As a father, I just want to quietly watch you live a long life

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"Shut up, you may leave if there's nothing else."

Gongyang Liancheng made a deep bow, his hands hanging by his side, and slowly retreated out of the room.

Inside the tea room, the fragrance of tea lingered.

It remained as serene as usual.

The Deputy Inspector rubbed the statue with his fingers, and in a trance, he seemed to see a figure raising the red silk, stirring the vast sea...

"Recommended by Li Qingshan..."

"Such talent, and yet he was not sent to the Divine Sect but to the Qintian Observatory to become a Guest Elder... For what reason? In another five years... it will be time for the strange calamities to form due to the commotion at the Fury of the Four Imperials in the Temple of the Third Prince..."

"The Corpse God Cult..."

"Troublesome times indeed."

The Deputy Inspector withdrew his hand from the statue and closed his eyes, massaging his temples.

Suddenly, his fingers paused and his narrow eyes snapped open.

"Or perhaps... this Li Qingshan harbors doubts about the Divine Sect Branch?"

...

...

After the rain, the sky cleared, and sunlight peeked out from behind the heavy leaden clouds, casting its light upon the human world, reflecting upon the shimmering water.

Li Che left the Qintian Observatory Treasure Building in high spirits.

Becoming a Third-class Guest Official at the Observatory, he not only enjoyed its resources but also gained quite a few nice things.

Most importantly, he had acquired substantial clout, enough to make many forces within Mansion City wary, ensuring the safety of his small family for some years to come.

For Li Che, that was enough.

He didn't desire much—just peaceful and stable years.

To quietly watch his daughter grow up, to see her succeed in her cultivation.

This was the simple and honest wish of an old father.

Li Che was in a good mood as he walked out of the Qintian Observatory, strolling along the broad streets of Mansion City, wide enough to fit ten horse carriages side by side.

Breathing in the refreshingly clean air, basking in the spring breeze that uplifted one's spirits.

Li Che planned to head to Fragrant Pavilion, order a table full of good wine and dishes, and go home to celebrate, especially with several roasted ducks from Fragrant Pavilion, which Xi Xi and his wife both loved to eat.

However, Li Che did not let his guard down, as Qin Yuqing... was ultimately killed by him.

Although he was confident he left no clue linking back to him, and the Qin Family could not act against him without evidence given his status as a Heavenly Oversight Guest Official, one could never be too sure.

What if another person like Qin Yuqing emerged from the Qin Family, the kind who is determined to take you down at all costs, even attacking passers-by?

Therefore, Li Che remained vigilant and could not afford to be lax.

Even within Mansion City, this world was not safe, and perhaps for a long time, he would have to tread carefully.

That's right, Li Che's thoughts stirred, and the Chess Saint's Dao Fruit trembled as the Heaven and Earth chessboard spread its influence.

Indeed, the three shadowy Qin Mansion investigators who had been following and investigating him had vanished without a trace.

With Qin Yuqing's death, those three probably returned to report back to the Qin Mansion.

Just as well, their presence had given him proof that it was impossible for him to have acted against Qin Yuqing.

After all, his shooting of Qin Yuqing happened in another direction from the Qintian Observatory Treasure Building.

Having ordered the wines and dishes, Li Che did not immediately return to his small courtyard but first went to another courtyard he had purchased—the workshop.

Sitting in a chair, he boiled hot water and brewed a pot of tea.

Amidst the fluttering spring breeze, he took a sip of the fine tea, his mood growing even brighter.

Then, he began to sort through his gains from becoming a Third-class Guest Official at the Observatory.

With a thought...

...

[Name: Li Che]

[Bonds: Li Nuanxi (Daughter)]

[Dao Fruit: Immortal Artisan (Lv3, 68%), Dragon Elephant Vajra (Lv3, 13%), Pure Heart (Lv2, 18%), Chess Saint (Lv2, 7%)]

[Prototype of Divine Powers: Immortal Worker: Thousand Analyzing Hands, Dragon Elephant Vajra - Ascend]

...

Eh?

Li Che glanced over the Dao Fruit feedback and noticed the Dao Fruit [Immortal Artisan] had suddenly increased its maturity by 20%.

He was momentarily taken aback. Could it be that the statue he carved in the Qintian Observatory had such a large impact?

No, it should be because he had completed "Namo Immortal Artisan Bodhi Barrett" in addition to carving that statue in the Observatory.

Li Che had carved statues of the Namo Immortal Artisan before but never had such a significant increase in its maturity, which was somewhat strange—there had to be a reason.

Could it be related to the image of the deity he envisioned, stepping on the Golden Wheel, dancing with red silk across the seas, and integrating it into the wood carving?

Li Che's eyes glittered, a hint of excitement arising in him—if that was indeed the case, he might have found a way to rapidly increase the maturity of his Immortal Craft Dao Fruit.

He didn't rush to test it either, as it was already late and carving another Divine Wood Carving of the Four-armed Angry Prince would take too long.

With a squeeze of his hand, he retrieved other rewards for becoming a Third-class Guest Official from his Qiankun Space.

A softly glowing crystal stone landed in his hand.

A warm sensation emanated from the crystal stone.

"Divine Crystal... an object of divinity that can only be obtained within Strange Que, as Miss Shangguan said, for higher-grade divine items, elixirs, Divine Weapons, and so on, in the Qintian Observatory, one would not use gold or silver, the mundane things of the world, but... Divine Crystal!"

Li Che held the crystal stone, but what truly stirred his emotions was the divinity contained within the Divine Crystal...

A milky white purity similar to that of [Pure Heart]!

"The same source, huh? Both are pure and flawless divinities?"

Li Che's gaze sharpened, and the next moment, he extended his Divine Sense, drawing out the divinity from within the Divine Crystal. However, as soon as his Divine Sense touched the divinity within the Divine Crystal, the [Pure Heart] in his chest suddenly began to pulse vehemently!

Like a ravenous being, it unexpectedly opened its mouth wide.

The divinity from the Ten Cities Divine Crystal...

Was smoothly drawn out and merged entirely into the [Pure Heart].

[Dao Fruit: Pure Heart (Lv2, 20%)]

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