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

"I won't rush you. Go back and think it through. Come back to me when you've figured it out." Lin Tian saw that her face was pale, and he knew the fish had taken the bait; he just needed to pull it out one last time. His tone softened, even showing a hint of understanding, "It's tiring to see a beauty frowning—why don't waste your energy in front of me."

Out of sight, out of mind. If you have to make things difficult, do it somewhere else.

Twenty-eight

After hearing Lin Tian's words, Yan Fei turned and left without even bothering to say a word of politeness. With a flick of her skirt, she went straight out of the main hall.

That dark blue hue swept across the threshold, her figure swaying like a willow branch in the breeze, her silhouette ethereal and aloof. Lin Tian leaned against the desk, watching her depart, then suddenly chuckled softly, "Hmm... I've changed my mind."

Before she finished speaking, Li Wu had already silently stepped into the hall, her delicate hands gently tidying up the teacups and trays used by the guests.

Lin Tian looked up at her and casually said, "You heard what I said just now, right? Do you think your young master is pretty bad?"

Li Wu paused slightly, lowering her eyes to tidy up the celadon tea set, her voice clear and cold as a spring: "Young Master's plan has its own profound meaning. But Li Wu sees it clearly—Young Master does not truly want that Yin Yang School's treasure."

Lin Tian suddenly smiled, his gaze falling on her lowered neckline: "Li Wu... I saw it."

She was bending down to pick up a cup, her clothes slightly loosened, revealing a glimpse of snow-white skin.

"Young master, please have some self-respect!" Li Wu suddenly straightened up, her ears turning red, and quickly retreated, her skirt almost knocking over the bronze incense burner on the low table.

Lin Tian watched her hurried departure and couldn't help but chuckle: "The usually cold-faced Li Wu can actually blush? How rare, truly rare."

No sooner had she left than Han Fei and Zhang Liang were summoned into the hall. Lin Tian inquired about the events outside the city.

As expected, the two had already followed Lin Tian's instructions and quietly stirred up the hearts of the people of Xianyang: they bribed storytellers, teahouse waiters, coachmen and porters in the streets, and the news spread like ink in water, silently; in less than half a day, the people gathered together under the gates of Xianyang city as if by prior arrangement.

They witnessed the beheading with their own eyes and heard Meng Tian's words with their own ears.

As Han Fei recounted the story, Lin Tian raised an eyebrow and smiled, "General Meng, you truly are one of us now."

Meng Tian did indeed recite the charges verbatim, but the brilliance lay in the fact that while praising the King of Qin's wisdom, he subtly mentioned Lin Tian, ​​saying, "This strategy, aided by the Grand Preceptor, displayed its thunderous power."

Lin Tian hadn't insisted, but Meng Tian added this touch himself, which was both steady and ingenious, and became the finishing touch.

Things turned out to be going more smoothly than expected.

Han Fei then mentioned the recent situation at the Hall of Recruitment, and the commotion at Lü Buwei's residence, which were all hot topics of discussion in the city; Zhang Liang had already ordered his confidants to send Lin Tian's name, words, deeds, and achievements to the counties and prefectures of the six kingdoms in Guandong separately—the news spread like arrows.

Zhang Liang cupped his hands and asked, "Sir, having devised such a strategy, what exactly is the purpose of this 'creating momentum'?"

Lin Tian pondered for a moment, then answered decisively: "To kill more."

Zhang Liang was stunned, and Han Fei's pupils suddenly contracted.

Lin Tian glanced at the two of them, immediately sensing their surprise and doubt, and calmly explained, "To kill, one must kill more; more importantly, one must kill in a way that is just and reasonable, in a way that is entirely righteous. How to do that? By relying on the voices of the people, by relying on the will of the people. As soon as the people raise their voices in condemnation, the blade falls, and we do not shed blood, do not bear any guilt, and can even eradicate the problem completely—cleanly and efficiently, leaving no future troubles."

Then, Lin Tian summoned Wei Zhuang and asked about Lü Buwei's life after returning to the mansion.

Wei Zhuang had just learned the truth: Lü Buwei was so angry that he was bedridden; the steward in the mansion was running around to various pharmacies, bringing back boxes of ginseng and lingzhi, and even snapping up three pieces of century-old ginseng.

Upon hearing this, Lin Tian's lips curled into a sneer, a hint of mockery in his smile: "Well done, Prime Minister Lü! All you know how to do with your money is buy medicine to prolong your life? Then buy more—as long as I, Lin Tian, ​​remain in Xianyang, he won't have a moment of peace. He'll just have to suffer."

In Lin Tian's eyes, Lü Buwei's disheveled appearance was not only a relief, but also a chance to catch his breath.

Once that old fox has calmed down for a while, I should be returning victorious from my northern expedition against the Xiongnu. By then, won't it be clear whose side the generals in the army are on?

By then, Lü Buwei will have no chance to cause any more trouble.

As for Li Si—Lin Tian has a new plan, but ultimately it depends on how Han Fei chooses to proceed.

He looked directly into Han Fei's eyes and asked, "Li Si is your senior fellow disciple. One day, would you kill him with your own hands?"

Han Fei remained silent for a long time before finally replying in a low voice, "My senior brother Li Si has treated me very kindly. If you, sir, would spare his life, I would gladly repay you with my own."

Lin Tian sighed softly—as expected, it was still the same Han Fei.

The residence of Prince Dan of Yan.

Consort Yan walked slowly, and by the time she returned from the Imperial Preceptor's residence, dusk had already soaked through the eaves. Yan Dan was already waiting at the gate, and upon seeing the dark blue figure in the distance, she immediately went to greet her.

"Dongjun, Grand Preceptor... has he agreed?" Crown Prince Dan spoke urgently, his fingers unconsciously clenching his sleeves, his eyes filled with anxiety.

Twenty-nine

Yan Fei's gaze fell heavily on Yan Dan's face, not because he had been waiting for a long time, but because he only asked about the result when he opened his mouth—as if her journey through dust and life and death was nothing more than a trivial matter.

A sudden chill ran through me, as if I had been licked by autumn frost. My eyes glazed over, and a fine wrinkle quietly appeared on my brow.

Seeing her silence, Yan Dan's face darkened, his throat tightened, and he shook his head helplessly with a long sigh: "Grand Preceptor... still hasn't revealed a single word of favoritism? So be it! I, Yan Dan, am afraid I will never be able to set foot on my homeland again in this lifetime."

Before he finished speaking, he flicked his sleeves, turned around and left, not even glancing at her again, leaving that crimson figure alone on the steps, refusing to utter another word.

She already harbored resentment towards Lin Tian—when had the dignified Dongjun of the Yin-Yang School ever bowed his head and begged anyone? Not to mention Lin Tian's ambiguous smile, which clearly made him treat her like a monkey, every word he uttered was barbed.

Now Yan Dan is treating her with such coldness, neither asking about her safety nor inquiring about her fatigue, but instead constantly talking about his own difficulties and leaving without a word.

A chill ran from the soles of my feet straight to the top of my head, and a wave of grievance surged up. My chest felt tight, and I instinctively pressed my right hand against my heart, my fingertips turning white and the veins on my knuckles throbbing.

Seeing that Yan Dan had already stepped into the mansion gate, she finally called out, her voice clear yet trembling slightly: "Your Highness! I know what Lin Tian wants—he personally promised that as long as I find it, he will agree!"

"Alright! Dongjun, please come in and tell me in detail!" Yan Dan suddenly stopped, his eyes lighting up instantly.

At this moment, Lin Tian was sitting in the stone pavilion in the backyard of the Imperial Preceptor's Mansion, holding a shiny modern fishing rod in his hand, explaining to several women how it could be pulled back and released at will, how it could float and sink at will, and how it could catch live creatures in still waters.

Before he could finish speaking, Gai Nie had already stepped into the courtyard.

Lin Tian glanced up and raised an eyebrow slightly: "What is it?"

Gai Nie clasped his hands in a fist salute, his voice flat and clear: "Imperial Preceptor, the Empress Dowager has prepared a banquet in the palace and has specially ordered me to respectfully invite you to attend."

The Empress Dowager is hosting a banquet? Lin Tian's eyelids twitched—Lu Buwei was practically on his deathbed, yet he could still get up and deliver an invitation? After a moment's thought, he blurted out, "The Empress Dowager is hosting a banquet, but she sent you to deliver the message… This idea must have been authorized by Ying Zheng, right?"

Gai Nie nodded frankly: "The Grand Preceptor is astute. His Majesty personally instructed me to do so in order to ease the tension between the Grand Preceptor and the Empress Dowager; and fearing that the Empress Dowager might not be courteous enough to invite you, he sent me with the imperial edict." He paused, then added, "This banquet is for the Grand Preceptor alone."

Before Lin Tian could speak, Zi Nu leaned against a pillar, a smile playing on her lips, her voice as soft as honey: "Go. The Empress Dowager is a pawn you should have in your hands; besides, Ying Zheng is also here. As a teacher, you can't let your student be caught in the middle."

These words struck a nerve. Lin Tian nodded slightly in agreement. The two entered the palace side by side, and he asked questions along the way, from the dishes to the time of day, from the waiters to the seating arrangements, leaving no detail unmentioned.

He knew perfectly well that Zhao Ji was not the type to hold a banquet to reminisce about old times; most likely, she was hiding a knife in the wine and setting traps under the table—this was no welcoming banquet, but a trap.