Chapter Fifty-Nine: No Honor in Combat!

Since he couldn’t figure out how to lift the curse for now, he decided to ask the Dog System. Although he was shielded by the Human Emperor’s luck, making him impervious to all harm, he still had a pair of underlings relying on him for survival.

Thinking of this made Jiang Yuan’s headache intensify—what could he do? Such was the sorrow of being the Human Emperor; ahead still awaited a host of Sages to contend with, truly a daunting prospect.

“Dog System, get out here. I need to ask you something,” Jiang Yuan called out in his mind.

“If you’ve got something to say, just spit it out,” the system replied.

Jiang Yuan was left speechless. How was it that this system was becoming more and more human-like? Was it about to ascend to the heavens or something? When did he unlock its meridians, making it so adept at talking back?

“Is there a way to get rich overnight? I don’t want to struggle anymore. I want thousands upon thousands of Tyrant Points right now,” Jiang Yuan said offhandedly.

He was really just teasing the system; after all, it wasn’t often the system was this personable. To his surprise, the Dog System actually answered his frivolous question.

“There is.”

Jiang Yuan was instantly excited, his eyes lighting up. The thought flashed through his mind: Damn, I was just joking, but there really is a way?

“Tell me, tell me! What’s the shortcut?” Jiang Yuan asked eagerly.

“Go back to sleep, Host. If you’re lucky, you might just dream such a beautiful dream,” the system replied blandly.

“Are you messing with me?” Jiang Yuan frowned, a trace of anger in his eyes.

“It was the host who started teasing the system first,” the system’s voice was calm, sounding as if it was quite serious.

Jiang Yuan fell silent for a moment, then finally said, “Dog System, you seem to have changed.”

You’re no longer that meek Dog System who never talked back. Before, you’d silently leech off my Tyrant Points, but now you’ve learned to retort. Thinking about this, Jiang Yuan couldn’t help but feel a little melancholy. It seemed that from now on, not only would he have to guard against being fleeced of Tyrant Points, he’d also need to engage in a battle of wits with the Dog System at every turn.

“If you have a question, just ask it. The system doesn’t have time to waste on idle chatter,” the system cut in.

Jiang Yuan got straight to the point: “Do you have a way to help me lift the curse of the Witch Tribe?”

“There is, naturally.”

“How many Tyrant Points?” Jiang Yuan already knew the Dog System’s nature—there was no such thing as a free lunch.

“Supreme Evil-Dispelling Pill, eighty-eight Tyrant Points each, no bargaining,” the system replied briskly.

Jiang Yuan wasn’t surprised at all. If the system didn’t seize this chance to fleece him, that would be odd.

“Give me three,” Jiang Yuan said with a wave of his hand. He had enough Tyrant Points at the moment—no need to be stingy.

“Host is generous.”

“Ding! Transaction successful. Host has received three Supreme Evil-Dispelling Pills. Three hundred and sixty-four Tyrant Points deducted. Current balance: four hundred and ninety-nine Tyrant Points!”

Right now, Jiang Yuan felt only one thing: pain! He had fought life and death battles against so many of the Witch Tribe to earn this meager sum, only for the system to take away nearly half of it for just three pills.

“If there’s nothing else, Dog System, get lost,” Jiang Yuan grumbled, as was his habit after shopping with the system.

He exited the conversation, his gaze turning to Nezha and the nowhere-to-be-seen Zhang Kui, his face glowing with confidence.

Take your time, you two. Even if you fall under a curse, it doesn’t matter—so long as I’m here, nothing is a problem. After all, I’m the protagonist, aren’t I? If you don’t suffer a little, how can the importance of the Human Emperor stand out? How else can I demonstrate my greatness?

Meanwhile, Shiye’s chanting grew faster and louder, his voice ringing like a demonic incantation. The red glow in the core of his scepter was fading, replaced by thickening threads of blood. The tribesmen of the Ghoul Clan below had become like desiccated corpses, their eyes sunken, their flesh and blood gone—only skin and bones remained.

Nezha was in front of him, fighting with gusto, shouting as he struck, “Dog-Beating Staff Technique!” “Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms!” “Sovereign’s—”

He paused, unable to recall the rest. Oh well, never mind, better to just use one move. He retracted his three-headed, six-armed transformation, gripped the miniature Fire-Tipped Spear in both hands, and shouted, “Dog-Beating Staff Technique!”

“I’ll use this move alone to overturn you all, beat you mangy dogs to death…”

With each use, Nezha grew more adept at the Dog-Beating Staff Technique, felling enemies with ever-increasing speed. Soon, all the weaponized puppets in front of Shiye lay defeated at Nezha’s feet.

Shiye frowned as he witnessed this. At Nezha’s current rate of slaughter, these puppets wouldn’t last until he finished casting the curse. He had no choice but to act. Shiye ordered the puppets guarding against Zhang Kui, “You lot, go stop that brat!”

The puppets, obeying, flew toward Nezha.

Seeing so many Ghoul puppets heading his way, Nezha’s eyes sparkled. Zhang Kui was really being a loyal friend—not killing a single one, leaving them all for him.

Looks like I can practice my Dog-Beating Staff Technique even more; maybe this time I’ll reach minor mastery. But to reach Old Ginger’s level, I still have a ways to go. After all, Old Ginger’s combination of skills and spells was seamless, natural, and perfect—he himself was far from that.

Nezha was fighting with relish, paying no heed to Shiye. This gave Shiye more time to complete his curse, and success was near at hand.

Just as Nezha was but a short distance away from Shiye, Shiye’s previously weary eyes suddenly lit up.

“It’s about to work!” Shiye exclaimed with excitement.

The Soul-Binding Secret Art was nearly complete—a curse that attacked the soul directly, especially effective against children like Nezha, whose souls were less stable.

The Ghoul Clan tailored their curses to each victim. Wen Zhong’s Celestial Ghoul Transmutation targeted the body, since Wen Zhong was old and his flesh close to decay, making it easier to take effect than on younger cultivators.

“You won’t succeed.” A cool voice suddenly rang out behind Shiye.

It was Zhang Kui, who had been using his Earth-Walking Technique for some time, waiting for just this moment to deliver a fatal blow!

With lightning speed, Zhang Kui’s Thunder Sword gleamed as he slashed through the curse scepter in Shiye’s hand.

“I curse you—may your soul fall eternally into the abyss!”

Shiye had thought everything was in hand; the words of the curse had already left his lips. Never did he expect the scepter to be destroyed so suddenly, breaking the curse mid-chant after all his painstaking effort.

But Zhang Kui wasn’t finished. After destroying the scepter, he turned a cold gaze on Shiye and, closing in, delivered a swift kick!

Shiye was dumbfounded. This young man had no sense of martial courtesy, always going for sneak attacks. Couldn’t he at least give an old-timer a chance to react?