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

"Damn it! I'll curse your ancestors for eighteen generations!" Lin Tian's vision went black, and he almost jumped up and kicked the wall on the spot.

"Warning: Insulting the system will result in the deduction of one usage privilege. Remaining privileges: two."

Lin Tian's legs went weak, and he almost fell face-first into the mud, but fortunately a guard at the palace gate caught him by the arm.

He had just swallowed his anger and was already thinking about what good things he could get from the spinning wheel when he suddenly saw three palace maids approaching with light footsteps. Thinking they were returning to the palace to report, Lin Tian stepped aside to let them pass.

Unexpectedly, they stopped directly in front of him. The one in the lead curtsied and said in a very low but trembling voice, "Grand Preceptor, the Empress Dowager requests that you come in for a chat."

"Huh?" Lin Tian's eyelids twitched. "You're from the Imperial Preceptor's residence? I'm afraid I can't keep you company—the envoys from the six kingdoms are waiting for me." Zhao Ji is looking for him? This is like a weasel offering New Year's greetings to a chicken. He'd better run away.

He was about to slip away when three palace maids simultaneously spread their arms to block his path. The one in the lead had red eyes and a voice trembling with tears: "Please come with us... If we anger the Empress Dowager, none of us will survive tonight."

Lin Tian stared at their pale fingertips and tense necks, his heart clenching. After a moment of silence, he finally sighed, "Fine, lead the way. But if things don't go well—I'll turn around and leave, and I won't be responsible."

"Thank you for your grace, Imperial Preceptor!"

Back to the palace again? Or heading straight for the heart of the inner palace? Lin Tian had only stepped out of the palace gates for less than half an incense stick's time.

Upon arriving at the Empress Dowager's bedchamber, as always, Zhao Ji sat behind a curtain, her figure indistinct.

"Greetings, Empress Dowager." Lin Tian stood ramrod straight, his tone crisp and clear. "If there is no urgent matter, this humble subject must hurry to meet with the envoys from the six kingdoms."

A soft hum came from behind the curtain, the last syllable rising in pitch: "As the mother of the nation, I can't even persuade a royal advisor to come?"

Lin Tian smirked and clasped his hands in a gesture of retreat: "Take care, Your Majesty. Lin Tian takes his leave."

Before the words were finished, a sharp shout, crisp as tearing silk, rang out from behind the curtain: "Halt! Without my approval, you dare to take a single step, which is tantamount to defying royal authority!"

"Heh." Lin Tian sneered, stepped out of the palace gate, then stepped back onto the threshold, turned and stepped out again, shouting loudly before leaving, "Your Majesty, please forgive me—this humble subject is working tirelessly for the sake of the Qin Kingdom! If you punish me, you will chill the hearts of a loyal subject!"

As the footsteps faded into the distance, Zhao Ji suddenly swept her sleeve behind the curtain, causing a loud crash as golden goblets and jade cups were overturned, spilling fine wine all over the bricks and filling the air with the stench of alcohol. The maids fell to their knees with a thud, their foreheads pressed to the ground, not daring to lift them.

Zhao Ji clenched her phoenix sleeves, her teeth grinding together: "Outrageous and rude! How could there be such a scoundrel in the world?!...And that youth-preserving formula really works!"

Miao Du burst in upon hearing the noise, and seeing the scene, hurriedly reached out to lift the curtain—

"Get out!" A furious shout rang out, and Miao Du froze on the spot, his face turning ashen. He dragged several maids and scrambled out of the hall.

"Remember this, my lady!"

Lin Tian stepped out of the palace gates again, his steps light as the wind. He didn't want to figure out what Zhao Ji was up to; she was definitely not a kind person. In his eyes, the title "Empress Dowager" was always associated with "a smile hiding a dagger" and "ruthless betrayal." What's more, this was Qin Shi Huang's own mother—Zhao Ji.

Lin Tian knew perfectly well: the smart way to survive was to avoid this kind of woman.

As soon as Lin Tian stepped back across the threshold of the Imperial Preceptor's residence, he saw the glint of swords in the air, and a squad of armored soldiers had already surrounded the gate. His brow furrowed, and he strode forward, his voice like a hammer blow: "Who gave you the audacity? This is the Imperial Preceptor's residence!"

The advantage of being an official sometimes lies in this overwhelming momentum—especially when you're a powerful advisor holding real authority.

"Oh—isn't this Prime Minister Lü?" Lin Tian's gaze swept over the scattered soldiers, and he suddenly saw Lü Buwei standing in the middle with his hands behind his back. He sneered, his words dripping with icy coldness, "Shouldn't you be at home enjoying your grandchildren and waiting to close your eyes and enter the grave? Coming here to bang on the door, do you have a death wish?"

If you don't curse at this old fox who has lived through three dynasties, you'd be doing yourself a disservice.

"Hmph! Arrogant brat, spewing filth and insulting the name of the Grand Preceptor of Qin!" Lü Buwei's beard trembled slightly, his sleeves fluttered, and he shouted sternly, "Hand over Li Wu immediately! Otherwise, today, I will swear an oath against you!"

Li Wu? Sure enough, it was that treacherous Bai Yifei spreading rumors again.

Lin Tian remained calm and strolled to the front of the mansion. He looked up and saw Wei Zhuang standing with his sword in his arms, Wushuang Gui with his arms like an iron gate, and Han Fei standing under the corridor. He immediately felt more at ease.

"Brother Lin, Zifang and Zinu are both inside," Han Fei whispered a reminder.

Lin Tian nodded, then raised the corners of his mouth and looked at the hundreds of armored soldiers wielding halberds behind Lü Buwei, and said loudly, "Peerless Ghost, stand still! Anyone who dares to step half a step past you—their leg bones will be broken on the spot!"

The peerless ghost appeared in response, its massive body slamming down the stone steps in front of the door. With its blue face and fangs, it exuded a murderous aura, causing the group of armored soldiers to involuntarily take a half step back.

Lu Buwei was furious—he had only just learned that his most trusted Eight Linglong had been defeated by Lin Tian; what was even more infuriating was that this man had impersonated Bai Yifei and turned the situation upside down!

He didn't even have time to think; his anger was boiling over, and he ran straight to the Imperial Preceptor's residence.

This is because Bai Yifei himself said that Li Wu was not dead and had already joined Lin Tian's forces.

The eight Linglong he had personally trained were either dead or had betrayed him, all falling into the hands of a mere brat; what chilled him to the bone even more was that the soul-controlling spell secretly taught by the Yin-Yang School had no effect on Li Wu at all—which was why he had no choice but to personally come to her door to ask for her hand in return.

And so, this scene in front of the Imperial Preceptor's residence was set on fire.

"Li Wu was originally an assassin in my household, ordered to escort Your Majesty to Han. How can you say she was imprisoned?" Lü Buwei straightened his back, his voice resounding. "I will report this matter to the Empress Dowager and Your Majesty tomorrow, and let the entire court judge the matter fairly!"

Every word and phrase seemed to be those of a loyal minister who had suffered countless injustices, especially focusing on the four words "escorting Ying Zheng," which forcefully portrayed Lin Tian as a traitor who had kidnapped a wanted criminal.

"Heh... Hand her over?" Lin Tian flicked his wrist, and the Yuanhong Sword was drawn with a clang, its cold light like frost splashing the ground. The tip of the sword was pointed directly at Lü Buwei's nose. "She is mine now."

"If Lü Xiangru is sensible, he should withdraw his troops and return home as soon as possible. Bai Yifei should have told you long ago that I have many tricks up my sleeve—your visit today is merely an attempt to stir up trouble in the court. But have you considered this? If Li Wu personally testifies to the crime of colluding with the Yin-Yang School and privately practicing forbidden arts in Shu, and it is confirmed, your title of 'Uncle' will be riddled with holes, and you will find it difficult to maintain your position."

The sword Yuanhong was drawn, solely to maintain order—killing Lü Buwei would be as easy as turning one's hand; but once the court collapsed, cleaning it up would be more difficult than killing ten people. He had previously said that he only had two real opportunities to use force left in this world, how could he waste them on an old dog?

Lü Buwei's pupils contracted sharply, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes before disappearing into a sinister shadow. He never expected that Lin Tian would see right through his scheme.

A discarded pawn out of control is indeed worthless. His face ashen, he coldly uttered the harsh words: "Fine! We'll settle this matter face to face in court tomorrow!"

"Ha, officials taking turns to speak? They're nothing more than a few pieces of meat in my bowl to go with my wine." Lin Tian sneered.

"Hmph!" Lü Buwei flicked his sleeves and turned to leave.

Watching the figure disappear into the distance, Lin Tian let out a long sigh of relief: "Luckily, I arrived in time—that old fox was clearly here to overturn the table."

"That's right." Han Fei nodded in agreement. "He had been clamoring to 'enter the manor' but refused to explain why until Brother Lin returned, at which point he changed his mind and asked for someone."

Lin Tian pondered for a moment and also felt strange: What exactly did Lü Buwei want to find in the mansion?

"Let's go back to the main hall and discuss important matters in detail. What trouble can he possibly cause? It's nothing more than Bai Yifei stirring up trouble behind the scenes. But tomorrow... Ying Zheng will probably be caught in a dilemma."

Inside the main hall, everyone had already gathered. All the women were present, and Honglian was also sitting at the table—she usually liked to take Liwu out for a stroll together.