Chapter 55: Peeking at the Stream.

With Mo Fan leading the way, the others weren't exactly having an easy time either, especially with so many Cave Demon Slaves attacking them in the tunnel.

Once they managed to escape the cave, Mo Fan glanced back at the group, noticing that everyone, including Mu Ningxue, looked a bit disheveled and exhausted.

After finally getting out, everyone heaved a collective sigh of relief.

At the same time, there was an air of disdain towards Lu Zhenghe's earlier commands. Compared to Mo Fan's leadership, Lu Zhenghe's performance was clearly lacking.

Lu Zhenghe was furious but couldn't do anything about it. His wolf underling was almost useless in the cave. He couldn't understand how Mo Fan's summoned beast was so strong, and on top of that, how Mo Fan could still have such incredible personal power.

Still, he kept his frustration hidden, only thinking to himself, "Just wait, I won't let you get away with this."

As Lu Zhenghe brooded, the others began to talk about finding a place to rest and clean up.

"We should hurry and find a place to camp and rest."

"Yeah, I feel so gross."

"My head's spinning, probably from using too much magic."

"How's Xiao Feng doing?"

The guy named Xiao Feng from the Imperial Academy had been injured earlier. Despite being a mid-tier mage, he was unfortunate enough to get caught by one of the Cave Demon Slaves.

It couldn't be helped—it's one of the weaknesses of human mages. Once something gets close to them, even a mid-tier mage can fall to a lowly demon.

Xiao Feng's injuries were the worst, and Peng Liang had been protecting him the entire time. Fortunately, Bai Tingting was there—being a healing mage—otherwise they'd be down a person before they even reached the abandoned city.

After finding a spot with water near the tracks, they checked for any lurking demons and set up camp.

As night fell, the men gathered around a campfire. The flickering flames illuminated their youthful faces.

The night was quiet, with only the crackling of the fire breaking the silence. Suddenly, Zhao Manyan broke the stillness, asking, "So, you sure the girls are bathing down by the stream?"

"Yeah, Mu Ningxue, Mu Nujiao, they're all there."

An odd atmosphere of male curiosity and suppressed excitement spread among them. Some gulped, others licked their lips, and a few couldn't resist glancing in the direction of the stream.

"Peng Liang, why don't you go check it out? With your shadow magic, they won't notice a thing." Zhao Manyan suggested.

"Uh, that's… probably not a good idea." Peng Liang hesitated, though his body betrayed him. He quickly turned into a shadow and slipped away into the darkness.

As they watched him go, the guys couldn't help but be impressed. "Man, why couldn't I have awakened shadow magic?"

Meanwhile, out by the stream, the moonlight shone brightly over the forest, casting shadows on the ground. The water shimmered as it flowed gently, cool and soothing.

Nearby, various clothes were laid out, giving off a soft fragrance—some delicate, some lacy, others snug-fitting, or soft and comfortable.

The water was crystal clear, flowing gently, a bit cold but refreshingly so.

"Do you have a death wish?"

Mo Fan, who had been quietly enjoying the peaceful scene, heard a cold voice from the forest. He saw a shadow moving swiftly away. He sighed in disappointment but turned and left the area.

The girls—Bai Tingting, Mu Nujiao, and Jingjing—were startled, quickly sinking their slender bodies deeper into the water, their wide eyes scanning the surroundings for any sign of trouble.

"What happened?" Song Xia, who had been keeping watch nearby, rushed over, confused.

"I think someone was spying on us."

"I sensed a shadow magic presence!"

"Who here uses shadow magic?"

"It's Peng Liang, no doubt!"

Meanwhile, back at the campfire, the guys continued swapping exaggerated stories about their past adventures, in essence just bragging.

But soon enough, the girls returned with cold expressions, their eyes drilling into the group of men.

"Who was it!?" Song Xia demanded, pointing accusingly at the guys.

"Who else could it be? The only one with shadow magic is Peng Liang…" Jingjing glared at him.

Peng Liang's face went pale, and he jumped up to defend himself. "It wasn't me! I barely even reached the stream before you noticed me! I swear, I didn't see anything!"

"Peng Liang, I can't believe you're like this. I feel ashamed to be your classmate." Zhao Manyan chimed in, feigning righteousness.

Without a second thought, Zhao Manyan threw Peng Liang under the bus.

Peng Liang was frustrated—he had gone, but he hadn't seen anything, so why was he being blamed?

The girls stormed back to their tents, and the guys around the fire nodded in agreement, determined to pin it all on Peng Liang.

Peng Liang felt utterly defeated, almost ready to cry in despair.

Things settled down soon enough, and when it was time for people to start taking shifts to keep watch, Mo Fan noticed that Lu Zhenghe had quietly slipped away.

Lu Zhenghe was using some kind of device, placing it somewhere out of sight.

Mo Fan knew he was sending coordinates to Lu Nian.

He didn't really care. In fact, he was waiting for Lu Nian to arrive.

However, Mo Fan couldn't let Lu Nian show up too early. At the very least, he wanted Chief Instructor Zhan Kong to arrive first.

So, that night, Mo Fan had his Flame Howling Wolf carry the device far away and set it up somewhere else.

Once he confirmed that no one had noticed, he returned to keep watch. When the next person took over, the Flame Howling Wolf returned, having completed its task.

(End of Chapter)