Chapter 107: The Hat and Black Robe, the Demon Ox's Release

Chapter 107: The Hat and Black Robe, the Demon Ox's Release

Under the dim night sky, the moonlight showered down from the high heavens.

Within the courtyard, Li Che frowned and put down the wine cup in his hand.

His sister-in-law, Liu Chunming, had a gloomy expression.

"Zhengran hasn't returned home for two days. This has never happened before, so I'm worried that something might have happened to him..." Liu Chunming said.

Zhang Ya hurried over, pulling Liu Chunming to sit in a chair, comforting her while pouring her a cup of tea.

Upon seeing everyone, Liu Chunming's worries and anxiety could no longer be contained, and she wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes.

"Sister-in-law, don't worry too much. Perhaps your cousin had something urgent to attend to. Do you know what he was doing before he left?" Li Che asked.

"Zhengran said he was going to the market to look for a job. The silver taels he brought from Thunder City are almost gone, so he wants to find a way to make a living. He can't rely on your support forever, Ah Che."

Perhaps it was because Li Che's current status and position were different from the past, so Liu Chunming's heart felt a bit more at ease.

"Looking for a job in the market?"

Li Che nodded.

"It's fine, sister-in-law. Finding a job in the market is not easy. Perhaps your brother found work and didn't have time to inform you. You should go back first and take care of Chengzhou. I'll go look for my brother and see what's keeping him."

Li Che spoke gently.

Hearing this, Liu Chunming nodded.

"Sister-in-law, why don't you have dinner before you leave?" Zhang Ya quickly suggested.

Liu Chunming shook her head repeatedly, as she truly had no appetite.

After Liu Chunming left, Zhang Ya turned to look at Li Che.

"Husband, do you think something serious has happened to my brother?"

Li Liang and his family had been very helpful to them, so Zhang Ya also hoped nothing bad would happen, wishing everyone well.

"It's unlikely to be a major issue, and... your brother and sister-in-law may have their suspicions."

Li Che spoke softly, "If my brother was truly in danger, his brother-in-law should have come earlier."

"By sending your sister-in-law now, it's very likely that your brother-in-law feels it's inappropriate or embarrassing to show up."

Li Che understood his brother-in-law's temperament quite well; this old scholar was very particular about his reputation.

His brother, Li Zhengran, had not returned home for two days, possibly because he had done something that made his brother-in-law feel ashamed, so he didn't want to seek Li Che's help. Instead, his sister-in-law couldn't bear it any longer and came to him for a solution.

"Huh?" Zhang Ya was stunned, not expecting there to be so many complications.

Li Che looked at his wife's adorable expression and couldn't help but pinch her little face.

Old Chen, Xixi, and Lu Datou, who were nearby, had long been accustomed to Li Che and Zhang Ya's occasional displays of affection.

After dinner, Li Che returned to his study.

Sitting in the chair, his expression remained calm without any significant emotional changes.

The Chess Sage's Dao fruit pulsated, and in the next moment, a miniature Heaven and Earth Chessboard floated in front of Li Che.

He raised his hand, and with a flick of his finger, a chess piece began to vibrate.

It was the divine chess piece Li Che had left on his cousin Li Zhengran.

With a five-fingered gesture, the scene began to expand, and the High Virtue Chess Sage's full map coverage directly locked onto the divine chess piece on Li Zhengran's body.

"The gambling house?"

Li Che opened his eyes, his eyebrows furrowing even tighter.

Li Che knew his cousin's temperament well; how could he have gone to a gambling house, a place that ruins families?

With another five-fingered gesture, the scene expanded further, and he saw inside the gambling house, Li Zhengran, his face red and ears burning, shouting, "Big, big, big!" at a crowded gambling table.

Li Che was stunned.

What he saw with his own eyes could not be fake.

"Someone deliberately led my cousin Li Zhengran astray..."

In an instant, a thought flashed through Li Che's mind.

Firstly, Li Liang's family had a strict family discipline, never allowing gambling or other vices. Li Zhengran had always been upright since childhood, with no major achievements but never straying from the right path.

It had only been half a month since they arrived in Golden Light Prefecture, and Li Zhengran had already started gambling.

Logically, if Li Zhengran was truly a gambling addict, he should have frequently visited the gambling house while in Thunder City.

Li Che sighed, no wonder his brother-in-law didn't personally seek his help. Perhaps his brother-in-law... already knew about this situation.

But he had been hiding it from his sister-in-law.

"The environment can change a person, but it's impossible to change so drastically in such a short time... So, someone deliberately guided him?"

Li Che narrowed his eyes, a cold glint flashing in his gaze.

Although Li Che was most concerned about his wife and daughter, his brother-in-law and cousin's family had treated him well, raising him with kindness. In Li Che's mind, this was a debt of gratitude.

It was one thing to target him directly, but using underhanded means to influence those around him was going too far.

"After I became a third-rank guest scholar of the Heaven-Enraged Bureau, the Qin family and the Temple Enforcement Command became more cautious towards me. According to Lu Chi, the Golden Crack Sect also has no motive to deal with me..."

"In fact, they only have suspicions and guesses about my identity, without any solid evidence. Due to my position as a third-rank guest scholar of the Heaven-Enraged Bureau and Xixi's status as the designated spirit child of the Divine Sect Branch, they naturally dare not act rashly."

Li Che pondered, analyzing the current situation.

Zhang Xiangyang did provide the Temple Enforcement Command with information that affected him, but the impact was not significant.

Even the chief officer of the Temple Enforcement Command, Zhang Lianhao, couldn't truly confirm whether Li Che was the Demon Ox or the mysterious cultivator who killed Qin Yuqing.

They still suspected him, but couldn't be sure.

If that were the case, they wouldn't have sent two Divine Enforcers to secretly tail him.

"In truth, they don't really care who the Demon Ox is... What they care about... is the masked rider who shot Qin Yuqing."

Li Che's eyes flickered, whether it was Qin Haonan, the Temple Enforcement Command, or the Golden Crack Sect.

In fact, what they cared about was not Qin Yuqing's death or seeking revenge for her.

More than that, they were wary of the mysterious cultivator who could shoot a powerful cultivator from dozens of miles away.

As long as the masked rider remained hidden, many people would live in fear, worrying that they might become the next target of the hunt.

Who would want to live in constant fear every day?

"So, they want to start with the people around me? Force me to take action? And then expose my identity?"

"Now, they will hold back because of my status as a Guest Scholar of the Heaven-Enraged Bureau. But once it's confirmed that I'm the Demon Ox, or even if my identity as the masked rider is exposed, I will undoubtedly face a thunderous attack, with everyone ganging up on me."

Li Che narrowed his eyes.

The flickering candlelight illuminated his suddenly smiling face.

"Today, you went after my cousin Li Zheng Ran, tomorrow... will you go after my elder brother, my wife, and then my daughter?"

"Step by step, inch by inch..."

Li Che closed his eyes, then opened them again, his expression cold and colorless.

"Do you all want to see the Demon Ox so badly?"

"You're not satisfied unless the Demon Ox appears?"

"Since that's the case..."

"As you wish."

Li Che was a low-key and restrained person, only wishing for a peaceful life.

But the Demon Ox was not.

...

...

In a ten-mile-long street, inside the Fragrant Pavilion.

In a private room, Qin Haonan sat quietly, drinking the finest wine of the Fragrant Pavilion, one cup after another disappearing into his mouth.

In the room across from him sat two Divine Enforcers wearing red cloud-patterned guard robes.

They were the same two enforcers who had come to escort Li Che to the Temple Enforcement Command, Hong Yong and Shi Lei.

Both sides were in tacit understanding and had not met face-to-face, although their jobs seemed to be the same—to tail Li Che.

However, there was no verbal communication between them.

Qin Haonan's eyes flashed as he had been keeping an eye on Li Che for half a month, but he hadn't caught any hint of a handle.

"So cautious... His life is so regular, going to work at the Heaven-Enraged Bureau during the day, and after work, he goes to his small courtyard workshop to make wood carvings..."

"For the past half month, almost every day has been the same routine, incredibly dull and boring!"

"He doesn't go to Yunfangfang, just home to his wife and children every day..."

"Could such a person be the Demon Ox from the intelligence report, a vicious and ruthless killer who doesn't blink when taking lives?"

Qin Haonan held his wine cup, feeling a bit dazed.

This was the first time he had seen such a pure and virtuous cultivator, self-disciplined and steady, never causing trouble, with a fixed and unchanging daily routine.

"That old man from the Golden Crack Sect... He took advantage of Qin Yuqing so much, and now that she's dead, he doesn't even have the slightest thought of revenge!"

"Yuqing's taste in men is as bad as ever."

Shaking his head, Qin Haonan drained his cup and slowly exhaled.

"This Li Che... He's probably not the Demon Ox, with about an eighty percent chance."

"The Demon Ox is likely Li Nuanxi's master, which is why he has a close relationship with Li Che's family."

"But we can't touch Li Nuanxi... He's the Divine Sect's designated top-grade Spirit Child, untouchable."

Qin Haonan shook his head.

"A cultivator with an illusory form was smashed to pieces by Li Qing Shan's horn hammer, what a waste." Disdain flashed in Qin Haonan's eyes.

"It seems the Black Snake Gang... is planning to make a move on Li Che's family."

Qin Haonan narrowed his eyes, having naturally noticed the changes in the merchants and customers in Tanhua Lane over the past half month.

Aside from the Qin family and the Golden Crack Sect, were there other forces planning to take action?

"The Black Snake Gang... isn't under the command of the Five Great Families, but comes from the Fishing Gang..."

Qin Haonan poured himself more wine as he thought.

"The Fishing Gang, Black Serpent Gang, and Beggar Gang are the three major gangs in Golden Light City, but their overall strength is inferior to the Five Great Families and Five Great Sects, placing them in the third tier of power."

"But we can't interfere in their internal affairs... Why would the Fishing Gang send a local gang to keep an eye on Li Che's family?"

"What reason could they have?"

As the next-in-line heir to the Qin family, Qin Haonan was familiar with all the major powers.

He had already investigated the Black Snake Gang, learning that they were under the Fishing Gang, not the similarly named Black Serpent Gang.

The Fishing Gang was adjacent to the Jiulong River, and most of the aquatic products were connected to them, making them the most powerful of the three major gangs.

However, Qin Haonan hadn't figured out the specific reason why the Fishing Gang had sent the Black Snake Gang to watch Li Che's family.

Suddenly, a glint of insight flashed in Qin Haonan's eyes.

It seemed he had thought of something...

The wine cup trembled slightly.

...

...

Deep in the night, the moon hung high in the sky.

The spring breeze swayed the willow branches in the darkness.

In the tea room of the Temple Enforcement Command, the scent of tea wafted as Divine Enforcer Shi Lei reported the situation to Chief Clerk Zhang Lianhao.

"Today, Li Che was as usual, working during the day, carving after work, and returning home in the evening... His routine was unchanged."

Shi Lei said with a sigh.

It was said that the Guest Scholars of the Heaven-Enraged Bureau liked to listen to music in brothels, but Li Che was clearly not one of them, virtuous and pure, with only his wife and daughter in his eyes.

Zhang Lianhao raised his eyebrows in surprise: "Oh?

For half a month now, it's been the same routine every day. Li Che has been keeping a close eye on Zhang Xiangyang, but he's starting to get bored.

"Let's keep an eye on him for another half a month," Zhang Lianhao said. "Although Zhang Xiangyang's words are just one person's account and can't be fully trusted, the feedback from the investigation in Thunder City mostly aligns with what he said..."

"The results should be out in a few days."

"By the way, the faction keeping tabs on Li Che is the Black Snake Gang. As a Fishing Gang, why are they suddenly targeting Li Che's family?"

Zhang Lianhao took a sip of tea, narrowed his eyes, and pondered.

The Fishing Gang had no connection to the Qin family or the Golden Crack Sect. There seemed to be no reason for them to make a move, so there must be another faction involved.

Shi Lei, standing by his side, was equally baffled. After half a month of observation, Shi Lei thought Li Che was the epitome of a good man, making him feel ashamed of his own indulgent lifestyle.

Work hard, love your family, and stay away from the red-light district!

This was Shi Lei's ideal self, but unfortunately, he had been polluted by society.

"Alright, you can go now. Keep an eye out and report any unusual activities to me," Zhang Lianhao said calmly.

Divine Enforcer Shi Lei immediately saluted and withdrew.

Zhang Lianhao narrowed his eyes and raised his hand, revealing two bloodstained Bodhi wood threads in his palm.

"One of these appeared in Thunder City, where Cao Qingyuan's second uncle, Cao He, died. And the other..."

"Is the Bull Demon the one who killed Qin Yuqing?"

"If not... it must be the work of two people, or perhaps an unknown faction."

"Mechanical Art... could it be that the remnants of the Tang Clan are trying to rise from the ashes?"

Zhang Lianhao suddenly laughed.

"Regardless, there's definitely a connection between the Bull Demon and the one who shot Qin Yuqing."

"Finding the Bull Demon will lead us to the killer."

"If we could use that terrifying mechanism that can capture people from a thousand miles away for the Temple Enforcement Command..."

The next day, a light drizzle blurred the surroundings. Spring is always a rainy season.

The sky was filled with clouds like a sponge soaked in water, and the heavens occasionally squeezed out a steady drizzle.

After breakfast, Li Che supervised Xi Xi and Zhang Ya's mother-daughter martial arts practice and then left home with an umbrella.

As soon as he stepped out, various factions that had been secretly monitoring him became alert.

Qin Haonan, Hong Yong, and Shi Lei, along with the members of the Black Snake Gang, finally showed interest. Today, Li Che seemed to have a new plan.

Following Li Che, they saw him in a black robe, holding an umbrella, making inquiries, and walking through the spring rain. He eventually arrived at the Million Gambling House.

After reporting his arrival, he waited for a while, and then his cousin, Li Zheng Ran, was escorted out of the gambling house by several burly men, looking dejected.

"Ah, Che..." Li Zheng Ran saw Li Che and immediately felt ashamed.

"Let's go home."

Li Zheng Ran nodded woodenly, unable to face Li Che.

He clenched his fists, feeling a mix of emotions towards Li Che. He never imagined that his cousin, once a simple woodcarving worker, could have grown to such an extent.

Back home, whether it was his father, Li Liang, or his wife, Chun Ming, they constantly praised Li Che in nine out of ten sentences, boasting about his excellence and how becoming a Guest Scholar of the Heaven-Enraged Bureau brought glory to the family.

Meanwhile, Li Zheng Ran had been in the Capital City for so long, yet he couldn't even find a job.

Hearing these words, he felt a mix of emotions.

He also wanted to achieve great wealth and honor, making his family proud.

In the market, he met a fellow townsman from Thunder City and was led to the Million Gambling House. Initially, he refused, remembering his brother Li Liang's teachings.

But the townsman told him that the only way to achieve great wealth was to take a gamble. How could a regular job bring such riches? So, Li Zheng Ran stepped into the gambling house, intending to try his luck just once.

But once he started, he couldn't stop.

"Leave? This kid owes our gambling house five hundred taels, and you think he can just walk away?" A burly man with Blood Exchange cultivation sneered at Li Che.

Li Zheng Ran shrank back, feeling a mix of sadness and anger. "I only borrowed fifty taels!"

"In just two days, it ballooned to five hundred taels... It's outrageous!"

"The loan agreement clearly states the terms, and we didn't force you to leave your fingerprints, did we?" The burly man's face was covered in thick flesh, and he shook it at Li Zheng Ran.

Li Zheng Ran was speechless, intimidated by his aura, and his eyes filled with sorrow.

Li Che sighed. "I'll pay it back. I'll cover the debt."

He then took out five hundred-tael silver notes and handed them to the gambling house's thugs.

Paying the ransom was as simple as that.

There were no complications, and everything seemed like Li Zheng Ran had genuinely fallen into a gambling trap, been cheated, and lost some money.

But in reality, Li Che's chest vibrated with the Chess Sage's fruit, and the corpse curse seal he had suppressed on the Heaven and Earth Chessboard was trembling violently, as if it was extremely excited.

Li Che also sensed the corpse curse seal on Li Zheng Ran's body.

Therefore, Li Che also understood that Li Zheng Ran was indeed affected.

The other party... was coming for him!

"Cousin, it's all right now, let's go home... Elder Brother and Elder Sister are waiting for you there."

Li Che comforted Li Zheng Ran.

Li Zheng Ran lowered his head dejectedly.

"These past few days... I lost one hundred and seventy taels of silver, which is almost all our family's savings."

Li Zheng Ran clutched his head, his eyes showing signs of bloodshot, and his emotions seemed somewhat agitated.

"I just need to win two... no, one game to get it all back, to win back our savings!"

"Cousin, gambling is harmful, don't do it again, quit it."

Li Che patted Li Zheng Ran's shoulder, his divine aura surging, calming his emotions.

"In a couple of days, I'll take you to the Imperial Astronomical Bureau... to see if there's a suitable job for you."

Li Che said with a smile, his voice gentle.

Upon hearing this, Li Zheng Ran's agitated emotions gradually calmed down.

The spring rain was hazy, slanting like a curtain.

Li Che led Li Zheng Ran towards Elder Brother's house.

In a hidden corner.

Divine Enforcers Hong Yong and Shi Lei appeared, and they clearly heard Li Che's comforting words to Li Zheng Ran.

"Master Li... is truly a good person, with such a gentle temperament. Gamblers are the most detestable, and those who squander their family's wealth are even worse, like maggots."

"Only Master Li has such a good temper..."

Divine Enforcer Shi Lei shook his head.

With such a good temper and gentle demeanor, how could he be the ruthless killer from the intelligence report, who wouldn't bat an eye when twisting someone's head and shattering their body? Shi Lei felt that his speculation about Li Che was an insult to the master's noble character!

"Let's go, keep following him."

Divine Enforcer Hong Yong glanced at Shi Lei, who seemed captivated by Li Che, and scoffed.

...

...

Li Che sent Li Zheng Ran back home.

Hearing that he owed the gambling house five hundred taels, Elder Brother Li Liang was so angry that he picked up his tobacco pipe and started beating Li Zheng Ran, who didn't dare to dodge.

Liu Chunming stood by, tears streaming down her face, not knowing what to say, but feeling disappointed in her husband.

Li Che offered a few words of comfort and mentioned that he would take Li Zheng Ran to the Imperial Astronomical Bureau to inquire about suitable jobs, which helped ease the tension a little.

"Ah Che, we owe you so much..." Elder Brother Li Liang held Li Che's hand and sighed deeply.

It was his fault for not teaching his son properly.

Li Che politely declined the invitation to stay for dinner and left, saying he had to go to the Imperial Astronomical Bureau for work.

After leaving Elder Brother's house, Li Che's face turned cold.

"Corpse Deity Sect..."

Li Che's eyebrows relaxed as he sensed the Corpse Curse Seal suppressed by the Heaven and Earth Chessboard, as well as the Corpse Curse Seal within Li Zheng Ran's body. His eyes seemed to be filled with murderous intent.

The "Desire for Corpse Meat Guanyin" statue that Cao He had previously held contained the Corpse Curse Seal and was aimed at his daughter, but Li Che had intercepted it.

Now, they had come again...

Li Che even sensed that the target of the Corpse Deity Sect... might be his daughter.

The various noble families and sects in Golden Light City might fear the Divine Sect and wouldn't dare to harm Xi Xi.

But the Corpse Deity Sect wouldn't...

Because the Corpse Deity Sect itself was a formidable force.

It was rumored that in the remote regions of the Great Jing Dynasty, the Corpse Deity Sect had almost swept through and occupied an entire state!

Li Che exhaled and slowly headed towards the Imperial Astronomical Bureau.

All around, Qin Haonan, Divine Enforcers Hong Yong and Shi Lei, and the spies who had followed them from the Million Gambling House, secretly followed and tracked his movements.

Li Che didn't stop anywhere else and headed straight for the Divine Treasure Tower of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau.

As he walked along the riverbank, the fine rain created ripples on the calm river surface.

The misty rain enveloped the multi-eaved treasure tower with its carved beams and painted rafters standing on the cliff by the river.

Amidst the poetic scenery, Li Che, dressed in black, stepped into the Divine Treasure Tower of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, under the resentful gazes of Qin Haonan, Hong Yong, and Shi Lei.

Qin Haonan: "..."

Divine Enforcer Hong Yong scoffed: "Boring."

Shi Lei exclaimed: "Master Li... is always punctual for work, he's so disciplined."

...

...

The moment Li Che stepped into the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, he fully activated the Lion Elephant Vajra's breath control ability and, unnoticed by anyone, grasped the divine chess piece.

Thunderstrike Chess Sage.

Shape Shifting!

In an alley outside the Million Gambling House, the sound of spring rain pattering echoed.

The chess piece Li Che had left behind instantly transformed into his figure.

He brought his hands together, tearing through the air.

Hood and black robe.

A muffled 'buzz' sounded.

His body suddenly expanded, becoming more robust with each expansion, his back muscles resembling a coiled dragon, vibrating like thunder, and his muscles knotting like refined steel.

"Since you want to see me so badly..."

"Then you, Demon Ox Grandpa..."

"Here I come!"

His palm, as large as a fan, slowly slid down, and his face was soon covered by the cute bull mask that had been sealed away for some time.

The next moment, a surge of wild, crazed, domineering, and agitated emotions burst forth from his body.

With the mask on, Li Che seemed to have... liberated himself!

Like a beast released from its cage!

Bad news, the new book period has officially ended, and the naked run has begun. I don't know when I'll get a recommendation, so keep reading, everyone! Your support is greatly appreciated!

(End of Chapter)

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