Apotheosis Begins with Tai Chi

Kuhuai Village.

Old Chen was huddled outside a dilapidated shack, perched on a low, creaking stool.

His face was a sickly, ashen gray, as if coated in a layer of filthy wax. His beard and hair, once passably neat, were now a tangled, withered mess, flecked with bits of grass and dirt.

The dark alley never saw the sun. A thick, foul stench hung in the air year-round—a nauseating mixture of stagnant sewers, animal droppings, and rotting garbage. It felt like a living entity, crawling its way into his mouth, nose, and lungs.

The assault made his head throb and his eyes sting. A sour bile rose in his throat.

He had only moved here a few days ago, but it was as if his spine had been ripped out. He was visibly more stooped, having aged a dozen years in an instant. He radiated the desolate air of a man at death’s door.

”Father, why are you sitting out here?”

From the far end of the alley, Chen An hurried toward them, carrying some dry firewood and wild vegetables with his wife, Bai Family.

Chen Yan followed behind them, one hand empty, the other holding a silk handkerchief tightly over her nose and mouth. She stepped with extreme care, afraid of treading in one of the foul-smelling puddles of sewage.

”The eldest’s wife said she had something important to discuss, but... but insisted on changing her clothes first. I had no choice but to come wait out here...”

Old Chen’s voice was dry, hoarse, and weak.

His cloudy eyes first glanced at the firewood and vegetables in the hands of Chen An and his wife, but his wizened face remained impassive.

Then, he glanced at Chen Yan behind them, and the light in his eyes dimmed noticeably.

Back when he lived in the old family home, hadn’t Chen Yan always visited with armfuls of bags, laden with rice, flour, fruits, and vegetables?

He hadn’t been short of food back then.

But now, when he was truly struggling to put food on the table, the daughter who had once been so dutiful had arrived empty-handed.

「A moment later.」

Wang Family opened the rickety wooden door and stepped out.

She had changed into a relatively new, reddish-brown dress. Her face was caked in a layer of cheap white powder, and the rouge on her cheeks was so thick and garish it looked like a pair of monkey’s asses.

Beside her, her husband Chen Yong was beaming with excitement. He stood straighter than ever, a grin stretching nearly from ear to ear.

”Sister-in-law, you had my brother call us all here today. What’s this all about? It couldn’t be about Hao, could it...?”

Chen Yan was impatient and quick-witted; she immediately guessed the heart of the matter, and her own heart gave a sudden leap.

”That’s right!”

Wang Family replied in a shrill voice.

”He did it! My Hao did it!”

Wang Family’s voice was high and piercing, loud enough, she seemed to hope, for every person, every mosquito, and every rat in the alley to hear her crystal clear.

”Just last night! He truly condensed One Pillar of Blood Qi! He’s a genuine Martial Artist now! And today, he’s even going to work for the Patrol Office! What a tremendous honor!”

”He did it?!”

Slumped on the stool, Old Chen trembled violently.

”He really... he really did it?! The ancestors are watching over us! Their spirits have answered! The Chen Family... has finally produced a True Dragon!”

”Oh! My dear nephew!”

An eager smile bloomed on Chen Yan’s face. She darted over in a few quick steps and seized Wang Family’s hand.

”I just knew it! That boy Hao has a good Root Bone and he’s so ambitious. I knew he was destined for great things! The entire Chen Family is going to bask in his glory now!”

”Hao did it, that’s wonderful... Sister-in-law...”

A sincere smile spread across Chen An’s face. He rubbed his hands together, about to offer his congratulations, but Wang Family shot him a dismissive glare, not even bothering to listen. He could only smile awkwardly and swallow his words.

Bai Family stood silently behind Chen An. Seeing her husband’s warm gesture met with such a cold shoulder chilled her to the heart.

’Though her family’s support for Chen Hao hadn’t been as much as Chen Yan’s, it was still money they had scraped together by starving themselves—money they needed to survive.’

’She had hoped that once Chen Hao made something of himself, he would remember their kindness. She had hoped he might let a little of his new fortune slip through his fingers, just enough to make their bitter lives a bit easier.’

’But what was the result? They couldn’t even get a pleasant look from Wang Family in return.’

At this thought, Bai Family couldn’t help but think of Chen Cheng.

’Ever since Chen Cheng had brought them life-saving food and copper plates in the middle of the night, their second sister-in-law, Li Family, would also bring things over every few days. The items weren’t valuable, but they were a genuine help to their survival.’

’And on top of that, Chen Cheng had exempted them from the monthly peace coins—a tax so cruel it felt like having their flesh carved from their bones.’

’In that time, their family’s situation had visibly improved. They no longer had to starve, they were no longer extorted by the Gang, and they slept more soundly at night.’

’Bai Family was grateful to Chen Cheng from the bottom of her Heart. Compared to him, Chen Hao...’

’Pah!’

’As if he’s even worthy of being compared to Cheng?’

Bai Family spat inwardly.

”Alright, alright, Sister-in-law. I’ve heard so many compliments my ears are about to fall off.”

Wang Family patted Chen Yan, who was still gushing endlessly, cleared her throat, and spoke in a deliberately affected tone.

”According to the rules of the Jianghu, now that Hao is a Martial Artist, he can exempt his own family from the peace coins...”

”However, your area is far away and under the control of a different gang. We’ll have to wait for Hao to get back so he can go and have a word with them himself.”

”Oh! I’ve been waiting for you to say that, Sister-in-law!”

Hearing this, Chen Yan was so excited her voice trembled.

”You have no idea, times have been so tight for us lately... Saving this money is a godsend! Thank you, Sister-in-law, and please thank Hao for me!”

”We’re all family. Would Hao and I ever treat you poorly?”

Wang Family held her chin high, smugness written all over her face. She stood there for a while longer, basking in Chen Yan’s flattery, before she acted as if she’d only just noticed the other two people standing nearby.

”Third Brother.”

Wang Family pursed her lips, her voice suddenly turning cold.

”Your family’s peace coins... will you continue to have Chen Cheng exempt you? Or will you transfer it to Hao’s name?”

”...I.”

Asked this, Chen An hesitated.

His wife, Bai Family, however, was decisive. ”We’ll keep it under Cheng’s name. We wouldn’t want to trouble you or Hao.”

”Don’t you regret it then!”

Wang Family snapped.

”Your Kuhe Village and this Kuhuai Village are both run by the Black Wolf Gang. Just last night, Hao was invited out for drinks by several of the Black Wolf Gang’s leaders. They’re already on brotherly terms! Isn’t that a more solid connection than whatever that brat Chen Cheng has?”

Bai Family didn’t respond to this, but Chen Yan chimed in from the side.

”Third Brother, Third Sister-in-law, listen to her, she’s right! It’s not too late, you should hurry and switch it to Hao’s name. It’ll only benefit your family in the long run!”

”That won’t be necessary.”

Bai Family was unwavering. After a moment’s thought, she added,

”A couple of days ago, our second sister-in-law came by with some grain. She passed on a message from Cheng. He said the Black Wolf Gang is about to be finished, and that we should avoid them as much as possible and not get involved with their members...”

”That’s absolute nonsense!”

Before Bai Family could finish, Wang Family cut her off, shrieking as if someone had stepped on her tail.

”What the hell does that Chen Cheng know! Hao told me himself just yesterday! The Black Wolf Gang is at the height of its power right now. They’ve won several hard-fought battles in a row and have tripled the size of their territory! Chen Cheng will be finished long before the Black Wolf Gang is!”