Apotheosis Begins with Tai Chi

”...Lord Lu.”

Zhuang Zhen hesitated for a moment but couldn’t help asking.

”Excuse me, but is there something wrong with this medicinal scent?”

”It’s nothing.”

Lu Song smiled, his nostrils twitching a couple more times.

”Just the lingering scent of some Treasure Medicine. It’s very faint... but very pure.”

”Treasure Medicine!?”

Zhuang Zhen looked astonished.

”Lord Lu, are you... could you be mistaken?”

”No mistake.”

Xu Chengfeng cut in with a chuckle.

”Old Lu was born with a dog’s nose. He’s solved several major cases just with his sense of smell.”

”Alright, let’s wrap it up. Using Treasure Medicine isn’t some shameful secret. It’s a lot better than that last fellow...”

Lu Song curled his lip, a knowing, man-to-man smile spreading across his face.

”Those two little picture books... the variety was something else. I’ve never seen anything like them. Old Xu, have you?”

Xu Chengfeng coughed dryly, an expression on his face that said, ’I have no idea what you’re talking about.’ He then cupped his hands in farewell to Zhuang Zhen before leaving with Lu Song and their men.

...

「Dinnertime.」

Chen Cheng returned to the Martial Arts Hall from the trading company and sat down at an empty, window-side table in the dining hall.

Qian Baolu plopped down in the seat across from him and, in a low voice, recounted the events of the afternoon in full detail.

”It’s no big deal. It’s not like I was the only one they searched.”

Chen Cheng had long anticipated this day. He had repeatedly checked his room for anything suspicious and cleaned it out completely, so he was naturally unconcerned.

”Senior Brother Chen is an open and honest man, so of course you have nothing to fear.”

Qian Baolu winked, a malicious grin of schadenfreude on his face, though he lowered his voice even further.

”But that Xiao Yi was in deep shit. They found several Erotic Paintings on him, and even a portrait of the Third Senior Sister.”

”But the best part... was a red bodice embroidered with mandarin ducks, and who knows where it came from!”

Chen Cheng didn’t respond. He could tell Qian Baolu was embellishing the story.

But it was true that Qian Baolu and Xiao Yi had a serious feud. He couldn’t beat Xiao Yi in a fight, so now that he had the chance, it was only human for him to run his mouth behind his back.

Chen Cheng just listened to it as a harmless joke.

His only regret was that he hadn’t managed to plant the Red Moon Original Vow Scripture in Xiao Yi’s room beforehand.

This thought had only occurred to him after the recent spate of strange incidents outside, a spur-of-the-moment idea. In his haste, Chen Cheng hadn’t found a safe, untraceable opportunity to carry it out.

’If there’s no good opportunity, it’s better not to act at all.’ This was Chen Cheng’s consistent principle.

’From the look of things, I can probably afford to wait a little longer. In the words of my past life, let the bullets fly for a while.’

’Whether it’s Xiao Yi or the Fuchang Trading Company, there might be a better solution.’

’A little more patience never hurts.’

”...Senior Brother Chen, you don’t seem very interested in matters between men and women, do you?”

Seeing Chen Cheng’s silence, Qian Baolu leaned in closer and asked with a grin.

”You’re a Silver Disciple of our Dragon Mountain Middle Courtyard now. Hasn’t your family thought about arranging a marriage for you?”

”If that were me, heh, I’m afraid the matchmakers would have worn down my doorstep by now!”

”My mother and my third uncle both brought it up...”

Chen Cheng replied calmly.

”I turned them down.”

His mind was currently consumed by martial arts; he only slept four hours a day. Where would he find the spare time to think about getting married?

”Turned them all down? Was it that you didn’t like any of the ones they introduced?”

Qian Baolu chuckled.

”The taste of our elders... it’s hard to say... Some other day, I’ll introduce you to a few. I guarantee they’ll all be beauties with great figures, from respectable families, good girls who know how to run a household!”

”...Really, there’s no need.”

Chen Cheng waved his hand dismissively.

”You’re two years older than me. If you really know some good ones, you should hurry up and marry one yourself.”

”Me? Hehe, I already have a girl I like.”

Qian Baolu grinned, unable to hide the bright spark of happiness in his eyes. Before Chen Cheng could even ask, he couldn’t stop himself from launching into the story.

”She’s from around Lunan District. She has the kind of looks I like, and a great personality too—gentle as water, speaks in a soft, quiet voice. I’ve never seen her get angry with anyone. She’s also skillful with her hands, can brew a fantastic pot of tea, and even pluck a few strings on a zither...”

Qian Baolu paused, his tone laced with a hint of gentle protectiveness.

”It’s just that she has a delicate constitution and gets tired easily. I only ever see her in the afternoons, and she has to go home after just a short walk...”

”I found a very good doctor for her, but she couldn’t bear to spend the money to see him. She said she had to save it for her younger brother’s education. I told her I’d pay for it, but she refused to accept.”

”Senior Brother Chen, tell me, a girl as good as her is hard to find even with a lantern, right?”

Qian Baolu looked at Chen Cheng with a completely serious expression.

”Senior Brother Chen! Someone’s here for you!”

Just then, a disciple in charge of guarding the Martial Arts Hall’s main gate ran in.

”Who is it?” Chen Cheng asked.

The disciple replied, ”The man said his surname is Liang, and that he’s your best friend... Senior Brother Xiao Yi is talking with him. It looks like they’re planning to go to a restaurant for a banquet and wanted to invite you along.”

”...Relay a message for me.”

Chen Cheng didn’t even have to think before refusing. ”Just say that I’m on my way to the Inner Hall for something very important and can’t get away. My apologies, but I won’t be able to join them.”

”Ah, alright.”

The disciple nodded and quickly ran back out.

”Senior Brother Chen...”

Qian Baolu stared blankly at Chen Cheng for a good while before suddenly giving him a thumbs-up.

”In this entire Dragon Mountain Middle Courtyard, there are very few people I, Qian Baolu, truly admire from the bottom of my heart. You are definitely one of them!”

After speaking, Qian Baolu glanced left and right, then lowered his voice again.

”Right now, that bastard Xiao Yi is at the height of his fame. He has a patron from the Inner City backing him, and even Master Ye is falling all over himself to personally train with him. Which of the people below us isn’t trying to suck up to him?”

”Only you, Senior Brother Chen... you didn’t even show your face and just shut him down flat!”

Qian Baolu’s eyes shone as he gave another forceful thumbs-up.

”Fucking hardcore! Hardcore!”

”...”

Chen Cheng remained noncommittal and casually changed the subject. ”Why hasn’t our food arrived yet?”

”Yeah, what’s taking so long today? I’ll go hurry them along.”

Qian Baolu turned his head and waved over a disciple with a White Character Token.

Just then, Chen Cheng saw the gate-guarding disciple run back into the dining hall, except this time he was heading for the kitchen in the back.

...

「Outside the Martial Arts Hall.」

Xiao Yi and Liang Guang were already walking side-by-side toward a restaurant near the Inner City.

”Brother Liang,”

Xiao Yi began.

”I know you had good intentions, wanting to mediate between me and Chen Cheng. He definitely knew that was your intention, too, but he still refused to give you face.”

Xiao Yi wore a perfectly crafted expression of helplessness, as if he felt indignant on Liang Guang’s behalf.

”And to think you still considered him your best friend. But what about him? After condensing his second wisp of Blood Qi, he really thinks he’s somebody. He doesn’t even care about your past friendship!”

”Isn’t that the truth?”

Liang Guang’s face was dark as he squeezed the words out through clenched teeth.

”So what if he condensed a second wisp of Blood Qi? What’s so great about that? In front of you, Brother Xiao, that Chen Cheng isn’t even worthy of carrying your shoes!”

”A self-important idiot like him who doesn’t know what’s good for him... I, Liang Guang, wouldn’t deign to be his friend!”