The body double saved Zhen Jin, soon after he charged into camp, routed the beast group by himself, and saved everyone.
With the camp safe, the body double was welcomed by everyone and treated as a hero.
Besides being happy about the victory, Zi Di’s heart was actually exceptionally heavy.
Zhen Jin’s sudden appearance doubled the pressure on her and made her endlessly frantic.
In her original plan, she treated the body double like a tool. If she escaped this island, she would continue to collaborate with the Bai Zhen Clan. Because War Merchant was dead, she couldn’t implement his plan.
However now, after experiencing so many adventures, Zi Di’s opinion of the body double had gone through earth shattering changes.
Compared to Zhen Jin, her heart thought of the body double more.
However, the body double was just a body double in the end, and with just herself, the Wisteria Merchant Alliance, and a body double that still didn’t know the truth, how could she resist the Bai Zhen Clan?
“I almost exposed my secret.” Zi Di paced in her tent with lingering fear in her heart.
Everyone was currently cleaning up the battlefield.
“Hold on, he won’t be able to wait, and he will find me of his own accord. I must stabilize him first!”
As expected, Zi Di’s guess was verified as Zhen Jin opened the tent flap and quickly walked in.
Seeing the purple eyed girl, Zhen Jin exposed an exaggerated smile and a cordial attitude: “My dear Zi Di, nothing has happened to you, that’s amazing! During the days I thought you were dead, I felt incomparable sorrow.”
Zhen Jin opened his arms and wanted to hug Zi Di.
A burst of loathing suddenly welled up in Zi Di’s heart, she immediately took a step back and feigned a nervous look around: “My Lord, be careful of others seeing us.”
As a matter of fact, inside the tent they were isolated from line of sight, no one could see them.
Met with refusal, Zhen Jin’s look collapsed.
Zi Di promptly pretended to be emotional, explaining and praising him: “After the shipwreck, I and another group of people landed on another beach on the island. My Lord, I have always tried to find you. Not all of us are dead! Look around you, I nearly shouted your identity in excitement, fortunately when I saw your Lordship’s hinting gaze, I sobered up.”
Hearing Zi Di’s words, Zhen Jin’s mood became better, then he inquired about how strong the body double was.
Zi Di shook her head: “He is a beastified person, but he was not imbued with complete memories, and I discovered he can beastify parts of himself. As for his battle strength, I don’t think many can match him.”
She concealed many things, such as the fact the body double could transform into an intact silver level spear scorpion.
But Zi Di continued to detail some things, although these things were of no importance, they successfully won over Zhen Jin’s trust.
Zhen Jin couldn't help but show his disappointment: “It seems, he cannot beat Zong Ge.”
Zi Di wanted to ask who Zong Ge was, but at that moment, they heard footsteps coming.
“Someone is coming.” Zi Di nervously warned Zhen Jin.
Zhen Jin could only terminate his brief interaction with Zi Di and quietly leave. .
Bai Ya’s voice came through: “Lord Zi Di, the wounded are all together. Everyone is waiting for your treatment.”
Zi Di went over to examine the wounded and saw the unconscious Fei She among them.
The girl felt happy and also relaxed.
This was a Wisteria Merchant Alliance elder who had followed Zi Di’s father, he was loyal, devoted, and took care of Zi Di.
During the shipwreck, Zi Di tried to find Fei She, but couldn’t. As the ship took in more water, Zi Di could only guide her group away.
While Zi Di was pondering what medicine to use, Fei She woke up and saw Zi Di, exciting his emotions.
“Good, good, stand up quickly.” Zi Di was forced to walk over and clapped Fei She’s shoulder, “Follow me, we will pay our respects to Lord Zhen Jin.”
“Zhen, Lor Zhen Jin, Lord? Your Lordship’s fian, fiancé?” Fei She withdrew his hand with a doubtful expression.
Zi Di explained: “Please don’t blame me for hiding some things from you Elder Fei. This trip to White Sands City wasn’t just to open a front for the Bai Zhen Clan. Our true intent was to conceal our movements, and escort Lord Zhen Jin to White Sands City at an earlier date. The troops the Bai Zhen Clan arranged for Lord Zhen Jin met with misfortune along the way, after I and Lord Zhen Jin discussed, we believed it was a malicious competitor obstructing us.”
“The city lord election only happens for some time. Without time to enter the city and take part in the election, Lord Zhen Jin would miss a lot. In order to not allow his competitor’s conspiracy to prevail, I acted as a pretense while Lord Zhen Jin concealed his identity and accompanied me onto the Hog’s Kiss.
“So, so that’s how things were.” Fei She suddenly realized.
Zi Di went with Fei She to meet the body double. Currently the body double was in camp, with people crowded around him like the stars and the moon.
Zi Di introduced: “My Lord. This is Fei She, an elder in the Wisteria Merchant Alliance. When we left for White Sands City, he was my assistant.”
“Fei, Fei She pays his respects to his Lordship.” Fei She bowed to the body double with a smile.
Seeing this, Zi Di’s heart became dazzled for a spell.
She couldn’t help but look forward: “If he really was Zhen Jin, things should be better!”
“Unfortunately, he isn’t……”
At that moment, Zi Di actually wished War Merchant was still alive. Because with his support, replacing Zhen Jin might have succeeded.
The body double asked Mu Ban about their experience.
“Originally everything was sailing smoothly, but suddenly a strange disaster struck the ship. The Hog’s Kiss broke into two, but fortunately this island was nearby, thus almost all of us escaped to the shore. Finding that the captain was missing, the first mate took command……”
Mu Ban informed the body double of everything he knew.
Zi Di’s heart also came back down.
She discovered she wasn’t under suspicion, although the captain’s corpse was found, it was Zong Ge who became the scapegoat.
At the same time, she also learned how Zhen Jin displayed himself during that period.
“He always acted as Hei Juan and never stepped forward.”
“He is obviously a real templar knight and the true heir to the Bai Zhen Clan, with his noble identity, he could undoubtedly obtain the support of others. But in his weakness and cowardice, he always maintained his disguise.”
“Contrary to what I expected, a half beastman upheld justice and protected a weak woman.”
“When I saw him, he was escaping and abandoning his comrades still fighting in the camp, he doesn’t assume any responsibility.”
Despite Zi Di meeting with Zhen Jin earlier and recognizing his nature, at that very moment, she still felt very disappointed.
And also found it to be ridiculously ironic.
“The real Zhen Jin is timid, while the fake Zhen Jin is a genuinely flawless knight!”
“If these two exchanged identities, things would be better”
Thinking of this, a notion suddenly flashed in Zi Di’s mind——what if I killed Zhen Jin?
This notion rapidly spread through her train of thought.
“Currently Zhen Jin is Hei Juan, if he died, no one would know the truth. The body double doesn’t know this secret, he always thinks that he is Zhen Jin. War Merchant is also dead, and after being on this island for so long, I also haven’t seen Jian Zuan. Everything bodes ill for them! Maybe in this world, I am the only one who knows this secret.”
“By killing him, this secret will be concealed.”
“We will go to the Wilderness Continent and be far from the Sheng Ming Continent. I fear we can no longer participate in the White Sands City lordship competition, but that is actually fine.”
“As long as he isn’t in a high position, who will care if a templar knight’s identity is true or false?”
“Even if someone examines him, the inspection will be far laxer than if he were a city lord.
“To pretend to be a city lord, I need someone like War Merchant backing me. But just pretending to be a templar knight, maybe if I buy some magical artifacts, could I get away with it?”
As Zi Di thought of these things, her heart shivered with terror!
The terrifying being wasn’t someone else, but herself.
A strong feeling of guilt spontaneously arose.
“What……what is happening to me? I actually wanted to kill someone?”
Zi Di always observed the law.
She refused marriage and her father’s coin, even though life was difficult, she never took it too far.
After the Wisteria Merchant Alliance incident, she silently endured for a long time. In order to avenge her father, she took a risk and assumed control of the shattered merchant alliance.
Soon after, she was drawn into a bloody whirlpool.
Luo Shi tried to assassinate her, and Jian Zuan forced Zi Di to marry into the Bai Zhen Clan.
However, on Mystifying Monster Island, War Merchant produced a more vicious conspiracy and forced Zi Di to cooperate with his schemes.
Zi Di had no choice but to do these things.
On the Hog’s Kiss, War Merchant died, and the magical contract and engagement lost their effectiveness on Zi Di.
The shipwreck was not a part of Zi Di’s plans.
During the escape and the struggles here, she became tangled up with Zhen Jin and the body double, suffering greatly.
For the first time in her life, she wanted to kill her fiancé.
“Heavens, why am I thinking this way?”
“Even if Zhen Jin is unbearable, he is still an inherently innocent person.”
“For my own selfishness, I actually wanted to murder an innocent man? Oh Zi Di, when did you become so malicious? Are you really a vicious woman?”
The criminal idea in Zi Di’s heart was firmly extinguished.
The body double and everyone conversed for a while, however the boat craftsman hadn’t returned yet.
Something was amiss, thus the body double immediately set out to help the boat craftsman and his group.
During the discussion, Zi Di finally understood Zong Ge’s strength, causing her to be incessantly worried.
“Under normal circumstances, the body double should be able to resist the half beastman. But if he uses beastification, there will be unmanageable trouble! I must do my best to aid him.”
Seeing the body double returning Silver Lightning to Zhen Jin, Zi Di immediately advised the body double to keep the sword.
She succeeded in convincing him and joined his party.
After successfully saving the boat craftsman’s group, Zi Di and Commander Tripleblade met again, in addition she also gained firsthand impression of Zong Ge.
Zi Di couldn’t move Tripleblade’s mercenary corps or recruit Zong Ge.
Zong Ge was remarkable, he saw through the youngster and refused his attraction.
The body double and Zong Ge almost fought each other.
Zi Di was scared witless as she watched this.
Finally, the body double decided to accept Zong Ge’s group.
This made the girl more worried.
Notes
They say hindsight is 20/20. You could also say “rules for thee, but not for me”. Considering what we know of nobles in this book, it is safe to say they treat their lessers as lower lifeforms. They are just worms and insects to toy with and consume. Sure when they break the law, it's off to death or imprisonment. But when nobles decide to tortue and kill someone, it's fine because they are in power. The society in IB isn’t fair, and never has been. Only through major changes can justice and equitability ever have a hope of truly existing on a societal level.