Chinese animation: Starting with Bad Guys

A few lonely oil lamps flickered in the draft, casting long, distorted shadows on the mottled walls and overturned tables and chairs, like a group of menacing demons dancing a bizarre dance on the wall.

The noisy patrons had all left, leaving only a mess on the ground.

A deathly silence enveloped the narrow space, like a thick fog.

Only the occasional crackling of candlelight, producing a soft "pop" sound, sounded particularly jarring in the silence.

The dust particles floating in the air drifted slowly under the dim yellow light, as if time itself had become viscous at that moment.

Li Maozhen stood with his hands behind his back in the center of the restaurant. Moonlight streamed in through the dilapidated window frames, casting dappled shadows on his cold and stern face.

His eyes, as cold as an icy pool, locked onto Qin Chuan. His fingertips trembled almost imperceptibly, and the dark patterns on his sleeves gleamed with a chilling luster in the moonlight.

A wisp of black mist dissipated from his sleeve, and in an instant, the air in the restaurant seemed to freeze. Countless tiny Gu worms, as fine as hair, emerged from the cracks in the floor and the shadows of the beams and pillars, densely packed, spreading towards Qin Chuan like a tide.

These worms were entirely black with red stripes on their backs and an eerie glow on their abdomens. Wherever they went, the wooden floors were gnawed with fine, eroded marks, making a grating, rustling sound, like thousands of ants gnawing on bones.

Qin Chuan seemed oblivious, standing with his hands behind his back.

The moonlight shone on him, outlining a solitary silhouette.

His clothes remained perfectly still, as if they had blended into the surrounding air.

Just as the swarm of insects was about to touch the hem of his clothes—

A very soft thud, like a drop of water falling into a deep pool.

A layer of invisible qi suddenly burst forth from Qin Chuan's body, spreading out like ripples.

The moment the surging Gu worms touched it, they were struck as if by lightning, instantly stiffening, fine cracks appearing on their carapaces, before bursting open and dissipating into puffs of black mist.

Even more strangely, before the black mist could land, it was completely evaporated by a burst of scorching internal energy, leaving not a trace, only a faint smell of burnt matter lingering in the air.

"Your Majesty, there's no need for such petty tricks," Qin Chuan said calmly, his voice as composed as if discussing the weather. "Or have you forgotten how to fight in these sixteen years?"

"How I fight is none of your business!"

Li Maozhen snorted coldly, a hint of annoyance flashing in his eyes.

He practiced Gu techniques in the Twelve Caves for over a decade, and using them became almost a habit.

Being treated with such contempt only fueled his anger.

He transformed into a streak of light, advancing instead of retreating!

When the Illusionary Body Technique was pushed to its limit, several figures of Li Maozhen seemed to appear simultaneously in the empty restaurant, making it difficult to distinguish between reality and illusion, like ghostly phantoms!

Each phantom carried a sharp killing intent, making it difficult to distinguish the real from the fake in the dim light.

He tapped his foot, and an overturned table shattered with a crash!

Amidst the flying sawdust, his figure darted swiftly among the remaining tables, chairs, beams, and pillars, the gusts of wind he generated sending shards of porcelain and vegetable leaves flying everywhere, like a chaotic rain shower.

The sharp finger and palm strikes, accompanied by a piercing sound of air being torn apart, attacked Qin Chuan's vital points from tricky angles. Each strike was aimed directly at his fatal spot, making it extremely ruthless.

Qin Chuan finally made a move.

His movements, though seemingly slow, possessed a strange rhythm, as if they resonated harmoniously with his surroundings.

Just as Li Maozhen's palm strike was about to shatter the table in front of Qin Chuan, Qin Chuan's figure suddenly blurred!

What he used was also an illusion technique!

But Li Maozhen immediately noticed the difference—Qin Chuan's illusion not only had visual residuals from speed, but also carried an absolute "stillness"!

There was no sound of wind, no sound of clothes fluttering, and not even the sound of air being stirred up when moving!

His figure shifted between reality and illusion in the flickering candlelight and among the wreckage of overturned tables and chairs, like an undercurrent blending into the chaotic environment itself.

The flying wood chips and drifting dust automatically bypassed him when they came within three inches of his body, as if blocked by an invisible barrier.

Silently and precisely, they dodged every fatal attack from Li Maozhen, without disturbing the flame of the oil lamp on the table, which continued to burn steadily, illuminating the intertwined figures of the two.

This is a brand new movement technique created by Qin Chuan by perfectly combining the Illusionary Body Technique and the Silent Technique!

In this spacious yet cluttered area, Li Maozhen's pride and joy—his speed and elusive abilities—appeared clumsy and noisy in front of Qin Chuan.

Each of his attacks only futilely destroyed the already dilapidated environment, leaving more fragments, while Qin Chuan's clothes remained spotless.

Li Maozhen's shock, anger, and fear reached their peak.

The dignity of the Prince of Qi must not be insulted!

He kicked the broken half of the wine table blocking his way, shattering it into pieces. Amidst the flying wood chips, he used the momentum to leap to the relatively open doorway area. Moonlight shone on him, outlining his taut figure.

His eyes were as solemn as iron, and purple energy surged from his body like boiling magma, forming a flowing halo on his skin that made his face appear unpredictable.

"Illusory Sound Technique!"

Li Maozhen held his hands in a loose embrace, and the immense internal energy within him surged like a mountain torrent bursting its banks!

A massive, destructive purple sonic vortex instantly formed!

The piercing howl, sharp enough to pierce the soul, was not transmitted through the air, but directly shook the opponent's mind and internal energy!

All the surviving cups, plates, bowls, and dishes in the restaurant, including the empty wine jars on the shelf behind the counter, were emitting a piercing high-frequency buzzing sound as they trembled violently, and then they burst one after another like firecrackers!

Countless streams of purple true energy, formed from sound waves and visible to the naked eye, erupted like a purple torrent bursting from a breached dam, accompanied by a piercing shriek that tore everything apart, centered on Li Maozhen!

Large patches of plaster peeled off the walls, revealing the mottled bricks underneath; the beams groaned under the weight, shedding years of accumulated dust; the calligraphy and paintings hanging on the walls instantly turned to dust.

The entire dilapidated restaurant shook violently in this terrifying sonic storm, with tiles sliding off the roof and shattering in the courtyard, as if it were about to collapse completely at any moment!

This is his trump card, powerful enough to destroy cities and shake mountains!

Faced with this earth-shattering attack that turned the empty restaurant into a sonic hell, Qin Chuan's eyes finally changed slightly—a hint of seriousness.

He stopped dodging, slowly raised his right hand, and drew out the Moon in the Well.

The blade gleamed with a cool luster under the moonlight. There was no earth-shattering burst of power, no dazzling light. It was simply a single slash aimed at the center of the overwhelming, destructive purple sonic storm!

An invisible blade of energy, condensed to its extreme, seemed to cleave through space itself, silently cutting into the core of the sonic storm.

"laugh--!"

There was no violent collision or explosion as expected.

That violent and incomparable storm of the Illusionary Sound Technique, capable of tearing everything apart, was like rotten cloth being ripped apart by a sharp blade in front of this seemingly insignificant sword energy. It made a dull tearing sound and was instantly split in two!

The condensed purple true energy dissipated and vanished like bubbles under the sunlight, and the violent energy turbulence was forcibly smoothed and dispelled by the invisible sword intent.

The sword's momentum remained strong, pointing directly at Li Maozhen, the eye of the storm!

Just as the blade energy locked onto Li Maozhen, deep within his body, his natal "Life-Destroying Gu," which was his greatest reliance and granted him immortality, suddenly experienced an unprecedented, intense throbbing originating from his life instincts!

That was not the will to resist, but pure, uncontrollable fear and cowardice!

It was as if it had encountered its natural enemy, an absolute power capable of completely erasing the very foundation of its existence!

The sense of despair emanating from the Gu worm instantly overwhelmed Li Maozhen's mind, making his limbs feel as heavy as lead.

"My immortality...useless?!"

This realization struck Li Maozhen's beliefs like a thunderbolt from the heavens.

His greatest trump card, which allowed him to dominate the world and look down on all living beings, appeared so fragile and laughable in the face of Qin Chuan's seemingly casual slash!

The shadow of death loomed over him more realistically than ever before, sending a chill down his spine and up to the back of his neck.

The sword energy stopped.

Just three inches from Li Maozhen's brow, the terrifying blade energy, powerful enough to annihilate the Illusionary Sound Technique and cause the Death-Slaying Gu to cower in fear, vanished without a trace as if frozen in time and space.

The sharp edge vanished instantly, as if the devastating attack just now was merely an illusion.

Only the even more chaotic scene inside the restaurant and the pervasive dust testified to the horror that had just occurred. A tattered piece of window paper slowly drifted down and silently landed on the ground.

Li Maozhen stood frozen at the doorway, his back soaked in cold sweat, his magnificent brocade robe clinging tightly to his body.

The exhaustion from surviving the ordeal intertwined with the absolute death shadow brought by the sword energy, leaving his mind blank. Only the lingering fear from the mortal parasite within his body trembled slightly, like a frightened little beast.

He stared blankly at Qin Chuan in the shadows ahead, his eyes filled with disbelief, shock, bewilderment, and a hint of lingering fear that even he himself didn't realize.

The moonlight shone on his pale face, revealing his utter disarray.

In that instant when his mind was shaken and he was utterly disoriented—

A fist landed squarely on his handsome face without warning!

The force was precisely controlled, enough to produce intense pain and... a deforming effect without causing fatal injury.

Caught off guard, Li Maozhen let out a muffled groan and staggered backward several steps, only managing to regain his balance after hitting the door frame.

His cheeks swelled up rapidly, his mouth cracked and blood gushed out, leaving a scarlet mark on his chin.

His once dignified, cold, and angular face was now swollen on one side like a steamed bun, with dark circles under his eyes, making him look like a street thug after a fight.

His nose was bleeding profusely, and he looked utterly wretched, his face a complete mess, appearing particularly comical and pathetic in the dim, flickering candlelight.

Qin Chuan flicked his wrist, looking at Li Maozhen's smug face, his expression devoid of any victor's smugness, only cold indifference.

He stared at Li Maozhen's eyes, wide with pain and utter shock, and spoke clearly, each word like an ice bead striking the silent restaurant:

"This punch is for her. It's for you abandoning Qi Kingdom, for leaving her to shoulder such a heavy burden alone! It's for making her worry and suffer day and night!"

Qin Chuan's tone was calm, yet every word was like a knife, pointing directly to Li Maozhen's deepest sense of indebtedness.

Moonlight streamed through the dilapidated roof, casting a bright band of light on the ground that separated the two, as if creating an insurmountable chasm.

Chapter 96 Learn what you have learned, imitate what you have shown, and share your name!

Qin Chuan stood with his fist clenched, the warmth of Li Maozhen's cheek still lingering on his knuckles.

Moonlight streamed through the broken window frame, drawing a silver dividing line between the two.

Li Maozhen raised his hand to touch his swollen cheek. The sharp pain from his fingertips made him frown slightly, but surprisingly he did not fly into a rage.

"Well done..."

That soft sigh seemed to drain all the strength from his body. Sixteen years of obsession seemed utterly ridiculous under that one punch.

He suddenly remembered the day he left Qi Kingdom, when his younger sister stood on the city wall watching his departing figure.

The coldness in Qin Chuan's eyes gradually faded: "I know you paid a heavy price to cultivate the Death Gu."

Li Maozhen's pupils contracted slightly.