After dealing with the Sand Tiger Demon, the group encountered a team of hunter mages. The hunters, realizing their prey had been taken, left awkwardly.
The encounter was brief, and the group continued across the sand dunes. The desert wasn't endless, and after traveling for about a day, the terrain transitioned into a rocky wasteland, dotted with exposed rocks. Sand Tiger Demons became more frequent, and the group avoided them when possible. When forced into a confrontation, Zhao Manyan and the others worked together to defeat them.
Zhang Xiaohou's combat skills were especially useful, and Mo Fan made sure Mu Nu Jiao learned from the experience. She didn't mind; she knew Mo Fan brought her along to gain experience.
The journey had been relatively safe, and they eventually reached the area of the Sha Wang River. This ancient, dried-up riverbed stretched across much of Dunhuang like a massive, earthen dragon. Even on a map, it was a notable feature, cutting through half of Gansu Province. The narrowest part was still about ten kilometers wide. It was home to fearsome White Sand Demon Soldiers.
Fortunately, with Xin Xia's help, the group managed to pass through the riverbed without too much trouble. After a night's rest and a few small skirmishes, they finally crossed the dangerous terrain. Even though Mo Fan refrained from using his powerful high-tier magic, he still managed to take down many White Sand Soldiers with just mid-tier spells, far surpassing the efforts of the others.
Mo Fan was cautious not to use high-tier spells, as doing so might attract the attention of stronger monsters lurking in the area, particularly the ruler-level creatures.
Once the group crossed the river, they stopped to rest. While Mo Fan wasn't particularly drained, Zhao Manyan and the others had expended quite a bit of magical energy. As they sat down to relax, Mu Nu Jiao and Ye Xin Xia naturally found themselves sitting on either side of Mo Fan.
"How are you feeling?" Mo Fan asked as he subtly moved his hands.
"I'm... fine," Mu Nu Jiao started to respond, but then she suddenly felt something that definitely shouldn't have been there.
She didn't need to turn around to know what was happening. Sitting so close to Mo Fan, there was no doubt in her mind who the culprit was.
Mu Nu Jiao was both shocked and embarrassed. She had never expected Mo Fan to act this way, especially not now. They had been living together in the same apartment for a while, but nothing like this had ever happened before. Yet here he was, in front of everyone, making such a bold move.
Her face flushed with embarrassment, but she didn't want to make a scene. After all, Zhao Manyan and the others were still chatting with Mo Fan, completely unaware of what was going on.
"Jiao Jiao, are you alright? Do you feel uncomfortable?" Mo Fan asked innocently, as if he had no idea what he had just done.
This, of course, drew the attention of the rest of the group.
"N-No! I'm fine!" Mu Nu Jiao stammered, trying to maintain her composure. If it weren't for the fact that Mo Fan had just squeezed her, she might have actually believed his innocent act.
How could he be so bold?!
Meanwhile, Xin Xia remained quiet, not because she was oblivious, but because the same hand that had been teasing Mu Nu Jiao was also tormenting her. Having grown accustomed to Mo Fan's antics, Xin Xia was more tolerant. However, even she was flustered, especially with everyone around.
Mo Fan's intention had been to playfully tease the two girls, but to his surprise, Mu Nu Jiao had become emotionally affected. He couldn't help but notice her unusual reaction.
With a guilty smile, he glanced at her, but Mu Nu Jiao quickly avoided his gaze. Looking both upset and embarrassed, she muttered something under her breath before abruptly standing up and hurrying off.
It was clear that Mu Nu Jiao was upset. However, with Xin Xia there, Mo Fan couldn't immediately go to comfort her.
"She seemed a bit off. Do you think she's getting sick?" Zhao Manyan asked, noticing Mu Nu Jiao's flushed face.
"Really? I didn't notice." Mo Fan replied, pretending not to understand.
"She looked like she had a fever." Zhao Manyan mused, recalling her red cheeks.
Mages weren't invincible; they could still get sick. Out in the wild, falling ill could be dangerous. While Xin Xia could heal injuries, curing illness wasn't as straightforward.
"I'll go check on her." Mo Fan said, withdrawing his hand from Xin Xia as naturally as possible.
No one thought anything of it. After all, Mo Fan had acted so normally that no one suspected anything was amiss.
To Xin Xia, it was a relief that Mo Fan wasn't continuing his antics. She felt sensitive after being teased for so long, and if he had kept going in front of everyone, she might have been too overwhelmed to handle it gracefully.
When Mo Fan entered Mu Nu Jiao's tent, she had already changed into more comfortable clothes.
"Get out!" she shouted, both upset and flustered.
"Hey, Jiao Jiao, I couldn't help myself. Don't be mad, okay?" Mo Fan tried to explain.
"Get out! Do you think you can just treat me like—" Mu Nu Jiao started to protest, but Mo Fan silenced her with a sudden kiss.
Mu Nu Jiao was caught completely off guard. Though her emotions were in turmoil, she found herself too stunned to push him away.
The boldness of Mo Fan's actions left her conflicted. As a daughter of a prominent family, she had always expected that her future would be controlled by her family, including any relationships. Yet, Mo Fan had walked into her life, breaking down those barriers in ways she never expected.
In any other situation, if someone else had dared to touch her, she would have retaliated with powerful wind magic. But Mo Fan was different.
Though she felt wronged and upset, she couldn't muster the will to push him away. Instead, she found herself lost in the moment, unsure of how to respond to the growing connection between them.
(End of Chapter)