Chapter 175: Section 176: She was just putting on an act


    Inside the tent, Zhenjin and Zi Di were arguing in hushed tones.


    “Tell me the truth, my beautiful and lovely fiancée, the substitute hasn’t touched you, has he?” Zhenjin squinted his eyes, staring intently at Zi Di while emitting a dangerous aura.


    Zi Di widened her eyes and shook her head, looking at Zhenjin with disbelief, “What are you suspecting? My lord! Of course not!”


    “No, please wait a moment.” Zi Di extended her hand and made a pressing down gesture, “That’s not the key issue right now. I thought you sneaked over here to discuss with me the matters about the Blue Dog Fox Wolf, about the Demon Beast Army. This is what we need to be concerned about at the moment!”


    “Of course, that needs to be concerned about, but I also have to be concerned about my fiancée!” Zhenjin’s brows raised, his eyes showing a burst of anger, “Especially when other men, right in front of me, personally take my fiancée’s hand! I have not even held your hand myself.”


    As he spoke, Zhenjin reached out to take Zi Di’s hand.


    ...


    Zi Di immediately retreated, her hand pulled back, leaving Zhenjin grasping air.


    Zhenjin was about to explode in anger when the voice of the substitute came from outside the tent: “Zi Di, have you gone to sleep?”


    Zhenjin was startled.


    “Quick, hide.” Zi Di also began to panic, silently mouthing words, her lips continuously changing shapes to convey her meaning.


    Fortunately, the inside of Zi Di’s tent was cluttered with items, and Zhenjin quickly hid in a corner.


    “My lord, I have not slept yet. Please come in and speak.” After taking a few deep breaths, Zi Di spoke with a relatively calm voice.


    The substitute lifted the flap, entered.


    Zi Di, wearing a hooded magic robe, appeared even more petite and pitiful due to the oversized garment. Sёarch* The novёlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing Zi Di’s demeanor, the substitute sighed and walked up to her, drawing Zi Di into his embrace.


    Zi Di’s body trembled slightly but she did not resist.


    From the dark corner, Zhenjin secretly witnessed this scene and his eyes filled with rage, so much so that he almost jumped out!


    “Are you scared?” the substitute whispered soothingly.


    He knew the Blue Dog Fox Wolf had left a significant psychological trauma on Zi Di.


    “With my lord here, I am not afraid,” Zi Di replied softly.


    “Good, I will always be by your side. The first Blue Dog Fox Wolf died at my feet, and so did the second. The third, the fourth, even if more appear, as long as I am here, I will not let you be harmed by them. I promise you!” Zhenjin consoled.


    Zi Di looked up in Zhenjin’s arms, “Lord Zhenjin, I believe in you.”


    It seemed as if she sensed something, and her expression became somewhat unusual.


    “Damn it, damn it all!” Zhenjin, hiding in the dark, gnashed his teeth. In just a few breaths, he had mentally dismembered the substitute more than a dozen times.


    “Oh, by the way, I’ve come to see you mainly because of some blood,” said the substitute, smiling at Zi Di.


    “I need you to do it secretly.”


    “Until there’s an outcome, don’t tell anyone else.”


    “Huh?!” Zhenjin, who was in hiding, felt a surge of anger rush from his chest to the top of his head.


    “What do you plan to do?!”


    “Damn audacious thing! You are just a substitute, you are fake!!!”


    “You dare… you actually dare to covet something that isn’t yours!”


    Zi Di was embraced by the substitute, her cheeks flushing with a hint of embarrassment: “My lord, what… what do you wish to do?”


    Zhenjin, observing this scene, felt his pupils shrink to the size of pinpoints, overwhelmed by unprecedented humiliation: “This woman… this woman!!”


    Since acquainting himself with Zi Di, he had never seen her reveal such an enchantingly shy demeanor. And his fiancée, who displayed such shyness, was tightly held in the arms of another man!


    “Don’t misunderstand, what I meant was…” the substitute hadn’t finished speaking when Zi Di interrupted him.


    “My lord, your nose is bleeding.”


    “Uh.” The substitute also felt blood flowing down, extremely embarrassed, “Listen to me, Zi Di, it’s not what you think.”


    Zhenjin felt like he was about to explode with rage!


    “The heat is on! Even your nose is bleeding. You damn thing, once the truth comes out, I swear I will castrate you, castrate you!!!” Zhenjin roared inwardly.


    After the substitute left, Zhenjin immediately leaped out and pointed at Zi Di, shaking all over: “You! You just said he hadn’t done anything to you! Speak, tell me the truth, don’t hide anything from me!”


    “I am speaking the truth!” Zi Di’s face was tense, with the added distress of being wronged, “My lord, how can you not believe in me?”


    “How can I believe you?! Huh? Just now, before my very eyes, you were throwing yourself into the arms of another man!” Zhenjin bellowed.


    “Keep your voice down; do you want him to hear us? His Silver Cultivation grants him sharper hearing than ours,” Zi Di hastily reminded.


    Zhenjin immediately lowered his voice.


    But the next moment, he felt even more wrong and humiliated.


    “I am your fiancé, I am the real Zhenjin, and now I have to speak to you in secrecy, afraid of being discovered by an impostor?!”


    “Sir, enduring small grievances is crucial to our grand scheme! Do you think I want this? To demean myself, playacting with a substitute? Am I not doing this for our current safety, for our plan?!” Zi Di’s face changed as she sharply retorted.


    Zhenjin’s imposing aura faltered.


    Zi Di continued, “What do you think will happen if the substitute discovers the truth? You know our current strength. Can we control him?”


    “We cannot!”


    “Not only that, we must rely on him to deal with Zong Ge, to handle the Demon Beast Army of the Blue Dog Fox Wolf!”


    “Let him falsely believe he is you, let him work for us, let him risk venturing into the forest to investigate, let him stand on the front lines of battle, while you, Sir, safely stay in the rear. Aren’t his achievements and reputation ultimately yours?”


    Zhenjin had no rebuttal; he bowed his head, hands on his hips, panting heavily, his expression fierce, alternating between anger and hesitation.


    Zi Di went on, “If he realizes he’s fake, what do you think he’ll do?”


    “Sir, do you think he will accept this truth?”


    “Or, upon discovering your identity, kill you and then replace you?”


    Zhenjin shuddered, his eyes filled with terror: “Zi… Zi Di, you are absolutely right. This island is dangerous, Zong Ge is dangerous, but he is more dangerous.”


    “Conceal! We must continue to hide it!”


    Zi Di exhaled a murky breath, “Sir, you are admirable, you have not let me down. Victors always bear burdens unimaginable to others, endure pressures others cannot withstand, Sir, you have done it. We will succeed, we will leave here, we will become the White Sand City Lord. After all, a substitute is just a substitute; one day, his disappearance will go unnoticed by anyone. No one will know what happened in this process. People will only sing praises of you, marvel at your accomplishments.”


    “You’re right.” Zhenjin nodded repeatedly, his face then showing a trace of guilt, “I’ve wronged you too, my fiancée. I was a bit too intense just now.”


    “Sir, as long as you understand me. Everything I do is for our plan, for our safety, for our future!”


    Zhenjin nodded, “Yes, all for our bright future!”


    …


    Seizing the opportunity with the Blue Dog Fox Wolf, Zong Ge openly challenged the authority of the substitute, setting a contest to compare their respective team’s reconnaissance outcomes.


    At the break of dawn, Zong Ge began scouting with a group, while the substitute, having trained hard last night, was catching up on sleep.


    Zhenjin had already eaten breakfast and was standing outside the tent growing more and more anxious, “This damned guy, how long is he going to laze around? Does he have any idea of the situation? If I let Zong Ge’s provocation go unchecked, my authority will be seriously undermined.”


    “The sun has risen, and he’s still sleeping, still sleeping!”


    “No, I have to urge him to act more quickly! Of course… I won’t remind him personally.”


    Zhenjin’s gaze swept around, finally resting on Bai Ya.


    Bai Ya, inexperienced in the world, quickly revealed almost all of his intelligence under Zhenjin’s sly social skills.


    “I’m really worried for Lord Zhenjin.” Zhenjin sighed, a worried look on his face.


    “What’s wrong?” Bai Ya asked curiously.


    Zhenjin narrowed his eyes slightly, “Don’t you know the current situation is very delicate? That Half-Beast has malicious intentions, daring to challenge Lord Zhenjin’s authority. It’s like this…”


    Soon, Bai Ya, informed of the details, became anxious.


    After the substitute showed up, Bai Ya hurriedly went to pay his respects.


    “Lord Zhenjin.”


    “As soon as it was light out, Zong Ge and his group are out scouting.”


    “Sir, I’ve grown up in the forest since I was a child. Maybe I can’t hunt now, but in reconnaissance, I can definitely help you!” Bai Ya was very enthusiastic, volunteering eagerly.


    By noon, the substitute brought his team back to the camp for lunch.


    Zhenjin was seething, “This damned guy, does he have no clue about the situation? He even has the leisure to come back for lunch! Get out there and scout for me!”


    He secretly informed Bai Ya of Zong Ge’s efforts.


    Bai Ya, anxious, reported to the substitute, “Lord Zhenjin, we haven’t seen Zong Ge and his men return. They must have brought food and eaten outside.”


    By evening, as the sun just touched the treetops, the substitute had returned to camp.


    Bai Ya reported again, “Sir, Zong Ge and his men haven’t returned yet. They are giving it their all!”


    “It’s not easy for anyone,” the substitute sighed.


    Bai Ya was really worried, “Sir, we could also take dry rations and continue scouting at noon, no need to waste precious time traveling back and forth to camp.”


    “Hmm, that’s a good suggestion. Let’s do that tomorrow,” the substitute agreed readily.


    “At last, he’s starting to make an effort!” Zhenjin internally breathed a sigh of relief.


    Then, he felt a sense of suffocation, like phlegm stuck in his throat that he just couldn’t cough out – it was terribly uncomfortable!


    “This damned thing, under my name, basks in everyone’s praise, covets my beautiful fiancée, taking advantage of what’s mine! And I still have to worry about him, help him secretly?!”


    “God, why has it come to this?”


    For Zhenjin, this experience was truly too terrible.


    After Zhenjin’s worries, the substitute pulled out a complete map. The scouting results overwhelmingly surpassed the desperate efforts of Zong Ge and the others.


    Zhenjin secretly approached Zi Di.


    “How could he have such a comprehensive map? Tell me not, my fiancée, that he is a Divine Favored Knight of my lord, and this is a gift from my lord.”


    Zhenjin questioned Zi Di.


    Zi Di shook her head, her eyes full of confusion: “I don’t know the specifics, the appearance of this map far exceeds my expectations.”


    “But that’s a good thing, isn’t it?”


    “Zong Ge failed the challenge, and he lost disgracefully.”


    “No, no!” Zhenjin shook his head, “This trend is very troubling! He is slipping out of our control! If this continues, it will become more and more dangerous.”


    Zi Di puzzled: “My lord, hasn’t he always been beyond our control? Indeed, the degree of control is very weak, but I think it should maximize his effort.”


    “No, it’s not like that.” Zhenjin continued to shake his head in denial, his face growing more serious and grave, “I’m speaking of the trend. He is more difficult to control than before.”


    “Why would he take out such a comprehensive military map? Even the size of the Beast horde has been clearly scouted?”


    “He even dares to deceive openly in the name of my lord!”


    “We know the truth, he must possess methods and abilities that we are unaware of.”


    Zi Di nodded: “Lord, your concerns are indeed valid. He is a Beastification Person, he can freely control part of the Beastification. I guess, this must be the means by which he obtained these scouting results!”


    “What exactly can he transform into?” Zhenjin pressed.


    “I don’t know,” Zi Di said.


    “You don’t know?!” Zhenjin glared, his face full of suspicion.


    Zi Di gave a wry smile: “Lord, he is customized. The arms dealer promised to meet my customization requirements, but they also told me they couldn’t guarantee anything else. It’s like one cannot swim and sleep at the same time. To my understanding, this should be a limitation of the Beastification transformation technology.”


    “Are you saying that even the arms dealer doesn’t know his exact abilities?” Zhenjin’s face showed a thoughtful expression.


    “Yes. The arms dealer indicated that meeting our customized standards was already not easy. And, Lord, you should know that ordinary Beastification People are one-time consumables, once they initiate Beastification, they will go mad, killing the most threatening targets without a concept of teammates.”


    “Therefore, the Beastification People produced are not thoroughly tested by the arms dealer because once Beastification is initiated, the Beastification People are finished.”


    “The substitute can partially Beastify and control it freely, which is quite rare for a Beastification Person.”


    “Actually, I have always believed that if the arms dealer found out, they would probably forcibly retrieve him, not sell him to us. At least, not at the previous price.”


    Zhenjin looked intently at Zi Di for a while, then finally nodded, accepting Zi Di’s explanation, and he sighed in resignation: “It seems that getting him was our luck.”


    The situation around the camp was thoroughly scouted, and the competition between the substitute and Zong Ge naturally changed into exterminating the Beast horde.


    Using the smoke created by Zi Di, the substitute and Zong Ge joined forces to deal with the largest bat monkey horde.


    In this battle, the substitute performed exceptionally well. His crossbow bolts seldom missed their mark, and his efficiency in killing was undeniably the best.


    Even Zong Ge took a second look, inwardly marveling at the Bloodline of the Hundred Needle Family. Although he too had trained in archery for many years, compared to the substitute, he was clearly inferior.


    Zhenjin, competing from the shadows, lost as well.


    “Damn it!” Zhenjin clenched his fists in secret.


    Disdainful cold sneers followed his unwillingness.


    “What am I thinking? He’s at Silver Cultivation, and I’m just Black Iron, it’s natural to lose to him.”


    “But no matter how strong you are, you are still just my substitute. All you do now is adding to my battle achievements!”


    “What kind of background does the arms dealer who modified him have? How did they give him such strong archery skills, surpassing even me, a descendant of the Hundred Needle Bloodline? Perhaps… before the modification, he was already a Transcendent archer.”


    Zhenjin quietly sought out Zi Di again.


    He got straight to the point: “I heard that someone made a set of Hammer-tailed boa leather armor and gave it to the substitute. I want one too!”


    Zi Di smiled: “Lord, please rest assured. I’ve been keeping it in mind, you’ll definitely have your equipment. It’s just that the first set has to go to the substitute, after all, he is officially you.”


    “As soon as the new Hammer-tailed boa leather armor is made, it will certainly be prioritized for you, Lord. After all, the identity of Hei Juan belongs to a mercenary hired by me. Of course, I will equip my own people first, won’t I?”


    Zhenjin couldn’t help but smile, satisfied with Zi Di’s answer.


    But then he frowned again: “I heard some news. The substitute picked up a big bargain last night. He got that Silver Level bat monkey, along with a whole troop of Flying Squirrels.”


    “How did he manage to do that?”


    Zi Di shook her head, “The map is a clue, and we’ve already confirmed that he possesses powerful reconnaissance abilities. Perhaps it was precisely these reconnaissance abilities that helped him catch the perfect opportunity to take advantage of the battle between the silver bat monkeys and the swarm of Flying Squirrels and make off with a bargain.”


    Lord Zhenjin sighed, “He’s getting too out of hand, repeatedly acting in the name of my master. Every night he goes out to patrol, which is very strange. The secrets he harbors are no small matter.”


    “Yes, Lord, you’re exactly right. However many secrets he has, he’s still being fooled by us, isn’t he?” Zi Di said with a smile.


    Lord Zhenjin too smiled, his brows relaxing, and he nodded, “You’re right.”


    …


    The Demon Beast Army, led by two Blue Dog Fox Wolves, began attacking the camp.


    Everyone heard the substitute’s loud prayers.


    “Oh Great Holy Emperor, my God, my lord. Your Knight is about to do battle, to carry out Your teachings. Blessed with Your gifts, I am fully armed. I don my belt of righteousness, the Heart Protector of courage, the shoes of peace, and the helmet of salvation. Yet, the night is like a fog, obscuring my vision. Oh God, please grant me bright eyes to clearly see the enemy, to lead everyone towards victory!”


    Not a sound in response.


    “This fool!” Zhenjin glared in his agitation, “Do you really think you’re a Holy Temple Knight? Daring to perform this public prayer! Even the squad leader wouldn’t dare to pray so casually!”


    And while Zong Ge also thought the substitute had made a mistake, the substitute suddenly shuddered, opened his tightly closed eyes, and let out a surprised and unexpected cry, “I see them!”


    The substitute immediately turned and instructed everyone, “Quick, there are two Blue Dog Fox Wolves within the Demon Beast Army. Now, they’ve split their forces. One is leading the main force straight for the camp gate. The other is leading the Flying Squirrel horde around to attack our camp’s flank.”


    After a moment of astonishment, Lord Zhenjin realized, “So he scouted them out. But how did he do his reconnaissance? I didn’t see him undergo Beastification. No, he shouldn’t Beastify, not even a partial transformation. If others saw it, what would they think of me, Lord Zhenjin?”


    “But the battle tonight will undoubtedly be extremely perilous! If not Beastifying means I face defeat and death, then I should Beastify.”


    “Later, I’ll just have to step forward and redeem my reputation.”


    However, the subsequent battle was an eye-opener for Lord Zhenjin.


    Watching the substitute wreak havoc left and right, Lord Zhenjin realized something more, “I had underestimated his combat strength! With skills like that, it makes sense that he could stand up to Zong Ge. No wonder he was so confident before, causing me an undue worry all this time. Even the previous reconnaissance information… this damned guy!”


    Due to the sudden assault of the Underground Sand Worms, the survivors fell into a disadvantage.


    “Run!” the substitute came sprinting, yelling at Lord Zhenjin and the others.


    Lord Zhenjin paused for a moment, then immediately began to run, unhesitatingly leaving the Bed Crossbow behind.


    The next instant, the ground broke open and a sandworm attacked, swallowing the Bed Crossbow and spitting out countless fragments.


    Drenched in cold sweat and shaking with fear, Lord Zhenjin thought, “That was close, I nearly died. Was I saved by the substitute? Well done!”


    Cang Xu, Zi Di, and others were hiding inside the central wooden hut.


    “Zi Di, Cang Xu, hurry out!” the substitute bellowed, then swiftly moved towards the wooden hut.


    Zi Di, Cang Xu, and the others had been observing the situation outside and had just seen the Underground Giant Worm. Hearing Lord Zhenjin’s shout, they didn’t hesitate and all ran out the door.


    Once again, the Underground Sand Worm missed its mark.


    Lord Zhenjin was overjoyed, “He saved my fiancee again!”


    He loudly suggested to the substitute, “Lord, the Camp can’t hold out. Let’s break out quickly!”


    The substitute shook his head, undaunted, his fighting spirit ignited even more by the dire situation ahead, “Hei Juan, you take charge of the breakout, protect the lives of Zi Di, Cang Xu, Mu Ban, the shipwright, and the others, they are of utmost importance.”


    The substitute utilized his ultrasound reconnaissance, discovering that the Underground Giant Worm went to attack the Bed Crossbow again.


    This time, the young knight didn’t miss.


    Taking advantage of the moment when the Giant Worm swallowed the Bed Crossbow, he plunged his thin sword deeply into the body of the worm.


    Amazingly, the worm didn’t even flinch, as if the one pierced wasn’t it, and it quickly retreated back underground with the thin sword, Silver Lightning.


    “My, my sword?!” Lord Zhenjin stood dumbfounded.


    “My family heirloom sword, my Silver Lightning! Substitute, you fool!!!” he roared inside.


    “We need to break out fast,” Zi Di came over to remind him.


    Lord Zhenjin clenched his teeth fiercely. Life was more important than a sword, after all.


    The camp burned fiercely, the fire reaching for the sky.


    Zi Di wore a worried expression, “Lord Zhenjin, isn’t he back yet?”


    Lord Zhenjin was startled for a moment, then realized his fiancee meant the substitute, and his heart was also full of concern. After all, it was his substitute.


    The substitute, covered in blood, finally appeared before everyone.


    The sight of him bearing severe injuries made Lord Zhenjin silently lament, “He fought so hard! But he did really well, I’m very pleased with you, my substitute.”


    “Using the flames, I won against the Blue Dog Fox Wolf but didn’t kill it, letting it escape,” the substitute reported to everyone.


    “Stop talking, let me see your wounds,” Zi Di approached the substitute, her voice choked up. She extended her delicate hand, gently reaching for Lord Zhenjin’s tattered leather armor, trying to remove the badly damaged piece.


    But the substitute stopped her.


    Lord Zhenjin watched the scene silently, his fist tightening covertly, feeling a bitter taste in his heart, yet consoling himself, “It’s all an act for the moment, fake—all of it is fake.”