Tavern of the Spear: Desire for Pleasure

After a long while, Bai Yu slowly opened his eyes and gently shook his head. He snapped out of his reverie and his gaze fell on the silver-white dragon-shaped bracelet on his left wrist. At this moment, the illusory image of the pocket watch on the bracelet had returned to normal; the hands were no longer spinning wildly but were moving slowly at a steady pace.

"The time loop... seems to have entered the next stage," Bai Yu muttered to himself, a hint of uncertainty in his voice. Based on his previous experiences and deductions, they were likely at the "now" point in time.

As Bai Yu had predicted, the surrounding scenery began to change drastically. Houses sprang up like mushrooms after rain on the once desolate plains, at an astonishing speed. Then, one after another, orcs appeared out of thin air in these houses. Most were werewolves, but there were also some orcs of other races, though in smaller numbers.

Cheng Yu and Chongquan were stunned by this sudden change. They stared blankly at their surroundings, speechless for a moment. After a long while, Cheng Yu finally came to his senses. Pointing at the houses and orcs, he stammered, "What... what's going on?"

“We… should have arrived at the ‘present’ point in time,” Bai Yu explained. “These houses and orcs should have originally existed at this point in time.”

“The Northern Wolf Clan tribe!” Heavy Fist suddenly exclaimed. He recognized the style of the houses; they were indeed the architectural style of the Northern Wolf Clan tribe.

"The Northern Wolf Clan tribe?" Cheng Yu was taken aback, then realized, "You mean, this is the tribe where Hei Ze lives?"

“That’s right!” Heavy Punch nodded excitedly. “I can feel it, Kurosawa is here!”

A glint of light flashed in Cheng Yu's eyes. Although he hadn't known Kurosawa for long, he could sense that Kurosawa was a very wise dragon, and perhaps he could help them solve the time loop problem.

"Great!" Cheng Yu exclaimed. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go find Kurosawa!"

Chongquan was even more eager than Cheng Yu. Without even saying goodbye to the two, he dashed off towards the northern wolf tribe. He was incredibly fast, disappearing from their sight in the blink of an eye.

“That guy with the heavy punch…” Cheng Yu shook his head helplessly, “He’s just too impatient.”

"It seems that Kurosawa, whom you mentioned, is very important to him, so it's understandable that he's excited," Bai Yu said. "Let's go too."

"Okay." Cheng Yu nodded and walked towards the northern wolf tribe with Bai Yu.

Chongquan raced forward, his heart filled with excitement and anticipation. He hadn't seen Kurosawa in a long time, not since he inexplicably arrived in this void. Kurosawa was not only his master but also an object of his reverence; in his heart, Kurosawa was the embodiment of wisdom, omniscient and omnipotent.

"Master, I'm finally going to see you!" Chongquan shouted in his heart, quickening his pace.

Soon, Heavy Fist arrived near the Black Dragon Tribe. He could see the towering black dragon statue in the village from afar, the symbol of the Black Swamp. Heavy Fist's heart pounded faster and faster; he could almost hear it beating.

However, just as Chongquan was about to enter the tribe, he suddenly stopped. He remembered Kurosawa's character; although Kurosawa was wise, he was also very cautious and wouldn't easily trust anyone. If he rashly barged in like this, he might arouse Kurosawa's suspicion, or even be treated as an enemy.

"What should I do?" Heavy Fist frowned. He had to think of a way to see Kurosawa without arousing his suspicion.

Just as Chongquan was racking his brains, he suddenly thought of a way. He remembered that Kurosawa had once said that he liked to collect all kinds of rare treasures, especially those related to time.

"That's it!" Heavy Punch's eyes lit up. "I can give the 'past' fragments as a gift to Kurosawa, and he'll definitely want to see me!"

Thinking of this, Chongquan immediately ran back to Cheng Yu and the others, taking the "Past" fragment from their hands. This fragment emitted a faint light, appearing exceptionally beautiful under the sunlight.

After obtaining the fragment, he quickly turned back and rushed towards the tribe.

"Hopefully this method will work." Heavy Fist took a deep breath and then walked towards the tribe's gate.

He arrived at the tribe's gate and said to the werewolves guarding the entrance, "I am Heavy Fist, a servant of Lord Kurosawa. I have something important to offer to Lord Kurosawa, please inform him."

The werewolves guarding the area glanced at Heavy Fist, a hint of doubt flashing in their eyes. They had never seen Heavy Fist before and didn't know if he was truly Black Swamp's servant.

"What evidence do you have to prove that you are Lord Kurosawa's servant?" a werewolf asked.

"I..." Heavy Fist was momentarily speechless. He hadn't expected the guards to ask that question. He couldn't very well say that he came from another point in time, could he? If he did, they would definitely think he was crazy.

Just as Chongquan was at a loss, another werewolf suddenly said, "I seem to have heard that Lord Kurosawa has taken in many white dragons. He might be one of them. After all, we can't see any white dragons with normal consciousness here."

"Yes, yes, yes!" Heavy Fist nodded hurriedly. "I am one of those white dragons who were taken in. I have always followed Lord Kurosawa!"

“Alright then, you wait here, I’ll go and inform them,” the werewolf said, then turned and walked into the tribe.

Chongquan breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't expected to encounter a clever werewolf here. It seemed his luck hadn't been bad after all.

A short while later, the werewolf returned and said to Heavy Fist, "Lord Kurosawa has agreed to see you. Please come with me."

Overjoyed, Chongquan quickly followed the werewolf into the tribe. He walked through streets and arrived at the center of the tribe, where a huge black dragon statue stood, exuding an aura of majesty.

"Lord Kurosawa is waiting for you inside. Go in by yourself," the werewolf said, pointing to a cave behind the statue, then turned and left.

Heavy Punch took a deep breath and then stepped into the cave. The cave was spacious, with walls inlaid with various gems that shimmered with dazzling light. At the far end of the cave, a huge figure was coiled up—it was Kurosawa.

"Master!" Heavy Fist shouted excitedly, then knelt down on the ground, "I've finally met you!"

Kurosawa slowly opened his eyes, his gaze sharp as a knife, as if it could see through everything. He stared at the heavy fist for a long time before slowly speaking: "Who... are you?"

Clearly, Kurosawa didn't recognize Heavy Fist. Perhaps at this point in time, Kurosawa hadn't yet adopted Heavy Fist, or perhaps Heavy Fist's very existence was a paradox. Although somewhat disappointed, Heavy Fist patiently explained his identity to Kurosawa, described Kurosawa's preferences in detail, and even listed the names of all the white dragons Kurosawa had ever adopted.

“Master, it’s me, Heavy Fist! Don’t you remember me? I’ve always been by your side!” Heavy Fist said eagerly. “Master, I’ve always known you love reading. During the time I was with you, you often studied various professions, and you even taught me my boxing style! You also adopted many white dragons, and they are…”

Heavy Punch rattled off ten names in one breath, most of which Kurosawa had never heard of, but a few of them felt vaguely familiar.

"Swiftwind, Savage Hammer, Shadow Blade, Enlightenment, Priest..." Kurosawa repeated these names in a low voice, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes. These five names were indeed those of the five white dragon slaves he currently possessed. These white dragons were originally defective products, devoid of self-awareness, like walking corpses. Later, Kurosawa took them in and used his power to help them regain their consciousness, enabling them to think and act like normal people.

“These five guys… are indeed the white dragons I took in,” Kurosawa said slowly, his tone carrying a hint of inquiry. “But I’ve never heard of the other names you mentioned.”

Despite Heavy Fist naming several of his men, Kurosawa still didn't fully believe him. After all, the appearance of a white dragon with normal consciousness here was itself a very strange thing. Moreover, Heavy Fist claimed to come from another point in time, which made Kurosawa even more incredulous.

"You... really came from another point in time?" Kurosawa asked, his tone full of doubt.

“Yes, Master!” Heavy Fist nodded firmly. “I did not lie to you! I am truly your servant!”

Just then, a commotion suddenly erupted outside the cave. Immediately afterwards, Cheng Yu and Bai Yu appeared at the cave entrance. It turned out that the guards outside couldn't stop them at all; they explained for a long time, but the guards refused to let them in. Left with no other option, they had to force their way in.

"Heavy punch! You bastard, why did you run away without even telling us?" Cheng Yu said, panting heavily.

"Sorry, I was in too much of a hurry..." Chongquan scratched his head and said somewhat embarrassedly.

"Who are you people?" Kurosawa's gaze fell on Cheng Yu and Bai Yu, his eyes becoming even more wary.

“We are friends with Heavy Fist,” Bai Yu said. “We are with him, all of us here to find the fragments of time.”

"Time fragments?" Kurosawa's brows furrowed even more. "You know about time fragments too?"

“Yes.” Bai Yu nodded. “We have found the fragments of the ‘past’ and are now looking for the fragments of the ‘present’.”

"Fragments of the 'past'?" A glint of light flashed in Kurosawa's eyes. "You've found fragments containing the laws of time? Where are they?"

"Here it is." Heavy Fist quickly handed the fragment of "past" to Kurosawa. "Master, this is my gift to you!"

Kurosawa took the fragment of the "past" and examined it carefully. The fragment emitted a faint glow, appearing exceptionally beautiful in Kurosawa's hands. Kurosawa could sense the powerful temporal force contained within it; this was the treasure he had always dreamed of.

“This…this really is a fragment of time…” Kurosawa murmured to himself, his tone filled with surprise and excitement.

However, just as Kurosawa was immersed in the powerful energy of the fragments of the "past," he suddenly sensed a familiar aura. This aura came from Cheng Yu, and although it was very faint, Kurosawa still keenly detected it.

“This aura… how is this possible?” Kurosawa suddenly raised his head, looking at Cheng Yu with disbelief in his eyes. He shook his head, as if trying to shake off the absurd idea in his mind. “No, it’s impossible… I must be mistaken…” Kurosawa muttered to himself, thinking that he might be having this illusion because he was too eager to obtain the time fragment.

"What's wrong, Kurosawa?" Cheng Yu noticed Kurosawa's unusual behavior and asked with concern.

"N-nothing...it's nothing." Kurosawa snapped out of his daze and looked away from Cheng Yu. "You...are you really here to find the fragments of time?"

“Yes,” Bai Yu said. “We know you are a very wise dragon, so we would like to ask you for our help.”

"Help you?" Kurosawa pondered for a moment, then said, "I can help you, but you must tell me why you are searching for the fragments of time?"

"We..." Bai Yu was about to explain when Cheng Yu interrupted him.

"We're here to escape this world!" Cheng Yu said, his tone firm and powerful.

"Escape the world?" A hint of doubt flashed in Kurosawa's eyes. "Do you... know what you're saying?"

“We know,” Cheng Yu said. “Of course we know exactly what we’re doing, and I think you know it too. Although I’ve only met you once in another time and space, I have reason to believe that you can definitely help us.”

"Oh?" Kurosawa looked at Cheng Yu with interest. "Then tell me, why do you want to escape this world so much? Is it just because you think this world is fake?"

"...I don't think so, it's just because this place doesn't belong to us..."

Kurosawa shook his head, then walked up to Cheng Yu, gently patted him on the shoulder, and slowly said, "You hesitated, sigh~"

“You’re right, I can indeed help you, but you don’t have much time left, because my brother is coming. Tell me what you know.”

Cheng Yu took a deep breath and then told Hei Ze everything they knew, including the time loop and their experience of searching for time fragments to break the time loop.

Kurosawa listened quietly, without interrupting Cheng Yu. Only after Cheng Yu finished speaking did Kurosawa slowly begin to speak: "Your story... is very interesting. But have you ever considered that all of this might just be a lie?"

"A lie?" Cheng Yu and Bai Yu were both stunned. "What do you mean?"

“What I mean is…” Kurosawa’s lips curled into a mysterious smile, “Everything you know may have been fabricated by others to exploit you.”

"Using us?" Cheng Yu and Bai Yu exchanged a glance, both seeing shock and confusion in each other's eyes. "Who would use us? And why would they use us?"

"I don't know about that." Kurosawa shook his head. "I can only tell you that this world is far more complex than you imagine. What you see and hear may not be true. Can you really distinguish between what is false and what is true?"

"Then... can't you just tell us directly?" Bai Yu asked, feeling a bit lost. He was only highly skilled in time and space, not some kind of language genius who could solve riddles.

“I don’t know either,” Kurosawa said. “All I can say is that you should be careful and not trust anyone easily, including… me.”

After saying that, Kurosawa closed his eyes, seemingly unwilling to continue the topic. Cheng Yu and Bai Yu exchanged glances, unsure of what to say.

"Master..." Heavy Fist asked cautiously, "Then... can you help us?"

Kurosawa didn't open his eyes, but said calmly, "I said I can help you, but you must prove your worth first, because my brother doesn't like worthless trash."

"Prove your worth?" Heavy Punch asked, puzzled. "How do you prove it?"

“It’s simple.” Kurosawa slowly opened his eyes, a glint of light in them. “Help me find the fragment of ‘now,’ and I’ll tell you everything. As for Obsidian, I’ll take care of that.”