The King of Curses

Chapter 79 Three people walking together
"My informant finally got the information."

An Zhizhen placed the printed materials on the table. She also prepared three copies, one for each person to read.

"finally……"

When he picked up the materials, Cen Dongsheng felt emotional.

Whether he can hunt the next "demon" is related to the integrity of the special curse in his body and is of utmost importance.

In this era, being one step ahead means being countless steps ahead.

Even the memories of a reborn person would be of no help in this matter, because he couldn't remember where the "demon" appeared in these days.

He can remember those major events that will affect the times and the world situation, and he can remember those supernatural events that he has personally experienced, but for most of the remaining cases, unless you are a researcher who specializes in recording archives, you will not understand them at all.

Now he can only rely on Sister Zhizhen’s network of connections.

"Who found it?"

"I've said before that I've set up a team to collect and organize materials in this area. They include people from the government, news agencies, spell-binding masters, private detectives, and online media people."

Although Sister Zhizhen answered in a nonchalant tone, it was obviously not an easy task to gather this group of people from all walks of life and all corners of the world.

Although Tiankui Quanshou was invincible in gathering power, An Zhizhen had a very large plate. As far as Cen Dongsheng knew, there were several projects running in parallel.

An organization called the "Paranormal Response Working Committee", which includes several laboratories and official and private cooperation agencies, is also being established in full swing.

By the way, this organization was the prototype of the later "Chinese Teachers' Ban Association".

Under such circumstances, An Zhizhen still put the importance of this matter first.

"Thank you for your concern."

"Why are you being so polite to me?" Sister Zhizhen laughed. "Besides, it's not just you. I'm also looking forward to this new discovery."

This is the truth. It can be seen that he is not the only one who is happy at this moment. An Zhizhen is also in a good mood.

The main reason was that this matter satisfied the future philosopher king's thirst for knowledge.

If it weren't for Cen Dongsheng's reminder, she might have had to waste a long time before she could grasp the classification of ghosts and monsters; by that time, some of the "materials" that she considered to be of valuable research value might no longer exist.

Among the three, Yi Qingyan was the only one who was completely unaware and seemed like an outsider.

"…What is a 'demon'?"

The girl picked up the materials and flipped through a few pages, a hint of confusion flashing in her eyes.

Cen Dongsheng explained for her.

"You know, I've explained to you before that those non-human supernatural beings are divided into two types: 'ghosts' and 'monsters', right?"

"Yeah, that's why they are collectively called ghosts."

Yi Qingyan nodded slightly.

"Actually, apart from these two, there is another type of supernatural being that is even rarer in this world. It is hard to say whether they are ghosts or monsters. They are one of the two, or they may be both. They may even be formed naturally and out of thin air during the evolution of rumors."

"Most of the 'demons' are often worshipped by the people and have primitive beliefs. In ancient times, they were considered gods of lewd worship."

"In addition, there are those spell-breakers whose spells have lost control. This state of theirs is called 'demon possession'. They will become neither human nor ghost, and eventually become a kind of 'demon'."

Yi Qingyan tilted her head and thought for a moment, then said.

"Ghosts are what people become after death, monsters are animals and plants that have become spirits, and demons are the remaining monsters that are difficult to classify, right?"

"That's understandable."

Cen Dongsheng said.

Precisely because the types of "demons" are relatively rare, their actual abilities seem to be stronger and more bizarre than those of other similar creatures; and the things hidden behind them are also more special.

Of course, for him, it was just to complete one part of the curse.

"Let's take a look at the information first."

*
Just on the outskirts of Tianhai City, there is a place called Shilou Mountain. In the early years, it was a holy place for mountain climbing enthusiasts. Every spring and autumn, citizens would flock here.

I heard that the local government wanted to use this opportunity to develop the tourism economy and build walking trails and scenic spots. However, for some reason, the local villagers strongly rejected it and the plan was shelved.

Later, several strange things happened in Shilou Mountain, and there were occasional reports of tourists and climbers going missing.

I heard that the worst case was when an entire climbing team, including five men and women, disappeared. The rescue team searched for three days and three nights but could not find their whereabouts.

Some said they accidentally fell off the cliff, while others said they were eaten by wild beasts in the mountains.

From then on, all kinds of supernatural rumors began to spread on Shilou Mountain. A climber set up a tent on the mountain at night and heard a loud noise. He went out to see a figure staggering in the forest, as huge as a mountain monster. He hid in the tent and dared not breathe. When the sun rose, he hurried down the mountain.
Some people also met strangers while climbing alone, and walked with them, but were misled by them to other places and almost got lost. The stranger suddenly disappeared for no reason. Fortunately, the rescue team arrived in time, otherwise they would have starved to death in the wilderness...

Gradually, after this news spread, fewer mountain climbing enthusiasts came, but some paranormal enthusiasts would often come to collect inspiration.

"Just looking at these records and what happened in recent years, it may not be related to the 'devil'..."

Cen Dongsheng thought.

But he knew that Sister Zhizhen would not do anything without a purpose.

The material placed at the top records the changes that have occurred in Shilou Mountain in recent years and is just an introduction.

The following is a description of the past of Shilou Mountain and the history of the nearby villages and settlements.

"The village on Shilou Mountain used to be called Shigou Village... The local villagers worshipped the mountain god... There was a tradition of offering sacrifices in the past, but it gradually died out."

There is only this brief description. As for what this "mountain god" is, the information does not provide a detailed explanation.

Then there was an incident of wild animals injuring people in 1970. Monkey plagues were prevalent in the area, and villagers were often scratched and injured, and crops were damaged. The local Shigou Village Production Brigade organized a monkey-killing team, and everyone went up the mountain with a hunting rifle. As a result, all the villagers disappeared. It was not until the "community-to-village" reform in the s that people went up the mountain again and found the bones of those people deep in the forest. The remains were severely damaged and it was almost impossible to piece together a complete corpse.

In addition, Cen Dongsheng also saw a record in ancient Chinese texts. It was not known whether it was a fictional novel or a rumor record. It was called "Mandrill".

The so-called "mandrill" is a one-legged ghost in the mountains in Chinese mythology and legends. It is a kind of monster in the mountains. "Baopuzi·Dengshe" says that the mountain spirit is shaped like a child, with one foot pointing backwards, and likes to commit crimes at night, so it is called "mandrill".

With the integration of various rumors, the image of mandrill in folk legends has gradually evolved into a long, black, and powerful monster. It can run faster than a leopard and can tear tigers and leopards apart with its bare hands. It is the king of the mountains and has a very long lifespan.

"His great-grandfather studied at the Liugou Temple in Nanshan... He swept the bed, laid out the bedding, locked the door and lay down... Everything was quiet, and suddenly there was a rumbling sound of wind, and the mountain gate suddenly made a noise... A big ghost bowed and stuffed in, and suddenly stood in front of the bed... opened his huge mouth like a basin... and suddenly pulled it out and chopped it in the middle of the abdomen, making the sound of a stone jar... He opened the door and looked, and saw claw marks like a dustpan, and the places where the five fingers touched were all pierced..."

Cen Dongsheng read it carefully and roughly understood what it was talking about. This ancient text was about a man whose great-grandfather had stayed in a mountain temple for a period of time. One night, he suddenly heard a strong wind in the mountain, and then a huge ghost broke into the house. The man chopped it with his sword, but the ghost was unharmed and survived until other people arrived.

“This mandrill… could it be the mountain god worshipped by the villagers?”

While reading the materials, Yi Qingyan tried to think for herself and ask questions.

"It's hard to say. I don't know whether the ancients' records are true or false."

Cen Dongsheng said.

"But I think it might be true. According to legend, mandrills have an extremely long lifespan and are invulnerable to swords and guns. It's not surprising that they are the kings of villages in the wild mountains and are worshipped as gods by people."

"It doesn't necessarily mean that the lifespan is extremely long. It's also possible that the population continues, but the number is small, so people mistakenly think that it is the same mandrill that survived to the end," An Zhizhen added.

She looked at Cen Dongsheng. "Let's assume that there really is a monster called a mandrill in this world. Then, will it transform into a 'demon'?"

"It's possible. If humans worship it, offer sacrifices to it, and the monster eats its blood and absorbs its incense, it may really become a 'demon'."

"interesting……"

An Zhizhen laughed.

"By the way, Dongsheng, you really understand me."

"Well, it's written in my grandfather's book."

"Grandpa?" Yi Qingyan asked curiously, interrupting their conversation, "Is he my brother's relative?"

"...No, it's just an old man I met in the neighborhood. He knows something about curses and ghosts."

Next, the three people speculated about what might have happened on Shilou Mountain based on the information they had. Everyone talked at once and was very serious about the business, and the atmosphere was pretty good.

Although no matter how powerful the demons on the mountain are, they are insignificant in front of the two of them, but in this era, whether it is the Philosopher King or the Equality King, they have just become curse masters and are full of curiosity about this world. Even if they have almost invincible power, they are still full of desire to explore.

Almost half an hour later, Cen Dongsheng took a deep breath and summarized the conclusions they had reached.

"Anyway, judging from the situation at Shilou Mountain, this mandrill, which is likely to have become a 'demon', has become active again in recent years?"

"Yes, and more than one person has been murdered."

"Okay, it's just outside the city anyway, so it's very close. I'll go check it out on the weekend."

"I will go with you."

"Ok?"

Cen Dongsheng was stunned for a moment.

"Is Sister Zhizhen not busy?"

"I've said it before, your business comes first to me."

An Zhizhen winked at him.

But before that, when I was in the new middle school——

Cen Dongsheng was about to speak when he suddenly understood what she meant.

There is one decisive difference between then and now. That is...

"I want to go too."

Yi Qingyan raised her hand on the side.

That’s right, now he has a younger sister named Qingyan by his side.

However, unlike Sister Zhizhen, who is mature and busy with her own career, she almost certainly wants to act with him and is clinging to him and is unwilling to let go.

"..."

Seeing that Cen Dongsheng did not answer immediately, Yi Qingyan quickly added:
"I am not afraid of danger. No matter if it is a monster or a demon, you can use me as your will."

No, he wasn't worried about that...

What kind of magic in the world can stop the future Philosopher King and the Equality King from joining forces?

There was no such thing in the past, and there will be no such thing in the future.

He just vaguely realized that there was a problem that he had to face.

But at least for Cen Dongsheng now, he has no reason to refuse.

"I understand." The man nodded readily, "Let's go together."

"Great!"

Yi Qingyan raised her hands and cheered.

An Zhizhen on the side said with a smile.

"It's rare for the three of us to go out together, so let's just treat it as a belated spring outing and prepare well."

"...Miss An, we are here to help Brother Dongsheng and do some serious work."

"I know. It doesn't matter. We still have to go up the mountain in the end."

Hearing the words "three of us go out together", the little girl curled her lips and her excited expression faded a little, but she didn't say anything in the end.

*
a few days later.

Early in the morning, in front of Cen Dongsheng's house, a black SUV was parked quietly on the side of the road.

After being beaten by wind and rain, the leaves of the sycamore trees fell to the ground, and the car windows reflected the colorful sunlight.

The sky is clear and the air is fresh; because there was a rain in between, the temperature will not be too high, making it a suitable day for travel in recent times.

The car that Cen Dongsheng planned to drive today was the one that Sister Zhizhen gave him the car keys to before, and he happened to use it today.

Yi Qingyan finished dressing in front of the mirror and was ready to go.

Now she has learned how to dress herself. She tries to choose clothes with coordinated colors, which can set off her figure without being too revealing, giving people a sense of youth and vitality. As for makeup, she can usually go without it, but she cannot neglect skin care.

She looked at the beautiful girl wearing a beret in the mirror, turned around in a circle with graceful steps, admired her own light and beautiful figure, and nodded with slight satisfaction.

The girl put on her schoolbag, picked up her water cup, and opened the door while humming a relaxing tune, like a student going on a spring outing organized by the school.

She saw two adults already waiting for her by the car.

Cen Dongsheng was standing beside the driver's seat, carrying a lot of bags, and waved at her with a smile on his face;

Accompanying him was a woman with long straight black hair, wearing a wide-brimmed sun hat, a sky blue dress, and a noble temperament.

When she saw her, her originally relaxed pace slowed down suddenly; even though she was confident in her dress before going out, when she saw An Zhizhen, the girl's heart was still filled with pressure.

Her elegant and calm temperament, her graceful and voluptuous figure, even the most discerning eyes could not find fault with her, she was simply the embodiment of perfection; the mature charm of a man nearly ten years older than her, this was a difference in time, something she could never achieve no matter what.

"Qingyan?"

"I am coming!"

Hearing Brother Dongsheng's greeting, Yi Qingyan quickly cheered up and walked towards the car.

There are always pros and cons to this kind of thing, she thought.

Being young is certainly an advantage, and being immature is not necessarily bad. It all depends on the person... who he or she likes more.

(End of this chapter)