Chapter 409 - 408: Breaking with the Duke! (Part 2)

The blood from Yu Zhizhi’s palm dripped, drop by drop, across the blade of the sword, like a seared red mark.

Wild Dog watched her shoulders tremble slightly. He thought of the timid little rabbit she once was and realized the immense determination it must have taken for her to want to escape the Duke’s control forever.

To be free.

A breeze gradually picked up over the sea, and the thick white fog began to show signs of dissipating.

A flicker of hope sparked in Yu Zhizhi’s heart—

’Is the Duke leaving?’

She couldn’t help but gaze out at the distant sea. Through the swirling Cloud Mist, she saw the long, deep purple shadow and his face, half-shrouded by the fog.

The Duke’s golden, vertical pupils held an emotion she couldn’t decipher.

He saw the red of the little rabbit’s blood staining the blade. Every word, every syllable she had just spoken, echoed in his mind.

It was as if another step from him would make the little rabbit squeeze her eyes shut and lunge onto the longsword, her blood splashing everywhere.

This was the first time the Duke had seen her so "resolute." And it was all to...

...leave him.

The Duke recalled the times they had spent together. The sweet, docile female sitting in his lap, her eyes bright and cheeks flushed. Stroking her snow-white rabbit ears was addictive.

He thought of her every expression, every single moment they had shared.

’...Why can’t she stay by my side forever?’

She was going somewhere far away.

Somewhere he could not follow.

The Duke could still drag her back by force, but if that truly led to an irreversible outcome...

Every drop of blood that fell from her palm felt like a dagger piercing his heart.

A sharp pain lanced through the Duke’s heart. He slowly closed his eyes. "Before I regret this... take your dog, and get out."

Like a ship that had been trapped in the fog, the vessel could finally move forward again.

Yu Zhizhi stared blankly at the Duke, who was wreathed in the Cloud Mist. He was letting her go...

She slowly released her hands from the blade. Though her palms throbbed with pain, an uncontrollable wave of joy washed over her.

The ship sailed into the distance, gradually emerging from the mist.

Yu Zhizhi slowly rose to her feet, watching the misty expanse recede into the distance, along with the figure concealed within its ethereal depths.

She almost forgot the pain...

Eventually, the Cloud Mist on the sea became a distant haze.

The Little Octopus, which had been playing undersea, shot onto the deck with a SPLASH. It seemed to have no idea what had just happened, and the first thing it saw was that the young knight and the little rabbit were both hurt!

It widened its eyes. "What in the world happened?"

Yu Zhizhi knelt on the deck, bandaging her palm.

The other knights on the ship were only just now making their way to the deck. A short while ago, a strange drowsiness had overcome them, and they had been fast asleep for some time.

’Was it the effect of the misty area?’

"Captain! You’re injured—"

The knights gathered around.

Wild Dog leaned against the mast, his body breaking out in waves of cold sweat.

Yu Zhizhi could use spiritual power now, too. She used her Healing Skill on him, then had the knights carry him back to his room.

The Little Octopus noticed that her eyes were red, as if she had been crying for a long time.

It was completely bewildered.

’I was only playing in the sea for a little while! Did something happen? Were they attacked? Otherwise, why would that knight be so badly hurt?’

Yu Zhizhi looked down at her bandaged wound and murmured, "Just now... the Duke was here."

The Little Octopus abruptly looked around. "Where?"

"He must be gone by now."

"Did the Duke want to take you back with him?" the Little Octopus asked curiously.

Yu Zhizhi nodded lightly. "I refused."

She looked at the little red octopus. There was so much she wanted to say, but she didn’t know who to tell. Perhaps the Little Octopus was the only one who would listen.

"Even though we’ll be able to reach the territory safely now, I still feel a little sad."

"Why?"

"I don’t know."

’Maybe it was because I was facing an unknown future, feeling a little lost, a little scared, a little weary, and a little helpless.’

’Or maybe... it was simply because...’

’She was homesick.’

Yu Zhizhi sat on the deck as the sea breeze dried the tear tracks on her face. She wiped at them with the back of her hand and, as if wanting to hide from the world, she changed directly into her Beast Form and scurried under the mast.

The Little Octopus slowly drew near.

After a moment’s thought, it suddenly wrapped its tentacles around the little rabbit’s body. "Come on, I’ll take you up!"

Before Yu Zhizhi could react, the Little Octopus was already dragging her swiftly up the watchtower.

There was a small room at the top, where someone would normally be posted to watch the distant sea.

Yu Zhizhi shifted her body, hiding beneath the windowsill.

It gave her a strange sense of security.

White gauze was still wrapped around her rabbit paw, stained with a few spots of blood.

The Little Octopus squeezed in as well.

It could tell that Tutu was in a bad mood.

So it didn’t say anything else, wanting to let her get some proper rest.

’Maybe small animals like to hide away when they’re sad,’ it thought. ’This watchtower is the perfect spot.’

The rest of the voyage was smooth. They encountered no further dangers.

All four ships flew the flag of the Knight Alliance, so even pirates who might have had ideas would instinctively steer clear.

Yu Zhizhi tended to Wild Dog’s injuries every day.

He remained unconscious for over half a month before gradually waking up. During that time, Yu Zhizhi tried to use her Healing on the scars on his face, but found it had little to no effect.

’This might just take time.’

「After more than twenty days at sea, they finally reached their destination.」

It was a small island, surrounded on all sides by the sea.

In the nearby waters, dangerous whirlpools formed a natural defense for the territory.

The four ships gradually came to a stop.

Firelight finally flickered on the dark and desolate island.

Yu Zhizhi carried an oil lamp, following behind Wild Dog. In addition to the knights, the twenty guards gifted to her by Spider also followed dutifully behind her.

The Little Octopus looked around as it moved. This place seemed to be a deserted island, covered in withered trees, and the cawing of Crows was a constant sound.

Yu Zhizhi had seen the island’s topographical map many times on her system page. She slowly found the only area she had "developed"—a small castle hidden deep in the woods.

It was something she had redeemed with points.

The white castle was the only place to stay in this desolate territory. Perhaps because it had been redeemed a long time ago, its facade was grimy and covered in dead vines.

"This is the place," Yu Zhizhi said softly.

Wild Dog looked up at the small castle, then turned to the men behind him. "Get it cleaned up."

"Yes, sir!"

The squad of knights immediately entered the castle and began cleaning.

Many of them used Spirit Magic, which made the cleaning go remarkably fast.

Meanwhile, the remaining members of the Knight Alliance began setting up tents nearby.

"Ms. Zhi Zhi, tomorrow we’ll build a few more houses. That way, no matter how many guards we recruit, they’ll all have a place to stay."

On the Beast World Planet, the existence of architectural-type talent meant many houses were made into cards using Spirit Art and then sold.

It was simple and convenient.