Tavern of the Spear: Desire for Pleasure

Chapter 143: An Unlikely Acquaintance

Bai Yu bid farewell to Xiao Zhi and stepped into Zhihe City alone. This city was vastly different from the bustling scene he had imagined.

Following the map's directions, Bai Yu walked along the wide street towards the central square. He had expected to see a bustling crowd and hear lively noise, but reality surprised him.

Bai Yu walked a long way, probably a kilometer or two, but he hadn't found a single living person. Logically, this shouldn't be the case.

Towering buildings line both sides of the street, exuding a futuristic and technological feel, yet they stand empty, like cold, steel behemoths, silently tumbling to the ground.

"Strange...why is there no one here?"

A strong sense of unease welled up in Bai Yu's heart. He felt that this city seemed to be hiding some unknown secret.

He felt something was off, but he didn't dwell on it and continued following the map's directions to find the know-it-all he was looking for. He quickened his pace, eager to find the "know-it-all" and resolve his doubts.

After walking for a long time, Bai Yu suddenly stopped. He realized that he seemed to have returned to the place he had passed through before.

Only then did Bai Yu realize that he seemed to be standing still, because this was the third time he had passed by the Xiaozhi Stationery Store.

"How can this be?"

An expression of disbelief crossed Bai Yu's face. He was clearly following the map's directions, so why was he just going around in circles?

He lowered his head and carefully examined the map in his hand. The routes on the map were clear and unambiguous, without any problems.

"Could it be... that the map is fake?"

A thought flashed through Bai Yu's mind.

He looked up and surveyed his surroundings again. The streets, buildings, streetlights... everything was exactly the same as before, without any change.

Bai Yu's eyes became wary. He didn't want to think about the worst, but the current situation forced him to consider whether he had fallen into some kind of trap.

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He knew this wasn't the time to panic. He had to figure out what was going on.

"Ash... what exactly are you?"

The image of Xiao Zhi flashed through Bai Yu's mind. He remembered that Xiao Zhi had once said that he was the intelligent butler of "Intelligent Core City," responsible for managing everything in the city.

"Could it be... that all of this was Ash's conspiracy?"

A chill ran through Bai Yu's heart. He felt as if he had fallen into a huge trap.

He examined the map again, trying to find any flaws. However, the routes on the map remained perfectly correct.

"No... something's definitely wrong..."

Bai Yu muttered to himself, his tone filled with anxiety.

He closed his eyes, trying hard to recall every detail of his time entering "Smart Core City." He remembered talking to Xiao Zhi, who had helped him and given him a map.

"Map...map..."

A sudden thought flashed through Bai Yu's mind. He remembered that Xiao Zhi had said that "Intelligent Core City" had its own rules, and only by abiding by the rules could one survive here.

"Rules... Could this be related to the rules of 'Smart Core City'?"

Bai Yu suddenly opened his eyes, a flash of realization crossing them.

He remembered that Ash had told him three rules: no killing, no destruction, and no lying.

"Could it be... that I broke the rules?"

A strong sense of unease welled up in Bai Yu's heart. He carefully recalled his actions, trying to find where he had violated the rules.

"I didn't kill anyone, nor did I cause any damage... Could it be that I lied?"

Bai Yu's brows furrowed tightly. He recalled that he had asked Xiao Zhi about how to leave "Intelligent Core City," but he hadn't told Xiao Zhi his true purpose.

"Could this be... the reason I broke the rules?"

Bai Yu was filled with doubt. He didn't know if his guess was correct.

"No... I have to go find Ash and ask him what's going on!"

Bai Yu was determined to find Xiao Zhi and find out the truth behind everything.

He opened the map again and carefully examined the route. He noticed a place marked with a red dot.

"Could this be Ash's location?"

A glimmer of hope ignited in Bai Yu's heart. He decided to go to this place to find Xiao Zhi.

He followed the directions on the map and walked towards the location of the red dot.

Along the way, he still didn't see any pedestrians. The entire city seemed like a ghost town, quietly waiting for his arrival.

After walking for a long time, Bai Yu finally arrived at the location of the red dot. He discovered that it was a huge building, and on the top of the building was a huge display screen with a red dot flashing on it.

"Is this... where Ash is?"

Bai Yu was filled with doubt. He didn't know how to enter the building.

He walked to the building's main entrance and found it tightly shut, with no sign of being opened.

"Ash! Are you there?"

Bai Yu shouted loudly, his voice echoing through the empty city.

However, there was no response.

"Ash! I know you're in there! Come out now!"

Bai Yu continued shouting, his tone tinged with anxiety.

Still no response.

"hateful……"

Bai Yu felt a surge of anger. He already suspected that he had been tricked by Xiao Zhi, but what reason did Xiao Zhi have?

Just as Bai Yu felt helpless and was about to leave the mysterious building temporarily, he suddenly felt a chill down his spine. This chill did not come from a change in temperature, but from an indescribable, spine-chilling sensation.

Bai Yu turned around abruptly, his body tensing instantly as he assumed a defensive stance. He saw a person dressed in a long black robe standing behind him.

The man was dressed in a long black robe that covered his entire body, obscuring his features. He gave off a very sinister and oppressive feeling.

The man in black stood there silently, making no move, yet he gave Bai Yu an extremely dangerous feeling. It was as if a ferocious beast lurking in the darkness could pounce at any moment and tear him to pieces.

"who are you?"

Bai Yu's tone was icy, and he assumed an attack stance. He could sense that the person before him was no good. His voice carried a hint of wariness and questioning. He stared intently at the man in black robes, trying to find some weakness in him.

However, the man in black robes did not answer Bai Yu's question. Instead, he slowly raised his hand. His movements were slow and elegant, as if he were performing some kind of mysterious ritual.

His fingers were very long and fair, but his fingernails were pitch black. As the man in the black robe raised his hand, the air around him distorted.

The man in the black robe had long, slender, and fair fingers, which contrasted sharply with his jet-black nails. As he slowly raised his hand, the surrounding air seemed to be affected by some invisible force, beginning to distort and deform.

Bai Yu's hair stood on end. He could sense that the person was brewing some terrifying attack. He dared not wait any longer and launched an attack directly at the other party.

Bai Yu's body instantly erupted with a powerful force. He dared not hold back in the slightest and used all his strength.

He knew that the man in black robes before him was no ordinary person. He had to go all out to have any chance of defeating him.

Bai Yu's fist, accompanied by a whistling sound, slammed fiercely towards the man in black. His fist was like a cannonball fired from a gun, carrying overwhelming power.

The instant Bai Yu threw his punch, his opponent stretched out a hand and blocked Bai Yu's head. The hood on Bai Yu's head was also blown off by the hurricane from the punch, revealing his mechanical skeleton head.

The black-robed man's reaction surprised Bai Yu. He hadn't expected that the other party could block his attack so easily.

What shocked him even more was that the black-robed man's hood was blown off by the hurricane generated by his fist, revealing the head of a mechanical skeleton.

"robot?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Bai Yu's eyes. He hadn't expected that this mysterious man in black robes was actually a robot.

The robot in front of him seemed to be angered, but he did not retaliate. A magnetic electronic voice came from his mechanical vocal cords, and he questioned Bai Yu about why he attacked him. In this city, such behavior was against the rules. He just wanted to go home and asked Bai Yu to make way for him.

The robot's voice was cold and mechanical, devoid of any emotion. He questioned Bai Yu about why he had attacked him.

He emphasized that attacking others is against the rules in this "smart city." He just wanted to go home and hoped Bai Yu would make way for him.

Then the robot glared angrily at Bai Yu, put its hat back on, pushed Bai Yu aside, and entered the house behind Bai Yu.

The robot's actions took Bai Yu by surprise. He hadn't expected it to let him go so easily.

Bai Yu felt a little embarrassed, but he was still a little confused. According to his intuition, the other party should have wanted to attack him, but what happened next was beyond his expectations.

He stood there, watching the robot enter the building, his mind filled with doubt.

"What exactly is going on?"

Bai Yu muttered to himself, his tone filled with confusion.

He had expected to engage in a fierce battle with the man in black robes, but the outcome was unexpected.

The man in black robes not only didn't attack him, but also questioned him about why he had broken the rules. This made Bai Yu feel that he seemed to be caught in an even more complex mystery.

"Could it be... that I really misunderstood him?"

A pang of guilt flashed through Bai Yu's mind. He began to wonder if he had been too nervous and misjudged the black-robed man's intentions.

He recalled the scene just now; although the man in black robes gave off a sinister feeling, his actions were not aggressive at all.

"Perhaps... he really just wants to go home..."

A complex emotion welled up in Bai Yu's heart. He felt as if he had done something wrong.

He stared at the tightly closed doors of the building, filled with doubt and unease. He didn't know what to do next.

Bai Yu stood there, filled with doubt and unease. He looked at the tightly closed door of the building, hesitating whether to go in. After all, Xiao Zhi might be inside this house. He planned to go in with the other person, find Xiao Zhi, and then ask about the baby dragon.

Just as Bai Yu was about to go in with her, a voice came from behind him again. It was a woman's voice, and it sounded somewhat familiar.

The voice was crisp and melodious, carrying a sense of familiarity that made Bai Yu feel a strange sense of warmth.