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

Ying Zheng stroked his beard and smiled, while a hint of admiration flashed in Lin Tian's eyes.

He stepped forward slowly, his voice calm yet carrying immense weight: "The men of Qin, facing death without flinching, possess a ruthlessness unmatched in the world. Among the seven kingdoms vying for supremacy, only our Great Qin deserves to be called number one!"

He paused, then turned to Li Xin, his tone gentle yet authoritative: "General Wang's words are indeed profound; General Li's spirit soars to the heavens, and he is also the nation's sharpest weapon. But our soldiers are not made of iron; they are born of parents and flesh and blood. If there is no foolproof plan, I would rather remain inactive—but on the reviewing stand, the first seal will surely be stamped under your name, Li Xin."

"Thank you, Grand Preceptor!" Li Xin responded loudly, his eyes burning brightly as he stood up.

Lin Tian's gaze swept over Wang Jian, then over Li Xin, finally settling heavily on the faces of all the civil and military officials in the hall: "Since we've decided to send troops, we don't necessarily have to exterminate them all, but we must terrify the Xiongnu! We must make their warhorses tremble at the sight of the Qin banner, and their tribes prostrate themselves at the mere mention of 'Great Qin'! Furthermore, we must use this momentum to deliver a resounding slap to the Zhao state—Li Mu thinks he can use the Xiongnu as a weapon to force Great Qin to bow down? Wishful thinking!"

"The Imperial Advisor's insight is brilliant!"

"This plan is brilliant!"

"That's exactly right!"

The civil officials' seats were deathly silent. The bloodied head still lay at the foot of the steps; they had barely caught their breath from the stench of death, how could they dare to interrupt on matters of state? Besides, this was a dangerous job, not something the pens could speak on. Everyone bowed their heads in silence, even their breathing was barely audible, only daring to steal glances at the seemingly transformed Grand Preceptor—

At this moment, Lin Tian was gentle and refined, approachable and humble.

Gone was the cold, resolute determination he displayed when he swung his sword to sever a head; it was as if he had changed his very bones and had a completely different face.

"The Xiongnu will never expect that our Great Qin will take the initiative to draw its sword, and Li Mu will never expect that we will turn the chessboard upside down right under his nose." Lin Tian's lips curled up slightly, revealing a deep smile.

That curve was all too familiar to Ying Zheng.

My heart suddenly tightened—every time the gentleman showed this smile, someone's blood would surely be spilled three steps away.

"Killing a few Xiongnu is just a small test; what's truly important is forcing them to flee south in panic, crashing headlong into the heart of Zhao!" Lin Tian tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, his voice as cold as ice cracking the earth. "Zhao is the instigator? Fine! Then let the trouble they nurtured flood their own city! Starving corpses fill the roads, bandits roam the fields... Li Mu, Li Mu, your King of Zhao, let's see how you clean up this mess."

Ying Zheng was thrilled: "Sir, what is the name of this brilliant plan?!"

"Using someone else's knife to kill another, and letting the fire burn you—a strategy to let the disaster flow eastward!" Lin Tian laughed loudly.

Their military might was aimed directly at the Xiongnu, and their iron cavalry swept across the Donghu.

With Lin Tian's tacit approval, Ying Zheng personally took charge of the matter, and a group of fierce generals swore an oath of blood, working together to finalize the decision.

Lin Tian's strategy was far-reaching. While his initial goal of thwarting Li Mu's scheme was to eliminate future troubles, the more crucial objective was to win a resounding victory that would shake the world and solidify the unshakeable power of the Qin Dynasty.

Even if the world were to turn upside down and dynasties to change, even if he quietly withdrew for ten years, this game of chess would be as solid as a rock and invincible.

From the Spring and Autumn Period through the Warring States Period to the early Qin Dynasty, the Xiongnu were a constant threat to the heart of the Central Plains. They were repeatedly suppressed but never truly defeated.

The true sweeping victory was achieved during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, when Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, two brilliant strategists, led a thousand-mile raid and crushed the main force of the Xiongnu on the snowy plains of northern Mongolia.

This scene was brought forward by Lin Tian by more than a hundred years – all because his moves were silent yet each step was like a thunderclap.

Just as Lin Tian gave the order, and the court was purged and the old ministers were beheaded, the system quietly popped up two cards that shone with purple light.

It seems that as long as a high-difficulty goal is achieved, whether one does it personally or through strategic planning, the system will reward them accordingly.

The two purple cards are named "Little Li Flying Dagger," which is Li Xunhuan's ultimate killing technique; the other is named "Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers," which is the secret technique of the Tang Clan's Rain of Pear Blossom Needles. Both are hidden weapons, sharp and cunning, specializing in attacking blind spots, suitable for both ambushes and self-defense.

The former is an unerring and fearsome technique that strikes fear into the hearts of everyone in the martial arts world, while the latter is a shower of petals that even masters avoid. In any martial arts world, these are top-tier skills that are extremely rare and hard to come by.

But Lin Tian glanced at it and found it utterly uninteresting.

It's not that their martial arts skills aren't ruthless enough, but rather that their standards are too high—they've been spoiled and pampered, that's for sure.

Having acquired two hidden weapon techniques, Lin Tian even sensed a hint of mockery from the system: a pair at once, both ruthless and underhanded moves, thoroughly insidious and swiftly deadly, as if to say—this is how you should do things.

He had long realized that this system was far from being a cold, impersonal machine; rather, it was like an old friend with a temper and emotions.

After the court meeting ended and the major issues were settled, Lin Tian took his leave of the palace.

He awaited only Ying Zheng's command, and then ascended the altar to appoint generals, mustered his troops, and led them on a northern expedition.

However, an auspicious day must be chosen to set off; before the troops move, the provisions must go first—Wang Jian has already been ordered to supervise the transport of military provisions, and personally led the supply train day and night to the northern border.

All is ready except for the opportunity.

If not forced to, Lin Tian would never use his two remaining powers of action in this battle.

Anyway, even if you win, you'll still lose cards... Well, it doesn't matter if a few unfamiliar soldiers die.

Although it sounded cold and hard, he knew very well in his heart that it was better to let others bleed than to cut off his own flesh—after all, it's better to die for a fellow Daoist than to die for himself.

As soon as Lin Tian stepped out of the Xianyang Palace gate, he saw a huge crowd of people blocking the steps, their heads surging. As soon as they saw him appear, they immediately swarmed around him, their voices like a tidal wave, buzzing and humming.

The voices were hard to discern amidst the noise, but the meaning was crystal clear—they were all speaking in the same tone.

The elders of Xianyang were all flushed, their eyes were burning, and they were so excited that they were waving their arms and legs.

"The Imperial Advisor is out! Look, the Imperial Advisor is out!"

"The Imperial Advisor has eradicated evil and wickedness for the Qin Dynasty; he is truly a pillar of strength for us Qin people!"

"Shang Yang reborn! Fearless of the powerful and influential, he single-handedly reformed the court and even drove the envoys from the six states out of Xianyang. This is the backbone of the Qin people!"

"The Imperial Advisor is mighty!"

Cheers erupted one after another. Lin Tian merely smiled, raised his hands in a fist salute, and said in a loud voice, "Fellow villagers, it is my duty to punish evil and uphold justice; but without Your Majesty's foresight and decisive action, I alone, with all my abilities, would be powerless to achieve anything!"

He was extremely adept at knowing when to advance and when to retreat. He knew that the current situation was the result of Zhang Liang and Han Fei's secret machinations; he was also well aware that such an impact was inevitable after he had Meng Tian carry out the execution in public and spread the proclamation.

I never expected that the people would be so enthusiastic and so vibrant—it seems they've had enough of the corrupt officials and bureaucrats who have been running rampant for years.

The old ministers of Qin were never benevolent elders, but rather a powerful old aristocratic force that had held sway for centuries, opposing the new laws since Shang Yang's reforms. The most troublesome adversaries for successive Qin kings were never external enemies, but rather these old foxes in court robes.

Shang Yang ultimately met his end by being torn apart by five horses, defeated by the verbal attacks and collective criticism from this group of "old ministers."

Fortunately, I am not Shang Yang, but just Lin Tian. How could I be like him, willing to die for my lord and sacrifice myself?

Eliminating those people was part of Lin Tian's plan—they were nothing but obstacles in his path, and if he didn't kick them away, how could Ying Zheng ascend the throne? And how could he extricate himself from the situation?! Lin Tian smiled and bowed to the people who were seeing him off.

In reality, they had slipped out in a panic. Not daring to make a move, they had no choice but to force their way into the crowd, squeezing their way towards the Imperial Preceptor's residence.

Having finally escaped and finding no pursuers, Lin Tiancai stopped at a small tavern diagonally opposite the Imperial Preceptor's residence and bought a few jugs of wine.

The sake from Qin was light and slightly sweet, and Lin Tian found it quite palatable. He casually added some fruit juice, turning it into a refreshing and delicious fruit wine.