Tavern of the Spear: Desire for Pleasure

After a long while, Hakan and Cheng Yu came downstairs. Red Dragon had a happy smile on his face; it seemed this experience was even better than he had imagined. Now, he no longer disliked Cheng Yu being a slime, and was even thinking about other ways to play with him. He secretly glanced at Cheng Yu, unaware that Cheng Yu had even more ulterior motives than he did.

As soon as they came downstairs, they noticed the tavern was much busier than before. Hakan, still on the stairs, asked Snow what was going on, why these drunks were acting like madmen. Snow continued mixing drinks at the bar at a leisurely pace, calmly explaining that the tavern had introduced a new drink that the customers loved.

"A new spirit?" Hakan's eyes lit up. He loved drinking, and anything that could excite these alcoholics like this must be something special. He looked at Snow with delight, surprised that his boss was so capable and had developed a new spirit so quickly. He asked Snow if he could have a glass to try. Snow shook his head, saying that the new spirit was sold out, and only regular malt spirits and rum were left.

Hakan was immediately disappointed, having missed out on this excellent wine. He pressed Snow about how the new wine was made, wanting to prepare the ingredients so Snow could make another one. Snow didn't answer, only giving Cheng Yu a meaningful look in the stairwell.

Cheng Yu was startled by that look. He instantly understood Snow's meaning—the ingredient for the new wine was himself! Hakan also noticed Snow's greedy gaze and quickly shielded Cheng Yu behind him, "Boss, how can you steal someone else's spouse?"

Snow rolled his eyes helplessly. "You're overthinking it. I just find this little guy's slime a bit interesting." He paused, then added, "This new wine is called 'Slime Kiss,' and it tastes quite good. Unfortunately, we don't have enough ingredients right now, so we can't supply it for the time being."

Hakan became even more curious upon hearing this. He put his arm around Cheng Yu and walked to the bar. "Boss, how exactly is this 'Slime Kiss' made? Can you tell me?"

Snow smiled mysteriously. "This is a trade secret, how can I just reveal it? But..." He glanced at Cheng Yu, "If someone is willing to provide 'special ingredients,' I might consider making a few more."

Cheng Yu understood Snow's implication and felt a chill run down his spine. He didn't want to become a brewing ingredient! He quickly shook his head, "No, my slime is very precious and can't be used carelessly."

“Precious?” Snow raised an eyebrow. “How precious? Can it compare to gold coins?” He pulled a handful of gold coins from his pocket and waved them in front of Cheng Yu. “As long as you’re willing to provide enough slime, all these gold coins are yours.”

Cheng Yu looked at the glittering gold coins, somewhat tempted. But he shook his head. "No, I can't sell myself for gold coins."

“Don’t be so rigid,” Hakan advised from the side. “Since your slime regenerates automatically anyway, why not do the boss a favor and earn some extra money?”

"Hakan! It seems I don't even count for much in your heart as a glass of wine! I'm so disappointed in you!"

"Ahem! That's definitely not true. It's just that everyone in the tavern is like family, and helping family is the right thing to do, don't you think..."

Cheng Yu was furious, but he decided to make up for his regret at not being able to see his red dragon companion for so long.

Cheng Yu hesitated for a moment, but ultimately couldn't resist the temptation of the gold coins and nodded, "Alright, but I have a condition."

"What are the conditions?" Snow asked.

“I want a share of the profits,” Cheng Yu said, holding up one finger. “I want half of the profits from ‘Slime Kiss’.”

Snow paused for a moment, then burst into laughter. "Good lad, you've got a good business sense! Deal!"

The two reached an agreement. Cheng Yu poured some slime into a clean wooden basin. He was also curious whether "Slime's Kiss" really tasted that good. He knew Hakan was a connoisseur of wine; if Hakan also thought it tasted good, then it must be something special. However, he wasn't sure if he could taste it in his current slime form.

Hakan stayed close to Snow, eager to try the liquor made with Cheng Yu's slime, which he considered a unique form of intimacy. He didn't care much about what Cheng Yu thought; after all, he had always been in a weaker position in the relationship. Although he could ask Cheng Yu to satisfy some of his little quirks, Cheng Yu ultimately made the decisions.

Soon, two glasses of "Slime Kiss" were ready, and Snow handed one to Cheng Yu and the other to Hakan. Just as Cheng Yu expected, he couldn't taste anything. But Hakan was overjoyed; he hadn't expected the drink to be so delicious, and his gaze towards Cheng Yu became even more ardent.

Enraged by Hakan's stare, Cheng Yu punched Hakan in the stomach with his sticky fist. "I'll let you have your fill tonight, if you can handle it!" he yelled, then stormed off. Hakan glanced awkwardly at Snow, who gave him a knowing look before continuing to concoct "Slime Kiss."

The tavern was getting busier and busier, all drawn by the unique aroma of "Slime's Kiss." Snow was incredibly busy, but a smile played on his lips; he could almost see mountains of gold coins piled up before him.

Cheng Yu sat in a corner, watching the bustling tavern, his heart filled with mixed emotions. He hadn't expected his slime to be so popular, which made him feel both amused and helpless.

Hakan walked over to Cheng Yu with a wine glass in hand, smiling gently, "Cheng Yu, your slime is a real treasure."

Cheng Yu rolled his eyes at him. "Don't think I don't know what you're thinking. You just want to take advantage of me."

“How could that be?” Hakan whispered in Cheng Yu’s ear, “I just want to get closer to you.”

Cheng Yu's cheeks flushed slightly. He pushed Hakan away, "Stop fooling around, there are so many people watching."

Hakan smiled and said nothing more, simply staying quietly by Cheng Yu's side.

As night deepened, the noise in the tavern gradually subsided. A weary Snow closed the tavern door, counted his earnings for the day, and a satisfied smile spread across his face.

Upstairs, Hakan gently embraced Chengyu, feeling each other's warmth.

“Cheng Yu,” Hakan said softly, “if we can wait until the fog clears, let’s leave here and find a quiet place to live, okay?”

Cheng Yu nodded and nestled in Hakan's arms. "Okay, I'll do whatever you say."

Outside the window, moonlight bathed the earth, and everything seemed so peaceful and serene. In this bustling tavern, two lovers found their tranquil haven.

"...I don't think now is the time for me to come, but I'm sure this is my room. I only asked Cheng Yu to stay here, so Hakan, get out of here!"

Under Evand's murderous gaze, Hakan reluctantly left the room, giving Cheng Yu a final, affectionate look before departing. After the door closed, Evand let out a long sigh and rubbed his temples. "Finally gone," he muttered, a hint of relief in his voice. "Cheng Yu, come sit down," he patted the bedside, gesturing for Cheng Yu to come over.

Cheng Yu floated limply to the bedside, sinking into the soft bedding like a lump of jelly. "What's wrong, Evand? Are you in a bad mood?" he asked with concern, extending a slender, slimy tentacle to gently stroke Evand's cheek.

Evand grabbed the tentacle and played with it in his palm. The cool, slippery feel improved his mood considerably. "It's not that I'm in a bad mood, it's just..." He paused, seemingly finding it difficult to say, "Seeing you two like this, I... am a little envious."

Cheng Yu chuckled, his slime-like body trembling slightly. "Envious? You can go find your Nexus too."

“He’s not here,” Evand sighed. “I went to the lizard tribe a while ago to look for him, but it seems he… isn’t in the tribe.”

"Not here? That seems normal, considering the current situation is dire; he has to do more for his people." Cheng Yu tilted his head. "But then again, it's strange, where could he have gone? Can't your keen nose detect where he is? Could it be..." He suddenly realized something, his eyes widening, "Could it be that he, like you, has gone to play with other lizardmen..."

Evans suddenly looked up, staring at Cheng Yu in surprise. "How did you know? No, I've never gone to see any other lizardmen!"

Cheng Yu smiled mysteriously. "I foresaw it." He said seriously, "Actually, I've been very sensitive to auras lately. I can sense the aura of another lizardman on you." He paused, his tone becoming ambiguous, "And, to leave an aura on someone else, unless..."

“Unless what?” Evand pressed anxiously.

Cheng Yu leaned closer to Evand, almost touching his ear, and whispered, "Unless you've had sex, or... you're together all the time."

Evans' face flushed bright red instantly. "It's not what you think! I was just... confused at the time..."

"Really?" Cheng Yu's soft body pressed against Evand's, a cool, sticky substance sliding down his cheek. Moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating Cheng Yu's alluring smile and Evand's panicked eyes.

"Looks like our Evand isn't so innocent after all; he actually betrayed his partner?!"

"No way! My heart belongs only to Nexus! There's no room for anyone else!"

"Hehe! I was just kidding. Of course I believe you, but if you meet Nexus again, he'll definitely be able to sense the Dong ethnic group's presence quickly. I hope you can explain it to him then, although he might not care at all. After all, he's too innocent, it makes me want him too!"

"You'd better give up that idea, he's mine!"

Seeing Evan's excited expression, Cheng Yu chuckled, two curved lines appearing on his sticky face, clearly in a good mood. "Alright, alright, I was just teasing you," he said softly, "Of course I believe you." He paused, then added, "However, if you see Nexus again, he'll definitely be able to smell your scent, so you'll have to explain yourself properly. Although... he's so innocent, he might not care about these things at all."

Evans rolled his eyes at him, turned his head away, and stubbornly refused to look at him again. "Hmph, even if you're right, that's my business," he said sullenly. "Also, although I agreed to sleep with you, you're responsible for cleaning the room! It's all dirty because of your slime!"

Cheng Yu smiled and agreed, extending two thin, slimy tentacles that quickly lengthened like putty, wrapping around Evand. "Hehehe..." he chuckled, pulling Evand down onto the bed. "What are you doing?!" Evand exclaimed, struggling frantically.

"Hehe, I just wanted you to experience what it was like when that slime tried to 'defeat' you." Cheng Yu winked mischievously.

Evand instantly recalled his first encounter with the Spear Tavern, when he was nearly swallowed by a giant slime. If Cheng Yu hadn't appeared in time, he couldn't imagine what would have happened. He swallowed hard, feeling both fear and curiosity. Perhaps… it wouldn't hurt to give it a try?

The next morning, Evans woke up exhausted, his body covered in Cheng Yu's sticky secretions, feeling very uncomfortable. He glared angrily at Cheng Yu, "You! How could you be so violent! You didn't even give me time to react!"

Cheng Yu simply smiled faintly, "It's dawn, time to get up and work, don't stay in bed." He clearly didn't want to dwell on the topic any longer, brushing it off lightly. Aivende sighed helplessly; he knew that pressing further would be pointless, so he resignedly got up and began a new day.

Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating the clothes scattered on the floor and the messy bedding on the bed, as well as the sly smile on Cheng Yu's face. He watched Aivende's busy figure, his heart filled with the pleasure of a successful prank.

After washing up, Evand went downstairs to the tavern and found Snow busy preparing breakfast. "Good morning, Snow," he greeted him and sat down at the bar.

“Good morning, Evand,” Snow replied warmly. “Did you sleep well last night?” He gave Evand a meaningful look, his eyes carrying a hint of ambiguity.

Evand's face flushed slightly. "It's...not bad," he mumbled, avoiding Snow's eyes. He knew Snow must have heard the noises in the room last night, but he didn't know how to explain.

The huge success of "Slime Kiss" made Snow a fortune. In high spirits, he hummed a tune as he placed a plate of fragrant roasted meat in front of Evand. "Try this, Parif's new dish."

Evand picked up his knife and fork, cut off a piece of roast meat, and put it in his mouth. The tender and juicy texture made him exclaim with delight. "So delicious! Pariff's cooking skills have improved again!"

Snow smiled smugly. "Of course! Don't you know who Parif is?!"

Just then, Cheng Yu came downstairs. He floated softly to Evande's side and affectionately nuzzled his shoulder. "Good morning, Evande."

"Good morning," Evand replied, reaching out to touch Cheng Yu's soft body. "Last night... you went too far. Aren't you afraid Hakan will be angry?"

Cheng Yu smiled and shook his head. "It's okay, he won't care about these details. At worst, I'll let him experience it too."

The two exchanged a knowing smile, everything understood without a word. The Spear Tavern began another day, filled with laughter and all sorts of strange and wonderful stories.