Apotheosis Begins with Tai Chi

”A Martial Artist! He’s become a Martial Artist!”

Chen An was so excited his voice cracked. He quickly handed the items to Bai Family to hold, wiped his hands on his own clothes, and then patted Chen Cheng firmly on the shoulder.

”Excellent! Just excellent! Cheng! I truly never thought you’d make it!”

”With you and Hao, the Chen Family will have two Martial Artists! From now on... it finally looks like things are looking up!”

”Chen Hao made it too?” Chen Cheng asked casually.

”He should be soon...”

Chen An rubbed his hands.

”Hao’s been training for seven or eight months now. His father says he’s just a tiny bit away from breaking through... The family is trying everything they can to scrape together the money for Blood Refining Powder for him.”

”But you’re the more capable one, Cheng! You didn’t take a single coin from the family and still managed to break through on your own!”

Bai Family finally realized what it meant to have refined Blood Qi, and her face lit up with excitement.

”Unlike Hao. He’s bled his parents dry, and even Grandpa’s coffin money went into it... Even our family and Old Si’s have had to chip in a fair bit to cover the costs...”

Chen Cheng didn’t respond, but a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

’That family didn’t just pour all their resources into Chen Hao’s training; they seized the ten taels of reward money Father had earned with his life.’

’And another thing... Chen Hao had been training for over half a year. That meant the old man had given the opportunity to him not long after Father was conscripted...’

”Cheng, I’m not going into the mountains tomorrow. Let’s go back to the family home together and tell your grandpa this wonderful news. Once he hears it, he’ll be so happy he’s sure to forgive you...”

Chen An was beaming.

”Him? Forgive me?”

Chen Cheng’s tone turned abruptly cold. ”Third Uncle, there are some things you don’t understand. But make no mistake: when I said I want nothing more to do with that family, I wasn’t just saying it in the heat of the moment.”

”...You.” Chen An froze.

Bai Family grew tense as well. She could clearly feel that Chen Cheng’s presence was different now.

”One more thing.”

Chen Cheng took out a small string of sixty copper coins threaded on a hemp rope from within his robes and pressed it into Chen An’s hand.

”I’ve already spoken with the Black Wolf Gang’s Steward for this area. These are the peace coins you just paid. I got them back. From now on, your family doesn’t need to pay.”

With that said, Chen Cheng left without a backward glance.

”Husband...”

Bai Family clutched the heavy food, glanced at the copper coins in Chen An’s hand, and advised him in a low voice.

”From now on, don’t bring up the family home in front of Cheng... I’m worried he’ll think we’re not on his side...”

...

「Late at night.」

When Zhao Shan and his men emerged from Hongcui Pavilion, the streets were completely deserted, with not a soul in sight.

The wind had grown colder than it was earlier in the night, whipping up stray scraps of paper and fallen leaves that swirled in the cracks between the flagstones.

Zhao Shan’s steps were unsteady. He reeked of a cloying mixture of perfume and sweat. The cheap wine in his belly burned fiercely, threatening to rise.

His cheeks were flushed, his eyelids were heavy, and the swaying lanterns in the distance all appeared as double images.

Sun Rang was in slightly better shape, but his tongue was still clumsy with drink. He and Zhao Shan staggered forward, arms slung over each other’s shoulders.

”Old Zhao... HIC... How was... that girl tonight? Was she... tender? Were they... big?”

”...Yeah, not bad...”

Zhao Shan mumbled a vague reply, squinting at the fork in the road ahead.

”Alright... this is... this is good enough...”

”Old Zhao, you... you gonna make it back on your own? Don’t fall into a gutter...”

Sun Rang let go of him and shook his head, trying to see Zhao Shan’s face clearly.

”Piss... piss off!”

Zhao Shan shoved away his proffered hand, craning his neck stubbornly.

”I’ve been all over... When have you ever seen me take a fall?”

”Alright, take it easy then... See you at the firm in the morning... Don’t be late...”

Sun Rang chuckled, then turned and staggered down one path of the fork, humming a tuneless ditty.

”Nngh...”

Zhao Shan stood rooted to the spot. As a cold wind blew over him, the drunkenness and dizziness surged with renewed intensity.

He braced himself against the cold, rough earthen wall beside him, pausing for a long moment before he managed to suppress the urge to vomit.

Behind him, Sun Rang’s figure had long been swallowed by the darkness. In the distance, a dog from some unknown home barked twice, listlessly, before falling silent again.

Hiss—

Without any warning, Zhao Shan felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.

He had no time to turn his head, no time to even think.

The instincts honed by years of martial arts training made his drunken, sluggish body erupt with a final burst of strength, allowing him to lurch violently to his left.

But he was still a split second too slow.

A dark figure erupted from the shadows of the other path—swift, silent, like a lone wolf hunting from the Abyss.

All was silent, save for the sharp, short whistle of a fist tearing through the air.

An incomparably ferocious Hidden Dragon Seal slammed viciously into the outside of Zhao Shan’s hastily raised right arm.

THUD!

The impact sent Zhao Shan slamming sideways into the adjacent earthen wall.

A sharp pain, so intense it felt like it pierced his very marrow, shot up from where his right arm was struck.

”Aargh!”

Zhao Shan cried out in pain, the shock of it sobering him almost completely. He was filled with a mixture of horror and fury.

His back against the earthen wall, he stared wide-eyed, barely making out the lean figure that was lunging at him again through the darkness.

Chen Cheng!

’That brat dared to ambush him!? He dared to attack right near the firm, where so many of the guards lived!?’

The horror and pain instantly obliterated any lingering trace of his drunkenness.

Zhao Shan instantly circulated his Blood Qi, raising his arm to parry Chen Cheng’s follow-up attack.

”Fuck...”

As he raised his arm, Zhao Shan suddenly realized that it wasn’t just the bone-deep pain; there was also a limp, pulpy feeling, as if his arm had completely lost its structural integrity.

The bone in his right arm, right where Chen Cheng had struck, had been shattered to pieces.

’That’s impossible... Could it be that when we clashed this evening, the brat wasn’t even using his full strength? This...’