Chapter 2: The Dao Fruit of the Immortal Artisan, the Six-Eyed Bodhisattva

Li Che calmed his mind and closed his eyes.

Once again, Li Che saw the scene that had briefly flashed before his eyes earlier.

A vast, rugged land, with a large tree rising from the ground, its branches lush and leaves swaying, and hanging from it was a fruit that shimmered with seven colors.

As if he had been staring for a long time, the colorful fruit fell with a "plop" and gently landed in Li Che's hand.

"Dao Fruit..."

Li Che gazed at the fruit in his palm, muttering to himself.

...

[Your daughter was born safely, you have obtained a Dao Fruit "Immortal Artisan"]

[Immortal Artisan (Dao Fruit): Master of myriad phenomena, divine hands, unparalleled skills]

...

Words flickered and appeared.

Li Che's eyes narrowed, and his emotions suddenly fluctuated.

Having lived in this world for nineteen years without obtaining a golden finger, it was now, with the birth of his daughter, that the golden finger appeared in such a manner.

Is it because of my daughter that I have become valuable?

Li Che felt elated. The name of the Dao Fruit sounded so grand and noble; it would surely become the capital for him to make a living in this world.

Just as he was feeling joyful, the prompt before his eyes changed again.

...

[Name: Li Che]

[Bond: Li Nuanyi (daughter)]

[Dao Fruit: Immortal Artisan (undeveloped, lv1, 0%)]

[Note: For every year the bonded object grows safely, the Dao Tree can bear one Dao Fruit]

...

Breathing slightly faster, Li Che stared at the prompt, his emotions intensely fluctuating.

For every year his daughter grows safely, the Dao Tree can bear one Dao Fruit...

In Li Che's simple and straightforward understanding, the function of the Dao Fruit was equivalent to teaching him a skill, a craft.

The current Li Che worked as a helper in a wood carving shop outside Feilei City, moving finished wood carvings, doing hard labor, but paid by the piece, which was fair and honest.

However, after a hard day's work, he could earn about thirty to forty large Jing copper coins, enough to support his family, but to become rich and noble in this world and let his family live a life of luxury was a dream.

But from now on, if he could let his daughter grow up safely, one Dao Fruit per year, everything might be different!

"Nuanyi is my daughter, I should protect her and let her grow up safely; this is what I should do as a father..."

Li Che smiled happily. The birth of his daughter brought him a change in fortune, and the future had something to look forward to, how could he not be elated.

After the Dao Fruit in his palm gradually dissolved, Li Che did not notice any changes in himself.

He studied the [Immortal Artisan] Dao Fruit but found no clues.

"Rumble, rumble..."

The carp soup in the pot boiled and bubbled, interrupting Li Che's thoughts.

He quickly ladled a bowl of fragrant, white, and rich carp tofu soup, took a deep breath, a smile on his lips, and carefully walked towards the earthen house with the steaming fish soup.

His wife, Zhang Ya, had just finished feeding Nuanyi and was contentedly drinking the carp soup Li Che had cooked.

Nuanyi was being held by Li Che, who, under the guidance of Grandma Lei, gently patted her tender back, a process known as burping.

After a while of busying herself in the earthen house, Grandma Lei gave Li Che some advice on raising a child and then prepared to leave.

Li Che handed Nuanyi to Zhang Ya and followed her out.

"Grandma Lei, thank you, thank you, you've worked hard." Li Che gave ten coins to Grandma Lei.

Grandma Lei waved her hand and sighed, "Little Che, I've watched you grow up since you were a child. You work hard moving heavy wood and sculptures for Xu's Wood Carving Shop, earning a living with hard work. Keep this money and take good care of your family."

"In this outer city... recently, there are few children being born, but many are dying. Take good care of Nuanyi and pay attention to safety."

Grandma Lei's words made Li Che's face turn serious.

"Grandma..."

Grandma Lei wrapped her head with a cloth, carried a bamboo basket, and braved the wind and snow, instructing, "Remember, don't take the child out to wander the streets casually, and stay away from those who worship the Child God... who eat incense offerings... The world is harsh, and children are easily lost. You, as parents, must be extra careful."

Li Che exhaled a puff of white breath in the cold winter wind and nodded solemnly.

His heart sank slightly. Indeed, there had been many reports of children dying recently.

Li Che hadn't taken it seriously before, but now that he was a father, he naturally had to pay more attention.

"I understand, Grandma Lei."

Li Che responded in a deep voice.

Grandma Lei didn't say more, sighed, tightened her cotton coat, and disappeared into the snowy night, gradually vanishing in the snow-covered alleys in front of the earthen houses.

Li Che watched Grandma Lei's figure disappear, turned back into the earthen house, and quickly sealed the door to prevent the heat from escaping.

He rubbed his hands, added some charcoal to the stove, and went to the kitchen to bring the remaining fish soup.

After the couple had their fill, Li Che climbed onto the bed.

Gently patting his daughter, who had fallen asleep after drinking milk, Li Che squinted his eyes, a smile on his lips.

Talking softly to his wife, Zhang Ya, who was perhaps tired from giving birth, fell into a deep sleep.

Li Che, however, was wide awake, whispering softly.

"The charcoal is used up again; I'll go find a charcoal seller tomorrow to buy some. Nuanyi just born, she can't be cold."

"Zhang Ya needs to rest well after giving birth, or she'll get postpartum illness..."

"Yes, I'll go to the wood carving shop tomorrow to move more sculptures. Recently, the inner city has a high demand for sculptures, so there's plenty of work and money to be made."

"I will work hard to save money to buy a big house, where it will be warm even in the dead of winter."

"Zhang Ya, rest assured, our life will definitely get better..."

On the bed, Li Che gently held his wife and daughter, closing his eyes slightly.

Breathing steadily, the room was quiet.

...

...

The next day, dawn.

Li Che got up early, watched his wife, Zhang Ya, eat the breakfast he had prepared, and patted Nuanyi's back after she finished drinking milk. He then put on a bamboo hat and left the earthen house.

The ground was white, the wind was cold, and the snowflakes were as big as hands.

The cold was piercing, like a knife.

The snow showed no signs of stopping, and the ground outside Feilei City was covered with thick snow.

After walking for several miles, under the dim sky and the wind and snow, he arrived at his workplace, Xu's Wood Carving Shop.

Though called a shop, it was actually a large house, with a vast interior where many pieces of wood for carving were piled up.

Li Che and other hired helpers were mainly responsible for moving wood for the carvers or transporting finished carvings.

The carvings varied in weight, but the price was uniform: five large Jing copper coins for moving one carving, and one copper coin for moving wood.

The main risk was in moving carvings; if they were damaged, the pay would be deducted entirely.

Shaking off the snow from his body, removing his hat, and placing it at his workstation, Li Che entered the wood carving shop.

Inside the shop, a charcoal stove was burning, the temperature was moderate, and the strong smell of wood filled the air.

"Little Li, go get a piece of 'Water Ash' for me, a large one. Also, help me move the 'Six-Eyed Bodhisattva' statue I carved three days ago to the inner room. Someone from the inner city will come to collect it in two days. If the snow melts and it gets wet, it won't be good."

As soon as he entered the shop, an old man in a cotton coat with white hair and a ruddy complexion called out to Li Che.

The old man held a shiny wine gourd filled with aged yellow wine.

"Sure, Master Chen." Li Che smiled and quickly responded.

As a familiar helper in the shop, known for his meticulousness and efficiency, he had never had an accident while moving carvings, earning a good reputation.

Therefore, a few carvers, including Master Chen, would specifically ask him to do the work.

After agreeing to Master Chen's request, Li Che turned and entered the spacious courtyard.

The heavy snow had covered the wood in the courtyard. It took some effort to find the area where the 'Water Ash' was located.

Finding a large piece, Li Che dragged it out.

He tied it with a hemp rope, checked the weight, patted the wood, and then walked to the corner of the courtyard where the finished carvings were stored.

Since the 'Six-Eyed Bodhisattva' that Master Chen mentioned was one of the carvings Li Che was responsible for moving, he knew exactly where it was.

He found the carving, which was as tall as an adult, also made of 'Water Ash' wood, and brushed off the snow.

Suddenly, a strange feeling arose in his heart. The 'Six-Eyed Bodhisattva' carving seemed to come to life, its six eyes staring at him, blinking occasionally.

Then, a vague image appeared in his mind.

It was Master Chen carving the 'Six-Eyed Bodhisattva' statue, each stroke and cut vividly displayed. Li Che felt as if he was right there, as if he and Master Chen had become one.

Gradually, the carving techniques and skills used to create the 'Six-Eyed Bodhisattva' seemed to merge into Li Che's... instincts!

"Huh?"

The image before his eyes dissipated, and the Six-Eyed Bodhisattva stopped blinking. Li Che's breathing quickened.

His heart stirred; just by touching the carving, he seemed to have learned Master Chen's carving techniques...

This must be related to the Dao Fruit [Immortal Artisan] he obtained due to the birth of his daughter, Nuanyi!

"Master of myriad phenomena, divine hands, unparalleled skills..."

"The effect of the Dao Fruit Immortal Artisan... might give me a chance to become a true master of wood carving!"

Li Che's eyes sparkled, and he couldn't help but have some ambitious dreams.

If he could become a carver at Xu's Wood Carving Shop, it would be much more promising than just being a helper moving wood and carvings!

Letting his family live a good life in this chaotic world would no longer be a distant dream!

(End of Chapter)