Watching? Guarding? It’s Better to Kill

"Spirit Infant Statue?"

Li Che's eyes were as cold as ice. As expected...

Even after moving into the Xu Woodcarving Workshop and gaining its protection, he still couldn't completely avoid the Spirit Infant Cult's covetousness toward Xixi! The cult's audacity knew no bounds. They had made their move right after Xixi's one-year-old birthday banquet.

"Persistent as ghosts..."

Li Che clenched his fists tightly, his veins bulging as his eyes brimmed with murderous intent. Yet, his thoughts were calm and calculating. Recalling the figure that had just vanished into the shadows, his brow furrowed deeply.

"This Spirit Infant Statue hasn't appeared since we moved into the Xu Family Courtyard. But now it does. The only outsiders we interacted with recently were the hired workers and cooks from Chunfeng Inn."

He mulled over the details, his sharp mind piecing them together. "Those workers and cooks were all arranged to leave by Steward Sun. None of them were allowed to linger, so they can likely be ruled out. In the surrounding courtyards are many master craftsmen with great strength and keen senses. Yet someone managed to bypass them and place the Spirit Infant Statue in front of my yard..."

Li Che took a deep breath, his frustration rising as the chill of the situation seeped deeper into his bones. A dark and sharp glint appeared in his pitch-black pupils.

"In other words, the one responsible is very likely someone familiar with the Xu Woodcarving Workshop!"

The realization struck like a blade, cold and merciless. Someone within the workshop was part of the Spirit Infant Cult. The thought burrowed into him, piercing his every pore with icy dread.

"This possibility... is extremely high!"

Li Che shook his head, blaming his own complacency. "Is there truly any place that's absolutely safe?"

His gaze fell upon the sinister wooden carving lying on the ground—its angry, glaring expression mocking him. His face darkened with cold malice.

"Someone in the workshop is with the Spirit Infant Cult..." His voice was a low growl. "But who?"

Faces of his colleagues flashed through his mind one by one, but none stood out. Frustrated, he shook his head and picked up the wooden carving. His blood surged with unrestrained fury, his five fingers glowing gold as his spiritual energy surged. With a crisp "snap," the carving shattered into splinters.

"I'll find you..."

His voice was ice, yet it burned with conviction. "Don't underestimate a father's determination to protect his child."

The next morning, Chen Dabao, who had just woken up from a deep sleep, was greeted by Li Che's grim news. His eyes narrowed sharply as he listened.

"The Spirit Infant Statue... appeared outside your courtyard?"

Li Che nodded solemnly.

"You suspect someone in the workshop might be a follower of the Spirit Infant Cult?" Chen Dabao's voice dropped, his tone cautious.

Li Che's expression was grave. "It's highly possible. Placing the statue outside the Xu Courtyard, even in the outer city, is no easy feat. Someone had to know the area intimately."

Chen Dabao's frown deepened. "The Spirit Infant Cult's influence has long spread throughout Flying Thunder City. If someone in the workshop has joined them, it wouldn't be surprising. No… it's almost inevitable."

He paused, his voice heavy with concern. "The Spirit Infant Cult's methods are insidious. If they want to overthrow the rule of the powerful families in Flying Thunder City, infiltrating key places like this is essential. Their faith-based erosion is terrifyingly effective."

Chen Dabao spoke with authority, his voice steady despite the chilling implications. "Don't worry, Li Che. I'll investigate. It won't be difficult. Once someone becomes a follower of the Spirit Infant Cult, it's hard for them to hide it. If I find anything, I'll let you know immediately. You need to stay vigilant in the meantime."

Li Che nodded. "I understand. This workshop is vulnerable right now. With Third Shopkeeper sent out of the city to eliminate an eerie temple, there's no one in charge. It's the perfect opportunity for them to act."

Chen Dabao's frown deepened further. "Even if we figure out who it is, you can't take direct action unless they make a move against Little Xixi. The Spirit Infant Cult's influence complicates things. Without concrete proof or provocation, it's merely a matter of personal belief."

Li Che's fists tightened, his frustration barely contained. "At least knowing who it is will give me peace of mind and allow me to be more cautious."

Chen Dabao's gaze softened. "I'll handle this. You focus on keeping Xixi safe and maintaining your strength."

Over the next three days, Chen Dabao conducted a meticulous investigation while Li Che turned his focus inward. He devoted himself entirely to cultivation, his determination unshaken. The feedback he received from the Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit spurred him on, sharpening his resolve.

Each day was grueling. Three days of relentless practice saw the maturity of the Dragon Elephant Vajra technique rise to 5%. When fully channeling the Dao Fruit's power, his strength now surpassed that of someone with perfect skin tempering, reaching an incredible force of a thousand pounds. Yet, he remained only at the peak of the skin tempering stage.

In the training field, Li Che stood drenched in sweat, his skin glowing with a flushed red hue. Waves of heat radiated off him, distorting the air around his body. The stone locks he had been training with lay at his feet.

Lowering his gaze, Li Che contemplated his next steps.

"To break through to the Vessel Opening stage, I need a method for opening my meridians..." He muttered under his breath. "But I can't ask Xu Beihu for help. After all, I've only shown him that I'm at the advanced stage of skin tempering."

Two days prior, Xu Beihu had come to assess his progress. Li Che had hidden his true strength, showing only the abilities of someone advanced in skin tempering. It was a necessary precaution. Trust, after all, was a scarce commodity.

Even so, Xu Beihu was already quite astonished. Achieving the advanced stage of skin tempering within a year… such talent was enough to leave him amazed.

However, Xu Beihu stated that to learn the techniques for opening meridians and cultivating inner energy, one must first achieve perfection in skin tempering. Li Che, unwilling to expose that he had already reached perfection in skin tempering, chose to hide his strength. Reaching the advanced stage of skin tempering in a year could be explained as extraordinary talent, as even Xu Beihu had only achieved that level back in his prime. But to reach perfection within a single year? That would be far too shocking.

"So, if I want the methods for opening meridians and cultivating inner energy… I'll have to find them myself."

Changing into clean clothes, Li Che's eyes flickered as he pondered. "I've saved up quite a bit of money now. I could visit the marketplace in the outer city. They might have these techniques for sale, but I'll need to disguise myself."

After finishing his training, Li Che returned to the workshop in the woodcarving store. A few days ago, he had taken on a carving job—a commission to craft an "Eight Treasures Exquisite Bodhisattva Statue." The client had requested a statue imbued with deep artistic intent, offering a gold leaf as payment, equivalent to a hundred taels of silver! This was the highest-paying woodcarving job Li Che had received to date.

Gripping his carving knife, he let it glide gently into the wood, slicing through its fibers. Wood shavings fell like scattered petals. The Dao Fruit of [Immortal Craft] pulsed faintly, and Li Che's gaze sharpened with focus. At that moment, the surrounding world seemed to vanish, and his mind flooded with insights about carving a Bodhisattva statue.

Old Chen, with a gourd of liquor dangling from his waist, knocked solemnly on the carved wooden door of Li Che's workshop.

"Old Chen?" Li Che, holding a rasp in his hand as he worked on the wood, asked softly.

"I found something." Old Chen pulled up a chair, plopped down, uncorked the gourd, and took a swig of liquor before speaking in a heavy tone.

"Who is it?" Li Che's expression turned cold, and the rasp in his hand froze mid-motion.

"In the outer city's Xu Woodcarving Workshop, over the past year, quite a few woodcarvers and their families have secretly joined the Spirit Infant Cult. When I investigated, I was truly shocked." Old Chen shook his head, a trace of horror flashing in his eyes. "However, on the day of Little Xixi's birthday banquet, among the guests who attended… there was only one who secretly worshipped the Spirit Infant Cult."

Li Che, however, was uninterested in these broader details. His concern was solely on who had targeted Xixi.

"Who is it?" Li Che asked again.

Old Chen sighed. "Steward Sun's second son, Sun Changbiao. He's been married for four years but has no children. In his desperation, his wife was beguiled by the Spirit Infant Cult, claiming that worshiping the cult could bless them with a child. So, Sun Changbiao began worshiping as well."

Sun Changbiao?

Li Che paused, recalling Steward Sun's smiling face as he showed their family around the courtyard when they first moved in. Sun Changbiao, his second son, was also a woodcarver at the Xu Woodcarving Workshop—a skilled "Three-Knife Woodcarver." Normally mild-mannered, who would have thought he had joined the Spirit Infant Cult? Moreover, he had set his sights on Xixi.

Li Che took a deep breath. "What's his strength?" Li Che asked, expressionless.

Old Chen raised an eyebrow. "Mediocre talent. He spent three years tempering his skin and only completed tendon refining two years ago. He's just begun practicing inner energy techniques."

"Thank you, Old Chen. I understand now." A smile spread across Li Che's face as he warmly thanked Chen Dabao.

"Don't act rashly. You've only just reached the advanced stage of skin tempering. You can't beat Sun Changbiao… Besides, without solid evidence, making a move would leave you open to criticism. It'd also look bad for old Sun."

Chen Dabao cautioned Li Che, taking another sip of liquor. "Now that we know who it is… we just need to keep an eye on him and stay vigilant. With me watching over Xixi, Sun Changbiao won't get any chances."

Li Che nodded silently. Seeing this, Chen Dabao said no more. He rose, humming a tune as he left, not returning to his workshop but instead wandering over to Li Che's courtyard to play with Xixi.

"Little Xixi! Grandpa Chen is here!"

Meanwhile, Li Che methodically continued carving the Eight Treasures Exquisite bodhisattva Statue. After finishing his work for the day, he donned a bamboo hat and a black cloak, glancing at the snowflakes falling steadily in the courtyard.

"I said it before… never underestimate a father's determination to protect his child."

"To think you've fathered so many daughters, yet just because you lack a son, you plan to use my daughter to trade for one?"

"It's truly… incomprehensible."

Reaching out, Li Che caught a snowflake in his hand. His expression grew increasingly cold.

Old Chen had advised him to keep an eye on Sun Changbiao and stay on guard. But in Li Che's view… watching and guarding were no match for one decisive action.

Killing him.