Solve the Problem by Solving the People Who Caused It

Inside the Council Hall, the air seemed to freeze.

Lin Hanzhou and Lin Batian stared at each other for a full ten breaths, neither speaking first.

One was a newly revealed dragon, its edge unmatched; the other, an old tiger soon to fade into silence, yet whose might still lingered.

In the end, the sharp, eagle-like look in Lin Batian's eyes slowly softened.

A complex mix of emotions surfaced in his eyes: admiration, surprise, and a hint of relief and comfort.

"You're very good."

"Far better than I expected..."

"I thought Tai or Hao would emerge victorious in the end. I never imagined it would be you, the true dragon lurking beneath the deep waters, soaring into the sky in a single flight."

Lin Batian spoke first. Though his voice was hoarse and aged, it was still full of strength and carried unquestionable authority.

As he spoke, his gaze settled on Lin Hanzhou again, as if trying to see through him.

"Third level of the Xiantian realm... To have reached such a cultivation at your age, with such a rich and powerful aura—Hanzhou, you hid your strength very well."

Lin Hanzhou remained calm and replied neither humbly nor arrogantly.

"I merely waited for the right moment, like water flowing, building up strength until I could break through the dust. How could that be called hiding?"

"Well said! A fine answer—waiting for the right moment, like water flowing!"

At that, Lin Batian actually clapped and laughed aloud.

His laughter held a trace of exhilaration, but it aggravated his injuries and brought on a violent coughing fit.

He waved a hand to show he was fine, then continued.

"It seems I was blind not to notice a heaven-blessed talent like you. I made you suffer all these years."

"So Father set this scheme in motion, making all the princes slaughter one another to choose the strongest?"

Lin Hanzhou spoke evenly, his tone revealing no emotion.

"That's right. It was indeed my intention."

Lin Batian nodded without evasion, his eyes sharpening again.

"I don't have much time left. Right now, I'm only clinging to life by relying on my Xiantian true qi."

"Therefore, I need an heir who is powerful, quick-witted, and capable enough to hold on to the empire I built with my own hands!"

"I know this may seem cruel, but the road to becoming an emperor has always been paved with bones."

At this, he paused and regarded Lin Hanzhou with admiration.

"I'm very satisfied with your performance."

"You possess not only extraordinary strength, but also the wisdom to bide your time and the decisiveness to kill with a single strike."

"If I entrust the Great Sui to you, I... can rest easy."

In the face of Lin Batian's lavish praise, Lin Hanzhou remained as unruffled as before.

He had already anticipated this, so naturally, his emotions did not change much.

Lin Batian seemed very pleased with his reaction. The admiration in his eyes deepened as he continued.

"Next, I'll tell you about the hidden dangers within the Great Sui Dynasty. They are the Five Great Clans!"

At the mention of the clans, Lin Batian grew visibly agitated, looking as if he wanted to devour them alive.

"Back then, when I rose to power after destroying the other two dynasties and unified the realm, I did indeed rely on the strength of the Five Great Clans."

"They provided money, men, and experts, helping me ascend the throne."

"But like maggots clinging to bone, they took root in the Great Sui, feeding on its blood and flesh!"

At this, deep weariness and hatred surfaced in Lin Batian's eyes.

"Today, the Great Sui seems to be thriving on the surface, but in truth, it's already beset by crisis."

"For sixty years, the Five Great Clans have controlled the government, monopolized official posts, and seized land. They have long since driven the people of the Great Sui into misery."

"More than seventy percent of the officials in the court come from noble clans. Their roots have dug far, far too deep!"

"I spent my entire life trying to maintain a balance with them, but I couldn't uproot them."

By the end, the voice of this emperor, who had dominated the realm for a lifetime, carried a hint of helplessness and frustration.

He gazed deeply at Lin Hanzhou, his eyes full of hope.

"I can only entrust to you what I couldn't accomplish."

"I need you to use your iron-fisted methods to tear these tumors festering in the Great Sui out by the roots!"

"Do you dare shoulder this burden?"

Lin Hanzhou lifted his head and met Lin Batian's gaze, his eyes filled with resolve.

"Your son accepts the decree."

"Good!"

The last light flared in Lin Batian's eyes.

Trembling, he took a sandalwood box from beneath the dragon desk and opened it.

Three items lay inside.

A jade seal carved entirely from white mutton-fat jade, with the eight seal-script characters "By Heaven's Mandate, May It Endure and Flourish Forever" engraved on its base.

A token forged from black iron, engraved with the totem of a hideous demon.

And a golden tally engraved with the image of a猛虎 descending the mountain.

"This is the Imperial Seal of State. To see it is to see me."

"This is the highest token of the Shadow Guards, the Black Ghost Token. Whoever holds it can command every Shadow Guard, including Xuan Ya. They will clear away every obstacle lurking in the darkness for you."

"This is the Army-Suppressing Tiger Tally. It can command the two hundred thousand Imperial Guard troops stationed in the Capital City. With it, the military power of the Great Sui will be in your hands."

Lin Batian solemnly pushed the three tokens representing the empire's highest authority toward Lin Hanzhou.

"Besides the Five Great Clans, you must also watch out for the remnants of the two dynasties. They seem to have joined forces with the clans. Remember, never trust the clans."

"I'm tired. I've written what remains here..."

Lin Batian pointed to a bamboo scroll on the desk, his breath growing weaker and weaker.

With the last of his strength, he gripped Lin Hanzhou's hand tightly. In his eyes was a father's hope for his son.

"Hanzhou... remember, an emperor must... be decisive in killing, and must... keep the world in his heart... The Great Sui's... future..."

Before he could finish, his hand fell limp, and his breath left him completely.

The emperor who had once unified the realm passed away at that very moment.

Silence once again settled over the Council Hall.

Lin Hanzhou stood quietly, looking at the body behind the dragon desk, still warm to the touch, his heart a tangle of emotions.

He slowly reached out and tucked the Imperial Seal of State and the other items into his robes.

When his hand closed around the seal, he felt its chill and weight.

It was as if he held in his grasp the vast lands of the Great Sui and the fate of its countless people.

Turning the Imperial Seal of State over in his hand, he pondered Lin Batian's final words.

The Five Great Clans controlled the government? That would make the system he planned to implement difficult to put into practice.

Fortunately, someone in the history of China in his previous life had already offered a solution.

Kill! Work through the family records and kill them one by one!

As the saying went, if you couldn't solve the problem, solve the people causing it. Then wouldn't the problem be solved?

A cold curve slowly formed at the corner of Lin Hanzhou's mouth.