As a father, I just want to quietly watch you live a long life Chapter 5: Chapter 5: Spirit Infant Master, One-cut Master

Grandma Lei... a murderer of infants?

Could she truly be hunting the very newborns she helped bring into the world?

As the words left his uncle’s mouth, Li Che felt a freezing sensation crawl up his spine, his pupils shrinking in sudden shock.

"Uncle, how did you come across this information?" Li Che questioned urgently, his heart plummeting as he struggled to maintain his composure.

The Old Scholar, nursing a pipe that exhaled clouds of pale smoke, creased his brow into the shape of the character "Chuan." "I was skeptical at first, but remembering that Xi Xi was delivered by Grandma Lei, I made it my business to investigate..."

"It is no rumor. The grieving parents of those lost children have caused a massive stir at the Outer City government office. An arrest warrant has been posted; the authorities are in pursuit of Grandma Lei as we speak!"

"If you doubt me, go see the notice board at the magistrate’s office yourself. Her bounty is pinned right there for all to see."

The Old Scholar’s tone had shifted, becoming uncharacteristically somber.

Though he harbored old-fashioned regrets that Xi Xi wasn’t a male heir, she was nonetheless blood of the Li Family. Upon hearing such grim news, his immediate instinct was to fret over the little girl's safety.

"Word is that this Grandma Lei... was a devotee of the 'Spirit Infant Master.' She followed the dark tenets of the Spirit Infant Sect. To kill like that... sigh, it is a monstrous sin. They are merely innocent babes."

With a slight tremor in his voice, the Old Scholar let out a heavy sigh, drawing deeply from his tobacco pipe once more.

Li Che’s countenance turned mask-like and grim, his heart suspended by a thread of anxiety.

To the current Li Che, Xi Xi was his world, his most precious treasure. Should any harm befall her, the grief and self-reproach would be unbearable.

Shielding his daughter was a father’s sacred duty—a weight he was determined to carry!

"I am grateful for the warning, Uncle. I will look into this further and prepare accordingly," Li Che stated with solemnity. The Old Scholar nodded in approval before nervously rubbing his palms together. "Since I’ve made the trip, I should at least check in on Xi Xi..."

Li Che remained silent, observing the bashful old man. Without further comment, he gestured for his uncle to enter the house.

The moment the Old Scholar laid eyes on Xi Xi, his weathered face brightened, his wrinkles folding into a joyful smile.

He might grumble about her not being a boy, but his affection for the child was undeniable.

"Your sister-in-law’s time is approaching. Your mother claims the belly is pointed, which signifies a boy... heh, I only hope the lad is half as charming as Xi Xi," the Uncle remarked, his face glowing with anticipation.

His firstborn son had wed, and a new life was expected in their household later this year.

"Wife, during the hours I am away at the shop, you must keep the doors and windows barred. Do not grant entry to anyone, regardless of who might be calling out from the street."

After seeing the Old Scholar out, Li Che gave Zhang Ya a stern warning before departing for his shift.

Zhang Ya was caught off guard, yet she asked no questions, simply nodding her head in quiet obedience.

...

...

Driven by unease, Li Che made his way to the government office’s notice board. There, just as described, he found the wanted poster for Grandma Lei.

"Lei Chunlan, accused of the murder of seven infants, all of whom she delivered a year prior..."

"Wait. Delivered a year ago... Does this mean the victims must reach their first birthday before they are targeted?"

Adjusting his conical hat, Li Che stared at the parchment, lost in dark reflection.

However, he dared not gamble his daughter's life on mere speculation.

What if Lei Chunlan decided to prey on those who had only just reached their full-month milestone?

Li Che could not take that chance...

The stakes were far too high.

"It appears I have no choice but to attain the rank of master at the wood carving shop... With the sanctuary of Xu’s Wood Carving Shop behind me, I can ensure our safety."

Taking a stabilizing breath, Li Che pulled his hat lower and set off toward Xu’s Wood Carving Shop.

Upon his arrival, he found Master Chen—a man with snowy hair and a beard but a vibrant, healthy complexion—lounging in a chair, humming softly while sipping from a wine gourd.

"Little Li, you’ve arrived? I’ve heard whispers you intend to sit for the wood carving assessment. Haha, you certainly have spirit, attempting the test after only a month of teaching yourself," Master Chen remarked with a hearty laugh as Li Che approached.

Master Chen, whose full name was Chen Dabao, was sixty-eight years old and served as a senior master within Xu Ji’s Wood Carving Shop.

Though he had long ago earned the right to join the main Xu Ji branch in the Inner City, he had declined, preferring the familiar air of the Outer City shop.

He wasn't alone; many of the other masters shared this sentiment.

This had always confused Li Che. Why would they refuse the Inner City?

By all accounts, the quality of life and resources there far surpassed the squalor of the Outer City.

"Young man… though it looks grand, the Inner City is a pit of vipers. The world is currently in turmoil; malevolent spirits are everywhere, the Mysterious Temple looms over us, countless Sects are on the rise, and the Imperial Court is on shaky ground. The throne’s grip on the provinces has weakened, leaving cities to the whims of the local noble clans..."

"Conflict and friction between these nobles are constant as they fight for city control and wealth. For old bones like mine, entering the Inner City is like walking into a whirlpool. I wouldn't survive the currents."

"Out here in the Outer City… the living is harder, but by relying on my own Inner Strength, I can still maintain a peaceful existence."

Master Chen took a satisfied gulp of aged yellow wine, smacking his lips with relish.

Li Che nodded, beginning to grasp the elder’s philosophy.

When the tigers are away, the monkey rules the hill... there was safety in being unremarkable.

A thought struck Li Che, and he inquired in a low voice, "Master Chen, are you familiar with the 'Spirit Infant Master'?"

Master Chen’s drinking halted. He narrowed his eyes at Li Che. "Boy, you aren't offering incense to that foul thing, are you?"

Li Che shook his head vigorously and relayed the grim news his uncle had shared that morning.

"My daughter was delivered by Lei Chunlan... I am terrified for her," Li Che confessed, his voice tight.

The humor vanished from Master Chen’s face. "It seems… yet another has turned to the path of heresy. Ever since the Spirit Infant Sect, a splinter from the Mysterious Temple, crept into Fei Lei City, the death toll of children has skyrocketed…"

"That midwife has clearly been seduced by the Spirit Infant Master’s corruption. She is likely using the very children she delivered as offerings for her Spirit Baby rituals."

"The act of delivery... it serves as a ritual bond... Once a child is marked, it is difficult to break the connection."

"That midwife... she will not abandon her pursuit of your child easily."

Hearing Master Chen confirm his fears, Li Che’s face turned ashen. His fists clenched until his knuckles were white, his breath coming in heavy, jagged bursts.

"Still, based on what you’ve said, the victims were all a year old. It seems the ritual requires them to reach that age to be viable. For now, your daughter should be out of immediate danger. However, you must remain vigilant. You cannot let that midwife steal the child away while she waits for the auspicious time to complete her foul sacrifice!"

Having witnessed much in his long life, Master Chen spoke with a certain detached pragmatism.

He could offer counsel, but little else.

As for intervening personally—even if he were capable—their bond wasn't deep enough to warrant such a risk.

In the hierarchy of the shop, Li Che was merely a common laborer who hauled timber.

Li Che understood this reality perfectly and did not beg for a favor.

To ask for help and be rejected would only destroy what little rapport they had built.

"Master Chen... if I were to become a Wood Carver here, would the shop provide protection?"

Li Che took a deep breath, his eyes searching.

Master Chen took another sip of wine, measuring the young man with his gaze.

"If you were to become a Wood Carver, your troubles would vanish."

"The shop offers housing for its Wood Carvers. You could relocate your family to the compound, where the shop’s prestige acts as a shield. Inside those walls... if that midwife showed her face, she would be slaughtered instantly."

"We Wood Carvers cultivate Inner Strength. Even if that hag has the backing of the Spirit Infant Master’s dark arts... we have no reason to fear her."

"If you truly earned the rank of Wood Carver, even as a basic One-cut Master, you would be my neighbor. Should that vile woman try anything... I would personally strike her down for you!"

Master Chen brushed the wine from his beard, baring a set of jagged, yellow teeth in a fierce, momentary grin.

But the ferocity vanished as quickly as it had appeared. He tapped his wine gourd rhythmically, looking at Li Che with an amused expression.

"The catch is... you actually have to prove you have the talent to be a Wood Carver."

"It is a steep mountain to climb..."

"What makes you think you—with only a few months of casual self-study—can outshine the apprentices who have spent a fortune in silver and years of their lives training for this?"