Ita Era

Chapter 188 Wedding
The second demon mother opponent that Ding Shi encountered was a demon mother wielding a cleaver. She emerged from the darkness, the cleaver reflecting the moonlight, and aimed every blow at Ding Shi's vital points.

Ding Shichun's weakness as a Force-type cultivator was his vulnerability to sharp blades. He was relentlessly pursued by the Knife Demon Mother, forced to retreat without a chance to retaliate. He finally managed to pick up a tree branch, but it was quickly chopped down to a log in a few strokes.

The demon mother's knife moved so fast that even with the moon in the night, it was difficult to see clearly and to accurately strike her wrist. Seeing this, Ding Shi disappeared into the woods.

Upon entering the forest, the Ghost Mother's swordplay was restricted. Lured by Ding Shi, she struck a tree with her blade. Before she could even draw her sword, Ding Shi stepped forward, grabbed her neck, and ripped half her neck off, his fingers digging into her flesh. The Ghost Mother, now a painting, fell to the ground in two halves.

Next, Ding Shi entered Beishan without encountering any other dangers. With the help of his memory and the moon, Ding Shi successfully reached Shenshui Spring.

The entire flowerpot was placed into the Divine Water Spring, and the water level began to slowly drop. Just as Ding Shi was waiting, a person emerged from behind a mound not far away.

It wasn't the demon mother with a tiger's head, dragon's claws, and a woman's body, but rather a familiar face to Ding Shi: Xiao Ni.

Under the moonlight, Xiao Ni's face was deathly pale, almost reflecting light. Her clothes were tattered, and her body bore many wounds left by the violent demons. This situation was almost identical to when Ding Shi collected her body.

Xiao Ni slowly walked towards Ding Shi and said, "Ding Shi, I'm not dead yet. Can you take me on the bus?"

Ding Shi remained calm and asked, "Weren't you buried?"

Xiao Ni: "No, they dumped me by the roadside. I didn't die; I bought the village chief's medicine beforehand."

That's a lie. The village chief only treats patients and prescribes medicine; he refuses to sell medicine.

Ding Shi didn't expose him, but continued to ask, "Then you should be near Sanli Tomb, how come you're in Beishan?"

Xiao Ni: "I don't know either. I was unconscious after taking the medicine, and when I woke up, I was here."

Xiao Ni walked closer and closer, reaching out her hand, hoping that Ding Shi could support her as she swayed, but then Ding Shi kicked her away with a side kick.

Ding Shi: "You are not Xiao Ni."

Xiao Ni staggered to her feet: "No, I really am Xiao Ni, you have to believe me."

Ding Shi: "Your clothes were torn at the chest. I saw the mosaic when I was collecting your body, but it's not there now." Although it was an off-field factor, it was still a flaw.

Xiao Ni said urgently, "No, I didn't show it."

Ding Shi squinted; sure enough, she hadn't revealed herself, so it seemed he had made a mistake. But Ding Shi still kicked her away a second time because after kicking Xiao Ni away the first time, Xiao Ni hadn't vomited blood or been injured, which didn't make sense.

Sure enough, Xiao Ni stood up for the third time, but Ding Shi didn't kick out a third time. Instead, he lunged behind him and engaged in close combat with a sneaky ghost mother.

The tactic of luring the tiger away from the mountain or feinting an attack to the east while striking in the west is ineffective against him. Because he often does such things himself. When Xiao Ni's efforts are futile, Ding Shi subconsciously wonders, why is the other party making such a pointless effort?
Xiao Ni suddenly said, "Ding Shi, you go quickly, don't worry about me, I'm being controlled."

Upon hearing this, Ding Shi's first thought was, if he carried Xiao Ni onto the bus, would she be saved? A Taoist nun was definitely out of the question; Huang You had possessed her body, dismantling it into countless small parts. A monk was also out of the question; Cui's father had possessed the monk's body, causing it to explode into countless pieces.

But Xiao Ni's body was intact. If Xiao Ni hadn't died, it would have been worth a try.

"It's alright, I can take you back." Ding Shi threw away the eerie portrait of the Ghost Mother and walked towards Xiao Ni.

Two lines of tears streamed down Xiao Ni's face: "You're so good to me."

"Who told me to lust after your body?" Ding Shi's left hand leered as it wandered over Xiao Ni's neck, while his right hand gently stroked Xiao Ni's head. Then, he unleashed his power from both hands and ripped Xiao Ni's head off.

Ding Shi felt a little guilty when he saw that Xiao Ni hadn't turned into a portrait. One possibility was that Xiao Ni really was Xiao Ni. Another possibility was that Xiao Ni was different from the others; her life force had been stolen by the portrait of the Ghost Mother.

Since you've already picked them, don't overthink it. Remember the motto: be kind to yourself.

Ding looked around and, seeing no one, no ghosts, and no surveillance cameras, kicked Xiao Ni's head off and threw Xiao Ni's body off the cliff.

When we went back to look at the sacred tree, we saw that the tree had changed from a question mark to an exclamation mark, standing tall and straight, with a tender leaf growing near the top.

Ding Shi picked up the divine tree, only to find that the divine spring only had one-fifth of its water remaining.

Ding Shi casually picked up the gourd ladle and took a sip of spring water. Just as he was about to put the ladle down, he felt that his Force equivalent seemed to have increased slightly.

Overjoyed that the spring water, which had been soaked in the divine tree, would have such an effect, Ding Shi immediately began to drink it voraciously until he could no longer drink. Touching his heavy belly, Ding Shi not only felt that his Force equivalent had increased by at least 1%, but also felt stomach pain and abdominal pain, and needed to go to the toilet.

Ding Shi dared not delay and climbed up the hillside, quickly reaching the summit. He looked up at the sky; it was cloudless, and the moonlight was like silver. So he took the sacred tree out of its pot, placed it in a hollow at the top of the mountain, casually swept some soil to cover its roots, and began the five-minute countdown to bask in the moonlight.

Ding Shi moved aside to take off his pants and go to the toilet. During this time, he came to a conclusion: no matter how good the spring water is, don't drink too much of it, or better yet, don't drink it at all.

After taking off his shoes and socks, Ding Shi put his shoes back on, used his socks as toilet paper, and put on his pants. A second tender leaf had already sprouted. However, a multiple-choice question arose: Ding Shi could pluck one leaf, and there was a tender green leaf and a pale red leaf on the sacred tree. Which leaf should he choose?

A. Red. B. Green. C. All of them. D. None of them.

Don't be fooled by the seemingly simple multiple-choice question; because it involves the Divine Tree Grand Prize, Ding Shi was genuinely stumped. First, eliminate options C and D. D is self-explanatory—it's simply something no human would do. C is an option because many readers are dissatisfied with Ding Shi's moral character; to avoid the complete annihilation of Tianmen Village and ensure only Ding Shi's happiness, it cannot be chosen.

Green should be the standard color; almost all young buds are green. Red, on the other hand, is one of the colors of maturity…

The dog system, at this point, still needs to dig a hole.

What are the meanings behind red and green?

Ding Shi sat cross-legged before the divine tree. After a long while, his eyes lit up. Could this be an explanation? Green represents vitality, and red represents the origin? Human blood is red, and the initial primal force relies on capillaries for circulation. Red enhances the primal force's intensity. Green enhances the primal force's restorative power.

Hmm? No, it's not right. Ita Daobi is red, and Yindebi is green.

Ding Shi remembered that he had absorbed the will-o'-the-wisp, and decided to use the methods of observation, listening, questioning, and palpation. First, he looked, and no matter how he looked, green seemed more pleasing to the eye.

The green leaves have a faint, fresh scent of grass and trees. The red leaves also have a faint, fresh scent of grass and trees.

I asked, "Who wants to come with me?" No one answered.

Finally, Ding Shi used his index finger to hold the Force and touch the tender green leaf. He felt the vitality in the green leaf, like a newborn baby, and his future held infinite possibilities.

The red leaves evoked a profound feeling in Ding Shi, like a middle-aged man who had endured the hardships of life, leaving only physical and mental wounds. He didn't complain, because there was no one to complain to. He continued forward, because there was no turning back. Carrying the burden, he moved forward step by step, resolutely heading towards the finish line. At the finish line, there were no trophies, no podium, only the relief of letting go of everything.

Ding Shi decisively picked the red leaf; only a dog would want to raise a child.

The leaf, once in hand, transformed into starlight and entered Ding Shi's body.

System notification: Absorb Crimson Leaf. This effect will take place after you leave the Tianmen Village instance by bus.

Ding Shi curiously touched the green leaf again, but this time the feeling was completely different. The leaf was just a leaf, like an inanimate object, and no connection could be made with it.

Ding Shi went to the restroom again, this time right at the base of the sacred tree. Besides providing fertilizer for the tree, he also completed the main quest. After using his second sock and resting for a long time, he finally descended from the North Mountain. Ding Shi wasn't worried about the sacred tree being burned to death, because he had diarrhea.

Despite his stomach and abdominal pain, Ding Shi defeated the two violent demons. He then consulted Qi Niang and learned that the evil spirits and yin energy would only disappear after sunrise.

Ding Shi made a detour out of Tianmen Village and was warmly welcomed by Sha Bi.

You can't hit someone who's smiling at you, especially when you're asking them for something.

Sha Bi waved a bunch of wildflowers around and shouted, "Brother Ding is mighty! Brother Ding is awesome! Ding Shi, you are my god!"

Ding Shi clutched his stomach, bent over, and swatted the wildflowers away. He pointed towards the summit of North Mountain: "Summit." He waved his hand, signaling Cao Ying to stay away. Right now, tormented by illness, he had no interest in money, let alone women. He had only one goal: the village chief.

For the first time, Cao Ying saw disgust and aversion in a man's eyes, and her self-confidence was almost destroyed.

Back at the temporary camp, Ding Shi found the village chief. The chief, who couldn't take a pulse, prescribed medicine based on Ding Shi's description, charging a hefty $15. Ding Shi gave him $50, telling him to keep the change. Although the village chief was an NPC and his actions were meaningless, Ding Shi still expressed his gratitude with money.

After taking the medicine, Ding Shi squatted in the public restroom for 20 minutes, then dragged his numb legs back to the temporary camp. The good news was that he felt much better and thought he could drink two more jugs of spring water.

Ding paid an older woman to cook him porridge and stir-fry some pickled vegetables, while he rested by the fire.

Ding Shi took a nap, ate some porridge, and chatted with the village chief for a while, but Sha Bi still hadn't returned. Hoping for the best, Ding Shi went to the village entrance and asked Cao Ying, who was there, "What are you doing here?"

Cao Ying was in a bad mood and replied curtly, "Wait for the bus."

Ding Shijing: "Five more hours."

Cao Ying: "I like it, it's none of your business."

Ding Shi was broad-minded and didn't hold grudges. He asked, "Where's Sha Bi?"

Cao Ying said, "I didn't see him."

Ding Shi was startled and said, "Sha Bi wouldn't harm the Divine Tree, would he?" Although Sha Bi didn't know about Ye Zi, would he just leave the Divine Tree in the instance after completing the mission?
Silly Bone probably wouldn't think that much, but there's still Cao Ying, the only one who can move the Divine Tree. The Divine Tree isn't heavy; it can be lifted with one hand and can be turned into a card to be placed in the item slot.

This explains why Cao Ying was waiting at the village entrance.

Ding Shi said, "If Sha Bi damages the divine tree, I will kill you."

Cao Ying retorted, "Why? Does having a strong fist give you the right to bully others?"

Ding Shi said seriously, "This is not your copy. I understand that you do all sorts of things for your own benefit, but you need to distinguish between what is important and what is not."

Cao Ying said, "But you didn't make that clear first."

Ding Shi said, “I planted the tree. I kindly told Sha Bi its location, but you persuaded Sha Bi to destroy the sacred tree. All your actions were without my consent and have harmed me, the one who planted the tree. For example, I planted a longan tree and told Sha Bi he could pick the longans, but you conspired with Sha Bi to move the longan tree. Tell me, should I turn against you?”

Cao Ying hadn't considered this: "This...this is indeed a bit off."

Ding Shi said, "You are responsible for taking the tree back."

Before Cao Ying could answer, Sha Bi returned, without the Divine Tree in his hand or on his person. Ding Shi glanced at Cao Ying, who seemed to understand his meaning and asked, "Where is the Divine Tree?"

The fool replied, "I didn't move."

Cao Ying felt relieved. She had a feeling that Ding Shi wasn't joking, and asked, "Why?"

Sha Bi: "The soil is full of excrement, I don't have any digging tools." He didn't want to dig tree roots out of Ding Shi's excrement with his bare hands.

Cao Ying looked at Ding Shi, who casually replied, "It's a mission requirement. Otherwise, why do you think I have diarrhea?"

Sha Bi raised a thumbs up, then lowered it to show his disbelief, saying, "The mission is complete, but only the main mission is completed."

Ding Shi said, "Be content. Let's make a fire together." The three of them gathered dry branches and firewood, set up a temporary camp at the entrance of the village, and waited for the bus that would arrive in a few hours.

Day 8, 7:00 AM.

The first rays of sunlight pierced through the mist in the mountains and shone on the earth. Cao Ying closed her eyes, spread her arms, and bathed in the morning light.

She smiled, her eyelashes fluttered in the wind, and her slender, graceful figure was like a goddess in the forest; who wouldn't admire her?

"oops!"

The beautiful scene was shattered by Ding Shi, who hoisted Cao Ying onto his shoulder and ran wildly towards the village. Cao Ying was furious and frantically pounded on Ding Shi's back. Ding Shi held Cao Ying's legs tightly with his right hand, ignoring her completely.

Silly Bike was stunned for a moment: Why are they in such a hurry to get things done?
Ding Shi leaped over an earthen wall, then jumped again over a section of collapsed wall, and rushed into the courtyard. He hoisted Feng Qiniang onto his left shoulder and ran north of the village without a care in the world.

At 7:15, Ding Shi put the two women on the ground, panting heavily, and said, "Seventh Sister, hurry up, let's get married."

Cao Ying was furious and stood up, yelling, "Only a bastard like Wang would marry a lunatic like you!"

Ding Shi said, "If you don't agree, I'll kill you." He grabbed Cao Ying by the throat with one hand.

Cao Ying knew what Ding Shi did before the beginning of the era; he was truly capable of killing. She could only say, with a sense of frustration, "Yes, yes."

Ding Shi helped Feng Qiniang up, and Feng Qiniang, supporting her aching back, said, "Only true love can receive the blessing of the divine tree."

Ding Shi said, "We are not truly in love, but we must get married. I hope that we can love each other deeply after we get married."

Feng Qiniang: "Why? Why must we get married?"

Ding Shi said sorrowfully, "I defiled her. Although it was consensual, the fact remains, and I must take responsibility for it. If I don't marry her, she might die." Although the Republic of China was more open-minded than the Qing Dynasty, chastity was still a matter of principle.

Feng Qiniang looked at Cao Ying: "Is what he said true?"

Cao Ying bit her lip until it bled, and said resentfully, "Mmm."

Feng Qiniang said, "Please touch the divine tree together. If your reasons are true, the divine tree will bless you. Hold hands."

The two held hands, and with their other hands they reached out to touch the sacred tree. A beam of light shone down on them from the sky, and countless flower petals fell from the air, forming a heart shape.

(End of this chapter)