Chapter 2: Curse of Ghosts and Gods

The black-robed priest's lungs were about to explode with rage.

Not only had a goblin ruined their blood sacrifice ritual, but now it actually dared to ignore him.

"Kill him!" he shouted, waving his scepter.

The dozen or so subordinates behind him roared in unison and lunged at Wang Chong and the other two on the altar.

"Stay back."

Wang Chong placed Xixi behind him, a sinister smile flashing across the corner of his mouth.

Since there was no way to escape, then fight. When it came to brawling, he had never feared anyone.

"Whoosh!"

Wang Chong threw the stone he had secretly held in his hand, then immediately leaped up and smashed down with a punch.

The divine servant at the very front dodged the stone attack but failed to dodge Wang Chong's punch.

"Crack!"

The fist smashed into his cheek; his head twisted to the side at a grotesque angle, and his body arched backward into the air.

The moment Wang Chong landed, his body surged forward, using his right foot as a pivot to rotate one hundred and eighty degrees and deliver a mid-air side kick.

"Bang! Bang!"

He kicked out twice in an instant.

But this time, it felt as though he had kicked against an iron plate.

Those divine servants were far more formidable than he had imagined.

The two divine servants he had kicked merely swayed slightly.

Instead, Wang Chong's legs were numbed and aching from the impact; he stepped back a few paces to create some distance.

"Brother Wang Chong, are you alright?" Xixi asked, looking at him anxiously.

"Don't worry, they are just a few small minions."

Wang Chong did not want to lose face in front of a beauty.

"Damn it! How dare you call us minions!"

"Arrogant! You are nothing but a goblin, yet you dare mock us. You simply do not know how to die!"

"He killed Haniq! Kill him, take revenge for Haniq, and offer a blood sacrifice to the Ghost and God my lord!"

The dozen or so divine servants were instantly enraged by Wang Chong.

They had not gone unlooked down upon before, but today to be mocked by a dirty, humble goblin was simply the greatest humiliation of their lives.

"You want to kill me? I'm afraid you lack the ability!"

Wang Chong's fighting spirit ignited as well.

In his belief, there was only combat, continuing until death.

"Come then, you scum!"

Wang Chong charged directly into the crowd.

"Bang, bang, bang..."

A flurry of punches and kicks.

Although Wang Chong's movements were agile enough, each of these divine servants possessed strength no less than his.

Before long, Wang Chong gradually began to falter; more wounds appeared on his body, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, but he did not retreat.

"Pang!"

A divine servant kicked Wang Chong in the stomach.

His body flew straight backward.

"Hahaha, a goblin is always a goblin, forever only the lowest race..."

The divine servant grabbed Wang Chong and smashed a heavy punch into his stomach.

Wang Chong fell out again.

They were no longer in a hurry to kill Wang Chong; they simply wanted to humiliate and torture him.

"Brother Wang Chong!"

Xixi rushed to Wang Chong's side.

"I'm fine."

Wang Chong wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and forced himself to stand up.

"Little scum, crawl over here, call me grandfather, and perhaps in a good mood I will leave you an intact corpse." A divine servant strutted arrogantly in front of Wang Chong.

"Pah! Your grandfather's ass!"

Wang Chong spat a mouthful of blood and water at him.

"Damn it! I will skin you and make a water skin!" The divine servant, furious beyond measure, grabbed for Wang Chong.

"No!"

Xixi cried out and blocked in front of Wang Chong.

"Get out of the way! I will deal with you later."

That divine servant knew nothing of sparing the weak and delicate; he slapped his palm onto Xixi's shoulder.

"Ah..."

Xixi fell to the ground with a thud, the pain causing her to cry out.

"Damn it!"

Wang Chong glared furiously at the divine servant; blood flowed into his eyes. He wiped it away, and his eyes turned blood-red; the world in his eyes contained only that single color of blood red.

"Kill them!"

"Kill them!"

"Kill them…"

A voice rang out in the depths of his heart.

His left arm suddenly began to swell, and thin black-red lines surfaced upon it.

Wang Chong could no longer feel pain; his body seemed suddenly filled with power, so full it was about to burst him apart.

Now, he only wanted to kill!

"It's the Ghost God's curse!"

The black-robed priest saw Wang Chong's change and suddenly let out a ghastly shriek.

"Lowly goblin, your actions have offended the Ghost God, my lord. You shall live forever beneath the Ghost God's curse and become the Ghost God's ghost-slave!" He grew more and more excited as he shrieked, as though utterly awed by his true god's mighty power.

Wang Chong breathed heavily; in his ears he could hear only his own gasping. His crimson pupils fixed on the gesticulating black-robed priest.

"Kill!"

A single word left his mouth.

The ghost-slaves lunged at him, but were torn apart by him into shreds of flesh.

He saw the terror in the black-robed priest's eyes.

That made him even more excited.

"No, don't— I am the Ghost God, my lord's most faithful servant…"

The black-robed priest struggled.

But it was all to no avail.

Wang Chong grinned ferociously and tore him in two.

Blood splashed across Wang Chong's face and body, yet he merely licked his lips.

Wang Chong's world seemed to be silent; he felt stifled, he wanted to kill. He turned, searching for prey.

Those blood-red eyes locked onto Xixi, still sitting on the ground.

Xixi was utterly stunned by the scene.

She forgot to flee, only trembling.

"Kill!"

Wang Chong strode forward and scooped Xixi up in his arms.

That feeling of fullness made him feel comfortable.

He could not resist the urge to pull hard, to tear Xixi in two.

"Brother Wang Chong…"

"Brother Wang Chong…"

Xixi looked at him, weeping uncontrollably.

Tears slid from her eyes.

Her lashes trembled— long, very pretty.

Wang Chong froze for a moment.

"She's Xixi…"

"She's Xixi…"

Wang Chong's head suddenly split with agony.

"Kill her, and become my slave!" A majestic voice rang out in his heart.

"Bastard! Don't even think about controlling me!"

His gaze grew firm once more.

The blood-red gradually faded.

He felt the energy in his body drained away as well, and his body went limp and collapsed.

"Brother!"

Xixi helped the fallen Wang Chong up, letting his head rest against her chest.

"So comfortable."

That was the last flicker of his consciousness.

Perhaps he was simply too tired; he passed out.

When he woke again, he was already somewhere else.

The campfire beside him still had a few embers.

Xixi was curled up beside him, asleep.

Wang Chong was a little moved. Such a tiny body, carrying him all the way from the altar to here— Xixi must have been exhausted.

Xixi slept peacefully, her long lashes fluttering every now and then, the corners of her mouth curving up slightly.

Wang Chong stared at her blankly, and suddenly felt a great fullness in his heart.

"Brother."

Xixi opened her eyes.

The moment she saw Wang Chong, she smiled— her eyes large and bright.

Wang Chong smiled too.

He reached out to stroke Xixi's hair, but suddenly discovered that his own left arm was withered like wind-dried cured meat.

"What's going on?"

His head buzzed.

Xixi was so understanding; she felt Wang Chong's pain.

"Brother, do not worry. I will help you heal."