Section 30: My Leadership Style

Almost the entire exploration team was poisoned, except for Bai Ya.

Faced with Huang Zao's furious accusations, Bai Ya looked utterly panicked. He kept shaking his head, taking steps backward until he stumbled and fell to the ground.

"It wasn't me, it really wasn't me," Bai Ya cried out, vehemently denying it.

Huang Zao approached him step by step, but suddenly collapsed midway.

His complexion was ashen, and his expression twisted with pain, like a person who had fallen into an ice cellar, soaking in bone-chilling water for a long time, only to be pulled out at the brink of death.

"Why weren't you poisoned?" Huang Zao lay on the ground, still stubbornly glaring at Bai Ya, squeezing words through his teeth.

Lan Zao, on the other side, suddenly exclaimed, "Ah! Could it be the Island Master who acted, not just poisoning us all but leaving one person alive to go out and report back? Just like a pirate, who after plundering a ship intentionally lets some go to spread their infamy."

Huang Zao, still retaining some consciousness, was perplexed by this remark: "Who? Is there really an owner on this island?"

Previously, Zhenjin and others had discussed their findings in the tent but kept them from everyone else, even Huang Zao.

Because these discussions were mostly speculations without direct evidence.

Revealing them would greatly damage the morale of the entire team, causing worry, and anxiety, and possibly leading to emotional breakdowns.

Both Huang Zao and Lan Zao lay on the ground, with only Zhenjin barely able to stand, supporting himself upright. Even so, the young man felt his body growing increasingly cold, as if he were falling into an ice cave.

Lan Zao, struggling to stand, failed several attempts. His gaze suddenly froze on Bai Ya, and he exclaimed, "I remember now; he didn't eat any mutton, not a single bite. The mutton is poisoned!"

"The mutton's poison?" Zi Di was momentarily stunned by this.

Before consuming the mutton, she had clearly verified it was non-toxic.

"Does it have to do with the amount? Could it be that eating too much caused the poisoning?" Zhenjin inquired with a frown.

Zi Di shook her head with a bitter smile: "Such a simple possibility, I had already tested. But there could exist some toxin I didn't detect... Bai Ya, did you really not eat a single bite of mutton?"

Bai Ya nodded, stammering, "Y-yes, my lord. I don't like mutton; I've been eating dry rations these days."

Bai Ya's behavior continually reduced the suspicion on him, and Zhenjin turned his gaze to Zi Di.

If Bai Ya had malicious intentions, now would be the perfect time to act.

Zhenjin at this moment also had little strength to resist.

Looking from another perspective, even if Bai Ya had malicious intentions, choosing to poison at this time seemed foolish. In this wilderness, having companions increased one's chances of survival. The risk of escaping alone was too high.

Zi Di had already fallen to the ground, her eyes flickering with thought: "Lord Zhenjin, please come over and use my Dagger to cut a wound on my arm, okay?"

Zhenjin nodded, barely moved, and came to Zi Di's side, drawing the Dagger from her calf.

The Dagger's sharp blade made a light cut on Zi Di's tender arm, creating a fine, long wound.

From the wound, Zi Di's flesh appeared ashen gray.

Blood, which should have flowed out freely, now trickled only slightly, and the blood was abnormally cold, with a strange grayish tint mixed with the red.

Zhenjin immediately thought of zombies, feeling a chill emanating from the wound, whispering, "Is it really the Cold Poison?"

Zi Di frowned deeply.

The scene before her resembled Cold Poison but also didn't entirely fit.

Vaguely, Zi Di thought of something but couldn't fully grasp the fleeting insight in her mind.

"I don't have much time left!"

Zi Di clearly felt her body growing stiffer, colder.

Soon, her heart would freeze and completely stop beating.

Zi Di knew she had to make a decision quickly!

"My lord, red... white mushroom cap..." Zi Di pointed her stiff fingers to the small leather pouch at her waist.

Zhenjin immediately opened the pouch, revealing neat rows of small potion bottles inside.

Three bottles matched Zi Di's description.

After quickly identifying them, Zhenjin found all three to be the same.

He knew Zi Di had a good habit—she always used differently sized bottles, stoppers, and labels to distinguish each type of potion.

Prying open the white mushroom-like cap, Zhenjin brought the small glass bottle to Zi Di's lips.

Zi Di barely parted her lips, and Zhenjin began pouring the thick red potion from the bottle.

Moments after drinking a small sip, Zi Di's eyes rolled back, and she completely lost consciousness.

"..."

This sudden change left the conscious ones at the scene dumbfounded.

Zhenjin's heart instantly sank.

The only Pharmacist had fainted; what were they to do now?

"Take off... sheepskin... go back, go back..." At this moment, came the hoarse, weak voice of Cang Xu.

After uttering this sentence with all his might, he fell unconscious again.

Huang Zao and Lan Zao had great faith in Cang Xu's words. Huang Zao could no longer move, but Lan Zao, still retaining some mobility, immediately began to strip off his sheepskin coat.

Moments after shedding the coat, Lan Zao felt a noticeable difference.

"It works! I feel warm again," Lan Zao exclaimed lowly.

Oddly enough, the sheepskin coats, which were essential for warmth near the Snow Peak, once removed, brought warmth back to their frozen bodies.

What was happening?

Zhenjin had no time to ponder.

Although he didn't understand, he immediately ordered Bai Ya and started to remove the sheepskin coats from the fallen members of the exploration team.

After the coats were removed, most of those who had not yet fainted regained the strength to stand!

Zi Di and Cang Xu, however, remained unconscious, their eyes shut tight.

"Carry them. We are returning immediately!" Zhenjin decided firmly, without hesitation.

The conscious ones understood the urgency, dragging the unconscious members back along the original route with all their might.

Cang Xu, Zi Di, Huang Zao, and others were carried on the backs of White Bone Goats.

The captured goat herd, mainly used for these purposes, had suffered heavy casualties, leaving only the four strongest Bronze Level lead goats, while all the young lambs had perished.

As they neared their return, everyone felt increasingly better, their strength gradually returning.

Although the air temperature dropped lower, their bodies and limbs no longer felt stiff but instead regained warmth.

When they finally reached the place where they had previously hunted the goats, many had recovered completely.

Zi Di and Cang Xu also woke up.

Zi Di unwrapped the bandage on her arm and examined the recently cut wound. She found the once ashen wound had returned to a healthy flesh color, with blood flowing naturally, no longer zombie-like and terrifying.

It seemed as if everything that had happened was just a nightmare.

Yet, the two corpses remained, a cruel reminder of what had transpired.

Yes.

The exploration team had lost two members.

These two fell into unconsciousness and never woke up during the return, finally losing all signs of life when they reached the original location.

"I understand now, I understand why there are so many goats here. Because they are deadly poisonous; whoever eats them pays with their life!" Huang Zao's face showed a terrified expression.

"It's a Curse, the Devil's Curse!"

"We can only stay here; if we move too far away, we will be poisoned again and die!"

The team members all talked at once, their faces full of fear as they looked at the sheep grazing in the distance.

The exploration team's morale had plummeted drastically.

"Silence! Calm down." It was then that Zhenjin stepped forward, looking around, and commanded in a low voice.

Over the past days, he had built enough authority in the team that his order made everyone obediently quiet, with no more conversations.

Zhenjin knew that just forcefully suppressing would not work; he needed to alleviate their fear.

So, he continued, "While I am here, why panic?"

"The situation isn't beyond repair; remember, we still have Miss Zi Di. She is not only a Mage but also an extraordinary Pharmacist."

Zi Di collapsing instantly after drinking the potion seemingly slipped Zhenjin's mind.

However, many who had seen the scene spread the news during the return.

Could she really manage it?

Zhenjin understood the doubt in everyone's heart, smiling confidently: "We didn't know the cause of the poisoning before, so mistakes were understandable. Using potions always requires the right antidote for the specific poison. Now that we know the source, it's a completely different story! Do you think mere goats can bind our hands and feet? Everyone, I am leading you off this island. Giving up now is too early."

The team's confused and fearful expressions began to change.

Zhenjin, with his golden hair, fair skin, high nose bridge, and star-like eyes, was strikingly handsome.

He was the sole heir of the Hundred Needle Family, a Holy Temple Knight, and a contender for the Lord of White Sand City.

Despite wearing broken chainmail, bearing a makeshift long spear, and a crude long sword, these adversities only highlighted his resilience and unyielding spirit.

He was like the Sunrise at dawn, not blinding but giving hope.

He resembled the flag waving atop a white castle under the blue sky; just seeing such a flag was irresistibly inspiring.

Zi Di and Cang Xu stared at Zhenjin, entranced and speechless.

"My lord, with you here, there's nothing to fear! You are a Knight, a Holy Temple Knight! You saved us this time," Bai Ya exclaimed, breaking the silence.

"Master, my brother and I will follow you to death, no matter when or where, regardless of any disaster," Lan Zao proclaimed his loyalty.

The crowd gradually became animated.

"Lord Zhenjin is absolutely right."

"Following Lord Zhenjin, we'll definitely escape here."

"Yes. I entrust my life to you, my lord!"