Apotheosis Begins with Tai Chi

Anle Village.

In a small adobe house separated from the Dragon Mountain Hall’s Lower Courtyard by just a single wall, Chen Cheng helped his mother tidy up the few belongings they had brought with them. With that, they were finally settled in their new home.

The small, tile-roofed adobe house wasn’t large and lacked an attached courtyard, but it was clean and tidy inside and out. It was weathertight against wind and rain, and it even received a decent amount of sunlight.

Most importantly, it was right next to the Dragon Mountain Hall’s Lower Courtyard. Chen Cheng had already spoken with Fatty Fang about it, so it was safe enough.

This was countless times better than their old dilapidated shack, a hovel with broken planks for walls, rotten felt for a roof, and perpetually shrouded in the shadow of the city wall, never seeing a single ray of sunlight.

”A house this nice must have expensive rent, right?” his mother asked, worried about the cost.

”It’s not expensive.”

Chen Cheng’s tone was casual as he gathered the last of the miscellaneous items and moved them to a corner.

”The landlord saw I was from Dragon Mountain Hall and was extremely polite; he almost refused to take any money. After going back and forth for a while, I ended up paying just one hundred wen to rent it for a full three months.”

Upon hearing this, the worry on his mother’s face instantly dissolved, replaced by a deep sense of relief. The fine wrinkles at the corners of her eyes smoothed out as well.

”It’s all thanks to you being so capable, Cheng... Your mother is finally able to enjoy a comfortable life because of you.”

”There’s no need to say such things between us. Just rest easy and live here. I’ll come see you again when I have time.”

Chen Cheng glanced at the sun slanting westward outside the window. If he hurried back to the Middle Courtyard now, he should be able to make it in time for dinner.

...

「Several days later.」

Chen Cheng swallowed the last of his Blood Nourishing Powder and began his usual training, practicing the Hidden Dragon Fist in the room next to the warehouse.

After that night, he had cautiously gone to two different, sizable medicine shops and bought a bottle of Blood Nourishing Powder from each. The price at both was five taels of silver, non-negotiable.

The effects were largely the same, but upon closer inspection, it seemed the one from Shen’s Medicine Shop had a more enduring potency. Its effect on strengthening his Blood Qi was faintly superior.

Today, having finished the last of the medicinal powder, his training in the Hidden Dragon Fist had finally come to a natural head, reaching a new threshold.

The wind from his fists whistled as he hammered out the form, repeating the motions over and over.

The pillar of Blood Qi within him, long since grown strong and substantial, surged with the momentum of his fists. It circulated faster and faster, growing hotter and hotter, like a Fire Dragon that had been imprisoned for ages, desperate to burst forth from the abyss as it thrashed about within his spine.

Suddenly, from deep within his spine came a subtle yet clear vibration that only he could hear.

It was as if some barrier had been abruptly pierced, or like a dam, finally filled to the brim, bursting its gates with a thunderous roar.

A brand-new, scorching, yet more condensed and profound sense of power surged upward from the base of his spine. It broke through vertebra by vertebra, finally taking firm root just below the Hundred Gatherings point at the crown of his head and coalescing into a second, glowing, blood-colored pillar.

It resonated with the first pillar of Blood Qi within the ”Great Dragon” of his spine, running parallel without conflict.

’The second pillar of Blood Qi is formed!’

[Hidden Dragon Fist]: Minor Achievement (333/1000), Traits (Penetrating Armor)

[Health Tai Chi]: Minor Achievement (423/1000), Traits (Nourishing Life), Limit-Breaking (No)

Chen Cheng slowly relaxed his stance and exhaled a long, scorching breath. Beads of sweat rolled down his temples, but his eyes shone with an almost inhuman brightness.

He could clearly feel that both the quantity and quality of the power within him had reached a new level. The acuity of his senses had sharpened in tandem.

His ears twitched.

He clearly detected the footsteps of three people on the street outside, heading toward his door.

Their strides, weights, and rhythms were all different, but none escaped his hearing.

Before the visitors could even reach the door, he had already walked over and pulled it open.

The three were still several meters away.

The one leading them in the center was none other than the Master of the trading firm, Shen Mi.

Today, she wore a slightly fitted, dark cyan silk dress, its fabric draping smoothly.

With her slightly hurried gait, her chest bounced as though a pair of rabbits were tumbling inside her dress, while below her slender waist, her hips swayed with a fullness that seemed ready to burst forth.

Following closely at her right was Zhang Ping, and on her left was the sharp-featured Inner Courtyard steward, Granny Ding.

Both of them were holding thick stacks of ledgers, so high they almost obscured their vision.

”Master, are you... here to take inventory and check the accounts in person?”

Chen Cheng was a little surprised.

Taking inventory of the warehouse had always been a task for the bookkeeper, Zhang Gu, and his apprentices.

”Yes, Mr. Zhang has called in sick again... He even called his two apprentices home to help prepare his herbal decoctions...”

Shen Mi sighed softly, unable to hide the exhaustion in her eyes.

As she spoke, her gaze fell upon Chen Cheng and seemed to stick to him, lingering for a long moment as if held by an invisible force.

”Master?”

Granny Ding, standing beside her, frowned and gave a reminder in a low voice.

After all, she was the Master of the trading firm. It wasn’t entirely appropriate for her to be staring so intently at a young man, especially with Zhang Ping present.

”Oh, I...”

Shen Mi finally snapped back to her senses and averted her gaze, her tone tinged with uncertain hesitation.

”I feel that Honored Elder Chen seems a bit different today... but as for the specifics... I can’t quite put my finger on it.”

”You have a sharp eye, Master.”

Chen Cheng smiled faintly and answered directly.

”I just had a minor breakthrough in my training and was fortunate enough to condense a second pillar of Blood Qi.”

’Whether to hide one’s strength or not depends on the situation, and more importantly, on the person.’

’In front of the Master who controls my income, the one I must impress to gain more resources, a proper display of honesty and strength is far more valuable than constant concealment.’

’Letting her see my tangible growth and potential will make our employment relationship more stable, allowing it to generate even greater value.’

”A... a second pillar of Blood Qi!?”

Upon hearing this, Shen Mi’s eyes lit up, and her exhaustion seemed to be swept away by a cool breeze.

She leaned forward slightly, closing the distance between herself and Chen Cheng. The corners of her lips curved up naturally, blooming into an unconcealed smile filled with genuine appreciation and understanding.

”Honored Elder Chen, this is truly a cause for celebration! Breaking through two stages in just over a month... with such progress, never mind the Outer Hall, you would be considered a prodigy even in the entire Dragon Mountain Middle Courtyard!”

At these words, Zhang Ping quickly cupped his fists in congratulations, his face wreathed in smiles.

Even Granny Ding’s perpetually stern face softened considerably. After a slight nod, she offered her own congratulations in a solemn voice.

Shen Mi’s smile gained a new warmth. She waved a hand at Zhang Ping and Granny Ding.

”Take the ledgers inside for now. I’d like to have a word with Honored Elder Chen.”

”Yes.”

The two did as they were told, carrying the ledgers into the adjacent warehouse.

Shen Mi looked at Chen Cheng again, her expression turning serious as she asked.

”With your astonishing talent, Honored Elder Chen, I imagine it won’t be long before you can enter the Central Courtyard Inner Hall. When that time comes... will you still be willing to remain at my humble firm?”

She knew with perfect clarity that it wouldn’t be long before the more established and generous factions in the Outer City would take the initiative to recruit Chen Cheng.

In her eyes, Chen Cheng was a truly rare find.

Even setting aside his astonishing talent for Martial Arts, he had numerous other virtues: his background was clean and well-known, he was down-to-earth and reliable in his duties, and his Heart Nature was resilient and unyielding...

If she could maintain a long-term relationship with such a young man and treat him with sincerity, he might one day become a trusted confidant and right-hand man.

But as things stood now, no matter how much Shen Mi wished to keep him, his ultimate decision to stay or leave was no longer something she could determine through wishful thinking alone.

—