu... Excellent! What a wonderful name!" Guo Jing's voice trembled with excitement as he clasped his hands in a deep bow. "Thank you, Your Highness, for bestowing this name upon me!"

Just then, Tianyi quietly appeared and whispered in Lin Tian's ear, "My lord, Meng Gong has returned."

Lin Tian's eyes lit up, and he immediately stood up: "Senior Brother Guo, I have urgent business to attend to, so I must take my leave now. I will visit you another day to apologize!"

"It's alright! Your Highness's matter is of utmost importance!" Guo Jing quickly returned the greeting.

Lin Tian quickly left.

Inside the city garrison, Meng Gong had been waiting for some time. Upon seeing Lin Tian enter, he knelt down with a thud: "This humble general has fulfilled his mission, completing what Your Highness entrusted to him!"

At the same time, a cold, mechanical voice echoed in my mind—

[Task Completed]

A flash of golden light appeared before my eyes, and a dazzling card slowly emerged.

"General Meng, you've worked hard. Go back and rest first," Lin Tian said calmly. "Later, come with me to Dali to handle some business. When we return to Lin'an, I will personally recommend you for credit."

As soon as Meng Gong left, Lin Tian raised his hand and beckoned, and the golden card was instantly drawn into his palm as if by an invisible force.