Tavern of the Spear: Desire for Pleasure

At the entrance to the Minotaur tribe, the towering wooden gate was tightly shut, flanked by rugged stone walls carved with bull-head totems symbolizing power. A tense atmosphere permeated the air; even the children who usually played were hiding in their homes, afraid to venture out. Several Minotaur warriors, clad in animal skins and wielding spears, warily watched the passersby, their eyes sharp as eagles.

"Is this the Minotaur tribe?" Bai Yu asked in a low voice, a hint of curiosity in his voice. It was the first time he had ever seen a tribe with such a primitive atmosphere.

“Yes, this is the Minotaur tribe,” Evand replied, his face filled with anxiety. “Hopefully Chief Axel will heed our advice.”

“Let’s go in.” Cheng Yu patted Evand on the shoulder, signaling him not to worry too much.

The three men stepped forward, but the minotaur warrior guarding the gate immediately blocked their path. "Halt! Who are you? What are you doing here?"

“We are allies of the Minotaur tribe. We heard that Tarn has gone missing, so we came here to help,” Evand explained, while gesturing for Cheng Yu to reveal his identity.

Cheng Yu stepped forward, emanating a powerful aura. He also revealed the allied certificate he had obtained from Axel. The aura emanating from Cheng Yu caused several minotaur warriors to take a few steps back.

“I am Cheng Yu, and this is Bai Yu,” Cheng Yu said in a deep voice. “We are Evand’s friends, and we are here to help you find Tarn.”

"Bai Yu?" Several minotaur warriors looked at each other in bewilderment. Although they had never met these two allies, the other party had testimonies. But who was this tiger-beastman they had never met before?

"Please wait a moment, I'll go inform the chief," a tauren warrior said, then turned and ran into the tribe.

A moment later, the minotaur warrior returned and said to the three of them, "The chieftain invites you in."

The three followed the minotaur warrior into the tribe. Along the way, they saw many minotaurs busy at work, some sharpening their weapons, some carrying supplies, and others comforting their families. The entire tribe was shrouded in a tense atmosphere.

After navigating through a series of narrow streets, they arrived at a huge tent in the center of the tribe, the residence of Chief Axel.

“The chieftain is inside. You may go in,” the minotaur warrior said, then stepped aside.

Evans took a deep breath, pulled back the tent flap, and led Bai Yu and Cheng Yu inside.

Inside the tent, Axel sat in the main seat. He was a burly man with a rugged face, and his large, bell-like eyes were filled with authority. On either side of him sat several elder minotaurs, the tribe's elders, who were also watching the three uninvited guests.

"Evand, what are you doing here?" Axel's voice was deep and powerful, tinged with displeasure.

“Chief Axel, I heard that Tarn has gone missing, so I came here specifically to help,” Evand said quickly.

"Help?" Axel scoffed. "The affairs of our Minotaur tribe are none of your business, outsiders!"

“Chief Axel, Tarn is my friend, and I cannot stand idly by,” Evand insisted.

“Friends?” Axel’s eyes grew even colder. “You still have the nerve to call yourself Tarn’s friend? You spend all your time with those lizardmen, you’ve long forgotten that you’re an ally of the minotaur tribe!”

“I…” Evans was speechless for a moment, not knowing how to explain.

“Chief Axel, please calm down,” Cheng Yu said. “We’ve come here genuinely to help.”

"You two?" Axel's gaze fell on Cheng Yu and Bai Yu. "And who is this guy next to you? And what's going on with you? How come there are two of you?"

"Never mind my situation. This man next to me is Bai Yu, a powerful magic swordsman. He's here to help too," Cheng Yu said.

"A magic swordsman?" A look of surprise appeared on Axel's face. He carefully examined the tiger-beastman, as if trying to discern some clues from him.

“Chief Axel, we know you have some misunderstandings about Evand, but now is not the time to argue about these things,” Bai Yu said. “Tahn’s disappearance is the most important thing.”

“Hmph, how could you outsiders possibly understand the affairs of our tribe?” Axel said. “We will handle Tarn’s disappearance ourselves; we don’t need your interference!”

“Chief Axel, I know you have a prejudice against us, but the situation is urgent, and we must unite to find Tarn,” Evand said. “Moreover, Bai Yu has the ability to travel through time and space, which can help us find Tarn faster.”

"Space-time abilities?" Axel's face showed even greater surprise. He looked at Yun and asked, "You really possess space-time abilities?"

"Yes." Bai Yu nodded.

“Alright, in that case, I’ll give you a chance.” Axel pondered for a moment, then finally said, “If you can find Tarn, I will acknowledge your help.”

“Thank you, Chief Axel!” Evand said excitedly.

“However, you must follow my instructions and not act on your own,” Axel added.

“Of course,” Bai Yu said.

“Someone, take them down to rest. We’ll set off to find Tarn first thing tomorrow morning,” Axel said.

Several minotaur warriors came in and took Bai Yu, Cheng Yu, and Evand away.

“It seems that gaining Axel’s trust is not an easy task,” Bai Yu said to Cheng Yu and Evans on the way.

“Yes, but everything will be alright as long as we can find Tarn,” Evand said.

"I hope so," Cheng Yu said.

The three were put in a simple tent. Although the conditions were a bit harsh, they didn't care.

"Get a good rest tonight, there's a tough battle ahead tomorrow," Cheng Yu said.

"Mm." Bai Yu and Evande nodded.

As night fell, the Minotaur tribe gradually quieted down, with only the crackling of the campfire illuminating everyone's faces.

Evand lay on his bed of animal hides, but couldn't fall asleep. He recalled Axel's suspicious look from earlier that day, and a sense of unease crept into his heart.

"Cheng Yu, do you think we can really find Tarn?" Evan asked.

“Of course you can.” Cheng Yu’s voice came from the darkness. “Trust me, and trust yourself.”

"Mmm," Evand responded softly, then closed his eyes.

The first rays of dawn shone through the gaps in the tent, illuminating the faces of Evand, Bai Yu, and Cheng Yu. They had barely slept a wink, their minds preoccupied with the missing Tarn. After quickly packing their belongings, they eagerly headed towards Axel's tent.

Axel seemed to have anticipated their arrival. His tall figure stood silently in the center of the tent, a complex emotion in his eyes. He said nothing, only waving his hand to signal the minotaur warriors behind him to follow. These warriors were burly, muscular, and wielded massive battle axes; they were clearly the elite of the tribe.

“These are the best hunters in our tribe. They know every inch of the Misty Forest. With them by our side, the chances of finding Tarn will be much greater.” Axel’s voice was deep and powerful. Although he still had grievances against Evand, he chose to put aside his prejudices in the face of his son’s safety.

Evand nodded gratefully. He knew that although Axel had a rough exterior, he loved his son deeply in his heart. However, his clumsy way of expressing himself always created a barrier between father and son.

“Let’s get going without delay,” Evand said, taking a deep breath and trying to calm himself down.

The group left the minotaur tribe and officially entered the Misty Forest. Evand walked at the head of the group, his sensitive nose constantly sniffing the air, trying to detect any lingering scent of Tarn. He was confident that his keen sense of smell would allow him to find Tarn's trail.

"Why don't you come and look for the scent?" Evans turned to look at Cheng Yu beside him and asked curiously. After all, among them, Cheng Yu and his sense of smell were the most acute.

"I don't like smelling someone's scent unless they come close to me," Cheng Yu shrugged, looking nonchalant. A sly glint flashed in his deep eyes, suggesting he wasn't interested in this kind of tracking game.

Bai Yu walked in the middle of the group, his sharp eyes constantly scanning the surroundings. As a newcomer, he was filled with curiosity about this mysterious world. The dense trees, the strange plants, and the shrouded mist filled him with both excitement and nervousness.

His gaze fell upon the minotaur warriors beside him. These warriors were extremely tall, their muscles as hard as steel, exuding power. Bai Yu felt an urge to touch them; he longed to know what those muscles would feel like.

But he ultimately restrained his impulse; after all, business was more important in this situation. His gaze then turned to Cheng Yu in his slime form, this unique creature piquing his great interest. He had never seen such a wondrous creature, let alone touched it.

Unable to suppress his curiosity, Bai Yu quietly approached the slime Cheng Yu, extended a finger, and gently poked its soft body. A strange sensation came from his fingertip; the slime's mucus seemed to have an adhesive force, causing his finger to pause slightly. This feeling was both unfamiliar and interesting, making Bai Yu want to try it again.

He quickly withdrew his finger, pretending to be nonchalant, and continued to observe his surroundings. Both Slime Cheng Yu and Soul Cheng Yu seemed to have noticed his subtle movement, but they merely exchanged a glance and said nothing.

The group continued onward, the depths of the Misty Forest filled with unknowns and dangers, but they had to press on to find Tarn. Evand's nose became their most reliable guide, leading the group through dense jungles and across rugged mountain paths, constantly moving in the direction Tarn might be.

Bai Yu observed his surroundings while pondering clues about Tarn's disappearance. He had a feeling that a larger secret lay hidden behind this matter, and that secret might be related to this mysterious misty forest.

"Evande, do you smell anything unusual?" Bai Yu asked.

“Not yet, but there is definitely a strange smell here, it seems to be the smell of some kind of… wild beast,” Evand said, frowning.

"A beast?" Bai Yu's heart tightened. He remembered the legends about the Misty Forest he had heard before. Could it be that Tarn was really attacked by some kind of wild beast?

"Everyone be careful, there might be some danger here," Bai Yu warned.

Several minotaur warriors also became more vigilant, gripping their battle axes tightly, ready to deal with any potential dangers.

Just then, Evans suddenly stopped, his nose twitching violently, as if he had caught a crucial clue.

“Wait, I think I smell… Tarn’s scent!” Evand exclaimed excitedly.

"Really? Where?" Bai Yu asked quickly.

Evan pointed to a thicket of bushes ahead and said, "It's over there. I can sense that Tarn must be nearby!"

Upon hearing this news, everyone perked up and quickened their pace, heading in the direction Evand had indicated.

Pushing aside the bushes, a hidden cave appeared before them. The entrance was obscured by vines, making it difficult to spot without careful observation.

“Tahn must be inside!” Evand said, his voice filled with excitement and anticipation.

"Everyone be careful, let's go in and take a look," Bai Yu said.

Several minotaur warriors walked ahead, wielding battle axes and cutting through the vines blocking their path before cautiously entering the cave.

Bai Yu, Cheng Yu, and Ai Wende followed closely behind, also ready for battle.

The cave was pitch black, with only a few faint rays of light shining in from the entrance, barely enough to make out the surroundings. A damp smell permeated the air, mixed with a faint stench of blood.

“Tahn! Are you there?” Evand shouted, his voice echoing through the cave.

"Who...who is there?" a weak voice came from deep within the cave.

"Tahn! It's me, Evand!" Evand said excitedly. "Are you alright?"

“I…I’m here…” Tarn’s voice grew weaker and weaker.

Following the sound, the group ventured deeper into the cave and finally found Tarn in a corner. He was sitting against a rock, covered in wounds, pale, and looking extremely weak.

"Tann! How are you?" Evand rushed over and helped Tarn up.

“I…I’m fine…” Tarn said weakly, “I’m just…trapped here…”

"What exactly happened? How did you end up here?" Bai Yu asked.

“I…I don’t know…” Tarn’s eyes were filled with fear. “I only remember that I was patrolling in the forest, and then…and then I don’t remember anything…”

"It seems that Tarn's disappearance is indeed not a simple matter," Cheng Yu said.

"Let's not talk about this now, let's take Tarn back first," Bai Yu said.

Several minotaur warriors stepped forward, carefully lifted Tarn up, and then walked out of the cave.

“Evand, thank you…” Tarn said weakly to Evand.

"Don't talk, conserve your energy," Evans said.

Upon returning to the Minotaur tribe, Tarn was taken to the tribe's healer for treatment, while Evand, Bai Yu, and Cheng Yu were summoned to Axel's tent.

“You really found Tarn, that’s good.” A smile finally appeared on Axel’s face. “I admit I had some misunderstandings about you before, but now it seems you genuinely want to help us.”

“Chief Axel, we are all allies, and it is only right that we help each other,” Evand said.

“However, Tarn’s disappearance doesn’t seem to be that simple,” Bai Yu said. “He himself doesn’t know what happened, there must be something fishy about it.”