Clack.
Following a soft sound, a dagger flew through the air, its sharp tip embedding itself deep into a wooden stake.
Zhen Jin slowly pulled back his arm, looking thoughtfully at the many wooden stakes before him.
Waking up early this morning, he had given the command to requisition a wide variety of ranged weapons.
Bows and crossbows were the most common. Aside from those, there were also items specifically meant for throwing, such as throwing axes and throwing forks, as well as others that could be used for throwing, like short spears and daggers.
Now, all of these weapons had been thrown by him, piercing with pinpoint accuracy into wooden stakes at varying distances.
Zhen Jin exercised his fingers while looking at his results, assessing himself inwardly: Strictly speaking, a dagger is not a weapon specifically designed for throwing. Yet I threw more than a dozen daggers without a single miss. Wherever I wanted to hit, I hit.
Aside from the daggers, whether it was the short spear, throwing axe, or throwing fork, it was all the same.
As for bows and crossbows, that went without saying.
If I had throwing darts here, I should be able to achieve this level as well.
Throwing darts were not common.
In the eastern part of the Saint Brilliance Continent, however, there were unique Battle Qi Formulas that could make one as light as a swallow, using throwing darts, flying knives, and the like with extraordinary might.
Therefore, weapons like throwing darts were quite popular in the eastern Saint Brilliance Continent, but elsewhere, they were extremely rare.
The current outcome has proven that last night was no dream; rather, another segment of my memories has been restored.
Such throwing results were something the previous Zhen Jin could not have achieved.
Yet after a single night, he had accomplished this step with utter ease, almost as if it were instinct.
No, this should be the fruit of my hard work and bitter practice in the past. It was simply unable to be utilized until last night's memories served as the key to unlock it.
It is only a pity that although I have recalled the secret skill of Sharp Needle Rumble, I am still unable to use it.
If such a secret skill were to be unleashed, its power would be considerable, posing a strong threat to the ferocious monsters on the island.
Zhen Jin sighed inwardly.
To this day, he was still unable to rouse Battle Qi, and battle skills like Sharp Needle Rumble had the major prerequisite of infusing one's own Battle Qi into specially crafted flying needles.
Therefore, since Zhen Jin could not summon Battle Qi, he had no way to truly unleash the might of Sharp Needle Rumble.
Even so, with the emergence of this memory, Zhen Jin's strength had still risen by a small margin.
The former him held a longsword and excelled in close combat. Now, thanks to his newly acquired throwing ability, any target within several hundred steps of him fell within his range of attack.
"As expected of the Hundred Needles Bloodline! When it comes to precision, the Hundred Needles Bloodline is enough to rank in the top five across the entire Saint Brilliance Continent. Sir Zhen Jin, you are the hope of the Hundred Needles Family; you will surely bring glory back to the entire family."
Amidst his deep thoughts, Zhen Jin heard a familiar voice.
He turned around and, unsurprisingly, saw Cang Xu.
Cang Xu walked over slowly. Seeing the various throwing weapons embedded in the dozen or so wooden stakes, respect surfaced on his face.
Zhen Jin, however, shook his head slightly.
He had come over to practice early in the morning not only to confirm that this was a memory, but also in the greatest hope of using this opportune moment to trigger related memories and comprehend how to rouse Battle Qi.
Yet regrettably, he had not succeeded.
In fact, prior to this, he had also inquired of his subordinates regarding their Battle Qi Formulas and secretly attempted to circulate them.
No matter how hard he tried, however, this island prohibited all low-tier magic and Battle Qi, leaving him entirely unable to sense anything or stimulate the Battle Qi originally dormant within his body.
These vexations were things he would not pour out to Cang Xu.
"Tell me, how is the current situation?" Zhen Jin stood his ground, watching Cang Xu approach, and asked while regulating his breathing.
Cang Xu had clearly come to report the situation to him.
"Reporting to milord, not a single person has died." Cang Xu's very first sentence allowed Zhen Jin to let out a breath of relief.
Cang Xu continued, "We are truly fortunate to have an apothecary like Lady Zi Di! These potions have benefited almost everyone. By now, well over half the people have taken the potion. These individuals are all very weak; some have fallen into comas, others are burning up all over, and a heavy illness is unavoidable for them."
The potions had been crafted, and their quantity was sufficient.
Yet for the sake of safety and caution, under Cang Xu's arrangements, the exploration team members had taken the potions in staggered batches.
To this day, a portion of the people had still not taken the potion.
Zhen Jin nodded slightly, asking the crucial question: "Then, to what degree have the physical constitutions of the first batch of people to take the potion declined?"
Cang Xu shook his head slightly: "The situation is still developing, but judging from the current results, these people are all extremely weak, and the degree of decline in their strength varies from person to person. For some it is quite slight, while for others it is rather severe. Overall, the situation can still be considered favorable. At the very least, there are no disabled or crippled individuals produced."
Saying this, Cang Xu's expression darkened slightly: "Milord, I believe the danger of magic erosion has been basically resolved, and the threat to our entire team is no longer significant. However, another difficult problem lies before us."
"Food?" A flash of understanding crossed Zhen Jin's eyes.
"Milord is perceptive." Cang Xu bowed slightly, unable to conceal his sorrowful expression. "Our food is truly running low."
Zhen Jin nodded slightly. He had paid attention to the matter of supplies long ago and was not surprised.
Initially, Cang Xu's proposal to slaughter a large number of wild sheep was precisely to acquire mutton.
Whether it was the exploration team or the large group of people remaining behind at the beachside, the demand for food was immense.
The exploration team had originally carried plentiful food, but they had spent a very long time leaving the beach and entering the jungle. Most of the food had already been consumed.
The food originally on Zhen Jin and Zi Di was indeed ample, but that abundance was only meant for two people. Now that the headcount had surged and it was distributed among them, everyone's food immediately appeared scarce.
Unless Zhen Jin decided to abandon this group of people, making the preservation of food his priority.
"Specifically, how much longer can we hold out?" Zhen Jin went on to ask.
The scholar immediately gave his reply: "After a rough calculation, we can sustain ourselves for fifteen days."
Half a month's time.
Zhen Jin nodded, feeling satisfied in his heart with Cang Xu's report.
This is the role of a staff advisor.
Cang Xu is a qualified staff advisor.
He is able to discover problems in advance and offer reminders. Many matters appear extremely minor and trivial, and as a leader, it is difficult to attend to everything. At times like this, someone is needed to check for omissions and fill the gaps.
Fifteen days may seem long, but in reality, we are already on the danger line.
A sense of urgency rose within Zhen Jin's heart.
Having experienced adventures on this island for many days, he deeply understood just how difficult it was to acquire food on this island!
Cang Xu must also have had profound feelings on the matter.
After joining the exploration team, he too had endured numerous hardships and perils, never once harvesting food on a massive scale. The only opportunity had been hunting the sheep flock. As a result, the mutton had major issues, nearly causing the entire exploration team to perish.
"Do you have any good methods?" Zhen Jin thought for a moment and asked Cang Xu again.
Cang Xu mused, "This subordinate is ashamed and powerless regarding this matter. But perhaps Lady Zi Di has some way?"
Hearing this, Zhen Jin's heart stirred immediately, and he cast a deep glance at Cang Xu.
A train of thought surged within the youth's mind.
Cang Xu's words point to something else; could he have figured something out?
And yet... a grassroots secret is actually very difficult to keep hidden. It might fool others, but Cang Xu maintained his attention throughout the entire process. With his extensive knowledge, it is actually quite normal for him to see through this secret.
After Zi Di discovered that the wild sheep were also victims and that the true source was the seemingly ordinary grass, she had charged Zhen Jin with keeping it confidential.
Zhen Jin's thoughts whirled ceaselessly: Following this fact, to solve the food problem, there is a simplest method. That is to have Zi Di concoct more potions and force-feed them to the wild sheep. Once the wild sheep spit out the chaotic magic, wouldn't the mutton become edible?
Cang Xu's suggestion just now seemed to point precisely toward this method, but he did not state it outright.
After all, this unique grass root contained rich ice-type magic; this was top-tier resource, a secret that any faction would need to carefully conceal.
Old man Cang Xu is most likely playing dumb while knowing the truth. Truly worthy of someone who has served nobility for most of his life.
Pondering along these lines, Zhen Jin could not help but appreciate Cang Xu even more.
The point that made Zhen Jin praise Cang Xu the most was that this old gentleman knew very well how to rein in his cleverness, preventing his wisdom from offending others. He offered his suggestions appropriately and with a great sense of measure, avoiding easily arousing the aversion of others.
At the same time, however, he still adhered to his own principles.
Cang Xu knew that food was simply too important to the exploration team. At present, the team had abundant water, and there was also a rare replenishment point nearby.
Food was the key.
Once food grew scarce, the energy ingested by the human body would decrease, physical strength would continuously slide, combat power would also drop, and the ability to counter external crises would diminish accordingly.
Without improvement, this vicious cycle would drag the entire team into the abyss of destruction.
In fact, everyone had a clear idea regarding food reserves; once the reserves reached the danger line, the exploration team members would naturally generate psychological pressure.
This psychological pressure would grow increasingly heavy, and it was very likely that without any ferocious beasts attacking, the members would engage in infighting and contention just to vie for the meager remaining food, causing the team to collapse and disintegrate in the process.
Previously, Zhen Jin and Zi Di were only two people, so they could easily satisfy their food requirements. Now that there were more personnel, although many aspects had become more convenient, it had also brought a great deal of pressure and trouble.
Cang Xu feared that Zhen Jin would grow careless in this regard, and since food was of paramount importance, he pointed this problem out.
Standing from his perspective, maintaining the existence of the entire team also meant maintaining his own personal safety and survival.
Cang Xu was a scholar who did not practice Battle Qi; to increase his own survival probability, he could only attach himself to others. At the same time, the more people there were in the team, the greater his value in management and scholarship would be amplified.
Cang Xu understood the dao of self-survival very well.
Such a talent, I truly wish to employ him for my own use. Zhen Jin sighed inwardly.
Although Cang Xu was merely a mortal, he possessed profound knowledge, understood a sense of measure quite well, and possessed no small degree of wisdom.
Serving as a butler to a nobleman, he is not suited. He is not an extraordinary being at all, and he cannot hold down the stage.
But as an advisor, he is fully qualified, even excellent.
Cang Xu left the family he had served for many years because he wanted to write a book. This is a scholar's ambition, which can be understood. For ordinary people, remaining by their original noble's side is certainly the best choice. Why risk one's life firsthand merely for the sake of a manuscript?
Thinking up to this point, Zhen Jin could not help but feel his heart stir.
Prior to this, my original intention was to exploit Cang Xu's ambition and slowly recruit him.
Yet thinking about it now, the predicament before us might just be a prime opportunity for recruitment?
Zhen Jin shifted his perspective to ponder, his eyes gradually brightening.
He had previously wanted to plot slowly, but upon arriving in White Sand City in the future, he would not be the only Temple Knight. There were at least two others who were competitors for the position of City Lord.
Therefore, the best opportunity was actually not in the future, but right now.
On this perilous, bizarre island, Cang Xu had to attach himself to others in order to survive.
So this island is actually my opportunity. For the first time ever, Zhen Jin perceived the cuteness of the island.
Before you continue