In their previous life, the one who had overturned the verdict against the Lin family was none other than Ding Mujie, so he was most familiar with what kind of person Xue Zhao truly was. However, right now he held little power and influence, so even if he spoke out, who would believe him? The easiest solution, of course, would be to remove Xue Zhao and replace him with someone else as the commander-in-chief. But who else had the qualifications to take his place?

The saying ‘a nation cannot go a day without its ruler, and an army cannot go a day without its commander’ perfectly describes the current situation. Without a commander-in-chief to lead, the Lin family’s army, once brimming with momentum, had now fallen into despair. If they did not recover soon, tomorrow’s great battle would undoubtedly end in defeat! Thinking of this, Ding Mujie began to rapidly turn his mind, searching for an effective solution. But before he could speak, Lin Dan stepped forward a few paces and slowly said, “General Xue, since you claim to have earned your position in the army through your real abilities, then if I want to bring you down, shouldn’t I also rely on real abilities?”

“What did you say? You want to bring down our general? Hahaha……” Before Xue Zhao could speak, his trusted subordinate erupted in laughter.

Lin Dan remained unbothered and continued, “Just now, you said that if someone stronger than you could be found in the army, you would immediately step down. Is that true or not?”

Xue Zhao had risen from a humble background, with no power or influence. The fact that he had climbed to the position of the central troops’ commander was indeed due to his genuine abilities. He confidently responded, “Yes, I always stand by my word. If there is such a person, I, Xue Zhao, will immediately yield the position of commander-in-chief as well.”

Prince Zhuang cast him a sideways glance and sneered, “You speak as if the position is already yours! Without Old General Lin’s support, how could a poor boy from a commoner’s household like you ever have smoothly risen to the rank of general? You caused the old general’s death as well as so many great sons of the Lin family, yet instead of taking responsibility for your actions, you covet the commander-in-chief’s position. You’re nothing but an ambitious, ungrateful beast. I am ashamed to associate with you!”

“You—” Xue Zhao slammed his hand on the table, his face twisted in fury as if he might explode at any moment. He hated it when people brought up his background. If it weren’t for the fact that Prince Zhuang was a royal, he would have already shot a few arrows on the battlefield and assassinated him!

As the two men stood at odds, the high-ranking officers in the tent naturally split into two factions. One stood behind Xue Zhao and the other behind Prince Zhuang. Only Lin Qing remained in the middle, uncertain of what to do.

Lin Dan raised her voice, “Stop arguing! Whether General Xue deserves the commander-in-chief’s seat or not will only be known after he competes against me.”

“What? Compete with you?” Everyone was stunned.

Lin Dan sneered mockingly. “What? Scared?”

“You’re just a woman! What are you doing here causing trouble?” Xue Zhao’s tone was one of feigned helplessness, though contempt lurked in his eyes.

“I was personally taught by my grandfather and I am his direct disciple. I’m challenging you as a fellow disciple. Surely that doesn’t disgrace you, does it? Or are you truly afraid of losing to a woman? Afraid of a woman, and you still talk about leading an army?” Lin Dan continued to provoke him. From her observation, she had a good understanding of what kind of person Xue Zhao was. He was arrogant, stubborn, and extremely concerned with his reputation. Using provocation against him would definitely work.

Sure enough, Xue Zhao couldn’t hold back. He slammed the table in a rage and said, “Fine, I’ll fight you, but don’t start crying when you lose!”

“Sister, what are you doing? Come with me, quickly!” Lin Qing’s eyes were red with worry. He knew his sister had been trained in martial arts from a young age and was very talented, but after she turned eight, their grandfather no longer allowed her to train along with the boys of the Lin family, saying that it wasn’t appropriate for her to be around bare-chested men. After that, she practiced in her own courtyard, and Lin Qing, who rarely visited the inner quarters, didn’t know how far her skills had developed. He only knew that their grandfather often praised her, saying she was as brave as any man, and lamented that she wasn’t born a son. Otherwise, she would have been another great general of the Lin family.

Lin Qing had always taken those compliments as exaggerated praise and didn’t believe his sister could truly defeat Xue Zhao. After all, their grandfather was a relative and it was natural for him to have a bias when evaluating the younger generation. No matter how capable his sister was, she was still just a woman, capable only of handling ordinary opponents. How could she be a match for the battle-hardened Xue Zhao? Not to mention Xue Zhao, any random soldier in this camp could easily beat her!

The more Lin Qing thought about it, the more anxious he became. He took a few steps forward, ready to stop Lin Dan, but Prince Zhuang blocked him. While others were unaware of Lin Dan’s true abilities, Prince Zhuang had some knowledge. Lin Dan always acted with calm composure, never someone to boast carelessly. Most importantly, she possessed a sharp and commanding aura, something completely incomparable to a lowly schemer like Xue Zhao.

Ding Mujie was also worried for Lin Dan but couldn’t bring himself to stop her. He merely added, “Make sure to stop before anyone gets seriously hurt.”

“I certainly won’t harm Old General Lin’s granddaughter.” Xue Zhao replied with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

“Let’s go to the training grounds.” Lin Dan said as she led the way out. All the high-ranking officers naturally followed her, not realizing that she had already seized control of the situation.

As she stepped onto the training grounds, Lin Dan raised her voice and declared, “Soldiers, I am Lin Dan, Old General Lin’s granddaughter. Today, I will compete with General Xue Zhao. If I lose, I will leave the border. If I win, his seat as central troops’ commander will be mine. Please bear witness for us!”

A woman dared to challenge General Xue, even using his seat as a prize. This unprecedented event immediately drew the attention of the surrounding soldiers. They pointed at Lin Dan, whispering to each other. Some were worried, others amazed, but most were filled with disdain. How could a woman possibly hold a military position? Was she out of her mind? If she hadn’t introduced herself as the granddaughter of Old General Lin, some soldiers would have already stormed the platform and dragged her away.

Ding Mujie clenched his fists nervously, fearing Lin Dan might falter under the harsh words of others. But to his surprise, Lin Dan calmly walked around the weapon rack, slowly selecting her weapon, completely unshaken.

Prince Zhuang, who knew how composed Lin Dan could be, let his long-held tension ease and allowed a faint smile to appear on his face.

Lin Dan chose a large saber and, gesturing with her hand, said, “General Xue, please.”

In an attempt to show his magnanimity, Xue Zhao waved his hand and said, “I’ll let you make the first three moves.”

Lin Dan couldn’t help but laugh lightly and said slowly, “If you let me make three moves, you’ll already lose by then.”

“What a bold little girl!” Xue Zhao, clearly provoked, drew his sword and attacked.

Lin Dan blocked the strike with her blade. The force of his own attack caused Xue Zhao to stagger back repeatedly, and in one fluid motion, Lin Dan slashed down, breaking his treasured sword in half. Before anyone could react, she had already kicked him off the platform. She hadn’t initially planned to use internal energy against an ordinary martial artist like Xue Zhao, but since he got almost all of the Lin family’s male killed and even coveted the position of commander-in-chief, Lin Dan felt he needed a lesson. Each of her moves was laced with a brutal, dominating force.

With a single block, a slash, and a kick, Xue Zhao lay in a pitiful state below the platform, struggling to get up. His chest burned with a fire that felt like it was consuming his insides.

The onlookers exchanged stunned glances, unable to believe what they had just seen. General Xue, a lay disciple of the Shaolin Temple whose martial arts were said to surpass General Lin Tie’s, had lost to a woman. This couldn’t be real!

“I’ll gladly take your seat.” Lin Dan said as she walked to the edge of the platform, her voice steady and deliberate.

“What trick did you use? There’s no way General Xue could have lost to you!” One of Xue Zhao’s subordinates shouted.

“If you’re unsatisfied, come challenge me. One by one or all at once, I’m happy to oblige.” Lin Dan held her blade in one hand, the other hand resting behind her back, her expression completely composed.

Without another word, Xue Zhao’s men attacked, only to be swiftly kicked back down. They hadn’t even managed to touch the hem of Lin Dan’s clothes. One after another, six men went up, and six men lay defeated. The ground was littered with broken weapons. At this point, no one dared accuse Lin Dan of using tricks. She barely even moved her feet and every opponent who came up was struck down instantly, displaying a strength that seemed insurmountable.

Soon, the entire group of Xue Zhao’s supporters rushed to the platform. Only then did Lin Dan move slightly. A flash of white light from her blade flashed before everyone’s eyes, accompanied by a chorus of clashing metal. In a flurry of motion, the soldiers fell off the stage like dumplings dropping into a pot, groaning in pain and thoroughly defeated.

Lin Dan’s hair remained perfectly in place, her expression calm as she flicked her blade and straightened her clothes. “Who else dares to come?” She asked.

A deathly silence fell over the soldiers. They stared at her, wide-eyed, but none dared to step forward. The most astonished of all were Lin Qing and Ding Mujie. Lin Qing was her younger brother, and Ding Mujie had been her husband in their past life, yet neither knew she possessed such formidable strength. As she stood on the stage, her piercing black eyes swept over the crowd, but it felt as though she didn’t truly see them. Her presence was so commanding that it evoked an overwhelming sense of dread in all who witnessed it. At that moment, she no longer resembled a person but rather a blade— a blade unsheathed, its sharpness impossible to conceal.

Seeing that no one responded for a long time, Lin Dan spoke again, “Xue Zhao, your position is mine now.”

Xue Zhao gritted his teeth in silence, while one of his followers reluctantly retorted, “How can a woman be fit to hold the position of commander?”

“As a woman, I may not be suited for the role of commander, but what does that say about those of you who lost to a woman?” Lin Dan calmly countered.

Xue Zhao and his followers fell silent, unable to find a response. Losing to a woman was already a deep humiliation, but to break their word after such a defeat was utterly disgraceful. The soldiers around them watched, their eyes filled with thinly veiled contempt as if they were seeing Xue Zhao’s group in a new, disdainful light.

The military was like a jungle, ruled by the law of the strong. Only the capable could claim leadership. If you were stronger than others, you could rise to the top. If you were weaker, you deserved to be crushed. ‘Might makes right’ had always been an unshakable truth in the army.

Lin Dan glanced at Prince Zhuang and spoke slowly, “Though my martial arts skills are strong, I lack battle experience. I may take on the role of central troops’ commander, but I am not suited to be commander-in-chief. Prince Zhuang, as a prince with a noble status and outstanding record of military achievements as well as extraordinary ability, is the most suitable candidate for the position. What do you all think?”

After this duel, she had quickly established her authority within the army. The soldiers of the left and right flanks, who had always been loyal to the Lin family, immediately nodded in agreement. Prince Zhuang, unable to refuse, hastily offered a few humble words.

The chaotic situation had been completely brought under control by Lin Dan in a matter of moments, leaving Lin Qing and Ding Mujie in stunned silence.