"Nine-Headed Guanyin Angry Cry Town Ghost Statue!"

    Xu Beihu spoke solemnly, and as the words fell, the sound of the howling wind and snow seemed to vanish without a trace.

    Angry Cry Town Ghost?!

    Li Che''s expression changed slightly.

    Nowadays, he was no longer the naive porter who focused solely on moving timber, as he possessed some understanding of the wood carving craft.

    In this vast Fei Lei City, divided into Inner City and Outer City, the Inner City is bustling like a dream, inhabited by noble families and clans that have flourished here over many lengthy years. It is extremely rich and bustling.

    These noble families and clans each possess their own cultivation Dharma and are rumored to be cultivating the Divine Method.

    In fact, each of those families controls a wood carving shop, attracting and nurturing wood carvers because if a wood carving possesses sufficiently profound charm, it can be of great benefit to noble family cultivators who practice the Divine Methods.

    One can extract divine cultivation from the wood carvings.

    This is also why the wood carvings crafted by wood carvers can be sold at high prices.

    Within the wood carving shops of the Inner City sit woodcarving masters, whose works, full of spirit, are extremely precious. Each piece is worth a hundred, if not a thousand, gold!

    Over the past year, Li Che had heard many such stories from Old Chen.

    Becoming a woodcarving master is not easy, for the spirit infused into the wood carvings must reach the level of overflow and take shape.

    Li Che''s "Immortal Artisan" Dao Fruit had reached lv2, which allowed him to imbue his sculptures with soulful essences, but to reach master level, he still fell short. Perhaps when he reached lv3, he would achieve master standards.

    "The Si Family will provide the statue blueprint, you just need to carve it...," Xu Beihu said, his large frame imposing and his voice deep as he looked intently at Li Che.

    "This is a precious opportunity, a result of the reputation you''ve built from your past carvings. You''ve been granted this because of the substantial essence in the wood carvings you''ve created."

    "You don''t need to feel too pressured. Even if the carving fails and the essence of the finished wood carving is not rich enough, there''s no harm. After all, you''ve only been a wood carver for a year and there''s still room for growth. Treat it as practice," Xu Beihu reassured.

    The task for five Gold Leaves was one Li Che did not intend to let slip by.

    "I''ll give it a try," Li Che said, cupping his fists in thanks.

    Seeing Li Che accept the task, Xu Beihu''s mood improved greatly. He patted Li Che''s shoulder and said, "The Si Family''s young master wants your wood carving, probably for cultivating the Divine Method.

    The Si Family''s Divine Method is known as ''Angry Cry Town Ghost.'' If you succeed, you will have no worries about food and clothing in the future and might even have the opportunity to break into the master realm."

    "Divinity... Angry Cry Town Ghost." Li Che recalled the discussions he had heard from Old Chen.

    Cultivation methods include Body Refinement, Inner Strength, and Divinity, with the Divine Method being the most mysterious, Inner Strength being precious, and Body Refinement being relatively more common.

    The Divine Method is usually controlled by the noble families and clans of the Inner City, completely inaccessible to outsiders.

    Xu Beihu looked at Li Che and spoke softly, "Divine Methods are commonly divided into seven branches: joy, anger, sorrow, thought, grief, fear, and shock... Angry Cry Town Ghost belongs to the Divinity of Sorrow, a Divine Method profound and infinite in mystery, but it requires daily accumulation of divinity and isn''t easy."

    Xu Beihu did not say much more, giving Li Che a deep look: "Your talent in wood carving is exceptional. If you become a woodcarving master in the future, it is possible to obtain the Divine Method from our Xu Family. Therefore... do not slack off."

    Hearing this, Li Che quickly showed a grateful expression and bowed with his fists.

    Xu Beihu nodded with satisfaction and took out a folded piece of paper from his sleeve, "Here is the blueprint for the ''Nine-Headed Guanyin Angry Cry Town Ghost Statue.'' The deadline is one month. I will come for you after a month."

    "At that time, I will take you to the Inner City to trade with that young master of the Si Family."

    After flipping through and confirming that it was indeed the Middle Vehicle Tendon Activation Technique, Li Che was satisfied and closed the book.

    "If you have any Internal Strength Techniques, you can also bring them out for me to have a look," he said.

    In reality, Li Che did not hold out much hope for an Internal Strength Technique. However, if all else failed, he could go back to Old Chen to buy one; Old Chen had said before that he could sell an Internal Strength Technique to him.

    "Sir jests, Internal Strength Techniques are monopolized by the noble families and clans. We small stall merchants could not bear the crime of selling them. If discovered, I would have no way to survive in Fei Lei City."

    The merchant shook his head.

    Li Che felt regret in his heart but did not care much: "Then this Tendon Activation Technique will do."

    The merchant raised five fingers: "Five hundred taels!"

    Li Che chuckled, slowly standing up tall and sturdy like a mountain. His blood surged, intertwining within him, causing the surrounding air to become static and an extreme sense of oppression, as if the sky was falling and the earth was collapsing, crashing down towards the other person.

    Did this man think he was a martial artist stuck at Skin Refinement Completion, desperately needing the Tendon Activation Technique, and thus taking advantage of his urgent need?

    Indeed... he had guessed correctly.

    "One hundred taels, that should be enough," Li Che said indifferently. "I''m buying it to give to a junior, it doesn''t have to be too expensive."

    The merchant, sensing this imposing manner and having frequented outside the city daringly entering the Mysterious Temple for loot, naturally had good judgment.

    This burly man''s blood was so vigorous; the oppressive feeling was not inferior to that of a Quenched-Bone Warrior, and he had even tainted his hands with human lives!

    He was decidedly a ferocious man who regarded human lives as grass!

    An unremarkable handwritten script of the Middle Vehicle Tendon Activation Technique, selling it for one hundred taels was still a profit.

    After all, he had copied several volumes at home.

    "Deal!"

    The merchant immediately said earnestly.

    Li Che, upon hearing this, threw down one hundred taels and, taking the Tendon Activation Technique, turned and left, disappearing into the marketplace.

    The merchant was quick to pull up his fabrics and left the stall too.

    ...

    ...

    Having acquired the Tendon Activation Technique, Li Che was in a good mood and could begin opening his sinews tomorrow.

    After leaving the marketplace, he found a secluded place, shed his cloak, found a place to hide it well, then leisurely went for marinated meat and wine, and also stopped by a pastry shop to buy a box of osmanthus cakes that Zhang Ya liked to eat, before returning to the wood carving shop.

    Snowflakes fluttered and danced in the sky.

    He treaded over the thick snow covering the bluestone pavement.

    Li Che walked towards his way home.

    However, his steps gradually came to a halt. Holding the marinated meat, a jar of wine, and the osmanthus cakes, Li Che''s brows slowly knit together, staring at the figure standing at the gate of his yard...

    Wearing a half-smile, standing tall with a side knife, was the Yamen arrest officer Zhao Chuanxiong.