Chapter 19: Gathering Materials

“Th-that was… pretty bold…”

After a long while, Bai Yuan finally murmured softly, as if sighing in disbelief.

“Pervert… Master’s a pervert too, right?”

Mo Xiao pressed her skirt down with both hands, her face flushed as she muttered quietly.

She was genuinely shocked.

The Bai Yuan from her previous life had been timid to the extreme—seeing her act this boldly now was something she had never witnessed before.

“I’m not! Let’s drop it already—we should hurry and collect the materials.”

Bai Yuan quickly tried to change the subject, wanting to move on as fast as possible.

She glanced at the unconscious bear nearby, still feeling uneasy.

Yet, despite that, a fleeting image crossed her mind—

That tiny dragon girl… wearing such unexpectedly mature underwear.

She had only caught a brief glimpse, but it even had lace…

“Hmph~ Pervert master is thinking about my underwear, isn’t she? Pervert!”

Mo Xiao’s face turned bright red—whether from embarrassment or annoyance, even she wasn’t sure.

Probably more embarrassment.

After all, even she had never actually looked at herself like that—her clothes were simply manifested directly.

Who would randomly lift their own skirt just to check?

“Well, not her.”

“I’m not! Stop it… ugh…”

Bai Yuan covered her burning face with both hands.

Right now, all she felt was regret—deep regret.

She had only acted like that because she got provoked. It definitely didn’t mean she was weird!

“If master wants to look, you can just say so… Anyway, come on up.”

Mo Xiao turned around and bent slightly.

Since Bai Yuan didn’t want to sit on her shoulders, carrying her on her back would work just as well. Standing on the bear should give them enough height.

“You’re going to carry me? What if you sit on my shoulders instead? I’m taller—and your skirt is shorter too.”

Bai Yuan paused behind her, thinking it through.

It actually seemed more reasonable.

“Useless master, hurry up. Don’t waste time.”

Mo Xiao’s face reddened slightly as she turned away.

There was no way she’d sit on her master’s shoulders—she wasn’t actually a little kid.

“O-okay… but you don’t have to be so harsh. You could be a bit gentler.”

Bai Yuan climbed onto her back shyly, pouting a little.

She felt that Mo Xiao wasn’t as arrogant as she seemed.

There was a teasing, bratty side—but also a hint of hidden kindness.

“Hmph~ Being gentle isn’t part of my character. Master should get used to it.”

Mo Xiao responded stubbornly, then reached back to steady Bai Yuan as she adjusted her position.

“Hey—watch where you’re touching!”

Bai Yuan’s face flushed again, feeling a bit embarrassed.

“Less talking. Watch your head. You brought a collection box, right?”

Mo Xiao ignored the complaint and lightly jumped onto the bear’s body.

Bai Yuan wobbled, startled, and quickly clung to her, her face turning pale from the sudden movement.

So that’s why she had steadied her earlier—

She had misunderstood.

“I brought one—it’s in my backpack. Hold on.”

Bai Yuan quickly pulled her bag around, unzipped it, and took out a small transparent white box.

It was specially made for collecting spirit materials.

Not expensive either—five Feather Coins for a small one, ten for a large one.

She had bought the small size, since Mo Xiao said they’d only be collecting fine materials this time.

Inside the box was a tiny transparent scoop and a pair of white gloves.

After putting on the gloves, Bai Yuan looked up.

Reaching out, she realized—

She could just barely reach the cave ceiling.

Carefully, she used the scoop to scrape the glowing powder into the container, cleaning off a small patch above them.

“Is this enough?”

She closed the box and showed it to Mo Xiao.

It was already half full.

“That’s enough. Let’s leave.”

After a quick glance, Mo Xiao jumped down from the bear.

As she helped Bai Yuan down, she couldn’t resist a small bit of mischief—

“Hey! Keep your hands to yourself!”

Bai Yuan shot her an annoyed look, rubbing where she’d been grabbed.

“That actually hurt!”

Mo Xiao avoided her gaze, pretending nothing had happened.

She walked toward the cave entrance and kicked aside the large rock blocking it.

“Pack up. We’re moving.”

Stepping outside, she quickly surveyed the terrain.

She didn’t fully remember the layout of the Will Secret Realm, but the flower field earlier gave her a rough reference point.

“We head east. There should be Jade Pool Clay there.”

The materials they needed weren’t many—

Misty Light Powder, Jade Pool Clay, and Clearbone Flowers were the main targets. Everything else was optional.

“Did you learn all this from books too?”

Bai Yuan asked curiously.

She didn’t remember seeing this kind of information anywhere.

The academy prohibited selling maps of the Will Secret Realm, so every student had to explore on their own.

Some students made personal maps, but those weren’t regulated.

“Yep, from books. Just keep up, master.”

Mo Xiao nodded casually.

After all, reviewing her own memories counted as “reading,” didn’t it?

The two small figures moved steadily toward the eastern part of the realm.

…

Behind them, near the flower field, new arrivals appeared.

Several students in disciplinary committee uniforms gathered at the spot.

“She should’ve landed here. Not the best luck… let’s follow.”

One of the boys smiled faintly, looking at the traces left behind.

Mo Xiao had no idea she was being followed—she hadn’t had time to hide their tracks earlier.

“Why chase her? We could just collect materials here. This mission doesn’t even cost us anything.”

Some students disagreed.

“Leighton, are you crazy? This came straight from the dean. If we fail, the consequences won’t be light.”

“Hmph! The dean can forget it. This is clearly targeting a student. I’m not doing something like that.”

A burly boy stepped out of the group and walked off into the forest alone.

“Honestly, he has a point. We’re disciplinary committee members, not someone’s attack dogs.”

More people began to split off.

In the end, only three remained, exchanging glances.

“Boss… are we still going after her?”

“These idiots acting all righteous… Let’s see if they’re still this proud when they get expelled. We continue.”

The apparent leader’s face darkened as he led the remaining two forward.

…

After some time, a black-haired girl appeared near the flower field.

“Tch… what a hassle. How did that little one attract so much attention from above?”

Muttering to herself, she leisurely followed the trail left behind.