Chapter 14: A Joyous First Birthday Celebration

Master Li, congratulations, congratulations! Happy first birthday, XiXi!

Fluffy white snowflakes danced through the air, settling conspicuously on the black tiles.

The courtyard gate swung wide open as the crunch of footsteps on the snow mixed with endless cheers of congratulations.

Figure after figure entered the courtyard, each bringing a first birthday gift.

Familiar faces from the wood carving shop had gathered. Li Che and Zhang Ya, dressed in fine attire, stood at the door to welcome the guests.

Inside, the staff of Spring Breeze Tower had already set up a pavilion with tables and chairs. The head chef was busy firing up the stove at a side counter while fragrant appetizers reached every table ahead of time.

There were nine tables in all—not a small number. Many master craftsmen had brought along their families, turning the celebration into a lively affair.

Chen Daba cradled the adorable, exquisitely delicate XiXi in a bright red outfit as he proudly showed her off to several elderly onlookers, his face beaming with joy.

Uncle and his family were also present. The Old Scholar, with an unlit cigarette clutched in his mouth, was accompanied by a young couple holding a chubby baby boy who gazed around with wide, curious eyes.

“Uncle and Aunt, Cousin and Cousin-in-law, please come in!”

Li Che couldn’t help but smile warmly as he observed the family making their way over.

He felt deep gratitude toward Uncle’s family—without their care and support, surviving in these chaotic times would have been nearly impossible.

Moreover, it was Aunt who had helped arrange his marriage with Zhang Ya.

The Old Scholar, his face etched with wrinkles and a smile of pride, looked at the man Li Che had become with heartfelt admiration.

“You’ve come a long way, Ah Che,” he said.

“Your parents in the beyond would be so proud,” he added.

The Old Scholar patted Li Che’s shoulder, his smile warm and sincere.

Aunt then unwrapped a piece of silver jewelry from a red cloth and handed it to Li Che, saying, “Ah Che, please accept this first birthday gift for XiXi.”

Li Che accepted it without hesitation, then turned his attention to Cousin Li Zhengran and Cousin-in-law Liu Chunming, who were cradling a baby boy.

With a laugh, Li Che said, “Cousin Zhouzhou is about six months younger than XiXi, right? He’s almost one now. And isn’t he already so quick to roll over?”

Cousin-in-law Liu Chunming laughed, replying, “Absolutely! A little kick of his legs and he flips like a windmill—so lively and full of energy!”

Now established as a master carver at Xu Ji’s Wood Carving Shop, Liu Chunming fully appreciated the weight of the occasion, her enthusiasm far greater than before.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Li Che guided Uncle’s family to their table.

As the appointed hour struck, the banquet commenced. The staff of Spring Breeze Tower called out dish names as course after course of sumptuous food was brought out.

These days, Li Che had mastered the 【Xiangong】 Dao Fruit, and his exquisitely carved wood creations—rich in artistic spirit—were in high demand. Although he might not rival masters like Old Chen, he had once sold a piece for fifty taels!

His fortune had grown considerably; even though the banquet at Spring Breeze Tower was expensive, he could easily afford it.

Furthermore, all the masters in the courtyard brought gifts. In the end, the first birthday celebration not only broke even but turned out profitably.

“Che, the Third Shop Manager is here!”

Amid toasts with several masters, Li Che heard the announcement. He quickly scooped up XiXi and, with Zhang Ya at his side, went out to greet the newcomer.

“Ha ha ha, happy first birthday, XiXi. I came especially to see you—here’s your gift,” said Third Shop Manager Xu You.

Xu You was known for his gentle nature and high reputation at the shop, though he might also have had plans to win Li Che over.

After all, Li Che’s uniquely spirited wood carvings had become a hot commodity in the Inner City.

Holding the precious XiXi close, Li Che cheerfully called out, “Thank you, Manager. XiXi sends her thanks, Uncle Xu!”

With sparkling eyes, long lashes, and skin as pure as jade, XiXi charmed Xu You, who, after spending a while amusing her, reluctantly handed her back to Li Che.

“I won’t be dining tonight—I have some matters to attend to. Recently, strange disturbances have been reported at Outer City temples, with unusual creatures emerging. Many prominent Inner City families have already dispatched teams to clear them out… I must go as well,” Xu You explained.

He offered a brief explanation.

Then he excused himself and departed.

“Manager Xu is such a good man…” Zhang Ya murmured softly from the sidelines.

Li Che nodded. Indeed, Xu You was kind and humble, never one of those haughty aristocrats.

Yet Li Che had heard that even in the Inner City, Xu You was not favored; he had been reassigned to manage Xu Ji’s Wood Carving Shop in the Outer City, effectively removed from the family’s power center.

Compared to the enterprises in the Inner City, the Xu Ji Wood Carving Shop in the Outer City was relatively modest.

“In times like these, the gentlest souls often suffer the most. Misfortune always seems to strike the honest and meek,” Old Chen remarked with a sigh as he approached, a complex expression playing on his face.

Clutching his cup of wine, Old Chen shook his head with a mix of sorrow and resignation.

“Take this temple clearance outside the city, for example—no major family would send their top core disciples to deal with these rogue evil presences,” he observed.

“In fact, isn’t it because Xu Beihu, with his formidable cultivation, was overlooked while Xu You, whose abilities are weaker, was sent instead? That just shows how little regard he has in the clan,” Old Chen added with another sigh.

Old Chen sighed deeply.

Cradling XiXi, Li Che watched Xu You’s solitary figure vanish into the snowy winds, lost in thought.

……

……

After rounds of toasts and merriment.

Old Chen was in such high spirits he got completely drunk and soon passed out.

Meanwhile, Zhang Ya took XiXi to a side room to put her to bed.

Brushing off the cold clinging snow from his face and sobering up, Li Che sat in the workshop of the annex’s side courtyard, lit an oil lamp, and resumed crafting a mechanism.

Inspired, a new insight suddenly flashed before his eyes.

……

【Name: Li Che】

【Bond: Daughter (Li Nuǎnxi)】

【Dao Fruit: 【Xiangong】 (lv2 89%) and Dragon Elephant Vajra (lv1 2%)】

……

His gaze fell upon the 【Xiangong】 Dao Fruit. In one year, its maturity had reached 89%—on the verge of advancing to level 3.

Just one more mechanism to complete and it will be ready.

Standing up, he moved to a corner of the workshop and gently rotated a wood carving. Suddenly, a hidden compartment revealed itself.

From it, he retrieved a statue of Guanyin, seated resolutely upon a blood-red lotus mountain.

Guanyin’s kind, benevolent expression was captivating—and on closer inspection, the statue was actually composed of thousands of delicate wooden spines!

This was one of the three mechanisms described in Tang’s Mechanism Chronicle that required no inner power: the Guanyin Blood Lotus.

Beside it lay two square matchboxes. He took one, cupped it in his hand, and soon faint mechanical sounds emerged from within as eight slender spider legs extended, embedding themselves into the skin of his palm.

With a slight flick of his wrist, fine silver threads erupted silently, slicing through a wooden plank several meters away with astonishing precision and a dazzlingly bright cut.

In an instant, his fingers danced as countless silver threads swirled wildly around the room, accompanied by the sound of air being sliced apart.

After a while, the silver threads, as swift as lightning, retracted back into the matchbox.

“What a marvelous Thousand Silk Spider! With my fledgling Skin Polishing technique, even a brute using Tendon Burst wouldn’t stand a chance against its entangling assault.”

“But once a warrior reaches the Tendon Burst stage, they harness inner power. As Old Chen says, that inner strength can boost their force by 30 to 40 percent, and combined with martial techniques, the killing power becomes even greater…”

“We must never underestimate it.”

“I must further enhance my own martial abilities. Once I master inner power to command the Thousand Silk Spider, its might will only grow stronger!”

Li Che returned the Thousand Silk Spider and the Guanyin Blood Lotus mechanism to the hidden compartment.

Seated again before the oil lamp, he resumed experimenting with the other mechanisms from Tang’s Mechanism Chronicle.

Lacking inner power and sufficient robust Qi, his recent attempts at crafting the other mechanisms had all ended in failure.

But that was fine—each failure was a lesson. Once I cultivate inner power, I’ll complete them all in one determined effort.

Suddenly,

Just as Li Che picked up his carving knife, his eyebrows furrowed slightly.

He left the workshop and, within a few steps, arrived at the courtyard gate. Looking out into the distance, he saw a dark figure moving as swiftly as lightning, shattering the darkness before vanishing into the night.

In that instant, Li Che’s eyes sharpened; he slowly looked downward.

There, he beheld a familiar sight…

A Three-Headed, Six-Armed Infant Deity statue.

However, unlike before when its eyes would blink, this time its eyes were wide open in anger.

It seemed to be glaring at him with unwavering fury!