As a father, I just want to quietly watch you live a long life Chapter 6: Chapter 6 Interest Challenges Career, Tang Family Mechanism

Even though Chen Dabao maintained a friendly relationship with Li Che, he held no illusions regarding the younger man's chances in the upcoming master’s assessment. To Dabao, a mere carrier who hauled timber and moved finished statues every day stood little chance of success.

From Chen Dabao’s perspective, there was simply no path for Li Che to transform into a professional wood carving master.

It mattered little that Li Che gathered discarded wood scraps from the workshop to practice his craft at home after his shift ended.

After all, mastering the art of wood carving was no simple feat.

Given Li Che's background, one could only conclude he possessed a hobbyist's interest rather than formal training.

Attempting to challenge a professional’s livelihood with nothing but a casual interest seemed, to most, a bit delusional.

Li Che offered no defense for his ambitions, nor did he engage in any debate.

What was there to argue about?

Deep within him, his eyes shimmered as the Immortal Craft Dao Fruit in his heart throbbed with a gentle heat, illuminating the road ahead.

He possessed a secret advantage that others could not see...

"Little Li, if I were in your shoes, I’d focus on learning some basic martial arts this year. Even if your constitution isn't the strongest, you should at least be able to stand up for your child and throw a punch if the situation calls for it,"

Chen Dabao stood up, gave Li Che a supportive pat on the shoulder, and retreated into the workshop to resume his carving.

Li Che reflected on the suggestion for a moment, realizing that Chen Dabao’s counsel was actually quite practical...

"Basic martial arts... I would need a proper channel to learn them. However, with the Immortal Craft Dao Fruit, perhaps... I could create some mechanical traps to act as a safeguard."

"While Grandma Lei typically targets infants a year after their birth, who can say when disaster might strike unexpectedly?"

Li Che inhaled deeply, his mind racing with various schemes.

Pushing those thoughts aside for now, he returned to his labor, hauling heavy timber and finished statues.

Word had apparently spread that Li Che intended to participate in the wood carving assessment. Many apprentices began casting suspicious and wary glances his way, and several even grew defensive, refusing to let him handle their carved works.

Consequently, Li Che found himself with an unusual amount of free time in the shop.

Aside from a few veteran masters and loyal clients who still requested his help, most people simply shunned him. Li Che welcomed the peace, using the time to brainstorm designs for mechanical traps.

Yet, after much contemplation, he remained stuck.

He realized he needed to consult Old Chen, who likely possessed the knowledge he lacked.

"Mechanical traps? You're thinking of rigging devices to protect your little one? That’s a solid idea... definitely doable,"

"However, the art of mechanisms is a deep field of study, and I don't know much about the complex stuff myself. That said, I do have an ancient text on mechanisms in my family’s collection,"

Old Chen paused his work and spoke with a grin when Li Che approached him with his inquiry.

Li Che rubbed his palms together, his eyes sparkling with hope.

It was common knowledge in the shop that Master Chen owned a private library rumored to house many rare and ancient volumes.

Old Chen looked at Li Che and held up a finger, "I can let you borrow the record, but I, Old Chen, never take a loss. This book is a rare treasure... the price is one tael of silver for a single day’s loan."

One tael of silver per day?

Li Che gasped inwardly; the cost was staggering.

Nevertheless, Li Che nodded firmly and gave his consent without hesitation.

"Ho, such a quick decision. You truly are a devoted father, willing to sacrifice everything for your daughter's safety. Had you tried to bargain with me, I wouldn't have lowered the price,"

"In honor of your fatherly devotion, forget the tael. Just give this old man fifty Great Vista copper coins for the day."

Chen Dabao stroked his beard, a smile playing on his lips.

Hearing this, Li Che was filled with relief and quickly expressed his gratitude to Chen Dabao—no one would complain about saving money, after all.

"I'll bring it tomorrow. Make sure you have the coins ready,"

Chen Dabao remarked before returning to his carving bench.

As the hours slipped by, the sun began to set.

Li Che picked up his daily pay—only fifteen copper coins, roughly a third less than his usual earnings.

He didn't mind the pay cut. After securing the money, he carefully gathered the wood scraps he had set aside and departed from the workshop.

By now, bringing home wood waste to gain experience for his Immortal Craft had become a daily ritual.

He had handled a different style of wood carving today, which he hoped would provide a fresh boost to his progress.

The looming threat of Grandma Lei against newborns hung over him like a dark, suffocating cloud, fueling his desperate need to grow stronger as quickly as possible.

He hurried home. The sight of his wife, Zhang Ya, playing on the bed with their daughter Xi Xi and the small wooden toys he had crafted, finally allowed the tension in his chest to ease.

"Xi Xi, did you miss your Papa?" With his heart at peace, Li Che walked toward the bed, arms open and a wide smile on his face.

At one month old, Xi Xi was as beautiful as carved jade, her skin pale and soft, smelling faintly of milk. She lay on the bed, babbling happily while waving her tiny limbs.

Li Che chuckled as he lifted the infant, pacing around the small room and making her erupt into fits of giggles.

After he spent time with Xi Xi, Zhang Ya announced that dinner was ready.

Once the meal was finished, Li Che sat by the dim glow of an oil lamp, pulled out his wood scraps, and began his nightly carving session.

The variety of carvings in the shop was limited, and since Li Che had already touched most of them, it now took several days to extract a new skill from the masters' work.

Since his Immortal Artisan Dao Fruit had reached lv2, his carving speed had increased significantly.

[Dao Fruit: Immortal Artisan (lv2, 9%)]

His experience had ticked up slightly once more.

A small smile touched Li Che's lips. He shifted his focus, attempting to conceptualize a mechanical device.

Knowing little about the subject, he thought of the lethal efficiency of a crossbow and began sketching a rough design on paper.

...

...

The first light of dawn broke through the horizon, painting the east with a pale hue.

In the distant mountains, the clouds swirled, and a heavy snowfall began to descend, blanketing Fei Lei City in a pristine layer of white.

Li Che rose early. After washing up, he started on breakfast. When Zhang Ya tried to get up to assist him, he gently nudged her back toward the blankets.

"The little one was restless all night, and you were up comforting her. Rest a while longer, my wife. You can eat once you've slept more."

Li Che softly stroked Zhang Ya’s messy hair. Still half-asleep, she pressed her lips together and nodded before drifting back off.

Once the meal was prepared, Li Che left it in the warm pot to stay hot.

He then stepped out of their humble mud-brick home, his boots crunching through the deep snow as he made his way to the workshop.

As he walked the cobblestone paths, the howling wind and snow couldn't mask the sound of bells, clanging metal, and the loud blare of horns and suonas…

"The Holy Spirit guides us to purge the mortal grime; the technique of reincarnation without sorrow is mastered only by the enlightened…"

The rhythmic chanting echoed down the long street, paired with the steady sound of many feet marching through the snow.

Li Che narrowed his eyes. Standing at the edge of the road, he tugged his hat lower, watching the long parade of devotees carrying a bright red shrine.

Within the shrine sat an eerie, lifelike effigy of a child with three heads and six arms, its eyes gleaming with a realistic light. It was clearly the masterpiece of a high-level artisan.

He watched the procession and the followers dressed in white—men, women, and children alike—all of whom looked gaunt, their faces twisted with a fanatical zeal.

"Spirit Infant Sect…" Li Che breathed out, a flash of hidden rage in his eyes.

Regardless of who this Spirit Infant Master was, Xi Xi was his world. The warmth of his home and the safety of his family were all that mattered to him.

If they tried to harm his daughter, they were effectively trying to destroy his life. Even if it cost him everything, Li Che would make them bleed.

Clenching his fists, he pushed through the blizzard, heading directly for Xu's Wood Carving Shop.

In that moment, his ambition to become an official wood carver burned brighter than ever.

It wasn't just about the housing and the protection the shop offered its staff; it was about gaining the right to learn the internal strength techniques and Sect martial arts they taught…

While the Immortal Craft Dao Fruit had vastly improved his potential, it was primarily a boost to his artisan talents.

It provided very little in the way of actual combat prowess.

When he arrived at the shop, the air was thick with tension. Many apprentices were idling, conserving their strength for what was to come.

Li Che realized immediately that the wood carving assessment was set for today.

In the distance, Chen Dabao sat cross-legged on a bench, happily humming a tune while sipping from a gourd of aged yellow wine.

"Little Li, get over here."

Seeing him, Old Chen beckoned.

Li Che’s eyes brightened, the grim mood from the Spirit Infant procession lifting as he hurried over. From his robes, Old Chen produced a worn, yellowed book.

"This is 'Tang's Mechanism Essentials,' a piece from my private collection. I haven't delved into it much myself, but it contains numerous hidden mechanism techniques. They require a high level of manual dexterity, and some even necessitate internal strength or martial arts to function. However, the basic traps should be manageable even for someone without Cultivation."

"I'm in your debt, Old Chen," Li Che said, his face flushed with excitement. He handed over the fifty copper coins and accepted the volume.

The moment his fingers brushed the ancient paper...

Within his chest, the [Immortal Artisan] Dao Fruit...

Began to pulse with a sudden, vibrant life!