Tavern of the Spear: Desire for Pleasure

Cheng Yu closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to try and calm the turmoil in his heart. Everything in the dream was so real, yet absurd, leaving him deeply confused. He had to uncover the meaning behind it all and find the truth hidden within the chaos.

However, on their hurried journey to the temple, an unexpected event occurred. A white dragon slave, having somehow broken free of his restraints, suddenly appeared before them. This slave was tall and muscular, with a crazed glint in his eyes, clearly possessing extraordinary strength.

Although this white dragon slave wasn't a formidable opponent compared to Qian Tu and Hei Yao, his appearance still caught everyone off guard. Like the white dragon in the ranch, this slave excitedly shouted "Dream Builder" the moment he saw Cheng Yu.

He charged madly towards Cheng Yu, ignoring the arrows and swords raining down from the crowd, as if he had lost all sense of pain and reason. His eyes were only on Cheng Yu, as if Cheng Yu were his only hope, his only salvation.

Just as he was about to touch Cheng Yu, a black claw mercilessly pierced his heart. Obsidian glanced disdainfully at the fallen white dragon slave, spat, and then turned to Kaimen Richie: "Don't forget my reward after this is done."

Kaimen Richie nodded expressionlessly, a shadow of unease flashing in his eyes. He picked up the unconscious Cheng Yu and continued walking towards the temple. He knew time was of the essence; he had to complete his plan as soon as possible.

The werewolf guards quickly cleaned up the scene, dragging away the white dragon slave's corpse. The air was thick with the stench of blood, creating a sense of oppression and unease.

Cheng Yu looked back with concern at the slain white dragon, then at the indifferent Obsidian, his heart filled with doubt. He didn't know what this unexpected attack meant, but he knew that this matter was definitely not as simple as it seemed.

They continued onward, the trees swaying in the wind, rustling as if whispering secrets. The temple lay ahead; what did it hold? What would become of Cheng Yu? Everything was shrouded in mystery, elusive and unpredictable.

Cheng Yu clutched the object in his hand tightly—a small scale emitting a faint silver glow. It had been transferred to him by some unknown force the instant the white dragon slave fell. In the chaos of the moment, Kaimen Richie, Qian Tu, and Obsidian were all busy dealing with the emergency and hadn't noticed this small detail. Cheng Yu tucked the scale into his sleeve, a strange sadness and anger welling up inside him. He couldn't understand why these wolves hated the white dragon so much, nor could he comprehend Obsidian's cold-blooded ruthlessness.

He recalled the story told by Kaimen Richie, and doubts arose in his mind. The story mentioned the god of pleasure and the god of dreams, and the curse of the white dragons, but made no mention of the black dragons. So why would the black dragons help the northern wolf clan enslave the white dragons? What kind of conflict of interest existed between them?

Cheng Yu felt as if he were in a vast maze, surrounded by lies and deception. He didn't know who to trust, or where to go from there. He only knew that he had to find the truth and unravel this mystery to help the White Dragon Clan regain their freedom.

The group continued forward, the atmosphere growing unusually heavy. Kaimen Richie carried the unconscious Cheng Yu at the head of the procession, followed closely by Qian Tu and Hei Yao, who warily observed their surroundings. The dense forest blocked out the sun, sunlight filtering through the leaves and casting dappled shadows on the ground. The wind whistled through the trees, as if whispering some untold secret.

After walking for a long time, they finally arrived at a magnificent temple. The temple was entirely constructed of huge stone blocks, carved with various mysterious patterns, exuding an ancient and solemn aura. The temple gates were tightly closed, and two tall stone statues stood on either side, their faces ferocious, holding weapons, as if guarding some sacred secret.

Kaimen Richie walked to the gate, muttering incantations as he formed a complex hand seal. With his movement, the gate slowly opened, and a powerful divine force surged forth, making Cheng Yu feel suffocated.

They entered the temple, which contained a spacious hall. In the center of the hall stood a massive altar, upon which roared a flame. The walls were covered with various totems and murals depicting the ancient history and legends of the wolf tribe. A peculiar fragrance filled the air, invigorating and refreshing.

Kaimen Rich placed Cheng Yu on the altar, then turned to Qian Tu and Obsidian and said, "You two stay here and don't let anyone near."

Qian Tu and Hei Yao nodded and walked to either side of the altar, warily observing their surroundings. Kaimen Richie walked to the altar, clasped his hands together, and began to pray. As he prayed, the flames on the altar burned even more fiercely, and a powerful divine force enveloped the entire hall.

Cheng Yu lay on the altar, feeling the powerful divine force, his heart filled with unease. He didn't know what Kaimen Richie was going to do, nor what would happen next. He only knew that he had to stay alert to face the challenges to come. He tightly gripped the scale in his sleeve; that small scale seemed to give him a sliver of strength, allowing him to maintain a glimmer of hope in the face of unknown fears.

The hall was eerily quiet, broken only occasionally by the crackling of the flames burning on the altar. Cheng Yu lay on the cold stone platform, feeling the dense divine power around him, his heart filled with unease. He secretly opened his eyes and looked at the enormous statue in the center of the hall.

The statue's arms were outstretched, as if embracing the entire world, its face bearing a benevolent smile and radiating a warm light. Cheng Yu felt an inexplicable peace and tranquility, as if he were in his mother's arms. However, this feeling lasted only a moment. In the blink of an eye, the statue's appearance underwent a drastic transformation. The benevolent smile turned into a grotesque grin, the smooth skin became disgusting chunks of flesh covered in tentacles, and the warm light turned into a terrifying dark red glow. It was no longer a benevolent deity, but a monster filled with desire, seemingly ready to devour and destroy everything.

Cheng Yu trembled with fear, almost screaming. He looked around in terror, only to find that Kaimen Richie, Qian Tu, and Obsidian were completely oblivious, still kneeling devoutly before the statue as if nothing had happened. Could it be that he was the only one who had seen the statue's true form?

Just as he was filled with doubt, the statue changed again, returning to its previous benevolent appearance, as if the terrifying scene from before had been merely a hallucination. Cheng Yu's suspicions deepened; he was certain that what he had seen was not an illusion, and that there was definitely something wrong with the statue! He tried his best to remain calm, secretly observing everything around him, attempting to find the answer.

Kaimen Richie's prayers grew louder and louder, the flames on the altar burned ever brighter, and the entire hall was bathed in a holy light. Cheng Yu felt a powerful force surging into his body, filling him with both excitement and fear. He knew that something he couldn't predict was about to happen, and he had to be prepared.

He quietly slipped his hand into his sleeve and tightly grasped the white dragon scale. This tiny scale seemed to be his only support, allowing him to maintain a glimmer of hope in the face of unknown fear. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and awaited his fate.

He didn't know what would happen next, but he knew he had to stay calm. He couldn't guarantee that the scale wouldn't be discovered, nor could he guarantee what effect this divine power would have on him.

Outside the temple, night fell, and the stars twinkled. The bright moonlight bathed the earth in a silvery glow. The distant howls of wild beasts added to the mysterious and eerie atmosphere. Inside the temple, Kaimen Richie's prayers grew louder and louder, and the flames on the altar burned ever more fiercely, as if foreshadowing something about to happen.

Cheng Yu lay on the altar, feeling the growing power within him, his heart filled with anticipation and unease. He didn't know what this power would bring him, but he decided to absorb this divine power without worry, because he sensed Ao Lian's aura within this mystery. He didn't know why he had so much confidence in her, which made him dare to accept something he had never understood before.

A warm divine power, like a gentle stream, flowed slowly through Cheng Yu's body, dispelling the lurking chill and unease. This feeling was so familiar, like the one when Ao Lian had embraced him, infusing her body with divinely imbued blood through kisses—warm and reassuring. However, within this warm embrace, Cheng Yu felt a strange unease, as if something important had vanished from his memory. It was like a complete puzzle piece suddenly missing, leaving an abrupt blank. He tried hard to recall, but couldn't grasp the missing fragment, leaving only a blurry outline and lingering doubt.

The missing memory unsettled him; he vaguely felt that this vanished fragment might be connected to everything that had happened to him. He wanted to grasp it, to figure out what had occurred, but no matter how hard he tried, the memory remained shrouded in mist, untouchable.

Kaimen Richie's prayers gradually subsided, the flames on the altar slowly died down, and the hall returned to calm. Kaimen Richie walked to Cheng Yu's side, carefully examined his body, and only after confirming that the contamination had been completely removed did he breathe a sigh of relief. "It seems the divine protection has taken effect!" he said, "The contamination within you has completely disappeared."

Cheng Yu slowly opened his eyes and saw Kaimen Richie's concerned gaze, but he remained remarkably calm. He absolutely would not...

The doubts in Kaimen Richie's heart were unsettling. He didn't know how to understand the missing memories, nor how to explain his suspicions about the idol. He could only bury these questions in his heart and silently nod.

After leaving the temple, they retraced their steps. Night deepened, and the forest was utterly silent, broken only by the occasional chirping of insects, making the emptiness and stillness all the more palpable. Cheng Yu followed behind Kaimen Richie, walking silently, his mind racing. He recalled everything that had happened in the temple, the eerie statue, and the vanished fragments of memory, his heart filled with doubt and unease.

He didn't know what to do next, nor how to find the truth. He only knew he couldn't give up; he had to keep searching until all the mysteries were solved. He looked up at the night sky, where countless stars twinkled like diamonds scattered on a black curtain, shimmering with mysterious light. He seemed to see a glimmer of hope, a guiding light, in that starlight, helping him find his way through the confusion.