Chapter 6

Although Chen Dabao and Li Che are on good terms, a laborer who daily hauls lumber and finished statues has no hope whatsoever in the master's assessment.

At least, from Chen Dabao's perspective, he sees no hope of Li Che becoming a full‑fledged woodcarving master.

Even if Li Che, after finishing work, picks up scrap wood from the shop to practice carving.

But learning woodcarving is nowhere near that easy.

Given Li Che's situation, all that can be said is that he has an interest in woodcarving but has never received formal training.

And to challenge others' professions and livelihoods with mere interest… is rather arrogant.

Li Che offered no explanation for himself, nor did he argue anything.

What does he rely on?

In his pupils, light flickered; the Dao Fruit Immortal Artisan in his heart throbbed faintly, as if radiating heat, illuminating his future smooth path.

He relies on a cheat…

"Little Li, if I were you, this year… I would try to learn some farming techniques; although I lack strength, at least when I need to protect my child, I could step forward and swing my fists."

Chen Dabao stood up, patted Li Che on the shoulder, then entered the workshop and went back to carving wood.

Li Che pondered for a moment, and actually felt Chen Dabao's words made sense…

"Farming techniques… but to learn them you need a channel; I have the Immortal Artisan Dao Fruit, so perhaps… I could design some mechanisms to serve a preventive purpose."

"Although Granny Lei usually targets babies after their first month, what if…?"

Li Che took a deep breath, and a plan formed in his heart.

Without further thought, he continued working, hauling lumber and statues.

Perhaps upon learning that Li Che would also take the woodcarving assessment, many apprentices looked at him with strange and wary eyes, and quite a few apprentice workers even refused to let Li Che carry the finished carvings.

For a while, Li Che found himself idle in the woodcarving shop.

Besides a few old masters and regular customers seeking him out, nobody else looked for him; Li Che enjoyed the leisure and began pondering mechanisms.

But after pondering for a while, he had no clue.

He felt he still needed to seek Chen Lao, Chen Lao should have a way.

"Mechanisms? You little brat, wanting to rig some mechanisms to protect your kid—you've got an idea… not impossible."

"But setting up mechanisms is a field of study; I, an old man, don't understand the profound ones, yet my household's study does have an ancient text on mechanisms."

Chen Lao heard Li Che's question, paused his carving, and laughed.

Li Che rubbed his hands, his eyes slightly brightening.

Everyone in the shop knew that Master Chen's household had a study, rumored to contain many precious ancient books.

Chen Lao glanced at Li Che, raised a finger: "You can borrow the ancient text, but I, Chen Lao, never engage in loss‑making deals; this text is extremely rare and quite precious… one tael of silver for a day's loan."

One tael of silver per day?

Li Che drew a deep breath and had to admit, it's really not cheap.

Yet Li Che still firmly nodded and agreed.

"Yo, so decisive—you're also a good father, willing to go all out for your daughter's safety… but if you haggle with me, it won't be just one tael a day."

"For your fatherly love, you don't need one tael; just give me fifty Dàjǐng cast copper coins per day."

Chen Dabao stroked his beard and smiled.

Upon hearing this, Li Che couldn't help but be overjoyed, hurriedly thanked Chen Dabao—who would dislike having more money? Save where you can.

"Bring it tomorrow; remember to bring enough money."

Chen Dabao said that and then lowered his head to carve again.

As time passed, the sky gradually grew dim.

Li Che received today's wages—only fifteen copper coins, nearly a third less than usual.

Still, he didn't mind; after collecting his pay, he carefully bundled the scrap wood he'd selected and carried it out of the shop.

Now, bringing home scrap wood each day to carve and accumulate Immortal Artisan experience has become Li Che's habit.

Today he handled a new woodcarving, which should again boost his experience a bit.

Because Granny Lei's killing of newborns weighs on him constantly, like an inescapable gloom, Li Che feels a sense of urgency, wanting to improve himself quickly.

Hurrying home, he saw his wife Zhang Ya accompanying Xixi on the bed, playing with the various small toys Li Che had carved from wood, and his tense heart finally relaxed.

"Xixi, do you miss Daddy?" Li Che, his heart at ease, broke into a bright smile and opened his arms toward Xixi on the bed.

The newborn Xixi, delicate and lovely, white and soft, milky‑scented, lay on the bed, cooing "ya ya" and waving her arms and legs.

Li Che laughed as he lifted the little girl, strolling around the cramped room, making the baby giggle nonstop.

After playing with Xixi for a while, Zhang Ya also had dinner ready.

After dinner, Li Che, by the oil lamp, took out the scrap wood and began today's woodcarving work.

In fact, the shop's varieties are limited; as Li Che examines them one by one, it might take several days before he finds a new technique from a woodcarving master.

Because the Immortal Artisan Dao Fruit has already risen to level 2, his carving speed is now much faster.

【Dao Fruit: Immortal Artisan (lv2, 9%)】

His experience rose a little more.

Li Che's lips curled up, then his gaze sharpened as he planned to try making a mechanism.

However, he had no concept of mechanisms, yet he thought of the extremely high lethality of a crossbow bolt, and began doodling on paper, drafting a design.

……

……

Dawn light faintly glimmered, the east turning fish‑belly white.

Beyond the dusky mountains, clouds roiled; vast swaths of snow fluttered down, enveloping the entire Fēiléichéng in a white coat.

Li Che rose early, washed up, and began preparing breakfast; Zhang Ya got up to help, but Li Che pressed her back down.

"The little lass has been crying and making a fuss half the night; you need to coax her to sleep, wife—get some more rest, and you can eat when you get up."

"Li Che gently patted Zhang Ya's disheveled black hair, her face full of drowsy sleepiness; Zhang Ya pursed her lips, nodded, and lay down again to sleep."

"After finishing everything, Li Che placed the breakfast in the pot that still retained warmth to keep it warm."

"He then left the earthen house, stepping on the thick snow, and headed toward the woodcarving shop."

"Setting foot on the long street paved with blue stone slabs, the wind and snow howled wildly, yet they could not drown out the clinking sounds coming from nearby—trumpets blaring, music playing and resonating……"

"\"The Holy Spirit teaches: cleanse the dust, the law of rebirth without worry—attained by supreme wisdom without instruction……\""

"The chanting drifted from the long street, amid the chaotic trampling of footsteps on snow-covered blue stone, continuous and unbroken."

"Li Che narrowed his eyes, stood at the roadside, lowered his bamboo hat, and glanced at the narrow procession where the believers carried the vermilion altar shrine, crowded together."

"Within the altar shrine stood a wondrous statue of a three-headed, six-armed child, lifelike, its eyes glowing—clearly the work of a master."

"Behind that procession followed a crowd of white-clad believers, men and women, old and young, each face gaunt yet marked with madness."

"\"The Ling Ying Sect…\" Li Che drew a deep breath, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes."

"No matter what the Ling Ying Dharma Master is, his daughter Xixi is his treasure, his everything; wife, children, and a warm kang bed—that's what he wants to protect."

"If they dare to move against Xixi, they would be seeking to destroy his family; Li Che would rather die than not take a bite of their flesh."

"Clenching his fists, Li Che braved the wind and snow, striding straight toward Xu Ji's Woodcarving Shop."

"At this moment, Li Che's desire to become an official woodcarving master of the shop grew intensely."

"Not only because becoming a woodcarving master would grant him a house and the shop's protection, but also because he would qualify to receive the shop's transmitted internal strength method and martial arts……"

"【Immortal Craft】 Dao Fruit—although it gave Li Che considerable aid, ultimately it merely enhanced his talent for craftsmanship."

"In terms of personal combat strength, its help is not great."

"Upon entering the shop, the atmosphere was solemn; many apprentices had not begun work, each conserving energy and sharpening their spirit."

"Li Che immediately understood that today they would likely hold the woodcarving assessment."

"Chen Dabao was drinking old yellow wine from a gourd, sitting on a distant bench with his legs crossed, humming contently, quite pleased."

"\"Little Li, come. \""

"Seeing Li Che, Old Chen waved him over."

"Li Che's eyes lit up; dispelling the gloom from seeing the Ling Ying procession, he hurried over, and Old Chen pulled out a yellowed, yellow‑cover book from his bosom."

"\"This 'Tangji Jianji Yaowu' is one of my treasured ancient texts, though I haven't studied it much; it contains many mechanical secret arts, yet they also demand considerable hand‑skill, some even requiring internal strength and martial arts assistance. Of course, the simple mechanisms you can try—if you're not an internal‑strength martial artist, you can basically handle them. \""

"\"Thank you, Old Chen. \" Li Che's face lit with excitement; he produced fifty copper coins, gave them to Chen Dabao, and then received the book."

"And at the instant his fingertips touched the ancient text—"

"the Dao Fruit 【Immortal Craft】 within his chest……"

"it leapt wildly!"

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"(End of chapter)"