Film and Television: The Villain's Life Begins with Joy of Life

The flickering candlelight cast shadows that reflected the resolute look in Teng Zijing's eyes.

He would never have taken this step unless he was truly desperate.

The blade was icy cold, pressed against Zhou Cheng's neck, reflecting a faint orange light.

"You audacious scoundrel! His Highness has shown you great favor and kindness, and instead of being grateful, you dare to commit such a rebellious act! If not for yourself, think of your wife and children! Release His Highness at once!"

Chen Quan's beard and hair stood on end as he shouted sternly. His long sword was drawn half an inch from its sheath with a clang, and he lowered his body slightly, poised to pounce.

His face showed excitement, but there was no trace of tension in the depths of his eyes; instead, there was even a faint, almost playful smile.

How could Teng Zijing's little tricks possibly escape his notice?

He simply understood his prince's thoughts.

Zhou Cheng easily dismissed the guards and even feigned anger to give Teng Zijing an opportunity to take hostages. This was clearly a ploy to manipulate people!

The secret letter from Si Lili, in which Fan Xian spent the night with her, was delivered by him.

Why would someone deliberately show anger in front of others when they already know something?

His Highness clearly intended to play a trick on him, and as his guard, he should naturally cooperate and enjoy the show.

As for worrying that Zhou Cheng might overdo it? That's just laughable.

It wasn't that Chen Quan underestimated Teng Zijing.

With his peak eighth-grade martial arts cultivation, his full-force attack was like an ant trying to shake a tree in the face of a Grandmaster's protective true qi, not even causing a ripple. Teng Zijing, a mere seventh-grade... well, forget about it.

Teng Zijing, tense and oblivious to the strange look in Chen Quan's eyes, took two steps back while supporting Zhou Cheng, his voice low and hoarse:

"Your Highness! Tell your men to step back! I don't want to hurt you; I only want to reunite with my family! Bring my wife and children here, and prepare a carriage to take us out of the capital. Once I confirm your safety, I will ensure your safe return!"

Zhou Cheng had a faint smile on his face, but since his back was to Teng Zijing, only Chen Quan, who was opposite him, could clearly see the smile.

"Brother Teng, what are you doing? Hey! Let's talk this out, why resort to violence?" Zhou Cheng's tone was relaxed, even a little helpless. "Just tell me what you want, do you think I'm the kind of person who's unreasonable?"

Suppressing his anger, Teng Zijing sneered, "Your Highness, you want to talk about reason now? Did you talk about reason when you kidnapped my wife and children?"

Did Your Highness ever reason with me when you forced me to monitor Fan Xian and betray my friends? I am but a lowly warrior, my life as worthless as grass, yet Your Highness should not treat me as nothing!

"A common man's rage can spill blood five steps away! If Your Highness does not grant my request, I, Teng Zijing, will exchange the lives of my entire family of three for Your Highness's alone—that would be a bargain!"

"How can exchanging three for one be considered a profit? Everyone only has one life." Zhou Cheng chuckled softly, seemingly unconcerned about the sharp weapon at his neck. "If Fan Xian were here, he would never calculate things this way."

Teng Zijing tightened his grip, pressing the dagger down slightly: "Your Highness seems to know Fan Xian quite well?"

"It is precisely because I understand him that I value him so much."

"To value? So you resort to such despicable methods of surveillance?"

"That's right," Zhou Cheng said matter-of-factly, "the more despicable and unscrupulous I am, the more it shows that I value him, doesn't it?"

Such absurd reasoning left Teng Zijing speechless for a moment. He could only take a deep breath and forcibly suppress the urge to slash with the dagger in his hand.

"Enough with the nonsense! Quickly bring my wife and children here, and we'll leave the city tonight. I suppose... His Highness Prince Cheng wouldn't want tonight's events to be publicized, would he?"

"Whatever!"

"What?!" Teng Zijing never expected Zhou Cheng to still dare to be so stubborn at this critical moment. He was so angry that his hand holding the knife trembled slightly.

"You think I wouldn't dare kill you? Why? I just want to live a peaceful life with my family, why are you forcing me? I really will kill you!"

[Negative emotions from Teng Zijing +7!]

Hearing the negative alerts that had dropped to single digits, Zhou Cheng knew that Teng Zijing had been completely drained.

He lost interest in teasing him further.

Feeling the coolness of the dagger against his neck, he spoke slowly:

"Teng Zijing, you're... not even thirty yet, right?"

Teng Zijing was taken aback, his brows furrowing. He thought Zhou Cheng was about to act like a villain in a play, praising him for his "young age and promising future," and then resorting to coercion and enticement...

Unexpectedly, Zhou Cheng changed the subject:

"Let's say you're thirty years old. Assuming you started learning martial arts in your mother's womb, it's only been thirty years at most."

"I, Li Chengcheng, am exceptionally gifted, a prodigy, enjoying the best resources in the world, and have been studying various martial arts since childhood. I have formally practiced martial arts for three years now. One year of my training is equivalent to ten years of yours... is that... not too much to ask?"

Teng Zijing was completely baffled and had no idea what was going on.

Zhou Cheng let out a soft sigh, seemingly with regret.

"So, why do you have the illusion that you've successfully kidnapped me?"

Before Teng Zijing could react, he felt a tremendous force on his hand, and the dagger slipped from his grasp!

"What?!"

Before he could even figure out what was happening, his hand went empty, and he was sent flying like a broken sack.

With a "crash," it overturned a group of tables and chairs, then slammed against the wall with a "thud" before falling heavily to the ground.

Teng Zijing was in excruciating pain all over his body and felt like he was about to vomit blood. He felt as if he had been hit and thrown into the street by a speeding carriage.

He struggled to his feet instinctively, and as soon as he regained some of his ability to think, an incredulous look of horror appeared in his eyes.

Zhou Cheng held the stolen dagger, twirling it deftly between his fingers, the cold light tracing smooth arcs as if he were toying with a toy.

Then, he casually tossed the dagger, and with a "clink," it landed precisely at Teng Zijing's feet.

"What I said still stands. If you're not satisfied, I can give you another chance." Zhou Cheng stood with his hands behind his back, his tone indifferent. "If you can harm even a single hair on my head, I will allow you to leave freely with your wife and children."

Teng Zijing was slightly taken aback, then his eyes sharpened, and without saying a word, he flicked his toe to hook the dagger and gripped it tightly in his backhand.

His true energy surged forth, instantly flowing into his limbs and bones. With the support of his belief and desire, he unleashed unprecedented speed and power, shooting out like an arrow released from a bow!

He put everything else aside, focusing on only one goal!

Zhou Cheng stood casually with his hands behind his back, seemingly with his body completely exposed.

With a single lunge and thrust, Teng Zijing had pushed his potential to its limit, and his strength and speed had even faintly stepped into the threshold of the eighth rank!

Its speed was so great that even the flickering candlelight on the side could not keep up!

In the blink of an eye, he traversed several meters and closed in on Zhou Cheng. But Zhou Cheng remained completely unresponsive!

The dagger, gleaming with a resolute cold light, thrust straight forward!

In the next instant, or even the next moment, the tip of the blade could cut into the skin and penetrate deep into the muscle—but Zhou Cheng remained completely still!

Just as the dagger was about to pierce Zhou Cheng, Teng Zijing's movements faltered almost imperceptibly for a moment—he hesitated!

In that instant, he saw a blur before his eyes and vaguely glimpsed a palm shadow passing by. Then, an irresistible force crashed into his body!

"Bang!"

He flew backwards again like a kite with a broken string, smashing through the window frame and crashing into the yard, knocking over a patch of greenery and rolling around covered in fallen leaves and mud.

Teng Zijing lay on the ground, her eyes vacant.

Zhou Cheng pushed open the door to the outer study, waved away the guards, and then strolled in slowly, the moonlight casting a long shadow behind him.

"Isn't your specialty throwing knives? Why didn't you use them?" Zhou Cheng looked down at him, his tone tinged with disappointment. "That last strike was fast enough, but you hesitated at the last moment. Someone like you, without power or influence, even if you have some courage, you lack the resolve to risk everything. You couldn't even harm a hair on my head."

He paused, then continued, "Go back and keep a close watch on Fan Xian. I've already paid your 'life-saving money.' You don't understand now, but you will in the future."

Having said that, he turned to Chen Quan beside him: "Take him to change into clean clothes, get him tidied up, and then let him see his family. Before dawn, send him out of the mansion. The broken windows, the smashed flowers and plants, and the clothes..." He glanced at Teng Zijing, whose expression had instantly brightened, "Make a list and let him take it. Let him or Fan Xian make up the difference in silver."

After giving his instructions, Zhou Cheng yawned casually, turned around and left without looking at Teng Zijing again.

Teng Zijing clutched her aching chest and forced herself to sit up.

He felt an extremely refined true energy within his body firmly locking his heart meridian, which, with his seventh-grade skill, he couldn't budge even a fraction of.

At this moment, he only thought it was Zhou Cheng's way of controlling him, and he couldn't care less about these things. All he wanted was to see his wife and children immediately.

"What's the rush?" Chen Quan walked over, patted the dust off his shoulder, and said with a hint of teasing from someone who had been there before, "If you don't tidy yourself up, going to see your family looking all dusty and disheveled will only make them worry. Your Highness... although you have a bit of a quirky sense of humor, you're really good to your own people."

He lowered his voice and kindly advised, "Serve His Highness well, and you will understand in the future what a rare honor and what a...opportunity this is."

Looking at Teng Zijing's current appearance, Chen Quan seemed to see his former self.

Fortunately, the two brothers knelt down quickly enough and knew when to back down, unlike Teng Zijing who was "played" so badly.

……

At the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), Teng Zijing, after a brief reunion with his wife and children, reluctantly parted ways and stepped out of the Prince Cheng's residence.

He was preoccupied and walked slowly, but he was finally able to relax a little.

The safety of family members is the greatest comfort.

Looking back at the outline of the Prince's mansion, which resembled a lurking beast in the night, Teng Zijing knew that there must be a pair of eyes watching this direction from within those high walls.

He forced himself to calm his chaotic thoughts and walked along the quiet Kyoto Avenue toward the Sinan Earl's residence.

He hadn't gone far when a figure suddenly darted out from a dark street corner ahead, nearly colliding with him.

"Hey! Old Teng! It really is you!" Fan Xian stopped, panting, and recognized the person in the dim moonlight. He breathed a sigh of relief. "You've changed your clothes, I almost didn't recognize you! Are you alright?"

For a moment, Teng Zijing dared not look directly into Fan Xian's burning gaze.

Appearing on the road leading to Prince Cheng's mansion in the dead of night, how could he not know Fan Xian's purpose?

"It's good that you're alright! It's good that you're alright!" Fan Xian, supporting his knees, gasped for breath. "In the middle of the night, there wasn't a soul on the street, and it was hard to even find someone to ask for directions! To find Prince Cheng's residence, I had to break into private homes, ask for directions, and stumble my way here!"

Upon hearing this, Teng Zijing's guilt deepened. Fan Xian had treated him with sincerity, yet he was forced to carry out surveillance.

The two slipped into a darker alleyway, and Fan Xian lowered his voice: "You... went to Prince Cheng's residence?"

Teng Zijing was silent for a moment, but finally nodded.

He knew that Fan Xian was exceptionally quick-witted and that many things were difficult and impossible to hide.

Moreover, the list of damages that Zhou Cheng handed him before leaving clearly stated that he could either pay for them himself or have Fan Xian pay for them on his behalf.

The implication is obvious: that prince doesn't care at all that Fan Xian knows about what happened before.

Teng Zijing briefly recounted to Fan Xian how he sneaked into Prince Cheng's mansion at night, was forced to "kidnap" Prince Cheng, and was then easily subdued.

Upon seeing the list of damaged items, Fan Xian's eyes widened, and he was so angry he almost jumped up.

"This is despicable! This is shameless! Is this something a human being would do? Ask me to pay someone to monitor me? This bastard is going too far!"

He may be fierce in his words, but when it comes to actually refusing, he can't bring himself to do it.

Teng Zijing's misfortune was ultimately caused by him. As long as he could help Teng Zijing, he was willing to accept this small amount of money!

After venting his anger, Fan Xian quickly calmed down and remembered another piece of information Teng Zijing had revealed: "You said... Prince Cheng's martial arts cultivation is very high? How high could it be?"

Teng Zijing's expression was solemn: "I speculate that Prince Cheng is at least an eighth-rank, and possibly even... a ninth-rank. I couldn't even last a single move against him. I couldn't even see his movements clearly during his two attacks."

"Eighth rank? Ninth rank?" Fan Xian frowned, somewhat incredulous.

He himself was an eighth-rank cultivator, and he knew that even if he fought Teng Zijing, he would never be able to make his opponent completely unable to see the trajectory of his attacks.

If Teng Zijing's statement is correct...

This means that... Prince Cheng, Li Chengcheng, is very likely a ninth-rank master!

As for higher? Fan Xian didn't even consider that!

Because that's simply impossible!

"Three years of cultivation to reach the ninth rank? You're kidding me!"

Fan Xian judged others by his own standards. He had been cultivating the "Overbearing True Qi" since childhood, and was also trained day and night by experts like Wu Zhu to assist his cultivation. He suffered a lot of hardship and pain, and finally, after witnessing the excitement of Wu Zhu fighting with that mysterious masked man, he barely managed to break through to the eighth rank.

The transition from the eighth to the ninth rank is a significant dividing line.

Let alone going from nothing to the ninth rank in three years, even breaking through from the eighth rank to the ninth rank within three years would be considered an astonishing genius!

"I don't want to believe it either, but it's widely rumored that Prince Cheng did not practice martial arts in his early years," Teng Zijing added.

Fan Xian also recalled that on the night he first arrived in the capital, his father, Fan Jian, had mentioned that Prince Cheng was inclined towards martial arts, but His Majesty had forcibly forced him onto the path of literature. Only in recent years had Emperor Qing gradually begun to let him do as he pleased.

But achieving the ninth rank in three years still cannot be explained away by talent alone.

"Unless he's cheating, there's absolutely no way he could do it!" Fan Xian thought to himself.

Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind, and he asked Teng Zijing, "Do you think it's possible that Prince Cheng has been practicing martial arts since childhood, and that his so-called path of pursuing literature is just a smokescreen put out by Emperor Qing?"

"Smoke bomb?" Teng Zijing was still confused.

Fan Xian's eyes grew colder and colder. The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed. He muttered to himself, "There's always been a rumor in the palace about a hidden Grandmaster. If Prince Cheng is a ninth-rank official, could he be that Grandmaster's personal disciple?"

Fan Xian's thoughts raced, and Teng Zijing didn't disturb him, simply clutching his still-aching chest and listening quietly to his analysis:

"With the personal guidance of a grandmaster, the abundant resources provided by the royal family, and exceptional talent... reaching the ninth rank at this age is not entirely impossible."

"Does His Majesty know? He definitely knows! In fact, all of this might have been arranged by our Emperor!"

A glimmer of realization flashed in Fan Xian's eyes: "I think I've... glimpsed some of the truth."

In the imperial court, the Crown Prince and the Second Prince were locked in a fierce battle, but His Majesty remained unmoved and impartial throughout.

Previously, I was misled by Prince Cheng's rhetoric of "training the crown prince" and truly believed that His Majesty intended to target the Eastern Palace.

In retrospect, this seems to be a grave mistake! His Majesty's true affections have always belonged to Prince Cheng! Allowing the Crown Prince and the Second Prince to contend with each other was merely a way to buy time for Prince Cheng to conceal his talents and accumulate strength.

The more he spoke, the clearer the picture became: "No wonder His Majesty bestowed the title the late Emperor held during his time as a prince upon the Third Prince! This was clearly a foreshadowing, a hidden meaning!"

After listening, Teng Zijing pondered for a moment and then realized something: "No wonder Prince Cheng sees the capital as a grand chess game, and everyone as a pawn. His outward appearance of not vying for power is probably all a facade! Only someone with the ambition to seize power would view things and people from that perspective!"

Fan Xian and Teng Zijing realized they had seen through Zhou Cheng's disguise and glimpsed Emperor Qing's true plans. After the initial excitement, however, more pressing practical issues weighed heavily on their minds.

"Oh no..." Fan Xian suddenly frowned, "I think I really offended our 'future emperor' tonight!"

Although he and Si Lili are innocent, who would believe that?

Originally, he was prepared to grit his teeth and admit to the matter with Si Lili, and he was even mentally prepared to face a heavy blow in the future. But now that he has seen through the truth behind Prince Cheng's disguise, the word "danger" has appeared on his forehead!

Offending a leisurely prince to death is a completely different matter in nature and consequence from offending the future ruler of Qing Kingdom and the supreme ruler of the world.

What's more, there's also his "chicken leg girl"...

He no longer expected Zhou Cheng to help him; he only hoped that his own affairs wouldn't drag the girl into the mess.

"Normally, I should have gone to Prince Cheng's residence to apologize this morning..."

As Fan Xian inwardly chuckled to himself, Teng Zijing asked the most pressing question: "Then, Prince Cheng ordered me to monitor you. How should I respond?"

"Keep an eye on things as they need to be, and report back as they need to be." Fan Xian quickly adjusted his mindset. "You can just focus on being my 'eyes and ears.' Now that you're on Prince Cheng's side, you might be of more help to me in a crucial moment."

He thought of Li Hongcheng, the heir apparent of Prince Jing. Without Li Hongcheng as a witness, there would probably be one less significant corroborating evidence tonight regarding his brutal beating of Guo Baokun.

The two whispered and discussed their next move. Just then, a rooster crowed faintly in the distance.

Fan Xian's expression changed: "Oh no! I was so busy talking that I forgot the time! I have to hurry back to the pleasure boat and show myself. You go back to the manor and wait for me!"

Teng Zijing nodded in agreement.

……

The next morning, Fan Xian, exhausted, stepped out of the painted boat on the Liujing River. After exchanging a few perfunctory pleasantries with Li Hongcheng who came to greet him, he hurriedly returned to the Si Nan Marquis's residence.

After a whole night of running around, covering almost half of Kyoto, he was not only physically exhausted, but also mentally exhausted.

At the same time, Guo Youzhi, the Minister of Rites, saw his son beaten beyond recognition and felt an intense hatred for Fan Xian, unable to contain himself for even a minute.

As soon as the gates of the Kyoto government office opened, he led his lawyer and servants, storming into the courtroom with great momentum, and filed a lawsuit against Fan Xian.

Fan Xian had just returned to his room and lay down fully clothed, not even having a chance to close his eyes, when a commotion arose outside the courtyard.

Immediately afterwards, a group of burly, cold-faced constables from the Kyoto Prefecture stormed into the Si Nanbo Mansion, holding arrest warrants and shouting that they wanted to arrest the "criminal Fan Xian" and bring him to justice!