Chapter 107: Bamboo Hat, Black Clothes, Ox Demon Emerges from the Cage【Seeking Monthly Votes】

The night sky was dim and hazy, moonlight pouring down from the high heavens.

Within the courtyard.

Li Che furrowed his brows, setting down the wine cup in his hand.

Elder sister-in-law Liu Chunming's face was somewhat gloomy.

"Zhengran hasn't returned home for two days; this never happened before, so I'm worried something happened to him."

Zhang Ya hurried over, pulling Liu Chunming to sit on a chair, comforting her while pouring her tea.

Upon seeing everyone, Liu Chunming's pent-up grievance and panic burst forth, and she wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Elder sister-in-law, don't worry too much; maybe elder brother has something delaying him? Do you know what he was doing before he didn't come home?" Li Che asked.

"Zhengran said he went to the market to look for work; the silver we brought from Feiliecheng is almost spent, so he also wants to make a living—he can't keep relying on your support, Ah Che."

Perhaps because Li Che's status and position have changed from before, Liu Chunming's heart has eased somewhat.

"Go to the market to look for work?"

Li Che nodded.

"It's fine, elder sister-in-law; finding work in the market isn't easy; maybe elder brother found a job and didn't have time to notify you. Go home first, take care of the boat, and I'll go look for elder brother to see what's holding him up."

Li Che said gently.

Upon hearing this, Liu Chunming involuntarily nodded.

"Elder sister-in-law, have a meal before heading back?" Zhang Ya hurriedly said.

Liu Chunming waved her hands repeatedly; she really had no appetite.

After Liu Chunming left, Zhang Ya couldn't help but look at Li Che.

"Husband, elder brother surely wouldn't really come to harm, would he?"

The uncle and elder brother's family have helped us greatly, so Zhang Ya also doesn't want anything to happen, hoping everyone will be fine.

"Nothing serious should happen, moreover... elder sister-in-law and uncle might also have their suspicions."

Li Che said softly: "If elder brother were truly involved in something dangerous, uncle would have come long ago."

"Now letting elder sister-in-law come... it's likely that uncle feels it's inappropriate to show up, or that he'd lose face."

Li Che still understands uncle's temperament quite well; this old scholar... cares about face.

Elder brother Li Zhengran hasn't returned home for two days; perhaps he did something that made his old man lose face, so he's unwilling to come find Li Che, whereas elder sister-in-law simply couldn't sit still and came to him to resolve the issue.

"Ah?" Zhang Ya stared, not expecting there to be so many nuances.

Li Che looked at his wife's adorable appearance and couldn't help but pinch her little cheek.

Old Chen, Xixi, and Lu Datou on the side had long grown accustomed to Li Che and Zhang Ya occasionally displaying their affection.

After dinner, Li Che returned to the study.

Seated in the chair, his expression showed little change.

The Chess Saint's Dao Fruit throbbed, and in the next instant a small heaven-earth chessboard floated before Li Che.

He raised his hand, flicked a finger, and a chess piece trembled to life.

That was the divine chess piece Li Che had left on his elder brother Li Zhengran.

With a swipe of his five fingers, the image expanded, the full view brought by the High Virtue Chess Saint covering it, directly locking onto the divine chess piece on elder brother Li Zhengran.

"Gambling house?"

Li Che opened his eyes, his brows furrowing ever tighter.

Li Che still understood his elder brother Li Zhengran's temperament—how could he run off to a gambling house, that den of ruin!

With another swipe of his five fingers, the image expanded further, revealing the inside of the gambling house: elder brother Li Zhengran, face flushed and ears red, squeezed among a crowd of gamblers before the table, eyes bloodshot, shouting loudly: "Big, big, big!"

Li Che was stunned.

Seeing it with his own eyes, it naturally wasn't false.

"Someone deliberately led elder brother Li Zhengran astray..."

Just a moment later, this thought flashed through Li Che's mind.

First, uncle Li Liang's household is strict, never allowing gambling or prostitution; elder brother Li Zhengran has been upright since childhood, and though he hasn't achieved much, he has never strayed onto the wrong path.

Having only been in Guangliang Prefecture City for half a month, Li Zhengran already took up gambling.

If Li Zhengran were truly a gambling addict, he would have frequented gambling houses while in Feiliecheng.

Li Che let out a breath; no wonder uncle didn't come personally to ask for help—perhaps uncle... already knew about this situation.

He had merely kept it hidden from elder sister-in-law all along.

"The environment can change a person, but it couldn't possibly change this much all at once... so someone must be deliberately guiding him?"

Li Che narrowed his eyes, a flash of coldness passing through his gaze.

Although Li Che naturally cares most about his wife and daughter, the uncle and elder brother's family have treated him well, with their nurturing kindness, which naturally also holds great importance in his heart.

Coming after him is fine, but using underhanded means to affect those around him is going too far.

"After I became a third-rank guest official of the Imperial Observatory, the Qin family and the Temple Guard Office have grown wary of me, and, according to Lu Chi, the Golden Rift Sect also has no motive to deal with me..."

"In fact, their suspicions about my identity are merely guesses and doubts, without solid evidence; given that I am a third-rank guest official of the Imperial Observatory, and that Xixi is the appointed spiritual child of the Divine Sect's subsect, they naturally dare not act lightly."

Li Che pondered, slowly sorting out the current situation.

Zhang Xiangyang indeed provided the Temple Guard Office with information that could affect him, but the impact was not significant.

Even the Temple Guard Office's Chief Constable Zhang Lianhao could not truly confirm whether Li Che was really the Ox Demon, or the mysterious cultivator who shot Qin Yuqing.

Although they still suspected, they could not be certain.

Otherwise, they would not have sent two divine emissaries to secretly tail him.

"Actually, they don't care who the Ox Demon is... what they care about is the horse-faced one who shot Qin Yuqing."

Li Che's eyes opened and closed; it didn't matter whether it was Qin Hunan, the Temple Guard Office, or the Golden Rift Sect.

Actually, what they care about is not Qin Yuqing's death; they want to avenge her.

More so, they still fear the mysterious cultivator who could shoot and kill a strong expert from dozens of li away.

As long as Mamian remains undiscovered for a day, many people will find it hard to eat or sleep, worrying that one day they might become the target of a hunt.

Who would want to taste the feeling of anxiety every day?

"So, do you want to make a move against the people around me? Force me to act? Then frame my identity?"

"Now, they will restrain themselves because of my status as a guest minister of the Qintian Supervisor, but once I am proven to be the Ox Demon, or even if my Mamian identity is exposed, I will surely face thunderous slaughter and be attacked by all."

Li Che narrowed his eyes.

The candlelight flickered dimly, reflecting Li Che's face as he suddenly smiled.

"Today you struck at my cousin Li Zhengran; tomorrow... will you then move against my uncle, my wife, and then my daughter?"

"Step by step, pushing forward an inch at a time..."

Li Che closed his eyes, then opened them again, already grim and devoid of color.

"You all want to see the Ox Demon that badly?"

"If the Ox Demon doesn't appear... aren't you unwilling?"

"If that's the case..."

"As you wish."

Li Che is a low-key, restrained person who only wishes to live safely.

But the Ox Demon is not.

……

……

Ten li of the long street, inside Liuxiang Pavilion.

In a private room, Qin Hunan sat quietly, drinking the finest liquor from Liuxiang Pavilion, cup after cup disappearing into his belly.

In the opposite private room sat two divine emissaries wearing the red-cloud patterned robes of the Temple Office.

They were the two divine emissaries who had initially come to guide Li Che to the Temple Office, Hong Yong and Shi Lei.

Both sides had tacitly never met, although their work seemed similar—both were surveilling Li Che.

But there had been no verbal exchange at all.

Qin Hunan's eyes flickered; he had been staring at Li Che for half a month, yet had not caught even a hint of a weakness.

"Really cautious... his life is so regular: during the day he goes to the Qintian Supervisor to work, after work he goes to the small courtyard workshop to make wood carvings..."

"Over the past half month, almost every day has been the same routine, extremely dull and boring!"

"He doesn't go to Yunfang Fang; each day it's just his wife and kids on the heated kang..."

"Could such a person be the ruthless, murderous Ox Demon described in the intelligence?"

Qin Hunan held his wine cup, his whole person somewhat dazed.

He was the first to see such a pure and immaculate cultivator—self-disciplined, steady, never causing trouble, following a fixed routine, extremely consistent.

"That old thing from the Golden Split Sect... took advantage of Qin Yuqing in so many ways, yet now that Yuqing is dead, he actually has no thought of revenge!"

"Yuqing's taste in men has always been poor."

Shaking his head, Qin Hunan downed the wine in his cup in one gulp, then slowly exhaled.

"This Li Che... it seems there's about an eighty percent chance he is not the Ox Demon."

"The Ox Demon is likely Li Nuanxi's master, which is why he has a close relationship with Li Che's family."

"But Li Nuanxi cannot be moved... she is the heaven-defying spirit child designated by the Divine Sect, untouchable."

Qin Hunan shook his head.

"A Void Appearance cultivator, yet his spirit was crushed by Li Qingshan's goat-horn hammer—trash." Qin Hunan's eyes flashed with contempt.

"As for the Black Snake Gang... they seem to have intentions to act against Li Che's family."

Qin Hunan narrowed his eyes, listening to the changes between vendors and customers in Flower Alley over the past half month; he naturally noticed.

Besides the Qin family and the Golden Split Sect, are there other forces wanting to make a move?

"The Black Snake Gang... is not a gang under the control of the Five Great Clans; it comes from the Fishermen's Gang..."

Qin Hunan poured wine while pondering.

"The Fishermen's Gang, Black Flood Gang, and Beggars' Gang—the three major gangs of Jinguang Prefecture City—overall strength is inferior to the Five Great Clans and Five Great Sects, placing them in the third tier."

"But we cannot control their internal affairs either... Fishermen's Gang, why would they create a local gang to surveil Li Che's family?"

"What reason?"

As a strong contender for the next head of the Qin family, Qin Hunan is very familiar with all factions.

He had also long ago investigated the background of the Black Snake Gang; the power behind it is not the similarly named Black Flood Gang, but the Fishermen's Gang.

The Fishermen's Gang borders the Nine Dragon River; most of the fishery is inseparable from them, and their strength is foremost among the three major gangs.

But he hadn't figured out the specific reason why the Fishermen's Gang sent the Black Snake Gang to surveil Li Che's family.

Suddenly.

A glint flashed in Qin Hunan's eyes.

It seemed he had thought of something...

The wine cup trembled slightly, spilling a little wine.

……

……

The night was deep, the moon high.

The spring breeze swaying in the night brushed the willow branches.

Temple Pacification Office, inside the tea room.

Amidst the fragrant tea mist, Divine Envoy Shi Lei was reporting the situation to Chief Envoy Zhang Lianhao.

"Li Che today, as usual, works during the day, carves after work, returns home in the evening…… his routine is as usual."

Shi Lei said solemnly.

Everyone says the Guest Ministers of the Imperial Observatory like to frequent the pleasure quarters and listen to music, but Li Che is clearly not that sort—a pure and immaculate lot, with eyes only for his wife and daughter.

Zhang Lianhao raised his eyebrows in surprise: "Oh? Has it been like this for the past half month? Indeed, he is remarkably self-disciplined, a person who so strictly restrains himself—if not an honest, upright sort, then he must be extraordinarily fearsome."

"Sir, should we continue the surveillance?"

Shi Lei asked.

Half a month has passed…… each day repeats the same routine; Li Che isn't numb, but he's almost sick of watching it.

"Let's keep watching for another half month; although what Zhang Xiangyang said is just one person's word and cannot be fully trusted, the feedback from those sent to investigate Fēiléichéng mostly matches what Zhang Xiangyang said……"

"In about this time, we should be able to get a result."

"Moreover, the faction surveilling Li Che is the Black Snake Gang, which is part of the Fishermen's Gang; why would they suddenly target Li Che's family?"

Zhang Lianhao sipped his tea, narrowed his eyes, and began to ponder.

The Fishermen's Gang and Li Che's family……

They have nothing to do with each other.

The Fishermen's Gang is neither a force of the Qin Family nor under the Golden Split Sect; there seems no reason for them to act, so some other force must be involved.

Shi Lei, standing aside, was also bewildered; over this half month, he felt Li Che was simply a paragon of virtue, making him, who occasionally visited pleasure quarters to listen to music and pursue petty gains, feel ashamed.

Work hard, love family, stay out of the pleasure quarters!

Isn't this exactly the self Shi Lei dreams of being?

Alas…… he is ultimately tainted by society's corruption.

"Alright, you may leave; continue monitoring and report any changes to me."

Zhang Lianhao said lightly.

Divine Envoy Shi Lei immediately clasped his fists and withdrew.

Zhang Lianhao narrowed his eyes, raised his hand, and two blood-stained bodhi threads appeared in his palm.

"This one appeared in Fēiléichéng, where the second uncle of Cao Qingyuan, Cao He, was killed; the other…… is the means used to shoot Qin Yuqing."

"Ox Demon, is he the one who killed Qin Yuqing?"

"If not…… could it be that it was done by two people acting separately, or perhaps some unknown force?"

"Mechanic arts…… could it be that the remnants of the Tang Clan still hope to rise from the ashes?"

Zhang Lianhao suddenly laughed.

"No matter what, the Ox Demon and the person who shot Qin Yuqing are surely related."

"Find the Ox Demon, and naturally we will find the killer of Qin Yuqing."

"That terrifying mechanism capable of seizing a life from a thousand li away, if it could be used by the Temple Pacification Office……"

……

……

The next day, a fine misty rain fell; spring is indeed a rainy season.

The sky's clouds looked like a water‑soaked sponge; whenever Heaven gave a light squeeze, droplets streamed down without cease.

After Li Che had breakfast and supervised Xixi and Zhang Ya's mother‑daughter martial practice, he opened an umbrella and left home.

The moment he stepped out, the various forces secretly watching him all perked up.

Qin Haonan, Hong Yong, and Shi Lei, along with the Black Snake Gang's members, finally took interest—today Li Che…… seemed to have some new move.

Following Li Che, however, one saw him in a black robe holding an umbrella; after several inquiries, he walked all the way under the spring rain and arrived at the "Million Gambling Hall".

After the report, after a brief wait, his elder brother Li Zhengran, face full of dejection, was dragged out of the gambling hall by several burly men.

"Ah Che……" Li Zhengran saw Li Che and instantly felt ashamed; his beard stubbled, he no longer had his former spirit.

Li Che looked at Li Zhengran, his expression flickered slightly, and he let out a soft sigh.

"Elder brother, you…… sigh."

"Come back with me."

Li Zhengran nodded woodenly, already unable to meet Li Che's gaze.

He clenched his fists, his feelings toward Li Che deeply complex; he never imagined that his cousin, who once carried wood in a carpentry shop, could have grown to this extent.

Now at home, whether it's his father Li Liang or his wife Liu Chunming, nine out of ten sentences praise Li Che, saying how outstanding he is, how he became a Guest Minister of the Imperial Observatory and brought glory to the family.

Yet Li Zhengran has been in the prefectural city for so long, and still hasn't found work.

Hearing these words, he felt uneasy inside.

He also wanted to strike it rich, to make his family look at him anew.

Coming to the market to look for work, he met an old fellow from Fēiléichéng, who brought him to the "Million Gambling Hall"; Li Zhengran had originally refused, but his father Li Liang's teachings were deeply etched in his heart.

But the old fellow told him, to get rich quick one had to gamble; ordinary work…… how could it make one rich?

So Li Zhengran stepped into the gambling hall, wanting only…… to try once and then get out.

But that try, he couldn't pull himself out.

"Leave? This brat owes our gambling hall five hundred taels—how could he just walk away?"

A burly man with blood‑exchange cultivation sneered and stared at Li Che.

Li Zhengran shrank his head, grief and indignation mingling: "I only borrowed fifty taels!"

"In just two days it rolled up to five hundred taels…… utterly unjust!"

"The loan contract clearly states it; did we force you to press your fingerprint?"

The burly man's fleshy face shuddered.

Li Zhengran was instantly struck dumb, awed by his aura and unable to speak; his eyes only grew ever more filled with grief and anger.

Li Che sighed, "I'll come to repay it; I'll take care of the owed money."

He then took five 100‑tael silver notes and handed them to the gambling house's thug.

Take the money, redeem the person — that's all there is to it.

Without any further complications, everything seemed as if Li Zhengran had genuinely walked into the gambling house, been set up, and cheated out of some money.

But in fact, Li Che's Chess Saint Dao Fruit in his chest trembled nonstop; the Corpse Curse Seal he had suppressed on the Heaven and Earth Chessboard was violently quivering, as if greatly excited.

Li Che likewise felt that Corpse Curse Seal on Li Zhengran's body.

Thus Li Che also realized that Li Zhengran had indeed been caught up in it.

The other side… had come for him!

"Cousin, it's alright, go home… Your aunt and uncle are waiting for you at home."

Li Che comforted Li Zhengran.

Li Zhengran slumped his head down.

"These past few days… I lost 170 taels of silver; this is nearly all our family's savings."

Li Zhengran clutched his head, bloodshot eyes appearing, his emotions somewhat agitated.

"I just need to win two rounds… no, one round would be enough to break even and recover our savings!"

"Cousin, gambling harms people; don't do it again, quit."

Li Che patted Li Zhengran's shoulder, his divine nature surging as he soothed his emotions.

"In a couple days I'll take you to the Imperial Astronomy Bureau for a walk… to see if there's any suitable work I can recommend to you."

Li Che said with a smile, his voice very gentle.

Upon hearing that, Li Zhengyang's agitated emotions gradually calmed.

The spring rain was hazy, slanting like a curtain.

Li Che led Li Zhengran all the way to his uncle's house.

A concealed corner.

Divine Envoys Hong Yong and Shi Lei appeared, and they clearly heard Li Che's soothing words to Li Zhengran.

"Master Li… truly a good person, with a gentle temperament; gamblers are the most despicable, and those who squander their family's wealth are like maggots."

"Only Master Li has such a good temper…"

Divine Envoy Shi Lei shook his head.

How could someone so good‑tempered and gentle be the ruthless, head‑twisting, corpse‑shredding bull demon described in the intelligence?

Shi Lei felt that his suspicions about Li Che were nothing but an insult to the master's noble character!

"Let's go, keep up."

Divine Envoy Hong Yong glanced, as if Shi Lei had fallen under Li Che's sway, and muttered.

……

……

Li Che sent Li Zhengran back home.

Upon hearing that he owed the gambling house five hundred taels, his uncle flew into a rage, grabbed his pipe and began to strike, and Li Zhengran dared not dodge.

Liu Chunming stood aside, tears streaming, not knowing what to say, merely feeling some disappointment toward her husband.

Li Che offered a few comforting words, then said he would later take Li Zhengran to the Imperial Astronomy Bureau to inquire about suitable work, only then did the atmosphere ease a little.

"Ah Che, thanks to you…" Uncle Li Liang took Li Che's hand and let out a long sigh.

It's his failure to educate his son properly.

He politely declined the invitation to stay for a meal, taking his leave on the pretext that he still had to go to the Imperial Astronomy Bureau for work.

Leaving his uncle's house, Li Che's expression turned cold and grim.

"Corpse God Sect…"

Li Che's brows relaxed as he felt the Corpse Curse Seal suppressed on the Heaven and Earth Chessboard, and the one within Li Zhengran's body; killing intent seemed to surge in his eyes.

The statue "Desiring to Compare to Corpse‑Flesh Guanyin" that Cao He once held contained a Corpse Curse Seal, aimed at his daughter, which he intercepted.

Now, they've come again…

Li Che even sensed that the Corpse God Sect's target… might be aimed at his daughter.

In Golden Light Prefecture City, the great clans and sects might fear the Divine Sect and would not dare move against Xixi.

But the Corpse God Sect would not…

Because the Corpse God Sect itself is a colossal entity.

It is said that in the remote regions of the Dàjǐng Dynasty, the Corpse God Sect has nearly swept over and occupied an entire province!

Li Che exhaled and slowly headed toward the Imperial Astronomy Bureau.

Around, the Qin clan's Qin Hao‑nan, the Divine Envoys Hong Yong and Shi Lei, and the spies that had slipped out from the Million‑Strong Gambling House all furtively followed, tracking his trail.

Li Che went nowhere else along the way, heading straight to the Imperial Astronomy Bureau's Treasure Tower.

Upon reaching the riverbank, fine rain struck the calm water, sending out ripples.

Mist and rain enveloped the ornate, multi‑eaved treasure tower standing on the cliffs by the river.

Amidst the poetic scenery, a black‑clad Li Che stepped into the Imperial Astronomy Bureau's Treasure Tower beneath the resentful gazes of Qin Hao‑nan, Hong Yong, and Shi Lei.

Qin Hao‑nan: "……

Divine Envoy Hong Yong curled his lip: "Boring."

Shi Lei praised: "Master Li… is on time for work again, he really is very self‑disciplined."

……

……

Stepping into the Imperial Observatory, Li Che fully activated the breath-concealing ability of the Dragon Elephant Vajra, and without anyone noticing, gripped the divine chess piece.

Flying Thunder Chess Saint.

Shift form, change shadow!

In an alley outside the Million Gambling House, the patter of spring rain reverberated.

The chess piece Li Che had left behind instantly took on his form.

He pressed his two fingers together, tearing open the air.

Bamboo hat, black clothing.

A muffled 'buzz-bang' sounded.

His flesh suddenly bulged, growing burly layer upon layer; the great tendons on his back were like a flood dragon, quivering like thunderclaps, his muscles knotted like forged steel.

"If you all so desperately wish to see me..."

"Then you guys, Ox Demon Grandfather..."

"Here I come!"

His palm-leaf-fan-like five fingers slowly slid down, covering his cheeks with that dust-covered, exceedingly cute cow mask.

In the next moment, a wild, frenzied, domineering, restless emotion surged from his body.

Li Che, wearing the mask, seemed... to have liberated himself!

Like a fierce beast breaking out of its cage!

Bad news, the strong push has been made, announcing the new book period officially ends, beginning a bare‑run career; unknown when recommendations will come, everyone keep reading, don't stop, reading relates to the recommendation PK, Lao Li needs everyone's support! Ask for monthly tickets and readership, Lao Li thanks you!

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(End of chapter)