Chinese animation: Starting with Bad Guys

Qin Chuan's figure blended into the night of Xinzheng, and he walked steadily toward the place where the lights were brightest and the music was most melodious—Zilan Pavilion.

The ornately decorated pavilions shimmered under the night sky, the air thick with the sweet scent of perfume and wine, and the constant chirping of birds filled the air.

His dark, tight-fitting outfit stood out starkly against the surrounding glitz and glamour. The moment he stepped in, he was like a block of ice falling into a warm pool, instantly attracting many curious gazes.

What's even more striking is that his waist was empty, with no weapons hanging at all.

At the highest point, leaning against the railing, a graceful figure was languidly resting.

Zi Nu's insightful eyes locked onto Qin Chuan the moment he stepped across the threshold.

She had met countless powerful and wealthy people, but this man's calm and unassuming demeanor, his restrained sharpness, and the aloofness and scrutiny in the depths of his eyes that seemed completely out of place in this world of pleasure, instantly piqued her interest.

His empty-handed state did not lower Zi Nu's guard; on the contrary, it deepened her doubts.

This person is definitely not a pleasure seeker; daring to enter this place alone and empty-handed, his intentions must be quite significant.

“Nongyu,” Zi Nu’s red lips parted slightly, her voice carrying a hint of languid magnetism, “come with me to meet this… interesting guest.”

Holding her guqin, Nongyu nodded slightly upon hearing this, her clear eyes gazing calmly at the figure in black below.

She moved with light, graceful steps, following behind the swaying Zi Nu.

As soon as Qin Chuan stood still in the slightly noisy hall, a rich and delicate fragrance wafted over.

A woman in purple robes approached gracefully, her figure slender and alluring. Her purple dress accentuated her breathtaking curves, her purple hair was styled in a high bun, adorned with a shimmering silver hairpin, and the butterfly pattern beneath her left eye was captivating and mysterious.

The girl behind her held a guqin, her long, wine-red hair cascading down her back, her temperament gentle and serene. The jade willow leaf necklace around her neck and the gold wire armor on her shoulders shimmered with light, while the fire rain agate at her waist was warm and lustrous.

"This young master looks unfamiliar. Is he a distinguished guest from Xinzheng?" Zi Nu smiled sweetly, charming and alluring, but her eyes subtly swept over Qin Chuan's empty waist.

"I am Zi Nu, the manager of Zi Lan Xuan. This is Miss Nong Yu."

Qin Chuan's gaze swept past the shrewdness in Zi Nu's eyes and landed on the guqin. He nodded slightly and said, "I have long heard that Miss Nongyu's guqin music can attract hundreds of birds. It is an honor to meet you."

“You flatter me, sir. It’s too noisy outside and I’m sorry to have neglected our distinguished guest. Please follow me to our private room to enjoy tea and listen to the zither, shall we?” Zi Nu stepped aside to lead the way, her posture elegant and leaving no room for refusal.

Qin Chuan followed the two upstairs. The private room was elegant and serene, with a subtle fragrance. Nongyu sat down behind a screen, her delicate hands gently caressing the strings, and a clear, spring-like melody flowed forth from her zither.

Zi Nu personally poured the tea, her movements fluid and graceful.

“Young master, you possess an extraordinary bearing, far from being an ordinary pleasure-seeker. However…” Her beautiful eyes flickered, seemingly casually glancing at Qin Chuan, who was suspended empty beside her, “Young master, it seems you’ve forgotten your belongings? The night roads of Xinzheng are not safe.” Her probing intent was quite obvious.

Qin Chuan picked up his teacup, but didn't drink. His gaze pierced through the rising steam as he calmly said, "Weapons are instruments of violence. This trip is not for killing, so we don't need them."

He put down his teacup, tapping the bottom lightly on the table, his gaze sharp: "I'm here to find someone."

"Oh?" Zi Nu raised an eyebrow slightly. "Which young lady is the young master looking for?"

“Not a young lady.” Qin Chuan raised his eyes, his gaze piercing through Zi Nu’s alluring facade: “I have come to see the true master of Zi Lan Xuan.”

The piano melody paused very subtly.

Zi Nu's smile remained alluring, but a cold glint flashed in her eyes. "Young master is too kind. Isn't the mistress of Zi Lan Pavilion none other than myself?"

Qin Chuan remained unmoved: "Miss Zi Nu's methods are skillful and admirable. But to be able to stand safely in the eye of the storm in Xinzheng and control such a situation, it would be difficult for her to do so without a real backer."

His gaze was sharp as a sword. "The one I'm looking for is Wei Zhuang."

The moment the name "Wei Zhuang" was uttered, the air seemed to freeze.

Nongyu's zither playing took on a tense tone. Zi Nu stopped fanning herself, her gaze turning completely cold and serious.

“Young Master…” Zi Nu began to speak.

"No need to test them anymore." A cold, deep voice, metallic in tone and with an undeniable air of authority, came from behind the screen without warning.

The screen slid open silently.

A figure seemed to emerge from the shadows, slowly pacing out.

His long, gray hair was loose, his face was cold and stern as if carved by a knife and axe, and his eyes were like deep, cold pools, carrying an aura of domineering power and icy charisma.

A black-and-gold patterned outfit outlines a strong and muscular body, while the shark-tooth hilt of a sword at the waist gleams coldly.

Simply by standing there, an invisible, suffocating sense of oppression filled the entire private room, and the music stopped completely.

Wei Zhuang's gaze, like a solid icicle, locked onto Qin Chuan, sweeping over his empty waist, cold and scrutinizing.

"You're looking for me?" The voice wasn't loud, but it sounded like the clang of metal on metal.

Qin Chuan remained calm and composed as he slowly rose to meet the cold gaze without any fear.

"Yes." The voice was clear and steady. "I came to Xinzheng for two purposes."

“First,” he said, looking directly at Wei Zhuang, “I witnessed your senior brother Gai Nie’s swordsmanship in Xianyang.” He paused slightly, his tone deliberately flat, “and was quite disappointed.”

Zi Nu's pupils contracted slightly, and Nong Yu's fingers tightened.

A dangerous flame instantly ignited in Wei Zhuang's icy eyes!

The name Gai Nie is like the strongest fuse.

"Disappointed?" Wei Zhuang's voice was even colder, as if the air had frozen.

A sharp sword intent rose as if it were a tangible force, locking onto Qin Chuan. A fierce aura emanated from the hilt of the Shark Tooth Sword.

"The legendary sword saint possesses exquisite swordsmanship, but lacks sharpness and is too conservative."

Qin Chuan seemed oblivious to the murderous intent that threatened to tear his skin, standing with his hands behind his back, his posture relaxed.

"I have heard that using a horizontal sword to attack with a strategy in order to gain an advantage is called 'bai'. Therefore, I have come to see your swordsmanship."

His empty hands were particularly glaring at that moment.

Wei Zhuang's lips curled into a cold, battle-ready arc, devoid of any smile, only exuding a chilling killing intent.

He slowly gripped the hilt of the Shark Tooth Sword with his right hand, his knuckles turning white from the force!

An invisible storm of sword energy condensed and roared wildly around him!

The candlelight flickered wildly, casting a dim and heavy glow in the room.

"Experience?" Wei Zhuang's voice was deep and resonant, like an abyss echoing, each word like an icicle falling, chilling to the bone: "A person without a weapon dares to witness my swordsmanship?"

Although Shark Tooth was not yet drawn, the terrifying killing intent it exuded already made Zi Nu and Nong Yu in the corner feel suffocated.

Qin Chuan's hands remained behind his back, but his body leaned slightly forward, his center of gravity lowered, and he adopted a stance as stable as a mountain.

An invisible "domain" quietly isolated the surging sword intent.

His eyes were sharp as an eagle's, locking onto Wei Zhuang's hands and eyes, his voice steady: "The sword is in the heart, not in the weapon."

Wei Zhuang's eyes flashed even colder, the veins on his hand gripping the sword bulged, and the Shark Tooth sword guard seemed to come alive, its ferocious aura blazing fiercely!

He took half a step forward, and the floor silently spread out fine, spiderweb-like cracks!

The sword energy storm, compressed to its limit, is about to explode out of control!

“Or,” Qin Chuan suddenly made a move that surprised everyone the moment Wei Zhuang’s momentum reached its peak.

His right hand, which was behind his back, reached into his left sleeve with remarkable ease, the movement as fluid as if he were merely brushing away a speck of dust from his sleeve.

The next moment, a warm and brilliant light shone between his fingers.

It was a hairpin.

The hairpin is carved from a rare type of warm jade, its white color flowing like moonlight, and it feels warm to the touch.

The hairpin is not made of ordinary flowers, but of a lifelike, three-legged golden crow with outstretched wings!

The golden crow is ingeniously inlaid with red gold and mithril, with every detail of its feathers clearly visible. Its three sharp claws tightly grip a small crystal that shimmers with a faint reddish-gold halo, as if it contains the essence of the sun.

The hairpin has a simple and elegant design with smooth and powerful lines, making it no ordinary item for women. It exudes an ancient and noble aura and carries a mysterious rhythm belonging to the Yin-Yang school.

With an extremely elegant posture, Qin Chuan held the magnificent hairpin between her thumb and forefinger, the tip of the hairpin pointing diagonally forward at Wei Zhuang, as if it were not a woman's ornament, but the blade of a peerless sword.

“If Mr. Wei Zhuang insists that a weapon is necessary,” Qin Chuan’s voice remained calm, even carrying a hint of subtle, almost mocking indifference, “then this will be my weapon.”

He casually treated the token given to him by Yan Fei, which symbolized her identity and power, as a "toy" to deal with Shark Tooth!

The suppressed rage and chilling killing intent in Wei Zhuang's eyes exploded instantly, as if boiling oil had been poured into them!

A terrifying aura, ten times more violent and a hundred times more ferocious than before, suddenly exploded out!

A deep, angry roar exploded like thunder in the private room! The candlelight was almost extinguished by this violent aura, and the entire room was plunged into darkness for a moment!

The screen trembled violently, groaning under its own weight!

An invisible wave of air suddenly spread out from Wei Zhuang, causing Zi Nu and Nong Yu's clothes and long hair to dance wildly behind them!

Wei Zhuang's right hand was already firmly gripping the hilt of Shark Tooth's sword!

The knuckles turned a horrifying pale white from excessive force!

The infamous, strangely shaped longsword hummed violently from its scabbard, as if the ferocious beast sealed within it sensed its master's boundless rage and was frantically pounding against its cage, eager to drink blood and devour souls!

"How dare you—!" Wei Zhuang's voice was squeezed out from between his teeth, each word containing a violent sword intent and boundless rage capable of tearing apart metal and stone!

How can you use a woman's hairpin to counter his shark teeth?

This is not only an extreme contempt for his personal strength, but also the greatest insult to the entire Ghost Valley Horizontal Sword Way and to the ultimate swordsmanship he pursued throughout his life!

The unique aura emanating from this hairpin... made him feel a furious sense of being utterly disrespected!

Qin Chuan, however, seemed completely unaware of the devastating blow that was about to befall him.

He held the magnificent golden hairpin in his hand, its tip still pointing steadily forward, his posture even carrying an air of leisurely ease.

However, the invisible "domain" around him suddenly solidified, like the most solid rock, and forcefully withstood the terrifying momentum that was overwhelming and almost crushing everything!

His eyes were clear and sharp as he met Wei Zhuang's gaze, which burned with raging fury and absolute coldness.

A barely perceptible curve seemed to appear at the corner of his lips, as if to say: Come, let me see if your sword is worthy of my "weapon".

Dead silence! Utter dead silence!

But beneath this deathly silence lies a volcano about to erupt, and thunder about to tear the sky apart!

Wei Zhuang's knuckles cracked as he gripped his sword! The hum of the Shark Tooth scabbard reached its peak!

The ferocious beast on the sword guard seemed to have opened its blood-red maw!

The terrifying sword energy, which had accumulated to its limit and was enough to grind the private room and everything inside into dust, could no longer be contained!

Zi Nu and Nong Yu turned deathly pale, their hearts nearly stopping!

They had no doubt that Wei Zhuang's Shark Tooth sword would be drawn in the next instant!