https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-9-The-Three-Headed-Six-Armed-Spirit-Infant-Statue-and-the-Hidden-Crossbow/12831059/
Chapter 10: Nine Crossbow Arrows, Mechanisms of Death
Chapter 10: Nine Crossbow Arrows, Mechanisms of Death
Li Che clutched the spiritual infant figurine, his eyes flickering with uncertainty.
Since the other party had targeted him and left the sinister wooden figurine as a mark, Li Che naturally dared not take any risks. If he went out to work and they forcibly broke into his house to attack, he would surely regret it.
"The safest place... is the woodcarving shop!"
"I'm now a woodcarver with my own workshop. I can have Xi Xi and Xiao Ya stay in my workshop..."
"Yes, it’s a cautious and safe move!"
After making the decision, Li Che woke up his wife, Zhang Ya.
"Dear, you were quite energetic last night, weren’t you? You must have been holding back for a while..." Zhang Ya’s face turned slightly red, her gaze soft and moist as she looked at Li Che.
Li Che smiled and gently stroked his wife’s disheveled hair.
"Dear, tidy up and take Xi Xi. We’ll all go to the woodcarving shop together for the next couple of days."
Zhang Ya was taken aback. Go to the woodcarving shop together?
"Dear, today is your first day as a woodcarver... wouldn’t it be better if Xi Xi and I stayed home? Might the shop owner be displeased?"
Li Che shook his head. "No, the workshop is a private space for the woodcarver. Family members can stay there. I’ll explain to the shop owner."
Zhang Ya didn’t argue further, starting to pack things and getting Xi Xi, who was playing on the bed, ready.
After wrapping Xi Xi tightly, the family braved the snowstorm and set off for Xu’s Woodcarving Shop.
Li Che protected his wife and daughter, tightening Zhang Ya’s cotton coat and ensuring Xi Xi was shielded from the biting wind. At the same time, he kept a wary eye on their surroundings, his heart filled with alertness.
Seeing her husband’s cautious demeanor, Zhang Ya’s heart tightened. She knew something was wrong, but since Li Che hadn’t said anything, she didn’t ask. Instead, she silently worried.
The couple and their child made their way through the snow, stepping onto the snow-covered cobblestone street.
"Saintly spirits cleanse the dust, reincarnation without worries..."
"Only the wise need no teaching..."
The sound of clanging bells and drums echoed as the followers of the Spirit Infant Sect marched in a mesmerizing formation, carrying a three-headed, six-armed wooden figurine that grew more sinister in the incense smoke.
Li Che vaguely felt the figurine’s gaze fix on his family, a faint, persistent stare that made him feel as if thorns were pricking his back.
"Dear..." Zhang Ya looked at the procession, her face clearly showing her panic.
"Don’t be afraid, I’m here."
"Don’t look, keep walking."
Li Che patted his wife, grasping her slender shoulders, and led them straight to the woodcarving shop.
However, Li Che inexplicably felt a cold breeze ruffling from behind, as if a shadow was following them.
The sense of danger spread like ink in a pond, gradually darkening the entire pool.
Fortunately, they soon arrived at Xu’s Woodcarving Shop.
The moment they stepped inside, Li Che felt a sense of relief. He turned to look back and, sure enough, saw a dark figure flash past the corner.
"Lei Chunlan?"
Li Che’s chest heaved, a surge of killing intent rising within him.
"A Che?"
Suddenly, a familiar voice called out. Chen Dabao, holding a gourd of wine, saw Li Che, Zhang Ya, and Xi Xi.
The sight made him pause, but the old man, wise and experienced, quickly connected the dots, recalling Li Che’s earlier mention of the Spirit Infant Sect targeting his daughter.
"Come in first."
Chen Dabao’s expression grew serious as he led Li Che and his family into the shop.
Li Che arranged for Zhang Ya to stay in his workshop before finding Chen Dabao.
Chen Dabao, sipping from his gourd, glanced at Li Che. "You’ve been targeted?"
Li Che nodded, pulling out the wooden figurine that appeared at his doorstep last night.
The moment Chen Dabao saw the figurine, his expression turned grave, and he stopped drinking.
"You did the right thing by bringing your wife and daughter here. Your house... is no longer safe."
"The Spirit Infant Sect... giving you this figurine means they have evaluated your daughter and deemed her a Spirit Infant!"
Chen Dabao took the figurine, his face extremely serious.
Li Che’s expression also changed.
"They’ve probably been watching your family. This three-headed, six-armed figurine only appeared last night, right?"
"It seems they knew you became a woodcarver at Xu’s and that you would move into the compound, so..."
Li Che’s face darkened. "They want to strike first?"
"Yes, fortunately, you were cautious and brought your family here..." Chen Dabao’s fingers clenched, and the figurine instantly cracked, shattering into pieces.
"You said someone was following you? Was it the midwife who has taken many children’s lives?"
"It might be her, but I couldn’t see clearly... I’m not sure."
"Considering we will be friendly neighbors... I’ll go with you to check if it’s that brainwashed midwife."
Chen Dabao took a swig of his strong liquor, his eyes narrowing as he spoke.
Li Che felt a surge of relief.
He knew Chen Dabao’s change in attitude was due to his woodcarving talent, which imbued his creations with profound meaning. This talent... seemed even more important than he had imagined!
Li Che settled his wife and daughter in the workshop, instructing Zhang Ya not to wander off. Chen Dabao asked an old master to keep an eye on them before setting out with Li Che.
Both donned straw hats and braved the snowstorm.
Leaving the shop, Old Chen tossed a cloak to Li Che and wrapped himself in one, securing his wine gourd at his waist.
They arrived at the corner of the alley.
There, on the snow-covered ground, sat a "Three-Headed Six-Armed Spirit Infant Statue."
"Tch, really bold, marking their territory right in front of Xu's Shop. Do they think Xu's Shop is made of mud?"
Old Chen narrowed his eyes and stomped his foot. With a surge of qi and blood, the wooden statue shattered into pieces.
Crack!
At the same moment,
A black shadow in the distance seemed startled and quickly fled, scattering snow as it ran.
"Found him." Old Chen glanced at Li Che.
"Follow at your own pace, and be careful."
With that, Old Chen's exposed skin turned a fiery red, his body stretching and his tendons tightening with a sound like a bowstring being pulled taut. The snow under his feet instantly melted into water, a wave of intense heat rushing out. With one powerful step, he shot forward like a red-hot iron, shattering the falling snow and chasing after the fleeing black shadow.
Watching Old Chen rocket away, Li Che felt a slight tremor in his heart.
Skin hardening, tendons strengthening, bones tempering, blood refining... Old Chen must have reached an incredible realm, and his inner strength was formidable.
Exhaling a breath of hot air mixed with snow, Li Che pressed down on the crossbow hidden in his sleeve, his face cold as ice.
I'm not afraid of thieves stealing, I'm afraid of them having a grudge...
Thinking of his adorable Xi Xi being targeted by these villains, Li Che felt a surge of intense rage.
If you dare to touch my daughter, I'll...
Kill you!
...
...
Li Che quickly caught up, stepping on the cobblestone path.
From a distance, he saw Old Chen leaning against the wall at the corner of the alley, sipping from his wine gourd.
Behind him, a black shadow lay crumpled on the ground, blood staining the snow.
"It's not the midwife, just a well-trained martial artist who has reached the peak of skin hardening. He joined the Spirit Infant Cult and became a disciple."
Old Chen said calmly as Li Che approached.
Li Che's heart sank, feeling a bit disappointed.
Not Lei Chunlan... What a pity.
The man had dark, weathered skin, but now he looked utterly defeated, blood streaming from his nose and mouth as he lay on the ground, wheezing and coughing up blood.
Clearly, he hadn't lasted long against Old Chen and was severely injured.
Old Chen, after a good beating, enjoyed his wine with a sense of post-battle satisfaction.
Li Che stared at the man, whose head was buried in the snow, his hands clenched into fists, his eyes cold.
"Where is Lei Chunlan?"
Li Che's voice was hoarse as he asked.
"I... I don't... know..."
The man mumbled, his head still buried.
As soon as he finished speaking, Li Che kicked him hard in the head, the man's skull slamming against the cobblestones with a dull thud.
Li Che kicked him several more times, but the man only gritted his teeth and grunted, not uttering a single cry.
Old Chen watched with a faint smile.
After a moment, the two walked silently down the street, Old Chen strolling leisurely with his hands behind his back.
Li Che turned to Old Chen, "Old Chen, go back to the shop. I'll buy a pound of pork head meat and two cups of yellow wine to thank you."
Old Chen grinned, "No need to be so formal. Go ahead, I'll take the one from the shop in the west of the city."
Li Che smiled, nodded, and disappeared into the snow.
Old Chen watched Li Che's retreating back, smacking his lips, and took a swig from his gourd.
"This kid... he's a good father."
"But, without martial training, killing a skin-hardened martial artist... won't be easy."
...
...
In the alley,
Snowflakes danced, cold and piercing.
The air was thick with the scent of blood. The dark-skinned man, who had been beaten by Old Chen, struggled to his feet, leaning against the wall.
Old Chen was too strong; at his current level of skin hardening, he had no chance of resistance.
As for the kicks from Li Che, they were nothing more than a slight humiliation to a skin-hardened man.
"None of the Spirit Infants marked by the Dharma Master can escape... even Xu's Shop can't protect them..."
The man panted heavily.
Suddenly,
His body tensed as a shadow blocked the light at the alley entrance.
He struggled to lift his head, only to see a tall figure in a hood blocking the alley.
The figure raised an arm.
Whoosh!
A sharp whistle cut through the air and snow.
Thud!
Something exploded...
The dark-skinned man felt a sharp pain in his eye as a wooden crossbow bolt, carrying immense force, pierced his eyeball, blood instantly blurring his vision.
He screamed in agony, the pain searing his nerves!
Like an enraged tiger, he roared and lunged toward the figure at the alley entrance, intent on tearing him apart!
Li Che, wearing a hood, watched the charging man with cold detachment. With another sharp whistle, another crossbow bolt shot out.
One after another, each bolt found its mark in his eye!
Skin hardening indeed made one tough... but could he harden his eyeballs?
Li Che fired all nine bolts from his crossbow, one after another.
Finally, the dark-skinned man collapsed to his knees, his head a bloody mess, lifeless and still.
Li Che shook his sleeve, expressionless, and hid the crossbow, pressing down his hood.
He then walked toward the meat shop in the west of the city.
(End of Chapter)
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