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

Zhou Cheng looked at the short, even somewhat petite figure and immediately recognized her.

"Saint Begonia?"

His tone was questioning, but his voice was very certain.

The woman opposite me spoke in a clear, slightly annoyed voice: "Forget about being a saintess, just call me Begonia Blossom!"

Zhou Cheng nodded, leaned against the window frame, and yawned: "The agreed time hasn't arrived yet, you're early."

Upon hearing this, Haitang Duoduo immediately retorted irritably, "The letter was left unilaterally by you; I didn't make any agreement with you."

Zhou Cheng: "What you say makes sense, but disturbing someone's sleep is never a good thing. I haven't even slept for an hour yet."

"I didn't close my eyes once all night!"

Haitang Duoduo practically gritted her teeth as she uttered those words.

Zhou Cheng paused for a moment, then nodded: "That is indeed quite arduous."

"..."

Haitang Duoduo was taken aback by his nonchalant attitude.

She took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to kill someone.

"You're the first person to kidnap a princess and take her out of the palace to eat, drink, and gamble!

Zhou Cheng touched his nose:

"It wasn't exactly kidnapping. It was more like I felt sorry for her and wanted to help. She wanted to go out and have some fun, so I just gave her a hand. As you probably know, she had a lot of fun."

Haitang Duoduo was speechless for a moment.

She had indeed heard from her spies that the eldest princess hadn't stopped smiling all night at the night market.

But she quickly dismissed the thought.

"To be honest, I'm very curious about your purpose in infiltrating the palace." She stared at Zhou Cheng. "I don't care if you're just acting on a whim to challenge royal authority, or if you've read too many romance novels and want to abduct a princess for a romantic encounter. I just want to tell you, tonight, right now, I'm very unhappy. Let's have a fight first! Otherwise, I'll hold a grudge!"

Zhou Cheng looked at her but did not refuse.

As Kuhe's last disciple, Haitang Duoduo inherited all of Kuhe's true teachings.

His cultivation of the Heavenly Dao Heart Method is even more advanced, aiming directly at the Grandmaster level. Even though he has now obtained the Overlord True Qi, it would be a lie to say that he is not curious about the Heavenly Dao Heart Method.

"Let's go somewhere else," Zhou Cheng suggested frankly. "We can't operate freely here, and we shouldn't disturb their rest. You're familiar with the capital, you lead the way!"

Haitang Duoduo was slightly taken aback: "I didn't realize you had any morals! Moving to another place is fine. But aren't you afraid my people will take the opportunity to abduct the eldest princess?"

Zhou Cheng glanced at the next room, his gaze calm.

Turning back, he said:

"Don't worry. You wanted to fight, right? After the fight, even if your men secretly take the person away, they'll obediently return them later."

Haitang Duoduo raised her eyebrows.

"Ha," she scoffed, "How arrogant. Knowing it's me, Haitang Duoduo, you still act so confident. Do you think you're a grandmaster?"

Zhou Cheng did not respond.

"Follow me!"

Without another word, Haitang Duoduo leaped up like a startled swan, lightly touching the eaves with her toes, and soared several feet into the distance. In a few leaps, her figure almost disappeared.

Zhou Cheng leisurely leaped out of the window.

He simply put his hands behind his back and stepped forward, one step at a time, along the roof ridge.

His demeanor was as relaxed as if he were taking a stroll under the moon. Each step he took was not large, yet he caught up with Haitang Duoduo in just a few steps.

The crabapple blossoms flitted past in front of us, occasionally glancing back.

At first, it was just a casual glance out of the corner of her eye, but later she couldn't help but turn around frequently.

The white figure behind him maintained the same distance, neither too close nor too far, neither too fast nor too slow.

No matter how fast she sped up, the distance remained unchanged. When she sped up, he sped up too; when she slowed down, he slowed down too. Like her shadow, he couldn't shake her off, nor could he pull away from her.

Her brows furrowed slightly.

After crossing two more streets, she finally couldn't help but speak, her voice tinged with surprise: "Your lightness skill is quite impressive! No wonder you were able to infiltrate the palace."

Zhou Cheng did not answer, and Haitang Duoduo was not surprised. She assumed that he was just pretending to be calm, but in reality, he had already mustered all his strength and had no energy left to speak.

The two of them, one in front of the other, quickly left the inner city and arrived at a river outside the city.

This is a large river that flows outside the capital city, called the Qingshui River.

The river was wide, more than twenty feet across, with a gentle current. Moonlight shone on the water, breaking into countless silvery scales.

The banks were covered with sparse reeds. The night wind rustled the reed leaves, and occasionally water birds were startled and flew into the night sky.

The riverbank was covered with pebbles, some as big as a fist and some as small as a bean, which gleamed with a warm luster under the moonlight.

A crabapple blossom fell onto a riverbank and turned away.

Zhou Cheng also descended from the sky, landing three zhang away from her.

"This is fine."

Haitang Duoduo doesn't waste words.

With a push of her feet, she shot out like an arrow!

The pebbles under her feet were sent flying backward with a crisp "crash" sound as she kicked them.

With his right palm outstretched, surging with true energy, he aimed straight for Zhou Cheng's face!

This palm strike was as fast as lightning, wrapped in a fierce palm wind!

Zhou Cheng shifted his body to the side, barely dodging the palm strike. The wind from the palm brushed past his ear, causing the strands of hair at his temples to flutter slightly.

Haitang Duoduo's palm strikes continued unabated, her left palm already upon him! This palm strike was even faster than before, heading straight for his chest!

This time, Zhou Cheng didn't dodge. He maintained his true energy at the ninth level and countered with a palm strike.

When their palms collided, ripples of moonlight rippled through the air.

The crabapple blossoms retreated to release the force.

Zhou Cheng didn't move his feet, directly taking the hit head-on.

The Heavenly Dao True Qi is resilient, powerful, and inexhaustible.

While Zhou Cheng was still carefully sensing the situation, Haitang Duoduo had already regrouped and launched another attack like a storm.

The wind howled as each palm strike was faster than the last, the moves flowing continuously, one after another.

The flow of true qi was seamless, and the moves flowed smoothly without any hesitation, as if there was no need to pause or gather momentum. It was like flowing clouds and water, perfectly natural.

Her movements were equally agile and unpredictable, shifting left and right, forward and backward, with her palm shadows overlapping and almost completely enveloping Zhou Cheng.

Zhou Cheng merely dodged, retreated, turned sideways, slid, or blocked, never launching an attack.

However, every movement he made was precise, neither too much nor too little, extremely simple, without any unnecessary frills.

The more the crabapple blossoms were hit, the more frightened they became.

She couldn't describe that feeling.

There are no fancy footwork techniques or dazzling footwork; only the most direct and efficient dodging.

She had never seen Wu Zhu, let alone seen him fight anyone.

If her master, Ku He, were here, he would immediately recognize that Zhou Cheng's fighting style was extremely similar to Wu Zhu's.

Another dozen or so moves passed.

Haitang Duoduo suddenly retreated, creating distance between them.

She stared at Zhou Cheng, her chest rising and falling slightly.

"Whose disciple are you? What master do you follow?" Her voice was filled with curiosity. "I've never seen a fighting style like yours before."

Zhou Cheng stood with his hands behind his back, his breathing steady, the moonlight casting a faint shadow on his face.

"I'm not anyone's disciple, nor do I have a master. If I had to say, I'd say I'm self-taught. As for my fighting style, well, I played with a certain... person for a month, and that's how I got used to it."

Haitang Duoduo was stunned for a moment, then her face showed undisguised strong dissatisfaction.

"A ninth-rank expert who's self-taught?" She glared at Zhou Cheng. "Do you think I'm a three-year-old? If a ninth-rank expert could be self-taught, wouldn't the whole world be full of masters! If you don't want to talk about it, just say so. Making up nonsense to fob me off is really pathetic!"

Zhou Cheng shrugged: "I never lie. If you don't believe me, what can I do?"

"So what's your name?" Haitang Duoduo asked again.

"Li Chengcheng".

Haitang Duoduo frowned.

Lee Seung-sung?

The name sounded somewhat familiar to her.

She quickly realized the origin of the name.

The third prince of Qing Kingdom, the notoriously useless prince in the kingdom. It is said that when he was eight years old, he uttered the foolish question "Why don't they eat meat porridge?" in public, becoming a laughing stock of the whole world.

Later, all sorts of outrageous things were told about him, such as visiting brothels, keeping mistresses, and beating people in the street... In short, he was a good-for-nothing playboy.

She looked at the person in front of her.

Under the moonlight, that face looked excessively young, with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and a composed demeanor. Apart from their similar ages, they had no other resemblance.

Haitang Duoduo didn't even consider the person in front of her to be Zhou Cheng.

After all, it's ridiculous that the third prince of Qing Kingdom would appear in the capital of Qi Kingdom, which is thousands of miles away!

She took a deep breath.

"I suggest you change your name."

Zhou Cheng asked curiously, "Why?"

Haitang Duoduo: "Because you share the same name as that idiot from Nanqing! He's so famous, when you mention your name, people will immediately think of that idiot!"

Zhou Cheng: "..."

Seeing that Zhou Cheng remained silent, Haitang Duoduo didn't mind. Her tone became serious:

"At your age, you've already reached the ninth rank, a rare genius indeed. However, I, Haitang Duoduo, am still superior, for I am already at the upper ninth rank. Pay attention! I'm about to get serious!"

No sooner had she finished speaking than she struck again!

This time, her offensive was even more fierce than before.

When the Heavenly Dao Heart Technique was activated to its limit, true energy surged through the meridians like a tidal wave, and every palm strike carried immense power! It was simply incomparable to his previous attacks!

The Heavenly Dao Heart Method excels at restoring true qi.

An ordinary martial artist would need to recover their energy after three to five moves when they went all out, but she could unleash ten, twenty, or even thirty moves in one go. Her energy was so long and sustained that it was far beyond what a normal martial artist could achieve!

This is Haitang Duoduo's trump card, and also where she is most confident.

Anyone of the same rank, let alone a ninth-rank person, even someone of the upper ninth rank, can be worn down to death if given time!

With a whoosh of her palm, the pebbles on the riverbank were blown about by her surging inner energy, making a "whoosh" sound.

Zhou Cheng continued to dodge and parry.

But his movements were three points faster than before.

The palm strike of Haitang Duoduo brushed past his clothes, the hem of his robe fluttering in the wind from the internal energy, yet it never touched him in the slightest.

Sometimes her palms would touch the hem of his clothes, but in the next instant, the hem would slip away from her fingertips like a slippery eel.

Ten moves.

Twenty moves.

Thirty moves.

Haitang Duoduo's attacks became faster and fiercer, and her complexion became increasingly unwell, with fine beads of sweat appearing on her forehead.

But the person in front of me remained completely at ease, without even changing their breathing rhythm.

She had only ever experienced this feeling of being so close yet so far, yet so different, with one person...

"impossible!"

The thought had barely surfaced in Haitang Duoduo's mind when it was instantly extinguished.

She didn't believe anyone could reach that level at that age.

Moreover, if such a person were to truly emerge in the world, he would have already shaken the world; how could he remain so unknown?

A loud bang echoed as the impact sent shockwaves through the air.

Haitang Duoduo could clearly sense that the other party's true energy was balanced and peaceful, not much stronger than her own.

But the more she did this, the stronger the strange feeling in her heart became.

Finally, she abruptly stepped back, her right hand reaching towards her waist—

Two short axes were already in his hands!

Under the moonlight, the axe blade gleamed with a cold light; it was made of fine steel specially crafted by the Northern Qi Dynasty, and was incomparably sharp.

"I'm best at using weapons!" She stared intently at Zhou Cheng. "Don't blame me for bullying you. Let's both go all out. I'll give you time to find a suitable weapon!"

Zhou Cheng looked at her.

Those eyes appeared exceptionally calm under the moonlight, even carrying a faint smile.

The smile wasn't mocking, but rather... how should I put it, like the admiration an adult gives a child.

"No need," he gently shook his head.

Haitang Duoduo frowned slightly, but didn't seem to think anything of it.

Not all martial artists are stronger with weapons than with their bare hands.

Even Grandmaster Ye Liuyun abandoned his sword in his youth to create the Liuyun Sanshou (Flowing Cloud Scattered Hands) and become a renowned Grandmaster.

"Alright! I won't stand on ceremony then!"

Haitang Duoduo gathered her true energy between her two axes. Just as she was about to unleash her attack, she felt a blur before her eyes, as if the whole world had shaken!

The next moment!

An indescribable pressure swept over us like a landslide or a tsunami!

She was struck head-on by this aura, and it felt as if she was being held down by an invisible giant hand, unable to move!

The pebbles beneath her feet trembled around her, making a soft, grinding sound, as if they too were in fear!

True Qi!

The true energy of a grandmaster!

Haitang Duoduo's consciousness went haywire for a moment.

The true energy surrounding her carried a violent aura that could destroy everything, almost the complete opposite of her teacher Ku He's Heavenly Dao True Energy!

overbearing!

Pure! Unreasonable!

It was like an ancient, ferocious beast opening its eyes in the darkness!

Her pupils suddenly contracted!

Zhou Cheng casually struck out with his palm.

The palm strike wasn't fast; in fact, it was quite slow. So slow that Haitang Duoduo could clearly see the trajectory of his hand's movement, so slow that time itself seemed to stretch out.

She wanted to hide, but her body wouldn't move and wouldn't obey her commands!

Her name is Haitang Duoduo, but now she has nowhere to hide!

The oppressive aura held her firmly in place, like a tiny insect trapped in amber, or a moth on a spider's web, unable to move even a finger!

She tried to activate her inner energy, but it stagnated in her meridians, like frozen river water!

A gust of wind rushed towards my face!

The shadow of death loomed over her.

it's over...

Countless images flashed through her mind.

The teacher's teachings, the saint's duties, the beans she planted... she still has so much to do, so many promises to keep, and the vegetables and fruits she planted this year haven't even been harvested yet...

She regretted it.

She felt that the person in front of her was being too serious!

If you say to use your full strength, do you really mean to use your full strength?!

Then she realized she had been too arrogant and overacting...

But now... it's too late to regret it.

The palm strike has arrived!

In that instant, she seemed to see herself blossom...

The hand didn't strike her directly; it just grazed past her ear.

Her hair bun instantly came undone, her long black hair dancing wildly in the night wind! A wooden hairpin fell from her hair, caught in the turbulent air currents, and instantly turned into dust.

"boom!!!"

The river surface exploded more than ten feet behind her!

The waves surged skyward, rising seven or eight zhang high! The entire river seemed to have been cut off by an invisible giant hand! The waves churned and splashed, forming a giant silver wall under the moonlight!

Then--

The roar was like thunder, echoing throughout half of the capital!

The riverbank trembled, the reeds flattened, and countless waterbirds cried out as they flew up from the reeds, creating a chaotic scene in the night sky that obscured half the moon!

Countless households in the capital were awakened by this loud noise.

Some people sat up in bed, looking around blankly; some opened the window and poked their heads out; some put on their clothes and ran into the yard, looking up at the sky.

"There are no dark clouds... so why is it thundering?"

"It's raining? Wait, the moon is still up..."

"That way! In the direction outside the city!"

"This thunder is strange, it's too loud..."

For a time, the sounds of barking dogs, crying children, and talking people rose and fell in the night.

Riverbank.

The waves receded, and the river flowed again, making a rushing sound. The dammed water formed a small torrent, washing over the reeds on both banks.

The moonlight shone again on the river, shattering into countless silvery scales, as if the devastating scene had never happened.

Haitang Duoduo stood still, maintaining the posture of holding two axes, without moving.

Her hair was completely disheveled, her dark locks cascading over her shoulders, ruffled by the night wind. A few strands clung to her sweaty cheeks, but she didn't bother to brush them away.

Her eyes were wide open, a buzzing sound still lingered in her ears, and her face showed disbelief and bewilderment.

For a brief moment, she really thought she was going to die.

The feeling of death was so real, so close, that she could almost smell it.

But that force only grazed past her, without harming her in the slightest.

She turned her head blankly and looked at the river behind her, its churning mud turning the water black.

Then he turned back and looked at the young man standing in front of him with his hands behind his back.

Under the moonlight, his figure remained tall and slender, his robes were still neat, and his face still carried that calm demeanor.

It was as if that earth-shattering palm strike he had just delivered was nothing more than a casual gesture, not worth mentioning.

Haitang Duoduo opened her mouth.

His voice was somewhat dry and hoarse: "You, you're a Grandmaster?"

Hearing the commotion in the distance, she turned her head and looked around blankly. What came into view was a cluster of lights that kept lighting up like stars in the sky.

She swallowed hard, turned around, and looked at Zhou Cheng's figure with his hands behind his back. A sentence inexplicably popped into her mind, and before she even realized it, she had already weakly uttered it.

"In other words, even if you are a grandmaster... disturbing so many people who are sleeping is still immoral..."