It's about helping you navigate the female-oriented online community, not conquering cities and

Cultured people are rare, Lin Kai thought.

Of course, an all-female group is out of the question; even a dog would be slapped if it came along...

"Well... I don't know..."

"However, I've always heard that Tongde Academy is open to both men and women."

Choi Ki scratched his head and spoke somewhat uncertainly.

Hearing this, Lin Kai felt relieved.

...

Objectively speaking, Lin Kai still yearns for cultured individuals.

After all, out of 100 people, 80 don't know many characters.

If he had a group of readers who were loyal to him and not obsessed with female-centric content, Lin Kai felt he could relax a lot more...

Therefore, Lin Kai kept urging his horse onward toward Tongde Academy.

As the appearance of the academy began to become clearer in Lin Kai's vision.

"Once we arrive at the academy, we have the soldiers seal it off."

"After we've brought the students under control, then we'll..."

Lin Kai turned to look at the captain accompanying him.

There's no point in trying to reason with them; my army has entered the city...

Of course, because this is a female-oriented world.

Therefore, Lin Kai was prepared to kill 900 scholars and force 100 scholars to submit.

"Here you go!"

Upon hearing Lin Kai's order, the captain cupped his hands and nodded in agreement.

He was just about to turn around and give the orders.

"Throughout history, the rise and fall of dynasties have been accompanied by the suffering of the people. General, could you please pull back from the brink?"

"If war breaks out, how many innocent people will be displaced?"

A gentle voice rang out from not far away.

Upon hearing these words...

"?"

Lin Kai blinked.

Turning his head, he looked at the scholar-like man slowly walking towards him on the west side of the street.

Her gaze lingered for a moment on the folding fan in the scholar's hand and the rouge and powder on his face.

"You recognize me, General?"

Lin Kai squeezed his legs together, turned his horse around, and rode towards the scholar.

It's normal for Lin Deguang to know I'm rebelling, but you're not even a lowly official...

"Of course, we have all seen the general's portrait."

Looking up at Lin Kai riding on horseback, the scholar-man spoke in a manner that was neither humble nor arrogant.

Lin Kai: ?

"How did you know? Lin Deguang also..."

"The thirty-eighth wife in Lord Lin's mansion had drawn a portrait of the general and posted it throughout the city as soon as Lord Lin received the secret letter."

"..."

"Although Madam Xu's original intention was to have the whole city curse the general, am I, Shi Zhikang, the kind of person who would curry favor with the powerful?"

Meeting Lin Kai's gaze, the scholar-man puffed out his chest, his face serious.

"..."

But this only made Lin Kai's silence even more deafening.

"General, how innocent are the common people?"

"Throughout history, the rise and fall of dynasties has been a source of suffering for the people. The people of Dali have finally ushered in a peaceful and prosperous era. Do you, General, really intend to destroy it with your own hands?"

Seeing that Lin Kai remained silent, Shi Zhikang cupped his hands in greeting and spoke slowly and deliberately.

These words were spoken.

"you're right."

Lin Kai nodded in agreement.

"?"

Shi Zhikang was taken aback by Lin Kai's reaction.

But very quickly.

"General, you truly are a descendant of a loyal minister of Dali, possessing such qualities..."

A look of surprise crossed his face, and Shi Zhikang was about to offer his hands in greeting again.

But Shi Zhikang was only halfway through his sentence.

"There's an old woman selling vegetables over there. It's late August now, and the sun is so strong, yet she's working so hard to hawk her wares on the street. Don't you think she's pitiful?"

Lin Kai pointed to an old woman selling vegetables with a shoulder pole not far away and gestured with his lip.

"? That's quite pitiful. General, could it be that you are...?"

Upon hearing this, a look of confusion flashed in Shi Zhikang's eyes.

"Everyone says that behind the red gates, meat and wine go to waste while on the streets, people freeze to death, but I, the general, always feel that's an exaggeration. So, how about this folding fan you're carrying, is it worth at least 300 taels?"

"What do you mean, General? But this folding fan in my hand is indeed..."

"How about we make a deal? You pawn this folding fan and give all the money to that old woman, Ou, to improve her living conditions; in return, I will immediately withdraw my troops and promise never to set foot in Jinzhou again."

"?"

Meeting Lin Kai's indifferent gaze, Shi Zhikang's expression changed slightly.

I pawned my expensive folding fan and gave the money to a complete stranger.

Thinking about this...

"General, you jest. I, Shi, have never met this old woman before. Besides, it's her fault for insisting on selling vegetables at this time..."

Shi Zhikang chuckled awkwardly, and as he stammered out his words, his gaze became evasive.

But Shi Zhikang was only halfway through his sentence.

"call out!"

A flash of cold light streaked past, and by the time Shi Zhikang reacted...

"Pfft!"

Blood gushed out from Shi Zhikang's neck.

...

"You think you can morally blackmail me?"

Looking at Shi Zhikang's corpse lying on the ground, Lin Kai curled his lip.

It's like everyone's used Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) in their past life...

After inwardly grumbling for a moment, Lin Kai took out a silk cloth from his pocket and wiped his sword.

After inserting the longsword, now gleaming again, into its scabbard.

"keep going."

"Upon entering Tongde Academy, the students within were immediately brought under control!"

Looking at the captain beside him, Lin Kai gave an order.

Having said that, Lin Kai continued walking forward without waiting for the captain to speak.

As Lin Kai got closer and closer to Tongde Academy.

The northeast side of Tongde City.

A vast academy.

At the very front of the academy, in the square, stands a white jade statue over fifty meters tall, holding a scroll.

Beyond that were rows of houses with red bricks and glazed tiles, which were kept exceptionally clean, with the rooftops occasionally reflecting a dreamlike luster in the sunlight.

And at the deepest part of the academy.

Inside a magnificent house, constructed entirely of white jade and adorned with glazed tiles.

"Have you all read the secret letter His Majesty sent to Lord Lin?"

"The Lin family's great-grandfather was a loyal subject who followed the founding emperor. Now, the descendants of the Lin family have actually raised an army in rebellion. It is truly a disgrace to scholarship!"

"But something feels off... It's normal for His Majesty to order Lin Kai's execution... but why use Lord Lin's hand?"

"What's the point of all those years of studying? Since Lin Kai has rebelled, he certainly won't accept the imperial edict. If he won't accept the edict, how can the Emperor order his execution?"

"Exactly! Lord Lin is Lin Kai's sworn brother, so Lord Lin will definitely be able to get close to Lin Kai! Then he can read out the imperial edict ordering his execution!"

"What if Lin Kai doesn't comply? He's already rebelled..."

"Fool! The emperor's wrath can cause the deaths of millions! The emperor commands the subject to die, and the subject must die—do you understand?! Does Lin Kai really dare to disobey the emperor's decree?"

"That's right, this Da Li is His Majesty's! If His Majesty wants to execute a rebellious general, isn't that as easy as turning his hand?"

Men dressed in blue or white robes, holding folding fans and with rouge and powder on their faces, sat on chairs in the lobby, discussing amongst themselves.

Although many people disagreed and spoke out in rebuttal.

But in the face of the "more correct" truth, this "small minority of ignorant people" quickly lost out.

And everyone's opinions were quickly unified.

"Indeed, Lin Kai is merely a third-rank general. He is already extremely fortunate to have the Emperor's favor. Now that the Emperor is enraged, how dare Lin Kai resist?"

The middle-aged man sitting in the main seat stroked his beard and nodded.

He paused after saying that.

"In that case, I, Shi Changxing, should also write to Lord Lin to congratulate him in advance."

"I wonder if Lord Lin will be promoted to earl for his meritorious service in suppressing the rebellion?"

As he spoke, the middle-aged man slowly stood up.

The last word fell.

"This is Tongde Academy! Unauthorized personnel are not permitted..."

"laugh!"

"What are you doing! Can't you...?"

"laugh!"

Accompanied by screams and commotion, the smell of blood wafted into the room.

"What's going on?"

Shi Changxing's expression changed instantly.

Thinking of this, Shi Changxing no longer cared about anything else and scrambled toward the door.

I just ran out of the house.

"this……"

Shi Changxing's pupils suddenly contracted.

Because it was within Shi Changxing's sight.

On the pristine white plaza, more than a dozen corpses lay scattered on either side. Beside the corpses, soldiers clad in light armor stood solemnly, holding blood-dripping longswords.

In the very center of the arena, a young man with a tall hat, who looked to be under thirty, was dressed in dark red armor, with a long sword hanging at his waist, and riding a dark yellow warhorse, slowly walking towards him!