Chapter 30: Dao Fruit Devours Divinity, Xu Ji's Bone‑Shattering Spear

Li Che returned to the woodcarving shop, the sky had already gradually turned dark.

During heavy snowfall, the sky always grows dim earlier.

Having returned to his own small courtyard, the courtyard was lit with bright lights, Xixi was playing with Old Chen in the courtyard.

Old Chen also doted on Xixi enough; whenever they came out to play, he would use his internal energy to warm a dry patch, dispelling the heavy snow's chill, so the little girl could play happily without catching a cold.

"Welcome back? How are the sights in the inner city? Have you opened your eyes wide?" Old Chen said with a smile.

"The inner city is indeed prosperous beyond imagination, vastly different from the outer city, not comparable to the outer city." Li Che nodded, unable to deny the inner city's prosperity.

Old Chen snorted: "Those living in the inner city are all those great clans of the aristocracy, or at least minor families; they certainly arrange their living environment well."

"As for the outer city, it's a mixed bag of refugees and disaster victims from elsewhere, as well as locals, all mixed together; those big shots of the inner city couldn't care less about your life or death, and couldn't manage even if they tried."

The topic grew heavy; hearing that Old Chen had also fled to Fēiléichéng as a refugee, Li Che did not pursue it further.

He brought out a jar of fine wine from the inner city and handed it to Old Chen.

"This is fine wine from the inner city's Golden Radiance Pavilion; I specially brought a jar for you, it's not cheap—this jar costs five taels of silver!"

Old Chen's eyebrows lifted in delight: "I wasn't mistaken about you, kid; you have a conscience!"

Unable to wait, he broke open the jar's seal, took a big gulp, and the rich wine aroma filled the small courtyard.

Old Chen gulped down a large mouthful, his face flushed red.

"Refreshing! This wine from Golden Radiance Pavilion is simply delicious!"

"Grandpa... Xixi wants to drink too." Just as Old Chen finished drinking, he felt his sleeve tugged; looking down, he saw little Xixi widen her innocent eyes, gazing at him.

Children are curious and want to taste everything.

Li Che laughed loudly, picked up Xixi, and darted back inside.

Night fell.

Zhang Ya reheated the restaurant delicacies Li Che had brought back, then invited Old Chen to eat together; the inner city's delicacies still boosted appetite, and even Old Chen ate two extra bowls of white rice.

"My dear, this trip earned five gold leaves; here, four are for you, I'll keep one for expenses."

Li Che smiled as he took out today's earnings from selling the woodcarvings, sharing them with his wife.

Zhang Ya pursed her vermilion lips, gazing at her husband under the lamplight, her heart fluttering slightly, feeling content and overjoyed.

Days, finally, kept getting better.

Earning five gold leaves at once—this is a day I previously dared not even imagine.

After dinner, they coaxed the day‑playing Xixi to sleep.

Night fell, deep and quiet.

Exhausted, Zhang Ya fell into a deep sleep.

Li Che draped a thin shirt over himself, tucked the blankets tighter for his wife and daughter, then slowly walked out of the room and headed to the study.

He had not yet begun researching or constructing the other mechanisms from the 《Tangji Jianji Yaowu》.

Instead, he raised his arm; under the oil lamp, his jade‑like arm instantly exhaled a jade‑colored mist.

Within the mist, faint scarlet threads seemed to slither like tiny snakes.

If not suppressed by the Thousand Scrutinizing Hand, this divinity would likely pierce his brain in an instant, eroding his consciousness and plunging him into mad rage, causing him to lose consciousness.

"Overbearing, terrifying… and strange."

Li Che's expression turned extremely solemn.

His heart felt a little heavy; this was merely a wisp of divinity left by a Spirit Infant Dharma Master residing in the woodcarving—seeing a leaf and knowing the autumn, it's hard to imagine how powerful the Spirit Infant Dharma Master himself must be!

This is even more terrifying than Lei Chun Lan, a blade hanging over his head!

Only by continually strengthening himself could he protect Xixi under the threat of the Spirit Infant Dharma Master.

"And the Si Clan… Lei Chun Lan appeared at the Si Clan; does this indicate that the deaths of those infants under one year old are related to the Si Clan?"

"Could it be for cultivating divinity?"

Li Che furrowed his brows, his face extremely solemn.

This world is far darker and dirtier than imagined.

Taking a deep breath, Li Che calmed himself and continued his research.

"These wrathful divinities now condensed in my arm; if I employ the martial art 'White Tiger Chaotic Wind Fist,' perhaps I can draw forth their power for my own use!"

Li Che's eyes gleamed; he immediately analyzed the usage of these divinities extracted by the Thousand Scrutinizing Hand.

Closing his eyes, he sensed with his mind the divinity within the jade‑like Thousand Scrutinizing Hand…

Suddenly, Li Che flung his eyes open, feeling the Dao Fruit【Dragon Elephant Golden Vajra】 throbbing violently in his chest!

In his ears, the dragon's roar and elephant's trumpet still echoed!

The divinity drawn in by the Thousand Scrutinizing Hand, like a warm current, was completely siphoned away in the Dao Fruit's leaps!

Li Che was astonished beyond measure.

Before him, a prompt appeared.

【Dao Fruit: Dragon Elephant Golden Vajra (lv1, 60%)】

Li Che's breath caught, his eyes shining, flashing with intense excitement!

The Dragon Elephant Golden Vajra Dao Fruit can actually devour divinity to ripen?!

Divinity…

It is such a tremendous tonic!

……

……

The next day.

Li Che went early to the training ground of the Xu Ji Grand Estate.

The cultivation he now displays is that he has formally reached perfection in Skin Tempering, and he is striving to open the meridians.

Inside the training ground, it was as bustling as ever.

After practicing for a while, Xu Beihu arrived, stepping through the wind and snow.

"Li Shifu, come over."

Xu Beihu's gaze fell on Li Che, he spoke in a low voice, then entered the inner room.

Li Che understood why Xu Beihu had come, but his expression remained calm.

Inside the inner room, a charcoal brazier burned, boiling water whistled "woo-woo", and tea leaves rolled and surged in the water.

After the water was boiled, the tea was steeped three times, and a rich fragrance filled the air.

Xu Beihu pressed his two fingers together and pushed the tea cup toward Li Che.

"Li Shifu…… Lei Chunlan is dead."

Xu Beihu sipped his tea with a slurp, speaking softly.

Li Che had just taken a sip of tea, and instantly it felt as if his mouth were scalded; he flustered, then his eyes showed surprise: "What? Lei Chunlan…… died?"

"He was fine yesterday…… how did he die?"

Xu Beihu kept staring at Li Che, seeing his genuine reaction, he furrowed his brows.

Sun Changbiao's death…… is related to Li Che, it is said he had set his sights on his daughter.

Lei Chunlan, in fact, her death is also related to Li Che, but the killer of both is that hulking brute, the Ox Demon.

That Ox Demon could easily kill a guard who had perfected Opening the Meridians, indicating his strength is at the Bone Tempering level; it is impossible for the honest, steady, down-to-earth Li Che before us.

Li Che lowered his voice, looked around, and whispered: "Second Manager…… could it not be Lord Si who killed Lei Chunlan?"

"I've heard Lei Chunlan committed countless evils, killing many infants just past their first birthday…… this Lord Si cultivates the wrathful, weeping divine nature……"

Xu Beihu: "……"

"Stop spouting nonsense!"

"Don't go spouting that outside; Lord Si Murabai has no reason to kill Lei Chunlan."

Xu Beihu was indeed somewhat speechless; he had wanted to test Li Che, but never expected Li Che to directly guess it was the Si family's doing.

The Si family certainly wouldn't do such things, but……

Xu Beihu fell silent; after this interruption, he felt a chill, thinking the Si family wouldn't…… the Xu family wouldn't…… but one cannot guarantee other aristocratic clans won't act.

Xu Beihu shook his head, his expression turning somewhat grave; this matter should be taken back to Nei Cheng and discussed with the clan elders.

Xu Beihu came today mainly because Li Che's cultivation had broken through to Skin Tempering Perfection, so he imparted the Opening the Meridians method.

"Thank you, Second Manager!" Li Che's face lit up with excitement as he received the Opening the Meridians and Internal Strength manuals Xu Beihu brought.

They are all middle-grade quality, not much different from what Li Che bought in the market; Lao Chen said that unless one is willing to enter Nei Cheng's Xu Ji, it is hard to obtain high-quality martial arts.

As an unexpected bonus, besides the Opening the Meridians and Internal Strength methods, Xu Beihu also taught a martial technique.

"Xu Ji Eight-Link Bone-Shattering Spear!"

It is a spear technique that requires a weapon; of course, if one's flesh is tempered enough to be tough, it can also be executed with the arms.

Li Che couldn't put it down, looking over it again and again.

Seeing Li Che's delighted expression, Xu Beihu's smile broke out; he patted Li Che's shoulder, encouraging him to diligently improve his woodcarving technique in preparation for becoming a woodcarving master in the future.

After Second Manager Xu Beihu left.

Li Che then practiced the Xu Ji Eight-Link Bone-Shattering Spear in the training ground for a while; thanks to the improvement of the 【Dragon Elephant Vajra】, his martial comprehension grew higher, and after just a morning of hard practice, he had entered the doorway of this middle-grade spear technique.

Returning to the workshop, he first took on a woodcarving job, then went to the courtyard to select timber.

Li Che was accustomed to personally picking wood suitable for carving works, then having the porters carry it; Li Che himself did not carry, after all, these porters earn their living that way, and there's no need to deprive them.

Wind and snow sifted down from the high sky.

Swaying back and forth.

Li Che directed the porters to move the timber, preparing to return to the workshop.

Then he saw his great-uncle Li Liang, wearing a Confucian robe under a great coat, led by the gatekeeper, bowing his waist and coming in a flustered hurry.

"Great-uncle?"

Li Che, upon seeing the arrival, couldn't help but call out.

The old scholar, hearing this, jerked his head up; his eye sockets were dark, his eyes filled with bloodshot veins, his spirit seeming to teeter on the brink of collapse.

Upon seeing Li Che, this old man could not help but burst into tears.

"Ah Che, help great-uncle……"

(End of chapter)