Chapter 139: Section 140: Should I Kill Him?


    Red light burst forth from Zhenjin’s body!


    In the blink of an eye, he had transformed into a Silver Lightning Bat Monkey.


    He pushed off the ground with his feet, then flapped his wings violently, and the Bat Monkey Zhenjin shot into the sky.


    He took flight, like an arrow speeding through the air.


    He zigzagged through the trees, sometimes flapping the wings on his back, sometimes using hands and feet together, leveraging branches to climb and jump, his movements filled with wildness and an extreme coordination of limbs, indistinguishable from a real bat monkey.


    This was the result of hard training!


    ...


    Zhenjin was full of anxiety.


    “I must stop him (her)!”


    “Who could it be?!”


    “I was careless! I should have never transformed during the day.”


    With anxiety came regret.


    Usually, Zhenjin would transform at night. No one would wander the wilderness under the cover of darkness because the limited visibility restricted human activity.


    But during the day, even at a distance of fifty thousand meters from the small valley, there could still be human activity.


    Zhenjin just wanted to practice his Magic Beast form more.


    Especially the ability to discharge electricity, a skill he had just mastered. It was like a child with a new toy, and the approaching Scale-Horned Black Panther group was an excellent target for practice.


    Usually, Zhenjin would emit ultrasound waves at regular intervals to scan his surroundings.


    Just then, however, while combating the Scale-Horned Black Panther group, his focus was on manipulating his muscles to emit electricity, which increased the intervals between his ultrasonic scans.


    This was rare, but it just so happened that at such a critical moment, something did go wrong!


    The mysterious person was very fast, far surpassing that of ordinary people.


    But after running at top speed for a while, limited by his physical stamina, his pace slowed down.


    Suddenly, the canopy behind him trembled, and the mysterious person, hearing the noise, spun around to look, his face etched with fright and panic.


    His skin was dark, and he had a head of curly hair, dripping with sweat from the frantic run, gasping for breath.


    It was Hei Juan.


    Pausing for a few breaths in place, there was no further movement from the quivering canopy; Hei Juan exhaled a breath of turbid air and continued to run.


    Hidden in the dense, lush canopy was a Silver Lightning Bat Monkey.


    Even with monkey fur covering his face, Zhenjin couldn’t hide his fluctuating complexion.


    “It’s him, Hei Juan! The mercenary hired by Zi Di.”


    “Why would he be here?”


    “No, he should be here. I’ve gradually handed over the cleaning tasks to Zong Ge and him; he is a Bronze Level Cultivator with Fighting energy, it’s not strange for him to be here.”


    “But wait, why is he alone? Where are the other patrol team members?”


    “What exactly did he see?!”


    For a while, Zhenjin just watched Hei Juan flee, as the latter’s figure disappeared into the rainforest, rapidly vanishing from his sight.


    Zhenjin was very confused.


    And panicked.


    “What should I do now?”


    Just moments ago, he was too anxious, not thinking clearly, and had launched into pursuit. He really wanted to inquire and find out who had seen him.


    Just now, he had gotten his answer.


    Then, he found himself trapped in a state of bewilderment.


    He had no idea what to do next!


    A thought began to swell in the young man’s mind.


    Kill him!


    I could have killed him.


    He was just Bronze, and the gap in our strengths was immense.


    “Kill him, and no one will know it was me who killed him.”


    “It’s very normal, he was alone, in the rainforest, where he encountered a ferocious Magic Beast, and was killed by the Magic Beast. This reason is great, very natural, isn’t it?”


    “I can disguise the battlefield traces, I’ve been very skilled at this for a long time! Cang Xu, Zong Ge would be deceived by you, just like before!”


    The thought of killing Hei Juan was growing stronger and stronger.


    “No, I can’t!” Zhenjin subconsciously clenched hard, his fingers digging into the bark of the tree.


    “I am a Holy Temple Knight, not a murderer,”


    “How can I, for the sake of my own self-interest, a mere suspicion, take a life?”


    “Hei Juan is by no means my enemy, in fact, he has helped me a lot. He lent me the thin sword Silver Lightning, his family heirloom!”


    The malicious thoughts were forcefully suppressed by Zhenjin, but they bounced back with even greater force, striking at the foundations of Zhenjin’s convictions, shaking his heart violently.


    “Come on, Zhenjin! Don’t let morality constrain you, wasn’t the lesson from the gun scorpion enough?”


    “Have you forgotten? It hasn’t been long, have you forgotten?”


    “The gun scorpion nearly took your life, and you screamed in your heart—’I want to live! The creeds and family maxims of others, they are all theirs. To fall is imminent, the Abyss is at my feet… Bullshit!''” Sёar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    “Yes, I want to live, to walk tall and live on, to revive the Hundred Needle Family, to become the White Sand City Lord. Not to be doubted by others, questioned, despised, spat upon!”


    “You’re a Holy Temple Knight, you’re not a monster. What would they think if they discovered your secret? What would your end be?”


    Even though Bat Monkey Zhenjin was supporting himself against the trunk, at that moment, his body was nearly falling apart.


    His conscience was also roaring in his heart:


    “No, they would understand, as long as I explain it clearly enough!”


    “From beginning to end, I have saved many lives, I have given so much for this team—they will cherish these, they will understand me, forgive me, accept me.”


    “Ha ha ha!” As if there was another Zhenjin in his heart, mocking him with laughter.


    “Wake up, Zhenjin. Don’t hold onto unrealistic fantasies!”


    “By sparing Hei Juan, it means your secret is completely exposed, your great situation completely destroyed.”


    “How would people look at you? ‘Divine Favored Knight? No, he is just a monster, a devil in human skin!''”


    “Think about Zong Ge! He is a Half-Beast, still carrying the blood of the Human Race. Despite his immense fighting energy, he is still so despised, loathed, what about you?”


    “You’re not even a Half-Beast; you’re just a monster!”


    “Kill him.”


    “Kill him!”


    Zhenjin’s breathing became heavy, and he continued to run through the thickets, resuming his pursuit of Hei Juan.


    But at the same time, his heart was constantly torn.


    “No, I am not a monster. I am Zhenjin, I am a Holy Temple Knight.”


    “Just because of some doubts, I kill. Then I would truly become a monster! No matter what the exterior, my heart is the vibrant red of a human, if I killed Hei Juan, how would I be any different from those Magic Beasts?”


    “Heh heh heh. Then why are you pursuing him?” another “Zhenjin” in his heart said with a phrase that left Zhenjin unable to refute.


    The young man was extremely parched, and at this moment, he felt out of control. His body was acting on its own, while his mind was in disarray, more so than it had ever been before.


    The “Zhenjin” in his heart shouted again:


    “Hei Juan isn’t your enemy now, but he will be soon. He will destroy everything, and once your secret is discovered, people will doubt you, no longer trust you. People will become divided, confrontational, then infighting begins, Zong Ge, full of ambition, will not let this opportunity pass! And what about Zi Di? Think about your poor fiancée. She has always followed you, supported you, do you want to make your fiancée worry? Put her in danger?”


    “Zhenjin! You must be a Holy Temple Knight, you must be a Divine Favored Knight. Only in this way can you lead these people, unite them, and twist everyone’s strength into a single strand.”


    “The ships are already being built, the beast herd no longer poses a threat, food and water are all being stockpiled.”


    “No one knows how much effort, how much hard work, how many times you risked your life for this situation.”


    “Just because of a word from Hei Juan, an exposed secret, would you throw all this away?”


    “Kill him! Kill him!!”


    Zhenjin’s face alternated between ferocity and sorrow.


    He felt himself plunging into the Abyss, his conscience within growing weaker and weaker.


    “No, no, this is a living person.”


    “He is my companion!” Zhenjin weakly cried out in his heart.


    But another voice immediately contradicted Zhenjin, “Companion? This is a person who jeopardizes the bigger picture, like a single rat dropping spoiling the whole pot of soup. You can’t let it ruin everything!”


    “You don’t owe him anything.”


    “You are his lifesaver, have you forgotten?”


    “Without you, he would have died long ago! Died at the claws of the Black Iron Bat Monkey.”


    “Yes, he lent you the thin sword Silver Lightning, and indeed it greatly helped you. But if he had died back then, whom would the sword have belonged to?”


    “Kill him, stop hesitating.”


    “Just pretend you were a step too slow to save his life!”


    “This is not only for you but also for the greater good.”


    “Cang Xu said, and you understood it all along, didn’t you? Those who achieve great things don’t sweat the small stuff. The past of successful people may be shady, vile, and shameless, but all this will be overshadowed by brightness and victory.”


    The vast majority of the world doesn’t care how they succeed; people generally only care about the outcome, only whether you are a success or a failure.


    “Think about it, when you rescue these people, leading them out of this damned island. You will be a hero, the savior of over two hundred people. Missing one Hei Juan, what does it matter? As a Holy Temple Knight, you will receive commendation, and your relentless struggle, unfailing optimism, and perseverance will make you a role model.”


    “You absolutely cannot be a monster!”


    “Once this secret is exposed, even if you save these people, what can you gain? You may not even be able to lead them, and escaping from here could likely fail.”


    “For the sake of over two hundred people, sacrificing only one Hei Juan.”


    “He is very suspicious.”


    “Extremely suspicious!”


    “Why did he come to the wilderness alone and just happened to discover your secret?”


    “He must be harboring ill intentions towards you!”


    “It must be so!”


    Countless threads of blood filled Zhenjin’s eyes.


    A murderous intent brewed incessantly in his heart, growing rapidly!


    He caught up with Hei Juan again, looking down from above at Hei Juan’s head and back.


    “Look at him, how weak he is.”


    “Now, if you pounce, you could easily kill him!”


    There are many ways you could take his life.


    A mouthful of Acid Liquid could disfigure his face.


    The fine point of a gun scorpion could pierce directly through his skull. Could his bones be stronger than those of the Monkey-tailed Brown Bear? A Bronze Level human? Heh, as brittle as a piece of paper.


    Kill him; kill him now!


    Zhenjin’s breathing became more rapid, his murderous intent growing ever stronger.


    “Who’s there?!” Just then, shouts from others suddenly came from ahead.


    Zhenjin’s heart trembled, and he hurriedly stopped, hiding behind the trunk of a large tree.


    “It’s me!” Hei Juan shouted.


    The shouting person immediately relaxed.


    They were a group of over a dozen people, and upon seeing Hei Juan, they greeted him, “Sir.”


    Hei Juan nodded, “I followed that strange noise and explored for quite a distance but found nothing. Let’s go back to the camp now.”


    “But it’s still early in the day.” Someone objected.


    “The time is almost right, and we are already far from the valley camp. If we hurry back, we will just make it in time for a hot meal.”


    Hei Juan shook his head and continued, “Don’t worry, we’ve surveyed this area already. If any beast packs come, they’re sure to trigger one of the traps, which will alert us.”


    Seeing Hei Juan’s attitude, the others no longer insisted.


    “Alright then.”


    “Let’s follow Sir Hei Juan’s lead.”


    There were also those who laughed jovially, “I always thought Sir Hei Juan was difficult to get along with, but it turns out, after actually being with you, all that is just rumors.”


    “Enough talk, let’s hurry up and move,” Hei Juan urged.


    Watching Hei Juan merge with the dozen people and leave, Zhenjin slowly stepped out from behind the tree trunk.


    “It seems Hei Juan went alone to investigate after hearing some strange noises.”


    “He is Bronze, fast, and left the others behind to continue patrolling.”


    “So, that’s what lead to what happened before.”


    “The key question is what exactly did he see? Why is he so eager to return?”


    “What should I do?”


    “Should I…”


    Zhenjin’s face no longer showed confusion but was twisted with struggle.


    Despite not exerting much physical effort, he was sweating profusely.


    At this moment, he finally understood that he had been avoiding the inevitable all this time.


    Suddenly one day, he had to confront the worst scenario he feared deep inside.


    Making related decisions was so difficult; Zhenjin had lost his usual standard.


    Under normal circumstances, Zhenjin would have already used ultrasound to detect the patrol members ahead. But he had been chasing after Hei Juan, following him, with his heart in turmoil, his brain a mess.


    “Hei Juan is scared!”


    “I can feel it!”


    “He must have discovered my secret… What am I hesitating for?”


    “Don’t be so cowardly, transform into a Magic Beast, kill him.”


    “The other people being present is even better; they will be my witnesses.”


    “Who would know the murderer was your transformed self?”


    “If still unsure… might as well kill all these people! End it all!”


    The breaths of the bat monkey Zhenjin became increasingly heavy as the surging murderous intent in his heart made it difficult to maintain control.


    He struggled fiercely.


    And hesitated greatly.


    “This is not the way of a Knight!” The voice in his heart grew weaker and weaker.


    “If the secret is exposed, the consequences are unimaginable!” Another voice grew stronger and stronger.


    Zhenjin continued to follow Hei Juan and the others; many times, he was on the verge of taking action.


    The small valley came into view for the group.


    Hei Juan and the others were about to return to the camp.


    The voices in Zhenjin’s heart spiked in volume, like a roar, “Strike now! If you don’t act soon, it will be too late.”


    The sun was just setting on the horizon, and night was descending.


    The evening wind blew chaotically, mixing with the rough breaths of the bat monkey Zhenjin, making them indistinct.


    His fingers clenched fiercely, crushing the tree bark and some of the wood into dust.


    Zhenjin’s face bore a vicious look, his eyes fiercely menacing!


    Roar!


    He let out a furious roar.