Chinese animation: Starting with Bad Guys

However, Qin Chuan knew more.

Zhao Gao had the blood of the Zhao royal family flowing through his veins.

That deep-seated hatred, like a lurking venomous snake, never truly disappeared.

"Zhao Gao is indeed an excellent choice."

Qin Chuan nodded, not objecting, but then changed the subject:

"However, the Luo Wang is ruthless and cannot be easily controlled by ordinary confidants. Although Zhao Gao is loyal, he still needs to be tempered before he can truly understand the profound meaning of your control over the Luo Wang and its proper use, Brother Zheng. Your humble servant is willing to offer some 'advice' on behalf of Brother Zheng before Zhao Gao officially takes over the Luo Wang."

Ying Zheng gave Qin Chuan a deep look.

He knew that his younger brother's methods and vision far surpassed those of ordinary people, and his intentions could not be simply described as "giving advice".

But he had absolute trust in Qin Chuan.

"Approved! Summon Zhao Gao."

Before long, Zhao Gao, dressed in the attire of an imperial attendant, entered with his head bowed and his posture extremely respectful.

He knelt on the ground: "This servant Zhao Gao greets Your Majesty and Your Highness."

His voice was gentle, without the slightest hint of emotion.

Ying Zheng waved his hand: "Zhao Gao, you may go with Brother Chuan."

Zhao Gao kowtowed, rose, and, still maintaining a humble demeanor, followed Qin Chuan out of the magnificent and oppressive hall of Zhangtai Palace.

Qin Chuan did not take Zhao Gao back to his palace, but instead led him to a secluded waterside pavilion deep within the palace grounds.

The water rippled gently, reflecting the slightly chilly sunlight of early autumn.

Qin Chuan sat casually on the railing, his gaze fixed on the water, as if watching the fish, yet also as if he saw nothing at all.

Zhao Gao stood by with his hands at his sides, not daring to utter a sound.

He could sense an invisible pressure emanating from this unassuming young master, a pressure that made him feel more uneasy than the throne in Zhangtai Palace.

“Zhao Gao,” Qin Chuan finally spoke, his voice calm yet like a cold awl piercing Zhao Gao’s mind, “You have been in the palace for many years and have served Brother Zheng with all your heart. Brother Zheng has treated you quite well.”

"Your Majesty and the Prince are so kind and generous that even if I were to be shattered to pieces, I could not repay even a fraction of their kindness."

Zhao Gao quickly bowed in response, his posture impeccable.

"Crushed to pieces?" Qin Chuan chuckled lightly, his laughter revealing neither joy nor anger, yet it sent a chill down Zhao Gao's spine. "Loyalty is easy to say, but what about in one's heart?"

Qin Chuan slowly turned his head, his deep eyes like a cold pool, clearly reflecting Zhao Gao's instantly frozen face.

"How many years has the blood of the Zhao royal family flowed in your veins? How many times have the bones of 400,000 Zhao soldiers piled up like mountains on the battlefield of Changping haunted your dreams?"

“Zhao Gao, tell me, when you see the Qin royal flag flying over your Zhao land, when you see your homeland trembling under the iron hooves of the Qin army, do you really not feel a single trace of hatred in your heart? Have you not even thought for a moment that this Xianyang Palace will also taste the bitterness of rivers of blood?”

Every word struck Zhao Gao's heart like a heavy hammer!

He felt a chill rush from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, and his blood seemed to freeze instantly!

This is his deepest, most untouchable secret!

He believed he had disguised himself perfectly and had never revealed a bit of his true colors in front of others!

How could this young master Chuan know?

How much did he actually know?

"Changping", "400,000 skeletons", "rivers of blood"... These words were like red-hot irons, searing his very soul!

An immense fear gripped Zhao Gao's throat like a cold, giant hand; cold sweat instantly soaked through his inner clothes, and his body trembled uncontrollably.

His face was ashen, his lips trembled, and he tried to explain, but his throat seemed blocked, and he could only make incomprehensible "hoho" sounds.

Under Qin Chuan's gaze, which seemed to pierce through the soul and see through everything, any sophistry appeared pale and laughable.

It's over! He knew he was completely exposed! The shadow of death had never been so clear!

The pavilion was deathly silent, save for the faint footsteps of palace servants in the distance and the gentle lapping of water against the shore.

Zhao Gao felt that his life was hanging by a thread, in Qin Chuan's hands.

After a long silence, Qin Chuan finally spoke again, breaking the suffocating silence.

His tone remained calm, yet carried an indifference that seemed to control life and death: "Talent is rare. I value your abilities, as Brother Zheng does. It would be a pity to kill you."

Zhao Gao suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with unbelievable despair and a faint glimmer of hope, like a drowning person grasping at a straw.

"I can spare your life. From this day forward, I will forget your surname and which country's royal family you belong to."

Qin Chuan turned his gaze back to the water, as if he were talking about something trivial:

"You only need to remember one thing: you are a slave of the Great Qin, a slave of Brother Zheng, and a slave of mine. Be a good dog, keep your claws in check, and tear apart the prey that the Great Qin should tear apart."

He slightly turned his head, his gaze sweeping over Zhao Gao like a blade:

"As long as you, my dog, are obedient and useful enough, one day the Qin cavalry will trample Handan. Considering your contributions to Qin, they might show leniency and allow your Zhao royal family to continue its lineage. This is Brother Zheng's promise, and it is also my promise."

This promise, like a glimmer of light in the darkness, gave the dying Zhao Gao his only way out, but also completely nailed him to the cage of the Qin Dynasty.

In the most cruel way, his deep-seated hatred was suppressed, yet he was given a phantom "gift" that could only be realized by relying on the Qin Dynasty.

Changping's blood feud was twisted and suppressed in the face of the cold-blooded trade of survival and the continuation of bloodlines.

Zhao Gao fell heavily to his knees with a thud, his forehead hitting the cold bluestone slab with a dull thud.

Once, twice...

His voice trembled with the shock of surviving a catastrophe and a near-mad resolve:

"This servant, Zhao Gao, kowtows to thank Your Majesty! I kowtow to thank the young master for sparing my life! From this day forward, this servant is Your Majesty's dog! This servant is your dog! My life, everything I have, belongs to Your Majesty and the young master! If I have any disloyal thoughts, may I be struck down by heaven and earth, and may my soul be destroyed!"

His words were resolute, each one like a blood oath squeezed from the depths of his heart, carrying the despair of utter surrender and a twisted longing for that faint promise of "incense offerings".

He buried his hatred for Changping and the humiliation of the Zhao state deep in his heart.

Qin Chuan looked at Zhao Gao, who was prostrate at his feet, and listened to his oath-like pledge of loyalty, but his face remained expressionless.

He merely raised a very faint, almost imperceptible curve at the corner of his lips, a smile that was neither a smile nor a smile, carrying an all-knowing understanding and an indifferent control of the whole situation.

He knew that the venomous snake's fangs had been temporarily removed, but the hatred within its venom sac remained deeply hidden.

“Very good.” He uttered two words softly, as if merely acknowledging the submissive posture of a dog. “Remember what you said today. Get up.”

Only then did Zhao Gao dare to stand up shakily, still not daring to raise his head. The cold sweat on his back was chilled to the bone by the wind.

"Your first task is to cleanse the Luo Wang organization of Lü Buwei's remaining influence within a month. I want to see a completely new Luo Wang organization that only obeys Zheng Ge."

Qin Chuan's voice returned to its previous calmness, yet carried an undeniable command:

"Personnel structure, outpost distribution, past mission files... everything needs to be re-examined and brought back under control. I need a detailed report in a month. If it's not done well..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the lingering chill made Zhao Gao's blood, which had just begun to warm, turn cold again.

"This servant obeys! I will certainly not fail the trust placed in me by the King and the young master!"

Zhao Gao bowed again, his voice firm and resolute.

He knew that this was both a pledge of allegiance and a pledge to live or die.

Cleansing the net meant that he had to sever ties with the past himself and completely bind himself to the Qin Dynasty's war chariot.

He had no way out; he could only go all the way down this path, using every means to prove his "loyalty" and value to his new master.

Changping's nightmares and burning hatred must be locked deeper in his heart, becoming the hidden driving force that propels him to become the most vicious henchman.

Qin Chuan waved his hand, indicating that he could leave.

Zhao Gao felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He backed away from the small pavilion and only dared to straighten up and wipe the cold sweat from his forehead after turning into the corridor.

He glanced back at the pavilion overlooking the water, the last trace of complex light belonging to the "Zhao royal family" in his eyes completely extinguished, leaving only a cold, resolute, and ruthless look belonging to the "loyal dog of Qin".

He knew that from this moment on, he was no longer Zhao Gao; he was merely a dog in a snare, forced to bite madly in order to survive and for that illusory promise of incense offerings.

Changping's blood became an unhealed scar in his heart, and also the hidden driving force that made him the most vicious henchman.

In the waterside pavilion, Qin Chuan leaned alone against the railing.

In the distance, the eaves of Zhangtai Palace gleamed in the sunlight.

He gazed at the palace complex that symbolized supreme power, and it seemed as if he could see Ying Zheng within it, wielding his power and sweeping away all obstacles.

Gan Luo has entered the realm of Yin and Yang; the Star Soul is just around the corner.

The murder weapon changed hands, and Zhao Gao bowed his head and became a dog.

The era of Lü Buwei has come to a complete end, while the era belonging to Ying Zheng is unfolding steadily and unstoppably at an unprecedented speed, amidst the rising sun and iron and blood.

Qin Chuan's eyes reflected the dawn of the empire, deep and serene.

He dispelled not only the night fog of Xianyang, but also the last dark cloud obstructing the imperial power that hung over the empire.

Chapter 40: The Shocking Words of Tian Yan, the Move of the Farmer

In the shadows of a side hall of Zhangtai Palace, Zhao Gao stood with his hands at his sides, his posture more submissive than a month ago, yet also subtly revealing a sharpness that had been tempered.

He respectfully presented a scroll of jet-black silk, his voice low and clear:

"Your Highness, the Luo Wang organization has been reorganized. The remaining influence of the Lü clan has been eradicated. All strongholds, files, and personnel have been sorted out and are under control. They are now at the command of the King and Your Highness."

Qin Chuan took the silk scroll but did not unfold it to examine it closely; he simply placed it casually on the table.

Zhao Gao's efficiency was even faster than he had anticipated; this ruthlessness and ability were exactly what was needed to control the Luo Wang (Net of Heaven).

"Very good." Qin Chuan's voice was devoid of much emotion. "Lu Buwei had been cultivating his power for many years, and you were able to eliminate him within a month, which shows your skill."

"It's all thanks to your guidance, young master. I dare not take credit for it." Zhao Gao lowered his head even further. "However... there is something I need to tell you, young master."

"Jing Ni, a top-tier assassin of the Luo Wang organization, has disappeared without a trace. My subordinates have been searching diligently, but we have only found out that her last known appearance was near the territory of the Lie Shan Hall of the Farmer's Clan."

Zhao Gao spoke at a steady pace, but when he mentioned the words "Jing Ni," a barely perceptible hint of apprehension flashed in the depths of his eyes.

"Jing Ni..."

Qin Chuan tapped the table lightly with his fingertips; the name was familiar to him.

She was one of the sharpest swords in the early days of the Luo Wang organization, excelling in infiltration and assassination.

Disguising herself as Lord Xinling (Wei Wuji)'s favorite concubine and assassinating him in his bed was her most famous act.