Xu Chen and his sisters' mercenary group trudged on in the howling blizzard, their eyes barely able to open against the blowing snow. It was a vast expanse of white, but they continued to follow the figure ahead, taking each step with difficulty.
By nightfall, many of the female soldiers couldn't go on any longer. Some of the weaker ones had to be supported by their comrades, while others found tree branches to use as makeshift walking sticks.
"Xu Chen!" Star Dance looked back at the trailing troops and said, "Let's set up camp here! The sisters can't hold on much longer!"
"Just a little longer? We won't make it to the teleportation array in two weeks at this rate!" Xu Chen shouted.
"If we continue like this, the female soldiers in the rear will be left behind! Izayoi wouldn't want you to be irresponsible towards them, would she?"
"Fine then! Sister Star Dance, let's camp here!" Xu Chen shouted.
Star Dance gestured, and when the female soldiers received the news of camping, they breathed a sigh of relief. However, they soon realized how difficult it was to set up camp.
The snowstorm was too fierce, making it hard to find a place to pitch their tents. Many tents were blown away before they could even be set up.
Finally, with the help of Xu Chen's mental power, as well as Star Dance, Qingyin, and Devol, the female soldiers managed to set up their tents in a relatively dense part of the forest.
There weren't many barriers to shelter them from the wind and snow. That night, they had to endure the elements.
Xu Chen's tent was set up last, mainly to help the other female soldiers set up their tents first so they could rest.
"Xu Chen! Everyone is exhausted after this night! What should we do about keeping watch?" Qingyin asked.
"The monsters in this snowy country aren't weak, but in this weather, it's probably hard for them to find us. Let's use magic arrays for surveillance!" Star Dance said, as she arranged protective magic arrays on the trees and rocks surrounding the camp.
"Great!" Star Dance clapped her hands, and a few girls looked at the red small tent.
"Isn't this tent too small?" Devol said.
"Let's squeeze in! We have spare tents, but it'll be too cold if there are only two people in one tent!" Qingyin said.
"Well, that's okay!" Devol and Yuer were the first to crawl into the tent.
Xu Chen, Qingyin, and Star Dance followed suit.
If they lay down inside, they would probably be pressed against each other. If they sat crouched, they could just about manage.
Inside the tent, Xu Chen quickly pulled the tent door shut from the inside. The bottom of the tent was sewn together, and they covered it with blankets, so they didn't have to worry about the snow on the ground. The sealing was so-so, and a slight chill seeped in with the gentle breeze.
Star Dance took out a small magic stove to keep everyone warm.
"In this weather, let's make some hot coffee!" Star Dance said.
"Huh? You brought these too?" Yuer asked.
"Yes, we have a tent specifically for cooking, and there are two female soldiers who are very skilled in cooking. I'll go see how they're doing." Star Dance said.
Soon, steaming hot coffee was delivered to each tent, and the condition of the female soldiers improved significantly.
After finishing their coffee, Xu Chen said, "Shall we rest now?"
"Um..." Qingyin lowered her head, her prophecy interrupted.
"What's wrong?" Xu Chen asked.
Qingyin didn't answer, and Xu Chen didn't know what she was thinking. Suddenly, Xu Chen remembered something he hadn't done: "Um, then I'll go out for a moment."
"Um, Xu Chen, we, we'll go with you." Star Dance grabbed Qingyin's hand and said.
"Huh? That, you should go by yourselves. It's better." Xu Chen said.
"No! It's so dark outside, I, I'm scared to go alone!" Qingyin said.
"Huh? No way, Sister Qingyin, what are you afraid of! The monsters here shouldn't be a match for you!"
"It's not that simple. What if I get attacked by giants or something? Besides, even if they are not my match, it would be embarrassing if they caught me peeping. So, could you go and keep watch for us?" Qingyin said with a flushed face.
"Well... Okay, but what about you, Empress? Are you going too?"
"I already went with Yuer earlier when we set up camp, so I won't go again!"
"Alright then!" Xu Chen nodded helplessly.
He, Star Dance, and Qingyin walked a short distance from the camp and stood behind a large tree. "Uhm, you guys go ahead!" Xu Chen turned around and faced away from the tree.
Qingyin and Star Dance felt relieved when they saw that there was a boy keeping watch for them. They ran behind the tree to do what they needed to do...
Back in the tent, except for Qingyin, who wasn't so bothered by the cold, both Star Dance and Xu Chen were freezing.
"Oh gosh! Going to the bathroom in such heavy snow is really painful!" Star Dance shivered.
"Don't say that!" Qingyin blushed and said, "Quick, let's take off our outer clothes and cuddle together for warmth!"
"Yes!" The girls all nodded. They took off their coats and armor, leaving them only in their beautiful underwear. Inside the tent, with the cozy light of the magic lamps, it was an alluring scene.
"Alright, let's go to sleep!" Devol said.
