[QT] The Villains Are All My Reserve Food - Chapter 70

Chapter 70: Ghost King 10

Su Tang stared at his hand in a daze, squeezing it several times.

Noticing Su Tang’s sudden silence, Xie Yu tilted his head and asked softly, “Tangtang, what’s wrong?”

Su Tang opened his mouth to speak, but when he saw that his hand looked perfectly normal, he decided it must have been his eyes playing tricks on him. He shook his head and said, “It’s nothing.”

Xie Yu’s gaze softened, and he didn’t press further, but his attention remained focused on the faint black aura swirling around Su Tang. This was the result of Xie Yu having transferred a significant amount of Yin energy to him, and Su Tang had even willingly drunk his blood several times.

The thought that Su Tang would eventually become a permanent resident of this world, unable to leave and forever by his side, filled Xie Yu with contentment. A faint smile played on his lips.

Although Su Tang had declared he would no longer seek the key and intended to stay, what if he changed his mind? What if he suddenly found this place too dull, eerie, or unpleasant and decided to leave?

Xie Yu refused to take any chances, and he couldn’t bear the thought of Su Tang leaving his sight. So, he had quietly ensured Su Tang’s permanent stay, leaving him no opportunity to reconsider. As for Su Tang’s fear of ghosts, Xie Yu had considered that too. The fear stemmed from the sudden, chilling appearance of ghosts and their overwhelming Yin energy. But now that Su Tang himself had become a ghost, what was there left to fear?

Xie Yu was slightly displeased, but he restrained himself because the woman was elderly and hadn’t done anything particularly offensive. Still, he glared at her with a dark, piercing gaze.

The old woman wasn’t blind; she noticed the needle-sharp stare and sighed. Turning to Su Tang, she said, “Good child, you’ve worked so hard.”

Su Tang, still eating his cotton candy, tilted his head with a puzzled expression.

As Xie Yu listened to them talk, his displeasure grew. He couldn’t resist stepping forward, grabbing Su Tang by the arm, and pulling him away. He hated Su Tang focusing his attention on someone else for so long.

Su Tang turned back to wave goodbye to the old woman, who smiled warmly and waved back.

The next moment, Su Tang’s eyes were covered.

Of course, it was Xie Yu’s hand.

Blinded suddenly, Su Tang was momentarily disoriented. He reached out and grasped Xie Yu’s wrist, asking in confusion, “What’s wrong?”

Xie Yu replied coldly, “What’s there to talk about for so long? I can talk to you too.”

Su Tang sighed in exasperation, pulling Xie Yu’s hand away from his eyes. His dark, bright eyes stared unblinkingly at Xie Yu, brimming with amusement. “You’re jealous of everything,” he teased. “Where’s the Ghost King’s dignity?”

Xie Yu didn’t mind at all, not even blushing when teased.

Su Tang offered him a cotton candy, his eyes curving into bright smiles that seemed to hold a galaxy of twinkling stars. “Want some? It’s really sweet~”

Xie Yu watched for a moment before actually bending down to take a bite. A strand of cotton candy clung to the corner of his mouth—it was indeed very sweet.

Then Su Tang leaned up and pressed a quick kiss to his lips, a soft, fleeting touch that left a lingering sweetness. Tilting his head with a smile, he asked, “Still mad?”

Xie Yu’s eyes flickered slightly, the lingering softness of Su Tang’s lips still tingling on his own. His chest felt itchy, as if lightly scratched by a cat’s paw. He instinctively reached out to pull Su Tang closer, wanting to deepen the kiss.

But Su Tang stopped him, taking his hand with a radiant smile. “Let’s keep exploring!”

Xie Yu trailed behind, his gaze resentful, his expression clearly unsatisfied.

Su Tang could feel the burning gaze on his back like needles, but he deliberately ignored it.

As they wandered through the market, they reached a quiet corner. Su Tang, tired from walking, leaned against a wall to rest. Unexpectedly, he heard his own name being spoken from the other side.

Curious, Su Tang noticed a stack of wooden planks nearby. He pressed a finger to his lips, signaling Xie Yu to be quiet, then climbed onto the planks and peered over the wall.

Inside, an adult villager was speaking to several children.

A painting easel stood beside the adult, displaying a portrait of two figures.

Pointing to the figure with the icy expression, the adult said, “This is our Ghost King. Remember, never provoke his anger.”

The children nodded obediently, except for one little girl who chirped, “Ghost King-gege is so handsome!”

The adult groaned in exasperation. “You can’t just judge by looks! The Ghost King is dangerous. If you anger him, he’ll devour you!”

The children, their faces innocent, didn’t seem particularly frightened. But seeing the adult’s agitation, they nodded halfheartedly, fearing he might faint from the stress.

Then the five- or six-year-old girl blinked her large, grape-like eyes and asked curiously, “What about the lady next to him? She’s pretty too. Can I marry her?”

The adult’s eyes widened in shock, unsure which part of the child’s question to correct first. His expression grew even more stern. “Absolutely not! She’s even more dangerous than the Ghost King!”

Su Tang, eavesdropping from his perch on the wall, wore a bewildered expression.

So I’m considered this ferocious?

Already being used to scare children?!

The little girl looked bewildered and disbelieving. “How could that be? Miss is so beautiful! I don’t care! I want to marry her! I’ll marry her, I will!”

The adult said in a panic, “If you provoke her, the Ghost King will go mad with jealousy and rage! It’s terrifying! Remember last night’s earthquake? That was the Ghost King’s doing! No matter what, run the moment you see her!”

Most of the children showed fear, but the little girl, obsessed with beauty, remained conflicted. Both the Ghost King and Miss were so handsome—who should she marry?

After pondering for a long time, she clapped her chubby hands together, deciding, Why not marry both the Ghost King and Miss? That’s perfect!

The three of them would definitely live happily ever after!

Su Tang: “……”

After hearing the adult’s words, Su Tang felt a mix of emotions, both amused and exasperated. As he prepared to climb down, he accidentally bumped a tile, making a slight noise.

Instantly, all the children inside the wall turned to look.

Many of them cried out, “Ah! Someone even more dangerous than the Ghost King has appeared!”

The little girl’s voice was even shriller and more excited as she jumped up and down, her eyes shining. “The big sister I’m going to marry! She’s even prettier than in the paintings!”

The adult ghost, who had been trying to reason with them for ages, was utterly bewildered. “…???”

What’s wrong with these kids these days? Am I getting old? Do their morals just follow their looks?

Su Tang froze for a moment, then scrambled down from the wooden plank, grabbed Xie Yu’s hand, and ran.

They sprinted all the way back to the Divine Temple.

Su Tang leaned against his knees, panting heavily.

Xie Yu looked puzzled. “Why did we have to run?”

Then, a smirk tugged at his lips. “Still, they do have good taste.”

Su Tang glared at him, annoyed.

The two entered the Divine Temple.

Su Tang carried the items they had bought at the market.

One of them was an intricately carved, hollow sphere, about the size of a palm. Its delicate patterns caught Su Tang’s eye, and after he lingered over it for a few moments, Xie Yu bought it for him. Su Tang smiled helplessly; it would make a nice decoration for the temple.

As Su Tang was about to step inside, he accidentally dropped the hollow sphere. It rolled across the floor.

At that moment, the stone Qiongqi statues guarding the entrance suddenly stirred.

Unable to resist their instincts, they pounced on the rolling sphere like a pair of overgrown cats, batting it around playfully.

Su Tang was initially startled by the massive figures, but their clumsy antics as they played with the ball couldn’t help but melt his heart. He watched them, unable to suppress a smile.

The ball, batted back and forth, rolled toward Su Tang.

He bent down to pick it up, his gaze meeting the unwavering stares of the two crouching Qiongqi. Their eyes, fixed on him with undisguised longing, were undeniably adorable.

Su Tang glanced at the creatures, then at the hollowed-out sphere in his hand. For reasons he couldn’t quite explain, he raised the ball and tossed it into the air.

The two Qiongqi sprang to their feet in unison, leaping forward with joyful bounds. They raced after the ball, even brawling over it for a while. After a fierce struggle, one emerged victorious, snatching the ball in its jaws and returning to Su Tang, dropping it into his hand.

Su Tang: “……”

Did I just turn two ferocious beasts into puppies?

Su Tang’s expression froze in a peculiar daze.

His hand remained motionless.

Growing impatient, one of the Qiongqi nipped at the corner of Su Tang’s robe, tugging gently while gazing up at him with pleading eyes, as if urging him to play.

Startled, Su Tang tossed the ball again.

The two Qiongqi immediately pounced, resuming their ferocious battle for the sphere. They snapped and snarled, each refusing to yield.

Su Tang found the scene both strange and amusing. The initial fear he’d felt upon seeing the creatures vanished, replaced by a sense of their endearing clumsiness. He even found them a little cute.

When the qiongqi returned, balls in their jaws, Xie Yu snatched the ball and said flatly, “Ignore them.”

Su Tang reached for the ball, but Xie Yu easily dodged his hand.

Xie Yu, his face stern, declared, “You’re not allowed to play with them.”

He looked as if he were saying, What’s so fun about them? I’m much more fun! Play with me instead!

Su Tang suppressed a laugh and tried to grab the ball again. After several attempts, he tugged gently on Xie Yu’s sleeve, his wet eyes pleading. “But I want to play,” he whined.

Xie Yu glared at him, silent.

They stared at each other for a full minute.

Finally, Xie Yu placed the ball in Su Tang’s palm, then added a cat teaser on top—a stick adorned with feathers and two delicate little bells.

Su Tang’s lips curved into a radiant smile, like a miniature sun. “You’re so sweet~”

Xie Yu turned his head and coughed, his expression slightly awkward.

Su Tang’s sharp eyes noticed Xie Yu’s faintly reddened ears. The blush was so faint that it would have been easily missed had Su Tang not been standing so close and staring so intently.

Su Tang grinned, looking like a mischievous fox who had just stolen a piece of meat. “Are you blushing?” he teased.

“No,” Xie Yu replied.

“Then you are,” Su Tang insisted.

“No.”

“I say you are, so you are.”

Xie Yu fell silent.

In high spirits, Su Tang waved the cat teaser, its bells jingling merrily. He gently swayed it in front of the Qiongqi, who tilted their heads left and right, their eyes following the feathers on the teaser with unwavering focus. They were remarkably well-behaved.

As they played, Su Tang’s smile grew brighter, utterly charmed by the Qiongqi’s cuteness. He even turned to Xie Yu to share his delight.

But Xie Yu remained impassive, finding nothing particularly endearing about the Qiongqi’s antics. In his eyes, only Su Tang possessed true charm—an overwhelming, inexplicable kind of cuteness that bordered on explosive.

Moreover, whenever Xie Yu approached, the two Qiongqi would instinctively tuck their tails between their legs and prostrate themselves in submission.

Halfway through their playtime, Yang Dong came looking for Su Tang.

Yang Dong’s eyes immediately fell on the sight of Su Tang being pinned to the ground by a Qiongqi. The creature’s blood-red maw gaped wide, its face twisted in savage ferocity. The tiny Su Tang could easily be swallowed whole in a single gulp. Another Qiongqi’s claw pressed down on Su Tang’s arm—that slender limb must surely be broken. And Su Tang looked like he couldn’t breathe!

Yang Dong’s eyes widened in terror, and he and Shen Wenbin rushed forward, desperate to rescue him from the jaws of death.

But just as they were about to reach him, Su Tang noticed them out of the corner of his eye. He smiled and said, “What are you doing here?”

Yang Dong and Shen Wenbin froze, noticing the complete lack of fear on his face. They couldn’t help but feel puzzled.

At that moment, Su Tang patted the Qiongqi on his body, signaling it to get up. The creature already adored him, and after playing together, its affection had skyrocketed. Even when patted, it stubbornly refused to move, as if it wanted to cling to Su Tang forever.

Xie Yu strode forward with a cold expression. Under his overwhelming pressure, the two Qiongqi reluctantly retreated, whimpering in grievance.

Xie Yu showed them no sympathy. Instead, he snapped, “Don’t you know how fat and heavy you are? Pouncing on Tangtang like that! If he gets hurt, you won’t live to see another day.”

The two Qiongqi seemed to withdraw into themselves, emitting low, rumbling growls from their throats. As if realizing their mistake, they retreated to their positions and transformed back into stone statues, entering a state of self-reflection.

By this point, Yang Dong and Shen Wenbin had also realized that Su Tang hadn’t actually been in danger of being eaten by the Qiongqi. Instead, they had been playing together. The Qiongqi’s pouncing on him was a sign of affection, and their gentle paw on his arm was a playful gesture. The nearby cat toys—hollow balls and feather wands—further confirmed their earlier activities.

Yang Dong & Shen Wenbin: “……”

While they understood the explanation, they still found it hard to accept.

These were massive tigers, not some cuddly kittens or puppies. It was impossible to equate them with cute little pets. When a cat smaller than a human pounces on someone, it’s considered adorable. But when a giant tiger pounces, the only logical conclusion is that it’s trying to eat you!

They couldn’t help but admire Su Tang’s courage.

Su Tang stood up, brushing the dust off his clothes. Xie Yu helped him dust off as well.

Curiously, Su Tang turned to Yang Dong and Shen Wenbin, asking, “What’s wrong?”

They suddenly remembered their purpose for being there, their expressions immediately turning serious. “New players have arrived,” they announced.

Su Tang looked puzzled. “More players? I thought we were all part of the same group trying to clear the level together. How can people join midway?”

Yang Dong explained, “That’s not always the case. Sometimes new players appear, forming a separate team. We’re in competition with them. If they get the key before us, we lose.”

Su Tang didn’t fully understand the rules, but hearing this made him worry about Yang Dong and the others. If these newcomers were hostile, the challenge would become even harder, possibly requiring them to defend against both ghosts and other players.

After all, some people would stop at nothing to secure their own survival.

Yang Dong added, “Su Tang, you don’t plan to take the key, but they might not believe you. That’s why I came to warn you—stay vigilant and don’t trust anyone too easily.”

Su Tang nodded, acknowledging the warning. “If you need my help with anything,” he said, “just let me know.”

Behind his glasses, Yang Dong’s eyes curved into a gentle smile. “Alright, I’ll thank you in advance, Su Tang.”

Su Tang possessed extraordinary strength and formidable combat skills. More importantly, he had the Dungeon Boss, the Ghost King, backing him. If he could persuade the Ghost King to intervene—even with just a casual assist—they would effectively gain a trump card.

It was like obtaining a cheat code.

Outside the Ancient Town’s station, the blood-red train reappeared, slowly pulling into the station. Eleven people disembarked one by one.

Most of them wore expressions of palpable fear, clearly newcomers to the horror world.

Leading the group was a man in a black tank top with tattoos on his arms. The others addressed him obsequiously as “Brother Peng,” having witnessed his capabilities during the journey and now fawning over him in hopes of securing his protection.

Zhou Peng, his face etched with impatience and a hint of malice in his eyes, kicked a bootlicking newcomer beside him without hesitation. “Get lost,” he snarled. “You’re an eyesore.”

The newcomer nodded frantically, apologizing profusely as he retreated.

Zhou Peng gazed at the Ancient Town, which resembled a tourist attraction, lost in thought. Then, a cruel smile curled his lips.

For others, the horror world might mean screaming for survival, being tormented half to death by ghosts, and enduring unbearable pain. But he was different. As a powerful high-level player, he had no reason to fear ghosts. Once their weaknesses were exposed, they were all the same—easily dispatched.

Beside Zhou Peng stood a gaunt man with a face as pale as if it hadn’t seen sunlight in years. This was Lin Yu, a Heavenly Master.

Whenever they encountered ghosts, Zhou Peng would send Lin Yu in first. Using his Yin-Yang Eyes, Lin Yu would pinpoint the area of greatest Yin energy on the ghost’s body, revealing its fatal weakness. Then, Zhou Peng would strike with lethal precision, obliterating the ghost’s soul.

He planned to follow the same strategy here.

Zhou Peng had no intention of protecting the newcomers.

Newbie players, he thought, the guide only needs to ensure two or three survive to the end. The rest can die—it’s none of my concern. Still, at the start of the world, he had made a show of saving their lives. It was this display of his power that had earned him their fawning admiration.

Unbeknownst to them, Zhou Peng had saved them only to use the newcomers as meat shields when faced with a dead end, sacrificing them for his own survival.

The newcomers, completely unaware of his true intentions, still saw him as their savior.

One woman, wearing a thin-strapped minidress, even clung to Zhou Peng’s arm, pressing her entire body against him to secure his protection. She remained unharmed throughout their journey.

The most sycophantic newcomer, witnessing this, wished he could be reborn as a woman.

Zhou Peng led the new players into the Ancient Town.

The town was bustling with residents, people coming and going, chatting and laughing, appearing no different from the normal world.

The newcomers unconsciously relaxed, making the same mistake as Yang Dong’s group.

Zhou Peng, however, couldn’t be bothered with their carelessness. Instead, his gaze lingered on the town’s beautiful female residents. If they weren’t ghosts, he would have tried to pick one up.

His lingering stares triggered a sense of crisis in the woman beside him. She immediately clung to him, whining, “Am I not pretty enough?”

Zhou Peng bluntly replied, “She’s prettier than you.”

The woman was furious, but desperate to cling to Zhou Peng’s favor, she swallowed her anger in silence, even as he took advantage of her.

Before nightfall, they arrived at the same inn where Yang Dong and his group were staying, checking in using their Points.

It was at this moment that Su Tang and Xie Yu appeared.

One tall and handsome, the other cute and endearing, both radiating extraordinary beauty. Their arrival was like that of natural luminaries, instantly drawing all eyes.

Male players stared at Su Tang in a daze, their faces filled with awe.

Female players were captivated by Xie Yu’s striking looks, their hearts pounding.

Zhou Peng, also drawn to Su Tang, immediately plotted to get his hands on him. When he saw Xie Yu beside him, his face twisted with disdain. “What use is a pretty boy like that?” he sneered. “Come here, little beauty. I’m much better than your boyfriend.”

Before Su Tang or Xie Yu could react, Yang Dong’s eyes widened in horror.

…Oh my god, this guy just provoked a top-tier powerhouse right off the bat. Impressive! His talent for courting death is truly unparalleled.