Chinese animation: Starting with Bad Guys

He turned to the younger-looking man in black robes beside him: "Eleven."

The eleventh chieftain responded, his voice carrying a barely perceptible tension.

"The matter the young marshal mentioned is now entrusted to you."

As soon as he finished speaking, the stone chamber fell silent except for the soft crackling of the burning coals, the delicate popping sounds echoing among the twelve figures in black robes.

Even Li Kan and the eleven chieftains held their breath, their chests barely rising and falling beneath their black robes—everyone knew that the chief chieftain was the one among the twelve chieftains who most adhered to ancestral precepts and disliked getting involved with the outside world.

It's unbelievable that he agreed so easily today.

Qin Chuan cupped his hands in greeting, turned around, and with steady steps, quietly withdrew from the stone chamber as he had come, as if he had never broken the silence here.

As soon as he left, all the village chiefs looked at the chief, their eyes filled with questions.

The chieftain's hand, which was holding prayer beads, paused in mid-air. A soft sigh escaped from deep within his hood, mingling with the warmth of the campfire yet carrying an icy melancholy: "The Yanhuang clan truly produces many outstanding individuals..."

"In the past three hundred years, first there was the 'Bad Marshal' Yuan Tiangang, and now there's the 'Young Marshal' Qin Chuan. I'm afraid my old bones will never be able to reach the level they've set foot in again..."

Upon hearing this, all the chieftains felt a jolt in their hearts, as if struck by a heavy hammer. They suddenly remembered that the last time the chief chieftain broke the rules was many years ago—when a masked man wearing a bamboo hat quietly visited, none other than the Bad Commander Yuan Tiangang.

It turns out that this young marshal was truly as cold as ice!

Another forbidden area in the Twelve Caves is the stone cave where the secret techniques of the God of War and the Strange Altar are located.

A young hand was trembling against the stone wall, the knuckles white from the force, as if trying to embed itself into the cold rock.

The night wind blew, the dark clouds dispersed, and the moonlight shone down, illuminating You Chuan's handsome face.

His eyes were empty, like a puppet whose soul had been taken away, even his eyelashes seemed to be filled with death.

After an unknown amount of time, You Chuan suddenly trembled all over, as if he had been pulled out of ice water.

"Godfather..."

A scene suddenly flashed into his mind: he was confronting Chi Li, and Chi Li, instead of getting angry, patted him on the shoulder with a meaningful expression.

It was at that time that Chi Li cast a spell on him!

He was manipulated by Chi Li and walked step by step into the Twelve Caves, where he found the insect technique in the secret method of the God of War's Strange Altar for Chi Li!

"No--!"

You Chuan roared, his voice filled with blood-red regret, and his figure blurred into a streak as he vanished into the air. He wanted to stop Chi Li's madness, and more importantly, he wanted to atone for the mistakes he had made!

On a distant hillside, two figures stood silently, watching the receding silhouette.

It was Qin Chuan and Chi Li.

"The magical altars that Chi Li has crafted over the years are scattered throughout Raojiang, making them too troublesome to clean up. Let him gather them in the Ten Thousand Poison Cave, then we can wipe them all out in one fell swoop, saving us a lot of effort."

Qin Chuan watched the departing figure, a faint smile playing on his lips:

"This will also make Brother You Chuan completely give up on him."

How could Chi Li's actions on You Chuan possibly escape his notice?

"No wonder you had the Twelve Caves gather manpower; it turns out they're here to do hard labor."

Chi Li shook his head and chuckled, but his eyes held a hint of approval.

His junior is not only incredibly skilled, but also surpasses his master in cunning.

To him, the world seemed like nothing more than a game of chess where pieces were randomly placed.

But unlike that great general, this young general's chess skills conceal a heart that beats for all the people of the world.

Chapter 113 The Knife That Sends You On Your Way!

Inside the Great Stronghold of the Ten Thousand Poisons Cave, the damp air was filled with the stench of decay and poison.

Dark green vines climbed the stone wall, casting twisted shadows in the torchlight, like countless struggling arms.

You Chuan stood in the center of the stronghold, the curved knife in his hand gleaming coldly in the firelight, the tip of the blade only an inch away from Chi Li's throat.

"As father and son, must things really come to this?"

Chi Li's voice was hoarse like sandpaper, and his wrinkled face showed no fear, only a chilling calm.

You Chuan's hands were trembling, and his knuckles were white from exerting too much force.

He remembered the first time he held this knife when he was ten years old. Chi Li stood behind him, his rough, large hand covering his small hand, teaching him how to wield the knife.

"The sword is a weapon of protection, Chuan'er," Chi Li said then, "We will use it to protect the peace of Raojiang."

You Chuan's gaze swept over the villagers chained up in the corner of Dazhai. They were emaciated and had empty eyes; they were living materials captured to refine the God of War altar.

Screams of agony echoed from outside the village; the failed test subjects were being disposed of.

You've been lying to me all along!

You Chuan's voice shattered the silence, like a volcano that had been suppressed for many years finally erupting.

Chi Li slowly raised his hand, which was withered and thin, with strange purple patterns covering his skin.

Yu Chuan instinctively took half a step back, but the blade remained completely still.

"Chuan'er, come back to your godfather's side."

Chi Li's voice suddenly softened, sounding like the tone he used years ago when he coaxed him to drink bitter medicine:

"I am in the Cave of Ten Thousand Poisons. Now that you have returned with merit, I will clear your name for you before everyone."

"Impossible!" You Chuan suddenly swung away Chi Li's outstretched hand, the blade drawing a silver arc in the air.

Chi Li sighed, a sigh tinged with genuine weariness:

"Your father is old and frail. The future of the Ten Thousand Poison Cave and the entire Rao Jiang depends on you. You must face reality; in the Holy Maiden's eyes, you are nothing but a traitor."

He stepped forward, the blade already pressed against his skin, leaving a thin line of blood.

"Come back! Join your father in washing away the humiliation of Maple Leaf Village and avenging it!"

You Chuan's hand fell limply to his side, the blade leaving Chi Li's throat.

A barely perceptible smile appeared on Chi Li's lips, a smile that reminded You Chuan of the posture of a venomous snake when its prey lowers its guard.

The next moment, You Chuan's curved blade pierced Chi Li's dantian with lightning speed.

"I'm no longer your adopted son..."

You Chuan's voice was low and resolute, but it quickly turned into astonishment.

The "Chi Li" in front of him began to twist and deform, its skin cracking and peeling off like tree bark, revealing the wooden interior underneath—it was actually a meticulously crafted puppet!

The real Chi Li sat upright on a stone throne atop the high platform, clad in a black robe, his eyes gleaming with a cold light.

"Impulsiveness..." Chi Li's voice came from all directions, carrying an eerie echo: "If I were to place a twin miasma upon you, sharing your fate, wouldn't this strike have sealed your own fate?"

Before You Chuan could react, two dark figures broke through the walls on both sides of the stronghold.

Amidst the flying sawdust, he recognized the faces of the newcomers and was instantly struck dumb – it was Hua Fuzi and Gui Tou Yao, who had already died in the Central Plains!

These conjoined brothers, who had been killed by Qin Chuan at Longhu Mountain, now stood unharmed before him, though their eyes had lost their human sparkle, replaced by the ferocity of wild beasts.

"How is that possible?!"

Yu Chuan's shock slowed his movements by half a beat.

Flower Bat and Ghost Head were several times faster than they were in life, and in the blink of an eye they pinned him against the wooden wall.

You Chuan mobilized all his inner energy to try to break free, but found that the brothers were incredibly strong, and his resistance was like an ant trying to shake a tree.

Chi Li slowly descended from the high platform, his black robe trailing on the ground with a rustling sound, like a venomous snake slithering through fallen leaves.

"I pity you, but it's a pity you've disappointed me time and time again."

He stopped in front of You Chuan, his withered fingers lifting You Chuan's chin:

"In your heart, I am a villain. But do you know that in the hearts of the Holy Maiden and the others, you are also a villain?"

Anger flared in You Chuan's eyes, but Chi Li's words were like a bucket of ice water poured over him:

"No, you've always been a villain. From the Ten Thousand Poison Cave incident to the imprisonment of the Gu King, from the destruction of the Dragon Spring Palace to the imminent forging of the God of War... which of these things, which you now consider utterly evil, haven't you been involved in?"

Every word felt like a knife stabbing into You Chuan's heart. Yes, he was the executor of those evil deeds, and some of them he even personally planned.

At the time, he thought it was for the stability of Raojiang, but now he realizes that he is just a pawn on Chili's chessboard.

You Chuan roared and struggled, but Hua Fuzi and Gui Tou Yao's hands remained as still as iron clamps.

Chi Li took You Chuan's curved sword from his sleeve. The blade gleamed with an ominous red light in the firelight, as if it had already drunk blood.

"You have a kind heart, yet you commit countless evil deeds, and then you put on an act as if you bear everything alone."

He lightly sliced ​​You Chuan's cheek with the tip of the knife, leaving a small bloody mark:

"What did you gain in the end? It's laughable that you betrayed me to save the Gu King, yet the Holy Maiden still keeps you at arm's length."

You Chuan closed his eyes, and the scene of Chi Meng scolding him to leave was as clear as yesterday in his mind.

"And yet you endure this poison alone, even attempting to murder your adoptive father." Chi Li's voice suddenly softened, like a whisper, "All things in this world are driven by self-interest. My son, You Chuan, when will you ever grow up?"

"Ah!" You Chuan roared in a heart-wrenching rage, his true energy surging throughout his body, yet he still couldn't break free from the restraints.

He felt an unprecedented despair.

It's not just despair over one's situation, but despair over one's entire life.

He thought he was doing the right thing, but in reality he became the biggest accomplice.

Chi Li slashed his palm with his curved blade, and dark red blood flowed along the lines of his palm. Tiny worms seemed to be wriggling in the blood.

"Fine, didn't you want to know why Flower Bat and Ghost Head came back to life?" He pressed his bleeding hand against You Chuan's forehead, the cold, sticky touch sending shivers down You Chuan's spine. "Don't worry, you'll find out soon enough."

You Chuan felt a chill creep in from his forehead, which quickly spread throughout his body.

His vision began to blur, and the last thing he saw was Chi Li's wrinkled face and the confident smile on his lips.

"You...you won't succeed...that person...will...stop you..."

You Chuan said with his last bit of strength.

A strange light flashed in Chi Li's eyes: "The young marshal?"

He sneered, "Even if he's not dead, does he think he can defeat my thousands of elite soldiers single-handedly?"