As a father, I just want to quietly watch you live a long life

"The safest place... naturally, is the wood carving shop!"

"I am now a wood carving master, with my own workshop, where Xi Xi and Xiao Ya can stay..."

"Hmm, stable and safe!"

Having made a decision to secure a safe option, Li Che woke his wife, Zhang Ya.

"Husband, you were too exhausting last night; you must have been holding back for a long time..." Zhang Ya's face blushed slightly, her gaze towards Li Che seemingly able to squeeze out water.

Li Che smiled, gently stroking his wife's disheveled hair.

"Wife, tidy up a bit, take Xi Xi with us, and go to the wood carving shop... Join me at work these next two days."

Li Che said.

Zhang Ya was momentarily startled. Going to the wood carving shop to work together?

"Husband, today is your first day at work as a wood carver... Should Xi Xi and I really accompany you? Won't that displease the shopkeeper?"

Li Che shook his head: "No, the workshop is a private space of the wood carving master, and it's fine for family members to stay there. Besides, I will explain to the shopkeeper."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ya stopped objecting and began to pack, picking up Xi Xi, who was wide awake on the bed, waving her arms and legs, playing by herself.

After bundling up Xi Xi securely, the family braved the wind and snow and set off for Xu's Wood Carving Shop.

Li Che protected his wife and daughter, tightening his wife's cotton clothes against the howling wind and covering Xi Xi to shield her from the cold.

At the same time, Li Che was also scanning his surroundings, extremely vigilant.

Zhang Ya, seeing her husband like this, suddenly felt a chill and knew that something must have happened. Although Li Che had not spoken of it, she decided not to ask and instead worried silently.

The couple, with their child, walked through the wind and snow, stepping onto the snow-covered bluestone street.

"The Holy Spirit teaches, cleanses from the worldly dust, method of reincarnation without worries..."

"Only the highly wise are naturally accomplished..."

The sound of tinkling and drumming echoed as the Followers of the Spiritual Infant Sect approached in a mesmerizing formation from a distance.

The Three-Headed Six-Armed Lingying Statue carried on the palanquin, amidst a swirl of incense and smoke, grew more sinister.

Li Che even faintly felt the Spirit Infant Master Wood Carving's gaze intentionally looking towards his family, blurring his vision, constantly watching them, making him feel like a thorn was in his back!

"Husband..." Zhang Ya looked at the procession of the Spirit Infant Master, her expression clearly panicking.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here."

"Don't look, keep walking straight."

Li Che patted his wife, wrapping his arm around her slender shoulders, and headed straight for the wood carving shop.

However, Li Che inexplicably felt the chill wind rustle behind him, as if a figure was constantly following behind his family.

The crisis was like dense ink soaking into a pond, beginning to spread gradually until the entire pond turned black.

Fortunately, they soon arrived at Xu's Wood Carving Shop.

The moment he stepped into the wood carving shop, Li Che finally felt a relief wash over him. He looked back in the distance, his eyes narrowing, and sure enough, saw a shadow flash past a corner.

"Lei Chunlan?"

Li Che's chest heaved violently, and he could not help but be overwhelmed with the urge to kill.

"A Che?"

Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out. Chen Dabao, holding a gourd and drinking, saw Li Che, along with Zhang Ya and Xi Xi by his side.

This scene... made him pause for a moment, but Old Chen, wise beyond his years, recalled what Li Che had previously mentioned about the Spirit Infant Master targeting his daughter, and quickly understood the situation.

"Come inside first."

Old Chen's expression was solemn as he ushered Li Che and his wife and daughter into the shop.

Li Che settled Zhang Ya in his workshop before going to find Old Chen.

Old Chen, drinking from his gourd, glanced at Li Che, "Being targeted?"

Li Che nodded and pulled out the Spirit Infant Wood Carving that had appeared at his doorstep the previous night.

At the sight of the Spirit Infant Wood Carving, Old Chen's expression became stern, and he stopped drinking, "You did the right thing by bringing your wife and daughter here to the wood carving shop. Your house... is no longer safe."

"Spirit Infant Master, Spirit Infant Master... presenting this wood carving represents the Spirit Infant Sect's assessment of your daughter... as a Spirit Infant!"

Old Chen took the wood carving, his expression extremely grave.

Li Che's face also changed upon hearing this.

"They must have been watching your family all along. Did this 'Three-Headed Six-Armed Spirit Infant Statue' only appear last night?"

"It seems they must have known that you became a wood carver of Xu Ji and would surely move to Xu's Courtyard, so..."

Li Che's expression turned grim, "They wanted to strike first?"

"Right, you were prudent enough to bring your wife and daughter over..." Old Chen clenched his fist, and the Spirit Infant Wood Carving instantly cracked and shattered into pieces on the ground.

"You said someone has been following you? Was it that midwife who has harmed many children?"

"It might be, I didn't get a clear look... can't be sure."

"Considering that you and I are about to become friendly neighbors... I'll take you on a trip, see if it's that brainwashed midwife..."

Old Chen took a swig of strong liquor, squinted his eyes slightly, and said.

Upon hearing this, Li Che couldn't help but feel joyful.

He knew that Old Chen's change of attitude was all because of the talent he demonstrated in wood carving, able to imbue carvings with profound meanings; such a talent... seemed more important than he had imagined!

Li Che settled his wife and daughter inside the workshop, instructing Zhang Ya not to wander off, while Old Chen asked a master to keep an eye on things before he and Li Che left the shop together.

Both of them wore hats to block the wind and snow.

After leaving the shop, Old Chen threw a cloak to Li Che, wrapped himself in one as well, and fastened his gourd of liquor to his waist.

They reached the corner of the alley.

But all they saw at the corner of the alley, placed on the snow, was a "Three-Headed Six-Armed Spirit Infant Statue."

"Wow, quite bold, daring to mark in front of Xu Ji's shop... really think Xu Ji is made of mud?"

Old Chen narrowed his eyes and stomped down, his surging inner strength instantly blasted the Spirit Infant Wood Carving into pieces.

Clatter!

At the same time.

A dark shadow in the distance seemed startled and swiftly fled, stepping on the snow.

"Found it," Old Chen narrowed his eyes and glanced at Li Che.

"You follow at your own pace, watch your safety."

After speaking, Old Chen's exposed skin turned fiery red as if burnt, his body relaxed and his sinews tightened, making a sound like a taut bowstring.

The snow under his feet instantly melted into water, a scorching heat wave rushing towards him, and with one step, he launched forward like a red-hot branding iron thrown at high speed, shattering the falling snow and chasing after the fleeing black shadow.

Watching Old Chen shoot away in an instant, Li Che was slightly shocked in his heart.

Skin Refinement, Sinew Transforming, Bone Tempering, Blood Exchange... Old Chen had reached an unknown realm, and his Inner Strength was also extremely formidable.

Exhaling a breath of hot air from the snow, Li Che pressed down on the Sleeve Crossbow hidden in his sleeve, his expression cold as water.

It's not the theft itself one fears, but the thief's constant attention...

Thinking about his beloved Xi Xi being targeted by these villains, a strong surge of violence welled up in Li Che's heart.

You want to mess with my daughter, I...

will kill you!

...

...

Li Che stepped on the stone path and quickly caught up.

From afar, he saw Old Chen leaning against the wall at the corner of the alley, enjoying fine wine from a gourd.

Behind him in the alley, a black shadow curled up on the ground, blood staining the snow red.

"It's not the midwife, just a Martial Practitioner with Great Success in Skin Refinement who joined the Spirit Infant Sect and became a follower," Old Chen said indifferently as he saw Li Che approaching.

Li Che's heart sank slightly, somewhat disappointed.

It's not Lei Chunlan... it's truly a pity.

The man's skin was dark, and he exuded a sense of resilience from being exposed to the elements, but he was utterly listless now, bleeding from his mouth and nose, lying on the ground, panting heavily, coughing up blood.

He clearly couldn't last even a few moves against Old Chen and had suffered a severe beating.

Old Chen, after beating the man, drank his wine, enjoying the leisure of the aftermath like smoking a cigarette.

Li Che stared at the man who had buried his head in the snow, his fists clenched, his eyes icy cold.

"Where is Lei Chunlan?" Li Che asked, his voice slightly hoarse.

"I... I don't... I don't know..."

The man buried his head and grunted a reply.

Right after he spoke, Li Che fiercely kicked his head, slamming the man's head hard against the cobblestone ground covered in snow, making a dull sound.

Li Che continuously kicked him several times, the man gritting his teeth, merely grunting without screaming or making any noise.

Old Chen watched indifferently, his expression a mix of a smirk and a smile.

A while later, the two walked in silence on the long street, Old Chen with his hands behind his back, completely at ease.

Meanwhile, Li Che looked toward Chen Dabao, "Old Chen, you head back to the shop. I'm going to buy some pig's head meat and two pounds of yellow wine to thank you..."

Old Chen grinned upon hearing this, "You're too polite, go ahead. I want it from that marinade shop in the western part of the city."

Li Che smiled, agreed, and then darted into the snow.

Old Chen watched Li Che's disappearing figure, smacked his lips, picked up the gourd, removed the stopper, and took a hearty swig.

"This kid... really is a good father."

"However, having never practiced martial arts, killing a Skin Refinement Martial Artist... won't be easy."

...

...

In the alley.

The snow fluttered sporadically, piercingly cold.

A strong scent of blood permeated the air as the dark-skinned man who had suffered a severe beating from Old Chen staggered up from the ground, leaning on the wall.

Old Chen's strength was too formidable; freshly initiated in Skin Refinement, the man had absolutely no power to resist.

As for the kicks from Li Che, to a Skin Refinement Martial Artist, they were barely painful, merely a touch humiliating.

"The Spirit Infant eyed by the Dharma Master... none can escape... even Xu Ji can't keep it safe..."

The man panted heavily.

Suddenly.

His waist abruptly stiffened; the light at the end of the alley blocked by a figure.

He struggled to raise his head, only to see a tall figure wearing a conical hat blocking the alleyway.

And that figure in the conical hat raised an arm.

Whoosh!

With a sound tearing through the air, cutting through the swirling snow.

Thud!

It was like something exploded...

The dark-skinned man felt a sharp pain originating from his eye as a wooden crossbow arrow, carrying tremendous force, pierced through his eyeball, blurring his vision with blood in an instant.

He screamed in agony, pain searing through his nerves!

Like a provoked tiger, he roared angrily, attempting to pounce toward the person in the alley who had shot the hidden arrow to tear them apart!

Li Che, wearing the conical hat, watched the charging dark-skinned man, utterly indifferent, another crossbow arrow whistling through the air.

One arrow after another, each finding its mark!

Skin Refinement indeed means thick skin and flesh... but can you also refine your eyeballs?

Having emptied the first set of nine arrows from his Sleeve Crossbow.

It wasn't until the dark-skinned man knelt on the ground, his head turned into a pin cushion, that he utterly stopped moving, dead.

Only then did Li Che shake his sleeve, face expressionless, carefully hid the Sleeve Crossbow, adjusted his conical hat...

And walked toward the marinade shop in the western part of the city.