Chapter 12: Am I a Genius Among Geniuses

Zhen Jin did not know how long he had been unconscious when he slowly awoke. The melodious birdsong came to him, followed by a gentle breeze bringing the fresh fragrance of florae. Zhen Jin stared blankly for a moment but soon came to his senses.

The first thing he noticed was the disappearance of the sharp pain which had tortured him, only faint aches remained. He tried to raise his head and discovered the insufferable, terrible vertigo had vanished, too. Afterward, he realized his body was wrapped in bandages. Particularly his abdomen which had several layers of it and also had faint bloodstains.

Zhen Jin exerted his arms and propped up his upper body with great difficulty. He had almost no strength in his entire frame, as if he had been starving for a dozen days. Additionally, his mouth was parched and desperate for water.

When he managed to sit upright, he froze in shock. He looked at his arms and hands. Originally, his arm bones had been fractured and the flesh mangled to a pulp. But now, it had all healed almost completely. The only abnormality was the skin of his arms. They were red as if they had been sizzled.

Did Zi Di really succeed? Truly brilliant! Zhen Jin could not help but marvel. If it were magic or divine spells, it would not be too difficult. To achieve this with just potions showed just how great her abilities were.

Is this fiancée of mine a master pharmacist? Zhen Jin speculated. He looked around but did not see her anywhere. The youth quickly discovered he was not in the depths of the cave anymore. This was not where he had fought the bear to the death, rather, it was near the cave’s mouth. Here, the ore was sparse, the air was not burning hot, and one could hear the birds singing outside.

As he felt the occasional breeze and listened to the melodious birdsong, the ebb and flow of the tides in his heart stirred. His gaze fell on the cave mouth, where a red and blue wildflower bloomed tenaciously on the walls. Zhen Jin observed in silence. His eyes gradually reddened, on the brink of tears. 

After his entanglement in life and death for so long, he doubly cherished this scenery of the mundane. As this unremarkable wildflower’s small, tender petals swayed gently in the breeze, his body and soul surged with a pulsation.

This was the pulsation of life!

Still alive, I’m still alive! The joy of life was like the waters of the sea washing over the sands of the shore, ceaseless, and this joy made Zhen Jin unable to restrain his emotions.

After a long while, the surge of emotions slowly waned and he once again had new worries.

It was still dangerous here.

Zhen Jin had not forgotten that outside the cave lay the carcasses of the scaly, horned black leopards. Their fresh flesh and blood would attract many carnivores. After so many days, Zhen Jin had thoroughly felt the treacherousness of this island and knew it was impossible to overestimate its danger.

The youth tried to stand up but failed, sitting upright was his limit. His whole body had gone soft, especially his abdomen, which felt like it was missing a large portion, and there was not a mote of strength in his legs.

“You're awake!” said a familiar voice. Zi Di appeared at the cave mouth, frozen in place with a face full of disbelief. Zhen Jin nodded to her and faintly smiled. She confirmed she was not dreaming and her emotions stirred as she took steps forward rapidly, almost flinging herself into Zhen Jin’s arms, causing him to nearly fall backward.

He patted his fiancée’s shoulder and said with a hoarse voice, “I listened to you and never gave up.”

“Mm!” Zi Di nodded and released her tight hold on Zhen Jin, her unblinking violet eyes fixed on the youth.

Two pairs of eyes stared at each other.

Zi Di passionately said, “Lord Zhen Jin, you are a true Templar Knight!”

At that moment, the young knight felt all of the girl’s unconcealed admiration and love. Zhen Jin forced a smile, shook his head. “Not really, I am still unable to use my battle qi.”

Zi Di asserted, “My Lord, you will definitely recall your memories!”

Zhen Jin felt as if her confidence in him was greater than his confidence in himself.

“My Lord, while you were unconscious, I cleaned up the battlefield and processed both the leopard and bear carcasses. I made use of the bear’s blood to create a makeshift potion, I then sprinkled it around the cave mouth. 

“Now, the bear’s scent permeates the air which should ward off any other predators. It is safe here for now. In addition, I also explored the cave’s depths. There is only one path in the cave. My Lord, your decision was a wise one!”

Zhen Jin nodded again, and his worries subsided.

“My Lord, how are you feeling right now?” Zi Di once again began to examine Zhen Jin’s wounds.

“I am feeling great. It’s just that I have no strength,” Zhen Jin answered honestly and watched the busily working Zi Di, appreciating her even more. It seemed Zhen Jin risking his life to defend the girl had paid off generously. Without the girl’s assistance, he feared he would have already died.

Besides appreciation and gratitude, his heart rippled with another emotion. Zi Di and Zhen Jin had a close relationship as they were an engaged couple. He initially determined that both parties had ulterior and complex motives. However, regardless of the details, the comradery formed from life-and-death experiences that both of them went through was not fake.

“My Lord, your situation has stabilized. You are without strength simply because of a lack of rest. As long as you have enough food and water for a few days, you should be able to walk normally again,” Zi Di issued a serious diagnosis after her examination.

“This was all thanks to your potion,” Zhen Jin praised.

Zi Di, however, shook her head. “The situation was dire, and the conditions I had to make the potion were also too crude. To be honest, I didn’t know what would happen and could only try my best. I didn’t think it would have had such a miraculous result! Perhaps…” Zi Di wanted to say something but hesitated, her flickering purple eyes gazing at the youth with unconcealed curiosity.

Zhen Jin smiled. “What do you want to ask? You needn’t have reservations.”

Zi Di then said immediately, “My Lord, do you only have Silver cultivation and not Gold?”

Zhen Jin mused, “Why do you doubt this?”

“My Lord, perhaps my potion had such an effect. However, I feel the possibility of this is low. I believe it is more likely that you possess a powerful lifeforce. Those at Silver cultivation cannot possess this kind of life essence, only if you were Gold could it be possible. My Lord, in overcoming this hurdle, you actually relied more on your self-healing ability.”

“You believe my cultivation isn’t Silver but Gold?” Zhen Jin frowned slightly. His gaze involuntarily returned to his arm. It was now almost completely healed. The youth distinctly remembered how both of his arms had been severely maimed. His abdomen was originally severely wounded as well yet according to Zi Di’s observations, the wound had already disappeared and new pink skin and flesh had regrown.

In truth, such a degree of healing was only slightly lesser than regrowing severed limbs.

Is this truly the potion’s doing? Zhen Jin also understandably grew doubts. His heart suddenly skipped a beat. Is my talent so outstanding that I haven't Silver but Gold cultivation‽ Am I a genius among geniuses? In that case, why did I hide my talents? Was it because of a fear of someone nipping me in the bud, thus I bore it secretly till now? With his heart full of doubts, Zhen Jin contemplated deeply but reached no answers and could only shake his head and force a smile.

“Your guess might be true but I am unable to answer you with the few memories I’ve recovered.”

Zi Di then took out her water bag. Zhen Jin accepted it and drank small mouthfuls.

“My Lord, how do you feel after drinking?” There was concern and tension on the girl’s face as she asked.

Zhen Jin attentively savored it and mused, “I’m not in any pain. Everything feels normal.”

Zi Di heaved a sigh. “That’s good but I still need to observe you.”

Although his thirst was only quenched slightly, he knew it had to be like so because despite seeming like he had recovered from his wounds, the state of his internal injuries could not be observed by the naked eye. Magic and battle qi were out of the question and Zi Di was not a professional surgeon.

Zhen Jin then lay down again to rest and gradually relaxed.

After Zi Di had explored the ends of the cave, she concluded—the reason for the cave being incredibly deep was almost entirely thanks to the monkey bear. Its constant consumption of the mountain ores had gradually created the cave, and the extreme length of the cave was proof the monkey bear had spent a long time living here.

The monkey bear was a Silver beast and had established great authority in the surrounding regions, capable of intimidating predators, forming a domain of a certain extent with it as the center. Especially with its previous victory over the scaled leopard leap, there should not be any predators daring to offend it and come here. 

After all, these wild beasts did not know that Zhen Jin had killed the bear. For the time being, the surrounding environment was relatively safe and this cave could serve as a camp.

Zhen Jin awoke in the morning. At noon, he drank some more water. This time a bit more than last time. Finally, in the afternoon, he had the urge to urinate.

However, he was still weak and could not stand.

“My Lord, let me help you,” Zi Di said. She had been watching Zhen Jin closely and was good at reading body language. When she noticed the embarrassment expressed by the youth, she understood why.

Zhen Jin was forced to lie down on the floor and with Zi Di’s assistance, smoothly urinated.

“My Lord, I am your fiancée, there is no need to be embarrassed,” she said. Despite her words, her cheeks were flushed red with similar embarrassment.

Zi Di not only put on Zhen Jin’s pants but also carefully observed his urine. “My Lord, you seem to be recovering well so far. You can drink water at ease. However, you still need to be cautious when eating,“ Zi Di reported with joy a few moments later.

Zhen Jin nodded. He, too, felt a little joyful. The human digestive system and the urinary system were extremely important. He would rather lose both his arms than have digestive and urinary issues. Losing an arm was inconvenient but digestive and urinary failures would be life-threatening.

At nightfall, Zhen Jin finally began to eat. The crude rations and the word “delicious” could not be associated with each other but he was satisfied with eating them and even felt blissful.

In truth, the youth was so hungry he could eat several horses but he restrained himself. Following how he drank water, he only ate a little the first time.

Upon awakening the next day, he regained some strength and could stand up on his own. However, he was still unable to walk more than a few steps and his arms felt as if they were so thick and heavy he could not bear them.

The youth did not force himself. Wisdom and patience were virtues upheld by Templar Knights.

He ate some in the morning and some more at noon and finally, in the evening, he successfully excreted a large stool. Though Zi Di wanted to help, Zhen Jin insisted on doing it himself this time.

After Zi Di observed Zhen Jin’s excrement, she stared at him, her eyes glowing a burning light as she happily said, “My Lord, your body has recovered greatly, in fact, it is actually astounding. This kind of bodily essence is absolutely not Silver.”