Tavern of the Spear: Desire for Pleasure

On the vast northern grasslands, ancient tribal legends intertwine with the mysterious fate of the dragon race. This land has witnessed the millennia-long entanglement between the northern wolf tribe and the black dragon tribe, and has given birth to countless poignant stories.

The Black Dragon Tribe, with its unique allure, attracts countless souls seeking thrills and pleasure. It is a gambler's paradise and a playground for unbridled desires. However, behind this prosperity lies a heartbreaking secret—the tragic fate of the White Dragon.

The white dragons were once the purest and noblest beings on this land. Now, they have been reduced to livestock by the black dragon clan, cheap commodities in the slave trade. Their status is even lower than that of animals, subject to slaughter and devoid of any dignity.

Inside the Black Dragon Tribe's chieftain's residence, the atmosphere was solemn and dignified. Black Swamp, the young Black Dragon chieftain, was engrossed in a mountain of documents. His brow was furrowed, as if he were pondering something important. As the tribe's leader, he not only had to handle the tribe's daily affairs but also mediate conflicts with the northern wolf tribe.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps broke the silence of the room. The door was flung open, and a wolf guard rushed in, his face filled with terror, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Kurosawa slowly raised his head, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes. But when he saw the guard's panicked expression, his anger instantly dissipated. He knew that something extraordinary must have happened.

"Chief...Chief..." the guard stammered, his voice trembling violently, "Something has happened in Longchang!"

"What?" Kurosawa stood up abruptly, his sharp eyes fixed on the guard. "What happened?"

"There...there was a white dragon slave...who suddenly went berserk!" The guard took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. "He...he injured many guards, and...and..."

"What else?" Kurosawa pressed, his tone filled with anxiety and worry.

"He also killed a werewolf hostage!" The guard finally revealed the most crucial information.

Kurosawa's face instantly turned ashen. He knew that if this matter wasn't handled properly, it could potentially cause various troubles between the Black Dragon Tribe and the Northern Wolf Clan.

"What's the name of that white dragon slave?" Kurosawa asked in a deep voice.

“His…his name is Bowen,” the guard replied.

Bowen… Kurosawa murmured the name to himself. He had never heard of this name before, but from the guard's description, he could sense the extraordinary nature of this white dragon slave.

"Send the order to seal off Dragon Field. No one is allowed to enter or leave!" Kurosawa made a decisive decision. "Also, send someone to inform the leader of the Northern Wolf Clan that I, Kurosawa, have invited him to Dragon Field for a meeting."

"Yes!" The guard accepted the order and left.

Kurosawa stood alone in the room, gazing out the window into the distance. He knew a massive storm was brewing. And he had to prepare for it.

“Bowen…” Kurosawa uttered the name again, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes, “I want to see who you really are.”

Dragon Field, a place brimming with contradictions and complex emotions. It is not only a prison for white dragon slaves, but also a refuge for some impoverished people. This peculiar scene originates from the casino run by Obsidian, the elder brother of Black Swamp, the leader of the Black Dragon tribe.

Obsidian's casino, like a greedy beast, devoured large swathes of land belonging to the Black Dragon tribe. To house the impoverished people displaced by the casino, Kurosawa had to allocate a portion of Dragon Field as their residence.

However, Ryujo was, after all, a place where white dragon slaves were imprisoned, fraught with danger and the unknown. To maintain order here, Kurosawa would also distribute a small amount of gold coins to these poor people each month as compensation for their assistance in management.

Led by the wolf guards, Kurosawa navigated through several narrow and winding alleys before finally arriving at the scene of the incident. The sight before him made him gasp in shock.

The once relatively tidy Dragon Grounds were now a scene of utter devastation. Broken planks and debris littered the ground, and a faint smell of blood filled the air. Several wolf soldiers stood guard, weapons in hand, vigilantly surveying their surroundings.

In the center of the crowd, a wolf soldier was stomping hard on the face of a white dragon orc. The white dragon orc was thin and covered in wounds, clearly incapable of resisting.

"Chief!" Upon seeing Black Swamp arrive, the wolf soldier immediately stopped trampling, quickly walked up to Black Swamp, and respectfully bowed.

"Hmm." Kurosawa nodded, signaling him to continue.

The wolf soldier cleared his throat and began to recount what had happened: "Chief, this white dragon slave claims to be named Bowen. This morning, he suddenly went berserk, injured several guards, and... and killed one of our wolf clan's hostages."

"Oh?" Kurosawa frowned slightly and asked, "Why would he do that?"

“This…” the wolf soldier hesitated for a moment before saying, “It is said that… it was because the hostage harassed him.”

"Teasing?" A cold glint flashed in Kurosawa's eyes. "What's going on?"

"I don't know the specifics, but I do know that the hostage said some...some vulgar things to Bowen and even touched him inappropriately..." the wolf soldier stammered.

Kurosawa's face was terribly grim. He knew that although the wolf clan and the black dragon clan were neighbors, there had always been some conflicts between them. This incident was very likely deliberately provoked by the wolf clan.

"Bring that white dragon slave here," Kurosawa said coldly.

"Yes!" the wolf soldier replied, turned around and walked to Bowen's side, roughly pulling him up from the ground.

Bowen was brought before Kurosawa. He lowered his head, not daring to meet Kurosawa's gaze. His body trembled slightly, whether from fear or anger, it was unclear.

"Raise your head." Kurosawa's voice was cold and authoritative.

Bowen slowly raised his head, revealing a pale and haggard face. His eyes were bloodshot, but they also revealed an indomitable stubbornness.

Kurosawa stared into Bowen's eyes, as if trying to see through his heart. After a long while, he slowly spoke: "Why did you kill him?"

"I..." Bowen opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.

"Speak!" Kurosawa's voice suddenly rose, carrying an undeniable air of authority.

“He…he insulted me…” Bowen finally mustered his courage and said haltingly, “He…he also wanted to…”

"What else are you thinking about?" Kurosawa pressed.

“He…he and his brothers also wanted to force me…” Bowen’s voice grew softer and softer until it was almost inaudible.

Kurosawa's brows furrowed deeply. He knew that Bowen was telling the truth. In places like Longchang, the fate of white dragon slaves was often more tragic than that of livestock.

"I understand." Kurosawa took a deep breath and said, "I will give you an explanation for this matter."

"Confess?" A hint of confusion flashed in Bowen's eyes. "Confess what?"

"I will find out the truth and give you justice." Kurosawa's voice was firm and powerful. "But before that, you must come with me."

Kurosawa's actions caused a huge uproar within the Black Dragon Tribe. Everyone was bewildered by their leader's decision. Bringing a white dragon slave who had committed murder back to his own mansion, and even letting him live in his bedroom? This was simply unheard of.

Various speculations and rumors spread rapidly throughout the tribe. Some said that Kurosawa was captivated by Bowen's beauty and had fallen in love with him; others said that Kurosawa wanted to use Bowen to achieve some ulterior motive; still others speculated that Kurosawa wanted to use this opportunity to show off to the northern wolf tribe...

However, regardless of the outside world's discussions, the members of the Black Dragon Tribe chose to unconditionally obey Black Swamp's decision. They believed that their leader must have his own considerations and would not do anything to harm the tribe's interests.

Bowen, the previously unknown white dragon slave, has now become the center of the entire incident. He is unaware that he has been caught in a massive storm, nor how his fate will be changed.

After a long period of fear, anger, and anxiety, Bowen finally fell into a deep sleep in Kurosawa's bedroom. The soft bed and warm room brought him a long-lost sense of peace. He had a dream, a dream without oppression or humiliation, only freedom and joy…

At this moment, Kurosawa did not stay in his bedroom to keep Bowen company. He knew that he had more important things to do.

He arrived alone at Obsidian's residence. Obsidian was Black Swamp's elder brother and a highly influential figure in the Black Dragon Tribe. His gambling business spanned the entire northern grasslands, bringing immense wealth to the Black Dragon Tribe.

"Kurosawa, what brings you here so late?" Obsidian was sitting at the table, sipping fine wine and admiring the treasures he had acquired that day. He was slightly surprised to see Kurosawa enter.

“Brother, I need your help,” Kurosawa said bluntly.

"Oh?" Obsidian put down his wine glass and looked at Kurosawa with interest. "Tell me about it."

Kurosawa told Obsidian everything that had happened in Ryuba and how he had brought Hiromon back to the mansion.

"You mean, you plan to take in that white dragon slave?" Obsidian frowned slightly after hearing this. But he wasn't angry, perhaps because he was used to it.

“Yes.” Kurosawa nodded. “I think Bowen is a person with potential. If we can recruit him, it will be a good thing for our Black Dragon tribe.”

"Heh, you always say the same thing. But you should know that he did kill a wolf hostage. This matter won't be so easy to resolve," Obsidian teased.

“I know,” Kurosawa said. “That’s why I came to you to discuss countermeasures.”

Obsidian pondered for a moment, and finally agreed, saying, "This matter is indeed somewhat tricky. However, it's not entirely without a solution."

"What brilliant idea do you have, brother?" Kurosawa asked hastily.

“We can do this…” Obsidian whispered a few words into Kurosawa’s ear.

After hearing this, Kurosawa's eyes lit up: "Great! Let's do it this way!"

"However, Kurosawa, you must remember that you absolutely must handle this matter properly. If you fail, be prepared to face my wrath. Also, this is the last time you take in White Dragon; don't let this happen again." Obsidian seemed to be instructing Kurosawa, but in reality, he was warning him.

"Don't worry, brother. I know what I'm doing," Kurosawa said.

After discussing the countermeasures with Obsidian, Kurosawa felt much more relaxed. He knew that as long as Obsidian got his approval, nothing else really mattered.

“Bowen…” Kurosawa uttered the name again, a hint of expectation flashing in his eyes, “I hope you won’t disappoint me.”

Leaving his elder brother Obsidian's residence, Kurosawa felt much lighter, but his steps remained steady. He slowly walked back the way he had come towards his own mansion.

The Black Dragon Tribe was unusually quiet under the cover of night. Perhaps the tragedy that had occurred in Dragon Field during the day had left the tribe's residents feeling uneasy. The once bustling streets were now deserted, with only the occasional bark of a dog emphasizing the depth of the night.

Kurosawa walked alone on the empty street, lost in thought. He recalled everything that had happened during the day, feeling both sympathy for Bowen and anxiety about the future. He knew that his decision to bring Bowen back to the mansion might trigger a series of chain reactions. However, he did not regret it. He believed that his choice was correct.

Unbeknownst to him, Kurosawa had already returned to his mansion. The mansion was brightly lit, a stark contrast to the silence outside.

"Master, you're back." As soon as he entered the door, a familiar voice reached Kurosawa's ears.

Kurosawa looked up and saw several white dragon slaves dressed in white robes standing respectfully at the door to greet him. These white dragons were all rescued by Kurosawa from the dragon farm. They were originally slaves, living a life of darkness and despair. It was Kurosawa who gave them freedom and restored their dignity.

"Mm." Kurosawa nodded in response.

Although Kurosawa had granted these white dragons their freedom, their long history of slavery made it difficult for them to adjust. They still habitually addressed Kurosawa as "Master" and treated him with great respect.

Kurosawa did not force them to change their way of addressing each other; he knew it would take time.

"You should all go and rest," Kurosawa said to the white dragons.

"Yes, Master," the white dragons replied and then withdrew.

Kurosawa walked into the mansion alone, his gaze falling towards his bedroom. He knew that Bowen was resting there at the moment.

He hesitated for a moment, then walked towards the bedroom. He wanted to check on Bowen and see if he had woken up.

……

The camera slowly rises, gradually zooming out from the Black Swamp's mansion to the entire Black Dragon Tribe, and then to the distant Northern Wolf Tribe.

From the air, both tribes appeared vibrant and full of life. The streets were bustling with people, and the shops were overflowing with goods, presenting a thriving scene.

However, behind this peaceful scene lurks an eerie atmosphere. The relationship between the two tribes doesn't seem as harmonious as it appears on the surface.

In the distance, a large patch of dark clouds was slowly moving towards them. Lightning flashed and thunder roared within the clouds, seemingly foreshadowing an impending storm.

What will this storm bring to these two tribes? How will it change the fate of Bowen and Kurosawa? Everything remains to be seen…

Kurosawa gently pushed open the bedroom door. A faint, pleasant fragrance filled the room—the distinctive scent of Haku. Bowen lay quietly on the bed, his breathing even and steady.

Kurosawa walked to the bedside and sat down on the edge. He gazed at Bowen's sleeping face, a complex emotion welling up inside him.

Although his face was pale and haggard, it could not hide his handsome features. Kurosawa had never seen such a beautiful white dragon before. Even among the white dragon slaves who were known for their beauty, Bowen was definitely outstanding.

Kurosawa reached out and gently stroked Bowen's cheek. His fingers touched Bowen's skin and felt a cool sensation.

"What kind of person are you, really?" Kurosawa murmured to himself. "Why are you so special?"

Bowen seemed to feel Kurosawa's touch; his eyelashes trembled slightly, but he did not wake up.

Kurosawa sat quietly by the bed, watching Bowen, until dawn broke.

As the first rays of sunlight streamed through the window into the room, Kurosawa slowly stood up. He knew it was time for him to leave.

He took one last look at the sleeping Bowen, then turned and walked out of the bedroom.