(MC POV)
I decided to take them to the area where my monsters' hideout was. This place would be the safest for my disciples to learn what I was going to teach them since we wouldn't need to worry about any monsters attacking us.
"Papa! Papa! Flower! Pretty flower!" Cai Hong squealed and tugged my hand, pointing towards a bright yellow flower that was poking out from the undergrowth.
I smiled at her, "Mmm, it is pretty indeed but don't touch it, the petals are actually corrosive to our skin. Touching that will give you quite a burn."
"Muuu? Pretty flower scary…"
I patted her head, "When out here in the wilds, don't touch anything that seems colourful or vibrant. Those things are usually poisonous and the colour is to ward off predators. So before you touch anything like that, tell papa first, ok?"
"Okies~~ Cai Hong wuv Papa!"
What a good girl.
I looked behind me to see how the others were doing.
Lian Li was following close behind me, strolling easy through the undergrowth while looking all around her with interest.
Her steps were light and quick, as though she knew where exactly she should tread to maintain her balance even without looking at her feet. Tree roots and bushes did not hinder her movements in the slightest bit.
Right behind her was Eris, the girl simply pushing aside any branches or leaves that got in her way. She barely batted an eyelid when her foot stepped in a patch of wet mud and simply continued forward like nothing happened.
A short distance behind her was Manami and Kiyomi, both of them moving through the undergrowth at a fairly relaxed pace. Being fox youkais themselves, nature would be a sort of second home to them I suppose.
They skipped their way forward easily, neither of them making any sound where they stepped and their kimonos still maintained their pristine condition even after moving so deep into the forest.
A little further behind them was Diao Chan who was extremely careful in where she stepped. She double checked every step she was about to take and made sure the ground was solid before she actually took the step, trying to keep herself as clean as possible.
Elaria was doing the exact same thing as well, sometimes even making some uncomfortable noises when she steps on a damp patch of mud. It was interesting to see her like this since she was the one that was most enthusiastic about the camping trip at first.
She kept going on about campfires, marshmallows, ghost stories and stargazing even after I assured her that reality really isn't going to be that simple and straightforward. Those stories she heard usually don't even mention the gruelling part of the journey that one needs to take before you even get to the 'fun' part.
At least she knows now.
Now, picking up the very rear of my disciple group was Brendan, the alchemist bending or squatting down to dig his hands into the dirt and pulling up all sorts of berries, roots and leaves whenever he saw something that catches his eye.
Right now he's occupied with harvesting the flower that Cai Hong had pointed out, carefully cutting its stem and storing it without touching the petals with his hands.
Welp, that's a dedicated alchemist for you.
Right then, a white fox appeared from one of the bushes, startling most of my disciples though they relaxed after seeing who it was.
Shiori bowed her head slightly, "Divine One, the servant girls have safely arrived at the designated area. I made sure to tell our followers to steer clear of that area as well."
I nodded at her, prompting her to disappear into the bushes again.
"They must be happy to be out here," Lian Li commented, looking in the direction that Shiori had disappeared to.
"Ufufufu~ This is, or was, their home. Isn't it, Master?" Manami guessed.
I smiled at her, "That is correct. They had been living here until I picked them up."
Kiyomi giggled beside her sister, "Huhuhu~ That's why Master let them run around so freely like that, they won't ever get lost here~"
Well, that, and also because I needed them to go tell the others about me coming here and to avoid us, since I didn't want either side to come into conflict with the other because of some misunderstanding.
"Onii-senseeeiiii… Are we there yet?" Elaria whined, stepping over a puddle of water only to have her foot sink halfway into a patch of mud. "Eeeww… This is going to be difficult to wash off…"
"Soon, just a bit more. Come now, this is the easy part, we're just walking to the camp site you know? Weren't you the one who wanted this the most?"
"Booo… Onii-sensei didn't say we were going to trek into the middle of nowhere. I thought we were just going to pitch a tent in our backyard…"
I rolled my eyes at her, "Wouldn't be much of a camping trip if we're just going to our backyard, would it?"
She stretched her arms out at me and pouted, "Noooo… Carry me Onii-sensei! Your cute little sister wants to be carried!"
"Master~ You can punish me later but could I ask the same?" Diao Chan pleaded, shaking her hips seductively.
"Well look at Brendan, isn't he having the time of his life now?"
Everyone turned to see Brendan carving a few strips of bark off a tree, the alchemist jumped in surprise at having his name called.
"Err… What?" He muttered, looking at us in confusion. "Is there something on my face?"
"Nothing, let's continue~" I chuckled, continuing my way forward after successfully changing the topic.
It took us another five minutes of walking through the bushes to finally enter our designated campsite for our small camping trip that we would be using the next few days.
The servants were all gathered there, bowing their heads when they saw us enter. I sent them forward here as 'scouts' to find a suitable clearing to make camp. The truth is that I've already made this clearing ahead of time for them to find it.
I noticed one of the servants missing.
"Where's Marie?" I asked, looking at Sophia.
Sophia bowed, "She's cleaning herself, Master Lin."
Ah, right, she's a clean freak. I think this whole thing is going to be a nightmare for her. Well, maybe this might help her get used to it somehow…
Anyway, we're not here for her, we're here for my cute disciples, so who cares?
I turned back to my disciples, "Alright then, I'm pretty sure most of you are already familiar with it but let's start with the basics of survival. As mentioned before, I will be teaching you girls how to survive out here in case you are dropped in a situation like last time without any help. When you're in the wild like this, you will need a shelter. Now, we shall make one."
Lian Li glanced down at her hand, "Is this why Master took our storage rings?"
"That is correct. We shall not be relying on the comforts of civilization this lesson. Depending solely on nature itself to sustain us. Let's see how far we can go, hmm?"
Yep, I remember having to deal with this back in those higher Planes.
Pure, utter, torture, I assure you, since I had to learn everything myself.
At least now my disciples don't have to suffer the same fate I did.
"Now Lian Li, Manami, Kiyomi, Brendan and Eris have experience in outdoor camping before so I'd like to see all of you set this up by yourselves first. Diao Chan and Elaria shall accompany in a basic lesson of it in the meantime. You have until sundown to build one."
It was an interesting sight to see two faces light up while the other five dropped. Oh well, it's for their own good so I have to be firm here.
Oh look, Cai Hong is chasing a butterfly.
So cute~