Chapter 5: Lingying Master, Master Yidao

Grandma Lei...kills the baby?

They specifically targeted the babies she delivered to kill?!

When Li Che heard his uncle's words, his hair stood on end and his pupils shrank suddenly.

"Uncle, where did you hear this?" Li Che took a deep breath, his heart sank, and asked hurriedly.

The old scholar held a pipe in his mouth, exhaling misty smoke, his brows furrowed into the shape of the Chinese character "川". "I didn't believe it at first, but I saw that Xixi was delivered by Grandma Lei, so I went to ask around..."

"It's true. The families whose children died... have all reported the incident to the government office in the outer city. The government has also issued a wanted order for Grandma Lei!"

"If you don't believe me, you can go to the government notice board and see the wanted poster hanging there."

The old scholar's voice also became much more solemn.

Although he regretted that Xixi was not pregnant, she was the child of the Li family after all. When he heard the news, he was worried about Xixi's safety at first.

"I heard that Grandma Lei... worshipped the 'Spirit Infant Dharma Master' and believed in the Spirit Infant's teachings, but she killed them all of a sudden... Oh, it's really a sin, they are just children."

The old scholar's voice was trembling, he sighed deeply, and smoked non-stop.

Li Che's face was extremely solemn, and his heart was in his throat.

For Li Che today, Xixi is the apple of his eye and his most precious daughter. If anything happens to her, Li Che will feel heartbroken and blame himself.

Protecting my daughter is what a father should do and what he should bear as a responsibility!

"Thank you, uncle. I'll go find out so I can prepare early."

Li Che said seriously, and the old scholar nodded quickly, then rubbed his hands and said, "Since I'm here, I might as well go and see Xixi..."

Li Che was speechless. He looked at the shy old scholar and said nothing. He took him into the house.

When the old scholar saw Xixi, his face was so smiling that it seemed to bloom.

She said that she disliked Xixi because she was not a boy, but her love for Xixi was genuine.

"Your sister-in-law is about to give birth. Your aunt said that her belly is pointed, so it should be a boy... Hey, I hope the baby will be as cute as Xixi." The uncle smiled brightly.

After his eldest son gets married, his child will be born this year.

"Wife, when I'm not at home for the next period of time, you have to keep the doors and windows closed. No matter who calls you, don't open the door..."

After seeing off the old scholar, Li Che gave Zhang Ya some special instructions before going out to work.

Zhang Ya was stunned, but she didn't ask anything. She just said obediently that she would do as she was told.

…

…

Li Che was worried all the way and came to the government notice board, where he saw the wanted poster offering a reward for Grandma Lei.

"Lei Chunlan killed seven children, all of whom were born by her a year ago..."

"Hmm? She was delivered a year ago... So, do all the children who were killed have to meet the condition of being one year old?"

Li Che, wearing a bamboo hat, looked at the notice and fell into deep thought.

But he did not dare to place his trust in his own inferences.

What if Lei Chunlan would also choose to attack a baby who had just turned one month old? Li Che didn't dare to bet...

I can't afford to gamble.

"It seems that I have to become a woodcarving master in a woodcarving shop... If I have the protection of Xu's Woodcarving Shop, at least I will be safe."

Li Che took a deep breath, pressed down his hat, and went to Xuji Woodcarving Shop.

As soon as I arrived at the wood carving shop, I saw Master Chen, whose hair and beard were all white but whose face was rosy, sitting on a chair, humming a little tune and drinking gourd wine.

"Xiao Li, are you here? I heard that you are going to take part in the wood carving test. Haha, you are really brave. You dare to take the test after only one month of self-study." Master Chen smiled and joked when he saw Li Che.

Master Chen’s full name is Chen Dabao. He is now 68 years old and is a senior master craftsman of Xuji Woodcarving Shop.

I heard that Chen Dabao had long been qualified to work for Xu Ji in the inner city, but he had always been unwilling to go and preferred to stay in the woodcarving shop in the outer city.

It's not just Chen Dabao, the same is true for several other wood carving masters in the shop.

This puzzled Li Che. Why not go to the inner city?

I heard that the living environment and conditions in the inner city are much better than those in the outer city.

"You kid... the inner city is good, but it is also dangerous. Nowadays, the world is in chaos, evil spirits are everywhere, strange temples are everywhere, various religions are rising one after another, and the court is in turmoil. The court's control over many cities has long declined, so all cities have fallen into the control of the wealthy nobles in the city..."

"The wealthy families are fighting for control of the city and controlling a lot of interests. There are constant disputes and frictions. For an old man like me, entering the inner city is like entering a whirlpool. I can't stand it."

"In this outer city... the conditions are a bit worse, but with my internal strength, I can still live a comfortable life."

Master Chen happily took a sip of the old yellow wine in the gourd and said while smacking his lips.

Li Che nodded. He could understand Master Chen's thoughts.

When there is no tiger in the mountain, the monkey becomes king...The main theme is simplicity.

Suddenly, Li Che thought of something and asked softly, "Master Chen, have you ever heard of 'Spirit Infant Master'?"

Master Chen paused while drinking, frowned, and glanced at Li Che: "You worship this thing?"

Li Che quickly shook his head and repeated the news his uncle had told him this morning.

"My daughter was delivered by Lei Chunlan... I'm scared." Li Che said worriedly.

There is no wrong version in the 1619 book forum!

Upon hearing this, Master Chen's face turned serious. "It seems... this is another guy who has fallen for evil. Ever since the Spirit Infant Cult, which was born in this strange temple, spread to Feilei City, the number of infant deaths has increased significantly..."

"That midwife must have worshipped the Spirit Infant Master and was bewitched. She used the babies she delivered to worship the Spirit Infant."

"Delivery is like a ritual... Once you're targeted, it's hard to get rid of it."

"That midwife...will not let your baby go easily."

After receiving Master Chen's affirmation, Li Che's expression suddenly became serious and ugly. He clenched his five fingers into fists and his breathing became heavier.

"However, you described that the children who died were all born a year ago. They should be eligible for sacrifice only when they are one year old. So, within this year, your baby should be safe. But you have to keep an eye on it to prevent the midwife from secretly taking your baby away and then performing an evil sacrifice when the time comes!"

Master Chen has seen a lot of this kind of thing, so his tone was a little flat.

All he could do was remind her.

As for him helping Li Che, let alone whether he can do so, the relationship between him and Li Che alone is not that close.

To put it bluntly, Li Che was just a helper who carried wood in the wood carving shop, nothing more.

Li Che was also aware of this and did not ask for help.

If I really ask for help and Master Chen refuses, the thin relationship between the two will be completely severed.

"Master Chen...if I become a woodcarver in a woodcarving shop, will the shop care?"

Li Che took a deep breath and asked.

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

"If you can become a woodcarver, all your problems will be solved."

"The shop will provide accommodation for the woodcarver. You can move your wife and children here and live under the protection of the woodcarver. If the midwife dares to show up, she will definitely be beaten to death."

"We woodcarvers have cultivated inner strength. Even if the midwife is aided by the evil magic of the Spirit Infant Master... we are not afraid."

"If you really become a woodcarver, even if you are just a lowly woodcarver, I will still be your neighbor. If that evil midwife dares to show up, I will slap her to death for you!"

Master Chen wiped the wine stains off his beard, grinned, revealing a mouthful of sharp yellow teeth, and looked a bit vicious.

However, his anger soon subsided. He tapped the wine gourd with his fingers and looked at Li Che with amusement.

"The premise is... that you can become a woodcarving master."

“This is difficult…”

"Why do you think you can surpass those apprentices in the shop who have spent a lot of money and have been learning wood carving since childhood by self-studying for ten days or a month on a whim?"

(End of this chapter)