Chapter 37

Including the Crystal Rabbit and Armored Alligator, Lixue's team managed to collect 4 types of beasts on the first day. It was comparably better than the other teams who only got at most 2 types.

Their choice to go east was correct. In the past hour, half of the feed showed the groups fighting other groups because they bumped with each other while chasing or fighting beasts.

While the rest lost their way.

At night, the candidates would have to spend the night in the wild. Thirteen led the way to the river stream. It was a part of the river they landed at the start. He marked another tree.

"We walked far enough to the east today. This will be our point at the east. We'll make 5 rendezvous points in each cardinal direction along the way including the one at the center."

"So tomorrow we'll head either north or south?" Bai Shui asked.

Thirteen nodded, "We have 5 days. It's just perfect to go to each direction once and go back to the center on the last day."

As they sat down, Lixue took out 2 nutrient packs and bars and gave them to Thirteen and Bai Shui each.

"Thanks," Bai Shui accepted it, "You're not eating?"

"I'm allergic to these." Lixue made up an answer.

"What? That's not good! Then what will you eat??" Bai Shui asked worriedly.

Lixue took out the fruits he picked throughout the day, "It's fine. I can eat these."

Thirteen drank his nutrient pack, "Why is your attitude towards him and me very different? The gap is as big as heaven and earth."

"Because you always talk nonsense." Lixue bit a round purple fruit. It tasted sweet and sour with juice overflowing inside. It was very refreshing.

"How long have you two know each other?" Bai Shui asked, "You two really got along well."

"From which eye are you seeing illusions like that?" Lixue frowned in displeasure.

"See, You're only mean to me," Thirteen accused, "I tell you, he always diss me since little. I don't even know what problem he has with me."

Lixue side glanced him, inwardly feeling rather impressed by his acting and ability to make things up.

"Then why are you still stuck with him?"

"Hmm…I'm looking forward to the day when I can make him smile for me."

Thirteen leaned closer to Lixue ambiguously. Lixue, knowing he really liked to piss him off and unfortunately has the knack for it, spread out his demonic aura and pulled Thirteen's face away from him. Thirteen felt like his face was blanketed by ice knew Lixue was using, what he personally liked to call, his spiritual energy. He cooperatively pulled back.

"Fine. You two enjoy your time. I'll go look for woods to make fire." Bai Shui stood up after finishing his meal.

After Bai Shui left, Lixue stood up and went to the river to wash his face. Thirteen laid down and watched him with interest.

"You're not taking a bath? While Bai Shui is gone."

Lixue tilted his head to his side. He looked up before shifting back to Thirteen, "You think?"

Thirteen smiled, "I can help you if you answer one of my questions."

In his past life, Lixue has always had a tendency to cleanliness. Much more so after his rebirth. So right now, he honestly really want to take a bath. Even when he wasn't sweating or dirty, he always washed himself at least once a day if he has no time and twice a day if he has time.

He stood up and looked condescendingly at Thirteen who was lying down. Thirteen knew he agreed to the deal. He was always observing Lixue since the day they met. All about his personality or character traits was already stored in his head inside Lixue's folder.

He mouthed his question as to not get recorded.

'Were you the one behind the Empire's one-night disaster?'

"Yes." Lixue unhesitatingly answered.

It wasn't that important, and he also wasn't surprised Thirteen knew about it. He caused such a big scene, other countries should also already knew about this, which was his goal.

Thirteen's tone was more of confirmation rather than questioning. For him who stayed beside Lixue for the past months and hopped around the Federation, no one would be more familiar about that magical fire than him.

"Now do something about that."

His eyes flickered with blue light for a moment before he closed his eyes satisfied, "Go ahead, Your Highness."

Lixue tilted his head up and saw that although the drone was still there, its camera was facing a different direction.

Thirteen could hear the rustling sound of Lixue taking his clothes off. If he could be honest, he was actually pretty curious as to what lies beneath those clothes that that person always covered up meticulously. Although he lived in the same house recently, the most skin he ever saw of Lixue's was when he got there the first time. After that, although he didn't go as far as wearing gloves and turtle necks, he would wear long pants and sleeves inside the house. Not to mention that black choker necklace that never once left his neck.

But as the saying goes, curiosity kills the cat. And he knows better than to be a cat, especially right now.

The subtle thoughts coursing through Thirteen's head could be sensed by Lixue. If it was other people, he would already kill him, or at least half-kill him, for having such curiosity.

He continued undressing, starting from his shoes, gloves, and combat suit. Inside the combat suit, he wore another layer of thin clothes.

Taking off his upper clothes, his bare body was exposed to the stars. Its development has caught up to his original body in his past life. His mentor trained him differently than other mercenaries, so he didn't have robust muscles like them. Instead, they were beautifully compacted with mainly in his arms and abdomen, forming subtle lines. His figure always managed to catch his enemies off guard because they never expected he stored immense strength inside those slim arms and lean body.

He didn't take off his pants. Being bare chested in the wild like this was already his limit cap. Although the cameras were already handled by Thirteen, it still wasn't comfortable for him to do so.

[Hey, why is the camera showing us the scenery?? I want the REAL scenery for my eyes!]

[I'm hearing someone coming into the water. Is the military censoring nudity?]

[No, I just came from another group, and they are showing those candidates washing like a youth summer ad]

[What? Who's in charge of Little Prince's group? We want justice!]

[This personnel is doing a good job of keeping things professional without any fanservice]

Lixue didn't know and didn't care about the commotion he caused. He dipped into the water and washed meticulously. His demonic aura was spread around a few distances to keep away the beasts. Their instinct would blare alarm upon touching his affected range as demons were naturally a being above them.

This was also why he needed to contain his aura and energy here or else the beasts would flee, and they wouldn't be able to collect a single thing.

The river stream was calm, and the water temperature was cool enough. Unfortunately, his body temperature was colder, and the water only felt lukewarm. He always preferred a hot bath anyway.

When Bai Shui got back there, Lixue has already finished washing and dressed without missing any piece. It was Thirteen now at the river, happily providing the fan service the female audiences wanted. Thankfully, Lixue was there to prevent him shamelessly bathed buck naked.

Bai Shui put down the woods he found and noticed Lixue wasn't wearing his glasses. He unconsciously paused his movement. The person in front of him was exuding a cool and fresh air, apparent that he just finished washing from how clean he was compared earlier. He didn't know what Lixue did when he washed, but he felt like he could smell the aquatic scent of the water from his body.

Without his glasses, Bai Shui could see with clarity the gorgeous pair of cat-like eyes. His red pupils were glinting like the most precious ruby under his long eyelashes, fanning as delicate as a butterfly.

Lixue sensitively noticed the increasingly intense gaze from Bai Shui and met his eyes directly. Bai Shui's heart involuntarily skipped a beat.

"I don't like anyone looking at me like that. If you do that again, we'll go our separate ways." Lixue straightforwardly warned before putting on his glasses.

Bai Shui realized he was being rude and quickly shifted his sight, "Sorry, I didn't mean to."

After finishing his bath, Thirteen walked back to find Bai Shui's awkward situation. He could guess what could cause Lixue to be extremely ticked off and was inwardly pleased that Bai Shui stepped into that landmine.