The raging inferno illuminated the nearby forest.
The burning camp was collapsing, occasionally causing rumbles.
“The camp……is gone.” Someone said with incomparable dismay, as they watched the flames tower over the treetops.
“Fortunately, the outside wood was preserved.” Mu Ban happily said.
Zi Di commanded these people to wrap the giant’s wounds.
The giant’s injuries were severe, after stumbling here, he fell unconscious.
The boat craftsman was around Zi Di, he looked at the girl: “Lord President, how is the giant?”
Zi Di wanted to say she was only a pharmacist, not a doctor, however upon seeing the boat craftsman’s worried face, she still said: “Be at ease, he has a giant bloodline that gives him a strong recovery ability. With my corresponding medicine, nothing will happen.”
“That’s good, that’s good.” The boat craftsman spat, his worry gradually retarded.
Zi Di added: “His injuries are simply heavier than last time. For the next half month, he can only recuperate, he cannot move as he wishes.”
After saying this, Zi Di questioned the boat craftsman: “He has iron level strength, why didn't you guys want to train him? If he had gone through even some of the most basic training, he would not have been injured this much.”
The boat craftsman sighed: “My Lord, it’s not like I didn’t want to. But the giant’s mind does not function well, sometimes he goes crazy. When that happens, only I can communicate with him, he does not listen to anyone else.
Zi Di nodded, she understood.
As she looked around her, the girl’s face slowly grew worried.
The person in her heart had not shown up.
After parting ways with Zhen Jin, Zong Ge came to the gate a step too slow. The group at the gate already routed.
The blue dog fox wolf led the remaining magic beast corps against them.
Luckily by Zong Ge rushing over, the magic beast corps’ charge was stopped.
Surrounded by layers of magic beasts and fighting the blue dog fox wolf hand to hand, Zong Ge’s steel armor bled from monkey tail brown bears and his bone white hammer shaft broke from the fierce battle.
In fact, during the battle, he had already broken a hammer shaft.
But Mu Ban made Zong Ge spare shafts.
Under the valiant Zong Ge’s leadership, Tripleblade, Lan Zao, and the others dauntlessly attacked the enemy, sinking both sides into a momentary deadlock.
But Zong Ge knew his side was spent, this was their final stretch. However the magic beasts’ strength had been overdrawn, that is why he broke out first.
Zong Ge used the burning buildings in camp and did everything he could to shake off the pursuing magic beasts.
Then, Zong Ge did his best to save everyone in camp and lead them away.
After escaping the camp, Zong Ge and his group converged with Hei Juan, Zi Di, Cang Xu, and their group.
The magic beast corps seemed to temporarily stay in the camp, thus Zong Ge sped up the rest and reorganization of the group. At the same time, he ordered Bai Ya to shoot a whistling arrow at fixed intervals.
After getting the signal, a dispersed companion would occasionally return to the larger group.
“Cough cough cough.” The coughing sound in the forest immediately attracted the attention of everyone.
At the next moment, a blood-soaked Zhen Jin slowly came from the forest.
“It's Lord Zhen Jin!”
“I said he wasn’t dead.”
“Master!!” Lan Zao shouted. The first to walk forward was Zi Di, she supported Zhen Jin with her arm.
Zhen Jin was tethering, his entire body was covered in blood, and it seemed his injuries were serious.
Everyone looked at the gaze, their pleasant surprise turning into shock and admiration.
Zhen Jin’s boa leather armor had already changed beyond recognition, together with the gashes and scars, the youngster seemed to have fought a thrilling life and death battle!
As a matter of fact, Zhen Jin’s leather chest plate and shoulder pad had been damaged by the blue dog fox wolf’s claws.
However in other places, Zhen Jin actually transformed wolf claws and a wolf head to scratch and tear at them.
“With the help of the fire, I beat the blue dog fox wolf, however I couldn’t kill it and allowed it to escape.” Zhen Jin explained.
“Don’t speak, let me check your injuries.” Zi Di came to Zhen Jin, her voice choked with emotions. She extended her thin hand and carefully explored Zhen Jin’s leather armor, she wanted to take off the dilapidated leather armor.
But Zhen Jin stopped her.
His body was undamaged, and if the leather armor was taken off, it would be exposed.
:Give me some potions, I will treat myself!” Zhen Jin’s tone was resolute, “My injuries are not important.”
Zong Ge walked over: “Regardless of how gallant or fearless a warrior is, they need to learn how to take care of their body. Your sword.”
Zong Ge gave the rapier, Silver Lightning, to Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin took it and inserted it back into its scabbard.
Behind Zong Ge, Tripleblade explained: “When the blue dog fox wolf at the gate organized a final charge, that gigantic worm also participated. However it encountered Lord Zong Ge and was routed once more.
“It was Lord Zong Ge who saw the sword stuck in its body, he risked falling into the hole to retrieve this rapier.”
Zhen Jin nodded, he looked at Zong Ge: “It must have been a marvelous fight.”
“Many thanks! Its return is very timely, now we can pursue the retreating enemy.”
Besides Zong Ge and Cang Xu, the others were gob smacked.
Zhen Jin had one hand on the sword hilt and one hand on his waist. Although his breathing was unsteady, his voice was magnified: “Everyone, currently neither of the two blue dog fox wolves are dead. We cannot ignore them no matter what, although we purged the surrounding beast groups, the blue dog fox wolves have identified us. As long as they have time, they can replenish their military strength to what appeared today, or even bigger!”
“What I am more worried about, is the possibility of these two blue dog fox wolves calling out to others of their kind, if that happens, our troubles will increase to the point where we cannot handle them, at that point, we can only die.”
Everyone’s complexion was ugly.
They did not think about this, they only wanted to escape.
It was not strange, rather it was human nature.
If Zong Ge and Zhen Jin were not around in today’s fight, everyone would have certainly suffered a crushing defeat. The outcome would have been: the camp burning, large amounts of casualties, and a surviving magic beast corps, each an element that would destroy morale.
They could have prepared many days for the battle and done their best, yet defeat was still possible.
Thus fear arising in everyone was natural, none of them wanted to think about it.
But Zhen Jin’s words nevertheless forced this difficult problem back onto everyone.
Zhen Jin attempted to boost morale: “Everyone, there is no need for fear. Think carefully!”
“The magic beast corps still hasn’t appeared to pursue us, aren’t they burning to death in a sea of flames?”
“The blue dog fox wolves are cunning; they will absolutely lead them out of the camp.
“But why aren’t they pursuing us?”
“If they were strong, they would have pursued us already, they certainly would not have left us off.”
“However, they did not, this illustrates their weakness and exhaustion. In the eyes of the blue dog fox wolf, the magic beast corps is no longer our opponent.”
“They are weak, as long as we rouse our courage and fight with all we got, we can hope to fight our way out.”
However, everyone remained silent.
Wherever Zhen Jin looked, people would lower their heads or look to the side to avoid Zhen Jin’s gaze.
Zhen Jin’s heart could only deeply sigh.
After he eliminated the blue dog fox wolf, he observed the status of the gate battle. He wanted to attack the remaining blue dog fox wolf, however intuition warned him that doing so was very dangerous.
Indeed, the blue dog fox wolf had many magic beasts protecting it. After losing contact with the other blue dog fox wolf, it was extremely vigilant. Even if Zhen Jin transformed into a complete magic beast, it would frantically attack if he approached.
Zhen Jin did not want to expose too much of his circumstances in front of the blue dog fox wolf.,
Wolf howls could pass on a lot of information, and he had suffered a lot the first time it had happened.
Realizing his prior luring stratagem was ineffective, Zhen Jin decided to not risk it. He instead returned to the large group, wanting to use everyone’s strength to reduce the magic beasts near the blue dog fox wolf.
It was like he said, the blue dog fox wolf had to be eradicated! If he appeased them, troubles would rapidly increase beyond what Zhen Jin and the others could handle.
This is the reason why Zhen Jin lied about the two blue dog fox wolves, because even if it burned, there would still be a charred blue dog fox wolf corpse left behind. But in fact, the blue dog fox wolf had been completely converted by Zhen Jin, and without proof, it would be a weak point.
To the other people, there seemed to be two blue dog fox wolves. After this battle, the cunning of the blue dog fox wolves birthed fear in these people, however there was only one left.
Perhaps if Zhen Jin told the truth, it would alleviate the pressure in the people’s hearts.
Zhen Jin spat and gazed with incomparable steadiness: “Fine, it's your choice, I will not force anyone. Even if it is just me, I will dispose of those blue dog fox wolves.”
“My Lord!” Zi Di cried.
The others were also emotionally moved.
“Master, I ask you to let me meet death with you!” Lan Zao’s face was serene as he stood at Zhen Jin’s side.
Zhen Jin nodded to him.
Zong Ge laughed and smiled: “How interesting. I will come too.”
“I will follow your Lordship, no matter the place.” Tripleblade also stood by them.
“Lord Zong Ge, Lord Tripleblade……” The opinions of the other mercenaries also shifted.
Bai Ya’s complexion fluctuated, his heart was struggling.
It was extremely dangerous!
Although he had once risked his life and saved Cang Xu from the mouth of a green lizard, it had been an impulse from Bai Ya’s heart he did have time to think about. Now that he had adequate time to consider, he realized the dangers, this made him feel great fear.
Tripleblade discerned their body language and did not wait for them to speak: “You guys don’t need to go, we are enough. The situation in the forest is complex, if something happens, we won’t have enough time to help.”
“No, don’t Lord Zhen Jin, I ask you to remain here by my side.” In a rarely seen act, Zi Di blocked Zhen Jin. Until now, this girl never opposed Zhen Jin’s decisions.
“Don’t try to persuade me, you should be the one who most understands me. Ignoring them will surely kill us. But if we dispose of them now, at the least, we will have hope. Zhen Jin lovingly gazed at the girl, his heart sighing.
He knew: the blue dog fox wolf was an enormous psychological shadow over Zi Di. With Zhen Jin seemingly injured currently, yet still wanting to bravely pursue the blue dog fox wolf, it made Zi Di lose faith.
“Let me at least heal your injuries.” Zi Di insisted.
“I must make every second count.” Zhen Jin shook his head.
Zi Di fixed her eyes on Zhen Jin, and as if forgetting about everything nearby, tears flowed from her beautiful amethyst eyes.
“During the time I was gone, Zi Di must have been worried for me. Actually I have enormous confidence, as long as someone attracts the firepower for me. But I cannot tell her these things, I can only allow her to be deeply worried about me.”
Zhen Jin was also gazing at Zi Di, concealing the truth caused him to feel guilty. In addition, dense affection also rose in Zhen Jin’s heart.
The next moment, Zhen Jin slowly hugged Zi Di.
Zi Di’s body slightly trembled.
Zhen Jin put the tip of his nose on Zi Di’s ear and softy said: “I will return, I guarantee I will return.”
After saying this, Zhen Jin released Zi Di and walked away.
Zong Ge and the group followed close behind.
The others remained silent as they watched the four gradually disappear.
“That is a hero!” Someone sincerely sighed.
Those words touched the depths of Bai Ya’s heart, causing the youngster to roar: “My Lord, wait for me!”
Bai Ya rushed out of the crowd; his face no longer had any hesitation.
At that moment, the adventurous spirit and honor filled his heart, making him lose reason.
“Stop him quickly.” Zi Di immediately ordered.
“Give me a break smelly youngster.” Xi Suo tripped Bai Ya to the ground, “You are throwing away your life.”
Bai Ya stood up, he still wanted to follow Zhen Jin: “I want to become a knight, how can a knight cower?”
“Bravery is not stupidity, youngster.” Cang Xu sighed, then he persuaded, “Perhaps one day, you will become a knight. But you are still an ordinary person right now, and that……belongs to a knightly romance.
Bai Ya still wanted to speak.
“Shut up!” Hei Juan knocked Bai Ya unconscious, he looked resentful.
Notes
I wonder what poor magic beast Zhen Jin murdered on his way back so he could get his blood bath. Unfortunately Bai Ya is underleveled and cannot participate in the raid, too bad the others have the empathy to not watch him throw his life away. How...unfortunate.