Chinese animation: Starting with Bad Guys

Chi Li smiled bitterly: "The women of Falling Flower Cave have been bewitched by the legend of the cave god, viewing all men in the world as enemies. Even I..."

"That's easy!" Fresh Ginseng's eyes lit up, and he clapped his hands, saying, "You two can just dress up as women!"

"No way!" Qin Chuan and Chi Li said in unison, their expressions turning grim.

Chi Meng covered her mouth and chuckled, her eyes curving into crescents: "Young man would definitely look good in a skirt!"

Qin Chuan glanced at her helplessly, then turned serious and said, "It seems I'll have to make do for now."

He looked up at the faint outline of the mountains in the distance.

In the original timeline, the woman from the Fallen Flower Cave mistook the Corpse Ancestor Hou Qing for the cave god, which allowed the main characters to pass through safely.

With his looks being slightly better than Hou Qing's, he should be able to do it, right?

"No, no!" Chi Meng immediately clung to his arm like a little animal guarding its food. "One Xiao Xiao is troublesome enough, but there are hundreds or even thousands of beautiful older sisters in Luohua Cave!"

Qin Chuan chuckled and gently pinched the tip of her nose: "Don't worry, I only need to use the name of the Cave God to correct their values, and they will let go of their obsessions."

Chi Meng pouted, wanting to object, but Xian Shen suddenly turned his head, his gaze shooting like lightning towards the withered tree not far away: "Little brat, you've been hiding there listening for so long, aren't you coming out?"

Behind the withered tree, a tall, slender figure slowly emerged. With long, silver-white hair and an indigo robe, it was You Chuan. His face was paler than usual, and the dark circles under his eyes were like ink, clearly indicating he hadn't slept for many days.

"What are you doing here again?" Chi Meng's voice turned cold instantly. She released Qin Chuan's arm and took a step forward. "You still want to assassinate my father for Wu Wangba?"

You Chuan's lips trembled, and a deep pain flashed in his eyes: "The Witch King has ordered the entire Raojiang to hunt you down. I'm just here to remind you..."

"I don't need your fake kindness!"

Chi Meng interrupted him, her eyes burning with anger:

"If you hadn't helped Wu Wangba gather people to plot a rebellion, my father wouldn't have suffered so much! If you hadn't helped Wu Wangba blow up the Longquan Underground Palace, my brother wouldn't have fought to the death with the Bad Commander and ended up seriously injured!"

Every word was like a knife chilled to the bone, piercing You Chuan's heart.

He lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes casting a shadow on his face: "Chi Meng..."

"Don't call my name!" Chi Meng shouted sharply, suddenly lunging forward and flashing her right hand in front of You Chuan.

As she stepped back, a small, shimmering stone appeared in her palm.

You Chuan's expression changed drastically, and he subconsciously covered his chest—it was the stone Gu he had carried with him since childhood, which Chi Meng had given him as a prank when he was a child.

Over the years, he has always cherished it as a memento of their friendship.

Chi Meng closed her five fingers, and the stone turned into dust in her palm, scattering with the wind.

"Get out!" she said coldly, turning away from him.

You Chuan stood frozen in place, as if all his strength had been drained away.

He looked at Chi Li, who only sighed and shook his head; he looked at Qin Chuan, whose eyes showed sympathy, but who did not offer any words of advice.

Finally, he gazed deeply at Chi Meng's retreating figure, then turned and left, his back looking as forlorn as a lone, abandoned goose.

As we walked through a dense birch forest, a rich floral fragrance suddenly filled the air, as sweet as if it were soaked in honey.

At the end of the road, a village converted from a natural stone cave came into view. Colorful prayer flags hung at the village gate, fluttering in the wind like countless tiny flags whispering a story.

"Friends from afar, I am Qianwu, and Luohua Cave welcomes you all."

The sound was like a clear spring flowing over a rocky stream, pleasant and melodious.

A beautiful woman in a red gauze dress stood in front of the village gate, followed by more than a dozen women dressed in the same way. Each of them was slender and graceful, with veils covering most of their faces, revealing only their eyes as clear as autumn water.

Chi Meng muttered softly, "Little brother, they don't seem to regard you as the cave god..."

Qin Chuan smiled slightly: "I'll take a bath and change my clothes."

He patted Chi Meng's hand, his eyes full of certainty.

Qianwu led the four people into the village.

The interior of Luohua Cave is much larger than it appears from the outside. Countless rooms and passages have been carved into the stone walls, and the cave is adorned with flowers and colorful ribbons everywhere.

The air was filled with a sweet, cloying fragrance, so strong that it made one's eyelids heavy and drowsy.

"Please rest first, we'll talk more later."

Qianwu led Qin Chuan and Chi Li to a stone chamber, while Xian Can and Chi Meng were taken elsewhere.

In the center of the stone chamber is a hot spring pool, with steam rising like mist.

Chi Li looked around warily: "This is clearly a prison cell."

Qin Chuan nodded: "They're being polite on the surface, but they're actually on guard. But it's perfect, I need this hot spring."

He took off his clothes, revealing his muscular upper body, stepped into the hot spring, and let out a long sigh of relief as the hot water washed over his chest.

An hour later, a completely transformed Qin Chuan stood in the main hall of Luohua Cave.

His wet, black hair cascaded over his shoulders, and a blue robe accentuated his handsome face and refined features.

He didn't deliberately strike any pose; he just stood there casually, yet it was as if a radiance emanated from within him, so dazzling that people couldn't look away.

The hall fell silent instantly, so quiet you could hear a breath. All the women of the Falling Flower Cave were drawn to him like magnets.

The silver cup in Qianwu's hand clattered to the ground, splashing wine onto her skirt, but she was completely unaware.

Chi Meng proudly puffed out her chest, but couldn't help giving those women a sour glare.

"Lord Cave God..." a young cave maiden murmured, tears welling up in her eyes.

Qin Chuan walked slowly toward Qianwu, each step feeling like he was stepping on the hearts of all the women.

He stopped in front of Qianwu, his voice low and gentle, like a spring breeze brushing across a lake: "Master of Qianwu Cave, do you know that the cave god you are waiting for is never outside?"

Qianwu seemed to awaken from a dream, and hurriedly knelt down: "Please enlighten me, Lord Cave God!"

"The true god resides in your hearts." Qin Chuan reached out to help you up. "Get up, there's no need to kneel before me. I'm just here to tell you that women are not born to wait for someone to marry them, but to choose the life they want."

His voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.

For the next hour, Qin Chuan, in the name of the Cave God, spoke words that were most contrary to superstition.

He talked about the changes in the outside world, and how women could also study, practice martial arts, practice medicine, do business, and do anything they wanted.

The fervor in Qianwu's eyes gradually faded, replaced by a new light.

As Qin Chuan finished speaking, she bowed deeply: "Thank you, Cave God... Thank you for your guidance, sir. We women of Falling Flower Cave have indeed been trapped by our obsessions for far too long."

As they left, Chi Meng skipped and hopped ahead, occasionally turning back to make faces at Qin Chuan.

Chi Li and Xian Shen walked in the middle, whispering to each other.

Qin Chuan was walking at the back when he suddenly felt something and turned around to look.

Qianwu stood in front of the village gate, bowed to him from afar, and her lips moved slightly as if she were saying something.

Qin Chuan smiled slightly, nodded in acknowledgment, and turned to follow his companion.

The heat in Huagu was far beyond what I had imagined.

As soon as I stepped into the valley, a wave of heat pressed down on me like an invisible wall, making my skin feel like it was on fire, as if I had fallen into a furnace.

The valley was barren, with only bare red rocks that gleamed blindingly in the sunlight.

"Little brother, is this really the secluded retreat of the Twelve Caves?" Chi Meng wiped the sweat from her forehead, her face flushed red from the heat. "I'm afraid even insects couldn't survive here."

Qin Chuan stood in the middle of the valley, closed his eyes and sensed for a moment, then suddenly chuckled: "It's just an illusion."

He raised his right hand and snapped his fingers crisply.

In an instant, the air rippled like water, and the scene before our eyes began to distort and change.

The red rocks have faded, replaced by a lush, verdant valley with streams and farmland in the distance, and wisps of smoke rising from chimneys, carrying the warmth of everyday life.

"This..." Chi Li stared in shock at the scene before him, "The illusions of the Twelve Caves have become so sophisticated!"

Xiancan squinted: "Interesting. They actually used the natural heat of Huagu Valley to distort light and create a mirage. The Twelve Caves haven't wasted these years."

Qin Chuan took the lead and stepped forward. The four of them walked towards that paradise, their figures gradually blending into the green hills and clear waters.

Far behind them, a silver-haired figure stood silently, gazing in that direction, his eyes swirling with indescribable emotions, like shattered stars, their brightness dull and lifeless.

Chapter 111 Which Qin Chuan?

In the Twelve Caves, the stream meanders along the bluestone path, its tinkling sound echoing across the fields on both banks.

An unidentified purple crop grows on the ridge, its broad leaves swaying gently in the wind, like scattered purple stars.

Several Dong people dressed in indigo short jackets were working at their backs. When they saw someone coming, they only glanced at them briefly, without even lifting their eyelids properly, before burying themselves back in the fields.

That air of leisure made it seem as if the world's troubles had never touched their clothes.

"The location has changed, but the layout inside is still the same."

As Xiancan gazed at the village with its scattered bamboo houses in the distance, a soft sigh escaped his throat, his voice carrying a hint of wistful longing for home.

For her, Twelve Caves was ultimately a home etched into her very bones.

Chi Meng was kicking pebbles when she suddenly noticed her mother's fingers, hanging from her sleeves, trembling slightly. She quickly jumped over and took Xiancan's arm, deliberately making the silver ornaments in her hair jingle.

"It looks pretty much like the Cave of Ten Thousand Poisons!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a figure strolled towards the end of the bamboo bridge ahead.

He was around sixty years old, wearing a faded linen long gown, with a string of animal bone bells hanging from his waist, jingling as he walked.

Although his hair was white, it was neatly combed, and his wrinkles on his face showed his spirit. He was holding a dozing little yellow dog in his arms, looking just like an old farmer taking a walk on the edge of a field.

The old man's gaze swept over the four men, lingering on Xian Shen's face for a moment before his expression changed slightly. He then sighed, "Now that you're back, don't go out again. I'll plead with the chieftain."

“Uncle…” Fresh ginseng’s eyes were slightly hot. He was about to speak when the old man waved his hand to interrupt him.

“Everyone in the village understands that what happened back then wasn’t your fault.” His voice deepened, tinged with helplessness. “What the Bad Commander wanted, who in the world could stop him?”

The old man waved his hand, his fingertips tracing the bone bell: "These past ten years of separation from my family have been painful enough. But rules are rules, and no one can change them."

His gaze passed over the ginseng and Chi Li, landing on Chi Meng, a smile playing at the corners of his eyes:

"This girl must be your daughter, right? She looks just like you when you were little, but your taste is much better than yours. What's your name, little one?"

"Greetings, Uncle! I am Chi Meng!" Chi Meng replied crisply, the silver ornaments in her hair jingling with each movement.

Chi Li felt awkward listening from the side, but could only pretend not to hear the veiled sarcasm in the word "discerning eye".