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

To immerse yourself in reading Chapter 52, "The Hole Under the Wheelchair," please click here.

The carriage sped along the main road of Kyoto.

Fan Xian, holding the reins in one hand and waving the whip in the other, shouted at the top of his lungs:

"Get out of the way! Everyone get out of the way!"

Pedestrians in front scrambled to avoid the vehicle, their eyes wide as it sped past like a madman.

This scene is just like the way villains travel in movies and TV shows.

It was almost as if a child suddenly jumped out and stood in the middle of the road halfway through.

Inside the carriage, the light flickered as the carriage swayed.

Shadow silently observed Zhou Cheng opposite him, his body tense beneath his black robe.

The rebellion within the Observatory was a scheme orchestrated by Chen Pingping and Yan Ruohai; he wasn't worried.

What he's worried about now is this unexpected and unplanned visitor.

Through the car curtain lifted by the wind, the street scene outside the window flashed by.

We're getting closer and closer to the Forensic Service.

Shadow finally couldn't hold back any longer.

He stared at Zhou Cheng, his voice low and deep:

"Who are you? What is your name? What is your purpose in following Fan Xian?"

The usually taciturn Yingzi asked three questions in one breath.

If someone who knows him well were to see this, they would be utterly shocked.

Zhou Cheng, who had been resting with his eyes closed, slowly opened them upon hearing the sound.

He looked at the shadow opposite him, the son of the former city lord of Dongyi City, the number one assassin in the world, and the younger brother of Si Gu Jian.

He didn't like being stared at, and Shadow was a man of deep feelings, so he didn't mind saying a few more words.

"I won't reveal my true identity. Just look at my attire, and you'll understand." His voice came from behind the mask: "As for how to address me, you can call me the Ghost-Faced Man, or—the Great Sage."

He paused.

"As for my purpose... you just need to understand that I will not harm Fan Xian and Chen Pingping."

Upon hearing this, Shadow looked at him intently, then nodded slightly.

He had overheard a few sentences of Zhou Cheng's conversation with Fan Xian.

At the time, he felt that Fan Xian's favor could not possibly be exchanged for such expert protection.

The other party's response now confirms his thoughts.

He didn't know the other party's true purpose, but as long as Chen Pingping and Fan Xian weren't harmed, it didn't matter.

As for why he believed it?

All I can say is intuition!

……

No child suddenly jumped out and blocked the road.

They traveled without hindrance, and the carriage came to a smooth stop at the entrance of the Imperial Censorate.

Fan Xian jumped off the carriage and looked up, immediately sensing an atmosphere at the entrance that was completely different from usual.

The guards stood by the door, their gazes fixed on them with an inexplicable and strange expression.

When Shadow and Zhou Cheng got out of the car, the guards became wary.

Logically, they should be more wary of Zhou Cheng, this sudden stranger, but at this moment, they are more wary of the shadow.

The three of them were thus watched as they entered the Forensic Institute, but the guards didn't even ask Zhou Cheng, a complete stranger, a single question.

Fan Xian's heart sank.

Shadow didn't speak, and strode inside. Fan Xian followed behind with Zhou Cheng.

They continued deeper into the familiar corridor and soon arrived at Chen Pingping's room.

The door was open.

Chen Pingping sat in her wheelchair, leisurely munching on a piece of fruit, while holding a chess piece in her other hand and staring intently at the chessboard.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, casting dappled shadows on him, yet his aged face showed no sign of tension.

Hearing the noise behind her, Chen Pingping turned her wheelchair around.

My first glance fell on Fan Xian.

"You've arrived," he greeted with a smile.

The second glance fell on Zhou Cheng.

His gaze lingered on Zhou Cheng's attire for a moment.

Then, looking at Fan Xian and Shadow, he asked in confusion, "Who is this?"

Fan Xian saw no sign of tension on Chen Pingping's face, and felt a little relieved.

He smiled slightly and strode up to Chen Pingping.

Turning back, he said:

"I heard there were changes at the Censorate today, so I specially hired new guards!"

He emphasized the word "guard" very much, and after speaking, he secretly glanced at Zhou Cheng, wanting to see how the old man would react.

As a result, Zhou Cheng remained motionless, arms crossed, without even lifting his eyelids.

Fan Xian: "..."

Chen Pingping exchanged a subtle glance with the shadow.

The shadow nodded slightly.

Chen Pingping then looked away, nodded slightly to Zhou Cheng, and asked no further questions.

Fan Xian walked around behind Chen Pingping and placed his hands on the handles of the wheelchair.

"My dear Dean, I'm not trying to be mean, but you know so many people outside want you dead, yet you still manage to live so leisurely here."

The Forensic Service is too dangerous right now, let's leave.

Chen Pingping: "Okay."

Fan Xian didn't expect Chen Pingping to agree so readily, but he didn't think much of it and pushed his wheelchair out.

Not long after I left the room, a group of people poured out from all directions.

They placed their hands on the hilts of their knives and silently surrounded them, the only sound echoing in the corridor.

Fan Xian's heart tightened, and he instinctively wanted to shout for Zhou Cheng to make a move.

"Go to the dungeon."

Chen Pingping's voice was calm.

Fan Xian was taken aback, but then he realized what was happening and immediately turned around, pushing the wheelchair towards the dungeon.

Chen Pingping's voice was calm.

Fan Xian was taken aback, but then he realized what was happening and immediately turned around, pushing the wheelchair towards the dungeon.

At the entrance to the dungeon,

Shadow strode forward and pushed open the heavy iron door.

The iron gate made a dull thud, followed by a wave of cold, damp air.

Fan Xian pushed Chen Pingping as they stepped inside, with Zhou Cheng following leisurely behind.

The members of the Forensic Science Institute who surrounded them like a pack of wolves stared at them, eager to make a move, but none of them dared to act immediately.

They stood still, alert, seemingly waiting for some command.

The shadow fell last, closing the steel dungeon door from the inside.

"boom--"

……

Fan Xian pushed Chen Pingping down the corridor, their footsteps echoing through the passageway.

A few minutes later—

"Kill Chen Pingping—!"

A series of orderly shouts came from outside, penetrating the thick stone walls and clearly audible even inside the dungeon.

Then, a series of dull thuds came from the direction of the dungeon entrance.

Fan Xian felt a tightness in his chest and pushed the wheelchair even faster.

We continued downwards, delving ever deeper.

They soon reached the deepest part of the dungeon.

This is where Si Lili was once imprisoned. Zhou Cheng also came here with Fan Xian last time.

The tremendous impact continued, causing dust to fall from the top of the dungeon and the entire space to tremble slightly.

There is no road ahead.

Fan Xian stopped and turned to look at Chen Pingping, saying urgently:

"Dean, there's no way out. You should tell me your plans now!"

Chen Pingping still wore that calm and composed smile.

He chuckled softly.

"You've already seen my setup."

"Huh?" Fan Xian was completely baffled.

Zhou Cheng, who was left behind, understood that Chen Pingping was referring to the shadow.

Fan Xian was ultimately not a ninth-rank official, and he knew too little about the ninth rank, or even higher.

Shadow is known as the "Number One Assassin in the World". Although he is not good at direct combat, his strength is still among the top in the upper-middle rank of the ninth grade.

A rank nine official could kill those rebels outside as easily as cutting melons and vegetables.

"Press that."

Chen Pingping raised her hand and pointed to the lamp base on the wall not far away.

Fan Xian followed his finger and looked down—it was an ordinary bronze lamp base, embedded in the stone wall, with the candlelight flickering.

He looked at Chen Pingping, who nodded.

Fan Xian turned his head and gestured to Zhou Cheng with his eyes to help press it.

The old man simply crossed his arms and remained motionless, not even glancing at him.

Fan Xian: "..."

Is this a guard or an old man?!

He cursed inwardly, but he knew he couldn't afford to offend this person.

Helpless, he could only loosen his wheelchair, take two quick steps forward, glance at the lamp holder, and then reach out and press it down hard.

"Click—"

A soft sound.

The lamp base sank slightly, and then the stone wall in front of them slowly parted to the sides, revealing a deep passage that could accommodate two people walking side by side.

Fan Xian's eyes lit up, and he quickly returned to Chen Pingping's side, pushing the wheelchair into the secret passage.

The secret passage was dark, with an oil lamp lit every few feet along both sides, its flames flickering and casting swaying shadows on the stone walls. The air was filled with a damp, musty smell, mixed with a faint stench of blood.

The entrance to the secret passage behind them slowly closed.

Almost simultaneously, an even more violent impact came from outside, followed by the booming sound of a heavy object falling to the ground.

The dungeon entrance door was broken open.

……

"This is the deepest part of the dungeon." Chen Pingping's voice echoed in the dark passageway, as calm as if he were chatting casually. "Those imprisoned here are all the demons who wreak havoc on the world."

Fan Xian pushed the wheelchair, looking around as he walked.

"So we're safe here?"

"It's not entirely safe," Chen Pingping said calmly. "Some people know this road. After all, we have to deliver water and food to prisoners and dispose of corpses, so it's inevitable that people will find out about it."

Fan Xian stopped in his tracks, feeling completely disoriented.

"Then what's the point of us hiding here?"

Chen Pingping: "The passageway here is narrow, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. We can hold out for a while."

Fan Xian was speechless.

"If we can't stop them, we'll still die, won't we? Dean, is this all your plans?"

Chen Pingping turned to look at him, smiled and nodded.

Fan Xian: "..."

Before entering the dungeon, he thought Chen Pingping had some grand plan that could turn the tide.

Is that all?

He glanced silently at Zhou Cheng beside him, secretly relieved.

Ok!

Fortunately, he was prepared and didn't hesitate to do that favor!

Otherwise, if they had followed Chen Pingping in, they would have been doomed!

……

As they spoke, the group stopped at the deepest part of the secret passage.

This passage is more spacious than the previous one, with several cells embedded on both sides.

The cell was embedded in the stone wall, and the cell door was made of thick, fine steel, which gleamed with a cold metallic luster in the firelight.

Fan Xian pushed the wheelchair while observing the surrounding environment.

Suddenly, his gaze was drawn to a peculiar cell.

That cell was different from the others; a dense array of iron chains extended from all directions of the cell and were fixed to the surrounding stone walls.

The chains were as thick as a baby's arm, many taut and straight. The sight made it seem as if the prison cells held not people, but some kind of legendary ferocious beast.

Fan Xian was startled and took a step back.

"What is this?!"

Chen Pingping smiled slightly as he looked at Fan Xian's astonished expression, seemingly enjoying seeing it.

"I told you, this is where the demon who wreaks havoc on the world is imprisoned." He paused, "and this is one of them, alive."

"So many chains, all for one person?"

Fan Xian grew increasingly curious as he observed, and couldn't resist approaching the cell.

The cell seemed to be built from a single piece, with no observation opening on the cell door. There were only a few chains extending from the top and a few small holes, probably for ventilation.

Fan Xian took three steps at a time, climbed up the wall, and, following the chain, put his head in front of one of the holes.

total darkness.

He squinted, trying hard to make out the details.

Finally, in the darkness, he could barely make out a human silhouette—the person had disheveled hair and was wrapped in chains, like a sealed, dried-up corpse.

Aside from being able to tell it's a person, you can't tell anything else.

Fan Xian jumped down from the wall and couldn't help but move closer to Chen Pingping.

"Is this person dangerous?"

"It's very dangerous," Chen Pingping laughed. "His name is Sean. My legs were crippled because of him."

As he said this, the smile on his face remained unchanged, and his tone was as indifferent as if he were talking about someone else.

Fan Xian's expression froze, and he couldn't help but lower his head, his gaze falling on Chen Pingping's crippled legs.

He never imagined that the person inside was the culprit who caused Chen Pingping's disability.

Even more unexpectedly, Chen Pingping managed to keep the person who had crippled his legs alive.

Fan Xian looked at Chen Pingping, wanting to ask something, but not knowing where to begin.

While Fan Xian was observing Xiao En, Zhou Cheng's gaze also fell on that cell.

This is his destination.

Sean.

The former leader of the Northern Qi secret service, the younger brother of Zhuang Mohan, a top-ranking master of the ninth rank, a ruthless and cunning man, whose cruelty was enough to stop a child from crying at night, was known as the "Great Demon" by countless people of Qing.

Before the Grandmaster realm appeared, Sean was practically an invincible being standing at the pinnacle of martial arts.

He once traveled with Ku He to the far north in search of a temple. After enduring countless hardships, they encountered Ye Qingmei, who had escaped from the temple.

When Ye Qingmei first came out of the temple and saw the two of them, she was very curious and felt that they were quite destined to meet.

After learning about their background and experiences, he was moved by their perseverance and gave them the Heavenly Dao Technique.

Sean and Kuhe switched to this technique that leads directly to the Grandmaster level, verifying each other's learning and advancing their martial arts further.

However, the Heavenly Dao Technique was more compatible with Ku He, and Ku He later broke through to become a Grandmaster.

Sean, however, remained stuck at the ninth rank.

The reason he was able to survive being imprisoned in the dark and gloomy dungeon of the Observatory for twenty years was largely due to the Heavenly Dao Technique.

The Heavenly Dao Technique is ever-renewing and enduring.

Zhou Cheng wanted to see Xiao En because of this set of martial arts techniques.

His gaze lingered on the cell for a moment before returning to his own.

Not urgent.

Next, he will have a legitimate opportunity to meet Sean.

Fan Xian's favors are of little intrinsic value.

If it were given to Chen Pingping, its value would be much greater.

He never intended to make demands on Fan Xian; he wanted to make demands on Chen Pingping.

……

"Chen Pingping is inside! He has nowhere to escape!"

"Kill him! Charge!"

Just then, a cacophony of shouts suddenly erupted from the other end of the secret passage.

Immediately afterwards, countless flames appeared in the passage, turning the entire secret passage a bright red.

Flames flickered, shadowy figures moved about, and shouts of battle were deafening.

As Fan Xian listened to the increasingly close sound, his heart pounded like a drum.

He instinctively gripped the dagger in his sleeve, his palms sweating profusely.

Suddenly, the shadow spoke.

His gaze fell on Fan Xian, his voice cold and devoid of any emotion:

"If you want to live, you still have one chance. They only want to kill Chen Pingping."

Hearing what Shadow said, Chen Pingping frowned slightly.

He knew that this was Shadow testing Fan Xian.

But he was very unhappy with what the shadow did.

Because no matter what choice Fan Xian makes, he will support him. Even if Fan Xian were to risk his life to save himself, he would not say a word of "no".

Shadow's actions were purely meddling!

Fan Xian glanced at the shadow and sneered.

Do you think he'll let us go?

Shadow: "Whether it's possible or not, at least there's a possibility."

Fan Xian didn't want to say anything more.

He turned his head to look at the firelight getting closer and closer at the end of the passage, took a deep breath, pushed Chen Pingping, and shielded Zhou Cheng in front of him.

"Great Sage," he lowered his voice, "now it's up to you! Protect us!"

He had been calling him "Ghost-Faced Man" in his mind, but at this critical moment, he opened his mouth and called him "Great Sage".

Zhou Cheng turned his head and glanced at him.

He still hugged his arms, his feet firmly planted.

"I'll only protect your safety." His voice came from behind the mask, calm as still water. "Whoever tries to harm you, I'll harm them."

Fan Xian: "..."

Chen Pingping looked at Zhou Cheng with curiosity once again.

He found it strange that Fan Xian trusted this person so much under these circumstances.

He could tell from the exchange of glances with the shadow that this was a master.

But he didn't know exactly how high it was.

He could tell from the exchange of glances with the shadow that this was a master.

But he didn't know exactly how high it was.

The flames came towards us, bringing with them a wave of heat.

Shadow glanced at Zhou Cheng, then at Chen Pingping.

Chen Pingping nodded slightly and gave him a look.

Shadow nodded, and a dagger silently slid into his hand from his sleeve.

He strode forward, stepping out from the crowd, his pace quickening, and alone, he rushed directly into the passageway.

"It's Shadow! Just him!"

Exclamations came from ahead.

Immediately afterwards—

"ah--!"

A scream rang out.

Then came the clanging of weapons, a dense, rain-like sound.

But soon, not only did the sound of the collision disappear, but even the screams grew fainter and fainter until they could no longer be heard.

Fan Xian stood there dumbfounded, listening to the rapidly fading shouts of battle, completely bewildered.

"Weren't they supposed to be mostly sixth or seventh-rank experts, and maybe even eighth-rank experts?" he muttered. "They... just like that, they fought their way out?"

The surroundings quieted down.

Only the fallen torches in the passageway were still burning, their flames flickering and casting dappled shadows on the ground.

Chen Pingping took a deep breath, turned around, and said to Fan Xian:

"The shadow testing you just now wasn't my idea."

At this critical moment of life and death, his first concern was still to explain things to Fan Xian.

Fan Xian was stunned for a moment, not yet able to react.

"What test? Is everything outside a lie?"

"It's all true." Chen Pingping looked at him gently. "Those people really did want to kill me. And those experts were real too."

He paused.

"But Shadow is a top-tier expert of the ninth rank. Shadow alone is worth a thousand cavalry."

Fan Xian was speechless for a moment after hearing this.

This was the first time he had personally experienced the significance of a ninth-rank official.

A ninth-rank expert, facing hundreds of masters, fought his way out.

Those experts who sounded formidable to him could only leave behind a short, mournful cry outside.

Even at the ninth rank, this is already the case.

How terrifyingly efficient are those legendary grandmasters who transcend the mortal realm when they kill?

He couldn't help but turn his gaze to Zhou Cheng.

Zhou Cheng: "What are you looking at?"

"No, it's nothing!" Fan Xian quickly shook his head.

Chen Pingping turned her wheelchair with both hands, facing Zhou Cheng.

He placed his hands on the armrests of the wheelchair and looked directly into the eyes beneath the mask.

"The shadow is gone." His voice was calm. "If you wish to make a move, now is the best opportunity."

Fan Xian quickly turned to Chen Pingping, opened his mouth as if to explain something.

But Zhou Cheng had already spoken.

He lowered his head slightly, looked at Chen Pingping, and spoke in a calm voice.

"Dean Chen has misunderstood. I was just protecting Fan Xian in exchange for a favor from him."

Upon hearing this, Chen Pingping still frowned, seemingly somewhat disbelieving, and her hand on the armrest tightened slightly.

Zhou Cheng narrowed his eyes, and following Chen Pingping's small movements, his gaze shifted to the armrest of the wheelchair.

The handrail had developed a patina and looked quite old.

Below the handrail are two inconspicuous, dark holes.

"Dean Chen should trust me and let go!"

Zhou Cheng's voice remained calm and composed, without any fluctuation.

"Don't point a gun at me. What Ye Qingmei left you is useless to me."