https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-3-Nine-Sons-Embracing-Lotus-the-Art-of-Inner-Strength/12983840/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-5-Spirit-Infant-Master-One-Knife-Master/12983842/
Chapter 4: Celestial Craft Upgrade, Bad News Arrives
Chapter 4: Celestial Craft Upgrade, Bad News Arrives
The wood he brought back from the woodcarving shop was just a small piece of scrap, and no one paid much attention to it.
The chisel he had prepared when he was determined to teach himself woodcarving was specially crafted by a blacksmith in the western part of the city. It wasn't cheap, but now it was finally put to use.
Celestial Craft's Dao Fruit seemed to come alive, and a divine sensation surged in his heart.
Since it was his first attempt, Li Che decided not to use ink lines to outline the shape but to carve directly. With the help of the Dao Fruit, Li Che felt that the carving design of the Six-Eyed Bodhisattva Statue was deeply engraved in his mind.
It was as if he had carved the Six-Eyed Bodhisattva hundreds and thousands of times, just like Master Chen, and had become proficient through practice.
He had complete control over every cut and the amount of force to apply, from the outer to the inner space of the wood.
However, as it was his first hands-on attempt, it was a bit rough, but this awkwardness between his fingers, the chisel, and the wood gradually smoothed out as his skills improved with practice.
His knife skills became more graceful, even developing a unique charm, a sign of a mature technique.
Mature knife skills required a wealth of accumulated experience.
But Li Che, through the Celestial Craft Dao Fruit, seemed to touch the Six-Eyed Bodhisattva, absorbing Master Chen's years of carving experience like a sponge.
The sharp chisel grated against the wood, creating a rustling sound.
The oil lamp flickered, and wood shavings fell as Li Che's palm slowly revealed a miniature, palm-sized Six-Eyed Bodhisattva Statue with distinct edges and corners gradually taking shape.
Although it was unpolished, with rough edges, the form was already breathtakingly exquisite.
Zhang Ya, after putting Xixi to sleep, was astonished to see that Li Che had carved the statue's rough form in just a short while.
Watching Li Che immersed in his carving, Zhang Ya dared not speak, suppressing her curiosity.
She stayed awake, sitting by the bed, quietly observing Li Che's focused carving under the oil lamp.
As she watched, her eyes grew slightly hazy, and a smile blossomed on her lips.
She had thought Li Che might have given up on woodcarving, but never did she imagine...
Li Che had never given up. He had been working hard to learn, and now... he was giving her a surprise.
"I wonder if my husband can become a woodcarving master at the woodcarving shop, even if it's just as an apprentice... Then he won't have to struggle daily, carrying heavy wood and carvings."
Zhang Ya's wish was simple and pure; she just wanted her husband to earn a living with ease.
Lost in his carving, Li Che soon finished shaping the Six-Eyed Bodhisattva Statue, and there was no need to continue carving. Although it was unpolished, it was not yet a finished product.
But Li Che's heart was filled with joy.
Suddenly, he seemed to sense something, and his heart stirred.
Dao Fruit: Celestial Craft (lv1, 10%)
Huh?!
Li Che was surprised to see that the experience-like indicator in the Celestial Craft Dao Fruit had increased.
"Does carving a piece increase my experience, like a proficiency?"
"Or is it because I touched the Six-Eyed Bodhisattva carving, learned the technique, and successfully carved it, so I gained 10%?"
It seemed that this Dao Fruit... could be understood as a fruit that has just formed but is not yet ripe.
Li Che couldn't help but speculate.
Unfortunately, he didn't have any wood to try it out immediately.
He suppressed his curiosity, stretched lazily, and saw his wife, Zhang Ya, leaning against the headboard, taking a brief rest with her eyes closed.
Li Che knew that his wife was waiting for him to sleep together, and his heart warmed.
With the cold weather outside, he quickly blew out the oil lamp, woke up his wife, and they snuggled under the covers.
Outside, snow was falling heavily.
The thick layer of snow made a soft sound as it fell.
It was a perfect night for a good sleep.
...
...
The next day, Li Che went to work at Xu's Woodcarving Shop as usual.
"Can I take this piece of wood to practice at home?" Li Che asked during a break, unable to resist the temptation of a scrap of Huaquanliu wood lying nearby.
Master Chen, with wood shavings in his beard, glanced at Li Che, "You want to learn woodcarving? You have the talent, but it's a pity you're not younger. Still, it's good that you have the heart for it. Take any of my wood scraps you like."
"Li Che had been working as an assistant for Master Chen for some years, and Master Chen's attitude towards him was naturally more relaxed.
The delighted Li Che quickly expressed his gratitude and then began to select waste materials to practice his skills.
Master Chen glanced at him, smiled silently, shook his head, and then focused on starting to carve the 'Nine Sons Embracing Lotus'.
Li Che carefully collected the selected waste materials, wrapped them in cloth, and placed them at his workstation. He then ran into the courtyard, using the excuse of adjusting the placement of the finished wood carvings, and began touching them.
The Dao Fruit of the Celestial Craft trembled slightly. This time, he touched a wood carving named 'Spring Fills the Universe', which required extremely delicate carving skills and patience to sculpt lifelike leaves and depict the essence of spring.
After touching it, Li Che felt a familiar sensation.
It was as if he saw a female woodcarver, holding a chisel, carving the universe with her fingers, and the essence of spring bursting forth from the wood.
A flood of information about the techniques and skills of the 'Spring Fills the Universe' wood statue surged into his mind.
Li Che was delighted, and just like touching the 'Six-Eyed Bodhisattva' statue, he had learned another wood carving technique.
However, when he touched other wood carvings, the Dao Fruit no longer reacted, indicating that there was a limit to the number of times he could learn each day.
Over the next few days, Li Che studied the Dao Fruit of Ten Thousand Phenomena Celestial Craft.
With the Celestial Craft, Divine Touch, and Peerless Skill, touching statues allowed him to learn wood carving techniques. Each statue provided a 10% experience boost, but only once. In other words, Li Che needed to learn and carve ten types of wood carvings to upgrade the Dao Fruit to level 2...
After understanding the Dao Fruit's function, Li Che felt that the future held great promise!
...
...
Time passed day by day.
Soon, a month had gone by.
Xixi had reached her full moon, and her lively eyes blinked curiously as she waved her chubby little hands in her swaddling clothes, observing the world with wonder.
Li Che held the rattle he had made himself and teased Xixi, making the little girl giggle nonstop.
Xixi loved to laugh, and when she did, dimples appeared, just like her mother.
Meanwhile, Zhang Ya was mending old clothes by her side, her eyes filled with tenderness and contentment as she watched the interaction between her husband and daughter.
"Husband, what about the matter you mentioned to the Third Manager of Xuji Woodcarving Shop regarding becoming a woodcarving master?"
Zhang Ya asked curiously.
For the past month, Li Che had been carving wood sculptures every night, various kinds of them, mesmerizing Zhang Ya with his exquisite craftsmanship.
Under her adoration, she believed that her husband's skills far surpassed those of the shop's apprentices and even rivaled the masters.
"The Third Manager said... that I have to follow the rules. I need to take the woodcarving proficiency test along with the students who pay to learn wood carving. Only after passing can I join the shop as a woodcarving master."
Li Che answered Zhang Ya's question while playing with Xixi, who reached out her little hand to grab the rattle.
Zhang Ya nodded and said firmly, "My husband can do it!"
Li Che smiled, filled with ambition, his eyes gleaming with confidence.
His heart stirred.
[Dao Fruit: Celestial Craft (lv2, 8%)]
After a month of tireless touching of various wood carvings and late-night carving, Li Che finally upgraded the Dao Fruit to level 2.
The level 2 Celestial Craft Dao Fruit enhanced Li Che's carvings with profound artistic expression.
Moreover, Li Che's manual dexterity improved significantly, his fingers incredibly nimble. Not only in woodworking, but he also felt confident in setting up complex mechanical tricks.
After playing with Xixi for a while, Li Che prepared to go to work.
The snowstorm had weakened, and the harsh winter was coming to an end.
However, the air remained frigid, biting cold.
As he stepped out of the earthen house, a familiar figure came into view in the distance. The man held a smoking pipe, his brows furrowed, dressed in a worn scholar's robe under a thick coat, hurrying towards them.
"Elder Brother," Li Che called out.
After learning that Xixi was a girl, the elder brother hadn't visited for a month. However, the elder sister-in-law had come once during this time, bringing eggs for Zhang Ya to nourish her body.
"I'm about to go to work. Perfect timing," the old scholar said, his brows still furrowed.
Li Che nodded, and the old scholar hesitated before speaking, "Li Che, have you heard?"
"Auntie Lei, who helped with Xixi's delivery..."
"Killed several children..."
"They say... she killed the children she delivered herself!"
(End of Chapter)
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