Tavern of the Spear: Desire for Pleasure

Chapter 118 Xingluo is in trouble?!

Abu remained unconscious, and Cheng Yu, Bai Yu, and Xing Luo stayed by his side, their hearts filled with anxiety. They tried various methods, but still couldn't wake Abu. Helpless, the three had no choice but to give up temporarily, deciding to rest for a while and then look for another way.

The warm sunlight streamed onto the grass as the three lay side by side, enjoying the gentle breeze on their faces. White clouds drifted lazily across the sky, seemingly watching over this peaceful and serene land.

“Speaking of which, there’s always this aura about Abu that makes me very uncomfortable.” Bai Yu broke the silence, his tone tinged with doubt. “I feel like I’ve encountered a similar aura somewhere before, but I can’t quite place who it is.”

Upon hearing Bai Yu's words, Cheng Yu also fell into deep thought. He closed his eyes, carefully sensing the lingering aura on Abu's body, trying to find a clue.

"Hmm..." After a while, Cheng Yu slowly opened his eyes and looked at the sky. "I have the same feeling. It is indeed a familiar aura, but I can't remember who it is."

Xinglu listened to their conversation with a blank expression. He only met Xinglu after Chengyu and Baiyu arrived in this time and space, so he naturally didn't know what they had experienced before. He just listened quietly, as if he were listening to an ancient and mysterious story.

"Let me think..." Bai Yu frowned, trying hard to recall, "I think I sensed this aura when you took me to the Sealed Land."

Upon hearing the words "Sealed Land," Cheng Yu was suddenly struck by a scene. It was a gloomy and terrifying place, permeated with an aura of evil. There, he had almost been swallowed by a horrific monster, a feeling he never wanted to experience again. However, the most important thing wasn't the monster, but another guy named Kemen Richie.

"Kemenridge!" Cheng Yu sat up abruptly, his eyes filled with shock. "Could it be Kemenridge's aura?"

Upon hearing Cheng Yu's words, Bai Yu immediately recalled the suspicious enemy. His body involuntarily trembled, and his tone carried a hint of embarrassment: "That's right, it's Kemen Richie! Hahaha, I knew I wouldn't be mistaken!"

As for why Bai Yu was so embarrassed? It's because he defeated his opponent instantly, and it took him quite a while to convince Cheng Yu that he wasn't too strong.

Cheng Yu took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. If Abu really did retain Kemenridge's aura, it meant that Abu was very likely already under Kemenridge's control.

“But isn’t Kemenridge only capable of a few simple things?” Bai Yu asked, puzzled. “How could his aura be on Abu? Does he have some other ability?”

Cheng Yu shook his head and explained, "I don't know either. Although she doesn't seem to have many abilities, it doesn't mean that the other party is not strong. Kaimen Rich's power is very, very strange. In short, he is related to the God of Pleasure. He may have transferred his power to Abu through some method."

Bai Yu added, "Moreover, Abu has extremely high magical talent, which makes him an easy target for Kemenridge."

Hearing their explanations, Xingluo was filled with worry. Looking at the unconscious Abu, he silently prayed that Abu would be alright.

Cheng Yu and Bai Yu exchanged a glance, both seeing the gravity in each other's eyes. They knew the situation was far more serious than they had imagined. Kaimen Richie's appearance would undoubtedly bring more trouble to the exam, but it might also bring a turning point; they might be able to find Bowen sooner.

"We must find a solution as soon as possible," Cheng Yu said firmly. "We absolutely cannot let Kemenridge's conspiracy succeed!"

Bai Yu nodded in agreement.

The three men stared silently at the unconscious Abu, the atmosphere so heavy it seemed as if the air itself had frozen. They all knew that Kemenridge's appearance was no accident; there must be a much larger conspiracy behind it.

“Abu didn’t do anything; perhaps he was just bewitched by Kemenridge,” Xingluo broke the silence, his tone tinged with reluctance. He had guessed Kemenridge’s ruthlessness from their conversation, and if Abu was truly under his control, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Cheng Yu and Bai Yu understood this principle as well. They were well aware of Kemenridge's cunning and ruthlessness, and if they acted rashly, they might alert him and put Abu in even greater danger.

"Bai Yu, come with me for a moment." Cheng Yu stood up, gesturing for Bai Yu to follow him. He needed to discuss a plan with Bai Yu alone; Xing Luo's abilities were limited, and leaving him behind would be unsafe.

Although Xingluo didn't understand, he obediently nodded. He knew he couldn't be of any help and that staying would only cause trouble.

Cheng Yu led Bai Yu to a secluded spot and stopped only after making sure no one was around.

"Bai Yu, how much of your spatial perception do you still have?" Cheng Yu suddenly asked, his tone serious.

Bai Yu paused for a moment, then closed his eyes, carefully sensing the spatial fluctuations around him. After a while, he opened his eyes, a look of shock on his face.

"My spatial perception is weakening rapidly! How could this be?" Bai Yu asked in disbelief. His spatial magic, which he had always been so proud of, was actually malfunctioning.

Cheng Yu nodded, turned his gaze to Xing Luo who was waiting in the distance, and then shook his head.

Bai Yu was even more confused, not understanding what Cheng Yu was trying to express.

“Xingluo also has problems.” Cheng Yu sighed, his tone heavy. “He may soon be wiped out by this world.”

Bai Yu was taken aback; he hadn't noticed Xing Luo's unusual behavior at all.

"What do you mean?" Bai Yu pressed. "What happened to Xingluo?"

Cheng Yu explained, "My guess is that Xing Luo doesn't belong to this world. His very existence violates the rules of this world. As time goes by, this world's rejection of him will become stronger and stronger, and his power will gradually weaken until he is completely erased by this world."

But there's another possibility: Xingluo knows too much. Remember when we first met him? The story he told us—but that story was completely fabricated. A bard wouldn't sing of a false history…”

Bai Yu then understood Cheng Yu's meaning, his heart filled with shock and worry. Xing Luo was their companion and an important friend; he couldn't just watch Xing Luo disappear.

"What should we do?" Bai Yu asked anxiously. "Is there any way to save him?"

Cheng Yu shook his head, his tone helpless: "I don't know. Xing Luo's situation is very special, and I don't know how to help him."

The two fell silent, and the atmosphere became heavy again.

Just then, a commotion suddenly arose in the distance. The two quickly turned around and saw a group of men in black walking towards them, their intentions clearly hostile.

"It seems we're in trouble." Cheng Yu's tone was grave.

"What's there to be afraid of? They're just a bunch of small fry." A cold glint flashed in Bai Yu's eyes, and a sharp dagger appeared in his hand without him even noticing. "Let me take care of them!"

After saying that, Bai Yu rushed forward and engaged in a fierce battle with the man in black. Cheng Yu followed closely behind and joined the fight.

This group of men in black was not weak and there were many of them, so Cheng Yu and Bai Yu were finding it difficult to defeat them in a short time.

Just then, Abu, who was unconscious, suddenly opened his eyes.

Abu slowly opened his eyes, and what came into view was a chaotic scene of fighting.

Cheng Yu and Bai Yu were surrounded and attacked by a group of men in black, and were in grave danger. He struggled to get up and help, but found that his body was extremely weak and he could not muster any strength.

Fortunately, Xingluo was right next to him. She helped him up and then hid him in a relatively secluded place.

At this critical moment, Cheng Yu and Bai Yu discovered that their powers had been completely sealed! The two looked at each other in shock, but had no time to think, and could only scramble to avoid the attacks of the men in black.

"Damn it!" Bai Yu cursed, his heart filled with frustration and anger. "Ever since I came to this world, I've been running into this kind of mess! It's bad enough that space and time are out of control, but now I can't even use my own power! What kind of hellish place is this?!"

Cheng Yu shook his head, indicating that he had never encountered such a bizarre situation either. In his memory, this world had never seen such an outrageous chaos of rules, and now, he couldn't even understand why it had become like this.

"Sigh..." Cheng Yu sighed, inwardly lamenting, "How did this game get so off track? The combat power levels later on are so ridiculously high! How am I supposed to play this?"

The situation was critical, and the two dared not delay any longer, drawing their respective weapons. Bai Yu's two bracelets instantly transformed, becoming a sharp longsword and a sturdy shield respectively. Although the longsword could also transform into a staff, the magic was now sealed, rendering the staff useless.

When Bai Yu saw the weapon Cheng Yu pulled out, he was immediately stunned. In Cheng Yu's hand was… a camera?! This thing seemed completely out of place in this fantasy world; it looked like it had wandered onto the wrong set. Bai Yu was filled with doubt, but he knew now was not the time to ask questions. He could only suppress his doubts and focus on dealing with the enemy before him.

The men in black pressed forward relentlessly. Cheng Yu and Bai Yu stood back to back, barely managing to fend off their attacks. The camera spun nimbly in Cheng Yu's hands, capturing every movement of the enemy. He dodged the attacks while searching for openings in the men's formation.

Suddenly, Cheng Yu's eyes lit up; he had spotted an opportunity. He abruptly pointed the camera at a man in black and pressed the shutter. A dazzling white light flashed, and the man in black was instantly frozen in place, unable to move.

"What is this thing?!" Bai Yu asked in surprise, he had never seen such a magical weapon before.

"This is my secret weapon." Cheng Yu smiled mysteriously, without explaining much. He continued to use the camera, freezing one image of each man in black.

Seeing this, Bai Yu immediately understood Cheng Yu's intention. He wielded his longsword and shield, coordinating with Cheng Yu's attacks, and knocked down the frozen men in black one by one.

The two quickly dispatched all the men in black. Cheng Yu and Bai Yu both breathed a sigh of relief, but they knew this was only a temporary victory. A greater crisis awaited them.

Just then, Xingluo and Abu slowly ran over from a distance.

"Are you alright?" Xinglu asked with concern.

"It's nothing." Cheng Yu shook his head. "It's just that my power is sealed, which makes things a bit tricky."

Xinglu asked again with concern, "Are you really alright? Are you hurt?" His gaze swept carefully over the two of them, as if trying to find any clues.

Cheng Yu and Bai Yu nodded again to reassure each other: "It's really nothing, it's just that my power is sealed, so I feel a little uncomfortable."

Xinglu was still a little worried, so she went forward and carefully checked the two of them. Only after confirming that they were not injured did she feel relieved.

Xinglu then helped Abu to the front of the group and asked with concern, "Abu, you're awake? How are you feeling? What happened just now? Why did you suddenly faint?"

Abu's eyes flickered, and he stammered, "I...I was studying magic just now, I was so focused that...my head hurt so much that I fainted..." Even though he didn't believe this clumsy lie himself, he had no choice but to keep going.

Surprisingly, Cheng Yu, Bai Yu, and Xing Luo showed no suspicion, only telling him to rest well. Abu secretly breathed a sigh of relief, unaware that the three had already guessed the truth but were unwilling to reveal it to avoid alerting the enemy.

"By the way, what just happened? Why were so many men in black attacking us?" Abu changed the subject, trying to divert everyone's attention.

Abu's reminder made Cheng Yu and Bai Yu realize they hadn't had time to check on the men in black. They rushed back to the scene of the previous battle, only to find the men in black had vanished without a trace, leaving behind only a few black robes scattered on the ground, fluttering gently in the breeze, as if silently mocking their ignorance.

Cheng Yu picked up a black robe and examined it carefully. The robe was made of a very special material; it was cold to the touch, yet exceptionally tough, like some kind of unknown biological leather. He tried to tear it, but it wouldn't budge.

“This material is very special; I’ve never seen it before.” Cheng Yu frowned, his mind filled with doubt.

Bai Yu also picked up a black robe and examined it closely. He discovered that the robe was embroidered with some strange runes, which emitted faint magical fluctuations, seemingly an ancient magic circle.

“These runes… seem to be a kind of sealing magic,” Bai Yu mused. “Could these men in black be being controlled?”

Cheng Yu nodded, a bad feeling creeping into his heart. It seemed they were caught up in a conspiracy far more complex than they had imagined.

“We must find a way to restore our strength as soon as possible,” Cheng Yu said firmly. “Otherwise, we will face even greater danger.”

Bai Yu and Xing Luo nodded in agreement. They knew that time was of the essence and they had to act as soon as possible.

Just then, a loud eagle cry suddenly rang out from the sky. A huge eagle descended from the sky and landed in front of everyone. A letter was tied to the eagle's talons, and the envelope was stamped with a conspicuous red seal.

"This is..." Cheng Yu took the letter with a puzzled look, opened it, and his expression immediately became serious.

"What's wrong? What did the letter say?" Bai Yu asked anxiously.

Cheng Yu took a deep breath and slowly said, "It's from a white dragon who has a penchant for the wicked. He's deliberately trying to annoy us. This guy has now revealed his identity and is going to confront us."

Upon hearing this, Bai Yu and Xing Luo's expressions also turned serious. They knew that this meant they were about to face an even greater challenge.

"It seems our path was already planned out. That guy orchestrated every step; we've all become his pawns!" Cheng Yu said through gritted teeth. "Our power seal is also because of him!"