Chinese animation: Starting with Bad Guys

On any other day, if he were to meet such a legendary figure, he would be overwhelmed with excitement. But at this moment, only sorrow remained in his heart.

“Second Young Master,” Chang Haoling’s voice was as cold as ice, “Master had already foreseen that the Eldest Young Master intended to harm you, and ordered the two of us to protect you in secret.”

“No!” Ma Xisheng shook his head repeatedly, as if grasping at the last straw. “They are from the Tongwen Academy! It must have been Li Siyuan who took the initiative to try and sow discord between my brothers!”

Chang Xuanling's charming voice carried a hint of barely perceptible pity:

"Since ancient times, how many times have brothers turned against each other and blood relatives killed each other in imperial families? Second young master, we can protect you for a while, but if you remain obstinate, you will eventually die."

"But I can't believe my brother..."

Ma Xisheng wept uncontrollably, the laughter and merriment of the temple fair in the distance only highlighting his loneliness, desolation, and helplessness.

"Our master instructed us to question the Second Young Master," the Black and White Impermanence said in unison, their voices like death knells, "Do they really have to witness your brother's butcher's knife before they're willing to face this cold reality?"

Deep within the Chu King's mansion, the night was filled with thunderous fury.

"Useless!" The eldest son, Ma Xiyue, kicked over the table, shattering teacups on the floor. "So many people tried to kill him, and he managed to escape?!"

Two disciples of the Tongwen Academy lay prostrate on the ground, trembling. One of them replied in a trembling voice:

"Reporting to the eldest young master... it was... it was that imperial advisor who made the move, the brothers were truly..."

"Qin Chuan has already arrived?!"

Upon hearing this, Prince Li Siyuan of Jin's expression changed drastically, and a deep fear flashed across his eyes.

"Hmph, is the Prince of Jin so afraid of that Grand Preceptor of Liang?" Ma Xiyue scoffed disdainfully. "No matter how strong a master is, can he withstand the volley of ten thousand arrows from my Chu Divine Archery Battalion?"

“This person… is not someone to be trifled with.” Li Siyuan suppressed his fear and said in a deep voice, “Young Master, once he leaves the Chu Kingdom, I will personally take action to eliminate any future troubles for you.”

"That's all we can do..." Ma Xiyue nodded reluctantly.

The disciple from the Tongwen Hall who had spoken earlier cautiously raised his head:

"Your Excellencies, I have learned that the Second Young Master will be bringing the Imperial Preceptor to the palace to meet the King of Chu tomorrow..."

"What?!" Ma Xiyue's expression changed drastically.

If Qin Chuan were to truly heal my father with his unparalleled inner strength… given my father’s favoritism towards my second brother, wouldn’t my position as crown prince be in grave danger?

A venomous glint flashed in Li Siyuan's eyes as he said in a low voice, "Young Master, why not follow the example of Emperor Taizong of the previous dynasty?"

Ma Xiyue was taken aback at first, then his eyes gleamed: "What the Prince of Jin means is..."

If we follow Li Shimin's example of the Xuanwu Gate Incident, eliminate his second brother Ma Xisheng, and then force our father to abdicate and pass the throne to us, the overall situation can be settled!

"I'll make the arrangements right away!" Ma Xiyue said impatiently, and he and Li Siyuan hurriedly left the council hall.

After the two figures disappeared, the disciple from Tongwen Hall slowly stood up, no longer showing any humility.

The other person remained prostrate on the ground, as if all their strength had been drained away.

Chang Haoling slowly removed her mask, revealing her pale face, and coldly looked at Ma Xisheng: "Now, is the Second Young Master trustworthy?"

Having witnessed firsthand his elder brother's ruthless plot to murder his brother and seize the throne with the "Prince of Jin," and having personally heard the heartless implication of "emulating Emperor Taizong," Ma Xisheng's last shred of hope was shattered.

Overwhelmed by immense grief, he could no longer contain himself and broke down in tears.

After a long while, the sobbing subsided, and only a chilling determination remained in the boy's eyes. He raised his head, his voice hoarse but firm: "Take me to see Brother Qin!"

The next day, the sky was clear and the air was crisp.

Qin Chuan and Ma Xisheng walked side by side, their steps leisurely leading them toward the Chu King's bedroom.

The palace gates were in sight, but a figure as cold as iron blocked their path—it was none other than the eldest son, Ma Xiyue, whose eyes were like knives, piercing straight at Ma Xisheng.

"Second brother! How dare you!" Ma Xiyue shouted sternly, striking first. "You dare to collude with a foreign national advisor, plotting to murder our father! Although I am your elder brother, I will not tolerate such treason! Guards!"

Before the words were even finished, countless archers appeared on the surrounding palace walls, their powerful bows and crossbows instantly locking onto Qin Chuan and Ma Xisheng, filling the air with murderous intent.

“Brother! I only invited Brother Qin to come for Father…” Ma Xisheng tried to explain.

"At this point, you still dare to argue!" Ma Xiyue interrupted rudely, not giving him a chance to speak. "No matter how eloquent you are, you will not escape death today!" His eyes were filled with ruthlessness, determined to eliminate any future troubles as soon as possible.

"Ruo Ne." Qin Chuan shook his head slightly and looked at Ma Xisheng: "Would you still be willing to give someone like that another chance?"

Ma Xisheng took a deep breath, and the last trace of hesitation in his eyes completely disappeared.

He no longer looked at his enraged brother, but instead took out a bright yellow imperial edict from his robes and read it aloud:

"The eldest son, Ma Xiyue, has formed cliques, colluded with foreign powers, and plotted against his own brothers. The evidence against him is irrefutable! He is hereby stripped of his status as a prince, demoted to a commoner, and immediately expelled from the family genealogy! From this day forward, the second son, Ma Xisheng, will assume the responsibilities of the state!"

"impossible!"

Ma Xiyue was struck dumb, then, as if he had found a weakness, he let out a sharp, cold laugh:

"My father is terminally ill and unable to speak. How can he issue an edict? Ma Xisheng! You dare to falsely convey my father's decree! Your crime is doubled!"

He suddenly raised his right hand high, his face contorted in a ferocious expression:

"Archers, listen to my command! The traitor Ma Xisheng has falsely conveyed the king's decree and colluded with foreign invaders; his crimes are unforgivable! Kill him without mercy! Fire!"

The word "Kill" echoed through the palace gates, but the expected rain of arrows did not fall.

A deathly silence enveloped the surroundings, with only Ma Xiyue's hoarse cry of "Release the arrow!" echoing between the empty palace walls.

"you……!"

Ma Xiyue was shocked and furious, and was about to reprimand him when a loud, aged but powerful voice with a strong Hunan accent suddenly rang out:

"What's going on?!"

Suddenly, an elderly man with white hair and beard, leaning on a cane, appeared in the ranks of archers. He was pointing at the archers and cursing them, spitting as he spoke, hurling insults at them until they were speechless and trembling with fear.

Although the old man was over seventy, his long-held authority made all the archers afraid to move an inch.

After berating the archer, the old man suddenly turned around, his cane almost jabbing into Ma Xiyue's face:

"You little brat! I'm still perfectly healthy! Didn't expect that, did you? I knew all along you were forming cliques and had ulterior motives! I was just faking illness to test the waters, and you, on the other hand, are in such a hurry to use your own brother as a scapegoat! Have you lost your conscience?"

"You...you are not Father!"

Ma Xiyue was terrified and, in a moment of quick thinking, shouted:

"You're a stand-in that Ma Xisheng hired! You're fake!"

"Oh my heart!"

King Ma Yin of Chu was so angry that his beard stood on end, and he beat his chest and stamped his feet:

"My reputation is so great, how could I have given birth to such an utterly stupid son? Guards! Drag this disloyal, unfilial, heartless, and unjust idiot away! Lock him up!"

The palace gates burst open with a roar, and a dozen heavily armored warriors, as imposing as iron towers, rushed out. Without a word, they pinned down Ma Xiyue, who was still struggling and screaming, and dragged him away from the palace gates like livestock awaiting slaughter.

Qin Chuan gazed in the direction where Ma Xiyue had disappeared, shook his head, and sighed softly.

"Lacking Li Shimin's great talent and strategy, yet insisting on imitating his ruthless methods, he tried to draw a tiger but ended up with a dog instead."

He ignored the farce and, together with the complex-looking Ma Xisheng, walked toward the still fuming old King Ma Yin of Chu.

Outside Tanzhou City, on a hillside.

Prince Li Siyuan of Jin stood with his hands behind his back, gazing intently at the magnificent Chu Prince's Palace.

Surprisingly, his right arm, which should have been disabled, was completely intact.

A disciple of the Tongwen Academy silently knelt at his feet:

"Reporting to the sect leader, Ma Xiyue has been demoted to a commoner and removed from the Ma family genealogy."

"Hmph, as expected, he's a piece of trash." 'Li Siyuan' snorted coldly, but his voice suddenly changed, becoming frivolous and sinister. "However, big brother's voice sounds quite pleasant. We'll use his voice from now on."

As he spoke, he wiped his face with his hand, and a thin, cicada-wing-like human skin mask was torn off, revealing a young face completely different from Li Siyuan's—it was none other than Li Cunzhi, one of the Thirteen Protectors of Tongwen Hall!

Just as he was feeling smug, the voice of the kneeling "disciple of the Tongwen Academy" suddenly changed, becoming alluring and seductive, yet tinged with deep-seated mockery:

“He’s a piece of trash,” the “disciple” looked up, his eyes full of mockery, “and so are you!”

Li Cunzhi was terrified! He instinctively twitched the Xiuwen Fan in his hand, and the ingenious mechanism was about to activate the deadly Jinxing Thorn!

However, a sinister and eerie voice, like a cold wind blowing against the back of his neck, sounded behind him:

"A vengeful ghost is calling for your soul, and death is being claimed by the unpredictable! Li Cunzhi, you'd better just be Li Siyuan's scapegoat!"

Before he finished speaking, Li Cunzhi felt two completely opposite yet overwhelmingly powerful true energies, one yin and one yang, crashing into his body like two poisonous dragons, one in front and one behind, without any obstruction!

The muffled sound of bones shattering was clearly audible. The world in his eyes was instantly swallowed by boundless crimson, and his consciousness sank into eternal darkness.

On the hillside, only a rapidly cooling corpse and the two deadly figures, Black and White Impermanence, remained.

Chapter 93 It's all me!

Outside Tanzhou City, Ma Xisheng and Qin Chuan parted ways, holding hands.

The boy's heart was heavy, and his eyes were slightly red. His own brothers had just turned against each other, and now he had to part ways with this newly recognized idol and older brother.

"Ruo Ne," Qin Chuan's voice was low and gentle, "that person is not worthy to be your elder brother. If you are willing, you can treat me as your own elder brother."

He smiled slightly and patted the boy's somewhat thin shoulder:

"At least between you and me, nothing like the 'Seven Steps Poem' will ever happen."

"Brother Qin..."

Ma Xisheng felt a pang of sadness, and tears instantly streamed down his face.

"Chang'an Xuanwu Gate, see you there."

Qin Chuan said no more, turned and left, his figure gradually merging into the dust and smoke of the distant official road along with Chi Meng, Lu Linxuan and Hou Qing.

Ma Xisheng stood frozen in place, his eyes blurry with tears, watching the departing figure for a long time without moving.

On the official road, Qin Chuan and his party continued their journey without stopping.

Suddenly, two ghostly figures appeared silently and respectfully blocked the way—it was Hei Wuchang Chang Haoling and Bai Wuchang Chang Xuanling.

“Master is incredibly insightful,” Chang Haoling said, bowing. “That ‘Li Siyuan’ was indeed Li Cunzhi in disguise.”

The two then presented a Tongwenguan token engraved with the character "智" (wisdom) and several secret letters.

Qin Chuan glanced at it but didn't look closely, only nodding slightly.

Li Siyuan, that big-eared scoundrel, was so wary of him that he naturally dared not go to the State of Chu in person. However, wanting to demonstrate his regard for the Chu region, finding someone to impersonate him became his only option.

Once he reaches Xuanwu Gate in Chang'an, he will settle old scores with this big-eared scoundrel and, incidentally, make an example of him to intimidate the other feudal lords.