[QT] The Villains Are All My Reserve Food - Chapter 67

Chapter 67: Ghost King 7

Su Tang, who had been trembling in terror, was completely bewildered by Xie Yu’s unexpected move, forgetting all about his fear.

A vampire being forced to drink blood?

Su Tang’s mind was a whirlwind of question marks.

This man truly knows how to redefine jealousy. He had thought that being jealous of himself, even to the point of “cuckolding” himself, was the pinnacle of absurdity. But now, even as he was terrified of the sudden appearance of the female ghost, Xie Yu was acting as if Su Tang craved the ghost’s blood, declaring, “You can only drink my blood!”

Su Tang was momentarily speechless.

Did he look like someone who would drink just any blood? Craving a ghost’s blood? He was notoriously picky, only liking his own “reserve supply”! His reserve supply was so delicious that everyone else’s blood tasted like garbage!

Bristling with indignation, Su Tang tried to lift his head to defend his refined palate.

But Xie Yu’s arm tightened around his waist, pinning him against his chest. Su Tang couldn’t move an inch. It was clear: Xie Yu wouldn’t relent until Su Tang drank his blood.

Su Tang: “……”

Fine, a delicious meal delivered right to my doorstep. Might as well drink it.

Su Tang had assumed the Ghost King wouldn’t have blood in his non-human form, but Xie Yu clearly possessed the ability to freely control his transformations, unbound by the day-night cycles of the horror world. With a single bite, Su Tang tasted the sweet, delicious blood and drank his fill with great satisfaction.

To truly explain how good Xie Yu’s blood tasted, imagine Su Tang as someone addicted to milk tea, relying on it to survive. A single drop of Xie Yu’s blood would be worth more than a hundred cups of milk tea—it was that explosively delicious.

This scene was an utter insult in the eyes of the beautiful red-clothed female ghost.

I’m trying my best to seduce you, and you two are shamelessly getting intimate right in front of me, completely ignoring my presence?

The female ghost seethed with anger. Her favorite type of prey was adorable, soft-looking girls like Su Tang—with a doll-like face, a hint of baby fat, snow-white skin tinged with pink, and delicate, painted features. Every inch of him radiated an innocent, obedient aura that made one want to scoop him into their arms, whisk him home, and spoil him rotten, showering him with stars and moons if possible!

Such a lovely girl deserves so much better than a stinky man.

Girls understand each other best—they belong together! Men are all worthless dogs!

Because Xie Yu, as the Ghost King, rarely left the Divine Temple and seldom showed himself, even when brutally beating down those rebellious ghosts, he only used his power, never appearing in human form. Thus, the female ghost failed to recognize the cold, expressionless man before her as the Ghost King, mistaking him for an ordinary player.

The stunning female ghost radiated a sinister aura, her fierce gaze burning with a desire to tear Xie Yu limb from limb and feed him to the dogs. She was convinced that Su Tang was a naive, innocent girl who had been seduced by this dog of a man. Soon, Xie Yu would swiftly lose interest, chasing after one woman after another, his infidelity turning him into an octopus-like creature with countless affairs. He would cruelly abandon Su Tang, leaving him half-dead from heartbreak.

How pitiful this adorable, innocent girl is!

The female ghost quickly conjured up images of Su Tang’s devastated state after being emotionally manipulated. She unilaterally decided their future, her hatred for Xie Yu intensifying. Fueled by righteous fury, she vowed to tear him apart, limb by limb.

The female ghost performed a split-second transformation, her Yin energy dissipating as a gentle, understanding smile spread across her lips. In a coaxing tone, she said, “Darling, that man will hurt you. Don’t pay him any attention. Come here to me. I’ll treat you a thousand times better than he ever could. We can eat, bathe, and sleep together, share all our beautiful clothes, and talk about our deepest secrets without any reservations. We’ll be the best of friends forever…”

Her voice was soft and alluring, making Su Tang feel dizzy and his mind grow hazy. His eyes slowly turned vacant, and his body moved as if beyond his control, his foot lifting to step toward the female ghost.

The ghost stretched out her arms, ready to pull Su Tang into her embrace and press him against her chest. She despised men, but she loved the feeling of a girl burying her face in her soft bosom, like sinking into a fluffy cloud. If it could make them happy, she was more than willing.

Once she held Su Tang, he would instantly forget that man and become her eternal best friend.

Just as victory seemed within reach, Xie Yu’s hand clamped down on Su Tang’s wrist. With a sharp tug, he pulled him back, sending him stumbling into his arms, where he was held firmly in place.

The force of Xie Yu’s grip felt like it would crush Su Tang’s bones.

Su Tang hissed in pain but snapped back to his senses, his mind clearing. He saw the red-clothed female ghost looming before him and recoiled in terror, pressing himself against Xie Yu’s chest. As if that weren’t enough, he twisted around to hide behind Xie Yu, clutching his clothes and peering out with wide, frightened eyes, staring warily at the ghost.

Xie Yu knew the ghost’s tragic past. In life, her best friend had been beaten to death by an abusive man. When she sought justice for her friend, she too was killed by the same man. As a ghost, she clung fiercely to her obsession, believing that all girls would inevitably be victimized by abusive men. She sought to kill male players and “rescue” all the girls.

Despite understanding her motives, Xie Yu couldn’t tolerate anyone trying to take his precious Su Tang away. His expression darkened ominously.

He pulled Su Tang out from behind him and said coldly, “He’s a man. Even if he were a woman, I wouldn’t let you have him. Stop dreaming.”

The female ghost’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Do you think I’m blind? This is clearly a soft, sweet girl! How could a boy be this adorable?!”

Su Tang was suddenly pushed forward, blinking in confusion. His round eyes were clear and bright, his naturally wavy hair topped with a single, stubbornly upright cowlick that trembled with each movement.

The female ghost immediately covered her nose, nearly overwhelmed by his cuteness to the point of a nosebleed. Oh right, ghosts don’t have nosebleeds anyway.

Though Su Tang didn’t know the full story, he understood the female ghost was convinced he was a girl, hence her persistence in trying to lure him away. He patted his flat chest and declared, “I’m a guy. If you don’t believe me, feel for yourself.”

The female ghost actually reached out, saying as she did, “It’s okay, flat is even cuter.”

Unfortunately, her hand only met air. Xie Yu, his face dark with displeasure, had yanked Su Tang away, refusing to let anyone touch him. Su Tang immediately regretted his words. What was I thinking, letting a ghost touch me?!

But how else could he prove he was male? He couldn’t exactly drop his pants.

Su Tang could only plead earnestly, “I’m a guy, really! I’m not lying.”

The female ghost remained unconvinced, smiling as she said, “It’s fine, you’re the cutest player here. Even if you’re a guy, I don’t mind. Come with me, and I’ll give you a clue about the Gate Key.”

The offer was genuinely tempting.

Of course, Su Tang couldn’t agree. Fear of ghosts was one thing, but more importantly, if he left, Xie Yu would undoubtedly fly into a rage, possibly tearing the entire town apart. Su Tang himself had no intention of leaving either.

After pondering for a moment, Su Tang blurted out, “How about I beat you up until you’re satisfied? Then you tell me the clue?”

The female ghost looked utterly bewildered, nearly digging her fingers into her ears.

What? What did my adorable little girl just say? How could she utter such violent words? I must have misheard.

Then, Su Tang rolled up his sleeves, strode forward, and engaged in a physical confrontation with the ghost—a hardcore, physically-based exorcism. The outcome was, of course, a complete victory for Su Tang.

The stunning female ghost clutched her detached head and performed a truly heart-wrenching, head-in-hands wail.

Half her tears were from heartbreak over the adorable girl’s refusal to leave with her, and half from sheer joy and being moved.

“Waaah! Lolis and brute strength are such a perfect match! It makes her even cuter! Ah, I’m dying! Dying and coming back to life and dying again! So blissful!”

This left Su Tang, who had initially worried he’d gone too far, with a peculiar expression. Did I break the ghost’s brain? How else could she be so happy after getting beaten up?

The beautiful female ghost, weeping and laughing, pointed them in the right direction before clutching her head and turning away.

Her Yin energy-shrouded figure, wreathed in ominous black mist, receded into the distance. Her faint murmur drifted on the air: “If only she had been this strong back then…”

The words quickly dissipated with the wind, leaving no trace.

After the female ghost departed, Su Tang resumed his journey in the direction she had indicated.

Even with the clue pointing to the Gate Key’s location within the Mass Grave, retrieving it wouldn’t be easy. Entering the Mass Grave marked the beginning of a perilous game.

In the oppressive darkness, eerie ghost flames clung to them like shadows. Despite pressing forward, they soon found themselves back where they started, trapped in an endless loop. They had stumbled upon a ghost wall.

Moreover, the moment they entered, a dense fog of condensed Yin energy scattered the players, forcing them to separate and preventing coordinated action. Su Tang was left with only Xie Yu by his side; Yang Dong and the others had vanished without a trace.

Xie Yu, the Ghost King, knew everything, but the world’s rules restricted his interference in the players’ quest for the Gate Key. He couldn’t blatantly give them an advantage, but he could subtly increase the difficulty. Thus, he couldn’t guide Su Tang to the correct path.

Xie Yu followed closely behind Su Tang, watching him dart around like a headless fly. He found Su Tang’s frantic movements endearing and couldn’t help but smile.

Hearing the laughter, Su Tang puffed up his cheeks and glared back. “What are you laughing at?”

Xie Yu instantly suppressed his smile, feigning composure. “Nothing.”

Su Tang’s eyes widened. “Don’t try to fool me! I saw you! You were laughing at me! If you don’t tell the truth, I’ll turn around and go find that female ghost again right now.”

Xie Yu tightened his grip on Su Tang’s hand, his voice cold. “No.”

Su Tang stared at him with that (个_个) expression. “Then were you laughing at me just now?”

Xie Yu coughed and gave a barely perceptible nod.

Su Tang huffed coldly, shaking off Xie Yu’s hand—though it remained firmly clasped around his—and brandished his fist threateningly. “You know how strong I am, right? If you ever try to trick or scare me again, I’ll punch you.”

Xie Yu’s mind flashed back to Su Tang’s heroic feat of smashing skeleton heads with a single punch. His gaze drifted slightly, and he thought to himself: I’ve scared Su Tang so many times and still haven’t been punched. This… this must be true love.

The pair continued walking forward, Su Tang’s eyes darting around.

A childish voice suddenly rang out, singing a nursery rhyme. The sound was faint at first, but it grew steadily closer.

Su Tang couldn’t help but recall countless horror movies where ghostly children appeared. These scenes were often more terrifying and unsettling than those involving adult ghosts, sending shivers down his spine.

The contrast between the lighthearted, innocent voice and the bloody, cruel lyrics only amplified the horror tenfold, making his skin crawl.

Su Tang’s scalp prickled, and a chill surged from his back, rapidly spreading through his entire body until even his fingertips were icy and trembling slightly.

Soon, the childish voice was right beside him, asking in a soft, sweet tone, “Brother, have you seen my head?”

Su Tang froze, stiff as a machine, not daring to turn his head. At that moment, a ball rolled toward them from ahead, growing closer and closer. But as it approached, it became clear that it wasn’t a ball at all—it was a human head!

Su Tang: “……!!!”

He was about to lose his mind from terror!

Why is there a head?!

Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

The head clearly belonged to the Ghost Child beside him. As it rolled closer, a cruel, malicious grin spread across its face, as if reveling in a successful prank.

Su Tang froze completely, as stiff as a stone. When the head rolled too close, he finally couldn’t restrain himself. He kicked it with all his might, sending it soaring through the air like a soccer ball shot. The head arced gracefully through the sky.

Thanks to Su Tang’s strength, the head flew so far it vanished from sight, and they didn’t even hear it land.

Xie Yu, who had been preparing to intervene, stared in stunned silence.

Well, my darling is too amazing. He didn’t leave me any chance to show off.

The headless body of the Ghost Child stood frozen. When Su Tang turned to look at it, the body seemed startled, trembling violently before retreating several steps.

After a two-second daze, the Ghost Child turned and fled, desperate to retrieve its kicked-away head.

The Ghost Child had always succeeded in ambushing players, making him a notorious troublemaker in the Mass Grave, brimming with pride and arrogance. He had never experienced such a crushing defeat in his ghostly existence.

To be utterly humiliated before even launching a proper attack, his head sent flying so far he had to chase after it in disgrace—how could he ever face other ghosts again?!

As he ran, the Ghost Child wept silently.

Those humans are so mean! Bullying a little kid!

I want to go home to Mommy!

Waaaaah! Waaaaah! Waaaaah! Waaaaah! Waaaaah! QwQ

Xie Yu sensed the Ghost Child’s inner collapse and couldn’t help but chuckle. He thought his darling was truly remarkable. Perhaps he should let Tangtang handle these troublesome ghosts from now on—one kick at a time until they dared not cause any more trouble.

A smile played on Xie Yu’s lips, brimming with pride and smugness over Su Tang.

Ah, how could my darling be so amazing?

Meanwhile, Su Tang remained completely unaware of Xie Yu’s thoughts. After kicking the ghost’s head flying, he had tightly shut his eyes, afraid to open them lest he accidentally glimpse some terrifying, Yin energy-drenched demon.

With his eyes still closed, Su Tang cautiously whispered, “Is the ghost still here?”

Xie Yu was about to say it had left, but at the last moment, he changed his mind. Adopting a solemn tone, he replied, “Yes, it’s still here.”

Su Tang immediately shuddered. He had been about to open his eyes, but his eyelashes trembled, and he squeezed them shut even tighter.

Xie Yu stepped forward, pulled Su Tang into his arms, and gently stroked his back, murmuring soothing words. He lowered his head to kiss Su Tang’s cheek, then his lips.

Under Xie Yu’s patient reassurance, Su Tang’s fear gradually subsided, and his rationality slowly returned.

Su Tang nestled against Xie Yu, his eyes closed, frowning in confusion. “The ghost is still here, but why is it so quiet? Why isn’t it singing the nursery rhyme anymore?”

Xie Yu stared into the empty air, lying through his teeth. “It’s tired from singing. Now it’s dancing with two hand bones—I don’t know whose.”

Su Tang instantly conjured the image in his mind: a headless ghost child swaying eerily with pale, skeletal hands. He startled himself with his own vivid imagination.

Clinging tighter to Xie Yu, he buried his face deeper into his embrace, refusing to show even a sliver of his face.

Xie Yu smiled, thoroughly enjoying Su Tang’s dependence on him.

A few minutes passed.

Su Tang couldn’t resist asking, “Is the ghost still here?”

Xie Yu hummed in affirmation.

But now Su Tang felt something was off. He couldn’t believe the ghost would just dance around without attacking or harming anyone. Ghosts weren’t here for charity performances.

He cautiously lifted his head, glaring at Xie Yu with suspicion. “You’re not lying to me, are you?”

Xie Yu smiled. “Of course not.”

Unconvinced, Su Tang tried to turn his head toward the spot where the Ghost Child had stood. Xie Yu quickly cupped his face, preventing him from turning. Su Tang struggled, grabbing Xie Yu’s wrist and twisting his head to look—and found the area completely empty.

Su Tang turned his head, his gaze dark and piercing as he stared at Xie Yu. He snorted coldly, “Where’s the ghost?”

Xie Yu’s expression remained unchanged. “It just ran off chasing its head.”

Su Tang didn’t believe him for a second. Without hesitation, he punched Xie Yu in the chest and strode away.

Serves you right for lying and scaring me!

Xie Yu clutched his chest, suddenly understanding how Su Tang could send a skeleton head flying with a single punch. The force was clearly suppressed, yet it still packed a considerable punch. If he were human, his ribs might have shattered.

After taking a few steps, Su Tang paused, staring into the pitch-black, eerie darkness ahead. He glanced back awkwardly and asked, “Aren’t you coming?”

Xie Yu couldn’t help but smile at Su Tang’s adorable tsundere act. He strode after him, deliberately frowning and clutching his chest as if in agony. “Tangtang, it hurts so much,” he groaned.

Su Tang was skeptical, but he couldn’t help but rush over, his concern overriding his doubts. “Aren’t you a ghost? Can ghosts even feel pain?”

When Su Tang had previously knocked the skeleton heads off, they’d simply picked them up like dropped objects, casually reattaching them to their necks without any sign of discomfort or pain.

When Su Tang punched Xie Yu, he had restrained his strength, never imagining he could actually hurt him.

But Xie Yu continued to act as if he were in excruciating pain, forcing Su Tang to reconsider. Could the Ghost King be different? he wondered. Because he can freely alter his form to perfectly resemble a human, does he also experience pain like a human?

Regret washed over Su Tang. He steadied Xie Yu and said, “I thought ghosts didn’t feel pain. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have hit you so hard. I once punched a kidnapper and broke several of his ribs, causing internal bleeding. Did I break your bones too? Don’t move. Does this world have hospitals? What do we do when someone’s injured…?”

Driven by anxiety and worry, Su Tang became unusually talkative, fretting about one thing after another, unsure where to begin.

Seeing Su Tang so flustered on his behalf, Xie Yu’s mood instantly brightened. But when he noticed Su Tang’s eyes were red-rimmed with regret, as if he were about to cry, Xie Yu couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy. He quickly changed his tune, saying, “It’s fine. You yourself said I’m a ghost—I’m already thoroughly dead. Wounds don’t matter; the Yin energy will heal them.”

Su Tang stared at Xie Yu for a long time, until he was certain he was truly unharmed. Only then did he reluctantly exhale in relief, muttering, “I’m so strong… I need to control myself better in the future. What if I accidentally seriously injure you?”

He was desperately trying to mentally condition himself, repeatedly reminding himself to be careful, terrified of making a mistake he would later regret.

But Xie Yu grasped his hand, his expression earnest, and declared, “No, you still need to hit me when you’re angry.”

Su Tang: “……???”

Was there something wrong with his ears? Had he misheard? Did Xie Yu just tell him to hit him? Is Xie Yu a masochist?!

In reality, Xie Yu’s thoughts were far more logical:

If Su Tang was angry enough to hit him, there must be a reason—like when Xie Yu had deliberately scared him earlier. It was only natural for Su Tang to lash out. If Su Tang didn’t hit him when he was in the wrong, it would mean a cold war, and a cold war was far more terrifying than a beating. He couldn’t bear Su Tang ignoring him.

Besides, Su Tang had already beaten up skeletons, ghosts, and all sorts of creatures. How could Xie Yu be left out? Everyone else got a turn, but not him? That simply wouldn’t do!

If Su Tang could hear Xie Yu’s inner thoughts, he would be utterly speechless.

Xie Yu was taking advantage of his immunity to pain, letting Su Tang hit him without consequence. But if Su Tang indulged this habit, what would happen in the next world? If he lost his temper and accidentally struck his lover too hard, seriously injuring them, where would he go to cry?

The rational Su Tang decisively released Xie Yu’s hand, regarding him with the same skeptical gaze one might reserve for a mentally challenged youth. He reached out to touch Xie Yu’s forehead, muttering in disbelief, “Do ghosts even get fevers? Has your brain fried?”

Xie Yu brushed away Su Tang’s hand, reiterating his seriousness.

Su Tang ignored him completely. “Alright, you’re definitely over 40 degrees Celsius. We should find a doctor. Speaking of which, do ghost doctors even work?”

Leading his feverish, possibly brain-fried lover by the hand, Su Tang wandered through the Mass Grave. Unfortunately, the place was filled with nameless tombstones. Otherwise, he might have sought out the grave of a famous doctor, knocked on the coffin lid, and summoned the ghost doctor to treat Xie Yu.

Thanks to Xie Yu’s antics, Su Tang had temporarily forgotten his fear. He couldn’t decide whether to thank Xie Yu for his well-intentioned efforts or give him a good thrashing.