Tavern of the Spear: Desire for Pleasure

Cheng Yu and Bai Yu exchanged a helpless glance, watching the two little dragons frolicking around. Cheng Yu's gaze held a hint of mockery, as if to say, "These are your two masters? You wouldn't happen to be like them, would you?" Bai Yu understood his look, and couldn't help but rub his forehead in exasperation, inwardly groaning. Why did he always leave a bad impression on the first person he met in every new world? However, he didn't blame his masters; after all, their concern was genuine.

Bai Yu quickly regained his composure and focused his attention back on Cheng Yu. "You still haven't told me where we are?" he asked, his tone returning to calm.

Cheng Yu shrugged. "Hell City, prison cells."

Bai Yu paused, looking around. Did he even need to ask about this environment? He sighed helplessly, "I mean, where is this world? What's so special about it?"

“I’m not quite sure what this world is called either,” Cheng Yu shook his head. “I only know that it’s similar to a world of swords and magic, and the intelligent races are mainly orcs. We’re currently trapped in a fog, and no one can get out. But I managed to get out once before with the help of a friend.”

Bai Yu nodded. The name of this world wasn't important; what mattered was understanding it. "That mist...it sounds strange." He paused for a moment, seemingly organizing his thoughts. "Could you explain it in more detail?"

Cheng Yu then told Bai Yu everything he knew about the mist, including its range, characteristics, and how he entered and left.

Bai Yu listened attentively, occasionally asking questions. His powerful spatial perception gave him some clues about the nature of the fog, but he needed more information to confirm them.

"Thank you for telling me all this," Bai Yu said sincerely. "This information has been very helpful to me."

"You're welcome." Cheng Yu smiled. "Perhaps we can even help each other out."

"Oh? How so?" Bai Yu asked with great interest.

"Aren't you a time traveler?" Cheng Yu blinked. "Maybe you can help me get out of this godforsaken place."

Bai Yu pondered for a moment, "Leaving here isn't difficult; the difficulty lies in finding the way back. Time travel is full of uncertainties, and I can't guarantee that I can take you to where you want to go."

“It’s okay,” Cheng Yu waved his hand dismissively, “As long as I can get out of here, I’m fine with going anywhere. But then again, it seems we’re not talking about the same thing…”

Bai Yu nodded. "Haha, it seems like what I meant was to go back to my original world, while you want to return to this mist. But I think we should leave here first." As he spoke, he stood up, a faint spatial power emanating from his hand.

"Wait!" Violet suddenly called out, "Where are you going? Take us with you!"

Argent flew over too, "Yes, yes, take us with you! We want to go out and see the world too!"

The two little dragons clung to Bai Yu from both sides, making him both amused and exasperated. "Alright, alright, I'll take you both," he reluctantly agreed.

Bai Yu once again activated his spatial power, opening a portal in the center of the cell. Behind the portal lay an unknown scene.

"Let's go," Bai Yu said, stepping into the time portal first. Cheng Yu followed closely behind, and the two little dragons excitedly flew in as well.

The portal slowly closed, and the cell returned to silence. The minotaur Baal witnessed it all, his eyes filled with shock and confusion. He didn't know the origins of these people, nor where they had gone. He only knew that this cage could no longer hold them.

In another corner of Hell, Cerberus was lounging on the ground, dozing off, utterly bored. Suddenly, he sensed a spatial fluctuation, jerked his head up, but saw nothing. He sniffed the air in confusion, a strange scent flashing by. He didn't understand what was happening, but he knew that something was subtly changing.

The portal, gleaming with a silvery-white light, slowly dissipated in a clearing within the misty forest. Bai Yu and Cheng Yu emerged one after the other, with Violet and Argent, the two mini dragons, circling around them like two shining stars. It was almost dawn.

"Phew, finally out." Bai Yu took a deep breath, feeling the fresh and moist air in the Misty Forest. "The environment here is much better than hell. This is a place for normal people to live."

Cheng Yu chuckled and teased, "You're really funny. If some of the demons in Hell City heard this, they might be so angry they'd jump up and down and come looking for you to settle the score."

Bai Yu shrugged nonchalantly. "Whatever, I'm not going to stay here forever anyway." His tone was relaxed, exuding a strong sense of confidence, as if those hellish demons didn't take him seriously at all.

"Masters, how long can you maintain this state?" Bai Yu turned to look at his two masters, a question he would ask every time he traveled through time.

The two little dragons circled for a while, then answered in unison, "They can probably stay like this for a while longer, but they'll turn back into bracelets soon."

"Hmm." Bai Yu nodded, then looked at Cheng Yu somewhat awkwardly, "Um... we haven't been in this world long and haven't found a place to stay yet. Do you... do you have a place to stay that you can provide?"

Cheng Yu readily agreed, "Yes, I'll be staying at the Spear Tavern. However, the owner there might be having a headache for a while, since there are no rooms available right now, unless you don't mind staying in the barn..."

"A barn?" Bai Yu raised an eyebrow, then smiled and said, "It's alright, having a place to stay is good enough, it's better than sleeping on the streets."

"Alright, follow me." Cheng Yu turned and walked towards the tavern, with Bai Yu and the two little dragons following closely behind.

Along the way, Bai Yu curiously observed the surrounding scenery. The towering ancient trees, the strangely shaped plants, and the misty air all fascinated him.

"This world is really interesting," he exclaimed.

“Yes,” Cheng Yu agreed with a smile, “there are many strange creatures here, as well as all sorts of adventure stories.”

"Adventure stories?" Bai Yu became interested. "I love adventure! If you have the chance, you must take me to see one."

“No problem.” Cheng Yu readily agreed. “After we’re settled, I’ll take you to meet my friends. They’re all very interesting guys.”

After walking for about an hour, they finally arrived at the Spear Tavern. It was a quaint wooden building with a sign that read "Spear Tavern" hanging at the entrance.

"We're here, this is it," Cheng Yu said, pointing to the tavern.

Bai Yu looked up, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. This tavern was even more...lively than he had imagined.

The tavern was bustling with people, all sorts of orcs coming and going, their noise never ceasing. There were burly minotaurs, lizardmen covered in scales, and winged birdmen... a diverse array of races gathered here, creating a strange and wondrous scene.

"It seems this place is quite popular," Bai Yu remarked.

“Yes,” Cheng Yu explained with a smile, “The Spear Tavern is the most famous tavern in the Misty Forest, and the wine brewed by its owner, Snow, is renowned far and wide.”

"Snow?" Bai Yu silently memorized the name.

"Let's go in," Cheng Yu said, pushing open the tavern door.

The tavern's interior was even more spacious than it appeared from the outside, filled with the rich aroma of alcohol and food. Wooden tables lined the hall, occupied by all sorts of patrons. Behind the bar, a burly werewolf was busy mixing drinks; he must be Snow.

Seeing Cheng Yu enter, Snow immediately smiled. "Yo, Cheng Yu, you're here! What good stuff did you bring me this time? But why are you like this again? Where did your slime go?"

"Ahem... well, let's not talk about that for now." Cheng Yu smiled and shook his head, pointing to Bai Yu behind him. "However, I brought a few friends with me, and they need to find a place to stay."

Snow followed Cheng Yu's gaze and saw Bai Yu and the two little dragons. He looked Bai Yu up and down, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. "And this is..."

"My name is Bai Yu, and I'm a time traveler," Bai Yu introduced himself.

"A time traveler?" Snow's eyes widened. "This... we just sent one away a while ago, how come another one is coming?"

"Boss, what do you mean by this? But can we stay here?" Bai Yu asked.

Snow shook his head. "Well... the tavern is full right now, so you can't stay at the hotel..." But then he changed the subject. "But you can stay in the barn, as long as you don't mind. Of course, I won't charge you, because I'm not going to make money off customers who aren't happy with their stay."

"A barn it is, just like my werewolf friend said," Bai Yu said nonchalantly. "It's better than having nowhere to live."

“Alright,” Snow nodded, “Come with me, I’ll take you to the barn.”

The two little dragons obediently followed behind Bai Yu. Although they were somewhat unhappy that their apprentice was going to live in the barn, they understood Bai Yu's personality. He didn't want to trouble others, especially since they were being helped. If they were to complain, it would seem very inconsiderate. Besides, they could use their last bit of strength to help Bai Yu modify the barn environment.

Upon arriving at the barn, Snow gave a perfunctory introduction of the surroundings, though there wasn't much to say, as it was just an ordinary barn. He did add a special note: "Sometimes a crocodile orc comes to this barn to train; he's our tavern's bartender. I hope you don't mind."

Bai Yu nodded in understanding, "It's okay, I don't mind."

Before leaving, Snow added, "The tavern needs more of your slime." Cheng Yu nodded awkwardly and watched Snow leave.

After Snow left, Violet and Argent began modifying the barn's environment. They didn't want to expose their power to ordinary people, so they waited until Snow was gone to begin. Under the influence of time magic, the hay clumps in the barn began to regenerate into lush, green grass, emitting a fragrant aroma. These grasses, compressed by spatial magic, became dense and firm, no longer scattered. Then, they were pieced together into a comfortable bed exuding the scent of fresh grass. The confinement of time magic prevented the grass from drying out and withering. They could have done more, but as avatars, this modification had exhausted their last bit of power. Having done all this, the two little dragons transformed into two streams of light, returning to Bai Yu's left and right wrists respectively, becoming two exquisite bracelets.

Looking at the newly renovated barn, the comfortable straw beds, and the fragrance of fresh grass in the air, Bai Yu couldn't help but admire the meticulous care of his masters. He walked to the bed and sat down, the soft touch bringing him a sense of relaxation. Cheng Yu also came in, looking at the transformed barn with admiration.

"Your master is really amazing. He was able to transform an ordinary barn into something like this."

Bai Yu smiled and said, "Yes, they have always taken good care of me."

“Oh right,” Cheng Yu said as if he had suddenly remembered something, “I haven’t had a chance to properly thank you for saving me from hell. If it weren’t for you, I’d probably still be stuck in that awful place.”

"It was nothing," Bai Yu waved his hand. "Besides, I didn't do it for free; you helped me a lot too."

"Anyway, thank you so much," Cheng Yu said sincerely. "If you need any help in the future, just let me know."

“Okay,” Bai Yu nodded, “You too.”

The two smiled at each other, and an inexplicable tacit understanding flowed between them.