Chapter 47: with translation of chapter title

Inside the house, the lamps burned quietly, from time to time emitting faint crackling sounds.

Li Che embraced his wife Zhang Ya, listening to her firm words, and was slightly stunned.

After a moment of thought, Li Che gave a gentle smile and rubbed his wife's head.

If you want to practice, then practice.

I will teach you.

Zhang Ya raised her smooth chin, pursed her lips, and said softly, "Xixi and you both practice martial arts; I've heard that those who practice martial arts have enduring qi and blood, and their lifespans are much longer than ordinary people..."

Li Che was startled, his gaze becoming even more tender.

He understood his wife's worry; precisely because he cared, he felt this worry.

Li Che had confidence that he would surely reach great heights in the future, and Xixi's talent was extraordinary, her future limitless...

For his wife Zhang Ya to keep up with them would be somewhat difficult.

However, I now have a Dao fruit... slowly, I will surely find a way.

Li Che smiled and gently stroked his wife's black, silky hair.

He lowered his head to look at his wife and said softly, "Xia Ya, rest assured, our family will be fine, always safe and sound, lasting long."

Wife, children, and a warm kang bed.

He only wishes for this life, that his small family be safe.

The night is already deep.

After a bustle subsided, only a deathlike silence remained.

Zhang Ya, who wanted to practice martial arts, after Li Che examined her bones, feeling weary, fell into a deep sleep.

Li Che, however, was spirited like a tiger; indeed, he is now full of energy.

Even though he had just experienced a great battle tonight, it hardly affected him.

Taking out the thumb-sized "Three Heads Six Arms Wrathful-Eyed Spirit Infant Statue," Li Che, under the oil lamp light, narrowed his eyes and examined it for a moment.

The next moment, his palm instantly gave rise to a pure white jade-like mist, his whole hand appearing as if turned into glazed glass.

A rudimentary divine ability, 【Immortal Craft·Thousand Analysis Hand】!

In an instant, Li Che felt the boiling wrathful divinity within the spirit infant statue being frantically drawn by his palm; after just a breath or two, the statue crumbled into ashes.

Crimson threads wandered through his arm; Li Che sensed the power of divinity, his expression turning slightly solemn.

"I don't know what kind of divinity this is under the wrathful divinity... It should be left by a divinity cultivator of the Spirit Infant Sect, meant as a killing move for those blood-exchange martial artists; unfortunately... I hadn't even used it before I smashed it."

"This divinity, however, turned out to be cheap for me."

Li Che's Thousand Analysis Hand quickly faded, sealing the divinity within it.

"The divinity martial art I obtained is 【Scolding Cry Hundred Ghosts Wind Thunder Arrow】, likely a divine art of the Si family; I don't know if I can use this divinity to activate and execute it."

Most likely not, for the divinity drawn from the Spirit Infant wood carving is wrathful divinity, which has nothing to do with sorrowful divinity.

He slightly furrowed his brows; regarding divinity, he knew too little.

Since he didn't understand, he would no longer waste his mind on idle speculation.

He only intended to practice 【Scolding Cry Hundred Ghosts Wind Thunder Arrow】 when he had time.

This is both an archery technique and a divinity martial art...

Guo Zhan obviously had not cultivated divinity and could not execute it; otherwise... tonight's battle would have been even more arduous.

His mind stirred.

【Dao Fruit: Dragon Elephant Vajra (lv2, 5%)】

【Dao Fruit: Pure Heart (lv1, 1%)】

"Killing four blood-exchange cultivators of the Spirit Infant Sect only increased the maturity of lv2 Dragon Elephant Vajra by 5%... that's really little."

"Moreover, the divinity accumulated in 【Pure Heart】 was also consumed by 2%; now only 1% maturity remains, returning to square one overnight—this is the drawback of lacking a divinity method..."

"Divinity method..."

Amid the swaying lamplight.

Li Che's yearning for a divinity method grew ever more fervent.

……

……

The next day, the heavy snow that had fallen all night came to an abrupt halt.

The Xu Ji Wood Carving Shop, which had been quiet all night, became lively.

Many people gathered outside Li Che's courtyard, gazing at his unharmed family and at the corpse of Zhao Chuanxiong lying frozen in the snow outside the yard, each face showing astonishment.

"Last night's commotion... qi and blood surged to the heavens, blazing like fire, many blood-exchange martial artists made a move, yet Li Shifu's family... actually came to no harm?"

"What's up? Do you wish for Li Shifu's family to meet misfortune?"

"This is what they call 'the fortunate have their own heavenly appearance'; the Spirit Infant Sect is truly becoming ever more arrogant, daring to openly snatch children even from our Xu Ji."

"This Zhao Chuanxiong... the constable Zhao is actually a member of the Spirit Infant Sect?"

……

Many senior woodcarvers came out of their houses, gathered at Li Che's courtyard, chattering incessantly.

Li Che's expression was gentle; although these woodcarver masters had not taken action last night, it is understandable, after all... not everyone dares to be a hero.

Facing the Spirit Infant Sect's blood-exchange martial artists, even if these old masters struck out, they would only end up being beaten to death.

Fear is understandable.

In the distance, a white-clad figure rushed over swiftly, qi and blood intertwining, in a moment whipping up the ground's flying snow, arriving before the courtyard.

It was Xu You returning from Nei Cheng.

"Are you alright?"

Xu You arrived before Li Che's family.

Li Che shook his head: "Last night, outside there was a Blood Exchange great battle… I didn't dare show my face, I stayed inside with my wife and daughter; this morning when I came out, I saw Zhao Chuanxiong's corpse."

Xu You saw Xixi wearing a padded coat; the killing intent on her face instantly melted away, and he hugged Xixi: "It's fine as long as you're safe… Xixi, come, Uncle Xu hugs."

"The incident last night, your family was merely a lure; the true purpose… was to fish for an ox, to lure out the Ox Demon that caused Fēiléichéng to be in an uproar."

"This Zhao Chuanxiong is the bait; looking now, the bait has been completely eaten up."

"In a corner of the manor, there is also a corpse and flesh scattered all over the ground; that Ox Demon… is truly fierce, fighting four alone, he killed all opponents and retreated unharmed; those who don't know would think that Ox Demon had reached the Meridian Opening stage."

"The Soul Infant Sect's Blood Exchange… was too tragic, exploding until only flesh scattered on the ground remained."

"As for the remaining corpse, it is a subordinate of Si Mubai."

"This matter, the Si Clan will certainly give us an explanation."

"Losing the chicken and losing the rice, this refers to Si Mubai…"

Xu You sneered: "Last night, Si Mubai went out, seemingly encountering the mysterious expert behind the Ox Demon; his divine nature almost got shattered… He is now suffering heavy injuries; without a year or two, it's likely hard to restore his divine nature."

"Over at Chen Lao's side, I've sent people to take care of it; he should be able to be released this afternoon…"

Xu You then said a few more words to Li Che, afterwards took his leave; he still had many matters to attend to.

"Last night's incident, for ordinary commoners the impact is not great, but for the aristocratic families of Nei Cheng it is far from ordinary."

"Whether it is the Ox Demon capable of killing Blood Exchange practitioners, or the divine cultivator known as the 【Wrathful Crown Prince】 who crippled Si Mubai…"

"All have greatly affected the various factions."

Li Che held Xixi, watching Xu You disappear into the wind and snow; his eyes unconsciously narrowed slightly.

His palm gently rubbed Xixi's back, making the little girl feel a bit itchy, her small body wriggling.

Actually, Li Che was using the divine nature accumulated from his own 【Immaculate Heart】 to tidy Xixi's body, ensuring she remained free of illness and calamity.

The divine nature of the Immaculate Heart is pure and flawless, lacking the strong emotional influence of the other seven emotions' divine nature, making it extremely suitable for nurturing.

Li Che also heard from Xu You's words that last night's incident was not simple.

"Did Si Mubai originally intend to act personally last night?"

"But he was intercepted by a divine cultivator and beaten half to death…"

"Did they mistakenly think someone was behind the Ox Demon?"

Li Che's eyes flickered, his heart involuntarily feeling a bit of lingering fear…

"If Si Mubai were to act personally…"

"A divine cultivator—Li Che also had no confidence in his heart."

"Fortunately someone intercepted him, but… whether there is anyone behind the Ox Demon, he naturally knows best."

"The Ox Demon is merely a lone solitary individual."

"Who is helping me?"

Li Che felt slightly doubtful, but it was only a slight doubt.

"Because, this is not the focus of Li Che's attention."

"The point is, he obtained an extremely important piece of information from Xu You."

"Gazing at the drifting snow filling the sky, Li Che's eyes were deep and dim."

"Si Mubai… is heavily injured…"

ps: Keep begging for reads, the smart recommendation has no traction, struggling halfway the path collapses, everyone must keep reading, don't hoard books, Lao Li feels he can still struggle a bit, ask for monthly votes, ask for recommendation votes support!

(End of chapter)