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

Chapter 135 The Great Perfection of the Innate Realm!

"Ji Wuye... he didn't execute this person?! Fool! Utterly foolish!!" King Han An slammed his fist on the table and roared, both shocked and furious, his fingers trembling.

He suddenly paused, then abruptly looked up and stared at Bai Yifei: "Bai Yifei! You captured him with your own hands back then, so you must know his whereabouts now! This matter is entrusted to you for full supervision—if you can slay the Crimson-Eyebrowed Dragon Serpent, I…I will promote you to Grand General!"

Thirty-two

Tianze regained his freedom and took the blame for everyone else. Lin Tian was not surprised at all, and even secretly breathed a sigh of relief—at least for now, no one would drag trouble onto him.

Time flies like water, and two or three months have quietly slipped by.

With Ji Wuye's downfall, the political landscape shifted dramatically. Zhang Kaidi's family wielded immense power, while the forces of Xueyi Hou and Han Yu rose like hawks, their prowess fully revealed. Han Fei, meanwhile, seized the opportunity presented by the chaos to carve out a piece of flesh from the mountain of corpses and sea of ​​blood, firmly establishing himself at the heart of power.

Lin Tian, ​​however, was too lazy to look closely. No matter how much this group fought and clashed, they would not last more than a few years—when the Qin cavalry arrived, the banners on the walls of Xinzheng would sooner or later change color.

Inside the Purple Orchid Pavilion, the wind was gentle and the clouds were light.

"Young Master, Nongyu has achieved harmony between her heart and the universe, reaching the pinnacle of the Innate Realm!" Nongyu's eyes were bright, and she smiled warmly.

In just over two months, he leaped from the Lesser Acquired Realm to the Peak of the Innate Realm—a feat that would seem like a pipe dream to most. Yet Lin Tian merely nodded slightly, his expression calm.

Her rapid progress was not due to any extraordinary talent, but rather because he used the "Heavenly Chaos and Earthly Chaos Intercourse Method" daily as a guide to nourish her Qi and cleanse her marrow and body, without damaging her very essence. If she hadn't broken through to the next level, Lin Tian would have suspected that his method was flawed.

Just then, Zi Nu's maid lifted the curtain and entered, curtsying: "Young Master Lin, Sister Zi Nu requests your presence, saying she has important matters to discuss."

"Okay, I'll go right away." Lin Tian replied and stood up.

Nongyu looked up, her eyes gleaming: "Young Master, please go ahead with your work. The feeling of being one with heaven and earth is like the wind brushing my fingertips, the rain falling on my heart, light yet grounded... I always feel that the melody of my heartstrings is only a hair's breadth away from perfection. When it takes another step forward, it will surely be able to share more of your burdens."

"Alright, let's just go with the flow." Lin Tian nodded with a smile.

He had already begun to grasp the essence of "divine" matters, and no longer needed music to comprehend the Dao. But he didn't voice these words—why extinguish the flame in her eyes?

In another elegant room of Zilan Pavilion, Han Fei, Zi Nu, Wei Zhuang, and Zhang Liang were already waiting quietly.

"Han Fei, what brings you here?" Lin Tian sat down directly next to Zi Nu, and she raised her hand to pour him a full cup of wine, her movements as practiced as breathing.

In the past, Han Fei would have made a joke, but today his brows were furrowed, and he was reluctant to even utter a joke.

He abruptly stood up and bowed deeply: "Brother Lin, I beg for your help!"

"Oh?" Lin Tian raised an eyebrow. "Tell me about it."

Mo Ya and Bai Feng had spies all over Xinzheng, and nothing, big or small, could escape their notice. Although Tian Ze's gang was a hidden danger, they had disappeared for many days; and Han Fei was always good at taking advantage of situations, so if he was really forced to this point, he probably wouldn't even be able to use Tian Ze as a weapon—he wanted to see what kind of troublesome matter had forced this young master to bow his head.

Han Fei's voice was low and deep: "The State of Wei has deployed 100,000 troops on the border between Wei and Han, and has declared that it will annex 15 cities in the northern part of Han."

Wei attacking Han? Lin Tian was shocked; the news came suddenly.

On second thought, it seemed perfectly reasonable.

Ji Wuye was hailed as "the greatest general of the Han Dynasty in a century," a title earned through countless deaths. Now that he is dead, the border is suddenly vulnerable; how could the wolves possibly remain unrestrained?

In the chaotic Warring States period, a single word could spark a fight, and swords would be drawn.

"Where is the Blood-Clad Marquis?" Lin Tian asked.

His 100,000 elite troops were the sharpest spearhead in Han. The Wei army came from afar, with comparable strength, but could not overcome the advantages of terrain and popular support.

"My father is wary of the remnants of Tianze's faction lurking in Xinzheng, and dares not let Marquis Xueyi go north." Han Fei smiled bitterly.

"So... you've been thrust into the spotlight? Who did?" Lin Tian's lips curled slightly.

"Fourth Brother." Han Fei lowered his eyes, his tone tinged with bitterness.

Lin Tian chuckled: "Han Yu? Just as I expected. If you were as ruthless and decisive as him, perhaps you could truly sit and discuss the world with Ying Zheng in front of Xianyang Palace."

Han Fei remained silent for a moment, then suddenly raised his eyes: "May I ask, Brother Lin—are you well-versed in military strategy and tactics?"

—Is this to get him into battle?

Lin Tianxia subconsciously glanced at Wei Zhuang. Shouldn't the skill of a strategist be to devise plans and win battles from afar?

Wei Zhuang met her gaze, his ears turning slightly red, a rare occurrence for him: "Although I inherited the knowledge of the School of Diplomacy, my master's teachings focused on swordsmanship. I have thoroughly mastered Sun Tzu's Art of War and the Six Secret Teachings, but I have never commanded troops in battle. Back then, Zhao Kuo only talked about war on paper, and 400,000 Zhao soldiers were wiped out at Changping, and the Zhao state never recovered from that point on—I would rather not learn from such a lesson."

After all that talk, it all boils down to this: I don't know how to lead troops?

The art of diplomacy is inherently characterized by strategy. Look at how Sun Bin and Pang Juan outwitted each other, and how Su Qin and Zhang Yi divided the land—weren't they all won through intellect?

Thirty-three

To secure his position as Guiguzi and become the mentor of Wei Zhuang and Gai Nie, this man was no ordinary person, nor could he be ignorant of the fundamental interests of the School of Diplomacy. Therefore, his deliberate refusal to teach the two military strategies and the art of diplomacy can only be explained by one explanation—it was a scheme he had personally orchestrated, a carefully considered choice.

This is interesting... Instead of passing on his profound strategies and military tactics, he chose to forge his successor into a peerless master whose sword could strike any enemy and who could terrify ten thousand men? Just who is Guiguzi? What is he truly plotting? Lin Tian's eyes darkened, his mind churning, and the more he thought about it, the more profound it seemed.

Seeing him deep in thought, Han Fei and the others held their breath and spoke very softly, for fear of disturbing that glimmer of inspiration.

After a long pause, Lin Tiancai lazily shrugged, his tone casual: "Military strategy? I've never actually touched that stuff. All I know is that 'The Art of War' was written by Sun Tzu."

A hint of sadness flashed across Han Fei's eyes, like a candle flame being momentarily lowered by the wind.

"However, I owe Zilanxuan three favors because of Nongyu. Now, Miss Zinu is entrusting these favors to you—the first is that I have agreed to join Liusha; the second is that right now, I am willing to draw my sword for you and clear away the border troubles of Wei." Lin Tian changed the subject, his voice clear and bright like a blade being drawn from its sheath.

Han Fei was stunned, and subconsciously looked at Zi Nu, then at Wei Zhuang. Seeing that neither of them spoke, he bowed solemnly and said, "I implore Brother Lin to lend a hand and help me through this perilous situation."

"Okay." Lin Tian nodded.

"May I ask when Brother Lin will set off? My father has allocated me 80,000 elite troops, ordering me to hold Xinzheng. If we just hold out until the dead of winter, the Wei army will run out of food and will retreat on its own." Han Fei had just finished speaking when Lin Tian suddenly rolled his eyes: "Set off? Didn't I just say that I don't even know the basics of military strategy?"

"Then Brother Lin..." Han Fei looked bewildered.