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

The change came too suddenly, leaving no time to even blink. All tender expectations collapsed in an instant. Dongjun marrying the King of Qin—for the Yin-Yang School, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for advancement. She knew that Donghuang Taiyi wouldn't stop her.

But she still bowed deeply, her voice as soft as a falling leaf: "I beg Your Majesty... to rescind your decree."

Ying Zheng waved his sleeve and turned to Yan Dan, his tone icy: "Then Crown Prince Dan can stay as well. You can leave on your own, or I will send armored soldiers to 'escort' you back to your residence. It's up to you."

Consort Yan slowly raised her head, her tears still wet on her cheeks, her eyes shattered, leaving only a deathly stillness. She closed her eyes briefly, then opened them again, her voice hoarse and strained: "Your Majesty... Your subject obeys. I only beg... to release His Highness and allow him to return to Yan."

"Scarlet Smoke!"

Yan Dan clenched her teeth, spitting out those two words through gritted teeth. The humiliation was like a knife, cutting into her chest and making it burn.

Ying Zheng turned and left, his expression as still as a mountain, showing no sign of emotion: "Gai Nie, escort Crown Prince Dan back to his residence. Someone—lead Consort Luo to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager."

Lin Tian learned of this the following morning. The letter was secretly delivered by a young palace maid in the Empress Dowager's palace.

He rubbed his throbbing temples, feeling dizzy—the emperor's lust for women, taking whomever he fancied into the harem, was an old rule of the empire.

But... Gao Yue's father is really not Ying Zheng.

He could almost smell the barely suppressed shock, anger, and bitterness in Zhao Ji's voice when she first met Yan Fei last night! To steal someone's love with such blatant force—Yan Dan was far too weak.

At worst, I won't go back to Yan! Why put my face out there for others to trample on?

Lin Tian felt increasingly choked up: how could he endure such a humiliating disgrace in order to plot the assassination of Qin and return to Yan? Even his wife was kidnapped in public, yet he still submitted obediently? His mind was filled with nothing but the word "great cause," he was truly ruthless.

He immediately donned his robes and entered the palace, just as dawn was breaking. Lately, the palace had become a mere formality for him; he came and went as if it were his own backyard. He barged straight into the Empress Dowager's chambers, and the guards and maids all bowed their heads and retreated, none daring to stop him.

As soon as the curtain was lifted, Yan Fei was seen sitting quietly by the window, dressed in white as snow, her back view slender.

"What... what's going on?" Lin Tian glanced at Zhao Ji and shook his head helplessly. "Your son must have at least a thousand women in his harem, if not three thousand, right? How come he's still trying to steal other people's girls?"

Consort Yan never expected that the Empress Dowager Zhao Ji, who sat regally on her phoenix throne last night, was actually the "cousin" Lin Tian had brought into the palace that day. Upon first seeing her, Zhao Ji was shocked and speechless—yet the unconcealable sorrow within her was clearly seen by Zhao Ji. Therefore, Zhao Ji wrote a letter that very night and sent it by fast horse.

Just as dawn was breaking, Lin Tian stepped into the palace gates. As soon as he lifted the curtain, he bumped into Consort Yan and Consort Zhao sitting by the window. Consort Zhao was gently patting Consort Yan's hand, her voice soft, as if smoothing out an invisible crack.

Zhao Ji caught a glimpse of Lin Tian striding in, his loud voice so clear it made the copper bells on the eaves tremble slightly. She immediately gave a signal to her left and right – the palace maids bowed their heads and retreated, silently closing the palace door, even turning the hinges with extreme gentleness.

"Keep your voice down!" Zhao Ji frowned and scolded in a low voice, "Zheng'er is the king who rules over the country, how dare you call him by his name?" She twisted her sleeve with her fingertips, her tone full of helplessness and exhaustion.

Upon hearing the voice, Consort Yan rose, her skirts swaying slightly, and curtsied, saying, "Imperial Preceptor."

Lin Tian didn't stand on ceremony, taking a seat directly. He casually picked up the teapot, poured himself a cup of cold tea, tilted his head back, and gulped it down. His Adam's apple bobbed before he sighed, "What use am I? Don't think I don't know what you're all plotting—wasn't the Empress Dowager's letter just an attempt to get me to act as an intermediary and persuade my student to retract his decision? But this is the King taking a concubine, not a marriage ceremony. Am I, a weapon refiner, supposed to pick an auspicious day and draft a marriage contract for someone else?"

His gaze shifted and landed directly on Yan Fei's face, then he simply tore off the pretense: "Save your breath! I sent someone to check before I came in. Yan Dan started packing last night and will be setting off back to Yan the day after tomorrow."

Yan Fei's fingertips trembled, and the rim of the teacup clinked softly. She lowered her eyes and remained silent, her eyelashes drooping like two raven feathers bent by the wind. The sorrow between her brows was like ink seeping into water, growing thicker and thicker, making her seem as if she were shrouded in a thin mist, elusive and impossible to grasp.

Zhao Ji hurriedly tugged at Lin Tian's sleeve, the force not strong, but carrying an undeniable restraint.

She paused, then slowly continued, "She has been staying in my palace these past few days. This morning, Zheng'er sent a eunuch to deliver an imperial decree—promoting Luo Mei to the rank of Imperial Concubine, bestowing upon her the title 'Yan Concubine'."

"What?!" Lin Tian almost choked on his tea, coughing so hard his shoulders trembled.

Yan Fei's voice was as soft as a falling leaf: "Yesterday... Crown Prince Dan called me 'Yan Fei,' which was overheard by the King of Qin."

Hey, this is interesting.

Lin Tian's heart skipped a beat. What he thought was a loose thread had suddenly become completely tangled. He scratched the back of his neck and turned to Zhao Ji, asking, "Empress Dowager, are you truly happy to have a daughter-in-law?"

"I'm not happy," Zhao Ji answered decisively, her fingertips unconsciously rubbing a plain silver bracelet on her wrist. "This deep palace, those who enter suffer, those who don't are truly blessed. I only hope that my little sister Yanfei can fly out and not be trapped in these four walls."

Tsk, tsk tsk.

Being women, they seemed to see each other's reflections—not just mutual appreciation, but an unspoken tenderness.

"Your Highness Crown Prince Dan will depart for Yan the day after tomorrow." Consort Yan's voice was extremely soft, yet it was like a wisp of silk that entangled the listener's ears, causing a strange tightness in the chest and a bitter feeling in the throat.

Lin Tian sighed, and with a flick of his wrist, the Illusionary Sound Box was placed steadily on the table. The ebony box reflected the light that slanted in through the window lattice, giving it a faint, cold glow.

He glanced at Yan Fei, his expression casual, almost indifferent: "Take it. You're in this state; the Yin Yang School's meager resources are useless to me."

Ying Zheng wanted to marry Consort Yan? Lin Tian still felt like he was listening to an absurd play. What was even stranger was—given Consort Yan's temperament, would she really obediently agree? Her eyes clearly burned with fire, and her bones were etched with pride; how could she possibly sacrifice herself for Yan Dan and end up inside the palace walls?

The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt.

Throughout his interactions with women from the Yin-Yang School, he'd encountered women who were either lone cranes soaring in the clouds or blades wrapped in poisonous vines. If Consort Yan were truly willing to humble herself and become subservient, it wouldn't be like her at all. From the moment he heard the imperial decree, Lin Tian had been on edge—things were going too smoothly, so smoothly that it felt like someone was pushing her along, so smoothly that it didn't seem like something a living person should be like.

So he simply pushed the Illusionary Sound Box over.

Last night, he took it apart and pondered it: for him, who was at the fourth level of the legendary realm, this box was nothing more than a wooden box that could sing. It could neither enhance his skills nor produce any extraordinary phenomena. It wasn't even worth mentioning.

But when Yanfei looked up and saw the box lying quietly on the table, her pupils suddenly contracted—she didn't believe it.

The Yin-Yang School's most treasured artifact, something countless people would fight tooth and nail for, yet Lin Tian discarded it like trash? Decisive and resolute, without a moment's hesitation. But it was precisely this frankness that warmed her heart, stirred her eyes, and caused a lump to form in her throat, leaving her speechless.

"The Imperial Preceptor's kindness is a great favor, and this is a reward for Prince Dan's return to Yan. I dare not take it back," she said, politely declining.

Lin Tian lifted his eyelids and shoved the box in front of her, his tone lazy but brooking no argument: "Take it. Enough nonsense. If this box is really lost, you'll probably get thirty-six lashes when you go back to the Yin-Yang School, right? — Consider it... a pitiful thing for you. Return it to its rightful owner, clean and tidy."

His tone was firm, but his words were cutting.

Yan Fei didn't notice the slight rudeness; she only felt the warmth creeping up her fingertips to her wrist, burning all the way to her heart. She lowered her head and solemnly accepted the box.

She slowly tucked the Illusionary Sound Box back into her sleeve, her tone slightly somber: "I will forever remember the Imperial Preceptor's great kindness. Yet, when the Crown Prince returned to Yan, you accepted neither a single coin nor left a single possession—is such indifference truly appropriate?"