Chapter 200: Section 200: Reluctant to Leave


    Zong Ge and the others were settled near the camp, and the substitute sought potions from Zi Di, frankly intending to give them to Zong Ge and the group.


    “Is this appeasement strategy really effective? Once they recover, they will become more powerful. What if they turn against us?”


    “Should I tamper with the potions?”


    Zi Di entertained this idea but never acted on it.


    “From what I know of the substitute, he has a firm Knightly faith, but he is not stubborn. His acceptance of Lan Zao, Huang Zao, and others initially is proof of this.”


    “Since he actively facilitated Zong Ge and others coming here, it shows he was confident in controlling the situation.”


    ...


    “In fact, he has been different since we escaped the scorpion swarm.”


    “Every night, he almost always stays up to watch, spending time alone. Is he getting used to his beastified form?”


    “At the Oasis, he transformed into a gun scorpion and moved very fluently. Was that the result of practice, or did the War Merchant also infuse him with the gun scorpion’s memory, which he trained into muscle memory and then erased?”


    In the end, Zi Di chose to trust the substitute and handed over the Healing Potion to him.


    …


    Under the pretext of needing to conduct research on potions, the substitute asked for most of the bat monkey corpses but actually only gave Zi Di a part of them.


    Zi Di keenly sensed this secret.


    “He secretly kept many bat monkey corpses. Does it have anything to do with his beastification?”


    She experimented continuously and concocted a Smoke Potion effective against bat monkeys.


    “This potion, when burned with fire, can produce smoke that disrupts the bat monkeys’ sense of smell!”


    “The deeper I delve into the Barbarian scrolls, the more profound they seem.”


    Although the use of low-level Magic and Fighting energy was prohibited on Mysterious Monster Island, Zi Di had been making progress.


    Since arriving on the island, various perilous situations forced her to exhaust all her efforts in studying the contents of the Barbarian scrolls.


    She faced a severe shortage of tools for potion making, and ingredients were often scarce. But to survive, she had to find ways to overcome these real-life challenges.


    Most of the time, her results were failures.


    However, through extensive practice, whether failures or successes, her understanding of the Barbarian scrolls grew more than tenfold. She was no longer limited to the potion formulas in the Barbarian scrolls but continually innovated, mastering many secrets of pharmacology beyond the formulas.


    Zi Di did not expect that she would need to use the Smoke Potion the very next day.


    Commanded by the Blue Dog Fox Wolf, the bat monkey horde attacked the camp again.


    In the critical moment, the potion took effect, restraining the bat monkey horde’s assault.


    Securing crucial time, the substitute, Zong Ge, and others returned to assist and defeated the beast horde.


    The substitute and Zong Ge ventured deep into the forest to pursue the enemy. Zong Ge returned later, but the substitute did not return for a long time.


    Lord Zhenjin again sneaked into Zi Di’s tent, his face full of panic and anger.


    “Bad news, Zong Ge has already returned, but the substitute is still missing!”


    “Zong Ge was injured, but he brought back a Magic Beast corpse, like a giant python.”


    Zi Di’s heart skipped a beat.


    She was worried but tried to stabilize Lord Zhenjin: “I have confidence in the substitute; he is not weak and won’t easily be killed by a Magic Beast.”


    “But he might have been ambushed by Zong Ge.” Lord Zhenjin furrowed his brow, growing more frantic.


    “If he doesn’t die this time and returns safely, we can’t let him act independently anymore!”


    “Who does he think he is? To venture alone into the forest, such recklessness is foolish.”


    “We need to make good use of him, letting him protect our safety and maximize his value.”


    Zi Di tried her best to hide her disdain internally; she could tell that Lord Zhenjin’s anger stemmed more from fear.


    Yet when it came to coming up with solutions, Lord Zhenjin was incapable.


    Zi Di said, “Honestly, right now, I just hope the substitute can come back safely; I would be immensely grateful.”


    Lord Zhenjin sighed again, “Ah, that’s what I thought, too.”


    Zi Di asked, “If the substitute really was ambushed by Zong Ge, what should we do?”


    Lord Zhenjin’s face turned pale as he sighed, “That would be really bad.”


    “We need to confirm this situation. We need to go and confront Zong Ge!” Zi Di saw that Lord Zhenjin was indecisive and could only speak her own mind.


    “Go confront Zong Ge now?” Lord Zhenjin hesitated.


    Zi Di urged, “If the substitute is dead, Zong Ge will definitely be against us. He’s injured now, likely just buying time until his wounds heal, then he’ll have a better chance at taking us down.”


    “We must go and find out the real situation. If the substitute isn’t dead but just in danger, we need to organize a rescue team immediately. Without the substitute, we simply can’t withstand Zong Ge.”


    Lord Zhenjin clenched his teeth and nodded with difficulty, “Then let’s gather everyone and confront him together!”


    “No,” Zi Di shook her head, “If there are too many people, it just shows our weakness. Once a conflict arises, it will be hard to control. And even if we gather everyone, we still wouldn’t match up to Zong Ge. This time, quality matters more than quantity.”


    Zi Di eventually chose Lan Zao, Hei Juan, and a few others, and took the initiative to find Zong Ge for a confrontation.


    Zong Ge admitted frankly, “I didn’t encounter Lord Zhenjin on my way. Not long after the pursuit started, I was blocked by a huge Magic Beast that looked like a python. It took a long battle to handle it.”


    “So, you’re just not going to pursue the real culprit? You’ve abandoned your comrades, Zong Ge,” Zi Di expressed firmly with an angry look, her heart filled with worry for the substitute.


    Zong Ge was cornered by her words and coldly snorted in displeasure. However, knowing his position was weak, he eventually handed over the Magic Beast’s corpse to Zi Di and the others.


    The sun set in the evening.


    As evening passed, night fell.


    The waiting time was so lengthy, and Zi Di found herself in agony.


    “What should I do if he died in the forest?”


    “No, he won’t die, absolutely not!”


    “Calm down, Zi Di. Since he was confident in pursuing the beasts, his strengths must surely be able to deal with potential risks.”


    However, Zong Ge’s injury and the returned corpse of the Crocodile Head Hammer Tail Boa told the young girl about the horrific dangers of this island.


    “Oh my God, please protect him and let him return safely.”


    “Great Lord of Light and Clarity, although he isn’t a true Holy Temple Knight, he definitely possesses the unquestionable spirit of a Knight. Please cast your caring eyes upon him.”


    The girl prayed to the divine.


    She also secretly vowed, “If he returns this time, I’ll tell him the truth!”


    She began to question fate, inevitably reflecting on that one divination, “Is this my fate? Is my fate destined to be without a Knight, doomed to a life of tragedy?”


    As she was lost in her chaotic thoughts, finally, good news arrived—the substitute had returned!


    Seeing the substitute again, Zi Di was nearly in tears.


    The returned corpse of the Blue Dog Fox Wolf left her trembling yet filled with pride.


    “He has taken down another Evil Wolf!” sea??h thё N??eFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    “No wonder he returned so late.”


    Due to the seriousness, the substitute gathered everyone for a discussion as soon as he returned to the camp.


    Zi Di defended the substitute, “No, Lord Zhenjin did the right thing. For such a long journey, how could he carry a heavy wolf corpse through the deep forest at night? Sir, you’ve single-handedly eliminated a long-standing threat to our camp and did very well.”


    “The most important thing is that you returned safely!” the girl added in her heart.


    The substitute looked at Zi Di’s Purple Crystal-like beautiful eyes, smiled slightly, and reached out to hold Zi Di’s hand laid on the table.


    Zi Di’s cold hand was grasped, and she immediately felt a stream of warmth. Her anxious heart seemed to settle down in that instant.


    “Oh no, Lord Zhenjin is right next to us!”


    Immediately, Zi Di realized the awkwardness and instinctively shrank her hand.


    But ultimately, she didn’t pull her hand back, instead letting the substitute hold it.


    This warm and reliable feeling made her linger and reluctant to let go.