Chapter 4: Immortal Craft Upgrade, Bad News Arrives

The wood was a leftover piece from the wood carving shop, a small block that no one cared about when he brought it back.

The carving knife was something he had prepared when he was determined to learn wood carving on his own. He had it specially made by a blacksmith in the western part of the city, and it wasn't cheap. Now, it was finally put to use.

The "Immortal Craft" Dao Fruit pulsed, and a feeling of divine assistance surged in his heart.

Since it was just a trial, Li Che did not use ink lines to outline the shape but went straight to carving. With the help of the Dao Fruit, Li Che felt that the carving of the "Six-Eyed Bodhisattva" was deeply etched in his mind.

It was as if he had carved the "Six-Eyed Bodhisattva" hundreds or even thousands of times, becoming proficient through practice.

He had a good grasp of where to cut the wood, the spatial form from the outside to the inside, and the amount of force to apply when carving.

However, since it was his first time doing it himself, there was still some stiffness. But as he progressed, the stiffness in his fingers, the knife, and the wood gradually diminished.

His knife technique gradually became more graceful, even developing a unique charm, a sign of his skills reaching maturity.

Mature knife techniques require continuous accumulation of experience.

But it seemed that Li Che, through the "Immortal Craft" Dao Fruit, touched the "Six-Eyed Bodhisattva" and absorbed Master Chen's years of carving experience like a sponge.

The sharp carving knife rubbed against the wood, making a rustling sound.

The oil lamp flickered, and wood chips and waste material fell softly. In Li Che's hands, a palm-sized, intricately detailed "Six-Eyed Bodhisattva" statue gradually took shape.

Although it was not polished, the rough edges and lines were extremely crude, but the form was already marvelously vivid!

Zhang Ya, who had just put Xixi to sleep, was amazed to see Li Che carve the rough shape of the statue in just a short time.

Seeing Li Che immersed in carving, Zhang Ya did not dare to disturb him and could only suppress her curiosity.

She didn't sleep either, sitting by the bed, quietly watching Li Che carve with great concentration under the oil lamp.

As she watched, her eyes became slightly misty, and a smile bloomed on her lips.

She thought her husband might have given up on wood carving long ago, but she never expected...

Her husband had never given up, always striving to learn, and now... he was secretly giving her a surprise!

"I wonder if my husband can become a wood carver at the wood carving shop, even as an apprentice... that way, he wouldn't have to carry heavy wood and carvings every day."

Zhang Ya's wish was simple and sincere, hoping her husband could earn a living more easily.

Immersed in carving, Li Che soon came to his senses because the "Six-Eyed Bodhisattva" statue was complete, and no more carving was needed, though it was not polished and not a finished product.

But Li Che was overjoyed.

Suddenly, he sensed something, and his mind stirred.

[Dao Fruit: Immortal Craft (Lv1, 10%)]

Eh?

Li Che's eyes lit up, noticing that the experience-like indicator after the "Immortal Craft" Dao Fruit had increased slightly.

"Does carving a wood carving increase my experience? Is it like proficiency?"

"Or is it because I touched the 'Six-Eyed Bodhisattva' wood carving, learned the carving technique, and successfully carved it, so I got a 10% increase?"

From this, it seemed the Dao Fruit... could be understood as a newly formed but immature fruit.

By gradually maturing it, he could unlock the true power of the Dao Fruit.

Li Che couldn't help but speculate.

Unfortunately, he didn't bring any wood back, so he couldn't try immediately.

He had to suppress his curiosity, stretch, and then saw his wife Zhang Ya leaning against the bed, dozing off.

Li Che knew his wife was waiting for him to sleep, and his heart warmed.

In the cold weather, he quickly blew out the oil lamp, woke up his wife, and they both climbed into bed.

Outside, the snow was falling heavily.

It fell softly on the thick layer of snow on the roof, making a gentle sound, perfect for falling asleep.

...

...

The next day, Li Che went to work at Xu's Wood Carving Shop as usual.

"Master Chen, can I take this scrap wood home to practice?"

During a break, Li Che approached Master Chen, looking at the "Flowering Willow" scraps and couldn't help but ask.

Master Chen, with wood shavings on his beard, glanced at Li Che. "Planning to learn wood carving? You have a good eye, you're a good candidate, but you're a bit old. Still, it's good that you have the heart. You can take any of the scraps I carve."

Li Che had been helping Master Chen for years, so Master Chen was much more lenient with him.

Li Che was delighted, thanked Master Chen, and started picking out usable scraps.

Master Chen smiled wryly, shook his head, and continued carving the "Nine Sons Embracing the Lotus."

Li Che packed the selected scraps in a cloth and put them in his workspace. Then he went to the courtyard, using the excuse of adjusting the moved carvings to touch them.

The "Immortal Craft" Dao Fruit trembled slightly. This time, he touched a wood carving called "Spring Fills the Universe," which required extremely delicate carving and patience to depict the vibrant leaves and the spring atmosphere.

After touching it, a familiar feeling surged in his heart.

It was as if he saw a female wood carver, holding a carving knife, carving the vast world, and the spring atmosphere blooming from the wood.

Information about the "Spring Fills the Universe" wood carving technique and skills flooded his mind.

Li Che was delighted. Just like touching the "Six-Eyed Bodhisattva" statue, he had learned another wood carving technique.

However, when he touched other carvings, the Dao Fruit did not react, indicating a daily learning limit.

Over the next few days, Li Che studied the "Immortal Craft" Dao Fruit.

The Immortal Craft, a divine hand, unparalleled skills!

Touching a statue allows him to learn the wood carving technique, and each carving increases his experience by 10%, but only once. This means Li Che needs to learn and carve ten different wood carvings to upgrade the Immortal Craft Dao Fruit to Lv2...

Understanding the use of the Dao Fruit, Li Che felt hopeful about the future!

...

...

Days passed.

Soon, a month had gone by.

Xixi was a month old, her lively eyes blinking, waving her chubby little hands in the swaddling clothes, curiously observing the world.

Li Che held a rattle he made himself, teasing Xixi, making the little girl laugh nonstop.

Xixi loved to laugh, and when she did, she had dimples, just like her mother.

Zhang Ya, sewing old clothes, watched the interaction between father and daughter, her eyes filled with warmth and contentment.

"Husband, how did it go with the third manager of the wood carving shop about becoming a wood carver?"

Zhang Ya asked curiously.

Li Che had been carving wood carvings every night for a month, all kinds of carvings, which amazed Zhang Ya. She knew how skilled her husband was.

In her blind admiration, she even thought her husband was better than the apprentices and even the wood carvers at the shop.

"The third manager said... we have to follow the rules. I have to take a wood carving test with the students who pay to learn. If I pass, I can join the shop as a wood carver."

Li Che played with Xixi, making her reach out to grab the rattle, while answering Zhang Ya's question.

Zhang Ya nodded, her lips firm. "My husband can definitely do it!"

Li Che smiled, full of confidence, his eyes shining.

His mind stirred.

[Dao Fruit: Immortal Craft (Lv2, 8%)]

After a month of relentless touching and carving various wood carvings at night, he finally upgraded the Dao Fruit to Lv2.

At Lv2, the Immortal Craft Dao Fruit enhanced Li Che's ability to infuse his carvings with a strong sense of meaning.

Moreover, his manual skills became extremely proficient, his fingers extremely agile. Not only in woodwork, but he was confident he could easily set up complex mechanisms.

After playing with Xixi for a while, Li Che prepared to go to work.

The snow had lessened, and winter was nearing its end.

But the air was still cold and biting.

Just as he stepped out of the earthen house, a familiar figure approached, smoking a pipe, frowning, wearing a tattered scholar's robe and a long coat.

"Uncle."

Li Che called out.

After learning that Xixi was a girl, Uncle, influenced by the preference for boys, had not visited for a month. However, Aunt had come once, bringing eggs for Zhang Ya to nourish herself.

"Che, are you going to work? Good timing."

Uncle, the old scholar, still frowned.

Li Che nodded, and the old scholar, smoking his pipe, hesitated before speaking. "Che, have you heard?"

"The old woman who delivered Xiaoya..."

"Killed several children..."

"It's said... she killed the children she delivered!"

(End of Chapter)