https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-4-Divine-Craftsmanship-Upgrade-Bad-News-Arrives/12831054/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-6-Hobbies-Challenging-Professions-the-Tang-Mechanisms/12831056/
Chapter 5: The Spirit Child Dharma Master and Master Carver
Chapter 5: The Spirit Child Dharma Master and Master Carver
Old Lady Lei Chunlan... killing infants?
Specifically targeting the infants she delivered?!
Chen Li's hair stood on end, his pupils contracting sharply as he heard his uncle's words.
"Uncle, where did you hear this?" Chen Li took a deep breath, his heart sinking, and hurriedly asked.
The old scholar puffed on his pipe, exhaling a cloud of smoke, his brows furrowed into a deep crease: "I didn’t believe it at first, but since Xi Xi wasn’t delivered by Old Lady Lei Chunlan, I decided to investigate further..."
"It’s true. The families who lost their children have already raised a fuss at the outer city’s government offices. The authorities have issued a warrant for Old Lady Lei Chunlan’s arrest."
"If you don’t believe me, you can check the notice board at the government office. The warrant is hanging there."
The old scholar’s voice grew more serious.
Although he regretted that Xi Xi wasn’t a boy, she was still the Li family’s blood. Hearing this news, his first concern was for her safety.
"I heard that Old Lady Lei Chunlan... has joined the ‘Spirit Child Dharma Master’ and believes in the Spirit Child cult. To think she would kill... sigh, it’s a terrible sin. They were just children."
The old scholar’s voice trembled, and he sighed deeply, puffing on his pipe continuously.
Chen Li’s expression was extremely grave, his heart heavy with worry.
To Chen Li, Xi Xi was his most precious daughter, the apple of his eye. If anything happened to her, he would be heartbroken and filled with self-reproach.
Protecting his daughter was his duty as a father, a responsibility he had to shoulder.
"Thanks, Uncle. I’ll look into it and make the necessary preparations."
Chen Li spoke earnestly, and the old scholar nodded vigorously, rubbing his hands together: "Since I’m here, I might as well visit Xi Xi..."
Chen Li was speechless, looking at the bashful old scholar, but said nothing, leading him inside.
The old scholar’s face lit up with a broad smile when he saw Xi Xi.
He might complain that Xi Xi wasn’t a boy, but his affection for her was genuine.
"Your sister-in-law is about to give birth too. Your aunt says the baby bump is pointed, so it should be a boy... hehe, I hope the little one is as cute as Xi Xi." The uncle smiled brightly.
His eldest son had married a wife, and this year, their child would be born.
"Yan, when I’m not at home in the coming days, make sure to lock the doors and windows. Don’t open them for anyone, no matter who calls."
After seeing off the old scholar, Chen Li, before heading to work, gave Zhang Ya a stern warning.
Zhang Ya was taken aback but didn’t ask any questions, merely nodding obediently.
...
...
Worried, Chen Li made his way to the government office’s notice board and indeed saw the warrant for Old Lady Lei Chunlan’s arrest.
"Lei Chunlan, killed seven children, all of whom she delivered a year ago..."
"Hmm? A year ago... so, these killed children all had to be one year old?"
Chen Li, wearing a straw hat, stared at the notice, lost in thought.
But he dared not rely on his own deductions.
What if Lei Chunlan targeted infants just a month old as well?
Chen Li couldn’t take that risk...
He couldn’t afford to.
"It looks like I have to become a woodcarver at the Xu Family Woodcarving Shop... with their protection, at least we’ll be safe."
Chen Li took a deep breath, pressing down on his hat, and headed to the Xu Family Woodcarving Shop.
Upon arriving, he saw Master Chen Dabao, whose hair and beard were white, but whose face was rosy, sitting in a chair, humming a tune, and sipping from a gourd of wine.
"Li, you’re here? I heard you’re going to take the woodcarving exam, ha! You’ve got guts, taking the exam after just a month of self-study." Master Chen Dabao saw Chen Li and chuckled, teasing him.
Master Chen Dabao, sixty-eight years old, was a senior master at the Xu Family Woodcarving Shop.
Chen Dabao had long been qualified to join the inner city’s Xu Family, but he refused to go, preferring to stay at the outer city’s woodcarving shop.
It wasn’t just Chen Dabao; the other woodcarvers in the shop felt the same way.
This puzzled Chen Li. Why not move to the inner city?
He had heard that the living conditions and environment were much better there.
"Boy, the inner city may be prosperous, but it’s also dangerous. Nowadays, the world is in chaos, with evil spirits and strange temples cropping up everywhere. Sects rise and fall, and the imperial court’s control over many cities has waned. Each city is now under the thumb of its wealthy and noble families."
"Clashes between these powerful families over control and wealth are constant. For an old man like me, entering the inner city is like stepping into a whirlpool. I can’t afford the turmoil."
"Here in the outer city… the conditions are poor, but with my internal strength, I can still live comfortably."
Master Chen took a satisfying sip from his gourd of aged yellow wine, smacking his lips as he spoke.
Li Che nodded, understanding Master Chen’s perspective.
When the tiger is away, the monkeys reign supreme… it’s all about simplicity.
Suddenly, Li Che thought of something and asked softly, "Master Chen, have you heard of the ‘Spirit Infant Lord’?"
Master Chen paused in his drinking, furrowing his brow and giving Li Che a sharp look. "You’re worshipping that thing?"
Li Che quickly shook his head and recounted what his uncle had told him earlier.
"My daughter was delivered by Lei Chunlan… I’m worried," Li Che said with deep concern.
Master Chen’s expression turned serious. "It seems… another one of those who have fallen into evil through worship. Ever since the Spirit Infant Sect, born from those strange temples, spread to Thunderclap City, the number of children dying young has increased dramatically."
"That midwife must have been swayed by the Spirit Infant Lord, using the children she delivers as sacrifices."
"Childbirth is like a ritual… once you’re targeted, it’s hard to shake off."
"That midwife… won’t let your child go easily."
With Master Chen’s confirmation, Li Che’s expression turned grave and grim. He clenched his fists tightly, his breathing heavy.
"However, you mentioned that the children who died were all those delivered a year before. They likely need to be a year old to be considered suitable for the sacrifice. So, within this year, your child should be safe, but you need to stay vigilant to prevent the midwife from taking your child in secret and performing the evil ritual when the time comes."
Master Chen had seen this kind of thing too many times, and his tone was matter-of-fact.
All he could do was warn.
Asking him for help was another matter. Even if he could help, their relationship wasn’t close enough for that.
In the end, Li Che was just a wood hauler at the woodcarving shop, nothing more.
Li Che understood this and didn’t ask for help.
If he did, and Master Chen refused, their tenuous relationship would be severed.
"Master Chen… if I became a woodcarving master, would the shop take care of me?"
Li Che took a deep breath and asked.
Master Chen took another sip of wine and glanced at Li Che.
"If you can become a woodcarving master, all your problems will be solved."
"The shop will provide housing for the woodcarving masters. You can move your family in and be under the shop’s protection. Within the compound… if that midwife dares to show her face, she’ll be killed on the spot."
"As woodcarving masters, we cultivate internal strength. Even if the midwife has the evil powers of the Spirit Infant Lord, we won’t fear her."
"If you truly become a woodcarving master, even the lowest-ranked master, I’ll be your neighbor. If that wicked midwife dares to show her face… I’ll slap her to death for you!"
Master Chen wiped the wine from his beard, baring a mouthful of yellowed teeth in a fierce grin.
But the ferocity soon subsided, and he tapped his finger on the polished wine gourd, looking at Li Che with a hint of amusement.
"The key is… whether you can become a woodcarving master."
"That’s very difficult…"
"Do you really think you can surpass the apprentices who have spent their entire lives learning woodcarving, just by a few months of self-study and a sudden burst of enthusiasm?"
(End of Chapter)
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