Watching and guarding against the enemy, in Li Che's eyes...it would be better to kill him.
Since the opponent had joined the Spirit Infant Sect, targeting his daughter Xi Xi, he was akin to a ticking time bomb, never knowing when he might make his move.
If that was a foregone conclusion, then why wait for the other party to strike first... instead of taking the initiative to attack?
Recalling the Angry Spirit Infant Statue placed outside the courtyard last night...
The adversary's actions were undoubtedly a provocation against him as a father, as if glaring furiously at him, loudly proclaiming, "If you dare to interfere, you'll be killed!"
Was Sun Changbiao innocent?
In Li Che's heart, not in the slightest. The moment he targeted his daughter Xi Xi, joined the Spirit Infant Sect, and sought to take another person's child's life to fulfill his own desire for offspring...
He was already stained with blood on his hands.
Adjusting his straw hat, Li Che exhaled a breath of hot air from his throat.
Afterward, his figure plunged into the wind and snow.
Xu's Wood Carving Shop's courtyard was enormous, extremely vast, encompassing a large area, almost like a small city. Inside was a network of paths crisscrossing, with courtyards standing in rows, and high walls towering between them, creating separations through the alleys.
Li Che slipped into an alleyway, stripping off the clothes he wore and donning a black cloak.
Then, he took out a wooden mask he had crafted himself, originally intended to bring back to amuse Xi Xi as a toy.
But now... he would use it temporarily.
Because Xi Xi was born in the year of the ox, Li Che carved a bull-faced mask that had a somewhat cartoonish and cute style.
Wearing the Cute Bull Mask, Li Che felt as if the whole world had become separated from him, his every breath becoming light and free.
"Sun Changbiao..."
Li Che whispered the name softly.
The next moment, he stimulated his Dao Fruit [Dragon Elephant Vajra].
Crack, crack, crack...
Sounds like colliding bones echoed around, crackling like popping beans. Underneath Li Che's black cloak, his muscles began to writhe, a tingling sensation spreading all over his body, and soon his stature grew taller and more robust, his back muscles suddenly becoming as hard as iron, coiling and writhing like dragons!
Flesh Dragon Elephant, Vajra Indestructible, Horizontal Refinement Unparalleled!
These were the characteristics of the Dao Fruit [Dragon Elephant Vajra]!
After Li Che chose to activate it, his body transformed completely. The cultivation and blood force, which had been suppressed and contained within the Dao Fruit, surged out, converging to his physical body!
And his body too underwent an active transformation, with his strength magnifying!
Li Che, originally about one meter seventy-five in height, soared to around one meter ninety after activating the Dragon Elephant Vajra, his flesh bulking up significantly, becoming firm and sturdy with an overwhelming sense of oppression.
"Strength..." Li Che's eyes sparkled behind the Cute Bull Mask as he glanced at his hands that were like palm-leaf fans filled with terrifying power, and clenched them fiercely, vaguely causing a rumbling like howling winds!
"As if imbued with the Power of the Dragon Elephant..."
"Such a transformation should be called 'Vajra Transformation,' I suppose."
Li Che murmured softly.
At that moment, he felt like a giant elephant of the jungle, possessing the terrifying might to trample fierce tigers and wild lions.
This was the pure physical strength change brought about by the Dao Fruit...
Horizontal Refinement Unparalleled!
Underneath the mask, Li Che's facial expression seemed to spread into a slight smile due to his flesh swelling.
Afterward, his burly figure stepped forward, shattering the wind and snow.
...
...
Sun Changbiao's courtyard was located on the west side of Xu's Courtyard.
As the second son of Steward Sun, after splitting from the family, Sun Changbiao's residence naturally was exemplary, featuring a triple-courtyard with a spacious and bright main yard.
Sun Changbiao held an umbrella, returning to his courtyard after finishing work.
He let out a breath, his face turning somewhat ugly.
"Chen Dabao is watching me... so quick, he's found his way to me already."
Standing in the courtyard, Sun Changbiao's expression flickered with uncertainty. Old Chen was investigating him, and he had certainly noticed it. No matter how much he tried to conceal it, joining the Spirit Infant Sect was ultimately something he couldn't hide forever.
After all, he had once personally gone to the altar of the Spirit Infant Sect to offer incense.
"So be it, if he's watching, then he is. If I don't take action, Chen Dabao wouldn't dare to kill me... without evidence, he won't make a move."
"What I need to do is just pass on the information, looking for an opportunity... a Spirit Baby, once delivered to the altar, my son's wish will surely come true!"
Sun Changbiao desperately wanted a son.
No, it should be said that both he and his wife desperately wanted a son.
Suddenly, Sun Changbiao, standing in the courtyard, had his thoughts interrupted.
"Dad... Dad, dinner's ready."
A timid voice called out.
Sun Changbiao looked over and saw his eldest daughter leading the three younger ones, nervously carrying dishes; they had clearly just finished cooking and were coming out of the kitchen.
"Got it."
Sun Changbiao said dismissively.
Then, he closed his umbrella, shook off the snowflakes, dusted his long coat, and stepped into the warmth of the inner room.
The four daughters served steaming dishes on the dining table, and the eldest one, behaving obediently, took her three sisters by the hand, pursed her lips, and left the cozy inner room, consciously and skillfully heading to the kitchen for their meal.
At the table, Sun Changbiao and his wife, Madame Liu, began to eat heartily.
"Husband, how is that matter coming along?"
"The Deputy Incense Master is pressing hard... the child from Master Li's house is one in a hundred Spirit Babies; if we can send her to the sect, the Dharma Master will surely grant us a son!"
Madame Liu caressed her slightly bulging belly, her eyes filled with anticipation.
Sun Changbiao frowned, "Don't rush me; I have it under control..."
What do women understand?
Chen Dabao is not someone easily offended—his strength is formidable, he's someone many of the senior members of the Inner City Xu Family want to win over!
Old Chen's appreciation and affection for Li Che's daughter were clear to him; if he angered Old Chen, he dreaded the brutal beating that could result, or even worse, it might cost him his life if handled poorly.
"Eat your meal."
Sun Changbiao picked up a piece of stir-fried pork with his chopsticks, and immediately his eyebrows knitted together, "Stupid girl, why so much salt? Trying to choke her father to death?!"
Outside.
The tall young girl leading her sisters away from the house pursed her lips, as though she heard the scolding coming from inside, her complexion paled, and she hurriedly pulled her sisters toward the kitchen.
It was too cold outside; the kitchen, warmed by the remnants of the hearth fire, was more comfortable.
After the girls had left,
A towering, mountainous figure wearing a conical hat and a mask silently appeared on the walkway, completely untouched by the swirling snowflakes.
Watching the silhouette of the girls entering the kitchen,
The eyes beneath the Cute Bull Mask were chillingly calm.
...
...
"Knock, knock, knock—"
After downing a cup of warm, sweet wine and picking up a piece of fried meat, Sun Changbiao ate with so much oil dripping from his mouth that he looked utterly content.
Suddenly, he heard a knocking at the door, and his complacent gaze instantly turned into a frown.
"Stupid girl, didn't I say not to make noise during dinner? Can't you understand?"
Seeing her husband frown, his wife quickly slapped down her chopsticks and scolded.
Sun Changbiao raised his hand, stopping his wife from getting more upset, "You're pregnant; don't get angry, take care of our son."
After saying that, Sun Changbiao stood up, casually took a rattan stick hanging on the inner room wall, and while picking the meat stuck between his teeth, he flicked the stick.
However, just as he reached the door...
"Bang—"
A thunderous explosion sounded, accompanied by flying wood chips, as the door was suddenly kicked open!
Snow and cold wind rushed in fiercely.
A massive leg, resembling a divine whip, lashed out suddenly!
The kick landed on Sun Changbiao's abdomen, the terrifying force exploding out like a cannonball. His eyes almost bulged out as his body curved like a shrimp, he was catapulted onto the dining table, smashing the spread of good dishes into a sloppy mess.
"Blargh..."
Sun Changbiao spat out a mist of blood, with an acrid sensation in his abdomen as if it had been kicked to pieces. He was numb all over, struggling to lift his head.
"Who... who... who are you?"
His first thought was that Chen Dabao had acted.
But upon seeing the stranger with the oppressive presence of a mountain, Sun Changbiao was dumbfounded.
It wasn't Chen Dabao!
How could the frail old man Chen Dabao be so powerful and robust?!
Then... who could it be?!
Who had he offended?!
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