Tavern of the Spear: Desire for Pleasure

(I've changed a lot of the plot now. After all, just following the plot makes the protagonist feel like they're not playing a role at all, and they're just like an observer. Also, some fans have said they want more of the protagonist's storyline, so I'll be making changes to many parts and adding my own settings.)

Sunlight streamed into the room through the window, warm and inviting. Cheng Yu woke up, rubbing his sleepy eyes. He got out of bed, tidied his clothes, and went to the front yard. His master, Long Zheng, was painting in the yard. On the canvas was a lifelike minotaur, its muscles clearly defined and full of power.

Cheng Yu quietly walked behind his master and playfully wrapped his arms around his neck. "Master!"

Long gently patted Cheng Yu's hand, "Don't be silly, you need to be quiet when you're painting."

Cheng Yu stuck out his tongue, let go of his hand, and walked to the side. Seeing his master painting so earnestly, a warm feeling welled up in his heart. He took out his old-fashioned video camera and recorded the scene.

Upon seeing the camera, Long remembered Cheng Yu's purpose for the trip. "How many 'paintings' did you collect this time?" Between them, "paintings" referred to photographs.

Cheng Yu scratched his head somewhat awkwardly, "Not many, hehe." He turned on the camera and looked through the photos. Most of them were ordinary scenes, and some were not-so-serious and funny pictures. Only a few were satisfactory. Finally, he selected three and handed them to his master.

The first photo shows Evand and Nexus embracing tightly when they encounter a traitor in the Lizardman tribe. Nexus's face is filled with worry, while Evand holds her firmly, giving her strength and courage.

The second photo shows Evand and Tarn accidentally falling and kissing while hiking. Evand looks bewildered, while Tarn looks away shyly. The scene is full of youthful energy and a touch of ambiguity.

The third image shows Evand enjoying a gathering with his companions at the Spear Tavern. They are seated around a table, clinking glasses, chatting and laughing, creating a warm and lively atmosphere.

Long took the photos and examined them carefully, a faint smile appearing on his face. "Not bad." He looked at Cheng Yu and teased, "Why is that little wolf in every single one? You weren't stalking him, were you?" He added, feigning seriousness, "As someone who's been there, let me tell you, if you really like them, I can help you choose."

Cheng Yu quickly waved his hand, his cheeks slightly flushed. "No way! I just... happened to take a picture." He guiltily turned his head away, not daring to meet his master's gaze.

Seeing Cheng Yu's flustered state, Long couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, I won't tease you anymore. These 'paintings' are very interesting, full of life. However, you should also be careful and not always run to dangerous places. Also, this little dragon is very special, but I can't tell you anything else."

Cheng Yu nodded. "I understand, Master. I knew even if you hadn't told me."

"Okay, good to know." Long handed the photo back to Cheng Yu. "Did you come back this time for something?"

Cheng Yu recounted the story again, telling his master in detail about his experiences in the "Forgotten Land" and Aolian's sacrifice.

After listening, Long fell into deep thought. "'The Forgotten Land'... It seems things are more complicated than I imagined." He looked at Cheng Yu, his eyes filled with worry. "Child, you must never go to that place again. It's too dangerous."

Cheng Yu nodded. "I know, Master. But... Aolian, he..."

“I know you’re worried about him, but what you can do now is improve your own strength. Only then can you protect the people you want to protect.” Long patted Cheng Yu on the shoulder. “What are your plans for the future?”

Cheng Yu thought for a moment, "I want to continue making the 'painting,' and then... I want to find a way to leave the 'Forgotten Land,' and I want to... go and save Aolian."

A hint of admiration flashed in the dragon's eyes. "Good, that's ambitious! But I see you've also created a beautiful 'painting,' why don't you show it to your master? Never mind, it's fine if you don't show it; your master will fully support you. During this time, just stay here peacefully, and I will teach you some new techniques to improve your abilities."

"Thank you, Master!" Cheng Yu's eyes were filled with gratitude and hope. He knew that with his master's help, he would definitely become stronger, definitely be able to rescue Ao Lian, and unlock the secrets of the "Forgotten Land".

Cheng Yu carefully put away the photos, his heart filled with anticipation and hope for the future. His master's words had given him immense encouragement, and he believed that as long as he continued to work hard, he would definitely achieve his goal. He rose to bid farewell to his master and prepared to return to his room to begin a new phase of his cultivation.

Meanwhile, Evand had already ventured deep into the dungeon. His unusually smooth journey left him somewhat puzzled. The gargoyles, usually feared throughout the dungeon, were now fleeing at his sight, a fact that baffled him. "Could it be that I look too terrifying?" Evand thought, touching his face with a touch of narcissism.

However, he didn't dwell on it; all he wanted to do was find He as soon as possible. The dungeon was eerie and terrifying, filled with the smell of decay. The walls were covered in damp moss, and water droplets dripped from the ceiling, making a "drip-drip" sound.

Evans proceeded cautiously, each step taken with utmost care. He searched several rooms, finding each one haunted by wraiths emitting chilling, mournful howls. Fortunately, he had brought enough magic and life potions, preventing him from being terrified by the ghosts.

In a room deep within the dungeon, Evand discovered a white lion-orc. He was richly dressed, clearly of noble birth, but appeared dazed, muttering incomprehensible words. Evand tried to communicate with him, but the man remained unresponsive, standing motionless.

Evand sighed helplessly; it seemed the white lion orc had gone mad. He decided to ignore him and continue onward. The dungeon was a maze of branching paths, and Evand walked for a long time without finding any trace of He.

Fortunately, he had a keen sense of smell and was able to roughly determine He's direction based on the scent left on his body. He followed the scent and arrived at a new area.

The air here was colder, and the eerie atmosphere even more intense, causing Evand to shiver involuntarily. He felt a nameless fear, as if something terrifying lurked in the darkness, watching him.

He decided to stop and observe his surroundings carefully. He lit a torch, and the dim light illuminated a small area around him. The walls were covered with strange runes that emitted an eerie glow.

Suddenly, a gust of cold wind blew by, causing the torch flames to flicker violently, as if they might go out at any moment. Evand's heart pounded, and he gripped his weapon tightly, cautiously scanning his surroundings.

Just then, he heard faint footsteps approaching slowly from the darkness. Evand held his breath, trying to pinpoint the source of the sound. The footsteps grew closer and clearer, and fine beads of sweat appeared on Evand's forehead.

He whirled around and pointed the torch in the direction the sound came from. A blurry figure appeared in the firelight and slowly walked towards him.

"Who's there?" Evand shouted.

The figure stopped, and in the firelight, its true form gradually became apparent. It was a snow leopard beastman, tall and stout, wearing a knight's helmet, with snow-white fur and eyes filled with wariness and hostility. He held a wooden stick in his hand and wore simple clothing sewn from animal hides, along with some basic knight's armor.

"Who are you?" the snow leopard beastman asked, his voice low and hoarse.

“I’m Evand, and I’m here to see someone,” Evand replied. “What are you doing here?”

"I'm... looking for food," the snow leopard beastman replied after a moment's hesitation.

"Looking for food?" Evand asked, somewhat puzzled. "What food is there in the dungeon?"

The snow leopard orc did not answer, but looked at Evand warily, his eyes filled with vigilance.

Seeing this, Evand took out a piece of bread from his backpack and handed it to the snow leopard beastman. "Are you hungry? Eat something first."

The snow leopard orc looked at the bread, hesitated for a moment, but finally took it and wolfed it down.

"Thank you," the snow leopard orc said to Evand after finishing his bread. "My name is Bread."

Upon hearing the name, Evand felt as if something had been disrupted, as if the story shouldn't be unfolding this way. He shook his head, trying to reassure himself that he was probably overthinking it.

"So your name is Bread." Evand chuckled, patting Bread's fluffy shoulder, the soft, fluffy texture making him love it. This snow leopard beastman, though seemingly silly, was surprisingly endearing.

Bread seemed to enjoy Evand's caresses, squinting its eyes and purring contentedly. "Mmm! Evand, you're such a good person!" it grinned, revealing two sharp little fangs.

Seeing that Bread seemed so honest and simple, Evand decided to ask him about the dungeon. "Bread, are you familiar with this place? Do you know what happened here?"

“It’s familiar!” Bread patted his chest and said, “I’m a knight here! Of course I’m familiar with it!”

Evand was overjoyed; it seemed he had found a local "guide" who knew the situation. "Then can you tell me what exactly happened here? Why are there ghosts and monsters everywhere?"

Bread scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed, and said, "Well... I don't know either. I was sleeping in the cave a week ago, and when I woke up, I found this place had become like this."

"Sleeping?" Evand asked, puzzled. "Why would you be sleeping in a cave?"

Bread smiled sheepishly. "Hehe, I was so tired from patrolling that day that I secretly hid in the cave and took a nap. To avoid being discovered by the captain, I even blocked the entrance with a big rock..." As he spoke, his voice grew softer and softer, as if he realized he had done something wrong.

"And then?" Evand pressed.

“Then…then I got trapped.” Bread’s voice lowered. “I don’t know what happened, but I couldn’t move that rock anymore. I called for help for many days, but no one came to save me. Then, I don’t know how much time passed, the rock suddenly disappeared, and I got out.”

Evand was both amused and exasperated; this snow leopard beastman was truly clueless. "After you came out, did you see anyone else?"

“Yes!” Bread quickly said, “I saw the king, but he didn’t seem to recognize me and ignored me. I called him many times, but he didn’t respond.”

"The king?" Evand's heart skipped a beat. "The king you're talking about, is it the White Lion Orc?"

“Yes!” Bread nodded. “It’s that white lion orc wearing gorgeous clothes and a crown on his head.”

Evand recalled the delirious white lion-orc he had encountered before; it seemed that he was the king Bread had mentioned.

"What about the others? Have you seen any other knights or guards?" Evand continued to ask.

Bread thought for a moment, then shook his head. "No, I only saw the king. Oh, and I also saw a lot of monsters, they were terrifying!" he said, shrinking his neck as if still shaken.

Evans sighed; it seemed he wouldn't get any useful information from the bread. He decided to rely on himself and continue searching for He's whereabouts.

“Bread, thank you for telling me all this.” Evan patted Bread on the shoulder. “I’m going to continue looking for my friend. Do you want to come with me?”

Bread hesitated for a moment, "But... I'm so hungry."

Evans smiled, took out a few pieces of bread and some dried meat from his backpack, and handed them to the bread rolls. "Take these, eat them on the way."

Bread took the food, his eyes lighting up. "Thank you, Evand! You're such a kind person!"

Evand smiled and continued deeper into the dungeon with the bread. Although the bread seemed unreliable, having more help was better than none. Besides, he always felt that this silly snow leopard beastman was hiding some secret.