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Page 118
But this sword shouldn't be here. There are no traces of my name or anything else engraved on it. It's a new sword, but even the patterns on the blade are exactly as I remember them.
Dou Tang flicked his wrist and swung his sword, the blade drawing a graceful arc in the air and whistling as it sliced through the air.
It's not the original sword; it's just a perfect replica made with modern technology.
But who would know... about their own past, especially such a deep and secretive one?
In fact, no one in the world should know.
He glanced sideways at the tall man in front of him, the vengeful spirit with its head bowed and a respectful expression.
"I'll ask you one more time, who sent you to deliver this?" Dou Tang's voice was icy.
"I can not……"
"bass!"
A cold light suddenly shot out from Dou Tang's hand.
The tall man retreated more than two meters in an instant. When he was back at a safe distance and looked forward in shock, an arm wrapped in a gray sleeve fell to the ground with a thud.
Dou Tang remained expressionless, staring intently at him, his eyes even somewhat vacant. Holding a sword in one hand and gripping the scabbard tightly in the other, he slightly turned to the side, like a soldier before battle, his entire body trembling with resentment.
The air grew colder, even colder than when the tall man was releasing his resentment.
"Forget it, killing you and then searching your soul might be the same thing," he said coldly.
"Mr. Ren, please believe us, we mean no harm!" The tall man's ashen face was filled with solemnity and terror. Even though he was already dead, he felt a deep chill and fear rushing from the bottom of his heart to his brain.
Where does this aura, even more terrifying than its owner's, come from? This just doesn't make sense...
"Whether you have malicious intent or not, I'll know once I search your soul," Dou Tang said coldly, striding forward, his long sword slightly raised and pointing diagonally at the ground.
The tall man immediately turned his head, but as soon as he took a step, he heard a hissing sound behind him that sounded like a vengeful ghost. Before he could react, he staggered and fell to the ground.
This reminded him of what Ryunosuke had said: Ryunosuke said he simply couldn't comprehend this guy's immense power, a power that even exorcists and evil spirits couldn't understand.
Now he seemed to understand something, and he realized that his body... was probably here.
He only realized he had lost a leg when he fell to the ground. Before he could even use his remaining arm to prop himself up, he felt a chill run down his back.
The cold, sharp light of the sword pierced his skull.
Dou Tang plunged the sword into the back of his head, pinning the evil spirit to the ground. Then he discovered that the creature's soul had slipped away again, and he couldn't even influence the process.
The resentment of the corpse in front of him dissipated, and he became an ordinary corpse.
...It's the same situation again, just like with Ryunosuke.
Who is it that commands souls, creates evil spirits from corpses, and knows their own affairs?
He rose up, drew his sword, and with a flick of his wrist, cleaned the grime off the blade before sheathing it.
Holding the sword, the relief he had just felt over the matter of Kuroki Keisaki weighed heavily on his heart once more.
“I really like your gift,” he said softly, even though no one was listening to him anymore.
Chapter 90 I'll definitely have you tonight!
That evening, Dou Tang returned home.
As soon as I opened the door, I heard two loud bangs beside my ear. Huaiyin and Lu Zizhen were holding two paper flower tubes, laughing and joking like doormen welcoming guests.
Dou Tang's serious expression immediately melted into a smile. He took off the colorful paper strips from his head and laughed, "Well, how long have you been waiting for me here?"
Lu Zizhen pouted mischievously: "We heard footsteps in the hallway and came out. Idiot, who would be stupid enough to wait behind the door for someone as never as you?"
Huaiyin smiled and said, "Brother, welcome home."
Huaiyin is still my favorite, sob sob...
Dou Tang rubbed Huai Yin's head and then said, "Alright, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."
At this moment, Lu Zizhen saw the long sword wrapped in cloth in Dou Tang's hand and asked curiously, "What did you bring back?"
Dou Tang chuckled and said, "It's just a gift I received from someone else, nothing to mention."
After saying that, he casually placed the long sword in his hand on the shoe cabinet and changed his shoes.
After sniffing, Dou Tang continued, "What did you make? It smells so good."
“Lots!” Lu Zizhen smiled smugly. “Today is your birthday, so I’ve prepared a lot of delicious food.”
Huaiyin smiled and said, "Yes, we've been busy all afternoon."
Dou Tang felt a warmth in his heart upon hearing this, smiled without saying a word, and simply looked back and forth between the two of them.
The three of them walked into the living room, where the dining table had been moved to the center. The table was piled high with dishes, ranging from Japanese-style sashimi and sukiyaki to a variety of Chinese stir-fries, at least a dozen in total. Some of the dishes were quite substantial, but the variety was remarkable.
It seems they really put in a lot of effort.
Three chairs were placed around the table. Dou Tang walked over and sat in the main seat. After Huai Yin and Lu Zizhen also sat down, Lu Zizhen said, "Well, even though I've been really busy lately, I still care about you a lot. These dishes are all my specialties. Look at this one, does it look familiar?"
She pointed to a dish on the table, a fried spring roll sprinkled with white sugar.
Lu Zizhen smiled and said, "In some parts of northern China, spring rolls are filled with red bean paste and dipped in white sugar. I remember we only had them once a year in winter. You seemed to like them quite a bit, so I made some for you."
She waved her hand again and said generously, "Every dish on this table is one we've eaten before. I've written down all the ones you said you liked. How about that, aren't you touched?"
Who wouldn't be moved by being treated like this? Every action you take is remembered, every word you say, even your comments on each dish are etched in your memory. Your deeds are tangibly present in someone else's mind, and they care about every word you utter...
Dou Tang smiled, his eyes gradually softening, and nodded.
"Of course I was moved, it was simply... I was speechless with emotion."
"Hmph, at least you have a conscience." Lu Zizhen gave Dou Tang a flirtatious look, and then said, "Of course, it's not just me. Huaiyin also mentioned a lot of dishes. If she hadn't told me, I wouldn't have known that you actually like roujiamo (Chinese hamburger)... Your taste is really unlike that of a Japanese person."
Dou Tang pursed her lips and looked at Huai Yin, who was holding chopsticks and giggling, looking very happy.
So he said helplessly, "It's not my fault. It's just that the roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) is too delicious. You know I have a strong palate, and most Japanese food is too bland. I can't eat ramen every meal, can I?"
Then, he picked up his chopsticks and said, "Alright, I'm starving, shall we begin?"
"Wait!" Lu Zizhen raised her hand.
Then, she bent down, half her body buried under the table, and picked up a bottle.
Dou Tang paused, recognizing the bottle.
...It was a blue bottle of Red Star Erguotou.
This stuff would be delicious and cheap in China, but if you threw it in Japan, it would be like a bomb.
Putting everything else aside, just two ounces of it will make anyone start to feel intoxicated, and the aftereffects are extremely strong, with lasting damage that can last for one to two days.
In his past life, even when Dou Tang was at his lowest point, he never chose to drink heavily. However, he drank quite a bit when visiting relatives and friends in his youth. The Northern Exorcist Family would either bring out Lao Bai Gan (a type of strong Chinese liquor) or... various kinds of Erguotou (another type of strong Chinese liquor).
After all, most of the exorcist families in his previous life were in decline, and there were many cases where only an old successor remained in the entire family. When Dou Tang visited, he could only drink with those old people. These old people who had dedicated their lives to the country could not appreciate good wine. To them, if you drink with me and get drunk, then I have treated you well.
Therefore, Dou Tang suffered a lot.
After considering it for a moment, he asked, "What...what do you need this for?"
Lu Zizhen's eyes lit up. She saw it clearly: Dou Tang, who was usually fearless, had shown a hint of fear on his face just now!
"Bang!"
She took out three cups!
Dou Tang quickly waved his hands: "No, no, no, I'm not even twenty yet!"
According to Japanese law, only adults aged 20 and over are allowed to drink alcohol.
But Lu Zizhen didn't care about that. She burst into laughter and said, "Don't be ridiculous! According to Chinese customs, you're an adult!"
"Besides, these dietary restrictions ultimately rely on self-discipline, right?"
Dou Tang helplessly rubbed his forehead.
While he was rubbing his forehead, Lu Zizhen had already poured him a full glass with a mischievous grin and stuck out her tongue, then slammed it down in front of him.
"Don't be a coward! It's your birthday today, it's no big deal to have a drink!"
Huaiyin pouted in dissatisfaction and said loudly, "Sister Lu, don't teach brother bad habits, okay?"
...to corrupt?
Lu Zizhen was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter: "Leading someone astray? Hahahaha... Don't give me that! Your brother goes out drinking with me quite often, you know. He's just embarrassed in front of you!"
Huaiyin looked at Doutang with disbelief.
Dou Tang coughed twice and said, "Well... I was just putting on an act. Besides, I've never been drunk... It's your sister Lu who always gets drunk."
Huaiyin blushed upon hearing this. She suddenly remembered the night she hid in Du Doutang's bed. Although she was hiding under the covers and didn't know exactly what happened that night, she had to admit that Lu Zizhen was really bold when he was drunk!
At the same time, Huaiyin felt a pang of sadness, mixed with a touch of curiosity.
I'm curious... what would Sister Lu be like if she got drunk?
So what would my brother be like if he got drunk?
So she first looked conflicted, then said with a "I really can't do anything with you" expression, "Alright then, brother, I'll allow you to drink!"
After saying that, she gave Lu Zizhen a look.
It has to be said that women are the most in sync; Lu Zizhen understood everything with just a glance.
The madwoman glanced at Dou Tang, who was staring at the wine in his glass, and then gave Huaiyin a smug laugh.
Tonight, I'm going to get this guy drunk!
But the curious Huaiyin didn't notice why... Lu Zizhen brought up three cups.
Chapter 91 Are you even a man?
"drink!"
In her dazed state, she seemed to hear someone speaking, but because her head was spinning, Huaiyin could no longer open her eyes and could only recognize that it seemed to be her brother's voice.
elder brother……
Out of dependence, she slowly reached out and grabbed the hem of the person next to her. Even just this, she could recognize that it was indeed her brother.
"I can't drink anymore..."
Lu Zizhen's melodious voice sounded like she was begging for mercy, and even had a sob in it.
Huaiyin barely opened her eyes and saw Lu Zizhen sitting opposite her, almost slumped over the table, holding a wine glass half-upside down in her hand.
Lu Zizhen, whose face was flushed, was clearly drunk, while Huaiyin looked at Dou Tang on the other side and found that he was only slightly red-faced and his eyes were still clear.
"Waaah..." Huaiyin let out a mournful cry, looking at her glass where she had clearly placed a drink, and couldn't understand why she had gotten drunk as well.
Seeing her like this, Lu Zizhen gave her an apologetic look, and then picked up the cup again.
Seeing her like this, Dou Tang raised his cup and slammed it against Lu Zizhen's cup.
"drink!"
Lu Zizhen only meant to move the cup a little further away!
Dou Tang didn't care about any of that. He tilted his head back and took a big gulp, swallowing most of the glass of liquor as if it were water.
Lu Zizhen shuddered, picked up the cup, and took a sip.
Dou Tang frowned. He was already quite drunk, so the unrestrained spirit he had when drinking with others in his previous life surged up, and he picked up the bottle and refilled Lu Zizhen's glass.
Lu Zizhen's eyes widened immediately, she burped, and leaned back in her chair.
"Damn it... I can't drink anymore, I really can't drink anymore... I'm so dizzy..."
Dou Tang shook his head in exasperation, put down the wine bottle, and looked at the two of them.
Huaiyin had already fallen asleep on the table.
Dou Tang listened to her breathing quickly calm down, and after confirming that she was sound asleep, he looked at Lu Zizhen.
Lu Zizhen, her eyes alluring, leaned back in her chair, tapping her fingers on the table with one hand, watching him with a contented gaze.
Dou Tang touched his face curiously and asked in confusion, "Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?"
Lu Zizhen smiled enigmatically, her face weary and languid, and said, "No, I just wanted to see you. Hey... happy birthday."
Dou Tang sighed, lowered his head, poured himself a full glass of wine, picked it up, and said, "Thank you."
Lu Zizhen nodded, then said, "I've prepared a few gifts for you, and I've left them on the sofa. You should like them, but there's one I still want to give you personally."
After saying that, she reached under the table and pulled out a pair of gloves.
NABC