Chinese animation: Starting with Bad Guys

Qin Chuan sat there, watching Jing Ke disappear into the gloom around the street corner, his brows furrowed.

"As expected... Ji Dan must still possess something that can restrain Jing Ke, even forcing him to fight to the death. What could it be?" His mind raced. "Li Ji? Or... some other, more deadly secret?"

Jing Ke's sudden and intense reaction, especially the undisguised pain he showed when mentioning Li Ji, deepened Qin Chuan's suspicions.

He slowly got up and walked out of the tavern.

The sky over Xianyang was filled with low-hanging leaden clouds, as if foreshadowing an impending storm.

The plot to assassinate the King of Qin lurked like a venomous snake, and behind Jing Ke's determination to die, there seemed to be an even deeper darkness hidden.

Qin Chuan knew that he had to find out the truth behind this as soon as possible, and at the same time, he had to make full preparations for the impending storm in Xianyang Palace.

Chapter 57 The Despicable and Shameless Ji Dan

Jing Ke's resolute yet tragic figure weighed heavily on Qin Chuan's heart like a lead weight.

Ji Dan must possess a fatal weakness that could make Jing Ke give up his life, or even his beloved!

This cannot be explained simply by the saying "a scholar will die for one who understands him".

Upon returning to his residence, Qin Chuan immediately summoned the highest-ranking person in charge of the Bad Guys organization in Xianyang.

Having been tempered on the battlefields of Zhao and Wei and developed covertly, this hidden force, which he personally built, has already spread its tentacles deep into the six states.

"At all costs, use all your spies in Ji City of Yan, especially in the Crown Prince's residence. I need to know what methods Ji Dan used to control Jing Ke! In particular... whether it's related to Gongsun Li or any of Jing Ke's other close relatives! We need to act quickly!"

The Bad Guys were extremely efficient. Top-secret intelligence from the core of the Yan Kingdom arrived like cold snowflakes, finally landing on Qin Chuan's desk the same moment Jing Ke entered the Xianyang Palace.

When Qin Chuan unfurled the thin yet heavy secret report, even with his iron will, he couldn't help but gasp and his eyes blazed with fury!

"What a Ji Dan! What a Crown Prince of Yan! You're worse than a beast!"

The intelligence report exposed a meticulously planned, utterly despicable conspiracy:

Several years ago, Ji Dan pretended to host a banquet for Jing Ke.

During the banquet, he deliberately got Jing Ke, who was known for his unrestrained and unconventional nature, drunk. Afterward, he arranged for one of his trusted maids to enter Jing Ke's room.

Afterwards, Ji Dan kept the maid under strict control.

Soon after, the maid actually became pregnant!

When Ji Dan finally confronted Jing Ke, demanding that he carry out the assassination plot against the King of Qin, he looked at Jing Ke meaningfully, patted him on the shoulder, and spoke earnestly:

"Jing Qing, regardless of your success or failure on this journey, you will be a great hero of my Yan Kingdom! I will take care of your wife and children! I will ensure their lifelong wealth and peace!"

The words "wife and children" were like a poisoned dagger, piercing Jing Ke's heart!

He instantly understood Ji Dan's intention—that drunken night was not an accident, and the child in the maid's womb was a noose carefully prepared by Ji Dan to put around his neck!

If he did not attempt to assassinate the Qin emperor, or if he dared to make any unusual moves, his son, whose existence he was unaware of, and that innocent maid would surely die without a burial place!

That phrase, "I will support him," was a blatant threat!

Jing Ke was filled with grief and indignation. He hated Ji Dan's despicable behavior, and even more so, he hated his own carelessness!

But things had come to this point, and in order for his unborn child, whom he had never even met, to survive, he had no other choice!

He could only embark on this doomed path with a heart full of despair and endless guilt towards Li Ji.

The so-called "treat of a national hero" is nothing but poison disguised as honey!

Qin Chuan slammed his fist on the table, and the hard rosewood surface cracked open.

He had never hated anyone so much!

Ji Dan killed his master in his quest for revenge, and now he is using such despicable means to coerce righteous men to their deaths. His wickedness is beyond words!

Qin Chuan dashed out of the study like lightning.

We must stop Jing Ke!

Even if we can't completely avert this assassination attempt, we must save this pitiful person who has been driven to the brink of despair at the last moment, and expose Ji Dan's conspiracy!

However, the palaces of Xianyang were as deep as the sea.

When Qin Chuan sped along, breaking through numerous palace restrictions, and finally arrived at the wide square outside Zhangtai Palace, it was already too late.

A faint smell of blood filled the air.

The atmosphere before the magnificent palace gates was so tense it seemed to freeze. The Imperial Guards stood ready as if facing a formidable enemy, their swords drawn, completely surrounding the center of the square.

In the center of the crowd, Ying Zheng, dressed in a black dragon robe, had a cold and stern expression, but a trace of fear seemed to linger deep in his eyes.

Gai Nie stood beside Ying Zheng, sword in hand, blood still dripping from its tip. His face was expressionless, but his hand holding the sword trembled.

A few steps ahead of Gai Nie, a figure lay sprawled on the cold gold bricks.

His clothes were stained with blood, his long hair was disheveled, and a fatal sword wound on his chest was gushing blood, which quickly spread into a glaring crimson patch beneath him.

The broken rainbow in his hand fell to the side, and the scroll of Dukang map, which concealed deadly intent, also scattered on the ground. The thrilling scene of the map being unrolled and the dagger being revealed had obviously just happened.

Qin Chuan's heart sank.

He saw the look in Jing Ke's eyes when he looked at Ying Zheng for the last time. It was not pure hatred and madness, but rather a complex emotion that was hard to describe.

There is regret for not being able to complete the mission, and there is concern for the blood relatives far away, but it also seems... there is a sense of relief and liberation.

Perhaps at the last moment, when Gai Nie's sword pierced his chest, when the chill of death swept over him, Jing Ke's mind, which had been clouded by hatred and coercion, finally regained a sliver of clarity.

Did he finally realize that even if he succeeded in assassinating the Qin emperor, the world would inevitably descend into greater chaos and bloodshed?

How would his child, his Li Ji, survive in such a chaotic world?

Rather than letting Ji Dan's scheme succeed, perhaps... it's better to end it here?

Qin Chuan couldn't be sure of Jing Ke's last thoughts before he died, but he could sense that Jing Ke didn't die from Gai Nie's sword, but rather from his own despair and some belated realization.

He chose death, which was both a silent resistance to Ji Dan's coercion and perhaps a final compromise with his inability to control his fate.

Ying Zheng's icy voice broke the deathly silence:

"Drag them away! Display their heads in public! Execute the entire Yan delegation! Issue my order: starting today, send troops to attack Yan! Destroy this entire embassy!"

The Imperial Guards responded with a roar and dragged Jing Ke's body forward.

Qin Chuan stood there, watching the bloodstains left by Jing Ke as he was dragged away, watching the fleeting sadness in Gai Nie's eyes as he sheathed his sword, watching Ying Zheng's resolute back as he turned away... A deep sense of powerlessness and anger surged in his chest.

Ji Dan's treacherous scheme ultimately came to a tragic end, at the cost of Jing Ke's blood and the complete destruction of the Yan state.

He turned away silently and left the palace that had just swallowed a life and was about to unleash an even greater bloodbath.

Back at the young master's residence, the atmosphere was oppressive.

The women in the mansion had obviously heard about the shocking events in the palace, and all of them looked solemn.

Feeling frustrated, Qin Chuan went straight to his study, wanting to be alone and have some peace and quiet.

However, he had barely sat down when the study door was suddenly pushed open!

Gongsun Li stumbled in!

Her face was deathly pale, devoid of any color, and her beautiful eyes were filled with bloodshot veins and a despair bordering on collapse!

She was clutching the secret report that Qin Chuan had casually placed on the table tightly in her hand!

Clearly, she had somehow entered the study and seen this intelligence that was enough to destroy all her hopes!

"Young Master!!" Gongsun Li rushed to the desk, her voice trembling with grief, tears streaming down her face like a burst dam. "Is it true?! Jing Ke... he was forced?! He... he has a child who fell into the hands of that beast Ji Dan?!"

She saw every word in the secret report about the maid's pregnancy and Ji Dan's coercion using his "wife and children"!

This was tantamount to stabbing her heart, which had already been torn apart by the death of Jing Ke, in another deep wound!

Looking at the woman before him, who was instantly overwhelmed by immense grief, Qin Chuan felt a heavy weight in his heart as well: "...Yes."

"what--!"

Gongsun Li let out a heart-wrenching cry, her body went limp to the ground, she covered her face with her hands, her shoulders trembled violently, and she sobbed uncontrollably.

The immense grief and the fear of learning that her lover had children who had fallen into enemy hands almost overwhelmed her completely.

After an unknown amount of time, Gongsun Li's crying gradually turned into suppressed sobs.

She suddenly raised her head, looking at Qin Chuan with teary eyes. Those eyes, which were once full of tenderness, were now filled only with desperate resolve and humble pleading.

She suddenly knelt up, her hands trembling, and began to untie the belt around her waist. Her outer robe slipped down, revealing her thin undergarment underneath.

"My lord!" She looked up, tears mingling with despair, her voice trembling with a desperate gamble. "Please! Please save Jing Ke's child! He is his only bloodline! If you promise... Li Ji... Li Ji is willing... willing to give everything to my lord! To be a slave, a servant, to be at your beck and call, even... even..."

She couldn't continue, but stared intently at Qin Chuan with her tear-filled, humiliated yet incredibly determined eyes.

For Jing Ke's child, she was willing to give up everything she had left, including her dignity and her body.

The study was deathly silent.

The air seemed to freeze.

Gongsun Li's actions were filled with a desperate and tragic grandeur.

Qin Chuan's gaze swept over her slipping clothes, over her tear-streaked face, and over her resolute, sacrificial expression.

In the depths of his eyes, there was pity, and an even deeper hatred for Ji Dan, but not a trace of desire.

He slowly rose and walked to Gongsun Li. To Gongsun Li's astonishment, he bent down, not to embrace her, but... to pick up her outer robe that had slipped from the ground.

With steady movements and an undeniable gentle strength, Qin Chuan draped the outer robe back over Gongsun Li's trembling shoulders, gently covering her exposed skin and her desperate, sacrificial intent.

"Put your clothes on." Qin Chuan's voice was deep and clear, carrying a calming power that soothed the storm. "Li Ji, you don't need to do this."

Gongsun Li was stunned, still wearing the outer robe that retained Qin Chuan's warmth, staring blankly at him.

Qin Chuan looked directly into her eyes, his gaze open and firm: "I will save Jing Ke's child."

These words were like a thunderclap, cleaving through the gloom of despair in Gongsun Li's heart!

She stared at Qin Chuan in disbelief, her lips trembling, "What...what did you say?"

"I said," Qin Chuan said, each word firm and resolute, "I will rescue that child. I agree to this."

The overwhelming surprise and unbelievable shock left Gongsun Li speechless for a moment. She abruptly covered her mouth, and tears welled up again, but this time, they were not pure despair, but a mixture of ecstasy and gratitude for surviving a catastrophe.

"As for you," Qin Chuan looked at her, his tone calm yet carrying a reassuring strength, "you don't need to offer yourself, you don't need to be a slave. You are still a guest in this mansion. Stay here and wait for my news."

After saying that, Qin Chuan stopped looking at her, turned around and walked to the window, casting his gaze towards the distant northeastern capital of the Yan Kingdom.