Ita Era

Chapter 128 Phantom
"Two, two." After lunch, as we packed up the leftovers, a man's voice called out from outside the door.

Ziqing said to Ding Shi, "She is my subordinate." She is the chief of a certain tribe.

After giving his instructions, Ziqing walked to the door, and the two talked through the door. After a while, Ziqing returned and said, "I'm leaving the Bamboo Courtyard."

Ding Shi waved his hand: Goodbye.

Ziqing: "I can't get out."

Ding Shi walked to the gate, used a hammer to dig out the horse king nail, removed the door panel, picked up the gate gate, pushed the door open, and found that the light outside had dimmed by one degree.

Ziqing: "I'm talking to you."

Ding Shi didn't hear him and gestured: Please. He believed the pretty boy's punishment should be over, but he was unwilling to take the risk.

Before Ziqing could say anything more, Ding Shi's pupils contracted; he saw Madam Ghost appear not far away. In an instant, he pushed her out the door, slammed it shut, and nailed it shut in one swift motion. Only after he finished did he hear Ziqing's scream and banging on the door: "Ding Shi, let me in."

Hmm? She can call me by my name now?

Ding Shi tried calling out, "Zi Qing?"

"It's me, let me in."

Ding Shi said painfully, "No, it's impossible for us now. Go away, I never want to see you again."

"Ah! No!" Ziqing cried out in surprise, followed by the sound of her body hitting the wall.

Ding Shi's ear examination showed that he was not injured.

From the moment Ding Shi saw Wang Yi casting a spell on Lady Wang in the coffin, he knew something was bound to happen; he was already mentally prepared for the sudden appearance of the ghost lady. But what puzzled Ding Shi was that the ghost lady wasn't dressed in white? Had she temporarily changed into red to become a ghost?
Thinking he had escaped death, Ding Shi prepared to take a nap to recharge for the most dangerous night. Then, a silver dollar flew into the courtyard and landed on the bluestone, making a crisp, clinking sound.

The next second, the reinforced bamboo gate burst open, and two large pieces of the door flew inward. Ding Shi, quick on his feet, dodged the slicing door by falling backward. The door struck a pillar and shattered, sending countless fragments flying into the main hall like projectiles.

That force is simply incredible.

The Ghost Lady appeared at the doorway, holding a red umbrella. She stopped floating and started walking, gracefully approaching Ding Shi who had stood up: "Have you seen my dowry?"

Ding Shi's first thought was: the love between a human and a ghost is no joke. The ghost lady is so beautiful that she is not human. Ding Shi was so lost in thought that the ghost lady walked past him and seemed to have a faint pine fragrance.

Then, the Ghost Lady swiftly grabbed Ding Shi's throat with one hand. Ding Shi activated his hand seals, detonating the Five Thunder Talisman in his hand. A bolt of lightning struck Ding Shi's forehead, and the two of them danced together in the courtyard. The Ghost Lady trembled for a couple more seconds, and Ding Shi took the opportunity to retreat three steps.

The Ghost Lady looked at Ding Shi, who opened his left palm, revealing a Five Thunder Talisman. Ding Shi said in a humble voice, "Beautiful lady, the silver coins are on the ground, and I don't have a single hair on my body."

Lady Ghost didn't believe it and stared at Ding Shi, determined to shake it herself.

Ding Shi was a very straightforward man. He took off his clothes, pulled down his pants, and jumped around twice in his underwear. Between chastity and his life, Ding Shi chose the latter.

Ding Shi intuitively felt that the Ghost Madam was more powerful than Ghost Third Sister because she could speak. However, Ghost Third Sister could also play mahjong and say thank you.

No, Ghost Third Sister is an evil ghost, a bound spirit, a ghost of the underworld. Ghost Madam is a ghost of obsession. They are not of the same kind. Ghost Third Sister should be able to kill Ghost Madam instantly. Why would two beautiful ghosts kill each other?
Madam Ghost shifted her gaze, slowly walked to Yuan Datou, hooked her finger, and Yuan Datou jumped from the ground into her palm. She then tossed it and placed it on the wooden stump, thus putting it away.

The Ghost Lady turned around, and the players who had been watching the commotion at the door scattered in all directions. Her gaze locked onto one of them, and she asked softly, "Have you seen my dowry?"

Ding Shi only felt a voice and a shadow pass by him. When he looked again, Madam Ghost was gone, leaving him with two dilapidated doors. Ding Shi sighed, walked over, and casually stuffed the Yuan Shikai silver dollar into his pocket. This thing was not only worth 10 dollars, but it could also be used to frame others.

Those who were supposed to leave have left, and those who shouldn't have come have arrived. The masked expert strode into the bamboo garden, stood five meters away from Ding Shi, watched Ding Shi fasten his belt, and said, "Long time no see."

Ding Shi said, "Long time no see." Upon seeing this face, Ding Shi already recognized him.

Ding Shi asked, "Should I call you Phantom, or will you tell me your real name?"

The phantom began pacing around Ding Shi: "Didn't you investigate me afterwards?"

Ding Shi followed the phantom's turn and asked, "Why should I investigate you?"

Phantom: "I ruined your plans." They weren't surprised by the twist of fate that brought them together in a small instance; instead, they were on high alert, ready to strike at any moment. Phantom believed that with the system's boost, he was definitely stronger than Ding Shi, but this thought came to an abrupt halt when he saw the Ghost Lady with smoke rising from her head.

As for the Yuan Shikai silver dollar that damaged the gate, it was naturally thrown by him.

Ding Shi smiled and said, "How do you know I'm not here to avenge your adopted sister?"

The Phantom asked, "Oh? So you knew my identity all along?"

Ding Shi replied, "Cao Ying, the bounty hunter." In reality, Ding Shi found out about Cao Ying through his superior. His superior, who had previously studied abroad, used his personal connections with high-ranking officials to discover that Cao Ying's outward identity was a bounty hunter, but her inner identity was a bounty agent. Bounty hunters are responsible for capturing fugitives. Bounty agents are paid to do things the government can't, receiving generous rewards and keeping all the spoils of their work.

Cao Ying said, "As far as I know, you were punished according to family law for this matter. Not only were you whipped thirty times, but you were also removed from your position as the head of the Fenghuo Hall and sent to manage a gambling den in a remote mountain village."

Ding Shi said, "Stop babbling. Either fight or get out."

Cao Ying said, "Killing you in this instance is pointless."

Ding Shi said, "Then get lost."

Cao Ying remained unmoved and said, "Actually, I covered it up. Even if Wang Meng investigates, he won't be able to find you."

Ding Shi said, "I am a man of great loyalty. Since I made a mistake, I will naturally admit it."

Cao Ying sighed: "After all these years, you still lie so easily."

Halfway through her sentence, Cao Ying suddenly attacked Ding Shi, a dagger appearing in her hand with a flick of her wrist, aimed straight for Ding Shi's throat. With the system's enhancement, this move seemed incredibly fierce. Ding Shi dodged to the side, but Cao Ying had anticipated this; the throat attack was a feint. With a flick of her left wrist, the dagger pierced downwards towards Ding Shi's chest. A bolt of lightning struck, hitting between the two, slightly curving due to the dagger, striking it precisely. Cao Ying's body went numb, and the dagger fell to the ground.

Ding Shi lunged forward, punched Cao Ying in the liver, turned and slammed her to the ground with an over-the-shoulder throw, and casually stuck a Five Thunder Talisman on her.

Just as Cao Ying regained control of her body, she felt a numbness and fell again. Ding Shi pounced, his right fist carrying the momentum straight to a certain spot. With a piercing scream, Ding Shi slapped another talisman onto Cao Ying with his left hand, then landed with a graceful backflip, drawing his dagger. He detonated the talisman and pounced again.

Two bandits rushed in from outside the door.

Ding Shi's dagger fell, and Cao Ying barely managed to turn to the side, the dagger piercing her left armpit. Ding Shi slammed onto Cao Ying, his left hand instinctively sticking out a talisman, and he rolled to the right to create distance. Seeing the two bandits approaching, he sprinted five steps and jumped into the room.

Besides the advantages of the Five Thunder Talisman, Ding Shi also possessed superior stamina and strength, thanks to his removal of the waist token beforehand. The speed at which the waist token absorbs essence and spirit increases with time. Therefore, even with the system's bonus, Cao Ying was unilaterally and thoroughly defeated by Ding Shi.

Ding Shi jumped into the room, grabbed the door with one hand, waited two seconds, and then slammed it outwards. The pursuing bandit A made intimate contact with the door panel. After a deafening crash, bandit A collapsed to the ground, the door opened inwards, and Ding Shi stepped forward, his dagger slashing towards bandit A's throat.

"Stop!" Cao Ying, her back hunched, shouted, enduring the sharp pain in a certain area, "Let him go."

Ding Shi squatted down, the dagger pressed against the throat of bandit A, and asked, "Let him go, and we'll be even?"

Cao Ying hesitated, and Ding Shi said, "They're just fellow travelers, is it really necessary?"

Cao Ying: "You don't need to provoke me. Let him go, and we'll be even."

Ding Shi stood up with a grin, pushed Bandit A out the door with his foot, closed the door, locked it, and left the room through the back window.

Bandit B asked, "Boss?"

Cao Ying replied, "This person is difficult to deal with. He has all sorts of life-saving tools and is extremely cunning and treacherous. It's best not to provoke him. What about the third and fourth brothers?"

Bandit B said, "Fourth Brother found Fifth Brother's silver dollar near Fifth Brother's body, but we don't know where it is now. Third Brother has made new friends and is attending a meeting organized by a guy called Brother Ba."

Cao Ying said, "Let's go to the outer courtyard." As she finished speaking, she subtly rubbed a certain area with her hand and walked out, showing that Ding Shi had gone all out. This guy was still the same old rascal; if he could win, he'd use boxing, Muay Thai, or Jiu-Jitsu, displaying a particularly martial arts-like demeanor. If he couldn't win, he'd resort to various tactics like gouging eyes, stealing peaches, and biting ears.

"Outer courtyard?" Bandit B picked up Bandit A and followed Cao Ying.

Cao Ying whispered, "Collect tung oil. We'll burn down the ancestral hall tonight. After that, we'll see if there's another chance."

Bandit B gave a thumbs up; he knew that following the boss would definitely lead to success. It's laughable that the third brother laughed at his own stupidity. Ha! In this situation, it's better to stick close to a powerful figure than to fight alone. How could the third brother not understand such a simple truth?

……

At two o'clock in the afternoon, the light in the Wang residence was no different from that at night. Ding Shi ate half of his leftovers, drew water from the well, and drank a couple of mouthfuls. Before drinking, he thought of Er Er who had jumped into the well. He was grateful that Er Er had crawled out on his own; otherwise, the water would have been quite unpleasant to drink.

The fourth bandit vaguely smelled the aroma, leaned against the gate and glanced inside. Under the lantern light, Ding Shi quickly gathered up the remaining portion of the three-layered pork rice. Damn it, where did he get the food? He'd searched the kitchens inside and outside the courtyard, but found nothing.

While drinking water at Ding Shi, the fourth bandit slipped into the bamboo courtyard and crouched in a dark corner. His black bandit clothes blended perfectly with the darkness.

Ding Shi found it amusing. The brat thought his lies were believable, and the student thought his cheating methods were superior—what was this called? This was called showing off one's limited skills before an expert. The whole courtyard only had that two-square-meter dark area; I'd like to know how long you could stay there.

A black hand, the same color as darkness itself, emerged from the bluestone of the courtyard and grabbed the ankle of the fourth bandit. The fourth bandit suddenly felt a tremendous force pulling him downwards. Reaching down, he discovered his calf was already embedded in the bluestone. He screamed in horror, "Help! They've eaten me!"

Ding Shi took down a lantern and went to investigate.

The lanterns use tung oil lamps, and the interior is cleverly designed using glass or blue-and-white porcelain materials, so under normal circumstances the lanterns will not explode.

Ding Shi waved the lantern a few times in his hand, and seeing nothing amiss, he raised it and shone it on Bandit Four. He saw that Bandit Four's left foot seemed to be stuck in the mud, sinking into the bluestone up to his knee. Ding Shi examined the bluestone; it was perfectly intact, making it seem as if Bandit Four's left leg had been severed at the knee and then glued to the stone.

The bandit stretched out his hand, pleading, "Help me!"

Ding Shi reached out his left hand, grabbed Bandit Four's hand, and pulled hard, causing Bandit Four to stand up, but only on his right leg. With a thud, Bandit Four's left knee detached from the bluestone, and a large amount of blood gushed out.

The bandit was shocked: "Where's my calf?"

Ding Shi released the bandit's hand, stepped back, and said, "I love Dong Nuo."

The lantern left, and Bandit Four was plunged into darkness again. He leaned against a pillar, anxiously wondering, "What happened?" In the darkness, he could still see the light and did not feel abandoned, otherwise he would have relentlessly pursued Ding Shi.

Ding deliberately left, and less than ten seconds later, the voice of the bandit four came from behind the pillar: "Save me, I'm sinking."

Ding Shi stepped forward again and saw that Bandit Four's lower leg was half-buried in the ground. Bandit Four fell backward and landed on his buttocks in the blood. Only half of his right lower leg remained, and it also began to bleed.

Ding Shi turned and left: Is it dark?

Ding Shi entered the servant's room, wrapped the matches, talismans, and other items in layers of oiled paper, inserted the prepared torch into the canvas bag, and tied it with a rope to secure it so that it wouldn't fall all over the floor when he took it out.

Then, at Ding Shi, he moved all the flammable items from each room, such as quilts and mosquito nets, to his own room. If all else failed, he would set the bamboo courtyard on fire.

No, the entire Wang residence is made of wood, and there are no servants to put out the fire. Since the evil spirit can control the darkness, it can certainly control the wind direction. Once it ignites, the entire Wang residence could be burned to the ground. I'll either die in the fire or in the darkness, and I won't see the sun rise tomorrow.

Perhaps Wang Yi wanted the players to set fire to his residence. Why didn't he just do it directly? Based on their interactions over the past few days, it seems Wang Yi can't simply kill people. Perhaps it's like inheritance law: if I kill my father, I lose my inheritance rights. By setting fire to and killing the players, Wang Yi can't obtain what he wants from them.

According to his adopted son, Wang Yi will complete the evil spell before 3 AM tomorrow. The key question: what will happen after Wang Yi completes the spell? Whether Wang Yi becomes younger is irrelevant, but if Wang Yi gains power and hunts down the player, that's unacceptable.

Ding checked the items, extinguished some lanterns, refilled the oil in the two lanterns at the door and the lantern in his hand, then slung his canvas bag over his shoulder and headed towards the east courtyard. He wanted to talk to his adopted son.

Opening the lantern reveals an oil lamp, shaped like a teapot, with a wick extending from the spout, burning brightly. Even shaking the pot doesn't cause oil to spray from the wick. Rotating the teapot opens a round container inside. Opening another layer reveals the oil container. Pour in tung oil, then seal it with a gauze-lined lid that fits tightly, preventing spills.

(End of this chapter)