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

Haitang Duoduo's achievement of the ninth rank at the age of fifteen was not only due to her master Kuhe, but more importantly, to her natural disposition and perfect harmony with the Heavenly Dao Technique.

What does it mean to be in harmony with nature?

That is to follow your heart and act according to your desires.

After weakly finishing her sentence, she casually tucked the two short axes into her waistband and plopped down on the pebbles of the riverbank.

"My legs are weak, let me rest."

Zhou Cheng: "..."

Haitang Duoduo sat on the rock without complaining about the discomfort, massaging her legs while looking up at him.

"You really are a grandmaster? You don't look much older than me. How did you train?"

Looking at the girl with a slightly chubby face and curious eyes, Zhou Cheng didn't know whether to say she was carefree or what to say.

He said, "I didn't really train. It was purely by cheating."

Haitang Duoduo was taken aback: "Cheat? What do you mean?"

Zhou Cheng thought for a moment: "According to common understanding, it's probably cheating."

Haitang Duoduo's eyes widened: "Cheating? Cheating can make you a grandmaster? How did you do it? It was so hard for me to reach the ninth rank. I want to cheat too. Can you teach me?"

Zhou Cheng glanced at her speechlessly.

The combination of Haitang Duoduo's temperament and the Heavenly Dao Technique is already twice as effective with half the effort. It is no exaggeration to say that one year of cultivation is equivalent to ten years for an ordinary person.

Like the other nine ranks, each one had to go through countless hardships and face life-or-death situations to barely achieve their goal. But Haitang Duoduo only practiced casually and yet reached a level that countless people could not reach in their entire lives.

Such talent is entirely a gift from heaven.

Even with his cheat codes, he still walked on thin ice, enduring for many years, using his identity, and expending a lot of effort and scheming before finally becoming a Grandmaster.

And even so, she still has the nerve to complain about how hard it is...

Zhou Cheng shook his head: "My cheating is like your talent; no one else can learn it."

"I see."

Haitang Duoduo nodded, not doubting at all that Zhou Cheng would lie to her; on the contrary, she felt that this was the most reasonable explanation.

People are different; what works for others may not work for her.

Just like when she first started practicing the Heavenly Dao Heart Sutra and made rapid progress, her senior brother, Lang Tao, also began to question the meaning of life.

The crabapple blossoms tilted their heads.

Under the moonlight, the young face was clearly defined, with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, exuding a composed demeanor.

"Hey," she said, "who exactly are you? Is the name Li Chengcheng fake? Even if you are a grandmaster, you should take it one step at a time. A young expert like you shouldn't be unknown."

You are not from the State of Qi, otherwise I would recognize you.

Dongyi City? No, that's not right either, you don't even use a sword.

A person from Qing Kingdom? Could you be Ye Wan? No! The age doesn't match, and Ye Wan couldn't possibly have come to the capital!

Let me think, who else could it be...?

Zhou Cheng interrupted her directly: "Stop guessing, none of these are true. I've only been practicing martial arts for three years. Judging from your reputation in martial arts, you're bound to be wrong no matter how you guess."

Haitang Duoduo's ears twitched, and she blinked, almost doubting that she had misheard.

Only when she saw Zhou Cheng's sincere expression did she jump up from the ground, not even bothering to brush the dust off her clothes.

"Three? Three years?" she said incredulously.

Zhou Cheng nodded slightly.

Haitang Duoduo's mouth gaped open, and after a long while, she finally gasped for breath:

"No wonder! No wonder you said it was cheating! This kind of cultivation speed is simply..."

She held her breath, then exclaimed, "So enviable!"

After saying that, she seemed to realize something: "You're a Grandmaster, there's no need for you to lie to me. Your real name is Li Chengcheng?"

Zhou Cheng let out a breath and nodded.

"That Li Chengcheng from 'Why don't they eat meat porridge?' The third prince of the Qing Kingdom?"

Zhou Cheng continued to nod.

Haitang Duoduo's eyes widened instantly.

She stared at Zhou Cheng, looking him up and down several times, as if he were some rare and precious object.

She murmured, "Legend has it that Grandmaster Si Gu Jian was a fool back then... and now you are too... I understand! No wonder, no wonder I'm in harmony with nature and the Way of Heaven, yet I can't become a Grandmaster at this age... It turns out, it's my extraordinary wisdom that's holding me back!"

Seeing Haitang Duoduo's secretly annoyed expression, Zhou Cheng was speechless.

Haitang Duoduo caught a glimpse of Zhou Cheng and smiled slightly.

Zhou Cheng's palm strike was incredibly powerful and breathtaking; she certainly wasn't foolish enough to believe that the Zhou Cheng of the past was an idiot.

She was simply using words to retaliate for the fright she had just suffered because he was easy to talk to.

After muttering to herself, she suddenly asked, "By the way, what martial art was that palm strike you just used? It was so powerful!"

Zhou Cheng stood with his hands behind his back: "Domineering True Qi."

Haitang Duoduo's eyes lit up.

"Want to learn?" Zhou Cheng suddenly asked.

Haitang Duoduo hesitated and asked, "You'll teach me?"

"Exchange it for the Heavenly Dao Heart Sutra."

Haitang Duoduo fell silent.

The Heavenly Dao Heart Sutra is not something she can simply take out and exchange as she pleases.

Zhou Cheng is a Grandmaster. Once the Heavenly Dao Heart Sutra falls into his hands, who knows if it will pose a threat to Ku He?

She wanted powerful internal energy, but it was far from enough to risk Ku He's safety.

"Do you know?"

"Know what?"

Haitang Duoduo tilted her head and looked at him: "You have a bit of a grandmaster's aura, but not much. If it were any other grandmaster, asking 'Want to learn?' they might just teach me right away!"

Zhou Cheng glanced at her sideways: "I know you possess the Heavenly Dao Heart Sutra, and instead of exchanging it for your domineering true energy, I just give it to you directly. That's not magnanimity, that's stupidity!"

Haitang Duoduo snorted, hands on her hips: "You have no class! A grandmaster like you resorts to despicable means, sneaking into the palace at night to abduct a princess. You lured me out, then pretended to be weak to test my Heavenly Dao martial arts! Shameless!"

Zhou Cheng wasn't annoyed by her scolding; he simply spoke slowly:

"Grace can't put food on the table, and it's really stupid to be manipulated by words. As for whether the methods are despicable or not, as long as they work, that's fine."

I originally intended to find out Ku He's seclusion location from you or Zhan Doudou; bringing the eldest princess out was just a side effect. I left a letter and didn't deliberately hide my whereabouts, just to put your minds at ease. Who knew you wouldn't have such a short patience?

Haitang Duoduo then realized that Zhou Cheng's purpose was actually to see Kuhe, but upon hearing the last sentence about her lack of patience, she immediately became dissatisfied:

"I don't have patience? The eldest princess has been kidnapped, how can I have patience?! She is the eldest princess! She has royal blood, her status is very important, and she's just a young girl!"

She was kidnapped by bad guys. What if something happens to me if I'm even a little late?

"I am the Holy Maiden of Northern Qi, and under my protection, the eldest princess was kidnapped and may even be pregnant. Don't I have any shame?"

She became more and more agitated as she spoke.

Zhou Cheng didn't refute it, his face simply showing that what you said made sense.

After she finished speaking, he said, "You know quite a lot, you even know what it means to get someone pregnant."

Upon hearing this, Haitang Duoduo blushed instantly. She forced a nonchalant air and said, "Of course! At my age, many girls are already mothers. What's wrong with me knowing a little about human relationships? I've heard those rumors about you, saying you went to brothels when you were eight! What's that compared to that!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Cheng not only did not refute it, but even nodded.

Seeing this, Haitang Duoduo felt bored. Her face turned serious, her playful expression vanishing, and she asked earnestly, "You came to the capital to find my master? What's your purpose in seeing him? It's not to challenge him to a fight, is it?"

Zhou Cheng didn't hide anything, frankly saying, "The main purpose is naturally not to challenge us to a fight, but a fight is unavoidable. At our level, fists are far more sincere than words."

Instead of worrying about Ku He, Hai Tang Duo Duo immediately perked up: "Great! My master is amazing. If you two fight, I can watch and learn!"

Zhou Cheng looked at her troublemaking appearance and shook his head slightly.

After being questioned so many times by Haitang Duoduo, he took the initiative to speak, his tone leaving no room for doubt: "I don't want my whereabouts to be known, especially when I see Kuhe. Withdraw you and the little emperor's men from my side. I don't want to make things difficult for them, but if you continue to follow, I don't mind taking action."

Without hesitation, Haitang Duoduo agreed immediately: "Okay!"

It's one thing to spy on someone without knowing their Grandmaster status, but to keep spying even after knowing means there's something wrong with your head. She's not stupid.

"I will keep everything about you a secret. I will not tell anyone about tonight except His Majesty. I will also make things clear to my master beforehand, so that he is aware of the situation."

"it is good."

Zhou Cheng agreed.

Haitang Duoduo still had many questions to ask, but before she could continue, she saw flames flickering in the distance, rushing towards her.

They are from the city defense bureau.

Zhou Cheng's palm strike was so powerful that it woke up most of the capital city. It would be strange if the city defense command didn't react.

Haitang Duoduo glanced at Zhou Cheng, and Zhou Cheng said:

"Let's go, we can talk about it tomorrow at noon. You know that inn."

Haitang Duoduo nodded and didn't mention the matter of the eldest princess again.

The two figures flashed and disappeared into the night.

......

When we returned to the inn, the sky was already beginning to lighten with the first hint of dawn.

Zhou Cheng gently pushed open the window of his room and climbed inside.

Then he saw that there was another person on the bed.

The person was huddled in the corner of the bed, hugging their legs. Their red palace dress was wrinkled, and their long black hair was disheveled and draped over their shoulders.

Hearing the noise, the man suddenly raised his head.

It's Zhan Yuanyuan.

Her eyes were red, with tears still clinging to her eyelashes, and two faint tear tracks on her cheeks.

The moment she saw Zhou Cheng, a look of surprise suddenly flashed in her red and swollen eyes.

"You...you're back!"

She jumped out of bed in a panic, ran barefoot to Zhou Cheng, and grabbed his hand.

Those hands were icy cold and trembling slightly.

Zhou Cheng looked down at her:

"Why are you here instead of resting?"

Zhan Yuanyuan gripped his hand, her voice trembling with tears:

"I...I just heard thunder, it was so loud, it scared me awake...I was scared after I woke up and wanted to find you...I went to your room and knocked on the door, but no one answered. I pushed the door open...and you weren't there..."

The more she spoke, the more aggrieved she became, and tears began to well up in her eyes again.

"I...I searched the inn, but it was pitch black everywhere, and I couldn't find you...I thought you had abandoned me...I didn't know what to do..."

By the end, her voice was completely choked with sobs, and tears streamed down her face.

Zhou Cheng was silent for a moment, then realized that what Haitang Duoduo had said earlier was absolutely right; he was indeed quite immoral.

He raised his hand and gently patted her head.

He reassured her, "I didn't abandon you. I brought you out, so I'll take responsibility for you. I just went out to run some errands."

Zhan Yuanyuan looked up at him, her eyes brimming with tears:

"Really?"

"real."

Zhan Yuanyuan sniffed, wiped her face haphazardly with her sleeve, then suddenly remembered something, pouted, and said with a hint of resentment:

"Why didn't you tell me you were going out on business? I thought... I thought..."

She couldn't continue.

Zhou Cheng chuckled: "My princess, you were sleeping at the time. How could I tell you? Break into your room? You'd probably be even more terrified then!"

Zhan Yuanyuan blushed and lowered her head, whispering, "I...I'm not afraid of you! It's good that you're back. I...I want to go back too."

After saying that, she tried to escape back to her room.

But Zhou Cheng simply picked her up and carried her in his arms.

Zhan Yuanyuan exclaimed in surprise.

.......

Zhou Cheng ultimately did not make a move against Yuanyuan.

It wasn't that he suddenly changed his personality; it was just that the two had only met for less than a day, and Zhan Yuanyuan couldn't even remember his name. Moreover, she had been confined in the palace since childhood and had never seen much of the world.

He was afraid that rushing things would leave the child with psychological trauma.

He slept soundly for two hours while holding the eldest princess of Northern Qi. When he woke up, Zhan Yuanyuan's face was rosy, just like a newlywed bride. She even took the initiative to help him wash and dress.

After getting ready, Zhou Cheng took Zhan Yuanyuan downstairs and strolled around the streets.

Sure enough, Haitang Duoduo must have made arrangements overnight. All the spies who were around in the vicinity last night have now disappeared without a trace.

Zhou Cheng was not surprised by this.

As long as Haitang Duoduo doesn't reveal his whereabouts, he's not worried about being discovered.

As the third prince of the Qing Kingdom, he was not well-known, not only in Northern Qi but also in the capital of the Qing Kingdom.

In those days, there were no photos for comparison, not even sketches. Those who could recognize him were basically imperial relatives and high-ranking officials. Such people could not possibly appear in Northern Qi.

In the Qing Kingdom, all information about the royal family members is top secret; even the Imperial Censorate does not keep any files about them.

The spies that the Investigation Bureau had stationed in the capital, unless they were undercover agents like Yan Bingyun, had very few opportunities to see him.

It was nearing noon.

Zhou Cheng took Zhan Yuanyuan to the inn where he had stayed when he first arrived in the capital.

Zhan Yuanyuan had changed into a red dress, which Zhou Cheng had bought for her on a whim that morning.

Although the material wasn't as fine as the silks and satins in the palace, the style was quite nice. Wearing it made her face look even more delicate, and the skirt swayed gently as she walked, like a newly blooming red peony.

Pushing open the door to the private room, I found two people already waiting inside.

One of them was, of course, Haitang Duoduo. Today, she had changed into a neat and tidy outfit, and the two short axes were still hanging at her waist. She was drinking tea with a bored expression.

The other person sat upright by the window, dressed in a moon-white long robe, holding a folding fan. He had handsome features and a refined demeanor with an indescribable air of nobility.

This is naturally Zhan Doudou, the female emperor of Northern Qi disguised as a man.

When Zhan Yuanyuan saw the two of them, although she was mentally prepared, she still stopped in her tracks and lowered her head, looking helpless like a child who had made a mistake.

She instinctively hid behind Zhou Cheng, twisting her fingers together forcefully.

She looked up, opened her mouth as if to explain something to Zhan Doudou, but when the words reached her lips, she didn't know what to say.

Unfortunately, Zhan Doudou didn't even look at her.

From the moment Zhou Cheng entered the room, Zhan Doudou's gaze remained fixed on him.

She stood up, gently closing her folding fan with graceful and composed movements. Her clear, cool eyes met Zhou Cheng's directly, getting straight to the point:

"As the fifth Grandmaster, the very foundation of the world will be altered by your presence. What is your vision of the world? Besides meeting Master Kuhe, what other purpose do you have in coming to Northern Qi?"

Her voice was clear and melodious, carrying a touch of imperial majesty, yet never lacking in manners.

Zhou Cheng said calmly, "It's already quite difficult for the world to maintain its current state. I don't want to change anything."

He paused for a moment, then said, "Besides seeing Ku He, I did have other purposes for coming to the capital."

A glint flashed in Zhan Doudou's eyes, but she remained impassive: "Oh? What is it?"

Zhou Cheng looked at her, his gaze frank, and spoke slowly and deliberately:

"Your Majesty should know my identity from the Holy Maiden. I won't lie—"

"I need you to help me become the Emperor of Qing."