Chinese animation: Starting with Bad Guys

The lingering, cold, and oppressive aura that had plagued her for years, like a maggot clinging to her bones, vanished rapidly under the wash of this abundant, warm, and vibrant life force, just as ice and snow melted away!

Duanmu Rong and Xue Nu watched nervously.

Nian Duan's previously pale complexion visibly flushed with a healthy blush, his tightly furrowed brows relaxed, and even his breathing became long and powerful.

The change is so obvious, so amazing!

About an incense stick later, Qin Chuan withdrew his fingers, beads of sweat glistening on his forehead, clearly indicating that he had expended a great deal of energy.

Nian Duan slowly opened his eyes, his gaze bright and clear. He seemed to have become ten years younger, and the deep sense of twilight was swept away, replaced by a long-lost vitality!

"Master! How are you feeling?"

Duanmu Rong was overjoyed, her voice trembling.

Nian Duan slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, which carried a faint grayish-black hue, clearly indicating years of accumulated illness.

She felt the renewed vitality within her body, her eyes filled with shock and disbelief.

She tried circulating the medical technique, and her originally stagnant and depleted internal energy became smooth, lively, and unobstructed!

"Incredible skill...truly incredible skill!" Nian Duan stood up, bowed deeply to Qin Chuan with utmost solemnity, and said, "I will never forget your kindness in saving me, young master!"

Duanmu Rong was so excited that she couldn't speak, and tears welled up again, but this time they were tears of joy.

Her gaze toward Qin Chuan was filled with unparalleled gratitude and an almost reverent admiration.

However, after the initial shock and gratitude, Nian Duan's insightful eyes regained their clarity.

She looked at Qin Chuan and said slowly:

"Young master, you came to save my life, and I am deeply grateful. But young master... I'm afraid you didn't come here simply to save me, did you? Like that Crown Prince Yan Dan, do you also want to recruit my medical family to serve you?"

Qin Chuan met Nian Duan's wise gaze frankly, without any attempt to hide his true feelings: "That's right. I do indeed have the intention to recruit physicians."

Duanmu Rong and Xue Nu were both taken aback.

Nian Duan's eyes narrowed slightly as she waited for him to continue.

"But I am different from Ji Dan!"

Qin Chuan abruptly changed the subject, his tone becoming firm and resolute, carrying a grand vision that seemed to survey the entire landscape:

"He recruited physicians only to help him rebel against Qin, a futile and bloody act. But I recruited physicians not for killing or conquest!"

"My wish is to use the power of physicians to perfect the art of medicine and benefit all people! When the Great Qin Dynasty unifies the world and ends these centuries of war and strife, I will establish an unprecedented medical system throughout the world!"

His gaze swept over Nian Duan and Duanmu Rong, finally settling on the vast expanse of land beyond Mirror Lake:

"With clinics in counties and towns, skilled doctors in villages and towns, children can be vaccinated against smallpox, soldiers have holy medicine to save their lives and heal their wounds, and there are strategies to follow when plagues occur. All people in the world can receive medical treatment when they are sick and be cared for when they are old! Let the way of medicine truly benefit all people, instead of just being confined to a corner of the world!"

His words were earth-shattering!

Nian Duan, Duanmu Rong, and Xue Nu were all deeply shocked by this grand vision and stood there dumbfounded!

They seemed to see an unprecedented painting unfolding before their eyes.

A peaceful and prosperous world without war, regardless of social status, where the sick can receive medical care and the elderly can be cared for!

This is worlds apart from Ji Dan's narrow-minded anti-Qin slogans, which are filled with hatred and selfishness!

Ji Dan's image instantly became incredibly small in their minds, like a clown.

Especially Duanmu Rong, who has upheld the benevolence of a doctor since childhood, and whose greatest wish is to practice medicine and save lives.

The blueprint Qin Chuan drew up was precisely the ideal she most longed to realize deep in her heart!

This grand ambition shattered her preconceived notions like a thunderbolt, causing an unprecedented light to burst forth in her cool eyes, and her heart to pound violently.

Master Nianduan remained silent for a long time, his expression shifting on his no longer aged face.

Finally, she let out a long sigh, a sigh that contained relief, admiration, and a resolute determination that she had finally found her direction.

She bowed deeply to Qin Chuan once again:

"Young master's magnanimity and vision are unparalleled in my life. As a physician... I am willing to do my utmost to support your grand ambition!"

A hint of relief flashed in Qin Chuan's eyes: "Master, you are very wise and understanding. Thank you, Qin Chuan."

"However, I made a vow in my early years that I would never leave this Jinghu Medical Clinic for the rest of my life."

Nian Duan added:

"Therefore, only Rong'er can act on behalf of this old woman and the medical family to follow the young master and fulfill this great wish. When her medical skills are fully developed, it will be the time for the medical family to officially serve the young master."

"That's how it should be."

Qin Chuan nodded, indicating his understanding.

He did not force Nian Duan to leave this pure land.

With the matter settled, Qin Chuan did not linger any longer and took Xue Nu with him as he departed.

Nian Duan and Duanmu Rong saw them off all the way to the ferry.

The small boat is already moored on the shore.

Qin Chuan and Xue Nu stepped onto the boat.

Just as he was about to turn and board the ship, Master Nian Duan's gaze lingered for a moment on Duanmu Rong's beautiful face, which was filled with longing and emotion. She suddenly asked:

"I observe that you possess an extraordinary bearing, and your every move is measured and graceful... Young master, are you skilled with a sword?"

Qin Chuan paused slightly, turned to look at Nian Duan, and shook his head slightly: "Swords are not what I love. I am more skilled with a knife."

A hint of understanding flashed in Nian Duan's eyes, which then turned into deep worry, like an elder looking at a junior about to embark on a long journey, earnestly saying:

"Whether swordsmen or knife-wielders, their sharpness is readily apparent, and their aggression can be deadly. Having practiced medicine my entire life, I've witnessed countless horrific sights of people wielding swords and knives. Such weapons, while capable of injuring others, can easily injure themselves, and even more so, those closest to them..."

This seemingly abrupt sentiment is actually filled with a doctor's deep respect for human life and his concern and worry for Qin Chuan, his savior and future collaborator in the medical community.

Swords and blades have no eyes; excessive killing is ultimately not a good path.

Upon hearing this, Qin Chuan revealed a calm yet incredibly confident smile, a smile that seemed capable of dispelling all gloom.

Meeting Nian Duan's worried gaze, he said frankly:

“What the master said is very true. But, as long as one is strong enough to control everything, then the blade will only cut down the thorns that need to be cut and protect those who need to be protected. To harm oneself or others? That is impossible.”

Before the words were even finished, a sudden change occurred!

Several sharp, piercing sounds shot out from the woods on the shore! Poisoned crossbow bolts, like venomous snakes spitting their tongues, aimed straight for Qin Chuan.

These were assassins sent by Ji Dan!

Duanmu Rong exclaimed in surprise.

However, Qin Chuan reacted even faster than her voice!

He didn't even turn around; he simply raised his right hand casually, spread his fingers, and slashed it in the air in the direction from which the crossbow bolts were coming!

There was no flash of blades, no aura of blades, only an invisible force condensed to the extreme, like the sharpest blade energy, instantly tearing through the air!

"Puff puff!"

Several muffled thuds rang out, and the crossbow bolts that had been shot at them seemed to have hit an invisible wall, instantly breaking into pieces!

Immediately afterwards, several shrill screams rang out from the forest. Several figures in black were struck as if by an invisible hammer, spitting blood as they flew backward and crashed heavily to the ground.

Their joints were at bizarre angles, as if the invisible "palm blade" had instantly crippled their limbs, leaving them completely unable to move!

Qin Chuan's attack was swift as lightning, ruthless and decisive, yet he precisely controlled his strength, thus avoiding taking their lives.

Clearly, he was mindful of the feelings of being in the medical clinic and having Nian Duan and Duanmu Rong, two kind-hearted doctors, by his side.

He didn't even glance at the limp corpses lying on the ground, as if he had merely brushed away a few noisy mosquitoes and flies.

He nodded slightly to Nian Duan, then glanced at Duanmu Rong, whose face had turned pale from the shock, but who could not hide her astonishment. He then turned around and boarded the small boat with Xue Nu, who also appeared calm and seemed to be used to such scenes.

The boatman poled the boat, and it slowly left the shore, heading towards the depths of Mirror Lake.

At the ferry crossing, Nian Duan looked at the wailing assassins on the ground, then gazed at the dark figure gradually disappearing into the lake. His eyes were filled with complex and unfathomable emotions, which finally turned into a long sigh.

Duanmu Rong stood there on the shore, her cold eyes following the figure intently until the small boat disappeared into the misty lake.

Her mind was like a mirror lake tossed with pebbles, unable to find peace.

Qin Chuan's confident words, "As long as you're strong enough...", his unparalleled skill in crippling an assassin with a wave of his hand, and his grand vision that stirred her heart...

All of this left an indelible mark on her heart.

Chapter 46 High Mountains and Flowing Water, An Interlude in Yan Land

The ripples on Mirror Lake gradually disappeared behind them, and Qin Chuan and Xue Nu embarked on a new journey.

As the north wind picked up, the leaden-gray clouds hung low, and soon fine, crystalline snowflakes began to fall, covering the mountains and rivers of Yan with a layer of white and silver.

Amidst the wind and snow, a solitary tavern appeared beside the official road. The dim light shone through the thickly dusted window paper, emitting a touch of warmth, but also a sense of oppression that seemed out of place with the desolate snow scene.

Pushing open the creaking wooden door, a murky stench of cheap liquor, sweat, and an intangible sense of unease rushed out.

The scene inside the tavern was quite eerie:

In a corner, a young musician dressed in a plain white robe was bowing his head and playing the zither.

His face was handsome, and his temperament was as cold as ice. The music flowing from his fingertips should have been clear and melodious, but at this moment it carried a deliberately suppressed restlessness and resentment. It was Gao Jianli.

Beside the zither table, several empty wine jars lay scattered about.

Not far away, a figure was slumped over at a table, snoring loudly and reeking of alcohol. More empty jars were scattered around him. It was Jing Ke.

He was completely drunk, as if nothing in the outside world mattered to him.

The other tables of "guests" in the tavern, however, remained unusually silent.

They appeared to be drinking alone, but in reality, their eyes were sharp, their aura restrained, and their bodies maintained a posture that suggested they could strike at any moment, like a pack of wolves lurking in the shadows.

The entire tavern was filled with a deathly stillness, like the calm before a storm, with only Gao Jianli's emotionally charged zither music and Jing Ke's snoring defying the silence.

Qin Chuan led the Snow Maiden into this eerie atmosphere, his black robes adorned with specks of unmelted snowflakes.

His gaze casually swept across the entire room, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips. His voice wasn't loud, yet it clearly pierced through the music and the snoring:

"The sound of the zither amidst the wind and snow conceals the sword's edge; drunken eyes, blurred, hide the cold stars. And... the smell of rust that even the alcohol in this room can't dispel."

He paused, his gaze landing precisely on the silent "drinkers," and said, "Gentlemen of the Net, thank you for your hard work."