Ita Era

Chapter 126 Killed
At 11 p.m. the following night, Ding Shi's room door was pried open, and paper-figure soldiers with swords and shields pushed the door open and entered, followed by two spearmen. They were greeted with a basin of water. Apart from that, the floor was covered in water.

Three soldiers immediately attacked Ding Shi, who retreated, using space to buy time. Within seconds, the three soldiers began to sway; their waterlogged legs could no longer support them, and they collapsed limply into the water.

Ding Shi went forward to touch the corpse, but there was no ghost. He picked up the body and saw that it was just a pile of rotten paper mixed with various pigments. An arrow shot from the opposite rooftop. Ding Shi quickly used the corpse as a shield, and the paper arrow pierced through the rotten paper and stabbed into Ding Shi's lower abdomen. Ding Shi looked down and saw that the arrowhead had not completely penetrated his abdomen, but it had still broken his skin.

Ding Shi was shocked; this paper arrow could actually deliver such power. He had made a protective shield out of a thick wooden board; without the rag of paper and the shield, the paper arrow might have pierced right through him.

The rain continued to fall drizzly, and Ding Shi remained by the door, refusing to go out. A twig snapped open, and the back window was pried open. A paper soldier opened the window, and Ding Shi sprayed water onto the soldier's face. The paint on the soldier's face peeled off, and he lost his sight first, wildly poking around with his spear. The window then closed.

Ding Shi bent down, filled the water gun, and a soldier rushed into the room with a Tang sword. Ding Shi threw down the water gun, grabbed the soldier's arm, and performed a back throw, slamming him onto the water-filled floor. He then kicked the soldier twice in the chest to make him fill the water gun as quickly as possible, and then took the Tang sword from him.

The Tang sword was also a paper sword; in Ding Shi's hand, it was simply a sturdier paper sword. But in the paper figure's hand, it became a sharp weapon.

Ding Shi raised his bed board shield and went outside. Archers on the opposite roof fired continuously, but the shield blocked all their shots. Once outside the courtyard, Ding Shi ran quickly, and several soldiers leaped from the rooftops, chasing after him.

The journey was quiet; Ding Shi didn't see any other players, or even any NPCs. The back gate was already locked, and the guards at the entrance had already taken refuge in their rooms.

Ding Shi pulled out the protective plate and threw it aside. He reached the southwest dog hole in the east courtyard, crawled in without hesitation, and quickly moved forward.

A gleaming woodcutter's axe came down, nearly striking Ding Shi's heel. The adopted son gripped the axe with both hands and caught up with Ding Shi. Ding Shi braced himself on his left leg and swept his right leg in a whip kick across the adopted son's cheek, sending him staggering back several steps.

Ding Shi steadied himself and lunged forward, dodging the soft, pliable wood-chopping knife. He lifted his adopted son up by the waist, his legs dangling in the air, and landed heavily on his backside. As his bottom hit the ground, the adopted son's head also slammed against the earth.

Ding Shi forced his unconscious adopted son to kneel on the ground, pressing his chest against a stone so that only his head was exposed. Then, he held his sword horizontally to his adopted son's neck and waited silently.

A moment later, two paper soldiers and Madam Wang arrived at the backyard.

Ding Shi tapped his adopted son's neck with the tip of his machete: "How much is this life worth?" Ding Shi guessed that Madam Wang probably didn't have many paper soldiers. When he discovered that quite a few paper soldiers were attacking him, Ding Shi went straight to the heart of the matter to settle accounts with Madam Wang.

As an NPC, Madam Wang was so beautiful that Ding Shi experienced for the first time the superiority of virtual beauties in terms of appearance and figure.

Madam Wang was also decisive: "I can give you a box of Yuan Shikai silver dollars."

Ding Shi: "Not enough."

Madam Wang: "This is all I have; the rest are with Master."

Ding Shi said, "I want to learn paper crafting." Ding Shi had retrieved the soldiers' corpses and knew that paper crafting and Five Thunder Talismans were similar in principle. They made a living by their craft and did not need primal force or true energy.

Madam Wang hesitated for only a second before saying, "Okay." Then she explained the paper-crafting technique in ten sentences.

The first step in paper crafting is to create paper figures using bamboo strips and stiff paper—anything that can form a human shape will suffice. It's similar to drawing; as long as you can create something that people can accept, that's enough. High-level skills aren't required. Of course, the more skillful the craft, the more powerful the paper figure will be.

Anyone with decent crafting skills can make paper figures. So making the paper figure isn't the key; the key is guiding the soul. To make the paper figure move and serve you, you need to guide the soul of the deceased into the paper figure.

Therefore, the core secret of paper crafting lies in the soul-guiding talisman.

First, the soul of the recently deceased is captured in a soul-guiding talisman, then the talisman is affixed to a paper effigy to release the soul. Since the soul has nowhere else to reside, it chooses the paper effigy as its dwelling place. The final step is to use fresh blood to dot the eyes of the paper effigy, at which point the effigy will come to life and obey the commands of the person performing the eye-dotting.

Lady Wang pulled a talisman from her sleeve and placed it on the ground, saying, "Please." She then led her paper-figure soldiers back.

Ding Shi grabbed his adopted son by the back of his collar and walked into the corridor, taking shelter from the rain. He pulled a tattered cloth from his pocket, glanced at the talisman, and knew he had no chance of learning it.

The Soul-Guiding Talisman is far more complex than the Five Thunder Talisman. The Five Thunder Talisman is based on the mutual generation and interdependence of the five elements, while the Soul-Guiding Talisman involves the art of Yin and Yang, and the calculation methods for the three souls and seven spirits, which are extremely complicated.

Ding Shi had a clear understanding of his own intelligence; at best, he was a little clever, and his superiority over most people stemmed from his high level of vigilance and analytical skills. In a small dungeon with double seals, he couldn't take the Soul-Guiding Talisman with him. To think he could learn how to use it in just over a day was undoubtedly a pipe dream.

Ding Shicheng honestly replied, "I can't learn it. Are there any skills that I can learn?"

Lady Wang pulled a flute from her sleeve: "I can teach you the Soul-Guiding Song."

"Haha, I really don't know how to do this." Having never read sheet music and being tone-deaf, I'm destined to be forever barred from music. Is learning a skill really that difficult? In fact, without a system boost, no skill is easy to learn.

Madam Wang said regretfully, "Then I have nothing to teach you."

Ding Shi asked, "How many souls do you have in your possession?"

Lady Wang replied, "Seven have been used, and fifteen are yet to be used." She has seven paper soldiers and also possesses a soul-summoning talisman that can create fifteen soldiers.

Ding Shi asked, "Can you release them all, and I will keep the good karma?"

Madam Wang took out a stack of soul-guiding talismans from another sleeve: "I can only give you the souls of these 15 people. If you want to release them, just burn the soul-guiding talismans."

"Deal." Ding Shi tilted his head to look inside her sleeve. How did she keep this? Doesn't she usually throw it out?
Ding Shi received the soul-summoning talisman, pulled his adopted son back to the dog hole, and then smelled a familiar scent: it was a zombie. The zombie was guarding him outside the dog hole.

Ding Shi took out a match and said to Madam Wang, "Don't come near, don't draw the bow. I'll leave after you burn it. Don't force me."

Madam Wang gracefully opened her palm, indicating: Please.

Ding Shi held a knife to his adopted son's neck with one hand, and nimbly pulled out a match with the other. He pressed the match head down to tighten the match, then slid it down and quickly pulled his finger back up to press the matchstick.

That's pretty cool. Ding Shi took a long time to learn it, but unfortunately, with a lighter around, playing with matches looks too deliberate.

Ding Shi handed the talisman he was holding in his left hand to his right hand, and lit the talisman with a match in his right hand. As the talisman burned, the sound of ghostly wailing could be faintly heard.

System notification: Yin Virtue increased by 50. This notification appeared 15 times consecutively. Ding Shi currently possesses 120 + 5015, a total of 870 Yin Virtue points. Ding Shi lay down, took a deep breath, held it, pressed his back against the ground, and crawled out through the dog hole.

As soon as his head emerged from the dog hole, Ding Shi saw two zombies, one white and one black, guarding the entrance. Ding Shi stood up, straightened his clothes, slapped the black zombie, and walked away unhurriedly.

Ha, zombies, so what if they're incredibly strong? So what if they're invulnerable to swords and spears? I'm someone who can stroll around freely in front of Zombie Lady.

After walking about ten meters, Ding Shi encountered five masked players who were wielding various weapons and heading towards him.

Ding Shi hurriedly stepped aside, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Hero, spare my life."

"Crazy." The leader cursed, then led his four brothers to continue running forward.

"Hero, there's something ahead..."

"Zombie, run!" The five bandit players immediately turned around and ran back in a chaotic manner from in front of Ding Shi.

A white and a black zombie leaped and chased after him. Ding Shi held his breath, but the zombies ignored him and continued their pursuit of the bandits.

Once the zombies and bandits were far away, Ding Shi leisurely headed home. He figured that since Madam Wang no longer possessed any souls, she wouldn't send the remaining paper soldiers to torment him. If she dared to send soldiers again, he would dare to crawl through the dog hole and storm the enemy's lair.

That night, Ding Shi dared not sleep too soundly. He made a dummy on his bed, wiped the floor with a spare pillow to make room for himself, and took a spare quilt to sleep under the bed.

Silent all night.

……

At seven o'clock on the morning of the third day, a rapid knocking on the door startled Ding Shi awake. Ding Shi rolled out from under the bed to open the door, and the person who came in was Zi Qing.

Ziqing said, "The bandits killed Madam Wang and reportedly stole a box of Yuan Shikai silver dollars, with each of them receiving eight hundred dollars."

Yuan Shikai silver dollars were an unofficial currency during the Republic of China era, but in some modern regions they are still considered an indispensable wedding currency. Only when a player holding a Yuan Shikai silver dollar dies or completes a game can it be converted into Ita coins. In other words, as long as you're still in the game, your Yuan Shikai silver dollars can be stolen.

There were 20 Yuan Shikai silver dollars per pack, and 20 packs per box, which equaled 400 dollars. Each dollar was worth 10 knives. If each person received 800 dollars, then five bandits were involved in the murder of Madam Wang.

According to the intelligence Ziqing gathered, there was a master among the bandits, a master even under double-sealing conditions. The bandits used a feint attack, allowing the master to sneak into the east courtyard and kill Madam Wang, who was controlling the paper figures, with a single, fatal blow.

From 11 p.m. to 5 a.m., except in special locations, the guards and servants stayed indoors. It wasn't until 5 a.m. that they learned of Madam Wang's murder.

Ding Shi and Zi Qing rushed to the East Courtyard. The road leading to the East Courtyard had been reopened, and the gate was wide open. Before them was Madam Wang's mourning hall. The adopted son, with his head wrapped in gauze, knelt alone in front of Madam Wang's coffin, burning paper money.

"Get out of the way, get out of the way."

Old Master Wang arrived, and surrounded by numerous guards, he pushed his way through the onlookers into the mourning hall. His adopted son, upon seeing Old Master Wang, lost control of his emotions and was forced aside by the guards. Then came the argument: Old Master Wang wanted to see Madam Wang one last time, which his adopted son refused, but could only roar helplessly.

The guards opened the coffin, and the adopted son pleaded with the players at the gate: "Don't let him touch the lady's body, or you're all doomed."

Immediately, one of the wives chimed in, "Nonsense! We are on the same side as the master. The master is the one who distributes the property."

"Who told you that the property is distributed by the master?" one player argued with the wife, disagreeing with her opinion.

A drawback arises when there are many players: the group won't react until one side gains the upper hand. Most people remain passive, watching the debate unfold, and will listen to whoever wins.

The coffin was pried open. Old Master Wang, his expression grief-stricken, reached his fingers into the coffin, touching here and there on Madam Wang's body, muttering incantations. Five minutes later, Old Master Wang took a step back, swaying as the butler supported him. He seemed too exhausted to speak, and waved his hand. The butler said, "Seal the coffin."

Despite the adopted son's roars and the players' arguments, Old Master Wang arrived and then left again. The guards who had been controlling the adopted son also released him, and the adopted son chased after him to the door, shouting, "Wang Yi, I'm going to expose your past!"

Old Master Wang stopped, turned his head and gave a disdainful smile, then continued walking forward.

The players all stopped the adopted son and asked him about his background.

Madam Wang's surname was Liu, and she was the youngest daughter of Mr. Wang's father, a Taoist master.

For many, the greatest pain of aging is not facing death, but simply growing old. As people age, their bodily functions decline across the board, causing pain and discomfort all over their bodies. Five years ago, Mr. Wang found Mrs. Wang in this very state. He knew that Mrs. Wang's father possessed a dark art: the Nine Revolutions Reincarnation Technique.

The backyard of the Wang residence was originally an Eight Trigrams Formation, but after modifications, it became a Reincarnation Formation. To use evil magic, one must first offer sacrifices to an evil god and make a deal with him. After several years of modifications, a year ago, Madam Wang married Old Master Wang. Madam Wang tricked people related to her by blood into coming to the Wang residence and working in the inner courtyard. By indirectly killing them, she satisfied the evil god's demands. Ultimately, Madam Wang, who was originally sixty years old, became twenty-five years old.

Seeing that the secret method was indeed effective, Old Master Wang Yi began to make arrangements. He had originally planned to take action half a year ago, but unexpectedly, he discovered the affair between Madam Wang and her adopted son, and learned of their conspiracy. They modified several parts of the formation, ensuring that Wang Yi would be killed by the backlash of the secret technique if he activated it, thus allowing them to inherit the Wang family's wealth and live happily ever after.

While calmly keeping Madam Wang in check, Wang Yi increased the number of guards and cultivated their loyalty, eventually trapping Madam Wang in the east courtyard until she died. Wang Yi made a deal: Madam Wang would help him complete the secret technique, and afterwards he would give Madam Wang and her adopted son a sum of money to let them leave; a box of Yuan Shikai silver dollars was his deposit.

Madam Wang knew that Wang Yi would not let her go after he succeeded, but her abilities were limited. The paper figures could not break through the inner ancestral hall guarded by zombies and experts, so she decided to submit to Wang Yi for the time being.

The crucial moment is between 1 AM and 3 AM tomorrow, when Wang Yi will activate the formation and use the Reincarnation Technique. Before that, she is using paper figures to help Wang Yi attack the players to gain his trust, while secretly making arrangements, hoping the players will help her eliminate Wang Yi.

Wang Yi also distrusted Madam Wang, but he worried that if he killed her, she might plot against him before she died. Therefore, Wang Yi hoped to use a player to kill Madam Wang.

Players aren't interested in the story, but rather the substance: Did the main player collude with Wang Yi to kill other players? Did Wang Yi activate the grand formation by killing players? How many people would he have to kill?
They didn't care who was more evil, Wang Yi or Madam Wang; they only cared about whether they could live and get the money.

The adopted son shouted, "If you cannot kill Wang Yi before 3 a.m. tomorrow, you will all face the evil spirit. At that time, no one will be able to survive until 7 a.m. tomorrow to participate in the distribution of the property."

While everyone was still processing the information, a player shouted: "The manager has announced: a funeral is an inauspicious occasion, all servants are given two days off. The NPCs are packing their bags now."

(End of this chapter)