https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-13-Little-Xixi-Peerless-in-Martial-Arts/12983873/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-15-Vigilance-and-Precaution-But-Death-is-the-Ultimate-Solution/12983875/
Chapter 14: First Birthday Feast, Spirit Infant's Furious Gaze
Chapter 14: First Birthday Feast, Spirit Infant's Furious Gaze
"Master Li, congratulations! Happy first birthday, Xixi!"
White snowflakes danced in the air, settling on the black tiles, a stark contrast.
The courtyard gate stood wide open, and the sound of footsteps crunching through the snow rose and fell. The voices of well-wishers echoed continuously.
Figure after figure approached from outside the courtyard, each bearing a first birthday gift.
They were all familiar faces from the woodcarving shop. Li Che and Zhang Ya, dressed in elegant attire, stood at the entrance, greeting these guests.
In the courtyard, the Spring Wind Tower's staff had already set up a canopy and arranged tables and chairs. In one corner, the head chef had set up a stove and started cooking, and the fragrant appetizers had been served to each table long ago.
A total of nine tables were set up, not a small number. After all, many of the masters in the shop had brought their families, creating a festive and lively atmosphere.
Chen Dabao held Xixi, who was now dressed in a red silk skirt, her delicate features resembling a jade carving. She was incredibly adorable, and Chen Dabao was proudly showing her off to the older men, his face filled with a beaming smile, his love for her overflowing.
The elder brother's family also arrived. The old scholar held a smoking pipe, unlit, and was accompanied by a young couple carrying a baby still in swaddling clothes, a boy with chubby cheeks who was looking around with wide eyes.
"Elder Brother, Elder Sister-in-Law, please come in!"
Li Che noticed this family, and a gentle smile appeared on his lips.
He was truly grateful to the elder brother's family. If it weren't for their adoption and upbringing, Li Che wouldn't have had such an easy life in these turbulent times.
Moreover, it was the elder sister-in-law who had helped arrange his marriage with Zhang Ya.
The old scholar's face, full of wrinkles, smiled as he looked at Li Che, who had completely transformed into a successful man.
"You've made us proud, Ah Che."
"Your parents, if they could see you now, would be overjoyed."
The old scholar patted Li Che's shoulder, his smile warm and bright.
The elder sister-in-law took out a silver ornament wrapped in a red silk cloth and handed it to Li Che. "Ah Che, this is Xixi's first birthday gift. Please accept it."
Li Che didn't refuse and took it solemnly, then turned to his cousin Li Zhengran and his wife Liu Chunming, who was holding a baby boy.
"Is Zhouzhou half a year younger than Xixi? He's almost one year old too. Can he turn over yet?" Li Che asked with a smile.
"He's very quick. With a kick of his little legs, he flips over like a windmill, so lively and full of energy!" Liu Chunming replied with a smile.
Being a woodcarving master at Xuji Woodcarving Shop was no small feat, and Liu Chunming was well aware of its significance, so her attitude was much warmer than before.
After a brief chat, Li Che led the elder brother's family to their table.
As the hour arrived, the banquet began. The Spring Wind Tower staff shouted out dish names as they served each exquisite dish to the banquet table.
Today's Li Che, having mastered the Celestial Craft Dao Fruit, created woodcarvings rich in essence and highly sought-after. Although he wasn't as skilled as Master Chen, he had once sold a woodcarving for fifty taels of silver!
His financial situation was no longer the same as before. Although the Spring Wind Tower's banquet was expensive, he could now afford it.
Additionally, the masters from the compound always brought gifts when attending banquets, so not only did he not lose money from hosting the first birthday banquet, but he also made a considerable profit.
"Brother Che, the third manager is here!"
Li Che, who was toasting with the other masters, heard that the third manager had arrived and hurriedly went to greet him, carrying Xixi and accompanied by Zhang Ya.
"Hahaha, I came to see Xixi's first birthday. Here's her gift."
The third manager, Xu You, was well-respected in the shop and had a good reputation. It was no secret that he also had the intention of winning Li Che over.
After all, Li Che was capable of creating woodcarvings with a divine essence, and his reputation had already spread within the inner city.
"Thank you, Manager Xu. Xixi, come and thank your Uncle Xu," Li Che said with a smile, holding Xixi in his arms.
Xixi's eyes were lively, her eyelashes long, and her skin was as white as jade. Xu You took a glance at her and took her from Li Che's arms, playing with her for a while, reluctant to return her to Li Che.
"I won't stay for the banquet. I have some matters to attend to. Recently, the strange temple in the outer city has been restless, with many malevolent spirits emerging. The inner city has organized a team to suppress them... I need to go there as well." Xu You explained.
Then he left.
"Manager Xu is truly a good person..." Zhang Ya said softly.
Li Che nodded. Xu You was indeed a good man, humble, and without the arrogance often associated with aristocratic families.
But Li Che had heard that within the Inner City, Xu You was not favored and was banished to manage Xuji in the Outer City, effectively removing him from the Xu family's center of power.
Compared to the industries in the Inner City, Xuji Woodcarving Shop in the Outer City was ultimately not a significant business.
"In this world, the more gentle you are, the more likely you'll suffer and encounter misfortune... It always seems to be the honest ones who get trampled upon."
Old Chen, holding a wine cup, walked over, his expression complex as he shook his head.
"Just like this expedition to eradicate the strange temple and dispel the malevolent spirits, none of the major aristocratic families would send their true core members..."
"Xu Beihu, with his exceptional cultivation, was never sent, but instead, Xu You, with his weaker cultivation, was dispatched. Isn't it because Xu You is not well-regarded within the clan?"
Old Chen sighed.
Li Che, holding Xixi, looked at Xu You's lonely figure disappearing into the snowy wind, and remained silent.
...
...
After a round of drinking and toasting.
Old Chen was in high spirits today, and he drank himself into a stupor, falling asleep early.
Zhang Ya took Xixi to the inner room to put her to sleep.
Li Che wiped his face with a handful of cold snow, sobering up a bit, then sat in the workshop in the side courtyard of the side room, lit an oil lamp, and continued crafting mechanisms.
His mind stirred, and information appeared...
...
【Name: Li Che】
【Bond: Daughter (Li Wanxi)】
【Dao Fruit: Celestial Craft (lv2, 89%), Dragon Bull Vajra (lv1, 2%)】
...
His gaze fell upon the Celestial Craft Dao Fruit, which had now reached a maturity level of 89%, just a step away from breaking through to level 3.
Just one more mechanism to craft and he would reach it.
Standing up, he walked to a corner of the workshop and gently rotated a wooden carving, revealing a hidden compartment.
From it, he took out a statue of Guanyin seated on a blood-red lotus mountain.
Guanyin's compassionate brows, but upon closer inspection, one could see that this Guanyin statue was composed of thousands of fine wooden thorns stacked together!
This was one of the three mechanisms in the Tang Family Mechanism Manual that didn't require inner strength, the Bodhimanda Blood Lotus.
In addition to the Bodhimanda Blood Lotus, there were two square matchboxes beside it. Taking out one of the square matchboxes, he closed it in his palm, and instantly, a faint sound of mechanisms emanated from within, and eight slender spider legs emerged, embedding themselves into Li Che's palm skin membrane.
Li Che gently waved his hand, and countless silver threads shot out silently, slicing through a piece of wood several meters away with incredible precision, leaving an extremely polished cut.
As his fingers moved, the room filled with dancing silver threads, and the wailing wind whistled, the sound of air being cut and ruptured.
After a long while, countless silver threads, fast as lightning, returned to the matchbox.
"What a Thousand Silk Spider! With my Skin Tempering cultivation, I can manipulate it with ease. Even a typical Sinew Opening warrior would find it hard to resist the spider silk."
"But for a warrior's cultivation, after reaching the Sinew Opening stage, they begin to cultivate inner strength. If they infuse their attacks with inner strength, according to Old Chen, their power will increase by three to fourfold. And with inner strength, combined with internal strength martial skills, the lethality is even greater..."
"One cannot be careless."
"It's best to focus on enhancing my own martial prowess first. Once I cultivate inner strength, I can use it to empower the Thousand Silk Spider, and its might will surely be even more formidable!"
Li Che put the Thousand Silk Spider and Bodhimanda Blood Lotus back into the hidden compartment.
He sat back down in front of the oil lamp and began attempting to craft other mechanisms from the Tang Family Mechanism Manual.
Due to the lack of inner strength and sufficient vital energy, his attempts at crafting other mechanisms during this time had all ended in failure.
However, it wasn't a big issue. Failure was a way to gain experience, and once he cultivated inner strength, he could complete them in one go.
Suddenly.
Li Che, who had just picked up the chisel, furrowed his brows slightly.
He stepped out of the workshop and walked a few steps to the courtyard entrance, gazing into the distance. He saw a dark shadow, fast as lightning, piercing through the darkness and vanishing into the night.
Li Che's eyes instantly sharpened, and he slowly looked down.
There, he saw a familiar statue...
The three-headed, six-armed Spirit Infant Statue.
However, this time, the statue's eyes were wide open, staring fiercely.
As if it were glaring at him!
(End of Chapter)
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