Grandma Lei… kills babies?
She specifically targets the babies she delivers to kill?!
Li Che heard his uncle's words, and his hair stood on end, his pupils contracting sharply.
"Uncle, where did you hear this from?" Li Che took a deep breath, his heart sinking heavily, and quickly asked.
The Old Scholar held his smoking pipe between his lips, exhaling wispy smoke, his brows furrowed into the shape of the Chinese character "chuan" (川), and said, "I didn't believe it at first, but isn't Xi Xi delivered by Grandma Lei? So I deliberately asked around..."
"It's true. The families whose children died have already caused a stir at the Outer City government office. The government even issued a warrant—they're officially after Grandma Lei now!"
"If you don't believe me, you can go check the bulletin board at the government office. The wanted poster is right up there."
The Old Scholar's voice became much graver.
Though he regretted that Xi Xi wasn't born a boy, she was still a Li family descendant. Hearing such news, his first thought was concern for Xi Xi's safety.
"I heard Grandma Lei… worshipped that 'Spirit Infant Master' and started to believe in the Spirit Infant Sect. But killing… ah, killing babies like this—what a sin. They're just children."
His voice trembled, filled with profound dismay, and he sighed long and deeply, puffing on his pipe relentlessly.
*Li Che's face turned extremely somber, his heart grasped by unease.*
*To Li Che, Xi Xi was the apple of his eye, his most cherished daughter. If anything were to happen to her… his heart would break with both pain and guilt.*
*To protect his daughter was the duty of a father, a responsibility he must shoulder without hesitation!*
"Thank you, Uncle. I'll go find out more, so I can prepare ahead of time," Li Che said earnestly. The Old Scholar nodded quickly and then rubbed his hands together, adding, "Since I'm here anyway, might as well visit Xi Xi..."
Li Che chuckled inwardly, glancing at the bashful Old Scholar but didn't comment. Instead, he led him into the house.
Upon seeing Xi Xi, the Old Scholar's wrinkled, aged face bloomed into a radiant smile.
Though he grumbled that Xi Xi wasn't a boy, his affection for her was nonetheless genuine and heartfelt.
"Your aunt's about to give birth soon. Your aunt-in-law says, with that pointy belly, it should be a boy… ha, I hope the little rascal is as adorable as Xi Xi." Uncle laughed joyfully.
His eldest son had married, and this year, his own child was expected to be born.
"Wife, while I'm away from home soon, make sure to lock all the doors and windows. No matter who's calling, don't open them for anyone…"
After seeing off the Old Scholar, Li Che specifically gave Zhang Ya this warning before heading out to work.
Zhang Ya paused briefly but didn't ask questions. Instead, she obediently promised she would comply.
...
...
Heavy-hearted, Li Che made his way to the government's bulletin board and indeed found a wanted poster for Grandma Lei.
"Lei Chunlan, killed seven children—all of whom she delivered a year ago…"
"Huh? Delivered a year ago… So, these murdered children must meet the condition of being a year old?"
*Li Che, wearing his straw hat, stared at the poster, lost in thought.*
*But he dared not place all his trust in his reasoning.*
*What if Lei Chunlan chooses to target babies who are just a month old?*
*Li Che couldn't take that risk…*
*He couldn't afford to.*
"Looks like I'll have to become one of Xu's Wood Carving Shop masters... If I gain their protection, at least my family will be safe."
Li Che took a deep breath, pressed his hat lower, and headed toward Xu Ji's Wood Carving Shop.
Arriving at the shop, he spotted Master Chen, whose hair and beard were both stark white but whose complexion glowed with vitality. He was seated on a chair, humming a little tune while sipping wine from his gourd.
"Li, you're here? Heard you're planning to take the carving assessment. Haha, you've got guts, boy—to think you'd dare attempt it after only self-studying for a month," Master Chen remarked with a teasing grin when he saw Li Che.
Master Chen's full name was Chen Dabao. At sixty-eight years old, he was one of Xu Ji's seasoned veteran carving masters.
It was said Chen Dabao had long qualified for an Inner City position with Xu Ji but had always refused, preferring to remain in the Outer City shop.
This sentiment wasn't unique to Chen; several other carving masters in the shop felt the same way.
*This puzzled Li Che deeply. Why wouldn't they move to the Inner City?*
*The Inner City's living environment and conditions were said to be vastly superior to those of the Outer City.*
"You kid… The Inner City may be fine, but it's equally fraught with danger. These days, the world is in turmoil, evil spirits lurk everywhere, mysterious temples are springing up, sects rise and fall, and the Imperial Court's authority is in chaos. The Court's control over many cities has long waned. As a result, most cities are now ruled by wealthy clans and powerful aristocrats," Chen explained.
"Between these clans, there's endless conflict and friction as they vie for control over cities and consolidate vast interests. Entering the Inner City as an old man is like stepping into the vortex—I can't afford to be caught up in the chaos."
"Here in the Outer City… Conditions might be poorer, but with my Inner Strength, I still live comfortably."
Master Chen smugly took a sip from his gourd of Old Huang wine, savoring the taste as he smacked his lips loudly.
Li Che nodded, finding himself able to understand Chen's sentiments.
*In a desolate land, the monkey becomes king. Humble, yet practical.*
Suddenly, a thought crossed Li Che's mind, and he asked softly, "Master Chen, have you heard of the 'Spirit Infant Master'?"
Master Chen's drinking hand froze, his brows knotting as he shot Li Che a glance. "Are you messing with that stuff?"
Li Che swiftly shook his head, recounting the alarming news his uncle had shared that morning.
"My daughter was delivered by Lei Chunlan... I'm scared," Li Che admitted anxiously.
Hearing this, Master Chen's face grew solemn. "It seems yet another person has fallen into the cult's trap. Ever since this Spirit Infant Sect, born from one of those mysterious temples, spread to Fei Lei City, the number of children dying has surged…"
"That midwife is likely a disciple of the Spirit Infant Master, bewitched into using the children she delivers to make sacrificial offerings."
"Delivering babies is almost like a ritual… Once marked, it's hard to escape their grasp."
"That midwife… likely won't let your child off easily."
*Li Che's expression worsened, his face darkening heavily as his fingers clenched tightly into a fist, his breathing labored.*
"However, you mentioned that those lost children were all delivered a year prior—it's probably because they need to be one year old before they qualify for sacrifice. For now, within this year, your baby should be safe. But you better stay vigilant, just in case the midwife attempts to abduct your child in secret and waits until the right time for her ritual."
Master Chen, having seen many such incidents, spoke with a calm, matter-of-fact tone.
There was little he could do beyond giving a warning.
Helping Li Che personally was far from guaranteed, considering their relationship was too superficial to warrant such involvement.
*Li Che understood this reality and refrained from making any overt requests—he knew too well that if he did, and Master Chen refused, their already tenuous connection would completely shatter.*
"Master Chen… If I become a wood-carving master at the shop, will the shop protect my family?"
Li Che inhaled deeply, asking his question.
Master Chen took another sip of wine, giving Li Che a sideways glance.
"If you manage to become a carving master, all your problems will be solved."
"The shop provides housing for its carving masters. If you move your wife and child there under the shop's protection, that midwife wouldn't dare show her face—she'd be killed on sight."
"We carving masters who practice Inner Strength have no reason to fear the midwife, even if she's backed by the Spirit Infant Sect's evil methods."
"If you really become a carving master, even as one of the lowest-ranked One-cut Masters, I'd be your neighbor. If that wretched midwife dares appear… I'll slap her dead myself!"
Master Chen wiped the wine dripping from his beard and grinned, revealing rows of yellowed, jagged teeth, a faint grimness in his aura.
Soon, the ominous air receded, and he rhythmically tapped the worn, wax-polished gourd with his fingers, gazing at Li Che with intrigue.
"But first… you have to actually become a carving master."
"That's no easy feat…"
"Do you really think you, with just a spontaneous month or so of self-learning, can surpass those apprentices in the shop who've spent vast sums of silver coin and trained from childhood?"