Chapter 10: Repeating Crossbow Nine Arrows, Lethal Mechanisms

Li Che gripped the Spirit Infant figurine, his eyes flickering uncertainly.

Since they had set their sights on him and produced an eerie Spirit Infant wood carving as a mark, Li Che naturally dared not gamble; if he went out to work and they forcibly broke into the earthen house and attacked, he would regret it deeply.

"The safest place…… naturally is the woodcarving shop!"

"I am now a woodcarving master, with my own workshop, I can let Xixi and Xiaoya stay in my workshop……"

"Mm, steady and safe!"

After making the decision to steady himself, Li Che shouted to wake his wife Zhang Ya.

"Husband, you exhausted me last night, you must have been holding it in……" Zhang Ya's pretty face blushed slightly, her gaze toward Li Che seeming as if it could squeeze out water.

Li Che smiled, then rubbed his wife's disheveled fine hair.

"Wife, tidy up, take Xixi, and go to the woodcarving shop…… these two days accompany me to work."

Li Che said.

Zhang Ya instantly startled, go to the woodcarving shop to work together?

"Husband, today is your first day at work as a woodcarving master…… would it be inappropriate for me and Xixi to go together? Might we annoy the shopkeeper?"

Li Che shook his head: "No, the workshop is the private space of the woodcarving master; family members staying there is also fine, and I will explain to the shopkeeper."

Upon hearing that, Zhang Ya said nothing more, began packing her things, and took Xixi, who was on the bed with eyes open, waving her arms and legs, playing by herself.

After wrapping Xixi up tightly, the family set out against the wind and snow, heading for Xu Ji Mu diao Pu.

Li Che shielded his wife and daughter; the cold wind howled, he tightened his wife's cotton coat, wrapped Xixi, not letting the cold wind invade her.

At the same time, Li Che's peripheral vision swept around, his mind highly alert.

Seeing her husband like that, Zhang Ya's heart jolted, realizing something must have happened, but Li Che didn't speak, so she didn't ask, though she silently worried in her heart.

The couple, carrying their child, passed through the wind and snow, stepping onto the blue-stone long street covered in accumulated snow.

"The Holy Spirit has a teaching, cleanse the dust, the reincarnation without worry method……"

"One must have supreme wisdom, achieved without teaching……"

The sound of ding-ding-dang rang out, bronze bells clashing, war drums beating in unison, the Spirit Infant Sect's procession, bearing an alluring sequence, walked from afar.

Upon the raised altar, the three-headed six-armed Spirit Infant wood carving statue, amidst a wisp of incense smoke, became ever more evil.

Li Che even faintly felt that the Spirit Infant Dharma Master's wood carving's gaze intentionally looked toward their family's direction, a vague stare constantly fixed on him, making him feel like a thorn in his back!

"Husband……" Zhang Ya looked at the Spirit Infant Dharma Master's procession, her face obviously somewhat flustered.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here."

"Don't look, just go straight."

Li Che patted his wife, embraced her slender shoulders, and walked straight toward the woodcarving shop.

But Li Che inexplicably felt the cold wind rustling behind him, as if a shadow constantly followed behind their family.

The crisis was like dark ink steeped in a pool, beginning to spread little by little, until it dyed the whole pool black.

Fortunately, they soon arrived at Xu Ji Mu diao Pu.

The moment he stepped inside the woodcarving shop, Li Che finally felt his body relax; he turned his head to look into the distance, his eyes narrowed, and sure enough, he saw a black shadow flash past the corner.

"Lei Chunlan?"

Li Che's chest heaved violently, and he could not help but surge with killing intent.

"A Che?"

Suddenly, a familiar voice sounded; Chen Dabao held a gourd, drinking alcohol, and then saw Li Che, along with his wife Zhang Ya and Xixi beside him.

This scene…… made him startled for a moment, but Old Chen, being experienced and shrewd, connected it to what Li Che had said earlier about the Spirit Infant Dharma Master targeting his daughter, and thus he understood.

"Come in first."

Old Chen's expression turned solemn, and he let Li Che bring his wife and daughter into the shop.

Li Che arranged Zhang Ya in his own workshop, then went to find Old Chen.

Old Chen drank from his gourd of alcohol, glanced at Li Che: "You've been targeted?"

Li Che nodded, and took out the Spirit Infant wood carving that had appeared at his doorstep last night.

Upon seeing the Spirit Infant wood carving, Old Chen's expression turned solemn, he even stopped drinking: "You did right, bringing your wife and daughter to the woodcarving shop is the only way to be safe; your house…… is no longer safe."

"Spirit Infant Dharma Master, Spirit Infant Dharma Master…… giving this wood carving means the Spirit Infant Sect is evaluating your daughter as…… a Spirit Infant!"

Old Chen received the wood carving, his expression extremely grave.

Li Che's expression also changed involuntarily.

"They have likely been watching your family all along; this 'three-headed six-armed Spirit Infant statue' appeared only last night, right?"

"It seems they know you became a woodcarver at Xu Ji, and know you will definitely move into Xu Ji Manor, so……"

Li Che's face darkened: "They want to strike first?"

"Yes, you fortunately were steady, bringing your wife and daughter over……" Old Chen clenched his five fingers, the Spirit Infant wood carving instantly cracked all over, with a crackling sound shattering into pieces of wood on the ground.

"You said someone is following you? Is it that midwife who harmed many children's lives?"

"Possibly, I didn't see clearly…… cannot be certain."

"Considering that we are about to become harmonious, friendly neighbors…… I'll take you on a trip to see if it's that brainwashed midwife……"

Old Chen gulped a mouthful of strong old wine, slightly narrowed his eyes, and said.

Upon hearing that, Li Che couldn't help but feel pleased.

He knew Old Chen's attitude changed because he displayed his woodcarving talent, able to make woodcarvings extremely rich in meaning; such talent…… seemed even more important than imagined!

Li Che placed his wife and daughter inside the workshop, instructed Zhang Ya not to run around, Old Chen had an old master help watch some points, then he and Li Che left the shop together.

Both wore bamboo hats to brave the wind and snow.

Leaving the shop, Old Chen threw a cloak to Li Che, he himself also wrapped up, and hung his alcohol gourd at his waist.

They arrived at that alley corner.

Yet only on the piled snow at the alley corner's turn sat a statue of a three‑headed, six‑armed spirit infant.

Whoa, you've got guts, daring to leave a mark in front of Xu's Shop… Do you really think Xu's Shop is made of mud?

Chen Lao narrowed his eyes, stamped a foot, and with his qi and blood surging, the wood‑carved spirit infant instantly shattered into pieces.

Clatter!

At the same time.

In the distance, a black shadow seemed startled, darting swiftly across the snow.

"Found it." Chen Lao narrowed his eyes and glanced at Li Che.

"Follow me slowly on your own, and watch your safety."

Having said that, the skin exposed on Chen Lao's body turned crimson as if aflame, his frame stretched, and his tendons tightened, emitting a sound like a bowstring being pulled taut.

The snow beneath his feet instantly melted into water, a scorching heat wave surged forward, and as he stepped down, it was like a red‑hot branding iron being flung out, smashing the falling snow as he pursued the fleeing black shadow.

Watching Chen Lao shoot away in an instant, Li Che felt a slight shock in his heart.

Skin Tempering, Opening the Tendons, Tempering Bones and Exchanging Blood… Chen Lao didn't know what realm he had reached, and his internal strength was also extraordinarily formidable.

Exhaling a breath of hot wind and snow, Li Che pressed the sleeve crossbow hidden in his sleeve, his face icy as water.

Not afraid of thieves stealing, just afraid of thieves taking a liking…

Thinking of how adorable Xixi had been targeted by these villains, a fierce murderous intent welled up in Li Che's heart.

You want to mess with my daughter, I…

I'll kill you all!

……

……

Li Che stepped onto the blue‑stone slab road and quickly caught up.

From afar, he saw Chen Lao leaning against the wall at the alley corner, holding a gourd and savoring fine liquor.

Behind him in the alley, a black shadow lay curled on the ground, blood staining the white snow.

"Not that midwife, just a practitioner who has mastered Skin Tempering, who has joined the Spirit Infant Sect and become a follower."

Seeing Li Che approach, Chen Lao said lightly.

Li Che's heart sank at once, feeling somewhat disappointed.

It wasn't Lei Chunlan… but it's truly a pity.

That big man's skin was darkly tanned, bearing the toughness of wind and sun, yet now he was utterly enfeebled, blood bleeding from his mouth and nose, collapsed on the ground, puffing hot air with each breath and coughing up blood.

Obviously, he had taken a brutal beating in just a few moves at Chen Lao's hands, his injuries severe.

After beating the man, Chen Lao drank, feeling the relaxed satisfaction of a post‑fight smoke.

Li Che stared at the big man whose head was buried in the snowdrift, his fists clenched, his eyes icy and unfeeling.

"Where is Lei Chunlan?"

Li Che asked, his voice hoarse.

"I… I… don't… know…"

The big man, head buried, replied with a grunt.

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Che kicked his head hard, slamming the big man's skull into the blue‑stone slab scattered with plain snow, producing a dull thud.

Li Che kicked repeatedly; the big man gritted his teeth, only letting out muffled groans, never crying out.

Chen Lao watched indifferently, half‑smiling.

After a moment, the two walked silently down the long street, Chen Lao with his hands behind his back, leisurely.

Meanwhile, Li Che turned to Chen Dabao and said, "Old Chen, you go back to the shop first; I'll buy a catty of pork head meat and get two taels of yellow wine to thank you…"

Upon hearing that, Chen Lao immediately broke into a grin: "No need to be polite, go on, go on—I want the braised‑food shop on the west side of the city."

Li Che smiled, replied, and then darted into the wind and snow.

Watching Li Che's disappearing back, Chen Lao smacked his lips, picked up his gourd, pulled out the stopper, and gulped a mouthful.

"This kid… is actually a good father."

"But, having never trained in martial arts, killing a Skin Tempering martial artist… isn't easy, you know."

……

……

In the alley.

Snow drifted and swirled, sparse and scattered, piercing to the bone with cold.

A rich smell of blood permeated the air; the dark‑skinned big man who had taken Chen Lao's beating staggered up from the ground, bending to brace himself against the wall…

Chen Lao's strength was overwhelming; this man, newly at Skin Tempering, had utterly no power to resist.

As for the kicks Li Che delivered, to the big man at the Skin Tempering stage they caused neither pain nor itch—only a slight humiliation.

"The spirit infants targeted by the Dharma Lord… none can escape… not even Xu's Shop can protect them…"

The big man huffed and puffed, drawing a rough breath.

Suddenly.

The waist he was staring at suddenly stiffened, the light at the alley entrance blocked by a human silhouette.

He strained to lift his head, only to see a tall figure wearing a bamboo hat blocking the alley mouth.

And that hat‑clad figure raised his arm.

Whoosh!

Accompanied by a sound of tearing air, a howl pierced the flying snow.

Pfft!

It seemed something had exploded……

The black-skinned burly man only felt a stabbing pain shoot from his eyes; a wooden crossbow bolt, with strong force, pierced his eyeball, and blood instantly blurred his vision.

He let out a miserable howl, and pain instantly burned his nerves!

Like a provoked tiger, he roared and lunged at the person who shot the hidden arrow from the alley entrance, wanting to tear them apart!

Li Che wore a straw hat, watching the black-skinned burly man lunging at him, utterly cold; accompanied by a whistling sound, another crossbow bolt shot out.

One arrow after another, every shot hit the eye socket!

Sure, the hide is tough, but can you still grind his eyeballs?

He expended all nine crossbow bolts from the first volley of his sleeve crossbow.

Until the black-skinned burly man collapsed to his knees, his head bristling like a hedgehog, he breathed his last and fell still.

Only then did Li Che shake out his sleeve, expressionlessly stow his sleeve crossbow, turn, and pull down his straw hat……

He walked toward the braised meat stall in the western part of the city.

(End of chapter)