As a Father, I Just Want to Watch You Achieve Immortality Chapter 5: Spirit Infant Master, One-cut Master

Grandma Lei... a murderer of infants?

Could she really be targeting the very babies she helped bring into the world?

Chills raced down Li Che’s spine and his pupils contracted sharply as he processed his uncle's terrifying revelation.

“Uncle, where did you get this information?” Li Che asked urgently, his heart sinking as he took a ragged breath.

The Old Scholar, puffing on his pipe until a hazy cloud obscured his face, wore a deep, troubled frown that etched a "Chuan" character into his brow. "I was skeptical at first, but then I remembered Grandma Lei delivered Xi Xi, didn't she? That prompted me to do some digging..."

“It’s the grim truth. The families of those poor children... they caused a massive scene at the Outer City government office. A warrant has been issued, and the authorities are hunting for Grandma Lei right now!”

“If you doubt me, go see the notice board at the yamen yourself. Her bounty is posted right there for everyone to see.”

The Old Scholar’s tone turned heavy and grim.

Though he harbored traditional regrets that Xi Xi wasn't a boy, she was still a descendant of the Li bloodline. Upon hearing such news, his immediate instinct was to fret over the child'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, and just like that, she started killing... *sigh*, what a tragedy. They were only children.”

The Old Scholar’s voice shook slightly. He let out a weary sigh, continuing to draw deeply from his pipe.

Li Che’s face turned incredibly somber, his heart suspended in a state of high anxiety.

To the current Li Che, Xi Xi was his world, his most precious treasure. If any harm befell her, he would be consumed by grief and self-reproach.

Protecting his daughter was a father's sacred duty—a burden he was determined to carry!

“I appreciate the warning, Uncle. I’ll investigate further and prepare accordingly,” Li Che said with utmost sincerity. The Old Scholar nodded quickly, rubbing his palms together. “Since I’ve already made the trip, I might as well see Xi Xi...”

Li Che was momentarily speechless. Looking at the suddenly bashful Old Scholar, he said nothing more and gestured for him to enter the house.

The moment the Old Scholar laid eyes on Xi Xi, his weathered face lit up, wrinkling into a smile like a blooming flower.

He might grumble about her not being a boy, but his affection for the girl was undeniably real.

“Your sister-in-law's time is approaching. Your mother claims her belly is pointed, which usually signals a boy... heh, I only hope the lad is as charming as Xi Xi,” the Uncle remarked, radiating joy.

His eldest son had wed, and a new addition to their branch of the family was expected this year as well.

“Wife, while I am away at work during this period, you must keep the doors and windows bolted. Do not open them for anyone, regardless of who claims to be at the door.”

Once the Old Scholar had departed, Li Che gave Zhang Ya these strict instructions before leaving for his shift.

Zhang Ya was caught off guard, but she didn't press for reasons, simply nodding obediently to show she understood.

...

...

Filled with apprehension, Li Che made his way to the government notice board. Sure enough, the wanted poster for Grandma Lei was prominently displayed.

“Lei Chunlan, accused of murdering seven infants, all of whom she delivered one year ago...”

“Wait... delivered a year ago? Does that mean the victims must reach their first birthday first?”

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

However, he didn't dare gamble his daughter's life on a mere deduction.

What if Lei Chunlan decided to target a child who had only just reached their one-month milestone?

Li Che couldn't take that chance...

He simply couldn't afford the risk.

“I have no choice but to secure a position as a wood carving master at the shop... With the backing of Xu’s Wood Carving Shop, we will at least have a layer of protection.”

Li Che exhaled slowly, pulled his hat lower over his eyes, and set off toward Xu’s Wood Carving Shop.

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

“Young Li, you’ve arrived? I caught wind that you’re attempting the wood carving certification. Haha, you’ve certainly got pluck, testing yourself after only a month of tinkering on your own,” Master Chen chuckled as he spotted Li Che.

Master Chen’s full name was Chen Dabao. At sixty-eight years of age, he was a veteran master of the Xu Ji establishment.

Chen Dabao had earned the right to transfer to the prestigious Xu Ji branch in the Inner City long ago, yet he had consistently declined, choosing the humble shop in the Outer City instead.

He wasn't the only one; several other masters felt the same.

This had always confused Li Che. Why would anyone pass up the Inner City?

He had heard the quality of life and resources there were vastly superior to the squalor of the Outer City.

“You’re young... Despite the glitz, the Inner City is a den of vipers. The world is currently in turmoil; malevolent spirits are everywhere, the Mysterious Temple looms over us, new Sects are sprouting up, and the Imperial Court is on shaky ground. The central government lost its grip on many provinces long ago, leaving cities to be carved up by local noble clans...”

“These nobles are locked in a never-ending cycle of blood and greed over territory and wealth. For old men like us, the Inner City is a whirlpool that would drown us in an instant.”

“Out here in the Outer City... the life is harsher, but by relying on my own Inner Strength, I can live out my days in peace.”

Master Chen took a satisfying swig of aged yellow wine, smacking his lips with a grin.

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

Better to be a big fish in a small pond... staying below the radar was the ultimate survival strategy.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to Li Che, and he lowered his voice. “Master Chen, have you ever heard of the ‘Spirit Infant Master’?”

Master Chen’s hand froze mid-sip. He narrowed his eyes at Li Che. “Boy, surely you aren't dabbling in that filth?”

Li Che shook his head vigorously and explained the news his uncle had delivered earlier that morning.

“My daughter was delivered by Lei Chunlan... I’m terrified for her,” Li Che admitted, his anxiety visible.

Master Chen’s jovial mood vanished, replaced by a stern gravity. “It seems... another practitioner has succumbed to the demonic path. Ever since the Spirit Infant Sect, a splinter of the Mysterious Temple, crept into Fei Lei City, the infant mortality rate has skyrocketed...”

“That midwife likely pledged herself to the Spirit Infant Master. Her mind has been twisted, and she’s using the very children she delivered as sacrifices to that unholy entity.”

“The act of delivery... it’s part of the ritual for them. Once they mark a child, they rarely let go.”

“That midwife... she won’t abandon her claim on your daughter so easily.”

Hearing Master Chen confirm his fears, Li Che’s face went pale. His fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white, and his breathing became heavy and labored.

“However, based on what you said, the victims were all a year old. It seems they need to reach that age to be ‘ripe’ for the ritual. Your child should be safe for this year at least. But you must remain vigilant. That midwife might try to snatch the girl away and hide her until the time is right for her foul sacrifice!”

Having witnessed many such horrors, Master Chen spoke with a certain detached weariness.

He could offer advice, but nothing more.

As for intervening, Master Chen wasn't sure he could help even if he wanted to, and their bond simply wasn't that deep.

At the end of the day, Li Che was just a manual laborer who hauled wood—nothing more.

Li Che understood this perfectly. He didn't beg for a favor.

He knew that if he asked and was rejected, the fragile rapport they shared would be destroyed forever.

“Master Chen... if I were to become an official Wood Carver here, would the shop provide protection?”

Li Che took a steadying breath and looked the master in the eye.

Master Chen took another sip of wine, eyeing the young man.

“If you attained the rank of Wood Carver, your troubles would vanish.”

“The establishment provides housing for its masters. You could move your family into the compound under the shop's banner. Within these walls... if that midwife showed her face, she’d be cut down instantly.”

“We Wood Carvers possess Inner Strength. Even if that hag has some petty black magic from the Spirit Infant Master... we wouldn't fear her.”

“If you actually became a Wood Carver, even a lowly One-cut Master, you’d be my neighbor. Should that vile woman try anything... I’d slap the life out of her for you!”

Master Chen wiped a stray drop of wine from his beard, baring a set of jagged, yellow teeth in a fierce grin.

But the intensity faded quickly. He tapped his worn gourd and looked at Li Che with an amused, skeptical expression.

“That is, of course, assuming you actually have the talent to become a Wood Carver.”

“It’s a steep mountain to climb...”

“Do you really think a few months of self-taught practice on a whim can compare to the apprentices here? They’ve spent fortunes in silver and have been training since they were children.”