Chapter 122: Section 123: This is the Knight’s Romance


    The fire raged fiercely, illuminating the entire nearby forest.


    The Camp within the flames kept collapsing, occasionally letting out thunderous roars.


    “The Camp… it’s gone,” someone murmured dejectedly, looking at the flames that soared even higher than the treetops.


    “Fortunately, we saved the key timber outside,” Mu Ban said with relief.


    Zi Di was directing some people to bandage the Big Guy’s wounds.


    The Big Guy’s injuries were severe, and after staggering to this place, he slipped into unconsciousness.


    ...


    The shipwright surrounded Zi Di, looking at the girl eagerly, “Chairman, how is the Big Guy doing?”


    “I’m just a Pharmacist, not a doctor,” Zi Di wanted to say but seeing the shipwright’s worried expression, she replied, “Don’t worry, he has the giant’s bloodline and strong recovery abilities. Combined with my potions, he’ll be fine.”


    “That’s good, that’s good,” the shipwright sighed in relief, and his worried look gradually eased.


    Zi Di added, “It’s just that his injuries this time are much more severe than before. For the next half-month, he’ll only be able to recuperate and must not move around recklessly.”


    At that point, Zi Di questioned the shipwright further, “He has Black Iron Level strength; haven’t you thought of training him? If he had some basic training, he wouldn’t have sustained such severe injuries.”


    The shipwright sighed woefully, “My lord, it’s not that I haven’t had such thoughts. But this big guy’s mind isn’t right, and sometimes he goes berserk. Only I can communicate with him effectively; he simply won’t listen to anyone else.”


    Zi Di nodded, as if to show she understood.


    She looked around, and a worried expression slowly emerged on the girl’s face.


    The “he” in her heart had still not appeared.


    After splitting up with Zhenjin, Zong Ge quickly headed towards the main entrance of the Camp but was one step too late. The team left guarding the main gate had already begun to rout.


    Blue Dog Fox Wolf led the remnants of the Demon Beast Army and charged over.


    Fortunately, Zong Ge arrived in time to withstand the onslaught of the Demon Beast Army.


    He found himself surrounded by Magic Beasts, fighting hand-to-hand with Blue Dog Fox Wolf. His fine steel armor was pierced by the Monkey-tailed Brown Bear’s claws, leaving bloody holes, and the handle of Zong Ge’s white bone giant hammer was broken in the intense fight.


    In fact, during the battle, the hammer handle had already broken once.


    But Mu Ban had made a spare handle for Zong Ge.


    Under the brave leadership of Zong Ge, Sanda, Lan Zao, and others fought fiercely against the enemy, leading to a brief stalemate between the two forces.


    But Zong Ge knew his side was already exhausted, fighting on their last breath. The Magic Beasts’ strength was enduring and sustained, so he led the breakout.


    With the Camp burning fiercely, Zong Ge used many of the burning structures to shake off the pursuit of the Magic Beasts.


    Then, he exerted all his strength to rescue others in the Camp, leading as many as possible out of the Camp.


    After leaving the Camp, Zong Ge and his group successfully regrouped with Hei Juan, Zi Di, Cang Xu, and others.


    It seemed that the Demon Beast Army had stayed within the Camp. Zong Ge hastened to reorganize his forces and regroup his team while also ordering Bai Ya to launch a signal arrow at regular intervals.


    Receiving the signal, scattered companions gradually returned to the main body of the group.


    “Cough, cough, cough.” A coughing sound came from within the forest, immediately drawing the attention of those around.


    The next moment, Zhenjin, covered in blood, slowly walked out of the forest.


    “It’s Lord Zhenjin!”


    “I knew he wouldn’t die.”


    “Master!!” Lan Zao shouted, rushing forward ahead of Zi Di, and helped support Zhenjin’s arm.


    Zhenjin staggered, drenched in blood, and it seemed his wounds were severe.


    The gazes of the people turned from surprise to shock and admiration as they looked at him.


    The Crocodile Head Hammer Tail Boa leather armor on Zhenjin was now barely recognizable; cuts and scars revealed the young knight had endured an extremely perilous life-and-death struggle!


    However, in reality, Zhenjin’s leather armor around the chest and shoulders had indeed been scratched and torn by Blue Dog Fox Wolf.


    But the other injuries were actually self-inflicted in his Mutation, as he clawed and bit himself with wolf claws and head.


    “Using the flames, I defeated Blue Dog Fox Wolf, but I didn’t kill it; it got away,” Zhenjin reported.


    “Stop talking; let me take a look at your wounds,” Zi Di approached Zhenjin, her voice choked up. She extended her slender hand, carefully probing towards Zhenjin’s leather armor, intending to remove the tattered armor.


    But Zhenjin stopped her.


    He was completely unharmed, and removing the leather armor would give it away.


    “Give me some wound medicine; I will tend to it myself!” Zhenjin’s voice was firm. “My injuries aren’t serious.”


    Zong Ge stepped forward, “No matter how brave a warrior is, he must learn to take care of his own body. Your sword.” Sёar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zong Ge handed the thin sword, Silver Lightning, to Zhenjin.


    Zhenjin took it, sheathing it back into the scabbard at his waist.


    Sanda explained from behind Zong Ge, “Blue Dog Fox Wolf organized one last charge at the main gate, and that Underground Giant Worm also joined in. But it met with Lord Zong Ge and was defeated once more.”


    “Lord Zong Ge saw the sword stuck in it and risked jumping into the pit to retrieve this thin sword.”


    Zhenjin nodded, looking at Zong Ge, “That must have been a spectacular fight.”


    “Thank you! It returned just in time, and now we can pursue our victory.”


    Apart from Zong Ge and Cang Xu, everyone else was shocked.


    Zhenjin, hand on the hilt of his sword and the other on his hip, still shaky, raised his voice, “Everyone, both Blue Dog Fox Wolves are not dead. We can’t just ignore this; although we’ve cleared the surrounding beasts, the Blue Dog Fox Wolves have set their sights on us. Given some time, they can regroup, potentially reassembling today’s army or an even larger one!”


    “What worries me more is that these two Blue Dog Fox Wolves may call more of their kind. If so, our future troubles will multiply beyond our control, leaving us helpless to die.”


    The look on everyone’s faces darkened.


    They had not failed to consider this; they were simply in denial.


    It wasn’t their fault but human nature.


    Today’s battle had been a sure defeat without Zong Ge and Zhenjin. Now, with the Camp burnt down, numerous casualties, and the Demon Beast Army still a threat, these were all factors in the dampening of spirits.


    For this fight, they had prepared for days, exerted all their might, and still failed.


    The fear that had arisen among the people was a natural reaction, and all subconsciously chose not to dwell on the issue.


    Now, with Zhenjin’s words, the problem was thrust upon them once more, forcing them to confront it.


    Zhenjin encouraged them, “Everyone, there’s no need to fear. Think about it carefully!”


    “The Demon Beast Army hasn’t appeared up until now, they haven’t pursued us. Would they burn to death in the sea of flames?”


    “The Blue Dog Fox Wolf is so cunning, it would definitely lead them away from the camp.”


    “But why haven’t they come to chase us?”


    “If they were really strong, they would have come after us by now, they surely wouldn’t let us go.”


    “But now, they haven’t followed us, which exactly shows their weakness and exhaustion. In the eyes of the Blue Dog Fox Wolf, the Demon Beast Army is no longer a match for us.”


    “They are already very weak. As long as we muster our courage and fight with all our might, we can fight for a great chance at survival.”


    However, the people remained silent.


    Wherever Zhenjin’s gaze landed, those people lowered their heads or shifted their eyes to look at others beside them, avoiding meeting Zhenjin’s gaze.


    Zhenjin could only sigh deeply in his heart.


    After dealing with the Blue Dog Fox Wolf, he had observed the battle situation at the main gate and had considered making a move on the remaining Blue Dog Fox Wolves. But his instincts had warned him of the danger in this plan.


    Indeed, with many Magic Beast guards around the Blue Dog Fox Wolf, and with no contact with the other Blue Dog Fox Wolf, the Blue Dog Fox Wolf on its own was exceedingly vigilant. Even if Zhenjin mutated into a complete Magic Beast, an abrupt approach would have been met with ferocious retaliation.


    In front of the Blue Dog Fox Wolf, Zhenjin did not wish to reveal too much about himself.


    The Wolf Howl could convey much information, and he had suffered from this the last time.


    Realizing that his previous plan of luring, hiding, and assassinating could not succeed, Zhenjin didn’t venture out alone. He returned to the main force, wishing to leverage the strength of his comrades to distract the Magic Beasts around the Blue Dog Fox Wolf. Without these obstacles, Zhenjin was confident in his ability to fight and kill the Blue Dog Fox Wolf alone.


    As he had said, the Blue Dog Fox Wolf must be eradicated! Any appeasement would quickly escalate the problem to a scale beyond the capacity of Zhenjin and others.


    The reason Zhenjin lied about the existence of two Blue Dog Fox Wolves was that even if the camp burned, the corpses of the Blue Dog Fox Wolves would remain in the ruins. But in reality, the Blue Dog Fox Wolf was utterly transformed by Zhenjin, leaving no evidence behind, which created a flaw.


    To others, it appeared that the Demon Beast Army still had two Blue Dog Fox Wolves. After this battle, the cunning and treacherous nature of the Blue Dog Fox Wolves instilled fear in people, but in fact, only one remained.


    Perhaps if Zhenjin told the truth, it could lessen the psychological burden.


    Zhenjin exhaled a turbid breath, his eyes resolute, “Alright then, you have your own choices, and I won’t force you. But even if I’m alone, I have to take care of the Blue Dog Fox Wolf.”


    “Lord!” Zi Di exclaimed softly.


    The others were also visibly moved.


    “Master, please let me accompany you to face death!” Lan Zao said with a solemn face, standing in front of Zhenjin.


    Zhenjin nodded at him.


    Zong Ge laughed heartily, “This is interesting. Count me in.”


    “I will follow the Lord, wherever it may be.” Sanda also stepped forward immediately.


    “Lord Zong Ge, Lord Sanda…” other members of the Mercenary Group were also beginning to be swayed.


    Bai Ya’s expression changed, wrestling with his thoughts in his heart.


    This was too dangerous!


    Although he had previously risked his life to save Cang Xu from the jaws of the green lizard without a second thought, that had been an impulsive act from Bai Ya, with no time to think it through. Given ample time to consider now, he was fully aware of the danger, which inevitably brought a strong sense of fear.


    Observing their reactions, Sanda spoke up before his former Mercenary Group members could, preventing them from joining, “You don’t need to come, we are enough. The forest is treacherous. If something happens, we won’t be able to look after you.”


    “No, don’t go, Lord Zhenjin, please stay by my side,” Zi Di rarely opposed Zhenjin’s decisions, always supporting him without question.


    “Don’t try to persuade me, you should be the one to understand me most. If we do nothing, we will surely perish. But if we act now, there’s still hope,” Zhenjin looked at the young girl with deep affection, sighing internally.


    He knew that the Blue Dog Fox Wolf had brought tremendous psychological trauma to Zi Di. Seeing Zhenjin badly wounded but still insisting on pursuing the Blue Dog Fox Wolf, Zi Di had lost confidence.


    “You need to heal your wounds first,” Zi Di insisted.


    “There’s no time to waste,” Zhenjin shook his head.


    Zi Di looked intently at Zhenjin, seeming to forget everything around her, her beautiful eyes, like amethysts, brimming with tears.


    “When I wasn’t around just now, Zi Di must have been extremely worried for me. Actually, I had great confidence, as long as someone could draw fire for me. But I couldn’t tell her that, I could only let her worry about me.”


    Zhenjin also gazed deeply into Zi Di’s eyes, a sense of guilt from hiding the truth and a deep tenderness for her welled up within him.


    The next moment, Zhenjin embraced Zi Di gently.


    Zi Di’s body trembled slightly.


    Zhenjin, with his breath against Zi Di’s ear, softly assured her, “Wait for my return, I promise you, I will come back.”


    After saying that, Zhenjin let go of Zi Di and walked away.


    Zong Ge and the others followed closely behind.


    The others stood speechlessly, watching as the four men gradually drifted away.


    “So this is what heroes are,” someone exclaimed sincerely.


    The words struck deeply into Bai Ya’s heart, and the young man let out a loud cry, “Lord, wait for me!”


    Bai Ya burst through the crowd, his face devoid of any hesitation.


    At this moment, he was filled with the spirit of adventure and glory, losing all his sense of reason.


    “Stop him,” Zi Di ordered immediately.


    “Just give it up, kid,” Xi Suo said as he tripped Bai Ya with a light hook of his foot. “You’re marching to your death.”


    Bai Ya got up, still determined to follow Zhenjin: “I want to become a Knight. How can a Knight back down?”


    “Bravery is not stupidity, young man,” Cang Xu sighed, advising, “Perhaps one day, you will be a Knight. But for now, you are just a mortal and this… this is the romance of Knights.”


    Bai Ya tried to speak again.


    “Shut up!” Hei Juan knocked Bai Ya out with a blow, looking annoyed and embarrassed.