Chapter 004: Trap and Vendetta

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Occasionally, one or two leaves fall, drifting in the wind. The sky gradually begins to drizzle.

Ding Buer felt drowsy and sought a flat place to sit against a large tree. Yi Xin approached and said: "You are still impressive. That person has already passed out, yet you drank just as much as he did and are still fine"

Ding Buer struck his thigh in frustration, nearly fainting from anger. Realizing that he could not understand his gestures, he could only silently lament: "I thought he was just inexperienced, but who knew he could be this foolish? Now I've been led to my doom by him!"

Ding Buer placed silver on the table and quietly got up to leave. Just then, the waiter approached and asked, "Have you finished your meal, sir?" Ding Buer replied in a low voice, "Get away!" He pushed the waiter aside and hurriedly left.

Ah?" He looked at him with a puzzled expression, "I only took a sip." Ding Buer extended two fingers with his left hand, then used his right hand to retract one, saying: "Just a sip? Just a sip, then that's fine.

The two men, upon hearing this, were instantly overjoyed. They rushed over from the bridge, brandishing their knives and began to slash wildly. The sound of cracking and snapping filled the air as wood chips flew in all directions

The man with the big beard was momentarily taken aback when he saw Yixin holding medicine, and he grinned, saying, "He is injured, no wonder..." However, he was interrupted by the short man with small eyes, who did not allow him to continue. The short man smiled at Yixin and said, "We are also looking for him, let's go together." "Sure," Yixin readily agreed, but did not notice that the two men were exchanging sly smiles at each other.

After an unknown amount of time had passed, Yi Xin awoke. He rubbed his eyes and suddenly saw Ding Bu Er staring at him wide-eyed, which startled him so much that he let out a cry of "Ah" and fell backward.

"What is wrong with you? Get up! You know martial arts, you cannot die!" With a heart full of sorrow, Yixin cried as she gradually stuffed the herbs into Ding Buer's mouth. She then picked up the wine jug from the ground, opened the lid, and poured the wine into Ding Buer's mouth. The wine flowed down the corners of Ding Buer's mouth, mixed with blood. Yixin raised the wine jug and took several big gulps, choking and coughing incessantly, unsure of what else she could do at that moment.

"How can you be soft-hearted when killing someone?" The Tianshan Evil Ghost snatched Meng Kun's iron staff and said fiercely to Ding Buer, who was trapped, "You should regret offending the Tianshan Evil Ghost. Don't forget to seek revenge on me in your next life."

Yixin was taken aback and shouted, "What are you doing?" The short man with small eyes sneered, "What are we doing? We are going to kill him! If you keep shouting, we will kill you too!" Yixin was instantly dumbfounded, realizing that he had been deceived by them and that he had brought harm to Brother Ding, which made him so anxious that tears began to fall.

The Tianshan Evil Ghost cast a resentful glance at Ding Buer, then turned to Meng Kun and said, "Let’s go!" Meng Kun picked up his iron staff and followed the Tianshan Evil Ghost, muttering softly, "If I had known earlier, I might as well have found a few more helpers. Who cares about the Three Wonders and Four Concubines? I wouldn’t have to fear their numbers."

Seeing the two men walk away, Ding Bu'er clasped his hands in thanks and said: "I regret not heeding the words of Hero Qiu, almost... sigh, I feel ashamed, truly ashamed. Thank you, my three elder brothers!"

The deadly Soul-Chasing Blade of the Tianshan Evil Ghost is indeed formidable. With a single slash, it cuts through the air, and with a flick of the wrist, it targets Ding Buer's feet. Ding Buer is taken aback, not expecting the speed of the opponent's swordplay. He hurriedly twists his body, lifting his foot to fly away. However, Meng Kun is right there, delivering a kick directly at him. At the same time, the Tianshan Evil Ghost rushes in, striking down with a palm from behind. Suspended in mid-air, Ding Buer is attacked by both at once, making it impossible to evade entirely. He can only avoid the heavier blow, straining to dodge Meng Kun's kick, but consequently, he receives a heavy palm strike from behind, crashing down hard onto the ground.

The sky is brightening. Occasionally, there are a few birds chirping in the surroundings

The night is deep, and the rain has stopped

Ding Buer picked up a wooden stick and poked around in the hay, finding that there was indeed no one hiding inside. He muttered to himself, "It must be that the owner of this thatched cottage has been here and piled up some hay. This means that the evil spirit of Tianshan has indeed failed to keep the appointment, and I have been played for a fool, having made a wasted trip."

Ding Buer was surrounded by a great fire, feeling an overwhelming sense of urgency. While dodging the encroaching flames, he desperately sought an opportunity to escape. As he saw the entire thatched cottage engulfed in flames, there was no longer any place to take refuge. ... He hastily removed his outer garment, raised his hands above his head, gathered strength in his legs, and leaped, breaking through the roof ...

Feeling somewhat cold, his sweat-soaked clothes were made even chillier by the night breeze. Since he couldn't sleep anyway, he simply stood up and began to run back and forth nearby, chasing the wind.

Ding Buer... Qianmian Shentou... Xiayi Dao... a thief who steals things? He still couldn't quite understand the matter of theft, but he vaguely felt that stealing was not a good thing, as his grandmaster had told him. He stared blankly at Ding Buer and asked, "Why does Brother Ding want to steal things with the library?"

"Pah, pah." Ding Buer wiped his mouth, sat up, and looked at the dazed Yixin, smiling and saying: "Good brother, I am not dead yet"

With all her heart, she turned Ding Buer over, throwing herself on him and crying out: "Brother Ding, what happened to you? What happened to you?"

As he walked, Ding Buer gradually felt the effects of the alcohol kicking in, sensing a heaviness in his head and lightness in his feet, causing him to sway as he walked

Ding Buer stepped forward, cautiously tapping the door with his finger, and it opened. After vigilantly observing the surroundings for a while and seeing no movement, he slowly stepped inside. The walls were piled high with firewood and straw, in disarray, yet the room was completely empty.

No need for that! The evil spirit of Tianshan approached with a smug smile at the corner of his mouth, saying, "Kill him now to avoid any complications!"

At that moment, Qia was running over, grabbing Ding Buer and asking with concern: "Brother Ding, are you alright?"

Ding Bu'er, having had sufficient rest, took Yi Xin to a nearby earthen mound from where the thatched cottage could be seen in the distance. Ding Bu'er instructed Yi Xin to hide behind the mound, saying, "I will go take a look. You wait for me here." Yi Xin asked, "Aren't I going with you?" Ding Bu'er explained, "We are meeting two villains. What Hero Qiu and the others said is correct; we must be cautious. You do not know martial arts, so I will go alone to check things out. If there is an ambush, it will be easier for me to escape alone." Yi Xin whispered, "Then you must be careful."

Ding Buer opened his eyes and woke up, still feeling a bit dizzy. Reflecting on the events of last night, he couldn't help but shake his head and laugh, saying: "How did I end up competing in drinking with someone?"

A few days later, the pills given by Doctor Hu were finished. Ding Bu'er then wrote a note and, after repeatedly instructing Yi Xin, sent him out to buy medicine, while he himself found a nearby tavern to sit down, ordered two small dishes, and waited for Yi Xin to return

Are we to be burned to death here? No, given the circumstances, we might as well fight them to the death!" Ding Buer, with a short sword in hand, kicked up a burning beam with his right foot and charged directly at Meng Kun.

Where is he! The short man with small eyes also saw it, He is injured and has a little monk with him, he can't run far! Hurry and chase! The two of them also reached the bridgehead, crossed the bridge, and pursued closely.

Qiu Huo looked at Ding Bu Er and the Tianshan Evil Ghost in turn and asked, "Since everyone does not wish to visit Wutai Mountain again, how about granting my brother a favor and calling off the bet? From now on, both parties shall not pursue any debts with each other, how does that sound?"

With a sound of "puff," Ding Buer stepped on the trap, and his body fell down...

Yixin shook his head and said, "I can't." Ding Buer threatened him, saying, "If you can't fight, you can't drink. If you drink..." A wave of alcohol hit him, and Ding Buer burped, nearly vomiting. He suddenly pointed at Yixin and asked, "Did you drink too?" Yixin nodded, patting his chest, reminiscing about the intense sensation from earlier, feeling both strange and frightening.

Doctor Hu handed a few pills to Yixin and instructed, "Give one pill to Hero Ding every morning and evening." Yixin accepted the pills, nodded, and replied, "Understood"

As soon as he spoke these words, Ding Bu'er secretly groaned, thinking to himself: "My dear Hero Qiu, do you not know that this little monk was taken by me from the Buddhist Light Temple? How could I dare to go back to the Buddhist Light Temple to see Master Wuyá again"

Ding Bu'er's internal injury has not yet healed, and he occasionally coughs up a few times on the road, sometimes bringing up a bit of blood. Yi Xin handed him a pill, which was precisely what Doctor Hu had given. Ding Bu'er took the pill, drank a few sips of the homemade medicinal wine for self-defense, and then handed the small iron kettle to Yi Xin, saying: "You should also drink a few sips."

Yixin went through many twists and turns and inquired from various sources, finally finding the pharmacy and obtaining the medicine according to Ding Buer's prescription. The seller of the medicine even questioned whether this prescription was written by a doctor, and it was only after someone intervened that the medicine was sold to the young monk. As Yixin turned to leave the pharmacy, he suddenly caught sight of Ding Buer hurrying past and quickly chased after him

Ding Buer soared through the air, leaping towards the outside of the fire scene. Before his feet had even touched the ground, he felt a powerful force strike towards his waist. He quickly rolled to the side, landing on his left shoulder as he fell to the ground

Qiu Huo said: "Setting traps to seek opportunities for harm is not the behavior of a true hero. Having already succeeded by chance, to then take ruthless measures to end another's life is also quite inappropriate." Doctor Hu and Chen Kang went over together and pulled Ding Bu'er up.

Ding Buer rolled a dozen steps on the spot, barely evading the successive attacks of the Tianshan Evil Spirit. Before he could get up, he saw an iron staff descending upon him.

Although the wine was quite strong upon entry, it did not cause any immediate intoxication while drinking. As a result, Ding Buer managed to consume seven or eight bowls without falling down. However, this wine had a significant aftereffect, and after a short while, the effects of the alcohol began to surge upward continuously.

He tried to wake Yixin, but lacked the strength. Yixin cried until exhausted and fell into a deep sleep. Ding Buer could only wait quietly for him to awaken. Suddenly, in his dream, Yixin sat up, desperately pounding on Ding Buer's body with both hands, shouting: "It was you who harmed him! You are the bad people! Bad people!"

At this moment, the evil spirit of Tianshan was already clear in his mind. Since Ding Buer dared to return, and there really was such a little monk, he must have succeeded and truly stolen this little monk from the Foguang Temple. However, feeling ashamed and unwilling to admit it, he stubbornly retorted, "Just because you randomly found a bald head, you claim he is a monk from Foguang Temple? Do you think I am that easily deceived?" Ding Buer countered, "Then tell me, how can you prove that he is not a monk from Foguang Temple?"

The Tianshan Evil Spirit did not recognize the three extraordinary figures of the countryside, yet the blow just delivered was indeed extraordinary, causing his arms to go numb, while the opponent appeared to be indifferent. Thus, although he felt hatred in his heart, he did not dare to act rashly and only inquired, "May I ask who the three of you are...?"

He focused on placing Ding Buer flat, then lay down on the ground himself. With his eyes closed, he endured for a long time but ultimately could not fall asleep. Opening his eyes, he looked through the branches of the trees at the moon in the sky, feeling an indescribable excitement. This was his first time coming down the mountain, his first time eating outside, and his first time sleeping outdoors

In the blink of an eye, it is already the tenth day, the day of the wager agreement.

Qiu Huo smiled and said: "I do not know you, nor do I have any personal ties with that individual; I am merely passing by. Since this is a bet, it should be clarified face to face who wins and who loses, and we should act accordingly. Why set a trap to harm others' lives?" The Evil Spirit of Tianshan replied: "Since that is the case, it is just right. Please, the three of you, act as witnesses. We will proceed according to the previous agreement and take one of his arms; that should be acceptable, right?"

Ding Buer urgently wanted to rush out of the door, but the door unexpectedly slammed shut with a loud "bang." Ding Buer shouted in alarm. The surrounding fire blazed up fiercely, with flames surging. It was evident that the firewood had been prepared in advance, and both the walls and the ground had been doused with kerosene.

With a single-minded focus, he waited alone behind the earthen mound, feeling a sense of isolation and gloom. He saw Brother Ding enter the thatched cottage, and suddenly noticed that the cottage was on fire, which caused him to panic. Just as he was about to rush to extinguish the flames, he suddenly recalled Ding Buer's admonition: in case of any trouble, he should leave immediately. In his hesitation, he found himself at a loss as to what to do.

Ding Buer was already injured, and after being struck by him, the pain intensified, causing him to cry out: "What are you doing, brother?! Oh no! Stop hitting me!" After a while of causing a ruckus, he collapsed like a deflated balloon, falling back onto Ding Buer and continuing to sleep. As he fell, he nearly crushed Ding Buer to the point of spitting blood. Ding Buer lamented his misfortune.

Ding Buer touched his bald head and comforted him, saying: "You do not know how treacherous the world is; this is not your fault. It is just that I have too many enemies, and I will inevitably encounter them sooner or later. By the way, you probably do not know who I am, right?"

The trap was filled with sharpened wooden stakes and bamboo spikes; as soon as one fell in, it would inevitably result in being pierced through the chest and back, making survival impossible. Ding Buer was taken aback, quickly flicking his foot to hook onto the edge of the pit, flipping his body to the side, and thrusting his hand towards the wall of the pit. The short sword was embedded straight into the ground, halting his downward momentum. Ding Buer broke out in a cold sweat. However, at that moment, with one foot on the edge of the pit and half of his body inside, and with two deadly enemies wielding their weapons standing guard nearby, there was no chance of escape.

Aren't you Brother Ding?

The door of the thatched cottage is half ajar, and there is no sound coming from inside.

The Tianshan Evil Ghost seized the opportunity and suddenly struck with a palm. Ding Buer, seeing that he could not evade in time, had no choice but to meet the opponent's palm in mid-air. Ding Buer's strengths lay in his lightness skill and body technique, while his internal power was not particularly strong, significantly inferior to the fierce and aggressive nature of the Tianshan Evil Ghost. With one blow, he was sent flying far away, landing amidst the fire.

The matter of the bet has finally come to a conclusion, and Ding Buer feels at ease.

Three people continued to chase out of the town, yet they still had not discovered Ding Bu'er’s whereabouts. At this moment, Ding Bu'er was hiding in a pile of firewood at the bridgehead, his chest increasingly pained. Suddenly, he saw the two men approaching and hurriedly held his breath to observe the situation. To his surprise, he noticed a person closely following behind the two men.

The Tianshan Evil Spirit snorted but said nothing. Meng Kun, however, waved his hand and exclaimed, "I won't go, I won't go. It's over a hundred miles to Wutai Mountain, and I don't want to endure that suffering." In truth, he was afraid that Master Wuyá would recognize him and settle the old score from the robbery at Qingshui River ten days ago.

In the midst of the stalemate, Qiu He slowly spoke: "Both sides hold their respective views, making it difficult to discern the truth at this moment. Should we really go to the Fo Guang Temple to seek Master Wuyá for verification?"

Two men caught sight of Ding Bu'er’s back, exchanged glances, and prepared to rise and follow him. The waiter asked, "Are the dishes for the two gentlemen ready to be served?" One of them cursed, "Get lost!" and pushed the waiter onto the nearby table before chasing after the other. The waiter rubbed his sore lower back, looked at the two men's retreating figures, and muttered, "What kind of people are these?"

With a heavy heart, he fell into a deep sleep, collapsing onto Ding Buer, causing the wine and blood in Ding Buer's mouth to spill out.

Yixin was still in a daze, unsure of what he meant by "an incident." Ding Bu'er patted his shoulder, turned, and walked around the earthen mound towards the thatched cottage. Watching his back, Yixin suddenly felt a sense of reluctance.

The Tianshan Evil Ghost and the Mengkun Knife Staff stood guard at the periphery of the fire scene, leaving no opportunity for him to escape

Venturing into the world? One's heart does not truly understand what he means by the world, only thinking it refers to rivers and lakes, and thus asks in confusion, "Isn't that a place with a lot of water? How do we get there? Do we need to take a boat?"

Yixin was lost in tears. Suddenly, Ding Buer emerged like a ghost from beneath the bridge, grabbed the dazed Yixin, and started running. Still in shock from her sorrow, Yixin was unable to gather her wits to chase after the wind, and could only be pulled along, stumbling and staggering.

Before he could step out, he suddenly heard a sound of wind, and a mass of light and shadow flew towards him. Ding Buer quickly stepped back and dodged. A torch whizzed past, striking the pile of firewood against the wall, igniting a fire in the room

Ding Buer picked up a stone and gently tossed it towards Yixin's feet. Upon hearing the noise, Yixin turned his head and caught a glimpse of Ding Buer peeking out from the pile of firewood, gesturing towards him with joy, and exclaimed: "Brother Ding, you are here! How did you get into the pile of firewood?"

With great urgency, he asked: "Then it won't die, will it?" Ding Buer replied: "Just one bite... If you listen to me, it won't die"

Two men wearing black headscarves entered the tavern, each with a knife hanging at their waist. The waiter hurried to attend to them. Ding Buer was startled and quickly turned around. The man in the black headscarf chose the table behind Ding Buer, sat down, and called out: "Bring the good wine and fine dishes!"

Ding Buer let out a burp again, staring at Yixin, and said casually: "You are finished. You are going to die."

Ding Buer glanced at the young man before him and said with a smile, "Brother, the world of rivers and lakes I speak of is not the one you think it is. The world of rivers and lakes is... well, never mind, you will come to understand it slowly in the future." Knowing that he had just come down from the mountain, it was difficult to explain everything in a few words, so he chose not to elaborate further

Two men, having set aside their differences, stood on the bridge and whispered softly to each other

Ding Buer quickly shrank back and dodged. The Tianshan Evil Spirit had already blocked the way, delivering a flying kick. Ding Buer pushed with both hands and leaped up. The kick was merely half an inch away from striking his waist. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Meng Kun swung his staff to strike at Ding Buer's waist. With Ding Buer in mid-air and no room left to leap, he simply grabbed Meng Kun's iron staff with both hands and flipped his body out.

This is a small grove

Ding Buer chuckled and said: "Brother Ding also has a name, Ding Buer, which means 'the one who speaks without contradiction.' Haha. Friends from the jianghu and the common people have given me a nickname, called 'The Thousand-Faced Thief.' To put it nicely, it's a chivalrous thief; to put it bluntly, it's just a common thief."

Ding Buer lay straight and still, his face pale as death, blood trickling from the corners of his mouth, and he no longer showed any signs of life. Yi Xin, in utter despair, began to weep uncontrollably

"I am fine." Ding Buer shook his hand, then turned to the Tianshan Evil Ghost and said, "Who says I lost? This is the little monk from the Foguang Temple, you can see for yourselves."

Ding Buer dodged the flames with one side while being on guard against the two people's sneak attacks, secretly looking for an opportunity to escape. The fire was fierce on the east, north, and south sides, while the west side had slightly weaker flames, yet it was guarded by the two individuals, leaving Ding Buer extremely anxious.

Meng Kun stared blankly at the Tianshan Evil Ghost: "Kill... kill him, just like that?"

Ding Bu Er Dao: "Sigh. I initially resorted to theft merely to fill my stomach and survive, but eventually, I became accustomed to it. Stealing is indeed not a good thing. Therefore, I do not deserve to walk the same path as heroes like Qiu. However, rest assured, I consider myself a good person; I have never stolen from good people, only from bad ones to help the good. Most of the things I have stolen have been distributed to the needy and impoverished, which is why I have earned the title of 'Chivalrous Thief'"

Meng Kun was taken aback and quickly stepped back two paces to evade. Taking advantage of the moment, Ding Bu'er leaped up and thrust his short sword directly at the Tianshan Evil Spirit. The curved blade of the Tianshan Evil Spirit was cut in half by this short sword, and fully aware of the short sword's ferocity, he dared not clash with it head-on, hastily retreating a step and swinging the half-blade towards Ding Bu'er's wrist. Ding Bu'er continuously forced the two back and had already taken the opportunity to leap out of the fire scene. As for the slash aimed at his arm, with his swift movements, it was naturally not difficult to dodge and evade. Ding Bu'er continuously forced the two back and had already taken the opportunity to leap out of the fire scene. As for the slash aimed at his arm, with his swift movements, it was naturally not difficult to dodge and evade.

The Tianshan Evil Ghost and Meng Kun engaged in a fierce struggle simultaneously. Ding Bu'er did not dare to confront them head-on; he merely sought a moment's respite, which would allow him to employ the Wind-Chasing Stance and make his escape. The two adversaries were well aware of Ding Bu'er's extraordinary speed and naturally sought every possible means to restrain him. They either took advantage of the moments when he was down and unable to rise or attacked him while he was in mid-air, yet they were cautious of the precious sword in his hand and did not dare to approach too closely. On that day, the Tianshan Evil Ghost's curved blade had been severed into two pieces by a short sword, leaving him with only half a blade, significantly diminishing the lethal power of the Death-Seizing Chasing Soul Blade. Otherwise, Ding Bu'er would have likely become a victim beneath his blade long ago. Even so, Ding Bu'er found himself unable to fully unleash his abilities and was already in a highly passive position

Ding Buer took a step forward, then suddenly stopped, and earnestly instructed: "No matter what happens later, you must not come out unless I call for you. Just in case, I mean just in case, if something happens to me, you should leave immediately, run as far as you can... You must not appear in this vicinity at all." As he spoke, he took out a money pouch from his bosom and stuffed it into Yixin's hand.

Ding Buer was unwilling to travel with the three individuals. Qiu He and the other two then took their leave. As Ding Buer gazed at the retreating figures of the three extraordinary individuals, his heart was filled with admiration

No! "" Yixin shouted as she ran down from the earth mound

The two men rummaged through the pile of firewood but found no trace of Ding Bu'er, and were puzzled. Suddenly, they noticed that Ding Bu'er had already crossed the bridge, pulling along the little monk. The bearded man exclaimed "Ah!" and stood there in a daze.

"Who said I am fine? I also want to ... ... " Ding Bu Er did not finish his sentence before he fell down and went to sleep

It is uncertain how much time has passed

Ding Bu'er was suddenly struck heavily in the left chest by the hilt of a knife wielded by the Tianshan Evil Spirit, causing him to be thrown far away, and he spat out blood from his mouth

A distance of several dozen li was nothing to Ding Buer and Yixin, who had already learned the Chasing Wind stance. The two quickly arrived at Shizui Town

Having said that, the evil spirit of Tianshan raised the iron staff high, exerting all its strength, and struck directly at Ding Buer, who was lying across the trap.

Upon hearing the single sound of "Dang," the evil spirit of Tianshan felt a tingling in both hands, and the iron staff was shaken away.

The corner of the Tianshan Evil Ghost's mouth revealed a smug smile, knowing that this move had succeeded, and was certain that Ding Buer would find it difficult to hold on. He was not in a hurry to launch an attack. Meng Kun laughed even more heartily: "This is great. This fellow has fallen into our hands, and he will have to suffer now."

"Brother Ding, you are awake," said Yixin, who had just run back and was squatting beside him.

The one launching the surprise attack is the Tianshan Evil Ghost, wielding a half-bent knife, employing the most accomplished Thirty-Six Styles of the Death-Seizing Soul-Chasing Blade, ruthlessly advancing with the intent to eliminate the opponent, to vent his humiliation and resentment

Qiu Huo smiled and said, "This is very good."

Meng Kun had never seen the Three Wonders of the Countryside, but he could only guess their appearances based on hearsay from the Jianghu, and he was not very certain. Thus, he stepped forward and asked, "Are you three... the Three Wonders of the Countryside?" The Evil Ghost of Tianshan, seeing that Meng Kun recognized them, understood that these three must have significant backgrounds. He then said, "Are you three here to stand in for the surname Ding? If so, may I ask, since this is a bet, if someone loses, should they be punished according to the rules?"

The great fire blazed fiercely, roaring loudly, crackling with sound

There is no room for evasion in Ding Buer's situation, one can only resign oneself to misfortune and wait for death with closed eyes

The Tianshan Evil Spirit had not yet regained its composure. Meng Kun was initially taken aback. He saw a man standing nearby, holding an iron shoulder pole as thick as a wrist, who was none other than the renowned figure of the Jianghu, the first among the three wonders of the countryside. Following closely, Chen Kang and Doctor Hu also approached.

Ding Buer coughed softly, slowly opened his eyes, and felt a heaviness in his chest. He saw Yixin lying on top of him and wanted to push him away, but he lacked the strength. Feeling something strange in his mouth, he slowly raised his hand and began to pick out the object bit by bit, weakly calling out: "Brother Yixin, what did you give me to eat?"

Qiu Huo said: "The three of us are just unable to rest easy, we will come over as soon as the third one wakes up. Brother Ding, please do not be polite. We have known each other for a while, and from now on, we are friends."

Ding Buer gritted his teeth against the excruciating pain, pulling Yi Xin along as they rushed forward for about four or five miles, but he could run no further. A mouthful of fresh blood spurted out, and Ding Buer collapsed to the ground. Yi Xin, unable to support him, was also pulled down to the ground.

Half an hour had passed, yet Yi Xin had still not returned. Ding Bu Er felt a sense of unease in his heart and regretted, "How could the little monk handle money? He must have encountered some trouble." At that moment, a waiter was passing by with dishes and overheard Ding Bu Er muttering. He approached and asked, "Sir, do you have any instructions?" Ding Bu Er shouted, "It's none of your business!" The waiter stuck out his tongue and quickly walked away. Ding Bu Er absentmindedly poked the table with his chopsticks, gradually becoming more and more anxious.

Yixin suddenly asked, "How can you drink that bitter water? How can you drink so much of it?" Ding Buer, with a slightly shortened tongue and inebriated, replied, "What bitter water? That is wine, fine wine. Wine is a good thing, very beautiful.

Yixin asked, "Brother Ding, where are we going?" Ding Bu'er replied, "First, we need to find a place to recuperate. Once I am better, I will take you to venture into the martial world together"

"Brother Ding, you finally opened your eyes. That's wonderful." Yixin, relieved from the fright, happily crawled over to look at Ding Buer. However, Ding Buer remained lying straight, his eyes wide open, showing no reaction. "Brother Ding, Brother Ding," Yixin called out a few more times, but still saw no movement from him, causing her heart to panic. "Brother Ding, what happened to you?" Tears streamed down her face again, falling onto Ding Buer's lips.

Ding Buer stretched lazily, refreshed himself, and noticed that his clothes had been dampened by the dew. With a swift motion, he stood up like a hawk turning in mid-air and said to Yixin: "Let’s go, we have important matters to attend to"

Ding Bu'er thought to himself: "You could have killed me. I also want to scare you."

The autumn nights have become quite cool

Ding Buer took a moment to catch his breath, propped himself up with his hands on the ground, and smiled slightly as he said, "If you two were to take advantage of this moment to rush over and kill me, would I still have a life left? Since I have given my brothers a chance, let us part ways for now." After saying this, he turned around, took a deep breath, lifted his leg, and walked away

The evil spirit of Tianshan was momentarily at a loss for words, as he had no prior knowledge of the existence of the Foguang Temple, and naturally did not recognize any of the individuals within the temple. Even if Ding Buer were to present a fake, he would indeed be unable to discern the truth. Meng Kun also had no particular ideas, merely mumbling, "Who knows whether this little monk is real or fake?"

Two dark-skinned men were hacking away indiscriminately, having already reduced the pile of firewood to a complete mess. "It's done. No matter how sturdy it is, it has long been broken into dozens of pieces," the short man with small eyes signaled the bearded man to stop. The two began to rummage through the firewood and straw, searching for Ding Bu'er’s corpse.

Ding Buer originally believed that he would undoubtedly die from a single strike of the Tianshan Evil Spirit's staff. Just at that moment, the three wonders of the countryside arrived and saved his life. He felt a warmth in his heart and was about to clasp his fists in gratitude, but the movement stirred his heart, nearly causing him to spit out blood.

Yixin could not find Brother Ding, so he approached and asked the two men in black, "Gentlemen, have you seen someone pass by here?" The bearded man cursed, "Get lost, you stinky monk! There are many people who have walked by, do you expect me to keep an eye on all of them?!" However, the shorter man squinted his eyes and asked in a low voice, "Are you referring to the one with a wine flask at his waist, holding his chest, and walking very quickly?" "Yes," Yixin nodded.

"Die?" Ding Bu Er squinted at him, shaking his hand and saying, "No way. He has skills, he can drink, he won't die." Ding Bu Er pointed at himself: "I also have skills, you have seen it. Those with skills won't die no matter how much they drink. What about you, do you have skills?"

At this point, he suddenly advised, "Brother, you are still inexperienced in the world and cannot distinguish between good people and bad people. You must remember, if we are not together, never tell others that you know me, nor should you say that you are a monk from the Fogong Temple, otherwise you will get into trouble." Yixin nodded and took note.

Yixin sat beside Ding Buyi, at a loss for what to do. Tears streamed down his entire face, and the sleeve he used to wipe his tears was already soaked through.

Yixin asked again: "How did that person fall? Is he going to die?"

The setting sun descends in the west. The sky gradually darkens.

Ding Buer walked a few steps, but then felt a pain in his chest. Turning around, he saw that the two men had followed him, so he dared not stop and quickened his pace.

Meng Kun laughed heartily: "Haha, Ding, I never expected you to end up like this today, did you? Today, I will make you suffer ten times more. Evil Ghost Brother, why don't you give him some antidote to try as well?"

The fire grew increasingly fierce. As the roof collapsed, the thatched cottage also came crashing down in the blaze

Two men with black headscarves are looking around on the street. One of them, with a full beard, cursed in a rough voice: "Damn it, this thief is slipping away quickly!"

Meng Kun was concerned about the reputation of the Three Wonders of the Countryside, and he was also afraid of dragging Master Wuyá into the matter again. He hurriedly advised the Tianshan Evil Spirit to endure for the time being, suggesting that they could settle accounts with Ding Buer later. The Tianshan Evil Spirit, seeing that they were outnumbered, believed he had no chance of winning. Moreover, the cancellation of the bet was also to his advantage. Although he could not take revenge and relieve his grievances, he managed to save face. Thus, he dropped his iron staff and said, "It seems there is no other choice. For the sake of the Three Wonders of the Countryside, I will spare him this time." Ding Buer initially wanted to retort, but after a moment's thought, he found it meaningless and nodded in agreement, secretly putting away his short sword to avoid further entanglement with the Tianshan Evil Spirit over the matter of the sword.

Upon seeing him wake up, Ji Xin cried even harder: "Brother Ding, it's all my fault. I didn't know they were bad people... intending to harm you."

Feeling disappointed, Ding Buer faintly sensed an unusual odor in the room and was startled, quickly rushing towards the door