[QT] The Villains Are All My Reserve Food - Chapter 68

Chapter 68: Ghost King 8

Su Tang said Xie Yu was having a feverish hallucination, his brain fried by the heat.

But Xie Yu remained utterly serious, insisting that everything he said came from the bottom of his heart. His earnest expression never wavered.

Su Tang immediately concluded that Xie Yu’s condition was far more serious than he’d thought. He needed to get a doctor immediately, or his brain would be permanently damaged.

Xie Yu retorted coldly, “I’m not sick.”

Su Tang grabbed his hand. “If you’re not sick, why would you ask me to hit you? Do you think that’s normal?”

Xie Yu’s expression didn’t change. “It’s not like I’m asking you to hit me for no reason. I mean in specific situations, like when I make you angry.”

He tilted his head, glancing at Su Tang with a faint smile. “When you’re scared by ghosts or skeletons, you always punch them, right? But when I scare you and make you angry, you don’t react at all. Doesn’t that mean I’m even less worthy than they are?”

Su Tang was speechless.

What kind of twisted logic is that?! In the last world, he’d chopped down zombies with an axe—should he start comparing himself to them too?!

Su Tang was about to lose his temper entirely with Xie Yu’s bizarre reasoning. Glaring at him, he blurted out, “How can you compare yourself to them? I can’t bear to hit you! If I hurt you, wouldn’t I be the one who suffers the most?!”

Xie Yu froze, then a beautiful smile curved his lips.

Su Tang stared blankly for a moment, then realized what he’d said. His face flushed crimson, the blush spreading down to the base of his neck, making him steam like a locomotive—mortified and flustered.

After two seconds, Su Tang deliberately acted as if nothing had happened and strode forward.

Xie Yu followed with a grin, murmuring, “Tangtang, what did you say earlier? I didn’t quite catch it.”

Su Tang huffed, “Good thing you didn’t hear it. I didn’t say anything.”

Xie Yu suppressed a laugh. “But I distinctly heard something… about me. Something about Tangtang liking me too much to bear seeing me hurt, even a little?”

Su Tang glared back, face still flushed. “I never said I liked you too much.”

Xie Yu smiled. “But isn’t that what your words implied?”

Su Tang clenched his fist and waved it in front of Xie Yu’s face. “I was wrong. You’re not sick—I’m the one who’s sick. Since you want me to hit you, I should properly fulfill your request.”

Xie Yu chuckled soothingly and quickly grabbed Su Tang’s fist. “Tangtang would never hurt me.”

Su Tang turned his head away, huffing dismissively, his expression unconvinced.

After a long silence, Su Tang turned his head curiously, only to find the space beside him empty. Xie Yu had vanished.

Su Tang’s heart skipped a beat. He hoped Xie Yu was just playing a prank, but his calls and frantic searches yielded no response.

The surroundings were pitch-black, illuminated only by the eerie glow of will-o’-the-wisps flickering among the crooked, nameless tombstones and overgrown weeds. There wasn’t a soul in sight—the silence was so profound it felt unsettlingly sinister.

Su Tang shivered violently.

How did I suddenly end up alone? Where did Xie Yu go…? He was so scared he almost wanted to cry. QAQ

Gritting his teeth, Su Tang forced himself to stay calm. He glanced nervously in every direction, especially dreading what might be behind him. He kept turning around to look, feeling like he was spinning in circles and nearly making himself dizzy.

After waiting in place for a while, Su Tang decided to start searching for Xie Yu.

Meanwhile, Xie Yu was actually standing right where he had been. The ghost’s illusion magic had separated them, as if they were in parallel dimensions. Though they stood in the same spot, facing each other, they couldn’t see or touch each other.

Xie Yu immediately understood what was happening. His expression turned icy as he said darkly, “It seems I’ve been too lenient with the ghosts in the Mass Grave.”

The ghost responsible for the illusion suddenly felt a chill down its spine, as if it were being watched by something terrifying. Its scalp prickled with fear. It whipped around to look, but saw nothing. Confused, it scratched its head—had the temperature dropped? Wait, can ghosts even feel cold?

Su Tang shivered as he walked through the Mass Grave, occasionally spotting white bones half-buried in the earth, their ends protruding from the soil. As he walked, he tripped and looked down to find he had stepped on someone’s hand bone. The shock nearly made his soul fly from his body.

After walking for what felt like an eternity, Su Tang finally spotted a familiar figure ahead. He immediately ran toward it, grabbing the person’s arm and saying with a relieved smile, “Xie Yu, you suddenly vanished! It scared me to death. I’m so glad I found you again.”

The Xie Yu in front of him turned around, his face pale and sinister, wreathed in wisps of black mist. His voice was cold and hollow, making him seem utterly eerie.

He asked flatly, “Tangtang, do you like me?”

Su Tang frowned, sensing something was wrong. His first thought was that Xie Yu’s sudden disappearance had triggered a relapse. He quickly explained, “I didn’t go anywhere. I just turned around and you were gone, so I came looking for you.”

Xie Yu replied in a low, eerie tone, “Is that so?”

His voice didn’t sound like he believed Su Tang at all. Instead, it felt even more dangerous. His eyes glowed red, his face expressionless, cold as a heartless demon from hell, utterly devoid of the warmth that usually crept into his gaze when he looked at Su Tang.

Though Xie Yu was a ghost, he usually appeared no different from an ordinary human when with Su Tang, displaying a full range of emotions. But the person before him now was clearly different. He possessed no trace of human warmth, his eyes dark and still as stagnant water, like a lifeless puppet.

Growing even more uneasy, Su Tang took a wary step back. “You’re not Xie Yu…”

Xie Yu frowned. “What are you talking about? If I’m not Xie Yu, then who am I?”

Su Tang’s face tightened. “If you claim to be him, then prove it.”

Xie Yu nodded.

Without hesitation, Su Tang asked, “Who is Bo Shang?”

Xie Yu paused before answering, “Your ex-boyfriend.”

Upon hearing this, Su Tang instantly lost his last shred of doubt. If it were the real Xie Yu, he would never have answered like that. Xie Yu couldn’t even bear to hear that name, let alone refer to him as an “ex-boyfriend.” More like someone Xie Yu wanted to chop into pieces. Even though that person was himself, Xie Yu still hadn’t fully accepted it.

The joy of finding the person vanished completely, replaced by uncontrollable rage. Su Tang’s face burned with fury, as if to say, Damn it, where did this trash come from, daring to impersonate my husband?!

Since it wasn’t Xie Yu, Su Tang naturally wouldn’t show him any kindness.

The “Xie Yu” froze, then twisted his face into a hideous, terrifying expression. “You caught on quickly. I extracted this from your memories—Xie Yu should look like this. My disguises are flawless, indistinguishable from the real thing. I’ve fooled countless players, twisted them around my finger.”

Su Tang’s face twisted with disgust. “Looks like shit!” he snarled. “You can’t wear that face—you’re too ugly! It’s an insult to Xie Yu!”

“Xie Yu’s” features twisted, his gaze turning venomous. “You’ve never even seen my face. What right do you have to say such things? Looks like you’re just eager to die sooner.”

Su Tang sneered. “What else would you expect? Do you think you’re more handsome than Xie Yu? I suggest you take a good look in the mirror and face reality. Stop daydreaming all day. Oh wait, better not look in the mirror at all. You might lose the will to live—or worse, want your soul to scatter—the moment you see your hideously ugly face. You’re so ugly you don’t even deserve to exist in this world.”

“And you think you can kill me? Do you even have the power?”

When he was with Xie Yu, Su Tang was like a soft, sweet gummy candy. But now that he was alone, facing a trashy ghost daring to impersonate his man, he instantly exploded. The sugary coating vanished, revealing the fiery red chili pepper beneath—a chili pepper with two tiny hands clutching explosives, the kind that could obliterate ghosts with a single strike.

“Xie Yu’s” nose crooked in fury, unable to accept that a weak human girl would dare to hurl such arrogant threats at him. It was a slap in the face to his dignity as a ghost.

You think I can’t kill you? Then let me show you my true power!

Xie Yu’s Yin energy surged violently, his eyes glowing with a terrifying crimson light. Overwhelming malice poured forth, surging toward Su Tang like a monstrous beast opening its blood-drenched maw to devour him whole.

Su Tang’s expression remained coldly indifferent. Had it not been for Xie Yu’s form, he would have shown no mercy whatsoever. Enraged by the ghost’s audacity to impersonate his friend, Su Tang momentarily forgot his fear of ghosts, his only desire to beat the imposter senseless.

This time, Su Tang struck with far greater force than he had used against the Skeleton or other creatures, channeling nearly his full strength into the blow. When his fist landed, it punched a deep, concave hole straight through Xie Yu’s body.

The ghost, completely unprepared for such terrifying strength from a seemingly delicate girl, blacked out instantly. Utterly defenseless, it was sent sprawling to the ground by a single punch. The fist slammed into its abdomen with the force of a mountain collapsing, its internal organs churning and shifting violently. A mouthful of black blood erupted uncontrollably from its mouth, leaving the ghost’s mind blank and dazed.

With that single blow, Su Tang had driven the ghost impersonating Xie Yu deep into the earth, leaving a deep, humanoid crater in its wake.

The ghost, who had been vowing to kill Su Tang just moments ago, was now being ground into the dirt, reduced to less than a mop or rag. At least those weren’t stuck in a hole.

Su Tang grabbed the ghost by the collar and hoisted him up.

The ghost’s pride shattered, his face darkening with fury. “I’m a ghost!” he snarled. “You think you can hurt me like this?! I’m immortal! Your pathetic attempts are useless against me…”

Su Tang slammed him back down, sending him crashing into the human-shaped crater again.

Thud!

The sound echoed loudly.

This time, the ghost landed face-down, unable to utter a word as the impact forced his words back down his throat. The crater’s shape had been further distorted, creating a new, comically distorted human figure layered atop the original.

Su Tang grabbed the ghost, slammed him down, grabbed him again, and slammed him down again, repeating the cycle endlessly.

“I’ll fuck your grandpa! Do you even know what kind of terrifying ghost I am?! How dare you—thud!“

“Let go of me! Fight me fair and square if you’ve got the guts—thud!“

“Stop! Stop! Stop! You goddamn super-strength loli! Aren’t your hands getting tired—thud!“

“Fine, I’m begging you! Please, Big Sister Boss…”

“You little brat! Don’t you know who you’re dealing with?! Big Sister Boss, spare me! I was wrong!”

“I was wrong! I was wrong! Isn’t that enough?!”

This ghost, who had started out arrogant and dismissive, now groveled like a lackey, begging for mercy. Su Tang had beaten him so thoroughly that he was questioning his entire ghostly existence. Damn it! To be a ghost and end up like this—pinned to the ground and scrubbed like a rag by a cute girl! What’s the point of saving face now?

He’d be the laughingstock of the ghost world! His reputation and authority would be utterly ruined. What was the point of even being a ghost anymore?! He might as well just dissipate completely!

Su Tang stood over him, looking down. His baby-faced features and naturally downturned eyes gave him an innocent, almost childlike appearance. Just looking at him, it was impossible to imagine he had just been brutally hammering a ghost.

The ghost’s inner turmoil raged, but when he met Su Tang’s gaze, he suddenly shivered. A ghost, cowering in fear before a “fragile” human girl—even though that fragile girl could punch him into a crater.

Just as Su Tang was about to speak, a voice called out from the side, shocked: “Su Tang, what are you doing here?”

The newcomer was Yang Dong, who had gotten separated from the others. He never expected to stumble upon Su Tang, let alone witness such a bloody and violent scene. Wait a minute… the person in the pit looked strangely familiar. Could that be the Ghost King?!

Yang Dong’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets in shock.

Logically, the Ghost King should be incredibly powerful. So how was Su Tang single-handedly beating him into submission, leaving him utterly helpless? What was going on here?

Yang Dong suspected there must be some explanation. Perhaps the Ghost King was deliberately not fighting back, willingly taking Su Tang’s beating? That seemed absurd…

Cautiously approaching, Yang Dong tried to mediate. “Did you two have a falling out? Fighting won’t solve anything. Su Tang, shouldn’t you consider stopping? What if he gets angry and retaliates?”

He didn’t object to Su Tang beating the Ghost King, but if the Ghost King retaliated and tried to kill Su Tang, that would be disastrous. He hesitated, unsure how to persuade them.

The “Xie Yu” in the pit, sporting a bruised and swollen face, sneered rudely, “This is between him and me. Get lost.”

The ghost, unwilling to lose face, preferred to maintain Xie Yu’s identity rather than reveal he was a ghost being mercilessly beaten by a human girl.

Yang Dong’s expression grew even more peculiar and nuanced.

“He’s actually volunteering to get beaten up? The Ghost King’s tastes are truly… unique.”

But the next moment, Su Tang exposed the Ugly Ghost’s lie, standing up and declaring, “He’s a ghost from the Mass Grave, pretending to be Xie Yu. He’s not Xie Yu.”

Yang Dong immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness! Su Tang didn’t smash the Ghost King’s skull.

Since the ghosts here could impersonate familiar people, Su Tang and Yang Dong devised a simple verification method. They shared personal details to confirm each other’s identities before discussing how to break the Ghost Formation and find the others.

As they were talking, several dark shadows silently and swiftly approached along the ground.

Sensing the danger, Yang Dong tried to pull Su Tang away, but it was too late.

Pitch-black ghost vines coiled around their ankles, binding their limbs and pinning them to the tombstones like specimens on an experimental table.

A coarse, grating voice echoed from the darkness, followed by a chilling laugh.

It was a blood-red Skeleton, as if it had soaked in a pool of blood for centuries, the crimson hue seeping into its very bones and radiating an eerie, cold light.

Its jawbone trembled as it grinned, its voice dripping with satisfaction. “Today’s harvest yields two excellent skins. How delightful! Just in time, too—my previous skin has rotted beyond use.”

The Blood Skeleton approached Yang Dong, gripped his chin, and scrutinized him. “Not bad,” he said, “especially these hands. I’ll be swapping them out soon.”

Yang Dong glared, struggling to break free, but the ghost vines held him too tightly to escape.

After a moment, the Blood Skeleton turned to Su Tang, his bony fingers tracing Su Tang’s neck. He chuckled darkly, “Your skin is so smooth… feels wonderful. Perfect! This will be mine soon.”

His pitch-black eyes stared fixedly at Su Tang, radiating a chilling, malevolent aura.

Under that prolonged gaze, cold sweat broke out on Su Tang’s back, and he couldn’t help but tremble.

The Blood Skeleton grew even more excited. “Ha! Are you scared? Even better! I love seeing people’s faces twisted in terror. I’ll preserve you in the frozen lake. Once your skin rots, I’ll peel it off and wear it myself!”

In his frenzy, the Blood Skeleton tightened his grip, leaving a bloody mark on Su Tang’s neck.

Almost simultaneously, Xie Yu sensed Su Tang’s location and caught the scent of his blood.

His eyes darkened.

The shadow behind him surged violently, blotting out the sky and sun, its Yin energy reaching a terrifying intensity.

A pitch-black miasma enveloped the Mass Grave, spreading relentlessly outward to engulf the Ancient Town.

A violent storm erupted, with howling winds, thunder, and lightning.

In the blink of an eye, Xie Yu shattered layer upon layer of illusions.

The ground trembled violently, a long crack splitting open beneath their feet and spreading rapidly, widening with each passing moment.

Tombstones shook madly, their foundations collapsing as countless ghosts’ lairs were instantly destroyed.

The new players were terrified by this apocalyptic scene, their hearts pounding with dread.

But they didn’t realize that the ghosts were even more terrified than they were.

The Townsfolk Skeletons huddled together, shivering uncontrollably.

The ghosts in the Mass Grave shifted through every color of the rainbow—red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple—their faces contorting in fear.

They all knew exactly what this meant:

Their Ghost King had gone mad again.

When the Ghost King first ascended to the throne, he had inexplicably flown into a violent rage. The severity of his madness was terrifying; it was as if he had lost some priceless treasure. His eyes burned crimson as he rampaged through the world, leaving chaos and destruction in his wake.

If they hadn’t already been thoroughly dead, his rampage would have killed them a hundred times over. Even though they couldn’t truly die, the Ghost King’s fury had left them utterly shaken.

The Ghost King’s power was immense, capable of harming even lesser ghosts. In the worst cases, he could obliterate their souls entirely. Those who had dared challenge his authority or covet his throne had all perished under his overwhelming might.

After that, the ghosts of this world became as quiet as chickens, none daring to cause trouble. It wasn’t until the Ghost King’s madness subsided and he retreated into the Divine Temple, remaining there for an extended period, that they cautiously crawled out from underground, from the corners of houses, and from jars, slowly returning to their former state.

Later, some ghosts, unwilling to be controlled by the Ghost King, were banished to the Mass Grave. Though occasionally disciplined by the Ghost King, these punishments were far gentler than his initial rampage. They had almost forgotten the Ghost King’s earlier madness.

Now, history was repeating itself.

Even though they were ghosts, they were terrified to death.

Damn it! Which idiot provoked the Ghost King? If you want to die, fine, but don’t drag us innocent ghosts down with you!

Su Tang was bound by ghost vines, with the Blood Skeleton beside him.

As black mist enveloped them and the ground trembled violently, the Blood Skeleton seemed to remember something. His entire being shuddered, and a flicker of fear even flashed in his dark, hollow eyes. During the Ghost King’s initial rampage, he had witnessed ghosts around him being crushed by that terrifying power, reduced to wisps of smoke, and utterly annihilated.

He had no desire to be annihilated!

The Blood Skeleton gritted its teeth, glancing at Yang Dong and Su Tang. It only had time to take one “skin” with it. Decisively choosing the one it preferred, it wrapped Su Tang in ghost vines and prepared to flee.

But just then, a violent gust of Yin wind swept through the area.

The ghost vines controlled by the Blood Skeleton instantly shattered into dust, and Su Tang fell. Xie Yu, who had appeared in a flash, caught him and pulled him into his arms.

The Blood Skeleton didn’t recognize Xie Yu’s face, but it could sense the terrifyingly powerful Yin energy—the Ghost King’s aura.

The Blood Skeleton’s bones rattled with fear, its legs trembling so violently it collapsed to its knees, its skull slamming against the ground as it begged for mercy.

But Xie Yu showed no mercy. His face remained icy as he placed his hand in the air above the Blood Skeleton’s skull. With a gentle squeeze, the entire skeleton exploded like a firework, scattering into drifting powder that vanished with the wind.

The Blood Skeleton didn’t even have time to utter a word before its soul was annihilated.

The ghost that had created the illusion to separate Xie Yu and Su Tang met the same fate.

Only the ghost disguised as Xie Yu remained, having reverted to its true form, bruised and battered, and hiding behind a tombstone, barely escaping with its life. After witnessing this scene, it vowed to never leave its coffin for the next ten years.

It had almost laid a hand on the Ghost King’s precious treasure!

At that moment, it was immensely grateful for the beating Su Tang had given it. Had it so much as touched a hair on Su Tang’s head, it would have ceased to exist, its soul scattered to the winds!

Su Tang sat cradled in Xie Yu’s arm, his arms wrapped tightly around Xie Yu’s neck, his body trembling uncontrollably as he clung to Xie Yu’s shoulder.

Xie Yu held him close, his expression icy, but his touch indescribably gentle, as if afraid even the slightest pressure would frighten him further.

Su Tang choked back a sob and tightened his grip on Xie Yu, tears streaming down his face.

When he had been bound by the Blood Skeleton, he had only trembled, not cried. But the moment he saw Xie Yu, the familiar and trusted figure, all the pent-up fear and resentment surged forth, and he couldn’t help but weep in Xie Yu’s arms.

“Why did you take so long to get here? Waaah…”

Xie Yu murmured apologies, holding Tangtang close and gently coaxing him.