Chinese animation: Starting with Bad Guys

Qin Chuan understood.

This matter was not handled by Li Siyuan; the timing doesn't match.

There is only one possibility—this is a hidden move that Yuan Tiangang had laid out long ago!

Meng Zhixiang doted on Consort Li so much that controlling her was tantamount to choking Meng Zhixiang.

Although this man was not as powerful as Li Cunxu, he was still a ruthless and ambitious figure in the chaotic Five Dynasties period, which explains why he was on Yuan Tiangang's kill list.

"Our national teacher has a rudimentary knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine; perhaps he can give it a try to resolve the Imperial Concubine's predicament."

Thinking of this, Qin Chuan calmly asked the steward to convey his message.

The butler dared not delay and hurried inside.

Before long, a middle-aged man dressed in royal robes with a worried expression strode out; it was none other than King Meng Zhixiang of Shu.

"Grand Preceptor, can you truly save my beloved concubine?"

Meng Zhixiang's eyes were burning with anxiety, his eagerness evident in his expression, and he disregarded all formalities.

"Your Highness, you might as well let my own physician examine you."

Qin Chuan spoke calmly and did not make any boastful claims.

This caution, ironically, increased Meng Zhixiang's trust in him even more.

In recent days, many renowned doctors have come with great confidence, only to leave empty-handed in the end.

"Grand Preceptor, please come with me!"

Hope rekindled in Meng Zhixiang's eyes, and he personally led the way, bringing Qin Chuan and his group to Consort Li's palace in haste.

Chapter 87 A Meeting with the King of Shu: Seeking the Weapon Demon

Inside the palace, the air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood.

"The Imperial Concubine's illness is due to the accidental ingestion of Mafeisan (an anesthetic), which, combined with the accumulation of drug toxicity, has caused her to remain in a deep sleep."

Qin Chuan's gaze swept over the sickbed, and he immediately revealed the cause of Consort Li's illness.

"Mafeisan?" Upon hearing this, Meng Zhixiang could not hide his astonishment. "The miraculous anesthetic secretly passed down by the legendary physician Hua Tuo? Isn't this... just a legend?"

"It's not just a legend; there really is a method."

Qin Chuan's voice was calm, yet each word was clear:

"This medicine can cause a person to lose consciousness instantly and fall into a deep sleep. The King of Shu was so concerned that he sought out famous doctors to save her. As a result, the poison in the Consort's body accumulated and became more and more difficult to cure."

"That's wonderful! So the Queen didn't extend her life to the King after all..."

Consort Li's personal maid breathed a sigh of relief, collapsed to the ground, and murmured to herself.

"Life extension? What life extension? What exactly is going on?"

Meng Zhixiang's heart tightened, and he pressed for answers repeatedly.

The maidservant wept uncontrollably: "Your Majesty... Your Majesty did it all for the King..."

It turns out that half a year ago, when Consort Li was praying for the King of Shu in the temple, she happened to meet a jealous monk who claimed to have opened his eyes of wisdom and could see the cause and effect.

The monk uttered a prophecy, saying, "Without the lamp, the lamp will fall," and asserted that the King of Shu had the appearance of an emperor but lacked the dragon bones of one. If he forcibly ascended the throne, he would surely be punished by heaven and his life would not last long.

Consort Li was extremely worried and actually believed the words of the evil monk. From then on, she searched everywhere for unorthodox remedies and secret methods, determined to prolong Meng Zhixiang's life.

A few days ago, she obtained a "divine medicine" from a so-called "hermit," who said that if she took it sincerely and prayed, she could extend her life.

That "miracle drug" was none other than Mafeisan (麻沸散).

"Absurd! Utterly absurd!"

When Meng Zhixiang learned the truth, he rebuked her, but his heart was filled with mixed emotions. He was heartbroken that his beloved concubine had been foolishly credulous, and even more so, he was deeply moved by her deep affection and willingness to risk her life.

"She fell for such a simplistic scam? In my opinion, she'd be better off just sleeping."

Hou Qing spoke up coolly from the side.

"Pretty boy, what do you know!"

Chi Meng snorted softly, and she and Lu Linxuan glared at this clueless guy.

If it were them, they would risk everything for Qin Chuan, so why would they be afraid of a mere scam?

"Your Excellency, I beg you to use your miraculous skills to save the Imperial Concubine! I will be eternally grateful!"

Meng Zhixiang turned to Qin Chuan, bowed deeply, and was extremely earnest.

"It's no longer a problem."

Qin Chuan opened his palm, revealing a clump of stagnant, dark purple blood.

While everyone was listening to the maid's story, he had already used the Nine Nether Profound Heaven Divine Art to silently absorb all the accumulated poison from Consort Li's body.

"Cough cough..." With a soft cough, Consort Li slowly woke up.

"My beloved concubine!" Meng Zhixiang rushed forward and embraced her tightly.

Qin Chuan understood and silently led everyone out of the palace, leaving this space to the lovers who had been reunited after the ordeal.

After waiting for a while in the garden pavilion, Meng Zhixiang arrived with Consort Li, whose face was still pale, to express their gratitude.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Meng Zhixiang's expression turned serious, and he asked directly:

"The Imperial Preceptor has traveled a great distance to Shu, surely not just to treat the Imperial Concubine, my lord?"

Qin Chuan nodded: "The Bad Guy Commander has invited all the lords of the world to gather at Xuanwu Gate in Chang'an to jointly elect Li Xingyun as emperor. My teacher's trip here is to travel and lobby on his behalf."

After speaking, he turned his gaze to Li Cunren beside him:

"Unexpectedly, some villains, for their own personal grudges, threatened the safety of the people of Shu and forced the King of Shu to refuse me entry."

“Li Siyuan?” As the nephew-in-law of Prince Li Keyong of Jin, Meng Zhixiang naturally knew Li Cunren and was even more familiar with Li Siyuan’s methods.

He sighed deeply: "The chaotic world is like a furnace, and the people suffer unspeakably. Even the imperial concubine could not escape assassination... It is time for an end to this."

He paused briefly, looked at Qin Chuan, and said bluntly, "Forgive my bluntness, but I'm afraid Li Xingyun is not the right person to be the ruler of the world."

Although he lived in the remote Shu region, he had heard of Li Xingyun's reputation as "utterly hopeless." If it were the Grand Preceptor before him ascending the throne, he would have no objections.

Upon hearing this, Qin Chuan smiled slightly: "If he is willing to accept this position, I might as well follow Huo Guang's example."

"In that case, I can rest assured!" Meng Zhixiang nodded emphatically, his promise resounding, "Chang'an Xuanwu Gate, I'll see you there!"

"See you there." Qin Chuan stood up, cupped his hands in greeting, and led Chi Meng and the others away gracefully.

Meng Zhixiang watched his figure disappear into the depths of the corridor, muttering to himself, "If this person were to ascend the throne, he would surely be able to restore order and end the chaotic world... What a pity..."

After leaving the Shu King's Mansion, Qin Chuan immediately ordered the Black and White Impermanence and Li Cunren to go to Jiangdu and Tanzhou separately—the places where Li Siyuan was secretly causing trouble were far more than just one place in Shu.

"Brother, where are we going now?" Chi Meng asked curiously, seeing that Qin Chuan seemed to have another destination.

"I'm looking for someone who's on par with Brother Hou Qing." Qin Chuan glanced at Hou Qing, who was playing with a bone flute, a mysterious smile flashing in his eyes. "He's also near Chengdu."

"Brother Qin, are you perhaps referring to the Hanba?" Hou Qing raised his eyes, his expression revealing a hint of inquiry.

The place where the Hanba lived in seclusion was known only to the four Corpse Ancestors. How did Qin Chuan know it?

"I had met the surrendered minister once before," Qin Chuan casually attributed the reason to the surrendered minister.

“No wonder…” Hou Qing suddenly realized, and then remembered the Nine Nether Profound Heaven Divine Art that Qin Chuan used to treat Consort Li, and his gaze suddenly became profound.

Only now did he truly realize that Qin Chuan had not only mastered this dangerous and domineering technique, but also seemed to have... no hidden dangers whatsoever! He had truly mastered it!

"I have indeed mastered this skill," Qin Chuan readily admitted.

Although he had mastered the Nine Nether Profound Heaven technique, there was absolutely no way he would grant the surrendered minister's request to remove the Balu Stone and release Duokuohuo, who harbored deep hatred for the Central Plains.

That is not an aid, but a formidable enemy.

"I do not know what this surrendered subject desires, nor do I wish to inquire about it." Hou Qing composed himself, his expression earnest. "I only ask that Brother Qin lend a hand to help my sister resolve the hidden dangers in her cultivation of this technique."

His older sister, Ying Gou, not only transformed into a girl to help a surrendered official research the Nine Netherworld Mysterious Heaven, but also developed a second personality, suffering greatly as a result.

Qin Chuan might be that turning point.

"I must see Ying Gou in person before I can give you an answer, Brother Hou," Qin Chuan said, without giving a reply.

He had a certain appreciation for Ying Gou's frank and unrestrained second personality and had no intention of forcibly erasing it, so he used delaying tactics first.

“Alright.” Hou Qing didn’t insist. His sister had been like this for decades, so there was no rush. “Once I have learned the art of controlling Gu with music from my master, I will go find my sister and come to pay my respects to Brother Qin.”

"Thank you for leading the way, Brother Hou. It's time for the Welding Demon Ancestor to return to the Dark Netherworld." A hint of anticipation flashed in Qin Chuan's eyes.

Of the four great corpse ancestors, the one most useful to his great cause was none other than Hanba.

"Guiding the way is fine, but whether we can persuade Hanba depends entirely on Brother Qin's abilities," Hou Qing said upfront. The four Corpse Ancestors each had different temperaments, and even he wasn't entirely confident he could convince Hanba.

"Of course, I had already planned this out." Qin Chuan smiled calmly, confident in his abilities.

He knew exactly what the welding demon craved most at that moment. Treating the root cause and guiding it back to the fold would be a natural outcome.

Chapter 88 Do you want a wife or not?

Yin-Yang Village is a place where the energies of heaven and earth intertwine, and all things flourish and bear fruit, yet it never sees the sun.

Thick, dark clouds, like cotton wool soaked in ink, hung heavily over the village, blocking out all sunlight.

A damp, decaying smell permeated the air, mixed with the acrid smell of burning paper money. Taking a breath felt like it could seep into your bones, bringing a chilling sensation.

Living in this place for a long time makes one susceptible to cold-related illnesses, and many will die young.

As Qin Chuan and his group entered the village, all they saw along the way were families dressed in mourning clothes, preparing for a funeral.

White banners fluttered weakly under the low eaves, and the mournful cries were intermittent, like the wailing of ghosts, intertwining with the monotonous sound of banging on the mourning basin, creating a suffocating scene of sorrow and desolation.

Hou Qing's cold voice rang out in the oppressive air.

At the other end of the road, a group of mourners were carrying a thin-skinned coffin, swaying and staggering as they approached.

The paper money, like grayish-white snowflakes, fell softly, sticking to the shoulders of passersby, adding to the desolation.

The dead are respected above all else, and even a peculiar corpse ancestor like Hou Qing could not defy this custom.

Qin Chuan and his group silently retreated to the muddy side of the road, waiting for the funeral procession to pass by.