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

Han Fei slowly stood up, his back straight, and a hint of relief appeared in his eyes.

He declared loudly, "Han Fei's life was exchanged for a hundred years of peace in the land of Han—this body deserves to die!"

"Please submit to execution!" Lin Tian caught a glimpse of Ying Zheng's slight movement out of the corner of his eye, and immediately drew his sword, raising it with its cold blade aimed directly at Han Fei's throat.

In the blink of an eye—Ying Zheng had already leaped out!

He rushed to Han Fei's side, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said in a voice as firm as metal and stone, "Sir, please wait! Han Fei is wholeheartedly devoted to the country and its people. Please keep him to assist in governing and serve as my prime minister!"

Lin Tian's heart stirred slightly, and he chuckled inwardly: "A wise ruler cherishes a virtuous minister; this has been the case since ancient times. They are truly kindred spirits."

"Fine, spare his life—you two should become sworn brothers!" Lin Tian sheathed his sword and said calmly.

Taoyuan Brothers?

Ying Zheng and Han Fei were both stunned. Several women looked at each other in bewilderment. Wei Zhuang sheathed his sword, lowered his eyes, and frowned slightly.

Only Zhang Liang's lips curled slightly, his smile warm and genuine, truly appearing on his brow.

Lin Tian took out a plain white jade talisman from his sleeve, clenched it in his palm, and it shattered into streams of light. He lightly tapped his fingertips forward, and two gnarled peach trees instantly sprouted from the ground, their blossoms dazzling, petals fluttering down. An incense table stood neatly beneath the trees, wisps of smoke rising from it.

What followed was a natural progression: the Qin ruler and the nine princes of Han, under the guidance of Lin Tian, ​​burned incense and swore an oath, becoming sworn brothers with heaven and earth as witnesses and the gods as witnesses.

Following the customs of later generations, Lin Tian mixed the newly brewed strong liquor with the blood from their fingers, filled two bottles, and personally handed them to them.

Heaven cannot be deceived, gods cannot be profaned, and blood cannot be desecrated—the three most important things since ancient times are now all present.

With Ying Zheng's personal promise, Han Fei finally agreed to enter Qin and become its prime minister.

Zhang Liang declined the high rank and generous salary, saying only that he wanted to return to Xiaoshengxianzhuang to devote himself to studying the Confucian way under Master Xun.

After Han Fei and Ying Zheng completed their ceremony, Zhang Liang asked Lin Tian in front of everyone, "Sir, do you think Confucianism can serve as the foundational philosophy for the future unified Qin dynasty?" Everyone listened attentively.

Lin Tian's answer was extremely simple: "Confucianism is the standard for prosperous times; it is also a predicament for chaotic times."

In short, this determined the position of Confucianism in the Qin court—Legalism as the foundation, Confucianism as the embellishment, and the general trend was difficult to change.

He had no intention of bringing up the burning of books and burying of scholars alive, after all, that was a matter for later and had nothing to do with him anymore.

This sentence, however, made Zhang Liang realize his mistake and he decided to return to the manor to make friends with Mohist knights and Daoist hermits, thus forging a new path that combines Confucianism and Daoism.

Upon hearing this, Ying Zheng was even more impressed and immediately wanted to appoint Lin Tian as his national advisor, his words earnest and leaving no room for refusal.

Lin Tian, ​​on the contrary, felt a tightness in his scalp from this enthusiasm and sighed inwardly: This King of Qin's shamelessness is probably as thick as his ambition and hegemony, growing day by day.

Han Fei then revealed the origins of the thousand Han soldiers—they were originally elite guards under Ji Wuye, who had been framed and besieged by Bai Yifei for refusing to be under his command. Fortunately, Han Fei secretly rescued them, and they eventually joined his ranks, becoming the last trustworthy force in his hands.

For some unknown reason, Ying Zheng suddenly had a breakthrough. Since entering Han, his ambition had surged, and he was convinced that it was the perfect time to conquer the six states!

Lin Tian was not surprised. After the Battle of Changping, the six kingdoms had long lost their edge and were merely empty names.

What truly hindered Ying Zheng's progress was never the warlords outside the pass, but rather the deeply entrenched figures within the walls of Xianyang Palace—the likes of Miao Du and Lü Buwei. Lin Tian suddenly felt a chill: if he were to eliminate these internal threats, ostensibly for self-preservation, in reality… he would be subtly pushing Ying Zheng forward, paving the way for the unification of the world?

Upon reaching the border between Qin and Han, less than two hours' walk from the boundary marker, Lin Tian ordered the entire army to halt.

Now that Han Fei is unharmed, there's no need for him to conceal his strength. It's time to make his move.

A casual remark by Yan Lingji sent a chill down Lin Tian's spine—when she passed through the Baiyue region, she had glimpsed several Gu worms slowly crawling on the grass by the roadside.

Tianze is still so stubborn!

A cold glint appeared at Lin Tian's fingertips, his killing intent like a blade unsheathed. This kind of stubbornness, willing to court death, was truly in line with his usual temperament.

As if sensing something, Yan Lingji spoke softly, "If you're going to do it... please leave him with a whole corpse. Let me bury him myself, okay?"

Lin Tian nodded, offering no refusal whatsoever.

Before heading to Po Jun, Zi Nu insisted on going with him. Lin Tian had no choice but to allow her to accompany him.

Reaching a steep ridge, Lin Tian pointed to the camp ahead and exclaimed loudly, "Indeed, it is 100,000 armored Han soldiers!"

Zi Nu gazed at the endless camps and imposing banners, then suddenly sighed, "When they ran into you, it was as if they had been pushed into a fire pit by Xueyi Hou and his men."

"Huh? You're making it sound like I'm some kind of man-eating monster?"

"More terrifying than Bai Qi!"

She had barely finished speaking when she suddenly lowered her voice and mumbled, "I'm sorry... I should have believed you just now."

Lin Tian, ​​despite his exceptionally keen hearing, pretended not to hear and jokingly asked, "Miss Zi Nu, my hearing hasn't been very good lately, could you please repeat that?"

Seeing her ears flush red, Lin Tian's smile deepened, and a hint of cunning appeared in his eyes.

Zi Nu was both embarrassed and annoyed, and feigned anger, saying, "At a time like this, you're still making jokes?"

"It's alright—let alone 100,000, even a million-strong army could overwhelm me, I'd still be as calm and collected as ever. Besides, with Miss Zi Nu by my side, my escape skills are much more reliable!" His gaze was intense. "Are you going to abandon me and run away alone? Alas, the beauty is fickle, it's truly heartbreaking!"

"you--!"

She was speechless for a moment, her heart burning with desire from his words. Furious, she turned her back to him, gritting her teeth, and said, "You're absolutely wicked! No, outrageously wicked! No… you're so wicked it's infuriating! What does that girl Nongyu even see in you? She's incredibly stupid!"

Before the words were finished, a chilling wind suddenly swept in, and a mournful howl tore through the sky, mixed with countless screams and wails, surging in from behind like a tide.

Zi Nu's spine stiffened, a chill penetrating to her very bones, and her heart sank—that scene was clearly the Asura realm that reappeared when Lin Tian slaughtered the Eight Linglong!

The deafening sounds of fleeing and trampling behind her, along with the wailing and howling of ghosts, filled the air. She dared not turn around, but she already guessed how that hellish scene was unfolding.

Suddenly, she felt a warmth on her shoulder as a plain white robe gently covered her body. She glanced to the side and saw it was Lin Tian's wide-sleeved long robe, still warm from his body heat and inner breath, comfortably wrapping around her trembling shoulder.

She clutched her clothes tightly, pulling the long gown closer to her chest, her lips parted slightly, her voice barely audible: "So... he wasn't all that bad after all."

Her eyes shimmered, a gentle tenderness welling up beneath; her eyebrows lifted slightly, and the corners of her lips unconsciously curved into a faint smile.

At this moment, Lin Tian was already standing in mid-air, his body exuding an aura of death. Invisible sword energy was like silk and net, and he controlled Yuan Hong as if it were his own arm. The lives of tens of thousands of soldiers were hanging by a thread.

He was carrying a corpse in his left hand—the Red-browed Dragon Snake, the Prince Tianze of Baiyue, with his eyes wide open and his neck bones completely shattered.

Lin Tian clenched his fist, and a burst of purple light exploded, crushing the purple card that had been released the instant Tianze died.

A system notification sounded in his mind: "The host has obtained the lifelong secret techniques of the Nameless One from the novel 'Storm Riders'."

"Playing like a pro when low on health, and playing the erhu when at full health?" Lin Tian was taken aback. "Why didn't I learn those moves?"

The system paused for a moment before replying helplessly: "The host has mastered the supreme essence of the Nameless Sword Technique - Heavenly Sword Style: Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Source."

A myriad of swords returning to their origin? Perfect timing!

He roared to the heavens, "All swords return to their origin—!"