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

"You flatter me, sir." Li Si cupped his hands, his tone humble, but his brows showed no sign of restraint. Instead, he glanced at Han Fei as if to say something unintentionally—aren't you the one who respects this person the most? But in his eyes, I am better than you.

Looking at Lin Tian again at that moment, Li Si found him much more pleasing to the eye.

"Stop." Lin Tian chuckled and waved his hand. "You say you're 'not as good as your senior brother,' but you're secretly overjoyed. Your scholarship is evenly matched, but in terms of talent, Han Fei is slightly better; in terms of temperament, you are much more stable than him; but in terms of breadth of mind and character... you are far inferior to him. That's why I said 'they're evenly matched.' But Han Fei, wearing the crown of the Prince of Han, is like being chained to the old palace walls—unable to break free, unable to fly far. So, the mountains you can climb in the future, he may not be able to cross."

……

Han Fei shook his head with a wry smile upon hearing this, while Li Si lowered his eyes and pondered, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the dark patterns on his cuffs.

"Alright, is there anything else?" Lin Tian glanced at the two of them, his tone crisp. "If not, please leave. I don't have time to entertain guests."

"Huh? Honglian?!" Han Fei suddenly noticed Honglian in the corner. "Brother Lin, what's wrong with her?"

"I'm afraid she'll be kidnapped again when I'm not there, and you can't be relied on," Lin Tian said bluntly. "She's been pestering me to teach her real kung fu."

Han Fei froze, his face flushed, and he was speechless.

He glanced at Honglian, then at Lin Tian's expression that seemed to say, "I've seen you off, disappear quickly!" and felt a pang of bitterness in his heart: "I'm your future brother-in-law, can't you give me some face?"

...The thought had barely formed when he immediately suppressed it—he knew Lin Tian's temper all too well. If he actually said those words, he'd probably be jumping out the window the next second.

"Well... Brother Lin, I'll take my leave." Han Fei stood up, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and then left side by side with Li Si.

Although the Blood Bodhi is small, it contains astonishing energy. If it can be completely refined, it can help Honglian reach the Great Acquired Realm in one fell swoop. However, this kind of rare medicine is extremely domineering and is by no means easy to tame. A whole hour has passed, and Honglian's forehead is covered with sweat, and her breathing is slightly disordered. She has only absorbed about 30% of the medicinal power.

Lin Tian stayed to the side, not leaving. He neither interfered with the refining nor intended to disturb it, so he simply leaned against the window, quietly watching the people coming and going and the bustling traffic in the street.

Suddenly, his pupils contracted sharply, his breath hitched slightly, and a look of astonishment and uncertainty flashed across his face—standing across the street was someone who shouldn't have set foot here! Lin Tian had never met him before, but the overwhelming sense of oppression that came over him, like a knife against his neck, like thunder piercing his bones, made his heart tremble: there was no mistake.

"He actually came to Xinzheng?!" Lin Tian lowered his voice, his tone so soft it was almost inaudible, but his brows were full of disbelief.

The man seemed to sense something, paused, and looked up.

The moment their eyes met, Lin Tian read in the other's eyes a domineering and fierce aura that seemed to survey mountains and rivers, a fierceness that seemed to swallow the wind and clouds—a kingly aura etched into the bones that could not be faked.

In the middle of the street, a young man stood with his hands behind his back. His sword-like eyebrows reached his temples, and his eyes were as sharp as a hawk's. He was dressed in a brocade robe with dark gold patterns, exuding an air of nobility. Beside him was a swordsman in white, with a long sword hanging at his waist, and his expression was calm.

Seeing the young master suddenly stop, the white-clad swordsman was slightly taken aback. He looked up and saw only a calm figure disappearing quietly by the window.

"Young master?" he asked in a low voice.

"Nothing," the young man shook his head, his tone calm yet carrying undeniable weight. "I just caught a glimpse of an interesting person. Is that house in the north of the city ready?"

"Everything has been arranged; it's a tranquil manor."

"Go there first. Then send someone to find out who lives in this building. I need to know the details before 7 AM tomorrow."

"Yes, ma'am."

……

At the window, Lin Tian slowly withdrew his gaze, his brows furrowed, his fingertips unconsciously tapping on the window frame.

"Ying Zheng...why did he personally go to Han?" he murmured to himself, his voice as light as a wisp of smoke.

Indeed, the noble young man who had just met his gaze was none other than the First Emperor, Ying Zheng, who would later sweep across the land and rule over all the wilderness.

At this moment, however, he was still a young King of Qin under the control of Lü Buwei, his power was usurped, and his actions were restricted. Logically speaking, someone of such status would have no chance of leaving Xianyang without permission, let alone infiltrating the heart of an enemy state alone.

Lin Tian remained silent for a long time, still unable to make sense of it.

His lips moved slightly, and he silently uttered a few words.

Outside several rooms, Mo Ya clearly heard a voice transmission: "Mo Ya, come to my room."

Mo Ya stiffened, his black feathers swirling around him, and in the blink of an eye, he transformed into a streak of light, landing steadily in front of Lin Tian.

"Did you call me, sir?"

Lin Tian nodded and gestured for him to sit.

Mo Ya didn't refuse and sat down directly. Over the days they had spent together, he had already figured out Lin Tian's temperament—easygoing, straightforward, and unpretentious. He had also gradually calmed down, no longer acting as a night owl obeying orders to kill, no longer pointing his knife at innocent people, and finally living like a human being.

"I heard you've been frequenting the Hundred Birds' area lately?" Lin Tian asked with a smile. The information came from Zi Nu—Zi Lan Xuan's intelligence network had already spread throughout the entire city of Xinzheng.

"My lord, I..." Mo Ya's expression tightened, and he was about to explain.

Lin Tian waved his hand, his smile undiminished: "Her name is Yingge, right? If she's willing, you can take her away from Bai Niao. Just say it's my promise—Bai Yifei wouldn't dare to object."

According to Zi Nu's investigation, Mo Ya repeatedly entered and exited the Hundred Birds stronghold with a clear target: one person. Lin Tian remembered clearly: in the original situation, the woman codenamed "Parrot Song" was the Hundred Birds' sharpest dagger, and also Mo Ya's Achilles' heel that he never forgot until his death.

"My lord..." Mo Ya was stunned, his throat moving slightly.

After a moment, he bowed deeply, his voice low and sincere: "Thank you for your kindness, sir."

He knew that with Lin Tian's words, Yingge's escape route would be completely unobstructed.

"This is such a small matter, it should have been brought up a long time ago." Lin Tian waved his hand casually, as if brushing away a speck of dust.

"Has there been any unusual activity in Xinzheng City lately?" he asked in turn.

Mo Ya hesitated for a moment before replying, "My lord, the Eight Linglongs have appeared."

"Eight Linglong?" Lin Tian frowned slightly.

"Exactly." Mo Ya nodded. "The Qin state's top assassin organization, directly under Prime Minister Lü Buwei. It is rumored to consist of eight masters, each with unique skills, appearances, and personalities."

Forty-five

His subordinates had never truly clashed with the Eight Linglong, but their ruthlessness was already legendary—some were insatiable, even scraping the copper coins off the bodies of their victims; others were bloodthirsty, deliberately torturing the living to the point of death, their gruesome demise so horrific that even the old coroner would faint at the sight. Years ago, Ying Zheng sent his half-brother Cheng Jiao to lead an army to attack Zhao, but Cheng Jiao betrayed him on the battlefield, fleeing to Zhao after the defeat. It was the Eight Linglong who were ordered to hunt them down and eliminate any remaining members. Now, their simultaneous appearance in Xinzheng City must mean that Lü Buwei had issued a death order to eliminate someone who absolutely had to be removed. However, his subordinates had no clue who their target was this time.