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

He knew he couldn't get a single word out of Lin Tian.

His gaze shifted and landed on Zhang Liang: "Zifang, did Liu Yi ever accompany the army on the campaign against the Baiyue?"

"That is indeed true." Zhang Liang nodded. "At that time, Li Kai, the Right Sima, was the commander-in-chief, and Liu Yi was his deputy. They made great contributions in battle and were thus promoted to Left Sima."

"Baiyue... Li Kai..." Han Fei frowned, as if his fingertips had touched a certain clue, but he was always just an inch away from grasping it.

As they spoke, the residence of the Left Sima came into view.

"Young Master!" The guard at the gate recognized Han Fei at a glance and quickly came to greet him.

"Now I am the Minister of Justice, call me Lord Minister of Justice," Han Fei corrected.

"Yes, Lord Sikou!" the guard immediately replied.

"Thank you all for guarding the scene." Han Fei bowed.

"I dare not accept such praise, Lord Sikou!" The guard clasped his hands and bowed his head.

Lin Tian glanced at him sideways, a slight smile playing on his lips—sure enough, these rules of officialdom have been ingrained in their very bones since their ancestors.

……

Inside the hall, Liu Yi lay supine in a pool of blood, a thin, long sword wound on his neck, the artery severed, the crimson blood soaking half the hall.

"Please wait a moment, gentlemen. I will go and fetch the lady—she was so frightened that she only managed to rest an hour ago." The servant bowed and took his leave.

As soon as the figure disappeared, Han Fei and Zhang Liang bent down and began to carefully examine the scene.

I have just questioned the servants who first stumbled upon the body. According to them, the lady was indeed in this room last night. The Left Sima returned home very late and came straight here after entering the mansion. The door was kept tightly closed the whole time, and the servants vaguely heard arguing inside—it wasn't until this morning when they were cleaning that they were shocked to find the Left Sima lying in a pool of blood. Zhang Liang recounted all the clues he had gathered to Han Fei.

Han Fei leaned down and stared at Liu Yi's body, his brow furrowing slightly. "Zifang, don't you think there's something strange about this corpse?"

Zhang Liang nodded in response: "The Left Sima's throat was severed cleanly by a sharp blade. Logically, the splattered blood should have scattered around, but apart from the dark red patch beneath him, the walls and floor were completely clean, without even a single drop of blood on him."

"Hmm," Han Fei responded softly, then looked up and scanned the entire room.

My gaze suddenly stopped—the bookshelf by the wall, seamlessly embedded in the brickwork, with its books stacked crookedly and haphazardly, without any order.

"This bookshelf... is probably not ordinary either," Han Fei said in a deep voice.

"Could it be... a hidden door?" Zhang Liang's heart skipped a beat, and his eyes suddenly lit up.

"It's only natural for military and political officials to have a secret door in their residences." Han Fei strode forward, placed his hands on both sides of the bookshelf, and pushed hard—but it didn't budge.

"But how exactly do we open this door?" Han Fei frowned and murmured. Since it was designed for secrecy, the way to open it must be hidden very deep.

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly looked up at Zhang Liang, a smirk playing on his lips: "I've got it."

"What method?" Zhang Liang was taken aback.

"Zifang, this task is yours." Han Fei put down the burden.

"Me?!" Zhang Liang was stunned on the spot.

That's... that's it?

"I trust you, it's a sure thing." Han Fei patted his shoulder, his eyes filled with unwavering certainty, as if entrusting him with a heavy burden.

"Brother Han, you really are..."

Before the words could be uttered, a deafening roar erupted—the entire bookshelf collapsed, and amidst the billowing dust, a deep, dark room was suddenly revealed…

"It's a small matter, why beat around the bush?" Lin Tian said calmly, dusting off the dust from his sleeves. "If it's a door, just kick it open. It's not like it's your own house." Han Fei and Zhang Liang both froze on the spot, their faces tightening.

"Brother Lin... truly, you've found a new path." After a long pause, Han Fei finally managed to squeeze out a sentence through gritted teeth.

Since things had come to this, he couldn't be bothered to argue anymore and stepped into the dark room. Lin Tian already knew what was hidden inside, so he simply stood outside the door with his hands behind his back, not bothering to take another look.

Han Fei quickly glanced at the furnishings in the dark room, and then ordered his men to carry Liu Yi's body away.

"My lords, the lady has arrived." A servant led a woman into the hall—she looked no more than thirty, with delicate features, dressed in plain clothes, and with a sorrowful expression.

Madam Hu lowered her eyes and composed herself, her fingertips trembling slightly despite her efforts to remain composed. As the wife was the head of the household, her husband's death was a devastating blow, and the sorrow on her face seemed genuine. Han Fei bowed and apologized, "Madam has suffered a sudden misfortune, and I am truly honored to have to come and inquire about your situation."

Although he spoke politely, his gaze secretly swept over her waist—the Fire Rain Agate was warm and radiant, and his pupils suddenly contracted.

"Thank you for your trouble, young master." Madam Hu nodded slightly.

"The sudden passing of the Left Sima has left my wife physically and mentally exhausted. I dare not say more, but I hope you can get to the point quickly, is that alright?" Han Fei's tone was gentle, but his gaze suddenly sharpened like a blade. "May I ask, my lady—was it you who killed the Left Sima?"

Before he could finish speaking, Han Fei swayed violently, his vision went black, and he fell heavily to the ground with a "thud," his forehead hitting the blue bricks.

It was Lin Tian who made the move—a clean and decisive slap across the back of his head.

Zhang Liang stood there dumbfounded, while Lady Hu was also stunned, her lips slightly parted, her eyes filled with confusion.

"Please forgive me, Madam. Han Fei spoke without thinking and disturbed your health." Lin Tianchao bowed slightly to Madam Hu.

Han Fei rubbed his red nose and got up, glaring at Lin Tian resentfully: "Brother Lin, even if I asked the wrong question, you didn't have to resort to violence!"

He knew in his heart that Liu Yi was killed by a swift sword to the throat, and the murderer must be an experienced swordsman; but Madam Hu's ten fingers were slender and her palms were soft, how could she be someone who had ever held a sword hilt?

A master swordsman? Han Fei's heart skipped a beat, and he was about to think it over—

"The one who killed him was the vulture I killed in Zilan Pavilion. The target was the treasure hidden in the secret room." Lin Tian said directly, cutting off all his thoughts.

Han Fei was taken aback, then turned his head slowly, his eyes even more aggrieved than before: If I had known, you would have let me take that slap.

Lin Tianquan pretended not to see it, and turned to Madam Hu, his voice calm: "Madam, I have a few more words to say. Would you mind if we moved aside to discuss them in detail?"

After a moment's hesitation, Madam Hu nodded in agreement: "Alright, young master, please follow me." Lin Tian had just cleared her name, and given his kindness, she had no reason to refuse.

Watching the two depart, Han Fei lightly tapped his chin with his fingertips, his brows furrowing slightly: Since Brother Lin himself made the judgment, then Liu Yi's death must undoubtedly be caused by Wujiu. But this case is shrouded in mystery—why did Wujiu, after killing someone, turn around and break into Zilan Pavilion? Ji Wuye could have personally supervised the case, but instead recommended that he intervene?

What puzzled him most was Lin himself—always detached and aloof, never getting involved in worldly affairs, why would he willingly wade into this mess?!

In the courtyard outside the mansion, the blue bricks are bathed in the setting sun.

"What would you like to ask, young master?" Madam Hu asked, her eyes lowered, her tone restrained, but her fingertips subtly clenched her sleeves.

Lin Tian smiled gently, his voice warm: "Madam, there's no need to be so tense. It was Wujiu who killed Liu Yi, not Li Kai."

He knew perfectly well that Madam Hu had not witnessed the murder last night; she had only seen Li Kai standing beside the corpse and mistakenly identified him as the killer.

As soon as the name "Li Kai" was uttered, Madam Hu's shoulders trembled almost imperceptibly.

"Young master, you must have misunderstood." Her voice was tight. "I am very tired. If there is nothing else, I will take my leave."