Li Che had never intended to spare Lei Chunlan. It was a rare encounter, and not killing her would leave him restless.
He twisted his neck, his back muscles tensing and creaking.
With the Xu Clan's nine sinews, Li Che had opened all nine major sinews, and now his single cultivation had already reached Complete Meridian Opening, just one step away from Bone Tempering.
In one month, Li Che had transformed significantly. Now, having activated the "Dragon Elephant Dao Fruit" Vajra Transformation, he was absolutely confident he could kill Zhao Chuanxiong and his Bagua Staff-wielding accomplice!
He had planned, after this matter concluded, to go after Zhao Chuanxiong and eliminate this threat.
However, he had not expected… during his trip to the Inner City… he would encounter Lei Chunlan.
Hiding within the Inner City, no wonder Li Che, while masquerading and searching for Lei Chunlan during this period, had been fruitless.
He flicked his sleeve, the hidden sleeve crossbow and Thousand Spider Threads were already prepared, his eyes under the mask flashing with a cold murderous intent.
With a stamp of his foot, his body suddenly shot out of the alley.
...
...
The curtains lightly fluttered.
Rising and falling as if moving with a person's every breath.
Xu Beihu sat on the chair, the water in the kettle boiling vigorously, gurgling incessantly, as he busied himself making tea, the rich fragrance unrestrained.
Si Mubai stood in front of the "Nine-headed Guanyin Angry Cry Town Ghost Statue" carved by Li Che. At this moment, this wood carving had long lost its original appearance, looking as if it had suffered the erosion of time and wind, completely altered.
If you looked carefully, you could see countless tiny holes underneath the statue, as if corroded and devoured by wood-eating insects, leaving behind remains.
After a while, Si Mubai shuddered slightly, stepped back, shed two lines of hot tears, seeming to both cry and laugh, and slapped the rotten wood statue. In a flash, the entire statue "crashed" into debris.
"Not bad, the taste is really good."
Si Mubai extended his tongue and licked his lips.
"Although it doesn't contain Divinity like a Master Woodcarver, or capture the free-floating Divinity between heaven and earth… it's already very good. This meaning, if accumulated three or four more times, could even amount to a strand of Divinity, greatly aiding my 'Angry Cry Town Ghost.'
Si Mubai sat back in the Yellow Rosewood Grand Master Chair, taking the well-brewed premium Pu'er tea Xu Beihu passed to him.
"Your Xu Ji has found a treasure, truly a potential Master," Si Mubai said somewhat enviously.
The rugged face of Xu Beihu broke into a smile: "It's still early days yet; becoming a Woodcarving Master isn't that easy, and one must also be loyal… Over the past two hundred years, Xu Ji has trained so many Wood Carvers, and only a few have possibly become Woodcarving Masters."
"If you don't want him, let him come to the Si Family," Si Mubai suggested with a teasing smile.
"Was that old crone your Si Family's doing? Seems like she's from Spirit Infant Sect, no? You involve yourself with Spirit Infant Sect and your Si Family doesn't care?" Xu Beihu's face tautened as he spoke coolly.
Si Mubai put down his tea cup: "Don't be so resistant to Spirit Infant Sect. Not everything from the Mysterious Temple is evil. The Imperial Court subdues temples with force, Divine Sect destroys mountains and temples, aren't they all because there are treasures in the Mysterious Temples?
"Divinity, Divine Methods, Martial Techniques, Martial Arts… various legacies… all come from the Mysterious Temples, so why resist?"
Si Mubai chuckled while sipping his tea.
"The Imperial Court wants us to recruit Divine Spirit Children, nurture them, so that we can explore those Mysterious Temples they can't spare hands to explore. I've heard from a friend in the Capital that those Great Deity Court Officials of the Court are all focusing on exploring the newly emerged 'Three Pure Ones' Mysterious Temple outside the Capital."
"If the Court is exploring, embracing, and integrating, why should we resist?"
Si Mubai shook his head.
Xu Beihu frowned: "Mysterious Temples are Mysterious Temples, Spirit Infant Sect is Spirit Infant Sect, don't conflate the two."
"Let's not discuss this; I know my measures. Fei Lei City is governed by us Noble Families and Clans, how can I not take it seriously?" Si Mubai waved his hand nonchalantly.
"Speaking of Li Che, he's quite aware of the times, very stable. Hearing that Lei Chunlan was targeting his daughter, he could still restrain himself from acting… truly a small-minded man," Si Mubai remarked.
"That's being stable. Although he is backed by our Xu Family, he can't be sure that Xu Family would definitely support him. He surely hates Lei Chunlan, but he is rational, knowing that your Si Family covers Lei Chunlan, his own strength isn't strong enough, if a conflict breaks out and can't be resolved, it would look bad for both families, so he can only step back and seek peace," Xu Beihu stated calmly.
"To sum up, this person is… stable, cautious, nothing to fear."
...
...
Golden Splendor Pavilion.
Li Che transformed into a shadow and quietly approached. Now that he had activated the "Dragon Elephant Vajra," his strength was likely enough to exhibit the full extent of Bone Tempering Completion, unlocking nine major sinews, and the explosive power he could generate was enough to amount to ten thousand catties.
In fact, his power was only at the Completion of Sinew Transforming.
The Dragon Elephant Vajra allowed him to burst forth with the power that spanned a whole major realm.
The major sinews on his back tensed, the kinetic energy dispelling silently onto the ground and lifting the snow without a sound, as Li Che's body glided swiftly.
Sticking to the walls, he entered the Golden Splendor Pavilion. Having been here once before made him familiar with the place.
The interior of the Golden Splendor Pavilion was vast and broad, resembling the courtyard of a noble family, with intricate alleyways and paths crisscrossing in all directions.
There were also guards on patrol, all of whom possessed considerable strength with Sinew Transforming cultivation.
Li Che concealed himself in the darkness, watching indifferently.
Few dared to cause trouble in the Golden Splendor Pavilion due to it being backed by several noble families and clans, and a jointly owned enterprise, so although there was a presence of guards, they seemed somewhat lax.
Li Che easily bypassed the defense force, recalling the route that Lei Chunlan had taken after descending the previous time.
His body rose and fell, the power exhibited by the Complete Bone Tempering making his speed reach its zenith, so fast that ordinary people couldn't even see his traces.
Li Che did not know the relationship between Si Mubai and Lei Chunlan, nor was he aware of any dealings between the Si Family and the Spirit Infant Sect...
What did he care about that?
If Lei Chunlan wanted to harm his daughter Xi Xi, Li Che had only one goal in mind.
Kill her!
...
...
Within a luxurious courtyard.
With rock gardens standing tall and tree shadows blurry.
Lei Chunlan had changed into a clean brocade dress, leaning on the railing, looking at one of the Si Family's guards stationed in her courtyard, then glanced around the courtyard, her wrinkled old face revealing a trace of a smile.
"It's truly a pleasure to be in the Golden Splendor Pavilion, the most luxurious and extravagant place in the Inner City. I, an old woman, have suffered all my life, but now I can finally live such a life."
"This is indeed how a life should be lived."
Lei Chunlan's smile was as resplendent as blooming old chrysanthemums.
The Spirit Infant Sect had given her pleasures she had never enjoyed.
"As long as the Si Family agrees to the trade with the Dharma Master, I could become a distinguished guest of the Si Family... basking in endless glory and riches."
Lei Chunlan's body quivered slightly with excitement.
She led those infants into this world, letting these babies exchange for her wealth and status... That seems fair, right?
"What a pity, Li Che really is steady, knowing my connection with the Spirit Infant Sect, and moved into Xu's Wood Carving Shop... Such luck he had, this mere mover actually becoming a wood carver at Xu Ji."
"Such a pity for that Spirit Baby, full of divinity... If I could have offered it to the Dharma Master, I might even have received the Divine Method inheritance from him! Becoming a superior being over others!"
Lei Chunlan clenched her fists, her old eyes bulging round, somewhat reluctant.
"It doesn't matter; now that I'm connected with the Si Family, I'll get my hands on that Spirit Baby sooner or later..."
"A mere wood carver at Xu Ji's Wood Carving Shop is nothing but an ant in front of a massive entity like the Si Family."
Whoosh—
The previously calm sky, as if sensing the coldness of the world, dropped a heavy snowfall.
The snowflakes, blurring the view.
Lei Chunlan rubbed her hands together, exhaling a breath of warm air, "This damn weather."
She turned around and began to stoke the furnace, adding more coal.
Suddenly, her movements stiffened, and her neck awkwardly lifted up.
Then, she saw upon a cluster of rock gardens in the courtyard.
A towering figure, clad in a douli and wearing a Cute Cow mask, like a small mountain or a Sky-Piercing Halberd, stood amidst the swirling winds and snow.
Eyes blazing, like a Yin God from hell, a cow-headed soul snatcher.
Exuding a cold and overwhelmingly murderous aura, he stared at her.