Chinese animation: Starting with Bad Guys

He stood frozen in place, his mind in turmoil.

"Relax, Mr. Gai Nie." Qin Chuan's voice seemed to see through his thoughts, carrying a strange soothing power. "Tianming, this child, was rescued from Prince Dan of Yan by Wei Zhuang on my orders back then, and placed here."

Gai Nie suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with disbelief and shock!

He rescued Tianming? And settled him here? His Majesty… knew all along! And… he was the one who rescued him?

“Back then,” Qin Chuan’s voice deepened, carrying a hint of cold mockery, “Yan Dan threatened Tianming’s life to force Jing Ke to assassinate the King of Qin. Jing Ke valued loyalty and righteousness, and to protect his family, he had no choice but to embark on that path of no return. Yan Dan… was the real culprit who killed Jing Ke.”

"Yan Dan—!"

Gai Nie almost ground his teeth to powder, a surge of overwhelming anger mixed with grief for his best friend instantly rising to his head!

The Abyss Rainbow Sword emitted a deep hum!

He always thought that Jing Ke was willing to die, but he didn't know that there was such despicable coercion behind the scenes!

However, after the anger came an endless sense of powerlessness.

He hissed, "But...but Yan Dan was already personally killed by Xiao Zhuang on the banks of the Yi River when the Yan Kingdom was destroyed..."

"I killed Prince Dan of Yan."

A cold yet familiar voice suddenly rang out.

Wei Zhuang appeared like a ghost in the shadows of the courtyard wall, his Shark Tooth Sword resting casually on his shoulder, his white hair fluttering slightly in the wind.

His golden, vertical pupils swept over Gai Nie, carrying a hint of mockery:

"As for the leader of the Mohist school... 'Dan'? Ha, he's living a very comfortable life, hiding in his tortoise-shell Mohist mechanical city, dreaming of overthrowing Qin and restoring Yan."

Ji Dan, the leader of the Mohist school!

Gai Nie's mind was reeling!

All the clues connected instantly!

Prince Dan of Yan was the leader of the Mohist school!

He's not dead at all! He's been pulling the strings behind the scenes all along!

He used Jing Ke, and now he's using the Mohists to continue his ambitions!

Gai Nie's gaze suddenly shifted to Qin Chuan; he finally understood!

The sovereign borrowed himself from His Majesty, with his aim being to target the core of the Mohist school, led by Ji Dan!

Driven by his overwhelming hatred for Ji Dan and his responsibility to protect Tianming...

"What does Your Majesty need me to do?"

Gai Nie's voice calmed down, yet it contained a power more terrifying than that before a volcanic eruption.

To avenge Jing Ke and to completely eliminate Ji Dan's potential threat to Tianming, he went without hesitation.

"Infiltrate the Mo Family's Mechanical City."

Qin Chuan's words were concise and to the point.

Gai Nie frowned slightly:

"The location of the Mechanized City is secluded and easy to defend. Although I am willing to go there, I do not know its location. Moreover, even if I did know, the Mohists... may not trust me."

He was, after all, the Sword Saint of Qin.

Qin Chuan's lips curled into a meaningful smile:

"You have a unique advantage—you are Jing Ke's best friend. Think about it, what does 'Gai Nie,' who betrayed Qin for the sake of his best friend's orphan and was even relentlessly hunted down by the Empire and the Quicksand, mean to Ji Dan and to those in the Mohist school who miss Jing Ke?"

Gai Nie understood instantly!

Top-tier combat power! The banner of righteousness! Guardians of Jing Ke's bloodline!

In order to win people's hearts and consolidate his position, Ji Dan would inevitably have to "protect" him and "Tianming"!

This would be the perfect identity to infiltrate the core of the Mohist school!

An impeccable...Infernal Affairs!

“This plan is feasible!” A glint flashed in Gai Nie’s eyes, but he then said with concern, “However… it’s dawn…”

"I also do not wish to implicate that child."

Qin Chuan nodded and clapped his hands lightly.

The farmhouse door creaked open, and a lively, smiling "Jing Tianming" ran out. His appearance, demeanor, and even the innocent and carefree spirit he exuded were exactly the same as the real Tianming!

Gai Nie's pupils suddenly contracted!

Even with his keen eyesight, he couldn't spot the flaw for a moment!

"The Black Qilin of Liusha, under Wei Zhuang's command," Qin Chuan said calmly. "He is ever-changing and unpredictable. Playing a child is not difficult for him."

The fake "Tianming" ran to Gai Nie's side, looked up, and revealed an innocent yet sly smile, his voice clear and crisp: "Uncle!"

Gai Nie looked at the lifelike "Tianming" and his last trace of worry vanished.

With this person around, Zhen Tianming's safety is assured.

“In that case, I am willing to go!”

Gai Nie clasped his hands in a fist salute, his tone resolute.

"Very good." Qin Chuan nodded, turning his gaze to Wei Zhuang, who had been observing coldly. "In order to make this 'defection' convincing enough for the Mo family to believe, we need a sufficiently serious manhunt. Lord of Quicksand, it's your turn to step in."

Wei Zhuang's lips curled into a cold, battle-ready smile. His Shark Tooth Sword hummed, and his golden vertical pupils locked onto Gai Nie, his killing intent radiating like a tangible force.

"Chase me? Hmph, you're wrong. I'm not acting."

His voice carried absolute confidence and a fatalistic fervor, "This is the destined duel between the Ghost Valley School! I will find the real opportunity to kill you during the pursuit! Senior brother, this time, I will personally end everything between us!"

Gai Nie sensed Wei Zhuang's undisguised, intense killing intent and fighting spirit, as fiery as volcanic lava, and his eyes sharpened like swords:

"I'm ready to serve you anytime."

Qin Chuan looked at the two destined fellow disciples, and the invisible sword energy in the air had begun to clash fiercely.

He nodded in satisfaction:

"So, this great show is about to begin."

As soon as he finished speaking, Wei Zhuang's figure vanished, leaving only a cold sentence echoing in the wind:

"Senior brother, take that 'kid' and begin your escape. The hunt in the quicksand... has begun!"

Gai Nie took a deep breath, glanced at the "Tianming" beside him who was disguised perfectly, and then looked deeply at the closed window of the farmhouse where the real Tianming was. His eyes became extremely firm.

He grabbed Tianming's hand and hissed, "Let's go!"

Two figures swiftly disappeared into the suburban forest, and a meticulously planned, complex drama, interwoven with hatred, destiny, and the will of the empire, officially began.

Meanwhile, the quicksand lurking in the shadows, like the most deadly venomous snake, has already bared its fangs.

Chapter 69 The Sword Saint Defects, the Mechanical City Appears

The crescent moon, like a hook, hung forlornly above the Crescent Moon Valley on the border of the Qin state.

In the valley, corpses lay strewn about, broken swords and halberds littered the ground, and the intense stench of blood was almost tangible, so strong that even the howling night wind could not dispel it.

Three hundred elite Qin cavalrymen clad in black armor have all been reduced to cold corpses.

Their fatal wounds were mostly clean and swift, either to the throat or the heart, with a precision that was chilling.

In the center of the mountain of corpses and sea of ​​blood, a tall figure leaned on a long sword, breathing heavily.

His clothes were already soaked in blood, making it impossible to tell whether it was from the enemy or his own.

Several deep, bone-revealing wounds twisted and turned grotesquely, the most severe one on his left shoulder, almost severing his collarbone. Blood gushed out, staining the ground beneath his feet red.

His face was as pale as paper, but his hand holding the sword remained steady.

Behind him, a trembling child, his face smeared with blood, clung tightly to his clothes, staring in terror at the hellish scene.

On the distant cliff, two figures were hidden in the shadows, taking in the horrific scene at the bottom of the valley.

"Hiss... What a terrifying sword! One man and one sword, and he slaughtered three hundred elite cavalrymen! Is this the power of Sword Saint Gai Nie?"

The master of the Mohist mechanical engineering class gasped, his voice filled with shock.

Beside him, the leader of the Mohist school, draped in a wide cloak that concealed his entire face, remained silent, only his eyes, hidden in the shadows, gleaming with a complex and unfathomable light.

His gaze was fixed on the child behind Gai Nie.

"Master, that child...could it be...?"

Master Ban asked tentatively, his voice extremely low.

"What could make Gai Nie betray the tyrannical Qin emperor Ying Zheng, bear the crime of treason, and protect him even with his severely wounded body..."

The leader of the Mohist school spoke in a deep, hoarse voice, tinged with a barely perceptible excitement:

"Who else could it be but the orphan of the Jing Ke brothers?"

He was almost certain that it was Jing Ke's son.

Upon hearing this, Master Ban's expression also became solemn:

"Should we... intervene? Mr. Gai Nie is too badly injured, I'm afraid..."

"No rush. Gai Nie's identity is special, and his defection will have a huge impact."

The leader of the Mohist school raised his hand to stop him, his tone regaining its usual composure and calculation:

"Ying Zheng will never let this go. If we act rashly now, we may not only expose ourselves, but also push the Mohists to the opposite side of the empire, inviting a thunderous strike. Moreover, since Gai Nie was able to break through the encirclement, he must have a backup plan or reinforcements."

He paused, his eyes deep. "We need a more secure opportunity, one that will make Gai Nie willing and give the Mohists a legitimate reason to accept them."

The news that Gai Nie had single-handedly slaughtered three hundred elite Qin soldiers in the Crescent Moon Valley and defected from the empire was like a thunderclap, instantly shaking the entire imperial court!

Inside Zhangtai Palace, the atmosphere was as oppressive as the deathly stillness before a storm.

Ying Zheng sat high on the imperial throne, his face beneath the black crown so gloomy it seemed to drip water.

He slammed a blood-stained military report onto the ground with a loud "thud!"

"Three hundred men! A full three hundred elite Qin cavalry! And they can't even take down a wounded Gai Nie carrying a child?!"