Chapter 194: Staying by His Side is Dangerous

The body double’s injuries gradually recovered, during their interactions, Zi Di also talked about her identity.

“Wisteria Merchant Alliance?” That name does sound a bit familiar…...wait a minute, don't tell me?

The body double analyzed his situation and got more intimate with Zi Di.

Zi Di weighed his words and observed his facial expressions with a vigilant heart: “The body double’s analytical skills are far greater than Zhen Jin’s, I simply divulged the Wisteria Merchant Alliance, yet he already made so many connections.”

“Looking at his expression, he also approves this alliance of benefits. This proves he is also an inherently pragmatic person!”

Zi Di felt pressure.

Compared to Zhen Jin, interacting with the body double was more strenuous.

The body double also inquired why he didn’t have a personal force on hand.

Zi Di plainly informed him: “Indeed we did have a staff dispatched from your Lordship’s clan. However, they were ambushed by bandits enroute and all died. At the same time, goblins and ogres frequently appeared in the territory of the Bai Zhen Clan.”

The girl already knew these were not the actions of their competitors, rather they were done by War Merchant’s and Jian Zuan’s faction.

But the body double was already misled, causing him to snort coldly: “It seems the competition for White Sands City lord position is fierce.”

“My Lord. We traveled with a temple priest known as Jia Sha. He was the judge of the city lord competition. It is very likely he is still alive. In that case we might be able to find him and provide him aid to ensure the best outcome.” Zi Di also informed him of Jia Sha’s existence.

When the body double’s injuries completely recovered, the two made ample preparations and left the cave, attempting to escape once again.

However, to their astonishment, they discovered the land had changed.

The jungle had turned into a forest.

To a certain extent, the vastness of nature was harder to deal with than fierce magic beasts.

The body double and Zi Di were forced to return to the cave.

“The body double is strong, but even if he could use battle qi, he can’t help in the current predicament.”

Zi Di knew she had to stop!

“The barbarian race leather book has many medicines that can help me; however, I lack many ingredients.”

“In that case, I can only use other medicinal ingredients to substitute them. Luckily, I have ingredients on hand and have gathered new materials that are close to the original prescription.”

“This is worth an attempt; I must try it!”

Zi Di’s exhausting attempt lasted through the night and into the next day, when she finally saw the pink liquid completely dry in the hole, her heart became excited.

“I succeeded!”

She beat the powder lumps into dust, then she packed them up into leaves to form the pink compound.

“This medicinal powder can leave behind glamorous marks in the forest. Regardless of whether it is tree trunks or rocks, it will stay for a long time. No matter how much the rain scours it, it will remain for several days.”

With the pink compound’s help, the body double and Zi Di didn’t need to worry about getting lost in the forest.

After the two started their difficult trek through the forest, they encountered a black leopard enroute.

“Chase it quickly, it might be trying to alert the entire leap.” Zi Di whispered a moment later.

“Follow closely, If you don’t……” Zi Di interrupted before the body double could finish his sentence.

“Don’t worry, we still have the marking powder and can meet up somewhere else!” Zi Di answered.

Although she would be safer with the body double at her side, the girl was very rational, she knew if a leopard leap surrounded them, she would definitely die tragically. After all, the body double was just one person, and it was difficult to protect herself.

As a result, she would rather take some risks to strangle a mortal danger in its infancy.

As the body double pursued ahead, the girl did her best to run and cut down the distance between her and the body double.

The body double was very fast, and he quickly disappeared into the boundless forest.

All of a sudden, Zi Di was alone.

With the body double nearby it was tolerable, but when he was far away, she found it hard to avoid feeling panicked and lonely.

Throughout the forest, the countless tree branches and leaves seemed like sinister existences that maliciously gazed at her.

Zi Di’s pulse sped up, right now she found herself at odds with the forest.

When she saw for the body double again, her terror and loneliness suddenly dissipated. Because she had been running, her heart was beating quickly, however at that moment, her mind relaxed.

“It is really good the body double is here.”

“If I was surviving by myself, would this immense incorporeal overwhelm me?”

The body double and Zi Di communicated, his news caused her to feel surprised—— a person named Huang Zao was crying for help.

After careful pondering, Zi Di responded to the body double: “My Lord, I suggest we save him.”

Next, Zi Di’s reasonable analysis made clear arrangements and defined the objective.

“However, to rescue him, we will need to confront at least a dozen or more bronze level spiders……” The body double felt awkward.

“My Lord, I have a solution.” Zi Di smiled, “Believe me, I would never invest more than I can earn.”

“You are not wrong. But you have forgotten the most important point.” The body double replied.

Zi Di’s smile instantly vanished, and she lowered her head: “Instruct me your Lordship.”

“I am a templar knight, a knight amongst knights, it is my creed to assist the weak and to save the dying! Even in times of distress, I will not abandon my companions.” The body double’s powerful words echoed in the tranquil forest.

For a moment Zi Di looked at the youngster blankly.

If Zhen Jin had said those words, Zi Di wouldn’t have believed it as spitefulness formed in her heart.

If the body double had just woken up and said those words, Zi Di also wouldn’t have believed him.

But over the last several days, Zi Di and the body double had gone through life and death together. In that constant peril, Zi Di saw the body double step forward bravely, resist the bee swarm to protect her, desperately fight the monkey tail brown bear for her sake, and watched his struggle between life and death in the cave.

“Maybe his words are sincere. He was once a knight, and the knightly spirit was his creed, it seems the crude memories he recalled have reinforced his fine moral character.”

“If it is like this, then he deserves my trust!”

Thinking of this, Zi Di presented a smiling face” “My Lord, I understand.”

Using ignition and fire retardant potions, the body double fought the blade spiders, however they discovered Huang Zao had deliberately concealed the existence of a silver level blade spider.

When Huang Zao recovered his freedom, he was overcome by fear, causing him to escape alone with Zi Di’s dagger.

Without a dagger to cut the spider webs, the body double sank into desperate straits.

Bound to the ground by spiderwebs, Zi Di did her utmost to struggle as spite and indignation raged in her heart.

“Ahhhhhh!” In her desperation, Zi Di heard the body double bellowing.

Her entire body was bound by spider webs, trapped on the floor, she could only lift her head. As she did, she saw the body double’s hands transform into monkey tail brown bear claws. Caught off guard, the spider was killed by him.

“Beastification! He really beastified!!” Zi Di was startled and delighted.

She didn’t find it strange at all, after all the body double was a beastified person that had been transformed by War Merchant.

The next moment, the body double’s transformed bear claws turned into flying carbon ash as they changed back into human hands.

Zi Di couldn’t help but stare with wide eyes: “This beastification can be reversed? It isn’t a disposable beastification! No wonder War Merchant said the body double was his greatest magnum opus.”

“I’m saved……” Knowing she had escaped this life threatening crisis, Zi Di suddenly relaxed.

But shortly after, her eyes grew heavy: “No, this is terrible!”

She suddenly thought of the body double’s artificial memories. Beastification was a tremendous flaw that conflicted with his memory and identity!

Zi Di grew more anxious, if the beastification stimulated his original memories, what would he do when he realized he had been deceived?

Zi Di promptly lay down, since the situation was unknown, she first decided to feign ignorance.

After beheading the silver level blade spider, the body double suddenly swayed.

He felt an indescribable feeling of weakness from the bottom of his heart.

He was not only physically but also mentally exhausted, he felt as if some part of his body was hollowed out.

“My Lord, Lord Zhen Jin!” Zi Di’s shout at first seemed distant but soon became louder and clearer.

The body double reacted to the urging voice.

He promptly returned to himself and helped Zi Di recover her freedom.

“My Lord, have you awakened your battle qi?!” Zi Di pretended to be pleasantly surprised.

“No. I used my spear to cut the spiderwebs.” The body double’s heart was in disarray, he mistakenly thought Zi Di hadn’t seen anything, and without much thought, he subconsciously concealed the beastification secret.

Zi Di’s heart sank: “He hid it from me! Don’t tell me he discovered the truth?”

“No, don’t panic too much.”

“Maybe he hasn’t discovered a flaw, for the moment, it seems he is having a hard time accepting his body’s transformation.”

“I still need to feign ignorance, if I rashly say the truth, I will provoke him and likely cause him to act maliciously.”

“That abominable Huang Zao! We must find him and ruthlessly deal with him!” Zi Di fiercely said, immediately shifting the subject.

“Hold on, that thing is usable, we cannot leave it.” Zi Di then looked at the silver level blade spider carcass.

The body double’s beastification and his cover up of the truth made the crisis in her heart increase dramatically. She had to seize every opportunity to strengthen herself.

On the one hand, she needed to rely on the body double to protect her from Mystifying Monster Island’s vicious environment.

On the other hand, she also needed to be on her guard, for at any moment, the body double might brutally beat her to death!

Discovering his transformations, the body double’s heart was filled with suspicion.

During the journey, he frequently showed confusion and perplexion.

All of this was observed by Zi Di.

“Currently, the body double does not know my feelings. If he confessed his secret to me and looked for my help, I would have the biggest advantage.”

“Because if he was honest with me, it would show he still trusts me and hasn’t found out the truth.”

“Since he continues to hide it, he is effectively in one of two situations. The first is this, he hasn’t discovered a flaw and is merely in a phase of self-doubt. The other one is that he is already beginning to doubt me and is questioning his identity.”

Following behind, Zi Di discerned the body double’s thoughts from his body language.

The body double was layered with heavy worries, and she was also under immense pressure.

Fortunately, during Zi Di’s observation, she hadn’t found the body double examining his own ambiguity or prying into any information.

This made her somewhat relieved.

“My Lord look, those are Huang Zao’s footprints!” Quickly, Zi Di made a pleasant discovery.

When they drew water, Zi Di and the body double were surrounded by Lan Zao, Cang Xu, and their group.

Zi Di’s attitude was tough: “It’s you! Hmph, we finally found you Huang Zao.”

Besides pressure in her heart, there was also joy.

“Staying by the body double alone really is too dangerous.”

“The appearance of these people is very fortunate!”

“I need some people following me, thus even if the body double finds a flaw and wants to raise difficult questions to me, there will be a layer of many misgivings.” 

Notes

Zi Di, master of misdirection, half truths, and quiet observation. Trust is still a hard thing to come by in this story, but it's clear she obviously cares about 866 as a person already. Although her words and actions have influenced his thinking, so has his. After dealing with one of the worst knights, she now learns how someone who truly believes in a knightly creed acts.