The King of Curses

Chapter 347 Situation

The most valuable thing in the 21st century is talent.

When the era of spiritual revival arrives, when the value of the individual begins to surpass that of the group, a high-level spellcaster can easily wipe out a modern army, and all sorts of spells or forbidden objects that overturn the existing knowledge system of mankind are born into the world, each one enough to drive researchers crazy; when the existence of another world adjacent to the human world and the existence of alien beings that exist in a way that is separate from the physical body are all proven, the scale and quality of the spellcaster community become the primary indicator of advanced direction, and all major forces are trying to recruit and plunder talent.

But kidnapping people is a technical skill.

With the support and promotion of Master Kurong, a top-tier sorcerer, the Shilun Society became the leading folk sorcerer organization in the Western Desert Region. Due to population limitations, it could not compare in scale with the Yama Society or the Ten Thousand Immortals Ceremony, but it was the dominant force in the Western Desert Region.

In the competition for talent recruitment, their rivals have never been those non-governmental organizations, but rather the only official organization in the country to date, the Paranormal Working Committee.

This exceeded Ku Rong's expectations. When people have the ability to trample social order and its operating rules underfoot, their thinking is likely to develop in a more liberal or even degenerate direction. This is why the role played by official organizations is never popular and they are destined to be replaced.

Furthermore, the massive bureaucratic system itself is a hindrance, with bottom-up responses being slow to materialize. Only top-down instructions can be effectively transmitted to the branches, and deviations during execution are difficult to avoid.

However, thanks to the behind-the-scenes efforts of someone, the rapid establishment and timely response of the Super Committee gave the authorities a first-mover advantage, and the "Mountain Demolition and Temple Destruction" plan further amplified this advantage.

While NGOs were still recruiting through secret societies, the Super Committee, relying on its organizational advantages, began to systematically recruit qualified personnel and used swift and decisive measures to suppress those who were disobedient and disruptive.

As a result, the current domestic situation is far more orderly and stable than the future "foreseen" by Ku Rong. With this shift in power, the philosopher-king of this era will possess an advantage far exceeding that of his peers.

Ku Rong originally had the ability to stop all of this, but his own obsession prevented him from acting. He wanted a peaceful future and had always been hesitant to "get involved himself."

Now, the world's situation has deviated significantly from the "predetermined harmony" he witnessed, which is inextricably linked to his own appeasement policy.

……

Under the premise of not interfering with the flourishing and decaying, the only means for the Wheel of Time to select talents is "the art of observing qi".

It can see the potential value of those who have not yet awakened, even when they are still ordinary people.

Although both were ranked first-class, Qiao Wan knew that Mr. Ban, the person in charge of the operation, held a higher position than herself. As the head of the human resources department, he was second only to the Master within the organization.

This exploration of ancient ruins was actually requested by him personally; otherwise, it would have been impossible to persuade him to undertake such a task.

"Sir, do you perhaps know the inside story?"

The young man sitting in the chair opposite spoke with a mixture of doubt and expectation.

"I wouldn't say I understand it, since I wasn't there at the time. But I do have some knowledge about ghosts and monsters."

"...I see your eyes don't seem to be working properly. Are you... a feng shui master?"

Ban Han laughed.

"Do you think I'm a charlatan?"

"No, that's not what I meant..."

"Young man, watch carefully."

Ban Han casually raised his finger, and the ceramic lid of the teapot on the table flew up, from which steaming hot tea gushed out, transforming into a small dragon shape that swirled around his fingertip.

This has nothing to do with incantations or prohibitions; it is purely a utilization of true qi.

But to anyone else, this couldn't possibly be achieved through "magic" or similar means. Ban Han's method was very direct, and he watched with satisfaction as the young man showed a look of shock.

"This, this is..."

"A petty trick, not worth mentioning."

After regaining his senses, the young man quickly looked around and found that no one around him reacted.

"Don't worry, they can't see it."

Qiao Wan said with a smile.

"...So you're also...?"

Upon seeing the woman nod slightly, the young man swallowed hard, the suspicion in his eyes gradually fading and turning into excitement. He was trying hard to control his emotions.

In the eyes of the duo from the Time Wheel Society, this was clearly proof that the newcomer had taken the bait.

"Can I learn it?"

"Of course, everyone can participate. It requires a certain amount of talent, but with a teacher's guidance, it's not difficult to get started."

As he spoke, Ban Han began to patiently introduce the common knowledge of the world of curse masters to the ordinary person in front of him; Qiao Wan, who was watching from the sidelines, would occasionally chime in with a few words.

The young man seemed to understand only half of what he was saying, and eventually he just kept nodding.

"—You said at the beginning that the strange events that occurred in Kowloon were because the gates of hell had been opened?"

The girl who was clinging to the young man's arm suddenly spoke up.

"Why do you think so?"

Ban Han subtly pushed up his sunglasses, his gray-white pupils reflecting the "aura" emanating from the two young men opposite him, symbolizing their destinies.

One is a brilliant gold, and the other is a noble purple, proving that the two are destined to achieve great things in the future.

The light was so dazzling that it almost blinded me...

Although he himself is already blind.

The young man's performance was certainly exciting, but Ban Han's heart was no less so.

It's rare to meet a big shot who hasn't yet risen to prominence, and the fact that they managed to get together feels like the absurd feeling of casually buying a lottery ticket with a friend and winning a big prize.

If we can bring them into the Kalachakra Society, they will grow up to become the backbone of the organization.

The "aura" emanating from the beautiful young woman was even more piercing than that of the young man, and she had to be treated with caution.

However, she only had eyes for her lover. Ban Han and Qiao Wan had just used their little tricks, and the young man occasionally showed surprise, but she didn't react at all.

Whether it's because of his aloof personality or because he's seen it before... he's clearly more difficult to deal with than a young person.

"Hard to believe?"

“No.” The girl shook her head. “I just want to ask, how did you know? Who told you?”

……

Cen Dongsheng glanced at his younger sister.

The two people didn't recognize who they were, probably because they didn't expect legendary figures to appear here, so they were happy to chat and joke with the brother and sister.

In fact, Qingyan was the actual person involved, which is why she was curious about the source of the information.

It's normal for curse masters to have this perception: all the calamities in this world are caused by ghosts and monsters. When Wan Dugu's body was destroyed by Yi Qingyan, he did indeed appear in the sky above Kowloon City in the form of a ghost or monster.

However, the statement that "the gates of the underworld have opened" is a bit too specific, isn't it?

……

Master Kurong, the leader of the Kalachakra Tantra, was one of the people involved.

As his confidant, Ban Han had a deeper understanding of the "Kowloon Incident" than the average person and knew the inside story.

For example, the incident was actually caused by a fight between several prominent figures at the top of the world, which stirred up huge waves on the high seas and almost endangered ordinary people.

As for the "gateway to the underworld," it originates from Ku Rong's "foresight."

Wan Dugu was stopped before he could unleash his full power. However, Kurong was well aware of his abilities and could guess what would happen next.

If escape fails, Wan Dugu will choose to self-destruct, plunging the entire city into a dead zone, turning millions of living people into ghosts, and scattering the broken soul of the Curse Master into countless fragments, which will then possess different individuals—this is his last resort.

Ban Han felt a lingering fear after hearing this. Fortunately, Master Kurong appeared in time to stop it, preventing it from escalating to the worst possible outcome. The master, who had always lived in seclusion in the mountains, observing the changing world with a detached eye, chose to emerge at this time precisely because the consequences of these top experts' reckless behavior were too outrageous.

Of course, revealing this information would only cause panic, and there's no need to discuss it in detail with two ordinary people.

"Well, that's what a big shot who was there at the time said. The fact that few Kowloon citizens died or were injured in the incident was thanks to his secret protection."

……

"...So that's it."

Having said that, Cen Dongsheng had already guessed the identities of these two curse masters.

Yi Qingyan's attitude became even clearer. Her eyebrows were slightly raised, like willow leaves swaying in the wind; the color of her pupils turned deep.

This was a sign that she was about to take action.

The "senior" mentioned by the blind sorcerer is probably the future King of Withering and Flourishing.

He stopped An Zhizhen and Yi Qingyan from killing Wan Dugu and announced his purpose to them: to correct the future.

Sister Zhizhen even bluntly stated: Once this person finds out the truth, he will regard Cen Dongsheng as an enemy.

Cen Dongsheng reached out from under the table and quietly grasped the girl's soft hand. He comforted her by gently kneading it until Yi Qingyan calmed down.

The Kowloon Incident was a hurdle, symbolizing the emergence of the war between sorcerers and ghosts, which gradually became known to the public, and people's views on the world shifted from skepticism to confusion.

In the previous life, the news spread much more slowly among ordinary people, and it wasn't until the Ghost King descended that it could no longer be kept secret.

"What do I need to do if I want to join you?"

Cen Dongsheng, who was having a pleasant conversation, took the opportunity to make a request, and Ban Han's expression began to show undisguised joy.

Not knowing our identities, yet trying so hard to win over two people we'd just met—was it some kind of observational ability? The young man noticed those greyish-white pupils, which were shooting straight toward them with spiritual insight.

Cen Dongsheng tried his best to conceal himself. He had only recently escaped the "Grade A" category and was not yet skilled at disguise.

In contrast, Yi Qingyan remained calm, concealing her strength as naturally as breathing.

“We belong to the same group of curse masters. Go to this address, give us your names, and someone will meet you. This business card is marked, so please keep it safe.”

Cen Dongsheng took the business card and remarked with emotion:

"I originally came here for tourism, but I didn't expect to have this kind of experience."

"It's all fate that brings us together."

“I have another question. You’re here on… uh, some kind of mission? Can we come along? I’d like to see the world.”

"I'm afraid it won't work this time."

Ban Han's expression was serious.

"I was just about to advise you two to leave here as soon as possible."

"why?"

"...Besides us, there are other curse masters here, including a sorcerer."

Qiao Wan crossed her arms, her gaze fixed on the doorway, her face showing worry.

"This person is powerful and is known for his love of harming ordinary people and his ruthless methods. Conflict is imminent, and we are planning to contact the government to evacuate the crowd."

Cen Dongsheng and Yi Qingyan looked at each other in bewilderment.

"So... shall we pack our bags and leave now?"

"Let's go. Our headquarters is in Qingning. We'll meet again sometime."

*
The brother and sister arrived in high spirits, carrying little luggage. They changed direction and left the guesthouse to stroll around town.

"By pretending to be an ordinary person, I actually received preferential treatment."

Cen Dongsheng touched his chin.

"Perhaps I should consider changing my identity. For example, I could suppress my spiritual senses to a certain extent and pretend to be an ordinary folk sorcerer with mediocre skills, which would make it easier to blend into their ranks."

"This requires a higher level of skill."

Yi Qingyan replied.

"The chances of being seen through are greater, especially when taking action."

"Yeah, too."

They headed towards the back mountain of the town, the place where the legendary "treasure has appeared."

"...Speaking of which, your acting was pretty good just now."

"LOL, really."

Where did you learn that?

"You'll always have to learn when you need to; you'll gradually get the hang of it."

Seeing that his younger sister Qingyan had narrowed her eyes, as if she was about to ask, "So, does brother usually lie to me?", he quickly changed the subject.

"Did you notice the sorcerer those two mentioned earlier?"

"...What my brother wants to say is that we initially detected four Class A curse masters."

"Right? But they only mentioned three."

"They might be keeping it from us."

"It's also possible that it wasn't discovered at all."

Cen Dongsheng tried to release his spiritual senses again. Yi Qingyan took his hand and guided him in the most direct way: the girl gently covered his hand with her own spiritual senses.

The man tacitly opened his mind and body, accepting the guidance of the King of Equality.

His soul is rising high into the sky, overlooking the town.

The vast spiritual awareness, like the surging undercurrents beneath the surface of the sea, churns the waves toward the shore ahead, that is, the real world.

Soon, an even larger undercurrent silently flowed into his spiritual senses.

The brother and sister's intuitions converged into a single wave, creating an inexhaustible stream that, one wave after another, subtly and silently permeated the entire town.

In this way, the selected reefs would have nowhere to hide.

"...Indeed, there was a person whose presence was faint."

Cen Dongsheng opened his eyes.

"They've gone into hiding using some means. Are they planning to wait for those two groups to fight so they can reap the benefits?"

During the battle at the Ghost Market, Jiang Yunmei's "Without Barriers" managed to escape Zhang Shidao's notice, while his methods could only deceive curse masters of the same level as him, demonstrating the difference between them.

"What about us?"

"To them, we are ancient ferocious beasts, so don't scare people."

(End of this chapter)