[QT] The Villains Are All My Reserve Food - Chapter 73

Chapter 73: Ghost King 13

The atmosphere was tense. The female newcomers were terrified, their faces pale and bodies frozen in place.

A plan that should have progressed smoothly had unexpectedly failed because of the very person she had tried to seduce. She couldn’t understand why Xie Yu had reacted so violently, as if she had stepped on a landmine. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t make sense of it.

Xie Yu gripped Su Tang’s hand tightly, glaring at her with a chilling warning, “Don’t even think about it.”

The female newcomer’s calves trembled violently, her legs nearly buckling beneath her. Regret washed over her. Though Xie Yu was undeniably powerful, his personality seemed deeply flawed. He only showed warmth toward Su Tang, treating everyone else with utter indifference.

At that moment, Huang Rui chimed in with his usual sarcastic snide remarks, “What’s all the fuss? They can’t bear to be apart for a second.”

Su Tang was somewhat surprised. He hadn’t expected Huang Rui to still be alive. His strength was unremarkable—what had kept him going this long? Was it his burning hatred for Yang Dong?

Huang Rui was a coward who bullied the weak and feared the strong. On the way here, seeing Su Tang’s frail appearance, he had considered stealing his life-saving talisman and even attacking him. But after witnessing Su Tang’s combat prowess, he shamelessly fawned over him. After being reprimanded by Xie Yu, Huang Rui now resented both Su Tang and Xie Yu. Yet, whenever Su Tang cast even a fleeting glance his way, Huang Rui would immediately shut his mouth, utterly lacking in self-respect.

Yang Dong frowned at the trouble his new recruit had caused, rubbing his temples in annoyance. He stepped forward to mediate, saying, “We’re all exhausted. Let’s go back, bathe, and rest properly. We can reconvene later to discuss matters.”

With that, Su Tang pulled Xie Yu away, while Yang Dong led his new recruits in the opposite direction, parting ways.

Su Tang and Xie Yu returned to the Divine Temple.

Su Tang was about to bathe alone when Xie Yu followed him. When Su Tang told him to leave so he could wash first, Xie Yu retorted, “Why not bathe with me? Does Tangtang prefer soaking with that female player?”

This jealous accusation left Su Tang both amused and exasperated.

“Didn’t we just bathe together before?”

Xie Yu replied, “That was then.”

Su Tang sighed, ultimately unable to resist Xie Yu’s persistence, and joined him in the bath.

Naturally, their bathing session stretched on far longer than usual.

By the time they finally emerged, Su Tang’s legs were so weak he could barely stand. He had no choice but to let Xie Yu carry him to the bed, where he curled up into a ball. Overcome by exhaustion, he closed his eyes and quickly drifted off to sleep.

As the Ghost King, Xie Yu didn’t require sleep, but he cherished the quiet contentment of holding Su Tang in his arms as they slept together. He gazed at Su Tang’s peaceful sleeping face, his heart brimming with satisfaction.

Several hours later, Su Tang slowly stirred awake. They washed up and changed.

Today’s outfit, once again chosen by Xie Yu, was a British-style detective ensemble. The clothes featured brown plaid patterns, a lapel cape with silver chains dangling from metal buttons, a deerstalker hat, and Oxford shoes.

Add a pipe, and he’d look exactly like a modern Sherlock Holmes—cool and dashing.

To match the theme, today’s outfit included “gay” elements: British-style shorts, black knee-high socks, and sock garters. The black bands encircling his legs just below the knees added a unique flair.

Su Tang was genuinely delighted to be wearing pants again. He checked himself out in the mirror, turning this way and that, quite pleased with his outfit. He pressed down on his deerstalker hat, leaving only his eyes visible beneath the brim, narrowed slightly in a deliberately mysterious manner. Then, with a dramatic flourish of his cape, he mimed playing the violin before darting over to the sofa, curling his legs up beneath him. He pressed his fingertips together in a steeple shape, resting them against his lips, his brow furrowed in deep thought.

Completely obsessed with cosplaying Sherlock, and utterly unrepentant!

Though he wasn’t wearing Sherlock’s signature double-breasted wool coat, nothing could dampen his desire to look cool. Besides, the cape was undeniably stylish, its dramatic swish evoking the mystique of a wizard. Love it!

Xie Yu had initially regretted the lack of a matching skirt. He’d envisioned a full-skirted, vintage-style brown plaid skirt—if he’d had more time, he would have even sewn one himself.

But seeing Su Tang so happy and clearly enjoying his outfit, Xie Yu’s mood brightened too. Watching him preen in front of the mirror and strike various poses, a smile crept onto his lips.

After striking these poses, Su Tang turned to find Xie Yu watching him with a smile. His face flushed crimson, embarrassed as if he’d been caught secretly indulging in his chuunibyou fantasies. He instinctively reached up to scratch his head, only to bump into the brim of his hat, nearly knocking it off.

Xie Yu stepped forward with effortless grace and straightened the tilted hat, praising with a smile, “It looks very handsome.”

Su Tang’s eyelashes fluttered slightly as he smiled bashfully, touching his cheek with a fingertip. He tilted his head back, his eyes curving into crescent moons as he beamed brightly. “I think so too!”

With that, he leaned in and kissed Xie Yu on the cheek before turning and dashing out of the Divine Temple, bounding ahead like an excited puppy on a walk.

Xie Yu paused, touching his lips with a smile, then strode after him.

They met up with Yang Dong and the others at the inn to discuss the Gate Key.

As the Ghost King, Xie Yu seemed an unlikely participant. Yet Yang Dong and Shen Wenbin welcomed his presence, sensing he had no intention of hindering their quest for the key. They even hoped to glean clues from his expressions.

As soon as Su Tang arrived, Yang Dong noticed he was wearing a new set of clothes. His gaze softened as he complimented, “This outfit suits you perfectly, Su Tang.”

In the terrifying world they inhabited, players were usually exhausted just trying to survive and complete their objectives. They had no energy left to change clothes or worry about their appearance; simply staying alive was a victory in itself.

However, this didn’t mean Yang Dong resented Su Tang for constantly changing outfits. If Su Tang wanted to change, no one could stop him, especially since it didn’t interfere with his other tasks. Su Tang possessed remarkable strength.

Ever since being transported to this world, Su Tang had been consistently mistaken for a girl. Today, wearing pants, he decided to seize the opportunity to clarify his gender. He walked up to Yang Dong, deliberately showing off his checkered trousers, subtly hinting at his male identity.

But Yang Dong simply assumed he was a child, excited to share his new clothes with others. He praised Su Tang’s cool look, comparing him to a young Sherlock. He completely missed the hint that Su Tang wasn’t a girl, instead interpreting it as a girl dressing coolly in a gender-neutral style.

Su Tang: “……”

Slightly frustrated, he puffed out his cheeks, turning his face into a round, dumpling-like shape.

Su Tang had initially felt awkward about suddenly blurting out, “I’m actually a guy,” so he tried to drop hints. But Yang Dong completely missed them, leaving him no choice but to confess outright. Just as he was about to speak, Yang Dong abruptly shifted the conversation to serious matters, discussing the Gate Key. Su Tang clamped his mouth shut.

Each time Yang Dong and his group ventured into the Mass Grave, they made new discoveries. Last night, their progress had been particularly significant.

They had pinpointed the Gate Key’s location and set their sights on the red-clothed female ghost, suspecting she held the key. The question now was: how to retrieve it?

Forcing a direct confrontation was possible, but it would inevitably result in heavy casualties, potentially wiping out all the newcomers. Clearly, this wasn’t the optimal approach.

Yang Dong hoped to exploit the female ghost’s weaknesses, aiming to secure the key without bloodshed—or at least with minimal harm.

“Sometimes, obtaining the key isn’t necessarily difficult,” Yang Dong said. “The key lies in finding the right method. This is a beginner’s dungeon, so the difficulty shouldn’t be excessive. We don’t necessarily have to kill the female ghost. We could also target what she desires and see if we can strike a bargain.”

The group then shared their individual findings.

Half of them had encountered the female ghost, allowing them to summarize several key points:

The female ghost harbored a deep aversion to men.

The female ghost favored cute girls.

The female ghost possessed the ability to bewitch minds.

As these points were discussed, they couldn’t help but subconsciously glance at Su Tang.

How did it feel…? The person who best fit these criteria was Su Tang.

If Su Tang were to coax the female ghost into handing over the Gate Key, it would undoubtedly be far easier than if they tried. However, if Su Tang went, how could he ensure his safe return? What if he fell under the ghost’s spell and was trapped there?

Yang Dong vehemently opposed this idea. Aside from the obvious danger of Su Tang voluntarily offering himself as bait, if anything happened to Su Tang, the Ghost King would go berserk, and none of them would escape alive—they might all end up buried in this place.

With Yang Dong’s firm opposition and Shen Wenbin’s support, even if the newcomers agreed, it wouldn’t matter. Yang Dong and Shen Wenbin were the team’s core members.

Thus, the final consensus reached was… Yang Dong would cross-dress as a woman?

This was too… Su Tang didn’t even know what to say. He had just changed back into pants after wearing women’s clothes, and now Yang Dong was falling into the same trap.

Su Tang grabbed Yang Dong’s arm, his voice earnest. “Are you sure about this? Cross-dressing is like a switch—either you never do it, or you do it countless times. Do you understand?”

Yang Dong smiled. “Thanks for your concern, but it’s fine. It’s just for the mission. Wearing it once won’t hurt.”

He seemed remarkably unfazed, even adding with a chuckle, “Besides, Wen Bin will be wearing it with me.”

Su Tang immediately turned to look at Shen Wenbin. The scar on his face gave him a fierce appearance, and even in women’s clothing, he looked anything but cute or delicate.

Do they think the female ghost is stupid? Su Tang wondered. How could this possibly fool her?

After a moment’s thought, Su Tang said, “I should go instead.”

After all, he had already fought the female ghost. If she refused to hand over the Gate Key, he could simply beat her into submission.

If Su Tang’s goal aligned with theirs—to obtain the Gate Key and escape—Yang Dong wouldn’t have objected. But the problem was that Su Tang had no personal stake in this, yet he was willing to take on risks that weren’t his to bear.

Yang Dong found this utterly unreasonable and refused to let Su Tang go. After a heated argument, Su Tang’s persistence finally won him a compromise: he could participate, but strictly under supervision.

Su Tang could draw the female ghost’s attention, but all subsequent actions would be handled by the others.

After finalizing their plan, it was already dinnertime. The group emerged from their rooms and headed downstairs to eat.

As Su Tang and Xie Yu walked side by side down the stairs, they glanced down and spotted a familiar figure.

It was Heavenly Master Lin Yu, whom Su Tang had inadvertently rescued the previous night when he saved the wrong person.

Lin Yu looked up and met Su Tang’s gaze. His eyes lit up instantly, radiating obvious delight.

Without hesitation, Lin Yu strode toward Su Tang.

“I came specifically to thank you,” Lin Yu said sincerely. “If you hadn’t intervened, I might not have survived. This talisman paper, drawn with my own blood, is highly effective against ghosts. I hope it can be of use to you.”

Su Tang, who had never intended to save him in the first place, shook his head dismissively. “No need.”

Lin Yu’s expression darkened, but he refused to give up. He stubbornly tried to press the talisman paper into Su Tang’s hand.

Xie Yu’s face turned cold as he swiftly blocked Lin Yu’s hand, his expression screaming, Do you think I’m dead or something?!

Lin Yu, however, couldn’t stand Xie Yu. It was rare for him to develop feelings for someone, and his moral compass was rather skewed. He didn’t believe Su Tang’s having a boyfriend meant he couldn’t pursue him. He simply saw Xie Yu as an obstacle, standing between him and Su Tang. He secretly wished a ghost would kill Xie Yu quickly, giving him a better chance to win Su Tang over.

Xie Yu saw through Lin Yu’s intentions immediately. He sneered mockingly, brusquely brushed aside Lin Yu’s hand, and led Su Tang to an empty table. They sat down to wait for their food.

Su Tang paid little attention to Lin Yu, his mind more occupied with deciding what to order for dinner.

Xie Yu’s expression softened slightly, but he still warned Su Tang, “Stay away from that Heavenly Master in the future. Don’t talk to him.”

Su Tang nodded. “He just came to thank me. I only said two words.”

Xie Yu’s face darkened. “It wasn’t just a simple thank you.”

Su Tang looked puzzled. Then what else could it be?

Xie Yu said, “He likes you.”

Su Tang scoffed. “Impossible!”

Xie Yu: “Why is it impossible?”

Xie Yu’s face was grim, his eyes wary and menacing. He clearly loathed Lin Yu, hating anyone who coveted Su Tang. Su Tang was his, and no one would dare try to take him away. If they did, he would make their death a gruesome spectacle.

Lin Yu had only wanted to exchange a few words with Su Tang, but Xie Yu blocked him, his gaze instantly turning icy. While Lin Yu was indeed a Heavenly Master, not all Heavenly Masters were righteous. His sect operated with extreme methods, often acting on personal whims.

Even if Xie Yu hadn’t intervened, Su Tang likely wouldn’t have given Lin Yu the time of day. But Lin Yu chose to ignore this, blaming everything on Xie Yu and thinking things would be better without him.

With a cold expression, he returned to his table.

Moments later, Zhou Peng sat down beside him.

Despite his disheveled state the previous night, Zhou Peng had survived with minimal injuries. He had indeed abandoned Lin Yu to face the ghost alone, but cooperating again for mutual gain was a perfectly normal arrangement between them. Their relationship was never based on genuine friendship, merely transactional.

Zhou Peng had witnessed the earlier exchange.

He immediately recognized Lin Yu’s feelings for Su Tang.

With a malicious grin, Zhou Peng whispered, “You’ve got your eye on him, huh?”

Lin Yu didn’t bother to hide it, nodding directly.

Zhou Peng asked curiously, “What’s your plan?”

Lin Yu replied flatly, “He has a boyfriend. The one beside him, Xie Yu.”

Zhou Peng sneered. “So what? We’ll just take him.”

Lin Yu clearly shared the same idea.

In the next instant, Zhou Peng’s expression twisted into a hideous grimace. His voice, fueled by intense emotion, rose uncontrollably. “What did you say? What’s his name?!”

Lin Yu frowned, wishing he could cut out Zhou Peng’s tongue. Why is he shouting so loudly? Does he want everyone to hear?!

Growing impatient, Lin Yu ignored him. But Zhou Peng’s bizarre persistence wouldn’t let it go. He pressed again, “What’s his name?!”

Annoyed, Lin Yu snapped, “I already told you, it’s Xie Yu! Are you deaf?!”

Zhou Peng’s face cycled through a spectrum of emotions more dramatic than the colors of the rainbow—a complex, indescribable turmoil. He lowered his head, muttering in disbelief, “How is this possible? Xie Yu can’t be here… He should be dead! Could he really be that lucky, chosen by the game to escape death…?”

His voice was barely audible, like a soliloquy meant only for his own ears.

Zhou Peng muttered nervously to himself for a while before finally looking up, his face as sinister as a vengeful ghost. He suddenly chuckled and said, “If you kill him, Su Tang will be yours, won’t he?”

Lin Yu had indeed entertained such thoughts, but he could sense that Zhou Peng was clearly trying to use him. Refusing to play into his scheme, Lin Yu retorted coldly, “Do you think someone who’s survived this long would lack strength? If you’re so capable, why don’t you do it yourself instead of trying to use me as your pawn?”

Zhou Peng scoffed. “Isn’t this the outcome you wanted anyway?”

Both men harbored ulterior motives, each scheming to exploit the other while reaping the benefits themselves. Naturally, they couldn’t reach an agreement.

That night, at the Mass Grave.

Su Tang and the others arrived precisely as planned, ready to stake out the female ghost.

To blend in with their plan, Su Tang had swapped his usual detective attire for something more adorable. His outfit resembled a kindergarten uniform: a black top with a Peter Pan collar and candy-patterned pockets, a black-and-white cow-print skirt, a milk-white beret adorned with small cow ears, and matching cow-print shoes. He looked like a miniature cow come to life, utterly charming.

Looking like this, it wasn’t just the female ghost who would want to abduct him—anyone who saw him would want to scoop him up, sprint home, and hide him away.

Yang Dong couldn’t resist the urge to reach out and pat Su Tang’s head, but he stopped himself, remembering it would knock Su Tang’s beret askew.

However, the moment Yang Dong made the slightest move, Xie Yu had already pulled Su Tang protectively to his side, like a mother guarding her cub, refusing to let anyone touch him.

Yang Dong felt a little awkward, but after observing Xie Yu’s possessiveness over the past few days, he wasn’t surprised. It was entirely predictable that Xie Yu wouldn’t allow anyone to touch Su Tang. He couldn’t help but sigh inwardly, thinking how difficult and exhausting it must be for Su Tang to be in a relationship with someone like Xie Yu. But this wasn’t the time for such thoughts. Yang Dong forced himself to refocus on dealing with the female ghost.

Sure enough, as they had predicted, the female ghost soon appeared along the route they had mapped out.

Su Tang deliberately wandered into the area, placing himself within the female ghost’s line of sight.

Of course, Xie Yu was right beside him.

The original plan was for Su Tang to act alone, with Yang Dong and the others hiding in the shadows. But Xie Yu would never agree to that, his face icy as he insisted on staying by Su Tang’s side at all times.

The others tried to dissuade him, but Yang Dong quickly relented.

It wasn’t for any particular reason. Given Xie Yu’s terrifying possessiveness, even allowing Su Tang to participate in this operation was already a remarkable concession. If they tried to separate Su Tang from Xie Yu now, what would happen if the Ghost King lost control in an instant?

Yang Dong, with his gentle temperament and persuasive manner, quickly offered several plausible reasons to keep the others in line.

And so, the female ghost now faced Su Tang and Xie Yu alone.

The moment the female ghost saw Su Tang, her eyes lit up like incandescent bulbs, practically blinding anyone who looked at her. If this scene were animated, she’d undoubtedly be depicted as a chibi pervert, hearts popping in her eyes as she looked ready to devour Su Tang whole.

However, no matter how uncontrollably she felt, the Ghost King’s cold gaze and overwhelming aura were no joke. If Su Tang’s allure hadn’t been so irresistible, she would have already buckled under the pressure and turned tail to flee.

The newcomers were unaware, but the red-clothed female ghost knew all too well that the man before her was the Ghost King, a terrifying overlord who could annihilate entire worlds on a whim.

The female ghost, captivated by Su Tang’s cuteness, cautiously approached, asking for little—just a pinch of his soft, chubby cheek. That alone would satisfy her!

Xie Yu, sensing the desire in her eyes, grew even more grim, his urge to kill the ghost intensifying.

Su Tang had come to help Yang Dong and the others, as they had planned beforehand. He couldn’t let Xie Yu scare the female ghost away so easily, so he shot Xie Yu a reassuring glance.

Xie Yu reluctantly restrained himself.

The female ghost drew closer, her hand reaching out to touch Su Tang…

At that moment, Yang Dong and his group, who had been hiding in the shadows, seized the opportunity while the female ghost was distracted. They burst forth, launching a coordinated attack.

Surrounding the female ghost, they naturally positioned themselves very close to Su Tang and Xie Yu.

As everyone focused on the female ghost, one person suddenly shifted their attack toward Xie Yu.

Bang!

The sound echoed like a firecracker exploding.

Huang Rui, wielding a handgun of unknown origin, fired a shot at Xie Yu, striking him squarely in the abdomen.

The gunshot froze everyone in their tracks. All heads swiveled toward the sound, including the female ghost’s.

Then they witnessed a terrifying sight.

The internal strife among their own group wasn’t the worst of it.

Even more horrifying was that despite being shot in the abdomen, Xie Yu showed no signs of injury. His body turned transparent, and the bullet passed right through him.

Yang Dong and Shen Wenbin, who were aware of Xie Yu’s true nature, fared slightly better. But the newcomers were driven to the brink of madness.

Xie Yu is a ghost?!

Xie Yu himself remained coldly indifferent, showing no reaction to the gunshot. He merely glared at Huang Rui with the eyes of a man staring at a corpse and demanded in a frigid voice, “Who gave you that gun?”

After firing the shot, Huang Rui froze in terror at Xie Yu’s transparent form. He had never imagined he was dealing with something not human. On the verge of collapse, his entire body trembling violently, he fired several more shots at Xie Yu in rapid succession.