Chapter 31: Echoes of the Storm

The wind and snow wailed as they swirled wildly in the raging gusts.

Seeing the elderly man before him—exhausted, his eyes red and brimming with tears—Li Che’s heart softened, and he quickly pulled Uncle inside the warm Workshop.

Pouring a cup of hot tea for Uncle Li Liang, Li Che’s expression grew grave.

“What happened? Take your time, Uncle,” he said.

Li Che asked in a low, earnest tone.

Uncle’s family had raised him with unwavering care and honesty—a debt of nurture that could never be repaid easily.

When someone needed help, Li Che would never stand idle.

The Old Scholar trembled all over, the snow clinging to his body slowly melting in the Workshop’s warm currents. His frost-bitten, reddened hands cradled a cup of steaming tea, and his expression eased just a bit.

Exhaling deeply, the Old Scholar looked at Li Che with bloodshot eyes. After a moment’s hesitation, he shakily withdrew a palm-sized wooden carving from his robe.

But the instant Li Che laid eyes on the carving, his gaze suddenly narrowed.

“The Spirit Infant Statue?”

Li Che was all too familiar with that carved figure!

Before moving into the Wood Carving Shop, a Spirit Infant Wooden Carving had appeared in his family’s courtyard—a sight that had sent him into a panic, forcing the whole family to relocate to Xu Ji’s Wood Carving Shop.

Li Che accepted the wooden carving from the Old Scholar, noticing subtle differences from the one once placed at his doorstep.

This wasn’t the fantastical three-headed, six-armed version; it was a standard statue with one head and two arms, its eyes blinking slowly. Yet, there was no doubting—it was a Spirit Infant Statue.

As a master woodcarver, Li Che was extraordinarily sensitive to the nuances of any carving.

“Is this about priority?” he murmured under his breath.

“Uncle, isn’t Zhouzhou already one year old?”

Li Che furrowed his brows and asked.

Uncle nodded repeatedly. “That’s right… In three days it’ll be the planned first birthday celebration. We meant to keep it simple, but now… sigh, we just can’t risk it.”

“These past days, your cousin hasn’t even dared to go to work—he’s stayed home, clutching a firewood knife, so afraid…”

Uncle sighed heavily.

He knew full well that if the Lingying Sect truly set its sights on his grandson, Li Chengzhou, no ordinary person could possibly fight back.

In recent days, fear and anxiety had completely engulfed them.

The memory of the tragically lost children haunted the Old Scholar, leaving him tormented by nightmares night after night.

“Your cousin and his wife haven’t slept for three nights, terrified that if they drift off, a Lingying Sect follower might strike at Zhouzhou.”

Li Che clutched the Spirit Infant Wooden Carving, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly.

“So, Uncle, were you thinking of having your cousin’s wife bring Zhouzhou here…? Xu Ji still holds a certain sway,” he added.

The Old Scholar looked at Li Che with desperate hope, as if he were clutching his last lifeline.

“Don’t worry, Uncle. Zhouzhou can stay at my place—it’s much safer there.”

Naturally, Li Che couldn’t refuse.

The appearance of the Spirit Infant Wooden Carving brought an overwhelming sense of dread and anxiety—a feeling Li Che knew all too well, letting him sense the terror and despair in his Uncle’s heart.

It was that gut-wrenching helplessness, as if death itself were inching ever closer to his grandson.

Ordinary people were utterly powerless against the Lingying Sect—like lambs awaiting slaughter.

“Alright, alright, Ah Che… thank you so much. Uncle is truly grateful…”

The Old Scholar, visibly relieved, allowed his expression to relax considerably.

“I’ll go back and arrange for Zhengran and Chunming to take Chengzhou to your place…” he said, holding his teacup as he moved toward the shop’s exit.

Li Che called after him, “Uncle, wait! Have your cousin and his wife stay home to guard—don’t go out, lest something happens on the road. I’ll pick them up myself. I’ve been training lately, so it’ll be safer.”

“Alright, alright…” Uncle Li Liang nodded hastily.

“I’ll ask the shopkeeper for leave and be right back. You stay and have your cousin and his wife keep Zhouzhou safe.”

Li Che stated firmly.

At last a hint of joy appeared on Uncle’s face. After setting his cup down, he hurried out into the swirling storm.

Li Che sat in a chair, turning the palm-sized Spirit Infant Wooden Carving in his hands, a thoughtful gleam crossing his eyes.

“Lingying Sect…”

“A scourge…”

Li Che exhaled deeply.

But to him, the Lingying Sect was a behemoth, and its connections with the powerful families of Feilei City made it even more formidable…

“And it seems even the authorities are entangled with the Lingying Sect. Chief Zhao Chuanxiong is one of their own…”

……

……

Li Che didn’t bother to request leave. As a master woodcarver, he had the freedom to come and go at will from the Wood Carving Shop—as long as he delivered his work on time.

Changing into his training gear, grabbing a thin piece of timber, and donning his conical hat, Li Che left the Wood Carving Shop and stepped into the blizzard.

Having grown up at his uncle’s, Li Che naturally knew the way to his home.

Yet he didn’t head there immediately, choosing instead to proceed with caution.

“Could this be a trap set by the Lingying Sect? A deliberate lure?”

“If I were to be killed, and lose my status as a master woodcarver, Xu Ji Courtyard might crumble—and Xiao Ya and XiXi would be forced to leave…”

“Once they leave Xu Ji Courtyard, the Lingying Sect will have free rein to target XiXi.”

“Then orphans and single mothers will be left utterly vulnerable!”

Adjusting his conical hat, Li Che mused that such a danger was indeed possible.

But it wasn’t certain—after all, he had been leaving Xu Ji Courtyard frequently. If they intended harm, they would have struck long ago…

There was no need to go out of their way to set a trap.

“But I must remain wary…”

Lost in thought as he walked along Long Street, Li Che noticed that the wanted notice on the bulletin board had been updated. He paused when he saw his identity as Ogre listed with a reward of 500 taels…

“500 taels… that’s equivalent to five Gold Leaves!”

“That’s about the price for carving a Nine-Headed Guanyin Statue,” he muttered.

Li Che grumbled to himself.

Still, 500 taels could drive many to take desperate risks.

“Looks like I’ll have to keep a low profile for a while,” he concluded.

Li Che smiled, adjusted his conical hat, and braved the raging snowstorm as he headed toward the rented courtyard outside.

Inside the courtyard, he retrieved a black garment soaking in a vat. As inner energy surged through it, a burst of vigor and rising heat dried the fabric.

This remarkably elastic garment was the product of his own craftsmanship, enhanced by the effects of the 【Xiangong】 Dao Fruit. It wasn’t just his woodcarving skills—he excelled at every craft.

With this garment, he no longer had to worry about his clothes bursting when he activated Vajra Transformation.

After a quick change and donning the Cute Cow Mask along with his conical hat, Li Che bolted out of the courtyard.

……

……

Feilei City, Anping Alley.

A courtyard enclosed by earthen walls, its door tightly shut.

Inside.

The Old Scholar Li Liang puffed on his pipe, the sound of his draws echoing in the quiet.

Li Zhengran gripped his chopping knife, his eyes bloodshot, as he paced nervously, listening intently to sounds outside.

Liu Chunming cradled her son, Li Chengzhou, her hair disheveled and unkempt—a clear sign she’d neglected herself.

“Dad, hasn’t Ah Che arrived yet?”

“Could he be… coaxing you to come home first?”

Holding her child, Liu Chunming’s eyes were red and her voice hoarse as her Aunt leaned in close.

In a household constantly under the threat of losing a child, a woman’s spirit can teeter on the brink of collapse.

“No, Ah Che wouldn’t deliberately try to fool me. If he says it’s safe, it must be…”

“He’s a master woodcarver now—a respected figure. He’s only helping us by letting us hide in his courtyard. He wouldn’t lie.”

The Old Scholar, puffing on his pipe, shook his head and remarked.

He trusted Li Che completely; he knew his nephew’s true nature.

“Don’t talk nonsense—Ah Che will come!”

Li Zhengran spoke in a deep, steady tone.

The room fell into a deathly silence, punctuated only by the sound of heavy, labored breathing.

Suddenly, a rustling noise drifted in from outside.

In an instant, all three inside were on high alert.

Clutching his chopping knife and with beads of sweat on his forehead, Li Zhengran moved to the door and peered through the crack, spotting a figure outside.

Outside.

The wind and snow raged, darkening the sky.

A slender figure—carrying an Eight Trigram Staff and wearing a girl’s mask—was squatting on the ground. Holding a Spirit Infant Wooden Carving, the figure shifted it from side to side, positioning it right in front of the closed door.

The wailing wind swept by, echoing like ghostly cries.

As if aware that Li Zhengran was watching through the crack, the figure suddenly lifted its face. Behind that childlike mask, a pair of eyes gleamed with mischievous mockery.

It was that nightmare-esque face once again!

Li Zhengran trembled uncontrollably, his grip on the chopping knife shaking violently…

Suddenly.

Peering through the door crack, Li Zhengran’s pupils suddenly constricted, and he froze in shock.

Because…

Behind the figure in the girl’s mask crouched in the snow,

a towering, mountain-like figure materialized in the blizzard like a phantom; clad in black that hugged his form, every chiseled muscle was defined to perfection.

Wearing a conical hat and the Cute Cow Mask, his eyes blazed with fierce brilliance.

He raised his hand as if to deliver a slap.

With a resounding smack…

The figure with the Eight Trigram Staff and girl’s mask barely had time to react before a crushing punch sent it flying, like it had been struck by a gust of wind.

It was shrouded in a burst of blood mist.

PS: Good news—PK has advanced to the second round. Bad news—the second round is even more brutal. Please, everyone, keep reading and support us!