My Knight's Creed

Suddenly hearing the cry for help, Zhen Jin's pupils constricted.

"Someone is trapped in a spiderweb up there."

"He's still alive!" Zhen Jin frowned.

"I am a knight. Saving the dying and helping the injured, assisting the weak, these are among my tenets as a knight."

"Calm down first." The young man immediately cautioned himself.

He stopped his retreating steps, observed carefully, then changed direction, cautiously entering the spider's hunting ground again.

He didn't step into any spiderweb traps. After changing position, he looked up and found the spiderweb from which the cry for help originated.

The spiderweb was gently trembling, just like the surrounding webs, tightly wrapping its prey. The outline of this particular web was clearly that of a person.

Around the person's face, the spiderweb was sparsely wrapped, with gaps allowing for abarely view.

This unlucky fellow was suspended high up, with a commanding view, and thus saw Zhen Jin, immediately crying out for help.

"Please, save me!"

"If you leave, I'm completely finished!"

"You're from the Pig Kiss too, right? We're on the same boat. Please, have some mercy, don't leave, don't abandon me..."

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

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

Zhen Jin did not act.

Rushing to rescue could easily trap himself. Furthermore, it could even endanger Zi Di.

He stood still, gazing intently at the suspended person, while also keeping an eye on the spiders hidden in the tree canopy.

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

Zhen Jin's muscles were tense, ready to react instantly to the slightest disturbance.

But the spiders showed no unusual movements.

After pleading for a while, the person seeking help realized Zhen Jin wasn't moving. He gradually came to his senses and continued to cry out in a low voice, "Don't doubt me."

"When wild beasts fall into the spiderweb, they struggle desperately. The more they struggle, the more silk sticks to their bodies, and the tighter the spider weaves the web, eventually suffocating them."

"I didn't."

"I fainted at the time, and then I was covered and bound by the spiderweb, which is why I'm still alive now."

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

At this point, the person seeking help let out a low sob.

Trapped motionless in the spiderweb, watching death approach step by step, this kind of fear is unbearable for ordinary people, almost driving the person seeking help insane.

This genuine display of human nature made Zhen Jin believe him a little more.

The fear of death is a part that every life inevitably possesses. Even Zhen Jin, as a knight, brave enough to face a Monkey-Tailed Brown Bear and fight it head-on, still had feelings of fear.

Fear is an emotion, but it doesn't mean one is weak. Facing fear head-on at all times is true courage.

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

He spoke softly, calling out, "Hey, what's your name?"

The trapped person immediately became agitated. "My name is Huang Zao, sir, I am Huang Zao, a sailor from the Pig Kiss. Merciful sir, kind sir, if you rescue me, I will spend my entire life repaying your kindness!"

Most of Zhen Jin's attention was still on the treetop at this moment. After he spoke, the spiders remained motionless, which eased some of his worries and confirmed that his previous guess was correct.

"So, Huang Zao, how can I rescue you?" Zhen Jin asked again.

This question was crucial. He needed to confirm Huang Zao's intentions and get more information.

So far, he still had doubts.

Could it be that these spiders deliberately don't kill their prey, letting them make noise to attract their corresponding groups?

Perhaps these spiders were just holding back, waiting for Zhen Jin to go back and call for more humans to rescue him. When there were more people, the spiders would close their net.

Facing Zhen Jin's question, Huang Zao answered everything he knew, quickly speaking up to warn him, "Sir, you absolutely must not act rashly! These spiders here will descend to the ground at night and secretly lay webs. These webs are buried underground, and once you step on them, this trap will be triggered. The web will pull up high, causing the spiders to weave, and the prey will be hanged in mid-air."

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

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

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

"When I groggily opened my eyes, I was already hanging in mid-air, and the exploration team had been completely defeated, with the survivors fleeing. But these spiders also cooperate; they don't just lay webs on the ground. Two or three of them can work together to weave a larger web in mid-air. Then they descend from high altitude with the web, directly covering the prey."

"These webs are very sticky and require a very sharp sword, as well as skilled technique, to cut through them. My brother Lan Zao is the exploration captain, and he is skilled with a knife. I saw with my own eyes that when his blade was entangled by the silk, its speed was greatly reduced, and he couldn't cut through the web at all."

"Use fire!"

"In the end, they used fire to burn away the webs and escape. These spiders are actually quite afraid of fire. I wanted to call for help at the time, but I was completely groggy and couldn't call out at all, even my vision was blurry. I listened to the sounds of these people shouting and fighting, and then I fainted again."

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

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

After a 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 group, are there any other survivors? When were you attacked?"

Huang Zao didn't hesitate and quickly replied, "The Pig Kiss was shipwrecked. The waves were very big that night, and we tried hard to control it, but the hull still broke in half. The front half of the hull hit the reef, and the survivors all came to the island's beach that night. Including our group, there were about a hundred people."

"The captain is missing, and the first mate is commanding us."

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

"We set up a temporary camp on the beach. The first mate assigned my brother and me, along with some others, to explore the island to find wood that could be used to build a hull, as well as food and fresh water."

"The jungle is full of dangers, and we encountered many strange and monstrous beasts. Our exploration team lost many people, but gained very little. We gradually couldn't hold on and started to head back."

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

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

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

"Food and water were quickly consumed, and I thought the entire team was going to be finished. Fortunately, a traveler joined our team. He was an old scholar who had once served a noble in a desert territory. His name is Cang Xu, and he used his methods to find direction in the desert and also found an oasis, replenishing our fresh water. We rested in the oasis for several days and continued our journey. Our luck improved, and we reached the edge of the desert, finally entering this forest."

"We arrived here and were ambushed by a spider swarm. Most people escaped, but five or six died. When they were fleeing for their lives, I heard my brother shouting to retreat. He must not have realized I was missing, which is why he didn't come to save me. In fact, I was captured by the spiders to be used as reserve food, but I'm still alive!"

Huang Zao was very emotional.

Zhen Jin remained silent the entire time.

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

"For the sake of the Saint Brilliance Great Emperor, please save me. Sir, we are from the same ship! Now, only you can save me! Please have mercy, I will definitely repay you with all my might!"

Huang Zao pleaded again.

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

"Sir, I'm not lying to you, absolutely not!" Huang Zao's voice rose, "I know, I know, it sounds unbelievable, but it's really true. We really reached the desert, and then somehow ended up here."

Zhen Jin nodded slightly, comforting him, "I will try my best to save you. But I can't do it alone, I'll go back now and get more people. Do you have any way to contact the group from before?"

"I have a whistle, the sound of the whistle travels very far, but it's in my pocket. Besides that, I also know flag semaphore. If I stand on a high place, I can signal with colored flags," Huang Zao said quickly.

Seeing Zhen Jin silent, he immediately added, "Secret signals, right, I also have secret signals! We discussed leaving secret signals along the way, and if you follow the signals, you can find my brother and the others!"

Zhen Jin looked at the sky.

The sky was quickly darkening, it wouldn't be long until evening.

"Wait a moment, I'll be back," Zhen Jin turned and left.

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

Zhen Jin walked a long distance, and Huang Zao's shouts from behind were still continuous.

It was clear that he was shouting with all his might.

His voice was hoarse, filled with fear and panic, and also heavy expectation.

After all, Zhen Jin could be considered his only chance of survival.

How to put it?

The young man felt the same way.

Life was so beautiful, which was why Zhen Jin cherished it so much. Not long ago, in front of the Fire Poison and the Brown Bear, he was also on the verge of death.

In the alternation of unconsciousness and waking, he was also filled with helplessness, panic, and worry, but also hope, and sincere repentance.

Huang Zao's expectation, resting on Zhen Jin's shoulders, was a heavy weight.

How to save him?

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

Many questions were before Zhen Jin. He shook his head slightly, his eyes firm: "No matter what, let's meet up with Zi Di first."

Soon, the young man successfully reunited with the young woman.

In fact, after separating, the young woman had been trying hard to catch up behind Zhen Jin. The Scaled Horn Black Panther wasn't fast, so the gap between them wasn't large.

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

"Mm. Don't worry, I'm not completely defenseless either." Zi Di first nodded, then gently patted the small leather pouch at her waist, a hint of pride showing on her face.

"I've discovered some new developments here." Zhen Jin directly and simply narrated the situation's progression and asked for the young girl's opinion.

After listening, Zi Di pondered for a moment and replied, "My lord, I suggest you save him."

Although Zhen Jin had a leaning, at this moment he was more willing to hear Zi Di's true thoughts. So, he continued to ask, "Can you elaborate on the reasons?"

Zi Di's expression was solemn, and her tone was sincere as she said, "My lord, according to what you said, he possesses a Bronze aura. The Bronze level is already considered a lower-tier elite. Generally speaking, they can serve as boatswains on a ship. Some who are particularly skilled fighters can even become charge captains. Just speaking of this person, he is qualified to be recruited. Once my lord rescues him, the possibility of him serving my lord is extremely high."

"Besides that, he also has a brother, his older brother Lan Zao, who is the captain of this exploration team. His position is higher than his, proving he is stronger. Recruiting one Huang Zao could very likely bring along his brother Lan Zao, which would be two Bronze-level elites. They must also have a group of people attached to them. Once the two of them pledge allegiance, my lord, you will incidentally gain a group of subordinates."

"We need manpower now. Even if we don't consider controlling White Sand City in the future, this manpower can increase our survival probability on the Sea Island. Sometimes, when encountering danger, you just need to be able to outrun your companions."

As she spoke, a faint glint flashed in Zi Di's eyes.

Zhen Jin nodded: "Anything else?"

Zi Di continued, "We also need information. So, even if these two don't pledge allegiance to my lord, just communicating with them can expand our map and deepen our understanding of this Sea Island."

"According to what Huang Zao said, the main force is building a ship to save themselves. This is also the most reliable way for us to leave here and go to White Sand City. But even if we have a ship, we have no one to steer it for us."

"To sail a ship on the sea for several months requires talents such as a captain, first mate, navigator, sailors, helmsman, shipwright, gunner, ship's doctor, lookout, and so on."

"Trying our best to save these people can also make our subsequent voyage safer and faster."

Zhen Jin and Zi Di couldn't control a sea ship.

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

"My lord, I already have a plan." Zi Di said with a smile, "Believe me, if the cost outweighs the gain, I would absolutely not do this."

Zhen Jin laughed: "Hehehe, should I say you truly live up to being the current head of the Purple Vine Merchant Guild?"

The young knight looked at Zi Di with appreciative eyes, his expression gradually becoming serious.

"What you said is not wrong. But you forgot the most important point."

Zi Di quickly put away her smile, straightened her expression, and lowered her head: "Please enlighten me, my lord."

"I am a Temple Knight, a knight among knights. Helping the weak and saving the injured is my creed! Even in times of peril, I will not abandon my companions." The young man's resonant words echoed through the quiet forest.

For a moment, Zi Di looked at the young man, stunned, then a smile appeared: "My lord, I understand."