The sky gradually darkened. Traveling at night was taboo for mages, since they never knew what demon beasts might seize the chance to ambush them.
So Mo Xie decided to find a suitable campsite nearby. Everyone had brought a tent in their storage magic tools or backpacks anyway, and the group settled down in a grove.
As luck would have it, there was a small pool near their campsite. Its water was very clean, perfectly suitable for bathing.
"Wow, this is great! There's actually a pool here!"
"Yeah, and the water looks really clean. It'll be perfect for a bath."
"Finally, we can wash up. I'm all sticky after today. I feel like I stink."
"No peeking, boys, or else... hmph!"
At nightfall, the men sat on the ground around the campfire, its light illuminating the odd expressions on their faces.
As the women's sweet, chattering voices drifted farther away, all that pent-up testosterone turned into a strange atmosphere that enveloped the group. Some swallowed, while others licked their dry lips.
The night was quiet. No one spoke, and only the crackling sparks of the campfire broke the silence.
They exchanged glances and awkward smiles, then either lowered their heads to stare at the fire or looked up at the night sky. The atmosphere was decidedly strange.
"The night looks pretty nice today, huh..."
Zhao Manyan tilted his head toward the beautiful night sky, breaking the silence as he tried to start a conversation.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, it really is beautiful..."
"Mm, you know, you can't see a view like this in the Imperial Capital..."
"Those stars are so white..."
"That moon is so big..."
For some reason, the conversation suddenly stalled, returning them to that strange atmosphere. They all chuckled awkwardly.
"Hey, do we have a shadow