The King of Curses

Chapter 74 Who is stronger?
"It's getting late. I'll take you back first."

After the sun completely set, the sky became completely dark, and the night breeze blowing in our faces brought a rare coolness in the summer.

The brother and sister stood on the overpass and chatted for a while, looking at the twinkling lights shining from one end of the street to the other. It was another busy night.

They walked down the overpass and prepared to go home.

"Go back? Where?"

In the darkness of the night, the little girl's pupils sparkled as she stared at him without blinking, with a look of expectation in her eyes.

Cen Dongsheng originally wanted to say, "Of course I'll send you back to your home," but then he changed his mind and realized that since things had come to this point, he might as well finish what he wanted to do and talk about it tomorrow.

"As we agreed before, I will show you my current home."

He replied.

"Do you still want to go and see it now? It might be very late. Of course, I will take you back no matter how late it is."

"Ok!"

Yi Qingyan nodded vigorously, then she seemed to have thought of something and asked tentatively.

"Can't you just stay at your brother's house?"

"…Just live there?"

Cen Dongsheng was stunned for a moment.

"I can sleep on the floor!"

She raised her hand, afraid that he would disagree.

"How could I let you sleep on the floor..."

Cen Dongsheng laughed for a while, then he thought about it and felt that it was not impossible.

Anyway, there are quite a few empty rooms and several sets of bedding, sheets and pillowcases, so just clear out one of them and clean it up.

However, this matter still needs to be explained to An Zhizhen in advance.

The house originally belonged to her, so there's nothing to say about her living there by herself, but if it were someone else, she would still have to notify them.

However, he felt that there was no problem, as Sister Zhizhen was not such a stingy person.

"I think it should be possible. I'll call and ask later..." Cen Dongsheng picked up the phone, thought about it, and put it down again, "Forget it, maybe I can meet him when I go back later."

"?"

Yi Qingyan tilted her head, as if confused.

"Let's go."

He turned and walked towards the station, motioning for her to follow him.

*
It was too late and there were no more buses. I called a taxi home and sent a QQ message to Sister Zhizhen while sitting in the taxi.

"I am back."

Yi Qingyan had been paying attention to his movements, and suddenly asked:
"Brother, are you chatting with that partner?"

"Ah."

Cen Dongsheng didn't look up. After waiting for a while, he saw Sister Zhizhen replied to him, "I'll wait for you at home," and then she sent him a love symbol.

Sure enough, he thought to himself, he had had this premonition since the night before.

It is very likely that Sister Zhizhen regards his house as her permanent residence.

Again, it’s her house after all…

“It always feels a little weird.”

Seeing that he didn't look up to pay attention to her and his answer was a bit perfunctory, Yi Qingyan couldn't help but puff up her cheeks.

"Well, what do you mean?"

"Generally speaking, do you need to be that close to your 'partner'?"

Cen Dongsheng raised his head, somewhat confused.

"What are you talking about? It's true that people who work together may not necessarily have a good relationship, but I said that she and I are not only partners, but also good friends, which is a very close relationship."

"No, what I mean is..." She muttered softly, "Even if they are friends, you don't have to report to them just because you go home."

Cen Dongsheng blinked, not knowing how to answer for a moment.

Think about it, really.

He was mainly emphasized by Sister Zhizhen repeatedly, hoping that he must report the situation in a timely manner every day so that it would become a habit.

"It doesn't count when we're in a haunted house." Cen Dongsheng felt a little guilty when he answered this, "We just came out of a dangerous place, we have to tell people about it."

"...Then, I want one too."

After a moment's silence, Yi Qingyan suddenly reached out and grabbed his arm.

"Brother said he wanted to be my guide, right? Then I will report to you every day, don't feel annoyed."

Okay, so one of you is active and the other is passive.

Cen Dongsheng sighed.

"Yes, a contact method is necessary. It's too late today, I'll take you to pick out a new phone tomorrow."

……

In short, Cen Dongsheng finally brought sister Yi Qingyan back to his home.

Under the paulownia tree, the shadows of leaves are swaying.

A long street was shrouded in the silence of the night. Although the downtown area was right outside the intersection, the noisy sounds from the outside world could not be heard inside the street.

Every few steps on the road, there is a street lamp emitting a hazy and dim glow. Pedestrians walking under the light feel like they are walking in a painting.

There are single-family houses on both sides of the street. Some of them are rented out to open private restaurants, while most of the others are uninhabited, but they are regularly managed. At night, only a few houses have lights on, making it even quieter.

Cen Dongsheng and Yi Qingyan got out of the car and came to the iron gate of the three-story villa.

"Wow, you look very rich."

Yi Qingyan raised her head and looked at the pointed roof, the spacious lawn and fountain behind the fence, and the cobblestone path, and couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.

Cen Dongsheng opened the iron door and walked inside, seeing the illuminated glass window. Although the curtains were drawn, bright light could still be seen coming through the gaps.

Someone is already here.

He walked to the inner door and was about to push it open when he turned around to find Yi Qingyan standing at the bottom of the stairs, seeming to be still hesitating.

"By the way, brother, I haven't asked you yet, is your friend... a boy or a girl?"

“Let’s ask this question last.”

Cen Dongsheng believes that normal people would first want to know the gender of a stranger they have never met.

"I thought you didn't care about this."

Yi Qingyan put her hand on her chest and whispered.

"…You asked me this last so that I can prepare myself mentally."

What mental preparations do you need to make?
Cen Dongsheng didn't care much. He casually answered "female" and pushed the door open and walked in.

"Come in quickly."

"..."

The man disappeared at the door. The white light from inside the door flowed like mercury on the stairs, covering the girl standing outside the door, illuminating her cheeks in half light and half dark.

Yi Qingyan let out a long breath and her shoulders slumped.

"……really."

She murmured quietly.

*
Cen Dongsheng changed into slippers and walked into the living room.

Sister Zhizhen was sitting on the sofa.

She was wearing a black gauze skirt with a silk bow tied softly around her waist. She held a book in her hand and elegantly lifted her calves. The hem of her skirt just reached below her knees, revealing her smooth, white legs. Her long, smooth hair fell behind her shoulders, emitting a beautiful sheen under the light.

Cen Dongsheng stopped and didn't speak for a while, just watched quietly.

The way An Zhizhen was concentrating on reading a book was different from her usual gentle image of a big sister, with a different kind of intellectual beauty. Thinking about it carefully, he had just said goodbye to her yesterday morning, but he felt like he hadn't seen her for a long time.

An Zhizhen raised her head and saw the young man looking at her with sharp eyes, and a smile appeared on the corner of her mouth.

"What are you doing standing there like an idiot?"

"I want to see you."

Cen Dongsheng said.

"We have a tacit understanding. I want to see you, too. Come here and let me see you."

Cen Dongsheng walked over, and An Zhizhen closed the book and put it on the table.

"This is what they call 'one day without seeing you feels like three years'. We agreed to have two days, but if you hadn't sent me a message during the day, I would probably be in the haunted house now."

The woman asked with a smile, crossing her fingers on her knees.

"How does it feel?"

"Okay."

"I knew that enemies of this level would not be difficult for Dongsheng. Did you find anything?"

"Yes. ...Anyway, let's put the matter of the haunted house aside for now."

Cen Dongsheng said, he turned his head and looked towards the door. Yi Qingyan was changing her shoes at the door. When she saw him waving at her, she walked towards the living room.

"During this operation, I met someone. I brought her back."

An Zhizhen followed his gaze and saw Yi Qingyan walking out from the shadows.

The warm light of pale yellow enveloped her face. After a day of dressing up, Yi Qingyan's appearance revealed her natural outstanding qualities. She was a beautiful girl who could leave a stunning impression on people the first time they met.

However, her attitude at this moment was obviously different from when they were alone with Cen Dongsheng. There was no expression on her face and she seemed cold.

The future Philosopher King and the Equality King stood side by side at the top of the world for a long time. The two strongest female curse masters met for the first time in this era.

Their eyes met.

If this scene was recorded with a photo and passed down to future generations, people would probably use terms like "historic moment" to describe this moment.

Unfortunately, there was only one witness.

Cen Dongsheng watched from the side and felt as if he was witnessing history again.

No, this time, he was personally involved——

A subtle and complex emotion emerged in his heart. He didn't know whether to say he was touched or sighed...

I'm afraid only those who have been reborn can understand this feeling in this world.

An Zhizhen didn't seem surprised, and the smile on her face remained unchanged:
"Oh, you are a very young girl, so pretty. Welcome to be our guest."

Yi Qingyan nodded silently without answering.

An Zhizhen turned her gaze to Cen Dongsheng's face again.

This time, her eyes were lowered, and her pupils were covered by the shadow of her eyelashes.

"I don't think Dongsheng would bring irrelevant people here casually. Can I hear your reasons?"

Perhaps in the eyes of outsiders, An Zhizhen's expression did not change much, and she still had a gentle smile on her face, but Cen Dongsheng had been with her for some time after all, and he knew that Sister Zhizhen's attitude had become serious at this moment.

He felt a little pressure from the woman's eyes, but fortunately...

He has sufficient reasons and a clear conscience.

*
The night is getting darker.

Cicadas are chirping, and looking out the window at the world outside, you can see twinkling lights in the distance, like a series of lighthouses in the ocean of darkness.

Cen Dongsheng stood in front of the window, leisurely looked at the scenery for a while, and took a sip of the hot tea in his hand.

After waiting for a while, he felt that the time was about right, so he turned around, made two cups of tea in the kitchen, and walked towards the living room.

An Zhizhen and Yi Qingyan were facing each other, one sitting on the sofa and the other sitting on a chair opposite the coffee table.

"……I see."

He heard An Zhizhen nodding and writing down the content on paper with a serious expression; on the other side, Yi Qingyan seemed to have just finished recounting her experience in the haunted house, took a breath quietly, and looked at her silently.

Cen Dongsheng was holding two cups of tea and watching from the side.

If it happened in the future, the two ancestors would meet formally like this and their conversation could only be about important matters that would determine the future and destiny of tens or even hundreds of millions of people.

It’s not like now. Although it’s the first time we meet, the atmosphere is still harmonious, just like chatting about family matters.

It would be worth living my life again to see such an incredible sight.

In the past, he would inevitably feel psychological pressure when facing his "ancestor". This was because the memories of his previous life were too vivid, leaving an indelible impression on his heart.

But this barrier gradually collapsed.

He was now even in the mood to look at this scene between the two of them from a joking perspective.

for example……

Don’t you think the way they communicate is very similar to the way students get restless when their teacher comes to visit their home?

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but smile.

"Dongsheng, what are you laughing at?"

Sister Zhizhen's eyes fell on him, her brows slightly furrowed, as if she was unhappy with someone's attitude of staying out of the matter.

He also felt another pair of eyes from behind... It seemed that Sister Qingyan was also not very satisfied with his "irresponsible" behavior of deliberately leaving the two of them to go to the window to look at the scenery.

"nothing."

Cen Dongsheng pretended to cough dryly, walked over and put the teacup on the coffee table.

"You've been chatting for a while, come, have some water."

"..."

An Zhizhen and Yi Qingyan reached out for the two cups of tea almost at the same time.

Their eyes met for a moment, and then each picked up the cup that was closer to them.

Yi Qingyan held the teacup in both hands and sipped it silently, while An Zhizhen drank tea and complained to him in a low voice.

"You are so irresponsible. You brought the person back, didn't you?"

"Qingyan has already told me everything I should know about her," Cen Dongsheng said. "I guess you might be very interested in her affairs, so I'll let you two chat for a while."

"That's true. Although I am also quite interested in the ecology of the 'monster' that owns the haunted house, it is insignificant compared to the power that resides in Qingyan."

An Zhizhen looked at the girl who had given people the impression of being taciturn since her appearance, and who would only answer a question when asked, and then looked at Cen Dongsheng.

"I'm afraid it's a special life ban, right?"

"Yes."

"It's the same as my 'Tian Kui Quan Shou'."

"exactly."

An Zhi really wanted to say something, but Yi Qingyan, who had not spoken since the beginning, interrupted their conversation for the first time.

"Miss An...same as me?"

She repeated the words.

"Ok?"

An Zhizhen turned her head, smiled gently at her, and replied:

"In a way, yes."

"If that's the case, I have a curious question."

"please say."

"Actually, I asked Brother Dongsheng on the way here, and that is..."

The girl leaned forward slightly, looking directly at the long-haired woman sitting opposite her. She was no longer silent, and there was a competitive edge in her eyes.

"——Who is stronger, me or you, Miss An?"

(End of this chapter)