Ita Era

Chapter 141 Assassination
A hand covered the Taoist's mouth, and a dagger plunged into his heart from behind. The Taoist was laid on the ground, next to the recently deceased Wang Xiaoyuanwai.

Ding Shi did not hesitate to take action against the mastermind and accomplices who used living people to arrange ghost marriages.

After dealing with the two men, Ding Shi went to the wall. Zhang San lowered the rope binding the stone, and Ding Shi put on the noose. Zhang San and Li Si pulled together. It was a bit slow, but not a big problem.

The big problem was that just as they were halfway through, an old woman's voice came from the mourning hall: "Help! Someone's been murdered!" Ding Shi looked down and saw a group of people gathering at the mourning hall from all directions, including a handsome young general in bright silver armor.

Unlike the sadness and helplessness of others, the young man immediately looked around, then looked up at the top of the cliff. He first saw the moon, and against the backdrop of the moon, a dark figure climbed up a pine tree and nimbly left the tree.

The young officer turned and walked quickly toward the first courtyard, shouting, "Line up! There's a spy!"

……

Just as Ding Shi and his three companions were about to descend the mountain, they saw a torch procession emerge from the gate of the Wang residence, turn right, and head towards the small hill. The procession was led by two dogs.

Ding cursed inwardly. He had calculated the old woman's time at noon, how could he be wrong? Could it be that she ate less at night? Or was it not the same old woman?
You can't blame yourself, who would recognize you? We're all wearing the same uniforms and have the same hairstyles!

Now is not the time to consider why things went wrong. Ding Shi activated Plan B, saying, "Continue south, go through this forest, and then cross a mountain pass to reach Peach Blossom Village. If I fail to catch up with you, I'll trouble you two brothers to escort Daya back to the county government."

Zhang San and Li Si returned the greeting with clasped hands: "Yes, sir." Zhang San carried Daya on his back and, together with Li Si, disappeared into the woods.

The county government couldn't withstand a hundred armored soldiers, but would a hundred armored soldiers dare to appear in the county town? Surely this system has some logic to it? It can't just openly rebel, can it?

After watching the three leave, Ding Shi stuck the tinderbox in the ground and threw the basket of firecrackers he had brought into the grass in front of him.

It was a small mountain, and in just seven minutes, the pursuers were right in front of them.

The first to arrive were two fierce country dogs that charged straight at Ding Shi. Ding Shi took out his official sword from his inventory, drew it, and slashed one to death. The second dog circled in front of Ding Shi, trying to turn and run away, but Ding Shi cut it in two with a single stroke.

Eight soldiers in short sleeves, each carrying a torch in one hand and a knife in the other, traversed the uneven ground and rushed towards Ding Shi. Ding Shi kicked a tinderbox into the grass in front of him, igniting the firecrackers and creating a thick cloud of smoke. Several soldiers were thrown into disarray by the firecrackers and lost their sight, giving Ding Shi the opportunity to attack.

Within a few exchanges, Ding Shi had taken down three men. One of the soldiers shouted, "Retreat! Form ranks!"

Ding Shi wouldn't give them a chance to form a battle formation, gripping his sword with both hands and continuing his attack. He didn't know swordsmanship, only two simple moves: the first was a sweeping motion, using the back of the blade to deflect the opponent's weapon to the side; the second was a thrusting motion, a casual thrust forward. It is said that these two moves were the trump cards of the broadsword squads in close combat during the War of Resistance against Japan, capable of achieving a 1:1 kill ratio with the Japanese army.

After killing two more people, firecrackers ignited nearby dry grass, and flames rose and spread. Ding Shi turned and left.

The young general stopped by the fire, watching Ding Shi disappear into the woods, and said, "Leave some men to put out the fire. Notify them to prepare the horses." Although Ding Shi was wearing short clothes, he was carrying an official's sword. Having learned the other's identity, the young general had already sketched out a route to the county town in his mind.

Ding Shi can use the teleportation array, but Zhang San, Li Si, and Da Ya do not have this privilege.

……

An hour later, Ding Shi caught up with Zhang San and his group. Zhang San took out a local map and, by the light of a tinderbox, waited for Ding Shi to make a decision. As an NPC, he was responsible for execution, not for thinking.

Ding Shi looked at Daya: "Daya, how are you feeling?"

Daya nodded: "Yes, sir, I can do it."

Ding Shi explained the current situation: "If we take the main road, it will be 35 li. If we take the side road, we will pass through three villages and towns, which will be 40 li, and we are likely to get lost. However, the enemy has cavalry, so taking the main road would be suicide."

Ding Shi had three plans. One plan was to have Daya ride an electric bike at a top speed of 25 kilometers per hour towards the county government office, where they would most likely be caught by the cavalry. Why 25 kilometers per hour? That's the national standard for electric bicycles. As for real electric bikes, Four Symbols City didn't allow the use of the Force, and Ding Shi couldn't lift one with one hand.

The second plan was to have Daya take the country roads to distract the pursuers at Dingshi. The country roads were in poor condition, and it was nighttime, making it difficult for cavalry to take advantage of their speed. Some country roads were even just widened field ridges, which were fine for people to walk on, but difficult for horses. In addition, the country roads were flexible and varied; for example, whether going to Zuojia Village or Youjia Village, one could reach Zhongjia Village.

The downside is that Daya's physical condition is not good. Although Daya said she could do it, she had been kneeling all day, and her legs could not possibly support her walking 40 li (20 kilometers).

The third plan was for Ding Shi and Daya to travel along the country roads. However, the problem was that the electric car only had a range of 15 kilometers, or 30 li (approximately 15 kilometers). Considering the rugged roads, carrying two people, and the widespread exaggeration of electric car ranges, Ding Shi estimated that they could only travel 20-25 kilometers.

"Calling Ding Shi."

Ding Shi pulled out a walkie-talkie: "Please speak."

Wang Meng said, "We caught a spy who said someone would attack the granary tonight. The county granary is located in three different places. Can you get away from that area?"

Ding Shi: "I can't afford it. I was hoping to get some freebies from you guys. What about Yu Yuan and the others?"

Wang Meng: "Isn't this just a way to scam money from wedding gifts?"

I remember now, it was my own bad idea. This instance makes everyone's actions too fragmented. No, the only one fragmented is myself.

Ding Shi: "Of the three granaries, the enemy should only be targeting one. After all, they just want to cause us trouble, put pressure on us, and force us to bow down to the Princess's Mansion. They don't really want to burn all the grain. I suggest we put the new recruits in two of the granaries to create a large number and intimidate the enemy. We can hide elite troops in the other granary and arrange for a few old, weak, sick, and disabled people to go fishing."

Wang Meng: "Is it okay?"

Ding Shi: "Whether it works or not, this is the only way."

Wang Meng: "We'll talk later."

Ding Shi put away the walkie-talkie, took out the electric scooter, and said, "Da Ya, get on. Zhang San, Li Si, you take the main road. They don't know you're there, and since you're still wearing official uniforms, they shouldn't give you any trouble. If they press you, just say that Da Ya and I are hiding in Peach Blossom Mountain, waiting for reinforcements after dawn. Note that if they don't give you any trouble, don't say it first. If they do give you trouble, you should draw your swords in self-defense, and only say it if you really can't win."

Zhang San and Li Si can accurately execute clear orders.

Ding Shi took a helmet out of the back compartment and put it on Daya, saying, "Hold on tight." He turned the accelerator to the floor, and the electric scooter slowly started moving.

"Calling Ding Shi."

Ding Shi pulled out the walkie-talkie with his left hand and saw that it was a private channel instead of a public channel. He had a bad feeling and replied, "Su Su".

Su Su said, "Someone changed the exam questions I prepared."

Ding Shi didn't ask Su Su why she was so sure, but instead asked, "And then?"

Su Su: "It was probably done by one of our people."

Ding Shi asked, "You suspect Yu Yuan?"

Su Su said, "Isn't tonight the wedding? When Yu Yuan was receiving Manager Liu, they talked privately for a while. I overheard Manager Liu saying he wanted to buy his child a degree, increasing the ratio from 10:5 to 10:10." Previously, Manager Liu had contacted Yu Yuan, and for every 10 taels the county government invested in flood control, Manager Liu would donate five taels for the same purpose. If this can be settled, it will be of great help in the divination.

However, if cheating in the imperial examinations were discovered, Su Su, as the education commissioner, would certainly be punished. Given Su Su's personality, she firmly disagreed with doing so. Ding Shi pressed the call button twice, switching the channel to the public channel: "This is Ding Shi, I have something to say."

Su Su jumped up and down, shouting in her heart: Don't talk nonsense! I have no evidence. It may not have been Yu Yuan who took it. If you say this, it will damage the unity of the tribe.

Ding Shi said, "Based on my findings, the system is guiding us to break the law, constantly increasing the profits from illegal activities, and trying to find our bottom line. I suggest everyone keep a clear head. Gray income such as wedding gifts is acceptable, but don't do anything to help them bully men and women. Otherwise, you will not only harm yourself, but you may also drag everyone down with you."

Ding Shi said, “We can use torture to extract confessions, we can make false accusations based on suspicion, we can skirt the edges of the law, but we should not commit crimes directly.”

So-called accusatory slander is, to put it bluntly, spreading rumors. If I see a young woman getting into a middle-aged man's car, I can't possibly suspect she's being kept by him, even if she later proves her innocence and it's none of my business. This behavior is despicable and immoral, but in feudal law, if I raise a question, you need to prove it yourself. The burden of proof lies with the person raising the question—that's the spirit of modern law.

If I didn't see anything, that would be considered making baseless accusations in ancient times, and I couldn't do that.

Ding Shi switched back to the private channel and called Su Su: "Regardless of whether they're on our side or not, secretly change all the exam questions tonight."

Su Su: "I need to look through a lot of books."

Ding Shi said, "Good luck." He had already said that, so if there really was a thief who denied it, Ding Shi definitely wouldn't stay in the same tribe as that person. As an undercover agent, he had often done similar things and knew how dangerous it was.

The reason no one responded to Ding Shi wasn't because everyone was indifferent or acting like bystanders; it was because everyone was busy with their own things. Yu Yuanchu and his wife were busy swindling money from wedding gifts, Wang Meng was frantically trying to solve the granary problem while racing against the cavalry, and Su Su was coming up with new questions. And what about Hongyi and Hua Shan?

Hua Shan's voice came through the walkie-talkie: "150 meters, wind direction southeast, wind force unknown, but probably not strong."

Hua Shan: "80 meters."

Hua Shan: "30 meters, right now."

The man in red pulled the trigger, and the crossbow bolt flew out, piercing the sedan chair. A section of the arrow emerged from the sedan chair, blood dripping from the arrowhead.

Hua Shan: "Continue."

Clad in red, with crossbows at the ready, the princess's guards surrounded the sedan chair, shouting for the assassins while searching the surroundings. The maidservant accompanying her on foot outside the sedan chair immediately scurried inside after the attack. As the maidservant lifted the curtain, Hua Shan, holding night-vision binoculars, saw clearly and said, "The target is leaning against the lower left corner of the sedan chair."

The crossbow bolt struck the lower left corner of the sedan chair.

Hua Shan: "We've hit the target, let's withdraw."

The woman in red jumped off the roof and disappeared into a side alley.

The assassination attempt occurred 200 meters from the county government office, targeting the princess. Today, Yu Yuan visited the princess's residence, bringing many gifts and adopting a very humble attitude. The princess was very pleased and stated that she would personally attend Yu Yuan and Chu Yu's wedding tonight.

After confirming that the maid beside the sedan chair was the princess's personal maid, they began their operation.

Hua Shan kept a close eye on the sedan chair. At the guards' command, everyone stopped and turned back to the Prince's Mansion. Yong'an Town, where the Prince's Mansion was located, was only 6 li away from the county seat.

When Hua Shan arrived at the place where the sedan chair had been attacked, she took out three copper coins, touched the blood on the ground, and cast a divination, telling everyone bad news: "The deceased had no royal blood."

The woman in red said with annoyance, "It must be a fake. I was wondering why she didn't ride in a carriage but in a sedan chair. Why did she dare to go out with only eight guards?"

Hua Shan: "Let's look for an opportunity outside the Princess's residence."

Red-clad: "Okay."

Yu Yuan: "Be careful to retrieve the crossbow bolts to prevent them from becoming evidence against us."

Yu Yuan: "Chu Yu".

Chu Yu: "I'm here."

Yu Yuan: "Go to the mortuary as soon as possible and repair the wounds on the bodies that were hit by crossbow bolts last night."

Chu Yu: "Received."

Ding Shi saw the fire in the rearview mirror, turned off the walkie-talkie, pulled over, put away the electric scooter, and led Daya into the reeds by the roadside.

After waiting for three minutes, five armored soldiers rode past the two men on horseback. Their speed was not very fast, but it was still faster than the electric cart.

After everyone had passed, Ding Shi conjured up an electric scooter, let Daya get on, and, not daring to turn on the lights, drove at a speed of 10 kilometers per hour. After about seven minutes, Ding Shi stopped the scooter.

A fire was lit 300 meters away, and the five armored soldiers, having removed their helmets, were standing guard at the intersection. Ding Shi cursed inwardly, "Damn NPCs, they actually know how to block the road!"

Ding Shi turned back and, guided by the high-tech electronic map, took another route that wasn't much further. However, this route would limit his options later on. This made Ding Shi uneasy; he deduced that the NPCs had created a trap, blocking off complex intersections while leaving a simple path open for him.

This conjecture was confirmed when two more sentry posts were encountered.

When they were about a mile from the next intersection, the electric scooter's battery was almost dead. Ding pulled over and told Daya, "Turn right at the next intersection, and you'll reach the county town in another four miles. Tell the soldiers guarding the city gate that you are the cousin of Wang Meng, the county magistrate, and that Wang Meng's house burned down and his entire family was wiped out. You've come to deliver the news."

"Remember?"

Daya nodded repeatedly with her big eyes wide open.

Ding Shi handed his dry rations and water bag to Daya: "I'll go scout ahead. If there's an ambush at the intersection, sneak around while I'm fighting them. Eat something and drink some water now."

Daya asked, "And what about you? Will you die?"

Ding Shi said, "Perhaps, but it's my duty."

Daya asked, "What are the responsibilities?"

Ding Shi thought for a moment and said, “Every identity has responsibilities that must be fulfilled. Farmers cannot miss the planting season because of laziness. Soldiers cannot desert their posts because of fear of death. My duty is to bring you back. Although I may not be able to do it, I will do my best.”

After saying that, Ding Shi patted Daya's head, got on his electric scooter, and headed towards the intersection.

As they approached the intersection, a light appeared at the intersection, and a dark figure used a tinderbox to light four torches stuck in the ground, while a warhorse lowered its head to graze.

As the firelight shone, the dark figure was revealed to be an old general with dark skin and a gray beard, who appeared to be over fifty years old.

(End of this chapter)