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

With a flick of his wrist, Lin Tian's Yuanhong Sword Light vanished as if swallowed by the void, leaving no trace whatsoever.

He turned his back, his robe sleeves fluttering slightly, and stood with his hands behind his back. His voice, however, was like the clash of metal, piercing through the palace square: "My disciple, the King of Qin—Ying Zheng, possesses wisdom and courage beyond human reach, truly bestowed by Heaven and entrusted by the gods! Since it is a divine mandate, then Heaven's will is clear! And I? As the Grand Preceptor, I can only obey Heaven's mandate and follow the natural order; this is the mandate of Heaven! You… do you intend to defy Heaven?!"

Ziyou's eyes flashed, his mind raced, and he immediately knelt down, his forehead touching the ground, and shouted loudly, "The Mandate of Heaven cannot be defied! The Imperial Preceptor's control of the Heavenly Court is in accordance with the will of Heaven!"

What a clever lad! Lin Tian thought to himself with a slight admiration, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips.

He never intended to truly drive these people to their doom—he had already silenced them today, publicly refuting their claims and leaving them speechless; he had also seized the opportunity to fabricate several serious charges against them, including "slandering the emperor," "mismanagement of the government," and "colluding with foreign powers." Unless they were stubborn fools determined to bang their heads against a wall, who would dare to jump out and gossip and stir up trouble in the future?

A flicker of hesitation crossed Wei Wu's face, but before it could be concealed, Lin Tian coldly snorted, his voice like a slashing blade: "Wei Wu—what do you mean by this? Do you also intend to defy the laws of nature?!" Beads of sweat rolled down Wei Wu's forehead, his heart filled with surprise and doubt: "He has his back to me, how could he see right through me?!"

But in this world, apart from those who seek death, who would willingly walk into a trap?

Wei Wu immediately prostrated himself on the ground, his voice strained but each word clear: "A peerless national hero, only the Imperial Preceptor deserves this honor!"

Even the most arrogant among them bowed down in submission. How could the other disciples who had followed and cheered dare to put on airs? In an instant, the sound of kneeling rose and fell, a dark mass of people, all bowing their heads and holding their breath, no longer daring to raise their eyes.

A faint smile appeared on Lin Tian's face as he slowly turned around, his gaze sweeping over the prostrate figures on the ground. Knowing his place, he immediately changed his tone, his voice firm and resolute: "The one you worship is the Great King! Only the Great King is the one who has received the mandate of Heaven and rules the universe!"

With a flick of his sleeve, he decisively ordered, "Disperse! Everyone return to the Hall of Recruitment!"

The imperial guards, their faces masked and clad in black armor, parted to the sides like a tide, clearing a straight path. The once arrogant scholars of the Hundred Schools of Thought now rose hastily, their robes dusty, their faces flushed and then pale, their eyes darting around, heads down as they hurried along, wishing they could disappear into the ground.

The once invincible talents of the world were nothing more than a game of chess, a gust of wind, and a thunderbolt in Lin Tian's hands—and this scene has long been deeply etched into the eyes and hearts of the people of Xianyang.

Today's events need no one's help; countless mouths will spread the word: at the main gate of the palace, the Grand Preceptor established his authority, his sword intimidating the scholars, and his three words set the tone for the world.

Just as everyone breathed a sigh of relief and turned to leave—

"Guards!" Lin Tian's voice was like tearing silk as he suddenly shouted, "Bring the prisoner to the palace! Execute him according to the law immediately in front of the palace gates!"

The entire room froze, everyone turned around in astonishment, and looked at each other in bewilderment: Wasn't it over? How could things have changed again?

Lin Tian didn't ask what they were thinking, but he was clear on one point: from beginning to end, his target was never the students in the Hall of Recruiting Talents, but Lü Buwei.

This group of people were merely dark clouds that highlighted his brilliance, stepping stones to elevate his prestige. His true target, from beginning to end, was only that powerful minister who had occupied the court for many years and secretly harbored his henchmen.

According to Xuan Jian's secret report, this was a scheme orchestrated by Lü Buwei and Li Si. Lin Tian even believed that Lü Buwei was the one who orchestrated Huiyan's death, and that he was merely removing a rotten fang for him.

Not to mention, that Confucian reply had been bribed by Lü Buwei for many years and was a thorn planted in the Hall of Recruitment.

Personally, he deserves to die;

From an official standpoint, Lin Tian's execution of him was tantamount to removing a thorn in Qin's talent pool planted by Lü Buwei, and eliminating a long-standing ally for Ying Zheng. The Hall of Recruiting Talents was crucial to the foundation of Qin and a vital tool in the struggle for supremacy among the six states; how could it be allowed to harbor treacherous officials and corrupt elements?

Before he finished speaking, everyone stopped and gathered around him again, their eyes fixed intently on Lin Tian.

At this moment, Lü Buwei received an urgent report from his guards, and his face suddenly darkened—Miao Du was not in the palace; she had actually gone out to buy rouge on the orders of the Empress Dowager.

Lü Buwei had already severed ties with Zhao Ji. If he were to rashly send someone or personally enter the palace to search for her now, it would surely arouse Ying Zheng's suspicion and might even expose old secrets. He would never take such a risk.

Therefore, he was furious and gritted his teeth, spitting out, "That damned Miao Du! He's run away faster than a rabbit at this crucial moment, probably off to curry favor with the Empress Dowager again—a complete waste of space!" Seeing Prime Minister Lü's gloomy expression and hearing the urgent report from his guards, Li Si immediately stepped forward and said loudly, "Prime Minister Lü, this matter is entrusted to me!"

After a moment's thought, Lü Buwei had no better options and could only nod in agreement: "Go quickly and invite the Empress Dowager to come! This man is full of tricks, and he is most likely after us."

Lü Buwei was as shrewd as a still well, and as cautious as if he were walking on thin ice. His innate vigilance had already detected something amiss long before Lin Tian even spoke—the flag trembled before the wind moved.

He immediately mobilized his troops and deployed a large number of spies, taking every step strategically, demonstrating meticulous planning and leaving no room for error.

"Yes, sir! I shall enter the palace immediately!" Li Si turned and strode forward, passing through the front hall, sweeping through the corridors, and plunging into the depths of the inner palace.

As Ying Zheng's birth mother and the Queen Dowager of Qin, Zhao Ji was always Lü Buwei's most reliable pawn. He was certain that the still-underage King of Qin could not cause any trouble at the moment.

How could Lü Buwei not see through it?!

The moment Lin Tian revealed his talent today, his heart sank – without Ying Zheng's tacit approval, it would be impossible to stir up such a commotion.

He gazed at Lin Tian, ​​who stood with his hands behind his back, and murmured as if sighing, "Your Majesty... has truly grown up."

That wasn't wrong, but he never expected that Lin Tian wasn't the one pushed forward, but rather the one wielding the blade; Ying Zheng did have the will to kill, but he was hampered by the lack of a weapon. And Lin Tian, ​​on the other hand, was a sharp blade that had been tempered, recognized its master, and could even draw blood and kill on its own.

All the civil and military officials, palace servants and guards held their breath, waiting for Lin Tian's order—who exactly was to be arrested when he said "Bring the prisoner to the palace"?

Before the words were finished, three imperial guards with iron-faced helmets and imposing black armor stepped out from the crowd. Just then, the sound of hooves thundered in the distance, and a four-horse carriage came galloping towards them, its wheels grinding against the blue bricks.

The car stopped and everyone was quiet. The driver was none other than Han Fei, with Gai Nie, dressed in black and with cold, frosty eyes, standing beside him.

All eyes were fixed on the carriage, and after a moment someone exclaimed in a low voice, "Isn't that the young master from Han who came to our Great Qin to negotiate peace?"

"Silence! He was stripped of his title and removed from the list of successful candidates by the King of Han long ago—now he's a secret envoy planted by our Great Qin in Han!"

"Right, right, right! The Han Palace's wanted posters have even been put up at Hangu Pass... Tsk, so the real person was a spy!"