https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-26-Sinister-Cries-the-Bull-Demon-Has-Arrived-/12831088/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-28-The-Spirit-Master-s-Divine-Absorption/12831090/
Chapter 27: Cautious and Timid, Hell Bull
Chapter 27: Cautious and Timid, Hell Bull
Li Che had never intended to let Lei Chunlan off the hook. After all, it was rare to encounter her, and the thought of not exacting revenge gnawed at him.
He stretched his neck, the tendons in his back creaking.
With the Xu Family's Nine Great Tendons technique, Li Che had already opened all nine major tendons. His cultivation was now at the peak of the Tendon Opening stage, just one step away from the Bone Tempering stage.
In just a month, Li Che had undergone a tremendous transformation. With the power of the Dragon-Elephant Dao Fruit's Vajra Transformation, he was confident he could defeat Zhao Chuanxiong and his partner who wielded the Eight Trigram Staff!
He had planned to seek out Zhao Chuanxiong and eliminate this threat after resolving his current affairs.
However, he never expected to encounter Lei Chunlan during his trip to the inner city.
No wonder he had been unable to find her despite his efforts to disguise himself and search for her these past few months.
He flicked his sleeves, the hidden crossbow and Thousand Spider Silk ready. His eyes, hidden behind a mask, flashed with a cold, lethal intent.
With a stomp, his body shot out of the alley.
...
...
The curtains gently fluttered, rising and falling as if in sync with someone's breathing.
Xu Beihu sat in his chair, the boiling kettle hissing and bubbling, the sound of water filling the air. He poured himself a cup of tea, the rich aroma spreading.
Si Mu Bai stood before the "Nine-Headed Bodhisattva Crying and Calming Ghost" statue that Li Che had carved. The once-intact wooden sculpture was now unrecognizable, as if it had been eroded by the passage of time and the elements.
Upon closer inspection, one could see countless tiny holes, as if the wood had been gnawed away by insects.
After a long moment, Si Mu Bai shuddered, took a step back, and tears streamed down his face, a mixture of laughter and sorrow. He slapped the now-rotten statue, and it crumbled to dust with a loud bang.
"Excellent, the taste is truly excellent."
Si Mu Bai licked his lips.
"Although it doesn't contain the divine essence like a master's carving, and it couldn't capture the divine essence from the world... it's still very good. If I accumulate this essence three or four more times, I can form a thread of divine essence, which will greatly benefit my 'Crying and Calming Ghost' technique."
Si Mu Bai sat back in his sandalwood armchair and accepted the cup of high-quality Pu'er tea from Xu Beihu.
"You've found a gem in your Xu Family. This is a surefire sign of a future master. If you're willing to invest in his training, he will become the next great woodcarver."
Si Mu Bai said with a hint of envy.
Xu Beihu's rough face broke into a smile. "It's too early to say. Becoming a master woodcarver isn't easy, and loyalty is essential. Over the past two hundred years, our Xu Family has trained many woodcarvers, but only a few have become masters."
"If you don't want him, I can take him for the Si Family." Si Mu Bai sipped his tea, a smile playing on his lips.
"Was that old woman your Si Family's doing? She seemed to be from the Spirit Child Cult. If you're involved with the Spirit Child Cult, will the Si Family not intervene?" Xu Beihu's smile faded, and he spoke coolly.
Si Mu Bai set down his teacup. "Don't be so averse to the Spirit Child Cult. Not everything that comes from the mysterious temples is evil. The imperial court uses martial power to control the temples, and the Divine Sect destroys them, all because there are good things within those mysterious temples."
"Divine essence, divine techniques, martial skills, and other legacies all come from the mysterious temples. Why resist so much?"
Si Mu Bai sipped his tea and smiled.
"The imperial court has us recruit children with divine essence and train them to explore the mysterious temples they can't spare the resources to investigate. I've heard from friends in the capital that the great divine beings are fully focused on exploring the newly emerged 'Three Clarities' mysterious temple outside the capital."
"If the imperial court is exploring, accepting, and integrating, why should we resist?"
Si Mu Bai shook his head.
Xu Beihu's face darkened. "The mysterious temples are one thing, and the Spirit Child Cult is another. Don't mix them up."
"Let's not talk about this. I have my own judgment. The Thunder City is governed by our noble families, and I can't afford to ignore it."
Si Mu Bai waved his hand dismissively.
"As for Li Che, he's quite pragmatic and cautious. I heard that Lei Chunlan had her eye on his daughter, and he managed to hold back and not act... he's really timid."
Si Mu Bai said.
"This is being cautious. Although he has the support of our Xu Family, he can't be certain we will back him. He surely hates Lei Chunlan, but he's very rational. He knows that your Si Family is protecting her, and his own strength is not enough. If he causes a commotion, it will be hard to resolve, and both families will lose face. So, he chose to back down and seek stability."
Xu Beihu said indifferently, "In summary, this person... is steady, cowardly, and not to be feared."
...
...
At the Golden Splendor Pavilion, Li Che transformed into a shadow and quietly approached. With his Dragon Elephant Vajra technique activated, his strength was now comparable to that of a bone-tempered expert, capable of opening nine major tendons, with the explosive force reaching ten thousand pounds.
In reality, he was only at the tendon-opening stage, but the Dragon Elephant Vajra granted him the explosive power of a higher realm.
With his major tendons taut on his back, the force he unleashed silently lifted the snow as Li Che's body glided through the air.
He slipped along the wall and entered the Golden Splendor Pavilion, familiar with the layout from his previous visit.
The Golden Splendor Pavilion was vast, like a grand estate with winding alleys and crisscrossing pathways.
There were also guards patrolling, all of whom were at the tendon-opening stage.
Li Che hid in the darkness, watching them with a cold gaze.
The Golden Splendor Pavilion was backed by several powerful clans, making it a shared enterprise. Thus, few dared to cause trouble here, and the guards, though present, were somewhat lax.
Li Che easily avoided the guards, recalling the direction Lei Chunlan had taken earlier.
His body moved in quick, fluid motions, the strength of a bone-tempered expert allowing him to move at an incredible speed, too fast for ordinary people to even see him.
Li Che didn't care about the relationship between Si Mu Bai and Lei Chunlan, or the dealings between the Si family and the Spirit Infant Sect...
All he knew was that Lei Chunlan had intended to harm his daughter, Xi Xi.
His only goal was to kill her.
...
...
In a luxurious courtyard, rock formations stood tall, and the trees cast dappled shadows.
Lei Chunlan, dressed in clean, fine silk, leaned against a railing, looking at the guard from the Si family stationed in her courtyard and then at the scenery around her. Her wrinkled old face broke into a smile.
"Truly, the Golden Splendor Pavilion is the most luxurious place in the Inner City. It's a wonderful place to enjoy life. I've suffered all my life, and now I can finally live like this."
"This is how humans should live."
Lei Chunlan smiled brightly, like a late-blooming chrysanthemum.
The Spirit Infant Sect had given her things she had never experienced before.
"As long as the Si family agrees to the transaction with the High Priest, I will become a distinguished guest of the Si family... enjoying endless wealth and honor."
Lei Chunlan's body trembled with excitement.
She had brought those infants into this world, trading their lives for her own prosperity... didn't she deserve it?
"Unfortunately, that Li Che is truly cautious. Knowing I'm associated with the Spirit Infant Sect, he moved into the Xu family's woodcarving shop... what a stroke of luck. This mere laborer actually became a woodcarver for the Xu family."
"Such a pity about that spirit infant, so divine... if I could offer it to the High Priest, I might even receive the divine technique from the High Priest! From then on, I would be above all others!"
Lei Chunlan clenched her fists, her old eyes wide with regret.
"But it doesn't matter. Now that I've connected with the Si family, I will eventually get my hands on that spirit infant..."
"A mere woodcarver from the Xu family's shop is nothing but an ant in front of a behemoth like the Si family."
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 exhaled a warm breath, "This cursed weather."
She turned and began to operate the furnace, adding more charcoal.
Suddenly, her movements froze, and her neck stiffened as she lifted her head.
She saw a figure standing on a cluster of rock formations in the courtyard, wearing a conical hat and a cow mask, towering like a small mountain, standing like a spear ready to pierce the sky amidst the swirling snow.
His eyes were piercing, like the hellish spirits that snatch souls, filled with icy coldness and overwhelming killing intent.
(End of Chapter)
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