Tavern of the Spear: Desire for Pleasure

(I've added some of my own interpretations. Please forgive me if you're not satisfied. Also, please note that some plot points will be changed due to Cheng Yu's involvement.)

"Tann! Show our two 'allies' around our tribe!" Axel snapped angrily at his son, Tarn. He was probably furious; after all, Tarn was his son, and even though he had previously disliked his son's incompetence, he had never been this angry with him.

“Yes… Father… Chieftain!” The words that Tarn wanted to say were swallowed back by him. His already dejected expression became even more dejected.

Led by Tarn, Evand and Cheng Yu stepped out of the chief's tent. As they reached the outside, Evand realized that the sun was already setting. Golden sunlight bathed the vast land, gilding it with a warm, golden hue.

"You two are truly remarkable." Tarn's face beamed with a genuine smile, sparing no praise. "To pass Father's test is something no ordinary beast can do."

Cheng Yu smiled modestly, not showing much joy at Tarn's praise.

In contrast, Cheng Aiwend seemed to enjoy the praise more, puffing out his chest with a rather smug look on his face.

"By the way, what are your plans for the future?" Tarn's gaze swept back and forth between Evand and Cheng Yu, a hint of anticipation in his eyes. "I'd like to invite you to go hiking and temple climbing with me. The scenery there is beautiful, and there are some interesting legends associated with it."

Evan looked in Cheng Yu's direction, just as Cheng Yu was looking at him.

The two wolves locked eyes and understood each other's meaning: they wouldn't go. Only their approaches differed.

Evand thought: Although Tarn's proposal sounded very attractive, there were more important tasks to complete. Going hiking was fine, and he could come back to see Tarn later. However, if he broke his promise to Nexus, Nexus wouldn't blame Evand, but Evand would feel guilty. Therefore, he had to complete his task first before spending time with Tarn.

Cheng Yu believes that he has not yet completed the task assigned to him by his master, which is to depict a story using his own calligraphy and painting skills. Therefore, he will never return there until he has completed the task, unless absolutely necessary.

“Thank you very much for the invitation, Tarn,” Evand said politely, “but we have some things to take care of right now, so we may not have time to go hiking with you.”

A flicker of disappointment crossed Tarn's face, but he quickly regained his smile. "It's alright, I understand. Then, let's arrange a time another time. By the way, next time you come to find me, just come to the vicinity of my tent, and I'll be waiting for you there."

Cheng Yu nodded in agreement. "Okay, definitely. Then we'll take our leave, Tarn."

Tarn watched as Evan and Cheng Yu's figures gradually disappeared into the sunset.

Evan and Cheng Yu walked side by side on the way back to camp. The sun had completely sunk below the horizon, leaving only a faint red glow in the sky.

"What do you think of Tarn?" Cheng Yu suddenly asked.

Evans hesitated for a moment, then said, "He seems very warm and friendly, but there's something unreal about him. Maybe it's because of his father."

Cheng Yu nodded in agreement. "I feel the same way. However, regardless, he's our ally now, and we should try our best to maintain a good relationship."

As the last rays of the setting sun bathed the swamp, the shimmering water reflected the figures of the three orcs. Cheng Yu and Evand walked side by side, their faces etched with exhaustion, but their eyes gleamed with the satisfaction of completing their mission (Wow~ Cheng Yu is such a good actor!).

In the distance, Evand spotted that familiar figure—Nexus, standing at the entrance to the tribe, his gaze anxiously fixed on the road ahead. Seeing Evand and Cheng Yu return safely, a relieved and gratified smile instantly spread across his face.

"Evand, you're back!" Nexus's voice trembled slightly as he quickly stepped forward and patted Evand's shoulder with his scaly hands. "It's so good you're alright!"

Evand nodded, his fatigue lessened by joy: "Yes, we completed the mission, everything went smoothly."

Nexus turned to Cheng Yu and extended his hand: "Thank you, Cheng Yu. If it weren't for you, Evand might not have been able to complete the mission so smoothly." His tone was full of gratitude, and his eyes shone with sincerity.

As night fell, the bright moonlight bathed the swamp, casting a hazy veil over this mysterious land. Cheng Yu and Evand followed Nexus, making their way towards the lizardman tribe.

The fog in the swamp thickened, and the damp air was filled with the smell of earth and humid matter. Occasionally, a strange cry would drift from afar, sending chills down one's spine. Evan instinctively gripped the sword at his waist, cautiously scanning his surroundings.

“Don’t worry, although this place may look eerie and terrifying, it’s home to us lizardmen,” Nexus reassured Cheng Yu, seemingly noticing his nervousness. “Besides, with me here, there won’t be any danger.”

Evand nodded, a trusting smile spreading across his face. He knew Nexus was a reliable partner, and with him by his side, he had nothing to worry about.

The group continued onward, and gradually, a faint light appeared ahead. As they approached, the light grew brighter and brighter, until finally a brightly lit scene unfolded before them.

“Welcome to our lizardmen homeland,” Nexus said proudly.

Before me lay a village of wooden houses and bamboo huts, dotted with countless lanterns lit by fireflies, casting a warm and dreamy glow. In the center of the village stood a tall totem pole, carved with images of lizardmen, symbolizing their guardian deity.

Upon seeing Nexus's arrival, the villagers came out of their homes, gazing at the two unfamiliar visitors with enthusiastic eyes. The children, especially, curiously gathered around, reaching out to touch Cheng Yu and Evand's clothes, bursting into joyful laughter.

"This is our temporary lodging." Nexus stopped in front of a slightly spacious bamboo hut and turned to Cheng Yu and Evand. "You've had a long journey, so get some rest for the night. Tomorrow I'll show you around the tribe."

As night slowly descended, the bright moonlight bathed the village of the lizard people, shrouding this mysterious land in a hazy veil. The totem pole in the center of the village appeared especially solemn and sacred under the moonlight, its carved lizard-person patterns seemingly telling the story of this tribe's history and legends.

Nexus led Evand and Cheng Yu into the bamboo hut prepared for them. The hut was simply furnished, yet exuded a warm atmosphere. Decorations woven with colorful threads hung on the walls, their patterns seemingly telling traditional stories of the lizard people. Several lanterns lit by fireflies cast a soft glow inside.

"This is your lodging for the night," Nexus said with a smile. "I hope you get a good rest here. Tomorrow I will give you a tour of the tribe and show you about our lizard people's culture."

Evand looked around the bamboo hut, a grateful smile spreading across his face. "Thank you, Nexus. This is really nice; I'm sure we'll have a wonderful evening here."

"Haha~ It's alright, it's alright. I actually thought the setup here was pretty bad, please forgive me..."

Nexus's face grew increasingly red, and white steam kept puffing out of his nostrils; it was clear he was genuinely shy.

Cheng Yu nodded, expressing his gratitude. Although he looked somewhat tired, his eyes gleamed with the benefit he had brought to the relationship between Nexus and Evand.

After saying goodnight to the two, Nexus hurriedly left the bamboo hut. Evand and Cheng Yu quickly tidied up their belongings, then each found a comfortable spot to lie down and prepare to rest.

Lying on the soft straw mat, Evand's mind involuntarily drifted to Tarn. He recalled Tarn's invitation to climb the mountain and ascend the temple, and felt a pang of guilt. Although they did have more important tasks to complete at the time, Evand felt he had been too hasty in rejecting Tarn's kindness.

"Cheng Yu, do you think we should go find Tarn and accept his invitation after we complete the mission?" Evan asked softly in the darkness.

Cheng Yu was silent for a moment before slowly speaking, "I think if you have the chance, you should still go and see it. Although Tarn seems a bit strange, he was very friendly to us, and the scenery there sounds quite nice."

Evand nodded, though Cheng Yu couldn't see his gesture. "Then it's settled. Once we've finished our current task, we'll go find Tarn and accept his invitation."

However, Evan's expression quickly turned puzzled. He turned to Cheng Yu with a suspicious look and asked, "You just said you wanted me to go? What about you?"

"I'm sorry, Evand, I can't go with you tomorrow, remember? I have my own mission, and everything from now on depends on you. You have to believe in yourself."

"Okay~"

The two chatted for a while longer before falling asleep. However, Evan felt a sense of emptiness after hearing that Cheng Yu was leaving again.

In his dream, Evand seemed to see himself, Cheng Yu, and Tarn climbing a high mountain, gazing at the rolling hills and vast plains. It was a feeling of freedom and exhilaration, a feeling that filled him with joy.

The next morning, as the first rays of sunlight streamed through the windows of the bamboo hut, Evans woke up. Just as he was about to open his eyes, an idea suddenly popped into his head.

After thinking about it carefully, Evans thought the idea was pretty good, so he closed his eyes tightly again.

But he waited for a long time and did not hear that familiar voice. According to the time he spent with Cheng Yu, Cheng Yu should have come to call him, but this time Cheng Yu did not.

Evan quickly understood why. He opened his eyes with some disappointment and looked towards where Cheng Yu was sitting on the bed. Sure enough, as he expected, it was empty.

With a sigh, Evans straightened his clothes and got out of bed.

Arriving at a self-flowing water trough inside the bamboo hut, he quickly washed up, packed his belongings, and prepared to begin a new day of adventure.

Nexus had been waiting outside the bamboo hut for quite some time. Seeing Evand emerge, he greeted him warmly, but noticing Cheng Yu's absence, he asked with some confusion, "Good morning, where's Cheng Yu? I was going to give you a proper tour of our lizardman tribe today, did he oversleep?"

Evans sighed and said to Nexus, "Cheng Yu has his own mission to complete, so he probably can't join us for the tour of the tribe today."

Nexus was somewhat disappointed, but quickly regained his smile. After all, wasn't Evand here? And wouldn't it be better if Cheng Yu left?

"It's alright, I understand. Let me show you around our lizard people's homeland. I'm sure you'll find our culture interesting."

Evand nodded, a look of anticipation on his face. Although he felt somewhat disappointed by Cheng Yu's departure, he was also very excited about the opportunity to learn more about the lizard people's culture.

Nexus led Evand out of the bamboo hut and into the center of the village. In the morning light, the totem poles, which had seemed mysterious the night before, gleamed brightly, the lizardman patterns carved on them lifelike, as if telling the story of this tribe's long history.

“This totem pole is the spiritual symbol of our lizard people,” Nexus said proudly. “It records the origins and legends of our people. It is said that our ancestors were originally a group of lizards living deep in the swamps, and through a long process of evolution, we have evolved into our present form.”

Evand examined the carvings on the totem pole closely, his eyes gleaming with curiosity. He discovered that the carvings not only included images of lizardmen, but also patterns that looked like magic circles or runes.

“Nexus, what do these strange patterns mean?” Evand asked, pointing to one of the runes.

“These are ancient magic circles of us lizardmen,” Nexus explained. “Legend has it that our ancestors once possessed a mysterious natural magic, enabling them to communicate with the creatures of the swamp and draw upon their power. These magic circles are the crystallization of that ancient wisdom. Unfortunately, we have now lost most of our magical knowledge and can only find traces of it in these runes.”

Evand nodded thoughtfully. He hadn't expected that the seemingly simple lizardman tribe would have such a mysterious and long history. This made him even more interested in this group.

Next, Nexus led Evand on a tour of other facilities in the tribe, including the shrine, hunting grounds, and farmland.

In fact, many things were not very proper, because many things could not be built in the swamp. So the farmland that Evand saw was actually very rudimentary.

However, this is already the best that the lizard people living here can do.

Every place revealed the unique lifestyle and cultural characteristics of the lizard people. Evand carefully observed everything around him, asking questions from time to time, and Nexus always patiently answered them one by one.

As the tour progressed, Evand gradually discovered that although the lizardmen appeared distinctly different from the werewolf-beastmen, they shared many similarities in their lifestyles and values. They valued family, revered nature, and pursued harmony. This gave Evand a sense of familiarity with this seemingly unfamiliar race.

Just as Evand was immersed in exploring the lizardman culture, a sudden commotion arose outside the village. Nexus's expression instantly turned serious.

“Something’s happened, there’s an intruder!” Nexus whispered. “Evind, come with me, we need to check it out.”

Before he finished speaking, Nexus strode off towards the village entrance, and Evand quickly followed. He had a vague feeling that a crisis was quietly approaching...