Tavern of the Spear: Desire for Pleasure

Although the gargoyle was strong, it gradually succumbed to the werewolf's relentless onslaught. Finally, it let out a mournful cry, its body shattering into countless pieces that scattered across the ground before transforming back into a photograph and returning to Cheng Yu's pocket.

Cheng Yu didn't dare to be careless and immediately took out another photo. This time, the photo showed a giant slime, completely transparent and gleaming with a strange luster. As soon as the photo hit the ground, the slime instantly solidified, leaped onto the werewolf's head, and swallowed it whole.

The werewolf was trapped inside the slime and couldn't move. Cheng Yu breathed a sigh of relief. He walked up to the slime and said, "Now, you can explain why you attacked me, right?"

However, the werewolf did not answer. Strange magical stripes suddenly appeared on his body, emitting an eerie glow. The next moment, the slime's body rapidly disintegrated like melting ice and snow, turning into a pool of viscous liquid, which eventually transformed into a photograph and returned to Cheng Yu's pocket.

Cheng Yu cursed, "This is outrageous! What kind of warrior summons a mage right up to his face? This is completely unfair!" He turned and ran, secretly regretting that he had underestimated his opponent.

Hearing Cheng Yu's complaint, the werewolf surprisingly nodded in agreement. Then, he chanted incantations and began casting a spell. A huge, phantom wolf claw appeared out of thin air and grabbed Cheng Yu.

Cheng Yu was firmly gripped by the wolf's claws, unable to move. He looked at the werewolf in terror and asked, "What are you going to do?"

The werewolf didn't answer. He led Cheng Yu to a secluded cave. The cave was pitch black, so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. The werewolf threw Cheng Yu on the ground and then lit a campfire.

The firelight illuminated the cave, allowing Cheng Yu to see his surroundings clearly. Inside, there was some simple furniture and a stone bed. It seemed this was a temporary dwelling for the werewolves.

"Who are you? Why did you bring me here?" Cheng Yu asked again.

The werewolf walked to the campfire, sat down, and said, "My name is Qian Tu, and I am an elder of the Northern Wolf Clan."

“The Northern Wolves?” Cheng Yu’s heart skipped a beat. “Evand said that the Northern Wolves are looking for me.”

“That’s right,” Qian Tu nodded, “We’ve been looking for you because you’re very important to us.”

"Me?" Cheng Yu was even more confused. "What's so important about me?"

“You possess a special power,” Qian Tu explained, “which can help us break an ancient seal.”

"A seal?" Cheng Yu frowned. "What seal?"

“A seal concerning the beliefs of our people,” Qian Tu said.

Cheng Yu was filled with doubt and unease. He didn't know what power he possessed, nor what the seal was. He only knew that he seemed to be caught up in a huge conspiracy.

"Can you tell me more about this seal?" Cheng Yu asked.

Qian Tu remained silent for a moment, then began to tell an ancient legend.

Inside the cave, the campfire crackled, its light illuminating Qian Tu's resolute face. He slowly began to speak, recounting the ancient legend of the wolf god "Huanyu".

"Since ancient times, our wolf clan has worshipped a powerful god. Initially, we called Him 'Wolf,' a sign of our awe for His power and majesty. Later, the god bestowed upon Him a new name—Desire." Qian Tu's gaze was profound, as if piercing through time and space, returning to that ancient era. "He told us that Desire is not simply pleasure, but a pursuit of the essence of life, a true expression of inner desires. Whether it's the craving for food, the pursuit of power, or even... the yearning for love, as long as it originates from the heart, it is the worship of Desire."

Cheng Yu listened quietly, his heart churning with emotion. Hearing the word "wolf," he couldn't help but think of Bai Long Ao Lian and that forgotten place. Could there be some connection? He tried to suppress his doubts and continued listening to Qian Tu's story.

When Qian Tu mentioned "pleasure," Cheng Yu immediately thought of a character from a game he had played before his transmigration—Hanabi. That eccentric and unpredictable "Star of Pleasure" had left a deep impression on Cheng Yu. He subconsciously assumed that the "pleasure" Qian Tu spoke of was the same as the "pleasure" in the game; after all, the pronunciations were similar, and mishearing was normal.

So Cheng Yu excitedly said, "The God of Pleasure? I know him!" After saying that, he imitated Hua Huo's classic lines and actions in the game, gesturing wildly and making exaggerated expressions.

"I am pleasure!!" He then held his revolver to his head, but he didn't have the guts to pull the trigger.

Qian Tu was stunned. He stared at Cheng Yu's bizarre performance, his brows furrowed, and remained silent. After a long while, he slowly spoke, "You... you don't seem like a believer in pleasure, you seem more like... a madman."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Yu coughed awkwardly a few times. He himself felt that his performance just now had gone a bit too far, but wasn't that how Fireworks was in the game? Had he misunderstood? He scratched his head and asked, "Isn't... Pleasure like this?"

Qian Tu sighed helplessly, realizing that Cheng Yu might have misunderstood the meaning of "pleasure." So, he patiently explained, "Pleasure is the indulgence of one's inner desires; those who experience it will feel its beauty. It's not like your madness, but what you're experiencing can also be considered pleasure, since I can feel the longing in it."

As he spoke, Qian Tu's cheeks flushed slightly, and his eyes were fixed on Cheng Yu beside him. After all, the pleasure he pursued was the pursuit of endless desire, and he would not hide his longing for every beastman he liked.

“Desire is a part of life; it drives us forward and makes us stronger,” Qian Tu continued. “Our deity ‘Joy’ encourages us to pursue our inner desires and experience the wonders of life.”

Cheng Yu listened attentively, gradually understanding that "pleasure" could be described as a frenzy of desire, but not every orc who pursued "pleasure" would lose their mind. It was a love for one's life and a yearning for beautiful things. He looked at Qian Tu and asked, "Then, what does the seal you asked me to break have to do with this 'pleasure'?"

Qian Tu nodded and said, "Of course it's related. This seal suppresses our desires, preventing us from truly pursuing pleasure. Only by breaking the seal can we gain true freedom."

"But what power do I possess that could help you break the seal?" Cheng Yu asked, puzzled.

Qian Tu smiled slightly and said, "Your power comes from the desires in your heart. Only those who truly crave pleasure can break this seal."

"My inner desires?" Cheng Yu murmured to himself, beginning to ponder his inner longings. He longed for Bai Long to tell him the truth, for his master to truly and completely "understand" him, for Hakan... Could these desires become the power to break the seal?

However, these desires did not cause Cheng Yu to completely lose his mind. "So you don't actually know what this seal is sealing, do you? And what kind of weird look is that? Get off me!"

Qian Tu's gaze remained fixed on Cheng Yu, filled with an undisguised longing. Cheng Yu shifted uncomfortably and asked, "Is the scent on you also from 'lust'? Why wasn't it there before?"

Qian Tu answered without hesitation, "That's right. Every male I conquer becomes addicted to my scent and can't extricate himself." He paused, then added, "Not before, because I hadn't wanted to 'please' you yet."

Cheng Yu's face flushed slightly. He quickly changed the subject, pointing to the patterns that had appeared on Qian Tu's body and asking, "What were those patterns that appeared on your body before?"

“Those are magic runes,” Qian Tu explained. “We wolves manifest different magic runes in response to different desires. The magic rune I just displayed represents the desire for conquest.”

Cheng Yu felt uneasy. He mustered his courage and asked the question he least wanted to ask: "So... what do you want to do most right now?"

A wicked smile curled at the corner of Qian Tu's lips. He looked directly into Cheng Yu's eyes and said, word by word, "What I want to do most right now is to pin you down and 'please' you fiercely."

Cheng Yu immediately felt a chill run from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. He knew he was in grave danger and had no way to escape. He could only force himself to remain calm and say, "I...I understand."

That night, Cheng Yu had an incredibly difficult time. In order to make himself suffer less, he even summoned slimes and gargoyles to provide Qian Tu with more objects of "pleasure".

As morning sunlight streamed through the cracks in the cave, Cheng Yu wearily opened his eyes. He felt as if his body was falling apart, aching terribly. He thought to himself, "If only Hakan could treat me like Qian Tu did." Since being with him, Hakan had become timid and hesitant, no longer as bold as before. Cheng Yu desperately wished Hakan could be more proactive, more passionate.

He struggled to sit up, only to find Qian Tu holding him tightly, fast asleep. A satisfied smile graced Qian Tu's face, as if he were savoring the passion of the previous night. Cheng Yu sighed, gently pushed Qian Tu away, and then walked outside the cave to breathe in the fresh air.

Outside the cave lay a dense forest, sunlight filtering through the leaves and casting dappled shadows. Cheng Yu's feelings were complicated; he didn't know what to do next. He wanted to return to everyone, yet he was also afraid to face them.

Just then, he heard a voice behind him: "Awake?"

Cheng Yu turned around and saw Qian Tu standing at the entrance of the cave with a lazy smile on his face.

"Mm." Cheng Yu nodded gently.

"Were you satisfied last night?" Qian Tu asked, his tone slightly teasing.

Cheng Yu's cheeks flushed slightly, and he lowered his head without saying a word.

Qian Tu walked up to Cheng Yu, gently stroked his cheek, and said, "I know you still have someone else in your heart. But it's okay, I will slowly make you forget him and make you fall in love with me completely."

Cheng Yu raised his head, looking into Qian Tu's eyes, his heart filled with contradictions and struggles. On one hand, he did crave that feeling, which was perhaps the pursuit of "pleasure." On the other hand, he felt that perhaps he shouldn't call him that, that he should resist. Just because the other person was stronger than him didn't mean he had to obey him. This was also another kind of pursuit of "pleasure."

However, Cheng Yu's idea has already taken shape. Although he can't do it now, it doesn't mean he can't do it in the future. He will make her return what he has lost.