Apotheosis Begins with Tai Chi

”...Tomorrow? Alright, I understand.”

Chen Cheng nodded in agreement. Rather than complaining and putting his mother in a difficult position, he decided to think of a tactful way to refuse without embarrassing the young lady.

”By the way, Mother, have you visited Third Uncle’s family recently? Is everything alright with them?”

Chen Cheng changed the subject, mainly because the situation had been so chaotic lately that he couldn’t help but worry.

”It’s been a long time...”

Li Family thought for a moment before speaking.

”They should be fine... The last time I saw him, your third uncle mentioned that his son, Xiaofan, came back for a visit. He brought back a lot of money and grain, enough to get them through the winter...”

”He also said that the Giant Tiger Gang in their area has some connection to your Dragon Mountain Hall. He said they’ve been looking out for his family on your account... It’s just that it’s not safe outside, so he told me not to visit for a while...”

”Mm, with money and food, their lives should indeed get better.”

Chen Cheng nodded, feeling a little more at ease, and then added a reminder.

”The entire South Outer City is unstable right now. Mother, if you don’t have anything to do, please try to stay here in Anle Village. Don’t go anywhere else.”

”Yes, I know!”

Li Family nodded emphatically. Her way of thinking had always been simple. There was little she could do to help her son, so the one thing she had to do right... was to never cause him any trouble!

The mother and son chatted for a while longer. It was mostly Li Family fussing over him, reminding him to wear more clothes, eat well, and get more rest, while Chen Cheng listened quietly.

It wasn’t until the sun began to set in the west that Chen Cheng finally got up to leave. He didn’t stay for dinner, as he needed to hurry back to the Inner Hall to eat.

The small kitchen in the Inner Hall provided a daily supply of fine rice, and the menu changed every day. Venison, deer tendon, deer blood... Not only was it nutritious, but it also tasted excellent—far better than any home-cooked meal.

Besides, when it came to money, you had to know when to save and when to spend.

Chen Cheng knew very well that with his current appetite, skipping one meal at home would save his mother six or seven days’ worth of rice and meat.

...

「The next morning.」

The training grounds of the Outer Hall in the Dragon Mountain Middle Courtyard were already bustling with noise.

Under the temporary awnings set up on three sides, crowds of people were seated, most of them prominent figures from the South Outer City.

Lord Chiefs from the All Guard Patrol Office, Masters of major trading houses, Landlords from wealthy families, Gang Leaders of Major Gangs, and more filled the seats. Their subordinates, servants, and attendants stood by their sides. In total, several hundred people were present, making for a grand occasion.

The center of the grounds was divided into three areas.

On the left stood more than a dozen thick wooden stakes wrapped in several layers of specially treated cowhide. The thick leather surfaces looked dark in the morning light. This was the area for Measuring Force.

On the right were several enormous, bluish-black stone blocks, their edges worn smooth. These were for testing endurance.

In the middle was a wide, rammed-earth arena with a flat surface, built specifically for the combat assessment.

Presiding over the event were Marquis Fang Wenhao and the Tutors from the East, West, and North Lower Courtyards. They moved through the area, their expressions solemn.

Other disciples, acting as scribes, had set up desks to the side, with ledgers spread open to record the results in real time.

Nearly a hundred Outer Hall Disciples were already lined up neatly, waiting to be tested in order.

Most of them had tense faces. Some unconsciously flexed their wrists and ankles, while others took deep breaths, their eyes fixed on those already being tested in the assessment areas.

”Dong Li! Breaking Zero Layer ’Stone Skin’! Evaluation: Lower Grade C!”

The scribe announced the result, his voice ringing out with exceptional clarity across the open grounds.

Dong Li’s face instantly flushed crimson, all the way to the roots of his ears.

He looked at the special cowhide on the stake, where he had only managed to leave a shallow dent, then at his own red, stinging fist. His cheeks burned as if he had been slapped hard in public.

He wanted to curse, but his gaze met the half-lidded, intensely intimidating eyes of Fatty Fang. He swallowed his words, hung his head, and shuffled away to wait for the next test of endurance.

Witnessing this, a murmur of discussion rippled through the crowd, filled with sneers, indifference, and some confusion...

”Senior Brother.”

Standing at the back of the line, Shi Lei nudged a White-Plaque Disciple next to him with his elbow and asked.

”What is that ’Stone Skin’ thing?”

”It’s cowhide.”

The disciple glanced at Shi Lei and explained.

”But it’s been repeatedly tanned with tung oil and medicinal solutions, making it incredibly tough and hard. It’s almost as strong as a layer of Standard Leather Armor.”

”...So it’s just cowhide.”

Shi Lei nodded and asked another question.

”Then... what level is Lower Grade C?”

”The bottom of the barrel.”

The disciple pursed his lips.

”There are three levels: A, B, and C, each divided into Upper, Middle, and Lower grades. A+ is the best, and Lower Grade C is the worst. If you achieve Three A+, you’ll get an extra reward.”

”For White-Plaque Disciples like us, achieving Three A+ gives you the chance to have your Death Oath Contract dissolved. Or, you can keep the contract and receive the same treatment as a Copper Word Token senior brother.”

”...I see. Thank you for the explanation, Senior Brother.”

Shi Lei gave a slight nod, subconsciously scratching his shaved head as his eyes darted around thoughtfully.

Under an awning on the east side.

Shen Chongnian sat in the center, his brow slightly furrowed with displeasure.

Seated beside him were the three members of the younger generation who currently held the most responsibility in the Shen Family’s three branches: Shen Mi of Yongsheng Trading Company, Shen Xingwen of Datong Fur Trading Company, and Shen Xingguo of the South Outer City Branch of Shen’s Medicine Shop.

”Xiaowu, don’t tell me you’ve been swindled?”

Shen Chongnian remained silent for a long time before he finally couldn’t resist questioning her.

”Where is this ’genius’ you’re sponsoring for seven taels of silver a month? Didn’t you say he was a Silver Disciple from the Dragon Mountain Middle Courtyard? Why haven’t we seen him yet?”

”...First Uncle, I...”

Shen Mi’s delicate brows knitted together. She had already scanned the lines of disciples several times, and Chen Cheng was indeed nowhere to be seen.

”I’ve been busy running around for the Trade Document matter recently, so I haven’t seen Chen Honored Elder in a few days... But I can guarantee he is not a fraud!”

”Seven taels of silver? For a Monthly Allowance? Good heavens...”

Upon hearing this, Shen Xingwen’s brow furrowed in displeasure as well.

”If I recall correctly, a Silver Disciple is just a two-incense Blood Qi Martial Artist... For seven taels of silver, I could hire two of them and still have money left over!”

”Hah, that’s nothing.”

Shen Xingguo let out a cold laugh and said lightly.

”Our dear fifth sister also parted with five doses of Five Dragon Soup for this Grand Tributor—five doses made with genuine ’Five-Clawed Golden Radiance’ as the main ingredient! That’s worth at least three hundred taels!”

”Is that true!?”

Shen Chongnian and Shen Xingwen’s eyes went wide. They whipped their heads around, ready to rake her over the coals.

”First Uncle, Third Cousin!”

Shen Mi hurriedly explained.

”I paid for those five doses of Five Dragon Soup with my own money. I only mentioned it when finalizing things with First Cousin’s medicine shop... I’ve been so busy these past few days that I didn’t have a chance to inform you...”

”You...”

Shen Chongnian was at a loss for words, his brow knitting even tighter.

”What kind of Enchanting Soup has that brat fed you? Are you just going to throw away the small fortune you’ve painstakingly saved over the past decade on him, without a second thought? For that much money, even if you threw it into a river, you’d at least expect to hear a splash!”