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

As soon as he left, the fat man sitting next to Ji Wuye slowly stroked the few sparse short whiskers on his chin and laughed, "General, Mo Ya's words are impeccable, but his eyes are very darting—he's probably hiding something."

"I understand." Ji Wuye's face was ashen.

Under his nose, Mo Ya was nothing more than a fledgling eagle that had just begun to spread its wings. Its wings were not yet fully grown, and even how its Adam's apple twitched or which way its eyes turned when it lied could not escape his shrewd eyes.

Lin Tian was certain of this, which is why he dared to act openly and honestly that night—this wasn't a conspiracy, but a calculated move. Whether Mo Ya spoke the truth or laid an ambush, it would only make the thorn in Ji Wuye's heart grow deeper and deeper.

……

To Ji Wuye, Mo Ya was never a person, but an eagle. And if an eagle begins to heed the whistles of others, it ceases to be a hunting tool and becomes a threat.

"Tiger, go and fetch the Straw-Clad Guest." Ji Wuye's voice was low and hoarse. "Find out who rescued Han Fei tonight—his lightness skill must be three steps faster than Mo Ya's, and his fist and foot techniques must be a notch above his. Hmph, I want to see which hawk has taken up residence on the eaves of Xinzheng City this time!"

"Yes, General." The fat man stood up in response; it was none other than Emerald Tiger.

The man in the blood-stained robes, the jade tiger on the stone, the sea goddess, and the man in the raincoat under the moon—this man is the jade tiger, whose thick belly hides a pair of venomous, fine eyes.

"General, what should we do with Mo Ya?" Emerald Tiger asked tentatively.

……

Ji Wuye's brows furrowed and relaxed several times before he finally uttered only one sentence: "Let's leave it for now. We still need him for the time being. We'll remove this thorn in our side once things have calmed down."

Jade Tiger lowered his head and took half a step back; this matter was not his responsibility to interfere in.

……

Lin Tian has been living a more and more lazy life lately, like a piece of tofu soaking in warm water. Listening to Nongyu play the zither is his daily routine, eating, drinking and sleeping are his serious matters, and even his breathing is full of leisure.

Before dawn that day, the sky was still shrouded in darkness, and all was silent.

Lin Tian suddenly noticed a figure standing in front of his bed. He opened his eyelids a crack and lazily glanced at it.

He immediately closed the door, his voice hoarse and indistinct: "Miss Zi Nu... instead of going back to your room to embroider in the middle of the night, you're standing guard in my room? If you really want to launch a night attack, I won't struggle at all, just do as you please." After saying that, he turned over and continued to sleep soundly.

Suddenly, the blanket was ripped off with a "whoosh"!

Lin Tian jolted awake, sitting bolt upright and exclaiming in surprise, shirtless, "Oh my god—you actually came?!"

Zi Nu had her back to him, her shoulders slightly hunched, her ears burning red, and she gritted her teeth, saying, "You... never wear an undergarment to sleep?!"

Lin Tian was only wearing a pair of plain-colored trousers, his legs swaying in the morning breeze.

He casually grabbed the outer robe draped over the screen and wrapped it around himself, glancing at her sideways and scoffing, "If I had known Miss Zi Nu was going to barge into my bedroom, I wouldn't have bothered putting on these trousers."

"You lecherous scoundrel!" Zi Nu angrily rebuked.

"Then you're a lecherous woman—sneaking into a man's bedroom in the dead of night without even knocking." Lin Tian stood his ground.

"You—!" Zi Nu's chest heaved violently, her face flushed red, and she was speechless for a moment, even her fingertips were trembling slightly.

Lin Tian would never admit to being a womanizer. He was just an ordinary man full of vigor, and some sights just happened to catch his eye and be etched into his heart—like Zi Nu's hand with its distinct wrist bones as she clenched her sleeves, and the curves of her waist and chest that were perfectly bound yet still seemed to be bursting out.

"What are you looking at?!" Zi Nu turned around abruptly, met his gaze, and immediately shouted angrily.

"I didn't look, I really didn't look." Lin Tian immediately put on a gentlemanly demeanor, but unfortunately his eyes still lingered around the edge of her collar before quickly looking away—if it weren't for this appearance, Zi Nu would almost have believed him.

If it were anyone else, she would have blinded them with a flick of her sleeve. But facing Lin Tian, ​​she wasn't angry at all; instead, a hint of indescribable sweetness quietly rose to the tip of her tongue.

"Young Master Lin, I have important business to attend to." Zi Nu took a deep breath to calm her racing heart. "You promised to do three things for Zi Lan Xuan. Now, the first thing—come with me."

Before she finished speaking, she had already turned and left, her skirt sweeping across the threshold with a clean and decisive motion.

"Sigh... Couldn't we have waited until dawn?" Lin Tian sighed, slipped on his shoes, and chased after them.

……

Zilanxuan, the elegant room in the east wing.

"Oh, everyone's here? In the middle of the night, are you all cultivating immortality together?" The room was brightly lit. Wei Zhuang leaned against the window with his sword, Han Fei sat quietly with a scroll in his hand, and Zhang Liang was pouring tea for the three of them.

Brother Lin.

Brother Lin.

Han Fei and Zhang Liang stood up together and bowed in greeting.

Wei Zhuang sat firmly at the table, his expression as cold and stern as iron.

As soon as Han Fei and Zhang Liang appeared, Lin Tian did not sit down. Instead, he turned to look at Zi Nu, a slight smile playing on his lips: "What? You've placed all your bets on Han Fei? I told you before, it's best for a young lady not to get involved in this game."

Zi Nu's eyes trembled slightly as she glanced at Han Fei, her voice as soft as a sigh: "In this chaotic world, we are like duckweed, drifting like catkins. Nong Yu has her good fortune, but I am not so fortunate."

When that gaze swept over him, Lin Tian's heart tightened inexplicably, as if he had truly done something wrong. He quickly changed the subject: "By the way, didn't Miss Zi Nu say she had something to ask of you? What is it? Just say it."

Zi Nu did not respond, but instead gently shifted her gaze to Han Fei.

Han Fei stood with his hands clasped in a respectful gesture, his expression solemn: "Brother Lin, a few days ago I uncovered the military pay robbery case and passed the tests of Miss Zi Nu and Brother Wei Zhuang. The 'Quicksand' organization has now been established. Today, I would like to invite Brother Lin to join the game."

"Oh?" Lin Tian raised an eyebrow and smiled. "You want me to fight in your place?"

His tone was relaxed, without any anger—he knew in his heart that Han Fei was a shrewd man who would never do anything foolish.

"I wouldn't dare, I absolutely wouldn't dare." Han Fei quickly waved his hand, "I only ask that Brother Lin be nominally affiliated with 'Quicksand,' without having to manage affairs or bear any responsibility. Even if Quicksand collapses and the country changes hands, Brother Lin can simply stand by and watch."

Lin Tian frowned slightly, unable to figure out what this guy was up to.

After a moment's thought, too lazy to delve deeper, he simply turned to Zi Nu and asked, "Is this the first thing you asked me to do?"

Zi Nu nodded.

"Okay, I agree." Lin Tian answered crisply and without hesitation.

Han Fei's eyes immediately lit up, and he clasped his hands in thanks, saying, "Thank you, Brother Lin!"

Lin Tian waved his hand casually and said, "You should say that to Miss Zi Nu. I promised her."

Before he finished speaking, he sat down, picked up the wine cup that Zi Nu had just filled, tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp. Then he laughed and said, "Quicksand has no form, the tangible body is easily decayed, but the intangible force is hard to destroy—a fine name, a fine spirit, but unfortunately, it was all for naught in the end."

Han Fei, upon hearing this, was not angry. Instead, he laughed heartily: "Brother Lin once said: Within five years, the State of Han will surely perish; within ten years, Qin will unify the world. Is this Brother Lin's assessment of the current situation?"

"This is not a conclusion, it's a settled matter." Lin Tian raised his eyes, his gaze calm.

"May I ask Brother Lin for your guidance?" Han Fei bowed, his posture humble.

Seeing his sincerity, Lin Tian felt embarrassed to be perfunctory. He shook the empty cup in his hand and suddenly asked, "Han Fei, have you ever met Ying Zheng?"

"King Ying Zheng of Qin?" Han Fei shook his head. "I've never met him. Have you met him, Brother Lin?"

"Never seen it before."

Han Fei was taken aback, and his throat tightened slightly.

Before he could ask further, Lin Tian continued, "But I'm certain—in this world, no one understands better than me how far he can go in the future."

"Oh?" Han Fei frowned slightly. "Currently, the power in Qin is entirely in the hands of Lü Buwei, and Lao Ai is extremely powerful. Although Ying Zheng holds the throne, he is in reality a puppet. How can you, Brother Lin, be so certain that this man is extraordinary?"

Although he was puzzled, he knew that Lin Tian never spoke without evidence.