[QT] The Villains Are All My Reserve Food - Chapter 62

Chapter 62: Ghost King 2

Su Tang’s eyes welled with tears, and he pressed his lips tightly together, afraid to make a sound. Yet this only made him cry harder. The ghost showed no pity, seeming to relish his tears. It held him close, kissing him gently, its movements tender yet tinged with barely suppressed excitement.

Su Tang’s heart raced, his mind blank with terror. Though terrified, his body retained a memory. Slowly, he began to sense something was off.

This icy embrace… felt strangely familiar.

Su Tang couldn’t help but wonder: could this ghost be Bo Shang?

His heart leaped violently at the thought.

Excitement surged through him at this possibility.

Forcing down his fear, Su Tang cautiously cracked open his eyes, hoping to catch a glimpse of the ghost’s face.

But the moment his eyes opened, he was met with a scene of chaos: a swarm of ghosts dancing wildly in the carriage. By sheer coincidence, he locked eyes with a hanged ghost whose eyes were hollow black sockets. Su Tang nearly died of fright on the spot.

Instinctively, he recoiled backward and slammed his eyes shut, as if not seeing it would make it disappear—a futile attempt to deceive both himself and the ghost.

Held in the arms of the mysterious male ghost, Su Tang instinctively recoiled, pressing himself even closer against the ghost’s chest as if throwing himself into his embrace.

The mysterious male ghost’s mood visibly brightened. He lowered his head and kissed Su Tang again, as if rewarding his obedient and proactive behavior.

Su Tang, however, wanted nothing more than to cry.

Holy shit! This is terrifying!

He couldn’t even watch horror movies, and now he was living one in real life!

And this was an infinite flow horror world, teeming with ghosts!

QAQ!

He wanted to go home!

After meeting the hanged ghost’s gaze, Su Tang couldn’t help but wonder: even if the person holding him from behind was Bo Shang, with his deathly pale complexion and overwhelming aura of yin energy, wouldn’t he be scared out of his wits if he saw him?

Su Tang told himself to pull himself together. After a few seconds of mustering his courage, he opened his eyes and turned his head to look behind him…

Nothing.

There was no one there.

Yet the arm clamped around his waist and the icy chest pressed against his back felt undeniably real.

Su Tang sobbed, hiccuping from fear.

His heart felt like it had turned to ice.

He had hoped that seeing the ghost’s face might make things better, but the complete absence of any visual confirmation only kept his anxiety suspended in mid-air.

Su Tang let out another hiccup, his entire body trembling, making him look even more like a frightened little animal, utterly pitiful.

The other person kissed the corner of his eye, as if trying to soothe him.

But for Su Tang, it was utterly ineffective.

Just then, the train emerged from the tunnel, and the lights flickered back on.

Yang Dong quickly noticed that the corner of Su Tang’s eye was unnaturally flushed, clearly from recent crying. His eyelashes were still damp with tears, making him look like he had been severely bullied.

Yang Dong was astonished. Logically, since he had been sitting right next to Su Tang, he should have noticed if anything had happened. Su Tang would have struggled or made some noise.

He cast a suspicious glance at the other newcomers, worried that someone might have taken advantage of Su Tang. After all, Su Tang was exceptionally beautiful and looked so fragile and easily bullied, making him an easy target. In the horror worlds, Yang Dong had seen plenty of such scum.

But as he scanned the group, the newcomers all seemed too terrified to have any ulterior motives.

Yang Dong harbored suspicions, but he never imagined this was the work of a ghost—and not just any ghost, but the Ghost King, whom he particularly dreaded.

After all, most ghosts in the horror world were brutally vicious, tormenting and killing in a single, seamless act. He’d never encountered one that resorted to such petty bullying.

Yang Dong asked softly, his voice filled with concern, “Are you alright?”

Though Su Tang was terrified, he forced himself to appear calm in front of the others, shaking his head.

Seeing Su Tang’s forced bravado only deepened Yang Dong’s sympathy. Having spent so long in the horror world, Yang Dong already missed his family in the real world. Seeing Su Tang, he unconsciously transferred his protective instincts, wanting to shield him. Shen Wenbin noticed this too, and though he was inwardly displeased, he forced himself to endure it, though he couldn’t bring himself to be kind to Su Tang.

Shen Wenbin watched, letting out a cold snort.

Yang Dong noticed and immediately turned to soothe his partner’s mood, his gentle demeanor a stark contrast to his aloofness toward the newcomers. Shen Wenbin, though clearly pleased by the attention, maintained a stiff facade, deliberately keeping a stern expression while secretly glaring at Su Tang—a clear warning from the “official consort.”

Shen Wenbin deliberately flaunted his special relationship with Yang Dong to make Su Tang back off. Yang Dong had previously shown kindness to a woman, who then pursued him relentlessly, intentionally or unintentionally clinging to him. She was drawn to Yang Dong’s good looks and gentle nature, but more importantly, she wanted to latch onto a powerful figure to survive better in this terrifying world. Shen Wenbin nearly exploded with jealousy.

Forced to swallow a mouthful of this “dog food,” Su Tang choked on it, his longing for Bo Shang intensifying.

But in this world, he had become a ghost.

Su Tang wasn’t sure if he had the courage to rush over and embrace him.

The train continued its journey.

It stopped at a station.

Someone, on the verge of collapse, asked, “Is it over? Can we get off now?!”

Yang Dong replied, “We haven’t reached our destination yet. We can’t disembark.”

But the train was filled with Shadow Ghosts, and as it passed through tunnels, horrifying visions flashed by. Some passengers couldn’t bear it any longer. The first to stand up was a white-collar worker in a suit, a bloodstained backpack lying beside him. During the first tunnel passage, the person next to him had been killed by a ghost. When the darkness receded, he screamed and collapsed to the floor.

Now, seeing what seemed like a chance to escape, he ignored Yang Dong’s warnings and insisted on getting off the train. He even tried to persuade the others, saying, “This train is full of ghosts! Staying here is just waiting to die! And how do we know that man wasn’t lying to us? Why should we trust him?”

Some people stirred, tempted to flee, but they hesitated, remembering Yang Dong’s words. While they wavered, the train doors closed and the train slowly began to move.

Those who hadn’t managed to disembark rushed to the doors, pressing their faces against the glass. “I didn’t get off yet!” they cried, their faces twisted with regret.

But their thoughts soon changed. Behind the white-collar worker on the platform, a red-clothed female ghost materialized, wrapping its hands around his neck from behind and emitting a chilling, sinister laugh, as if relishing its prey.

The white-collar worker’s face flushed crimson, his hands clawing desperately as he screamed in terror, “Don’t leave me! Don’t go! Help me—”

His desperate cries faded into the distance, sending shivers down everyone’s spines.

The people standing near the doors suddenly felt grateful for their hesitation. If they had acted faster, they would surely be dead now.

The man who had tried to leave returned to his seat, trembling uncontrollably.

Yang Dong glared at them coldly. “I understand your feelings, but three people have already died. You need to face reality. If you keep seeking death like this, no one can save you. From the moment you stepped onto this train, there’s no turning back. You’ve entered another world, and you must remain vigilant at all times. One wrong step could cost you your life.”

Huang Rui, who had already used his life-saving talisman, glared at Yang Dong with venomous hatred. “Then why did you tell us to get on the train?! Are you trying to kill us?! I don’t want to stay here! Send me back now, or I’ll kill you!”

Driven by fear, Huang Rui’s mind had been severely shaken. He desperately needed someone to blame, channeling all his negative emotions onto Yang Dong. He convinced himself that Yang Dong was responsible for his predicament and wished for his death, as if such intense hatred would give him the strength to endure.

Seeing this, Shen Wenbin immediately stood up, his face dark with fury, and glared menacingly at Huang Rui. “Who do you think you’re going to kill?!”

Huang Rui sized up Shen Wenbin’s tall, muscular frame and the obvious strength in his arms. Knowing he stood no chance in a fight, he reluctantly fell silent. But when he saw Yang Dong comforting Shen Wenbin with such intimacy, his face twisted with disgust, and he muttered under his breath, “Fucking fags. Disgusting!”

After averting his gaze, Huang Rui turned his attention to Su Tang.

Su Tang had a delicate and refined face, fair skin, and slightly reddened eyes. His figure appeared quite good, and the calves visible beneath his skirt were long and straight.

In moments of fear and anxiety, sexual release can be an effective way to relieve stress. Huang Rui shifted his focus, his gaze toward Su Tang now carrying malicious intent.

Su Tang, head bowed, remained oblivious. Even if he had noticed, he wouldn’t have cared. If anyone dared to provoke him, he’d simply knock them out with a punch. His only fear was ghosts, and the more he thought about it, the more convinced he became that the male ghost earlier had been Bo Shang.

How do you heal a ghost? How do you fall in love with one?

The mere thought sent shivers down Su Tang’s spine.

Before long, the train finally reached its final destination.

Yang Dong and Shen Wenbin led the remaining newcomers off the train.

To their surprise, the outside world wasn’t the terrifying place they’d imagined. Instead, it was breathtakingly beautiful, like stepping into a hidden paradise.

Before them lay an ancient-style town.

Small bridges arched over flowing streams, pink walls contrasted with dark-tiled roofs, and stone steps led up to weathered buildings.

Red flowers climbed the walls, their crimson blooms dazzlingly vibrant, while willow branches drooped along the riverbanks, swaying gently in the breeze.

The town was bustling with ordinary people, chatting and laughing as they strolled through the streets. Everything seemed so normal.

This eased the tension for the nervous, apprehensive newcomers, making them feel less afraid. They even began to believe they had returned to the normal world, finally free.

But they forgot that when they departed from the station, it had been pitch-black midnight. Yet after only a two-hour train ride, they arrived in a town bathed in blue skies and fluffy white clouds, clearly in the midst of a sunny afternoon.

How bizarre was this distortion of time?

The newcomers ignored it, or rather, subconsciously refused to dwell on it, clinging to the belief that this was just an ordinary town. Look, the sun is shining so brightly, and the townspeople seem perfectly normal. It couldn’t possibly be haunted.

They fantasized about leaving the town and returning to the real world, where everything would go back to normal. But in reality, a single glance back would reveal that the train that brought them here had vanished, along with the tracks. They were trapped in this town.

Su Tang turned back and witnessed this scene: the blood-red train gradually fading away, the platform disappearing, leaving only an unfathomable black abyss—a gaping maw waiting to devour its prey.

Swallowing hard, Su Tang couldn’t help but nervously inch closer to Yang Dong.

But in the next instant, an icy hand grabbed him and yanked him backward. He stumbled, colliding into a familiar embrace, where he was held tightly once more.

He was also being watched by a sinister gaze, like thorns pricking his back.

Su Tang shivered from the cold.

Nearby, Yang Dong was warning the newcomers, “Don’t be deceived by the illusions here. Trust no one, and never accept anything they offer.”

The next moment, Su Tang’s hand was seized, and a pure black ring, radiating an ominous aura, was forcibly placed on his finger.

It was as if defying Yang Dong’s words.

Or perhaps branding him with a mark of possession.

Su Tang felt his entire back go numb with cold, and the hand that had been grabbed turned icy, making him flinch involuntarily.

This movement further enraged the unseen ghost.

His ear was viciously bitten.

Su Tang couldn’t help but hiss in pain.

Then, the ghost behind him paused its attack, switching to soothing licks that made Su Tang tremble violently, his fingertips tingling with numbness.

Yang Dong, leading the newcomers away, noticed Su Tang lagging behind and called back, “Su Tang, hurry up and catch up!”

Su Tang wanted to, but he was being held too tightly to break free, and…

Yang Dong saw him standing motionless, his face flushed and his expression strained, as if he were suppressing something.

Growing concerned, Yang Dong started walking back.

Su Tang panicked, urgently whispering, “Let go of me!” His voice trembled with a hint of vulnerability, slightly hoarse.

The ghost replied maliciously, “No.”

Hearing that voice, Su Tang’s already strong suspicion solidified into certainty. This perverted ghost was indeed Bo Shang!

Now, Su Tang’s fear mixed with anger. He bristled, feeling Bo Shang had gone too far, scaring him like this.

He couldn’t resist elbowing backward, shouting, “I’m angry!”

Normally, Bo Shang would have already started smoothing his ruffled feathers at this point. But this ghost clearly hadn’t grasped the gravity of the situation, even seeming to enjoy Su Tang’s bristling. He nonchalantly declared, “You’re mine.”

Tangtang is mine, so I’m going to hold him and never let go.

Seeing Yang Dong approaching, Su Tang grew even more frantic. He grabbed the hand wrapped around his waist, pleading, “Hold hands! Let go and hold my hand!”

But the ghost didn’t comply. Just as Su Tang was about to die of fear, the ghost suddenly released him, punishing him with a quick bite before finally obeying and taking his hand.

Su Tang finally managed to walk normally, though his legs still felt weak and trembled slightly as he moved forward.

Yang Dong asked, “What’s wrong? Your face is so red.”

Slightly flustered, Su Tang shook his head, feigning composure. “Nothing… just a bit warm.”

Yang Dong remained skeptical but, seeing that Su Tang seemed genuinely fine, he let him catch up with the group.

Then Su Tang felt a sharp nip on his ear, followed by a sinister whisper: “Don’t talk to him.”

Su Tang sighed inwardly. Even as a ghost, Bo Shang’s terrifying possessiveness remained unchanged—perhaps even intensified by his spectral existence.

On the train, the ghost had only appeared during tunnels. But in the town, he grew bolder, as if claiming this territory as his own, free from restraint.

What Su Tang never imagined was holding hands with a ghost.

Even knowing it was Bo Shang, he couldn’t help but shiver.

The ghost sensed his fear, his voice deepening with menace as icy breath brushed Su Tang’s ear. “You’re afraid of me?”

Su Tang was terrified, of course, but he couldn’t admit it. If the ghost lost its temper, who knew how terrifying it might become?

He could only shake his head against his will and say, “No.”

But his body betrayed him, trembling slightly despite his efforts to control it.

The ghost, visibly displeased, tightened its grip on his hand with such force that Su Tang’s bones ached. He desperately wanted to wrench his hand free.

But the ghost held on stubbornly, refusing to let go, and growled in a terrifying tone, “You’re not allowed to be afraid of me.”

Su Tang wanted to strangle him. As if fear were something he could control! He wanted to be unafraid too.

Yang Dong, walking ahead, warned the newcomers to be cautious.

But the quaint, peaceful town and its friendly, ordinary residents did nothing to put them on guard. Gradually, they began to feel like they were on vacation.

When Yang Dong glanced back again, he noticed one of the newcomers had fallen behind, chatting and laughing with a pretty local girl. Their conversation quickly grew more intimate, their distance closing until they were practically touching.

Shen Wenbin watched with a cold smirk, as if observing someone courting death. He didn’t bother calling the man back; instead, he turned and led the rest of the group away with Yang Dong.

As they walked, Su Tang gazed at the picturesque scenery of the town. Under the azure sky, sunlight streamed down, making the crystal-clear river shimmer and sparkle.

He wasn’t quite as frightened anymore.

If it weren’t for the icy hand gripping his, he might have almost forgotten this was a horror world.

All the newcomers had grown relaxed and complacent. Yang Dong and Shen Wenbin frowned at their carelessness, but their warnings went unheeded. It seemed only a disaster would force the newcomers to take things seriously again.

Trailing behind the group, Su Tang passed an alleyway when he was suddenly yanked to a stop. A strange, icy wind swept over him, compelling him to enter the alley.

The alley was pitch-black, its end shrouded in darkness, yet it radiated an eerie, sinister aura.

Su Tang struggled against the wind, trying to escape the alley, but the icy hand gripping him tightened like a vine, coiling around him and dragging him deeper into the darkness.

He knew instantly: this malevolent ghost intended to drag him back to its lair.

Su Tang’s scalp prickled with terror. The mere thought of it sent shivers down his spine. Refusing to yield, he frantically struggled and instinctively cried out Yang Dong’s name.

Yang Dong turned back to see Su Tang standing in the alley’s shadows, on the verge of being swallowed whole. Without hesitation, he sprinted over and forcibly yanked Su Tang out.

Yang Dong dragged Su Tang a considerable distance before the icy presence beside them vanished. Su Tang glanced back and saw only a tall, gaunt figure standing in the shadows, its sinister gaze locked firmly on him, as if to say, “Don’t let me catch you.”

Su Tang shivered involuntarily.

After a moment’s hesitation, he gritted his teeth and, under Yang Dong’s bewildered stare, sprinted back to the alley entrance. But no one was there anymore.

Su Tang immediately regretted running away out of fear. Bo Shang had become a ghost, and his condition seemed terribly unstable. This action would surely displease him greatly.

He trudged behind Yang Dong, head bowed dejectedly, until they reached an open area in the ancient town. Several crimson summoning banners stood around them, swaying in the wind and radiating a chilling aura.

Yang Dong instructed them to sit down and rest while they ate something.

The newcomers’ backpacks contained some dry rations. Though the taste was unappetizing, they were at least enough to stave off hunger.

The group sat on the steps, silently gnawing on the dry food.

Just then, the aroma of roasting meat drifted from nearby, making their mouths water and the dry rations in their hands seem even more unpalatable.

Someone whispered, “I really want some meat. I have some money in my pocket—can I go buy some?”

Shen Wenbin retorted bluntly, “If you want to die, go ahead and eat it.”

The man choked, reluctant to listen, but his mind immediately flashed back to the gruesome deaths of those who had ignored the guide’s warnings earlier. Fearfully, he lowered his head and began gnawing on his dry rations.

Su Tang was also desperately tempted by the aroma, but he dared not touch it. This was a horror world, after all. Who knew what might appear to be delicious food but actually be something unspeakable once swallowed?

As he ate, he scanned his surroundings and noticed a peculiar palace. Its opulent splendor stood in stark contrast to the surrounding ancient white walls and black-tiled roofs, making it seem utterly out of place. Two pitch-black stone statues flanked the entrance, resembling winged tigers—like the mythical beast Qiongqi from the Classic of Mountains and Seas.

The statues were meticulously carved, every strand of fur and feather distinct, rendering them eerily lifelike. Their eyes glowed with a faint, sinister light, radiating a chilling aura as if they might spring to life at any moment and devour anyone who approached.

Su Tang asked Yang Dong, “What’s that palace?”

Yang Dong glanced at it, frowned, and said gravely, “They call it a temple, but in reality, it enshrines the Ghost King, the most Yin-laden entity in town. The lesser ghosts we encountered earlier are nothing compared to the Ghost King. We must not approach that place rashly, or we’ll die without even knowing how.”

Su Tang nodded obediently.

But inwardly, he couldn’t help but think that Bo Shang was most likely in that so-called temple. In the three worlds he had transmigrated to, Bo Shang had always been the main villain. Now that they were in an infinite flow horror world, it was highly probable that Bo Shang was the final boss—the Ghost King of this dungeon.

He lowered his head, pondering what to do. He was terrified, yet because this ghost was his beloved, he had no choice but to approach it.

Soon, twilight descended, shrouding the entire sky like a massive black cloth.

One by one, lights flickered on beneath the eaves—rows of neatly arranged red lanterns, stretching into long strings that pulsed with an eerie crimson glow in the darkness.

The ancient town shed its daytime facade, revealing its true, sinister nature.

A horde of deathly pale skeletons shambled toward them.

Yang Dong and Shen Wenbin stood on high alert, while the newcomers huddled together, trembling in fear.

Shen Wenbin said coldly, “Stop relying on others to save you. The newbie phase is the best opportunity to train. If you want to die, keep cowering.”

Yang Dong looked at Su Tang, his eyes encouraging him. “Su Tang, be brave and attack the ghosts with your dagger. The first strike is the hardest, but once you land one, it gets much easier.”

Su Tang gripped his backpack, nodding shakily as he prepared to draw his dagger. But just then, he felt a tug on his clothes. He turned to see a bone-white skeletal hand. Stiffly tilting his head upward, he locked eyes with a skull!

Su Tang… Holy shit!

Too terrified to even reach for his dagger, he instinctively threw a punch.

And then…

The skull’s head flew off, clattering to the ground and rolling away.

Yang Dong: “…???”

Shen Wenbin: “…???”

The newbies: “…?!!!”