The King of Curses

Chapter 27 "Is this what it feels like to be kept?"

Become sublime...

Cen Dongsheng followed the woman's gaze and looked out the floor-to-ceiling window. At the end of the city, a huge sun was rising slowly, dazzling orange and red, and was casting its brilliant light towards the world.

He narrowed his eyes subconsciously.

What does this mean?
"Ah, you don't quite understand, right?"

An Zhizhen held her chin with one hand, with a relaxed posture and a smile on her face.

"It's not a literal meaning, but a kind of aesthetic category in aesthetics. It makes people feel shocked, solemn, awed, and worshipful... This is 'sublime'."

"It's still the same, a little abstract and difficult to understand."

"Let me put it this way, Dongsheng. If I ask you whether you like humans or hate humans, and you have to choose one of the two, which side would your first reaction be?"

Cen Dongsheng thought silently, he felt that he could not come up with an answer.

In this world, there are people he likes, admires, and respects, and naturally there are also people he hates, despises, and hates.

His emotions can only be directed towards specific people, or at least groups and communities with some of the same characteristics.

The word "human" is so vague and so huge that it is meaningless.

An Zhizhen waited for a while but didn't hear his answer.

She didn't care and continued with a smile:
"If someone asks me, I can answer with certainty that I like humans."

“People living in this world are like colorful flowers in a garden. Although fragile, when they bloom, they are always uniquely beautiful and brilliant; their impulse to grow towards the sun and strive to survive is touching to see.”

"I thought you would hate humans after becoming a curse master."

Cen Dongsheng sighed.

"Sometimes I find it quite annoying. After all, the people I deal with are often self-righteous, reckless bastards, or twisted lunatics. For example, the ones we met recently were not good people."

"Haha, sister, my opinion will not be shaken by these people."

An Zhizhen answered with a smile.

"Besides, getting rid of pests and weeds will allow flowers to thrive. A well-cared-for, healthy flowerbed will give those beautiful flowers more room to survive."

"I see." He nodded, "Sister Zhizhen, do you think of yourself as the gardener of this world?"

"No, I am the sun."

Really... without hesitation.

"..."

It was an absurd answer, but for some reason it didn't seem surprising at all when it came from Sister Zhizhen's mouth, and he couldn't help but smile bitterly.

"I'm sorry, Dongsheng. I always feel that I said something strange again. Please forgive me if it gave you a strange impression of me."

An Zhizhen muttered softly.

"It seems difficult for me to hide my thoughts in front of you."

"...No, thanks to your explanation, Sister Zhizhen." Cen Dongsheng sighed, "I seem to understand you a little... a little."

About the previous question, about the gentle Sister Zhizhen in his mind, about the rational and cold ruler in his memory...

All the complex and changing images gradually began to overlap into a vague outline.

He seemed to finally understand something.

An Zhizhen has not changed, it is herself who has changed.

"Oh, really?" An Zhizhen's eyes lit up, "I really didn't misjudge him. Dongsheng is someone who can understand me."

"Anyway, Sister Zhizhen was just expressing her ideals, right?"

Cen Dongsheng scratched his hair and answered tentatively.

"Although it was very vague, I have a vague guess that it is probably a very ambitious and amazing dream."

"Yes, it's so big that if I tell people about it, they will think I'm crazy."

It’s okay, what I just said was pretty sick in itself, he thought.

Besides, Cen Dongsheng already knew that An Zhizhen was a mentally ill person——

She is very smart and powerful, but this does not conflict with being "brain sick".

The curse masters who have reached the ancestral realm are all madmen with deep obsessions. Their personalities are different from those of ordinary people. The most terrifying thing is that they often possess terrifying power and amazing execution ability to realize their dreams.

In the eyes of ordinary people like Cen Dongsheng, every "ancestor" can be called crazy.

In comparison, the ideal of the philosopher king, at least for people living in this world, is not so difficult to accept.

"Then, Dongsheng, it's your turn, right?"

"Ok?"

"Of course it's your dream." An Zhizhen pointed at herself, then pointed at his chest, "Isn't this the time for us to have a heart-to-heart talk?"

“…Me?”

At first, he just wanted to survive.

After his rebirth, the first thing Cen Dongsheng felt was not joy, but a heavy sense of urgency, as if there was some huge monster chasing him.

That is the worry about future chaos.

He knew very well that his talents were mediocre. After losing the life ban, he could only rely on his own hands to fight for it again. He couldn't do it with ease, so he placed his hopes on others.

Later, after getting along with Sister Zhizhen and using foresight to reach a realm that was previously unattainable, his thoughts changed somewhat.

He is no longer content with mediocrity and wants to strive for excellence.

If I could make more changes, I might have a chance to see the scenery at the top...

Cen Dongsheng was silent for a while, and he subconsciously did the same action as An Zhizhen: looking at the sun at the end of the city.

It was like catching a glimpse of destiny from the overwhelming light.

"I don't have a clear goal like Sister Zhizhen. If I have to say... I want to become stronger. Only those who are strong enough are qualified to grasp their own future and realize the ideals they want to achieve."

"Oh, very good. Although it is pure, it is not simple, and it is down-to-earth, which is in line with your personality, Dongsheng."

An Zhizhen held her chin with her hand and looked at him with interest.

"Then let's set our goal as 'becoming the strongest in the world', how about that?"

"Hey, what do you mean by 'for the time being'... isn't the difficulty raised too high all of a sudden?" He couldn't help but complain.

Every time he was so exaggerated, if he said partners, then they had to be lifelong partners, if he said becoming stronger, then he had to be the strongest in the world, this way of thinking was a bit too extreme——

"You are the one who will stand shoulder to shoulder with me, Dongsheng."

Sister Zhizhen said.

“It’s not a bad thing for people to dream big.”

"Maybe……"

Cen Dongsheng's answer was somewhat vague.

Besides, his original purpose was just to curry favor with someone, not to become someone else himself...

"—I think you can do it."

The woman stared at him, her pupils glowing a strange purple in the sunlight, sometimes reminding him of clear gems, and sometimes like a pool of autumn water under the setting sun.

Just like now, An Zhizhen's eyes sparkled with anticipation for him. "Really?"

The strange thing is that when he heard these words, Cen Dongsheng felt a subtle sense of relief in his heart, and he actually felt a little bit more confident...

Even Cen Dongsheng himself felt that he was a little too easy to deal with.

This was probably due to the influence of future memories? After all, when he worked under someone, he had never heard of this big boss making any wrong judgments.

What An Zhizhen was most criticized for in the future was her cold-bloodedness; however, history always proves that she was right.

"Let's get back to the point."

After Cen Dongsheng came to his senses, he coughed dryly.

"We have finished talking about ideals. Now, should we explain why you brought me here? What should we do next?"

"Next, of course, let us move towards our respective dreams step by step."

An Zhizhen pointed at the computer screen.

"What do you think after reading this Tianxia forum?"

Cen Dongsheng answered based on his own experience:
"I think it's a very promising online community. As the number of curse-binding masters grows, supernatural events are happening more and more frequently around the world. If we can seize the opportunity, this place might become a gathering place for them. One day, it will be able to provide a huge intelligence network support and interpersonal relationship resources."

"That's right. The key to the rise of any online community is to seize the first-mover advantage, and... the community operators need to provide the audience with an identity so that they feel a sense of belonging."

Sister Zhizhen's words hit the nail on the head. It seems that she already had an idea.

"I plan to hold an offline party soon."

"Oh?"

"The people invited are forum users who I think might be forbidden masters, or people who are convinced of the existence of ghosts and forbidden masters. This matter has been in preparation for a while. In fact, some smart users have already had private contact. After confirming this, I felt that the time was ripe."

"how many people?"

“The first group of participants numbered between fifty and eighty people.”

There are quite a lot of people, Cen Dongsheng seemed to be thinking about something.

Now is not the time eight years from now when qualified people can learn how to refine true Qi and awaken spells under the guidance of local departments or spell-master groups; in this era of wild growth, spell-masters who can awaken through their own abilities have often experienced more than one dangerous and exciting supernatural event.

He raised his head, looked at the perfect smile on Sister Zhizhen's face, and asked:
"Are you going to use your powers on them?"

"That depends on the situation." She replied with a smile.

“It depends on whether this group of people has this value.”

Not a surprising answer.

"That's right." Sister Zhizhen nodded. "Also, I noticed that the resistance of the curse master to my ability is obviously stronger than that of ordinary people. Dongsheng, based on your experience, what do you think I need to pay attention to?"

Am I helping the evil? I actually helped such an ambitious demon king... Thinking this way, Cen Dongsheng naturally began to give advice to An Zhizhen.

If he wants to walk with the abyss, he has to let go of something, and he is mentally prepared.

"First and foremost, as you just said, Sister Zhizhen, there is a 'cancellation' between the curses. Although most curse masters are no match for you, if you happen to encounter a curse of the same level... that is, the highest level, it is very likely that it will not be effective."

"'Special'...Is that so?"

"Yes. It completely transcends the divisions left over from the past such as 'A, B, C, and D'. It is a force that disrupts the laws of all things and the natural destiny. Each one has unpredictable power or unimaginable strange effects."

He looked serious.

"Of course, there are very few people who possess this kind of curse, so this is just a reminder. I believe in Sister Zhizhen's caution."

Also, the so-called manipulation of people's hearts in "Tian Kui Quan Shou" is actually just a "by-product", and its real effect is far more than that - An Zhizhen must know this better than him.

"thanks for your trust."

Sister Zhizhen smiled.

"But if fate really exists in this world, people like this will meet sooner or later, right? Just like you and me."

Cen Dongsheng was stunned for a moment.

Maybe……

"By the way, you do have a lot of experience." She quickly changed the subject. "Some things I heard from you for the first time."

"...I can record this knowledge for you."

This was originally the bargaining chip he intended to use to establish a connection with An Zhizhen.

"That's great, thank you!"

An Zhizhen clasped her hands together and smiled.

"Then I should also find a way to return the favor. I will provide you with any resources and intelligence you want. Also... by the way, Dongsheng, are you interested in becoming a celebrity?"

"what?"

"It means becoming a well-known expert among the curse masters." She pointed to the webpage on the computer screen, "With this forum, it can be easily achieved."

"If I do that, I'll become a target of public criticism, right?"

"If you don't like it——"

"It's okay, I don't mind. Just follow your idea, Sister Zhizhen."

"Hey, Dongsheng, you really indulge me..."

"After all, we still have a long way to go."

Cen Dongsheng looked at her.

"Next, Sister Zhizhen plans to leave this city, right?"

"Well, my work relationship has been transferred to Tianhai. For a long time, I will be based there."

As expected, this was exactly what An Zhizhen was like in his previous life.

"It just so happens that I'm studying at Tianhai University. We'll be together again..."

He clenched his fist subconsciously. This was a hard-won opportunity, an opportunity to change the future, change mediocrity, and firmly grasp his destiny in his own hands.

"Of course. We'll always be together."

An Zhizhen nodded.

She took out a bunch of keys from her handbag and handed them to him. Judging from her movements, it seemed that she had been prepared for a long time.

Cen Dongsheng was slightly stunned.

"what is this?"

"Keys. I have prepared the car keys and house keys for you. The car is new, so you can pick it up yourself. The house is a small western-style house near Zhongshan Road in Tianhai City. The owner was in a hurry to sell it, so I bought it after I saw it. It's very close to Tianhai University, right?"

"Uh……"

"I'll call a moving company to help when you get here. After a while, when we're both settled, I'll come visit you."

Sister Zhizhen talked a lot to herself, without caring about his thoughts, and directly arranged his accommodation clearly.

Cen Dongsheng still hasn't reacted.

He looked down at the car logo on the key and felt at a loss whether to laugh or cry for a moment.

——So... I am really being kept by someone?

(End of this chapter)