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

"The Yin-Yang Master Dongjun, the number one person after Donghuang Taiyi, is on par with the Moon Goddess and wields the Eight Yin Meridians Curse. Yet now he has condescended to come here personally to beg for help from Yan Dan... Dongjun's favor is truly remarkable."

Lin Tian caught a glimpse of surprise in the beautiful woman's eyes, and a slight unease stirred within him; he found it rather amusing.

Yan Fei's expression suddenly became flustered, realizing that the situation was far beyond her expectations.

Lin Tian remained calm, as if casually chatting, as he revealed her background, lineage, and hidden identity. Yan Fei's heart skipped a beat, her mind reeling—how did he know?!

Not only did he know, but he knew so thoroughly, as if he had personally visited the secret palace of the Yin-Yang School, flipped through her childhood register, and heard the incantation personally taught by Donghuang Taiyi.

A chill ran down her spine, her fingertips stiffened slightly, and she felt even more suffocated than when she first entered the mirage and faced the true face of the Eastern Emperor.

Last time in the lakeside forest, Lin Tian saw through her illusion, and although she was surprised, she was not horrified; but these words in front of her, as sharp as a knife, seemed to peel away her past layer by layer, revealing even the veins beneath her flesh.

That time, Lin Tian only said, "You are someone close to Yan Dan." After returning, she repeatedly deduced: Perhaps the Mo family's intelligence was leaked? Or perhaps she revealed her presence when the Crown Prince went out? After all, she moved around the Crown Prince's residence frequently, so it was not entirely impossible that she was being watched by someone with ulterior motives.

But this time... Lin Tian even blurted out the taboo name of the "Eight Yin Meridians Curse," and he seemed to know without a second thought what the Moon Goddess was in charge of in the sect and where Donghuang Taiyi was in seclusion—this could no longer be explained by mere inquiries.

She stared at Lin Tian, ​​and the more she looked at him, the more unfathomable he seemed, like an ancient well, calm on the surface but with turbulent undercurrents and unfathomable depths beneath.

After their last parting, she had no intention of hiding herself anymore. Since Lin Tian had already seen through the Yin-Yang illusion, any attempt to use a trick would only make her look clumsy. So this time when she came to visit, she simply removed her disguise and showed her true self—both out of frankness and to test him: she wanted to confirm whether Lin Tian had merely seen through the illusion that day, or whether he had truly seen through her physical appearance, her bone structure, and even the imprint of her soul.

Sure enough, Lin Tian stepped in, his gaze sweeping over her face without the slightest hesitation. He smiled and called her "Dongjun," as familiar as if they were old acquaintances reunited. At that moment, the last shred of hope in her heart quietly shattered.

She had also secretly asked someone to investigate Lin Tian's background. The Yin-Yang School's files and secret documents were thoroughly searched, but the result was exactly the same as the information Yan Dan had obtained from the Mohist School—completely empty, not a single piece of paper was left.

On the surface, her visit was to return old belongings and discuss matters concerning the mission, but in reality, she was there to probe and ascertain the situation. Before even stepping over the threshold of the Grand Preceptor's residence, she had already subtly observed: the ladies within were all stunningly beautiful, walked with an air of elegance, and exuded the air of grandmasters in every gesture.

Just as she was about to get to the point, Lin Tian preemptively revealed her background, his words like nails piercing her heart.

Her eyes flashed, suppressing her surprise, she sat up straight, her voice clear and sharp: "It's understandable that the Imperial Preceptor knows the Yin-Yang School; but knowing the Eight Curses of Yin Meridians, the Divine Authority of Xiaoyue, and the Name of the Mingdong Emperor—may I ask the Imperial Preceptor, are you and the Yin-Yang School old acquaintances? Or... is there another connection?"

Lin Tian slowly sipped his tea, and smiled as he looked up through the rising steam: "In this world, it's not that I don't know, it's that I don't ask. I read widely and have many friends, so I've naturally heard more strange tales and secrets than others. For example, last time when Dongjun disguised himself as a beggar, I recognized him at a glance, but that was only because an old friend of mine had worked as a musician in the Mirage for three years, and we had chatted about Dongjun's usual way of tying his sleeves."

This story is flawlessly crafted—nameless, without evidence, yet every detail is grounded in reality, and every sentence has a reason.

He chuckled to himself: Even if you have a thousand tricks up your sleeve, you can't just drag a "musician" to the mirage and interrogate them one by one, can you?

Compared to him, who had lived two lives, this Dongjun before him was ultimately too clean.

As expected, after listening, Consort Yan frowned slightly, remained silent for a moment, and finally nodded gently, believing seven-tenths of what she said.

Seeing her waver, Lin Tian immediately seized the opportunity to make a move. His tone shifted, his smile remaining but now carrying an undeniable weight: "Since Dongjun is from the Yin-Yang School and is willing to go to great lengths for Yan Dan—what price is Yan Dan unwilling to pay? I've recently become quite interested in several lost artifacts of the Yin-Yang School. If Dongjun is willing to lend a hand, perhaps… he can help Yan Dan find a truly secure path to return home."

Yan Fei's pupils suddenly contracted!

Lin Tian suddenly stopped talking, his gaze sharp as a hook, piercing through the surface—he realized that he was being led by the thread, step by step, into his trap. His deeply hidden scheme was finally revealed: what he wanted was not Yan Dan's life at all, but the Yin Yang School's most treasured possession.

Yan Fei felt a chill on her fingertips, her heart felt like it had been clenched and then released. After a moment's hesitation, she finally lowered her eyes and whispered, "Grand Preceptor, please name your price. Anything in the Yin-Yang School's collection that catches your eye, I will do my utmost to acquire."

Lin Tian looked up at her and sighed silently in his heart: "What virtue or ability does Yan Dan possess to make such a woman fall for him? It's truly enviable."

A glint flashed in his eyes, and he spoke crisply and decisively: "The Illusionary Sound Box."

……

The Illusionary Sound Box is the most prized possession of the Yin-Yang School, and no one dares to utter its name lightly. Lin Tian chose it not out of deliberate malice, but because he only recognized this one—only this item was worthy of his help to Yan Dan, and only this one deserved his attention.

Gold and silver? Mundane things. Beauties? Uninteresting. Yan Dan is currently just an exiled prince, not even firmly established as the leader of the Mohist school. Otherwise, Lin Tian could easily extract a Mo Mei or Fei Gong from him. But right now, there is only one path: to pry open the treasure trove of the Yin Yang School from Yan Fei, who is willing to risk everything for Yan Dan. And the first door is the Illusionary Sound Box.

The enchanting sound was deafening, its five tones transformed into rhythms, its melody ever-changing, causing the listener's inner strength to surge; more importantly, it contained the key to the "Seven Constellations of the Azure Dragon." Lin Tian might not necessarily need it, but if Yan Dan wanted to exchange his life, then what Yan Fei offered had to be of this weight—even a fraction less, he wouldn't even lift an eyelid.

"What?!" Yan Fei suddenly stood up, her usually calm eyes suddenly losing their color, her shoulders trembling slightly, and even her breath caught in her throat for a moment. That dignified and graceful woman, with her natural elegance, had lost her composure at this moment.

Lin Tian remained unmoved, his voice calm and resolute: "The Illusionary Sound Box, in exchange for Yan Dan to return to Yan. If that fails, he will have to find another way out—this national teacher can do nothing to help."

This treasure box, closely guarded by generations of Yin-Yang School masters, was something Lin Tian was certain of: it was definitely not in the Mo Family's forbidden area at this moment. The Six-Fingered Black Knight hadn't yet been cursed, and Yan Fei hadn't yet stormed the forbidden area to assassinate him, much less been branded a traitor—the box was most likely attached to her.

"Come on, I want to see just how far you're willing to go." Lin Tian leaned back lazily, his gaze fixed intently on him.

He was determined to get the treasure box; but he also wanted to savor the struggle before him.

"you--!"

Yan Fei's eyes met the smile in his gaze, and her nails instantly dug into her palms, her body tensing. Shock, disbelief, and anger surged up layer by layer, finally settling on her brows, her lips pursed, biting until they turned white.

The words were already on her tongue, but she swallowed them back. Lin Tian watched this without showing any emotion, finding it perfectly normal—swallowing them was the right thing to do. If she had spoken them, she would have been the one to suffer; and if he had pressed his advantage then, she would have had nowhere to turn for help.

"The Imperial Advisor...only wants the Illusionary Sound Box?"

"Yes. One price. No bargaining. You're not here to buy wine, and I'm not a wine dealer." Lin Tian finished speaking with a self-deprecating laugh, truly resembling an overly shrewd street merchant. But then he thought again—he was never a kind person to begin with.

Who would do something that doesn't bring them any benefit? Everyone loves to be self-interested, so why bother pretending?

Upon hearing this, Yan Fei felt a tightness in her chest, a sensation in her throat, a buzzing in her head, and her thoughts in complete disarray.

That box was personally handed over by Donghuang Taiyi. It represents decades of hard work by the Yin-Yang School. How could we just hand it over?

But... this is the only chance for Prince Dan to return to Yan.