Chapter 27: Steady and Timid, the Hellish Bull Head
-----------
This high quality machine translation is powered by: https:// geriatrictranslations.com/
Special Permission was given to upload the novel on WebNovel.
Geriatric Translations can be supported on patreon (https://www. patreon.com/geriatricvibes) where additional chapters can be enjoyed.
You can also join the Geriatric Translations Community on Discord to connect with other readers: https:// discord.gg/NSWvfN7vua
-----------
Li Che had never thought of letting Lei Chunlan off. It was rare to meet her, and he couldn't feel at ease without beating her to death.
He twisted his neck, the tendons in his back creaking.
With the Xu Family's Nine Sinews technique, Li Che had already opened nine major tendons. Now, he had reached Sinew Opening Perfection, just one step away from Bone Tempering.
In a month, Li Che had undergone a tremendous transformation. If he activated the Vajra Transformation of the Dragon-Elephant Dao Fruit, he was confident he could kill Zhao Chuanxiong and his Bagua Staff-wielding accomplice!
He had planned to deal with Zhao Chuanxiong after this matter was over, eliminating this threat.
But he never expected that during his trip to the Inner City... he would encounter Lei Chunlan.
Hiding in the Inner City, no wonder Li Che's efforts to find Lei Chunlan under a false identity had been fruitless.
He shook his sleeves, the Sleeve Crossbow and Thousand Spider Threads inside were ready. The eyes behind the mask flashed with a cold and murderous intent.
With a stomp of his foot, his body shot out of the alley.
...
...
The curtains gently fluttered.
Rising and falling, as if moving with the rhythm of breathing.
Xu Beihu sat in his chair, the water in the kettle boiling, the heat surging, and the bubbling sound continuous. He brewed tea, the rich aroma spreading.
Si Mu Bai stood before the "Nine-headed Avalokiteshvara Weeping Ghost Suppressing Statue" carved by Li Che. Now, the wooden statue was unrecognizable, as if eroded by the passage of time and weather.
If one looked closely, they could see countless tiny holes on the statue, like the remnants left by wood insects.
After a long while, Si Mu Bai shivered, took a step back, and tears streamed down his face, a mix of crying and laughing. He slapped the decayed statue, and it crumbled into dust with a loud "boom."
"Not bad, the taste is really good."
Si Mu Bai licked his lips with his tongue.
"Although it doesn't contain Divine Essence like a master's wood carving and couldn't capture the wandering Divine Essence in the world... it's still very good. The essence it carries, if accumulated three or four times, could form a strand of Divine Essence, which would greatly benefit my [Wrathful Crying Ghost-Taming] technique."
Si Mu Bai sat back in the yellow sandalwood armchair and accepted the high-quality Pu'er tea Xu Beihu had brewed.
"You Xu Family have found a treasure. This is a surefire master in the making. As long as you are willing to cultivate him, he will be the next Master Wood Carver."
Si Mu Bai said with a hint of envy.
Xu Beihu's rough face broke into a smile. "It's not that simple. Becoming a Master Wood Carver isn't easy, and loyalty is also important... In over two hundred years, our Xu Family has cultivated many wood carvers, but only a few have become Master Wood Carvers."
"If you don't want him, I can take him to the Si Family." Si Mu Bai took a sip of tea, half-smiling.
"Was that old woman a creation of your Si Family? She seems to be from the Spirit Child Sect. If you have ties with the Spirit Child Sect, wouldn't your family care?" Xu Beihu's smile vanished, and he spoke calmly.
"Don't be so resistant to the Spirit Child Sect. The Strange Temples don't only produce evil things. The court and the Divine Sects explore and destroy temples because there are good things in the Strange Temples, right?"
"Divine Essence, Divine Law, Martial Techniques, Martial Arts... all kinds of legacies come from the Strange Temples. Why be so resistant?"
Si Mu Bai laughed and sipped his tea.
"The court has us recruit Divine Essence children and cultivate them to explore the Strange Temples they can't explore. I heard from friends in the capital that the great divine beings of the court are fully exploring the new 'Three Pure Ones' Strange Temple outside the capital."
"The court is exploring, accepting, and integrating. Why should we resist?"
Si Mu Bai shook his head.
Xu Beihu's face darkened. "Strange Temples are Strange Temples, and the Spirit Child Sect is the Spirit Child Sect. Don't mix them up."
"Let's not talk about this. I have my own judgment. Feilei City is governed by our noble families. How can I not care?"
Si Mu Bai waved his hand, unconcerned.
"Speaking of Li Che, he's quite practical and steady. I heard Lei Chunlan targeted his daughter, and he could bear to hold back... really timid."
Si Mu Bai said.
"That's being steady. Although he has the support of the Xu Family, he can't be sure they will back him. He definitely hates Lei Chunlan, but he's very rational. Knowing that the Si Family is protecting Lei Chunlan and his own strength is weak, he realizes that if things get out of hand, both families will lose face and be unable to resolve the issue. So, he chose to step back and seek stability."
Xu Beihu said calmly.
"In summary, this person... steady, timid, not much to fear."
...
...
Golden Splendor Pavilion.
Li Che moved like a shadow, his strength now roughly equivalent to that of a Bone Tempering Perfection practitioner due to the Dragon-Elephant Vajra. With nine major tendons opened, his explosive strength could reach ten thousand pounds.
In reality, he was only at Sinew Opening Perfection.
The Dragon-Elephant Vajra allowed him to gain the explosive strength of a higher realm.
His major tendons on his back tightened, and the force he released bounced off the ground, silently lifting the snow. Li Che's body glided through the air.
He slipped into the Golden Splendor Pavilion, familiar with the layout from his previous visit.
The Golden Splendor Pavilion was vast, like a large family estate, with alleys crisscrossing and paths winding.
There were guards patrolling, all with Sinew Opening cultivation.
Li Che hid in the darkness, watching silently.
The Golden Splendor Pavilion was backed by several noble families, making it a shared property. Few dared to cause trouble here, so the guards, though present, were somewhat lax.
Li Che easily avoided the guards, recalling the direction Lei Chunlan had taken when she entered.
His body rose and fell, the speed of a Bone Tempering Perfection practitioner making him almost invisible to ordinary eyes.
Li Che didn't know what relationship Si Mu Bai had with Lei Chunlan or what deal the Si Family had with the Spirit Child Sect...
He didn't care about those things.
Lei Chunlan wanted to harm his daughter Xixi. Li Che had only one goal.
Kill her!
...
...
In a luxurious courtyard.
Rock formations stood, and the trees cast dappled shadows.
Lei Chunlan changed into a clean brocade robe, leaning on the railing, looking at the Si Family guard standing in her courtyard and the scenery around her. Her wrinkled old face broke into a smile.
"Truly, the Golden Splendor Pavilion in the Inner City is the most luxurious and extravagant place. It's a wonderful place to enjoy. I, an old woman, have suffered all my life, and now I can finally live like this."
"This is how a person should live."
Lei Chunlan smiled like a blooming chrysanthemum.
The Spirit Child Sect gave her things she had never experienced.
"As long as the Si Family agrees to the Dharma Master's deal, I will become a guest of the Si Family... enjoying endless glory and wealth."
Lei Chunlan's body trembled with excitement.
She had guided those infants into this world, exchanging their lives for her glory and wealth... wasn't it justified?
"What a pity, that Li Che is truly steady. Knowing I have ties with the Spirit Child Sect, he moved into the Xu Family's wood carving shop... what a stroke of luck. This mere laborer became a wood carver for the Xu Family."
"What a pity about that spirit infant, full of Divine Essence... if I could offer it to the Dharma Master, I could even receive the Dharma Master's Divine Essence technique! I would become a person above others!"
Lei Chunlan clenched her fists, her old eyes wide with regret.
"No matter, now that I have the Si Family's support, I will eventually get that spirit infant...
"A mere wood carver from the Xu Family's shop is just an ant before the Si Family."
Whoosh—
The sky, which had been calm, seemed to sense the world's coldness and began to snow heavily.
Snowflakes blurred the view.
Lei Chunlan rubbed her hands and blew out a puff of warm air. "This damned weather."
She turned and began to operate the hot stove, adding charcoal.
Suddenly, her movements froze, her neck stiffening as she lifted her head.
She saw a towering figure on a cluster of rock formations.
Wearing a bamboo hat and a bull mask, the figure stood like a spear about to pierce the sky, amidst the swirling snow and wind.
His eyes were sharp, like the hellish bull head of the underworld, filled with icy coldness and murderous intent, staring at her.
(End of Chapter)