The Fire Cloud Evil God's entrance, "Sui's" response to Second Brother / A moment for the history books: Huai Tianpei catches a bullet!

"If we truly are to witness this universe in the future, then we cannot simply act as witnesses and return empty-handed. We should not merely be witnesses and martyrs, but rather, after accomplishing all this, successfully bring all useful information back to Earth. Whatever threats or opportunities lie beyond the stars, we should promptly report them and prepare for the future."

"We look up at the starry sky not only because we yearn for it, but ultimately so that more people on Earth can see the vast universe just like we do."

"We should not forget the land we stand on, for it is where we came from; nor should we forget to gaze at the stars, for they are our goal... Our goal in moving forward is the land beneath our feet. This is perhaps the message my friends and colleagues most want to tell me." (5-star rating)

She seemed to have figured it out? Chen Qi looked at Kristen's film review and felt a little relieved—at least she had emerged a bit from her obsessive research state. It seemed that the shots of the starry sky and the moon that Chen Qi deliberately included at the end of the film were quite effective.

Many things, the more you yearn for them, the more excited you will be when you finally get them. But after a while, you'll find them boring, and in severe cases, you might even feel a sense of emptiness.

It's like your family constantly telling you to get into a good university. But once you actually get in, many people find themselves losing their goals. Without further pursuit, many become aimless and don't know why they're working hard anymore.

Kristen's current situation is quite similar. He had already seen the starry sky he had been longing for while filming the movie. Kristen also knew Chen Qi's "identity". Therefore, Kristen knew very well that the starry sky that Xi depicted was very likely the real starry sky that Chen Qi had witnessed.

Having realized this, and after staring at the starry sky for so long, Kristen's initial excitement had worn off, and her intelligence took over again. But she didn't feel empty or frustrated; instead, she quickly found her next goal—to convey her discoveries about the starry sky to the Terra in the future, and then extend the distance of cosmic exploration time and time again.

"This is bound to be another long-term project, and Kristen clearly understands this, but at least now she knows she shouldn't rashly become a martyr, and she's moving forward step by step."

"In the future, she will become an indispensable aid in our exploration of the secrets of the stars. She will make more outstanding contributions and appear in textbooks with a more positive image... Perhaps."

Saria slowly put down her phone. Saria felt that she had achieved her goal with this old friend, with whom she had now parted ways but who seemed to have broken free from her almost obsessive obsession.

Whether Terra is ready to face the stars is still unknown, but at least Kristen has found a more meaningful next goal than being a pioneer and a martyr, and in that respect, Saria has already succeeded.

"Thanks to Director Chen Qi, you've changed Kristen."

"Rather than saying I changed Kristen, it's more accurate to say that she now wants to explore the stars with everyone at Rhine Lab." Chen Qi shook his head, not accepting Saria's thanks.

For Chen Qi, it would be best if Kristen could truly bring about change. Regardless of her achievements as a "pioneer," the Kristen of the past couldn't alter the actions of the alliance between Rhine Lab and the Columbia military under her leadership. In Chen Qi's opinion, Kristen's achievements were like the Potala Palace in his original world—seemingly magnificent, but if you looked at the prison beneath, you'd know what a living hell truly was...

This is why Chen Qi doesn't deny that Kristen was a pioneer, but also doesn't appreciate her methods. Chen Qi doesn't want this land to have more experimental subjects like Ifrit and Rosemary... especially since their cases can be considered "successful examples."

"In the future, it won't be me who can guide her, but you, Saria. As Miss Kristen's friend, you may return to Rhine Lab in the future. At that time, I hope you can stop her in time if she comes up with any radical plans."

"But at least now we know that Kristen still cares about you, and about everyone at Rhine Lab. In the future, if you really accompany her to see the universe and successfully return, I think I will be very happy."

"... We will, Director Chen Qi."

Chen Qi's seemingly casual words actually represented a goal that would take an unknown number of years to achieve on the Terra. However, Saria was full of confidence and smiled as she spoke to Chen Qi:

"As long as we work together as before, I believe we can definitely achieve the future you envisioned."

"However, I still thank you for everything you did to prevent things from getting out of control. For this, I will show my gratitude through my actions until I feel that my thanks have been properly expressed."

"Until then, I entrust my life to you, to assist, protect, and guide you."

Saria's words fell with unwavering conviction. She was probably unusually agitated, otherwise, given her "harder than diamond" personality, she would rarely express her feelings so directly. Otherwise, the misunderstanding between her and Silence wouldn't still be unresolved.

However, Saria seemed unaware that the room was no longer just occupied by her and Chen Qi; her powerful words had also reached the ears of everyone present who had been delighted by the excellent feedback on " To the To the Moon."

Immediately, Talulah and FrostNova looked up sharply and glared at Saria's words with rather unfriendly eyes.

The sisters, Nian and Xi, realized what was happening one after another, their eyes darting back and forth between Saria and Chen Qi. Nian felt somewhat surprised, while Xi felt a dangerous chill.

Noticing the rather piercing gazes from everyone, Chen Qi couldn't help but tremble slightly. Seeing that Saria seemed completely unaffected, he could only pretend not to care and shift everyone's attention to the present moment, saying:

"Everyone, shall we go film a movie?"

"Okay, I'll protect you, Director Chen Qi."

No sooner had Chen Qi finished speaking than Saria put her words into action. Ever since she learned that something in Lungmen was threatening Chen Qi, Saria had stayed by his side without leaving his side for a moment.

Saria didn't know that even if she protected Chen Qi in this way, it would be meaningless to her hidden second brother, because Saria had no way to ensure that she wouldn't be possessed—and her second brother didn't want to possess Saria either. He felt that a foreigner like Saria would definitely not be able to withstand a powerful internal energy move like the Lion's Roar Technique.

The second brother had a safer plan. If he wanted to possess Chen Qi, he had to ensure that Chen Qi had no room to resist. The best opportunity was to do so during the final fight scene.

In a duel between masters, it's normal to "make a mistake." As long as Chen Qi doesn't have enough strength left to resist the possession, then once he obtains Chen Qi's "power," everything will be fine!

"I must obtain the strongest 'literary' power in this world!" The second brother thought to himself. Watching the filming progress of "Kung Fu Hustle," he knew that this moment was not far away!

Chapter 225: The Appearance of the Fire Cloud Evil God, and "Sui's" Response to His Second Brother

The filming of "Kung Fu Hustle" went smoothly. In the movie, the protagonist played by Chen Qi, whose life is still not improving, continues to spend his days in self-abandonment, living a life that he despises.

He encountered the "Mute Girl" played by Lin Yuxia once again, and this time, he finally recognized her. The Mute Girl, played by Lin Yuxia, did not blame Chen Qi for taking her away back then. Instead, she used sign language to express how he had helped her in her childhood.

Once upon a time, Chen Qi, who had mastered the Buddha's Palm, challenged those who wanted to steal the candy from Lin Yuxia, who was deaf and mute, in order to prevent others from bullying her. However, in the end, the Buddha's Palm manual that he bought from the Chongyue all his savings did not help him defeat his opponents at all, but instead he suffered a great humiliation.

Knowing he had been Chen Qi and having suffered unprecedented humiliation, Chen Qi resolved to become a bad person on that day.

This time, facing the person who changed his life in his childhood, and the candy that Lin Yuxia offered him, Chen Qi, who now looked down on himself, chose to knock the candy away.

He had no face to face this innocent girl. To approach her in such a depraved manner would only make Chen Qi feel an unprecedented sense of failure and shame.

In the end, knocking away the candy felt like a final farewell to his past self. Chen Qi drove away the follower played by Hong, using the worst methods to rudely expel this kind person, so that the other party wouldn't become a rotten person like himself.

Incidentally, in this scene, Chen Qi has an arm around Lin Yuxia's waist and threatens her with a knife to pay money. This scene draws the gaze of the Rat King watching the show... Chen Qi already terrified, and after he knocked away the candy Lin Yuxia offered as a gesture of goodwill, he felt as if the Rat King was about to kill him.

"No matter what, she's still my precious daughter. Even if it's just acting, as a father, I can't stand to see my daughter being wronged..."

"Old Lin's doting on his daughter, if only he could give Huai Tianpei a little of that... it's just a pity he can't."

Of course, this was merely Chen Qi's own inner feeling. Now, Huai Tianpei knew he was about to make his appearance and could fight against masters like Wei Yenwu and his wife, as well as Chen Qi, and he was extremely excited.

He had already been diligently practicing his martial arts and adjusting his condition since filming began for "Kung Fu Hustle," after learning from Chen Qi that he would be playing the biggest villain. He was determined to leave no regrets during the final showdown. His concern for Waai Fu was nothing compared to how much the Rat King cared for Lin Yuxia.

In the movie, Chen Qi's fortunes change - Lee, who escaped from Wei Yenwu and his wife in a sorry state, did not give up his revenge. He found Chen Qi, whom he had previously set his sights on, and used his lock-picking skills to help him find the ultimate killer king, Fire Cloud Evil God, mentioned in "Heavenly Cripple and Earthly Defect"!

Therefore, Chen Qi, who had experienced the ultimate failure in life, almost immediately agreed to the request and infiltrated the "Abnormal Human Research Center" to find the Fire Cloud Evil God hidden within.

Several scenes that hinted at the Fire Cloud Evil God, even before the character appeared, already highlighted the villain's terrifying nature to the extreme. This is also the only scene in Chen Qi's entire film that didn't use real locations, but instead had Xi use her powers to create it.

But in the end, when Huai Tianpei, who played the Fire Cloud Evil God, officially appeared, everyone saw Huai Tianpei as a slovenly and aged old man wearing flip-flops and a cheap white vest, with glasses.

"Seriously? Chen Qi, shouldn't you reconsider? You're using this kind of image to play the main villain in 'Kung Fu Hustle'?"

When Huai Tianpei made his first appearance, and it turned out he was portrayed in such a way, everyone on the crew was utterly astonished. Nian, in particular, was quite blunt, grabbing Chen Qi and asking him:

"Are you sure you want the main villain to make his entrance like this? This isn't a villain at all! After all that buildup, this is the thing we rescue?!"

"Are you sure this will really make the villain feel intimidated? And you even shaved off a huge patch of Huai Tianpei's hair! Master Huai, don't you have any objections?!"

Nian clearly knew she might be implicated by Chen Qi, since Chen Qi had approved this particular look. However, faced with Nian's questioning, Huai Tianpei, dressed like an old man going out to play chess in the summer, still replied with an indifferent attitude:

"I don't care about my image or anything like that. I just want the show to start quickly, and then the fighting to begin."

"I'm an amateur when it comes to filming, so I won't instruct Director Chen Qi on how to do it; as someone who practices martial arts, I'm well aware of the serious consequences that a layman's misguided guidance can cause."

Having said that, Huai Tianpei closed his eyes and sat in the center of the Axe Gang's main hall, where filming was about to begin. His tone was calm, yet he couldn't hide his excitement as he replied:

"Let's start filming quickly, Director Chen Qi. I've memorized all the lines, and we can begin anytime."

Faced with Huai Tianpei, who was already unable to contain himself, Chen Qi didn't say much. Fortunately, Chongyue timely pulled aside the most vocal opponent, saying to his younger sister:

"Nianmei, Director Chen Qi never uses pointless foreshadowing. Do you remember when we went to rescue the Fire Cloud Evil God, and the scene Director Chen Qi had Ximei do in the final corridor?"

"The final path to confront the Fire Cloud Evil God is filled with toads... and in director Chen Qi's shot, as the iron gate bursts open, a sea of blood rushes towards you."

As a martial artist who had reached the pinnacle of skill, Chongyue understood the meaning Chen Qi wanted to convey through this scene. Regarding Nian, who hadn't focused on martial arts, Chongyue frowned and explained:

"This is how a martial artist expresses their 'fierce aura.' Director Chen Qi uses this shot to hint that once the Fire Cloud Evil God is unleashed, the martial world will inevitably be filled with bloodshed and carnage!"

"The fact that toads are poisonous is enough to show that Fire Cloud Evil God cannot be judged by appearances. In the later plot, he will definitely do many extremely cruel and treacherous things."

At this point, Chongyue slowly exhaled and said to Nian, "Nian, you rarely come to the border. Most of the time you're at the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion forging powerful weapons and building mechanical terracotta warriors. If you were to encounter those colossal Feranmut that harbor a deep-seated hatred for the Great Yan... you would understand that the scenes depicted by Director Chen Qi are entirely realistic."

"Now, just follow Director Chen Qi's instructions. Our top priority is to find our second brother..."

"Oh." Nian nodded in response to Chongyue's words. Of course, she knew that the longer it dragged on, the more perfect her second brother's plan would become, and the greater the danger Chen Qi would face.

But Nian was surprisingly calm. After all, if his second brother was determined to make arrangements in the face of such a lineup, then even if they were all there, they couldn't stop him from possessing the body. And Chen Qi, knowing these risks, was still filming safely in Lungmen, so he was obviously very confident.

She wouldn't dare say she understood her second brother, but she could say she understood Chen Qi. He was a man who valued his life and wouldn't let anyone in the crew be in danger. If he dared to do this, he must have had a plan in mind.

"Could it be that Chen Qi's mysterious, Buddha's Palm technique can definitely break Second Brother's trap?" Nian wondered to himself, when suddenly he was tapped on the back of the head. He heard Xi say calmly:

"Stop daydreaming, help Chen Qi with his filming first, you freeloader."

At this moment, Xi's thoughts were the same as Nian's, but with a slight difference: Xi wanted to know what method Chen Qi would use to fight against her second brother... You see, Xi was actually terrified of her second brother. Her second brother was only close to her sister and "Shu," and he used to ridicule her paintings a lot.

Now, her second brother has become the one who most wants to bring "Sui" back to the Great Yan Dynasty. Xi is extremely afraid that her consciousness will return to Sui's body and she will once again become a "dead person" without her own thoughts... Therefore, she has placed all her hopes for overcoming her fear and for taking revenge on her second brother on Chen Qi.

"Chen Qi... if you can escape danger this time, I will never leave the film crew again until you pass away."

Having made this decision in her heart, Xi was increasingly reluctant to leave this temporary home. Even if the time was only a little over a hundred years, she was willing to cherish this period of time.

"So, if everyone agrees, let's get ready to film the penultimate fight scene!" Chen Qi had no further objections and had all the actors take their positions, ready to begin filming.

"Wei Yenwu and Madam Wen Yue, get ready! Xi, be prepared to send Lee into the painting at any time! Everyone in position! Action!"

"Remember not to smash too much! I paid for this place to be decorated! Don't ruin it!"

Before filming began, Swire, who came with them as an investor, spoke up. She said the location belonged to her family, and when she heard Chen Qi wanted to film an indoor fight scene, she turned the place into a casino, prepared for it to be completely destroyed.

But Swire had heard the power of Madam Wen Yue's Lion's Roar Technique while she was sleeping last time, and of course she had seen the effect before coming to watch the filming process. Now Swire was a little regretful that she had so readily given up this place to Chen Qi to film, and even refused to accept any money.

Swire who can't take back what she says. Although she's wealthy, she's actually quite stingy. Seeing this, Chen Huijie remarked with disdain:

"Judging from your expression, it's just filming a movie, right? With so much money in your family, even tearing down the whole building would be a piece of cake for you."

"So you don't care because it's not you spending the money?!" Swire retorted angrily. Fortunately, Hoshiguma, seeing that the two women were about to start arguing again, immediately stepped in to smooth things over:

"It's alright, Missy. Old Chen may have a foul mouth, but he's right. With your family's wealth, you wouldn't mind smashing up this building, would you? If they really smash a lot of things, Director Chen Qi will definitely compensate you. Just ask."

"Besides, I don't think it's necessary to destroy the entire building, is it? We've already witnessed the commotion caused by the Lion's Roar Technique, Chongyue also said that with Madam Wen Yue's martial arts skills, it's certain she'd make a mess of this place, but destroying a building is unlikely. You don't need to worry too much."

I hope so.

Hoshiguma's words reassured Swire a little. She thought about it and realized Hoshiguma was right. Although she was embarrassed to ask Chen Qi for money, as an investor, Chen Qi would definitely give her a share of the profits. Making money was no small matter, was it?

Besides, could he really destroy this building for her? Probably not... Probably not.

Swire was vaguely uneasy because when she came with Hoshiguma and the others, she saw two Shield Guards from Patriot's team carrying an ancient clock over from the props department, and they even tied it with colorful ribbons, as if it were a gift.

Coupled with Madam Wen Yue's Lion's Roar Technique, Swire suddenly had a bad feeling—that guy Chen Qi, he wouldn't be planning to do that, would he?!

Chapter 226: A scene that will go down in history – Huai Tianpei catches a bullet!

Back in the filming, Huai Tianpei, the Fire Cloud Evil God who had just been rescued, sat in the center of the hall, dressed in a classic old man's outfit. All the Axe Gang members, just like Nian back then, stared at Huai Tianpei with astonishment, unable to believe that this was the number one assassin on the leaderboard, "Fire Cloud Evil God."

"Ha..."

At that moment, Brother Sum, played by Lee, yawned. A, playing the secretary, immediately realized what was happening, suppressing her astonishment and her mockery of Waai Fu's father's almost shaved-off forehead, and stepped forward to say:

"The ultimate number one killer, Fire Cloud Evil God, certainly has style!"

However, after this line was read, not only the audience in the screening room, but even Ah himself almost couldn't help but laugh. The camera even thoughtfully gave a shot of Huai Tianpei's slipper dangling from his thumb, which added even more to the comedic effect.

"It's all empty fame." Huai Tianpei seemed to have been silent for a long time, and appeared quite uncomfortable with such flattery.

And it seemed that Ah was also affected by Huai Tianpei's appearance, or perhaps he had seen many masters and had become used to it. At this moment, he did not show Huai Tianpei the same respect he had shown to the Rat King and the Emperor. Instead, he said with a somewhat flippant expression:

"Enough with the nonsense, we want you to kill two people for us. Name your price!"

"... What price are you asking for?"

At this moment, Huai Tianpei, who was playing the Fire Cloud Evil God, was actually not exaggerating. Although he had never acted before, he had truly grasped the essence of the Fire Cloud Evil God —a character who was both insane and slightly delusional. He said with a wicked smile:

"I've killed many people; I'm just looking for someone who can beat me."

"Finally, I realized that no one could defeat me, so I hid away for some peace and quiet. If I had an opponent, I would have come out long ago. Who could possibly hold me back?"

"Let me tell you, if there's a peerless master among us, I'll kill them all for free, hahahahaha--Anyone like that?"

"... This old man seems a bit crazy, a little scary."

Inside the screening room, Huai Tianpei's mastery of the essence of the Fire Cloud Evil God exceeded everyone's expectations, even Chen Qi himself.

Chen Qi was initially worried about whether Huai Tianpei could capture the essence of the character Fire Cloud Evil God —his obsession with martial arts, his excitement at fighting against peerless masters... These were all fine, but Chen Qi was more concerned that Huai Tianpei too righteous and wouldn't be able to portray that evil side.

But now it seems Chen Qi worried unnecessarily; Huai Tianpei's performance was almost too good. So much so that, in this disguise, even those who knew him well felt he was somewhat unfamiliar...

"Is this really him?" Although Waai Fu had been reunited with her father after a long separation, her impression of Huai Tianpei and her childhood seemed to have not changed much during the time they spent together. But this was indeed the first time she had seen her father in such a... disgusting way.

Upon hearing Waai Fu's words, Hong, who had already finished filming, couldn't help but comfort him, saying, "Don't worry, Waai Fu, this is just acting. You should be happy that Uncle Huai's acting is so good; we'll be able to witness even more powerful martial arts later."

However, Hong's words received no response, not even from Chongyue. Instead, Chong Yue frowned and stared at Huai Tianpei on the screen, now somewhat unsure whether this was acting or his younger brother's doing.

"I'm going to the scene."

After Chongyue left, A, who was filming at the moment, seemed to be slightly taken aback by Huai Tianpei's huge contrast. He immediately changed his attitude and said with great flattery:

"A true master! Just your type! Evil God!"

"But I wonder if you'd mind showing us a couple of skills first? It's not that we don't trust you! We'd all like to see what you've got~"