"You want to move into the wood carving shop?"
"You're now a wood carving master, so you can naturally... However, there are still some formalities that need to be addressed. I'll arrange for someone to expedite the process for you. In two days, you can go and inspect the courtyard."
Third Shopkeeper Xu You greatly admired Li Che's talent.
The carvings he created were exceptionally meaningful. Such talent… for any wood carving shop, would be incredibly valuable and sought after.
Because only with such skill could a wood carver have the opportunity to grow into a woodcarving master!
Thus, he naturally wouldn't reject Li Che's request—in fact, he even found it quite desirable.
Geniuses should receive the treatment reserved for geniuses.
"Thank you, Third Shopkeeper." Li Che said sincerely, clasping his hands together in respect.
Xu You nodded, then drifted into the swirling snow alongside Xu Beihu, disappearing out of sight.
Li Che exhaled a long breath of warmth, a smile creeping onto his face. *Moving into the wood carving shop would significantly reduce the threats posed by the Spirit Infant Sect.*
Returning to the shop, he grabbed his wide straw hat and collected his monthly salary as a wood carver—five taels of silver.
The Third Shopkeeper had explained that this day moving forward would mark the payroll distribution for each month.
Under the envious yet respectful gazes of the apprentices, Li Che packed his belongings, ready to return home to share the good news with his wife and daughter.
But before leaving, he shamelessly sidled up to Master Chen.
"Master Chen, may I take some scrap wood home to practice?"
Chen Dabao took a swig from his gourd of wine, his face stern: "A Che, from now on, you're also a wood carving master at this shop. Given our rapport, stop calling me Master Chen and just call me Old Chen."
"As for the materials, you're free to take them. You can even select pieces from the courtyard. As long as they're not too large, you can take them home for practice."
Chen Dabao had naturally recognized Li Che's talent. Building a favorable relationship was important.
Being an old-timer himself, he had enough worldly wisdom to avoid offending others unnecessarily.
"Oh, by the way, when you pick your courtyard, call me over. I'll give it a once-over for you. That way, we can be neighbors." Old Chen said with a smile.
...
...
Joy rejuvenates the spirit.
*Li Che was elated. Becoming a wood carver not only increased his wages but gave him a brighter future. Wealth and prosperity, ensuring that his wife and daughter could live comfortably, was no longer just a distant dream.*
Walking down the main street of Feilei Outer City, stepping through piled pristine snow, he entered a shop to buy two taels of wine. Then, he purchased some pig's head meat and braised beef, heading toward home.
The sky gradually darkened, and streetlamps were sparse.
From a distance, Li Che spotted the faint glow of the oil lamp in their humble earthen house.
*He imagined his adorable daughter Xi Xi babbling as she learned to speak, and the corners of his lips couldn't help but lift.*
Standing before the house, he reached out to call his wife Zhang Ya to open the door.
But suddenly, something caught the corner of his eye. His breath hitched, and the air seemed to freeze around him.
His neck stiffened, turning slowly.
His gaze landed on the left corner of the wooden doorframe. Resting quietly atop the thick snow was a palm-sized wooden carving!
A three-headed, six-armed child sat serenely on a lotus platform, its expression an eerie mix of smiling and serious, lips slightly curled, one eye open while the other shut.
The longer he stared…
*Whispers of a child crying and laughing seemed to echo faintly in his ears.*
"Spirit Infant Master?!"
Li Che's face turned dark. He swiftly scanned his surroundings, his furious gaze brimming with menace.
*So… it's come to this? They've targeted us?! Xi Xi is just one month old!*
Lei Chunlan!
Where are you?! Come out!
But all was silent around him. Only the sound of snowflakes falling, juxtaposed with Xi Xi's babbling speech inside the house.
He reached down to grab the wooden carving. It seemed like an ordinary carving…
*Yet it emanated a different kind of message, extinguishing the joy in his heart instantly.*
*Like a thief marking an area before targeting it, perhaps they were doing the same here.*
Li Che's expression turned grim. He mulled it over briefly and tossed the Spirit Infant carving into the woodshed, deciding to bring it to the wood carving shop tomorrow for inquiry.
After finishing everything, his cheerful demeanor returned.
*Returning home… it should always be about sharing joy, not worry.*
"Husband, you're back?"
Zhang Ya opened the door. The snow-laden wind swept in, but her eyes lit up immediately upon seeing Li Che with wine and meat in hand.
She instinctively knew her husband had something good to share.
Upon hearing that Li Che had become a wood carver at Xu's Wood Carving Shop, she couldn't contain her excitement, squealing like a young maiden. She hugged Li Che's waist, jumping and rubbing against him to the point that… his *heart-monkey* stirred.
"Husband, tonight we must celebrate properly!"
Zhang Ya tilted her smooth jaw upward, a radiant smile on her face.
Li Che drew her into his arms, a mischievous smirk curling his lips: "How does my dear wife plan to celebrate?"
Zhang Ya saw the playful glint in his eyes and immediately understood his suggestive tone. Her delicate face flushed red.
Li Che took out the five taels he'd received that day and shared the plan to move into the wood carving shop.
Zhang Ya hesitated at first. The idea of moving puzzled her, but she didn't question it further.
Wherever her husband went, she and their daughter would follow.
Besides, Zhang Ya understood that the wood carving shop would undoubtedly be much safer than here…
After dinner, Zhang Ya quickly coaxed Xi Xi to sleep, leaving the couple free for a passionate and careful session of intimacy.
Later, on the bed, Zhang Ya's black hair spilled like ink as she fell into a deep sleep.
Li Che, on the other hand, was refreshed. Sitting beside the flickering oil lamp, he pulled out "Tang's Mechanism Essentials" borrowed from Old Chen.
The Dao Fruit ascribed to the "Immortal Artisan" trembled once more.
Li Che's eyes shone brightly as he began to flip through the pages, carefully reviewing their contents.
The book recorded various exquisitely designed mechanisms, some boasting immense destructive power…
*As Li Che studied the designs, he was captivated by Dao Fruit's aid. The ingenuity of the mechanisms and the brilliance of their concepts left him thoroughly impressed.*
While the book detailed twelve types of mechanisms, nine of them required Inner Strength and Divinity to craft.
Given his current abilities, those were out of the question.
Instead, he chose three mechanisms that didn't require Inner Strength or Divinity: the Sleeve Crossbow, Guanyin Blood Lotus, and Thousand Thread Spider.
From the scrap wood he'd brought back from the shop, Li Che started crafting the Sleeve Crossbow.
*Primarily because its design overlapped with his previous understanding of crossbows, allowing him to dive straight into its creation.*
The knife tore through the wood, the raspy sound of fibers splitting rang through the night…
From the first rays of dawn that pierced the snow-laden mist and illuminated the earth = came a small but perfectly crafted Sleeve Crossbow!
[Dao Fruit: Immortal Artisan (lv2, 19%)]
As the Sleeve Crossbow was completed, a flood of knowledge about its usage streamed into Li Che's mind, simultaneously displaying a notification right before his eyes.
Li Che's eyes gleamed with excitement. He hadn't expected crafting the Sleeve Crossbow to yield a 10% increase in Dao Fruit maturity!
*Li Che had dubbed the percentage value a maturity index for the Dao Fruit since once completed, it would advance, much like a fruit ripening.*
"Is it based on the complexity of the mechanism?" Li Che wondered to himself.
*The previously sluggish progression of Dao Fruit maturation had left him feeling anxious.*
Still, the limited number of mechanisms dampened his excitement a bit, leaving Li Che with a pang of regret.
"But the Mechanism Essentials outlines twelve mechanisms in detail. If I manage to craft all of them, it should be enough to elevate Dao Fruit to Level 3!" Li Che's eyes glimmered, his heart brimming with anticipation.
*There was still hope!*
Despite having mastered the Sleeve Crossbow's operation with Dao Fruit's help, Li Che refrained from testing its full capabilities under the influence of Inner Strength and Qi-Blood, especially catching sight of his wife and daughter peacefully asleep.
He rose and stretched lazily, his joints cracking with satisfaction.
*Perhaps due to the Dao Fruit, despite pulling an all-nighter, he felt utterly recharged.*
Hiding the Sleeve Crossbow within his sleeve, he inspected its wooden body and arrows crafted from the same material. While its durability was lacking, the sharp-tipped arrows packed quite a punch and were lightweight. More importantly, he could craft new ones with ease.
Making his way to the kitchen, Li Che prepared breakfast.
But his gaze involuntarily drifted toward the woodshed containing the Spirit Infant carving.
His brows furrowed deeply as he deliberated for a brief moment before shaking his head firmly.
"No. I can't leave Xi Xi and her mother here in the earthen house… It's no longer safe."