Chapter 5: A Father’s Dread and a Cursed Pact

Lei A-Po… killing babies?

Only targeting the very babies she delivered?!

Li Che heard his Uncle’s words, his hair standing on end and his eyes narrowing sharply.

“Uncle, where did you hear that?” Li Che asked, taking a deep breath as a heavy dread filled his heart.

Old Scholar, smoking his pipe and exhaling a hazy swirl of smoke, furrowed his brows deeply. “I didn’t believe it at first, but didn’t you notice that XiXi wasn’t delivered by Lei A-Po? So I went to ask around…”

“It’s true. The families who lost their children have all reported to the Outer City authorities, and the government has even issued a warrant—Lei A-Po is now wanted!”

“If you don’t believe me, check the bulletin board at the government office. That warrant is still posted.”

Old Scholar’s voice had taken on a more somber tone.

Though he regretted that XiXi wasn’t a boy, being a member of the Li family meant he was immediately anxious about her safety.

“I heard that Lei A-Po… has become a follower of the ‘Lingying Master,’ embracing the Lingying teachings, and then suddenly started killing… Sigh, what a sin—it’s all these poor children.”

Old Scholar’s voice trembled as he let out a long sigh while continuously puffing on his pipe.

Li Che’s expression turned gravely serious, his heart filled with unease.

For Li Che, XiXi was his precious daughter—the very essence of his heart. The thought of anything happening to her would shatter him with regret and sorrow.

Protecting his daughter was a father’s duty, a responsibility he could not shirk!

“Thanks, Uncle. I’ll find out more and prepare as soon as I can.”

Li Che said earnestly. Old Scholar nodded quickly before rubbing his hands together, “Since we’re here, let’s also pay XiXi a visit…”

Li Che said nothing further, silently leading the bashful Old Scholar inside.

Old Scholar’s aged face lit up in a smile the moment he saw XiXi.

Though he teased about XiXi not being a boy, his affection for her was sincere.

“Your wife is about to deliver soon. Your mother-in-law says, judging by her round belly, it should be a boy… Hey, I hope the little one turns out as adorable as XiXi.” Uncle beamed.

Ever since his eldest son married, a child was expected this year.

“Wifey, while I’m away, lock all the doors and windows tight. No matter who’s at the door, don’t open up…”

After Old Scholar left, Li Che stepped out for work and took a moment to remind Zhang Ya.

Zhang Ya stood there, momentarily stunned but obediently promising to do as told.

……

……

Worry gnawing at him, Li Che made his way to the government office’s bulletin board—and sure enough, he spotted the warrant for Lei A-Po with a reward.

“Lei Chunlan – killed seven children, all of whom she delivered a year ago…”

“Hmm? Delivered a year ago… So, does that mean these slain children had to be one year old?”

Wearing his bamboo hat, Li Che stared at the notice, lost in thought.

But he dared not rely solely on his own deductions.

What if this Lei Chunlan even targets infants just a month old?

Li Che dared not take that risk…

Nor could he afford to.

“It seems I must become a master carver at Xu Ji’s Wood Carving Shop… With their protection, at least I’d be safe.”

Taking a deep breath and adjusting his hat, Li Che set off for Xu Ji’s Wood Carving Shop.

Upon arrival, he found Master Chen—white hair and beard but a ruddy glow on his face—sitting in a chair, humming a tune while sipping gourd wine.

“Xiao Li, you’re here? I heard you’re taking the wood carving exam. Haha, you’ve got some nerve to dare it after only a month of self-study,” Master Chen joked upon spotting Li Che.

Master Chen, whose full name is Chen Da-Bao, is now sixty-eight and a veteran at Xu Ji’s Wood Carving Shop.

Rumor had it that Chen Da-Bao had long been eligible to work in the Inner City under Xu Ji but never wished to leave, preferring the life at the Outer City shop.

Not just him—several other master carvers in the shop felt the same.

This left Li Che puzzled: why not move to the Inner City?

They say the living conditions in the Inner City are far superior to those in the Outer City.

“Kid, the Inner City might be great, but it’s just as dangerous. With the realm in chaos, sinister forces lurking, mysterious temples cropping up, and factions clashing, the central government’s grip on many cities has weakened. That’s why powerful local nobles control them…”

“The noble houses are constantly squabbling over control and profit. For an old man like me, stepping into the Inner City is like diving into a maelstrom—I just can’t handle that kind of turmoil.”

“Here in the Outer City… conditions might be tougher, but with my inner strength, life is still comfortable enough.”

Master Chen cheerfully sipped his aged Huangjiu from a gourd, smacking his lips as he said.

Li Che nodded in understanding, grasping Master Chen’s point.

In a land with no tiger, even a monkey is king… sometimes, a simple life wins.

Suddenly, Li Che remembered something and asked quietly, “Master Chen, have you heard of the ‘Lingying Master’?”

Master Chen paused mid-sip, his brows knitting together as he glanced at Li Che, “Are you getting involved with that cult, kid?”

Li Che quickly shook his head and recounted the news his Uncle had mentioned earlier.

“My daughter was delivered by that Lei Chunlan… I’m really scared,” Li Che said, his voice heavy with worry.

Master Chen’s face turned somber as he replied, “It seems… another soul has fallen under the cult’s spell. Ever since that Bizarre Temple’s Lingying teachings entered Feilei City, infant mortality has skyrocketed…”

“That midwife must have been seduced by the Lingying Master, her mind twisted into offering up the very babies she delivered as sacrifices.”

“Delivery has become like a dark ritual… once you’re marked, it’s nearly impossible to shake off the curse.”

“And that midwife… won’t let your baby go easily.”

Upon hearing Master Chen’s confirmation, Li Che’s face turned grim and pained as his fingers clenched into fists, his breath heavy with despair.

“However, you mentioned that those deceased children were all delivered a year ago. It seems they had to be one year old to qualify for the sacrifices. So for this year, your daughter should be safe—but you must keep a close watch to prevent that midwife from secretly taking her when the time comes to perform the grim ritual!”

Master Chen, clearly well-versed in such matters, spoke in a surprisingly calm tone.

All he could do was warn him.

And as for stepping in to help, it wasn’t that Master Chen could; their relationship was too distant for that.

Frankly, Li Che was nothing more than a laborer moving wood at the shop.

Li Che was well aware of this and didn’t ask for any favors.

If he openly pleaded for help, Master Chen might refuse outright—severing the fragile bond between them.

“Master Chen… if I become a master carver at the shop, will the shop support me?”

Li Che asked after taking a deep breath.

Master Chen took a sip of his wine and glanced at Li Che.

“If you become a master carver, everything will fall into place.”

“The shop will provide housing for master carvers; you can bring your wife and child under the shop’s protection. If that midwife dares show her face, she’ll be beaten to death.”

“We master carvers cultivate inner strength. Even if that midwife is aided by the Lingying Master’s dark arts, we will fear nothing.”

“If you truly become a master carver—even at the lowest rank—I’d still consider myself your neighbor. And when that sacrilegious midwife dares to surface, I promise I’ll slap her to death for you!”

Master Chen wiped the wine from his beard, grinning broadly to reveal a mouthful of yellowed teeth and a hint of menace.

But soon his fierce look softened as he idly tapped his fingers on his wine gourd, eyeing Li Che with a playful glint.

“That is, provided… you manage to become a master carver, kid.”

“That’s easier said than done…”

“What makes you think that your ten days of self-study can outmatch those apprentices who spent a fortune on wood carving lessons since childhood?”