Tavern of the Spear: Desire for Pleasure

Evand shielded the bread behind his back, warily eyeing the two demon guards before him. He tentatively asked, "Excuse me, are you... ghosts?"

The two demon guards exchanged a glance, then burst into ear-piercing laughter. One of the demons sneered, "Ghosts? If we were ghosts, you'd be lucky! Ghosts can't do anything to you. But we're different, we're demons!" The other demon chimed in, "That's right! Although we don't know how you killed that guy at the door, you'd better not go any further unless you meet our standards and are qualified to go to hell!" With that, the two demons laughed loudly again.

Evand looked at the longswords blazing in the hands of the two demon guards, and a wave of hesitation washed over him. He instinctively clenched his fists, large beads of sweat dripping from his forehead. Seeing Evand's expression, the two demon guards became even more excited, intensifying their mockery of his cowardice. "Look at him, he's about to wet his pants!" one demon guard said, clutching his stomach and laughing so hard he almost fell over. The other demon joined in the taunts, "That's more like it! That's how a little wolf cub should behave! If you're scared, get lost!"

Evans took a deep breath, trying to calm his fear. He shook his head firmly and said, "I won't leave! I must bring He back! I must bring back an innocent life!"

The two demon guards burst into laughter again. Suddenly, one of the demons seemed to remember something and said, "Oh, right, I heard they captured a live creature a few days ago and are going to auction it off!" Hearing his companion's reminder, the other demon excitedly added, "Yes, yes! I heard it's a merman, and a handsome young one at that! I'm sure many adults have their eyes on him!" As they spoke, lewd smiles spread across the two demon guards' faces. "If the adults get tired of him, maybe they'll throw him into the shop, and then we can have some fun too!"

When Evand heard the word "auction," he was taken aback. He asked疑惑地问道, "Auction? What's that?"

The two demon guards looked at it as if it were some rare and exotic object, explaining to Evand, "An auction! It's our Demon Castle's grand event, held once every ten years! You can auction all sorts of good things there, like sumptuous food, and even the souls and flesh of living beings! I heard that this time the item being auctioned is a top-quality item, it's sure to fetch a good price!"

Evans' heart sank; he realized He's situation was more dangerous than he had imagined. He had to find He as soon as possible and rescue him!

Suppressing his anxiety, Evand continued to probe the two demon guards for information: "Where is the auction being held? When does it start?"

A demon guard waved his hand impatiently and said, "Why are you asking so many questions? You can't get in anyway! Just go back!"

The other demon guard grinned slyly and said, "It's not impossible to get in, as long as you..." He paused, looking Evand up and down, "...as long as you give us some benefits, we'll let you in!"

A thought struck Evand; it seemed his only option was to find a way to infiltrate the auction. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a few gold coins, and handed them to the two demon guards, asking, "Is this enough?"

The two demon guards took the gold coin, weighed it in their hands, and nodded in satisfaction. "Hmm, not bad! Kid, you know what's good for you! Come with us!"

"Haha! Look, he actually believed it! That liar is hopelessly stupid!"

"This guy actually thinks that living people's money is useful here, how stupid!"

Evand's smile froze on his face; he realized he'd been tricked. "Wait! Give me back my money!" He reached out, trying to reclaim his gold coins.

The two demon guards completely ignored his request, instead mocking him even more blatantly. "Ha! Look, he actually believed it! A hopeless liar!" one of the demon guards said, tossing the gold coin in his hand into the air, then catching it cleanly, looking at Evand with a mocking expression. The other demon guard chimed in, "This guy actually thinks a living person's money is useful here, how stupid!" With that, he snatched the gold coin from his companion's hand and threw it directly into the churning lava beside him. "This is what happens when you trust demons!"

Evans was trembling with rage, but he knew this wasn't the time to act rashly. "Then... how exactly do I get in?" he asked again, forcing back his anger.

The two demon guards began to sized up Evand and Bread, their eyes filled with malicious intent. They exchanged a glance, then said in unison, "Unless..."

Seeing the two demon guards' expressions, Evand instantly understood their meaning. He quickly shielded the bread behind his back and shouted sharply, "Absolutely impossible! This is absolutely impossible!"

The two demon guards shrugged and said innocently, "We didn't ask you to actually give it to us, why are you so agitated? Could it be... that you really have those kinds of thoughts?" After saying that, they burst into a shrill laugh.

One of the demon guards stepped forward, pointed at Evand, and said, "Kid, you're still too green! You can't go to hell if you're not corrupt enough! Especially that little guy behind you, he's so clean, he's even less likely to go to hell!" He paused, then continued, "There's no other way to get to hell except to become even more corrupt! If you're not corrupt enough, you can't stand life in hell!"

Evan gritted his teeth. He knew he had to make some sacrifices to rescue He. But he couldn't let Bread fall into the same trap with him. He turned around, gently patted Bread's shoulder, and said softly, "Bread, go outside and wait for me. I'll be back soon." With that, he handed Bread the little food he had left.

Although Bread was young, he understood Evand's situation. He nodded understandingly, took the food, and turned to leave the cave.

The two demon guards watched Evand's retreating figure and burst into laughter again. "Ha! What a nice guy! But in Hell, being a good person isn't always a good thing!" one demon guard sneered. The other demon guard chimed in, "Since you've made up your mind, then hurry up and have some fun with me!"

Evans suppressed the urge to draw his sword; he knew now was not the time to resist. He took a deep breath and silently walked toward the two demon guards.

One demon guard grabbed Evand's arm and dragged him deeper into the cave. Another demon guard followed behind, lewdly saying, "Don't worry, kid, we'll give you a good 'welcome'!"

Evans was filled with fear and despair, but he knew he couldn't give up. He had to endure it all to rescue He.

Evand was practically dragged through a long corridor, the walls on either side carved with bizarre and grotesque demon reliefs that looked particularly sinister and terrifying in the dim firelight. At the end of the corridor was a heavy iron door, which two demon guards roughly shoved Evand inside before slamming the door shut.

Evans rubbed his almost dislocated jaw, the pain making him gasp. He touched his cheek, feeling a burning pain as if it had been branded with a hot iron. He shook his head, trying to stay awake; he knew this wasn't the time to give up. He had to find He as soon as possible and get him out of there.

He looked around and found himself in a cramped space. The walls were made of metal and exuded a cold aura. The "elevator" the two demon guards had mentioned was right in front of him, one button pointing upwards and the other downwards, both flashing with an eerie light. Evand hesitated for a moment. He wasn't sure if the two demon guards were up to something again, but in the end, he chose to trust them. He took a deep breath and pressed the downward button.

The elevator slowly descended, and Evans felt his heart leap into his throat. The elevator accelerated, and the surrounding scenery became increasingly blurry. After what seemed like an eternity, the elevator finally stopped, and the doors slowly opened.

Evan stepped out of the elevator and found himself on a wide street. The street was brightly lit on both sides, lined with all sorts of strangely shaped buildings. The air was thick with the pungent smell of sulfur, making it almost suffocating.

He hadn't walked far when he saw a shop in the distance with a sign that read "Pleasure Hut." From inside came soft, suggestive breathing and moans, making Evand blush and his heart race. He couldn't help but recall the hints from the two demon guards earlier, and a wave of disgust washed over him. He shook his head, forcing himself not to think about those filthy things, and turned to leave the shop.

Just as he turned to leave, a sudden sound came from inside the shop: tables and chairs colliding and metal falling to the ground. Evans instinctively covered his ears and quickened his pace.

He continued walking and came to the entrance of a tavern. The tavern's sign was dilapidated, with only the character "饣" remaining. Inside, a demon sat engrossed in a thick book. Evand stepped forward and asked, "Excuse me, is this a tavern? How much is lodging?"

The demon impatiently closed the book and made a "0" with his index finger and thumb.

Evan asked in confusion, "Free?"

The demon glanced at Evand with some impatience and explained briefly, "For the sake of convenience."

Evand gave an awkward laugh, thinking that not all demons liked to talk. He turned and left the tavern, continuing on his way. He knew he had to find He as soon as possible; time was of the essence.

Evand walked around the agate monument, its surface carved with twisted runes that emitted a faint, eerie glow. Offerings were laid out around it: fresh fruit and unidentified foods emitting strange aromas. Evand didn't linger; his only goal was to find He as quickly as possible. These oddities were meaningless to him.

Continuing forward, the view suddenly opened up, revealing a vast plaza before Evand. The plaza was paved with black stone bricks, reflecting a metallic luster in the dim light. Strange, grotesque buildings surrounded the plaza, resembling the skeletons of some colossal beast, filling the air with an oppressive and eerie atmosphere. Scattered across the plaza were a few demons, with scarlet skin and black horns, pacing back and forth, seemingly searching for something.

Evand noticed a particularly striking demon. It had no face, only smooth skin, and its eyes were two bottomless black holes that seemed capable of swallowing all light. Evand felt a chill run down his spine and instinctively took a few steps back, unable to look directly at the faceless demon.

He took a deep breath, trying to remain calm, and then walked towards another demon that appeared to be a guard. This demon was tall, dressed in black armor, and carried a massive battle axe. Evand mustered his courage and shouted, "Guard!"

The guard slowly turned around, looking at Evand with empty eyes. Evand composed himself and said, "I'm looking for your... boss."

The guard didn't speak, but simply pointed to the other side of the plaza, where a magnificent building stood, resembling an arena. Evand looked in the direction the guard was pointing and saw the arena entrance brightly lit and bustling with activity.

"Thank you." After thanking the guard, Evand walked towards the arena.

Two guards stood watch at the entrance to the arena, clad in black armor and wielding spears, looking quite imposing. Evans steeled himself and stepped forward, explaining his purpose.

“I want to go in and find someone,” Evand said.

The guard sized Evand up and down, then asked in an icy tone, "Who are you? Who are you looking for?"

Evans hesitated for a moment. He knew he couldn't tell the truth, so he made up a lie: "I am... a businessman, looking for my... business partner."

The guards clearly didn't believe Evand's words. One of them sneered, "Merchant? You look more like a fugitive to me."

Evand's heart tightened; he knew he had to find a way to escape as soon as possible. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a glittering gem—the only valuable thing he had. He might have other things, but these demons probably wouldn't want them.

Evand carefully placed the gem into the guard's hand and whispered, "Brothers, please do me a favor."

The guards weighed the gems in their hands, a glint of greed in their eyes. While demons didn't need gold coins, they still had a fondness for gems. They exchanged glances, and then one of the guards said, "Go in, but don't cause trouble."

Evans breathed a sigh of relief, quickly thanked him, and then strode into the arena.