Chapter 31: Low-Key and Explosive Killing

The mournful wind and snow swirled in the raging airflow, scattering about.

Seeing the old man before him, spirit exhausted, eyes red, tears streaming, Li Che's heart softened; he hurriedly pulled his uncle into the warm workshop.

He poured a cup of hot tea for his uncle Li Liang, and Li Che's expression turned solemn.

"What happened? Uncle, speak slowly."

Li Che asked in a low voice.

His uncle's family raised him, never wronged him; this kindness of upbringing alone is not something that can be easily repaid.

If there's something he can help with, Li Che naturally won't stand by idly.

The old scholar shivered all over; the snowflakes on his body gradually melted in the workshop's warmth, his frozen red hands cradling the tea cup, his expression relaxed a little.

The old scholar exhaled, looked at Li Che, eyes full of bloodshot, after a thought he tremblingly pulled out a palm-sized wood carving from his bosom.

Just at the sight of the wood carving, Li Che's pupils suddenly contracted.

"An Infant Spirit statue?"

Li Che was naturally not unfamiliar with this wood carving!

Before moving into the woodcarving shop, this Infant Spirit wood carving had appeared in his own courtyard, causing Li Che anxiety and forcing the whole family to move into Xu Ji's woodcarving shop.

Li Che took the wood carving from the old scholar's hand; it differed somewhat from the one that had originally stood at his doorstep.

It was not a three-headed, six-armed Infant Spirit carving, but a normal one with a head and two arms, eyes alternating closed and open—yet undeniably, it was still an Infant Spirit statue.

As a woodcarver, he was extremely sensitive to the expressions of wood carvings.

"Is it a matter of priority?" Li Che muttered softly.

"Uncle, Zhouzhou is about to turn one, right?"

Li Che frowned and asked.

His uncle kept nodding: "Yes… in three days it will be the prepared first-birthday feast; I wanted to keep it simple, but now… sigh, I dare not, I absolutely dare not."

"These days, your cousin dare not go to work, staying home clutching a firewood axe, fearing…"

His uncle sighed repeatedly.

His uncle knew well that if the Infant Spirit Sect truly set its sights on his grandson Li Chengzhou, how could ordinary people like them resist?

These days, fear and anxiety completely enveloped them.

Thinking of those children who died horribly, the old scholar had nightmares night after night.

"Your cousin and his wife haven't dared sleep for three straight days… afraid that if they fall asleep, Infant Spirit Sect followers will attack Zhouzhou."

Li Che gripped the Infant Spirit wood carving, his eyes slightly narrowing.

"So, uncle wants to know if he can have his sister-in-law bring Zhouzhou here to hide… Xu Ji, Xu Ji still holds some deterrent power."

The old scholar looked at Li Che as if clutching the last straw of hope.

"Uncle, rest assured, letting Zhouzhou stay at my place is no problem; my home will be much safer."

Li Che naturally had no reason to refuse.

The appearance of the Infant Spirit wood carving brought such intense pressure and anxiety that, having experienced it himself, Li Che could feel his uncle's current terror and despair.

It was a feeling of helplessness as death drew ever closer to his grandson.

Ordinary people facing the Infant Spirit Sect are indeed powerless, like lambs awaiting slaughter.

"Good, good, good, A Che… thank you, uncle thanks you…"

The old scholar was overjoyed, his expression relaxing considerably.

"I'll go back to make arrangements, having Zheng Ran and Chun Ming send Chengzhou to your home…" The old scholar held his tea cup, about to walk out of the shop.

Li Che hurriedly called out: "Uncle, definitely not; have your cousin and his wife stay home to guard, don't go out, prevent accidents on the road—I'll personally fetch them; I've been practicing martial arts lately, so it'll be safer."

"Good, good, good…" Uncle Li Liang nodded quickly.

"I'll go ask the boss for leave and come back; you first return and guard Zhouzhou together with your cousin and his wife."

Li Che said.

His uncle's face finally showed a hint of joy; after belatedly setting down the cup, he bade farewell and rushed into the wind and snow, hurrying away.

Li Che sat in the chair, holding the palm-sized Infant Spirit wood carving, a thoughtful glint flashing in his eyes.

"Infant Spirit Sect…"

"A calamity…"

Li Che exhaled.

Yet, the Infant Spirit Sect was a colossal force to him, moreover entangled with the aristocratic families of Fēiléichéng…

"Moreover, even the government is linked to the Infant Spirit Sect; that constable captain Zhao Chuanxiong is a member of the Sect…"

……

……

Li Che did not go to ask for leave; as a woodcarver master, he naturally had the right to come and go from the woodcarving shop as he pleased, as long as he delivered the goods within the stipulated time.

Changing into sturdy clothes, picking up a thin piece of wood, Li Che donned his bamboo hat, left the woodcarving shop, and plunged into the wind and snow.

Having grown up in his uncle's home since childhood, Li Che naturally knew the way to his uncle's house.

However, Li Che did not immediately set out; instead, he chose to steady himself first.

"Could it be a trap set by the Infant Spirit Sect, deliberately luring me there?"

"If I were killed, losing my identity as a woodcarver, the Xu Ji Manor might not be able to hold, and Xiao Ya and Xixi would have to move away…"

"Once they leave the Xu Ji Manor, the Infant Spirit Sect could easily act against Xixi."

"Orphans and widows would then be left at the mercy of the butcher!"

Pressing down on his hat, Li Che pondered, this possibility was not nonexistent.

But it wasn't certain either; after all, he often left the Xu Ji Manor these days, and if they wanted to act, they could have done so already……

No need to go to such trouble; just loop around to trap him.

However, we cannot let our guard down……

Li Che, thinking as he walked down the long street, saw the wanted poster on the notice board updated; he paused his steps and saw his own demon ox identity posted high, with a bounty of five hundred taels……

Five hundred taels…… five gold leaves!

That's about the price of me carving a nine‑headed Guanyin statue.

Li Che muttered to himself.

However, this five hundred taels…… is enough to drive many people to take risks.

Looks like I need to keep a low profile for a while.

Li Che smiled, pressed down his bamboo hat, braving the raging wind and snow, and first went to the courtyard he rented outside.

He took out a black garment soaked in the vat in the courtyard; his inner energy surged, a shake, steam rose, drying the clothing.

This is a highly elastic garment, made specially by his own craftsmanship; the enhancement from the Immortal Craft Dao fruit is not just in woodcarving skill, but any handicraft, he can master.

With this garment, he need not worry about his clothes bursting when he activates the Diamond Transformation.

After changing into familiar attire, putting on the cute ox mask, Li Che, wearing his bamboo hat, darted out of the courtyard.

……

……

Fēiléichéng, Anping Lane.

A courtyard whose walls were built from piled yellow earth, the gate tightly shut.

Inside the house.

The elderly scholar Li Liang held a dry pipe, puffing away with a 'bah‑bah' sound.

Li Zhengran gripped a firewood axe, his eyes bloodshot, yet he kept pacing back and forth, listening carefully to the sounds outside.

Liu Chunming held her son Li Chengzhou, her hair somewhat disheveled, stray strands growing wildly, clearly she had not bothered to groom herself either.

Dad, hasn't Li Che come yet?

Could he be…… coaxing you to come back first?

Liu Chunming held the baby, her paternal aunt beside her, her eyes red, voice hoarse, she said.

A woman of the household, under the constant pressure of possibly losing her son, had already sunk to the brink of collapse.

No, Li Che wouldn't deliberately coax me; since he said he could, he definitely can……

He is now a woodcarving master, his status noble; he's merely helping us, letting us hide in his courtyard from the disaster, he wouldn't deceive us.

The elderly scholar puffed on his pipe, shaking his head.

He trusts Li Che, and sees clearly the character of this cousin of his!

Don't talk nonsense, Li Che will come!

Li Zhengran also spoke in a low voice.

Inside the house fell into a deathly silence, only heavy breaths rising and falling.

Suddenly, a rustling sound came from outside.

The three inside instantly tensed, even their skin tightening.

Li Zhengran gripped the firewood axe, sweat beading on his forehead; he walked to the door, peered through the crack, and saw the figure outside.

Outside.

The wind and snow raged, the sky dark.

A tall figure, carrying an Eight Trigrams Staff, wearing a girl's mask, crouched on the ground, holding a spirit infant wood carving, pressed it to the ground, swayed it left and right, placing it directly facing the tightly shut door of the house.

The wailing wind blew, sounding like ghosts crying.

As if aware that Li Zhengran was peeking through the crack, the figure suddenly lifted its face; beneath the mask that seemed both crying and laughing, a pair of eyes brimmed with mockery.

Again, that face like a nightmare!

Li Zhengran's whole body trembled uncontrollably, the hand gripping the axe shaking nonstop……

Suddenly.

Li Zhengran, watching through the crack, saw his pupils contract sharply, and he froze.

Because……

Behind the figure wearing the girl's mask, crouched in the snow.

There loomed a towering, mountain‑like silhouette that almost instantly appeared like a ghost in the wind and snow, black clothing clinging to the body, perfectly outlining the muscle lines as if carved by a knife.

Wearing a bamboo hat, covering a cute ox mask, his eyes gleamed brightly.

He raised a palm.

With a bang……

The figure bearing the Eight Trigrams Staff and wearing the girl's mask, having just reacted, leapt up, only to be struck sideways by a fist as broad as a palm‑leaf fan……

Bringing up a spray of blood.

pS: Good news, I've advanced to the second round of PK; bad news, the second round is even more brutal, please don't put the book down, keep reading and supporting!

(End of chapter)