Chinese animation: Starting with Bad Guys

Upon hearing this, the music stopped abruptly!

Gao Jianli suddenly looked up, his icy gaze shooting towards Qin Chuan like a sharp arrow.

Jing Ke's snoring paused for a moment, then continued as if he had simply turned over.

Meanwhile, the silent "drinkers" tensed up instantly, their hands unconsciously reaching for the hidden places on their waists, their eyes filled with surprise and vigilance.

The Snow Maiden instantly went on alert, her Illusionary Sound Technique quietly circulating within her body, her icy blue eyes scanning the "drinkers."

Just then, the leader of the group of "drinkers" stared intently at Qin Chuan's face, his pupils suddenly contracting!

He clearly recognized this person who was considered a taboo within the Luo Wang organization—Prince Ying Chuan of Qin!

They were the true rulers, even their superior Zhao Gao had to bow down and address them as "Young Master"!

Cold sweat instantly beaded on his forehead. He sprang up from his seat, rushed to Qin Chuan, and knelt down on one knee without hesitation.

His head was bowed deeply, his voice filled with undisguised awe and fear:

"My lord! I was unaware of your arrival. Please forgive me for any disturbance!"

He dared not reveal Qin Chuan's identity as a young master, and could only address him as "Sir".

Upon seeing this, the other assassins from the Luo Wang organization, though unaware of the specifics, knew that the newcomer was of extremely high status, far surpassing their leader, and hurriedly knelt down as well, not daring to utter a sound.

Jing Ke's snoring stopped for a moment, and his eyelids seemed to open a crack.

Gao Jianli frowned, looking at the scene before him with surprise and uncertainty.

Who is this man in black? How could he make the infamous assassins of the Luo Wang organization kneel in such fear?

"It's alright." Qin Chuan waved his hand casually, as if brushing the snow off his shoulders. "What are you doing here?"

"Your Majesty! By order of the King, I have come to invite Mr. Gao Jianli to Xianyang! His Majesty is preparing music and ceremonies for the wedding of Prince Yingchuan and Princess Honglian of Han."

The leader of the Naluo Net hurriedly reported back, daring not to conceal anything:

"We originally intended to invite the musician Kuang Xiu, but Kuang Xiu has been imprisoned and interrogated for helping the traitor Fan Yuqi escape. He will be executed in the autumn. Therefore, His Majesty has ordered us to make sure that we can persuade the Qin master Gao Jianli of Yan to come and play music!"

Upon hearing this, Gao Jianli let out a cold sneer, his eyes filled with contempt and resistance:

"The tyrannical ruler of Qin, does he even deserve to listen to my zither? He expects me to play music for his own brother's wedding banquet? No way! I'd rather cut off my finger than bow down to the tyrannical Qin!"

The leader of the Luo Wang organization's face darkened, and he shouted sternly, his hand already on the hilt of his sword, revealing his murderous intent.

The other assassins from the Luo Wang organization also stood up instantly, their cold gazes locking onto Gao Jianli, and the atmosphere in the tavern instantly dropped to freezing point.

Qin Chuan raised his hand again, stopping the actions of the Luo Wang members.

His gaze fell on Gao Jianli's face, which was etched with stubbornness and aloofness. His voice was calm and even, yet it carried an undeniable power:

"Gao Jianli, you and Kuang Xiu, though you have never met, are kindred spirits, like kindred spirits, like the high mountains and flowing water, like the strings of a zither resonating with a soulmate, isn't that right?"

Gao Jianli's body trembled slightly, and a trace of pain and astonishment flashed in his eyes.

His spiritual communion with Kuang Xiu was a closely guarded secret. How did this person know about it?

Qin Chuan continued without waiting for his reply:

“Kuang Xiu aided Fan Yuqi, and his crime deserves death. But... if you are willing to go to Xianyang with them and play music for the wedding, I can spare Kuang Xiu's life. He will be executed in the autumn, but the punishment will be changed to tattooing his face and exile.”

These words struck Gao Jianli like a heavy hammer!

His expression changed instantly, and his eyes were filled with intense struggle.

He regarded Kuang Xiu as his only confidant, and Kuang Xiu's mastery of the zither was the direction he pursued throughout his life!

To save Kuang Xiu's life... to play music for the tyrannical Qin Dynasty?

This was a huge humiliation for him!

But... Kuang Xiu's life...

Just then, Jing Ke, who had been "completely drunk," suddenly sat up unsteadily and let out a loud burp.

Through his drunken haze, he pulled out a roll of cloth carefully wrapped around his neck and tossed it to Gao Jianli.

"Hiccup... Brother Gao... Here! This... this is what Lao Kuang asked me to... bring you... He said it was called something... Gao... High Mountains and Flowing Water? Sigh, anyway, it's just... a few scraps of paper... It's worth it that he was so attached to it even on his deathbed... that he asked me, a drunkard, to... bring it all the way here..."

The cloth was unfurled, revealing an ancient musical score, which was the original calligraphy of "High Mountains and Flowing Water" written by Kuang Xiu himself!

The ink is as fresh as ever, as if carrying Kuang Xiu's last hopes.

Looking at the musical score that embodied Kuang Xiu's life's work and the deep affection between them, the last trace of resistance in Gao Jianli's eyes completely crumbled.

He took the sheet music with trembling hands and hugged it tightly to his chest, as if he were holding Kuang Xiu's life.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, all that remained in his eyes was a cold resolve and a trace of tragic sacrifice for his confidant.

“…Alright.” Gao Jianli’s voice was dry and hoarse, yet incredibly clear. “I will go to Xianyang with you. But you must guarantee that Kuang Xiu will not die!”

The leader of the Net looked at Qin Chuan, and seeing Qin Chuan nod slightly, he immediately replied:

"Your Excellency's word is law; Kuang Xiu's life is assured! Please rest assured, sir!"

Jing Ke staggered to his feet, walked to Gao Jianli's side, and hooked his arm around his shoulder, his drunkenness tinged with an undeniable air of bravado.

"Brother Gao, you're heading to that den of wolves? How can you go without a drunkard like me? What if those Qin dogs turn on you... hiccup... I, Old Jing, can help you... take a couple of hits! Hehe, let's go together, let's go together!"

Looking at this seemingly unreliable but incredibly loyal drunkard, Gao Jianli felt a surge of warmth in his cold heart and did not refuse.

Seeing that Qin Chuan did not object, the leader of the Luo Wang organization gestured to his subordinates.

The assassins from Luo Wang immediately sprang into action. Although they remained silent, their movements clearly restrained their killing intent, subtly protecting Gao Jianli and Jing Ke in the middle.

"My lord, then we will escort the two gentlemen back to Qin to report back."

The leader of the Luo Wang (Net of Heaven) bowed respectfully to Qin Chuan once again.

Qin Chuan waved his hand casually, as if shooing away a few insignificant mosquitoes and flies.

The members of Luo Wang, along with Gao Jianli, whose expression was complicated, and Jing Ke, who was still grinning as if he were just going to a banquet, quickly left the tavern and disappeared into the vast snowstorm.

The tavern returned to silence, with only the crackling of the fireplace and the howling of the wind and snow outside the window.

The Snow Maiden looked at Qin Chuan, her icy blue eyes questioning him.

Qin Chuan walked to an empty table and sat down, as if nothing had happened.

He poured himself and the Snow Woman each a cup of warm, cloudy wine, and looked out the window at the increasingly fierce wind and snow, speaking calmly:

"The snow is heavy, let's rest here for the night. Tomorrow, we'll head to the State of Wei."

The snow woman nodded silently and sat down opposite him.

The Wind and Snow Inn was fraught with hidden dangers, but they vanished without a trace thanks to his few casual words.

Looking at Qin Chuan's calm profile, her understanding of this mysterious man deepened once again.

He could manipulate events at will, using his power to intimidate others while precisely grasping their weaknesses. Once he achieved his goal, he could immediately distance himself from the situation, as if he were merely a player making moves on the chessboard.

This mindset and approach is both awe-inspiring and captivating.

The wind and snow tapped against the windowpanes, and the firelight illuminated the silent figures of the two men. A strange tranquility permeated the tavern.

The interlude in Yan has ended; a new journey is about to begin.

Chapter 47 Subduing Dian Qing, Every Word Worth a Thousand Pieces

Having bid farewell to the snow and wind of Yan, Qin Chuan and Xue Nu traveled south and entered the land of Daliang, the capital of Wei.

This once mighty city in the Central Plains now shows signs of decay, with pedestrians hurrying along the streets and a sense of oppressive tension permeating the air.

"Young master, the person we're here to recruit... is that senior disciple of the Armored Sect, Dian Qing?"

The Snow Maiden looked at Qin Chuan, a hint of doubt in her icy blue eyes.

She had heard of this commander of a thousand men in the Wei army, whose martial arts skills were unparalleled and who was known as "with a head of bronze and arms of iron, unharmed in a hundred battles," and was a banner of the Wei army.

How could someone so loyal to the State of Wei possibly defect to the State of Qin, which was about to be at war with them?

"It was him."

Qin Chuan's gaze was calm, as if he had already seen through everything.

The two arrived at Dianqing's residence in the west of the city. Before they even entered, they heard a fierce argument coming from inside, or rather, a one-sided shouting match.

"Dian Qing! You coward! You ungrateful wretch! Our master died under mysterious circumstances, and you, leading your fellow disciples from the Armored Sect, continue to be a lackey of that muddle-headed King Wei! How can you face our master's spirit in heaven?!"

A woman's angry voice boomed like a machine gun, filled with disappointment and raging fury.

She was Mei San Niang, Dian Qing's junior sister, who also came from the Armored Sect and had a fiery and strong personality.

Inside the courtyard, Dian Qing, a man of imposing stature and as majestic as an iron tower, stood silently, like a weathered rock.

He lowered his head, his entire body covered by heavy armor, revealing only a face full of complex emotions—pain, helplessness, and deep forbearance.

Faced with his junior sister's accusations, he clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white, but he remained silent.

Seeing his appearance, Mei San Niang became even angrier and wanted to continue her angry rant.

Just then, Qin Chuan, accompanied by Xue Nu, slowly stepped into the courtyard.

"It was not King Wei who killed your master."

Qin Chuan's voice was calm and even, yet it was like an ice cube thrown into boiling oil, instantly bringing the argument in the courtyard to an abrupt halt.

Dian Qing suddenly looked up, his face revealing undisguised shock for the first time, staring intently at Qin Chuan.

Mei San Niang was also stunned. Her angry expression froze on her face as she looked suspiciously at the unfamiliar man in black and the stunningly beautiful woman with a cold demeanor beside him.

Qin Chuan's gaze swept over the two of them, and he continued:

"The real culprit is Wei Yong, the former Grand Minister of Works of Wei. He plotted to frame your master, and the King of Wei was merely going along with it."

These words were like a thunderclap!

Dian Qing's body trembled violently!

The cruel truth that he had buried deep in his heart and dared not even tell his closest junior sister was so easily revealed by a complete stranger!

Mei San Niang was struck dumb, frozen in place. She had always believed that the Prince of Wei had killed her master, so she hated her senior brother who was loyal to the Prince of Wei to the core.

But now... she's actually wronged her senior brother for so many years?

She looked at Dian Qing, her senior brother's silent figure, which was as solid as a mountain, but now her eyes were filled with indescribable grievances and heaviness!