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

Ziyou's heart trembled. The overwhelming power emanating from Lin Tian was like a mountain pressing down, making his back stiffen and almost causing him to want to back away.

He gritted his teeth, bracing himself against the imposing aura, and whispered, "...That's true."

Lin Tian eased his stance slightly, seeing that the time was right, and pressed on in a cold voice: "When the Three Cardinal Guides are in harmony, the world is at peace; when the Three Cardinal Guides are in disorder, the world collapses—this is an immutable truth! Family and nation are interconnected; only when the family is harmonious can the enterprise prosper. Do you have any objections?"

"……none."

"Then your fellow disciple, as a subject, dared to defy his superior, disregard the emperor's orders, defy moral principles, and disrupt the order of rank and status—this is not shaking the foundation of the Qin Law, but creating the first breach for those who want to bring chaos to Qin! If we allow him to act recklessly today, others will follow suit tomorrow; if the foundation of Qin weakens, won't the people of Qin be subjected to further humiliation and trampling by the five states east of the mountains? Ah, I understand—you scholars who came to Qin through the Hall of Recruitment, you probably didn't come here just to seek fame and fortune, did you?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the old Qin people and many court officials around him had bloodshot eyes and were filled with rage.

The five states of Shandong deceived Qin for over a century, leaving behind a trail of blood and tears that cannot be easily erased.

That's how the resounding phrase "The valiant Qin people, united in facing national crisis" came about.

Lin Tian had already ingrained himself in Lao Qin's bloodline, thus placing himself on a moral high ground and wielding great influence.

He sneered inwardly, "Lü Buwei, you want to use public opinion to suppress me? Fine! I'll teach you what it means for public opinion to be like water, capable of creating waves on its own and even cutting off a river with its momentum."

Suddenly, a furious roar erupted from the crowd: "Nine out of ten of these scholars from the Hundred Schools of Thought are from Shandong! You want to harm my Great Qin, you truly harbor treacherous intentions! Anyone who dares to insult my national teacher is trampling on the Qin laws!"

Lin Tian raised the corners of his mouth slightly upon hearing the voice—it really was Zhang Liang.

"That's right! The Qin people fought tooth and nail to get to where we are today, and that's all thanks to the word 'law'! Clear distinction between superiors and inferiors, orders that must be obeyed, and eliminating hesitation! The Grand Preceptor's words hit the nail on the head; we can no longer be at the mercy of others!"

Another clear voice followed, and Lin Tian's smile deepened—"Xiao Zhuang, Wei Zhuang is here."

The two men had already changed into coarse clothes and mingled among the common people. At this moment, they raised their arms and shouted: "Never forget the national humiliation! Protect our national teacher! Protect our Qin Law!"

As the wind picked up, the crowds on the street responded in unison, their shouts forming a torrent:

"Never forget national humiliation! Protect our national teacher! Protect our Qin laws!"

"Never forget national humiliation! Protect our national teacher! Protect our Qin laws!"

……

The tension suddenly tightened. Zhang Liang and Wei Zhuang, standing in the center of the crowd, exchanged bewildered glances, completely unprepared for such a dramatic turn of events. Zhang Liang couldn't help but press Lin Tian, ​​"How can you be so certain that it's exactly as you've planned?"

Lin Tian only used one term—the herd mentality.

His voice was dry and difficult to pronounce, and Zhang Liang was momentarily stunned, but in the aftershocks of the commotion, a sense of clarity quietly swept through his heart.

Ziyou was already in complete disarray. The roars from all sides, like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing down on him, made his eardrums ring, and froze all the students of the Zhaoxian Hall, their faces turning pale.

They were completely bewildered: Why were they being attacked by the masses? Where exactly did they go wrong? They couldn't understand it at all.

This isn't right! It shouldn't be like this!

Lin Tian suddenly raised his hand—and in an instant, all voices fell silent.

The person who was about to shout was grabbed on the shoulders by two hands; the barely audible noise was extinguished by a deep but penetrating command: "The Imperial Advisor has spoken, silence!"

His gaze swept over the students, whose blue robes were still on and who looked hesitant. A slight smile appeared on his lips, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"Tell me, is my execution of him justified? It's not just about eliminating evil, but also about eradicating the root of chaos that plagues the court. If you find this inappropriate, does it mean you're complicit with him? The laws of Qin are strict, and the cases are irrefutable; those who disrupt the government—must be executed without mercy!"

The moment the words "No mercy" were uttered, the vermilion gates of Xianyang Palace trembled violently, and with a muffled "hum," slowly opened to both sides. Behind the officials, the heavy palace gates parted abruptly, and from within came resounding, powerful, and perfectly synchronized footsteps.

Two rows of black-armored imperial guards emerged proudly from the gate. Their faces were covered in black iron, their long halberds gleamed coldly, and their footsteps seemed to echo on the ground.

They were the Xianyang Imperial Guards, personally trained by General Meng Tian, ​​and were responsible for guarding the royal palace and suppressing the capital region.

The officials instinctively stepped aside, even Lü Buwei made way for Li Si, standing shoulder to shoulder with him. He frowned, looking at the iron army that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, feeling uneasy, but his gaze remained fixed on Lin Tian.

He had long understood that this upheaval was entirely orchestrated by this "master" whom Ying Zheng had somehow acquired.

"This man's words are like lotus blossoms; could it be... that he has truly seen through my hidden strategy?" Lü Buwei stroked his beard with his fingertips, his voice so soft it was almost inaudible.

Ever since Lin Tian single-handedly defeated the disciples of a hundred schools and then publicly killed the first one, he had felt a chill run down his spine; and now, with the palace gates wide open and black-armored soldiers lined up, that unease finally weighed heavily on his heart.

Li Si reacted even faster. Always quick-witted and shrewd, he sensed the danger and immediately leaned close to Lü Buwei's ear, speaking rapidly: "Prime Minister Lü! Quickly send someone to summon Lord Miao Du and invite the Empress Dowager to come!"

Lü Buwei nodded, summoned his personal guard, and ordered him to immediately enter the palace to find Marquis Changxin, Miao Du.

He was unaware that Miao Du had already left the palace and was accompanying the Empress Dowager in the market to select cosmetics.

This person's whereabouts were already clearly visible to Lin Tian.

The moment these two squads of black-armored imperial guards appeared, their imposing aura was overwhelming, like heavenly soldiers descending to earth or demons trampling through blood.

Their authority is palpable even without anger, and their power is self-evident without words. The elite soldiers of Qin truly live up to their reputation.

Two teams of a hundred people each stood on the east and west sides of the square, surrounding it but not advancing. The surrounding people involuntarily retreated more than ten steps, and the timid ones even stumbled and fell down.

Although they were sons of Qin and knew that this was their own mighty army, to the ordinary people in the streets and alleys of Xianyang, that iron-faced, cold armor was still like a dark cloud pressing down on the city, making their legs weak.

The most stunned were the students of the Zhaoxian Hall, who stood in the center of the hall, stared at by hundreds of eyes.

Lin Tian shouted, "Surround them!"

Two hundred imperial guards roared in unison, "Yes, sir!"

The halberd pointed diagonally, its cold light like a net, instantly enveloping the students of the Hundred Schools of Thought within three layers of iron walls.

These young talents, who usually quote classical texts and give their opinions on current affairs, had never seen such a scene before.

In an instant, everyone huddled together like startled birds, desperately trying to shrink into the center of the crowd—the more panicked they became, the more they pushed and shoved, the more chaotic it got, and they could hardly breathe.

Wei Wu and Zi You, who dared to speak up just now, were indeed more assertive than the others.

Despite being drenched in cold sweat, they managed to stand firm and began to speak.

Wei Wu raised his voice and asked, "Does the Grand Preceptor intend to slaughter all of us students? Every word we have spoken is for the sake of the Qin dynasty and for Your Majesty's sincere advice!"

Ziyou followed closely behind, his voice trembling slightly but trying his best to remain calm: "Imperial Preceptor, please calm your wrath! Even if my words were inappropriate, they stemmed from a sincere desire to serve my country. I humbly beg for your forgiveness!"

Judging from their posture, they're genuinely scared.

Lin Tian remained silent for a moment, but a silent sneer rose in his heart.

It has always been so—a scholar raising his arms and shouting is no match for a flashing blade. No matter how righteous the reasoning, when it encounters a swarm of armored soldiers, it is left speechless.