Chapter 15: Watching, Guarding, or Killing

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"Spirit Infant Statue?"

Li Che's eyes were icy cold. As expected...

Even after moving into Xu's Wood Carving Shop and receiving Xu's protection, they still couldn't completely avoid the Spirit Child Sect's covetous eyes on Xixi!

Just after the First Birthday Banquet, the Spirit Child Sect has shown up!

"They just won't let go..."

Li Che clenched his fists, the killing intent in his eyes growing stronger.

However, recalling the figure that had just disappeared, his brows furrowed.

"This Spirit Infant Statue hasn't appeared since we moved into Xu's Compound. Today, it appeared... The only outsiders we've had contact with are the helpers and cooks from Spring Wind Tower."

"But these helpers and cooks were already arranged by Steward Sun to leave Xu's Compound and were not allowed to stay, so we can rule them out. There are many old masters in the surrounding courtyards, with their powerful strength and keen senses... yet the enemy managed to sneak the Spirit Infant Statue into my courtyard..."

Li Che took a deep breath, feeling the wind and snow grow even colder.

His dark eyes reflected a fierce expression.

"In other words... this member of the Spirit Child Sect... is likely someone familiar within Xu's Wood Carving Shop!"

There is a member of the Spirit Child Sect within Xu's Wood Carving Shop!

A chill seemed to seep into his body through his pores in an instant.

"This possibility... is very, very high!"

"I've been a bit too complacent... there is no absolutely safe place."

Li Che shook his head, his gaze fixed on the wooden statue with wide eyes on the ground, his face cold: "There is a member of the Spirit Child Sect within the wood carving shop... who could it be?"

Several faces flashed through Li Che's mind, but he still couldn't determine who it was.

Shaking his head, Li Che picked up the wooden statue with wide eyes from the ground. His blood and qi surged beneath his skin, and his fingers suddenly glowed with a golden light. With a "crack," the wooden statue was instantly crushed.

"I will find you..."

"Don't underestimate the obsession of a protective father."

...

...

"A Spirit Infant Statue... appeared outside your courtyard?"

The next day, after a good night's sleep, Chen Dabao's eyes suddenly narrowed upon hearing Li Che's words.

"You suspect that there might be a follower of the Spirit Child Sect within the wood carving shop?"

Chen Dabao squinted his eyes and spoke in a low voice.

Li Che nodded, but he couldn't guess who it was.

"Indeed, there is a high possibility. To appear outside Xu's Compound, even in the outer city, is not an easy feat..."

"The followers of the Spirit Child Sect have already spread throughout Feilei City. If someone within the shop has become a follower, it's not surprising."

"No, it's more like it's bound to happen. The Spirit Child Sect... to challenge the rule of the powerful families in Feilei City, they must plant their people. And faith erosion is indeed the most effective method."

Chen Dabao said in a grave voice, "Don't worry, I will investigate. It's not difficult to find out... becoming a follower of the Spirit Child Sect is not easy to hide. If I find out, I'll tell you immediately. You should also be cautious and guard against it."

"Third Manager was dispatched out of the city to clear out the strange temple and evil things. During this time... there is no one in charge of the shop, which is the best time for them to act."

"But even if we know their identity, before they make a move against Little Xixi, I can't act directly..."

Chen Dabao frowned as he spoke.

Li Che understood upon hearing this.

The Spirit Child Sect has spread throughout Feilei City, and becoming a follower of the Spirit Child Sect may be despised by various forces, but they won't specifically hunt them down.

After all, before causing trouble, it is just a matter of freedom of belief.

"But at least knowing who it is will give me some peace of mind and allow me to guard against it."

Li Che said sincerely.

Chen Dabao also found this reasonable upon hearing it.

...

...

Chen Dabao's investigation took three days.

During these three days, Li Che added more time to his cultivation. After all, the cultivation feedback from the [Dragon-Elephant Vajra] Dao fruit made him very eager to practice.

Three days of hard cultivation raised the maturity of [Dragon-Elephant Vajra] to 5%. Under the full release of the Dao fruit's power, it was even stronger than the perfection of Skin Grinding, with a strength of a thousand pounds.

However, it was still just the perfection of Skin Grinding.

In the training ground, Li Che was drenched in sweat, his skin glowing red, and the heat waves made the air hazy.

He put down the stone lock and lowered his eyelids.

"To break through to Meridian Opening, I need a cultivation method for Meridian Opening... but I can't seek Xu Beihu, after all, the cultivation I've shown him is just the great completion of Skin Grinding..."

The day before, Xu Beihu came to check his cultivation, and Li Che demonstrated his great completion of Skin Grinding.

He did not fully expose his perfection of Skin Grinding.

Even so, Xu Beihu was already very surprised. In just one year... to reach the great completion of Skin Grinding, his talent was already astonishing to Xu Beihu.

Unfortunately, Xu Beihu stated that to obtain a Meridian Opening cultivation method and Internal Energy cultivation method... he needed the perfection of Skin Grinding.

Li Che did not want to expose his perfection of Skin Grinding. One year to reach great completion in Skin Grinding can be explained as exceptional talent, which was Xu Beihu's level at that time.

But one year to reach perfection in Skin Grinding... that would be too exaggerated...

"So, I have to find the Meridian Opening cultivation method and Internal Energy cultivation method myself."

Li Che changed into a clean set of clothes, his eyes flickering as he thought.

"I have some savings now. I can go to the market in the outer city to look. There might be cultivation methods for sale there, but I need to hide my identity."

After finishing his cultivation, Li Che returned to the workshop of the wood carving shop.

A few days ago, he received a wood carving job, to carve an 'Eight-Treasure Luminous Maitreya Statue.' The client requested that it be rich in meaning, and the price offered was a gold leaf, equivalent to a hundred taels!

This was the highest-priced wood carving job Li Che had ever received!

Holding the carving knife, he gently cut into the wood, splitting the wood fibers, and wood chips fell like snowflakes.

The [Divine Artisan] Dao fruit pulsed slightly, and Li Che's eyes were focused. Everything around him seemed to vanish in that moment, and all the techniques for carving the Maitreya statue flooded his mind.

Chen Dabao, with a wine gourd hanging from his waist, knocked on Li Che's workshop door with a serious face.

"Chen Dabao?"

Li Che, holding a file, was carving the wood and asked softly.

"I found out." Chen Dabao found a chair and sat down, uncorked the gourd, took a sip of wine, and said in a grave voice.

"Who is it?" Li Che's eyes turned cold, and the motion of his file on the wood suddenly paused.

"In the outer city of Xu's Wood Carving Shop, there are quite a few wood carving masters and their families who have believed in the Spirit Child Sect over the past year. I was indeed shocked when I found out."

"But on the day of Little Xixi's first birthday, only one person who came to the banquet secretly believed in the Spirit Child Sect."

Chen Dabao shook his head, a hint of fear in his eyes.

The expansion of the Spirit Child Sect... was faster and more terrifying than he had imagined.

Li Che didn't care about that; he was more concerned about who was targeting Xixi.

"Who is it?"

Li Che asked again.

Chen Dabao sighed, "Steward Sun's second son, Sun Changbiao. He has been married for four years without a son, and he is anxious. His wife was lured by the Spirit Child Sect, who promised that worshipping them would grant her a son. Sun Changbiao also followed her to worship."

Sun Changbiao?

Li Che was taken aback, recalling the Steward Sun who had shown them around the courtyard with a smile.

Sun Changbiao was his second son, also a wood carving master at Xu's Wood Carving Shop, a three-knife wood carver, usually mild-mannered. He never thought... that he would join the Spirit Child Sect.

And he was targeting Xixi.

Li Che took a deep breath.

"What is Sun Changbiao's strength?" Li Che asked expressionlessly.

Chen Dabao raised an eyebrow, "Average talent, he has been in Skin Grinding for three years, completed Muscle Opening in the past two years, and is cultivating Internal Energy..."

"Thank you, Chen Dabao, I understand."

Li Che's face suddenly lit up with a smile, thanking Chen Dabao.

"Don't act rashly. You just reached great completion in Skin Grinding, you can't defeat Sun Changbiao... besides, you have no evidence. Acting rashly will only give them a reason to talk, and it won't look good for Steward Sun."

Chen Dabao reminded Li Che, then took another sip of wine, "Now that we know who it is... we should be cautious and keep an eye on him."

"I will watch over Xixi, Sun Changbiao won't have a chance."

Li Che nodded silently.

Chen Dabao didn't say anything more, got up, and hummed a tune as he walked away, not going to his own workshop but leisurely strolling to Li Che's courtyard to play with Xixi.

"Little Xixi, your Grandpa Chen is here!"

On the other side, Li Che continued to carve the Eight-Treasure Luminous Maitreya Statue methodically.

After completing today's work, Li Che stood up, put on a bamboo hat, took a black cloak, and looked at the snowflakes falling from the sky.

"I said... don't underestimate the obsession of a protective father."

"He has so many daughters, but just because he doesn't have a son, he plans to take my daughter for a son?"

"Really... unreasonable."

He reached out and caught a snowflake.

Li Che's face gradually turned cold. Chen Dabao said... just watch and guard.

But in Li Che's view...

Watching and guarding are not as good as...

Killing.

(End of Chapter)