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

"I went to Qin precisely to save Han! How could my father believe those divisive words? I don't even want to touch the shadow of the throne!"

Honglian gently took her brother's wrist, her voice soft yet firm: "Brother, I'll go talk to Father, he'll listen to me."

Lin Tian raised his hand to stop him, decisively: "Stop! You're even less likely to get through to him—your brother is practically being treated like a decoration, do you really expect an unmarried princess to turn things around?"

Ying Zheng had been observing silently, but as his gaze swept over Han Fei's tense profile and Zhang Liang's composed brows, a sudden thought flashed through his mind, as if a flame had silently ignited within him.

With the momentum going, how could the Qin Dynasty not be unstoppable!

He sneered inwardly: King An of Han was truly blind to the core by personally pushing two unparalleled geniuses into the arms of the Qin state.

Zi Nu turned to look directly at Lin Tian, ​​her tone decisive: "You decide what to do next."

"Can't I just call you by your name?"

"In no mood!"

"No choice, we'll just have to leave—Han the Fool is definitely going to Qin. He's willing to risk his life for Han, what's there to be afraid of?" Lin Tian shrugged, let out a long yawn, and added, "A thousand troops blocking your way? I'll carve a bloody path for you. As for whether you can come back… ask Ying Zheng. What you're really afraid of is that once you leave, you'll never be able to set foot in Han again? That's a question for him—when exactly does he plan to march on Xinzheng!"

The strategy to destroy Han and unify the six kingdoms was once again revealed by Lin Tian without any hesitation.

And this is precisely why Han Fei had to go – no matter how unwilling he was, he would never close his eyes and watch his homeland fall.

Ying Zheng smiled calmly: "After entering Qin, I will give Brother Han Fei a legitimate reason to return to Han."

"Just a hundred thousand or so soldiers? Nothing special," Lin Tian said lazily.

The next day at noon, the Qin entourage set off. Hei Bai Xuan Jian bid a hasty farewell to his wife and children, and Zi Nu entrusted all matters concerning Zi Lan Xuan to a capable young woman. The group prepared to depart.

Honglian has been guarding Zilan Pavilion since last night, and now she silently follows along.

Lin Tian knew perfectly well that it would be absurd if Prince Han An had truly not noticed Honglian's disappearance. The cold-heartedness of the imperial family was not just a legend, but a coldness etched into their very bones.

The Korean cavalry consisted of a thousand elite soldiers, selected from the best of the best, with not a single heavily armored infantryman; dozens of officials drove wagons laden with treasures, their ranks swift and agile, moving like the wind—in less than a day, the border was already behind them.

It's just that South Korea's territory is too narrow, sandwiched between powerful neighbors, making it difficult to even breathe, let alone expand its territory.

The mission set up camp at the border between Qin and Han at dusk. The area was a vast plain, with withered grass covering the fields, desolate and biting, with occasional white bones half-buried in the yellow sand.

In the Spring and Autumn Period, this place was the site where the feudal lords would agree to fight. At that time, there were rules for fighting: the two countries would send envoys to agree on a time and place, and they would fight in a deserted wilderness, never disturbing the cities and fields—land was the lifeblood, and cities were the foundation, and no one dared to start a war at their own doorstep.

Inside the tent, Ying Zheng gestured to Gai Nie to spread out a sheepskin map, which showed the mountains and rivers of the seven kingdoms.

He pointed to the western border of Han, stopping at a pass: "This place is three days' journey from Hangu Pass of my Great Qin."

There were only four people in the tent: Ying Zheng, Lin Tian, ​​Gai Nie, and Han Fei.

Lin Tian stared at the winding waterways and treacherous passes on the map, suddenly recalling an old story he had heard in class in his previous life. He looked up at Ying Zheng and exclaimed, "Could this be the map of the Seven Kingdoms that Pang Juan painstakingly drew when he was a general of Wei? The mountain ranges and waterways are incredibly detailed!"

Pang Juan devoted his life to the Wei dynasty, but unfortunately, he encountered his fellow disciple Sun Bin, who was in charge of the Qi army. The two were at odds from the moment they entered Guigu Valley. Pang Juan's lifelong wish was to help Wei dominate the world, and for this purpose, he painstakingly drew this scroll, clearly marking even the hidden currents of streams. After Pang Juan's death, the scroll disappeared without a trace.

Lin Tian was certain that the image before him was the secret map that had been lost for many years.

Han Fei had also heard of this matter, but he always regarded it as mere gossip.

To hand-draw a map of the seven kingdoms in that era was harder than reaching for the stars and the moon.

"Sir, you are truly a genius of unparalleled talent! Nothing in the world can escape your discerning eyes—this is precisely the map of the Seven Kingdoms hidden by the strategist Pang Juan!" Ying Zheng exclaimed in genuine amazement, once again stunned by Lin Tian's insight. The secrets of this map were rarely known, not only to ordinary Confucian scholars but even to close ministers of the Wei royal family. He never expected that Lin Tian would recognize it at a glance.

Lin Tian glanced sideways at Gai Nie and Wei Zhuang, a slight smile playing on his lips: "Pang Juan and Sun Bin are your fellow disciples, unparalleled military strategists, their plans capable of deciding the fate of the world; Su Qin and Zhang Yi are also your fellow disciples, their diplomacy capable of overthrowing states, comparable to Guan Zhong and Yue Yi... How come it's your turn, that you two only picked up the cold glint of swords, leaving military strategy and political maneuvering completely outside the mountain gate?"

He always held Guiguzi in high esteem.

This sage, who is still alive today, stirred his heart even more.

Historical records indicate that it was already rare for Mozi to live past ninety, but Guiguzi lived even longer, more peacefully, and more unpredictably.

Lin Tian always harbored an almost obsessive desire to explore the names of those in this world that existed only in legends.

As soon as the tent flap was lifted, Wei Zhuang and Zhang Liang entered side by side, just in time to hear the lingering echo of Lin Tian's last words.

Wei Zhuang said calmly, "We have never been able to fathom our master's intentions."

Zhang Liang bowed and reported the matter entrusted to him by Han Fei: "The scouts have just returned. Half a day's journey from here, a large army is stationed at a key point—the very place we must pass through to enter Qin..."

"You saw it clearly? You confirmed it's South Korean troops?!" Han Fei blurted out.

Zhang Liang nodded.

Lin Tian glanced at the crowd and laughed loudly, "You want me to make a move?"

Han Fei hurriedly waved his hand: "Brother Lin, wait! We can discuss this further once we're closer!"

His brows were furrowed, and his troubled expression was obvious, which Lin Tian could clearly see.

Lin Tian didn't mince words about Han Fei's subtle scheme, and laughed as he exposed it: "Isn't it just that you're afraid of losing these 100,000 Han soldiers to me? Han is already weak, and if we lose our elite troops, it's like leaving the city gates wide open, allowing anyone to drive straight in."

Han Fei was struck on the truth, but he was not angry or ashamed. Instead, he looked at Ying Zheng frankly and did not shy away from him: "If the Qin army marches east out of Hangu Pass, Han will be the first to bear the brunt. I only hope that Han has some strength to defend itself, so that we will not sit and wait for death."

Lin Tian showed no mercy, immediately pouring cold water on the situation: "Ji Wuye has been executed. Now, in the Han camp, who truly understands military strategy? Besides, the Qin cavalry—you've lived next door for years, do you really know how fast and ruthless they are? If Qin sends troops, within three days, their iron hooves will break through the passes and knock on the gates of Xinzheng. This is no exaggeration. Forgive my bluntness, but Han is really not worth a bite."

"What can I do?!" Han Fei's voice suddenly rose, his usually gentle face hardening for the first time. "I poured my heart and soul into creating Quicksand, just to make Han one of the Seven Warring States, even if it was only on par with the five states of Shandong, so that we could form alliances and resist the powerful Qin! But what do we see now? We can't even secure a seat in the alliance, not even a table for negotiations!"

Before he could finish speaking, he was already furious.

Han Fei, who always had a slight smile on his lips, finally revealed his true colors.

Overwhelmed with resentment, a sense of desolation arose within him, a bitter taste rose in his throat, and the suspicions of his father were still fresh in his mind.