Chinese animation: Starting with Bad Guys

Qin Chuan stood before the desk, his brows furrowing slightly as he looked at the three characters "Chang'an Jun" on the secret report.

Cheng Jiao, Ying Zheng's half-brother, was two years younger than Ying Zheng. They grew up together in Xianyang Palace. Although they were not close, he never showed any rebellious intentions.

It is highly suspicious that they suddenly rebelled midway through their mission to attack Zhao.

"Who drafted the manifesto?" Qin Chuan asked, tapping his fingertips lightly on the table.

"Who else could it be?"

Ying Zheng sneered and threw the secret report on the table:

“Lu Buwei’s retainers are blaming him for ‘impure bloodline’ in every word. Just now, the Prime Minister submitted a memorial saying that Luo Wang has prepared his men to go to Tunliu to ‘purge the emperor’s inner circle’.”

Qin Chuan's eyes sharpened.

When the Net strikes, it always aims to eliminate the root of the problem.

Lü Buwei's eagerness to eliminate Cheng Jiao only made him seem more suspicious.

This rebellion might have been a setup from the very beginning.

"Does Brother Zheng feel something's wrong?"

"Something's more than just wrong."

Ying Zheng rose and paced back and forth, the black dragon patterns flowing in the candlelight:

"Although Cheng Jiao has some youthful impetuosity, he is by no means a reckless person. He only has 50,000 troops under his command, and Tunliu has no natural defenses. What makes him dare to rebel?"

He turned to look at Qin Chuan, a sharp glint in his eyes. "I need to know the truth. Lu Buwei's men can't be trusted. Can the Yin-Yang School investigate?"

Qin Chuan understood.

Ying Zheng wanted to use the Yin-Yang School to bypass Lü Buwei's spies and find out the details of Cheng Jiao's rebellion.

This is not just about investigating a case, but also about entrusting him and the Yin-Yang School with a trust.

“Yes.” He nodded, his tone certain. “The Yin-Yang School’s astrology can determine directions, and their mind control techniques can detect the truth. Sending someone to the vicinity of Tunliu will not be difficult to find out the details.”

"Alright." Ying Zheng patted his shoulder. "I entrust this matter to you. Be sure to be careful. After all, Cheng Jiao is... of royal blood."

Qin Chuan agreed and turned to leave the side hall, where he saw two figures standing in the corridor.

Consort Yan and the Moon Goddess arrived at some unknown time, clearly having noticed the unusual activity in the palace.

"Young Master," the Moon Goddess spoke first, her dark pupils shining brightly in the night, "Is it true that the rumors in the palace say that Lord Chang'an has rebelled?"

"Yes." Qin Chuan nodded and briefly explained Ying Zheng's concerns. "We need to send someone to Tunliu to investigate. Which of you two is willing to go?"

Just as the Moon Goddess was about to answer, Yan Fei stepped forward first, her black robe with crimson hues fluttering in the night breeze: "I'll go."

She looked up at Qin Chuan, her eyes, illuminated by the light, filled with unwavering determination: "Fire magic is adept at tracking, and the camp is located near the border of Zhao. I have been there several times and am familiar with the terrain."

The Moon Goddess frowned slightly, but did not argue further.

Her expertise in astrology and mind control makes her more suited to staying in Xianyang to analyze situations, while venturing into dangerous places is where Yanfei excels.

Qin Chuan looked at Yan Fei and saw that her eyes not only showed determination, but also a hint of earnestness that was hard to detect, as if she were saying, "Let me go."

“Tunliu is dangerous. Not all of Chengjiao’s men are rebels. People from Luowang may also be lurking nearby,” he cautioned, his tone unconsciously softening. “Be careful in everything, and don’t rush things.”

Yan Fei's lips curved into an almost imperceptible smile, and even the light seemed to soften.

"Don't worry, I've mastered the Soul Dragon Soaring Technique. As long as it's not someone like His Excellency Donghuang, there won't be any problems."

She paused, then added, "If I find any crucial information, I'll use the Fire Transmission method, and you'll know immediately."

These words were spoken intimately, as if she was certain he could understand her way of communicating.

The Moon Goddess watched from the side, her gaze slightly darkening, but ultimately said nothing.

As Consort Yan turned to leave, her hair ornaments jingled softly, like a string of tiny sparks, disappearing into the shadows of the palace walls.

Qin Chuan stood under the corridor, watching the direction she had gone until the red shadow had completely disappeared before he turned his gaze away.

The Moon Goddess said softly beside him, "The Eastern Lord is quite attentive to the young master."

Qin Chuan didn't reply, but simply looked up at the night sky. The stars were faintly visible through the clouds, much like the current situation in Xianyang Palace.

Cheng Jiao's rebellion was the open thunderclap, while Lü Buwei's scheming, the hidden traps, and even the undercurrents within the Yin-Yang School were storms hidden behind the clouds.

“Sister Moon Goddess,” he suddenly spoke, his tone calm, “could you please deduce whether there are any members of the Yin-Yang School in Chengjiao’s army?”

The Moon Goddess nodded, a wisp of Yin spiritual energy condensing at her fingertips as she gazed at the starry sky: "What you wish to investigate, young master, is whether there is another force behind Cheng Jiao?"

“Yes.” Qin Chuan gazed at the flowing starry river. “I always felt that there was more than just Lü Buwei as a black piece in this game.”

A night breeze blew by, ruffling his robes. He gripped the Eastern Emperor's Decree in his sleeve, suddenly recalling the departing figure of Consort Yan.

That figure was resolute and courageous, like a flame thrown into the dark night.

The night, like cotton wool soaked in ink, pressed heavily on the wilderness outside Tunliu City.

Yan Fei's figure moved like a red line, silently passing through the withered grass. The hem of her black robe swept across the thorny bushes without leaving a sound.

Following Qin Chuan's instructions, she did not approach Cheng Jiao's military camp directly, but instead settled in a nearby abandoned village, intending to first use astrology to deduce the true nature of the rebel camp.

Inside the dilapidated temple, she took out a bronze astrological chart, a wisp of crimson light condensing at her fingertips. Just as she was about to draw upon the power of the stars, she suddenly frowned—there seemed to be a very faint smell of blood in the wind, not from wild animals, but from human blood.

Meanwhile, three miles away in a dense forest, Qin Chuan was hiding in the gnarled branches of an old locust tree.

He took off the brocade robe from Xianyang Palace and changed into a black outfit that was easy to move in, with only a short knife at his waist.

From the moment he left Xianyang, he followed Yanfei three miles behind, neither getting too close to disturb her, but able to arrive in time in times of crisis.

He knew the Luo Wang's methods better than anyone. If Lu Buwei had sent ordinary assassins, Yan Fei's strength would have been enough to deal with them, but according to the patterns he knew, it was Xuan Jian who made the move this time.

That number one assassin, wielding two swords and with eyes colder than ice, is a force to be reckoned with, rivaling even the combined might of the two legendary swordsmen.

Although Yin-Yang techniques can draw upon the power of heaven and earth, they are most vulnerable to assassinations that are extremely fast—the sword is already at the throat before the technique is even used.

The moment the thought crossed his mind, a sharp whistle suddenly erupted from the village at the foot of the hill.

It wasn't the crackling sound of fire, but the clear, resonant sound of two swords being drawn simultaneously, one deep and muffled like thunder, the other sharp as tearing silk, their strength and gentleness complementing each other, even causing ripples to spread through the air.

Qin Chuan's pupils contracted slightly, and his figure darted out like a ghost. He didn't even use his internal energy; his physical speed alone left afterimages in the forest.

He knew better than anyone how fast Xuan Jian's sword was.

In the village, Yanfei had been forced to the foot of a broken wall by two sword lights.

Xuan Jian's black sword was slashing down with the force of a collapsing mountain. Before the sword energy even arrived, the bluestone slabs beneath his feet were already cracked with spiderweb-like patterns.

The white sword coiled around her fiery aura like a venomous snake, its yin-like internal energy flowing upwards against the flames, attempting to lock down her spiritual energy circulation.

"The fire of Dongjun is nothing more than this."

Xuan Jian's voice came from behind the bronze mask, as cold as if it had been quenched with ice.

His left-hand black sword suddenly accelerated, the sword wind stirring up sand and stones, seemingly with a crushing force.

This is the power and ferocity of his one-handed sword; even the young Gai Nie's "Hundred-Step Flying Sword" was deflected by this force back then.

Yan Fei gritted her teeth and formed hand seals, causing the Li Fire to suddenly surge into a wall: "Yin-Yang techniques, how dare you interfere!"

The black sword struck the wall of fire, producing a dull, resounding crash.

The flames surged violently, and Yan Fei felt a sweet taste in her throat, so strong that she was forced to take a half step back.

Meanwhile, Xuan Jian's white sword had already bypassed the wall of fire, its tip glowing with a ghostly blue poisonous light, pointing directly at her heart. The sinister sword energy even distorted the surrounding light.

This is the unpredictable nature of his two-handed swordsmanship; even Wei Zhuang's "Horizontal Sweep of the Eight Directions" was once entangled and overwhelmed by this sword technique.

Just as the white sword was about to strike her, a figure suddenly appeared in front of Yan Fei.

Xuan Jian only felt a blur before his eyes; the figure was so fast that he couldn't see the movements at all, as if it had appeared out of thin air.

He instinctively combined his two swords, the black sword guarding the center and the white sword flanking the enemy, the sword energy combining strength and gentleness instantly weaving into an impenetrable net.

This was his killing move when dealing with the combined forces of Gai Nie and Wei Zhuang; it was enough to grind everything within a radius of several feet into dust.

But when his sword net touched that figure, it suddenly went empty.

Qin Chuan didn't even look at the two swords; he simply raised his hand and made a feinting slash at Xuan Jian.

There was no flash of blades, no shockwaves, only a "meaning" refined to its utmost.

When that "intention" swept across the black sword, Xuan Jian felt a violent tremor in his tiger's mouth. An irresistible and fierce force came from the spine of the sword, causing a fine crack to appear on the blade of his black sword, which could split boulders.

Even more terrifying was that when that "intention" swept past the white sword, the soft internal energy melted away like ice and snow meeting the sun, and the tassel of the white sword suddenly broke off cleanly, with a cut as smooth as if it had been cut by a knife.

"Pfft!" Xuan Jian suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, and only managed to steady himself by crossing his two swords on the ground.

He stared at the boy in disbelief.

The opponent, with empty hands and without even assuming any starting stance, broke his dual-sword combination with just a single "intention," injuring his internal organs.

What kind of martial art is this?

"Who are you?" Xuan Jian's voice trembled for the first time.

He had roamed the martial world for decades, and had once faced off against Gai Nie and Wei Zhuang with a single-handed sword. He had never seen such an unbelievable level of skill.

Qin Chuan ignored him and turned to look at Yan Fei. He saw a bloody mark on her neck where the sword energy had swept across her neck and frowned slightly: "I told you to be careful."

Yan Fei stared at him blankly, her eyes filled with shock under the halo of light.

She could sense that Qin Chuan possessed no outward-emitting internal energy, yet he exuded an aura that made heaven and earth bow down to him.

That "intention" just now was clearly the intention of a sword, yet it was nowhere to be found. It was exactly what the ancient Yin-Yang school recorded as "no sword is better than having a sword"—that is the ultimate goal of martial arts.

"You..." Yan Fei was about to speak when she saw Qin Chuan suddenly raise his hand.

Xuan Jian thought he was about to kill him, so he suddenly raised his sword to block, but he saw that the young man was just slashing a blade of intent at the empty space behind him.

A hundred feet away, a cluster of houses suddenly collapsed with a roar, and the corpses of several men in black were exposed among the ruins.

It was a backup plan laid in the net of deception.

"Get out of here." Qin Chuan's voice was calm and even, yet it carried an undeniable air of authority. "Tell Lü Buwei that I've dismantled his chess game."

Xuan Jian looked at the ruins, then at the boy's empty right hand, and finally gritted his teeth, turned around, and disappeared into the night as a black shadow.

He knew he was no match for this man, and staying here would only bring him humiliation.

Only after Xuan Jian had completely disappeared did Yan Fei regain her voice: "Why are you here?"

"I'm afraid someone will overexert themselves." Qin Chuan took out some medicine from his pocket, pulled her wrist, and the action was so natural that it seemed like he had done it a thousand times before. "Xuan Jian's sword energy is strong. I'll help you force it out."