Chapter 4: Divine Artisan Upgrade, Bad News Arrives
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The wood was scrap he had brought back from the Wood Carving Shop, a small piece that no one paid much attention to when he brought it home.
The carving knife was one he had prepared back when he was determined to learn wood carving on his own. He had a craftsman from the Western City Blacksmith Shop specially forge it, and the set wasn't cheap. Now, it was finally put to good use.
The Divine Artisan Dao Fruit pulsed with a divine-like sensation, surging in his heart.
Since this was just a trial, Li Che didn't use ink lines to outline the shape but went straight to carving. With the help of the Dao Fruit, he felt that the carving of the 'Six-Eyed Bodhisattva Statue' was deeply etched in his mind.
It was as if he had carved the Six-Eyed Bodhisattva a thousand times like Master Chen, becoming proficient through practice.
He had a good grasp of where to cut the wood, the spatial form from the outside to the inside, and the amount of force to apply with each cut.
However, since this was his first time doing it himself, there was still some stiffness. But as he continued carving and gained more familiarity, this stiffness gradually smoothed out.
His knife techniques gradually became graceful, even developing a unique charm, a sign of his skills reaching maturity.
Mature knife techniques require continuous experience accumulation.
But it seemed that Li Che, through the Divine Artisan Dao Fruit, could touch the 'Six-Eyed Bodhisattva' and absorb Master Chen's years of carving experience like a sponge.
The sharp carving knife rubbed against the wood, making a rustling sound.
The oil lamp flickered, and wood shavings and scraps fell softly. In Li Che's hands, a miniature 'Six-Eyed Bodhisattva Statue' about the size of a palm, with prominent angles, gradually took shape.
Although it was unpolished and the edges were rough, the form was already masterfully crafted!
Zhang Ya, who had just put Xixi to sleep, was amazed to see Li Che carve the rough shape of the statue in just a short time.
Seeing Li Che immersed in carving, Zhang Ya didn't dare to disturb him and could only suppress her curiosity.
She didn't go to sleep either, sitting by the bed, quietly watching Li Che carve with concentration under the oil lamp.
As she watched, her eyes became slightly misty, and a smile blossomed on her lips.
She thought her husband had long given up on wood carving, but she never imagined...
Her husband had never given up, always striving to learn, and now... he was secretly giving her a surprise!
"I wonder if my husband can become a wood carving master at the Wood Carving Shop, or even an apprentice... that way, he wouldn't have to carry heavy wood and carvings every day."
Zhang Ya's wish was simple and sincere, hoping that her husband could earn a living more easily.
Immersed in carving, Li Che soon came to his senses because the Six-Eyed Bodhisattva Statue was complete and no longer needed carving, though it was unpolished and not yet a finished product.
But Li Che was overjoyed.
Suddenly, he felt a sense of awareness.
[Dao Fruit: Divine Artisan (Lv1, 10%)]
Huh?!
Li Che's eyes lit up, noticing that the experience-like indicator in the Divine Artisan Dao Fruit had increased.
"Does carving a wood carving increase my experience? Is it like gaining proficiency?"
"Or is it because I touched the 'Six-Eyed Bodhisattva' wood carving, learned the carving technique, and successfully carved it, so I got a 10% increase?"
From this, it seemed that the Dao Fruit... could be understood as a newly formed but immature fruit.
By gradually ripening it, he could unlock the true power of the Dao Fruit.
Li Che couldn't help but speculate.
Unfortunately, he didn't bring any wood back, so he couldn't try it immediately.
He had to suppress his curiosity, stretch, and then saw his wife Zhang Ya leaning against the bed, dozing off.
Li Che knew she was waiting for him to sleep together, and his heart warmed.
On such a cold night, he quickly blew out the oil lamp, pulled the startled Zhang Ya into bed.
Outside, the snow was falling heavily.
It fell softly on the thick layer of snow on the roof.
It was a perfect night for sleep.
...
...
The next day, Li Che went to work at Xu's Wood Carving Shop as usual.
"Master Chen, can I take this scrap back to practice?"
During a break, Li Che approached Master Chen, looking at the 'Flowering Willow' scrap from the carving, and couldn't help but ask.
Master Chen, with wood shavings on his beard, glanced at Li Che. "Planning to learn wood carving? You have a good eye, you're a good candidate, but you're a bit old. Still, it's good that you have the heart. Take whatever scrap you want."
Li Che had been working for Master Chen for some years, so Master Chen was much more lenient with him.
Li Che was delighted, thanked Master Chen, and started picking out usable scraps.
Master Chen looked at him, chuckled, shook his head, and continued carving the 'Nine Children Embracing Lotus Statue'.
Li Che packed the chosen scraps in a cloth and put them in his work area. Then he ran to the courtyard, using the excuse of adjusting the transported wood carvings, to touch them.
The Divine Artisan Dao Fruit trembled slightly. This time, he touched a wood carving called 'Spring Fills the Universe', which required extremely delicate carving and patience to carve lifelike leaves and depict the spring atmosphere.
After touching it, a familiar feeling surged in his heart.
It was as if he saw a female wood carver, holding a carving knife, creating a vast world with her fingers, and the spring atmosphere blooming from the wood.
Information about the 'Spring Fills the Universe' wood carving technique flooded his mind.
Li Che was delighted. Just like touching the 'Six-Eyed Bodhisattva' statue, he had learned another wood carving technique.
However, when he touched other carvings, the Dao Fruit no longer responded, indicating a daily learning limit.
Over the next few days, Li Che studied the Divine Artisan Dao Fruit.
The Divine Artisan, a master of all skills, a divine hand!
By touching a statue, he could learn the wood carving technique. Each carving, when completed, would increase his experience by 10%, but it would only provide one experience, meaning Li Che needed to learn and carve ten different wood carvings to upgrade the Divine Artisan Dao Fruit to Lv2...
Understanding the use of the Dao Fruit, Li Che felt hopeful about the future!
...
...
Days passed.
Soon, a month had gone by.
Xixi was a month old, her lively eyes blinking, waving her chubby little hands in the swaddling clothes, curiously observing the world.
Li Che held a rattle he had made by hand, teasing Xixi, making the little girl laugh nonstop.
Xixi loved to laugh, and when she did, she had dimples, just like her mother.
Zhang Ya, sewing old clothes, watched the interaction between father and daughter, her eyes filled with warmth and contentment.
"Husband, how did it go with the Third Manager at the Wood Carving Shop about your request to become a wood carving master?"
Zhang Ya asked curiously.
Li Che had been carving wood carvings every night for a month, all kinds of them, and Zhang Ya was amazed by his skills.
In her blind admiration, she even thought her husband was better than the apprentices at the Wood Carving Shop, and perhaps even on par with the masters.
"The Third Manager said... we have to follow the rules. I have to take the wood carving skill test with the students who pay to learn. If I pass, I can join the shop and become a wood carving master."
Li Che played with Xixi, making her reach out to grab the rattle, while answering Zhang Ya's question.
Zhang Ya nodded, her lips pressed together in determination. "My husband will definitely succeed!"
Li Che smiled, full of confidence, his eyes sparkling.
Suddenly, he felt a sense of awareness.
[Dao Fruit: Divine Artisan (Lv2, 8%)]
After a month of relentless practice and night-time carving, he finally upgraded the Dao Fruit to Lv2.
At the Lv2 level, the Divine Artisan Dao Fruit enhanced Li Che's artistic expression. The wood carvings he created could imbue a strong sense of meaning.
Moreover, his manual skills became extremely proficient, his fingers incredibly agile. Not only in woodwork, but he was confident he could easily handle complex mechanisms and techniques.
After playing with Xixi for a while, Li Che got ready to go to work.
The snow had lessened, and winter was coming to an end.
But the air was still cold, biting and chilling.
Just as he stepped out of the house, a familiar figure approached, smoking a pipe, frowning, wearing a tattered scholar's robe over a thick coat.
"Uncle."
Li Che called out.
After learning that Xixi was a girl, Uncle, influenced by the preference for boys, hadn't visited for a month. However, Aunt had come once to bring Zhang Ya some eggs to supplement her diet.
"Che, are you heading to work? Good timing."
The old scholar's frown didn't ease.
Li Che nodded, and the old scholar, holding his pipe, hesitated before speaking. "Che, have you heard?"
"The midwife who delivered Xiaoya..."
"Killed several children..."
"It's said... all the children she killed were ones she had delivered!"
(End of Chapter)