My Knight's Creed

Abruptly hearing the cry for help, Zhen Jin's pupils shrank.

"Someone has been trapped by a spider web up there."

"He is still alive!" Zhen Jin furrowed his brows.

"I am a knight. Saving lives, healing the wounded, and helping the weak is one of my creeds as a knight."

"Calm down first." The youth then admonished himself like this.

He stopped his retreating footsteps, observed carefully, and then changed direction, cautiously re-entering this spider hunting ground.

He did not step on any spider web traps. After changing his position, he looked up and found the web that had made the sound for help.

The spider web was trembling slightly, tightly wrapping around the prey just like the surrounding webs. The silhouette of this spider web was clearly that of a person.

On this person's face, the spider web was wrapped sparsely, leaving cracks that allowed him to barely see.

This unlucky fellow was suspended high in the air, looking down from above with a wide field of vision. Thus, he saw Zhen Jin and immediately cried out for help.

"Please, save me!"

"If you leave, I'll be completely dead!"

"You're also from the Pig Kiss, right? We're people in the same boat. Please, show some kindness, don't leave, don't abandon me..."

Hearing this, Zhen Jin's heart stirred slightly. He had learned a lot of information from Zi Di; the sailing ship they took was indeed the Pig Kiss.

It seemed that this trapped fellow should be a member of the Pig Kiss.

Zhen Jin did not take action.

Rashly rescuing him would likely plunge him into danger. Going a step further, it would even endanger Zi Di.

He stood unmoving, intently gazing at the suspended fellow, while also keeping watch on the spiders hidden in the tree canopy.

He had to make sure this wasn't a trap!

Zhen Jin's muscles were taut, and at the slightest hint of grass movement, he could react immediately.

However, those spiders showed no unusual movements at all.

After the petitioner begged for a moment and found that Zhen Jin made no move at all, he also gradually reacted, continuing to cry out in a low voice, "Don't doubt me."

"When those beasts fall into the spider web, they struggle desperately. The more they struggle, the more spider silk sticks to their bodies. The tighter the spiders weave the web, the eventually they die of suffocation."

"I didn't."

"I fainted at the time, and then was covered by the spider web and tied up, so I am still alive until now."

"Please, save me. I don't want to die..."

Speaking up to here, the petitioner let out a low cry.

Trapped in a spider web and unable to move, watching death approach step by step—this kind of fear was hard for ordinary people to endure, and it was almost driving the petitioner mad.

This true revelation of human nature made Zhen Jin believe it a bit more.

The fear of death was an inevitable part of every life's existence. Even as a knight, brave enough to face the Monkey-Tailed Brown Bear and engage it in fierce combat, Zhen Jin still possessed the emotion of fear.

The emotion of fear did not mean one was weak. Facing fear head-on at every moment was true bravery.

Still no reaction? It seems these spiders don't hunt through sound. Guessing this in his heart, Zhen Jin decided to take a slight risk.

He opened his mouth and called out softly, "Hey, what is your name?"

The trapped person immediately became excited, "My name is Huang Zao, my lord. I am Huang Zao, a sailor on the Pig Kiss. Merciful lord, kind lord, if you rescue me, I will definitely use all my life to repay your kindness!"

At this time, most of Zhen Jin's attention was still on the tree canopy. When he made a sound, those spiders still remained motionless, which allowed him to let go of some worries and determine that his previous guess was correct.

"Then, Huang Zao, how can I save you?" Zhen Jin asked again.

This question was crucial; he had to confirm Huang Zao's intentions and obtain more intelligence.

Up to now, he still had doubts.

Could it be that these spiders deliberately didn't kill their prey, letting the prey make sounds to attract corresponding groups?

Perhaps these spiders were just holding back, waiting for Zhen Jin to go back and call more humans over to the rescue. Only when there were more people would the spiders pull in the web.

Faced with Zhen Jin's question, Huang Zao told him everything without reservation, hurriedly calling out to warn him, "My lord, you must never make a rash move! The spiders here will descend to the ground at night and secretly lay webs. These spider webs are buried underground. Once stepped on, this trap will be triggered. The spider web is hoisted high, causing the spiders to weave, and the prey will be hanged high in midair."

"No matter how loudly I speak, no spiders will come out. But when I struggle hard and shake the upper spider silk to a certain extent, it will attract the spiders to re-weave the web. Therefore, once I am rescued from the web, it will definitely attract the spiders."

"Every single one of these spiders is a Bronze-level creature, and their strength is extremely terrifying. There are at least a dozen spiders nearby!"

"The force of these spiders' pouncing is no different from a horse's charge. I was careless and was knocked flying by a spider in an instant, hitting the tree trunk and fainting on the spot."

"When I hazily opened my eyes, I was already suspended in midair, and the Exploration Team had suffered a complete defeat, with the survivors all fleeing. But these spiders also cooperate; not only do they lay webs on the ground, but two or three working together can also weave a larger web in midair. Afterwards, they carry the spider web down from high altitude and directly cover the prey."

"These spider webs are very sticky. One must have extremely sharp swords and skilled techniques to cut open the spider web. My brother Lan Zao is the Exploration Team leader, and he is an expert with a knife. I witnessed with my own eyes that when his blade was entangled by spider silk, his speed was greatly reduced, and he simply could not hack open the spider web."

"Use fire!"

"In the end, they used fire to burn away the spider web and escaped for their lives. These spiders are actually quite afraid of fire. At that time, I really wanted to call for help, but my whole body was groggy and I couldn't call out at all; even my vision was very blurry. I listened to the shouting and killing of these people, and then passed out again."

"When I woke up, there was no more firelight, and only I was left."

Zhen Jin listened intently, secretly analyzing the information contained herein.

After a long while, he asked again, "Your name is Huang Zao, right? How many people were in your group, and why did you come here? Besides your batch of people, are there any other survivors? When were you attacked?"

Huang Zao did not hesitate and quickly replied, "The Pig Kiss was shipwrecked. The waves were very high that night, and we tried hard to steer, but the hull still broke into two halves. The front half of the hull crashed into a reef, and the survivors all came to the beach on the island that night. Counting our group, there were about a hundred people."

"The captain went missing, and the First Mate commanded us."

"This island is very strange; low-level magic and Battle Qi cannot be used."

"We established a temporary camp on the beach. The First Mate assigned my brother, me, and some others to enter the island to explore, looking for wood to build a ship's hull, as well as food and fresh water."

"The jungle is fraught with crises, and we encountered many bizarre beasts. Our Exploration Team lost quite a few people, but harvested very little. We gradually couldn't hold on, so we walked back."

"As a result, on the way back, the terrain actually changed!"

"It was clearly a rainforest, but somehow, we ended up in a desert."

"Many people thought it was an illusion, but couldn't break free. We were very panicked, and a few individuals even committed suicide. The team fell into chaos for a time."

"Food and water were rapidly consumed, and I thought the whole team was going to finish. Fortunately, a traveler joined our team—an old scholar who once served a noble in a desert territory. His name is Cang Xu. He used his methods to find direction in the desert, and also found an oasis to replenish fresh water. We recuperated in the oasis for several days and set off again. Our luck improved; we reached the edge of the desert and finally entered this forest."

"When we arrived here, we encountered an ambush by a spider group. Most people fled, but five or six people also died. When they fled for their lives, I heard my brother shouting the order to retreat. He must not have noticed that I was missing, which is why he didn't come to save me. In fact, I was captured by the spiders to serve as reserve food, but I am still alive!"

Huang Zao's emotions were very agitated.

Zhen Jin remained silent throughout.

Huang Zao's emotions gradually calmed down again, and he continued, "I don't know how many days have actually passed. How long I was unconscious, no one told me. But when I woke up, three days and two nights had already passed."

"For the sake of the Saint Brilliance Great Emperor, save me. My lord, we are people from the same ship! Now, only you can save me! Please show mercy, I will definitely do my utmost to repay you!"

Huang Zao once again issued a plea for help.

"There's actually a desert here?" Zhen Jin was puzzled.

"My lord, I am not lying to you, absolutely not!" Huang Zao's voice rose, "I know, I know, this sounds unbelievable, but this is indeed true. We really went to the desert, and then inexplicably came here."

Zhen Jin nodded slightly and placated him, "I will save you, using all my strength. But relying on me alone won't work; I'm going back now to call more people over. Do you have any way to contact the previous group of people?"

"I have a whistle; the sound of the whistle carries very far, but it's in my clothes pocket. In addition, I also know flag semaphore. If I stand in a high place, I can use colored flags to send signals," Huang Zao hurriedly spoke out.

Seeing Zhen Jin remain silent, he then quickly added, "The secret code, right, I also have a secret code! We discussed it; we will leave secret codes along the way. As long as we follow the secret codes, we can find my brother and the others!"

Zhen Jin looked at the sky.

The sky was rapidly darkening, and it was not long before evening.

"Wait a moment, I will be back." Zhen Jin turned and walked away.

"My lord, I'll wait for you. You must come back, please don't forget this pitiful person! You are my only hope. I will definitely repay you!!"

Zhen Jin walked a long way, and Huang Zao's cries from behind still lingered endlessly.

One could tell that he was calling out with all his might.

His voice was hoarse, permeated with fear and panic, and also carried heavy anticipation.

After all, Zhen Jin could be considered his only lifeline.

How should he put it?

The youth felt it deeply.

Life was so wonderful, which was why Zhen Jin cherished it all the more. Not long ago, in the face of fire poison and the brown bear, he had also been on the verge of death.

Amidst the alternation of unconsciousness and awakening, he had also been filled with helplessness, panic, and worry, while also harboring hope and sincerely repenting.

Huang Zao's expectation, falling onto Zhen Jin's shoulders, was a heavy weight.

How to save him?

How to fight so many spiders, at least a dozen Bronze-level fierce beasts?

Many questions lay before Zhen Jin. He shook his head slightly, his gaze firm: "No matter what, let's reunite with Zi Di first."

Before long, the youth successfully rendezvoused with the young lady once again.

In fact, after parting ways, the young lady had worked hard to chase continuously behind Zhen Jin. The Scaled Horn Black Panther's speed was not fast, so the gap opened between the two sides was not large.

"You didn't encounter any danger, did you?" Zhen Jin asked.

"Mn. Rest assured, I am not completely defenseless either." Zi Di first nodded, then gently patted the small leather bag at her waist, a trace of pride flashing across her face.

"I've discovered some new conditions on my end." Zhen Jin simply and directly recounted the development of the matter and asked for the young lady's opinion.

Upon hearing this, Zi Di pondered for a moment and replied, "My lord, I suggest you save him."

Although Zhen Jin also had a leaning, at this moment he was more willing to hear Zi Di's true view. Thus, he continued to ask, "Can you explain the reasons in detail?"

Zi Di's expression was solemn and her tone sincere as she said, "My lord, according to what you said, he possesses the aura of Bronze. The Bronze tier is already a lower-tier elite; generally speaking, they can serve as boatswains on a ship. A few who can fight can even become assault captains. Speaking of this person alone, he has the qualifications to be recruited. Once my lord rescues him, the possibility of him working for my lord is extremely high."

"In addition, he has a brother. His brother, Lan Zao, is the captain of this Exploration Team. His position is higher than his, proving that his strength is even greater. Subduing a Huang Zao will likely entail taking his brother Lan Zao along with him. That would be two Bronze-level elites. There must still be a batch of dependents around the two of them; once the two of them defect, my lord, you will subfunctuously take in a group of subordinates."

"We need manpower right now. Even without considering controlling White Sand City in the future, this manpower can increase our survival probability on the island. Sometimes, when encountering danger, you actually just need to outrun your companions."

Speaking up to here, a deep gleam flashed across Zi Di's eyes.

Zhen Jin nodded: "Anything else?"

Zi Di continued, "We also need intelligence. Therefore, even if these two people do not defect to my lord, and even if it's just communicating with them, it can expand our map and deepen our understanding of this island."

"According to what Huang Zao said, the main force is building a boat to save themselves. This is also the most reliable method for us to leave this place and head to White Sand City. But even if we have a boat, we have no one to navigate it for us."

"To make a sailing ship voyage on the ocean for months requires a captain, first mate, navigator, sailors, helmsman, shipwright, gunner, ship's doctor, lookout, and other talents."

"Rescuing these people as much as possible can also make our subsequent voyage safer and faster."

Zhen Jin and Zi Di certainly couldn't operate a sailing ship.

"But to save him, we have to face at least a dozen Bronze spiders..." Zhen Jin pondered.

"My lord, I already have a way." Zi Di smiled and said, "Trust me, if the price outweighs the harvest, I would never do this."

Zhen Jin laughed: "Hahaha, should I really not call you the contemporary president of the Wisteria Chamber of Commerce?"

The Young Knight looked at Zi Di with an appreciative gaze, his expression gradually turning serious.

"What you said is good. But you forgot the most important point."

Zi Di hurriedly restrained her smile, straightened her expression, and lowered her head: "Please instruct me, my lord."

"I am a Temple Knight, a knight among knights! Helping the weak, saving lives, and healing the wounded is my creed! Even in times of crisis, I will not abandon my companions." The youth's ringing words echoed in the quiet forest.

For a moment, Zi Di looked at the youth, stunned for a moment, before breaking into a smile: "My lord, I understand."