The water source here wasn't very large; it could only be described as a small lake. Where there was water, the surrounding wildlife tended to be abundant. Occasionally, some seemingly gentle herbivores would approach the water's edge, first scanning their surroundings for danger before lowering their heads to drink. Despite the Qihar Mountains being known as a paradise for magical beasts, their distribution was actually quite sparse. Most creatures here were ordinary animals without strong offensive capabilities. Especially as they ventured deeper into the mountains, sightings of magical beasts became even rarer. This area was frequented by various high-level magical beasts, and any encounter could easily involve a formidable foe. Lower-tier magical beasts found it exceedingly difficult to survive here, typically retreating to the expansive outskirts of the mountains until they evolved into higher-level beasts, at which point they might consider moving deeper into the mountains.
Not far from their camp, Fars and Yuna walked for a short while before arriving at the edge of this small lake, illuminated by the moonlight, which made it appear as clear as a mirror. The area was sparsely populated, and the beautiful scenery remained untouched. The small animals that did wander by, sensing the terrifying aura emanating from Fars, quickly fled, whether they were drinking or merely curious about the lake. With the area cleared, only the elongated shadows of the two remained under the moonlight.
"What are you still doing here? I'm going to take a bath," Yuna finally broke the silence, unable to hold back any longer. After all, she was the one about to bathe, while Fars stood there as if nothing were amiss. She wasn't quite bold enough to undress in front of a man she barely knew.
Fars didn't respond; instead, he calmly pulled out a bag of gold coins and handed it to Yuna.
This time, Yuna was genuinely at a loss for words. It was her who had suggested the price of a thousand gold coins for a peek, and now, before her, was a heavy bag of coins that likely contained even more.
"Is this not enough? With this amount, you could buy a beautiful female slave. Even in Sintas, one of the most prosperous cities on the continent, you could find a popular girl," Fars said leisurely, trying to reason with Yuna.
Though she had set the price, Yuna couldn't bring herself to accept the gold coins and perform a scene of bathing in front of Fars. Instead, she stubbornly sat on the ground, turning her head away and ignoring him.
Feeling that he had teased Yuna enough, Fars decided to ease the tension and give her an out. "If you beg me, I'll leave."
Having been a lonely vampire for so long, Fars struggled to adopt the flirtatious demeanor he once had to charm women. Yuna was no longer a child, and treating her as such wouldn't yield good results. It was clear she wasn't the type to be coddled like a delicate flower; too much pampering would only backfire. Thus, offering her a way out was sufficient.
"Please…" Yuna, who had been sitting on the ground, suddenly sprang up, grabbing Fars's arm and pleading softly.
Fars instinctively tried to pull away, but Yuna was much quicker. Just as he was about to withdraw his arm, she caught it, inadvertently brushing against another part of her body, leaving him with an unexpected sensation.
"How should I be addressed? Have you forgotten after just one meal?" Backing down now wouldn't align with Fars's style; passing up an opportunity would be foolish.
Yuna glared at Fars, her expression filled with a mix of annoyance and frustration, as if she could devour him whole. Fortunately, Fars had thick skin, and it was Yuna who eventually relented first, eager to get on with her bathing.
"Great Master Fars, can you please hide and watch?"
Fars felt quite pleased with her words, but he also thought that being caught once for a thousand gold coins was a bit steep. Seizing the opportunity, he replied with a feigned seriousness, "What if you catch me? A thousand gold coins seems a bit much."
How shameless… Yuna silently lamented. But she couldn't voice her thoughts, so she maintained a coy demeanor and replied with a soft gaze, "Then how about a hundred gold coins?"
At this point, Fars found it hard to keep up the charade. To an outsider, it would seem like a couple exchanging sweet nothings, yet their dialogue resembled that of street vendors haggling. Reluctantly, he pulled his arm from Yuna's grasp and took off, soaring into the air.
Once airborne, Fars remembered he had a task to accomplish. This area wasn't entirely safe; despite having scared off numerous small animals, it had likely attracted unwanted attention. There were surely high-level magical beasts nearby, and he might even encounter a top-tier beast. The panicked animals that had fled were inadvertently spreading the word about the dangerous presence in the area.
While high-level magical beasts didn't claim fixed territories deep within the Qihar Mountains, they could certainly establish hunting grounds. Each beast's hunting ground functioned like a territory, and any dangerous creatures entering would raise their alertness. Naturally, if they sensed a being with a significantly stronger aura, they would flee.
Fars's goal was to identify the magical beast that 'ruled' this area. If it was foolish enough to confront him, he wouldn't mind having a late-night snack.
Having Danis by his side was far more effective than searching for hidden magical beasts alone. Her noble bloodline granted her heightened senses, allowing her to easily distinguish between ordinary animals and high-level magical beasts. Soon enough, they discovered traces of a magical beast near a secluded cave. How did they find it? Not by sight, of course. Hunters typically tracked their prey by scent and footprints. With Danis's unique ability to sense souls, she could effortlessly identify the strength of different creatures.
Intimidating the magical beasts was even simpler. Fars transmitted his power to Danis, allowing her to project her phoenix aura far enough to sweep over the beast's hiding spot. The noble aura from the ancient phoenix clan was enough to scare ordinary high-level magical beasts into submission.
Once the task was complete, Fars returned to the small lake with satisfaction. He chose a tree trunk with a good view and began to enjoy the sight of Yuna bathing gracefully in the water. Although Danis was puzzled as to why Fars was staring intently at a figure in the water that lacked any fur, her laziness, cultivated by Fars, soon had her finding a comfortable spot in his arms and dozing off.
While it could be called peeping, it was more like openly watching. To see every detail of Yuna's bath, Fars had positioned himself not too far from the lake. Given Yuna's keen senses, she should have been able to detect Fars's intense gaze.
However, fearing that if she caught him watching, he would be completely unashamed, Yuna felt even more embarrassed. Fortunately, she tolerated Fars's presence.
To be honest, after watching for a while, even Fars grew anxious. Was it really necessary to take two hours for a bath? With most of her body submerged in the water, Yuna wasn't fulfilling Fars's desire for a good view. He eagerly awaited the moment she would emerge from the water, his anticipation building.
As the moon reached its zenith, Fars decided to take out his magic book and continue reading. Luckily, Yuna, sensing the time, played around in the water for a while longer before finally swimming back to the shore. Although his eyes were on the book, his thoughts remained on Yuna. As she prepared to finish, Fars quickly closed the book and stowed it away in his ring. The sound of his movements was loud enough that even Danis, who was sleeping in his arms, stirred, and Yuna heard it clearly as well. Embarrassed, she covered her important areas and stepped out of the water slowly.
Her damp hair clung to her fair neck, and her body, illuminated by the moonlight, made Fars's heart race. Yuna, no longer shy, deliberately shook her hair, sending droplets splashing onto the grass below.
Watching her alternate between awkwardly hugging herself and glancing around shyly, Fars couldn't help but curse under his breath, "Little vixen." Unable to resist, he jumped down from the tree and tossed her a set of men's bathrobes. He had plenty of such items stored in his ring, remnants left behind by various young masters. He had never bothered to collect women's daily necessities or clothing.
"How did you know I didn't have a change of clothes?" Yuna asked curiously, looking at Fars as he descended from the tree.
Fars, feeling a bit exasperated, replied, "What would you think of a woman who had been idling in the water for two or three hours, then came ashore looking completely lost?"
Yuna realized he had hit the nail on the head. If she hadn't known Fars was nearby, she would have had no qualms about washing her clothes in the water, whether they were wet or dry. When she fled, she had only kept the wooden box she had stolen, discarding everything else, leaving her with nothing. However, knowing a lecher was watching, she couldn't bring herself to do it. She had pretended to play in the water for a long time before finally coming ashore, feeling utterly flustered.
Fortunately, with Fars handing her a clean bathrobe, albeit a men's one, Yuna quickly put it on without hesitation, grateful for the coverage against Fars's intense gaze. Once dressed, she felt more at ease, and to Fars's eyes, the oversized robe suited her surprisingly well, adding to her charm.