Ita Era

Chapter 119 Nightfall
At 11:00 AM, lunchtime, everyone headed to the dining hall outside the ancestral hall. A minor incident occurred outside the dining hall: Wu Si pushed Wu San, causing Wu San to fall. Enraged, Wu San fought with Wu Si and was subdued by four guards. The steward inquired about the incident, and they had no objections. The steward punished them by making them dig sweet potatoes in the farmland next to the Wang residence. Wu Si challenged him first, demanding to dig 50 jin (25 catties), while Wu San demanded 30 jin (15 catties). They were not allowed to enter the Wang residence until they finished their work.

After the order was given, the two were not even allowed to eat lunch, and the guards escorted them away.

A sign stood to one side that read: "For every 50 grams of food wasted, 5 kilograms of sweet potatoes must be dug up as compensation."

Lunch was a simple meal of rice and side dishes, served by four chefs who simply lined up with plates and walked around the restaurant. The rice was on the side, and you could get as much as you wanted. In addition, there was a tub of seaweed soup.

The menu is quite extensive, with over twenty different dishes, but only three types of meat are available: chicken, beef, and pork.

Ding Shi examined the dishes, discerning the ingredients, and ordered three vegetarian dishes: boiled bok choy, pan-fried tofu, and stir-fried mushrooms. Many players, like Ding Shi, were very cautious, but an information gap existed. Most were focused on how others were ordering their food.

The villain Ding added fuel to the fire, asking the chef, "This quick-cooked white dish isn't considered a green vegetable, is it?"

A person with a keen eye glanced at Ding Shi's plate and then at the green vegetables in their own plate, and immediately felt uneasy.

There were so many people with ulterior motives that most players were filled with anxiety, unsure of what to eat. Seeing some players only take garlic and tofu made them even more suspicious. Those who had already prepared meat and vegetables were particularly worried; eating them might cause problems, but not eating them meant they'd have to dig for sweet potatoes.

At this point, someone had a wicked idea: they threw the chicken leg from their bowl into someone else's. Learning from the experiences of Wu San and Wu Si, the victim didn't retaliate but instead reported it to the guard standing nearby. The guard considered the chicken leg a waste.

Amidst the quiet sounds of eating, a young woman was the first to encounter trouble. She was covered in cold sweat, and the intense pain from her stomach spasms prevented her from calling for help. She grabbed the clothes of a passing guard and managed to say, "Help me."

The guard glanced at it and asked, "Aren't you going to eat any of this food?" He estimated there were still 400 grams of food left, all of it meat.

Someone shouted, "I have a rash!"

"Me too."

"The food was poisoned, and I feel an electric shock-like stinging sensation when I touch things with my left hand."

"Help."

The restaurant instantly descended into chaos. The guards were very accommodating; they said, "You don't have to eat. We'll take you to see a doctor, but any food you don't finish will be considered a waste."

Thus, a few ruthless individuals emerged. Enduring the itching of the rash, the spasming pain, and the electric shocks to their fingers, they devoured the remaining food, bite by bite, before being escorted by guards to the imperial physician. Everyone knew that the doctors and hospitals in this instance were practically superhuman; as long as one was still breathing by the time they reached the imperial physician, their life was considered saved.

Many people still wasted their time. The farce lasted less than ten minutes before the restaurant fell silent, leaving only ten diners, including Ding Shi, Zi Qing, and Niu Lang.

Ziqing picked up her plate and walked towards Dingshi. Dingshi hurriedly picked up his plate and sat down opposite Niulang. Seeing that Ziqing was about to come over, Dingshi could only stand up again, eating as he walked, his main strategy being to ignore her and avoid contact. Some things are like math; if you don't know them, you just don't know them.

When Ding Shi interacted with female players like Chu Yu and Su Su, there was virtually no courtesy or compromise. This violated the principle of a gigolo living off a woman. Of course, one could also force oneself to live off a woman, but Ding Shi was clearly far from reaching that level, considering he even managed to swallow hardship halfway through. Therefore, Ding Shi chose the dumbest method: escape.

……

After taking a nap, Ding Shi went out of the Wang residence to watch the sweet potato harvest. The scene of more than 30 people working together in the fields was not as impressive as that of excavators, but it was still worth watching.

Overall, this is a replica of a rural tourism experience, where people go to the countryside to eat and drink and enjoy the joy of labor. As the sun sets, the sunlight loses its warmth, and a chill can be felt all over.

At six o'clock in the afternoon, the servants of the Wang residence lit lanterns, and dozens of people ate together in a lively and warm atmosphere. The only regret was that they could only eat vegetarian dishes.

Many things happened that day: two players died, one player caught the woman who poisoned the pork, and one player dug up a mysterious jade tablet in the sweet potato field.

After dinner, everyone returned to their respective courtyards. Looking up, they could not see the sky in any of the four corners; all they could see was pitch black.

The woman in the cheongsam clapped her hands at the entrance of the main room: "Would you all like to have a cup of tea? Water is fine too."

The five players sitting at their doorsteps didn't refuse; all of them except Ding Shi went towards the main room. Ding Shi wasn't refusing to go either, but he was tying his shoelaces.

The woman in the cheongsam urged, "Handsome, we've been waiting for you."

Before Ding Shi could reply, the door to Er Si, who was sitting opposite Ding Shi, suddenly opened. Er Si, who had come back from the dead, walked out of the door. His face was ashen, his eyes were dark, and he had foundation on his face. He stared at the courtyard without blinking, then mechanically turned around and walked step by step toward the main room.

Everyone gasped, and the woman in the cheongsam turned pale. She ordered, "Zhu Da, go and call the butler."

"Yes." Zhu Da ran off in a flash.

Amidst everyone's unease, the butler hurriedly arrived at the bamboo garden with Zhu Da, carrying a lantern: "Young masters and ladies, what has happened?"

The butler seemed like a normal person. The woman in the cheongsam pointed to the seated Ersi and said, "Butler, what do you think?"

The butler suddenly realized and explained, "The second young master did fall ill this morning, but he has been cured by the family physician. He just can't speak now."

The woman in the cheongsam said, "Butler, he's dead. He died this morning, poisoned."

The butler replied, "Yes, he was poisoned, but he did not die."

The players looked at each other. Indeed, none of them had confirmed whether Er Si was dead, but judging from Er Si's ghostly appearance, he was clearly not human.

The butler looked around, and everyone asked, "Do the young masters and ladies have anything else?"

Ziqing asked, "Butler, can you get him away?"

The butler apologized, "I'm afraid that won't work. Has the Second Young Master offended everyone? Please rest assured, the Second Young Master is kind-hearted and would not harm anyone."

Ding Shi squinted, catching a glimpse of something: How could the Second Young Master be so kind-hearted? And why was the butler spouting nonsense? In the world of Ita, there are no unfounded cognitive impairments? In other words, the butler is a person, a normal person, so why would he say such abnormal things?

There are two possibilities. The first possibility is that the housekeeper wants to harm everyone and strongly denies that people number two and four are dead.

The second possibility is that the steward wanted to save everyone, and he subtly indicated that the second and fourth ones were harmless to everyone.

Seeing that no one spoke, the steward said, "I have many things to attend to, so I'll take my leave first. If you need anything, just tell Zhu Da and Zhu Er." With that, he picked up the lantern and left.

The courtyard gate closed, and everyone looked at Er Si, who was sitting upright in the main room. Er Si was completely unaffected by the gazes of others, sitting properly and looking straight ahead.

Ziqing turned her gaze to the three men: Ding Shi, Niulang, and Twenty Dockworkers. As women, she, along with the woman in the cheongsam and the woman who landed on the moon, had a natural fear of such things.

The dockworker had already stealthily approached Er Si from behind. Suddenly, he strode forward, pulled down Er Si's coat, and saw a yellow talisman stuck to the back of Er Si's neck. With lightning speed, the dockworker tore off the talisman, and Er Si collapsed to the ground, motionless.

Niulang and Ding Shi simultaneously shouted, "What are you doing?" They acted rashly without understanding the situation.

The dockworker held up a yellow talisman and showed it to everyone: "Playing tricks."

The woman in the cheongsam said, "I remember that Old Master Wang's father was a Taoist priest. He must have some skills, being able to control corpses. But why is the butler lying through his teeth?" No one answered. The woman in the cheongsam said, "Zhu Da, go find the butler."

"Wait," Ding Shi said. "Give me the yellow talisman, and I'll deal with the body."

The woman in the cheongsam said, "I disagree."

Ding Shi said, "Alright, here's the yellow talisman. You can deal with the corpse."

The woman in the cheongsam asked, "How do you intend to handle this?"

Ding Shi said, "Put it in my room."

The woman in the cheongsam asked, "You think a corpse is a treasure?"

Ding Shi said, "It's not exactly a treasure, but it shouldn't be harmful."

The woman in the cheongsam looked at Ding Shi for a moment, then said, "No, Zhu Da, go find the steward." She also suspected that the corpse could protect the people of Zhuyuan, but she couldn't keep it in her room. Ding Shi's gamble on whether the corpse could protect people would bring her no benefit. If the corpse could protect people, it would be protecting Ding Shi, not her. If the corpse couldn't protect people, it might even kill them; if Ding Shi died, she would also be in danger.

For this reason, she preferred to have Ding Shi stand on the same side as herself.

Ding Shi wanted to stop Zhu Da, but Zhu Da obeyed the wife's instructions and disappeared in a flash.

While waiting, Niulang approached Ding Shi and whispered, "You also think the corpse was arranged to protect us."

Ding Shi nodded: "I looked at his hands. There were no sharp nails, and he didn't seem to have any fangs. Even with the blessing of the yellow talisman, such a corpse would have limited combat power and would be clumsy. He is no match for us."

The Cowherd asked, "If that's the case, how can the corpses protect us? Why don't we protect ourselves?"

Ding Shi said, "I also have such doubts, but metaphysics is something that one thing can subdue another, and I can't figure it out either. But since it's harmless, I'm willing to accept it."

The Cowherd agreed: "Other instances will provide some explanation of the demons' strength. There are clearly mysterious forces within the Wang residence that we have no idea about. It wouldn't be a good idea to rashly dispose of corpses that pose little threat to us. Are you going out tonight?"

Ding Shi looked at the Cowherd and asked, "Are you going out?"

The male escort nodded: "I have an appointment with someone, at two in the morning."

Ding Shi nodded: "I also made an appointment, at one o'clock in the morning."

A dockworker in the main room asked, "What are you all whispering about?"

Ding Shi ignored him and called out, "Zhu Er."

Zhu Erxiao ran to Ding Shi's side, and Ding Shi whispered in his ear, "Can you get me some cinnabar, a brush, and yellow paper?" He then slipped a five-dollar bill into Zhu Erxiao's hand.

Ding Shi saw Zhu Er's eyes light up, he nodded, and jogged away from the bamboo courtyard.

The Cowherd, who was right there, heard it clearly and asked, "Can you draw talismans?"

Ding Shi said, "Let's give it a try."

Zhu Er returned first, and gave a basket to Ding Shi. Ding Shi opened the flowered cloth covering the basket, glanced at it, gave Zhu Er five more knives, and then went back to his room, lit an oil lamp, and closed the door.

The woman in the cheongsam immediately called Zhu Er to her side and asked, "What did Young Master Nineteen ask you to get?"

Zhu Er replied, "Basket."

The woman in the cheongsam knew that Zhu Er was lying. Fortunately, she was a player and not the real wife, so she didn't slap him or order someone to drag him away to beat him. She held back for a moment, then took out a knife: "Speak."

Zhu Er glanced at it and refused, saying, "It really is a basket."

The woman in the cheongsam asked, "How much did he give you?"

Zhu Er denied it: "He didn't give me anything."

Before the woman in the cheongsam could speak further, the butler arrived with two guards. This time, he didn't waste any words and even brought a stretcher, instructing the guards to carry the body away. Before leaving, the butler cupped his hands and said, "It's late and windy; please close the doors." As he spoke, a gust of wind blew in through the main gate, causing the hanging lanterns to sway.

The woman who landed on the moon held Ziqing's hand: "Can I sleep with you tonight?"

Ziqing said, "The housekeeper said we should stay in our own rooms after eleven o'clock."

For a moment, the bamboo garden was quiet. Then everyone heard the sound of tiles being touched. They all looked up and saw only darkness. It was only nine o'clock at night.

The Cowherd turned and went back into the house, closing the door behind him. He checked the doors and windows, making sure they were all bolted.

……

At 10:55 p.m., the woman who went to the moon left Ziqing's room and reluctantly returned to her own room. Zhu Da and Zhu Er also returned to their own rooms. The guards who were patrolling and the servants who were working all hurriedly returned to their rooms.

Just then, Ding Shi pushed open the door, exchanged a glance with Zi Qing across the room, and turned to slip away. Although it was advised to stay in one's room after eleven o'clock, he knew he would eventually have to leave for the inner ancestral hall, so he decided to slip away first to gain the upper hand. Walking down the corridor and through the archway, Ding Shi first confirmed one thing: the inner courtyard door was closed, secured with a thick wooden stick. There was no one on duty, so opening it from the inside wouldn't be difficult.

Afterwards, Ding Shi went to the ancestral hall. Although it was not time to enter the inner ancestral hall, he believed that the outer ancestral hall was safe.

Reason: The steward forbids anyone from entering the inner ancestral hall without permission. Why is this forbidden? How is it prevented? It's definitely done manually. Today, while eating at the outer ancestral hall, we could see four guards at the entrance to the inner ancestral hall.

If there is danger in the outer ancestral hall, that danger will also endanger the four guards. At that time, you can just move towards the guards and maybe you can sneak into the inner ancestral hall.

At 11:05, we arrived at the outer ancestral hall. Strangely enough, a cool breeze had been blowing all the way there, which was quite eerie, but once we entered the outer ancestral hall, there was no wind at all. Keep in mind that the main doors and windows of the outer ancestral hall were all open.

Four guards stood by the door of the inner ancestral hall, making no move when Ding Shi appeared. Ding Shi then sat down at a dining table.

At the same time, a knife slipped through the crack in the door into the cowherd's room. The knife slid down to the door bolt, and by turning the blade, the door bolt slowly moved to the left.

The Cowherd saw it clearly and immediately flicked the bolt back with his finger, then grabbed a broom to hold the bolt in place.

The knife disappeared, and a few minutes later it reappeared. He tried several times but couldn't pry open the bolt, so he gave up. Suddenly, the Cowherd remembered something and rushed to the window. At that moment, the window latch was pried open, and the window was pulled open from the outside. The Cowherd saw a soldier.

An ancient soldier, clad in leather armor and a leather hat, wielding a long spear, thrusts his spear at the Cowherd. The Cowherd dodges to close the window, but another spear thrusts from the side, striking him in the shoulder. He endures the pain, pulls the window back shut, and locks the latch.

(End of this chapter)