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

One sentence stirred up a storm in Chen Pingping's heart.

he!

know!

He actually knew!

Chen Pingping's fingers tightened suddenly.

The wheelchair he was in was well-maintained and had not been replaced for decades.

He didn't change his wheelchair not only because it was easy to use, but more importantly—hidden under the armrests of the wheelchair were the two shotguns that Ye Qingmei had left him back then!

That's right, it's a shotgun.

Although he didn't understand why such a powerful firearm was called a "gun," he naturally remembered that Ye Qingmei called it a shotgun.

This secret was unknown not only to Ye Qingmei, but even to Wu Zhu.

He originally thought that this trump card Ye Qingmei left him was known to no one else in the world.

I never expected that someone would see right through me today!

Chen Pingping instinctively tried to use a smile to cover up his inner emotions, but found that his face was stiff and he couldn't lift the corners of his mouth at all.

Fan Xian, who was trying to explain, was now completely confused.

What gun muzzle?

Is it the kind of gun he understands?

How come he didn't see it?

Chen Pingping raised her head and stared intently at Zhou Cheng's face, as if trying to see his true appearance through the mask.

His hands were still pressed on the trigger mechanism, but they were now almost clenched into fists, with veins bulging on the back of his hands.

"Who exactly are you?" Chen Pingping's voice was frighteningly dry. "How do you know my secrets?"

It was only through decades of shrewdness that he was able to ask a complete question at such a moment.

Zhou Cheng looked down at him, his gaze calm.

"Don't overthink it. Just as you don't understand Ye Qingmei's amazing abilities, my background is similar to Ye Qingmei's, so knowing some secrets is nothing special."

Chen Pingping's pupils contracted slightly.

"You also come from the temple?"

His heart was filled with astonishment and doubt.

He naturally knew that Ye Qingmei came from the temple—that place from mythology.

In his understanding, most of Ye Qingmei's magic came from that temple.

If it's not a temple, then what is it, given that Ye Qingmei's background is similar?

Zhou Cheng shook his head slightly.

"no."

But he didn't say anything more.

Only then did Fan Xian realize what was happening.

He blinked, looked at Chen Pingping, then at his fellow villager Zhou Cheng, his mind raced, and suddenly his eyes widened:

"Dean Chen! The guns you're talking about, are they really the kind of guns I'm thinking of?"

Chen Pingping suppressed the turmoil in his heart and smiled at Fan Xian.

Now that his secret has been exposed, he has no intention of hiding anything from Fan Xian.

He gently patted the armrest of his wheelchair, his face showing a mixture of nostalgia and pride.

"The young lady did indeed prepare two guns for me to defend myself back then. They were called shotguns, and they were hidden in this handrail."

Fan Xian's eyes widened instantly.

gun!

It's a shotgun!

He thought it was outrageous enough that his mother could make glass and soap, but he never expected that she could even make guns!

The fact that Ye Qingmei could make guns meant that she was capable of making an incredible number of things.

With her abilities, she could have easily sparked an industrial revolution; it's just puzzling why she didn't take that step back then.

Fan Xian squatted down and moved closer to Chen Pingping's wheelchair, looking him over from the left and right.

Then he discovered two dark gun barrels hidden under the handrail.

The gun was pointed directly at him.

His gaze focused on a gun barrel, and the thought that it was pointed at his head sent a jolt through him, causing him to jump to the side.

"Wow, it really is a gun!"

Fan Xian felt that this world was simply absurd.

Everyone was fighting, exchanging blows and swordplay, and then you suddenly pulled out a gun!

This is really...

Judging from Fan Xian's reaction, he must know how powerful his "spear" is, and Chen Pingping couldn't help but feel a little smug.

His expression was like that of a child who has received special favor from their elders and can't help but show it off to others.

This "gun" is proof of Ye Qingmei's favoritism towards him.

Ye Qingmei never even gave Emperor Qing such a trump card to save his life.

After his initial triumph, Chen Pingping looked at Zhou Cheng, his expression gradually calming down.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm his turbulent emotions.

"I never imagined that someone so similar to you would appear in this world."

His voice regained its usual composure. "I wonder what brings you here? My plan may fool others, but I doubt it can fool you, sir."

Sir, your martial arts prowess is no less than that of the Shadow. You should understand that with the Shadow around, the Imperial Censorate's rebellion is nothing.

"Sir, there's no need for you to specifically protect Fan Xian. Could you please enlighten me?"

Zhou Cheng stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his gaze calm.

"I protected Fan Xian in exchange for a favor from him. He didn't want to agree at first, but he agreed after hearing that Dean Chen was in danger."

Chen Pingping was taken aback.

He slowly turned his head and looked at Fan Xian.

His eyes were filled with relief, emotion, and an indescribable feeling surging within them.

Fan Xian found Chen Pingping's gaze somewhat unbearable.

He quickly waved his hand, trying to deny it—

But Chen Pingping had already turned his head and said to Zhou Cheng:

"I see."

He paused.

"Fan Xian's favor was due to me. I wonder if you could attribute this favor to me, sir?"

Zhou Cheng has no problem with it.

That was his original intention.

They had anticipated Chen Pingping's reaction.

"Wait! Dean Chen, what do you mean by this?" Fan Xian's eyes widened. "What do you mean by transferring my favor to you?"

He watched as the two of them reached a deal with each other, while he couldn't even get a word in edgewise.

Chen Pingping turned to him and explained with a smile:

"Child, I appreciate your kindness. But the reason your master wants to protect you is actually because of me."

Otherwise, a master like you wouldn't have needed to make this special trip. I'll handle the favor for you; you don't need to worry about anything else.

"What?!"

Fan Xian glared at Zhou Cheng, his gaze complex, a mixture of disappointment, apprehension, and resentment.

He felt that this fellow villager was too cunning!

It was nothing like the meeting of fellow villagers he had imagined!

Only now did he realize that all that talk about protecting him was not directed at him at all.

He was just used to scheme against Chen Pingping!

He was overwhelmed with mixed feelings.

Fan Xian wanted to say something more to Chen Pingping.

Chen Pingping waved his hand, interrupting him.

"Fan Xian, just like how you rushed to my rescue when you heard I was in danger, I'm happy to help you. If you consider me an elder, then please stop talking."

After saying that, he turned to Zhou Cheng.

"May I ask what business you have of receiving this favor from me, sir?"

Zhou Cheng turned around.

His gaze fell on the cell where Sean was being held.

"I want to see Sean alone," he said. "Without being disturbed, for at least an hour."

Fan Xian's small favor couldn't buy him anything of great importance.

Zhou Cheng's demands were just within Chen Pingping's psychological tolerance range.

"good!"

Chen Pingping agreed without hesitation.

However, he was still somewhat curious.

"Sir, you've gone through all this trouble just to see Sean alone? Or is it for the secret of the temple?"

Zhou Cheng smiled.

The laughter came from behind the mask, carrying a hint of nonchalance.

"What Sean knows about the temple is of little value. I know many secrets, including the temple itself. Unlike Sean, if you offer something substantial, I'd be happy to tell you the truth about the temple."

He paused.

"However, I should remind you that the secrets of the temple are meaningless to you. Even if you knew them, it would be like hearing a myth."

Chen Pingping was stunned.

"Is that so...?"

The secrets of the temple were just a myth to them!

After thinking about it, he decided to believe Zhou Cheng.

Apart from this aspect, the other party had no reason to lie to him.

Furthermore, he really saw some of Ye Qingmei's shadow in Zhou Cheng's manner of speaking.

Ye Qingmei was the same way back then—she had a magnanimous acceptance of everything in her dealings with people and things. Even the biggest secrets seemed ordinary to her, and she often kindly gave advice.

"Sean is a stubborn and foul-tempered man." Chen Pingping pulled himself out of his thoughts. "Hopefully, you can get what you want from him."

He didn't ask any further questions.

For twenty years, he kept Sean alive in order to explore the secrets of the temple and to learn more about Ye Qingmei.

Now that he knows from Zhou Cheng that the existence of the temple is just a myth to them, he is still curious, but he doesn't care as much anymore.

Chen Pingping listened intently to the sounds outside.

The shouts of battle had long since fallen silent.

He knew that the rebels had been completely wiped out by the Shadow.

He gestured for Fan Xian to come and push the wheelchair, then turned to Zhou Cheng and said:

"The key to Sean's cell is with Shadow. I'll go get it for you, sir."

"Let's go together."

Zhou Cheng said he wouldn't mind making an extra trip.

Chen Pingping nodded without saying anything more.

The three of them then walked out from the depths of the dungeon.

……

The dungeon passage was littered with corpses and bloodstains.

Torches lay scattered on the ground, some extinguished, others still burning, their flickering flames casting shimmering light on the devastated scene.

The smoky, fiery smell mixed with the heavy stench of blood made one's throat tighten.

Some of the corpses had their clothes burning on torches, emitting wisps of smoke and a foul, acrid smell.

Fan Xian led the way.

He had to drag the bodies blocking his way aside, and put out the still-burning clothes. He was so busy that he was in a daze. At the same time, he had to push Chen Pingping's wheelchair and try to avoid the bloodstains on the ground.

And Zhou Cheng—

The old man followed behind with his hands behind his back, neither too fast nor too slow, not a step more or less.

Fan Xian glanced back, his face full of resentment.

This person really doesn't know how to lend a hand!

Zhou Cheng ignored Fan Xian's resentment, and several system notifications sounded in his ears:

[Fan Xian's negative emotions +22!]

[Fan Xian's negative emotions +18!]

……

The three of them left the dungeon and came to the surface.

Outside, Shadow was facing off against a group of people, swords drawn.

The person leading the team was Zhu Ge, the head of the First Division of the Censorate.

Upon seeing Chen Pingping emerge, Zhu Ge immediately clasped his hands in a respectful greeting, his voice tinged with urgency:

"Dean! The last time I was in the courtyard, I saw Shadow slaughtering his colleagues!"

Chen Pingping sat in her wheelchair, looking at him with a half-smile on her face.

"I arranged it."

Zhu Ge was taken aback, a look of confusion flashing across his face.

Without waiting for his reaction, Chen Pingping asked:

"You should be monitoring Zhuang Mohan of Northern Qi right now, why did you suddenly come back?"

Zhu Ge glanced around, took a few steps forward, bypassed the shadow, and approached Chen Pingping, his expression troubled:

"Something's happened! Zhuang Mohan has disappeared!"

Zhou Cheng stood to the side, glanced at Zhu Ge, and then looked away.

I didn't look at it again.

This Zhu Ge is one of Li Yunrui's men.

He was involved in Zhuang Mohan's disappearance.

To be fair, Zhu Ge is a man of ideas.

As the head of the agency, he felt that the Censorate's power was too great and would undermine the rule of the imperial family.

Therefore, it was believed that the power of the Censorate should be dispersed and held in the hands of the imperial family.

So he secretly joined Li Yunrui's side.

The reason Zhuang Mohan was missing was because Li Yunrui had instructed him to secretly help Zhuang Mohan meet with Li Yunrui.

If nothing goes wrong, Zhuang Mohan will secretly meet with the Crown Prince after meeting with Li Yunrui.

Zhou Cheng had no interest in listening to their nonsense.

Chen Pingping also felt that some things were not suitable to be discussed in front of Zhou Cheng.

He asked Shadow for the key, handed it to Zhou Cheng, and ordered several men to guard the dungeon entrance, preventing anyone else from entering.

Then he had Fan Xian push his wheelchair towards the council hall.

……

Zhou Cheng, holding the key, went alone through the dungeon and through the secret passage to Sean's cell.

The cell door was tightly shut; it was made of fine steel and gleamed with a cold, eerie light in the firelight.

Before he could even open the cell door—

"Splash—"

The chains suddenly began to sway.

Sean's hoarse, deep voice came from the cell:

"I truly don't understand. Given that you know the secrets of the temple and share a similar background with Ye Qingmei, why would someone like you ask me a question?"

He paused, then burst into laughter.

"Haha, whether you're real or just putting on an act with Chen Pingping, if you want answers from me, Sean, you'll have to rescue me first!"

Sean's words came through clearly through the cell door.

Clearly, he had overheard Zhou Cheng's conversation with Chen Pingping.

Zhou Cheng did not respond.

He simply took out his key and inserted it into the lock.

"Click".

With a soft sound, the cell door was then pushed open with a rumble.

A damp, musty smell wafted over, mixed with the stench of blood and decay.

The firelight shone in, and although it wasn't bright, it still made Sean involuntarily squint and turn his head away.

Zhou Cheng saw the situation inside clearly.

Sean, with his hair disheveled, was bound tightly with countless iron chains, looking like a giant rice dumpling.

The chains extended from all directions, wrapping around his limbs, torso, and neck, making it difficult even to sit down.

Even so, Sean endured twenty years in the dark and gloomy dungeon.

Besides the astonishing regenerative power of the Heavenly Dao Technique, it was also due to Sean's terrifyingly unwavering will.

Zhou Cheng stood at the door, looking at him calmly.

"Zhuang Mohan has already gone to the capital," he said. "He came to the capital this time to rescue you. If you want to leave, there's no rush."

Sean suddenly turned his head, and a sharp light suddenly flashed in his cloudy eyes.

"Judging from your tone, it seems you know about my relationship with Zhuang Mohan."

He stared at Zhou Cheng, his eyes narrowed to slits, his gaze sharp as a hawk's.

"But what do you mean by telling me all this? Do you think I'll be grateful to you? Or answer your questions?"

Zhou Cheng shook his head.

"No. I'm just telling you that you'll soon have a chance to get out. As for whether you live or die, that's up to fate and has nothing to do with me."

He paused.

"My purpose in coming here is to obtain the cultivation techniques of the Heavenly Dao Sect."

Sean was stunned.

Then he laughed.

The laughter was hoarse and grating, with a hint of madness.

"The Heavenly Dao Technique? You actually know I have the Heavenly Dao Technique! Interesting!"

He stared at Zhou Cheng, his eyes full of scrutiny.

"I don't care how you found out, but if you want the Heavenly Dao Technique, you have to get me out of here first. I don't care if Zhuang Mohan's trip to the capital to rescue me is real or not; if you want anything from me, you have to get me out of here!"

Zhou Cheng shook his head slightly.

"I am a reasonable person, and I will not take your cultivation method for nothing."

He looked at Sean,

"Sean, you still have a grandson alive. I promise to save your grandson's life in times of crisis. In exchange, I will offer him the Heavenly Dao Technique."

Splash!

The chains tightened suddenly, and Sean pulled himself a step toward Zhou Cheng while still holding onto the iron chains!

Suddenly, an unbelievable light burst forth from those cloudy eyes.

"What did you say?!"

.......

Xiao En's grandson is Yan Ruohai's adopted son, who is now Yan Bingyun, the head of the Detective Agency who has infiltrated Northern Qi.

Back then, Chen Pingping traveled thousands of miles to poison Xiao En while he was attending his son's wedding, and successfully captured him alive.

During that operation, Sean's entire family was slaughtered, except for Sean's grandson, who was secretly taken away by Chen Pingping and entrusted to Yan Ruohai for upbringing.

Yan Ruohai instilled loyalty to the country in him from a young age, making him an absolutely loyal spy for the Qing Kingdom.

In the recently concluded battle between Qing and Qi, Yan Bingyun played a crucial role in transmitting intelligence, which contributed significantly to Qing's victory.

However, now, in order to smear Fan Xian, Li Yunrui has made a deal with Northern Qi using Yan Bingyun as a bargaining chip.

In the original storyline, the Qi Kingdom used Yan Bingyun as a bargaining chip with the Qing Kingdom in exchange for Xiao En.

Chen Pingping used Fan Xian's age and background to constantly convey false information to Xiao En, misleading him into treating Fan Xian as his grandson. On his deathbed, Chen Pingping revealed the secret of the temple to Fan Xian.

Until his death, Sean never knew that his grandson was Yan Bingyun.

As for Yan Bingyun, he was still absolutely loyal to the Qing Kingdom and had no idea that he was the grandson of the great demon Xiao En.

After Yan Bingyun was exchanged back to Qing Kingdom, she did not encounter any further crises, so Zhou Cheng did not need to come to her rescue.

His so-called exchange with Sean was really just these few words.

Zhou Cheng didn't tell Sean too much.

He was simply told that he had a grandson living in the world and was trained to be absolutely loyal to the Qing Kingdom.

After listening, Sean remained silent for a long time.

The information Zhou Cheng gave him matched everything he knew.

He felt that Zhou Cheng had not lied to him.

Of course, he chose to believe Zhou Cheng, but dared not ask any more questions.

Because he knew that the less he knew, the safer his bloodline would be, and the more likely it would be to survive.

So he didn't even ask Yan Bingyun's current surname.

Although the Heavenly Dao Technique is precious, Sean also knows that there are other techniques in the world that can rival it.

The Heavenly Dao Technique was precious to him, but not exceptionally so.

"The Heavenly Dao Technique is profound and complex," Sean said in a hoarse voice. "Just reciting it from memory would take me almost half an hour. Unless you have an unparalleled memory, the hour Chen Pingping asked for won't be enough!"

Zhou Cheng nodded slightly.

"There's no need for you to worry about that, sir. As long as you can memorize it completely, that's fine."

He turned around, his back to Sean.

"If I didn't write it down, that's my problem. I will still keep my promise, so don't blame me, sir."

Having said that, he moved his hand slightly beneath his black robe.

A mobile phone silently fell into his hand from the system space.

He looked down and swiped a few times before tapping the recording function.

Update released! Readers have all gone to check it out!