Chinese animation: Starting with Bad Guys

The Shark Tooth Sword was still in his hand, but it was as heavy as a mountain, and he could no longer lift it even an inch!

His swordsmanship, which he was so proud of, and the power he relied on for survival, all lost their meaning at this moment!

He could only watch helplessly as the invisible "knife mark" was imprinted on his forehead!

Feeling the sharpness that could annihilate the soul, piercing through his protective aura, and touching his skin...

Wei Zhuang could even feel a cool sensation between his brows, the touch of a death kiss.

He closed his eyes.

The taste of defeat, so this is what it feels like... emptiness.

The anticipated penetration, tearing, and annihilation did not occur.

That touch of coldness lasted only a moment.

The "scar" that shattered his pride and dragged him into the abyss of despair vanished just as silently as it had appeared, just as silently... in the very last moment before his life was about to end.

It was as if it had never existed.

Only the lingering, bone-chilling cold pain between his brows and the shattered, yet-to-be-reconstituted fragments of pride deep within his soul silently testified to that astonishing, incomprehensible "strike" just now!

It was more deathly silent than ever before!

Inside the private room, the violent storm of sword energy vanished without a trace, leaving only the candlelight flickering weakly in the frozen air, illuminating the mess on the floor.

Wei Zhuang remained frozen in place, still in the stance of charging forward with his sword, his long, gray hair falling down to cover his tightly closed eyes and violently trembling lips.

His hand gripping the sword was so tight that his knuckles turned white, the tip of the Shark Tooth sword drooped limply to the ground, and the blade even emitted an extremely faint, mournful hum.

Zi Nu and Nong Yu huddled against the corner of the wall, barely daring to breathe, completely unable to comprehend what had just happened.

They only saw Qin Chuan raise his hand, and all of Wei Zhuang's resistance mysteriously disappeared. Then, Wei Zhuang froze there, as if his soul had been taken away, and even the Shark Tooth Sword seemed to have lost its edge.

Qin Chuan slowly withdrew his hand from the golden crow hairpin.

The hairpin, smooth and lustrous like jade, remained intact. The golden crow on its head shimmered with a restrained brilliance under the candlelight, as if the "sword" that had just severed the will of a grandmaster had nothing to do with it.

Qin Chuan looked at Wei Zhuang, who stood motionless, his breathing disordered, and whose pride had been completely shattered. His eyes returned to their previous calm, even with a hint of dejection.

"His swordsmanship is passable, but he is too arrogant."

He made a casual comment, as if he had merely brushed away a speck of dust.

Then, his gaze fell on Wei Zhuang's hand, which was tightly gripping the Shark Tooth sword and whose knuckles were white. It then swept over Wei Zhuang's face, which was closed and trembling slightly. Finally, his gaze seemed to penetrate the wall and be directed in a certain direction of Xinzheng City.

"After you hear my other purpose..."

Qin Chuan's voice was not loud, but it clearly echoed in the deathly silent private room, carrying an unquestionable indifference, as if it were a pronouncement of fate.

"Then I'll decide your life or death."

Chapter 17 The Qin Dynasty's Bad Guys: Their First Establishment

The deathly silence in the private room had not yet dissipated. Wei Zhuang slowly opened his eyes, and the rage in his eyes beneath his long gray hair had faded, leaving only an icy coldness.

He slowly loosened his grip on the Shark Tooth sword, the blade striking the scabbard with a dull thud, as if shattering some invisible shackle.

"Your second objective." Wei Zhuang's voice was hoarse from the extreme shock he had just experienced, yet it still carried an undeniable air of authority.

He didn't pursue the mystery of the "knife mark." Defeat was defeat, and the disciples of Guiguzi never bothered to make excuses after the outcome was decided.

Qin Chuan tucked the golden crow hairpin into his sleeve, his gaze sweeping over the scattered wood chips and broken table. His tone was calm yet carried a penetrating power: "The world is about to descend into chaos; the conflict between the seven kingdoms is merely the prelude. I will establish an organization called the Bad People, dedicated to investigating the mysteries of this chaotic world and counterbalancing the forces lurking in the shadows."

A glint flashed in Zi Nu's eyes. This name exuded a sense of secrecy similar to the style of Zi Lan Xuan, yet it was a hundred times more ambitious than theirs.

"You want me to join?" Wei Zhuang's lips curled into a cold smile, filled with undisguised mockery. "With you? With an empty shell organization that hasn't even established a name yet?"

"I can show you a game of chess bigger than the Korean court."

Qin Chuan looked directly into Wei Zhuang's eyes:

"The ship that is South Korea is sinking. If you stay here, you'll at best be a swordsman who dies with it. What the Bad People can give you is the opportunity to stir up the winds of change, a stage for you to truly surpass Gai Nie."

This name is like a thorn, stuck in the most sensitive part of Wei Zhuang's heart.

But this time, he didn't get angry; he simply ran his fingertips lightly along the hilt of the sword.

"Disciples of Guigu never submit to anyone," Wei Zhuang's voice suddenly turned sharp. "If you want to recruit me, you must be prepared to face the backlash."

"I don't need anyone to be subservient to me."

Qin Chuan walked to the window and pushed open the wooden lattice; the night breeze dispelled the heavy atmosphere in the room.

"The Bad Guys only care about strength, not background. You can maintain the independence of Zi Lan Xuan, and even have absolute autonomy within the organization, but when facing a common enemy, you must obey my orders."

Zi Nu suddenly chuckled, breaking the tense atmosphere between the two:

"Young Master Qin has certainly made a clever plan. By having Wei Zhuang serve you, aren't you afraid of raising a tiger that will eventually threaten your cause?"

"I've never raised tigers, but wolves that can stand shoulder to shoulder with me." Qin Chuan looked at Zi Nu. "Zi Lan Xuan's intelligence network in Xinzheng, Wei Zhuang's swordsmanship, and Nong Yu's zither music are all forces that the Bad Guys need. And you can get more reliable protection from the Bad Guys than by relying on the Korean royal family."

Wei Zhuang slowly walked up to Qin Chuan. The two were of similar height, and their auras collided, creating invisible ripples.

"If I refuse."

Before Wei Zhuang could finish saying "If I refuse," the air in the private room suddenly froze.

Qin Chuan slowly withdrew his gaze from the window and turned around. His calm eyes were devoid of any warmth, replaced by a bottomless, icy pool, churning with undisguised killing intent.

Without the slightest hesitation, without even a superfluous movement, he simply looked at Wei Zhuang quietly, speaking each word clearly and distinctly, as if an icicle were striking stone:

"Then today is the day you die."

There was no roaring, no howling, only an almost indifferent statement, as bland as saying "It's a little chilly today."

But beneath this calm surface lies a resolute determination, as powerful as an avalanche.

If they cannot be used by me, then they will be killed by me. I will never allow such a powerful force to become a potential threat, especially as this chaotic world is about to unfold.

The moment he finished speaking, the invisible "domain" around him suddenly unfolded again. This time, however, it was no longer for defense, but transformed into the sharpest blade and the deadliest net, enveloping the entire private room.

That oppressive aura was even stronger than Wei Zhuang's sword energy when he was enraged, carrying an absolute domineering attitude of "those who obey me prosper, those who defy me perish," and it locked onto Wei Zhuang firmly!

Zi Nu's expression changed drastically, and she instinctively shielded Nong Yu behind her.

She finally understood that the man in front of her was by no means a reclusive master; beneath his composure lay a ruthless hand that held the power of life and death.

Nongyu gripped the strings tightly, her fingertips turning white from the force, and she even held her breath.

Wei Zhuang's pupils suddenly contracted, and for the first time, a truly solemn expression appeared on his face beneath his long, gray hair.

He could clearly sense that the other party's words were not a threat, but an inevitable outcome.

The murderous intent that was locked onto him was completely genuine, pure and direct, like a sharp blade drawn from its sheath, ready to sever his throat at any moment.

He slowly raised his hand and gripped the hilt of the Shark Tooth Sword again, his knuckles turning white from the force. The sword emitted a deep hum, as if it too sensed the life-or-death crisis its master faced.

"You dare." Wei Zhuang's voice was low and hoarse, filled with the rage of being thoroughly enraged, yet also showing a renewed appreciation for the person before him.

This man was crazier and more dangerous than he had imagined.

Qin Chuan did not respond, but the coldness in his eyes intensified.

His right hand, which was behind his back, twitched slightly, and the golden crow hairpin in his sleeve seemed to move again, its warm jade reflecting a cold light in the dark.

The murderous aura in the air was almost tangible, and the candlelight flickered violently under the collision of the two terrifying auras, threatening to go out at any moment.

At this moment, the choice between life and death was thrust upon Wei Zhuang.

Wei Zhuang's fingers tightened even more on the hilt of the Shark Tooth Sword, his fingertips almost digging into the cold metal texture.

His long, gray hair moved without wind, and the sword energy around him re-condensed, heavier and colder than the previous "Sweeping Across the Eight Directions" strike, carrying the resolute determination of a do-or-die battle.

“Disciples of Guigu Valley are never coerced.” His voice was like ice, each word carrying a sharp, cutting sound.

Before he finished speaking, he slammed his left foot into the ground, and a thin crack appeared in the hard wooden floor. His figure shot out like an arrow, carrying the fierce edge of a shark's teeth, and rushed straight towards Qin Chuan!

This time, he left no room for maneuver.

The sword light no longer pursued speed, but instead concentrated all the energy in the body, transforming into a pitch-black torrent. Wherever it passed, the candlelight was instantly extinguished, and even the air was compressed and made to groan.

He wanted to tear this damn oppressive feeling apart before the other party could make a move!

Qin Chuan stood still until the sword light reached his body, at which point the golden crow hairpin in his sleeve slid into his palm like a stream of light.

The jade hairpin was warm and smooth, yet as he moved his fingers, it revealed a killing intent more chilling than a shark's tooth.

There was another soft sound, but it was crisper and faster than before.

The tip of the Golden Crow Hairpin was at the weakest point of the Shark Tooth Sword's spine. This time, instead of using a clever trick to deflect it, it forcefully smashed open the sword's edge with an almost brute force!

Wei Zhuang felt an immense force travel through the sword, causing his right arm to go numb and his sword to involuntarily rise half an inch.

In that tiny gap, Qin Chuan's figure had already approached like a ghost, his left hand forming a palm, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound as it struck Wei Zhuang's heart!

Before the palm strike even arrived, Wei Zhuang felt a tightness in his chest. The palm strike seemed ordinary, but it sealed off all his angles of evasion.

He twisted his body abruptly, taking the full force of the blow to his left shoulder. With a muffled groan, he used the recoil to stagger back several feet, crashing into the screen, which shattered upon impact.

"Pfft—" A mouthful of blood surged up his throat, but Wei Zhuang forcibly swallowed it back.

He looked up at Qin Chuan, his eyes no longer filled with rage, but with a shock like a tidal wave.

This man's strength has actually reached such a level?

In the blink of an eye, killing or saving lives is just a matter of a single thought. If that palm strike had been three degrees heavier, his internal organs would be shattered by now.

Qin Chuan slowly lowered his hand holding the hairpin, and a trace of blood on the jade hairpin was particularly glaring in the candlelight.

"Now, choose again." His voice remained calm, yet carried an undeniable authority. "Join the Bad People, or die."

Zi Nu's hand, which was supporting Nong Yu, was trembling. She finally realized that this was not a friendly sparring match, but a real attempt to force Wei Zhuang to make a life-or-death decision.

This man named Qin Chuan really dares to kill Wei Zhuang—right here in Zi Lan Xuan, on her own turf.

Wei Zhuang wiped the blood from the corner of his lips and slowly straightened up.

He looked at Qin Chuan, the man who could easily take his life, yet left him a sliver of hope.

Looking into the other person's eyes, one sees only the coldness of "black and white" and the absolute control of "those who obey prosper, those who resist perish."

After a long while, he suddenly chuckled softly, his laughter carrying a hint of self-mockery and a sense of relief at being defeated.

"The masters of Guigu are ruthless and strong, choosing their masters carefully. You are ruthless and strong enough."