The King of Curses

Chapter 302 "One", "Two", "Three"

"Do you think the consciousness in the body of the Marrow Candle Monk we met on the lower deck is the same person as Meng Huafan we saw at the banquet this time?"

After pondering for a long time, Cen Dongsheng asked this question to Senior Jiang.

He had been skeptical from the moment Meng Huafan's true form appeared, and always felt that it was inconsistent with the impression he had when they met before.

It does not describe the difference in appearance, but the difference in temperament and character.

"All I know is that their consciousness is shrouded in fog."

Jiang Yunmei replied.

"All of them? The monk Suizhu, Meng Huafan, and the sisters Luonu?"

"Ah."

Although the senior student didn't say it explicitly, the answer was already obvious.

“That’s outrageous.”

Cen Dongsheng sighed.

"That is to say, they are of the same nature."

The Suizhu monk was just a carrier. Meng Huafan used some method to project his consciousness onto him and communicate with them - this was what Cen Dongsheng thought at first, and it was also the most natural way of thinking.

But there is another possibility.

The monk Marrow Candle is Meng Huafan, Meng Huafan is Meng Huafan, and even the Snail Girl could be Meng Huafan. All of them are closely related to the future King of Bliss. They could be clones, or a group of people could have jointly constructed the identity of the King of Bliss. Or there could be other deeper, more bizarre truths...

……

Time returns to the present.

"Mr. Cen, are you leaving?"

Seeing the young man stand up, Chen Yuan asked hurriedly.

"Do you have any other questions?"

“This…is not the case anymore.”

He shook his head.

"I think the most important thing to do now is to recover from my injury, catch up with the opening time of the competition, and win. This is the only goal in my mind."

"That's right. I'm glad you have the determination. You don't need me to teach you how to fight."

Chen Yuan hesitated to speak.

He originally thought that as Mr. Cen was a top spell master, if he could give him some guidance, perhaps his strength would improve by leaps and bounds, but the other party obviously did not have this intention.

Maybe it's because the gap in rank is too big, so Mr. Cen feels that his experience is useless...

Chen Yuan felt regretful. However, considering Mr. Cen's status, he was willing to guarantee himself, so that he still had hope of reuniting with his sister. This great kindness was enough for him to remember for the rest of his life, and he could not hope for more.

……

What Chen Yuan didn't know was that Cen Dongsheng didn't mention the reason why he wanted to teach him. It was very pure and personal:
Because he only has one apprentice.

From today's perspective, his master-disciple relationship with Song Yutang has long been in name only. The latter has caught up with him in strength and potential, and most importantly, the relationship between the two has undergone a radical change recently... They have established a brand new emotional connection.

The "master-disciple relationship" has completely deteriorated, even though both parties did not take it too seriously at the beginning. After all, they are peers studying in the same university.

During this time, Yutang would still occasionally call him Master, but depending on the occasion, it was more like a form of interest or teasing.

Having said that, this relationship and this name are still the private emotional imprint between him and Song Yutang, witnessing the journey of the two from meeting each other to falling in love.

Cen Dongsheng felt that he would never plan to teach a second person in his lifetime.

But...

Watching the young man who seemed to be the protagonist running around desperately, suffering, and fighting with his life, he, as a bystander and a guide, felt that the developments since he got on the ship were quite interesting, as if someone had designed this lively show especially for him.

When he feels that there is no fun anymore, that will probably be the time to overturn the table.

*
a few days later.

Chen Yuan took off the last bandage on his body and left the room.

He walked onto the deck, feeling the sea breeze blowing towards him. The sky was blue and the clouds were white, clear and bright. The bright sunshine made him feel warm. Such a beautiful scenery was refreshing.

Men and women gathered in groups of three or four, either sitting on beach chairs basking in the sun or chatting and laughing loudly in the swimming pool. They really were here on vacation.

The boy was not in such a relaxed mood. He turned on his phone, which was playing a video:
"The winners of the three competitions will be eligible for my rewards and promises."

The wealthy man was standing in the center of the magnificent banquet hall, above the crowd, raising his glass to the guests below.

"I have prepared a stage for you to let go and fight to your heart's content. Whether you are a contestant, a spectator, or just a vacationer, the Mirage will provide you with plenty of fun."

……

"The news will be made public throughout the ship, to all the spellcasters on the upper and middle decks. Anyone who has an idea can come on stage, regardless of life or death."

……

"Let's enjoy and celebrate today. This will be a festival for us Curse Masters!"

The person on the stage drank the wine in the glass in one gulp, and there was thunderous applause from the audience.

……

Chen Yuan watched the video over and over again.

He didn't understand the man's intention. Perhaps for a big shot, holding a conference was really just for the fun of watching, but he was willing to risk his life for it.

"Three levels, is this an elimination system? I hope I can hold on longer."

The result of this competition will eventually be decided among the contestants, but before that, depending on the content, he does not necessarily have to compete with others.

Of course, there would be no shortage of suffering, and holding on to the end was also an option. If he couldn't even do that, how could he save his sister?

"The first competition will be held in the sex and gambling parlor on the middle deck... Where is this? Should I go take a look first?"

*
"Finally... finally the time has come."

The gambler touches his face.

What his trembling fingertips felt was not the touch of flesh and blood as before, but cold, wet, endlessly swirling mist.

After withstanding the cruel erosion, the man's originally weak and flawed body was drastically transformed, becoming neither human nor ghost, but he gained the power to reverse his life.

The gambler was so excited that he wanted to rush into that place right now, but his life no longer belonged to him, but was held in the hands of a mysterious and terrifying strong man.

He looked at the figure covered in a black hood with excitement, respect and fear.

The sun is shining brightly above our heads, but as soon as "he" appears, the temperature around us will drop sharply, and even the light will become distorted and dim, transitioning from noon to dusk.

"Sir, can I go get my things now?"

The gambler asked respectfully.

"good."

The man under the hood nodded slightly.

"In order to hold the competition, the flesh gambling house is open to everyone, even guests like you who have been drained of their bones and marrow and are left with only the remnants and are no longer welcome."

"I want to take back everything I have, and then I will take revenge on those who look down on me..."

The gambler wanted to cry excitedly, but found it difficult to shed tears. It seemed that he had lost the ability to do so. Only the mist on his face rose and fell with his excited mood.

"That alone...is not enough."

"That's right, it's not enough. You are braver. The first competition will be held inside the gambling house. You can get back what you lost at that time. There is no need to abide by the rules." Wan Dugu's tone was cold and distant, but for some reason, it had a magical power to incite people.

"Use the power I gave you."

"Take them all back..."

A greedy light flashed in the middle-aged man's pupils.

"Since there is no need to follow the rules, with your power, can't you plunder this ship and turn it upside down?"

"You don't have to follow the rules of the so-called 'gambling house', but you still have to follow the rules of this ship."

"Why is this so..."

"Because the owner of the boat is almost as strong as I am."

The hooded man said.

"Rules that are followed voluntarily come from the tacit understanding among people of equal power."

In Wan Dugu's opinion, the so-called victory or defeat between special-class spell-forbidden masters has been determined before the battle begins. The principle is no different from the fight between the lowest-level street thugs:
One against one is not enough to determine the winner, two against one is enough to gain the upper hand, if you want to win, you should try to form a group. Also, if you want to run, it is always difficult to catch up, unless you are stubborn or crazy.

This is Meng Huafan's home court, so he can be considered as the opponent's "1.2" to "1.5";
The relationship between An Zhizhen and Yi Qingyan is very complicated, and it feels like they are wavering between "one" and "one", or "two";
Zhang is the Tao and is "one", and he is also "one".

The power on the ship maintains a delicate balance. It seems fragile and sensitive. If any party acts radically, it may blow it into the sky. The Mirage is a behemoth in people's eyes, but it is still too small for the power of a special curse master.

However, Wan Dugu did not think so. In this complex situation, no one could start a fight:
If one party is left alone and becomes the "one" surrounded and beaten by "two" or "three", he will automatically become "two" or "three".

The simplest addition and subtraction, even a fool can't get it wrong, so it's really boring.

If we talk about his obsession, Wan Dugu’s real thought is probably “When I find the way to a higher realm, I will kill you all” -

He knew very well that his "peers" probably all thought the same.

"Do you remember everything I said?"

"Yes Yes!"

"What are you going to do after you get it back?"

"Of course...bet bigger!"

The gambler gave a loud and honest reaction from the bottom of his heart without much thought, his tone full of enthusiasm.

The figure beneath the hood seemed to be smiling.

"You are indeed a born gambler."

Not taking risks just to get higher profits,
Even if one loses everything at one point and falls into the most desperate hell, once one realizes there is hope of getting it back, greed will swell again, and one will bet everything, including the capital and interest, on "the next time".

In essence, it is gambling for the sake of gambling, just to enjoy the thrill of that life-or-death moment.

"I told you that you have to win."

"I understand. I have already inquired about it. It is said that there are several first-class curse masters involved." He laughed, "Although with your help, I am not worried about not being able to defeat them, but this power is still a little difficult to control..."

"No, I mean you will meet someone you know when you board the ship, and he will be your real opponent."

The gambler frowned and thought for a moment before he recalled the figure of the young man.

"You mean... Brother Chen Yuan? But he is not..."

"It doesn't matter who the contestants are, they are all lackeys. The key is whether they have supporters behind them. You compete on the stage, but the victory or defeat is decided by the audience. Do you understand?"

"I...I understand."

The middle-aged man suddenly realized.

"This is that... 'proxy' war, right?"

“Nice description.”

The figure under the hood laughed coldly.

"Go ahead, combine your gifts with the power I've given you... don't let me down."

"understand!"

*
"Mr. Cen, are you home?"

Cen Dongsheng was getting dressed when he suddenly heard a knock on the door, and a clear voice with a hint of shyness and nervousness.

Somewhat familiar, but not really an acquaintance.

Cen Dongsheng recalled and quickly remembered who it was.

After he pushed open the door, what came into view was a young woman in a dark green skirt. She was the older sister of the Luonu sisters who had been following behind Meng Huafan.

She raised her head and looked at him cautiously, but after meeting the man's gaze, she shrank back as if she had been electrocuted.

The spiral cartilage on both sides of the forehead is not abrupt, but colorful, more like some kind of gorgeous decoration; the scales covering the snow-white neck are gleaming, and the cartilaginous tail spike behind the skirt is swaying restlessly.

"You are……"

"I, I have met him before..."

Luo Nu was about to introduce herself but was interrupted by Cen Dongsheng with a smile.

"Isn't this Her Royal Highness the Princess?"

"How dare I be a princess or something like that..."

The other party shyly covered his face, and the tail behind him wagged even more happily.

This is not a man trying to please others deliberately. With Meng Huafan's status, whether in future achievements or in the present, "his daughter" is fully qualified to be called that.

"So, what do you want to see me for, Princess?"

"I'm really sorry... I want to invite Mr. Cen, that..."

The snail girl lowered her head and spoke softly, exuding the temperament of a lady from a noble family.

"Let's go out and play together..."

She managed to get the invitation out, then looked up at him expectantly.

"Now?"

"Yes, because, well, the first round of competition is about to begin..."

"Just the two of us?"

The blush spread from the snail girl's face to her neck, and the scales on her neck were bright and beautiful. She nodded silently.

"..."

Cen Dongsheng just smiled.

If you say she looks cute, she is quite cute. He has no objection to her being a female outsider. He just treats the scales on the tail as decorations.

But the problem now is that although Meng Huafan nominally regards the Snail Girl as his daughter, she is actually very likely Meng Huafan himself, or his incarnation...

When he thought of this, Cen Dongsheng felt a little strange.

Besides, the most important thing right now is——

"Oh, my Dongsheng is really popular."

Along with the woman's lazy voice, a pair of slender and soft arms stretched out from behind and gently embraced the man's neck.

(End of this chapter)