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. As a laborer whose days were spent hauling heavy timber and finished statues, Li Che seemed far removed from the prestige of a professional artisan.

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

It didn't matter that Li Che gathered discarded wood scraps after his shift to practice his craft at home.

After all, how could the art of wood carving be mastered so easily?

Given Li Che’s background, one could only conclude that he possessed a casual interest rather than formal training.

To pit a mere hobby against the lifelong profession and livelihood of others seemed, in a way, quite conceited.

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

What was there to argue about?

Deep within his heart, a faint light shimmered as the Immortal Craft Dao Fruit throbbed, radiating a subtle warmth that illuminated the path of his future.

He possessed a foundation 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 you aren't naturally strong, you should at least be able to stand up for your child and throw a punch if the situation demands it,” Chen Dabao remarked as he stood up, slapping Li Che on the shoulder before disappearing back into the workshop to resume his carving.

Li Che reflected on the words for a moment, finding Chen Dabao’s suggestion surprisingly practical.

“Basic martial arts... I would need a proper channel to learn them. However, with the power of the Immortal Craft Dao Fruit, perhaps... I could engineer some mechanical traps as a defensive measure.”

“Although Grandma Lei typically hunts children once they reach a year of age, what if the unexpected occurs sooner?”

Taking a steadying breath, Li Che’s mind began to churn with new designs.

Pushing these thoughts aside for the moment, he returned to his physical labor, transporting timber and statues across the shop.

Word had apparently spread that Li Che intended to participate in the wood carving assessment. Many apprentices now watched him with suspicious or wary glares; some even went as far as refusing to let him handle their finished works.

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

Aside from a few veteran masters and long-time patrons who still requested his help, most people simply shunned him. Li Che welcomed the peace, using the downtime to brainstorm his 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 looking to build something to keep your kid safe? That’s a solid idea... definitely doable,” Old Chen said, pausing his work and smiling when Li Che approached him with the inquiry.

“However, the art of mechanisms is a deep field of study. I don't know the complex stuff myself, but I do have an ancient manual on the subject in my family library.”

Li Che rubbed his palms together, his interest piqued.

It was common knowledge in the shop that Master Chen owned a private collection of books, rumored to be filled with rare and ancient texts.

Old Chen looked at Li Che and held up a warning finger. “I can let you borrow the record, but I never take a loss in business. This text is quite rare and valuable... the rental fee is one tael of silver per day.”

One tael a day?

Li Che inhaled sharply; the price was undeniably steep.

Nevertheless, he gave a firm nod and agreed without hesitation.

“Ha, quite the decisive one. You truly are a devoted father, willing to pay any price for your daughter’s safety. If you had tried to lowball me, I wouldn't have lowered the price,” Old Chen chuckled, stroking his beard.

“For the sake of your paternal devotion, forget the silver. Just pay this old man fifty Great Vista copper coins for the day.”

Li Che was instantly relieved and hurried to express his gratitude. No one would complain about saving money; every bit helped.

“I’ll bring it tomorrow. Just make sure you have the coins ready,” Chen Dabao added before returning to his wood.

As the hours passed, the sun began to dip below the horizon.

Li Che received his daily pay—fifteen copper coins, which was roughly a third less than his usual earnings.

He didn't mind the pay cut. After stowing the coins, he gathered his selected wood scraps and departed the shop.

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

He had handled a new style of carving today, which promised to yield fresh insights.

The looming threat of Grandma Lei and her habit of murdering infants hung over him like a dark storm, fueling an urgent need to increase his strength.

He hurried back to his home. Seeing his wife, Zhang Ya, playing on the bed with their daughter Xi Xi and the small wooden trinkets he had made, the tension in his chest finally dissolved.

“Xi Xi, did you miss your father?” With a relaxed heart, Li Che walked toward the bed, his face lit with a wide grin as he reached out.

At one month old, Xi Xi looked as delicate as carved jade, her skin pale and soft, carrying the sweet scent of milk. She lay there babbling happily, her tiny limbs flailing in greeting.

Li Che laughed, lifting the infant and pacing around the small room, which prompted fits of giggles from the child.

While he played with Xi Xi, Zhang Ya finished preparing their evening meal.

Once dinner was over, Li Che sat by the dim glow of an oil lamp. He pulled out his wood scraps and began his nightly carving practice.

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

Since his Immortal Artisan Dao Fruit had reached level 2, his carving speed had increased significantly.

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

His experience had ticked up slightly more.

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

Lacking a formal foundation in mechanisms, he pictured the lethal simplicity of a crossbow and began sketching designs on a piece of paper.

...

The first light of dawn broke over the horizon, painting the east in pale hues.

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

Li Che rose early and, after a quick wash, started on breakfast. When Zhang Ya tried to get up to assist, he gently nudged her back toward the blankets.

“The baby was restless all night, and you barely got her to sleep. Rest a bit longer, mistress. Breakfast will be ready when you wake.”

He softly stroked her messy hair. Still half-asleep, Zhang Ya nodded and closed her eyes again.

Once the food was ready, Li Che placed it in a warm pot to keep it heated.

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

As he walked the stone-paved streets, the howling wind couldn't mask the sound of bells, clashing cymbals, and the loud blare of suonas…

“The Holy Spirit guides us to purge the world's filth; the technique of worry-free reincarnation is mastered only by the enlightened…”

The rhythmic chanting echoed down the street, mingling with the sound of many feet treading on snow.

Li Che narrowed his eyes and moved to the side of the path. He lowered the brim of his hat, watching a long procession escorting a crimson shrine.

Inside the shrine sat an eerily realistic statue of a child with three heads and six arms, its eyes gleaming with life—clearly the masterpiece of a high-level artisan.

He watched the white-clothed devotees following the shrine. Men, women, and the elderly alike all shared the same gaunt faces and eyes burning with fanatical devotion.

“Spirit Infant Sect…” Li Che muttered, a cold fury flickering in his gaze.

Regardless of who this Spirit Infant Master was, Xi Xi was his world. The life he shared with his wife and child was everything he wished to protect.

If they dared to touch his daughter, they were effectively trying to destroy his home. Even if it cost him his life, Li Che would make them bleed.

Tightening his grip, he pushed through the blizzard toward Xu’s Wood Carving Shop.

In that moment, his ambition to become a formal carver burned brighter than ever.

It wasn't just about the housing or the Sect-like protection the shop provided; it was about gaining the right to learn the internal strength techniques and martial arts the shop offered its craftsmen…

The Immortal Craft Dao Fruit was a massive boon to his technical talent, but it did little to improve his raw combat ability.

When he arrived, the air in the shop was thick with tension. Many apprentices were idling, conserving their strength for the day ahead.

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

In the distance, Chen Dabao sat cross-legged on a bench, humming a tune as he sipped from a gourd of aged yellow wine.

“Little Li, over here.”

Seeing him, Old Chen beckoned. Li Che’s mood brightened, the dark thoughts of the Spirit Infant Sect fading as he hurried over. Old Chen reached into his robes and pulled out a worn, yellowing book.

“This is ‘Tang’s Mechanism Essentials,’ a prize from my collection. I haven't delved much into it, but it contains many hidden mechanism techniques. They require great manual dexterity, and the advanced ones even need internal strength or martial arts to function. But you can start with the basic ones; those should be manageable even without Cultivation.”

“Thank you, Old Chen,” Li Che said, his face flushed with excitement. He handed over the fifty copper coins and took the manual.

The moment his skin touched the ancient paper...

The Dao Fruit [Immortal Artisan] within his chest...

Began to pulse with renewed life!

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