Reborn in Hollywood

In 212 BC, Xiang Yu was not yet famous.

He was just a young man following in the footsteps of his uncle Xiang Liang, wandering around the Chu region, evading the pursuit of the Qin army.

When Li Rui found them, the uncle and nephew were hiding in a remote village.

Xiang Liang was discussing matters with several elders inside the house, while Xiang Yu was practicing his swordsmanship outside.

At the age of twenty, Xiang Yu was eight feet tall and strong enough to lift a tripod. A long sword flew up and down in his hand, exuding a fierce and imposing aura.

Li Rui stood not far away, watching him practice his sword.

Xiang Yu quickly discovered him.

"Who are you?"

Xiang Yu sheathed his sword, staring at Li Rui with a look of vigilance in his eyes.

Li Rui didn't say anything.

He simply walked step by step toward Xiang Yu.

Xiang Yu's brows furrowed more and more deeply.

"Stop right there! Take another step and I won't be so polite!"

Li Rui didn't stop.

Xiang Yu thrust his longsword straight at Li Rui.

Li Rui dodged to the side, and at the same time activated [Force Push and Pull]. Xiang Yu felt a tremendous force strike him, and his whole body was lifted into the air.

"What?!"

Before he could react, his body was pulled into the air by an invisible force.

Ten meters. Twenty meters. Thirty meters.

Xiang Yu looked down and saw the ground receding into the distance, houses turning into matchboxes, and human figures becoming ants.

His face was deathly pale.

"Who—who are you?!"

Li Rui stood on the ground, looking up at Xiang Yu in the sky.

Thirty meters in the air, Xiang Yu's body hung there, motionless.

Li Rui raised his hand.

Then he swung it downwards with a sudden motion.

Xiang Yu's body crashed to the ground like a stone from a height of thirty meters.

boom!

A loud bang.

The ground was smashed into a large crater, and smoke and dust filled the air.

Xiang Liang rushed out of the house and was stunned by what he saw.

Inside the pit, Xiang Yu's body was twisted into a bizarre shape, blood flowing from his seven orifices, and he was no longer breathing.

Xiang Liang rushed to the edge of the pit, his hand trembling as he reached out and felt Xiang Yu's pulse.

It's cold.

died.

He suddenly raised his head and looked at Li Rui, his eyes filled with grief, indignation and fear.

"Who...who are you?! Why did you kill him?!"

Li Rui looked at him, his face expressionless.

"Because he was Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, one of the most powerful generals in history."

Li Rui's tone was icy, "But he was cruel. Every time he conquered a city, he would massacre the inhabitants. Hundreds, even millions of innocent people would die at his hands."

Xiang Liang was stunned.

"What...what are you talking about? What Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu? What massacre of a city?"

Li Rui did not explain.

"Although you are Xiang Yu's uncle, you are just a mediocre person."

After saying that, Li Rui turned and left, saying, "As long as Xiang Yu is not around, your rebellion will end sooner or later."

Xiang Liang stood there, watching his figure disappear into the night, without moving for a long time.

That night, Xiang Yu died.

He died at the hands of an unknown person.

He died when he was twenty, before he became famous.

No one knows who killed him.

Xiang Liang later attempted to rebel, but without Xiang Yu, he was no match for the Qin army.

He died on the battlefield less than two years later.

After killing Xiang Yu, Li Rui returned to that remote little village, found an empty house, and went to sleep.

He is tired.

It's not physical exhaustion, it's mental exhaustion.

Xiang Yu was the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, a famous historical general, and a hero admired by countless people.

But in Li Rui's eyes, he was just a butcher.

A butcher who killed countless civilians.

The people who were massacred by Xiang Yu are only mentioned in one line in history books—"massacre" or "bury alive".

But Li Rui knew that behind those words were hundreds of thousands of living, breathing people.

They also have families, dreams, and a desire to live.

Why should they die?

Just because Xiang Yu wanted to become a hegemon?

Li Rui closed his eyes.

He recalled the posts he had seen online in his previous life, those posts that idolized Xiang Yu, those posts that boasted about his "strength to uproot mountains and his spirit to cover the world".

Did they ever consider how many people were killed by Xiang Yu's "strength to uproot mountains"?

They don't care.

They only care about heroes.

Li Rui smiled slightly.

That smile contained mockery, but also a hint of inexplicable relief.

"You don't care, but I do."

He muttered to himself.

"I'm an ordinary citizen in my past life, and I'm still an ordinary citizen in this life. I hate those beasts who don't treat ordinary people like human beings! No matter how famous they are, it's all bullshit."

He turned over and closed his eyes.

"Kill them if you want, who cares?"

Then he fell asleep.

When he opened his eyes again, sunlight streamed in through the gap in the curtains and fell on the bed.

Los Angeles, Malibu.

Li Rui stared blankly at the ceiling, the sound of soft breathing coming from beside him.

He turned his head.

Jessica was lying on her side, fast asleep, her hair spread out on the pillow.

Li Rui looked at her face and took a deep breath.

"Hero" is scheduled to be released at the end of this year, and there is absolutely no way Li Rui will have the opportunity to take on this role.

Putting aside the fact that the country across the Pacific is still in the early stages of developing its film industry, even more than a decade from now, there is no reason to allow a mixed-race face to appear in a semi-fictional historical film.

Even if such a possibility were to arise, Li Rui would never agree to it—just look at another of Zhang Yimou's films; Matt Damon has been the subject of Hollywood ridicule for many years.

Jessica rolled over, mumbled something, and fell asleep again.

Li Rui smiled and put his arm around her waist.

"Go to sleep," he said softly.

After putting Jessica to sleep, Li Rui summoned the control panel, wanting to see what he had gained in the world of "Heroes".

[Heroes: Available Items]

I. Swordplay

[One kill every ten steps]

Price: $1,500,000

Description: The nameless sword technique, honed over ten years of rigorous training, guarantees a fatal strike within ten steps. Its speed is so fast that water droplets seem to stand still in mid-air. This sword technique not only pursues speed but also emphasizes precision—it can pierce the target without causing death. It requires strong focus and killing intent to use.

Limitation: It can only exert its maximum power within a ten-step range; its effect decreases beyond that range.

【Thirteen Forms of the Broken Sword】

Price: $1,500,000

Description: The unique swordsmanship of the Zhao assassin Broken Sword incorporates calligraphy into his swordplay. His swordsmanship flows like clouds and water, unpredictable and ever-changing. When Broken Sword combines this swordsmanship with the Flying Snow Twin Swords, its power is multiplied. The swordsmanship contains a profound understanding of the word "world".

Limitations: A certain understanding of calligraphy is required to unleash its true power; it can be used in conjunction with the Flying Snow Sword Technique.

【Flying Snow Sword Technique】

……

【Twin swords united. Lingering snow reflecting the moon】

……

Sword of Will

Price: $1,500,000

Description: Using willpower to drive sword intent, one can injure the enemy without actually drawing the sword. In the battle between Nameless and Sky in the chess hall, though outwardly they remained motionless, the outcome was already decided in their minds.

Limitations: Requires extremely high mental concentration and consumes a great deal of mental energy.

[Sword Qi Condensed into Silk]

……

II. Gun Techniques

【Silver Spear in the Sky】

Price: $1,500,000

Description: The unique spear technique of Chang Kong, an assassin from the Zhao state. His silver spear moves like a dragon, sweeping and powerful. Chang Kong believes himself to be invincible, capable of charging in and out of the Qin palace seven times with ease, wielding his silver spear.

Limitations: Requires use with a long spear; most powerful in open areas.

[Master of both spear and sword]

……

[The Intent of the Breaking Formation Spear]

……

III. Internal Kung Fu Techniques

【Sword Heart Clear and Bright】

Price: $1,500,000

Description: The mental cultivation method that Wuming comprehended after ten years of sword practice, severing all attachments, leaving only the sword and revenge in his heart. Only with this mental cultivation method can one achieve the skill of killing in ten steps.

Limitation: You must maintain a pure state of mind; emotional attachments will affect the results.

[Killing Intent Sensing]

Price: $1,500,000

……

The Realm Without Swords

……

[The Realm of Non-Killing]

Price: $1,500,000

Description: The highest realm of swordsmanship is "No sword in hand, no sword in heart. Thus, one has a broad mind that embraces everything; that is non-killing, that is peace." This is the ultimate realm that the King of Qin and Broken Sword realized.

Limitations: This is a one-time use skill. Once used, it can completely resolve a life-or-death battle at a crucial moment, rendering the opponent incapable of killing without requiring any physical intervention. It requires a long period of mental reflection after use before it can be reactivated.

IV. Artistic Conception and Insight

【天下 (Tianxia)】

Price: $1,500,000

Description: The profound truth Broken Sword gleaned from his arduous practice of calligraphy and swordsmanship—"The World." Personal hatred and grudges pale in comparison to "The World." Those who possess this insight can view issues from a higher perspective when facing crucial choices.

Limitations: Passive skill, can be triggered at crucial moments, influencing decision-making. Limited number of uses per lifetime.

Sacrificing oneself for righteousness

……

[A vow of life and death]

……

Arrows rain down to bury heroes.

……

V. Special Items

[Broken Sword's Handwritten Character "Sword"]

Price: $1,500,000

Description: The giant character "sword" written by Broken Sword in a fit of rage when he was besieged by the Qin army in the library. This character embodies Broken Sword's lifelong insights into swordsmanship and his reflections on the world. Hanging it in one's residence can enhance the speed of swordsmanship comprehension.

Limitation: It requires meditation and contemplation to be effective.

The True Meaning of Zhao State Calligraphy

……

[Qin Palace Ultimatum]

……

Total: US$83,500,000

Li Rui stared at the string of numbers on the panel, his lips twitching.

Eighty-three million five hundred thousand.

It's a bit cheaper than the Star Wars items, but not by much.

Several skills among them particularly appealed to him—the "Ten Steps One Kill" ultimate move, whether in reality or the movie world, was simply a game-changer.

Unfortunately, it requires the internal energy cultivation technique [Sword Heart Clarity], and the limitations of the technique are something Li Rui absolutely cannot overcome.

Therefore, although this ability is good, it is not suitable for Li Rui.

There's also the "Realm of Non-Killing," which is practically the strongest "verbal attack" in the world!

A major battle can be averted with just a few words. Are you scared yet?

Even Naruto has to call him "Big Brother" when he comes!

After looking around for a while, Li Rui realized that there were only two items he could buy.

One of them is the "Sword of Will," which allows you to engage in combat in the mental world beforehand, ensuring you remain undefeated regardless of victory or defeat.

The other item is the "Sword Character in Broken Sword's Handwriting". This calligraphy only needs to be hung on the wall, and Li Rui can sit quietly and contemplate it to improve his speed of comprehending sword techniques.

Li Rui ultimately purchased both items, increasing his debt by five million while the information on his control panel began updating rapidly—