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

Chapter 95 Cangzhou Road

Emperor Qing finally left Luozhou, leading the imperial guards and ceremonial entourage, and headed back to the capital.

Ten days ago, the Battle of Shandong was a great success. His meticulous planning over the past twenty years has finally yielded its most fruitful results.

On Mount Dadong, he used himself as bait to lure the three grandmasters up the mountain together.

Dongyi City's Four-Gu Jian was the first to strike, killing over a hundred Tiger Guards with a single sword strike. He broke through layers of obstacles, reached the mountaintop, and then drew his sword at him.

Ku He followed closely behind, heading straight for the "fake master" Hong Sixiang.

Using Hong Sixiang as bait, he secretly infused Hong Sixiang's body with his true energy to help him block Ku He's first attack.

Just as Ku He's second palm strike landed with a bang, directly shattering Hong Sixiang into a cloud of blood mist, causing him to be stunned and distracted, he used the exploding blood mist to send out three fingers at once, pouring half of the domineering true energy he had accumulated over decades into Ku He's body.

Ku He miscalculated, and his meridians were directly burst by the massive amount of true energy.

In that brief moment, Si Gu Jian's killing sword had already arrived.

He had no time to defend himself. However, his ultimate hidden move, which he had laid in ambush, suddenly erupted at that moment.

Ye Liuyun switched sides at the last minute, and his Liuyun Sanshou technique, as swift and unrestrained as clouds, forcefully blocked Si Gu Jian's deadly attack.

Si Gu Jian and Ye Liu Yun fought a desperate battle, holding nothing back, exchanging injuries for injuries, and risking their lives for each other.

He seized the opportunity and unleashed his full power, delivering a powerful and domineering punch that struck Si Gu Jian squarely, shattering half of his body on the spot.

Of course, although he succeeded, Ye Liuyun, who was restraining Si Gu Jian, paid a heavy price.

Ye Liuyun took Si Gu Jian's fatal sword strike head-on, suffering severe injuries and almost becoming crippled.

And all of this, from Si Gu Jian Shan's ascent to the dust settling, happened in the blink of an eye.

Si Gu Jian and Ku He dragged their crippled bodies, awaiting death. Ye Liu Yun was severely injured and his cultivation level had dropped.

Of the four great masters in the world, only he remained in a short time!

From then on, neither Dongyi City nor Northern Qi could hinder him. The unification of the world was just around the corner!

In just one night, Mount Dadong was completely cleaned up.

He descended Dadong Mountain overnight, heading northwest to Luozhou. He entered the city at dawn and placed the entire city under lockdown.

On one hand, it was to block news of Daitoyama in order to send false information to Kyoto.

On the other hand, it is self-cultivation.

Eliminating Si Gu Jian and Ku He in one fell swoop not only consumed most of his accumulated true energy over decades, but also depleted his spirit.

Especially after the long-term plan becomes a reality, bringing unparalleled spiritual satisfaction, a lingering emptiness and exhaustion follows.

Compared to everyone else in the world, he is still powerful and invincible.

However, compared to himself before he went up the mountain, he was much weaker.

That weakness made him feel insecure. Therefore, he needed to recuperate and rebuild his domineering spirit.

At the same time, we must also ignite a fire in Kyoto.

With Luozhou under lockdown, none of the people who came from the north to gather information were able to break through the blockade and take away any real information.

Because Kyoto couldn't obtain accurate information, the chaos there had enough time to fester.

In the city lord's mansion of Luozhou, Ye Liuyun was pale and weak, but he forced himself to speak to Emperor Qing despite his injuries.

"If Your Majesty does not return to the capital in time, I fear there will be great chaos."

After falling from the Grandmaster realm, he became even more "human".

He not only cared about the Ye family, but also seemed to have a greater sense of compassion for the common people.

Ye Liuyun was unaware of Emperor Qing's entire scheme.

Emperor Qing wanted the capital to descend into chaos.

He used this opportunity to quell external threats and pacify internal strife.

Before realizing his ambition of unifying the country, he first eliminated all the restless people and forces in Kyoto who opposed him.

"This land was conquered by me, inch by inch. Even if someone gains a foothold in the capital, I can still take it back."

Emperor Qing responded to Ye Liuyun with such indifference.

Although Ye Liuyun wanted to persuade him again, he knew he was no longer in a position to do so.

The fact that he is still alive is the greatest reward Emperor Qing could give to his loyalty to the Ye family.

Emperor Qing was confident that with his own strength, even if the capital was in chaos, he could calmly clean up the mess.

Emperor Qing thought so, and so did Ye Liuyun.

He was simply saddened, unaware of how many innocent people would bleed in Kyoto because of Emperor Qing's single thought.

Time passed day by day, and Emperor Qing's energy and spirit finally returned to their peak.

He calmly took off his dragon robe and changed into civilian clothes. Standing on the pavilion of the city lord's mansion, he looked northwest and waited for news, feeling that the grand drama in the distance was nearing its end.

Soon, news came from Kyoto.

Emperor Qing finally understood that he was human, not a god. Even though he had calculated everything and made all sorts of arrangements, he could not be perfect in every aspect, and unexpected accidents still occurred.

"Grandmaster? My son is a Grandmaster?"

Unfolding the secret letter in his hand, Emperor Qing's first reaction was that the intelligence was wrong, and he suspected that the intelligence route had been infiltrated and that someone was secretly trying to confuse the public.

What is the Grandmaster realm? What price and what kind of opportunity are needed to break through to the Grandmaster realm? Few people in the world know better than him!

Given that Zhou Cheng grew up in the inner palace before the age of sixteen, and after leaving the palace he became cunning, scheming, and immoral, what makes him so special?

Even if he is truly gifted and his talent is once in a century, so what?

Reaching the Grandmaster level requires more than just talent; it also depends on timing, location, luck, opportunity, and the price to pay!

If we only consider talent, there wouldn't have been only four grandmasters in the world over the past few decades.

When the intelligence first arrived, Emperor Qing only felt it was absurd, and had some doubts and was somewhat irritated.

However, over the next half day, messages from different channels came one after another, with similar content and different statements, but all pointing to the same fact.

His third son, Prince Cheng, Li Chengcheng, quietly and indeed became a Grandmaster.

Then, this emperor, who felt he had reached the pinnacle and whose heart encompassed the universe, suddenly had his mentality shattered.

He spent over twenty years painstakingly and painstakingly working to finally cripple the three grandmasters on Mount Dadong, becoming the world's only supreme martial arts master.

Before he could even return to the capital to enjoy the fruits of his victory, he discovered that his rebellious and immoral son was actually the most deeply hidden grandmaster. Moreover, while he was away, the son had launched a fierce attack, deposed the crown prince, and seized the throne!

Emperor Qing could no longer remain seated in Luozhou.

He didn't care which son sat on that dragon throne in Kyoto, or even whether it was a man or a woman sitting on that throne.

What he absolutely could not tolerate was that the person sitting in that position was a grandmaster!

The procession set off, accompanied by the Imperial Guards, and Ye Zhong led 5,000 Dingzhou soldiers to guard the left and right.

Emperor Qing led his men away from Luozhou, spreading the news that he was still alive along the way.

He wanted the world to know that the emperor was not dead, and that the one sitting on the dragon throne was not the true master of the Qing Kingdom.

Emperor Qing traveled north, seeking confirmation of news from the direction of the capital.

Carrier pigeons shuttled back and forth, and fast horses traveled day and night, bringing him more and more intelligence like snowflakes, with more detailed descriptions presented to him.

Inside the carriage, Emperor Qing, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe and wearing a crown that reaches the heavens, looked at the secret letter in his hand with a gloomy expression.

"A divine being descends to earth, overlooking Kyoto? Tearing through the wind and snow, parting the clouds to reveal the sun?"

Emperor Qing snorted coldly, "Playing tricks!"

Upon seeing these descriptions, Emperor Qing's suppressed emotions inexplicably eased somewhat.

Aside from the fact that Qin Ye's death seemed to be the work of a grandmaster, the other flowery descriptions sounded more like the tricks of a con artist.

As a Grandmaster, Emperor Qing knew he couldn't achieve the level described in the secret report.

If a Grandmaster truly possessed the ability to dispel clouds and change the sun, then a Grandmaster wouldn't be called a Grandmaster; they should simply be called a god or demon immortal!

Emperor Qing was still pondering the crux of the matter.

He couldn't imagine what incredible effects the cultivation methods of the Western Continent, which lacked grandmasters, could achieve in the hands of grandmasters.

Upon seeing the secret report, especially after reading the details, he was more inclined to believe that Zhou Cheng was using some unknown means to fool the people and intimidate the officials than to believe that Zhou Cheng was a Grandmaster.

Moreover, judging from Zhou Cheng's past behavior, he is indeed skilled at this kind of trickery.

Even though Emperor Qing tried to comfort himself in this way, he still couldn't help but feel restless and agitated.

As the carriage moved, he would occasionally lift the curtain to look north, his brow furrowed.

Half a week after leaving Luozhou, Cangzhou was already in sight.

Cangzhou is a vital northern town guarding the capital region. Once past Cangzhou, there are no further obstacles on the way to Kyoto. The roads are wide, and even if one travels day and night, and encounters snow or wind that makes travel difficult, it will take no more than three to five days to reach Kyoto.

But for some reason, the closer he got to Cangzhou, the more he felt a sudden surge of excitement, as if something was waiting for him ahead.

The puddles on the official road were turned into mud by the carts and horses, mixed with sand, making a dull sound under the wheels.

Cangzhou is hundreds of miles away from Kyoto. While Kyoto was covered in heavy snow, Cangzhou, located further south, only experienced a few light rains, which were hardly even considered cold rains.

The scouts went back and forth, but there were no unusual reports.

The procession continued for another fifteen minutes. The carriage rolled over a slippery muddy road, and the wheels sank into a shallow pit, causing it to wobble slightly.

Suddenly, Emperor Qing raised his eyes sharply, his gaze like lightning shooting forward through the sedan curtain.

"Stop!"

His voice was deep, yet carried an irresistible pressure.

The procession came to an abrupt halt. The sounds of clashing armor, pounding hooves, and fluttering banners all froze in that instant.

Fan Xian was riding in front of the imperial carriage when he heard the order. He immediately dismounted, his boots splashing mud into the water.

He hurried over to the carriage and asked in a low voice, "Your Majesty, what has happened?"

Emperor Qing lifted the curtain, stepped out of the carriage, stood on the carriage shaft, and gazed into the distance without saying a word.

Fan Xian found it strange and followed his gaze, but the road was empty and he couldn't see anything.

What's ahead?

Fan Xian was puzzled.

For Emperor Qing to react in this way, something must have happened.

However, he already knew that Emperor Qing was a Grandmaster, so he was not overly concerned about Emperor Qing's safety.

He witnessed the earth-shattering battle firsthand in the temple atop Mount Dadong.

Having lost all his martial arts skills, he could only fulfill his duty as a music assistant on this trip, leading the ceremonial music troupe in playing instruments and singing.

At first, he didn't understand why Emperor Qing wanted to take him up the mountain. It wasn't until the four grandmasters gathered and Wu Zhu appeared that he suddenly realized that he had become Emperor Qing's insurance.

Although he was somewhat uncomfortable being schemed against by Emperor Qing, he was at most just resentful. After all, this emperor was his biological father!

On Mount Dadong, he witnessed firsthand the clash of the world's greatest power and strategy, and realized that even if Wu Zhu hadn't appeared, Emperor Qing would still have won.

Having witnessed Emperor Qing's power, he believed that protecting His Majesty's safety was the simplest thing in the world.

Before leaving the capital, he had gone to great lengths and exhausted all his efforts to protect His Majesty.

He even asked Wu Zhu to go to Cangshan early on to retrieve the three Barrett bullets that Ye Qingmei had left for him.

He made the most preparations and the worst-case scenario plans, but in the end, nothing was of any use.

Of course, he was quite satisfied with the result.

"What is Your Majesty waiting for?"

Fan Xian asked another question.

Ever since Emperor Qing displayed his invincible prowess at Mount Dadong, he was the only one in the entire group who dared to keep asking Emperor Qing questions.

"Watch who you're dealing with!"

Emperor Qing's voice was deep and resonant, as if squeezed from the depths of his chest, suppressing a boundless rage: "Behold a rebellious and audacious son!"

Fan Xian was stunned for a moment, his mind racing.

Rebellious son?

It seems that he is the only son of Emperor Qing in this group.

He only asked two questions, how did that make him incredibly audacious?

And what about the heinous crime? He has worked diligently and conscientiously all this way. This charge is too inexplicable and too heavy, isn't it?

Even if it's a joke, you can't take it like that!

Fan Xian was still feeling down when the vanguard of the long, winding queue came to a halt.

He wanted to ask more questions, but found that Emperor Qing's gaze was still fixed on the front, not even glancing at him out of the corner of his eye.

Fan Xian's heart tightened, and he looked in the direction of Emperor Qing's gaze once more.

This time, he finally saw it.

About a hundred feet away, at the very front of the group, in broad daylight, a dark shadow suddenly appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the road.

The figure was dressed in a black robe, wrapped from head to toe, with a hood covering most of his face, revealing only a strange mask.

Fan Xian's body trembled.

Although he had lost all his true energy, he still retained most of his eyesight, so he could still see very clearly.

Great Sage!

His fellow villager!

He has a strong sense of morbidity, has saved his life, and is the only person of his kind in this world whom he can trust the most!

Judging from his posture, it seems that his fellow villager came to stop Emperor Qing's imperial procession!

This sudden turn of events almost made his mind explode.

He didn't know why the Great Sage was here, why he was stopping the imperial carriage, or what he wanted to do.

All he knew was that the atmosphere was wrong, very wrong.

Only then did the guards at the front of the procession seem to notice the figure.

"Protect the Emperor!"

With a sharp shout, longswords were drawn simultaneously, and the sound of armor clashing was like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing.

Zhou Cheng had been waiting outside Cangzhou City for a day and a night.

He drew upon the primordial energy of heaven and earth, gathering his strength for this very moment.

Cangzhou was the only way for Emperor Qing to return to the capital. After passing Cangzhou, it was only a few days' journey to the capital.

He couldn't let news that Emperor Qing was still alive cross the border into Cangzhou.

Facing Zhou Cheng, the Imperial Guards stood ready in battle formation.

The Imperial Guards remain loyal to His Majesty, but their loyalty is no longer to this new Emperor.

"Who goes there? The imperial carriage is here! Make way at once!"

As was customary, the Imperial Guards issued a loud warning.

no respond.

Without hesitation, the captain of the Imperial Guard charged forward with his sword, followed closely by a dozen riders whose hooves pounded through the mud.

Zhou Cheng remained still, but clasped his hands together in a gesture resembling prayer.

The next instant, the small puddle on the ground trembled violently, centered on him. The water rose slowly as if weightless, and glistening droplets floated in mid-air, refracting the grayish-white light of the sky.

At the same time, more water vapor is drawn from the soil, condenses in the air, and gathers from all directions, rising like bubbles, densely packed and varying in size.

Countless water droplets hung suspended above the official road, as if a torrential rain had been frozen in mid-air.

The area where the water droplets were suspended grew larger and larger, spreading hundreds of meters in the blink of an eye, blocking out the sky and the sun, like a flowing crystal curtain.

Western magic, with its visual and functional effects, is far superior to its killing effect.

A huge water curtain, resembling a beaded curtain, rose up, blurring Zhou Cheng's figure.

The Imperial Guards at the front almost instantly lost their ability to think.

They charged forward on instinct, but the moment they and their horses crashed into the curtain of water, they encountered a tremendous obstacle.

Those seemingly delicate and boneless water droplets were now incredibly resilient, each one like a frozen hailstone, making it impossible for people and horses to move an inch.

They swung their swords with all their might at the water droplets. The moment the blades pierced the droplets, they burst open like flower buds, creating countless tiny water droplets that carried an astonishing force, making their hands go numb.

Zhou Cheng didn't even glance at them; his gaze passed through the crowd and landed on the golden dragon-patterned imperial carriage in the middle of the procession.

He clapped his hands lightly, as if a god controlling water was giving the final command to the curtain of water.

The suspended water droplets surged forward in unison, bursting apart with a roar whenever they encountered an obstacle, transforming into countless shrill water streams.

The vanguard of the ceremonial guard, numbering nearly a thousand, collided with this surging curtain of water. It was as if they had been simultaneously struck by fragmentation grenades; men and horses alike were blasted backward, their armor dented, their swords falling from their hands, and their screams drowned out by the roar of the exploding water.

"Bang bang bang—!"

The glistening water droplets transformed into countless tiny shrapnel fragments, paving the way across the official road.

In an instant, within a hundred feet of Zhou Cheng, there was hardly anyone left to stand. On the muddy road, soldiers lay sprawled in agony, horses convulsed in the mud, and banners were torn to shreds and scattered all over the ground.

This godlike method immediately stunned everyone at the back of the group.

Even Fan Xian, who had already witnessed the methods of a Grandmaster many times, couldn't help but be shocked.

He knew that Grandmasters had the means to manipulate the power of heaven and earth, but he never thought they could do it to this extent.

This doesn't seem like martial arts; it's more like—magic?

While everyone was still reeling from the shock, only Emperor Qing's voice, tinged with disdain and understanding, rang out: "What did I think it was? It turns out to be the strange and ingenious tricks of barbarians from overseas."

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