Tavern of the Spear: Desire for Pleasure

Evans was lost in despair, his hands hanging limply at his sides. Seeing this, Tarn gently patted his shoulder and said softly, "Don't be too sad. Even though the photos are lost, your friendship with Cheng Yu won't disappear. Perhaps this is just a temporary separation, and you will meet again eventually."

Evans looked up, the tears in his eyes gradually fading. He took a deep breath and forced a smile: "You're right, Tarn. I shouldn't be so discouraged. Cheng Yu... he must still be alive. We'll meet again someday."

As their emotions calmed, the two decided to leave the temple. By the time they stepped out the gate, it was already dark. The distant mountains were bathed in the glow of the setting sun, creating a magnificent scene. Tarn looked around and suggested, "It's getting late. Let's camp on the mountaintop tonight and come down early tomorrow morning."

Evand nodded in agreement. Tarn immediately began making arrangements, "I'll set up the tent and start the fire, you can rest for a bit." However, Evand stopped him, "Wait, Tarn. Why do you feel the need to do so much?"

Tarn paused, seemingly having never considered this question before. He scratched the back of his head, slightly embarrassed, and said, "Maybe it's because I'm always being asked to do these things. Over time, I've come to feel that these are my responsibilities."

Evans smiled. "You don't need to do everything yourself. We're partners; we should divide the work." He pointed to the woods in the distance. "How about this: you go find some edible wild fruits or plants, and I'll take care of setting up the tent and starting the fire, okay?"

Tarn was taken aback at first, then smiled with relief. "Good idea, let's do it that way." With that, he turned and walked towards the lake, his figure quickly disappearing into the twilight.

The two split up, with Evand gathering timber along the lakeshore. He piled the timber at the spot where he had rested the previous night and began building a makeshift shelter.

Starting a fire was more difficult than he had imagined. It took Evans a lot of effort to light the fire using the friction method, and his wolf claws were starting to ache. But looking at the flickering flames, he felt a sense of accomplishment.

A short while later, Tarn returned. He was carrying several fish in each hand, the fish gutted and cleaned, but Tarn was soaking wet, as if he had just crawled out of the water. Evand quickly asked, "What happened to you? Why are you all wet?"

Tarn scratched his head sheepishly, "I was going to use a spear to stab the fish, and I thought it was dead, but when I held it in my hand, its tail smacked me in the face twice! Then I accidentally dropped it into the lake."

Upon hearing Tarn's explanation, Evand burst into laughter. "Hahaha, Tarn! You're really unlucky! Hahaha!"

Tarn's face grew increasingly red. Xiu followed his lead, threw the spear aside, rushed to Evan, hugged him, and then they started playfully fighting.

Evand and Tarn's playful banter continued for a long time, until dusk fell, at which point they realized how much time had passed. They stopped, panting, and smiled at each other, as if their earlier frolicking had erased all their troubles.

“Good heavens, we’ve been going on for so long!” Evan exclaimed, watching the last rays of sunlight disappear on the horizon. Tarn nodded, brushing the dust off his clothes. “Yes, time flies. Come on, let’s prepare dinner.”

The two cooked the fish together, and the aroma quickly filled the camp. After their meal, they lay side by side on the ground, gazing up at the night sky. Although the ground was uneven, it did not prevent them from admiring the brilliant Milky Way overhead.

Evand's thoughts drifted back to the scene he had seen in the temple; the mysterious books and pool still lingered in his mind. Tarn seemed to sense Evand's distraction and asked softly, "Hmm, what do you think of this place?"

Evand turned his head and looked at Tarn's profile. "To be honest, I have so many questions. Everything here is so different from the life I'm used to down the mountain."

Tarn smiled and said, "What would you like to know? Ask away, and I'll do my best to answer."

Evand pondered for a moment, then spoke, "First, why does the pool in that temple emit that strange light? And what was that strange feeling when I touched the water?"

Upon hearing Evand's question, a complex look flashed across Tarn's eyes. He took a deep breath and slowly said, "That pool of water is indeed very special. We've heard it can purify and corrupt, but I don't really understand the specifics; it's just what I've heard since I was a child."

Evand frowned and pressed, "Corruption? What's that?"

Tarn scratched his head, carefully choosing his words: "Corruption is...a very dangerous state. Some creatures corrode us from within. They usually take advantage of a failed duel with a monster, or when you're in a bad mental state, to invade your body."

Evand's eyes widened, his body involuntarily tensing. Tarn noticed his reaction and continued, "If the corruption becomes too severe, encountering a dark mage might strip you of your free will, turning you into a puppet. Even... there might be worse consequences."

Hearing this, Evand suddenly remembered that he had also been defeated by monsters before. A wave of panic washed over him, and he muttered to himself, "Oh God, could I have been corrupted too?"

He instinctively looked down at his genitals, his heart pounding. Although there was nothing wrong on the surface, who knew if it had already begun to rot inside? Evan felt dizzy and broke out in a cold sweat.

Tarn keenly sensed Evand's unease and gently patted his back: "Don't worry, corruption usually has obvious symptoms. You look perfectly healthy."

Evand nodded reluctantly, but his heart remained unsettled. He mustered his courage and asked in a trembling voice, "Tann, could you...examine me? I mean, see if I show any signs of corruption?"

Tarn paused for a moment, then smiled gently. "Of course, if that puts your mind at ease."

He gestured for Evand to lie down, then carefully lifted his shirt. Tarn's fingers gently traced Evand's abdomen, sending a shiver down his spine. Evand closed his eyes, trying to control his rapid breathing.

Tarn's warm, strong hands roamed over Evand's body. He carefully examined every possible abnormality, his movements both professional and gentle. Evand felt a strange sense of security, along with a hint of inexplicable excitement.

“Your body is perfectly normal, with no signs of decay,” Tarn concluded, his voice tinged with relief.

Evand opened his eyes and met Tarn's concerned gaze. Their eyes locked, and something seemed to be quietly brewing in the air. Evand felt his heart pounding faster and faster, his cheeks burning.

Just then, a low howl broke the tense atmosphere in the distance. Tarn quickly stood up, cautiously looking around: "We need to be careful; dangerous creatures might roam this area at night."

Evans also stood up, trying to calm his racing heart. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to concentrate: "What should we do? Should we go somewhere else?"

Tarn shook his head: "Moving now might attract more attention. We need to figure something out... How about we take turns on night shifts?"

"Okay, then I'll take over for you, Tarn. You go to sleep first!"

"Haha, I'm so tired I can barely keep my eyes open, so I'm going to sleep now. Good luck!"

Under their shifts of watch, Evand and Tarn safely weathered this extraordinary night. As the first rays of dawn shone upon them, the two packed up their makeshift campsite and began their journey down the mountain.

Unlike the cautious ascent, the descent was much easier. Tarn led the way familiarly, occasionally pointing out hidden shortcuts. Evand followed closely behind, stopping now and then to admire the mountain scenery. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground, and the clear chirping of birds drifted from afar—everything seemed so harmonious and beautiful.

Before they knew it, they had arrived at the foot of the mountain. The outline of the cattle tribe gradually became clear, and the familiar tents and smoke from their chimneys gave Evand a sense of warmth. Recalling this short but thrilling journey, Evand's heart was filled with excitement and joy.

Entering the village, Evand couldn't help but ask, "Tann, this experience was fantastic! Can we go hiking together again sometime?" A hint of fatigue flashed across Tarn's face, but he still smiled and replied, "Of course, but..." He paused, then continued somewhat hesitantly, "It depends on my father's mood. If he's in a bad mood, you might even have trouble entering the village. So, we can only hope he's in a good mood."

A flicker of disappointment crossed Evand's face after hearing this, but he quickly smiled again. He understood Tarn's situation, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "It's alright, I understand. In any case, this experience has been very fulfilling."

Tarn gave Evand a grateful look, then yawned. "Sorry, I'm really exhausted. If you need to find me, I can rest next to the chief's tent." With that, he walked towards his tent and quickly disappeared from Evand's sight.

Evand stood there, watching Tarn leave. He took a deep breath, feeling the familiar scent of the tribe. Although he didn't know what the future held, his heart was filled with hope and anticipation.

Evand dragged his weary body along the path of the Minotaur tribe. The morning sun shone on him, but it couldn't dispel the gloom in his heart. He had intended to wander around the tribe a little longer, but the sudden appearance of Chief Axel, Tarn's father, disrupted his plans.

"Hey, you wolf cub!" a gruff voice came from behind. Evand turned around and saw Axel striding towards him. The tall, powerful chieftain frowned, his eyes filled with disdain. "What are you doing here again? Looking for Tarn again?"

Evand felt a surge of nervousness, but still mustered his courage to answer, "Chief Axel, I simply..."

"Enough nonsense!" Axel interrupted him. "I'm warning you, stop bothering my son. A wolf cub like you doesn't deserve to be his friend. You two are from completely different worlds!"

Evand lowered his head, clenching his fists, but didn't argue. Axel snorted coldly and turned to leave. Only after the chief's figure disappeared from sight did Evand dare to raise his head. He gritted his teeth and muttered "old bastard" under his breath, then quickly ran out of the tribe.

Along the way, Evand's mood grew heavier. He couldn't understand why Axel hated him so much. Was he destined to be unworthy of being friends with powerful people simply because he was a werewolf? With these questions in mind, he finally returned to the tavern.

Pushing open the tavern door, Evand was about to breathe a sigh of relief when he saw Snow standing behind the bar with a stern face. Snow's gaze was sharp as a knife, as if it could pierce through Evand. "Where have you been?" Snow asked in a deep voice.

Evans swallowed hard, stammering, "I...I went for a walk in the mountains with Tarn..."

"Just wandered around? You went out and wandered around all day! And didn't even come back at night!" Snow sneered. "Do you know you stood me up again yesterday! You inconsiderate brat! Do you want a beating?"

Faced with Snow's rebuke, Evand felt both wronged and angry. He wanted to explain his adventure, to say that he didn't do it on purpose, but all the words stuck in his throat and he couldn't say them.

After all, he had indeed failed to keep his promise. He should have stayed in the tavern and waited until night to fulfill his promise to Snow. However, when he thought of his promise to Tarn, he decided to go find Tarn. But what he didn't expect was that the climb would take so long, which caused him to forget his promise to Snow.

Evan stood at the bar, head bowed, avoiding Snow's gaze. A suffocating silence hung in the air, as if time itself had stopped. Just then, the tavern door was flung open, and a loud voice shattered the frozen atmosphere.